DARK SIDE OF DAWN

Author: Kathryn Smith ISBN: 9780061632716 12/2009 PARNORMAL Publisher: AVON

Life can be a nightmare. Literally. On the surface, it might seem like I, Dawn Riley, have it all. I've got a great job, a boyfriend who loves me . . . but my family life is a different story. As the mortal daughter of the King of Dreams, I have an ability to exist between both worlds . . . which is terrifying to some. Now the Nightmare Council claims I've broken their laws and is threatening to have me "unmade." And if that's not bad enough, I need to track down a vicious criminal responsible for several savage attacks—before he finds me. I'm lucky enough to have Noah by my side, and he'll do whatever it takes so that we can have a future together. In the end, though, this is my battle. The fate of a world rests upon my shoulders, and it seems the best that I can hope for is not to die in my sleep . . .

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

DARK SIDE OF DAWN is vastly entertaining, although I admit to some confusion as to just what exactly is going on at times. I still am not sure what happens in the end of this one (with the bad-gal), but I suppose it doesn't really matter as there is another story around the corner in this series. As always, the setting, character connections, and dialog are masterfully done with the skill I expect from Smith.

DAWN is a likable, but not exactly my favorite, heroine of Smith's. I am very glad that she has some buffers in Noah, the hero (or is he?), and her mother and father. I also like the many dream world scenes and characters that inhabit it. I root for Dawn, most definitely, but she forgets that she is not the only player and that makes her naive and slightly dumb. All in all, though, Dawn shines in the story, and I am glad to have the chance to experience her story. 

It is probably fair to say that I am a huge Kathryn Smith fan, so most everything she writes appeals to me on some level. The Nightmare Chronicles series is no exception, so I am thrilled to know more await.

Shannon Johnson