Scorched: The Dark Forgotten
By  Sharon Ashwood
Signet
December 2009

Newly demonized Conall “Mac” Macmillan can’t seem to shake his appetite for human souls. Being only half demonized, a condition brought about by kissing another demon, Mac would like nothing more than to have his old life back. But since he can’t quite be trusted around other humans, he’s sentenced to an otherworldly prison called “the Castle,” a dungeon designed for the magically-possessed.

Constance Moore, one of the Castle’s resident vampires lives and works at the Castle as a servant to Atreus of Muria, a once powerful sorcerer. With his magic now waning, those in his household, including Constance and her adopted son, are vulnerable to attack. And having never tasted human blood, Constance lacks the powers of a normal vampire. Knowing this, Captain Reynard and his heavy-handed prison guardsmen pay a visit to Atreus and offer their protection to the old man in exchange for Constance’s teenaged son, a coveted incubus.

Shortly after he arrives at the Castle, Mac encounters Constance, who sees him take out one of the guards with relative ease. She senses the potential for opportunity, realizing that he can help her rescue her son, and being part human, he could also be her first taste of blood.

The second installment of Ashwood’s innovative Dark Forgotten series is filled with imaginative characters, taut suspense, and clever humor. The use of CSUP Radio, 101.5 FM “on the beautiful University of Fairview campus,” draws the reader into the story by tuning them in to local talk-radio that ties the plot and action together. Ingenius. Pull up a chair at Baba Yaga’s Restaurant and dig in!

Sandra Van Winkle, ReadertoReader.com