Rating: 
Summary: A new twist on the old-fashioned whodunit.
Review: A good combination of science fiction, mystery and
romance. I like Ms. Castle's work - in all her incarnations -
and I wasn't disappointed by this new book. The characters are exciting, the plot intruiging, and there's
enough other worldiness to be interesting without being overpowering.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Jayne Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz) strikes again!
Review: After reading After Dark, another futuristic romance by the same author, the plot is easy to follow in Amaryllis even though there are many differences. Instead of having pyschic illusion dismantlers and ghost hunters as in After Dark, we have pyschic prisms and pyschic talents working together.
the background:
In the distant Earth colony of St. Helens, the pioneer people from Earth that settled in the colony were stranded after the connection warp between Earth and the colony(also called "the curtain") disappeared almost 200 years ago. St. Helens was habitable but the materials from Earth quickly disintegrated. Earth's technology were also of no use. The settlers were forced to learn about the colony's natural materials and how to use them to produce everyday necessities. Through many generations, humans have also evolutionized to develop pyschic abilities. The pyschic power were of two different types: prisms or talents. Pyschic talents have the natural gift of performing one of various functions such as botanist, gemologist, illusionist, etc. However, the talents can't control their pyschic powers without the help pyschic prisms, which uses their powers to create a pyschic plane through which the talents can direct their energy into. Talents and prisms were classified into different levels of classes depending on their pyschic strength.
The first generation of St Helen settlers believed in a strong family foundation. The rules of society forbids divorce. Therefore, marriage is an eternal bound. Because of this, marriage is usually the result of a match by a marriage agency whose job is to find compatible soulmates. Any other type of marriage are doomed to fail. It's also conventional wisdom that high level talents and prisms are not compatible at all.the characters:
Lucas Trent is the president of Lodestar Exploration, a company who finds and extract jelly-ice, which is the main energy source in St. Helens (like oil on Earth). After experiencing a failed nonagency marriage, he was determined to do it right this time and registered with a marriage agency. He is also a high level talent with the abilities of talent detector and illusionist. Amaryllis Lark is a high level prism employed by Psynergy Inc, provider of prism services for a fee. Her parents died when she was very young and she was raised by her great aunt. Because her parents were not married, she was called many names growing up. She was illegitimate. This is especially hard in a society where family values were stressed. Amaryllis grew up to be a strict and a person who values ethical behavior. She also understands the importance of an agency marriage. Therefore, she registered with a marriage agency. their story:
Lucas was concerned about one of his employees selling corporate information to an outsider. Therefore he hired Amaryllis to be his prism in order for him to use his talent to check into the case. There was a mutual attraction. They also teamed up to investigate a probable murder case. After spending so much time together, they started an affair. Even though they have mutual feelings of affection for each other, they both know there would be no future for them. The agency would never match them up since they are both high level pyschics and would not be compatible. Will they be able overcome the many obstacles? Overall comments:
Interesting world. Good love story between Lucas and Amaryllis. However, I thought the mystery and resolution of it was a bit weak. The conflict was resolved easily. Not much surprise. Good book to introduce us to the world of St. Helens. Will definitely read Zinnia and Orchid, 2 other St. Helens novels.
Rating:
Summary: Something new for me.
Review: After reading After Dark, another futuristic romance by the same author, the plot is easy to follow in Amaryllis even though there are many differences. Instead of having pyschic illusion dismantlers and ghost hunters as in After Dark, we have pyschic prisms and pyschic talents working together.
the background:
In the distant Earth colony of St. Helens, the pioneer people from Earth that settled in the colony were stranded after the connection warp between Earth and the colony(also called "the curtain") disappeared almost 200 years ago. St. Helens was habitable but the materials from Earth quickly disintegrated. Earth's technology were also of no use. The settlers were forced to learn about the colony's natural materials and how to use them to produce everyday necessities. Through many generations, humans have also evolutionized to develop pyschic abilities. The pyschic power were of two different types: prisms or talents. Pyschic talents have the natural gift of performing one of various functions such as botanist, gemologist, illusionist, etc. However, the talents can't control their pyschic powers without the help pyschic prisms, which uses their powers to create a pyschic plane through which the talents can direct their energy into. Talents and prisms were classified into different levels of classes depending on their pyschic strength.
The first generation of St Helen settlers believed in a strong family foundation. The rules of society forbids divorce. Therefore, marriage is an eternal bound. Because of this, marriage is usually the result of a match by a marriage agency whose job is to find compatible soulmates. Any other type of marriage are doomed to fail. It's also conventional wisdom that high level talents and prisms are not compatible at all. the characters:
Lucas Trent is the president of Lodestar Exploration, a company who finds and extract jelly-ice, which is the main energy source in St. Helens (like oil on Earth). After experiencing a failed nonagency marriage, he was determined to do it right this time and registered with a marriage agency. He is also a high level talent with the abilities of talent detector and illusionist. Amaryllis Lark is a high level prism employed by Psynergy Inc, provider of prism services for a fee. Her parents died when she was very young and she was raised by her great aunt. Because her parents were not married, she was called many names growing up. She was illegitimate. This is especially hard in a society where family values were stressed. Amaryllis grew up to be a strict and a person who values ethical behavior. She also understands the importance of an agency marriage. Therefore, she registered with a marriage agency. their story:
Lucas was concerned about one of his employees selling corporate information to an outsider. Therefore he hired Amaryllis to be his prism in order for him to use his talent to check into the case. There was a mutual attraction. They also teamed up to investigate a probable murder case. After spending so much time together, they started an affair. Even though they have mutual feelings of affection for each other, they both know there would be no future for them. The agency would never match them up since they are both high level pyschics and would not be compatible. Will they be able overcome the many obstacles? Overall comments:
Interesting world. Good love story between Lucas and Amaryllis. However, I thought the mystery and resolution of it was a bit weak. The conflict was resolved easily. Not much surprise. Good book to introduce us to the world of St. Helens. Will definitely read Zinnia and Orchid, 2 other St. Helens novels.
Rating:
Summary: A Lot of Fun!
Review: Being a fan of futuristic romance I was very happy to "surf" into this, the first book in the series (followed by Zinnia and Orchid). The icing on the cake for me was having psychic abilities added to the story! Amaryllis Lark and Lucas Trent get off to a rocky start, but slowly acknowledge their growing attraction to each other. This is fueled by their Prism/Talent Link that leads them into a nice little murder mystery to solve. Ms. Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) did a nice job of educating the reader about the time and place of the story without getting long winded. I loved the names for various foods, drinks, places and animals that are a combination of nouns used "here on earth!" I do not regret in the least ordering all three of these books sight unseen. I've enjoyed all three enormously.
Rating:
Summary: A Lot of Fun!
Review: Being a fan of futuristic romance I was very happy to "surf" into this, the first book in the series (followed by Zinnia and Orchid). The icing on the cake for me was having psychic abilities added to the story! Amaryllis Lark and Lucas Trent get off to a rocky start, but slowly acknowledge their growing attraction to each other. This is fueled by their Prism/Talent Link that leads them into a nice little murder mystery to solve. Ms. Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) did a nice job of educating the reader about the time and place of the story without getting long winded. I loved the names for various foods, drinks, places and animals that are a combination of nouns used "here on earth!" I do not regret in the least ordering all three of these books sight unseen. I've enjoyed all three enormously.
Rating:
Summary: Jayne Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz) strikes again!
Review: Castle sets this love story on St. Helen's, a world settled by people from Earth and then cut off from ever returning to the home planet. Something on this planet gives the humans psychic powers, which seem to be getting stronger with each generation. Amaryllis is a "prism." She focuses others' powers in order for them to be used to the greatest possible extent. Lucas is he newest customer. He is quite put off by the prim Miss Lark. He has hired her to help him find a corporate thief. In the process, they trip over a senatorial candidate who is much less than he seems, and much more. Together they find the thief, but discover a possible murder. The victim was once Amaryllis' mentor. Determined to solve the puzzle, Amaryllis decides to investigate on her own. Determined to solve the puzzle of Amaryllis, Lucas has decided to help her. The love story is pretty straight forward, but, as always, Castle/Krentz makes the side plots very interesting as is most of the dialogue. Everything is complicated by the fact that both protaganists have signed up with match making services (a common practice on St. Helen's) and now don't want to look at any matches they might be offered. If you are expecting strange science in this book, you won't get it. All the technology is familiar ( how did that happen?) Ms. Castle/Krentz strong point is the love story and the banter. I enjoyed the story and the unexpected villian, but it will never be great science fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended :)
Review: Even though this book was published quite some time ago, I only read it this weekend, due to the recommendation of one of my Amazon.com friends. If it hadn't been for her recommendation, I don't think I would have tried it, because the whole plot of this futuristic romance seemed a little far-fetched. But then, if I hadn't read it I would have missed a real keeper, so I guess I'm very lucky for having friends who share my tastes, and who know what I might like even before I do. The story is set in the Earth colony of St. Helen's, and the main characters are two very different. Amaryllis Lark is a prism, and she can help people who have psychic talents to focus them. She works for Psynergy, Inc., and is quite happy with her job. One of the tasks she must perform is help Lucas, the owner of Lodestar Exploration, to find a corporate thief. She does exactly that, by focusing his talent (remember that Amaryllis is a prism, this is more extensely explained in the book). Even they are very different, they find that they are intensely attracted to each other, and that atraction only increases as the case they investigate develops to include murder. Jayne Castle is the name that Jayne Ann Krentz uses when she writes futuristic paranormal romances. I can only tell that she is incredible! After finishing this book, I immediately searched in the web for the sequels, "Zinnia" and "Orchid", and by now I've already read both of them (they are also great, 5 star rating). This "compulsion" to read everything similar that the author may have written is what distinguishes really good romances novels (for example, Dark Series by Feehan or Cynsters by Laurens) from others that are only midly good. Anyway, if you follow my advise, good reading! You will have a great time! :)
Rating:
Summary: An amazing read!
Review: I didn't expect to be so completely absorbed in this story! It is simply breathtaking! Amaryllis and Lucas make the perfect couple, and they love each other in not only a physical, but spiritual (psychic) way. This is a great action-packed romance and I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Amaryllis
Review: I found this novel to be very lacking as a science fiction/ romance. I think that it is truly one of the worst books that I have ever read. As a romance novel I thought that it moved along to fast. One minute they were having an agrument, the next minute they were practically sleeping with each other. As a science fiction novel it was absolutely horrible. Ms. Castle did not take enough time to talk about the plot or defined it as it needed to be. Frankly, if I hadn't read a book worse than this recently this book would be getting a one.
Rating:
Summary: Best Sci-Fiction/Romance Series
Review: I just love this book, I found the idea of two souls blending together, to create & achieve fantastic. The other two books in this series are just as good. This series would have to be my favorite style of writing form written by Jayne Ann Krantz. You have ghosts, ghouls & always a murder or mystery to solve. But you always know in the end that they end up together happy. I love the flower names & surnames of the heros it gives the books that quirky bit of information about their nature.
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