The Darkness Beyond (Paladins of Darkness, #8)

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The Darkness Beyond (Paladins of Darkness #8)

by Alexis Morgan (Goodreads Author)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 552 ratings · 37 reviews

An online game of cat and mouse leads a Paladin warrior on a deadly rescue mission to claim the irresistible lover who should be his greatest enemy.D.J. Clayborne has finally met his match. After weeks of playing cyber tag, a mysterious hacker bests D.J. at his own game. His nemesis downloads a top-secret history of the Paladins, forcing him to go on the hunt. The trail le...more

Paperback, 372 pages

Published May 31st 2011 by Pocket Star

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Jul 18, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: f-sf, fantasy-romance

I really really love Alexis Morgan's Paladins. They're strong silent types (except that they're not so silent with each other -- they yell, throw things, have temper tantrums and brawls...) who protect our world from the crazed Kalithians who attempt to cross over a barrier between their dimension and our own that exists deep in caves along the faultlines of the Earth. (Not that all the Kalithians are crazed, but the bulk of the ones who try to cross the barrier are.) Kalith is a dying planet. A...more I really really love Alexis Morgan's Paladins. They're strong silent types (except that they're not so silent with each other -- they yell, throw things, have temper tantrums and brawls...) who protect our world from the crazed Kalithians who attempt to cross over a barrier between their dimension and our own that exists deep in caves along the faultlines of the Earth. (Not that all the Kalithians are crazed, but the bulk of the ones who try to cross the barrier are.) Kalith is a dying planet. And apparently, the Paladins share some DNA with them. They're warriors, and they're always male. And just to make it *that* much better, they can, for an indefinite period of time, come back to life after being killed -- although each death and resuscitation (resurrection?) takes something out of them, and eventually they go crazy and have to be killed.

D.J. Clayborne is a Paladin and a computer genius/hacker who is *famous* in the cyberworld as the hacker Knightwalker. Regina (Reggie) Morrison works for a company that is hired by other companies to track hackers. She's been tracking Knightwalker anyway because she's curious and can't resist a challenge, but lately, her company was actually hired to find him. Part of her's reluctant to admit that she's found him, because she enjoys their little game of barb-and-prod, cat-and-mouse. But on a side trip while trying to confirm details, she accidentally stumbles into the system of the Regents, who manage and fund the Paladins, and finds, downloads and prints a history of the Paladins. Also, I should mention there's been some internal unrest in the management levels between the Regents and the Paladins (security, finance, medical...all that fun stuff).

I'm gonna stop there because I tend to get all involved in synopsis stuff and don't want to tell the bare bones of the story in under six paragraphs.

Ms. Morgan has managed to write a series that is just as interesting and compelling in the 8th book as it was in the first, or the fourth (which is actually where I first picked up the series and started glomming. Seriously glommable.) We get some time with past characters, and just enough of some new and interesting ones, and some of the bad guys too--but just enough that we know a little about where things are going rather than so much that we begin to wonder just who the series is about. But the primary focus of the book is D.J. and Reggie. They get moments of fear and joy, anger and love. And, of course, the bad guys get got. Spectacularly. AND we get a new Paladin out of the whole thing--Reggie's friend and coworker Cory, who grew up in the foster system and always amazed and freaked out his foster parents with his amazing healing abilities and crazy energy and metabolism.

I just can't wait to see who's next of the Paladins to get his HEA!!(less)

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Jun 27, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, immortal_warriors

Paladin DJ Clayborne, computer whiz and hacker extraordinaire, finally gets his turn in the spotlight with a woman who not only can match him in cyberspac,e but who also appeals to him just as much in the flesh. When Reggie who hunts hackers for a living manages to track down the illusive 'Knightwalker", and decides to play with him a bit before turning him in, she cracks the Regents website and ends up shanghaied to the alien world of Kalitha by those involved with the 'Others' conspiracy. Know...more Paladin DJ Clayborne, computer whiz and hacker extraordinaire, finally gets his turn in the spotlight with a woman who not only can match him in cyberspac,e but who also appeals to him just as much in the flesh. When Reggie who hunts hackers for a living manages to track down the illusive 'Knightwalker", and decides to play with him a bit before turning him in, she cracks the Regents website and ends up shanghaied to the alien world of Kalitha by those involved with the 'Others' conspiracy. Knowing that it is his fault that Reggie is danger, DJ mounts a rescue mission and despite being the most fun loving and playful of the Paladins, DJ is also formidable warrior who won't stop until he's brought Reggie back across the barrier.

I really liked The Darkness Beyond. I loved Morgan's favorite Paladin DJ (it's his blog you sign up for on her website) and I really liked Reggie too. DJ is just the right mix of cocky and caring and Reggie is both smart (on the whole) and sensual enough to appeal to both DJ's brain and body.

I also really enjoyed the parts of the story that followed Reggies' fellow hacker Cody, he was quite likeable but what really 'made' this thread is that it allowed for lots of interactions with the supporting cast of past Paladin leads and mates which wouldn't have been possible with Reggie and DJ off in another world.

My only nits with The Darkness Beyond were the 'how' of how Reggie ends up in the bad guys clutches and the 'why' of why the human bad guys give her to the Kalith 'Others' - I can see stashing Reggie beyond the barrier, but giving her to the Kalitha for a little 'fun time' to make her more cooperative, not so much. Even though I didn't think either of these things made a lot of sense, I just just went with it because the end result was Reggie and DJ in peril in Kalitha which gives them a chance to form a bond.

Well, with The Darkness Beyond and the previous book Beyond the Darkness Morgan has overcome the mid series slump and the Paladins are going strong. With the exception of a Paladin short this summer, I am not sure what's in store for us next, but if you need something to hold you over until then and haven't checked out Morgan's website, you are missing out on a whole slew of after the HEA story snippets for past Paladin pairs.

(less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Stacy {Texas Reader} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-scifi

I have always liked DJ, he is a great character who really deserved his happy ending. DJ has been "living" in cyber space far too long and needed a little human (or woman) contact in his life. After finding out that his elusive cyber stalker is a woman, he falls instantly. She is just stubborn and talented enough to run circles around DJ. But her nosy mind gets her kidnapped by more of the leftovers from Kincaid's treachery. I don't particularly like it when the story goes over to Kalithia for m...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Stacie added it

Good read. Continuation of the Paladin series. DJ is a Paladin and a computer genius. So when someone hacks his programs and gains information about the Paladins, he has to investigate. He finds out that Reggie is one behind the hacking. He finds himself reluctant to turn her into the Paladins and wants to get to know her. He is intrigued by her intelligence and the chemistry they share. But then The Others find out about Reggie's investigation and come after her. DJ has no choice but to pull in...more

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Aug 21, 2011 MountainKat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

I really enjoyed this latest venture into the world of the Paladins! It took me a couple of chapters to warm up to Reggie, but I really liked her in the end and DJ was such a wonderful hero. He was a little too stubborn in his reluctance to trust her with his secrets, and while the reasons were eventually revealed, I thought it was almost too little too late. Fortunately for our HEA, Reggie didn't! ; ) I liked that in the end, she was strong enough to stand up for what she wanted especially when...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Wminbc rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review
The Paladins series is a lot like that really good bottle of red wine that you discover quite by accident but then love to have every time you make Bolognese sauce…consistently good, works for any mood and delicious right to the last bit. The Darkness Beyond is another great installment. While the book starts out in our world, much of the action and romance take place in Kalithia. I personally love the scenes between humans in our world and their challenges with the Others. Larem also play...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Cherry Mischievous rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-ve-read, own, willreadthisauthoragain, arc

When I started reading this book, it came back to me again, the question I had when I first started reading this series: Why can't they just plug the "barrier" with mortar and concrete? Or a boatload of TNT! Looked effective enough when Kolar blew up that "barrier" section at the lava caves... But then again if they do that, we won't need Paladins to defend our world and then we won't have a story!! That is one logic flaw in the world building which I chose to ignore while reading this series. H...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Paranormal Haven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-stephanie

3.5 Stars

Also known as Knightwalker, D.J. Clayborne is a hacker with unmatched skills. That is until fellow hacker Regina Morrison not only uncovers his real identity, but also discovers documents that chronicle the history of the Paladins. Before D.J. could convince her to erase the file and forget everything she read, Reggie is kidnapped by Others and taken into another world. Now, D.J. will go through the barrier and risk everything to bring back the woman who has managed to capture his heart...more 3.5 Stars

Also known as Knightwalker, D.J. Clayborne is a hacker with unmatched skills. That is until fellow hacker Regina Morrison not only uncovers his real identity, but also discovers documents that chronicle the history of the Paladins. Before D.J. could convince her to erase the file and forget everything she read, Reggie is kidnapped by Others and taken into another world. Now, D.J. will go through the barrier and risk everything to bring back the woman who has managed to capture his heart.

Aside from being an expectational Paladin (warriors who guard a barrier between our world and another) D.J. is a computer genius. He hacks into high security company computer systems for entertainment and when Reggie crosses his path, he decides to play online tag. Little does he know Reggie has been hired to find D.J.'s real identity and whereabouts and help bring him in to face criminal charges. What Reggie finds is more than D.J.'s real name and address. She uncovers the history of the Paladins and Regents (the administrative part of the Paladin organization). Ignoring D.J.'s warning to erase the information she downloaded and forget everything she read, Reggie falls into a trap laid by corrupt individuals who work within the Regents. She is taken prisoner by Others (those who live on the other side of the barrier) and her only hope for survival is the man she was hired to help take down.

I found the plot in The Darkness Beyond to be intriguing and exciting. Alien worlds, corrupt officials and courageous warriors to barge in and save the day. I really enjoyed all that. What I didn't like was Reggie. Aside from having a few good moves courtesy of her self defense classes, Reggie was boring. Her physical description sounded plain, she didn't participate in any activities or hobbies I could relate to and she never said or did anything that left me caring about her character. D.J. on the other hand I could not get enough of. His humor is contagious, he has a geeky charm to him, and the lengths he's will to go to in order to save Reggie makes him a great hero. Alone I loved his character but together I found a relationship that lacked any real spark.

My series favorites Devlin, Trahern, and Larem are there to lend support to their friend and comrade and we're introduced to a fun new character. Cody works with Reggie and discovers something about himself he never knew. He's a bit dorky, sweet, loyal and makes me think that's what D.J. was like when he was in college, which isn't a bad thing of course. I look forward to seeing his role in future books and hopefully one day reading his very own book.

The Darkness Beyond had an interesting plot and a great hero but it feels very similar to other books in this series. Paladin meets girl, he falls fast for girl but doesn't admit it, he has to save the girl from bad guys, he isn't sure she belongs in his violent world and then, well if you've read any paranormal romance you know how it ends. Reggie didn't impress me at all but I kept coming back for more because of D.J. and his fellow Paladins. Their camaraderie and devotion to each other showed what a real brotherhood they have. I was interested in finding our more about the corruption inside of the Regents and I hope we get to dive deeper into the organization in the next book. I'll keep continue on the series but I hope I'll find something to spice things up a bit in the next book.
-Stephanie(less)

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Jul 27, 2011 Lady Valee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-romance

3.5 STARS

I did like this book more than the previous installment. It was great to go back once again to the original plot: Paladin warrior meets a nice human girl. Reggie was a great heroine. I'm a computer freak myself so it was hard not to love her. D.J. being a hacker and all was also an amazing hero to me too. My only problem was that the relationship never really got to develop IMHO. They spent a couple of days together and it wasn't enough for me. I wanted much more form this amazing chara...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Jessica Wimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: heroines-i-hate, alexis-morgan

This will be a short review.

DJ Clayborne has meet this match! He has found a hacker who is good at what she does. I didn't really care too much for Reggie. Her personlity turned me off. To make it short, she finds out about the Paladins by hacking in their computer files and after DJ finds out who the hacker is he tells her to trash all evidence and leave enough alone. Stupid Reggie won't listin and actually goes to meet up with some people who promise to tell her all about the Paladins instead...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Nocturne Romance Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

"The Paladins series is a lot like that really good bottle of red wine that you discover quite by accident but then love to have every time you make Bolognese sauce…consistently good, works for any mood and delicious right to the last bit. The Darkness Beyond is another great installment"

REad more of Karia's review on NRR's website http://www.nocturnereads.com/The-Dark...

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Jun 09, 2011 Hbeebti rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was really looking forward to DJ's book, Finally! I really enjoyed it. Love DJ the computer nerd. He is just so hot! DJ is also one hell of a warrior. I thought that Reggie was great for DJ. They are both computer hacker and its is kinda funny how they are in the beginning trying to one up the other.

Great plot w/ kidnapping and battles and wonderful love scenes. The battle scene at the end wasn't as intense as say Larem's book but that was ok for me. I love that the other Paliden's were in thi...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Amelia-Irene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Two computer hackers, trying to out hack each other and the story takes off from there. I enjoyed this one. Imagine being caught up in something you really don't understand and finding yourself kidnapped into a different demension, for purposes that you can only guess at. Find out what happens and the outcome from all the hacking.

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Jul 03, 2011 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book

I enjoy this author's Paladin series. The problem with this book in the incongruity between the heroine's skills and her actions. Although she is highly trained in martial arts, she constantly forgets to use them and waits for her hero to rescue her. I like strong heroines who are not dependent on these wonderful heroes for their salvation.

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Aug 04, 2011 Irene Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm reading through the Paladins series and I love them. This is my favourite type of series where the same characters interact through each book so you can see how they are doing as each one gets his HEA.
D.J and Reggie's story has more action than the last one i read, definately one of my favourites.

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Feb 11, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All Alexis Morgan fans

#8 in the Paladin series. This was really good. I have enjoyed all these books and this one was about DJ (a Paladin/computer nerd) & Reggie (a computer wizz trying to track down the hacker called the Nightstalker). DJ was pleasently surprised when he tracked down who was on to his hacking skills. A great story with lots of 'action'. I want to read another but it's not out yet. 4/5

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Mar 08, 2012 Melinda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trashy-romance

I gave this 3 stars in spite of the fact that I really loved this book. I love it when geeks get together! (By the way, Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds...hottest hacker ever!) And there is just something about hackers that is idealized in my mind. Morgan is great (to me) when it comes to having really strong characters, especially the heroines who are self sufficient and just living life when said hero steps on the scene. Overall the story flows with the exception of when they are in on the...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Deanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love the Paladins. This book is as good as the first one. I love DJ. I love his chemistry with Reggie. The Paladin Warriors protect without thanks. They are the ultimate protectors and sexy too.

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Jan 05, 2012 Fabiola Chenet rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fabulous! Excellent reading with a lot of humour, very nice characters. All the paladins were in the book and that was great!

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Jan 17, 2013 Tamis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Porque 3 estrellas, simple DJ se merecia algo mejor que esa tipa, me exaspero Regie de principio a fin.

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Jun 15, 2011 dragonsdy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Very good book. It followed the Paladin's lives as well as a new romance. It is nice to see the older characters doing well. I also love the new characters and can't wait for the next book to come out.

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Feb 17, 2013 Shanelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-fict

I love this series by Alexis Morgan. Hot and exciting.

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Jun 05, 2011 Michelle the Romance Witch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-inventory

Wow another great foray into the world of this mythical Paladin warriors and their Kalith counterparts (both good and bad). With heat, laughter, and passion this couple's story just leaps off the pages and leaves you unable to even stop to breath. DJ has been a personal fav for a while and i am so happy that Ms Morgan did his story such justice. And way to got on his heroine, Reggie. She was the perfect partner for this fun-loving, playful warrior and i can't wait to see more of them in future s...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Shevani rated it 5 of 5 stars

ive been waiting to read this one for ages and it was a great read. D.J is a famous hacker and he meets his match in a woman; Reggie. of course this doesnt mean things go well, insert kidnapping, a few battles and a little unwanted 'holiday' in Kalithia and you have your story.

It was fun to read about all the Paladins and you can really sense how close they are in this book, so many moments of ' harsh brotherly love' had me smiling, and i think its about time DJ got himself a girl too.

definatly...more

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May 31, 2012 Sherri *Mistress of Laundry* added it

Shelves: review-was-enough

Not finishing this series.

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Nov 16, 2011 Shaineinok marked it as to-read

Must find this book!

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Aug 02, 2011 LinseyM rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.

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Feb 24, 2011 ChampagneL8T marked it as to-read

Shelves: morgan-alexis-paladin, books-i-own

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Mar 14, 2013 Gizzie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure, erotica, other-worlds, romance, sci-fi

I enjoyed the book and have one more in the series to read.

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Apr 19, 2013 Ann Lorz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: immortals, paranomal

It took me a long time to read this. Part of the reason is I buy way to many books, but the other reason is I knew that besides for a ebk this was the last book in the Paladin series. I hate to see them end because I love them. The Darkness Beyond is D J Clayborne and Regina (Reggie) Morrison story. These two have played a game of tag for a long time. It's now time to meet. When they do both of their worlds change forever. This is a wonderful series that you'll love to read.

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About Alexis Morgan

Alexis Morgan grew up near St. Louis and received a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She and her husband have made the Pacific Northwest their home for more than thirty years, where she launched her career as a writer. She is published in contemporary romance, American West historicals, and currently writes paranormal romances for Pocket Star and Silhouette Nocturne. Her...more

More about Alexis Morgan...

Books by Alexis Morgan

Dark Protector (Paladins of Darkness, #1)

Dark Defender (Paladins of Darkness, #2)

In Darkness Reborn (Paladins of Darkness, #3)

Redeemed in Darkness (Paladins of Darkness, #4)

Darkness Unknown (Paladins of Darkness, #5)

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