Evermore

Scottish vampire Byrne wrestles with love for Jayr, his female seneschal (or senior officer in charge of domestic ceremonies) in this fifth book in the Darkyn series. In order to dispel temptation, Byrne, lord of Orlando, decides to hold a tournament to see who will replace him as ruler of his domain. A bevy of ambitious vampires come forward, including, distractingly, a vampiric Robin of Locksley (i.e., Robin Hood). When a stranger appears claiming to be the rival Lord of Nottingham, tempers are set immediately on edge. Things grow even more complicated as Jayr and Byrne’s attraction becomes too great to ignore, and attempts are made on Byrne’s life, perhaps by a lord overeager to take his seat. The plot is full of exciting twists and turns, but the chemistry between Jayr and Byrne is fairly tepid. Knowledge of prior books helps one along, but overall Viehl tells a self-contained, page-turning story of medieval vampires. (Jan.)