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Keystone
(Crossbreed #1)
by
With over 1 million books sold, USA Today Bestseller Dannika Dark introduces her next addictive series…
Raven Black hunts evildoers for fun, but her vigilante justice isn’t the only reason she’s hiding from the law. Half Vampire, half Mage, she’s spent years living as a rogue to stay alive. When a Russian Shifter offers her a job in his covert organization hunting outlaws, ...more
Raven Black hunts evildoers for fun, but her vigilante justice isn’t the only reason she’s hiding from the law. Half Vampire, half Mage, she’s spent years living as a rogue to stay alive. When a Russian Shifter offers her a job in his covert organization hunting outlaws, ...more
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Paperback, 310 pages
Published
January 17th 2017
by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
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Start your review of Keystone (Crossbreed #1)

The book started out well. Tough lone-wolf heroine with flaws and vulnerabilities. But before this book was over all that changed. She pretty much begged to be let back into Keystone after they kicked her out. They said no. Her love interest was a promiscuous vampire who loathed and lusted after her at the same time. There is nothing attractive about him. He is an asshole, arrogant, doesn't care for her. But who doesn't love a hero who treats heroine like shit.
After a poignant moment where she s ...more
After a poignant moment where she s ...more

Jul 02, 2017
Lusra Gray
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-that-crashed-and-burned
Oh god, where to start? This book is a hot mess.
Fan-fiction. Let’s start with fan-fiction. I’m 80% sure this series is a fan-fic of Teen Titans. Don’t believe me? Allow me to demonstrate.
There's a scrappy band of heroes who are basically emotionally damaged but mildly funny, with misunderstood superpowers and a thirst for violence. They are given inordinate (and frankly, myserterious) amounts of wealth and resources to be some sort of vigilante law enforcement against foes they are hopelessly u ...more
Fan-fiction. Let’s start with fan-fiction. I’m 80% sure this series is a fan-fic of Teen Titans. Don’t believe me? Allow me to demonstrate.
There's a scrappy band of heroes who are basically emotionally damaged but mildly funny, with misunderstood superpowers and a thirst for violence. They are given inordinate (and frankly, myserterious) amounts of wealth and resources to be some sort of vigilante law enforcement against foes they are hopelessly u ...more

5 Keystone Stars
It’s no secret I am a huge fan/supporter of Dannika Dark’s work. I love how she draws you in to her worlds.
I never want to leave.
When I first found out about the new series I was over the moon with anticipation. I can honestly say this is going to be a contender of which of her series is going to be my favorite.
This is different from the other series but still takes place in the same world. And we get more Christian Poe! He has always intrigued me but I love that you don’t ha ...more
It’s no secret I am a huge fan/supporter of Dannika Dark’s work. I love how she draws you in to her worlds.
I never want to leave.
When I first found out about the new series I was over the moon with anticipation. I can honestly say this is going to be a contender of which of her series is going to be my favorite.
This is different from the other series but still takes place in the same world. And we get more Christian Poe! He has always intrigued me but I love that you don’t ha ...more

3 Luke-warm stars
I haven’t read a Dannika Dark read in a long time. I do like her shifter series, but I wanted to try something different.
This book is VERY tame. Sure there’s some events that happen, but the “romance” is the back-burner of the story. I kind of wish it was YA because I didn’t care for the mild tension. But that is me.
The political aspect is the heart of the story. I’m not sure if I like the world building too much. I found out this is a spin-off series and maybe that was my probl ...more
I haven’t read a Dannika Dark read in a long time. I do like her shifter series, but I wanted to try something different.
This book is VERY tame. Sure there’s some events that happen, but the “romance” is the back-burner of the story. I kind of wish it was YA because I didn’t care for the mild tension. But that is me.
The political aspect is the heart of the story. I’m not sure if I like the world building too much. I found out this is a spin-off series and maybe that was my probl ...more

Mageri this. Mageri that. I've never read Dannika Dark's Mageri series, which was obviously a good call on my part if this book is anything to go by. And that Christian Poe character? Talk about trying to hard to make him appear a sexy and lascivious but interesting alpha male. No, just no. He was quite honestly; cringe worthy:-(
On the bright side, this book was an excellent cure for my insomnia.

First DNF of the year for me. ...more
On the bright side, this book was an excellent cure for my insomnia.

First DNF of the year for me. ...more

DNF
You have got to be kidding me! Seriously I wish half of these authors put in some effort in creating plots. I have no idea what the raving is all about.
I was not impressed with the characters or their development neither was the concept all that impressive or interesting. The world building was about had potential to grow however the story was mind numbingly boring to utilize it. The writing had no substance so to conclude it was a fail!
You have got to be kidding me! Seriously I wish half of these authors put in some effort in creating plots. I have no idea what the raving is all about.
I was not impressed with the characters or their development neither was the concept all that impressive or interesting. The world building was about had potential to grow however the story was mind numbingly boring to utilize it. The writing had no substance so to conclude it was a fail!

Dannika Dark is at it again. I don't know how she does it, but she just has a way of drawing you into this fantasy world of Breed with rich characters and addictive story lines.
I've read every book Dannika Dark has ever put out to the public, and I've loved every. single. one of them. But the Mageri Series has literally been my all-time favorite series out of all the books I've ever read, and Christian Poe, the snarky, Vampire bodyguard introduced in Twist, Book 2 of that series, was one of my ...more
I've read every book Dannika Dark has ever put out to the public, and I've loved every. single. one of them. But the Mageri Series has literally been my all-time favorite series out of all the books I've ever read, and Christian Poe, the snarky, Vampire bodyguard introduced in Twist, Book 2 of that series, was one of my ...more

Why does everyone like this series so much?

Let me start off with what I liked and why this series got 2 stars.
I enjoyed the heroine. She's one of the very few kick-ass chicks I've seen who aren't afraid to kill the bad guys (I mean actually kill, she goes around killing bad guys, yay). She seems really tough and, in her way, I understand why she does what she does. Yay, her!

What I didn't like, well... everything else except her.
This mystery crew is a band of idiots. They are supposed to be immor ...more

Let me start off with what I liked and why this series got 2 stars.
I enjoyed the heroine. She's one of the very few kick-ass chicks I've seen who aren't afraid to kill the bad guys (I mean actually kill, she goes around killing bad guys, yay). She seems really tough and, in her way, I understand why she does what she does. Yay, her!

What I didn't like, well... everything else except her.
This mystery crew is a band of idiots. They are supposed to be immor ...more

Excellent.
Whoops, I clearly forgot to review this. First I want to let you know that all of Ms. Dark's books are set in the same universe and she does have a preferred reading order, which is available on her website. I highly recommend reading in the order so things make sense, but it isn't completely required. Still not much of the different Breeds are explained in depth like they are in the Mageri and Seven series. By this point I feel that most people should read those ones first IMO.
Raven B ...more
Whoops, I clearly forgot to review this. First I want to let you know that all of Ms. Dark's books are set in the same universe and she does have a preferred reading order, which is available on her website. I highly recommend reading in the order so things make sense, but it isn't completely required. Still not much of the different Breeds are explained in depth like they are in the Mageri and Seven series. By this point I feel that most people should read those ones first IMO.
Raven B ...more

The world will be familiar to fans of her Seven series and Mageri series (one I fully intend to listen to as well). For those who have read the series the familiar character Christian Poe appears. Dark is promising all sorts of twists and turns in this new series, and she started it off with plenty of action with life and death moments. It was utterly addictive.
Our heroine Raven Black is undocumented. Since she isn't registered and has no standing with the Breed, she is living off the streets an ...more
Our heroine Raven Black is undocumented. Since she isn't registered and has no standing with the Breed, she is living off the streets an ...more

*SPOILERS*
Part of the reason I disliked this book so much was because of the expectation set by the glowing reviews, which were promptly dashed to pieces.
My gosh. Do we not care about good literature anymore? This book was riddled with inconsistencies, awkward dialogue, unrealistic reactions and "telling not showing."
One of the biggest issues I had was that we're fed paragraphs of boring details about what rooms look like and what people are wearing, but we barely get any details when something ...more
Part of the reason I disliked this book so much was because of the expectation set by the glowing reviews, which were promptly dashed to pieces.
My gosh. Do we not care about good literature anymore? This book was riddled with inconsistencies, awkward dialogue, unrealistic reactions and "telling not showing."
One of the biggest issues I had was that we're fed paragraphs of boring details about what rooms look like and what people are wearing, but we barely get any details when something ...more

Jan 21, 2017
Cheryl La Pa
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017-jan,
paranormal-romance
Ms Dark has done it again with another fantastic series! Loved seeing Christian again (from the Mageri series) and getting to know Raven and the Keystone group. Raven is a little rough around the edges, independent and impulsive, so it is a big adjustment for her when she joins the covert organisation, Keystone, and has to work as a team player and follow the rules. Her partner is Christian Poe, a handsome charming vampire who would rather work alone.
Ms Dark knows how to create deep, real chara ...more
Ms Dark knows how to create deep, real chara ...more

Aside from that one scene that really pissed me off - (view spoiler) , even though I suppose it wasn't the worst thing seeing as there isn't really a romance going on, just some sexual tension - I enjoyed this. The whole group dynamic and Raven learning more about herself and what she could do.
Oh and boy did I love that little twist that Raven aske ...more
Oh and boy did I love that little twist that Raven aske ...more

how I ADORE the Dannika Dark - Nicole Poole audio book team! I think this will be a strong and entertaining series and it's always wonderful to be back in the mythical breed world that Dannika beautifully creates and Nicole magically brings to life!
I'm pretty traditional when it comes to reading, in that I prefer to actually physically read, but NO JOKE, stumbling upon this team has me 1000000% committed to ONLY audio books (via audible.com) for anything these two are on together; they're just ...more
I'm pretty traditional when it comes to reading, in that I prefer to actually physically read, but NO JOKE, stumbling upon this team has me 1000000% committed to ONLY audio books (via audible.com) for anything these two are on together; they're just ...more

Apr 03, 2017
Gaele
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
abrc,
audio-book,
paranormal,
reviewed,
tantor-audio,
ntyc,
2017-challenges,
full-house-reading-challenge
AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall 4 Narration 5 Story 4
My first introduction to Dannika Dark, and I’m hooked. In Crossbreed we have a mixed race heroine in Raven: half mage, half vampire, she’s unregistered in society and exists on the fringe, avoiding the law and doing her best to make her own rules, with reasonable success. But, she’s got her own self-image issues: she despises her vampire half, and isn’t comfortable with the magical nature of her mage side, so she’s constantly on the move, un ...more
Stars: Overall 4 Narration 5 Story 4
My first introduction to Dannika Dark, and I’m hooked. In Crossbreed we have a mixed race heroine in Raven: half mage, half vampire, she’s unregistered in society and exists on the fringe, avoiding the law and doing her best to make her own rules, with reasonable success. But, she’s got her own self-image issues: she despises her vampire half, and isn’t comfortable with the magical nature of her mage side, so she’s constantly on the move, un ...more

(Rabid Reads.com)Whenever Dannika Dark publishes a new book it’s an event for me. Her stories are always full of romance, humor, suspense, and all sorts of paranormal characters. Perfect recipe for a good time reading! With Keystone, the author continues her foray into her intricately fleshed out Breed world, and introduces us to a half Mage, half Vampire, crossbreed named, Raven Black. And for the Mageri fans out there, she has added Christian Poe from that series, into the mix as a major chara
...more

A gorgeous start to a new series. Reminiscent of Written in Red which began Anne Bishop's popular series, Keystone introduces us to this new Urban Fantasy world and it's main characters. The world may not be brand new to you if you've read Dark's The Mageri Series Box Set. I have not, but the gorgeous cover of this book kept calling my name. This book does not require any prior knowledge. Never for a moment did I feel like I was missing anything or lacked understanding of anything going on in Ke
...more

There are some really great moments in this book.
I also found some things pretty damned annoying.
It's not perfect but those great moments made it all worth while. ...more
I also found some things pretty damned annoying.
It's not perfect but those great moments made it all worth while. ...more

Keystone was a great story, with strong characters, a solid plot and an exciting storyline. It also brought me back into the universe of the Mages and other breeds.

Nicole Poole nailed the narration! I could see Christian's smirk in her voice, I could feel Raven's anguish and hope, and I sensed the stars through Nico!
...more

Jan 24, 2019
Al *the semi serial series skipper*
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
3.5 Stars
I think this was a nice introduction to the series. I like Raven and Christian already, they are book cocky and their banter is hilarious. I like the group dynamic as well, can't wait to read more from this author. ...more
I think this was a nice introduction to the series. I like Raven and Christian already, they are book cocky and their banter is hilarious. I like the group dynamic as well, can't wait to read more from this author. ...more

Feb 08, 2017
Michelle
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
faves-urban-fantasy
4 - 4.5 stars for this newest addition to the "breeds" world that Dannika Dark created with the Mageri Series. I LOVED the Mageri series, so it was nice to be able to venture back into that world.
Raven Black is a crossbreed: half Vampire, half Mage. Crossbreeds are not well received in the breed world, and as such, she has been living on the streets: sleeping in dumpsters and scrounging for food in Breed establishments. Along the way, she has seen the worst of the breeds, and has become a kind ...more
Raven Black is a crossbreed: half Vampire, half Mage. Crossbreeds are not well received in the breed world, and as such, she has been living on the streets: sleeping in dumpsters and scrounging for food in Breed establishments. Along the way, she has seen the worst of the breeds, and has become a kind ...more

Dec 27, 2016
Silver James
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
keeper,
library,
reread,
paranormal,
auto-buy-series,
suspense,
audio-books,
fantasy,
2017-books-read

[Original review - Kindle edition] I enjoy this author's work, though her Seven series more so than her Ma ...more

Oct 09, 2018
Blodeuedd Finland
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
urban-fantasy,
audiobook
I had issues, and the nail in the coffin was when I fell asleep and did not care to go back and listen to 15 min or so. Oh and when I sped it up even more cos I just wanted it to end.
I did not care for Raven. She had killed a lot of people, but then we learn that she does not know to fight and her magic is not as good as the real breeds...right, and she took down dangerous baddies how? Supposedly by luring them in..right.
Oh and she is an idiot. Think woman! There was this situation and she effed ...more
I did not care for Raven. She had killed a lot of people, but then we learn that she does not know to fight and her magic is not as good as the real breeds...right, and she took down dangerous baddies how? Supposedly by luring them in..right.
Oh and she is an idiot. Think woman! There was this situation and she effed ...more

Suspenseful, intriguing, witty and fresh; all the things a Dannika Dark fan knows to expect in her books is exactly what Keystone offers.
Raven, much like all of Dark's heroines, is strong yet vulernable, looking for her place in this world after being made into something she doesn't full understand. On Raven's search for her next meal and place in the world she meets the prickly vampire Christian Poe. *insert excited squeal*
Christian is many things, but warm and fuzzy is not one of them. I ado ...more
Raven, much like all of Dark's heroines, is strong yet vulernable, looking for her place in this world after being made into something she doesn't full understand. On Raven's search for her next meal and place in the world she meets the prickly vampire Christian Poe. *insert excited squeal*
Christian is many things, but warm and fuzzy is not one of them. I ado ...more

DNF'ed at 11% in. Unrated. Sass without a storyline. Boring. Not worth my time.
It's all very well to be able to write 2 or 3 one liners per page, but it doesn't make up for paper thin characters and no story line. ...more
It's all very well to be able to write 2 or 3 one liners per page, but it doesn't make up for paper thin characters and no story line. ...more

Feb 03, 2017
Kristy
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
paranormal-uf,
series
4.5 stars
Great start to this crossover series! I liked the development of Raven's character, and loved the new characters. It was great to get to know Christian better too. Can't wait for the next book. ...more
Great start to this crossover series! I liked the development of Raven's character, and loved the new characters. It was great to get to know Christian better too. Can't wait for the next book. ...more

3.5 – Philosophical meets trailer trash stars
Raven Black hunts evildoers for fun, but her vigilante justice isn’t the only reason she’s hiding from the law. Half Vampire, half Mage, she’s spent years living as a rogue to stay alive. When a Russian Shifter offers her a job in his covert organization hunting outlaws, dignity and a respectable career are finally within her grasp. The catch? Her new partner is Christian Poe - a smug, handsome Vampire whom she’d rather stake than go on a stakeout ...more
Raven Black hunts evildoers for fun, but her vigilante justice isn’t the only reason she’s hiding from the law. Half Vampire, half Mage, she’s spent years living as a rogue to stay alive. When a Russian Shifter offers her a job in his covert organization hunting outlaws, dignity and a respectable career are finally within her grasp. The catch? Her new partner is Christian Poe - a smug, handsome Vampire whom she’d rather stake than go on a stakeout ...more

I will start by saying that I absolutely love Dannika Dark and everything she writes! I loved the Mageri series and the Seven Series both, and now I am a big fan of Keystone and the new Crossbreed series! For those who loved the Mageri series, you're going to fall right into to step with this one because it takes place in the same Breed World, even in the same city of Cognito. They talk about all the same different kinds of Breeds - Vampires, Mages, Shifters, Sensors, Chitahs, and even a couple
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Who's Your Author?: March BOM: Keystone | 9 | 19 | Apr 01, 2018 05:05AM | |
Castle Dracula: Keystone by Dannika Dark | 25 | 23 | Mar 15, 2017 09:10PM |
Dannika Dark is a USA TODAY Bestselling author and Audie Awards Finalist of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels.
THE MAGERI SERIES is an exciting urban fantasy romance about a young woman's claim to immortality. Passionate, humorous, dark, and full of unpredictable twists, the Mageri series will take you on an unforgettable journey of love, friendship, and the hidden power within us all. C ...more
THE MAGERI SERIES is an exciting urban fantasy romance about a young woman's claim to immortality. Passionate, humorous, dark, and full of unpredictable twists, the Mageri series will take you on an unforgettable journey of love, friendship, and the hidden power within us all. C ...more
Other books in the series
Crossbreed
(9 books)
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