Sea Lord
By Virginia Kantra
Berkley Sensation, $7.99, 275 pages
In the modern day, the Selkies, legendary seal people of the Celtic Isles, are dwindling in numbers. A prophecy tells of one who would help restore their power, but when the fates finally identify this savior to Prince Conn, he is perplexed to discover a plain and unremarkable human girl named Lucy. Still, with his duty to his people, he seeks her out and spirits her away to his island. There, he must not only discover the elusive power within her, but also cross the yawning gap between them in order to convince her of how important she is.
Sea Lord strikes a healthy balance between the romance and fantasy genres. There are few punches pulled in its erotic moments, but with an engagingly flawed set of characters and a significant, ticking-clock plot to fall back on, the story saves itself from being mindless smut. Indeed, an intelligent reader can be satisfied that the progression of the relationship between Conn and Lucy is a salient point and not just an embarrassing excuse for titillation. A good choice for the more discerning romance fan.
Reviewed by Micah Kolding
