Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians, #1)

Feb 06, 2011 Kat Kennedy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-romance-romance, the-great-shelf-of-meh

The stats are in and, unsurprisingly to most people, Romance Novels are pretty much beating out the competition. Despite the poor economy and almost every other genre of book experiencing a general reduction in sales, Harlequin still managed to post a 32% sales increase in 2009. Stats for 2010 show that romance novels account for more than 13% of the market, easily beating out every other genre. Their ebook sales are even better with romance ebooks sitting in second place sales as of 2010.

What...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Laurie (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: requests, paranormal-romance, keepers

Darkness Dawns is a must read for 2011! This is the first book in a series called Immortal Guardians and its a phenomenal start. Action starts off at the get go and leaves you on the edge of your seat through the whole book. I loved how everything is explained where you have no questions, but yet the author didn’t skip out on the passion or action with this adventure. These Immortals have different ability gifts and are like vampires with a twist.

Heroine Sarah is a organic nut and school teache...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Quick review

Cover: Hot
Rating NC-17 for the sexiness of it all.
Thumbs Up 5 shiny stars
Overall: Brillant read!
Characters: Love the characters.
Plot: Fresh look at old tale.
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes, definately.
Recommend Yes
Book Boyfriend: Roland

SUMMARY (50 word or less)

Dianne Duvall is truly a gifted writer. Darkness Dawns is a fresh take on an old legend. Diane has breathed life into vampires without making them sparkle. Her vision is a mesh of the old and her own vision of the new....more

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Nov 01, 2011 The UHQ Nasanta rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: militant vegetarians/organic food nuts who like vampires; die-hard Sherrilyn Kenyon fans

Shelves: e-books, e-books-kindle, obtained-free, genre-paranormal-romance, romance, 1st-in-series, read-books-2011, series-0-connected-family, mood-pissed-me-off, reviewed, authorial-intrusion-preaching, owned-sold-swapped-deleted-lost

1.5 stars

It's a bad sign when before you get to 5%, you are already hitting your head against something hard - and if you end up pissed and frequently ranting for 95% of the book. Granted, this was partially due to my general crankiness for the majority of the time I was reading this, which may have affected how I perceived this book, but it also had to do with the things I've read previously. Or maybe it was just the book.

Within the first 5%, I immediately saw the world's resemblance to the wo...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-athenna, reviewed-read-by-stephanie

Sarah thought she would go out to garden early before dawn since she couldn't sleep anyway only to be mowed down by something very fast and strong then followed by two men. Brushing it off as hunters chasing a wild animal she went on with her gardening. It wasn't in till the men started talking and making her realize that it was a man that had ran into her and these men plan on killing him. On impulse she grabs her shovel and goes to his aid.

Roland cannot fathom the kindness this beautiful stra...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire-ific, squee-worthy, magic-tastic, book-boyfriend, bad-ass-dude, beyond-awesome

My first reaction after finishing this book is a resounding "Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

It was such a touching love story! Don't get me wrong it was sexy too, as all these paranormal romances tend to be, it's not all mushy lovey dovey stuff, but the connection that developed between the characters was so compelling I totally fell in love right along with them. It has me in a kind of ooey, gooey state of contented bliss as I close the final pages.

Both the hero and heroine were refreshing and extremely end...more My first reaction after finishing this book is a resounding "Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

It was such a touching love story! Don't get me wrong it was sexy too, as all these paranormal romances tend to be, it's not all mushy lovey dovey stuff, but the connection that developed between the characters was so compelling I totally fell in love right along with them. It has me in a kind of ooey, gooey state of contented bliss as I close the final pages.

Both the hero and heroine were refreshing and extremely endearing. Roland (Nice guy, shame about the name) is a 937 year old Immortal Guardian. Unlike some of his counterparts out there in paranormal romance land, he has a rather quiet, shy, vulnerable personality. He has the prerequisite tortured past and resulting ingrained lack of trust we've seen often, but instead of making him a brooding (sulking) nasty piece of work as others are, he just comes across as...kinda sad, lonely and a little bit tired of the slog. 937 years is a helluva long time to be alone.

Enter stage left Sarah Bingham. It's like she suddenly turned all the lights on in his world. She's smart, funny, caring, brave, and he couldn't be more shocked by his reaction to her if she'd whacked him upside the head with a shovel. Luckily, she saves that little treat for the guys chasing him instead.

The vampires and guardians here were interesting too. Basically they are both infected with the vampire "virus" (Vampiritis?) but those that become guardians instead of the shorter-lived and eventually insane vampires, are the ones who were "different" even as humans. Maybe they could read minds, see ghosts, heal with their hands, that kind of thing. They have recently been established as having different DNA, although they still don't know the why of it.

And impressively still, even the bad guy was interesting! Instead of the often seen, 2D, bad for being bad's sake, Dr. Evil wannanbe, he had an interesting tale to tell as well.

There were a number of subplots introduced which will no doubt see fruition in future books. I have to say I am greatly looking forward to reading more from this author and this exciting new series!

Recommended to all PNR fans.(less)

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May 31, 2012 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, steamy, paranormal, romance

Incredibly addictive read! The storyline kept me VERY interested and the good writing kept me on the edge of my seat!

The romance between Roland and Sarah was really lovely and well timed. (I believed it.) I normally don't go for books with a ton of action, but this one wasn't over the top and it actually made the story even better; which was really a nice surprise! I also loved being in Sarah's head and knowing how she fantasized about Roland, who also happened to be immortal. Though, Sarah dos...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Cindyg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This book is clearly...hands down a five star +++ all the way. It grabbed ahold of me right from the first page and didn't let me go until the final page. My god what an awesome f---ing read. Ms Duvall you out did yourself. Your writing is so fluid, and engaging...you are definitely in my top ten favs.
The characters drew me in and held on tight and I didn't mind one damn bit. They are quick witted and intense and so engaging. I loved the world building, it was so easy to follow, not once did I h...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-lendables

Well, if you follow this blog... or at least the book boyfriend meme on this blog, you can already guess that I enjoyed this book. Fine... I'll just say it... it's a good PNR! Now on to the review:

Ah yes... Roland, one who was thought to be anti-social and a royal pain in the.. uh... hiney is very swoon worthy! He "meets" a young music teacher, Sarah who is strong, independent and a bit weary of others herself. Roland finds himself wanting to protect the young mortal from danger he feels he brou...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Kelli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

This review is for the audiobook version, narrated by Kirsten Potter

Sarah Bingham is a professor of music theory who, while digging her garden, is knocked down by a large figure who disappears into the woods. After hearing nearby voices, she goes to investigate and encounters an immortal guardian whose life she saves. This act of goodwill draws her into a world of vampires, immortals, and danger.

Once a human with special powers, a vampire bite turned Roland Westbrook into an immortal guardian (...more This review is for the audiobook version, narrated by Kirsten Potter

Sarah Bingham is a professor of music theory who, while digging her garden, is knocked down by a large figure who disappears into the woods. After hearing nearby voices, she goes to investigate and encounters an immortal guardian whose life she saves. This act of goodwill draws her into a world of vampires, immortals, and danger.

Once a human with special powers, a vampire bite turned Roland Westbrook into an immortal guardian (think vampire but able to eat food and not driven insane by bloodlust). His nine centuries have made him wary of attachments but the two are immediately drawn to each other and PNR-type hijinks follow.

The story:
I liked the characters of Sarah and Roland. They are prone to acting rationally and can talk through their problems with each other. Roland is a reasonable alpha male and Sarah is a confident and intelligent woman who knows her strengths and doesn’t act irrationally. This book didn’t offer much in the way of a new take on the PNR genre but the story was a pretty good combination of action and romance.

My biggest problem with the book was that although I liked the characters, I didn’t feel that I really knew them. That, in conjunction with too much telling and not enough showing prevented me from really sinking into the story. In addition to being a professor (which we are told but never see as an aspect of her life), Sarah is a vegetarian, has hazel eyes, and had a bad childhood because her mother brought home a never-ending string of boyfriends. I know Roland is an introvert (because all his friends tell him so), has black hair and eyes, is 6’6”, recycles, seems to be a vegetarian (in addition to ovo- and lacto- vegetarians I am now adding hemo- to categorize Roland’s willingness to drink blood) and was betrayed three times by loved ones. Other than the insta-lust that sparks when they are together, that about covers what I know of these characters because there is very little information given in the now to define what makes them the people they are and why they are so compatible with each other. The book generally has three scene types: fighting the great vampire threat, having sex while waiting to fight the vampire threat or healing from fighting it, and a side story about another two immortals and the mysterious woman they rescue. There was some amusing dialogue and despite my complaints about the story it was pleasant enough but nothing to wow you.

The narration:
I picked up this book because I was audio-stalking this narrator after enjoying two of her previous works so it isn’t a surprise that overall, I found the narration to be pretty good. All the usual suspects for a “pretty good” rating made an appearance: a very pleasing voice to listen to, clearly differentiated characters, well done accents, textually accurate voices and emphasis, and emotional content clearly delivered vocally. I did, however, have one significant narration issue that is specific to the type of listener I am. Like most readers (I assume) when I read a book I have an internal reader’s voice who recites the lines although once a story gets going I rarely notice her. She almost always murmurs to me and except in moments of extreme emotional upset on the part of the characters, rarely raises her voice or tries to over-dramatize. With an audiobook, the narrator becomes my reader’s voice and while I don’t have preconceptions about the voices I expect in a story, I tend to prefer a bit of subtlety and not a lot of dramatization in the presentation. Primarily with the sex scenes, I found the narration over-the-top and rather than the scenes providing me with either plot or character development or even mild titillation, I found myself wishing my iPod had a 30 sec FF in addition to its 30 sec RW button.

Overall, a mildly enjoyable story with, for the most part, some very good narration.
(less)

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Mar 08, 2011 Karla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Wow, what a pleasant surprise. I got this book as a Kindle freebie, and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I got was a terrific first installment in this new series. I was hooked from the first page, the story moved along nicely with just enough detail to hold your interest, but not bore you out of your mind. The H and h, Roland and Sarah, had sizzling chemistry that exploded when they finally acted on their feelings for each other. HOT! The secondary characters, especially Seth and Marcus,...more

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Nov 05, 2011 ♡KarLynP♡ marked it as to-read-ebook

Shelves: genre-paranromal, published-2011, loanable-kindlebooks, ebook

Darkness Dawns is free for the kindle today on Amazon for pre-order!!

ETA - looks like the freebie offer is now over. Congrats to those who got it! It is lendable, so if you didn't get it ask a GR friend to share. :-)

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Sep 08, 2011 Sophia T. (♥ Dimitri Belikov) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-romance, immortals, vampires

It was an amazing book.I really loved Sarah and Roland and I believe that they were really good for each other.

In the beggining of this book Roland is very badly injured when Sarah finds him and takes him to her home in order to treat his injuries.There she suspects that something is wrong with him.After having fully recovered Roland tells her that he is a C.I.A agent under cover and that's the reason he can't go to the hospital.Cause he'll blow his cover.But the truth is that he is an immortal...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Letitia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, wish-i-dnf, kindle, read-sold

-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review

Where to start. I've slept since finishing it, so all of the myriad things that bugged me so greatly yesterday have had time to settle and hide in my brain...

Well, I will start with Roland. He is supposed to be 936 years old but there really is no hint throughout the book to that affect - unless you count using the word "trencher" or referring to his kids as "babes." Otherwise, he was like any other man from the 21st Century. Not to mention he is supposed to be t...more -- A Romantic Book Affairs Review

Where to start. I've slept since finishing it, so all of the myriad things that bugged me so greatly yesterday have had time to settle and hide in my brain...

Well, I will start with Roland. He is supposed to be 936 years old but there really is no hint throughout the book to that affect - unless you count using the word "trencher" or referring to his kids as "babes." Otherwise, he was like any other man from the 21st Century. Not to mention he is supposed to be this reclusive, antisocial type who is angry with the world... And yet he is written as uber polite and thoughtful from the first. Having no problems socializing whatsoever. And he reveals ALL of his deep, dark secrets to Sarah so easily. Roland just felt totally flat and one dimensional.

And Sarah. Nothing really wrong with her other than I found her to be completely uninteresting. And the things she said often made me roll my eyes. And she fell in love so incredibly quickly. I think the whole book spans maybe seven days. I just couldn't buy it.

And the plot. Nothing much happens. Someone with a vendetta for Roland is pursuing him, trying to kill him. And when they aren't fighting, well, they're doing it. It's like, "Hmm nothing is happening right now, good time for a sex scene." Then a few pages later, "Pace is kind of slow, they might as well have sex again." I'm usually not a complainer when it comes to the intimacies in a book, unless it's to say there aren't enough, so for me to complain about gratuitous sex - that's saying something.

I'm not going to pick on Dianne Duvall's writing... It wasn't bad. There were a lot of redundancies in descriptions, though. Particularly when describing Sarah's "full breasts." There are many other adjectives to be used, no need to repeatedly use "full." Other than that, I just didn't feel there was significant character or plot development. And, honestly, the difference between an "immortal" and a "vampire" did not intrigue me. Not enough to try the next book, unless my trusted friend Paula tells me to give it a go.

I had to give this book two stars. After reading such wonderfully crafted books by the likes of Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Kresley Cole, Larissa Ione, and Jeaniene Frost... This book falls way short. And since two stars represents that "it was ok" - that's truly all it was, in my opinion.(less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Nathalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first came across this book while browsing through the free eBook section on Amazon. The half-naked man on the cover didn't exactly appeal to me but I decided to try it out regardless... and I'm so glad I did.

Pros and cons without spoilers:

Pros:
- Fast-paced story for those who just want to sit down with a book on a rainy night.
- Likable characters, the main characters don't drive you up the walls with excessive whining nor place themselves in irritating situations.
- It's free!
- Lots of romanc...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Mistress of the Dark Path rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

There are many directions you can go with vampire books these days, but this one will take you far off the beaten path. It heads into a direction no man, or vampire, has gone before. Many of the characters in this novel, whether human or not, are environmentally friendly and health conscious. Now, I'm not against such things in real life, but I didn't expect to find it in a paranormal romance. I like my blood suckers to be dark, dangerous, and generally uncaring (until the right woman comes alon...more There are many directions you can go with vampire books these days, but this one will take you far off the beaten path. It heads into a direction no man, or vampire, has gone before. Many of the characters in this novel, whether human or not, are environmentally friendly and health conscious. Now, I'm not against such things in real life, but I didn't expect to find it in a paranormal romance. I like my blood suckers to be dark, dangerous, and generally uncaring (until the right woman comes along and brightens their otherwise depressingly long existence). To be fair, the author makes her "vampires" to be bad, but she also includes another blood sucking race called "immortals". Rather original, I must say, but I digress. These guys are supposed to be the defenders of humans and enemies of vampires. Therefore, they can go "green" and that is okay. This is in addition to the main human character, Sarah, who also follows these tenets heavily.

So, to clarify some of this, I will list some of the fascinating topics covered in this novel. First, you will see some rather lengthy dialog on the benefits of organic food. It is tastier, after all. Then comes the religious conversation on whether drinking blood, in any form, is acceptable to God. Sarah will list all the old testament rules (which were debatably nullified in the new testament) about how you can't eat animals with blood still in them. Also, rabbits, pork, shellfish, birds of prey, and scavengers are also banned. Just to add to this already fun conversation, she points out how pigs and rabbits eat their own feces, yum! Don't forget shellfish are full of toxins. It all makes me want to run out to Captain D's for the seafood platter right now! That is, after I order the meat lovers pizza topped with all kinds of pork from Papa Johns.

Back to the blood drinking front. It should be understood that "Immortals" don't actually "drink" blood. At least, it doesn't really go into their stomachs. Rather, they suck it right through their fangs and it goes directly into their bloodstream. Surely the pesky few drops that go elsewhere don't count against them? At least, they hope God will understand. Personally, I think the author missed an ideal opportunity here to campaign for Brita Fang Filters. That way, any toxins from the blood of non-organic eating humans can be removed before ingestion. The excess waste can then be spit out into an appropriately labeled hazmat container. Really, if vampires ever did come out of the closet, I would be the first to invest in such a product!

Anyway, moving right along, the environmentally friendly characters do go to great lengths to prove their resolve in saving the planet. Considering the longevity of immortals, this does make sense on some level. They do have more at stake (no pun intended) than us short lived mortals do. So using "green" dish soap and, of course, driving low-emission cars makes a lot of sense for these ruthless killers. Being earth friendly isn't quite enough for the author, though, as the evils of alcohol had to be attacked as well. You see, the "Immortals" must filter out impurities in anything they eat or drink (it isn't just blood these guys need but food as well). The more unhealthy stuff they intake, due to their lack of Brita Fang Filters, the more blood they must suck to stay healthy. Yes, it is all very confusing, but the author does her best to explain. So avoiding harmful substances, such as alcohol, means less need to partake of human blood. Since the Immortals are there to protect humans from vampires, this consideration is important.

In summary, if you are looking for a dark paranormal romance novel that has no additional agenda, this book is not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a bloodsucker "light" novel that spends plenty of time discussing todays health risks and environmental problems, then you may like this novel. Oh, by the way, let us not forget that cell phones will give you brain tumors. Just a parting word of caution. The main character, Sarah, will verify this for you! (less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nie hätte die Musikprofessorin Sarah gedacht, dass ihr so etwas passiert. Erst rettet sie einen unbekannten Fremden, bevor dieser von zwei naiven Jungs erstochen wird und dann stellt sich auch noch ihre ganze Welt auf den Kopf. Dabei war ihr größtes Problem bisher nur ihre Schlaflosigkeit. Wer hätte das gedacht?

Der unsterbliche Vampirjäger Roland weiß gar nicht wie ihm geschieht, also er schließlich an Händen und Füßen auf den Boden gepflockt mitten im Wald liegt. Dass er sterben wird ist ihm be...more Nie hätte die Musikprofessorin Sarah gedacht, dass ihr so etwas passiert. Erst rettet sie einen unbekannten Fremden, bevor dieser von zwei naiven Jungs erstochen wird und dann stellt sich auch noch ihre ganze Welt auf den Kopf. Dabei war ihr größtes Problem bisher nur ihre Schlaflosigkeit. Wer hätte das gedacht?

Der unsterbliche Vampirjäger Roland weiß gar nicht wie ihm geschieht, also er schließlich an Händen und Füßen auf den Boden gepflockt mitten im Wald liegt. Dass er sterben wird ist ihm bewusst, denn die Sonne ist furchtbar nah, doch dass eine zierliche, kleine Frau seine Peiniger und beinahe Mörder einfach mit einer Schaufel niederschlägt rettet ihm schlussendlich in mehr als einer Hinsicht das Leben.

Der Auftakt der Immortal Guardians gestaltet sich sehr übersichtlich und die gesamte Geschichte ist darauf ausgelegt, dass der Leser keinerlei Probleme hat sich in diese neue Welt einzufinden. Die Autorin erschafft eine Welt von Vampiren und Unsterblichen, die sich in mancherlei Hinsicht ähneln, aber dennoch sehr unterschiedlich sind. So trinken beide Blut und können die Sonne nicht vertragen, doch geht die Entwicklung beider weitgehend auseinander. Diese Erfahrung muss auch Sarah machen, als sie sich mittendrin in einem Kampf von Vampiren und unsterblichen Wächtern befindet und sie muss entscheiden: Kann sie Roland vertrauen oder wird er ihr nur schaden?

Die Idee ist grundsätzlich nicht die allerneuste, weiß aber den Leser zunehmend zu unterhalten. Wirklich auffallend ist vor allem, dass Roland zwar einen sexy, unwiderstehlichen darstellt, aber doch eher recht eigenbrötlerisch, schüchtern und unsicher ist. Er ist eben nicht der perfekte Mann in einer perfekten Welt mit einer perfekten Geschichte. Er hat Charakter und wirklich umso authentischer und greifbarer mit seinen kleinen Ecken und Kanten. Dass er dennoch kämpft wie ein Irrer, loyal zu seinen Freunden steht und unglaublich beschützend daher kommt lässt auch Sarahs Herz höher schlagen, doch auch die süße Musikprofessorin ist nicht die perfekte Frau, wie man sie so oft in anderen Romanen findet. Sie ist skeptisch, aber klug, verständnisvoll und stark. Es gibt keine Liebe auf den ersten Blick ("oh, angepflockter Typ, ich glaube ich liebe dich") und auch kein sexuelles übereinander herfallen zweier fremder Menschen. Nein, die Liebesgeschichte ist süß und schleicht sich immer mehr ein. Und wer verschließt sein Herz schon vor einem Mann der Schwäche zeigen kann ohne tatsächlich schwach zu wirken? Er ist einfach zum dahin schmelzen.

Und so perfekt sich all dies anhört gibt es für die beiden eine Sache, die ihr Glück gefährdet: Er ist unsterblich und sie eine sterbliche. Sie einfach zu verwandeln? Unmöglich. Wie sollen die zwei das ganze nur überstehen?

Natürlich gibt dieser erste Band auch noch eine ganze Menge anderer sympatische Charaktere her. Markus, ein guter Freund von Roland und ehemaliger Schützling, den auch Sarah recht schnell ins Herz schließt. Seth und David, die zwei ältesten Unsterblichen, die scheinbar überall ihre Finger mit ihm Spiel haben und tatsächlich unglaublich mächtig sind - vor allem Seth. Eine geheimnisvolle Frau, welche die zwei mächtigen Männer retten und selbst die beiden vor ein großes Rätsel stellen. Und auch Nietzsche .. Rolands unsterblicher Kater ist nicht zu verachten.

Ein Kampf um die Liebe und gegen das Böse, gepaart mit einer Menge interessanter und sympatischer Charaktere. Sarah und Roland sind ein wunderbares Paar, die mit ihrer Geschichte einen wunderbar gelungenen Auftakt bieten.

4,5/5 Sternen.(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Darkness Dawns ของไดแอนน์ ดูวัล

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มแรกในชุด Immortal Guardians เรื่องราวของแวมไพร์ที่แบ่งออกเป็นสองฝ่าย ต่อสู้กันเพื่อความดีและความชั่ว

ซาราห์ บิงแฮม อาจารย์มหาวิทยาลัยที่กำลังอยู่ระหว่างปิดภาคการสอน บังเอิญไปพบการรุมทำร้ายที่เธอเองทนไม่ได้ ต้องยื่นมาเข้าไปเกี่ยว แม้ว่า ซาราห์จะเป็นหญิงสาวตัวเล็ก ๆ ต้องสู้กับคนร้ายที่เป็นชายหลายคน แต่เธอก็ไม่ลังเลเลย เธอช่วยโรแลนด์ ชายลึกลับที่มีอาการแ้พ้แสงแดดอย่างรุนแรงมาได้ และพาเขากลับไปที่พันของเธอ ซึ่งนั่นทำให้ซาราห์ต้องเข้าไปเกี่ยวข้องกั...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Donna (BLHmistress) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have had this book sitting and waiting for a long time, not sure why I waited so long to read it but I could kick myself for not reading it sooner. This book was amazing, though it did remind me of a certain other series that I love so much but that didn't bother me in the least.

I found the story enjoyable as well as the characters, though who can never get enough of sexy immortals. My problem is who is my favorite. I love Roland, but then there is Marcus and Seth as well as David, oh and I c...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Buffy Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel is utterly compelling and truly unique! Dianne Duvall introduces a neat version of vampire lore that is still completely believable, and does so in a simple enough way as to easily understand it all, yet complex enough to stay interesting. There are laugh out loud funny moments, heart-pounding action sequences, and steamy, but sweetly sensual sex.

The characters, oh the characters! You can’t help but fall for every single character, each having that special something that draws you in....more

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May 25, 2012 Laura Young rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Thoughts
So our two characters Sarah the person pulled into a mess by an accident and Roland the warrior fighting against the bad guys. Together they have a burning passion forming between them from the moment they meet.Even when they try to ignore it.Alone both can stand on their own, normally in books like this the characters need to be together to fit perfectly.

The Review
Darkness Dawns had the main problem, the side problem, and the fights in between reaching the climax. Sarah and Roland’s...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Darkness Dawns is sizzling hot! Sarah was just minding her business - and her garden - when she heard two strange men talking about hurting another man. She follows them and saves Roland from being killed regardless of the danger to herself. But there's a lot more to Roland than she ever could have imagined. He's an Immortal Guardian - a human with supernatural powers who was turned by a vampire, but became something so much more. Now they're both in the villain's cross-hairs and Roland will do...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Sierra rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, overused-ideas, not-worth-the-money

First things first, I want to make something very clear, I absolutely love Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series, so if you don’t like her work you probably won’t agree with this review. Darkness Dawns and the Dark Hunter series share some common themes. For one thing they are both about semi-vampires who protect the human race from evil. For another thing, both the Immortals and the Dark Hunters have a powerful, mysterious leader who has powers far beyond those of his followers.

All of that hav

...more

First things first, I want to make something very clear, I absolutely love Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series, so if you don’t like her work you probably won’t agree with this review. Darkness Dawns and the Dark Hunter series share some common themes. For one thing they are both about semi-vampires who protect the human race from evil. For another thing, both the Immortals and the Dark Hunters have a powerful, mysterious leader who has powers far beyond those of his followers.

All of that having been said, I really did not like this book. I did finish it in a vain hope that the story would improve, but unfortunately it did not. In all respects, the Dark Hunter series is superior; in my opinion there was nothing about this book to set it apart. First off, the Immortals leader, Seth, sucked; he was completely clueless. Ok, so I should go easy on him because he isn’t an immortal god like, Ash, but still he made a huge mistake. Second, this book started out with an interesting plot that boiled down to basically nothing in the end. Seriously, as soon as the main characters had sex for the first time it seemed like that is all they did for the rest of the book. The conclusion, if you can even call it that, was squeezed in at the very end, and honestly it fizzled out pretty quick. As for the character development, there really wasn’t any. The main characters didn’t seem to carry very much baggage. Of course the guy had some trust issues, but he seemed to get over those quickly.

Ok so this might just be me, but the one thing that really bugged me about this book was the vegan vampire thing. Basically, the virus that makes them immortal, requires that they eat naturally. All fine and good, but they played in up so much that I started feeling guilty about what I was eating at the time. Now when a girl can’t enjoy a slice of pizza because of a book, then we have problems.

All in all, a terrible book; I will not be buying any sequels. If you like paranormal romance don’t read this book, go find a Dark Hunter book, you will enjoy it far more.

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Mar 03, 2012 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Review:

Another fabulous audio book.
Another fabulous new series.
Another author to obsess about.

I absolutely adored this book! The entire premise of the series is eerily familiar to Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this book one little iota. This book was absolutely fabulous. The bad thing when you become completely enthralled by an audiobook? You are committed to the hours and hours listening to it when you can't set it aside. Unlike a book that yo...more My Review:

Another fabulous audio book.
Another fabulous new series.
Another author to obsess about.

I absolutely adored this book! The entire premise of the series is eerily familiar to Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this book one little iota. This book was absolutely fabulous. The bad thing when you become completely enthralled by an audiobook? You are committed to the hours and hours listening to it when you can't set it aside. Unlike a book that you read, this is a serious time commitment, but so freaking worth it.

From the moment Sarah finds Roland staked out in her pasture, I did not want to put this audiobook down...almost eleven hours and every single one of them were so good! I can't even pinpoint the precise thing that makes this book so good because all of it was. I loved Sarah and Roland together. Their chemistry is astounding. I loved that Roland really hates everyone, but is so different with Sarah. I especially loved everyone else's reaction in the book to his change...so funny!

Sarah and Roland's romance is so gorgeous and is somehow different from other romances. I don't even know if I can pinpoint how it was different, but it was and it was simply magic on the page.They truly seemed to bring out the best in each other. They were the perfect team. Everything about them was just perfectly synch'ed. It will be interesting to see if the author can create that kind of magic with other couples in the series too. I look forward to finding out if she can.

There is a huge cast of characters in this.
**Seth- leader of the Immortals and the one who takes responsibility for them all.
**Marcus- Immortal who is nursing heartbreak. His story killed me and I can't wait till his book (NEXT in series!)
**Ami- I NEED to know what they found out at the very end which was so shocking. I am dying for this story line.
**the other Immortals-- several were introduced in this book

I went to the bookstore tonight to find book #2...wanting to be able to read the next book in one sitting, but alas, they didn't have the second book. Instead, I have gotten it on audio from audible.com. It will be another 12 hour marathon, but if it's near as good as book #1 was, then it will be worth it.(less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, paranormal-romance

I was very excited when Darkness Dawns showed up in my mailbox the other day. I loved the premise of the series before I started reading and so I couldn’t wait to get into Darkness Dawns.

The basic idea of the world of the Immortal Guardians is pretty straightforward in some ways. There are two main forces in the world: the immortal guardians, like Roland, who try to keep humans safe from vampires. Like vampires, immortals need blood to survive. Unlike vampires, immortals have an incredibly long...more I was very excited when Darkness Dawns showed up in my mailbox the other day. I loved the premise of the series before I started reading and so I couldn’t wait to get into Darkness Dawns.

The basic idea of the world of the Immortal Guardians is pretty straightforward in some ways. There are two main forces in the world: the immortal guardians, like Roland, who try to keep humans safe from vampires. Like vampires, immortals need blood to survive. Unlike vampires, immortals have an incredibly long lifespan while vampires live for maybe a couple centuries on a slow but progressive descent into madness and murder. There’s no such thing as a good vampire in this series, which makes it stand out to my mind. Plus, the origins of the immortals are a little up in the air, which really caught my attention. I’m hoping it gets explored more in the next book.

The main characters in Darkness Dawns are nicely matched. It took me a while to like Sarah, mostly because I found her a little preachy when the subject of eating organic came up, but she’s generally a lovely heroine, especially since the book opens with her saving Roland. She’s strong and smart and kind and adjusts surprisingly well to the whole the-man-I-just-met-isn’t-a-spy-he’s-really-a-blood-drinking-immortal situation. And I love that Dianne didn’t make it a huge issue for their romance. It was just a fact amongst fact about Roland, who’s got a lot going for him. I like that the author gave him a bad history with women because it makes a lot of sense. After all, not everyone is going to react well to being told their partner isn’t what he seems, particularly when it’s something this huge.

There are also some plot threads that are meant to carry into the next book, and perhaps beyond. It’s such a tease, but in a good way, because I really want to know what’s going to happen with these plot points.

All in all, I found this book to be incredibly satisfying. There are some great action sequences and the romance between Sarah and Roland is sweet and sexy all at the same time. I love the world and the characters that Dianne Duvall has created and I can’t wait to start reading Night Reigns.

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Feb 19, 2012 Sarah Kelsey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chicklit, paranormal, granny-porn

Continuing with the romance genre research, this one gets high listener marks on Audible.com. I'm guessing it's a first novel.

I have to slag on the reader a bit. The overly dramatic reading bordered on comical, but the cardinal sin came with macabre. Paranormal romance authors like to use this word, I've noticed, and audiobook readers like to mispronounce it. Readers, please check the pronunciation here:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio...
You have two choices:
1. muh-COB
2. muh-COB-ruh
Pleas...more Continuing with the romance genre research, this one gets high listener marks on Audible.com. I'm guessing it's a first novel.

I have to slag on the reader a bit. The overly dramatic reading bordered on comical, but the cardinal sin came with macabre. Paranormal romance authors like to use this word, I've noticed, and audiobook readers like to mispronounce it. Readers, please check the pronunciation here:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio...
You have two choices:
1. muh-COB
2. muh-COB-ruh
Please notice that "May-COB-ree" and "May-COB-ray" are not options.

I really liked the web of conflicts in this plot. Instead of just a romance and one background situational problem, this story had several irons in the fire that all wound together in the end. Revealing the plot through shifting perspective also allowed for development of tension. Predictably, the story ends with a cliffhanger that certainly is intended to drive the reader right out to the grocery store to purchase the next book in the series, but I think that it's a small enough fall from said metaphorical cliff that I can refrain from doing so. The author dropped enough hints to allow for a reasonable inference as to the identity of the mystery woman who, no doubt, becomes the love interest of the head vampire hunter in one of the ensuing series installments.

What I didn't like about this book were two main things. First, the constant harping on vegetarianism. It was like listening to the author talk to herself. I could picture her in her small apartment with her futon and her cat, eating her vegetarian pizza, wishing she had space for a vegetable garden, and feeling superior to all the meat eaters and McDonald's lovers. I think this bothered me primarily because she then goes on to rave about how much she loves feta cheese and eggplant parmesan. So, yeah, you're a bad person if you eat meat or non-organic vegetables, but it's okay to eat curdled, mucus-filled mammary excretions. ...Yeah, my high horse is just a couple inches higher than Dianne Duvall's, but I could have let it go if it was just a couple sentences. It really went beyond character development and right into being preachy, which broke the flow of the story.

The second element of this story I had difficulty with was the male protagonist, Roland. Half the time he was a girl masquerading as a man. I know that primarily women write these books, and it's not reasonable for a woman to know exactly how a man thinks, but I have a hard time envisioning a man who is essentially an exterminator of sick humans dancing around like a giddy little girl. Parts of the character made sense: the anti-social behavior, the surly affect, the impulsivity and the affinity for weaponry. That all goes along with the job. Even the cat makes sense. The parts that didn't make sense were the ones where Roland and Sarah stopped having sex and started acting like two fourteen year old girls at a slumber party. If someone insisted there was a part of this story where Sarah put Roland's bra in the freezer, I'd have to stop and think about whether or not that actually happened. I mean, this guy was really inconsistent in his behavior. Pretty severe lack of verisimilitude for me where Roland was concerned.

By the way, all these vampire hunters are the sons of noblemen. No explanation was offered as to why only noblemen get to be sane, healthy, and badass vampire hunters and everyone else on the planet gets to be a crazed, vile and pestilent vampire, but I suppose those are the perks of being a member of the 1%. It also makes no sense to me that all these guys would be single for hundreds of years and then all hook up in the same decade, which is likely what will happen in this series. If the author goes there, I hope she has a reasonable explanation as to why that happens. (less)

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Feb 10, 2012 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, vampires, pnr

Sarah is suffering from insomnia when she notices a group of men hurting another man who is badly hurt, Roland. Right away it is love at first, but before they can live happily ever after they have vampires to slay and a mystery to solve.

The story is cute. I liked Sarah she was a good heroine, somewhat feisty but not over bearing. Roland is reclusive and anti-social but Sarah is like his beacon of light (ahhh). The book is well written and the plot is evenly spaced. Even though the way they fell...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Nawnee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Nawnee by: Fredmeyer :)

Shelves: authors-i-m-addicted-to, books-i-couldn-t-put-down, hot-and-steamy-yum-yum

I accidentally read the second book in this series first Night Reigns. Thank god it didn't give away so much that it ruined reading the first book I would have seriously missed out on a great read. There are some events that if read this series out of order you know before your suppose to but this can't be helped because it wasn't meant to be read out of order :) This didn't make the first book any less enjoyable. After reading the second book I was dying to know more about this world and the ch...more

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Jan 12, 2012 the other courtney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-scifi-usc

So happy to have finally found a good PNR after stumbling through a flock of disappointing ones. Reminiscent of BDB, but the author's tone is her own and it doesn't feel like a cheap knock-off or as if she's "trying too hard". Good smattering of humor, romance and action, no single theme taking over the book and making it unbalanced.
The H/h are awesome - no simpering twit or overbearing caveman. None of the dreaded misunderstanding or stupid cliched issues that could have been resolved with, oh...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Lucy Dosch rated it 5 of 5 stars

One early morning, music teacher Sarah Bingham overhears men talking in a field close to her secluded home, and she goes over to investigate. When she find one man staked to the ground being tortured and stabbed by two others, she doesn’t think, she acts and saves the man from his attackers. She takes him home and gives him first aid. What she doesn’t know is that Roland Warbrook is an Immortal Guardian who was hurt fighting vampires.

Roland Warbrook has never met anyone like Sarah in his almost...more

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Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians #1)

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