Synopsis
The Arcane Society was born in turmoil, when the friendship of its two founders evolved into a fierce rivalry. Nicholas Winters’s efforts led to the creation of a device of unknown powers called the Burning Lamp. Each generation, the Winters man who inherits it is destined to develop multiple talents — and the curse of madness.
Plagued by hallucinations and nightmares, the notorious crime lord Griffin Winters is convinced he has been struck with the Winters Curse. But even as he arranges a meeting with the mysterious Adelaide Pyne, he has no idea how closely their fates are bound, for she holds the missing lamp in her possession.
Their dangerous psychical experiment makes them the target of forces both inside and outside the Arcane Society. And though desire strengthens their power, their different lives will keep them apart — if death doesn’t take them together.
Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Jayne Ann Krentz, writing under her historical fantasy nom de plume, turns in a top-notch performance in the second Dreamlight novel. Crime lord Griffin Winters rules a vast underworld empire in Victorian London, but he fears the descent of a familial curse of madness brought on by an ancestor's alchemical experiments. Only a powerful magical artifact, controlled by a woman of rare power, can save him. Magically gifted orphan Adelaide Pyne, recently embarked on a crusade to save women from prostitution, could be that woman, and a psychic connection soon draws Adelaide and Griffin into a dangerous partnership. Fast-paced and cleverly constructed, the tale perfectly balances lively adventure, passionate romance, and the paranormal against an elaborate and refreshingly original background. Arcane Society fans will be thrilled, and new readers will find this stand-alone story very accessible. (Apr.)