Twilight Prophecy [Mass Market Paperback]

Dear Maggie Shayne, You have just caused the exponential growth of my TBR pile. Because thanks to this book, I feel compelled to go and read your entire backlist. That is no small feat, because The Twilight Prophecy is book 1000 or so in the Wings in the Night series. But what is absolutely amazing, is that there was not one single instance that I ever felt like I was missing something. Obviously, this book features several couples featured in the previous books. But this book worked clearly and spectacularly as a stand-alone as well.

James is special among the vampires. He is 1/4 human and he has the ability to heal with his touch. His gift is so powerful, it can even bring people back from the dead. He and his twin sister Brigit are prophesied to be the saviors of their people. And it's time for that prophecy to come true. Vampires are being revealed to the human race; and the humans are lashing out, obliterating the supernatural.

Lucy is the archaeologist and professor who uncovered and translated the ancient Sumerian texts that held the prophecy. She is also a Chosen, a human with the antibodies necessary to one day allow her to become a vampire. James and Brigit pretty-much kidnap her to help them figure out how to find the first immortal, who they think is the key to saving their people.

It's a riveting story. I never got bored. I never got lost. The romance was solid; though it wasn't overly hot. I think there was only one love scene on-page. I am accustomed to a little more smut in my PRs. But I almost didn't notice, as I got wrapped up in the action. (By the way, that's a mighty big compliment.)

The book does resolve the relationship between James and Lucy, but ends on a cliff-hanger, so be forewarned. I'm looking forward to see what will happen when I get my hand on Twilight Fulfilled. 4 1/2 stars.

I was very excited when I saw this book being released-I LOVE the rest of the series, especially the books involving the parents of these twins. Therefore, once I read this book I was disappointed; she dumps you into the character of James as though shes written several other books about them-which she hasnt-and leaves him largely unexplored in my opinion. These are supposed to be the last two books-I assume-involving a vampirical armageddon and so, in my opinion, should have involved more of the original characters, almost like a reunion even if they each only appear briefly but the only original characters brought in-except for brief mentions of them-are Rhiannon and then in MUCH smaller roles, about four or five others. Shayne drops you straight into the plot without any kind of preparation, any tidbits about the twins growing up, nothing, except as you read further in and then the details are given about Brigit almost as an afterthought; the fact that James has been searching most of his life for a reason to have the power he has is pushed several times but somehow it just feels like she needed to justify his determination to raise the dead Utanapishtim. She barely touches on James as a character in my opinion, I never felt as though I actually knew him as I have all her characters in the past, and, while I realize it was James' story, not Brigit's yet, Brigit barely played a role in his story. You get very little feel for how close she seems to mean them to be. You also get very, very little about the emotion behind why he estranged himself from his family-in fact this is only mentioned a few times at the beginning and, again, as if there were stories prior that should have explained this.
The romance was like riding a wave-Lucy saw him as an angel then a devil then an angel then a devil, then finally as a man and then they made love at what felt to me like a random moment, a toss in because it was probably time, then she left, then she came back while James had one realization with the help of another that he actually was in love with her, but their emotions were never discussed until nearly the very end of the book. It was not a well established relationship or romance with very little growth but rather a burst at the end.
I will keep the book and I will read Brigit's story because Im big on completing a series and collecting the books but they are in no way books I will read again and again like the rest of the books in the series. This ending had the potential, especially with 'armageddon' being her topic, of being an excellent, suspenseful novel but it fell well short of my expectations. (sigh) I was very disappointed.
However, to end on a semi-positive note, it was a decent story if you arent picky and you certainly dont need to have a clue about the prior books in the series to understand any of it-they are barely even touched on.

Twins James and Brigit Poe are hybrid human-vampire with the latter being the more prevalent. As far as they know they are a unique freak of nature. Each shares much in common, but also possesses different skills.

The siblings believe that everything and everyone has a purpose and theirs has to do with preventing the extinction of the Undead race. James and Brigit feel the answer lies with archeologist Dr. Lucy Lanfair, a Chosen One who can turn into a vampire. As the annihilation predicted by an ancient prophecy seems imminent and war between species likely, Lucy is abducted as her kidnappers want her to take them to James. However, instead Lucy and James end up teaming up to use his healing skill in what he thought was an amoral way and what the reluctant professor did not know she possessed to resurrect the five millennium dead Utanapishtim in a desperate attempt to prevent species cleansing.

It is highly recommended newcomers read at least the Children of Twilight saga of the Wings in the Night fantasy series (see Prince of Twilight, TWILIGHT HUNGER and EMBRACE THE TWILIGHT) to fully savor the bite of this superior paranormal tale. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action as James wonders if he is letting out the genie who will fulfill the prophesy and destroy the Undead while Lucy the scholar wants nothing to do with this dangerous field work. Readers will enjoy this engaging entry, which sets up nicely the next confrontation.

Harriet Klausner

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