Title: Traveler
Author: Melanie Jackson
Published in August 2003 by Dorchester's LoveSpell
Genre: Paranormal Romance
IBSN: 0-505-52533-X
Related books: <2> Outsiders <3> Courier
The task is daunting, for Io Cypher , and for size of the stakes, she is not sure she is the one for the job. Io is to be used as bait in a game that is dangerous in the extreme. The Humans Under Ground, H.U.G., has asked her to join up with another operative, and infiltrate the goblin strongholds in Motor City. With her training far from complete, she has serious doubts as to their choice. Xanthe seems confident, and a bit desperate, and that does not make her feel any better. H.U.G. is hunting for Horroban, the goblin who is thought to be digging for a magical gem hidden deep under Detroit. No one knows for sure if he is really searching for it, but they want him stopped anyway. The one way to find him, is through the goblin band SEXXXX and the lead singer, Hillie Bingels. Its thought that Hillie and Horroban are an item, and so Io is equipped with the means to track her, and hopefully lead the others to the Head Goblin himself.
What disturbs Io even more is although she’s going in with Zayne, she is also to be a decoy for another operative that H.U.G. does not trust. Jack Frost is the unknown quantity in the equation. Strike one against him is that he has shown no allegiance to H.U.G., and strike two is that he seemingly answers to no one, so no one knows where he is at any one time, nor do they know if he will actually show up. Strike three is that Jack Frost is a Death Fey, and that is truly enough to put off a lot of more experienced operatives. H.U.G. does not care much for magical beings, and even though the pure lines are almost totally gone, the mixed breed children are sill around, and kept on the edges of the human civilization. Io is sure that it is just another of the reasons she was chosen for this mission. Being part fey, she is definitely expendable…
The woman was attractive, and also very naive if she thought she was going to be safe in this cesspit that was known as the Madhouse. She had the look of the fey about her, but he couldn’t be certain. It was possible that she was just a lovely decoy for him, but he wouldn’t rise to the bait. If she was useful, then Jack Frost would be only too glad to put her to work. If not, he would leave her behind faster than she could blink those blue-as-blueberry eyes. There was something about her that drew him in spite of his boasts to himself. He can sense her searching for something, someone, and he cannot be sure if he will be the hunter or the hunted when it comes to this slight fey. There is danger and trouble here in Goblin Central, and unless she is willing to join him, Jack is going to do his best to chase her out of Detroit, and back to wherever she came from, fast.
Time is of the essence, and there is much at stake. Horroban doesn’t have tiny self-centered plans. He is a full-fledged megalomaniac, big-time world domination is the goal, and the plans he has will either give him the world or destroy it totally. That is not something that Jack is willing to allow. Not now, and not ever. If the girl can be useful, and if everything works out to his satisfaction, then he may want to explore the possibilities between them. Goddess knows it has been a great while since he has found an interest in any woman. Things have been just too dicey, and time has been of the essence. There is no place in Jack’s life for anyone special, and definitely not now. Jack, by his very nature is a danger to whomever he would choose, and he was not about to start a relationship here in the heart of danger. There was no time to school the girl. No time to explain the danger that he posed to her very existence. If she was a wise little fey, she would know to resist the pull, resist the words that could end her life.
Welcome to the Wild Side, and welcome to the death of Detroit as we know it today. The goblins have spread their foul stench in a massive hive beneath the Motor City, and Melanie Jackson has found it for us. To battle these walking sewers, Melanie has given us back the faerie folk, the fey creatures that inhabit our legends, dreams, and fantasies. In Io, we find a delicate creature, a half-ling who possesses strength, beauty, and the ability to combine and tweak spells in the most delightful and useful ways. In Jack, we find the tall, strong, and enigmatic loner who falls into the trap that the magic sets for him. Little does Jack know that Io is laboring under a false impression. It is not she that should be afraid. But Jack, on the other hand, should be scared to death for Io is one creature that is totally unaffected by the words. The power that Jack wields over her will be only that which she allows.
Come with us now to the underground residences and the goblin fruit fields. Join Jack and Io in their attempt to blow Detroit right off the map. The plan that Jack has found is a far cry from what Xanthe and H.U.G. had outlined to Io. The danger calls for radical measures, and as Traveler unfolds, you are let into some of the darkest secrets from the depths of the imagination. It is a book that you will not be able to put down once started, and it is one you will hate to see end. Traveler is a true delight and Melanie has skillfully blended the myth and mysticism of the fey of all genres, giving us a deliciously wicked read filled with all kinds of yummy treats. She gives us a wonderful present, a story rich with imagination, and filled to the brim with danger and excitement. James Bond may have battled his share of villains from Spectre, but never has he had to face the foulness that is the essence of the goblin. Traveler is an October release, and is available now from Dorchester’s LoveSpell books. Hurry and get your copy today, because Outsider, the next in the series is already on the shelf!
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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