Darkness Unbound (Dark Angels, #1)

Feb 17, 2012 BamaGal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-uf

3.5 Stars. This new series is about Risa from the ‘Riley Jenson’ series all grown up. She has two roommate side-kicks, Ilianna and Tao; who are straight out of Central Casting. Ilianna is a lesbian Mare/Witch, who (in this day and time?) is afraid to come out to her family. Tao is your typical (for Arthur’s world) manslut werewolf. Risa wants everyone to know that she is not a promiscuous ho’ like Aunt Riley is. No anonymous sex in a darkened bar for her; she makes them buy her dinner before doi...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Shalisha rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am disappointed in this book. I went into it expecting to read a new story - not another story about Riley. Now - do not get me wrong, love, love Riley - but I thought her story had ended. Not only did she play too big of a role in the story, i.e. moms friend, my play aunt etc, but she also played too big of a role in the story. Really - Rissa is just mini-Riley. All of her values, mores and desires imitated every one that I read in Ms. Jensens story...not what I was looking to read.

Big fan o...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: hardcopy

There isn't anyone quite like Risa. Her mother, a lab created clone, is an extremely strong clairvoyant and also a very special kind of werewolf, able to shift facial structure. Her father is an Adeh, capable of becoming only mist, as well as several other perks. This mixed heritage has made Risa incredibly unique and powerful. Yet all she wants is to live a normal life. Yet, when her mother asks her to help out with a little girl whose soul has been stolen, Risa finds herself in the middle of a...more There isn't anyone quite like Risa. Her mother, a lab created clone, is an extremely strong clairvoyant and also a very special kind of werewolf, able to shift facial structure. Her father is an Adeh, capable of becoming only mist, as well as several other perks. This mixed heritage has made Risa incredibly unique and powerful. Yet all she wants is to live a normal life. Yet, when her mother asks her to help out with a little girl whose soul has been stolen, Risa finds herself in the middle of a very dangerous plot. While she has trained with her guardian "aunt and uncle" nothing could have prepared her for what happens next.

If you are a fan of Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson books, then you won't want to miss this new spin off series. Favorites return, but the real focus is on Risa. However, don't be expecting her to be a Riley 2.0, as she is very much her own person. Yes, Risa is part wolf, but unlike Riley, she isn't chained as much by the sexual nature of her wolf side. In fact Risa is more Adeh than anything, making for a fresh new set of skills. She also is her mother's daughter, in that she has plenty of physic abilities. It would have been so easy to follow down the same path her "Aunt" Riley had with the directorate, but for the moment, Risa seems happier to live a normal life. Or, well that was the case until certain events were set into motion in this book. Now it looks like that normal life will be thing of the past, which is bad for Risa, but very entertaining for the reader.

There are two very sexy men that show up in Risa's life in Darkness Unbound. A sexually frustrated werewolf is an incredibly dangerous thing, so their arrival was just in time, since Risa's wolf side, while much milder than most, was starting to show the signs of neglect. Lucian, being a full Adeh seems to be surprisingly straight forward, a rare occurrence. Of course there still could be more to him than meets the eye, but only time will tell. Azriel on the other hand is quite mysterious, making me desperate to know more. He's a reaper charged with following Risa around until he gets his answers. Despite his outward demeanor, I don't think he is quite as aloof as he pretends to be towards her. One made some progress with Risa in this book, (I won't say which) but to be honest I'm more intrigued by the other one. I'm quite curious to see how things will play out for Risa, and how much of her wolf side will come into play. Does she have a soul mate like most wolves? It is a pair like her aunt's due to their dual natures, or does her Adeh nature cancel all that out? I cannot wait to see the answers to these questions, and where Risa's love life goes.

On a slightly side note, it is mentioned that Riley and Rhoan haven't aged at all, yet Liander is showing some signs. This worries me immensely, as Rhoan cannot survive without him, and in turn Riley wouldn't survive without her twin. Then that leaves Quinn and I'm not so sure how he would fair in all that too, as they are all a package deal. I'm kinda hoping Liander gets turned or something, as him aging is sure to cause a massive domino effect. But that is enough of those worries for now, and I'll get back to the book at hand. Keri Arthur once again proves just how good she is at writing an intriguing book with a fast moving plot that has plenty of steaminess on the side. I'll be counting down the days until the next book releases. (less)

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Sep 27, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

Darkness Unbound is the first book in Keri Arthur’s newest series, Dark Angels. I have not read this author before but I am aware that her Riley Jensen series appears on many favorite lists. Therefore, when I found out that Keri was writing a new series that takes place in the same world as her Riley books, I jumped on the chance to give it a try. And after reading this book and finally experiencing this author’s writing, I can see why she has su...more Posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

Darkness Unbound is the first book in Keri Arthur’s newest series, Dark Angels. I have not read this author before but I am aware that her Riley Jensen series appears on many favorite lists. Therefore, when I found out that Keri was writing a new series that takes place in the same world as her Riley books, I jumped on the chance to give it a try. And after reading this book and finally experiencing this author’s writing, I can see why she has such a loyal following.

Darkness Unbound is an angel book…but not. It’s a ghost book…but not. It’s got shifters and mages and vampires and reapers…yet it’s not like any paranormal book I’ve ever read. The mix of all of these beings in one book, while you think it would be daunting, really wasn’t. It reads like you’ve been in this world many times before and like you know what is going on, but you don’t feel lost. I did not feel as though I was missing out on some vital information not having read the previous series. Was I curious about how some couples and situations came to be? Of course. But did it hinder my reading experience of this book? Not at all.

The main heroine in this new series is Risa Jones, a half werewolf and half Aedh. An Aedh is…well, it’s tricky to explain, but I’ll give it my best shot. An Aedh is a being that can take human form while on earth or can turn into a sort of mist. When in mist form, no one can see or hear them and they can travel to the gray planes, the place between light and dark. There is more to it that that, and it is way cool, but that would be the best I can do. Risa can call on her Aedh side but not on her wolf side, so she can’t shift into a wolf, but she does have some other wolf-ish traits. And since she is a Halfling, she stays in her human form but can call on her Aedh side and transform to mist. Yeah….cool.

I really liked Risa. She is strong and self-assured (I loved her confidence when she went into any situation) but she knows how important a strong support system and is not afraid to admit when something is way over her head. She is very close to her mother, to her ‘aunt’ Riley and to Riley’s family. She has two best friends/roommates, Tao and Ilianna, whom I also loved. I was glad to see that the author didn’t kill any of them off in this first installment and therefore allowing them to appear in future installments of this series. *g*

Lucian is another character I can’t wait to learn more about. He is an Aedh but has a story to tell about it. And boy oh boy is he yum-my! He and Risa together are electrifying! I hope hope hope he is a constant in this series because they are great together. A heads up though, you’ll need a fan handy for after you read some of their scenes. Wowza.

The world Keri created here is very intricate and the details of it are amazing. Reapers follow people around for a little while before they are due to die. (Risa can see them and it kind of bums her out.) A reaper’s job is to help the newly departed’s soul navigate through the gray space. Souls can be redeemed and almost all are one day reborn. Ghosts are the result of a person not dying when they were supposed to or when the person’s soul refuses the reaper’s help. And as I said, all the different beings and characters mixed into all this makes this a really cool world. But I never felt overwhelmed by information. The first few chapters bring you up to speed and that’s that. The story happens while you learn and then takes off from there. I can’t say that I felt as though one part of this book was slow or sluggish. I enjoyed the pace and found it read really well.

The story itself consists of one big constant story that looks like it will be the focus for this series’ story arc, and a smaller story line that wraps up at the end of this book, but still goes along with the main story. I like when a UF series is written that way. Then you get some closure at the end of each book but there is still so much going on that you can’t wait to get your hands on the next book to see where it will all ultimately lead you. (In this series’ case, the next book is Darkness Rising and it’s due out October 25th 2011. I already have it written in my planner.) I won’t go into what the stories are because I really think any fan of Urban Fantasy books should give this one a try. But I will say that there are gates opening that shouldn’t be opening and many people who may or may not resort easily to violence looking for answers. And keys. There are keys involved. And a creepy dark mist thing who is stealing souls *shudder*. And there is a very emotional scene that you know is coming but you still can’t prepare yourself fully for and it will make you cry. It still breaks my heart just thinking about it. *sigh*

This is a series I am excited to get addicted to. With amazing characters, riveting storylines that weave together beautifully and action mixed with emotion that grips you from page one, Urban Fantasy fans will find it practically impossible not to dive in and not look back.(less)

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Oct 20, 2011 Pamela / SpazP rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews
4.5 Stars
New Keri Arthur fans and old ones alike are going to love this new series.
Risa Jones is half-werewolf and half-Aedh, enabling her to enter the realm between life and death. She can also see the reapers who collect the souls of the dead. Reapers are the beings who guide souls to heaven or hell, while the Aedh are the gatekeepers guard the gates between heaven and hell and mortality. Either the gatekeepers are no longer able to guard the gates, o...more Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews
4.5 Stars
New Keri Arthur fans and old ones alike are going to love this new series.
Risa Jones is half-werewolf and half-Aedh, enabling her to enter the realm between life and death. She can also see the reapers who collect the souls of the dead. Reapers are the beings who guide souls to heaven or hell, while the Aedh are the gatekeepers guard the gates between heaven and hell and mortality. Either the gatekeepers are no longer able to guard the gates, or they simply no longer want to. They might have decided it would be simpler to permanently close the gates to heaven and hell, not only stopping demons from escaping but preventing souls from moving on. Keys were created to permanently lock the gates, but now they have gone missing before they could be used (oops!). The only person who can find them again is the blood relative of the man who is believed to have stolen them… Risa’s father. The Aedh and the reapers are not the only ones looking for the keys and Risa’s father (whom she has never met), but so is the vampire council, and Risa is unknowingly front and center of all of these various groups’ plans.

This book is like WHOA. If my summary above is any indication, this is some seriously dynamic world and character building. Keri Arthur has built a very complex and unique setting here and magnificently so. In fact, most of this book is really setting up all the different fractions and players that are vying for the keys to the gates between the light path and the dark path. She does all of this with ease, while never dumbing-down anything. You are given a lot of information and are expected to keep up, but never does it feel like the dreadful “information dump”. The pacing is awesome, and she keeps the action going. The sexual content is exactly what I’d come to expect based on my experience with the Riley Jenson series. Risa is an unabashedly sexual creature and she owns it. Lucien Dupont, the Aedh who Risa meets and takes as a lover kept me on the edge of my seat because on the one hand his chemistry with Risa was just smokin off the pages, but I never fully trusted him either even though he appears to have genuine motives. Regardless, I wanted to definitely know more about him. Then there is the mysterious reaper, Azriel, who has synced himself with her chi and follows her around. Yes, you read that right. Oh and her two roommates are wonderful additions to the cast, and Risa was perfectly happy running their 24/7 hour restaurant with them that caters to the shifter crowd.

Riley Jenson fans have nothing to worry about if they were concerned how the series would shift to centering around a “child character” 20 years later. In fact, I completely forgot even knowing Risa as a “child character” the minute I entered this world until someone asked me how it felt about it specifically. Ha! Also, there are a lot more characters that appear and play critical roles in this series from the Riley Jenson series than I was expecting, and I loved it. But don’t you worry, you do not in any way have to be familiar with that series to pick this one up! Go forth and read, my friends.

Here is the Dark Angels reading order:

Darkness Unbound
Darkness Rising 10/25/11
Darkness Devours 6/5/12(less)

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Nov 18, 2011 Amber I. (AwesomeSauce Book Club) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved Darkness Unbound! I think I am going to be just as addicted to this series as the Riley Jenson ones.

Risa is just as kick ass as Riley is. We haven't seen her since she was a little girl but Risa is all grown up now and I LOVE her! This book was seriously so addictive, I didn't want to stop reading it. Its packed with some awesome and unique supernatural characters, a few sexy men ( I am loving the reaper) lots of action and mystery and a few heart breaking moments. I am so excited to r...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Kelley marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: wish-list

This was a fun great. In this paranormal book you have vampires, werewolves, reapers, witches no more but they also through in the half werewolves and half spirit walkers. It was very interesting I see a different take in the paranormal world.
I love the character if Rissa. illianna an Toa I'M sure to see a great deal more of. They are a great group of friends that has each others backs. Great fun read and n to book two. I have to know what happens itch Azriel and Lucian. one of them is going o...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first book in Arthur's newest series about Risa Jones, the daughter of Riley Jenson's clairvoyant friend is all grown up now and running her own restaurant with her two best friends.

This book and series is the passing of the torch from Riley and Rhoan Jensen to the younger generation. Risa doesn't have as many special powers as Riley did to start, but many of Risa's powers are as yet undiscovered by her leaving the door open for a lot of growth and change. Risa also is not a part of the Dir...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Mistress of the Dark Path rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Risa Jones is a half Werewolf/half Aedh who is trying to live a normal life, despite her supernatural background. Her family has money and connections, as well as power, but it doesn't stop her from working hard to find her own way. Yet everything is about to change. She has inherited Aedh abilities from her absent father which allow her to travel into the spirit world and see things others can't. Many people begin seeking her because of this. Using her powers is not pleasant, though, and she is...more Risa Jones is a half Werewolf/half Aedh who is trying to live a normal life, despite her supernatural background. Her family has money and connections, as well as power, but it doesn't stop her from working hard to find her own way. Yet everything is about to change. She has inherited Aedh abilities from her absent father which allow her to travel into the spirit world and see things others can't. Many people begin seeking her because of this. Using her powers is not pleasant, though, and she isn't happy about having to use them now. Despite her reservations, she is drawn into a major power play after seeing things she can't ignore.

Risa also finds herself being sought after by a number of supernatural groups. These include unidentifiable shape-shifters, a grim reaper and Aedh like her. All with their own agenda. Some of them want the use of her skills, others want her death. It is only her closest friends and family that she can trust, but even they will try to hold her back from doing what she feels is right. Despite this, she refuses to back out of what she feels is her obligation to protect innocent humans and the people she cares about. To be successful, though, there is a lot she'll have to learn and not much time to do it.

Darkness Unbound is the first book in the new Dark Angels series. It is set in the same world as the Riley Jensen series by the same author. I have not read any books by Keri Arthur before now, but the storyline for this one caught my eye. Readers certainly don't need to have read the other series to find this novel enjoyable. The main character, Risa, is strong and holds her own in the story. She gives as good as she gets. The plot is engaging and suspenseful, though it could have been better. Very little gets resolved in this first book, which is a bit frustrating. I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers, but the ending didn't leave me too bereft like some series manage to do. That could be considered a good or bad thing.

Risa's love life is another factor readers may or may not like. The werewolf side of her has sexual urges that need to be fulfilled regularly and she takes care of them in ways that are not the norm for other books in the genre. Yet there is a good chance she could settle down later. I am rather suspicious of the man she began a relationship with in this first book, as he most likely has his own agenda based on small hints the author drops, but it is unclear how things will go. There is another man who has strong potential and looks to be a better candidate, but very little happened with him so far. Regardless, readers should know that casual sex is not taboo in this world setting. There are some rather steamy scenes that occur. I wasn't bothered by it, but some may be.

It isn't easy finding a good Urban Fantasy/Paranormal series, once you've read all the popular ones. It was nice to discover Darkness Unbound since it is certainly better than some of the others I've seen out there (though not the best). This opening book has a good beginning and excellent world building. Hopefully, it will get even better as time goes on. The potential is certainly there. The next book is set to be released soon and I plan on reading it when it comes out. (less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Tishia (Paranormal Opinion) rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Darkness Unbound is the first book in the Dark Angels series by Keri Arthur. It is a spin off of the popular Riley Jensen series. In this book we follow the brave heroine Risa Jones. Being half werewolf, half Aedh has given her some awesome powers that she rarely uses. However, when a creature starts ripping souls out of bodies, including an innocent little girl, Risa must use all her available powers to stop it.

I have decided that Keri Arthur books just aren't for me. I read Full Moon Rising aw...more Darkness Unbound is the first book in the Dark Angels series by Keri Arthur. It is a spin off of the popular Riley Jensen series. In this book we follow the brave heroine Risa Jones. Being half werewolf, half Aedh has given her some awesome powers that she rarely uses. However, when a creature starts ripping souls out of bodies, including an innocent little girl, Risa must use all her available powers to stop it.

I have decided that Keri Arthur books just aren't for me. I read Full Moon Rising awhile back – the first book in the Riley Jensen Guardian series, and didn't really enjoy it. There was too much meaningless sex in it and this book was no different. I like romance and passion but I felt like this book had none. Risa meets a couple of sexy guys. The first is Lucien, an Aedh who hits on her and they hook up before really even knowing each other. I felt no spark whatsoever between them, and actually felt that Lucien's character was a little shady. The second guy, is Azrael – a reaper who helps Risa take care of the soul-stealing creature. He is a very guarded being who tends to keep his distance from Risa – yet I felt a spark between them. And NOTHING happens. The only reason I finished this book was because of the small hope that something would happen between them.

Risa really is a likable character who would do anything to help others. She is strong, confident, loyal, etc... She's just a bit, uhhh, slutty. I mean, who would go to a club and give a complete stranger a blow job while your date is taking you from behind? I know she's part werewolf, and this is the way werewolves are in these books, but it's just not for me. Don't get me wrong, I like reading about sex – just not emotionless sex. Besides all that, the book is packed with action and it has a fairly interesting plot. This book has some great reviews, so I'm part of the minority giving this book less than 3 stars. If you are an Urban Fantasy fan you might love this, it just wasn't my cup of tea.(less)

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Sep 29, 2012 Andrea Hussey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

And it was also the fact that not all deaths actually happened when they were supposed to.

That’s why they’re ghosts—they were the souls of uncollected by reapers, either because their deaths had come before their allotted time, or because they’d refused the reapers’ guidance.

Why was the reaper following me?

Now, that was something I’d never seen before.

Sometimes being psychic like my mom really sucked.

I was on page 3 and already that many words had been italicized. Nothing needs to be italicized...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Dark urban fantasy set in a deadly and mysterious world. An ongoing storyline leaves several plots unfinished at the end of this book.

Opening Sentence: I’ve always seen the reapers.

The Review:

Risa Jones has unique skills as a half werewolf and a half Aedh. Aedh’s are most commonly referred to as angels because that is what they look like but that is not exactly what they are. As an Aedh, Risa has always been able to see the Reapers, collecto...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Lita Bouquard rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire-were

My werewolf books go on my vamp shelf. This was my first of Keri Arthur's books. I guess this is somewhat of a spin off from other goodreads reviews. That kind of explains the beginning where there was a comfusing mention of Risa's mom and aunt and genetic breeding.
If this is your first venture with this author be prepared. Rich young things RYT who are wolves or witches and good friends is the restaurant Risa, Tao and Illiana. Risa's psychic mom asks her to intervene in a case and search for t...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-paranormal, vaginal-urban-fantasy

So I guess this is a spinoff from the Riley Jensen series (which I really enjoyed for several installments, then stopped reading because I got frustrated with the main character and her wolf problems). ANYHOO, I walked into this one with somewhat less backstory than a spin-off-savvy read would have, but I felt like I was along for the ride enough that I wasn't lost. The world is interesting and the bad guys were motivated and some twists at the end were pretty awesome. I liked her friends too.

I...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Ailsa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My thoughts: I'm a big fan of the author, Keri Arthur, and particularly her Riley Jensen series, which I was sad to see end. So when I heard she was writing a new series set in the same world, you know I was interested! 'Darkness Unbound' is the first book in the Dark Angel series, and focuses on Risa, someone we started to see at a very young age, now all grown up. Along with her best friends Iliana and Tao, she owns & runs a very successful restaurant, but with her ability to see reapers,...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, angels-demons, favorites, review-on-blog, urban-fantasy

I read Keri Arthur’s Riley Jensen series last year, and I loved that series. I was sad when Riley’s stories ended, so when I saw that Keri Arthur had started a spin-off series, I jumped on the chance to read Darkness Unbound. I have to say, I think I like this Dark Angels series even better than the Riley Jensen series.

Creating a world that is dark, sensual, and full of powerful supernatural beings, Keri Arthur strikes gold with Darkness Unbound, the first novel in her new Dark Angels series.

In...more I read Keri Arthur’s Riley Jensen series last year, and I loved that series. I was sad when Riley’s stories ended, so when I saw that Keri Arthur had started a spin-off series, I jumped on the chance to read Darkness Unbound. I have to say, I think I like this Dark Angels series even better than the Riley Jensen series.

Creating a world that is dark, sensual, and full of powerful supernatural beings, Keri Arthur strikes gold with Darkness Unbound, the first novel in her new Dark Angels series.

In this new series, half-werewolf, half-Aedh Risa is all grown up. She has good friends, a job she enjoys, and she is close to her family (including her Aunt Riley). Risa’s life is turned upside-down when she is targeted by several individuals seeking her father’s whereabouts and believing that Risa could help find the keys to the afterlife. A dangerous, but sexy reaper is following her around, but doesn’t step in to help when Risa is attacked by by thugs. Risa never expected that her half-Aedh heritage would be so important, or dictate her life, but it seems that her heritage will change her future.

Keri Arthur does an amazing job creating new characters for this series. Risa is a fantastic heroine, she accepts situations for what they are and does everything she can to do what’s right, to kick-butt when she needs to, and to be there for friends and family when they need her. She had no desire to be the kick-butt heroine, but as the story develops, so does her character. Circumstances make Risa use her abilities and powers in ways she never needed to before, and she comes out changed. She doesn’t whine and complain about her problems, she faces them and the dangers head-on. Risa has really good friends, Tao and Ilianna who are more family than friends. Riley is in the book a little bit, but her character is pretty limited.

This Dark Angel series is very different than the Riley Jensen series. Where Riley Jensen was about guardians and the directorate, Darkness Unbound is about the Aedh and the spiritual afterlife, and beings who are completely different from vampires and werewolves. Risa is half werewolf though, and the werewolves in this world are sensual, sexual creatures. Therefore, Risa does not have sexual hang-ups, and there is some pretty hot sex in this book. With that said, I would not qualify Darkness Unbound as a romance, it is more an urban fantasy, with a darker sexual nature.

I really loved this book, the world is one of my favorites, the characters are engaging, and the writing is exceptional. Darkness Unbound is a fast paced adventure with a powerful and smart heroine. Urban Fantasy and paranormal readers, Darkness Unbound is a “must-read.”

(less)

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Nov 29, 2011 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Having followed Keri Arthur’s work for many years, particularly her Riley Jensen series, I was very excited when I heard she was going to be writing Risa’s story. The Riley Jensen books are fantastic paranormal romance novels with lots of action and great storylines and I was hoping that I’d be able to say the same about the Dark Angels series. Thankfully, I can!

Risa Jones was just a kid in the Riley Jensen books but she’s all grown up in this series, running a restaurant with a couple friends a...more Having followed Keri Arthur’s work for many years, particularly her Riley Jensen series, I was very excited when I heard she was going to be writing Risa’s story. The Riley Jensen books are fantastic paranormal romance novels with lots of action and great storylines and I was hoping that I’d be able to say the same about the Dark Angels series. Thankfully, I can!

Risa Jones was just a kid in the Riley Jensen books but she’s all grown up in this series, running a restaurant with a couple friends and trying to lead a normal life -- at least as normal as a half-werewolf, half-Aedh woman can. (For the uninitiated, the Aedh are winged beings who have varying powers and can take different states (flesh vs. energy).) It’s a change from the Riley books; Riley was a Guardian, tasked with protecting Melbourne from the evil supernaturals, while Risa definitely does not want to be a Guardian, not after seeing the toll it took on Riley. Nonetheless, she has a good grasp of her powers and knows how to defend herself, which comes in handy when her curiosity has her running around town trying to figure out why everyone is suddenly interested in her absentee father.

Risa also has to deal with new developments on the romantic front, in the shape of an Aedh named Lucien. He’s very mysterious and I’m curious to see what his role will be in future novels. In Darkness Unbound, he proves himself to be a capable ally and a sexy, sexy dude, much like Quinn in Full Moon Rising (the first Riley Jensen novel). Risa’s also attracted to one of the reapers, the beings responsible for shepherding souls after people die. This particular reaper, Azriel, is one of the many folks looking for her father and just happens to be quite appealing. This also reminded me of the Riley books since Riley found herself torn between two men for almost the entire series. But this is good news, because Keri Arthur is a genius when it comes to writing love triangles in which you (and the character) have a hard time choosing who’s a better match!Another comparison with the Riley series: lots of steaminess. Keri Arthur doesn’t shy away from the sex and Darkness Unbound is no exception. Her characters have *very* healthy lives, if you know what I mean. ;) But the romantic antics in no way detract from the main plot, which is completely engrossing.

Fans of Keri’s other work won’t be disappointed in any way, and I suspect that this new series will attract even more readers since Darkness Unbound hooks you from the start! Plus there are a lot of familiar faces, like Riley and Rhoan, who were main characters in the Riley books but who take a more secondary role in the Dark Angels series, at least so far. It’s a fun glimpse into what happened to these guys after the series was over, but you don’t have to be familiar with the characters to enjoy them in Darkness Unbound.

Everything about Darkness Unbound made me happy and I can’t wait to see what happens to Risa next, in Darkness Rising, currently in my TBR stack.

P.S. How lush is this cover? I think it’s one of my favourites of the fall. Such dramatic colours and it really incorporates a lot of elements of the story and captures Risa nicely.

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Nov 27, 2011 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I want to enjoy this book more than I did. First I'm not entirely sure how this is categorized. It's sold in the romance section but read more like an urban fantasy but it's in the future so wouldn't that make it...sci-fi?

My head...hurts.

More than that Risa confused me. For all her "I just want to run my restaurant" declarations, she wasn't doing a lot of that. At all. She was busy solving the mystery of why every paranormal creature on the planet (and not) were suddenly looking for her father.

W...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Lindsey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was HUGELY disappointed when I learned that Keri Arthur was ending my favorite Riley Jenson Guardian series, but when I learned she was doing a spinn off featuring Risa Jones (a character who was a baby in the Jenson series) I was very excited. Months after reading the last Riley Jenson novel I had completely forgotten about this new series until I came upon it on a table in Chapters. I snached the book off the table and did a little (but loud) *squee* drawing the attention of strangers who mu...more I was HUGELY disappointed when I learned that Keri Arthur was ending my favorite Riley Jenson Guardian series, but when I learned she was doing a spinn off featuring Risa Jones (a character who was a baby in the Jenson series) I was very excited. Months after reading the last Riley Jenson novel I had completely forgotten about this new series until I came upon it on a table in Chapters. I snached the book off the table and did a little (but loud) *squee* drawing the attention of strangers who must have thought I was a little weird.

From the very first chapter following through to the end of the novel I was captivated by intriguing plot lines, likeable new characters and sexy, blush worthy sex scenes, not to mention the involvement of some of my favorite characters from the Jenson series.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels this series (and the Jenson series if you have not read it) should be at the very top of your reading list especially if you are a fan of....ummmmm....errrrr *blush* very graphic sex scenes. The characters in this series run the spectrum of supernaturals including werewolves, ghosts, Aedh, vampires, reapers, shapeshifters, mediums, and more.

As a protagonist Risa is quickly climbing her way to being one of my favorite leading female characters. She's a winning mixture of sass, sexiness, and sensuality that when added to her also being an assertive, resilient and independent woman, she becomes the type of character that paranormal readers will fall in love with. Being half werewolf (inherited from her mother) Risa was gifted with heightened senses, fast healing, and a heightened sex drive, but unfortunately not with the ability to shift into werewolf form. Her father, a Aedh Priest has given her the ability to dematerialize her body into a vaporous form which proves to be a valuable ability throughout the novel.

Darkness Unbound includes two very sexy male leads. Azreal is a very stoic Reaper who is charged with shadowing Risa in the hopes of locating her Aedh father. Along the way the merest hint of sexual tension begins between these two characters as he helps her defeat a darkness that steals the soul of a helpless little girl. The second male lead, Lucian is a full blooded Aedh who has lost his wings and ability to shift into vaporous form. The sexual banter that goes back and forth between Risa and Lucian quickly leads to steamy sex scenes that would make any woman blush.

Lucky for me after finishing this novel I was immediately able to go out and purchase the second novel in this series, Darkness Rising as it was just released. I can see that this series is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine in the paranormal genre. If you to are a fan of Keri Arthur and her various paranormal series please feel free to comment on what your favorite books are in the series and who your favorite characters are! (less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica, fantasy, urban

First in the Dark Angels urban fantasy series that carries on from the Riley Jenson, Guardian series and is based in Melbourne, Australia.

The Story
Risa Jones is all grown up and living with a couple of roommates, Iliana, a horseshifter, and Tao, a fire-starting werewolf. Money is no object for any of them and they have outfitted their revamped warehouse to the max in security and high-tech bathrooms. They are also partners in a hot and happenin' restaurant, RYT's, specializing in burgers and p...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Mariachiara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1. Darkness unbound

Inedito in Italiano

Trama: Essendo metà licantropo e metà Aedh, Risa Jones può entrare il reame del crepuscolo tra la vita e la morte e vedere i raccoglitori, esseri soprannaturali che raccolgono le anime dei morti. Ma presto fa una terribile scoperta. Una forza misteriosa sta rubando anime, impedento ai morti di raggiungere l'aldilà.
I raccoglitori scortano le anime a destinazione, non le rubano, e uno di loro segue le mosse di Risa per poter trovare suo padre (che però lei non...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Roxanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

His arm came around my waist, holding me steady as his gaze met mine. “Ready?” I nodded, my eyes searching his, wondering at the slight flicker in those bright depths. It was almost as if he were fighting a reaction—although maybe that was just wishful thinking.

Even though I haven't finished the Riley Jenson series I did enjoy this book very much. I liked the whole idea of walking in the grey fields and really hope in future books we learn more about it since we only got a small glimpse in this...more His arm came around my waist, holding me steady as his gaze met mine. “Ready?” I nodded, my eyes searching his, wondering at the slight flicker in those bright depths. It was almost as if he were fighting a reaction—although maybe that was just wishful thinking.

Even though I haven't finished the Riley Jenson series I did enjoy this book very much. I liked the whole idea of walking in the grey fields and really hope in future books we learn more about it since we only got a small glimpse in this one. After meeting Azriel I have a lot more interest in Reapers.

I loved Risa, even though I've only read two of the Riley Jenson books they have many things in common. She's sarcastic, funny, bad-ass and extremely loyal to all her friends and family. She is also a werewolf/Aedh hybrid, she may not get all the talents of each race but she does get some pretty cool ones. Such as the ability to shift her particles around and move places, increased strength and smell although not as strong as a full werewolf and of course the one talent that everyone is eager to get their hands on, her ability to see Reapers, walk in the grey fields and quite possibly see the dark and light gates. (aka Heaven and hell) Because of this talent she is asked to see a little girl in the hospital that's in a coma and determine if her soul is there or has moved on. But what she doesn't expect is to find the little girls soul completely ripped out. With the help of her sexy, stalker Reaper Azriel they begin unraveling a very dark, unnatural and evil plot that is bigger than they originally thought with Risa right in the middle of it.

Keri Arthur has the fantastic ability to write great secondary characters, that was one of the things I loved about her other series and it has definitely carried over into her new Dark Angels Series. Whether is be Ilianna, Tao, Riley, Azriel, her mom or even a sexy full blooded Aedh named Lucius, each and every one play a part in the story and intertwine themselves with Risa's life. The book doesn't have a cliff-hanger (thankfully) but it doesn't end on a happy note either, which you would expect from a series. I was however very pleased with this book despite reading SOOOO many spoilers about Riley and her friends. I definitely plan on reading book two as soon as it's available.

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Sep 29, 2011 Bookmom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fans of the author's Riley Jensen series are going to be delighted to find that even though this series belongs to Risa, Riley and the gang are on hand to help out.

Last seen using her ability to go to the gray world in between the physical and passing over when Riley was dying over twenty years ago, Risa is asked by her mother to check out a client's young daughter who is in a coma. Risa is horrified to discover the child's soul had been torn out of her body and destroyed. If that doesn't quali...more Fans of the author's Riley Jensen series are going to be delighted to find that even though this series belongs to Risa, Riley and the gang are on hand to help out.

Last seen using her ability to go to the gray world in between the physical and passing over when Riley was dying over twenty years ago, Risa is asked by her mother to check out a client's young daughter who is in a coma. Risa is horrified to discover the child's soul had been torn out of her body and destroyed. If that doesn't qualify for a bad day, add finding that a reaper is following you and that a number of individuals are trying to kidnap Risa in the hopes of finding out where the father-she's-never-met might be.

Risa is half Helki wolf and half Aedh (a non-physical being that can take on a physical form). She's unable to shift into a wolf but carries all other wolf and Helki traits, including totally changing her features. And let's not forget the wolf's horny/free-spirited nature. "Uncle" Quinn had taught her how to use her Aedh abilities which include seeing reapers and shifting into energy. "Aunt" Riley taught her how to fight, although Risa readily admits she's not qualified to handle situations she ends up in between dealing with the soul stealer and the kidnappers. But honestly, she can't just leave things to Rhoan and the guardians to handle; Risa needs to be involved.

Everyone seems to have a different agenda when it comes to why they want to find her father and this dangerous aspect of the story carries forward into the next book. Instead of dealing with Jack at the Directorate, Risa is being forced to deal directly with Madeline Hunter, the woman who created it; although she'd prefer to avoid them all together.

Risa's best friends and roommates help her along the way. She shares a huge warehouse apartment with her best friends, Ilianna, a very powerful witch, and Tao, a werewolf with fire abilities. There's plenty of action throughout the book as well as some rather interesting characters.

It shouldn't be necessary to read the Riley Jensen series in order to enjoy this one, but seeing what's happened to old friends and having them as minor characters was enjoyable.
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Mar 14, 2013 Ally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely loved this story which surprised me. I haven't read the Riley series and I was a little skeptical so I checked it out from the library so I would have nothing to lose. Boy was I glad I did, this has replaced the Cat "grave" series as my new favorite series. I immediately had to run out and buy all the books currently out in the series and I couldn't read them fast enough. Every other series I have loved has done something to piss me off and in book 4 of this series I thought that wa...more

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May 20, 2012 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: uf-pnr, read-in-2012

I always worry that spin-off series will be a let down, because surely these secondary characters from the original series can’t be as cool as the previous protagonists? And this is not just any protagonist, this is Riley Jenson the coolest female werewolf ever…so I’m sure you can understand why I was a bit apprehensive going into this book. I should have had faith in Keri Arthur’s awesome story-telling skills though because I thoroughly enjoyed Darkness Unbound, and if you are a fan of the orig...more I always worry that spin-off series will be a let down, because surely these secondary characters from the original series can’t be as cool as the previous protagonists? And this is not just any protagonist, this is Riley Jenson the coolest female werewolf ever…so I’m sure you can understand why I was a bit apprehensive going into this book. I should have had faith in Keri Arthur’s awesome story-telling skills though because I thoroughly enjoyed Darkness Unbound, and if you are a fan of the original series then you definitely can’t miss this one.

Whilst shifters and vampires do feature in this book though, this time round we focus more on the Aedh species, who have some pretty cool abilities. And this is just perfect because whilst Risa is just as strong and kick-ass as Riley, she’s her own person with her own unique set of skills that make this series just as good as the original. And the secondary characters are so well developed that they are just as important to this story as Risa; I loved Toa and Illiana who are Risa’s best friends, and Azriel and Lucien who are the mysterious, sexy men that’s pretty much a must-have for UF or PNR book! I really enjoyed having Aunt Riley and Uncle Rhoan, Uncle Quinn, and Uncle Liander back in the game too.

Another thing I love about these books is that the plots are always so intricate and exciting. There’s never just one thing going on, but different storylines branching off that keeps everything action-packed, and moving at a fast pace. This book had me hooked from the start. I mean, only a couple of paragraphs in and we had this come up:

‘I’m not sure what it said about me that my reaper was shirtless, tattooed, and appeared to be wearing some sort of sword strapped across his back.’

If a shirtless, tattooed beefcake doesn’t hook you, then I don’t know what will.

Moving on…

Keri Arthur always manages to impress me with how she features so many different paranormal species in one place and still make it work so well. We have all the different types of Shifters, we have Vampires, Clones, Fravardins, Psychics, Witches, Aedhs, Spirits, and Reapers (and a couple more I’m sure I’ve missed) and yet they are all so distinctive in their own rights that even the ones that don’t feature as much in the book are still as interesting as the ones that do. She is able to give you all the information about them, right down to the little details and not overwhelm you or bore you to tears. And the best thing is, all the characters, species, and abilities introduced will come into play at some point in the book or the series; Keri Arthur is not one of those irritating authors that makes up a load of stuff just to make the story sound cool. So if you are a fan of the paranormal then this is definitely one author you cannot miss!(less)

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Feb 09, 2012 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-nook, urban-fantasy, angels

This is the first book in an urban fantasy series that is a spinoff off from another apparently long running series. I have never read that other series, and that did cause me some problems at first. I felt like I stepped into a world that was unrecognizable. I was pretty confused for much of the story. I did not find the world building particularly good, but on the other hand, she had already built this world. I found the characters interesting but shallow. I don't feel like I got to know anyon...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Kerry sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-urbanfantasy, thriller-suspence-mystery, favorites

This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm

The synopsis
Risa Jones is as extraordinary as her heritage. Born from a lab-enhanced clone mother and an Aedh father, she can not only talk to the souls of the dying and the dead, but she can see the reapers and walk the gray fields that divide this world from the next.
They are skill she rarely uses, however, preferring to concentrate on the business she shares with her two best friends. But when her mother asks her to help the parents of a little...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Ivanna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: werewolf-shape-shifter, magic, angel, urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. tadinya mo kasih 4* cuma karena ada 1 scene yg bikin jijik banget.. akhirnya di kurangi 1* deeeh

Risa Jones cewek 28 tahun setengah Aedh (semacam malaikat gitu) setengah werewolve. punya kehidupan mewah, seorang ibu Werewolves Psikis dan dia sendiri mengelola Restoran Italy bersama temannya Tao.
Dan tinggal di kawasan Richmond bersama Tao (were) dan Illana (witch)...

Hingga Risa di minta Ibunya untuk ngecek gadis kecil yg dah kena penyakit ga jelas. Dan ternyata gadis kecil itu jiwanya dah hilang a...more tadinya mo kasih 4* cuma karena ada 1 scene yg bikin jijik banget.. akhirnya di kurangi 1* deeeh

Risa Jones cewek 28 tahun setengah Aedh (semacam malaikat gitu) setengah werewolve. punya kehidupan mewah, seorang ibu Werewolves Psikis dan dia sendiri mengelola Restoran Italy bersama temannya Tao.
Dan tinggal di kawasan Richmond bersama Tao (were) dan Illana (witch)...

Hingga Risa di minta Ibunya untuk ngecek gadis kecil yg dah kena penyakit ga jelas. Dan ternyata gadis kecil itu jiwanya dah hilang alias di curi sama Reaper atw siapun yang belum jelas.. Waktu pulang dari rumah sakit.. Risa di keroyok sama 4 Were yang ingin tau tentang Ayahnya, padahal dia sendiri ga tau ayahnya seumur hidupnya.. Bukan cuma itu ada Reaper bernama Azriel yang selalu membuntutinya yg menduga Ayahnya Risa memgang kunci Portal menuju Surga n Neraka sekaligus berhubungan sama kematian yg mencuri jiwa sang gadis kecil.

Saat hendak pulang setelah memberitahu kejadian tersebut kepada bibi nya Riley, Risa di telp Ibunya bahwa Illiana dalam bahaya.. dan langsung meluncur ke TKP. Untungnya blm terlambat, dan lagi2 Were yg mencoba untuk membunuh Risa, saat Risa hampir kalah muncul Aedh bernaha Lucian yg menolong. Dan ingin terimakasih Risa dalam bentuk makan malam..... hmmmmm

Risa, Azriel, Tao dan Illiana pun melakukan penyelidikan atas masalah Risa itu. namun tidak menemukan petunjuk yg berarti.. Hingga ayahnya menghubungi nya dan memberikan 'hadiah' berubah naga yg nempel di lengannya (berupa tato hidup). Di situlah semua jelas, paling ga ada titik terangnya lahh..

Hubungan Risa dan Lucian, rada ngebetein cumaa sekedar kebutuhkan buat s*x doanggg... walopun sebenernya Lucian orang yg menyenangkan. Aedh yang berusia ribuan tahun. Ngarepnya siy sama Azriel.. Reaper misterius... :)

Saat Risa menemukan alasan yang sebenernya tentang pembunuhan2 aneh.. Tao di culik oleh yg pembunuh, Risa dan kawan2 pun mau menyelematkannya... Akan tetapi setelah berhasil menyelamatkan Tao, Risa malah mendapati bahwa dia harus kehilangan seseorang yang sangat penting dalam hidupnya dengan cara yg sangat tragis...

Hingga Risa demi membalas dendam dia terpaksa membuat kesepakan dengan orang yang dia benci.....

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Mar 17, 2013 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-other-world, enhanced-human, vampire, werewolf-shapeshifter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting: Melbourne

Theme:

Characters:
Aedh – can become energy and smoke,
Reapers – creatures of light and shadow, energy that can take flesh form; collect souls of those who die and guide them to the gate of light or dark;
Risa Jones: part werewolf, part Aedh; mother a werewolf clone; can move in the grey fields (an Aedh ability), has some were pluses – heightened sight/hearing/smell, need for sex/uninhibited sex (goes to a sex club), but she can’t shift; she can see reapers and souls; works in a...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a pretty good start to a new series. I like all of the main characters. The story moved along nicely and the sex scenes weren't overly frequent. From the reviews that I read of the books from the original series, the main character there had sex a lot. That seems to be a side affect of being a werewolf in this world, it could easily distract from the actual story.

I like Risa. She does get manipulated a lot throughout the story. She's everyone's pawn. No one wants to give her any real de...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Girls, Guns and G...: Darkness Unbound (Spoilers) Dec 2012 BOM	19	24	Dec 26, 2012 12:07pm
Girls, Guns and G...: Darkness Unbound (Spoiler Free) Dec 2012 BOM	1	9	Nov 23, 2012 12:55am
Romance Readers R...: Buddy Read - Darkness Unbound	4	14	Feb 09, 2012 07:56pm
Explination of Riley please?	2	42	Dec 10, 2011 09:46am

title link	preview: Darkness Unbound
avg rating	preview: Darkness Unbound Goodreads rating: 4.02 (2726 ratings)
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Darkness Unbound (Dark Angels #1)

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