I enjoyed this book. I have only read one of her other books in the trilogy so far, and it didn't make me addicted enough to have to read this one. I just happened to see it in the store and picked it up, but I kind of like not being left on a major cliffhangar from the author.

This was the classic fight of good versus evil. Only a woman could bring the salvation of one man. It was an enjoyable read, and I think Brenda Joyce is on the verge of something big.

WARNING!!!...Do not start reading this Series "The Masters of Time" if you have anything you need to get done. I just finished up Book 3;("Dark Embrace")after just starting it this morning. These men are dangerously addictive so heed my advice! C-ya =)

I loved this book. I thought that it had everything, excitment, magic, love, constant suspense. I couldn't wait to get back to it during each break. I haven't read any of the previous books about Aiden. I think the plot explained why Aiden was dark and withdrawn as he was in mourning over his son and the betrayal of his evil father and what felt like desertion from the good power he served for many years. Oh, and he was born out of rape so that his mother couldn't even look at him. Isn't that enough to explain it all? I felt this book had alot of action that held my attention. I was sad when it ended.

Even though this is not the story that I wanted for Aidan, Dark Embrace was the best of so far of the three Masters of Time stories. Joyce has finally worked out the kinks in her formula for these books. Her heroine Brie's empathic talent really gives foundation to her belief and trust in dark tormented half-demon Aidan that was so key to his redemption, making her willingness to cultivate friendship with the vengeful grief stricken Aidan, a man even his friends and family have written off as evil, an act of faith and purpose instead of one of annoying stupidity.

While I did like the book, I would have been exceedingly upset with Dark Embrace if I hadn't already known that Aidan in this story is not the the rakish flirting Aidan from the past two books - fortunately the excerpt in the last book gave me time to prepare. Still I really wish that Aidan was the one we got to read about. Oh well.

Instead of finishing off a triology, Dark Embrace is starting a new one about the witchy powered Rose women. Brie's relatives (cousins I think) are next up. We've already seen a bit of Tabby's future in the past (how confusing is that) with her mate and it looks like Sam and Nick will hook up in another. So look for Tabby to get her own medieval Highlander when the series continues with Dark Victory in March 2009.

I wanted to like this book, I really did but, I didn't. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Joyce but I honestly expected more. I'll try reading one more of her books but for now, I'll stick with Lora Leigh & Gena Showalter.

There is much to like in Brenda Joyce's well written novel and a few things that were annoying which brings this book in at a four star rating instead of five.

Firstly, hero Aidan is wonderful. A Master of time travel with other special gifts and sired by a demonic father, he is the epitome of both bad boy and tortured hero combined. After losing his son in the 1400's to his diabolical father, he is bent on destroying his sire even if that means he turns his back on helping others. He, in fact, almost is ambivalent about the needs of others.

This changes when he hears a cry from the present from heroine, Brie, who lives in modern day New York City. Brie is my kind of heroine. She is smart, kind, generous and always willing to do the right thing. Brie is able to empathize completely with others feeling their immense pain but the connection she has with Aidan is so strong that it is almost debilitating. Brie works for a super secret government group that is hunting demons and such. Aidan is no stranger since she met him earlier when he was helping her friend.

Aidan comes to Brie's aid and he takes her a bit unwillingly back to 1502. Brie is captivated by Aidan but he pushes her away as she wants friendship and love from him and he only seeks to use women to replenish his powers. He is on a quest to kill his father and sweet Brie is not going to get in his way. The interaction between these two is wonderful. The kindness in Brie is healing and the sexual tension is blazing. Aidan is changing and even he can't understand how it is happening. There are sweet moments of unselfish acts between the leads.

As for the annoyances of this novel, I had not read all the other books before this one and was a bit in the dark about some of the characters showing up to assist Brie both in modern day times and in the past. It was jarring when people from modern day would just show up in Brie's past; it almost took me out of the story. I also was not a fan of how weird modern day New York seemed with roving soulless gangs of boys and visible demons lurking throughout the city.

Still, even though I am not a huge fan of time travel, this one is really well done, thanks to a terrific hero and lovely heroine.

In the fifteenth century in Loch Awe, Scotland, being a Master of Time, Aidan the Wolf of Awe had pledged his life to keep people safe, but six plus decades have past since he saved an innocent. He had adhered strictly to his vow until he faced the worst dilemma of his life. Vicious Moray blackmailed him into breaking his oath or else Aidan's son would die brutally. Aidan committed the murder demanded by Moray, but the evil one took the child anyway. A distraught Aidan has since become an emotionally crippled hermit.

In 2008 New York City, empathic Brianna Rose's pleads for someone to help her. Heeding the call, his first since Moray destroyed him, Aidan leaps to her. She has had visions and dreams involving Aidan and his son. Brie vows to help this tormented kind soul move on by finding a way to reunite father and son even as Moray has plans for the intruder.

The latest Masters of Time romantic fantasy (see DARK SEDUCTION and DARK RIVAL) is a superb thriller starring a wonderful wounded warrior, a courageous modern woman with a psychic gift, and an odious villain who uses others' love as a weapon to destroy them. In some ways Moray the malevolent steals the show with his twisted usage of love, but his opponents this time include a modern day woman prepared to kick butt whose bravery moves the hero to action. Brenda Joyce provides a strong dark thriller that her fans will relish.

Harriet Klausner

Maybe there's something wrong with me, but lately it seems like my favorite romance authors are getting a little bit lazy and have stopped writing books that make me yearn for more, this book is no exception.
Joyce revisits her Masters of Time Series with Aiden, the Wolf of Awe and, and with the murder of his son by his father Moray we find him a bitter man filled with rage and the desire to die. Brie Rose is an empath who feels the pain from Aiden across centuries (he is a highland warrior, she a modern day New Yorker). Based on a prior meeting she thinks she is in love with him but believes herself to be too plain and boring to receive love in return.
Blah, blah, blah he finds her, she tries to heal his pain etc. Am I the only one that thinks this plot has been done before? My biggest problem with this book is that I really liked the Aiden of prior books and would have liked to see more of him, but the plot of this novel only showed us the wimpy man that was so hurt all he cared for was death and destruction. Brie's love was so blind and I'm not sure what it was really based on, it just came out of no where and seemed a little undeveloped to me. I just couldn't get into it that well. The ending has some redeeming qualities, but overall I would just wait until you can check it out at the library. I really like a lot of her prior books, but this one fell short for me.

It seems like the entire romance industry is obsessed with demonic series romance. So Brenda Joyce hopped on the trend last year with the Masters of Time Series.

If you read the first two entries, you are either going to love or hate this book. There is very little in between.

This book is huge departure for the Masters of Time series. The is the story of Brie Rose and Aidan, Wolf of Awe, the happy-go-lucky-designer-loving-playboy who readers met in the first two books.

After the build up of Aidan's funny, sexy character in the first two books, this story is a huge disappointment. Aidan is no longer carefree, hardened from the "death" of his son by the hands of his deamonic father Moray. Yet for a man harded by pain, death and war, Aidan is a wishy washy vestige of manhood (especially when compared to the other Masters). He frequently blushes like a teenager. His redemption also proceeds at warp speed.

My other large complaint is that TWO WHOLE LOVE SCENES are thin (like 1-2 pages) and are more like an afterthought she popped in the book at the last minute.

Brenda did a passable job, at best. Save your money, go buy Gena Showalter's new series, published this srping. At least she did not get lazy on book 3. Or you can buy Karen Marie Moning who delights readers for 7 books.

After his son Ian was killed by his father Moray, Aidan - The Wolf of Awe has hunted alone. Betrayed and hurt by a Brotherhood he loyally served, he turned his back on Innocence and the greater good. Instead he embraces the darkness that surrounds him. But when an Innocent suddenly appears to him from the future - he leaps to her aid and rescue, taking her back to the year 1502.

Brie Rose spends most of her days in the basement at the CDA office fighting evil from her laptop. Like her sister Tabitha, she has magical powers; she is able to feel people's pain. When Aidan's pain and outrage suddenly consumes her mind and body it almost kills her. She is then shocked to discover that all files in the CDA have Aidan dying in 1502 for high treason and no sightings have been reported in over a year - the last time she saw him. When a group of deamans corner Brie in an alley, a Wolf leaps to her rescue and saves her. She realizes its Aidan and not the carefree and charming Aidan she remembers. He is now filled with hate and anger, she senses deep down that there is still good in him and is determined to save his life and soul.

DARK EMBRACE is the start of "The Rose Trilogy" in Brenda Joyce's The Masters Of Time(tm) series. It's an exciting and thrilling introduction to the Rose woman sharing a destiny with these sexy and irresistible highland warriors. These two characters are powerful and passionate - total opposites in personality, facing incredible odds, as their love story is seductive and remarkably tender. Aidan wants nothing to do with her; she represents everything he's turned his back on. However Brie's undying love and relentless pursuit to discover and unravel the truth has an effect on his heart and he comes to trust her.

Moray a vile character we all thought vanquished by Claire and Malcolm in DARK SEDUCTION returns with shocking secrets and stronger powers. The evil he possessed will make any reader gasp as he weaves his destruction and devastation around Aidan and those close to him. He truly is the most heinous and despicable character created by Brenda Joyce. I also enjoyed catching up with previous characters from the first two novels and felt the sadness and helplessness they all conveyed when Aidan turned his back on everything and everyone. In addition the old bonds and new friendships that are developed and explored throughout this novel and series leaves you anxious to read the next installment in the series. DARK EMBRACE will not disappoint readers and fans of the series; Brenda Joyce takes Aidan to the dark side with a captivating inner battle of good vs. evil.

Paranormal fans are in for a treat with Brenda Joyce's DARK EMBRACE, Book #3 in her fantastic Master's Of Time(tm) series for HQN (Sept. 2008). In present day New York City, 26-year-old, nerdy, myopic virgin, Brianna Rose is thrilled to be employed by the Center for Demonic Activity, a secret government agency dedicated to the war on evil and is content to fight dark forces throughout the ages at her computer. She works in the Historical Crimes Unit finding matches between current targets and demons operating in the past. As a Rose woman, Brie is gifted and extremely empathic to others pain especially highland warrior, Aidan, the Wolf of Awe, who she's met briefly, fantasizes about daily and dreams of nightly! When Brie wakes from a nightmare in great pain, she knows Aidan is in terrible danger and upon further research discovers he was hanged for treason and his stone effigy is atop a medieval tomb. In 1502 Scotland, Aidan is not only a fierce highlander but also one of the Masters of Time, sworn to defend mankind from evil. However, Aidan has turned from his god given calling and for years has been on a rampage of destruction seeking retribution for the death of his beloved young son, Ian by the hands of his evil demon father, Moray, who has convinced Aidan that he is also a deamhan. The hardened Aidan, who is also a shape-shifter wolf, has no feelings for women except to use them for sex to gain power that he needs to destroy his father. However, during some of his darkest moments he senses Brie, who wants to help him. When Aidan senses it is Brie, who needs his help one night from attackers on the streets of NYC, he time travels to her rescue. After Brie calls her boss, who shows up at her apartment threatening Aidan, Aidan sweeps Brie back to his time with him. Will Brie be able to stop Aidan from marching on Inverness with his men and ultimately being hanged? Will they find out what really happened to young Ian, who appears to Brie as a ghost? And finally, will Brie and Aidan's intense attraction for each other lead to her seduction and his salvation? Don't miss the enthralling DARK EMBRACE in Brenda Joyce's Masters Of Time(tm) series which offers readers all they could want in a paranormal romance: extraordinary lovers and their fiery passion for each other woven into a uniquely intricate plot.