Beyond The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity, #6) by Alexandra Ivy

Aug 03, 2010

Laura rated it

I think I reviewed this one, and goodreads must not have saved it. I read this book a while ago, so this review may not be as in depth as some of my others, but here goes.
We met salvatore earlier in the series, and he was the bad guy. progressively we realized that he was actually just trying to save the werewolves. They have Purebreds and Curs (made werewolves). They have had trouble with females not being able to control their shifts throughout the full moon, where they used to be able ...moreI think I reviewed this one, and goodreads must not have saved it. I read this book a while ago, so this review may not be as in depth as some of my others, but here goes.
We met salvatore earlier in the series, and he was the bad guy. progressively we realized that he was actually just trying to save the werewolves. They have Purebreds and Curs (made werewolves). They have had trouble with females not being able to control their shifts throughout the full moon, where they used to be able to stay human long enough to carry their pups to term. Their magic is slowly depleting, and their population dying out. Even bitten curs aren't surviving the change like they used to.
So Salvatore genetically engineers one of their high ranking pureblooded females embryos. She has 4 baby girls and they all survive (yay) but the genetic engineering means that those 4 females will never change. Unfortunately those babies are then kidnapped shortly after their births. Salvatore spent 20+ years searching for one to be his mate...she ended up with Styx the vampire leader. He found another and she went with another vampire. He finally found Harley and turns out they are mates-but to her, Salvatore is the bogeyman. So she fights him. But that just turns him on. Then he tries to win her, because with pureblood mates, the female drains the male (to prevent males from hurting them, or taking them by force), but once she accepts her mate, they are both stronger. So they have a hot mating dance where she wants him, but doesn't trust him, or herself...I liked it alot. I loved Salvatore. I loved how they got the magic back for the pack, and the bad guy who had been draining their magic by sacrificing to an evil demon? very cool.
The only thing I didn't like as the set-up of the next book with the prophecy of Caine and the 4th sister...I didn't like him, so I have a hard time wanting him to be the hero of the next book, but I've loved all her books so far, so hopefully it won't disappoint.(less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Apr 04, 2010

Melindeeloo rated it

Shelves: paranormal-romance, paranormal-romance-shapeshifters, shapeshifters, favorites

Still arrogant, but oh so sexy, Salvatore finally gets his queen

Werewolf King Salvatore Guiliani is on the hunt, he's scented a pureblood were female and strongly suspects that it's one of the remaining genetically altered females who were supposed to mean salvation for his declining race. Having already lost two of the four sisters to the dirty bloodsucking vamps, Salvatore is amazed to discover that this one is 'his Queen'.

Harley has been told for years that Salvatore ...moreStill arrogant, but oh so sexy, Salvatore finally gets his queen

Werewolf King Salvatore Guiliani is on the hunt, he's scented a pureblood were female and strongly suspects that it's one of the remaining genetically altered females who were supposed to mean salvation for his declining race. Having already lost two of the four sisters to the dirty bloodsucking vamps, Salvatore is amazed to discover that this one is 'his Queen'.

Harley has been told for years that Salvatore is the bogey man who killed her family and who now wants to wipe her out too. But somehow the reality of Salvatore just doesn't mesh with what she's been told and Salvatore's scent stirs a hunger deep inside her soul. But can Harley trust Salvatore when he spouts fairy stories about their true mating - despite Harley's inability to shift, she is no submissive female willing to pump out pureblood pups for the arrogant were.

But Harley's acceptance is crucial, for Salvatore's old enemy has arisen and with the mate bond incomplete Salvatore may lack the power to save his people from immediate extinction.

Werewolf King Salvatore has been a total arrogant jerk in the previous books, but Ivy manages to make him a decent hero here. And she manages to do that while still keeping Salvatore's character mostly intact - he's still arrogant, but here all that attitude makes him sexy and seductive. And as despicable as Salvatore's been at times in the past books, he definitely has some noble moments here. And Harley is a surprisingly good heroine too. After Harley's previous two sisters stories, I was expecting them all to start blending. But even though Harley has that same core of strength as her siblings, her story stands out because she uses it to make Salvatore really work for his happily ever after. And that strength which allows her to stand up to Salvatore, ultimately makes Haley a good queen to his king - and fortunately Salvatore is trainable:)

I have really grown to like Ivy's books and though it sounds cliché, this series really does keep on getting better. Which is great since we still have three novels and a Levitt short story to look forward to. And even though vampire assassin Tane's book is next up (he's paired with a half djinn), I am hoping that the final sister Cassandra, whose story was started here, gets her own book too - though I wouldn't mind if a bit more of Cassandra's story is woven into Devoured by Darkness to tide me over. (less)

like 6 likes

· see review

Apr 14, 2010

Marsha rated it

Wow! I was so pleasantly surprised with this author and this book. This was my first experience reading a book by Alexandra Ivy. Although I decided to start with book #6 in the series, the storyline interested me enough to take a chance on the book without reading the first 5 in the series. I think I might have found a new series to read.

Salvatore Guilini is the King of the Weres who is frustrated with his current life since the Weres are in danger of extinction. Apparently, the f...more

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 08, 2011

Tracy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

~* 4.5 Stars *~
I admit, I believe the Guardians of Eternity series hasn't quite reached the level of exceptional paranormal romance (yet). I think it's a very solid and satisfying paranormal romance series - with a slight issue here and there. There doesn't seem to be a lot that differentiates and individualizes the lead romantic pairing in each book in either character development or the formula of the evolving romance, and I believe that is what separates the solid and satisfying from the...more~* 4.5 Stars *~
I admit, I believe the Guardians of Eternity series hasn't quite reached the level of exceptional paranormal romance (yet). I think it's a very solid and satisfying paranormal romance series - with a slight issue here and there. There doesn't seem to be a lot that differentiates and individualizes the lead romantic pairing in each book in either character development or the formula of the evolving romance, and I believe that is what separates the solid and satisfying from the exceptional. I've long been a huge fan of paranormal romance novels and series, though, so I have a pretty high tolerance for that lack of differentiation and individualization. It's a common malady in the paranormal romance series sub-genre. That being said, there are some series, like Christine Feehan's Carpathians, that I stopped reading a long time ago because the formula got to be too much, the characters too interchangeable, the women too often somehow lesser than their mates. I'm taking a break (and have been since Acheron) from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series for similar reasons.

I'm still reading Alexandra Ivy's Guardians of Eternity series. Why? Because it's still giving me exactly what I like in my paranormal romance novels. An uber-alpha male and a strong, independent female that lock heads, fangs, fists and wits, humor, and charm to create an explosive chemistry that works for me quite nicely. There's also the characters from previous novels that get tossed into the mix, and I love seeing the continuing development there.

In Beyond The Darkness in particular, Ivy has gone one step further, and seems to have added another dimension to the series arc, hinting at something coming that may draw together all the characters we've met so far and pit them against one decidedly evil threat to all demonkind. It was a tantalizing and tricky thing to do, because it provided the series a cohesion and depth previously unattained. Not to mention, this particular book is the first of the series to provide a male pureblood werewolf as top dog (so to speak) instead of another of the leeches (as Salvatore would call them), so we got to get a much better - though still too brief for me - view of the difference between the vampire culture and the declining werewolf culture. The differences were handled nicely, even if I wish I'd seen a few more of them to make them really stand out. When combined with my appreciation for the series and the characters to date, it raised my enjoyment of this book and the series even higher.

Not to mention that Alexandra Ivy has managed to take a character I have disliked since he was introduced, Salvatore Giuliani, and made me not only like him (a little), but understand him better and appreciate his responsibilities and the demands of saving a race from extinction. That stunned me, because I said in my review of Darkness Unleashed (Guardians of Eternity, Book 5) I was not looking forward to a book about Giuliani. Up until this point I've found him arrogant, manipulative, and at turns boorish and sadistic in how he treated his curs and females. There was a lot of ground to cover to get me to like him, and while he still isn't my favorite character, I admit, I did warm to him. I had no such trouble with Harley. I found her just as competent, intelligent, and strong as all of Ivy's female leads (except maybe Abby). I enjoyed very much her calling Giuliani to task again and again for his arrogance and I appreciated her willful resistance to bowing to the alpha's power. I thought the plot supporting her backstory was well defined and explained everything about her character. In fact, I think this is the first book in the series in which I completely bought into exactly why the male and female lead are exactly the way they are and was very impressed by how deftly the author blended the pair without diminishing either individual.

Salvatore has been searching for the four genetically altered pureblood cubs for thirty years, and has finally stumbled across the third (after the first fell in love and mated to the vampire Anasso, Styx, and the second proved to be barren...though she also fell under the spell of the leech Jagr, and Salvatore had no chance there). Imagine his surprise when he realizes that the third of the female cubs, the delicate in appearance but anything but delicate in reality Harley, is not only within his grasp, but is also his true mate - a bond he thought lost to the mysteries of the past for his species, as it had been a hundred years or more since the last pureblood true mating. Harley has been living cloistered from the werewolves, kept hidden by Caine, the upstart cur who's been using Harley's blood to try to find his personal holy grail - turning curs into purebloods and being the messiah of the species. She's been lied to her entire life - about the death of her sisters at the claws of the Were King himself, in particular, so meeting up with him on a moonlit night sends terror through her heart and violence through her soul. Neither know, nor soon realize, that each are a pawn in a far deadlier game, and ancient evil and a long dead nemesis rise against them both. If they fall, they lose more than their lives, they lose the entirety of the battered and beleaguered were species.

Excellent novel, and a fun, fast read. It didn't have quite the same amount of humor that some of the others in the series do, and I truly missed the sardonic acceptance that each of the vampires showed when they realized their mates weren't going to make life easy on them. Salvatore was less humorous, more intense that way - but in his defense, he had some truly charming and adorable moments towards the end that I won't go into further to prevent spoilers. They were endearing, though. Beyond The Darkness is also the first in the series that has set me on the edge of my seat for the next - and it's exactly because of the added dimension I mentioned as well as the plot thread with Caine. Dastardly Ivy keeps making her books better and better. I very much enjoyed it.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another. (less)

like

· see review

Jul 01, 2010

Jute rated it

Shelves: romance

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

like

· see review

Jun 08, 2010

ൠSinful rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, contemporary, full-novel, held-captive, pnr-series, phy-gifts, romance, series, shifters, suspense, vampires

This was my first Guradian's of Eternity book. Honestly, the descriptions and reviews of the earlier books didn't interest me, but this one did. Especially that cover.

It turned out to be a strong PNR novel. I didn't find it challenging at all having missed out on the first five books. That being said, plenty of old friends do appear enough and play a role in the story to satisfy series lovers.

It was very typically PNR. The begining was meh. After reading soo many PNR se...more

like 1 like

· see review

May 10, 2010

The Romance Reviews (Carole) rated it

Shelves: paranormal-romance

4.5 stars out of 5.0 stars

"Another exciting book in the series! Not to be missed!"

I really love Alexandra Ivy's writing! Her prose flows like smooth, warm honey, the kind you'll never get enough of. I know I've said something to that effect before, but I witnessed it again in this story and in Embrace the Darkness, which I've read but haven't yet written the review.

I have to admit that when I was reading Darkness Unleashed (Jagr's story), I hadn't li...more4.5 stars out of 5.0 stars

"Another exciting book in the series! Not to be missed!"

I really love Alexandra Ivy's writing! Her prose flows like smooth, warm honey, the kind you'll never get enough of. I know I've said something to that effect before, but I witnessed it again in this story and in Embrace the Darkness, which I've read but haven't yet written the review.

I have to admit that when I was reading Darkness Unleashed (Jagr's story), I hadn't liked Salvatore Giuliani, King of the Weres, that much. I thought he was too smooth, too slick and let's face it, I hate any man who has a better grasp of fashion than I. In this story, Salvatore is still the same fastidious Were, but his head is by no means only wrapped up in his appearance. There's another side to him--the king who takes his responsiblity and duty to his people seriously, maybe at cost to his own life. The man who would do anything to protect his mate and keep her safe. When Harley itches at his protectiveness, he told her, "There will never be a moment when I won't need to protect you." Happy sigh, and in serious danger of melting! What I like best was his snappy, witty banter with the heroine. I could read on and on. Totally refreshing and never failed to bring a smile to my face.

Harley is a likeable heroine, strong, spunky, smart, an equal partner for Salvatore. I like that when she did finally meet her sister in person, she was wary and that they didn't immediately fall crying into each other's arms. Affection does take time to grow. Though she seemed to resist making any commitment to Salvatore, her reaction when she discovered he might be in danger is a dead giveaway to the people around her. But when she finally accepted her place as Salvatore's mate and queen, she stepped right up to her responsiblities.

In this book, we finally discovered who engineered the kidnapping of Harley and her sisters and the reasons behind! However, the story doesn't stop here. Ms Ivy cleverly dangles another thread before us, one that might have cataclysmic repercussions, and I hope we see this in the next book, which is still a long time coming--December 2010!

Sadly, there's not much about Levet here, except for the first few chapters. But there's a fascinating new character--Harley and Darcy and Regan's sister. There are intriguing bits about her, who is very mysterious and seems to be the catalyst to some world event. And then there's Caine, evil cur turned good guy? I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him. The next book should be plenty exciting!

Reviewed by Silver(less)

like

· see review

Jan 09, 2012

NicNacNoodle rated it

Now this is more like it. The Guardians of Eternity series has been a pretty steady easy, light-weight, romp through fantasy land, until now. Book 6 has finally lifted itself out of the Mills & Boon category and firmly placed it in the more interesting adventure & romance arena.

Maybe because we branched away from vampires, (I can't believe I am actually writing that, vampires are paranormal romance as far as I am concerned), and headed into werewolf territory. But, not just any werewol...more

like

· see review

Aug 06, 2011

nurmawati djuhawan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: werewolf, terjemahan, supernatural, paranormal, romance, dastan

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
wow.....salvatore giuliani memang keren...lama di tunggu bukunya akhir nya keluar...langsung deh 'disantap' baca sampe subuh :p

ceritanya ttg salkvatore, raja para were yang ketemu sama pasangannya, seorang pure blood yang selama 30 tahun di tahan di tempat persembunyian caine, seorang cur yang pengen banget jadi pure blood sampe bekerja sama dengan "briggs"...were zombie musuh salvatore...
kenapa disebut were zombie ? soalnya berabad2 lalu si briggs ini udah di bunuh...more
wow.....salvatore giuliani memang keren...lama di tunggu bukunya akhir nya keluar...langsung deh 'disantap' baca sampe subuh :p

ceritanya ttg salkvatore, raja para were yang ketemu sama pasangannya, seorang pure blood yang selama 30 tahun di tahan di tempat persembunyian caine, seorang cur yang pengen banget jadi pure blood sampe bekerja sama dengan "briggs"...were zombie musuh salvatore...
kenapa disebut were zombie ? soalnya berabad2 lalu si briggs ini udah di bunuh sama salvatore...sayangnya dia dibangkitkan lagi sama iblis balam supaya si iblis bisa kembali ke dunia...
makanya si briggs ini bauuuuuu banget badannya...maklum deh body nya kan udah membusuk.....
salvatore yang dari awal ketemu "harley" (kembaran darcy dan regan) langsung merasa ketertarikan yang amat sangat (langsung turn-on bo :p)
harley yang awalnya menganggap salvatore jahat karena fitnahan caine, gak percaya sama salvatore...
tapiiiiii.....salvatore kan ganteng banget ( di cover aja pake muka paul marron...hmmmm yummy ...) membikin harley juga merasakan seseatu kepada salvatore dan itu bukan sekedar preety face aja....tapi ada ketertarikan yang kuat akibat dari proses berpasangan were pure blood yang dikira udah ilang sejak dulu kala....
sooooo.....akhirnya harley ikut salvatore, mau gak mau ada di tengah2 pertempuran kekuatan besar antara salvatore dan briggs (bonus si iblis balam yang jahat )
ternyata si balam ini pingin menggunakan darah salvatore untuk kembali ke bumi dan semakin kuat...sampe salvatore berhasil di culik, diiket pake rante perak di meja persembahan dan di mau di keringin darahnya...
untungnya harley nolong salvatore..dan membikin proses berpasangan sempurna ...dgn begitu salvatore dapat kekuatan yang lebih besar buat ngalahin balam...

endingnya juga so sweet....salvatore yang pingin punya anak dan melestarikan garis keturunan pure blood akhirnya happy banget pas harley ngasih tau kalo dia hamil....bukan satu, dua atau kembar 3 sodara2...melainkan langsung kembar 5 wkwkwkwkw gimana itu ngurus nya coba....

(less)

like

· see review

Jul 22, 2011

Starry rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. <center>He Would Do Anything To Claim Her

Salvatore Giuliani is not a happy werewolf. It's his duty as leader to track down the pureblood females who can keep his people from extinction. But the moment he catches scent of Harley, a pureblood held by a pack of mangy curs, his savage need for her obliterates all other instincts. And the only thing worse than being captured is finding that beautiful, independent Harley defiantly refuses to become his mate.

<center>...more

like

· see review

Dec 21, 2010

Holly (Full Moon Bites) rated it

Salvatore Giuliani is having a bad day. Being King of the Were's it's his duty to make sure they don't go extinct, so he altered four pureblood females DNA, and they where stolen. (we know this from previous books.) Having tracked the to America he found two of then a disappointment, now he may have just found the third, and something more, a dark plot that might completely destroy the weres. But finding Harley might just be more than he bargained for, from the moment he catches sent of her ever...more

like

· see review

May 28, 2010

Cindy rated it

Shelves: keepers

Great read - paranormal romance with a lot of action. Salvatore the King of the Werewolves finally gets a girl... [If you've been keeping up with the series, you know he has tried twice before only to be cut out by vampires.:] There's a big difference here - this time he really wants her! A true werewolf mating hasn't occurred in centuries but something is rolling back the clock for Salvatore and his heroine, Harley. Since Harley has been raised to believe Salvatore would kill her and had a...more

like

· see review

Aug 13, 2010

Ally rated it

Shelves: 2010

I can't believe I kept putting off Salvatore's book. I thought it wouldn't be all that great as Salvatore was a jerk in the previous books and I hadn't really seen his character change so wasn't quite sure how he'd get his own HEA but he really managed it.

Salvatore Giuliani is not a happy werewolf. It’s his duty as leader to track down the pureblood females who can keep his people from extinction. But the moment he catches scent of Harley, a pureblood held by a pack of mangy curs, hi...moreI can't believe I kept putting off Salvatore's book. I thought it wouldn't be all that great as Salvatore was a jerk in the previous books and I hadn't really seen his character change so wasn't quite sure how he'd get his own HEA but he really managed it.

Salvatore Giuliani is not a happy werewolf. It’s his duty as leader to track down the pureblood females who can keep his people from extinction. But the moment he catches scent of Harley, a pureblood held by a pack of mangy curs, his savage need for her obliterates all other instincts. And the only thing worse than being captured is finding that beautiful, independent Harley defiantly refuses to become his mate. Harley has been taught to distrust all Weres, especially their arrogant king. She won’t be used for breeding or bonded against her will, not even to a man who makes every nerve tingle with awareness. Yet Salvatore is her key to saving the family she never knew she had if she dares to succumb to his dark, predatory desire, and face a vicious enemy sworn to destroy them both.

There was so much going on in this storyline that I really enjoyed Beyond The Darkness much more than I thought I would. To start with I really enjoyed the relationship between Salvatore and Harley. I thought they made a really great couple. I really liked Harley. I thought she was a great character, she spent her life as Caine's prisoner thinking the rest of her family were dead and that Salvatore wanted to kill her. So she spent her life believing all of Caine's lies and never knowing the truth about her family.

Harley is one tough heroine and manages to do something Caine has never managed, capture Salvatore. Although she only gets the upper hand because Salvatore has just realised Harley is his mate and there hasn't been a mating in a very long time within the Were comunity.

They both end up on the run from Caine and his evil ways, which make for an interesting read, and of course there's a bad Were who's using black magic and determinded to be the new king of Were's.

It was really great to continue to see the old characters from the previous books, to see how there relationships have grown and how everyone is bonding.

Styx and Darcy - Darcy was great with finding her third sister and they seemed to have found a great sisterly bond. Styx and Darcy were great as usual. I quite enjoyed the banter between Styx and Salvatore and the scene where they fight.

Abby and Dante - I always love seeing Abby and Dante, together or apart. I still love the comedy of everyone being shocked that Abby is a goddess.

Caine and Cassandra - Cassandra is the fourth sister and although I'm looking forward to reading about her I'm not sure that I'm happy for her to be paired with Caine. Does this mean that he's turned a new leaf and is going to be a good guy or does it mean that he's going to use and manipulate Cassandra for his own means?

To sum up a great book and a still brilliant series that I can't wait to continue reading! So looking forward to Tane's book Devoured by Darkness which comes out in November!(less)

like

· see review

Apr 20, 2010

Deserie rated it

Beyond the Darkness is the 6th book in Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series. Of course this being the last book yet released in the series, so far, I believe the series is pretty solid and very satisfying. The only issue I would raise is that each book seems to have the same issues and the same story line, with different characters. Not to say I didn’t enjoy it……I definitely did. I am a huge fan of paranormal romance novels and series, and so I am always looking for new ones to read....moreBeyond the Darkness is the 6th book in Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series. Of course this being the last book yet released in the series, so far, I believe the series is pretty solid and very satisfying. The only issue I would raise is that each book seems to have the same issues and the same story line, with different characters. Not to say I didn’t enjoy it……I definitely did. I am a huge fan of paranormal romance novels and series, and so I am always looking for new ones to read. I can definitely say that Ms. Ivy didn’t disappoint.
This book in the series takes a different perspective than that of the rest, meaning this was not the love development between a vampire and his love, but instead of the King of Were’s and his Mate.
I can say that I was not entirely thrilled to read about Salvatore’s story and I am still unable to make the determination that I like him yet but I was pleasantly pleased to see the previous characters and get introduced to Harley (Salvatore’s mate).
The action and suspense in the story kept me on edge and I enjoyed the mystery surrounding all the evil that was occurring.
**SPOILER**
Salvatore continued his search for the four genetically altered pureblood cubs and has finally stumbled across the third, Harley. He is surprised when he realizes that the third of the female cubs is not only within his grasp, but is also his true mate. Harley is living and kept hidden by Caine, the upstart cur who's been using Harley's blood to try to find his personal holy grail - turning curs into purebloods and being the messiah of the species. Caine has lied to Harley for her entire life saying that her sisters were dead and that the Were King is looking for her so he can kill her. So when Harley runs across, okay, okay, actually traps, the Were King she is anything but receptive to him. The relationship between these two is an excellent match as Harley continually puts him in his place and he teaches Harley to open up about her feelings.
Excellent novel, and fun, fast read. I won't go into further to prevent spoilers. Very much enjoyed it.
(less)

like

· see review

Apr 02, 2010

Paranormal Haven rated it

There is a problem facing the Weres, they are going extinct. Full blooded female Weres can no longer control their shift during a full moon causing them to lose their litters. It has even been decades since the last time a Cur (bitten human) was made. Salvatore Giuliani, King of Weres, will do anything to save his people. Years ago his scientists created four genetically altered female babies who could not shift but the babies were taken without a trace. 30 years later while chasing his enemy Sa...moreThere is a problem facing the Weres, they are going extinct. Full blooded female Weres can no longer control their shift during a full moon causing them to lose their litters. It has even been decades since the last time a Cur (bitten human) was made. Salvatore Giuliani, King of Weres, will do anything to save his people. Years ago his scientists created four genetically altered female babies who could not shift but the babies were taken without a trace. 30 years later while chasing his enemy Salvatore not only stumbles upon one of the stolen females, but she also just so happens to be his destined mate.

Harley has lived life constantly under the eye of her guardian Caine and made to think that the conceited King of Weres murdered her sisters and will kill her too if he ever found her. So of course once she finds Salvatore near her home she traps in a cage of silver and thinks only hateful things. But she soon finds out that he isn't as vicious as she has been told. He is tall, dark, gorgeous and she has this unreasonable need to get him naked. Before long they are being hunted by an old enemy with unnatural powers who wants not only Salvatore's throne, but his life. Though this should be his main priority, Salvatore can't get Harley out of his head. He will do anything to win her trust and make her his mate and queen.

Calling Salvatore Giuliani arrogant is an understatement. He is fully aware he is handsome, powerful, intelligent and a masterful lover. He King and expects everyone to treat him as such which makes Harley the perfect mate for him. She has lived under Caine's thumb her entire life and like hell is she going to let some male, especially a King, tell her what to do let alone tell her she is destined to be his. I love how she takes every opportunity to bring Salvatore down a few pegs. There will be no bowing or kissing of a ring for her. She is very resistant to the bond at first. Sure she enjoys sharing a bed for the night with Salvatore but it will go no further than being physical. Her walls soon fall as she starts to trust and even love Salvatore. The more danger they are in the closer they become to each other until it isn't the bond that is the reason they want each other. Their relationship is sweet but not nauseating which is why I enjoyed it so much.

The story itself was great. Ancient evil, unknown foes and possible enemies that could soon be allies. There is something stirring in the world of Guardians of Eternity and you can tell everyone is going to be in for a bumpy ride. Some of my favorites returned in this book. I always love to read how Darcy puts her mate and Anasso (King of Vampires) Styx in his place. Just picturing the little blond going toe to toe with the 6 foot 6 warrior is funny. The lovable Lovet briefly shows up before he mysteriously vanishes. We also got another glimpse into one of Viper's notorious clubs and lets just say kinky doesn't even begin to describe it. This is my favorite book so far in the series. There are some great fight scenes and very steamy ones between Salvatore and Harley that you want to make sure you are alone when you read. Alexandra Ivy has topped herself and has made me very anxious for her the next installment.

~Stephanie G(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 16, 2010

Damaris (GoodChoiceReading) rated it

I swear Alexandra Ivy never lets me down with her books. I seriously have not found one of her books in her Guardians of eternity series that I just did not like. I loved Salvatore and Harley. They were perfect for each other in my opinion. This book made me laugh a couple of times at Levet the lil gargoyle pain in the butt lol and Salvatore's personality. I have to say that I was not looking forward to read about Salvatore at first only because in the other books Alexandra didn't really focus o...more

like

· see review

Apr 08, 2011

Bronwyn Rykiert rated it

Shelves: paranormal-romance, series, vampires

Salvatore Giuliani, King of Werewolves had been taken prisoner by some rogue curs but he has just been rescured by Tane, a vampire (and to the werewolves a leech and not to be trusted) but Tane has left Salvatore and Levit so he can find the Jinn Demon who should not be alive. Salvatore decides to travel on to find the cur who kidnapped him and in the process he meets Harley (one of his full blood, specially bred werewolves, who was kidnapped at birth along with her sisters).

Caine, th...more

like

· see review

Jun 09, 2011

Amanda rated it

Being the 6th book in the series, it was still entertaining. I do enjoy this series and (if I can find the time) will start the next one soon.
I only had 2 issues with the book.
1st The heroine was strong - maybe too strong...there were times I found Harley annoying.
2nd The dialogue between the two main characters was mainly sex joke/friendly banter. They rarely made it through a page without some joke or smart ass comment. They never really seemed to have a real conversation. It w...more

like

· see review

Jun 04, 2011

Jaimie rated it

I enjoyed this book but I still feel like something is missing and I just can't put my finger on it. The books are getting better over time and this book as well as book 5 actually made me feel something but the poor grammar in this book was driving me insane. I can understand using bad grammar in dialogue if it's to build character, otherwise, I have a strong belief that you should use the correct verbs, singular verbs go with singular subjects and plural verbs go with plural subjects. Oh there...more

like

· see review

Apr 27, 2011

Roxanne rated it

Awwww I adored the ending of this book, who thought Salvatore had a soft side :P

SO much happens in this book I don't know where to start! Harley was such a lovable character, she doesn't take crap from anyone, not even the King of Weres. It was extremely amusing watching Salvatore being put in his place by a petite woman. We also see quite a lot of Caine who by the end I kinda had a soft spot for. There is a nice surprise near the end that I hope we hear more of.

This book al...more

like

· see review

Jun 02, 2010

Trissa White rated it

Recommended to Trissa by: Luvmyfamily

Adult romance...

I never liked Salvatore but this book took care of that and of course now I love him. Harley (his mate) was of course, once again wanting independance and resisted, but it was still a great book. I actually started liking Caine in the end... hopefully he will redeem himself. Looks like his story with sister #4 will be a great.

I am getting a little tired of hearing the women complain about men being controlling and over protective. A little less femini...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 14, 2011

Videlia Giuliani Hastings rated it

· review of another edition

5 stars Special for My Hubby... hohohoh...

of course bintang 5 buat dy... klo ada 10 gw kasih 10-10 nya...

ga nahan bacanya... dr Bab pertama ajah udah gregetan... waktu nyerbu ke sarang Caine beduaan sama Levet... Salvatore menguarkan bau -klo minjem istilah levet- 'Lucu'.. pas ngeliat Harley -si pureblood kembarannya Darcy- di depan pintu sarang... Gyahahahha... baunya Lucu.. karna di antara aroma kekuatan yg di keluarin.. ada aroma Sex pas ngeliat si Harley.. muahahaha ge d...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 17, 2011

Lelyana Taufik rated it

Wow ! Akhirnya, pencarian dan penantian panjang Salvatore si Raja Were membuahkan hasil. Kembar ke 3 dari kembar 4 yang diharapkan meneruskan garis keturunan pureblood , Harley , di temukan.Dari pertama bertemu, mereka sudah merasakan kekuatan ikatan berpasangan yang menarik-narik mereka untuk terus bersama, walaupun mati-matian Harley berusaha menyangkal ketertarikannya kepada Raja Were yang super ganteng itu.

Harley mau tidak mau akhirnya ikut terseret dalam pertarungan Salvatore de...more

like

· see review

Aug 26, 2011

Yun Merripen rated it

Shelves: favorite, paranormal

wowwww...pas ngasi 5 star plus +++++...q ampe kucek2 mata...q ini ANTI WERE...^^
koq bisa q ks bintang setinggi langit????percaya ato gak ini buku Ivy terbaik selain cerita Viper-Shay...

akhr ny si raja were alias Salvatore menemukan soulmate nya...vanila..yap tuh wangi ny...bukan lavender ato melati...

Harley, were pureblood yg ketiga..menjadi tahanan Caine, sang cur manipulatif slm 30 thn n di beri info yg salah mengenai raja were...saat akhr ny bertemu kedua ny lgs ...more

like

· see review

Jun 08, 2010

~♡♥Ang ♥♡~ rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Beyond The Darkness is the 6th Guardians of Eternity,And it picks up straight after the 5th one ends!!
Salvatore Giuliani is the king of the werewolf's and he is Freaking AMAZING.
He Finally finds his Mate/Queen Harley,a Pureblood Were who makes each other CRAZY....Harley has to be my One of my Fave Girls in the series the Sister of Darcy and Regan,she has been trained and raised to hate everything about Salvatore..Until She captures him and instead of killing him all she wants to do i...more

like

· see review

May 12, 2010

Felicia (Ferishia) rated it

Shelves: ebook, pr-vampire, pr-werewolf, pr-other, series, kindle-ebook, 02-mrs-sauhcy-minhx, pr-demon, pr-shifter, fav-author, 2010-previous-amz-purchases

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

like

· see review

Apr 08, 2010

Kaleigha rated it

A while ago, I started to read the first book in the guardians of eternity series from Alexandra Ivy. For some reason, it didn't catch my attention at that time, and I read a bit before putting it back into my TBR pile. That was my only experience with one of her books, until I read the synopsis for Beyond the Darkness and decided that I had to have it. I was glad I did, because it was a great book.

Salvatore Guiliani is the not just a were, he is the king. The strongest, fastest,...moreA while ago, I started to read the first book in the guardians of eternity series from Alexandra Ivy. For some reason, it didn't catch my attention at that time, and I read a bit before putting it back into my TBR pile. That was my only experience with one of her books, until I read the synopsis for Beyond the Darkness and decided that I had to have it. I was glad I did, because it was a great book.

Salvatore Guiliani is the not just a were, he is the king. The strongest, fastest, and most ruthless of them all. With his people on the verge of extinction, Salvatore is desperate not only stop the division growing amongst his people, but to find the four females stolen from his care 30 years before. These four little girls, now grown women, are the answer to his people's desperate need. When he tracks one of the women to the compound of one of his enemies, Salvatore is shocked to find that the female means more to him than just a salvation for his people...she is also his mate.

Even though there has not been a were mating in centuries, Salvatore is sure Harley is his. But after living a lifetime believing that Salvatore is the enemy, Harley is more than a little hostile. Even though she, too, feels the mating pull, she has been told all her life that Salvatore not only killed her sisters, but wants her dead as well. But when Harley captures Salvatore, she comes to realize the truth about not only him, but her past as well. The problem is, now they are both captive, and facing a virtually unstoppable enemy from Salvatore's past.

Harley has spent her life in a sort of captivity. Hiding from the King, who she has always been told wants her dead, she has never been free. Even though she feels the mating heat with Salvatore, she doesn't want to be controlled by anyone, ever again. But as much as she wants her freedom, she also wants Salvatore. And the chance to meet the sisters she thought long dead.

With Salvatore's strength dwindling due to the unfulfilled mating bond, he and Harley are in danger at every turn. Even as they draw closer, fate seems to be trying to tear them apart. Harley is Salvatore's equal, the queen meant to rule at his side, and even though every instinct Salvatore possesses screams at him to keep her safe, it is only when they fight together that they stand a chance.

Salvatore is arrogant, demanding, commanding, and sometimes ruthless. And for him, it works. He is completely Alpha, and I loved him. It is always harder for me to get into the female characters, but I thought Harley was great. She isn't superwoman, but she is a tough chick who can hold her own. Together, they made a terrific team, complimenting each other's strengths, fighting side by side. Since I came into this series in book six, there were also some great background characters I am anxious to read more about. Styx, Jagr, Tane, Viper, Sebastian, all of them really caught my attention and left me wanting more. I think I was perhaps most intrigued by Caine, the sort-of bad guy who finds his redemption...and his mate...at the end of the story. I was so glad I got this book, and will be heading into the rest of the series pronto.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 17, 2010

Lola rated it

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Salvatore Giuliani, King of the Weres, finally gets his stubborn, fiery match - Harley. In the previous books, we see how arrogant Salvatore is and the lengths he goes through in order to ensure the survival of his clan. We got the backstory of the four Were pureblood sisters - Darcy and Regan who found their mates - who were separated at birth. Harley is one of the sisters and ultimately the Queen of the Weres. Salvatore is floored at the attraction between them and woos Harley at the most inco...moreSalvatore Giuliani, King of the Weres, finally gets his stubborn, fiery match - Harley. In the previous books, we see how arrogant Salvatore is and the lengths he goes through in order to ensure the survival of his clan. We got the backstory of the four Were pureblood sisters - Darcy and Regan who found their mates - who were separated at birth. Harley is one of the sisters and ultimately the Queen of the Weres. Salvatore is floored at the attraction between them and woos Harley at the most inconvinient times - which is damn funny - despite how Harley rejects him.

First half of the book was brilliant. The tension between the two was well-done and how Salvatore practically works to win Harley was amusing. See, Harley is oblivious to the mating rituals and effects on Salvatore who keeps her ignorant of it for a while. Harley was kept under Caine, a cur, who has his own delusions that will result in danger and his (kinda) start of redemption in the end. Which leaves me wondering how the author will redeem him with the fourth sister. The action scenes caught me as well and the plot fit in nicely that will challenge the two Weres.

Harley doesn't trust Caine (ever) or Salvatore (at first). Salvatore reacts immediately to the sight of Harley and chases after her which he's kept captive in a cage and Harley questions him. That's the start of their adventure and attraction. Harley is stubborn and doesn't listen well to orders. The problem I had with her was that there were many times that mentioned how kickass she was and the training she had but I didn't see any of that even with all the action in the first half. Second half, yeah. Sometimes she got on my nerves but she was a likable heroine. Salvatore was powerful but honestly cares for Harley and her safety. The problem with him was how he kept trying to exclude her from the plot. Not that I'd blame him, but have some faith in her, man. But they had hot chemistry and worked well. Their love scenes weren't as explosive or hot (just very kinda shorter than the previous) but later on it gets better I suppose.

The charming gargoyle, Levet, always livens the story. Always! I loved this character a lot especially his amusing antics and funny lines that always aggravates Salvatore but charms Harley. One full star for him, I hope to see him in the next. We get to see new interesting clubs and species and connections that expands the series development. I admit, I'm bored with the couples species (I like them though) with either vamps/weres together. For a while it veered into more intimate territory but please, I want more than were/vamps heroes.

Salvatore faces a danger from the shadows and the face of an old enemy. The second part of book lagged compared to its strong beginning and I put the book down a couple of times then. It wasn't bad, but it made me lost interest for a while. Nonetheless, this is a strong installment to the series.
(less)

like

· see review

Sep 11, 2010

Jess rated it

Shelves: 2010, paranormal-romance

This series is really a guilty pleasure for me. There's nothing that spectacular about it, but you are definitely guaranteed an action packed book with lots of romance and intense sexual encounters.

In this book, Salvatore is looking for Harley a pureblood were. If you remember, he found her sister Darcy in one of the previous books. What Salvatore doesn't expect is to find that Harley isn't exactly a "prisoner" and she has some skewed ideas about her past. Harley doesn't w...more

like

· see review

Aug 22, 2010

Schultzies rated it

Shelves: own, paperback, paranormal, series

In the sixth installment of Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series we have Salvatore’s story. Salvatore Giuliani is the King of all Weres, and has recently relocated to the States from Spain in search of four purebred Were females that were abducted from his care decades ago. We’ve now met three of the quadruplets in this series; Darcy, who is mated to Styx, and Regan, who is mated to Yagr. Salvatore’s love interest is Harley, and she’s been raised by a cur named Caine. Caine has raised Ha...more

like

· see review

title link	preview: Beyond The Darkness
avg rating	preview: Beyond The Darkness Goodreads rating: 4.20 (1727 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6941324-beyond-the-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1254821774m/6941324.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6941324-beyond-the-darkness?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Beyond The Darkness by Alexandra Ivy[/url]

Beyond The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (5)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Alexandra Ivy

Books by Alexandra Ivy

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Beyond The Darkness

Quotes from Beyond The Darkness

Groups That Shelved Beyond The Darkness