Jelena was stunned when she found her new nevash (ward) in a backwater planet in the middle of nowhere. There had to be some mistake! There was no way that Drake 'The Magician' Durand, infamous assassin and head of the ruthless assassin's guild, could warrant the protection of the Gods. Jelena was a Nar'gadesh, however, descended from the ancient lines of the Nar'galia, a people who had descended into myth and legend centuries ago and was determined to see her wardship through, even if she had to keep herself from killing the frustrating, stubborn man! Drake was amused by the small blonde and irritated to discover that she was the first woman he was attracted to since Zanera, a blonde who had about killed him 2 years past. If only Jelena didn't keep insisting that she was a Nar'gadesh - everyone knew that the legendary magicians didn't really exist. After all, if there really was a race blessed by the gods to protect and watch out for everyone else in the universe, where had they been when the evil Jotnar enslaved half the galaxy! Still, no matter what Drake did, he couldn't shake the tenacious Jelena, so he did his best to ignore her...
The longer Jelena was around Drake, the more confused she became. How could she have feelings for someone who was no better than a hired murderer? As Drake continues to hunt down the remaining leaders of the now deposed Jotnar Alliance, Jelena keeps getting in his way and questioning his motives. Drake could explain things to Jelena - he could explain this his own father, Threaden, is the one he is currently hunting for selling the Bellarrisian prince to the Jotnar, for beating him when he was a child, for offering to give Drake's life in exchange for release from a prison planet - but he wants Jelena to have faith in him and to see him as he truly is, instead of what his reputation purports him to be. However, as Drake searches deeper and deeper into his past to find Threaden, he discovers that maybe he doesn't even know who he is anymore...
This is a wonderful romantic science fiction story with likeable characters and plenty of action. Drake was just a gorgeous hero that I totally fell in love with. He is one of those seemingly bad boys with a heart of gold and he really gave Jelena a run for her money. I liked Jelena, too, but wish she hadn't been so stubborn as she really caused Drake a lot of problems in the book. Sometimes I couldn't really figure out what Drake saw in her, but she got better. The world was well drawn with plenty of alien races and captivating worlds. The supporting characters were also well done and I found myself caring a great deal for them as well. I am hoping that the author will do some more books in the Nar'galia world as it was fascinating to learn about the Guardians and the Executioners and I would love to know more! Real Magic is the stand-alone sequel to Captive Hearts. I must admit that I enjoyed this book much more than the first one so I am glad that I kept up with the series. I am hoping that we get Galen's story next! If you are looking for a promising new author of romantic science fiction, I think that you will enjoy this one!
Gold Box. New Deals Every Day
