Eve

I have enjoyed all the Amaranth books, but my favorite was Dark Heart, the first book. So it was very nice to see Lucan and Tam make an appearance in this 5th book, and play a significant part in the story although they are not the main characters.

The main characters are Jay a slave with a little bit of hidden magic and his master Jensen who is a bit of a wastrel. Jay was adorable, but I found Jensen a little too useless and hapless. The story was told in Jay's first person perspective, and even though Jay was able to love Jensen despite his faults, I found that I couldn't be as indulgent, and kept lamenting that this was a story of a worthy slave without a worthy master. However, as the plot unfolded, I did pick up a few hints that Jensen had redeeming qualities. And if anyone could make a man out of him, Master Luke could! :) This is a well written story and a satisfying read.

I really like the way that the author has depicted the slave society of Amaranth with consistency through all the books, so that each book gives the setting a little more depth.