Moning pulls out her best highlander novel so far in The Dark Highlander. It's worth reading The Highlander's Kiss just so that you know the back story in this novel The Dark Highlander. Daegus is by far the most developed of her Heroes and it shows as he goes through his emotional transformation in the course of this novel.

Warning: Moning uses the same plot devices in all of her Highlander novels, each time with varying degrees of sucess. It's gotten to the point where having read four or five of her novels I could almost write the next one based off of the back cover blurb. I reccomend reading one or two but not bothering with as many as I have. If you read only one: pick this one!

This was the first time that I've ever read Karen Marie Moning and by the time I was almost through this book I ran out of my house to buy her other books I love this book.Chloe Is perfect and funny Dageus Is a dark and hansome highlander. All In all this book was garet. What brought Chloe to her dark highlander Is her love for historic artifacts and once Dageus has chloe he Is not letting her go If he can help It and I love those words that Dageus said to Chloe.This book will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

I read all of the books in this series and absolutely loved all of them!

So far I have read 3 of the highlander books. The Highlanders Touch, This one & The Immortal Highlander. Each one of them were excellent reads that kept me up late at night wanting to finish them. The Dark Highlander so far has been my favorite, it kept me hanging on and inspiried me to take that chance if you've got it. I am going to buy the rest of her books today and hope that she continues writing more.

and after reading this book I couldn't get on Amazon.com fast enough to buy all of her other books she'd written and I wasn't disappointed by any. Karen's imagination and humor throughout her books, and sexy situations keep you up all night to see how the story ends.

The only problem I have with Karen's writing is she's not writing fast enough. Thanks for the wonderful entertainment.

This is my first Moning novel. Although I prefer regency romance, I figured I'd give her a try after reading all the glowing reviews. Basically its hot man with an extreme -did I mention extreme!- (Moning pounds this into your head) sexual appetite meets geeky girl, into scottish artifacts, and takes her on a whirlwind adventure to rid himself of 13 evil dudes living inside him. Oh and there's time travel, spells, kidnapping etc. added to the mix. And of course! They fall in love. Are you getting this??? Yeah, it took me awhile too with Druids and Fareys and such.

The sex (no I would not categorize them as love scenes here) is a bit much. Chloe and Daegus think about it ALL THE TIME! Sheesh! Not that I'm a prude and those scenes were great, but I like more substance in a novel instead of just bodies slapping.

Ultimately though, the story is interesting and the characters are likeable, so I don't regret purchasing it. It also doesn't hurt that Daegus is probably the equivalent of a sex god -Moning describes his appetites in DETAIL. So if you ladies like that kind of stuff, ya know the tall dark muscular highlander (just look at the cover) type, then you'll like this one.

Just a bit of scottish sexual fantasy fluff to get your blood boiling, but worth a read at least once.

After reading the first book from Karen Marie Moning, I purchased every book I could get my hands on.

Please, either purchase from Amazon or look at your local library for this book. You will not regret it.

Yummy Magical Highlanders!

1 BEYOND THE HIGHLAND MIST
* A Midsummer Night's Dream-like time travel; a cute tale of a contemporary heroine (untrusting of attractive guys) & too gorgeous Hawk
2 TO TAME A HIGHLAND WARRIOR
* Grimm is a Berserker, sort of a 'touched' super warrior. The sexiest!(hot scenes) No time travel here.
3 HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH
* Circenn Brodie, Laird of Castle Brodie, is sworn to kill whoever's found a cursed flask. Our present day heroine working in a museum touches the 'artifact' & turns up at the feet of this massive Highland War Lord (@ his bath!). He debates killing her while she wanders the castle pondering how to get home to her sick mother.
4 KISS OF THE HIGHLANDER
* Modern virgin falls into cave while on vacation in Scotland - landing on a druid lord, she breaks his 500 year enchanted sleep. After waking him(Oh my) & getting him to try on some jeans;) she goes back in time to save his clan. Facing him in the past - without HIM knowing HER, his mate!
5 DARK HIGHLANDER
* Twin brother to Drustin from book 4 - Wild dark sexy Druid goes back & forth in time with his mate, she's a lover of artifacts, they're searching ancient texts for clues to combat evil spirits inside Daegus. He gets darker as they try to overtake him & um, rule the world.
6 IMMORTAL HIGHLANDER
* ADAM BLACK - THE Fairy Prince- Whuh! Too sexy. With all the BOLD language, funny moments & and some moments so sweet they bring on the tears ... find a private place to read this one.
7 SPELL OF THE HIGHLANDER
* Cian, Ancient Druid trapped in evil Dark Glass. This alpha male gets called out by a college student with big [...]. Exciting goings-on. -- I would have enjoyed this 'alpha' male story much more without the immaturity of Jessi's thoughts and attitude.

Yummy Magical Highlanders!

1 BEYOND THE HIGHLAND MIST * A Midsummer Night's Dream-like time travel; a cute tale of a contemporary heroine (untrusting of attractive guys) & too gorgeous Hawk
2 TO TAME A HIGHLAND WARRIOR * Grimm is a Berserker, sort of a 'touched' super warrior & THE sexiest male! No time travel here. ~keeper shelf.
3 HIGHLANDER'S TOUCH * Circenn Brodie, Laird of Castle Brodie, is sworn to kill whoever's found a cursed flask that vanishes. Our heroine working in a modern museum touches the 'artifact' & zooms back in time to this massive Highland Lord (@ his bath! sizzle sizzle). He debates killing her while she wanders through the castle pondering how to get home/forward to her sick mother.
4 KISS OF THE HIGHLANDER * Modern virgin falls into cave while on vacation in Scotland - landing on a druid lord, she breaks his 500 year enchanted sleep. After waking him (Oh my!) & getting him to try on some jeans ;) she goes back in time to save his clan. She faces him in the past - without HIM knowing HER; his mate!
5 DARK HIGHLANDER * Twin brother to Drustin from book 4 - Wild dark sexy druid goes back & forth in time with his mate, she's a lover of artifacts, they're searching the ancient texts for clues to break the spell that holds evil spirits inside Daegus. He gets darker as they try to overtake him & um, rule the world - as immortals.
6 IMMORTAL HIGHLANDER * ADAM BLACK - THE Fairy Prince- Whuh! Almost too sexy. BOLD & with moments so sweet they bring on the tears, find a good time & private place to read this one.
7 SPELL OF THE HIGHLANDER (wish listed)

Yummy Immortal Highlanders you can't get enough of!

1 Beyond the Highland Mist
(Midsummer Night's Dream-like time travel; a cute tale of contemporary untrusting heroine & 'beautiful' Hawk)
2 To Tame a Highland Warrior
(Grimm is a Berserker & sexy as hell! No time-traveling)
3 Highlander's Touch
(Circenn Brodie, laird of Castle Brodie curses a flask, maid from museum comes back w/ it from future. He's sworn to kill whoever's found it ... Her moms dying of cancer and she wants to go home)
4 Kiss of the Highlander
(Modern virgin falls on 500 year enchanted druid lord in a cave on vacation in Scotland. She goes back in time to save the clan, after 'waking him' & getting him to try on some jeans :)
5 Dark Highlander
(Sexy Highlander *twin brother to Drustin from 4th - goes back&forth in time with his mate, she's a lover of artifacts, searching the ancient texts for clues to break a spell that holds evil spirits inside Daegus, making him darker as they try to overtake him and em, rule the world - as immortals)
6 Immortal Highlander (ADAM BLACK -Fairy Prince- Whuh!)
7 Spell of the Highlander(wish listed)

I purchased this book along with "The Highlander's Touch."- Also written by Ms. Moning. I had never read any of her books previous to this purchase. However,I have heard so many positive reviews on her work. And although, I normally do not read paper-back romance type books, and anything that even "sounds" science fiction causes me to lose interest. But, I have this new found soft spot for the "time-travel romance" subgenre. So, while browsing for a good, weekend time travel romance at my local bookstore, I found that when it comes to this subgenre there are 'slim-pickins.' I reluctantly and with hesitation picked up these two books. I' was a little put off by the notion of the hero being "immortal." As it sounded a little *to* science fiction for my taste. Boy was I wrong!

I devoured "The Highlander's Touch" within one day, and was very pleased with the storyline, characters, and Ms. Moning's writing style.

So, you could imagine my delight at having another of Ms. Moning's Highlander novels on hand. A couple of weeks after completing the first book I finally had time to sit down with "The Dark Highlander." I made it about 1/4 of the way through the book and gave up. The herione is extremely annoying and very unlikeable. The Hero, is bland and lacks character details. He has many internal struggles and much of his dialog is with himself. There is a HUGE lack of good, solid dialog between the two main chracters. I found them to be boring and neither of their personalities held any trace of the type of solid substance that typically makes the reader identify, or feel empathetic toward the characters.

I must say that, in comparison to the first book I read by Ms. Moning this book was a huge disappointment. The only promising thing about this book was the main plot. There is so much potiental for such an interesting plot. However, I feel that Ms. Moning did not put forth her best effort on this one. I still have faith in her though. I picked up "The Immortal Highlander" during a half-off sale, but haven't had time to read it as of yet. Hopefully, it will hold my interest and the characters will not be so dull and annoying.

I plan to go back to "The Dark Highlander" at a later time. I find that sometimes a book will bore me to death, so I put it down and wait a long time, then when I pick it up again I find I actually like it,,,,,,so, maybe another time.

This was my first Highlander book and it won't be my last. It was excellent.

Dageus...hmm, sexy like his twin brother, what can I say. He has to "tup" to keep the dark at bay, incredible, it was funny really!! Chloe was boring to me and too much of a spitfire woman. She played hard to get way to long and her life in a nutshell was just not interesting. Don't get me wrong still a perfectly wonderful love story, but Chloe almost ruined it for me, until she FINALLY gave in. When Dageus and Chloe did exhange their feelings, so to speak, in a feild, it was then that it became fabulous and the storyline became exciting. It is worth the read and the Keltar clan are still my favorite Highlanders.

This is basically a follow-up to "Kiss of the Highlander", which I loved. Sweet, funny, romantic and at times heartbreaking. Read that one, and then stop. This book is slow to start, and extremely convoluted, with no clear explanations as to the meaning of the other races/people described in the book. In addition, the author had the nerve to put in a shameless plug for one of her other books in the middle of this one. Is she that desperate? That came about 1/3 of the way into the book, and from that point on, I was so turned off that it was a real struggle to finish. What a disappointment....

If you secretly had a thing for Duncan MacCleod of the clan MacCleod. You'll love this story! If you've always been facinated by the druids, time travel, archaeology, or sinfully masculine dominant men this book is for you. The Dark Highlander follows directly after the Kiss of the Highlander which deals with Daegus's brother. Daegus is a sixteenth century druid who broke a sacred compact with the Tuatha de Danaan (powerful ancient beings who inhabited Ireland before the coming of man) in order to save his brother's life. He succeed in his plan and his brother lives but in doing so 13 extremely evil spirits invaded his body. Flash forward to modern Manhattan. The 13 are slowly taking over Daegus making him darker and darker in hopes of freeing themselves and destroying the world. Enter into the mix Chloe Zanders an expert in rare manuscripts who is sent to Daegus to hand over a rare manuscript. She inadvertenly sees too much and is drawn into Daegus's desperate quest to find a way to rid himself of the 13 before all is lost. This story holds you until the very last page. Its one of the very few romances that captivates you with the plot not just the sexy tension between the leads.

First off - I will ALWAYS enjoy reading Moning's books - and her stories ARE real highland stories w/ all the history and adventure in it too - reading her books have MADE me do my own research and read up on the Knights Templar and the Druids and Fae lore. No other author has ever made me do that!

Daegus is awesome and chloe is my favorite new Moning heroine! favorite scenes include: the letter Daegus sends her at the end, Chloe practicing her "i love you", Daegus finding Chloe under the bed, the airplane ride, meeting the Fae queen again.

I love time travel books. The whole time I was in England I kept trying to bump my head on a castle so that I could have the type of adventure found in these types of books. Ms.Karen Marie Moning did a wonderful job of fantasy and history mixed with just the right amount of the erotic.MMMMMMMM!

This is my favorite of Ms. Moning's books so far. It deserves more than 5 stars. How about 10? Daegus is simply H-O-T! There is a pre-quel to this book...The Kiss of the Highlander. I actually read this book first. Though Drustan (Daegus' brother) looks just like him, I still find Daegus to be more interesting. I think it's the bad boy in him.

Drustan is the good son and Daegus is the one who will face hell itself to get what he wants, even if all he wants is to save his brother.

When the book begins, Daegus is already partly dark and his control slips more each day. The only things keeping him sane are a strong will and his ability to have sex with any woman he wants. I'm sure you're laughing at that--until you read the book, and then you'll see!

Daegus meets the perfect woman for him in Chloe Zanders. She has knowledge of Gaelic, Latin, Greek and the ancient Celts. He gets her to help him find the key to banishing the 13 Dark Druids hiding inside of his mind--even when doing so means that Chloe must go with him to the 16th century. Of course, Daegus has to kidnap and seduce her first.

He proves a very interesting captor because he mysteriously returns what he steals, he cooks delicious Scottish meals, and he pays her in valuable celtic artifacts when he could easily force Chloe to help him.

It's the 'good boy turned very bad' theme that makes Daegus so exciting. He's the kind of man you probably would keep far away from in real life, but you'd certainly have naughty thoughts about. Yet his ability to sacrifice himself for the good of others makes him beyond endearing.

In this book, you desire him, you suffer with him, and you pray for his survival. How could the world be quite as good without a Daegus MacKeltar in it?

Sadly, this was the first of the series I picked up and I couldn't finish it. I got maybe fifty pages in and with a screaming headache, immediately returned it to Wal-Mart where I'd gotten it from the bargain bin.

Due to glowing reviews of her other works I'll be giving the series a try but I will skip this one.

It tries too hard to be dark. Keep in mind I can only write about the first fifty pages, so feel free to say this review was not helpful.

The hero's POV was unbearable disjointed (I think I should have read the previous novels so I had some idea of backstory) and I couldn't get a sense of him except that he was pretty darn handsome and dark, dark, dark. Did I mention dark? Moning beats you over the head with that.

The heroine seemed to be a little flighty and I agree with the other 1 and 2 star reviews; she's a coaster who had no real motivation.

And all the blithering on about 13 druids in his person! [...] let me know if it ever shows she did her research and realized that druid means priest. Despite all the BS Hollywood movies and pennydreadful books that claim druids were a whole group of people and evil, it just isn't true and for those of us with Irish/Scottish ancestry it's damn insulting. Druids were about as evil as those New Age freaks at Burning Man.

I did not see any evidence of humor just overdone writing. However, I have read her short story in "Tapestry" unaware it was the same author so I know she can write humorous time travel romance, but I don't think this was one.

This is the best of Ms. Moning's highlander series (so far). Dageus is a tortured hero--conflicted, sensitive and passionate. His character's flaw is he loves too much (wow! how many men can say that???) so much that he will do whatever it takes to save the ones he loves including releasing 13 evil Druids. The heroine Chloe is a perfect compliment to Dagues: sweet and innocent, she's the saving balm to Dagues' pain. It is rare to encounter depth of emotion and character in books of this genre but Ms. Moning succeeded beautifully where others fail. The book was not just about Chloe and Dageus it also managed to show the love between brothers (Dageus and Drustan) and between father and sons making the characters three dimensional. I have read and re-read this book a hundred times and can't help but fall in love with the characters every time.

I had no idea that Druids were this awesome and sexy. Daegus is the lost one. Pretty much trapped in current times by his love of his brother and his willingness to break all the rules. His impulsiveness cost him though. He has trapped within him the evil of 13 dark druid souls. His salvation lies in Chloe and in going home to Scotland. How they release Daegus from this curse and live happily ever after is one of the most engrossing stories I have ever read. This book defies description to me. Calling it amazing isn't doing it justice.

This book could also be titled: The Great Adventures of Chloe Zanders. I just keep giggling while thinking of Chloe huffily delivering a relic to Dageus' penthouse apartment, thinking that he's some disgusting man that's going to eat popcorn and ruin the book. And then seeing that he's probably more of a womanizer than anything, so she goes inside to make sure none of his dates touch it. And then being so enchanted by the relics on the inside of the penthouse that she breaks in and explores the entire home. And finally is caught under his bed and dragged out by the ankle by the darkest, most gorgeous man in existence who is probably a super dangerous thief. OK, and that is just the first chapter! Lucky girl!

This was the first Karen Marie Moning book I read, and like somebody else mentioned, I ran back to the bookstore and picked up the rest of them in the same day. KMM is seriously addictive and I will warn you that you must clear your entire schedule because you will NOT be able to put the books down. Do not start reading one before you go to bed because you will stay up all night to finish it. And by golly, don't even consider putting it in the front seat of your car because you will be compelled to read it while you are driving.

Anyway, I loved the Dark Highlander a heck of a lot! Dageus MacKeltar broke an oath his ancestors have held for eons and in return is cursed by 13 dark souls that are fighting for his body. He must exert an inhuman amount of control to prevent them from taking over because not only will it be the end of him, but could be the end of all that is good in the world. Just about the only way he is able to keep the evil at bay is by "tooping". So girls, if you run into this guy, you would be saving the WORLD if you go home with him ;-)

Enter Chloe, who is about the most innocent thing you could ever meet. Her character is so real, which is what I liked right away. She is not a hideously refined heroine like so many authors create, she is highly intelligent and absolutely hilarious. So naturally she is perfect for Dageus. Her expertise in Scottish history and multi-lingual talents help him to get to the bottom of his curse. He takes her on a trip to Scotland she will never forget. Who could forget traveling through time with the hottest man you ever met? With Chloe, Dageus is able to keep the evil at bay and find his soulmate.

I can't tell you more because it would seriously ruin everything. But like the rest of Moning's books, I laughed, cried, and got the chills. Something about her stories does that to me and I'm sure many others too! This is just a fabulous read that you will fall in love with and read over and over again. I had to reglue the binding on this book because I read it so many time, and now I'm just going to have to find it in hardcover!

Daegeus is a highlander cursed when he betrayed the compact between the Fae and Humans in an attempt to save his brother. What is this curse? He is now the vessel of thirteen vile, evil, horrid, and all powerful souls. The side effect is immortality and the loss of his humanity in slow tempting degrees as he succumbs to the power within himself.

He fights the encroaching darkness, everyday, reading tomes, some bought, some ill-gotten, searching for a remedy. Anything that will give him back his humanity and lock these evil thirteen back into neither-dimensional prison. He can not let the darkness take him.

Then Chloe, a woman of intellegence, innocence, fire and passion...and most importantly light comes into his life. His soul cries out that she belongs to him on first glance while she exits a cab....he quickly denies entertaining those thoughts...those are thoughts best left alone and are not for him in his current state. Yet ....

How is he to resist when he finds her in his bedroom, under his bed, skirts rucked up her lovely thighs....

I can't get enough of this book. I have never read a book as often as I have read this one. This book was the first romance I have ever read and since then have read hundreds...and I always come back to this one. I love it!

An excellent timetravel romance. However read Kiss of the Highlander before this one. You won't be disappointed with either one.

Give me Dageus any day (or his twin, haha). The first love scene in this novel is hot hot hot!! The passion fairly leaps from the pages. Karen Marie Moning has taken a subject that would normally be in the fantasy section in the book store, and has made many a historical romance lover happy. Without Moning we would be very bored. Very, very bored.

This book was gripping from the beginning.A great read, very exciting,intriguing and seductive.Since this was the very first book I'd gotten from this author i went out and bought all her others.Karen Moning knows what she's doing to keep you involved and wanting more.Great book couldn't possibly get a higher review from me .I have re-read all her books several times .......love this author.

the writer is good and the story was fun. I would have appreciated if the writer had gone into the darker magical side of the male character a bit more though.

"Dark Highlander" is one in a series of books revolving around hunky Scottish Druids who can travel through time. Its immediate prequel is "Kiss of the Highlander," though "Dark" can be read alone. The author, Moning, doesn't rely on back-story to make "Dark" flow, which is great for first time readers.

"Dark" revolves around Dageus, the MacKeltar twin with black hair falling down to his waist and gold eyes. Dageus also has a secret: he has 13 evil Druids inside him, just waiting for him to lose control of his magical power so that they can use his body to destroy the world.

In "Dark," Moning creates a character in Dageus that is very attractive, and not just because he is gorgeous. He is honorable and lonely, yet he reeks of a predatory sexual dominance that has every female character in the story drawn to him like bees to nectar. Plus, he has a dark side - which is always much, much more exciting than white knights and squeaky-clean heroes.

His heroine is Chloe, a Kansas "nerd" who now works in a museum in Manhattan tending to Celtic artifacts. Dageus, who happened to be from the 16th Century Scotland, is by far the greatest, sexiest, and most dangerous artifact Chloe could ever hope to discover. I personally didn't like Chloe that much - she just seemed too frumpy and naïve a love interest for such an exciting guy, but oh well, I guess. It is a fantasy.

Chloe's reactions to a man like Dageus, however, are very, very real. There is definitely a sizzle to the numerous love scenes. They are long, graphic, and not at all flowery. It's Dageus' aggression and complete control of each sexual encounter that gives "Dark" its satisfying heat.

This is a story with many magical elements, a dark brooding hero, and an innocent modern heroine. You don't need to read the rest of the series to understand it. All you need is a desire to read about an interesting man pursued by evil both within and around him, the girl he loves, and his amazing abilities to move back and forth in time.

I may be Karen Marie Moning's biggest fan! I have read all of her books and "The Dark Highlander" is my favorite. Daegus MacKelter, the dark, intense, super-alpha hero, (the most alpha man around), is the reason. He is smart, sexy, enchanting and determined. Once you meet him, you won't be able to put this book down. The plot happens to be intelligent and exciting also.

Daegus is a 16th century Highlander living in a lush apartment in 21st century Manhattan. Yes, there's time travel here, as well as magic, romance, mystery, adventure and edge-of-your-seat suspense. McKelter is in this century searching for an ancient manuscript, from his time, so he can find the method to exorcise the thirteen evil Druid entities that possess him. He has to find the texts soon because their dark presence threatens to take him over completely, and their power grows with every minute.

Chloe Zanders, an antiquities dealer who is especially interested in 16th century military pieces, is found in Daegus' apartment snooping through his texts and manuscripts. She had actually gone there on official business. When she found the door unlocked she entered. Daegus was not at home - but his treasures, ancient artifacts which appear new, are all over the place, right out in the open - like a museum! How can she resist? Actually Daegus is the one who finds her....and he ties her up. How like an alpha male! He is immediately drawn to this intelligent, feisty lady who would bargain away her soul to get her hands on some of his antiquities. He holds Chloe captive - but this is not your usual captive damsel romance plot. Chloe is no damsel, believe me!

There are plot twists, hilarious scenes that ooze with sexual tension and sensuality. Yum! The dialogue and banter between the two is outstanding! They eventually travel to Scotland because the book he has been searching for is not in America after all - but back home. There he meets with his brother and sister-in-law. Daegus had been avoiding his family because he feared their learning of his possession - knowledge which could lead to his death. And in Scotland the evil grows stronger.

The "Tuatha De Dannan," (a fairy type immortal race), had made a pact with the human race hundreds of years before. The Keltar became the chosen to protect the earth, nourish it and rebuild the land. A compact was forged between the two races - man and fairy. Under extreme duress, Daegus was forced to break this pact and when he did, the 13 "Tuatha De Dannan," who had broken away from the main group and turned to dark ways, possessed Daegus' mind, and eventually threatened his very soul. This is a very special and most unusual story.

Ms. Moning has created a magical world where time has little meaning and lovers will cross centuries and continents to stay together. The author has included fascinating, accurate details of Celtic Druid lore and life. Her characters are three-dimensional and so likable. All I can say, to sum up, is that I read avidly - all kinds of books. This is one of my Top Ten favorites. Highest recommendation!
JANA

I have been a fan of historical romances for several years. I have recently found time-travel and para-normal. By far, my favorite time-travel romances are by Karen Marie Moning. Out of all her books I enjoyed Kiss of the Highlander the most. This book, The Dark Highlander, is the sequel to that one. The Dark Highlander is funny, sexy, emotional and most definitely a must read for time travel romance fans. There was some parts of this book I found boring which is unusual for me to find in Karen's writing. It has alot of history of the celtics and druids which I thought could have been cut down a bit..well for me anyway. Some people may enjoy all the history details. It was more confusing than Kiss of the Highlander in that it went back and forth a bit between the Tuatha De' Danaan (you have to read her books to know about this), they are basically like gods to druids (which is what Dageus is), and present time and the 16th century.
As far as the heroine ...Chloe. She was cute and strong in her own way. I do like that both the McKelter men found women that weren't the perfect leggy model type.
THE BOTTOM LINE...4 stars instead of 5 because it was a bit confusing to me with all the history, etc. The book made me laugh out loud and it brought tears to my eyes. The sex is very steamy and a big WOW on Dageus's fantasies.

The heroine was weaker I felt in this book. I found myself frustrated with her whereas I had more respect for Gwen in the Kiss of the Highlander. It was terrible that Silvan tells Daegus that he's the favorite over Drustan, no father would say that to one of twin sons. And the whole story about a tortured hero who can be saved only by the one mate, and uttering a binding spell was shamelessly unoriginal and imitative of Christine Feehan's "Dark" series... Otherwise he will become "a dark one" and lose his soul, again just like Feehan's series.
Easy ending, too easy. No good twists like Kiss of the Highlander.
I don't know if I'll bother with the next one, Highlander's Touch.

I wanted to adore this book as much as it's predecessor Kiss of the Highlander since it was Daegus' story (Drustan's twin brother), but instead, I liked it a whole lot. The story is most definitely unique and engaging and our hero is certainly scrumptouously sexy in his darkness. However, I just didn't warm up to the heroine, Chloe. I feel Ms. Moning didn't develop this character as fully as she did Gwen in KOTH. As a result, this story misses the complete "romance" aspect. I couldn't say "Yes! These characters were meant to be together above all others", but rather felt that they shared a mere fondness for one another and a whole lot of attraction. If you are looking for an intriguing and more complex plotline, this book is wonderful. If you want heart-stopping love and romance, you may feel a little short-changed. If you desire the whole romance package complete with a great storyline, read KOTH. All in all, The Dark Highlander makes for an enjoyable read and is certainly one of the better novels written in this genre.

like most other people who have reviewed this book, i loved it! It was wonderful! but it got one star knocked off because the author plugs one of her own books in this book! that hit me in the bad catigory! don't advertise another book in one already, and the way she did it was so false! but other than that it was wonderful.

This was the most engrossing book I've read in a long time. Though it centered alot on the sexual..boy did it ever...it was a very enjoyable book and I had to complete the entire book in a day. I just couldn't put it down.

Sexy, sexy book. Great story, funny to boot, and impossible to put down.

This is a great addition to Moning's work. I am such a fan of hers. This book is daring, sexy and quite the page turner. After reading all of her books, I want my own Highland Warrior!!! She is great in her descriptions. She explains each of the characters so well. She doesn't just give one point of view, but takes closer looks at every character. Daegus is a very strong, sensual character. And I do feel a close kinship to Chloe.

I am a bit upset that her next book won't be out unitl August 2004. My guess is that it will be about Adam Black (he is mentioned in a couple of her previous stories, including this one), but I could be wrong.

If you enjoy a great romantic historical, with a twist of magic, and a lot of sexual tension, you should pick up her books!

NOTE: Read "Kiss of the Highlander" before you read this one. The characters will be a part of you from "Kiss", making "Dark Highlander" far more captivating. Drusten is the main hero in "Kiss", but Degeus definitely wins your heart as well. "Kiss" is an excellent story in it's own right. Don't miss it.

Dageus is everything you fantasize about. He's big, strong, brave, completely unselfish, romantic, and devoted to those he loves... yet he becomes dominant,wild, and passionate in bed. Yummy! These are some of the most erotic love scenes ever.

In 16th century Scotland, Degeus and his twim brother Drusten are members of the mystical Druids. Degeus is devastated when his twin brother is killed in a fire. He risks losing his own soul in exchange for his brother's life. Now he is tormented by 13 evil souls who are fighting his own good soul for his body. His only hope is to find a way to wash the evil ones from his body. If they win, he will become an evil power so great, the world will face destruction. Each time Degeus uses the evil ones' magic, they take over another piece of his being. He must use the magic to travel through time and steal ancient tomes that hold the information about the curse he is suffering.

Modern day historian,Chloe, is of Scotish decent. She has always dreamed of visiting the land of her ancestors. She is fascinated by Celtic antiquities. When her boss sends her to a rich man's penthouse, to loan him an ancient tome, she is amazed at his collection of artifacts. While snooping around his home, Chloe comes across some ancient tomes that have been stolen from local museums. Degeus catches her snooping in his room, and has no choice but to keep her until he can finish reading the tomes and return them to museums.

From the moment Degeus catches the pretty girl snooping under his bed, his mind can think of only one word: "Mine." He is instantly possessive of Chloe and can't let her go. Even when he returns the tomes to their owners, he wants to keep her. He convinces her to return to his home land, Scotland.

Over the next weeks, the couple travel Scotland, and they travel through time. They are franticallly searching for a way to wash Degeus of the evil ones who are slowly consuming him. Chloe's love is the one thing that keeps Degeus strong. Still, the evil souls are becoming more powerful. When enemies kidnap Chloe, Degeus must use magic to save her life. He knows that it will mean giving the evil ones so much power, he will no longer be able to fight them. He has only one choice: give in to the evil magic to save Chloe, then take his own life to keep the evil ones from using his body to destroy all of mankind.

Degeus is a hero who gives all of himself to save the ones he loves. Twice, he has sacrifised himself. Once for his brother's life, then again for Chloe and mankind. When Chloe returns home with her heart aching over the loss of Degeus, she learns that he had gone to great lengths, months earlier, to insure that she would be taken care of should he die. He also left her a note to let her know of his eternal devotion. Yet all of the riches and comforts in the world can not replace him. Her heart can not give up hope that a miracle may still be possible. Time travel is no longer possible. Is there anyone who can give Degeus his life back?

Karen Moning's writting isn't totally smooth. Often, you have to reread a sentence to catch what she is saying. However, her story lines, characters, love scenes and mystic edge are excellent. There was no way I could put this book down until I finished it.

At first when I saw this book in the store I thought to myself, well that looks like a cliched piece of trash. Yet everytime I went into a book store I was drawn to the cover, so finally I gave in a picked it off the shelf.

I was hooked from the first chapter until the last word. Although I'm an avid reader, I've never been one for romance but it kept me up all night until it was done.

Chloe's character is believable, not one of those annoying herione's who is so beautiful and smart like so many other romance and other books tend to contain. She fights a man who seems dangerous but at the same time she starts to gradually warm up to the man whom she first considered a barbarian.

There is an actual plot developed here including dark magic, evil cults and one hell of a hero.

Karen Marie Moning is not one of the most polished writers out there, but if you like Scottish, medieval, or aritfacts this is definatiley a book for you. I'm not finished with the book yet, but I can't wait for the time to read again to find out what happens next! I'm definatly buying more of her books.

Ok... I have to admit that I literally could not put down this book until I'd finished it! WOW!! The characters and storyline are so intense, as a reader it was a powerful and magical journey. I laughed, cried and ached with the characters. I do highly recommend that you read "Kiss of The Highlander" first. This book is technically a stand alone, but you will meet some of the characters and learn their stories by reading them in order. I also loved all the Buffy & Angel references - how fun to have them pop up in the book!

This was the first time I've ever read Karen Marie Moning, and needless to say half way through this book I ran back out to Amazon and put her other four books in my shopping cart! I'm not big on time travel and really only read a few authors that pen this sub-genre. I have added Karen Marie Moning to this short list!!!

This was a very fun book due to the great characterization that she did. Chloe is a perfect complement to Dageus. She's funny, sweet, and totally from the 21st century. Dageus is tall, dark, sexy...all right he's yummy period, oh and did I mention a 16th century druid? Dageus is looking for a way to reverse a curse and Chloe is basically in the right place but at the wrong time and Dageus can't help himself. Chloe is his mate, his love, and he's not going to let her go! At least not if he can help it. Chloe on the other hand is innocent, has no idea what this highlander is thinking, and loves historic artifacts (Museum business is what brings her to Dageus in the first place) imagine her surprise when her curiosity lands her tied to Dageus' bed!

This was a great book with laughs, romance, and yes...even tears! I loved it and I can hardly wait for Ms. Monings other books to be delievered to my mailbox!

Dagus, Mckelter, was a fine man, but the woman he fell in love with, NOT!!!! she was nothing like Drustan''s woman. Okay different women but did she have to be such an airhead. I really liked Adam and I liked his whole story. He was fun. I like the story just not the woman.

This is one of Karen M. Monings' best yet. It's rich in detail and all the senses get a treat. It is extremely impossible to stop reading. This is a great one for people who haven't read Karen Moning before.

Dageus MacKeltar is a 16th century highlander now living in New York and haunted by the souls of thirteen evil druids. When Dageus violated the compact between Keltar and the Tuatha De (god/fairy creatures from Celtic legend), the druids vanished thousands of years ago gained partial freedom--in Dageus's mind. Each time he works his magic, they grow stronger. Soon, they will take over his body and plunge the world into chaos. Dageus has vowed to hold them off and continually researches ancient Celtic knowledge for a hint of the means by which he can regain his freedom.

Chloe Zanders is a museum curator with one of the documents Dageus wants. When she enters his penthouse, she is attracted to the perfectly preserved ancient artifacts that litter it. The two are instantly attracted by Chloe is a virgin and promises herself that she won't be just another notch on Dageus's bedpost.

Author Karen Marie Moning writes convincingly of Dageus's rapid descent into darkness--a descent that can be slowed but not stopped by the frequent sex that Chloe is denying him. A time travel segment puts the two characters back into medieval Scotland, letting the reader enjoy a reunion between Dageus and his father. Moning's action sequences are exciting and convincing.

Dageus is a powerful character who, in this reviewer's opinion, deserves more than Chloe whose major claim to fame seems to be her application of the 'rules' in denying sex until she gets a commitment. Other than the obvious physical chemistry, it's hard to see why Dageus choses her as his unique woman. Admittedly the story is about magic, but the heroine should contribute more to the story than Chloe does.

I'd be interested in other writer's opinions, but I also thought that the solution to Dageus's dilemna was a bit deus ex machina (literally).

Flaws aside, Karen Marie Moning delivers hot sex, exciting action, and a hero to die for. A pretty strong combination.

The first time Dageus "takes" Chloe, (around page 250-I have it dogeared by now!) has got to be one of the Hottest, most explicit sex scenes I have ever read! WOW!! Overall, it was a great story. This one is definitely going on my shelf as a keeper!

If you like a bit of edge to your romance, you'll like this book. This was the first of Moning's books that I read, and it is definitely my favorite of hers so far. Having the hero be possessed by evil gave an interesting twist to the whole "bad boy" type, and the characters here seem more complex and therefore more interesting than in Moning's previous books. The hero here has the capability of doing real harm, not only because of black magic but because of the violence in his character and history. His dilemma is a little closer to the real internal conflicts we all go through than the stock social norms vs. libido plot lines served up by less imaginative romance authors. I have to admit that I'm also a real sucker for good time-travel romances, and this author handles them very well.

On the Heyer-Hamilton scale for sensuality (from Georgette Heyer to Laurell K. Hamilton), the sex is clearly closer to Hamilton in mood but more conventional and less explicit in content. I liked the book for its "noir" qualities, and it's not really a radical departure from her previous books, if you're already a fan.

I stumbled across Ms. Moning's books by accident and boy am I ever glad! FINALLY! Someone who writes the kind of books I've longed to read my entire life! She mixes magic and sexy Highlanders with 21st century women.

I read this in about two days. I loved this book. It was a fun, romantic read. If you love to read about Scotland, the Highlands, and oh-so-sexy Scottish lairds, then this is the book for you!

I found her first book quite by accident, and I was hooked...I started collecting all of her books...including this one.. This one is a keeper, now I am just waiting for her next book...

After reading Beyond the Highland Mist, I decided to try this one. I found that I liked it even better. The characters move around quite a bit more in this on and the villians are really evil. This was darker, but more engrossing. I read it in one sitting.

whew! wow! oh yeah! excellent! This story jumps up and grabs from the beginning. It keeps going and going. Then you realize it is coming to the end and you try to slow down so that you can savor the last few pages. Then the mourning begins. Hurry Ms. Moning, please hurry! I need more.