ORDER A COPY: Edge of Passion (Cloak Warriors #1)
Publisher: self-published
Publishing Date: March 7, 2012
eBook: 208 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Able to render themselves invisible, immortal Cloak Warriors like Aiden have been protecting humans from the dark power of the Demons of Fear for centuries. But the demons might soon have a powerful tool in their hands to seduce humans to the dark side. And the person to provide them with this elixir is the human scientist Leila. Unbeknownst to her, the drug she’s developing to cure Alzheimer’s has the unexpected side effect of weakening the mind’s resistance to the influence of demons.
The Council of Cloak Warriors is divided, some of them believing the only safe way to eradicate this threat is to eliminate its inventor, others are bent on protecting the human scientist. Aiden is a loyal Cloak Warrior who accepts the assignment to protect her despite his own beliefs that humans can’t be trusted. However, when her life is endangered, his beliefs shift, and he’s drawn into a battle whose participants are unknown: is he fighting the demons or his fellow Cloak Warriors?
Forbidden desire flares between Aiden and Leila as they are forced to rely on the only people they can trust: each other. And even if he can save her and defeat their enemies, a union between them might be the most dangerous undertaking of all.
Dr. Leila Cruickshank was on the verge of a breakthrough. Her formula to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s was almost ready. Finally a chance for people like her parents to regain the memories and lives they were losing to this horrible, debilitating disease. She was also on the verge of the downfall of humanity.
It seems that her formula would also make the human brain more susceptible to demon mind control. With Dr. Cruickshank’s formula, the demons would easily control the humans and take over control of the Earth, and if they can’t get the formula, taking the pretty doctor into the netherworld would be the next best thing. Endless torture is just the thing to get the good doctor talking.
Aiden is the Cloak Warrior sent to protect Leila from demons and convince her to destroy her formula for the good of the world. Aiden dislikes humans since they are so weak. They can’t be trusted and will always succumb to the temptation of the demons.
Leila isn’t sure she can trust Aiden and his stories of demons and mind control, but she does know that she is not ready to give up her dream of saving her parents based solely on the ravings of this madman.
Aiden needs to quickly earn Leila’s trust since the demons are closing in on them and Leila’s formula.
I enjoyed this new series from Tina Folsom. Like all first books in a series, it goes a little slow in the beginning while we are introduced to Cloak Warriors and their world, but as the story progresses and we are on the run with Aiden and Leila, the story definitely picks up. Aiden enlists several of his fellow Cloak Warriors to protect Leila and fight the demons, so we are also introduced to several very interesting characters and we learn just enough about each of the other warriors to draw our interest for further stories.
Edge of Passion was an interesting and quick read, and I see a lot of potential for future stories. I will be interested to see where the series goes next.
Read more in our interview with author Tina Folsom.
Received an ARC courtesy of the author. Thank you.
Favorite Scene:
Aiden held his palm over Leila’s mouth, making sure she wouldn’t scream. His other arm snaking around her waist, pulling her tightly against him.
It hadn’t been hard to find her. She’d really had only two options: her apartment and her lab. Sure, she could have gone to any hotel, but knowing what he knew about her life, what he’d read in her file, he guessed she would choose a familiar place, somewhere where she felt safe.
He’d figured she’d choose the lab for obvious reasons. One being that her apartment was uninhabitable right now, the other that she deemed her office to be safe from intruders. It wasn’t.
He’d had no problem sneaking past the security guard. In his cloaked state, he was invisible to the unsuspecting man.
Aiden moved his mouth to Leila’s ear, a strand of her hair brushing his cheek in the process. “Quiet, Leila.”
He felt her body jolt at the realization that it was he who was keeping her captive once more. A muffled word he didn’t catch bounced against his palm. Her warm breath nearly torched him, sending a hot flame into his groin.
“That’s right, it’s me. It was very stupid of you to run away. Didn’t I tell you I’d protect you” He felt himself getting angry again. “Will you remain quiet if I take my hand off your mouth now?”
She moved her head up and down in agreement.
Slowly he lifted his hand and turned her toward him in the same instance. Her lips instantly parted, her throat tightening. Clearly, she wasn’t going to comply with his wishes. There was only one thing he could do now.
With a low curse, he yanked her flush against him and slid his lips over hers, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss, one he’d been craving all night.
