Canyons of Night (Arcane Society,#12)(Harmony, #8)(Looking Glass Trilogy,#3)

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Canyons of Night (Arcane Society,#12)(Harmony, #8) (Looking Glass Trilogy #3)

by Jayne Castle (Goodreads Author)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 2,301 ratings · 184 reviews

The island of Rainshadow is home to the mysterious, privately-owned woods known only as the Preserve. Now, after fifteen years away, both Charlotte Enright and her teen crush, Slade Attridge, have returned. But will their psi talents and Slade's dust bunny companion be enough to keep them from getting drawn into the darkness at the heart of the Preserve?

Paperback, 325 pages

Published August 30th 2011 by Jove

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Sep 02, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: futuristic-romance, ghost-hunters, paranormal-romance

(2.5 stars) Canyons of Night moves the Castle/Krentz/Quick's Looking Glass series back to the future and to a new corner of her Harmony world to finish off the trilogy, while apparently starting a new series of Harmony books set on Rainshadow Island.

Slade Attridge had never planned to return to Rainshadow Island, but having suffered a grievous injury to his hunter talent and on the verge of psi-blindness, after a fifteen year absence he's back to play sheriff while pulling together plans for hi...more (2.5 stars) Canyons of Night moves the Castle/Krentz/Quick's Looking Glass series back to the future and to a new corner of her Harmony world to finish off the trilogy, while apparently starting a new series of Harmony books set on Rainshadow Island.

Slade Attridge had never planned to return to Rainshadow Island, but having suffered a grievous injury to his hunter talent and on the verge of psi-blindness, after a fifteen year absence he's back to play sheriff while pulling together plans for his soon to be talentless life. Having also recently returned to Rainshadow to take over her late aunt's antique shop, Charlotte is no longer the geeky young girl with a crush on the older Slade - who long ago played knight in shining armor and also took her exploring in the forbidden Preserve - but she is still captivated by Slade.

Taken on it's own or as the start to the books set on Harmony's Rainshadow Island, Canyons of the Night was a cotton candy read - enjoyable, but without much substance. Both of the pair are likeable for the most part, although during the reunion that serves as our intro to our now grown up leads, Charlotte comes across a bit naggy with Slade whose dust bunny pal is on the loose around her precious antiques. But except for a minor snag on their first date, they are pretty much a done deal from the start, so their relationship just flows along to their happily ever after.

Taken as the final chapter in the Looking Glass trilogy however, Canyon of the Night was pretty thin. There a few of the lethal devices make an appearance, along with a key artifact, but the wrap up to the three book saga was just plain anti-climatic with the villain popping up out of nowhere at the end, and then the classic cartoon villain pitfall leading to defeat - the monologue.

Since this is the Rainshadow series starter, there are at few characters introduced and threads left hanging with respect to the mysterious Preserve. So, Canyons of Night was pleasant enough, if not all that satisfying, and I'll likely read the next one and hope for a bit more ghost hunter action the next time 'round.
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Sep 17, 2011 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-uf

3.5 Stars. Pretty good story. I always liked the old 'Harmony' series, and I like the way JAK has incorporated the Arcane series in with it to give it a jazzy upgrade. The ending was a bit corny; but the story was solid, and looks to be an interesting story arc. As I understand, this book is also the beginning of a new Harmony series. If so, I'm looking forward to the next book. I'm really curious in finding out what is going on in the 'Preserve'.

I hated the cover. This cheesy pic of a biker bab...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Lois Bujold rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reading Krentz/Quick/Castle is something like buying a one-pound assortment of candy, and finding that they are all chocolate-covered cherries. If one happens to like the flavor (which I do), this is not really a problem, but I admit reading a bunch in a row does the author a bit of a disservice. The basic flavor of a K/Q/C romance plot might be shorthanded as "Beauty and the Beast" or "My Bodyguard"; the heroines gradually become more kick-ass over time as the market has permitted (or demanded)...more Reading Krentz/Quick/Castle is something like buying a one-pound assortment of candy, and finding that they are all chocolate-covered cherries. If one happens to like the flavor (which I do), this is not really a problem, but I admit reading a bunch in a row does the author a bit of a disservice. The basic flavor of a K/Q/C romance plot might be shorthanded as "Beauty and the Beast" or "My Bodyguard"; the heroines gradually become more kick-ass over time as the market has permitted (or demanded), but, of course, never more so than their heroes. No “Freddies” here, alas.

The SF-nal series under the Jayne Castle penname beginning with After Dark (2000) is the more successful in terms of genre cross-over with SF than the earlier series (the eponymous Zinnia, Orchid, and Amaryllis); the later-published works are a sort of universe-reboot of the earlier. Both more or less transpose the contemporary Pacific Northwest into SF-nalized colony-planet settings with psi powers, but the series beginning with After Dark adds ancient alien abandoned cities and artifacts to the mix, much to its benefit. “Romantic suspense with psi” might be another thumbnail description.

Of the three latest of this series I picked up from the library this past weekend to treat my reading blahs, I found one shelved in the general fiction section, one in the Romance section, and one in the SF section. (All the same series, mind you. K/Q/C readers need to be persistent and wide-ranging in their shelf searches.) She’s actually done trilogies in her “Arcane Series” with one volume as historical, the second as contemporary and the third as SF, which amuses me vastly and likely gives her publisher fits. Obsidian Prey takes place in her urban colony world setting (with alien maguffins); Canyons of Night and The Lost Night move offshore to an island in P/u/g/e/t S/o/u/n/d the Amber Sea. Castle does rather a lot of the “call a rabbit a smerp”-style of SF writing, but every once in a while she slips in a real smerp.

The books are probably not for the more rabid sorts of SF purists, but they did fix my reading block, as I shot through three of them in two days. Reassuring, and I would read them again sometime when I’m in a similar mood, so I’ll give them a 4-stars rating.

Goodreads does not permit joint reviews, so I'll stick this all somewhat randomly under Canyons of Night. But I'd aim readers new to the series or author to the first "Harmony" novel, After Dark, for starters.

Ta, L.

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Sep 22, 2011 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jayne-ann-krentz-re-reads, science-fiction-fantasy

Although almost all JAK books immediately rate five stars with me, I felt this one was somewhat tepid and not as fast-paced as her other books, but what is probably really happening is that I haven't quite got a handle on the Rainshadow Island thing yet. I read a new JAK so fast that I suspect I miss things that I appreciate more on a second and slower reading, at which time the rating usually goes up. Charlotte and Slade are in a new place, both literally and figuratively. It took nearly three-...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Eryn Lockhart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Canyons of Night is the 3rd book in a trilogy, yet it reads like a prologue for an upcoming book or series. The world of Harmony has been expanded with new locations, a new island, and a new mystery...unfortunately, the biggest mystery was not addressed in the book.

I definitely enjoyed the mix of paranormal, suspense, and romance that Castle does so well. I've been following her Harmony series (and to some extent her St. Helens books), for years. This latest title is a worthy addition to the li...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

2.5 stars

This story has a cute set-up and middle that reminded me a bit of JAK's Eclipse Bay series, but set in Harmony. Unfortunately, it all fell apart with the ending for me -- the typical hero/heroine in peril, escape from said peril because of really contrived circumstances (in this case, Charlotte's psychic sense that Slade is in trouble, even though no-where else is there any indication that she has powers of that sort), et cetera, et cetera.

I think it only really bothered me because I f...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-goodies, sf-f-goodies, keepers

Another enjoyable futuristic romp from Ms Krentz, writing as Jayne Castle (her nom do plume for futuristic stories). We are once again on Harmony, but this time we are in a new locale-Rainshadow Island. Our two main characters, who knew each other(briefly) as teenagers, are back on the island. Charlotte has come back to run her aunt's antiques store after a successful career on the mainland running her own store. Slade is back to accept the job as chief of police after burning out as an FBI-type...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the conclusion of the Looking Glass Trilogy which began in the book In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz and continued in Quicksilver by Amanda Quick. This story moves to the planet of Harmony and takes place on the island of Rainshadow. It is a small isolated island. Charlotte spent part of her childhood there with her aunt and now has returned to take over her aunt's antique store. Charlotte has a little-regarded psychic gift of being a rainbow reader. She can see people's auras and can tun...more This is the conclusion of the Looking Glass Trilogy which began in the book In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz and continued in Quicksilver by Amanda Quick. This story moves to the planet of Harmony and takes place on the island of Rainshadow. It is a small isolated island. Charlotte spent part of her childhood there with her aunt and now has returned to take over her aunt's antique store. Charlotte has a little-regarded psychic gift of being a rainbow reader. She can see people's auras and can tune some antiques to be just the right thing for a person. She has also recently inherited some things from a grateful client. She is busy organizing her aunt's shop and getting settled in on Rainshadow.

Slade Attridge has returned to Rainshadow to be the new chief of police. He has been forced to leave his higher profile career in law enforcement after an accident that the doctors and para-psychologists have said damaged his psychic gift beyond repair. Slade is determined to only stay on Rainshadow for a brief time while he makes other plans for his life.

Charlotte and Slade had met briefly fifteen years before and had been interested in each other but their lives led them in different directions. Now, the romance is rekindled. Slade is reluctant to make any sort of commitment to Charlotte, though, because of his very uncertain future.

But, when Charlotte finds a dead body in her store, Slade's plans to lie low until he has has new life plans in place is derailed. Charlotte may be in danger and Slade's protective instincts come to the fore. They are both busy trying to find out who killed Charlotte's intruder and also what is going on in the Preserve. This privately owned area is changing and becoming more frightening and dangerous.

Adding a lot of humor to the suspense and romance is Slade's dust bunny partner Rex. Dust bunnies are native to Harmony and occasionally adopt some of the humans. Rex looks cute and fluffy most of the time but he is a dangerous predator is there is a threat. Rex also loves zucchini bread which is a constant thread in this book since zucchini season has hit and one of the locals is constantly giving everyone loaves of it. He also has taken a fancy to an antique beaded evening bag from Charlotte's store and won't be parted from it.

This one has all the elements of the most successful of Jayne Castle's books. It has romance. It has danger. It has cute dust bunnies. And it has crisp, snappy dialog. All in all, it was a very satisfying read, a great conclusion to the Looking Glass trilogy, and a great introduction to stories about the Preserve and Rainshadow.

My only quibble with the story concerns the cover. I have no idea who the cover is supposed to illustrate. Charlotte is not the kind to go around in tight leather. That aside, this one is well worth reading.(less)

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Aug 27, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, paranormal-romance

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

I’ve been a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz in her various pseudonyms ever since my Mother-in-Law shared some of her Amanda Quick books with me, and I’ve really enjoyed her Paranormal Romances written under the name Jayne Castle. So I was thrilled when I saw her newest book, Canyons of Night (Book Three of the Looking Glass Trilogy), at Target last night, especially since it’s not being released until Tuesday, August 30. While Canyons of Nig...more You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

I’ve been a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz in her various pseudonyms ever since my Mother-in-Law shared some of her Amanda Quick books with me, and I’ve really enjoyed her Paranormal Romances written under the name Jayne Castle. So I was thrilled when I saw her newest book, Canyons of Night (Book Three of the Looking Glass Trilogy), at Target last night, especially since it’s not being released until Tuesday, August 30. While Canyons of Night feels a little short, it was a pleasant return to the world of Harmony and the Arcane Society.

The book takes place on the island of Rainshadow and begins when three young tourists out for a ride decide to harass 15 year old Charlotte Enright. She’s an awkward girl with horribly nerdy glasses, but she manages to fight off her attackers until 19 year old Slade Attridge shows up and scares them off. Charlotte has a major crush on Slade, who’s the ultimate loner, and she’s thrilled when he agrees to show her parts of the Rainshadow Preserves after her ordeal. The next day he leaves to join the Federal Bureau of Psi Investigation, and Charlotte vows that the next time they see each other he won’t be treating her like a kid sister. Jump to fifteen years later and Slade is back on the island, as is Charlotte. Slade’s burned out from his job with the FBPI and working as the island’s Police Chief for 6 months until he can get his security firm up and running. Charlotte has just moved back to the island herself after inheriting her eccentric Aunt Beatrix’s para-antiques store, Looking Glass Antiques. When the body of a man who was stalking Charlotte in Frequency City appears in her store, Slade senses that his death is not from natural causes and begins an investigation. In the course of the investigation, the two begin an affair and must deal with their fears about their psychic abilities while putting off a few busybody neighbors.

I’ve always enjoyed Ms. Krentz’s writing, and it’s like coming to home to read one of her books. You can count on her having likeable characters and interesting plots, and Canyons of Night is no exception to that rule. Even if you haven’t read any of her other books set in the world of Harmony, you’ll easily be able to follow along. However, while I very much like the book, I do feel that this is the weakest book in the Looking Glass Trilogy, mainly because it is so short. It’s only 325 pages long, and you can really tell the difference between this and earlier books set in Harmony, such as my favorites After Dark and Silver Master. While the older novels may have a similar number of pages, the font is noticeably smaller and there is less space between lines, yielding more text and therefore allowing for more development of characters and plot.

As for the romance between the hero and heroine, Slade is a sexy alpha male and Charlotte is one of Krentz’s trademark quirky heroines. They clearly share a connection from their experience in the Rainshadow Preserves nearly 15 years ago. The two definitely set off sparks, but the romance follows the formula of Krentz’s recent books. Like several of her other newer heroes, Slade’s had a violent change in his psychic abilities that he fears will end in madness, while the insightful heroine manages to help him learn to accept and deal with the changes in his life. But Krentz does a good job of selling us on this formula, and I enjoyed their romance, despite hoping for more development.

As in her other books, the mystery is tidily resolved, but in this particular novel I could spot the villain a mile off, which was somewhat disappointing. The resolution of the conflict between Charlotte and the villain struck me as familiar as well, reminding me of how the heroine in Fired Up! , the first book in the trilogy, manages to extract herself from dangerous situations.

Another niggling complaint has to do with the title of the book, Canyons of Night. The phrase refers to a term that Slade uses to describe the lakes in the mysterious Rainshadow Preserves. I’m a bit conflicted about the use of the Preserves in the book, because they’re featured prominently in the story but our questions about them are never answered. I’m not sure why this was chosen as the title, since the actual mystery in the text doesn’t have anything to do with the Preserves. Several different characters venture into the forest at times and much is made of the fact that most who enter never return or return forever changed. However, the answers to the mystery of the Preserves is clearly intended for a future book. That we never learn about the danger that is clearly developing within the Preserves is a bit of a let-down.

All in all, I enjoyed returning to the world of Harmony and the Arcane Society, especially since we get to meet a new dustbunny, Rex, who likes to carry around an antique beaded clutch he stole from Charlotte’s store. Reading Canyons of Night is like catching up with an old friend, but I would have liked to see more development of Charlotte and Slade’s characters. They’re likeable but, because of the length of the novel and the somewhat formulaic nature of their romance, easily forgettable. (less)

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Feb 22, 2013 Lizabeth S. Tucker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, romance

Charlotte Enright was just 15 when she first met 19 year old Slade Attridge, the night he rescued her from drunken tourists on Rainshadow Island. He also took her into The Preserve, a mysterious wild area with a spooky reputation. Slade left the next day to join the FBPI, but never forgot her. Fifteen years later both have returned to the Island, Slade to temporarily take over as sheriff. Sparks fly as they deal with their attraction to each other as well as Slade's damaged psi-powers and the ps...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: futuristic, jayne-ann-krentz, law-enforcement, paranormal, psychic-connection-romance, read-in-2012

I know alot of people complain about how JAK's books are formulaic, and they ARE in a way, but each character brings a little something different, a little something extra to every book she writes.

This book's plot is the usual, boy saves girl as a child, girl falls in love with boy, boy leaves to find himself, they meet again many years later, etc. It works, I truly liked the characters, both the main characters and the secondary characters. Slade was brooding and sexy, and Charlotte was easy to...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Jayne Castle books, romances with a science fiction setting by author Jayne Ann Krentz, are always a fun escape read. These books, set in the future on a mythical planet called Harmony that was colonized by Earth visitors over two hundred years before, are great fun. They are not particularly great literature, but they continue story lines that begin in Victorian times under the pseudonym Amanda Quick, continue in the present day under the Krentz name, and move to Harmony under the Castle ps...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Shelly Blackmore rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: supernatural

Canyons of Night is the third book in the Looking glass Trilogy. This time, the book is set in a futuristic world, but again, I was a bit lost as to "when" and "where" we were. Eventually (almost the end, actually) they do finally mention J&J and all of their ancestors (who were the main characters in the first two books) although their names are barely an afterthought. Even the note from Jane in the beginning of the book was so vague I had no idea what she was talking about. Perhaps you hav...more Canyons of Night is the third book in the Looking glass Trilogy. This time, the book is set in a futuristic world, but again, I was a bit lost as to "when" and "where" we were. Eventually (almost the end, actually) they do finally mention J&J and all of their ancestors (who were the main characters in the first two books) although their names are barely an afterthought. Even the note from Jane in the beginning of the book was so vague I had no idea what she was talking about. Perhaps you have to have read all of the Arcane Society novels to understand any of this, but I thought in reading a "trilogy", things would be more connected. I was wrong.

After the disappointment in the second book of not seeing the characters from the first book, I expected the same again, so I wasn't AS disappointed this time. I just let myself get to know the new characters and enjoy the ride. Frankly, I don't know why this is listed as a trilogy - the only things the three books have in common are the clockwork toys that kill people, and in this book even they were almost an afterthought. I think maybe I'm going to have to go back to the beginning of the entire Arcane series and see if reading the books from 1-12 makes any more sense. Maybe.

On the upside, there was Rex the futuristic, four-eyed (literally), six legged, purse loving dust bunny who, really, made this book worth reading. His antics and connection to main character Chief Slade Attridge, were funny and mysterious, and he made you want to see what happened next. There was, of course, a murder which had to be solved, but the motive was lame, and the murderer even moreso. Slade's power issues were interesting, but not really mind blowing, and Charlotte's self-professed boring talent, which you expect to be so much more, only turns out to be "so what" more. Actually, the power could be considered pretty cool, but the way it was delivered was in an, "oh gee, guess what I can do" kind of way that just had me shrugging sand saying, you guessed it, "so what?"

I'll do some research and see if there is a proper order in which to read these books. I don't know if I trust the numbered listed with the title - I mean, how can it be book three, book 8 and book 12? But I digress again. If order is not an issue for you, you don't mind feeling like you've missed something - knock yourself out.

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Feb 29, 2012 Barbara ★ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012, paranormal-psychic, romance, aliens-space, series-r-us, zzcover-green, ebooks

What can I say...I love Jayne Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick)! She writes the most exciting romances. Her heroes are always to die for and her heroines are usually kickass. Canyons of Night is no different. I totally loved Slade Attridge. He is the perfect man for Charlotte Enright. His psychic abilities mesh completely with hers making for a perfect match. I particularly liked Rex, the dust bunny with 6 legs, 4 eyes and a mouthful of sharp teeth. He provided the needed comic relief. I l...more

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Sep 05, 2011 farmwifetwo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those needing something to read they don't have to concentrate on or invest any emotion in

Shelves: jak

I broke down and bought this one, I haven't bought the last couple JAK's but there was a really good sale at Chapters :)

It's bland. JAK is known for her quick, light, fluffy, no "woe is me's", plots. But this one was bland. The characters were flat. The romance dull. The "canyon's" were mentioned with more of a follow-up to come in a future book. The mystery non-existant but it all comes together nicely in the end.

JAK can write a much better story.

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Dec 12, 2011 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, mystery, fantasy-sci-fi, girly

I hate to say anything negative about a book, I really do. Even if I couldn't stand it or couldn't finish it (or both), I just don't like to say anything bad about it, at least in print. The way I see it, this author plus all the people who got this book ready for the market put in a lot of time, effort, and hard work. And yet...and yet...

I've been reading Jayne Castle's (aka Jayne Ann Krentz, aka Amanda Quick) Harmony series for years and years. I think reading any new editions has just become...more I hate to say anything negative about a book, I really do. Even if I couldn't stand it or couldn't finish it (or both), I just don't like to say anything bad about it, at least in print. The way I see it, this author plus all the people who got this book ready for the market put in a lot of time, effort, and hard work. And yet...and yet...

I've been reading Jayne Castle's (aka Jayne Ann Krentz, aka Amanda Quick) Harmony series for years and years. I think reading any new editions has just become habit. So here's the gist: some time in our (us real people) future and a few centuries in the character's past, some kind of cosmic door opened between Earth and another planet and we earthlings, being intrepid adventurers that we are, went through it. All was fine, until said cosmic door closed, and suddenly everything the earth-folk brought with them (computers, electronics, and such) stopped working. They created a primitive type society, working to stabilize the population, all next to a green (and long empty) alien city. The city couldn't be inhabited because...well...weird alien stuff. Jump to the character's present, and former-earthlings have since developed various psychic abilities enabling them to cope in their new environment, they're back up to speed with technology, and at least one protagonist will have a "pet" dust bunny - a dust bunny that has four eyes and likes to viciously attack anyone who threatens their humans.

So, I could tell you about this novel, but as so often happens with long-running series, it's exactly like every other book in the series. Ugh. The main differences here are that instead of taking place in one of the main cities, this story takes place on an island, and instead of the hero and heroine going underground into the strange, green, alien city, there's some kind of wonky nature preserve that people go in, but never return. Oh, and as the series goes on, each hero and heroine has bigger, badder powers and faces bigger, badder dangers. But everything else? EXACTLY THE SAME.

Once upon a time, I really liked these books. The first few times. It was new and interesting; now it's old and stale. It also ties in to Krentz's Arcane novels. I've never read any of those, so I don't know how they stack up, but I probably will never attempt to find out. And yet I keep reading this series as new titles are published. Maybe I'm a masochist. I don't know.

I'd suggest one of the first few titles in this series if you like a bit of sci-fi mixed in with your romance, or romance mixed in with your sci-fi, but stop there. Because after that: they're ALL THE SAME.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Kezermezer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Charlotte Enright has never forgotten the night Slade Attridge saved her from three attackers and took her into the dark, beautiful, dangerous Preserve, a privately owned forest filled with mysterious psi energy. Fifteen years later Charlotte and Slade meet again, and the attraction between them has grown even stronger. But so have the forces inside the Preserve...

I'm a big fan of Castle (aka Krentz aka Quick) and the Arcane series, but like so many other reviewers I was disappointed with this o...more Charlotte Enright has never forgotten the night Slade Attridge saved her from three attackers and took her into the dark, beautiful, dangerous Preserve, a privately owned forest filled with mysterious psi energy. Fifteen years later Charlotte and Slade meet again, and the attraction between them has grown even stronger. But so have the forces inside the Preserve...

I'm a big fan of Castle (aka Krentz aka Quick) and the Arcane series, but like so many other reviewers I was disappointed with this one. It manages to plod on and on, but at the same time ends up feeling more like a short story than a novel. Charlotte and Slade don't come alive in the way I'm used to seeing from Castle, and while she's usually an old hand at weaving an interesting, exciting, well-paced plot, this one falls thin and flat. The villains are cookie-cutter, the intense excitement characteristic of Castle is missing, the psi talents don't feel like anything special and the mystery is not very compelling, nor are many things resolved. Indeed, this book felt more like an introduction to a coming series.

Castle, in all her personas, has a tendency to write lead women that, while strong, independent, and sexy, tend to talk like goobers at times. See: "'What in the world?' she gasped. 'Oh, my goodness, look, an aurora.'" She also likes to describe orgasms in a ridiculous, uber-ethereal way. See: "In the next moment the tension inside her was released in wave after wave of deep, satisfying currents. She was flung into the heart of the glorious storm." I don't know if my patience for these is just wearing thin with time or if they're less forgivable when not surrounded by a great story, but man, it's getting old.

Slade's dust bunny Rex is definitely a high point, some of the sex is hot and despite its problems the novel is okay. Just not anything more than okay.

Canyons is, in my opinion, the weakest of the Looking Glass trilogy, which is the weakest of the Arcane series. Don't give up on Arcane or Castle. She has a lot to offer. You just won't find much of it here. (less)

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Nov 10, 2011 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, romance

I used to be big fan of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle, but lately, I would have to say, if you have read one of her books, you have read them all. Ever since she began writing about the Arcane Society, all her stories and characters seem to blend together. I would be hard pressed to recall the differences between them without refreshing my memory by reading a synopsis. And while Canyons of Night features an appealing couple--I have already forgotten their names--they are just like a...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-romance-paranormal-suspense

Canyons of the Night is the third book of the Looking Glass Trilogy, part of the Arcane Society books. The Arcane Society books are divided into historical (Amanda Quick), contemporary (Jayne Ann Krentz) and futuristic (Jayne Castle). The futuristic books are also part of the Harmony series. This is only the second book that I have read of the Harmony series. The other two Looking Glass books were read long ago but the characters in the Arcane Society books appear to all be readily identifiable...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Rosario (http://rosario.blogspot.com/) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Charlotte Enright and Slade Attridge met as teens on Rainshadow Island. There was a certain connection between them, but both left the island and made their lives elsewhere. Charlotte's career was in selling antiques, and Slade joined the FBPI (basically, the FBI, but with a P for Psychic).

Years later, they're both back. Charlotte has inherited her aunt's antiques shop, and Slade has become the chief of police, after an accident that forced him to leave the FBPI. They soon discover the connectio...more Charlotte Enright and Slade Attridge met as teens on Rainshadow Island. There was a certain connection between them, but both left the island and made their lives elsewhere. Charlotte's career was in selling antiques, and Slade joined the FBPI (basically, the FBI, but with a P for Psychic).

Years later, they're both back. Charlotte has inherited her aunt's antiques shop, and Slade has become the chief of police, after an accident that forced him to leave the FBPI. They soon discover the connection between them is still there.

So, I've persevered through the years with Jayne Castle, even though my main reaction to her books these days is "meh". This one is promising. Oh, there's all the expected elements: a half-baked Arcane-related plot (some people searching for a paranormal object with the potential to be used as a weapon, of course) and main characters with unique talents, which put them outside the mainstream of their society.

The focus here, however, is squarely on the characters and the romance, and there was a hint of vintage JAK there. It's just a hint, so there's a long way to go, but I'm hopeful. Charlotte and Slade really connect, and there's even a teenager who has taken on Slade as his role model. It needed more of all of this to be as good as older books, but it's a good start.

I've seen loads of comments along the lines that this book was a thin, unsatisfying end to the Looking Glass trilogy, and that people weren't satisfied with the way it concluded the paranormal elements. The thing is, see, that I don't give a fig about all the plotty bits, because I don't think JAK's been particularly good at them lately. I'm only here for the relationships, so when she leaves her plot half-baked and feeling like an afterthought (as it did here), her books tend to work better for me. There is some setting up of future books, and mysteries around something called the Rainshadow preserve, but I barely paid that any notice, to be honest.

So, an ok read. Oh, and as always, I loved the dustbunny. I loved the gentle humour with which Rex was written, and I giggled out loud at the image of him going around with his beaded clutch. Cute, but in a very good way.

MY GRADE: I might be rating on the generous side here, but I'll give it a B. Rex raised it from a B- all on his own.(less)

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Mar 13, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, paranormal, romance, science-fiction, suspense-thriller

We're on Castle's future world of Harmony, learning about a new mystery: A strange area called the preserve, protected by a border few can even penetrate. There’s something weird in there, and many who have gone looking for it never came out.

Fascinated? Okay, me too. Wish we’d gotten some answers is this book, but as this is the first book in yet another new subseries, we will hopefully get more answers soon.

This was a good read, despite not learning the tantalizing secret. Charlotte and Slade...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A little island on the planet of Harmony looks like a good retreat for an injured psi-cop. In fact, it is another of Castle/Krentz's little beachfront villages, except that it has a power nexus inside it. The new antiques dealer Charlotte has intruders who evidently think Charlotte or her aunt collected an antique weapon. Considered to have slight talents, Slade and Charlotte need to learn to get the best out of their talents to protect each other.

Castle has pretty much returned to her roots wit...more

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Oct 03, 2011 E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Third of the "Looking Glass Trilogy", set in the future on the planet Harmony. Charlotte Enright has what is considered a low-level talent but she has used it to help her become a successful antiques dealer. Charlotte has never forgotten Slade Attridge who made such a big impression on her 15 years ago and when she returns to Rainshadow Island to discover that he has also returned but only plans a temporary stay. Both of them are still strangely attracted to each other but their past experiences...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Jeanne Mulcahy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Willing suspension of disbelief" Isn't that what it's called? I was expecting suspense/fantasy and that was fine. But really, a four-eyed, six-legged dust bunny? It kept stuffing shiney objects into a black evening clutch. I thought for sure it had some bearing on the plot, but I never saw it. He(?)was, all the same, a charming, though vicious, little creature. I have read the first two books in this trilogy. All three took place in different time periods, but I felt like I missed the first par...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Olga Godim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

One of the best of this author's recent releases, which isn’t saying much. None of her recent books can compare to her wonderful novels of the previous decade. This particular story is solid and well constructed, the descriptions are intriguing, but the characters are not exactly 3-dimentional, and their love develops too easily. Or rather, it doesn’t develop at all: it seems to be already there from the beginning. Nevertheless, the narration flows effortlessly, demanding no emotional involvemen...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed another romantic suspense with a paranormal twist on the the world of Harmony. I always get sucked into this futuristic world of Jayne's by the new cities and cultures developed by the humans who settled this world. I was in love with Slade from the first chapter. I could definitely relate to Charlotte as the woman who was successful in her own right by using her talent that was considered "not very useful". It was fun, the romance was hot and the characters were well developed. The su...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Joy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 21c, american, romance, paranormal, romantic-suspense

I found the last two Arcane books to be underwhelming (even in comparison to my not-super-high expectations), but this was an improvement. (Which is somewhat surprising, since the Harmony books are usually the silliest ones.) Anyway, I think this benefited from having few Guild-shenanigans (I think that territory has been very thoroughly covered in earlier books) and different setting from earlier books. And the romance was between two people who had a meaningful history, rather than two people...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Jage rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, trilogy, meh

This didn't flow for me at all. Harmony is usually my favourite world of hers but this introduction of hte Arcane Society just, ugh. The first few alright, i don't mind jacking up the power options a bit but the whole opening of this story felt like she was retelling the Arcane Society's history.

Their conversations didn't feel real to me, it all felt like set up in the beginning and it just didn't have the pull the early Harmony books have for me. It's weird because I enjoy her Arcane society s...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Michelle Tempted By Books rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hmmm, well I guess that was the last book in the Looking Glass Trilogy, its really damn hard to follow which books are to be read in which order. That continues to be my may complaint about these books. This is an Arcane Society book in Harmony? Which left me a little disconcerted for a period. I kept wondering if this was a Ghost Hunter or what exactly. At any rate, the characters were all interesting, they had great chemistry and the story was not too predictable. I think the story of the youn...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Sobia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While CoN wasn't a bad read, it was no where near JAK's best...I had the hardest time getting invested in this story...and then it felt far too short....like nothing really happens....Conversely this also took me a few days to read because I kept putting it down and switching to something else.

I did like the HEA, though...I thought it was typical but sweet...a nice way to end the story....and I am still looking forward to the next book....so I guess my advice, is to get this one from the librar...more

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Jayne Ann Krentz ...: Canyons of Night (2011) Arcane 12, Looking Glass 3	1	2	Sep 27, 2012 10:56am
The Ultimate ABC ...: Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle	1	1	Mar 14, 2012 05:13am

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About Jayne Castle

The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Sant...more

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Midnight Crystal (Harmony, #7) (Arcane Society, #9) (dreamlight trilogy, #3)

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“It has been suggested that hanging out with a dust bunny who carries a purse might have a negative impact on my image as a hard-core crime fighter."
"Don't be ridiculous. It's a very nice clutch.” — 11 people liked it

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