ARC: Review: Fear the Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

Fear the Darkness (goodreads.com)

By: Alexandra Ivy (author website)

 Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: August 28th 2012 by Zebra

ISBN 13: 9781420111378

Source: Publisher, for the purpose of an honest review

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Guardians of Eternity #9

Best read in order: yes

Stars: 3

Flames: 3

Prophecies and the cryptic predictions that come with seers are a favorite element in books for me. The tension and speculation that is added to a book by this makes the pages fly by with anticipation. I have loved Cassandra from the moment she was introduced in this series. I loved the fact that she misunderstood many things due to her naiveté and taking things quite literally. Thus I have been looking forward to this book.

Caine was incredibly devoted to Cassandra. He did everything within his power to give her a sense of normalcy. He saw her as a woman, not the prophet. He also had an incredible patience with her and her naiveté. Caine is also a character that I have enjoyed reading since his introduction to the series. I like reading the bad guy who eventually sees the error of his ways and decides to make a positive change.

I need a love story in romance books I read. I want to be swept away in the chase as the hero and heroine find their way to their happily ever after. Cassie and Caine’s love story seemed to take a backseat as the Dark Lord got closer to crossing over from the hell dimension.

In my opinion at least half of Fear the Darkness focuses on past characters and the strengths they bring to the fight against the Dark Lord. Readers are also given a view from team Dark Lord and how they plan to free it from its prison and the reasons they are fighting for team Dark Lord. I always enjoy multiple perspectives, so the page time with Gaius was interesting.

The things that didn’t work for me: Caine is incapacitated for a ridiculous amount of time (this really took away from the romance) I felt like I was reading a book focused more on the Dark Lord and its desire to escape its prison than a romance.

I did enjoy the book. I absolutely will continue the series. I’m curious what will happen with several of the characters, especially after what the end revealed. Ivy also introduced a yummy new vampire. I’m looking forward to her plans with him.

Review: Where Darkness Lives by Alexandra Ivy

Where Darkness Lives

By: Alexandra Ivy

Paperback, 359 pages

Published November 1st 2011 by Kensington (first published October 25th 2011)

ISBN 13: 9780758261588

Source: Purchased for self

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Guardians of Eternity #8.5

Best read in order: this novella works as a stand-alone

Stars: 4

Flames: 3

If you have ever considered giving Alexandra’s Guardians of Eternity a try Where Darkness Lives is a perfect starting point. This story is set in the world, has a few characters from past books, but easy stands alone from the series. The main storyline of the Dark Lord and the impending apocalypse does not get mentioned in this story. Sophia gives this story a Desperate Housewives meets the paranormal vibe. It’s a great addition to a series that I’ve enjoyed from the beginning.

Sophia, the Were quads mother has moved to suburbia to be closer to her daughters, especially Harley who is expecting her first litter. Sophia is looking forward to the arrival of her grandbabes, but she feels she is still too young, healthy and vibrant to ever be considered a grandmother. She is embracing her new home and business and all the happiness she sees in her near future. Sophia is not however prepared for the predator that is stalking her leaving childish threats and annoying her in general.

Luc has accepted the job of protecting Sophia from her tormentor as her new bodyguard. He has moved into her life so that he may be able to better protect her from the hunter who has escalated from threats to attempts on her life. Luc finds it inexcusable that someone is trying to kill the female that he has taking a liking to. Sophia quickly becomes more that a job to this fierce alpha Were.

I immensely enjoyed this short story in the Guardians of Eternity world. Sophia was always unbearably annoying to me in the previous books. I liked her here in her own tale though. She was presented as a strong, independent female Were. I saw as strong in the books she had a role in, but I also saw her as a horrible (not evil) character. Something about her always grated on me wrong. Luc was perfect for her. What woman doesn’t want a strong, sexy alpha whose one goal in life is to protect her?

Where Darkness Lives can be found in the anthology The Real Werewives of Vampire County.

Review: Bound by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

Bound by Darkness (goodreads.com)

By: Alexandra Ivy (author website)

Paperback, 374 pages

Published November 29th 2011 by Zebra

ISBN 13: 9781420111361

Source: Purchased for self

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Guardians of Eternity, book #8

Best read in order: yes

Stars: 4

Flames: 3

The Dark Lord and the impending apocalypse are coming closer to culmination. Jaelyn is the hunter who has been tasked to make sure that the Sylvermyst do not assist their former leader. The Commission expects this task to be carried out by her bringing them the Sylvermyst Prince Ariyal. Jaelyn’s task soon changes and with the changes comes the knowledge that her destiny is with Ariyal. As with any telling of futures it is cryptic and she doesn’t know exactly how she is entwined with him.

I absolutely loved that Ariyal acknowledges that Jaelyn is a fierce fighter. He has his moments where he wants her to stay safe away from the fighting, but it is because he is scared of losing her. He knows that she can kick ass and take care of herself. That is so very refreshing from the male always thinking that the female is weak and cannot defend herself.

Jaelyn and Ariyal have great banter from the moment they step onto the pages. They both accept the fact that there is more between them than just a strong attraction. Even though they recognize that there is something between them there is still my favorite part to a good romance book, the pursuit. I like a good build up to the happily ever after and Ivy did a remarkable job with these two characters relationship.   

My favorite aspect of this series is that characters from previous books have significant roles in the current book. Styx and Salvatore are a major presence. I love knowing what characters that I have enjoyed reading are up to after I have read their book. I also enjoy that Ivy begins the set-up of future couples several books in advance. I can easily see Santiago getting a book soon. I find it slightly humorous that I am several years into this series and it has actually only been several months in these characters world.

Review: Darkness Eternal by Alexandra Ivy

Darkness Eternal

By: Alexandra Ivy (author website)

Mass Market Paperback, 471 pages (111 pages)

Published September 1st 2011 by Kensington Publishing Corp. (first published August 30th 2011)

ISBN 13: 9781420109887

Source: Purchased for self

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Guardians of Eternity, book #7.5

Best read in order: yes

Stars: 4

Flames: 4

Readers get tiny glimpses of a few past characters in this fast paced novella. Darkness Eternal picks up a few weeks after Devoured byDarkness. Laylah has stressed to everyone the importance of finding and rescuing the mother that she has never known, Kata. Kata has been prisoner to her evil vampire twin sister Marika’s evil spells for centuries.

Victor has charged his second in command Uriel with the rescue. Uriel hates all things Jinn, with good reason. He carries a Jinn’s unpredictable curse. Thus even before he meets her he hates Kata, who has at some point in her past allowed a Jinn into her bed to father her only child. Reluctant does not even begin to describe Uriel’s feeling about his current assignment.

Kata has an extreme dislike of vampires. After all she was tortured by one for centuries. Imagine her displeasing surprise when one shows up to rescue her. Kata’s life without her sisters torture is short lived as her and Uriel are forced into the underworld due to even more treacherous spells and an evil twist of fate. Even though Kata and Uriel share an extreme dislike of each other they can’t seem to keep their hands off of one another.

I have to point out for a novella, this one was high on the heat factor. Uriel and Kata burn up the pages during their short time together. As with most series I recommend reading this one in order and not as a stand-alone. I loved the way in which Uriel’s curse unravels. I love a good tale where one person’s curse is another person’s salvation.

This story can be found in the Supernatural anthology.

Review: Devoured by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

Devoured by Darkness (goodreads.com)

Alexandra Ivy (homepage)

Paperback, 368 pages

Published December 1st 2010 by Zebra (first published 2010)

ISBN 13: 9781420111354

Series: Guardians of Eternity #7

Stars: 4

Flames: 4 (it has been a while between books, but I do believe there many more sex scenes in this book compared to the previous ones, and my oh my Tane is HAWT)

                Towards the end of Beyond the Darkness Tane is chasing a half breed Jinn mongrel. That is where this book picks up. Tane in all of his mostly naked sexiness is still chasing Laylah, the Jinn mongrel through the underground tunnels. I LOVE the fact that this man does not wear much more than khaki shorts and nothing else. Who needs shoes or a shirt? I’m still trying to figure out exactly where the sword and daggers fit on his attire. He realizes during his pursuit that she is not just running from him, she is intentionally leading him away from something. Tane decides that he needs to know what exactly she is hiding before he can turn her over to the Commission. He wants to know what is so important that she would risk her own life for, just to prevent him from discovering it.

                Laylah has been chased her entire life because of decisions that she was never a part of. The only thing she wants in life is to live. The Commission decided at some point that Jinn and Jinn half breeds must be executed, they are too unstable. Laylah has never even met the parents that birthed her into this death sentence of a life. She has a strong will to live. She has to survive now to in order to continue protecting a child that she was entrusted with decades before. Many shocking revelations are made in this book: the reason the Commission wants Laylah, the importance of the child, how Laylah came into existence. This is a very exciting read that is nearly impossible to put down. The romance between Tane and Laylah is incredible. They have a few hurdles to get through, but that just keeps the book even more interesting. Due to the past events in their lives they have some trust issues.  

                I think this is the best book in the series thus far. I loved the main characters. I enjoyed the roles that the characters from the past books played. I also enjoyed meeting the characters to the next books. This is a series that must be read in order. Each book picks up where the previous one left off. There is very little to no rehashing. The readers are given some information on what became of Cassandra and Caine. I enjoy reading riddle speaking prophets who typically cause more confusion than give answers. I hope Cassandra gets a book. She is going to be so fun to read. As is she is running Caine through the paces. She takes everything so literally. The readers are also introduced to the couple in the Supernatural anthology (August 2011) Uriel and Kata and also the couple in the next book Bound by Darkness (November 2011) Ariyal and Jaelyn.