Book 1:
When Darkness Comes – Dante and Abby Barlow
Dante is a vampire chained to Selena known as the Chalice created over 300 years ago by a coven of witches to protect the spirit of the Phoenix by residing it within a mortal woman. Abby is hired to be a companion to the eccentric Selena, Selena might be demanding and odd but she needs this job! It pays well, rent is due and there is the side benefit of being able to look at the arrogant Dante every day. Dante is drawn to Abby and has been trying to lure her into his bed for months. In the middle of what Abby considers a really bad day, from dropping a priceless Ming Vase, to Dante continuing to be well… Dante, oh yeah not to mention an earth shattering explosion in the house! When Abby runs to Selena’s room (nearing the earth shattering part) with one action she changes her entire existence. As Selena is on the verge of dying she reaches out and touches Abby and now every demon (which she didn’t even know existed) in Chicago is after her and Dante is now the only one who can protect her and hopefully get the Phoenix out of her, being a Goddess is highly overrated when you are trying to be killed every 5 minutes!
This book takes you through many twists and turns as Abby and Dante are chased through Chicago and surrounding areas trying to evade dark evil forces and at the same time find the coven of witches to try to find a new home for the Phoenix. The action in this book will keep you turning the pages as the smoldering passion between Dante and Abby, infuses with a dangerous journey into a world filled with never-ending peril! Abby is a character that any women can relate to; having a hard life and just trying to survive her existence. There is innocence and vulnerability about her yet at the same time a backbone made of steel! Dante is a male anyone would want, tall dark and gorgeous – a warrior who looks like a pirate with the soul of a poet, what’s not to love!
Book 2:
Embrace the Darkness – Viper and Shay
Viper is an ancient vampire, jaded with life - when you have lived over a 1000 years you have seen and done pretty much everything there is to do. Viper coasts through life until he meets Shay a Shalott Demon mongrel (Half demon and half human) when he helping Dante and Abby battle the witches intent on destroying everything he holds dear.. his life! For weeks Viper is unable to get Shay out of his mind and he scours Chicago looking for her until he finds her. Shay is sick and tired of the damn curse! For 80 years her life has not been her own, she has belonged to the despicable Evor who yet again is selling her to the highest bidder, she’d kill him but then she would die too. Viper attends the auction and bids on Shay, when the bidding is complete an unseen force attacks trying to take Shay from Viper when he has only just found her again. After several other attacks Viper is determined to find who is trying to take HIS Shalott Demon from him, he protects what is his and Shay is most defiantly HIS and he will protect her with his very life.
Alexandra Ivy certainly knows how to pack action into a novel and this book is no exception! Viper and Shay battle it out with an unknown enemy while battling each other. Shay is certainly attracted to Viper but she certainly isn’t going to make it easy for him and Viper is determined that he make it as hard as he can for Shay to continue to say no. It’s a war on all fronts and you can’t help but read to see what happens next. Viper plays the jaded playboy well, always getting what he wants and isn’t afraid to play dirty to get it! Shay is a warrior in heart and body, she may be a slave but NO ONE can break her will! You really feel for her as she tries to reconcile both halves of herself; the demon and human not belonging truly in either world. Anyone who has ever felt alone and like an outsider will relate with Shay and any woman who is a warrior at heart will love her kick ass and take names attitude! In this book you will also meet Levit who is an adorable 3 foot French Gargoyle, he is too cute for words and he will be rescuing damsels in distress in later books as well!
Book 3:
Darkness Everlasting – Styx and Darcy Smith
Styx is the new and reluctant Anasso, (Leader of all Vampires) it’s a highly overrated position that he never wanted to begin with, but with the death of the previous Anasso he was the only one in a position to take over before chaos within the vampire nation ensued. Right now his biggest pain is Salvatore Giuliani the King of the Werewolves who is blaming Styx for his entire races problems. Styx’s knows Salvatore is after Darcy, but what he doesn’t know is why and he is determined to get to her before Salvatore does. Darcy Smith is an orphan who is all alone in the world who keeps a low profile; suddenly she has gone from the most unknown women in Chicago to the most popular! Kidnapped by Styx, Darcy is suddenly thrown into the world of demons she knows nothing about and her head is spinning not just because of this new world but by Styx himself, tall and incredibly gorgeous, she is aware of him more than any other man she has ever met. Darcy has been forced to be on the outskirts of life, she is faster, stronger and heals faster than any other human as well as does not seem to age and because of that people have labeled her a freak, but with meeting Styx’s maybe now she will be able to find out why she is different. Styx’s knows that Darcy is more than human and probably a mix of human and demon but like everyone else he cannot figure out what!?! The only person who seems to have any answers is Salvatore and Styx’s is not about to let him have her.
Darkness Revealed - Conde Cezar and Anna Randal
Book 6:
It is great reading as Darcy thaws Styx’s icy façade. For centuries he has had little emotion and relied on his cold logic in all decisions which has served him well for over 2000 years. Styx’s confusion in all these messy emotions is fun to “watch” as he tries to figure it out and as he is lead in circles by a tiny slip of a woman. Darcy is one of those loveable characters that tries to make the best out of any situation, she takes being kidnapped in stride and finds the news of possibly being a demon as a sort of blessing (at least it explains some things). She will not be ordered around by any of these over bearing men. She has her own mind and is not afraid to speak her up! You are sucked into Darcy’s warm heart, cheering for her as she exerts her will and goes on a search to find out what she is.
Book 4:
Darkness Revealed - Conde Cezar and Anna Randal
In London over 200 years ago, Cezar and Anna attend the same party, Cezar seduces an innocent Anna and he is punished by the commission for the next 200 years. Anna wakes from her seduction and everything has changed, her home is burned down killing her aunt and cousin, she is forced to survive on her own and now after Cezar’s bite she is not aging. 200 years later Anna wants answers from Cezar and she wants them now! Anna has no idea why she has not aged a day in 200 years and has developed some strange powers and fears it is because it is from Cezar, who she thinks may be a vampire if one can really believe in vampires. Since they last met Cezar has been dreaming of Anna, unable to get her out of his mind and now the commission has sent him to protect her, knowing already he will with his very life if he has to. Since Anna has arrived in Chicago to confront Cezar her life has been in danger, someone very powerful wants her dead. Now Anna must learn to develop and control her powers because her and Cezar’s lives depend on it!
The passion in this book burns hot, even after 200 years and even with all of the distrust these two are drawn to each other, like a moth to a flame. Cezar has a fierce desire to protect Anna, even from herself. Anna is coming into a lot of power that overwhelms her that she can’t always control. She has a powerful force after her and she must struggle with her powers, her feelings towards Cezar and her desire for justice! Good thing she’s just the woman to handle it all and be victorious!
Book 5:
Darkness Unleashed – Jagr and Regan Garrett
Jagr is a mostly feral, self imposed recluse he can go centuries without talking to any other Vampire. All he wants is to be left alone with his research; which is understandable after 300 years of extreme torture. Regan is Darcy’s twin who was abducted as a baby and sold to an Imp, who tortures and keeps her in a tiny cage for 30 years. After being rescued all Regan wants is to kill he Imp that held her captive her whole life and to live life of freedom for the first ever, she wants no ties to hold her back, not from her sister and certainly not with a temperamental vampire. Darcy is concerned about the sister she never met and has Styx send someone to make sure she comes to Chicago unharmed. Knowing Jagr’s history, Styx orders Jagr to bring Regan back without harming a hair on her head. Jagr easily finds Regan and the pyrotechnics between the two starts immediately. Regan is determined to get her revenge and Jagr is just as determined to bring her back to Chicago and out of his presence ASAP. Jagr begrudging decides to help Regan get her revenge and from then on chaos ensues!
Jagr is my favorite male in this series so far; he is just so dark and brooding but treats Regan with so much patience and understanding. Regan is a worthy female for Jagr, she is quick witted, strong and won’t take any crap from anybody, not after the way she has spent the last 30 years. There is a battle of wills and hearts between these two all while battling rogue Curs that are determined to get their hands on Regan. There is not a dull moment in this novel and the clashes between Regan and Jagr as well as the battles with the Curs will keep the pages turning! You will also see the return of some of your favorite characters of books past.
Book 6:
Beyond the Darkness - Salvatore Giuliani and Harley
Review coming soon!
Book 7:
Devoured by Darkness – Tane and Laylah
Tane is a Vampire executioner called a Charon, he is feared by the vampire race from the nature of his job. He lives separate from other vampires, has no clan and has no owed loyalties save to the Anasso himself. Laylah is a Jinn mongrel which has been forbidden by the Council, if she is found she is to be turned over to the Council for termination. She has been hiding for 200 years and suddenly her location has been compromised but now it’s not just her, she has something she is protecting. Tane follows Laylah for days under the orders to bring her to the council, but for some reason he is fascinated and cannot bring himself to take her in, instead he finds himself offering himself to help her, he knows she is hiding something and won’t rest until he finds out what. 200 years ago Laylah’s aunt Marika (a vampire) set things in motion when she captured Laylah’s mother a gypsy and a full blooded Jinn to create Laylah, she needed a mongrel Jinn for the Jinn powers but needed to also be able to control the demon which everyone knows a full Jinn is not controllable. Everything goes wrong when Laylahs mother manages to hide her from Marika and she spends the next 200 years searching for her. Now Laylah has in her possession the one thing that can change the world by bringing dark evil back to this world. Can Tane and Laylah, keep the one thing Marika wants to rule the world and avoid the council at the same time?
Tane is simply yummy, all muscle, golden eyes, sensuality and dangerous who could resist, surely not Laylah as much as she may want to. Tane also harbors a certain amount of loneliness that Laylah can relate to. As a character it also makes him relatable without being too distant. Laylah is sassy and stands up to Tane giving as much as he does, she is not a women that will let a man steam roll over her like she knows Tane wants to do! The passion runs hot between these two all why trying to save the world and stay hidden, will all that strain be too much for these two?
No comments:
Post a Comment