I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I loved the descriptions of the Louisiana swamp and its inhabitants, and the story was fast-paced and exciting, but on the other hand I found the accent of the people forced and it served to distract me from the story. I know the way people from Louisiana sound and reading the author's interpretation of the local dialect was disappointing. Maybe it's just me, but I was so busy reading the words exactly as Feehan had written them (all of the "don'" do thats and "goin'" to do thats,) that I felt like I missed some of the magic in the story - seriously, the word "don'" had to be used at least a hundred and fifty times!

As with all her series', Christine Feehan is a master at weaving her stories together and introducing new characters that I am certain to pine for in the coming year. Anxiously awaiting the newest installment in any of her series' is something that I find delicious. I hope however that her next book will focus more on the story instead of the way her characters sound.