The Only One (Dark, #9.5; Star, #0.5; Companion, #0.5)

This trio of stories explores romance with an otherworldly edge. In "Dark Descent," the newest installment of Feehan's mesmerizing "Carpathian (Dark)" series, an aggressive, multitalented professional body guard/secret service agent who never lets danger or the unknown stop her becomes the lifemate of a powerful immortal embroiled in a battle with the vampires. In "The Star Queen," Susan Grant's prequel to her popular Star books, a munitions developer/producer finds love with a rebel leader who begins the peace process in one corner of the galaxy. In "Sacrilege," a spinoff of Susan Squire's popular Sacrament, the vampire heroine (a recovering "addict") is quite strong but generally seeks to avoid rather than embrace adventure. This highly sensual, exceptionally well-done anthology by three of alternative reality's top writers will appeal to devoted fans and is well worth the notice of readers who have not experimented with this subgenre.