A Feral Darkness [Mass Market Paperback]

Without knowing what she was doing, she created a place of power near the spring that ran through her family's property thereby giving the god a place to dwell. When, her dog finally dies at an amazingly advanced age, she buries him in this sacred place and raises a cairn of rocks to mark the place. Years pass with her often visiting the grave and "keeping it nice" not realising that by doing so she is keeping the site active and inadvertently praying to Mars Nodens by thinking of the good times she and her pet had together.

Things go wrong when a group of rowdy teenagers desecrate the site and shed blood. A dark power is released to contest ownership of the spring and of Brenna. A new strain of rabies begins to take its toll over the animal and human population. Brenna struggles to understand what is happening and together with a man she doesn't entirely trust, she fights against to the darkness and its human servant.

This book was okay, but not even close to what Ms Durgin can produce. I recommend skipping this one in favour of Dun Lady's Jess, Changespell, Changespell Legacy, or Wolf Justice

Mark E. Cooper...

Years later, Brenna discovers that she opened a gateway of power by a spring on her property - a gateway that can be used for both great good and great evil. To survive, she must rely on her wits and follow her instincts to strengthen the gateway as a power for good. She also finds assistance from a mysterious stranger, Masera, whom she is unwillingly attracted to. But her greatest helpmate is a puzzling stray dog named Druid who becomes far more than a faithful companion...

This book was a fun find for me as it is different than your typical fantasy. I like dogs, but do not own one, and it was very entertaining to hear about Brenna's job as a dog groomer and all of the problems that she has to deal with every day. The book is packed with interesting characters and I enjoyed meeting all of them. The plot was pretty well-paced, it seemed to kind of stall in a couple of spots, but it kept me going and I read it in one sitting. My only complaint is that Durgin spent quite a bit of time on a debate between Christian religions (believing in a God) and pagan religions where there are many gods. The main character, Brenna, struggles with believing in both and visits the priest at the church a couple of times, has inner debates, etc. It was a little distasteful to me, but nothing bad, of course. Still, it caught me unpleasantly by surprise and I just want to offer a fair warning!

The book is about a young heroine who dabbles in the mystic powers of the great beyond and bites off more than she can chew. I highly recommend any fantasy fan to read this book, finally an author who writes about a subject new and fresh!! This book is like none other you have ever read. Doranna is a wonderful writer, ENJOY!!!