Review and Giveaway: Darklove

Darklove (Dark Ink Chronicles - Book 5) by Elle Jasper

Publication Date: 12/03/2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451240057
ISBN-13: 978-0451240057

(Received for an honest review from Signet Eclipse)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

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Books in the series:

Afterlight (2010), Everdark (2011), Eventide (2012), Black Fallen (2012), Darklove (2013)

Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from Darklove, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Utterly destroyed, or lost forever?

This is the question that plagues Riley Poe. After her vampire lover, Eli Dupre, was seemingly murdered by a fallen angel, she receives word that he's actually trapped in an alternate dimension, where hell on earth is revealed and dark forces reign. Riley’s been there before, and it nearly ripped her to pieces.

But her efforts to find Eli are thwarted by a new foe: a powerful, unstoppable vampire is slaughtering humans. Riley knows how to handle a vamp, and with the WUP team by her side, she's determined to take down the rogue.

But what she finds rocks her to the core, as she discovers a startling connection between the slaughter and Eli, who might not be missing after all—and who might not be the same vampire she fell in love with.

Thoughts:

There have been reports that Darklove will be the last book in the Dark Ink Chronicles series by Elle Jasper, but that is only speculation due to the ending of this installment. Jasper ties up a lot of loose ends with Darklove, but also shows the possibility of new avenues to take the series, so readers will just have to read this one and wait to see if others follow. Jasper's knack for writing about the paranormal is showcased against Riley Poe's heartbreak at loosing her vampire lover Eli. They story is emotionally charged and full of surprises, readers will not be disappointed.

What I liked:

This is a very unconventional series, even for a paranormal reader. Fans have learned to love the tenacious main character, Riley Poe and her gang of interesting friends and foes. You have everything from vampires to fallen angels in this series and it never slows down. The pacing is incredibly fast and furious. Riley goes from one situation to another at break-neck speed. I liked that strong urgency that was present in Darklove. Riley is dead set on finding Eli and in order to do that she must first solve another problem with a rogue vampire. The pace doesn't slow down until the very satisfying ending and that made me want to read all the faster to see what happened next.

Riley is a great character. She started out a bit disillusioned in Afterlight but she has grown so much between that first book and this fifth one. In Darklove we see Riley as a very tenacious and determined woman. She know what she wants and she isn't afraid to take any risk to get it, including returning to hell on earth for Eli. But there is also a vulnerable side to her that endears the reader as they watch her agonize over Eli's supposed death. Jasper does an amazing job with this character.

Eli is definitely what I would call a dark hero. He is what he is and he isn't ashamed of it. He embraces his vampire abilities and he teaches Riley how to use her own gifts in previous books. In this one there is some possibility that Eli will be a very different character from what readers have learned to expect. That he may have some part in the slaughter of innocents. I liked the who idea that Riley may not be able to love him as he is now and how love triumphs in the end for these two unlikely lovers. 

The ending was fantastic to say the least. Riley and Eli were certainly meant for each other and seeing them get their happy-ever-after has many readers wondering if this might be the end of the series. If it is... it was a great way to go out, if not... Jasper has shown some great possibilities for the future in this book as well. Perhaps a spin off series, or even more adventures for Riley. I'm looking forward to seeing where we go from here.

What I didn't like:

I have had this needling issue with this series throughout. It is a paranormal series and one must throw out their ideas of a convention and what is possible in order to enjoy it, however there is one part that I don't quite get. Riley must be absolutely irresistible because every single unattached character in the series has a thing for her. I understand that she is the heroine and to some extent that is natural, but I think Jasper goes a bit overboard with Riley's charisma sometimes, even Eli's brother is not immune... LOL. It was just a little over the top and certainly not a deal breaker in reading this wonderfully written series.

Bottom Line:

If you've read the others you are gonna love this one. If you haven't you have to read at least books three and four to make sense of some of the stuff that happens in Darklove, but you are going to go that far, why not read the whole thing? It's a great series and Darklove is probably my favorite so far. It's definitely worth your time if you love paranormal romance or just romance in general... Try something a bit out of your comfort zone, you might be surprised at what you like.

Darklove is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Elle Jasper spent her youth buried in the pages of Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. Now a full-time writer, she lives in and continues to be inspired by the Gothic Revival and Georgian architecture, moss-draped squares, and ancient cobbles of Savannah, Georgia.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Darklove by Elle Jasper.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, December 26th.

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