"amusing fantasy romance"

Like all Protectors, Jason Murphy has special abilities that enable him to communicate with sea creatures and turn into a were-dolphin. However, unlike his peers, Jason has an evil father Hieronymous to contend with. His odious dad imprisoned Jason for six years causing him to miss the birth of his son Davy to the human Lane Kent. In turn this also left him subject to being declared an Outcast by the Venerate Council of Protectors for violating the required registration of half-breed births.

Hieronymous has plans to kidnap his half-breed grandson so he can steal the child's superior intelligence and become the smartest evilest dude in the world. Jason wants to win back the trust of the only woman he ever loved, but never bothered to tell about his species. Even more important he must keep his son safe from his own father.

The lead couple is a delightful star-crossed pair, who clearly cherishes one another yet cannot trust each other. Hieronymous is kind of cartoonish as a villain, yet that adds to the pleasure of the tale. The other Protectors come across pathetic, wasting time arguing over whether their peer Jason is a risk due to his gene pool to the point that the reader will scream at them to stop squabbling and take on the villain all ready. Perhaps nobody but Julie Kenner could take a farfetched tale even by fantasy standards and turn it into an amusing escapist novel.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted April 23, 2003

Author Interview

Summary

Jason Murphy could talk to creatures of the sea. He could also change into a dolphin, and had a ton of other superpowers like all Protectors; but none of them really helped his situation. The love of his life didn't trust him anymore - thought his devotion was...fishy. Sure, she had her reasons: when she'd needed him most, he'd been focusing on his super-career. But that was all over. He vowed to win her back.

It wasn't going to be easy. His outcast father was still plotting world domination, and Jason was still pledged to protect mortals everywhere. His other Protector friends didn't trust him, feared his commitment to justice. And though Lane still loved him - he could see it in her eyes - how to win her hand in marriage seemed the best-kept secret ever. Heck, pretty soon Jason would swear that beating up the bad guys was easy; it was this relationship stuff that took a true superman!