Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Review: Darkness Eternal

Darkness Eternal (Guardians of Eternity - Book 7.5) by Alexandra Ivy

Publication Date: 04/01/2015
Publisher: Kensington
Imprint: Kensington Zebra
Genre: Paranormal Romance
File Size: 732 KB
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(Received for an honest review from Kensington Zebra)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, itunes, Kobo

Alexandra Ivy on the WEB: websitetwitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the Series:

Guardians of Eternity

     1. When Darkness Comes
     2. Embrace the Darkness
     3. Darkness Everlasting
     4. Darkness Revealed
     5. Darkness Unleashed
     6. Beyond the Darkness
     7. Devoured by Darkness
  7.5. Darkness Eternal
     8. Bound by Darkness
     9. Fear the Darkness
  9.5. Levet
   10. Darkness Avenged
   11. Hunt the Darkness

Coverart:




Excerpt from Darkness Eternal, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

For the Guardians of Eternity, battle is a way of life—whether the plight of their world is at stake, or the fate of their heart…

After being held captive by one vampire for four centuries, Kata had no intention of taking another one to the underworld with her. Yet even in the pits of Hell, there’s no ignoring the intoxicating desire awakened by Uriel’s touch…

Previously published in Supernatural.


Thoughts:

Readers who love the Guardians of Eternity series with love this novella. Darkness Eternal falls between books 7 and 8 of the series and is sure to bring a smile to long time readers. As readers await the final book in the series, this is a story that will remind them of all the things they loved about Alexandra Ivy's series in the first place. There is love, adventure, and a whole lot of action in this one, readers won't be able to put it down for a second. 

Alexandra Ivy is a great paranormal writer and the Guardians of Eternity series is beloved by many readers. When I heard that this story was going to be released as a novella, I was really excited. It first appeared in Supernatural, as one of a few other paranormal stories. But having it stand on it's own as a part of the series, was really great. The timing and placement of this novella falls between Tane and Layleh's story and Ariyal and Jaelyn's story. I think it is important the reader read Devoured by Darkness which explains some about Layleh's mother, Kata who is the heroine of this story. I does stand on it's own but I think the reader misses out on some of the nuances of the story if they don't know what has gone on before.

Kata was a great character. Since this is a novella we don't get a lot of time to spend with her character. I think Ivy realized that readers needed to connect quickly and strongly with her. Kata has been held captive for centuries by her evil vampire twin sister, who wants nothing more than to torture and use her. Now that she's escaped she has to learn who she is without Markita's domination. I thought she was interesting and unpredictable. I wanted Kata to be this strong and imposing woman, but she really had some issues to overcome. A great character.

Uriel was simply a wonderful hero. He is a vampire and his strength and poise is impressive. He is a loyal man who does everything he can for his friend and master, Victor. Victor asks him to protect Layleh's mother, Kata and once he makes the decision to do so, it doesn't matter what happens he is going to do it. I loved his determination in spite of his issues with the Jinn. He and Kata have a lot to overcome in very few pages. The journey they take through hell provides tons of action and these two really light up the pages with their passionate chemistry and unrelenting spirits. 

Bottom Line:

This is a great novella for readers who love the Guardians of Eternity series. I don't think I would pick this one to read first if you've never read any others in the series, just because this one requires a little background because of the short page length. The characters were amazing and the story has a lot of adventure. Readers who love Alexandra Ivy will love this one. I was glad to see it in a novella by itself and I think it adds a lot to the series.

Darkness Eternal is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!



About the Author:


ALEXANDRA IVY graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She currently lives in Missouri with her extraordinarily patient husband and teenage sons. To stay updated on Alexandra’s Guardian series or to chat with other readers, please visit her website at www.alexandraivy.com.

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