Tempted (Eternal Guardians, #3)

by Elisabeth Naughton

[Stephanie]

Really a 4.5.

The princess of Argolea has been stolen away from the palace mere hours before her binding ceremony. When Isadora gains consciousnesses she finds the one person she thought was her friend is a witch and has betrayed her. Isadora is vaguely aware that she's being prepared for something but she doesn't know what and is much to weak to put a stop to it even if she knew. She can only hope that someone will come to her rescue. Even that seems too much to hope for.

When the princess' rescue attempt goes wrong all hell breaks loose. Gryphon is in bad shape and has learned that the brother they trusted (even if just barely) is not who he appears to be. Demetrius is indeed the son of the enemy, Atalanta. IT certainly explains the whole bad ass attitude he's been rocking for the past 200 years. Not only is this damning enough on its own but it also appears as if Demetrius has had Isadora's abduction planned from the beginning.

Atalanta sees in her son and Isadora the chance that she's been waiting for. If their child is conceived she would have an Argonaut who will inherit the throne of Argolea. In a cruel twist to try and get what she wants, Atalanta throws Demetrius and Isadora through a portal to Pandora an island that cannot be escaped by either without holy land. Pandora is our Bermuda Triangle and all manor of strange creatures roams the island. Demetrius must keep Isadora safe, figure out a way to get home and has the added task of trying to guard his heart.

Oh ladies! Hold on to your hearts because Demetrius will melt even the coldest of cynics! Demetrius has ever only wanted one thing: Isadora's happiness. He loves her so much that he keeps himself at arm's length. I suppose that's not really true because Demetrius goes out of his way to ensure Isadora never gets close by demeaning her and being brutal whenever she's around. In fact, he refused to be bound to her when the king appointed him as her future husband. As a reader I was able to feel everything that has been held back in the first two books where Demetrius is concerned. He is not the man we have been led to believe he is. Demetrius is not only hero material there are moments that will make you swoon!

"You can't save me," he whispered.
"Why not?"
"Because some things aren't worth the effort."

See?! Tempted is littered with passages like these. My heart broke quite a bit for Demetrius in this book. If you're looking for a tortured hero, I don't know that you can find one more tortured!

Isadora herself has a lot of growing up to do. She has depended on people dictating her life for so long that it seems foreign to try and take control of her life. At first she really wore on me. She was constantly second guessing herself and doubted what was right in front of her on more than one occasion. I have to admit that had I been in the same circumstances I would have been the same way. About midway through the book Isadora puts on her big girl boots and we get a kick ass princess. None of that light and fluff stuff she's been spoon fed since the cradle. This is without a doubt one of my favorite Isadora passages:

"You said I'd regret this." Her voice, usually strong and confident, was so soft he barely heard her. "Do you remember that? You said, when I went home I'd look back on my time here with you and regret every moment of it."
He swallowed again, loathing the fact his warning had now come true. "Yeah," he managed. "I remember."
"And what did I say to you?"
When he didn't answer, she lifted her chocolate eyes to his. "Don't remember? Then I'll tell you. I said the most important things in this world are the ones we have to fight for. And I still believe you're worth fighting for, Demetrius. Even if you don't."

Now that is the kind of heroine that I enjoy! It may take her a little while to get there but Isadora is a great heroine and in every way Demetrius' match.

If you haven't read Elisabeth Naughton's Eternal Guardians series yet, you need to. Her heroes and heroines are memorable long after the last page has been turned. If Tempted is any indication we can expect great things in her series. I'm anxiously awaiting to continue the stories and see what else Naughton and Argolea will bring us!