zondag 14 november 2010

Jayne Castle – Midnight Crystal

The third book in the Arcane Society: Dreamlight Trilogy series, published in 2010.


Midnight Crystal

For many Earthly centuries a legendary curse has plagued the Winters family, stemming form the tumultuous founding of the Arcane Society. But now, on the futuristic world of Harmony, the curse’s final mystery will be unravelled…

Adam Winters has enough responsibility as the new head of the local Ghost Hunter Guild without being saddled with the family curse. He’s convinced his recent nightmares and hallucinations will lead to him becoming a psychic rogue – unless he can find a stolen relic and a woman who can read dreamlight.

Marlowe Jones rides into his life on a motorcycle and with a dust bunny at her side. Though a descendant of the rival Arcane family, she’s just what Adam needs: a psychic private investigator and dreamlight reader extraordinaire.

Together, amid the glowing catacombs and steamy underground jungles at Harmony, Adam and Marlowe must break the curse, save the entire underworld – and fight a passion that could destroy them both…



I truly loved this book, but I am also kind of sorry I read it. It means there are no new books in this series to look forward to for a very long time. I am confident there will be more, but there will probably first come a historical Amanda Quick novel, then a contemporary Jayne Ann Krentz novel, and only then perhaps a new futuristic Jayne Castle novel. I love them all, but I have fallen for this great world with its adorable dustbunnies.



When Marlowe Jones contacts Adam Winters, and asks him to meet her somewhere private, she has no idea of the intrigue that will follow. Marlowe informs Adam that a powerful relic has been stolen from the Arcane Society museum, called the Burning Lamp. It belongs to the Winters family, and is needed every few generations to save one of the men from becoming an insane Cerberus talent. But Adam tells her not to worry, the lamp in the museum was just a fake. As a matter of fact, he has been looking for the real lamp for quit some time now, as the real one has disappeared too. And as she is a PI, the new head of Jones and Jones, with the full power of the Arcane Society behind her, he can really use her help. According to legend, only when a Winters and a powerful dreamlight reader work together, they will find the lamp.

Then their meeting is abruptly disturbed by a gunshot. Someone has been trying to kill Adam ever since he became the new Guild Boss of Frequency city. The second shot blasts one of the tyres of her motorcycle, so that area of escape is gone to. The only way to stay alive is to get down into the catacombs. Which is not so easy as there is a vortex over the entrance. Luckily, Adam is powerful enough to deal with that. But the afterburn of using so much psy power really kicks in hard and fast. They barely make it safely to an underground rainforest where they will be safe from their pursuer.

Soon after Adams collapses, Marlowe senses his nightmares, and soothes him with her powers. Then she leaves him asleep for six hours, causing their return to the city really late. The tabloids have a field day with that, their picture is splattered all over the front page: new Guild Boss and his mistress … Marlowe is not amused by that, and neither is her family. But they believe she and Adam are meant for each other, her mother is after all a very strong talent too … Marlowe got burned really badly by a con artist a few weeks ago, so she is very cautious about Adam. But Adam knows she is the one from the start, so he doesn’t mind the fuss all that much. He wants her for his wife, and he will make sure to get what he wants.

But first they have to find the Burning Lamp, heal his parasenses and then save the underworld. All in a days work ofcourse.

But the danger is not over when that is done. Other people want to Burning Lamp for themselves.



A really great story again. Filled with action, and humor. Gibson the dustbunny is no artist like Elvis or Vincent, but he does have a lot of friends. And when your friends come to visit, you have to feed them of course.

I liked both Marlowe and Adam a lot. Marlowe is really hot on that bike of hers, and Adam notices that right away. They work really well together, even though there is a bad history between the Winters and the Joneses. I loved the part where the ancient prophesy became reality. How Adam was prepared to die to save Marlowe, and how she saved him instead.

There are some hot love scenes too, and of course some of the previous characters make an appearance here. All in all, a good read.

9 stars.



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