Book 5 of the "Sons of Destiny" series
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"The Cat" is JJ's fifth book in her intended octology, a series following the eight exiled magical Corvis brothers as they find their destined wives and fulfil the "Curse of Eight" prophecy. Whilst the four eldest brothers are now happily married, two out of the four currently single brothers (Trevan "The Cat" and Koranen "The Flame") are somewhat frustrated following several years of enforced celibacy. Trevan understands he is next in line to find his prophesised bride, but rather than wait for her he decides to experiment with interactive illusions.
Unknown to Trevan, two women have found their way to Nighfall Island; twin sisters each with enormous power, one in particular possessing magic coveted by every mage who has touched her. Amara has willingly given up her future role as Queen of the Shifterai (a tribe of shape-shifters) to protect her twin Arora from kidnap, yet she is not the magnanimous individual her actions portray her to be. Vain, prideful and somewhat resentful of her current circumstances, Amara cannot forget she was a Queen in training in her old life, the most powerful shape shifter in several hundred years and a woman highly desired by every man she met.
Her twin Arora is more accepting of the changes in her life and certainly more predisposed to her own destined mate (Rydan "The Storm" whose book is due for pub. Nov 08). Amara on the other hand not only feels her own match Trevan needs to prove his worthiness to her, she's disappointed with his unremarkable Queen Kelly; a woman obviously unfit to rule a kingdom as opposed to herself who was trained from an early age to lead. She definitely sets the cat amongst the pigeons with her suspicions and actions; but is was never prophesised the Corvis brothers' destined brides would like each other.
JJ is back to a relationship filled with sparks, misunderstandings and pig-headedness as Amara strives to protect her sister from an island filled with (she believes) untrustworthy mages. Although this mimics the earlier feistier couplings in this series, "The Cat" fails to make 5 stars because Amara is so disagreeable and unpleasant throughout far too much of this book; in spite of the fact her actions are justified. She does redeem herself and the reader certainly warms to her, but this is during the closing stages of the story. Trevan is far more jovial, yet he makes too much of his sexual experience. Although him turning the tables on Amara by insisting she has to prove herself worthy of him is enjoyable; his constant references to his bedroom abilities and number of women he has slept with is rather crass and an exceptionally tasteless topic to discuss on his wedding night.
Other plot lines continue; including Kelly's search for a loophole to enable all Gods to act as their Patron, plus the continued rejuvenation of Nightfall, and the rocky relationship between the island's inhabitants and mainland Katan as Kelly and co. pursue independence for their burgeoning new kingdom. Book 6 "The Storm" runs in conjunction with this story and its plot will apparently overlap significantly; however the growing relationship between Rydan and Arora is not delved into much and I am left eagerly awaiting their own story. Arora has an incredibly powerful gift most would kill for; whilst the deeply troubled Rydan is dead-set against a destined mate.
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