Night Unbound

In Duvall’s maudlin and melodramatic fifth novel featuring nasty vampires and good Guardians (after Darkness Rises), Immortal Guardian Lisette d’Alençon battles foes, friends, and her own heart. Lisette can’t stop the feelings she has for the winged, sexy Zach, despite specific orders from her leader to stay away from him. Zach, whose mysterious origin as an “Other” is slowly revealed, will do anything for Lisette, even if it means enduring unimaginable tortures from his own kind. After they accept their undeniable attraction and act on it without regard for consequences, they aid the Guardians in a fight against a terrible new threat that advances the overall series plot. While Duvall’s imagination deserves kudos, here she struggles to keep up the intrigue and pace. The cast of characters sprawls out of control as well, making it impossible to keep track of the story. (Sept.)