Eye of the Jackal, Book Reviews

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At Grandma's Knee

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Eyes of the Jackal
April 2001
Contemporary-Speculative Fiction
Dallas/Fort Worth Area

Arianna has lived among humans for many years - despite the fact that she is Majerian and they generally consider themselves better than humans in several ways. For one, they have access to and knowledge of all the "magic tricks" humans only speak of. Teletransporting, flying, spells - you name it - Majerians can do it. But Arianna and her late grandfather are among the small minority of Majerians who actually respect humans for the effort they put into solving a problem. Take cooking, for example. A typical Majerian could whip something up in a blink of an eye. A human, on the other hand, actually learns to cook, and goes through a somewhat tedious process before he can enjoy the fruits of his effort.

Majerians also live much longer - Arianna is close to a thousand years old and hardly considered old by Majerian standards. And they also have traditions that are taken very seriously. Majerians are joined for life. They can play around all they want with the lowly humans but not with each other. In fact, Arianna was promised to Trayjon when she was very young but she has no memory of that. Trey has come to claim Arianna, but he has many obstacles standing in his path. Arianna is in danger. As the successor to her grandfather, she guards a talisman that, if in the wrong hands, could mean the end of good and the world. Tray is a seer; he knows who is after Arianna and why, but he must earn her trust and respect before he can help her - and himself. Tray feels responsible for causing the death of Arianna's parents, and he must make her understand what happened if they are to fight the evil force and find happiness with each other.

EYES OF THE JACKAL is the first "speculative fiction" novel I've read - and it was a pleasure. It is both well written and extremely entertaining. Ms. Latham's wonderful imagination has come to life in her strong characters and interesting plot. EYES OF THE JACKAL can be found at www.crossroadspub.com - give it a try.

Astrid Kinn-Romantic Reviews Today
http://www.romrevtoday.com/general_fiction_-_june.htm

Read the Great Review of Eyes of the Jackal by Harriet Klausner in Sime~Gen: Review

4 Stars
EYES OF THE JACKAL
Joni Latham
ISBN 0-7443-0305-2 HTML 0-7443-0303-4 PDF 0-7443-0306-0 LIT 0-7443-0307-9 PaperBack

Arianna, a beautiful Majerian woman, has lived amongst humans for over eight centuries, never losing her heart to love. Her life becomes chaotic when she meets Trey and Don, two Majerian men with seemingly romantic intentions. Don is a charming, but arrogant alchemist interested in possessing the talisman, The Eyes of the Jackal, which was given to Arianna after her grandfather¹s death. It holds great power and bears tremendous responsibility. Trey has the classic chiseled features of a Roman god, who also possesses a duplicate talisman, making him one of the guardians of the Majerian people. Trey takes his responsibility seriously while Arianna needs to learn about her historic obligation. She will also learn that Trey was promised to her as a child. The link between them is discernable.

Joni Latham brings us a fantasy romance novel of magic, love, and a classic war between good and evil. We are introduced to a race of beings, the Majerians, who live away from humans, but have a strong influence over their development. Arianna was an exception, brought up amongst humans; she uses her healing powers to improve their lives. She had very little experience with her own people until she meets Don and Trey. It is through these new relationships that her life is threatened and her heart is lost to love.

EYES OF THE JACKAL is predominantly a love story. Ms Latham expertly draws us into the growing love affair between Arianna and Trey with a backdrop of magic and illusion. Though I found the love scenes a bit drawn out and repetitive, Latham romantically describes Arianna¹s feelings for Trey down to the touch of a finger upon her flesh. Readers who enjoy a good fantasy and a steamy love affair are bound to enjoy Eyes of the Jackal.

Reviewed by:
Michael L. Thal
Scribes World Reviews

Reviewer Rating: * * * * *
Title: Eyes of the Jackal
Category: Fantasy
Author: Joni Latham
Publisher: SynergEbooks
ISBN: 0-7443-0304-4
Release Date: November 2001

Arianna is a Majerian, a member of a magically gifted race. She was an orphan, raised by her grandfather in the human world. At his death she nherited guardianship of a powerful talisman designed to protect the Majerian race from evil. She remained among the humans, using her talents as a healer and a mage to help those who wouldn't receive care otherwise.

Hundreds of years later, Arianna meets a handsome Majerian stranger and falls madly in love, not knowing his dark secret. Can she unravel the mystery and find the second guardian in time to prevent an evil Majerian from destroying her, the guardianship and the heritage she treasures?

Wow! I thought I'd take a quick peek at 'Eyes of the Jackal' before bed. The next thing I knew it was 4 am and I'd finished the book. The characters grabbed my hand and pulled me along until I'd learned their story. 'Eyes of the Jackal' is a fantasy adventure and a three hanky romance novel combined. The story is truely a fairy tale in the finest sense. The characters are very well thought out and all the pieces fit together naturally. Nothing comes off as forced or contrived.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to Joni Latham's next offering.

For your reading pleasure a small sample chapter of
Eyes of the Jackal is offered.

To Order from SynergEbooks
PDF 0-7443-0303-4
HTML 0-7443-0305-2
LIT 0-7443-0306-0
PaperBack 0-7443-0307-9

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