The Wicked: A Novella of the Elder Races

Absolutely adorableAnother story in the Elder Race seriesLooking forward to many more to comeLove reading this series....and even more then onceRecommended

The Wicked was such a great novella. I'm already a fan of Thea Harrison but this story was an unexpected treat. If you've read previous books in the Elder Race series this book follows what happens to Carling's library on the Other magic island she previously used as a place to get away. Her irreplaceable, magic library is located there and she wants the contents removed. This novella is about the crew who is hired to retrieve those books, specifically Olivia and Sebastian who until the story starts have never met. But when they do, there are fireworks.Olivia is a human witch, who is a librarian/symbologist and she's been hired to help secure the library. Sebastian is a Wyr who is heading up the expedition. He owns a security company and is suffering from a curse that is slowly killing him along with making him go blind, which is especially hard because he is a Wyr bird and flying is obviously important to him. He's a predator owl, which I didn't think would be sexy, but he's an extremely sexy, dominating hero. From the moment Sebastian sees Olivia he's intrigued and after living so many years where he's been bored with his traveling lifestyle at first he tries to convince himself that there's nothing original about her. In fact, I was worried I wouldn't like him because he was thinking how she was just like every other woman, etc. and internally being kind of a jerk. Of course once he started to fall for her, he realized what an idiot he'd been and his possessiveness was hot without being alpha-jerk.Olivia was immediately intrigued by Sebastian at the first meeting and a little intimidated by him when he singled her out to sit with him on their plane ride to San Francisco (to get to the Other island). But she was also very aware of him. The romance between them was incredibly hot and unexpected by both of them, which I think made it even more explosive. There was a bit of suspense in this storyline but it didn't take away from the romance. I think it was the buildup of their relationship and the sweet yet really possessive way Sebastian was with her that was so great. There was this scene on the yacht where he made this `claim' on her in front of everyone else that was just plain hot.I don't want to give away spoilers so I won't delve into the suspense portion, but if you're looking for a bite sized romance that feels like a full length novel, this is a great paranormal read.

THE WICKED is the latest novella in Thea Harrison’s Novels of the Elder Races and is connected back to the ancient Vampyre Carling and the Wyr. This particular storyline felt more connected to the series than some of the previous novellas and there is just the right amount of suspense, romance, sex and love to keep the reader involved.The storyline focuses on an expedition to recover Carling’s extensive collection of magical books and supernatural library before Julian (one of the vampires she has sired) lays claim to everything on the magical island.Most of the group is somehow connected to the supernatural world, but only a few have the capability to protect the expedition from harm. Add the pull of attraction between Sebastian and Olivia and there is bound to be sparks. But someone has their sights set on something more-and this someone will kill to bring back the secrets buried in Carling’s library.Cursed to lose his sight, Sebastian (an owl shapeshifter) begins to realize that the woman under his protection will one day be his mate. But someone within the expedition has other plans, and Olivia stands between freedom and getting in the way.The relationship between Sebastian and Olivia is both romantic and sexy. Their connection is instant; Sebastian can feel the pull of his future mate. The storyline is fast paced ; the characters are easily relatable; and sexual heat is perfect for a sunny afternoon.If you are a fan of The Novel of the Elder Races, THE WICKED is sure to please. It is a quick read that will fill in some down time between novels and keep the pulse on the world of the Wyr.

The Wicked (A Novella of the Elder Races) was one of my favorites of the Elder Races novellas so far. There was a nice touch up with Grace, Khalil and the kids (from Oracle's Moon) and a really good steamy intense mate connection between the leads cursed Wyr security expert Sebastian and human witch magical books specialist Olivia - plus a tantalizing touch of two characters: the former insane pariah Djinn Phaedra and Vampire King Julian (They both need books of their own... or hmmm, a book together? That might be interesting.)I really like Olivia and Sebastian together the 'click' between them was such an earth moving shift but some how it just worked. And I liked that Harrison finally listened to her readers' concerns about a mating between a Wyr and a human with a shorter life span - he's from a long lived race but not immortal and he's old enough that he has just about the right number of years left to match up with her life span.So, I really liked what was here, Harrison probably could have milked this story for a bit more length - since the personal conflict for the hero resolved quickly - and I am always greedy for more and I will take whatever I can get but I was still happy with the story.So this was a nice little taste of the Elder Races world that left me hungry for more - of the series. I am really looking forward to the next book, Kinked, but I also got a kick out of the announcement for the next Elder Races short which will be out in the fall (no link yet) Dragos Takes a Holiday - "The Bermuda Triangle. Pirates. The Peanut. What could possibly go wrong?"

excellent book by one of my favorite author,a pleasure, fast delivery.

I started to read this series years ago and at the time had read all of the books, the rest of the series got away from me, however i never forgot this author and have always intended to get back to the series. You do not need to read the rest of the series to read this one, but you will not be able to help yourself when you get started with this authors work.This novella is fast paced and you cannot help but get wept up into the story and when the end comes, it feels far too soon.Olivia and Sebastian seem to have something from the moment that they meet, especially when in from of everyone shy Olivia calls the Djinn a dimwit.We do get surprise characters from other boos, but the story mainly focuses on the fledgling beginning of Olivia and Sebastian as they navigate betrayal and a relationship together while doing work on a remote island.Cannot wait to read more from this series.

As a magical librarian, Olivia knows the chance to pack up powerful vampyre Carling's library is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she's fully prepared to face trouble from the Nightkind King and danger from magical manuscripts. What she doesn't expect is owl wyr Sebastian Hale, the expedition leader, or the way he makes her feel.This fifth novella from the Elder Races series ( Dragon Bound  etc) is different from the earlier four ( True Colors  etc), because not only were those all loosely connected by the magical tarot deck, but they were also a good place for new readers to start.Not this one. If you haven't read  Serpent's Kiss  and  Oracle's Moon  (books 3 and 4) then there's a lot here you might not follow. Not only do old characters show up - Carling and Julian, Grace, the kids and Khalil, not to mention Khalil's damaged daughter Phaedra - but a lot of the action happens on Carling's Otherworld island. If you know the series these things all make sense, but newcomers might miss the nuances. (Then again one reviewer hasn't read them and still loved it, so what do I know?)Regular readers, however, should enjoy this novella. Olivia and Seb are nicely angst-free, hopping quickly into their relationship with very little second guessing. Though it happens quickly, it works because of the way they get along and the chemistry between them. It also leaves more plot time for other things to happen.My one complaint is that we never do find out why one character dislikes Seb so much. It's a minor thing, but I expected it to have some kind of deeper reason.My favourite thing was getting to see Phaedre again and seeing how things have changed with her. I hope this means we'll be seeing even more of her in future. I love those Djinn.In all this is a good story of magic, romance and mystical danger, steeped in the excellent setting of this world. It makes me all the more impatient to read  Kinked  soon. Dragon BoundTrue ColorsSerpent's KissOracle's MoonKinked

I have read everything that Thea Harrison writes about the Elder Races; and with each progressing book, and all the short stories I fall more in love with this wild vivid world.Olivia is an librarian who has been recruited by Carling to join a team who will log, document and safely transport her dangerous library from her magical island home. (You don't have to have read the previous books, but it will help.) The man/wyr in charge of over seeing the project is the wonderful Sebastian (deep sigh!).These are two people who should have little in common to bring them together but as the wonderful adventure unfolds you realise they have more going for them then even they realise.I loved it, it's just that simple. Can not wait for the next addition "Kinked".

I have all of Thea's Elder Races series and I love these off-shoot novella's which are just the right length for an evening read.Olivia has a nice, quiet life as a librarian and enjoys it that way but she can't miss the chance of a life time to be part of the team who bring back Carling's magical library from an other world. The leader of the team is Sebastian who is suffering from a curse placed on him during one of his many adventures as the head of a security company.The draw between the two is immediate and is just so wonderfully handled. Sebastian, who at the start is a hard and jaded man, is woken up by Olivia and he starts to enjoy life again. Olivia is strong and funny and not your typical librarian!I also loved the return of many characters from previous novels and catching up with their lives.