Lord's Fall by Thea Harrison

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Trade paperback: 304 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: November 6, 2012

Series: Elder Races #5

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, two mates find themselves on different paths, torn between their duty to the Wyr and the passion that binds them…

Before she met Dragos, half-human/half-Wyr Pia Giovanni was alone and on the run. Now she’s mated, pregnant and heading south to repair the Wyrs’ frayed relationship with the Elves. Being separated from Dragos is painful, but for the good of the Wyr demesne they need to figure out how to be partners—in more places than just the bedroom.

In New York to preside over the Sentinel Games, Dragos is worried about his mate, but knows that finding two replacement sentinels is essential to show the rest of the Elder Races just how strong and brutal the Wyr demesne can be. But as the Games heat up, Pia’s negotiations with the Elves take a turn for the dangerous, straining her bond with Dragos and threatening everything they hold dear…

It's been a while since I immersed myself in the Elder Races world and, boy, is it nice to be back! I've read some of the stories between this book and DRAGON BOUND, the first book in the series, which I reviewed last year but I couldn't stop myself from picking up LORD'S FALL when I saw it at the library, even though I'm not completely caught up on the series. And while this is the fifth book in the series, it's only the second book to focus on Dragos and Pia, so I don't think my reading suffered for having skipped the short stories and ORACLE'S MOON because Thea Harrison does a great job of catching you up on the big strokes in the series mythology. So the first good news of this post is that if you loved Pia and Dragos in DRAGON BOUND and want more time with them, you can safely pick up LORD'S FALL with minimal difficulty. Pia and Dragos are still settling into their mated relationship and working out what it means for them to be partners, so since they're just six months into things, and it's great fun watching them negotiate the path they plan to walk for the rest of their lives.

There are two main plots in LORD'S FALL: (1) Dragos is running his Sentinel Games to find two new sentinels (well, seven sentinels total but he hopes his remaining sentinels will be victorious in the games to keep their spots) and (2) Pia is off trying to make peace with the elves after Dragos chased her into their demesne back in DRAGON BOUND. This forces the couple to spend large parts of the book apart, but it actually made the story better for me because we get to see them on their own. It shows the reader how strong their feelings are for each other but also demonstrates that they are still very individual, though they are working on building their partnership. It's an intimidating prospect for both of them since Dragos is ancient and set in his ways, and Pia is a babe in the woods in comparison. But they're both committed to discovering how their partnership will work and it was quite interesting to revisit this couple beyond the initial falling-in-love stages of their relationship. Some of my favourite series are the ones with the same couple front and centre, because we do get to see them deal with the everyday issues that come in a relationship.

We also get introduced to some great new characters. I really liked the folks who go with Pia as her guards. They bring a fresh perspective to the book and a lot of humour. And we get to see a lot of Pia in her role as diplomat, trying to mend fences with the elves. I liked this new role on her and I can't wait to see how else she will grow. And the Sentinel Games were interesting because they gave us some insight into Wyr culture and also because they had the potential to significantly shift the face of the Wyr demesne and, consequently, future novels.I won't spoil it for you but I will say that you'll be happy with the seven individuals who emerge as sentinels at the end of the games, because there's a nice mix of familiar faces and intriguing new ones.

Dragos and Pia are a great couple in paranormal romance and I loved having them centre stage in LORD'S FALL. (And make no mistake, there is a fall in this one.) Harrison can do no wrong with this couple and I sincerely hope we don't have to wait another four novels for our next instalment of their love story.

Read an excerpt

Posted by jenn at 07:06

 Dragon, Penguin, Review, Thea Harrison  2 People left their mark

Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.