In Christina Dodd's Into the Shadow we are brought into the world of Warlord, who is in truth Adrick, the long lost son of the Wilder family. Cursed for over one thousand years by a pact with the devil, the Wilders are actually a rebel off shoot of the evil Varinsky clan who have sold their souls in return for the ability to transform into predators. Warlord was unable to resist this power and chose that route, exchanging all that was good and decent for the brutal lifestyle of a mercenary-until he encounters Karen Sonnet. Drawn by her scent, he begins to visit her in the middle of the night, making passionate love to her in her tent set high in the Himalayas, where she has been charged by her unforgiving father to build a hotel resort.

Following a freak landslide she is saved by Warlord…only to be told that he has decided to keep her. Forever. However, his encampment is overrun by the most vicious Varinsky of all. He sets her free in order to fight with his men, but is captured and is subsequently tortured with them.

When Warlord returns it is as Adrick, who has now come to terms with his dark past and wants another chance. Will their love together be enough to vanquish the forces of evil aligned against his family? And what of the ancient Madonna icon which is needed to break the curse?

In this, the third book of the Darkness Chosen series by Christina Dodd, the author has again successfully drawn the reader into the world she has created, a world populated by daring alpha heroes who change into wolves, falcons and in Adrick's case, a panther. Of course these are offset by the extraordinarily vicious creatures the other Varinskies transform into, but the uncommon strength of the women beside them has so far made the difference in this classic battle between good and evil. With Into the Shadow, Ms. Dodd has taken this one step further in pitting these forces against each other within the hero himself. With unsurpassed skill and dexterity, she has thus recreated the essential sexy bad boy for the heroine to save. Could Adrick be any more bad, or any more sexy? Not bloody likely! I cannot wait for the conclusion to this tale, which promises to be every bit as engrossing as the first three. I highly recommend this book. 5 Angels RR

Reviewed by: Lynn