Nightborn

Viehl returns to the world of the Darkyn (after November 2011’s Nightshine) in the disappointing first of a new trilogy about vampire lords. Korvel, trapped in service as the seneschal of the Darkyn high lord, has been sent to retrieve a dangerous artifact hidden away by another vampire lord. Simone Derien, a sentinel among those who serve the Kyn, is constrained by a bargain with her father that granted her freedom in return for protecting the artifact. When the artifact is stolen by a psychopath seeking immortality, Korvel and Simone must work together to retrieve it, and Simone must choose between her growing affection for the vampire and a duty that requires Korvel’s death. Tempestuous sex scenes never elevate the tale to the compelling nature of Viehl’s Kyndred books; fans of the first series will no doubt be pleased by the return of familiar characters, but others are likely to search for their vampire fix elsewhere. (Mar.)