Book Review: Earl of Darkness by Alix Rickloff

Earl of Darkness (Heirs of Kilronan, Book 1) by Alix Rickloff

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; Original edition (December 28, 2010)

Goodreads Description:

The magic she tries to hide . . .

Born a lady, but reduced to surviving in the slums of Dublin, Catriona O’Connell has been hired to steal a mysterious book from Aidan Douglas, Earl of Kilronan. But Cat is secretly Other, an age-old mixture of Fey and human—something Aidan recognizes immediately when he surprises the lovely young burglar in his library, about to steal a magical diary.

. . . is the magic he desperately wants.

From the moment Aidan sees her, Cat’s spirited beauty enchants him, but her uncanny abilities are what he truly needs, for Cat can understand the mystical language in the diary he inherited from his murdered father. So Aidan makes an offer: translate the book or be thrown in prison as a thief. And as Cat slowly deciphers each page, she and Aidan are drawn together by passion . . . and into the violence of the Other world that is the Kilronan legacy. Can they defeat those who seek the book, or are their lives in even greater danger than their hearts?

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Cat tried to steal from Aidan but got caught. It appeared to him that she was actually able to translate what was written in the book she tried to steal so he gives her the choice of either translating the book for him or getting thrown in jail. Of course she chooses to translate. The person who wanted the book sends Lazarus to retrieve it and gives orders for him to kill anyone that gets in it's way. Their lives in danger, Cat and Aidan go on the run and continue to translate. They find out some horrible things about Aidan's family, the Kilronan's and Aidan has a difficult time accepting what he has found out. It has made him question everything.

Based on the synopsis of the book I thought I would really enjoy this book, but it turns out it just was not for me. I was never able to connect with the characters which is very important to me. I did not like Aidan at all. He seemed selfish, reckless, and I was mystified at why Cat developed feelings for him. I didn't dislike Cat but I never became invested in what or how she was doing. The only character that intrigued me was Lazarus (I am almost positive I know his real identity). The plot was actually pretty good, but I just wasn't able to get past my lack of interest in the characters to enjoy it. Although I didn't particularly like this book I do think that many others will. It is a historical romance involving Fey and magic and there is also some talk about King Arthur. As far as to where the story is heading in this series I think it has a lot of potential. A lot of interesting things were going on in Earl of Darkness and I am sure those things will be explored more fully in the next book.

2.5/5

I was provided a copy of this book for review from the publisher. Any opinions expressed are my own.