Lucan [Mass Market Paperback]

Begins on Earth, in the near future. Lucan Roarke has been searching for the legendary Holy Grail for what seems like forever. Lucan hopes that the Grail's mystical powers may be more truth than fable because Earth's people are becoming sterile. Unless a cure is found soon the human race will become extinct. When Lucan and his twin sister stumble into a hidden chamber, they find a star map showing the way to Avalon. Since Avalon is shown to reside across the galaxy on a moon named Pendragon, Lucan heads for the stars.

On Pendragon, the High Priestess is credited to have mystical healing powers. Though Cael is a healer and dragonshaper, she yearns for nothing more than to be treated like any other normal citizen. When she dragonshaped for the first time as a young girl, the Elders took her away to raise. They taught her all she would need to know about being able to morph into a dragon and control its primal nature. By law, any who touch a High Priestess is subject to the penalty of death.

When Cael is stuck in a dark conduit, Lucan is there to help set her free from the ductwork. His is the first living touch she has felt since her childhood. No one witnessed it, or her reaction to him, so Cael kept quiet for fear he would he executed simply for helping her. Lucan is the linguist in the Avalon Project. Those in the project have been trying to figure out the secrets of ancient glyphs to bring down Avalon's shields and open the way into the obelisk holding the Grail. But once the shields are down, the military immediately assassinates the team. Lucan and Cael's escape is pure luck, but Lucan is injured as they flee. To save him, Cael must break a High Priestess's sacred law. By doing so, Lucan's DNA will be forever altered. Then comes the news that they are accused of their team's deaths.

**** FOUR STARS! This is the first of a futuristic romance trilogy by an author who is known to please her readers. All three titles will be released by March 2010. Each title contains a main stand-alone tale, as well as a continuous running sub-plot that deals with a mutual enemy. The second book title is Rion (Pendragon Legacy), release date of late November 2009. The third is Jordan, release date of March 2010.

This first story is not only full of action and hot romance, but also sets the foundation for the next two stories. Fans of the King Arthur legends will be pleased to know that the tales are vital to this trilogy. I believe that mostly women will enjoy this story; however, if the men do not mind some hot love scenes then they will find themselves very satisfied. Susan Kearney writes addicting drama! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Synopsis:

Set at some future time when the Earth's survival is uncertain, Lucan is forced to travel to a distant planet of Pendragon in his search for King Arthur's Holy Grail. The Grail is the possible solution to the infertility problem that is facing mankind. If Lucan fails, his whole race faces extinction.

Lady Cael is the high priestess of Pendragon. Trained in her duties from a young age, Cael has been isolated since her family was forbidden to touch her at age five. She is equally revered and feared by her people because of her properties as a dragonshaper. It is forbidden to touch a dragonshaper. When she first meets Lucan, she is surprised that he is unafraid and treats her like a woman.

Lady Cael and Lucan narrowly escape the fire at the excavation site. Unsure of who sabotaged the search for the Holy Grail, Lady Cael and Lucan are forced into hiding. As they work together each with their own secrets, they fall deeply in love. When their secrets are revealed, Lady Cael and Lucan must work together to save those that they love and their threatened peoples.

Review:

This is the first Susan Kearney novel that I've read and the first in her new series The Pendragon Legacy. I loved Lucan. First, the characters draw you in. You find yourself sympathizing with Lady Cael from the start of the novel. She feels her isolation deeply but is committed to serving her family and her peopled as the High Priestess. You wish that she could have something beyond the Pendragon equivalent of the life of a vestal virgin. I admit to hoping that Lady Cael would indulge in a show of strength or black humor when faced with her jealous and mean spirited sisters. Lucan is a wonderful romantic lead: strong, a scholar of ancient languages, funny, fiercely protective of Lady Cael. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but Lucan reminded me of a mix of Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones with special powers.

Whether you're looking for a romantic read or a fun fantasy novel, I highly recommend Lucan. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next in the Pendragon Legacy. In the meantime, I'll look for Susan Kearney's older novels!

Publisher: Forever (September 5, 2009), 368 pages.
Courtesy of the publisher.

Love and science have something in common - some of the greatest successes come from perceived failures. This is exactly how Lucan Roarke and Lady Cael feel about each other and what is happening between them. Lucan is an archeologist from Earth who finds himself on a mysterious and magical planet where Cael is the High Priestess and ruler by birthright and a Dragonshaper by destiny. Being a Dragonshaper gives her ability to morph into a Dragon at will and makes her one of a kind in any universe. So how is it that these two have found each other, they are both searching for King Arthur's Holy Grail to cure family illness and stop the unnecessary suffering that comes with it. Both Lucan and Cael are on a mission that is greater than any goal ever achieved and there is only one thing that will slow the process down - love.

During the search and excavation in the area where the Holy Grail is assumed to be located the experiment goes terribly wrong and Lucan and Cael must go on the run of their lives. The government turns out to be corrupt and it comes after them for perceived crimes against humanity that they had no responsibility for. They find comfort in each other's arms and warmth in the depths of their hearts as they keep one step ahead of the devil on their heels trying to figure out who is friend and foe.

But when Cael reveals her dragon to Lucan and tells him that they shared her dragon blood will Lucan stick with her or let her go. The going gets tough and no one is sure who the real enemy is or who can be trusted when it seems everyone has an agenda and no one is on their side. But they find they do have someone to trust and rely upon if fate will give them a little push in the right direction. Yet what Lucan and Cael discover is that some experiences are worth the time and effort and the person sharing them with you is worth the danger of being hurt and losing your heart or maybe both your hearts!
Paranormal is a hot market right now and while everyone is following in standard writing this book takes you into a completely different realm that is most enjoyable. The dragon angle is unique and written in well with not too much complication or over-dramatic issues arising from the scenario. The characters are interesting and you truly believe that they are on the run of their lives and that if they don't trust one another than nothing is worth fighting for.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 17 reviews  4.2 out of 5 stars