MaryAnn saw Manulito die, she's sure of that. Ever since, she has been mourning him, yet she only met him briefly. Despite her own illogical grief, when she is summoned to South America to counsel a young woman, she is willing to help, not realizing that Manulito is behind the summons, that he is alive because he is Carpathian, and they have a hard time dying. When they meet again, he is able to understand why he could suddenly see colors and feel again. MaryAnn is his lifemate, the one he has sought and been faithful to for lifetimes. Though he is no longer in danger of turning vampire, there are other perils threatening their new love. Dark mages, old grudges, were-cats, vampires, and the fact that MaryAnn is human, with no trace of Carpathian blood make life uncertain for them. Moreover, she is not willing to put up with his macho attitude and is angered by the changes she sees as being forced upon her. However, there is more to MaryAnn than she knows.

To some extent, this 18th story in the line follows the standard formula established in Dark Prince. Yet, it also has new twists to keep it fresh. New races are introduced and old histories revealed for the first time. Fans of the series won't want to miss it, but it could potentially stand alone. Having followed the Dark books since the first, it is difficult to determine whether a newbie could enter at this point, cold. The best advice would be, just read them all.