Today is book club. I meet with some fellow authors at a local coffee shop. We discuss the strengths of the book, and the process of writing the book. It’s very casual. We talk, laugh, and yes, sometimes the conversations goes south.  Imagine that—a group of ladies getting off topic.

The book we are discussing today is Jessica Aspen’s The Dark Huntsman.

Jessica is a master of writing twisted fairy tales, this one is based on Snow White. She also pulls in the fantasy world of elves, pookas, and Fae. One of the strengths in her book is the pooka—Solanum. Pookas are a creature of Irish folklore. They can bring good or bad fortune, help or hinder people.

In this case, Solanum serves the Dark Huntsman, Logan. Solanum isn’t really a hero or villain. He will follow Logan’s requests, but there’s always a twist. If he was given his freedom, who knows what the chaos he would create. Jessica says he’s amoral. I think he’s your ultimate alpha.

What I like about Solanum is that he is his own person. He will come through in a pinch and I love his wit. Jessica brings him into her second book, Prince of Blood and Bone. I keep bugging her to give Solanum his own book, but he’s not ready. See, his own person. I would keep reading her books to see what happens with Solanum.

Another strength of the book is the love attraction between Logan and Trina. Like all of her books, the sexual tension is intense, but not over the top. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Trina is feeding fruit to Logan. The descriptions and tension are hot. I’ll never look at raspberries and strawberries the same way.

I would give this book 5 stars.