Dominion [Mass Market Paperback]

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Ms. Jackson has a winner with this novel. This is a thought-inducing story, which will make one wonder about the possibility of reincarnation.

Domitien had loved and lost, centuries ago, when his wife and unborn child were brutally slain. He was so heartbroken in that life that he vowed he would never again know love, no matter how many eternities or lives he experienced. What he doesn't realize is that after so many lives of refusing to acknowledge love, he was facing his last hope. If he did not let go of his ancient hatred and vow against love, his soul would be destroyed and he'd never have another chance.

The Creator has plans for Dom though, hoping that this time, in this life, he will finally create the perfect woman for Dom, with whom he could not help but fall in love. For He has taken all of the best characteristics of her past incarnations, those that most intrigued Dom, and combined them in to one woman, Laris, who he imagined even Dom couldn't resist. Laris was a great beauty, ethereally so, with red hair, luminous skin, and a voice even angels would long to have. But was that enough?

When first Laris and Dom meet, in her dreams, she is unable to resist his allure, and even Dom was drawn into the fantasies. When they meet in person for the first time, nothing could keep them apart. Until an ancient enemy enters their lives, the same enemy who has followed them through all their lives... Rychard. Rychard's goal is to destroy them both, as it has always been. The only way to escape for Laris and Dom is to cross through Death's door, literally, and then the real journey begins. They travel through many of Dom's past lives, The Creator's hope being that they will learn the lessons that have eluded them, and bring them together for all eternity. Will Dom learn once again to love? Or will Laris fail and the two of them be separated forever?

WOW! This book was absolutely incredible. Ms. Jackson has it all here - eternal love, ancient vows, truly evil enemies, adventures like one could never imagine. The reader will be drawn into the story from the very first page, the very first life Dom and Laris share, the one that sets the tone for all to follow. The emotion in this story is high, making one laugh, cry, and rage at Lady Fate, right alongside the main characters.

The passion between Laris and Dom is electrifying, as it had been from their first life together, and the emotion between them is incredibly powerful. They have a love unlike any other, even if Dom refuses to acknowledge it, swearing to not feel anything at all. One hopes and prays they will find the answers necessary to the end of their sad journey, bringing them together as they should be.

What's really interesting about this story is how Ms. Jackson weaves all the lives together seamlessly, through flashback type scenes at the beginning of each chapter. This is intriguing because it gives some glimpse of Dom (and Laris) and why they are in their present situation. There was one nice scene where the current life "bumped into" a past life and that added an extra dimension to the tale.

This is truly an emotionally packed story that will have the reader continuing just as fast as possible, to see what will happen next, and what depth of emotion will be reached in the different chapters. Ms. Jackson has written a story that packs quite a wallop for the reader, proving why she is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the romance genre. Way to go Ms. Jackson; if this reviewer was not already a lifelong fan, this book would have made her one.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2003. All rights reserved.

Dominick loathed Rychard and God for taking away his beloved pregnant wife Isabella. He vowed that he would regain his love one day, but continued to fight for the Great One's priests in defending what remained of Charlemagne's once proud empire.

Over several lives during the next millennium, Dom rejected the notion of a new love having never recovered from the loss of his beloved Isabella. He reputes any other love, as Dom only wants Isabella.

Opera singer Laris Thiessen suffers disturbing dreams in which the repetitions which occurs every night makes her weary and wary. When she meets Dom, Laris realizes he is the co-star of what has taken on nightmarish proportions every time she sleeps. Now if he can only convince her to believe that they once shared a love of a shortened lifetime that deserves eternity by escaping into their pasts. Still, his enemy stalks them, but perhaps Dom will find the solace he has lacked for a thousand years.

DOMINION is a very complex romance that uses reincarnation, time travel, and other religious celestial elements to provide readers with a deep tale. Because of the complexities of the plot, the novel starts off slow as Melanie Jackson needs time to introduce the various elements and key players to the audience. Give the story line a chance because once it shifts into gear it never slows down until the climax enabling the obsessed Dom to hook the audience as he battles with the Heavens for love.

Harriet Klausner

Warning up front, this book nearly goes so slow for the first 100 pages you might give up. It is very well written, but the first 100 pages just does not capture the reader. It is so distant, does not invoke your emotions or make you care about the characters. BUT>>>>after page 100 things take a sharp turn and suddenly the book propels you along, and into the past lives of Dom and Laris, as the memories rise to the surface and pushes them to fight for their love or to lose it for all eternity.

Jackson is always a beautiful writer, but think the first part really hurt the book. But I recommend stick through and enjoying this very interesting, thought provoke work on the question of love, past lives and how much do you really love - can you put yourself second to that love....once it moves into high speed it is breathtaking.

The 4 stars is because of the slow start. Last two-thirds of the book would rate 5. Still one of the more original works in the genre and recommended!!

WISE Writers and Readers Book of the Month August 2002