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I fell in love a little bit with Manannán mac Lir, “Mac,” when he put in an appearance in Kalen and Christine’s story (The Awakening) and after reading his story in The Crossing, I love him all the more. Mac is a Celtic demigod and half Sidhe who has always found happiness in his music. However, after the epic battle to save Immortal Tain from the demon who owned him, Mac is at a loss. His free lifestyle has grown weary. When a Sidhe village under Mac’s care is attacked by an impossible thing, a spell made of both life and death magic, and a baby nearly dies, Mac has a new mission – destroy the one responsible. Artemis Black is a desperate woman. Her son’s soul has been stolen by the most powerful of demons and her only hope is to bargain with another demon to save him. Her ability to weave life and death magic is a dangerous one, leaving marks on her soul that can never be erased each time she uses it. She’ll do it however to save Zander, even if it means lying and cheating to get what she wants. The last thing she needs is an appealing Immortal demigod dogging her every move. Mac cannot let anything happen to those under his protection yet when he finds Artemis, her desperation calls to him in ways he never imagined. Now he will do anything, even make The Crossing, Artemis at his side, into the very depths of Hell itself. How can a being of life magic like Mac survive in the very pit of despair and death? Mac is permanently scarred from the battle for Tain’s soul and that blackness is tainting his every thought and action. The temptation is great to just give in and let the death magic win until he meets Artemis. She is a rare witch who will help him hold onto the life magic at his core all the while her presence in his life makes the desire to hone his new death magic stronger. Artemis is a good person forced to perform foul magic out of desperation. Somehow even in her darkest moments before Mac entered her life, she always managed to hold on to the love in her heart. Mac and Artemis are perfect complements to one another. Their love for one another shines through everything, from facing down the Sidhe council to the ultimate battle for their souls, and that of little Zander. The Crossing is so fast paced that it blew my mind the events unfolding occur in less than two days when the time line registered in my brain. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I’ve had a pretty hectic few weeks and it was driving me crazy I couldn’t just sit down and polish off the entire book in one sitting. It was that good. Joy even manages to throw a few shockers into the mix that made the story that much more captivating. I also enjoyed the chance to catch up and visit with Kalen and Christine and see how they’ve been faring since The Awakening. The Crossing is yet another excellent book by Joy Nash. She has never disappointed me with one of her stories and I’m happy to say this one surpasses them all. What an intriguing blend of Celtic lore and Christian fantasy! Who else would have dreamed up having a Celtic half-Sidhe demigod face down demons in all ten circles of Hell? I enjoyed Dante’s Inferno years ago when I read it in school so I especially loved Joy’s nods to his brilliant vision. © Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2008. All rights reserved. |
Immortals: The Crossing Rating:
Posted October 2008 |
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