Kiss of Darkness (Dark Bonds, #1)

Mar 08, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: request-netgalley, best-of-2011

4 1/2

Demons are real and they aren’t the sexy bad boys with a hidden heart. They’re animals that will rip through a human without a thought. The Nightwalkers and Lupines use to be one group, their original purpose to protect the humans from demons. But when they started infighting and split into two, the humans had to take care of their own. Picking from people whose lives have been destroyed by the demons, a group of hybrids are formed. Humans, who willing take in a demon soul for strength and...more 4 1/2

Demons are real and they aren’t the sexy bad boys with a hidden heart. They’re animals that will rip through a human without a thought. The Nightwalkers and Lupines use to be one group, their original purpose to protect the humans from demons. But when they started infighting and split into two, the humans had to take care of their own. Picking from people whose lives have been destroyed by the demons, a group of hybrids are formed. Humans, who willing take in a demon soul for strength and abilities to fight back and take out the demon threat.
Winter joined the Order sixty years ago after her husband was killed by demons, seeking revenge on them ever since. But now she fights another threat, the threat to her soul.
When Marcus, Lord of the Nightwalkers, comes to Winter’s rescue, he could be the answer to keeping her soul, but will she loose her heart in the process?

Kiss of Darkness is an entertaining read that kept me enthralled the whole time. Winter is a strong heroine but is vulnerable when it comes to matters of the heart. Her and Marcus butt heads right from the beginning. Him wanting to keep her protected and her needing to take care of herself and those she is responsible for. Then you have the little problem of him knowing right away Winter is his mate but she doesn’t believe it and even if she did, is reluctant to ever give up her heart again. Marcus is everything I love in an alpha hero; strong, arrogant, possessive, and oh so yummy. He teases Winter unmercifully until he feels she is ready to accept him. This of course leads to some loves scenes that I was surprised didn’t turn my ereader into a melted lump!
Plenty of action and suspense to keep you turning the page along with tension filled romance that will grab your heart. Kiss of Darkness has a dynamic plot, with plenty of side characters to love and sub-plots that, while somewhat predictable, surprise you at the end and add exciting elements to the over all story-arc.

I liked how Hunt veered from the norm with the Nightwalker’s method of feeding, having them feed off psychic energy instead of blood. I have a hard time understanding how one species broke into two such different groups though, the Nightwalkers and the Lupines. Hopefully there is more of the history behind that and explanations will be given in future installments. Kiss of Twilight, featuring Kara & Dupree, is up next and I am eagerly anticipating it though I am dying to read more of Gia & Luke!

Copy courtesy of NetGalley for review
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Oct 26, 2012 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first time I read this author's book:) A little bit like Twilight series if I can say, with a little bit more actions + hybrid (Human who merged with Demon in Her/His body to get strength n became Demon Hunter). You got Nightwalker (like vampire but this one eat from emotional or soul eater than blood:) ), and there's lupine (similiar with werewolf).
Winter wanted to take revenge with Demon who had killed her husband and chose to become hybrid 60 years ago. She had two close friends,...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Amyra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Winter, un ibrido, ha passato la sua vita in guerra. Un gruppo di umani per metà demoni, gli ibridi, insieme ai lupines e ai nightwalkers, ha dedicato le loro vite a distruggere i demoni e a proteggere l’umanità. Eppure, nonostante la causa comune, i tre gruppi condividono una difficile alleanza.

Quando la base militare degli ibridi viene attaccata dai demoni, Winter non ha altra scelta che chiedere aiuto e assistenza ai lupines e ai nightwalkers. È una relazione basata sulla necessità e lei non...more Winter, un ibrido, ha passato la sua vita in guerra. Un gruppo di umani per metà demoni, gli ibridi, insieme ai lupines e ai nightwalkers, ha dedicato le loro vite a distruggere i demoni e a proteggere l’umanità. Eppure, nonostante la causa comune, i tre gruppi condividono una difficile alleanza.

Quando la base militare degli ibridi viene attaccata dai demoni, Winter non ha altra scelta che chiedere aiuto e assistenza ai lupines e ai nightwalkers. È una relazione basata sulla necessità e lei non ha nessuna intenzione di abbassare la guardia con entrambi i gruppi.

Marcus, il Signore dei nightwalker, ha però altri progetti. L’attrazione immediata fra di lui e Winter promette una passione che non può ignorare. Ma per reclamarla come sua, Marcus dovrà non solo combattere i demoni che sembrano intensionati ad annientarla, ma anche i preconcetti di Winter su di lui e sulla razza dei nightwalkers. È una battaglia che si rifuta di perdere.

Bellissima introduzione per un’ambientazione meravigiosa. Gli ibridi sono i discendenti dei Cavalieri Templari e ancora ne seguono le regole e i codici d’onore, oltre alla gerarchia prettamente militare. Per combattere i demoni, più di mille anni fa un Moro gli svelò il segreto per ottenere forza e velocità sovrumana: una cerimonia per fondere l’anima umana con quella di un demone, diventando così ibridi. Il problema è che dopo un certo numero di anni, la metà demone prende il sopravvento. La soluzione è unirsi, con un’altra cerimonia, ad un’anima pura dalla contaminazione. Insomma, un vincolo simile al matrimonio ma molto più profondo, eterno e infrangibile. La parte positiva è che gli ibridi sono praticamente immortali, e così diventa anche il compagno che si lega a loro.

La macrostoria è incentrata su tre personaggi: Winter, Dupree e Gia, entrati nell’ordine nello stesso anno e tutti e tre sull’orlo di cedere al loro demone, nonchè strettamente legati fra loro da legami di amicizia e lealtà.

L’attacco alla base ha ucciso il loro comandante regionale, Ben, e così Winter si ritrova eletta dal consiglio per ricoprire quella posizione di prestigio e potere. Winter ne rimane scioccata, perché ha subito la cerimonia di unione più di sessanta anni fa e sta per cedere al suo demone. Per questo il consiglio le dà un ultimatum: scegliere un compagno, non importa chi. Ma Winter è ferma nella sua posizione di non legarsi a nessuno con cui non sia follemente innamorata.

E qui entra in gioco Marcus. Durante un ronda, salva la vita di Winter e capisce appena la vede che è la sua compagna destinata. Il problema è che gli umani, o gli ibridi, non credono nei mate: come fare a convincerla?

Con un sottile gioco di astuzia e seduzione, la storia si srotola su un lasso di tempo di tre mesi, durante la quale Marcus mette in atto il suo gioco di conquista.

Per quanto riguarda la macrostoria, si scoprirà che l’Ordine non è tutto lealtà e onore come vuole far credere: tradimenti e congiure sono in atto negli alti ranghi dei cavaglieri. Ben si scoprirà non essere morto ma diventato rogue. Gia capirà di essere la mate di Luke, il fratello gemello di Marcus, ma scapperà da quel legame non voluto e verrà catturata dai demoni. Inoltre vedremo il rapporto fra Kara, sola sopravvisuta all’attacco della base, e il suo tutore Dupree.

Nota d’onore al capo branco dei lupi, Mitchell, che emana un’aura sexy ad ogni parola che dice e azione che compie.

Passiamo ai lati negativi, due soltanto devo dire. Il primo. Ottimo inizio, esaltante addirittura, e anche ottima fine, ma abbiamo un buco narrativo a metà. Scrittura lentissima, dava l’impressione che la scrittrice non sapesse più cosa fare o dire e cercasse di allungare il brodo. Se non fosse stato per questo buco nero il libro si sarebbe meritato un voto veramente alto. Il secondo. Ma un po’ di originalità nel titolo era chiedere troppo? La vena creativa si è esaurita con la trama? Io personalmente ho letto almeno 4 libri con lo stesso nome o similissimo solo nell’ultimo anno, e per cercare i dati del romanzo su Amazon.com ho trovato 636 corrispondenze. Aiuto!(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Mara rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers who prefer their romance on the UF side

Shelves: pnr

2 1/2 stars
This book was a hard one for me. It has so much potential, a very definite UF feel, a strong heroine, a vivid and fresh world-bulding (with plenty of details), a intriguing plot, tension.

All of this bonanza is dragged down by sex. Unending sex scenes, boring to me because of the now hated cliché of "mating" (aka even if I don't want you, my mind is mush and I stop thinking).

There's plenty of very good books that have a mating, some even have the soul mate refrain. It's a pity that it...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Scooper Speaks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kiss of Darkness by Loribelle Hunt seems to be the first book in a series, but other than the unfinished plot lines introduced in the book, I haven’t found any information about additional books on either the author or publisher’s websites.

I really didn’t care too much for Kiss of Darkness when I started reading it because I didn’t like the heroine. Winter was a little bit too arrogant for my tastes, but not without reason. In 1955 she bonded her soul to a demon so she could better fight the dem...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, pararnormal-romance

Loribelle Hunter puts a new spin on supernatural species in the Paranormal Romance, "Kiss of Darkness." Winter was a human woman who lost her husband to a demon attack about 60 years ago. In her rage and vengeance, she joined a group of demon hunters who drew their strength from merging with demon souls. She has fought the good fight ever since. But now the demon inside her is growing stronger and soon she won't be able to control it --until she becomes bonded to a mate.

Lucky for Winter, she me...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books, angels-demons, werewolves-shifter, pnr

The story begins with Winter agreeing to become a hybrid in order to avenge her husbands death, he was killed by demons. A hybrid is a human who accepts a demon soul, the body and soul merge together making humans faster, stronger, and a host of supernatural powers to boot. The problem is eventually the demon's instincts will take over and the hybrid will have to be destroyed OR they can find a mate to bond with and live happily ever after :-)

Sixty years later Winter is fighting a loosing battle...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alpha-male, demons, ebook, paranomal-rom, psi-powers, shifters, urban-fantasy, vampire

Sensuality: 3 out 5
Kink: pretty vanilla, mild bondage
Rating: 3.5

I am a little conflicted about this book. I liked it but I felt something was missing particularly in the first half of the book.

What I liked:

-Vampires! LOL what's not to like? And Marcus was hot while holding
out until Winter was ready.
-The tension between Winter and Marcus was hot and lasted most of the
book. The actual sex was pretty late in the story. I liked that alot
that they just didn't jump into bed together but developed...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Majanka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-romance, romance

I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this novel. On the one side, I loved the main character, Winter Bennett, and her two best friends, Gia and Dupree, and their interactions. I also really liked the storyline: especially the merging of human and demon souls, and the great war against demons. The world-building was wonderful, with safety houses and compounds, and this entire we’re-at-war vibe, that was carefully crafted throughout the novel. Plus, I liked the division between hybrids (a...more I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this novel. On the one side, I loved the main character, Winter Bennett, and her two best friends, Gia and Dupree, and their interactions. I also really liked the storyline: especially the merging of human and demon souls, and the great war against demons. The world-building was wonderful, with safety houses and compounds, and this entire we’re-at-war vibe, that was carefully crafted throughout the novel. Plus, I liked the division between hybrids (as Winter and her friends are), Nightwalkers (a fancy name for Vampires) and Lupines (werewolves). Now, on to the things I didn’t like that much.

The point of view constantly switched between about six characters, which made this book very hard to read. Sometimes I had to reread entire parts to actually know who was talking. I’m a great supporter of switching the points of view to keep things interesting, but it was a bit too much here, and it would have been better had the author only focused on maybe three or so characters. The story was very fast-paced at times, but the middle part of the novel was a too slow for my liking. Sometimes I really had the feeling I had to urge myself to continue reading. But once you get past those fifty-or-so occasionally slow pages, there is enough action and nearly-dying going on to keep you occupied till the end of the novel.

What really, really bothered me about this novel, and is the reason it only got a rating of 3,5 rather than 4 is the way all males – but with that I mean, all males – in this novel respond to falling in love. They feel an uncontrollable possessiveness towards the object of their affections. And not just the Nightwalkers, or the Lupines, mind you, for whom this despicable character trait might be part of their nature, but even Dupree, dear old hybrid Dupree, doesn’t escape from the need to control every move his love interest makes. Not only did I feel like going all Buffy The Vampire Slayer on all Nightwalkers in this novel every five minutes, but it also made me so annoyed I had trouble finishing the book. I mean sure, you can add one character whose immensely posessive, but do you have to make all of them like that? Plus, I’m not saying a little bit posessive, no. I mean totally over-the-top, extremely awkward clingyness. If another man just as much as touched their love interest, those Nightwalkers went berserk. I wasn’t too fond of these traits at all, and they annoyed me, as they were a major part of the story.

However, I must admit that the rest of the story amazed me. I loved the little plot twists and turns, the overall background story, the description of the war against the demons, and the way the tension was built up slowly. I liked this novel, but I would have liked it a lot more if it wasn’t for all the male characters to be overly posessive. If there’s ever a sequel out, I would like to read it though, just to know what happens to the characters.

Visit I<3Reading for the full review.(less)

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Jan 10, 2011 Jen (In the Closet With a Bibliophile) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rating: 3.5/5

This one was a hard one for me. Overall, I would say I enjoyed the book, but I had some things that upset me (frustrated me).

I found the concept for the book super interesting. I mean, binding one's soul with that of a demon's is pretty cool. I think that's why I picked it up in the first place, there aren't a lot of books I've read about hybrids and such. So it was fun in that respect. I did like Winter. She was stubborn and strong and could fight and keep up with the rest of them....more Rating: 3.5/5

This one was a hard one for me. Overall, I would say I enjoyed the book, but I had some things that upset me (frustrated me).

I found the concept for the book super interesting. I mean, binding one's soul with that of a demon's is pretty cool. I think that's why I picked it up in the first place, there aren't a lot of books I've read about hybrids and such. So it was fun in that respect. I did like Winter. She was stubborn and strong and could fight and keep up with the rest of them. I'm always about females who can push to the front of the lines and keep their place there.

The hardship I had with this book came in the form of one Nightwalker/vampire. Yeah, he was sexy and downright scintillating, but I have a super hard time with possession and those who must posses their loved ones. I have a hard time with possession because I've been there and it sucks. And although I get the need of vampires and werewolves to be possessive of their mates, this book seemed to bring it in a kind of crazy dose. Like Marcus, the sexy vampire, wanted her submissive and tamed. At first it sounded like he wanted to be able to give her orders and her immediately obey like a little puppy. That bothered me.

I simply cannot stand orders being given, no matter how much someone may love or care about you. It's just not cool, to say the least. I will say this though, in the end, I think Marcus realizes that he won't be able to completely reign her in and he seems okay with it. Winter seems to calm down herself and want to be reigned in a little bit. I didn't believe it as a whole because no one turns around that fast, but it was believable to an extent.

Overall, the book had good pacing and action and I enjoyed different plot points. The writing was good even if I didn't enjoy some of the character traits. But, I will say that I really do want to read the sequel because I would like to find out what happens to some of the other characters. And, the book was definitely action packed and a fun read with demon hunts, war lords, sparring with werewolves and some steamy scenes. (less)

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Jan 08, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, advanced-review-copy

I think this might appeal to C. Feehan and J. Frank fans. In brief: interesting but not fully developed characters, good world-building and uneven plotting/pacing made this fun but not entirely satisfying.

Winter has been a human-demon hybrid for 60 years and, along with her fellow hybrids and teammates Gia and Dupree, is starting to lose her battle against the darkness within her when she meets Marcus, a nightwalker (i.e., vampire). Marcus immediately recognizes that Winter is his mate, but also...more I think this might appeal to C. Feehan and J. Frank fans. In brief: interesting but not fully developed characters, good world-building and uneven plotting/pacing made this fun but not entirely satisfying.

Winter has been a human-demon hybrid for 60 years and, along with her fellow hybrids and teammates Gia and Dupree, is starting to lose her battle against the darkness within her when she meets Marcus, a nightwalker (i.e., vampire). Marcus immediately recognizes that Winter is his mate, but also realizes that she is going to be resistant to bonding with him, even though it will save her sanity. At around the same time, an unusually organized group of demons has begun attacking the hybrids' safe-houses and it's up to Winter to protect her people.

The world-building is interesting and mostly well done. There are a few instances where the powers the different hybrids have and the question of who knows that Marcus is secretly the Lord of the nightwalkers and at what point in the story is a little unclear, but mostly it fits together.

The plot is pretty standard PNR/UF -- a band of super-powered fighters battles demons to protect the world + occasionally angsty romance. Some scenes get a bit repetitive, though, in terms of character arcs and relationship denying/building. Sometimes that can be good for building tension in a story, but here it felt more like the motor was on idle while the author tried to figure out how to get to the next part of the story arc.

This is one of those books in which the author spends almost as much time building up the secondary characters' romances in preparation for their stories as it does on the primary characters in this story. Given that Marcus has been alive for who knows how long and Winter went from being a 1950s housewife to a widowed demon fighter, there's a ton if potential character exploration that just barely gets touched on. I liked that Marcus was self-aware enough to control his possessive urges toward Winter, to respect her role as a warrior and a woman. I also liked that Winter was able to express herself --her anger, loyalty, confusion, etc. -- without coming off as an immature brat.

Honestly, there is enough potential in these characters for full-on awesomeness that I kind of wish the author had taken a few more months to work out the kinks in the plotting. Either that or that she had let the three main couples have their own books or have a full-on interwoven trilogy--one or the other, this particular blend is too blended to be fully satisfying.

Complaints aside, this has enough potential that I probably will read the next in the series.

This review is based on a digital ARC received through NetGalley.(less)

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Jan 17, 2011 Chelsea [Vampire Book Club] rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons, smexy, uf-pnr, vampires, weres

This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

Kiss of Darkness has the elements so many of us enjoy: a love story to get wrapped up in, missions with certain death and plenty of supernaturals to cover your favorites (vampires, werewolves, demons). I owe Loribelle Hunt a thank you for a mental escape in her paranormal digital release.

Winter is the leader of a group of demon hybrids. These are humans who chose to merge their souls with those of demons to make themselves strong enough to k...more This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

Kiss of Darkness has the elements so many of us enjoy: a love story to get wrapped up in, missions with certain death and plenty of supernaturals to cover your favorites (vampires, werewolves, demons). I owe Loribelle Hunt a thank you for a mental escape in her paranormal digital release.

Winter is the leader of a group of demon hybrids. These are humans who chose to merge their souls with those of demons to make themselves strong enough to kill the real demons. Think of them as an anti-demon militia. The downside is it's very hard to keep the primal energy of the demon at bay. Without bonding to another person, the demon will eventually win out -- usually in 50 or 60 years. Find a partner for life, and a hybrid can live indefinitely. Winter is already fighting the battle to keep her demon in check. Her mentor and commander has gone missing, their safe houses are being raided by demons and now she's expected to keep everyone safe.

The hybrids have a tense alliance with both the lupines and the nightwalkers. The relationship with the werewolves is pretty decent, with the two kinds finding mates from the other groups. The nightwalkers, though, have always set themselves apart. Now with the demons organizing attacks on the hybrids, the three supernatural groups must work together to find the answer before the demons kill more innocent people.

Marcus is the leader of the nightwalkers. His kind bond for life, but unlike the hybrids, their kind has a destined mate. Like the weres, the vampires will innately know when they've met the one and forge a mental and physical bond with them. Marcus is used to the demure, delicate nature of female vampires, so he's not sure what to think when his gut tells him the brash, fearless and independent Winter is his true mate. He does all he can to seduce her and tries to keep his protective instincts in check, but their differences make for some intense clashes. I really appreciated that Winter didn't just give in to the seductions of a sexy vampire. She immediately found him attractive, but also had no need for his cocky attitude and she certainly wasn't one to be bossed around. His attempts to win Winter are intense, but matched with the mating hunt described for both his and the lupine kind.

The secondary character relationships, particularly that of a hybrid and a human woman wanting to join the ranks, helped flesh out the world in Kiss of Darkness and added depth. I'd love to read more of the other characters relationships in other books, and that's a testament to their development.

Kiss of Darkness balances a touch of mythology and a whodunit plot with strong love angles with plenty of jealousy to go around. It doesn't break any new barriers, but was a really fun read and enough to make me want to read more from Hunt.(less)

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Jan 06, 2011 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-reads, paranormal-romance, angels-and-or-demons, werewolves-or-other-shape-shifters, netgalley, arc, fated-to-be-mated, cliff-hanger-ending, vampires, warrior-woman, 2011-read, psychic, celibate-heroine, good-secondary-romance

This book gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "struggling with inner demons".

Around sixty years ago, Winter became a hybrid -- that is, a human who has willfully merged her soul with a demon in order to gain the physical and mental power to battle against full-blooded demons. Now, her time is running out. The longer a hybrid exists without becoming bonded to a mate, the more powerful their demon side becomes, until finally the demon takes over. Once this happens, there's no coming back, and...more This book gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "struggling with inner demons".

Around sixty years ago, Winter became a hybrid -- that is, a human who has willfully merged her soul with a demon in order to gain the physical and mental power to battle against full-blooded demons. Now, her time is running out. The longer a hybrid exists without becoming bonded to a mate, the more powerful their demon side becomes, until finally the demon takes over. Once this happens, there's no coming back, and the other hybrids are forced to hunt down these monsters and kill them.

Now, at this time when she struggles the most with the blood-lust and battle-hunger within her, Winter's entire world is in uproar. Full blooded demons, who, in the past, have been too animalistic and unorganized to ever become a unified force are suddenly attacking the Hybrid ranks en masse, leaving behind untold carnage and confusion.

Forced to team up with both Lupines and Nightwalkers ("werewolves" and "vampires", respectively), Winter must now lead her people, hunt down a rogue, fight her demon, and, oh yeah, try to resist an impossibly sexy, incredibly powerful Nightwalker Lord who is suddenly convinced that she's his fated mate. Can't a girl catch a break?

What worked for me:
*I really liked the mythology in this story. The hybrids started out as Templars, and the Lupines and Nightwalkers actually used to be the same until there was a (for lack of a better term) civil war that resulted in their numbers being split -- one side retaining the ability to shift and the other side with the telepathic abilities. I also liked that the Nightwalkers didn't drink blood but rather fed off of the energy and excess emotions of other people, and that they didn't typically kill to feed. This was an interesting twist on an old genre, and helped to breathe a new life into the story.

*I was as surprised as anyone about the identity of the Big Bad, and really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game that was played.

*I'm a big fan of fated-to-be-mated stories, and I really enjoyed Marcus having to adjust to a warrior mate. Nightwalker females are cosseted and protected (and basically steamrolled), so it's completely against Marcus' nature to allow Winter the freedom to be who she is -- a strong warrior and strong leader.

*I also enjoyed the idea of an uneasy alliance between three opposing factions; the Nightwalkers, the Hybrids, and the Lupines. The politics involved as well as the innate battle for dominance amongst the alphas was highly enjoyable.

*I also enjoyed the secondary romances in this story -- one that was resolved and one that left us hanging.

What didn't work for me:
*While not a cliff-hanger ending, I did feel that it ended a bit abruptly. I am desperately hoping for a sequel, as I'm anxious to find out what happens with the couple who did not yet get their HEA

Overall, a highly enjoyable read, and I am very ardently hoping for a sequel. 4 1/2 Stars(less)

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Mar 15, 2011 Dahlia (yadkny) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal Romance Lovers

Shelves: favorites

If someone you loved was murdered, how far would you go to avenge them?

Winter came to a decision after the vicious murder of her husband that the best thing she could do to avenge his death would be to become half the enemy thereby using their own supernatural skills against them. Only she's not alone in this line of thinking as various others have decided to take the fated step in becoming a half-human and half-demon hybrid, to hunt down the enemy. The advantages are tremendous, but the price i...more If someone you loved was murdered, how far would you go to avenge them?

Winter came to a decision after the vicious murder of her husband that the best thing she could do to avenge his death would be to become half the enemy thereby using their own supernatural skills against them. Only she's not alone in this line of thinking as various others have decided to take the fated step in becoming a half-human and half-demon hybrid, to hunt down the enemy. The advantages are tremendous, but the price is high if time runs out.

The story did take a bit for me to really dive into in the beginning since there was more description instead of dialogue among the characters. The world is somewhat complex in the sense of species rules and politics and there seems to be a lot more left to explore. I was expecting the battle scenes to be more intense, but they fell a little flat with their briefness.

There are a few different subplot stories going on in the mix of the main plotline, but the author does a fantastic job of keeping everyone's story balanced to the overall story appropriately. Marcus and Winter are the focus of much of the sideline drama and they also happen to be the two most influential leaders between Nightwalkers and the Order. All of the characters are strong willed and stubborn, so there are no wilting lilies here especially among the women. That trait is a particular disadvantage for the Alpha males claiming them or trying to since they won't be easily possessed. The Nightwalker men in particular have an almost old fashion sense of what they expect of their mate, so what they end up with comes as a major surprise in both a pleasant and frustrating sense. Plenty of sexual tension and frustration with some much needed relief courtesy of a very sexy and dominating male.

My main complaint comes with the ending where the reader is quite literally left hanging with some unfinished business in the both the main plotline and a couple of the subplots. There is major potential in continuing this story with so many amazing yet unexplored characters. I implore Ms. Hunt to create a series out of this incredibly unique story.

Reviewed for Carina Press via NetGalley:
http://www.netgalley.com/(less)

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Jan 15, 2011 Paranormal Haven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-stephanie

Winter Bennett has spent decades in the Order of the Knights Templar. A secret human organization that willingly lets a demon into their bodies in order to use their power to protect humans from demons. Being a hybrid comes at a heavy price. If Winter doesn't find someone to mate with soon, she will lose control of her body and powers to the demon and become the very thing she has spent years fighting. Unfortunately there are more pressing matters. The numbers of demons has risen to a starting n...more Winter Bennett has spent decades in the Order of the Knights Templar. A secret human organization that willingly lets a demon into their bodies in order to use their power to protect humans from demons. Being a hybrid comes at a heavy price. If Winter doesn't find someone to mate with soon, she will lose control of her body and powers to the demon and become the very thing she has spent years fighting. Unfortunately there are more pressing matters. The numbers of demons has risen to a starting number and Winter will have to join forces with the lupines and nightwalkers to fight their common enemy. It wouldn't be so difficult if the nightwalker lord wasn't convinced that Winter was meant to be his and will stop at nothing to claim her.

Winter is a hybrid, half-demon and half-human, and has recently been put in charge of her area after a demon attack that has left her commander missing. She is right for the job. She has nerves of steal, has strong powers due to the demon that she carries within her, is calm no matter of crazy things get and is capable of making touch decisions. She is also on the brink of having the demon she let into her body turn her into a blood thirsty monster. Even with that hanging over her head Winter's main concern lies with killing demons so they can't hurt any one. I very much liked her because of that. Marcus Black is the nightwalker lord. Powerful and very much alpha himself, I liked his character as well. The problem was when these two came together. Marcus is bent on getting Winter to submit because she is his destined mate and that is what expected of them. No way is Winter going to let his happen, out side of the bedroom that is, and it because of that it felt like these two were forced together. They were both just too alpha for each other. Neither one of them wanting to give up power. Instead of feeling like mates they felt like really close coworkers that had hot sex.

The story was my favorite part because it had some of my favorite paranormal creatures. Good (as in hybrids) and bad demons, wolf shapeshifters and nightwalkers. I liked that the nightwalkers (vampires) fed off of physic energy instead of blood. They still couldn't go out in the sunlight so there was the sense of tradition but with a nice twist. I also thought that it was interesting that the shifters and nightwalkers were once the same race. I won't give away how they split but I liked that back story a lot.

There was a nice pace set to the story for the most part. There were a few slow times and moments when characters would get lost in their own thoughts that dragged the flow down. My other main issue with Kiss of Darkness is that the story switches off being told from 6 or more different people. It was too much and a couple times I had to go back because I was confused as to whose mind I was in now. Overall I did like the book. The book has it's moments and I think those who have a little patience will like this paranormal romance.

-Stephanie(less)

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Feb 20, 2011 Jamie Kline rated it 3 of 5 stars

My opinion: This book follows several different characters but the heroine of the story is Winter. Winter's husband was attacked and killed by a demon and as a result she ends up binding her soul to a demon in order to be able to fight against them. She is a hybrid (human with soul merged with a demon), along with her two best friends Gia and Dupree. The hybrids live in protected compounds, surviving and taking out demons whenever they get the chance. Unfortunately there is a very big downside t...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Laurielu Book Savvy Babes rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Over 18 due to sexual content

Shelves: 2011-reads, arc, demon, paranormal, werewolf, vampire, romance

Since Winter, a demon hybrid, lost her husband to a demon attack sixty years ago, she has dedicated her life to eradicating demons. She joins her demon hybrid group with the lupines and Nightwalkers who are vampires that feed off of emotions rather than blood, to fight against the demons which have become more cohesive and aggressive in their attacks which are targeting the demon hybrid race.

Marcus, the Nightwalker Lord, recognizes Winter as his mate when he saves her from a demon attack. He is...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of paranormal romance/werewolves

Recommended to Kelly by: Crystal ♥ RBtWBC

Shelves: steamy-reads, secrets-reviewed, first-in-a-series, paranormal, favorites

Wow! This book hits the ground running and doesn't stop (even at the end)! I don't even know where to start my review . . . but I guess I'll try!

I was immediately drawn to the main character, Winter. She is strong, independent, stubborn and bitter. She's a natural born leader and is loyal to her people. She will fight to the death if it means protecting the people she cares about. But beneath the facade of her stone exterior is a woman who longs to be (and yet is afraid to be) loved, cared for,...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Kelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

In Hunt's world, hybrids have been made out of necessity to fight the demons. The heroine, Winter, is initiated into the Order of Templar and is joined with a demon soul to revenge her husband who was killed my them. The merge makes her stronger, faster and also gives her supernatural powers. The downside, eventually the demon side will take over unless she finds a mate to bond with. After 60 years, she is starting to lose the battle to her demon side. Her two friends and lieutenants, Gia and Du...more

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May 01, 2011 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, galley

Winter, the lead female, is a tough girl. She's had to be after fighting demons for fifty years. But after meeting Marcus, the hot nightwalker, we start to see a different side to her. They even each other out, in a way.

This book was similar to other paranormal romances out there in that they have an instant connection and can't fight their feelings, but the hybrid aspect was different enough to keep me interested. The plot kind of surprised me because of the direction it went and how it turned...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Claudette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, paranormal-fantasy-scifi, read-in-2011, romance

In Kiss of Darkness, Winter is a hybrid who's almost reached the end of her days. The only way to save herself from her demon half is to find a mate and bond with him, something she'll never do except for love.
Her lieutenants, Dupree and Gia, have got the same problem, and a few more on their own.

At the same time, a horde of demons manages to locate some of the hybrids' military compounds, leaving nothing but blood and sorrow behind them, and for her people's sake, Winter has to make an alliance...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Cleffairy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reviewed at: Library of Lights

Date reviewed: 28th Feb 2011

Review link: http://mykindaland.com/?p=174

Kiss of Darkness by Loribelle Hunt is a very wicked story. Wicked and passionate, that is. It was written in such a way that exhilarate me, but did not stop me from feeling the passion that the author wanted to convey either. This book is a very good fantasy read, and if you want something different than your regular modern vampire stories, then this book is definitely for you.

There’s plenty of r...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Meaghan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kiss of Darkness takes place in the paranormal world with a couple of well-known species running around: demons, nightwalkers (very much like vampires) and lupines (very much like werewolves). The new kids on the block would be the hybrids, humans who willingly take a demon’s soul and merge it with theirs. The human is in control for a while, but eventually the demon begins to strengthen and the human needs to find a mate to stay stable.

Enter our main characters, Winter and Marcus. Winter would...more Kiss of Darkness takes place in the paranormal world with a couple of well-known species running around: demons, nightwalkers (very much like vampires) and lupines (very much like werewolves). The new kids on the block would be the hybrids, humans who willingly take a demon’s soul and merge it with theirs. The human is in control for a while, but eventually the demon begins to strengthen and the human needs to find a mate to stay stable.

Enter our main characters, Winter and Marcus. Winter would be the hybrid and Marcus is a nightwalker Lord. The chemistry between these two is definitely there but I was happy to see Winter not give in right off the bat to the attraction. She made Marcus work for it, which was refreshing. The only downside of their relationship to me was the feeling of being rushed. The tender moments between them seemed to be to brief where I would have liked to see more of a bond formed between them.

The story had great build-up, the plot was developed, the characters were intriguing and I was hooked, right until about the last 10% of the book. It felt flat at the end which was a little disappointing since the rest of the story really had me engaged. Some of the events towards the end seemed to play out in fast forward but, that might have something to do with how short this book is. I was surprised when I downloaded it onto my Kindle and it was about half the length of other books I read. This would be one instance when I actually wanted the author to add more to the story and make it longer.

All that said, the Kiss of Darkness is a great read! There were enough questions left unanswered at the end of the book to keep me wanting more. Plus, I really enjoyed the characters and want to see how their stories unfold. I am hoping there is another book in this series. I could not find any information about it online and I really would like to see the story develop further. If you are looking for a quick read filled with passion and some series action than you should give this book a try.(less)

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Jan 21, 2011 Among The Muses rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, new-to-me-author, paranormal-romance, shifters, vampires, very-well-written, demons, sensual-romance

In this uniquely crafted world that is made up of a group of remarkably created supernatural creatures, you will get caught up in the action of an ongoing war between good and evil. Then again, what happens if evil has been fastened to good? Is there a fine line that can be crossed? A gray area that can't be defined? Absolutely! And that's part of the adventure Loribelle Hunt takes you on.

Winter Bennett, a demon-human hybrid, has found herself in the predicament of needing saved from a life-thre...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kiss of Darkness is a unique read that really stands out in today's plethora of vampire fiction. An end-of-the-world type feel was prominent throughout this novel but it also contains just the right amount of romance and supernatural lore. Winter, the main character, is strong, independent and someone you'd definitely want at your back. The male characters are a different story. None of them really stood out and they had similar personality traits that made them all sorta blend together.

The stor...more Kiss of Darkness is a unique read that really stands out in today's plethora of vampire fiction. An end-of-the-world type feel was prominent throughout this novel but it also contains just the right amount of romance and supernatural lore. Winter, the main character, is strong, independent and someone you'd definitely want at your back. The male characters are a different story. None of them really stood out and they had similar personality traits that made them all sorta blend together.

The story line gives the book a real sense of urgency from beginning to end. There was never a doubt in my mind that the furture depends on their success. A select number of humans have accepted to bond themselves with demons in order to increase their strength and gain new abilities. These hybrids are able to control their demon halves for about 60 years. At which point, they need to bond with a mate or else their demon halves take over. I'm not a big reader of war literature but I really enjoyed the way that Loribelle Hunt incorporated elements like attack strategies, briefings and chains of command into the plot. It was well done and matched the tone of the novel.

I adored Winter as the main character. There are two very distinct sides to her personality. One being the hard-ass army commander and the second, her intense struggle with love and loss. Her number one priority is her job but she also wants to be happy. She's reluctant to accept just anyone as a mate even if not choosing one means that her demon half will eventually take control. Winter would rather choose death over eternity with someone whom she doesn't love unconditionally. Definitely not an easy choice but she knows what she wants and sticks to her guns. I admire her.

The main members of Winter's Team: Gia and Dupree, are great characters as well. They're similar to Winter in many ways but they also have their own unique internal battles. Which brings me to the men and my main negative feedback on this book. Marcus is a nightwalker (a.k.a. vampire) who also turns out to be Winter's "destined mate". If you can get past his overly possessive nature he's probably a decent guy but I couldn't. His need to control her in every way was just so overwhelming. I felt nothing for Marcus. No sympathy, no attraction; I didn't really care what happened to him in the end. He wasn't the only male to possess this distasteful trait, all of the males with mates acted similarly. The feminist in me hated all of the male characters in this novel. That's not to say that I'm a huge advocate of women's rights but these guys really pushed my buttons (and not in a good way!).

Once I got past the chauvinistic men, I really enjoyed this book. I haven't come across humans merging with demons in a novel before and thought it was a great twist. Loribelle Hunt's world building skills are phenomenal. I found myself feeling edgy in between attacks and worried about the outcome of the battles. Kiss of Darkness is a good read for fans of end-of-the-world type scenarios but if you're looking for heart warming romance or a new fictional man to fantasize about you should look elsewhere. I definitely recommend that you meet Winter though, she rocks.

http://rabid-reads.blogspot.com/2011/...(less)

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May 03, 2013 Lburt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons, vamps, weres

Pretty much had to force myself to finish this book. Totally disappointing cause I really wanted to like it. I just couldn't get into it. Not sure exactly what the problem was. The idea was good, the characters were ok. I think the biggest problem is just the amount of time we spend listening the Winter's inner rambling. I found myself skipping paragraphs. The other problem was Gia and Lukes story. This is supposed to be Winter's book but they kept bring in Gia's relationship drama. They should...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Lea rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE this book. Everything about it.

Hunt created a world in which nightwalkers (psychic vampires), lupines (werewolves), hybrids (half demon, half human) and demons exist. It is not the most unique idea, but nowadays what is?
Winter is the perfect heroine. Beautiful, strong and yet vulnerable. She had a hard past and joined her soul with a demon in order to avenge her husbands death. Winter climbed up the ladder fast, but 60 years after the Joining she is close to giving in to her demon side....more

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Jul 09, 2011 Nicki Markus rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-paranormal

Winter is a hybrid - a human who crossed her soul with a demon's so that she had the strength and power to fight the evil, pure demons. The nightwalkers and the lupines also combat the demon threat, yet all three races distrust each other. When the demons begin to launch planned attacks against the hybrids, the groups must put their differences aside if they are to prevail. As well as beating the demons, Winter is fighting a battle of the heart when she finds herself drawn to the seductive night...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Riley Quinn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another stellar offering from Loribelle Hunt. I really enjoyed learning about her supernatural creatures in this story and she gave them a twist. The vamps and wolves had a twist that I found interesting, not to mention the hybrids.

The suspense was high. The bad guy, and how he came to be the bad guy, was well-done. I'm anxious to read the next in the series and wonder if it will be Gia's or Dupree's story, or both. Either way, I see several books coming from this world and I can't wait.

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Sep 20, 2012 Lady Lioness marked it as old-borders-reviews

Review from the Borders days: 12/23/10

This is a Carina Press title, but I wanted to draw your attention to this author. I really enjoyed this story and I went back to read some of her older e-books. She shows a great deal of potential. There are some definite weak points, but I think she could transition to mainstream, a la Lora Leigh or Christine Warren, once she has a bit more experience. Carina will likely be good for her.

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Kiss of Darkness (Dark Bonds #1)

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