Review : So Still the Night by Kim Lenox

Today it is my supreme pleasure to pass along my review of Kim Lenox 's second novel in her Shadow Guard series, So Still the Night. For those just arriving to The Vortex, Lenox's debut novel, Night Falls Darkly, became one of my favorite reads of 2008 and earned a coveted place on my keeper shelf (and remember, I don't have the dreamy shelves that take up expansive real estate yet). I anticipated this latest release, doubting if any sophmore entry into the paranormal romance genre could be as satisfying as her first. How wrong I was to worry. So Still the Night exceeded my hopes.

Marcus Helios, an immortal member of the elite Shadow Guards tasked with reclaiming the most wicked and depraved human souls, rose to a supreme level of self-sacrifice when he exchanged one heroic act for his sanity. In danger of transcending and being hunted in Victorian London by the very order who seeks to rid the world of his kind, his only hope to return to the Guard's graces lies encoded in an ancient scroll in the hands of a beautiful woman named Mina, who'll protect her father's archaeological legacy at all costs. This time, Jack the Ripper's jilted lover, The Dark Bride, preys on Mark's ever-present descent into madness, threatening to forever exile him to the dark side to await his assassination.

Though on the surface, Mark seems a more refined and sophisticated hero than Night Falls Darkly's Archer, the extent of his inner demons and the irony of him being both savior and sinner make him an irresistible hero. Yes, the cover art Gods shined on Lenox's entire series, but don't let Mark's quasi-Men-Without-Hats-guy appearance fool you. He's devastatingly charming, confident, sensual and tortured. Sign me up!

Lenox's Victorian London holds no wilting flowers, either. As Elena was in book one, Mina is a strong, independent and adventurous heroine, even challenging the hero's sexual prowess when he questions her about her virginity. She wavers confidently between self-preservation and desire, never letting the reader forget how intelligent women navigate challenges of the mind and affairs of the heart.

Lenox's brand of paranormal comes seasoned lightly with a taste of the Gothic, incorporating fog-laden crypts, skeletal flashes of madness, and palpable fear woven seamlessly into unforgettable scenes rife with sexual tension. I doubt I'll look at a hot air balloon the same again. Just sayin'. Her prose is direct when it needs to be, a painted masterpiece of visuals to draw the reader in and passionately true to the genre.

And the best part? I happen to have an extra pristine copy of So Still the Night along with a handful of glossy bookmarks to slide into your summer read. All you have to do is leave a comment in this post by midnight Sunday. I'll draw a name first thing Monday. You don't have to have read Night Falls Darkly to immerse yourself in So Still the Night, but why deny yourself? Find that one, too.

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