What a delightful surprise this book turned out to be and certainly not the genre the cover may lead you to believe, or even perhaps the title. Whilst the title is relevant to the story, a reader can be forgiven for thinking this is purely a historical romance. The story itself however is much more and is perfect for fans of the fantasy paranormal romance genre. And if you have read and enjoyed the fantastic ‘Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series’ by Author Laurell K. Hamilton you will definitely enjoy Lady Emma’s diaries and all its similarities.
The main protagonist Pollie, inherits her stately family home which holds a dark secret. Every 150 years a portal to another dimension opens and an evil chimera comes through to battle for its freedom and bring chaos and evil to her world. Pollie’s female descendants are the heart of a coterie, a group of humans with magical abilities, who are bonded together and have been battling the chimera for over 800 years. Whilst they have manage to contain it and send it back to its dimension they have never been able to destroy it. The coterie are known by a mysterious mark that suddenly appeared on their wrists when they were eleven years old. The mark lays dormant until the time comes when they must unite and uncover the history of this ancient evil using the letters and diaries that Lady Emma leaves safely hidden for Pollie to find. Pollie as the heart of the coterie must bring them all together and build their bond, learning how to blend and use their magical abilities. Will she succeed where her ancestors failed? Any why did the person closest to her betray her?
The plot moves at a great pace, and is really engaging with murder, witches, ghosts, secret rooms, and mythical beasts there is plenty to love. There is a great cast of characters and I am really looking forward to seeing them develop further. I love the bond that is developing between Pollie and her male coterie especially with Andrew who has been trapped in the past with the chimera until the portal opens once again. The dialogue is credible and moves the story forward well and apart from the odd typo’s here and there, this is well written and an entertaining read that will leave readers wanting more.
I am really looking forward to the next book in this series.
I award 4.5 stars.
