MY REAPER'S DAUGHTER - Charlotte Boyett-Compo

WesternWind,  Book 6

Publisher: Ellora's Cave – www.ellorascave.com

ISBN: 978-1-41991-304-4

November 2007   Rating:  S-ensuous

Erotic Science Fiction Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Armistenky Territory of Terra;  the Citadel; Charlestown; Sagewood Plantation – 3479

Glyn Kullen is one grim Reaper.  He has to put his horse down after the beast steps in a gopher hole.  It is blazing hot,  he is not in a good mood, and the prospect of riding in a stagecoach does not sit well with him.  When he wearily climbs into the stage, he is chastised for his language by a six-year-old girl. 

Mystery Butler --- a woman of color --- is a beautiful widow on her way back to Charlestown with her daughter, Valda, to be with her family.  Her husband was killed by a Rogue.  Unlike her mother and the other passenger, a salesman, Valda is not aftaid of Glyn and begins to bombard him with questions.  Glyn finds that he does not mind the little girl or the nature of what she asks…which is all about him.  His attention, however, is drawn to Mystery.  Never before has a woman attracted him like she does.

The Reaper’s mood is not helped when a turbulent thunderstorm begins.  His death, on a battlefield on his homeworld, was in such a storm.  He may be three hundred years-old, but such weather still brings back terrible memories.  But, worse than his memories is the prejudice he discovers when the stage stops at the station for an overnight stay.  Glyn tries to deny his desire for Mystery and leaves as soon as she and Valda are safe at their destination.  Neither can escape the other as they share hot, steamy dreams. 

More than prejudice is alive and well on the Sagewood Plantation owned by Anthony Simmons.  Lelani Shoad, Foreman John Dirk, and others practice  Voodoo.  Lelani is determined to have Glyn, and both Anthony and John want Mystery.  Neither John nor Lelani is averse to calling on the dark spirits to get what they want.  All are surprised when more than the old gods come calling.  Morrigunia nemesis, Raphian, adds to the horror by ripping a hole in the protective veil that was designed to keep out unwanted ‘visitors’ to Terra.

Zombays are terrorizing the populace.   Reapers are transitioning out of cycle. When all but one of the Reapers are called out to restore things to normal, mental communications between the Reapers, Shadowlords and the Goddess Morrigunia are short-circuited.  It will take every skill the Reapers possess to drive back the encroaching evil and when Glyn must make a life-altering decision, he may lose Mystery forever.

Oh. My.  Charlotte Boyett-Compo continues to amaze and delight me with her ability to handle large, diverse casts of characters which she does with such ease.  Old friends and new acquaintances band together to fight the dangers that threaten them.  Paralyzing fear can be smelled and felt and the reader gets swept along.  With MY REAPER’S DAUGHTER,  Ms. Boyett-Compo proves that a very old premise can be made new.  She does not let the subject matter decline into a bad B horror movie status and this story just adds more proof that she is not only prolific, but also one of the most imaginative fantasy paranormal writers.  MY REAPER’S DAUGHTER is long, sustained tension and there is the very real possibility that there might not be a happy ending.  It is a top-notch chiller and I very much recommend it.

Maggie Anderson