Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I hadn't realized how much I'd missed Keri Arthur's writing until I read Darkness Unbound. I absolutely adored her Riley Jensen Guardian series. In fact, I was one of those crazed fans lining up at the bookstore every time a new installment was published. Yeah, they're that good. It came as no surprise to me when I gobbled up the first Dark Angels book in one day. What an unbelievable story, packed with enamoring characters and unparalleled story telling! Thank goodness that Darkness Rising is just around the corner otherwise I think that the wait might actually kill me. Melodramatic much?

I was incredibly pleased to see that Riley and her crew make a few cameo appearances. There was no mention of them in the blurb so it came as a complete surprise to me, albeit an extremely welcome one. This is a brand new series so Keri doesn't give us much Jensen action but hey, I'll take what I can get! Risa is Dia's daughter, who was a side character in the Guardian series. I was always extremely fascinated by her. She has remarkable skills and her supernatural powers are off the charts. Jones is a new half breed freshly hatched out of Keri's imagination. The combination of her mother and her father's blood flowing through her veins packs one hell of a punch. I don't know where Arthur came up with the concept behind Risa but kudos to her! Not only are her origins astonishingly intriguing but her personality is a real winner. I fell in love with her after the first 50 pages. She has a backbone of steel yet has no desire to follow in her aunt Riley's footsteps. Jones has her feet planted firmly on the ground and only seeks trouble out after it makes the first move in finding her.

Darkness Unbound is overflowing with a five star cast of supernaturals. There's angels, clairvoyants, vampires, werewolves, reapers, demons, shifters and others who's paranormal side has yet to be revealed. I'm sure that you'll find at least one character who suits your taste! By the end, I was so immersed in Keri's world that I was reluctant to return to reality. Fortunately, my guy is incredibly understanding and can quickly identify when I'm in "fiction fantasy heaven" with no chance of returning anytime soon. While I'm on the topic of hallucinations...

Time to fawn over Lucian and Azriel Yes, there are TWO smexy men in this book! Risa only does the deed with one of them so it's hard to pick a favorite yet but for me, the reaper is slightly in the lead. He has yet to demonstrate his sexual prowess although, if the heat that radiates off him is anything to go by... The flaming sword and his mysterious personality don't exactly hurt either! Lucian's a lot more straightforward. Well, at least he appears to be so far. An Aedh's kiss is capable of melting rock as well as hearts. There's some food for thought for those of you still considering reading Darkness Unbound!

The only problem that I have with this book is the fact that I'm now stuck waiting until October 25th to find out what happens next! I don't think that it's essential to read the Riley Jensen Guardian series before tackling this one but if you have then you'll definitely experience a few extra thrills that newcomers will miss out on. Being an existing Keri Arthur fan does have its advantages! She can weave her magic on me anytime. I have yet to pick my top Urban Fantasy reads of 2011 but Darkness Unbound is definitely a contender it. Not surprising coming from one of my all-time favorite authors. It's been a while since I've lined up outside of a bookstore but if I'm going to do it for anyone it's going to be Keri.