When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, #1)

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When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity #1)

by Alexandra Ivy (Goodreads Author)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 6,258 ratings · 342 reviews

It's been a hell of a day for Abby Barlow. In just a few hours, she's survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a man she both desires and fears. For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrib...more

Paperback, 359 pages

Published January 15th 2007 by Zebra

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Apr 09, 2012 Buggy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: blah, vampalicious, tstl-heroine, paranormal-rom, dnf

Opening Line: "Oh god, Abby. Don't panic. Just...don't...panic."

Sadly this was a DNF for me. That’s not to say at all that it’s unfinishable because it appears that some reviewers really liked it. It was more ICBBTFT (I can’t be bothered to finish this) when I have so many other books waiting for me that I know I’ll enjoy more and won’t have to force my way through.

I really hate not finishing a book though (especially when it's been sitting on my shelf for 2+ years and I’ve already bought the s...more Opening Line: "Oh god, Abby. Don't panic. Just...don't...panic."

Sadly this was a DNF for me. That’s not to say at all that it’s unfinishable because it appears that some reviewers really liked it. It was more ICBBTFT (I can’t be bothered to finish this) when I have so many other books waiting for me that I know I’ll enjoy more and won’t have to force my way through.

I really hate not finishing a book though (especially when it's been sitting on my shelf for 2+ years and I’ve already bought the second and third ones in the series.) But at 120 pages in I was still struggling to care about the characters and the weak plot, to find something engaging to stop my mind from wandering from the page. Even when I started skimming for the juicy parts I was left under whelmed. (“Youza” really?!) It was then that I realized even if I managed to slog through till the end this was only ever going to be a 2 star read, so I gave up.

WHEN DARKNESS COMES is the first book in the Guardians of Eternity series and a lot happens in the first couple of chapters, maybe too much because I found myself going back several times, thinking I’d missed something.

Abby Barlow is working in a mansion owned by an older woman named Selena. -I never did figure out what her actual job was but she seems to spend her days polishing (breaking) vases and flirting with Dante -I’m not sure his job position was ever identified either? None of that matters though because before long there’s an explosion, Selena is dead and Abby has been infused with the "Phoenix". As the physical holder of the chalice Abby also now has her own personal vampire bodyguard in Dante. He’s willing to protect her at any and all costs, which is a good thing because Abby is clueless (see annoying) and demons are now trying to kill her.

Forced on the run it doesn’t take long for Abby and Dante to start bumping uglies, (minus any form of sexual tension I might add) it does however take ages for Abby to come to terms with paranormal world she’s been thrust into. Honestly by this point (other then the introduction of Viper) I had lost interest completely. Both the hero and heroine remained vague characters and the immature dialogue was driving me crazy.

Dante as the “sexy” vampire just never did it for me, as far as vampires go he was very vanilla. And as I mentioned I had to keep backtracking, there were holes just left open in the story; Abby’s terrible background which was mentioned over and over again but never revealed, why she was working for Selena in the first place. I think at one point Dante even says she was trapped or tied to Selena like he was. I never understood that, Dante was assigned to protect her Abby was what? A maid and she couldn’t leave?

Anyways I hope others have better luck with this then I did. Cheers(less)

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Feb 19, 2008 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal Romance - Vampire Lovers

Shelves: alexandra-ivy, paranormal-romance

Guardians of Eternity, Book#1

By the looks of other reviewers you’re either going to love this book or hate it. I’m in the former category, I loved this book. There’s not many books that can keep me riveted to my seat to do a 12 hour marathon cover to cover read; “When Darkness Comes” was one of them.

There’s just something about the hero and heroine, Dante & Abby, constantly being pursued by all manner of demons, and finding time for sex in all types of places that I just couldn’t get enough...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Christel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Vampire readers

More vampire's and Demons, say I.!!!

I reeally enjoyed this story of Dante and Abby. Poor Abby has no idea what she has gotten herself into but the stranger, Dante, that stays at her employer's house is hot, mega hot. But then the house explodes and Selena is dead and now Abby is the Chalice. She has a mysterious power inside her body and the hunky vampire is now her protector. From wizards, to witches to demons to another vampire name approx Viper. This one keeps yopu interested to the end. Next...more

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May 29, 2012 Bookie | The BookChick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, 4-star-read

Book Description:
It's been a hell of a day for Abby Barlow. In just a few hours, she's survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a man she both desires and fears. For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrible twist of fate has now made Abby that woman. Three hours ago, Dante would have used all his charms to sedu...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Patricia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, _adult, genre-paranormal-romance, paranormal-angels-demons-gods, paranormal-magic, paranormal-vampires, review-planned, setting-present, source-borrowed-library

Do you have an aunt that's constantly trying to prove something? Or maybe another relative/friend? People that truly have gone through some shitty times, but now act as if they're okay with it. And it would be believable if they wouldn't mention this shit all the time. They have a right to do so, but they're lying to themselves. "I'm so strong, nothing hurts me." and in the next moment they're having a pity party.

If you don't and fear that you miss something in your family, read this book. The...more Do you have an aunt that's constantly trying to prove something? Or maybe another relative/friend? People that truly have gone through some shitty times, but now act as if they're okay with it. And it would be believable if they wouldn't mention this shit all the time. They have a right to do so, but they're lying to themselves. "I'm so strong, nothing hurts me." and in the next moment they're having a pity party.

If you don't and fear that you miss something in your family, read this book. The heroine is definitely this aunt.

It was an average read, from 0-5 stars maybe 2.5, and then came this scene:

"You would have never walked the streets. You have too much courage and power for such a fate."

Fuck you, Dante. Fuck you and how you obviously think of people who have to or maybe even want to "walk the streets". You're an asshole and you know nothing of them. I've seen women who have to do this and not because they don't have enough courage or power. Just because life is hard. Or because that's all they can do, or because they're not able to get away from the job, or because it's the easiest way for them to earn money and make a living. Or maybe because they just fucking like it. So maybe you could stop standing there, all superior, looking good, with money and power and a good looking woman, whom you want to mate with. Maybe you could act like a normal person and at least pretend to have some fucking empathy.

And Dear Author, maybe YOU could think about how your readers might be prostitutes. Yes, I know it's hard to believe - barely do so myself - but prostitutes are actually able to read. And if I were one and would read this, I'd be much angrier than I am right now. Even if it isn't your opinion and just the character's, it's so. not. cool.

More like 1.5 stars now. But because it's just one scene I'll go with 2 stars. I didn't like the heroine, though. And well, Dante.. As you may have noticed. But I didn't really like him before this either. It was just a lacking novel.(less)

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Jan 14, 2012 SubterraneanCatalyst ; I Will Always Read rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, vampires, werewolves, b-movies, hot-book-cover, reread, junkfood, guilty-pleasures, zombies

This was my second time reading this and as noted below on my comments, I'm realizing my cheesy fun doesn't hold up well under the scrutiny of a second reading.

That said Ivy is a capable writer. Launching the Eternal Guardian series, I originally rated this book 4 stars. What a difference a year of reading PNR and UF makes!

The plot is not super original but it's fun. Abby Barlow, our heroine, is a young woman with a pure soul (so claims any vampire that gets a look at her, otherwise we readers

...more

This was my second time reading this and as noted below on my comments, I'm realizing my cheesy fun doesn't hold up well under the scrutiny of a second reading.

That said Ivy is a capable writer. Launching the Eternal Guardian series, I originally rated this book 4 stars. What a difference a year of reading PNR and UF makes!

The plot is not super original but it's fun. Abby Barlow, our heroine, is a young woman with a pure soul (so claims any vampire that gets a look at her, otherwise we readers have no idea how she is pure or why, or what the hell that actually means except what we can assume) who is slaving away at a Girl Friday/companion kind of job for Selena. Selena is a bazillionaire who happens to enjoy the company of a beautiful pirate (not my description but Abby seems obsessed with his pirate likeness) seeming kind of man named Dante.

Abby and Dante have spent months slobbering over each other in Selena's mansion. Within the first chapter or so Selena dies and Abby ends up acquiring the "Phoenix" spirit and becoming the Chalice. I don't consider this a major spoiler because it happens very early on in the book- within 50 pages or earlier I believe. Dante is automatically leashed to Abby once she accepts the spirit within her and the search is on for answers, looking for witches, fighting demons and wizards and meeting a few slightly interesting characters.

One of my biggest nitpicks about this book is that the dialogue yanked me out of immersion- Abby is supposed to be a girl raised by the school of hard knocks in Chicago, yet she says things that aren't largely believable for someone who is repeatedly noted as street savvy but not terribly intellectual. As we learn, Abby "isn't stupid", but she uses words like "horrid" and says things like "what of you?” . Now- this seems very nitpicky but someone in America that is a working class kid who works her butt off doing two jobs and getting by isn't going to speak like that. I can forgive vampires in books talking in any number of ways because of the assumption that they are a few centuries old or from a different country/era. I do not need Abby to smack gum constantly and check her smartphone for updates on Facebook to seem believable, but her dialogue was off.

The other issue which many reviewers have mentioned is that the horrible childhood Abby endured is mentioned ten too many times. I actually grew up in an extremely dysfunctional household, I am a card carrying member of child abuse and divorces and misfortune. What I find hard to read is someone who literally seems to make every decision referencing her crappy parents. Oh my! Can I do this/make this choice..but but I might be like my parents who were evul! No, that usually isn't the way we unfortunate children of abuse operate. At least no one I know that has lived that kind of childhood. I'm not sensitive in that I read this and am offended in the lame way her childhood is presented, but it irritates me as going overboard and being gratuitous. Also it seems lazy. Why do characters need to have a sad childhood for me to be prepared to think she has a pure soul or think she's a giving person? I can understand a character having this type of past and her POV being colored by this in her adult life but not the way Ivy chooses to handle this for Abby.

The better things:
-Viper: you meet him, don’t get to know too much about him but he’s fun. You don’t get enough of him. Yeah yeah, that name. It makes me cringe but I like his character.
-The Shalott demon and the Imp, Troy, I enjoyed the secondary characters as briefly as we see them. I have read the rest of the series and these are the things that continued my interest.

I give Ivy points for not giving us a stupid cliff hanger and providing an HEA even if it seems pat. So read this if you want definite HEA’s, are desperate for another vampire PNR series, don’t want to have to think too deeply, and you like cheesy movies.

(less)

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Nov 14, 2010 Ren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, had-translated, vampire, cant-wait-the-new-release, demon, god-goddes, immortal-warrior, there-are-hot-men, witch-wizard, 3-and-half-stars, reviewed, own-paperback, own-and-read

"Jangan berdebat dengan vampir. Kami selalu benar"
(Dante)

RALAT :
Setelah dibaca lagi, keknya 4 Bintang aja udah cukup, hahahahaha ^^

Abby Barlow, awalnya hanya manusia biasa, bekerja di toko barang antik, dan sering kesal (dan juga tergoda) dengan lelaki yang kebetulan satu rumah dengan majikannya, Dante.
Namun suatu hari nasibnya berubah setelah mendapati majikannya tewas, mengetahui fakta bahwa Dante adalah vampire, dan yang paling parah, dirinya sekarang adalah Chalice, dimana dalam tubuhnya ter...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Duchess Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-pcs, genre-paranormal-vamps, pick-it-for-me, genre-paranormal-other, read-in-2012

I can see this series turning out to be very promising. There was no reason for me to dislike this book, it just never grabbed me. I wasn't ever invested in the two main characters, and their romance was not very believable. They basically profess their undying devotion waaay to quickly. And there was no compelling reason for them to be so drawn to one another. I need a bit more 'getting to know you' time, or at least more interaction between my H/h before they fall madly in love. I'm all for lo...more

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Jul 03, 2008 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Heather by: Jan

Shelves: paranormal-romance

I really liked this book. I was a little wary of the mixed reviews but it sounded like my kinda book, so I gave it a shot!

Abby Barlow is a woman that goes through life blissfully ignorant of all the unusual things that surround her, until one evening, the woman she works for is suddenly killed in a violent manner. Little does she know that her entire world is about to change.

In comes Dante. Hot vampire sent to protect Abbys former boss, now entrusted to protect Abby after this horrible acciden...more

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Jun 06, 2010 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow, I loved this book! Dante is a vampire who is chained to the Chalice-a woman who houses a goddess inside of her. Abby is the Chalice's assistant/servant. she sees Dante daily, but thinks he is her boss' lover. Abby has no clue who she works for.
When her boss is blown up in a magical explosion, Abby gets the spirit of the Phoenix, and it's up to Dante to keep her safe. He doesn't count on her being his true mate. It's a quick read, and a fun book, and I'm in love with Viper. I think his book...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Shaesera rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read paranormal romances for the theme and the romance. Sometimes the theme carries the book and sometimes the romances does. The rare time is when both the theme and romance are well done, in my opinion.

I liked the theme of this book because the mythical parts, Prince of Darkness and the Phoenix become concrete tangible things. The Phoenix is inside a human vessel and the Prince's evil magic is felt through the medallion of the wizard.

I really like some of the romantic elements in this. The...more

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Oct 08, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

หนังสือชุดนี้ มีชื่อเรียกเท่ห์ ๆ ว่า Guardians of eternity ซึ่งแม็กซ์ก็บอกตามตรงว่าอ่านเล่มหนึ่งจบลงไปแล้วก็ยังไม่รู้สึกนะว่ามันการ์เดี้ยนอะไรกัน นอกจากพระเอกในเล่มนี้ต้องคอยคุ้มครองนางเอก ซึ่งโอเคล่ะ (เป็นการพูดไทยสำเนียงสิงคโปร์) ถือเป็นการ์เดี้ยน (ที่แปลว่าผู้คุ้มครอง) ได้ แต่ยังงงว่า เรื่องชุดนี้มีต่อมาอีกสองเล่มแล้ว (และจะมีต่อไปอีกหลายเล่ม) ตัวละครตัวอื่น เช่นพระเอกเล่มสอง (ที่โผล่มาให้ยลโฉมกันในเล่มนี้) ก็ไม่เห็นว่าจะมีภาระหน้าที่ในการคุ้มครองอะไร จะว่ารวมกลุ่มกันเป็นขบวนการมดแดงมดเขียวก็...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Cristina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Non amo la figura del vampiro, che per me resta legato alla versione classica negativa, quindi ho affrontato questo primo volume della serie Guardiani dell'eternità con una discreta dose di pregiudizi, ma non è che l'autrice abbia poi aiutato molto, riempiendo il libro di stereotipi.

Ho capito che le creature soprannaturali sono tutte bellissime, ma me lo deve ripetere ogni secondo quanto è figo il protagonista? E devono proprio ciullare anche mentre si nascondono dagli zombie? Ripetutamente, poi...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Abby Barlow has a tough day; she hates her job, but is desperate to keep it. Her boss is a reclusive rich bitch, and the boss's boyfriend appears to be a lounge lizard. Luckily for the reader, her day does get worse!

the plot is fast paced, the characters are fun; Ms Ivy manages to portray a woman who acts tough but just doesnt feel good enough. Having read other reviews, I feel Abby's past isnt too heavily described - enough to get the idea that things for Abby have never been brilliant which is...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Meka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lately I have been learning that it is okay if a book has three stars. it means that I liked it, and while it may have some work to do to grow on me, I know that it will. Four stars means that I really really liked it, and five stars for me means that it is a book that will be picked up again and again and again. But three stars? There is no shame in three stars!

This book started out as a three star one but all of a sudden it seriously just smacked me in the face. Somehow the author managed to m...more

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May 30, 2011 Zahu rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire-romance, paranormal-romance, crappy-reads

So there I was, thumbing through the hodge podge of paranormals in my TBR for something new and I must say Alexandra Ivy has cruelly disappointed me.

She began with a bang and I was all agog at the prologue! Tortured men are my favorite of course. But then the actual story began and for a moment there, I wondered what insensible thing I was reading! I mean, hello? Ever heard of easing into the story? Ms. Ivy raced from one fast-paced catastrophe into another and I had to read chapters several tim...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal

I'll have to admit that I didn't have my hopes up for this book. I tried it on a whim, but thankfully it was far better written and a definately more entertaining than the last book I read.

This book runs along the lines of a typical paranormal vampire romance, complete with demons, witches, and wizards. And as cliche as it sounds, it was entertaining. I was trying to steer clear of these books because I didn't want to be racked with the same plot over and over, but I can't help finding the love...more

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Feb 14, 2011 ~Megan~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dangerous-dudes, pnr-uf, vampires, witches-wizards-magic-fae

I really liked this beginning to a new series for me!! The mythology is kind of great, and the author didn't overload us with it in this first book...it seemed like she only revealed as much as we needed to know and more will be revealed as the series goes on. I hate first books that get bogged down by world-building.

I have to admit that Abby really annoyed me at the beginning of the book, but she grew on me as the story moved along. She was suddenly hit with a bunch of mayhem and she coped fair...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Vini rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Twi-hard moms :)

Tadinya Abby Barlow hanya seorang perempuan biasa. Bahkan cenderung bernasib apes. Dengan latar belakang keluarga tak bahagia dan putus sekolah, ia menerima nasib bekerja kepada seorang wanita kaya yang menyebalkan, dengan bonus pemuda tampan nan arogan, Dante, yang menambah rasa frustrasinya.

Suatu hari, nasib Abby berubah total. Majikannya tewas akibat serangan misterius, ia tiba-tiba menjadi Chalice dan mewarisi kekuatan Phoenix sang pencerah yang diturunkan oleh majikannya-sesaat sebelum wani...more Tadinya Abby Barlow hanya seorang perempuan biasa. Bahkan cenderung bernasib apes. Dengan latar belakang keluarga tak bahagia dan putus sekolah, ia menerima nasib bekerja kepada seorang wanita kaya yang menyebalkan, dengan bonus pemuda tampan nan arogan, Dante, yang menambah rasa frustrasinya.

Suatu hari, nasib Abby berubah total. Majikannya tewas akibat serangan misterius, ia tiba-tiba menjadi Chalice dan mewarisi kekuatan Phoenix sang pencerah yang diturunkan oleh majikannya-sesaat sebelum wanita itu mati, ditambah Dante ternyata seorang vampir pelindung Chalice. Segala kejutan itu masih ditambah dengan fakta bahwa kini dirinya diburu oleh para pemuja Pangeran Kegelapan yang bernafsu untuk menguasai dunia

Mendadak Abby harus berurusan dengan dunia yang selama ini tak pernah ia yakini-ada. Berkejaran dengan iblis dan penyihir, menaklukkan rasa takut, serta menahan hasrat terhadap segala sesuatu yang berkaitan dengan Dante, yang ternyata menyimpan perasaan yang sama dengannya.

Akhirnya, ketika Abby mengetahui apa yang tersirat di balik semua kekacauan ini, ia harus mengambil langkah. Demi menyelamatkan dunia, juga kisah cintanya yang baru bersemi.

Kenikmatan membacanya 5 bintang, tapi saya memutuskan memberi 4 bintang. Mengapa ? Kalau dari segi cerita, cukup seru kok, apalagi karakter Dante hampir pasti akan membuat wanita pecinta roman akan gemas, lalu meleleh. Namun, saya sendiri tidak terlalu suka dengan Abby, karena mirip dengan karakter yang diperankan Cameron Diaz dalam film Knight and Day. Ya, tipe mandiri, keras kepala, sering sok berani menantang bahaya namun akhirnya panik sendiri dan terjebak, lalu minta tolong diselamatkan -__-; Bukannya saya anti wanita independen ya, namun akan lebih baik jika kemandirian kita sebagai wanita diikuti dengan sikap 'lebih' bisa menempatkan diri (loh, kok jadi ceramah?maaf).

Menurut saya, pengarangnya cukup deskriptif dalam bercerita dan menggambarkan tokoh-tokohnya. Karakter Viper cukup mencuri perhatian, juga seorang pangeran imp-setan kecil-yang muncul sekilas namun lumayan berkesan. After all, dibanding dengan membaca Twilight Saga series, saya pribadi mengakui kalau lebih menikmati sepak terjang Abby-Dante daripada trio Edward-Bella-Jacob.(less)

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Jun 13, 2010 Cleverly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Abby seems to have trouble following her. Growing up she had nothing to look forward to. He father was a abusive drunk. Her mother was useless and un-motherly. So when she started a menial job she didn’t think her life was getting much better. Her life changed after a huge explosion occurred knocking her down. After gathering herself she ran to see her employer Selena dead while Dante trying to save her. Selena grabbed hold of Abby transferring the Phoenix and making her the Chalice. Making thi...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, vampires, female-pov, multi-pov, male-pov, books-that-disappointed, started-out-good-but, absurd-romance, don-t-know-if-i-will-read-the-next

I was very excited to read this book, I have never read anything by this author but the premise of the novel sounded very fascinating. I am afraid this book is a disappointment.

Abby Barlow works for her wealthy beautiful employer Selena. She hates her job but it's better than nothing. She can't help but notice Dante, her employer's guest. Dark and deeply attractive, Abby cannot deny the emotions Dante stirs in her but she knows the kind of man he is and she refuses to allow herself to succumb to...more I was very excited to read this book, I have never read anything by this author but the premise of the novel sounded very fascinating. I am afraid this book is a disappointment.

Abby Barlow works for her wealthy beautiful employer Selena. She hates her job but it's better than nothing. She can't help but notice Dante, her employer's guest. Dark and deeply attractive, Abby cannot deny the emotions Dante stirs in her but she knows the kind of man he is and she refuses to allow herself to succumb to his charms.

Unfortunately, both of them are thrown together when Selena is killed in a explosion. Selena is the Chalice, a host for a powerful entity called the Phoenix and when she died she passed the spirit to Abby. Dante is a vampire and he has been cursed to protect the Chalice. He has hated his duty for so long but know with Abby to protect, he finds himself having no choice. Not where she is concerned.

Abby, being the vessel of the Phoenix now practically gives out an aura of purity. Dante has been attracted to her beauty and innocence way before. The demons of the Darkness seek to destroy Abby because she alone holds back the Darkness and it's spirit, the Prince. Dante and Abby go on the run to escape danger, murderous wizards and witches and in turn fall in love.

I think I will begin by saying, Abby is someone to admire, She has had a dark childhood and was forced to grow up fast but she has never given up. She also is quite the spit fire, never being afraid to argue and talk back. She definitely wants to be heard and demands it. I think I love that passion in her, the simplicity of not wanting to be simply quiet and obeying. She is also very stubborn and has her pride held close which is fun to read. Even though Abby tries to be tough, vulnerability shows and softens her.

Dante is the typical traditional vampire. Inhumanly gorgeous features, allergic to the sun, has no reflection. Very old school stuff. Dante definitely has his demons, no pun intended and being chained like he is has only served to anger him. But he finds himself softening with Abby, he wants to protect her and have as his Mate. His natural instinct to be possessive and protective shows and I think that is something women secretly like, they feel loved when their men show that they care for them and want them to themselves, of course not to the point of control and smothering. Abby has always been alone and suddenly she has someone who cares for her, it shocks her but she is ready to accept it. I think the only thing I didn't like was that he called Abby "lover" like he owned her even before they got together.

Okay, our main characters were fabulous but now comes the ahem not so fabulous part. First of all, Abby and Dante make a good pair but it seemed too rushed and convenient. Abby see Dante and falls for his charms, Dante sees Abby and can't stop thinking about her. Suddenly she belongs to him. Abby! where is your dignity?! I mean, girl, I know you are attracted to Dante but have you slowed down and thought about how you feel? One kiss and Abby is lost.

Also, This book was chock full of paranormal, from vampires to witches to mystical beings to faeiries to zombies and more. That should be a good thing but it just felt so overwhelming and poorly executed. The world was not fleshed out well enough, everything seemed so brief.

Halfway through, the story seems flat and boring, Abby and Dante keep looking and looking for the witches to remove the Phoenix from Abby while they get chased by disciples of the Prince and in turn find time to get busy with each other.

Then there is the suporting characters like Viper. He is one cold vampire but loyal to his friends though. He and the Shalott demon seem to have some connection. I can just forsee the next book, hard cold killer vampire falls in love or something like that.

All in all, the characters were great but the story was lacking. I was really disappointed because all the things in the book sounded so recycled and churned out many times in other countless vampire books. The romance seemed just thrown in there for good measure, I was really looking forward to the romance but sigh...I just wish there was something stand-out about this but no, it was average, sad to say. This series could do better, I hope the next book has more ups and downs than this flat lining plateau of a first book.(less)

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Dec 31, 2011 Noodle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

OK, so this isn't up there with the Karen Chance's or Richelle Mead's or even Charlaine Harris's of the Paranormal Romance genre. It was a little Mills & Boonie, lacked a decent plot and had very limited world building going world on, but....

I read all of it, and kind of liked it, and what's more, could see that it was improving enough to make me want to give the next in the series a go. So, despite my lacklustre first impressions, it was good enough to keep my attention and make me give the...more

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Apr 26, 2011 ALPHAreader rated it 3 of 5 stars

Abby is having a terrible day, and it's about to get worse.

It’s bad enough being an assistant to the employer from hell, Selena. Between having to mix her nasty green weight loss concoctions and getting hit on by her boy-toy, Dante, Abby is about ready to throw in the towel (no matter how much she needs the money). But then the most awful thing happens . . . Selena is murdered. Brutally and in her own home, Abby and Dante are there to witness her charred bodies last breath. And then something s...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Starry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Abby Barlow-main character
dante-selena's house guest,vamp,becomes abby's guardian after selena died
selena-abbys boss,dies in this book
viper-dante's friend,vamp

life was bad for abby and she thought it couldnt get worse, but it did. only to have her see selena die and wake up in a room with the mysterious and dangerous dante...he then reveals a world she never knew about, and that abby now holds selena's once power(phoenix).with demons chasing abby, and dante giving her new emotional feelings, thi...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, 2012-books, all-time-favorite-books

I loved WHEN DARKNESS COMES. I loved the characters, the pace, and the ending outcome.

Abby Barlow accidentally takes in the Phoenix, a powerful entity that keeps the Prince, or the darkness suppressed in the world.

Along with Dante, the vampire witches have trapped, forcing him to act as protector to the Chalice (Phoenix) they attempt to find the witches and get them to remove the Phoenix from Abby.

It’s during their search that they find in the other what they’ve found in no one else: love, ac...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Esme rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-fantasy-scifi

Viele Autorinnen von Fantasy-/Vampir-Romance schreiben in einem anderen Leben Liebesromane, Historical Romance und solche Sachen. Alexandra Ivy ist laut Random House das Pseudonym von Deborah Raleigh, eine Regency-Liebesroman-Autorin.

Nun kenne ich diese Liebesromane nicht, sondern nur diesen ersten Teil der Reihe Guardians of Eternity. Nennt mich altmodisch, aber von einem Liebesroman habe ich etwas andere Vorstellungen. Die großen Gefühle, die einen beim Lesen fertig machen, zum Heulen bringen....more

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Jun 26, 2012 Jenny Delandro rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

Abby was helping to babysit(hey!, its a job!) a wealthy woman, Selena and she has an unusual house guest... beautiful and brooding Dante

But Selena is the 'Chalice'

and then in an explosion she is dead... but before she dies she passes the Phoenix to Abby....
(view spoiler)...more

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Apr 11, 2010 D.C. rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Darkness Comes is the first book in a new paranormal romance series called the Guardians of Eternity by author Alexandra Ivy. When Darkness Comes is set in Chicago and includes demons, evil wizards, witches, and vampires.
This story is about Abby, who inherits the power of Phoenix (a good creation keeping the Prince of Darkness at bay), when her employer dies. Dante, the protector (or beast as referred to in the story), is a vampire and magically chained to that power to protect the Phoenix...more

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May 05, 2012 Anna at Book Lovin' Mamas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, demons, vampires, paranormal, witches, favorites

Description
Abby hasn’t had an easy life so it shouldn’t be such a surprise that it could get worse…until now. She survives an explosion, watched her boss die, learned about vampires and has become the only thing keeping evil from taking over our world.
Dante has lived hundreds of years being chained to the Chalice, protecting it. Before he would have done anything to be free of the responsibility but now that Abby has filled that place he finds that he doesn’t mind so much anymore.
Together they g...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Kerra added it

I spend a lot of time looking up new books to buy, and so when I found this book, I was very excited to buy it. As soon as I got to chapter 3, I realized it wasnt a good one. I dont know, I didnt get attatched to the main characters. I thought it would be a vampire story, and I like my vampire books to be strictly with vampires.
The plot wasnt very interesting; The Pheonix? Sorry, I just wasnt interested.
Also, a major gripe, there was too much sex!! The 1st 3 were totally unnecessary. Anyone he...more

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About Alexandra Ivy

I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt...more

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Books by Alexandra Ivy

Darkness Everlasting (Guardians of Eternity, #3)

Embrace The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity, #2)

Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity, #6)

Darkness Revealed (Guardians of Eternity, #4)

Darkness Unleashed (Guardians of Eternity, #5)

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Quotes from When Darkness Comes

“Blood hell, what happened to you?" - Dante
The dark wisard and I had a mild disagreement." -Viper
What sort of disagreement?" -Dante
I thought he should be dead and he disagreed." -Viper” — 93 people liked it

“Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she gritted. "The kitchen? The sewers? The fires of hell?” — 16 people liked it

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When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity #1)

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