Voidwalker

MacLean (The Phoenix Keeper) hits all the right notes in this rip-roaring romantasy, the first in her Beasts of the Void series. In a world where human-eating monsters called daeyari rule over human villages and demand sacrifice in exchange for protection and basic necessities, human Fionamara “Fi” Kolbeck smuggles supplies through the Void, a space between dimensions, to keep her village thriving without having to rely on the beneficence of its daeyari Antal. After a job goes horribly wrong and Fi winds up in the middle of a terrorist attack against the capitol building where Antal lives, she’s apprehended and forced to work with the daeyari to investigate. Fi initially abhors the idea, but as she spends more time with Antal, she develops intense feelings for him—antlers, tail, fangs, and all. As they embark on a passionate affair, they discover a grave threat against the village. To combat it, they’ll need the entire village onboard, but convincing Fi’s fellow humans to support a daeyari will be difficult. MacLean expertly balances romance and fantasy, keeping up the plot’s momentum without skimping on steamy scenes. Monster romance fans should snap this up. (Aug.)