The Devil's Knight (Bound in Darkness) [Mass Market Paperback]

The heroine, Shiobhan, is a difficult person to like. In the beginning of the book, she has the tunnel vision of a fanatic believing that whatever she and her so called "rebels" do against any Norman or any person working for a Norman, whether murder of innocents, terror or destroying property, is justifiable for the wrong done to her and her family when she was a child. She glories in her reputation as a person who gives no quarter and loves to show herself to others as a heartless brigand not to be confused with a soft woman. She even threatens to cut the throat of Tristan's 5 year old daughter to get Tristan to surrender and lay down his arms. Since his heart is bigger than hers, Tristan gives up all to save his child. Although she abhors Tristan for killing members of her band and wants him dead, she apparently sees no problem when the killing is carried out by her renegades against Tristan's holding. It appears that she thinks he has no right to defend himself.

Once she and her brother have taken the castle, they force Tristan to wed her and then plan to kill him. As his widow, Shiobhan will have legal control of the holding. Not only do they send Tristan out to die, they beat him to a pulp before they do it and she feels no remorse. They put him on horseback with two of her men and take him away to kill him. Unfortunately for them, Simon, the vampire hero from the first book in the series, kills them and then seeks to kill Tristan to put him out of his pain. Tristan bites Simon and becomes a vampire himself.

Between Tristan and Shiobhan there is an unwilling attraction. Tristan typically gives into the attraction and doesn't hurt her, but she doesn't have the same inclination. If she has to kill Tristan to keep him from taking vengence against her brother, she'll do it, even if she now thinks she loves him. We're supposed to feel bad for her because she cries as she is stabbing Tristan through the back with a magical dagger that keeps him from healing immediately. She then tries to behead him. This after she's been in his arms in a passionate encounter. She cried when he was sent away to his death and she cries everytime she tries to kill him. She keeps professing to love him, has sex with him, but is still intent on killing him in order to keep her brother safe.

I presume we're supposed to admire Shiobhan because she does what she has to do no matter the emotional anguish the action causes her, but I do not. Everytime Tristan sees her cry he feels bad for her and wants to soothe her. It doesn't make sense that he would continue to want her when she keeps making serious attempts to kill him.

All in all, I cared about the hero but could find no redeeming value in the heroine.

A hero to die for: Tristan DuMaine is a man who loves his little girl above all things. So much so, that he gives up his army, his castle, and his life to save her. Now that he is prisoner to his rebel enemies, Tristan will be forced to wed one of them, putting everything he owns in her hands. After the wedding, he will be slaughtered. His last living words are a plea to his reluctant wife, Siobhan, "My child...my Claire. Promise me. Swear she will be safe." Siobhan swears to protect the child with her own life.

Beaten to near death, Tristan is dumped on the side of a trail. Just as his captors are about to leave him, a wolf attacks them from the forest. While slaughtering both villains, the wolf transforms into a man... a vampire named Simon. (Hero of the prequel to this book, "My Demon's Kiss.") Seeing that Tristan is suffering, Simon decides to take his blood in a mercy kill. While Simon is draining the last of his blood, Tristan vows to go down fighting. He bites Simon back. Taking Simon's blood, Tristan has unknowingly made himself a vampire.

Now that he knows he can't be killed, Tristan is bent upon revenge. He will return to take back his castle and his daughter. He will happily kill both Siobhan and her brother in retaliation for their brutal murdering of his knights and himself. Simon tries to stop him, realizing that Tristan has no idea what kind of creature he has become. But Tristan will not wait. Over the next several days, he will learn what his limitations are the hard way... he must avoid sunlight, and cannot eat food, worst of all he must feed on blood for survival. To Tristan, it is all worthwhile if he can claim his revenge.

When he returns to the castle, Tristan is eager to attack Siobhan. However, when he drinks her blood, he can feel her thoughts and emotions. He realizes that she has been mourning him. He can't kill her. He is enraptured by her.

Siobhan is torn. She must protect her brother from Tristan, but she can't bring herself to kill him. After learning what he is, Siobhan understands what she she must do to destroy him... a wooden stake through his hear and removal of his head. However it is well known that Tristan is a cousin to the king. When Tristan returns to the castle with his royal army, Siobhan must pose as his lady to keep her people safe.

The evil father of all vampires, Lucien Kivar, is eager to use the power in Tristan's land to prolong his own damned existence. The castle is built upon ancient Druid ruins. The skeletons of the the dead buried in the catacombs below. Setting a trap to capture the one person who can bring him power over the world, Kivar will use Siobhan to lure his prize. Tristan and Simon must work together to stop him. When Kivar stabs Siobhan through the stomach, Tristan knows there is only one way to keep her from dying.

An overall terrific and exciting story. My one gripe is with Siobhan's character. It got old watching her betray Tristan again and again. Even trying to kill him several times! I get that she wanted to protect her brother, but seeing how short her brother's loyalty was towards her made it hard to continue to justify that. Despite her continued treachery, Tristan forgives her every time. He evens offers her comfort because she is crying as she is trying to cut off his head! There is such a thing as too much forgiveness.

the stars are really for Tristen. Great, sexy leading man. The herione was a brat and a half. When are writers going to learn that likable leading characters are a must.