Mad About Romance: Shayla Black

We're mad about romance this month at the Daily Dose and today I want to talk about Shayla Black and the Doomsday Brethren. The series focuses on the magickind that live, love and war even as they live in parallel to today's world of technology, science and reason. The Doomsday Brethren is a brotherhood of some of magickind's fiercest warriors, magic users and heroes who have banded together to defeat a great evil.

In the first novel Tempt Me with Darkness, we meet the nearly 1500 year old Marrok, a warrior who served with King Arthur. Marrok was cursed by the Morgana La Fey when he refused to sleep with her. His curse – to live forever. Marrok is one of the greatest warriors, but he is not magic kind, although he moves among them. When he discovers a witch about to come into her power, he believes that she is Morgana herself and he's desperate to be free of his curse.

This tempestuous romance is just one example of the powerful force that drives these fabulous books.

Blood and Brotherhood

Unlike other "brotherhoods", the Doomsday Brethren are not driven by innate loyalty to each other. Blood feuds, old wounds and decades of animosity can drive these powerful men to clash. What they agree on most is the defeat the most ruthless wizard to ever live – but to do that, they will need help and one by one, they are discovering the women who will prove to be their salvation or their ultimate undoing.

Of the heroes that Black has created, Caden is my favorite so far. In many ways, Caden is the youngest, just barely 30 and achieving the transition to magical maturation. Caden wants nothing to do with magickind , he enjoyed his time as a mortal marine. But when his brother Lucan's mate bond is shattered by the ruthless wizard, he is driven to do everything he can to save him. In Seduce Me in Shadow, he meets a reporter named Sydney who is learning far too much about magickind to be healthy for her – and worse, he wants to claim her as his own.

The Mating Twist

One twist that is both delicious and painful is the mating call of a wizard. If a wizard says the magical words of binding to another and that call is denied, then they are unable to perform with another until the one they called passes. It's a dangerous situation for these magickind to be in, particularly because they recharge their power through sexual activity. I like to think of it as nature's way of achieving a balance.

In the third and most recent installment, Possess Me at Midnight, we saw how Ice and Sabine forged their connection despite the upheaval in their world and the animosity that Sabine's brother Bran holds for Ice personally. Sabine has spent so much time with Caden's brother Lucan, trying to keep him alive that there is a conflict between Lucan and Ice for Sabine as well.

Next up is Duke's story and let me tell you, it's a fun and dangerous romp that definitely lives up to the title: Entice Me at Twilight.

If you've not had a chance to check out the wonder that is Shayla Black's Doomsday Brethren, you can read a free novella on her website called Fated.

Do you like the Doomsday Brethren? Do you have a favorite wizard or warrior? What about their lady loves? Comment and you'll automatically be entered to win a copy of Entice Me at Twilight, to be released in November, 2010. Winner to be drawn after August 1.