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Surrender the Dark
(Boston After Dark #1)
by
As a provocative series of paranormal temptation begins, a vampire king seduces the supernaturally gifted man hunting him. But when the stakes are literally life or death, their struggle for control is no game.
Benjamin Fuller is a hunter, born and bred. Blinded as a child by the vampire who slaughtered his family, he’s blessed with a second sight that allows him to catch ...more
Benjamin Fuller is a hunter, born and bred. Blinded as a child by the vampire who slaughtered his family, he’s blessed with a second sight that allows him to catch ...more
ebook
Published
May 23rd 2017
by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Surrender the Dark
~3.5~
The world building and writing in Surrender the Dark are exceptional. Some of the prose struck me as ornate, and I had a hard time getting into the book initially, but the more I read, the more I realized the word choices and cadence are appropriate to the story and characters.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story like no other. Benjamin and Tzadkiel don't merely annoy each other. They HATE each other, despise each other. They are blood enemies.
Benjamin's family killed Tzadkiel's brothers, a ...more
The world building and writing in Surrender the Dark are exceptional. Some of the prose struck me as ornate, and I had a hard time getting into the book initially, but the more I read, the more I realized the word choices and cadence are appropriate to the story and characters.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story like no other. Benjamin and Tzadkiel don't merely annoy each other. They HATE each other, despise each other. They are blood enemies.
Benjamin's family killed Tzadkiel's brothers, a ...more
Apr 10, 2017
Jewel
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
time-period-contemporary,
mm,
paranormal,
vampires,
favorites,
five-stars,
review-copy,
favorite-mm
I had not read anything by this author before reading Surrender the Dark. I read the blurb, though, and just had to see how the author managed to make a vampire hunter and the vampire that killed his family and blinded him go from enemies to lovers. Had to. And, man oh man was it a fantastic ride! Seriously, I loved every moment. In fact, I read the whole book in one sitting, I loved it so much.
Surrender the Dark is not like other vampire stories I've read. Here, vampires aren't actually evil or ...more
Surrender the Dark is not like other vampire stories I've read. Here, vampires aren't actually evil or ...more
I don't want to get too excited here but this has the potential to be a great paranormal romantic suspense series with phenomenal worldbuilding, strong leading characters and loads of action/adventure. Armstrong has taken a modern day Boston and transformed it into an urban fantasy landscape brimming with secret lairs, underground civilizations, supes of all kinds, secret doors and a blood feud that spans years.
We have the sexy vamp in Tzadkiel and his fierce paramour, Benjamin. They have a sha ...more
We have the sexy vamp in Tzadkiel and his fierce paramour, Benjamin. They have a sha ...more
May 12, 2016
Lisa Arbitrary - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
m-m-romance,
paranormal-romance,
vampires,
adult,
romance,
netgalley,
arc,
highly-emotional,
must-reads
~~~
**5 Stars**
How do you tell people about a book that you’re so in love with that, even though you’ve read it over and over…and over, it becomes more cherished with each reading? How do you explain that each scene is better than the last and it would be impossible to choose a favorite part? How do you describe that the author’s words in this romantic and thrilling love story pierced your heart and lifted you away? I guess by asking them to trust you enough to read it.
Surrender the Dark is a boo ...more
**5 Stars**
How do you tell people about a book that you’re so in love with that, even though you’ve read it over and over…and over, it becomes more cherished with each reading? How do you explain that each scene is better than the last and it would be impossible to choose a favorite part? How do you describe that the author’s words in this romantic and thrilling love story pierced your heart and lifted you away? I guess by asking them to trust you enough to read it.
Surrender the Dark is a boo ...more
While I enjoyed "Surrender the Dark," I didn't totally *love* it as much as I'd hoped that I would.
For me, the story had so much world building, so many different things going on, that the romance aspect took a bit of a back seat.
I did like how Benjamin, blinded at age 8 while fighting a vampire, never came across as weak or a person to be pitied. Not once. He was a hunter and played the cards he'd been dealt.
And the 'War King', Tzadkiel, who'd lost his entire family over the millennia at the ha ...more
May 06, 2017
Heather K (dentist in my spare time)
added it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Heather K (dentist in my spare time) by:
Lisa Arbitrary - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog
DNF at 15%. No rating, but I sort of hated it from the start. Couldn't wait to put it down.
...more
~3.75 stars~
My friend, Jewel, was right. The writing, the world-building, was top notch. Surrender the Dark gripped me with its story. Sworn enemies to lovers? Check.
Tzadkiel is a millennia-old vampire who has awakened after 20 years to find his mora (his family) is all but decimated. He only remembers that day 20 years ago, when that 8-year-old boy gave him a drink of water and unknowingly helped him to escape the psychotic family of vampire hunters who held him captive. He was able to kill the ...more
My friend, Jewel, was right. The writing, the world-building, was top notch. Surrender the Dark gripped me with its story. Sworn enemies to lovers? Check.
Tzadkiel is a millennia-old vampire who has awakened after 20 years to find his mora (his family) is all but decimated. He only remembers that day 20 years ago, when that 8-year-old boy gave him a drink of water and unknowingly helped him to escape the psychotic family of vampire hunters who held him captive. He was able to kill the ...more
I’ve put this on hold for now for two reasons.
Firstly the start of the book is darker than I expected. I could get past this of course but that brings me to the second reason. The next book is only available on pdf this isn’t a lot of good to me. I use an iPad and a kindle paperwhite. The print is too small for me so I’m out for now.
Firstly the start of the book is darker than I expected. I could get past this of course but that brings me to the second reason. The next book is only available on pdf this isn’t a lot of good to me. I use an iPad and a kindle paperwhite. The print is too small for me so I’m out for now.
Feb 27, 2017
Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed,
read-in-2017,
part-of-series,
vampires,
witches,
zombies,
netgalley,
romance-m-m,
shapeshifters,
paranormal-romance
The story opens as an adorable eight-year old, Benjamin Fuller, is playing outside when lured into his house by his horrid uncle. He has to repeat to himself the nursery rhyme that gives him a bit of bravery to face up to his family's cruel legacy as hunter of vampires and the supernatural. Not only does the uncle kill, he steals and tortures, but when Benjamin has to put on a brave (sort-of) face and join in, all hell breaks loose. Fast forward into the future and the two are at each other's th
...more
This is a great enemies to lovers story. This is a stunning and original Hunters vs. Vampires book. This is a MM romance between a vampire who wants to kill a hunter, and a skilled hunter, breed to execute the vampire race.
The atmosphere Tibby Armstrong has created is completely absorbing and with a Dark-ish tone envolving every page, every street of Boston, that had me fascinated since the very first page.
The world building is extremely attractive and the writing is remarkable.
To build a great ...more
The atmosphere Tibby Armstrong has created is completely absorbing and with a Dark-ish tone envolving every page, every street of Boston, that had me fascinated since the very first page.
The world building is extremely attractive and the writing is remarkable.
To build a great ...more
4.5 stars
An extraordinarily well written paranormal romance.
We get vampires and vampire hunters, witches and fae. All living and fighting in Boston with humans mostly unaware.
The vampires and hunters, descendants of Greek gods, have ancient animosity between the families. Blood enemies with hearts full of revenge.
It grabs your heartstrings from the very beginning. I was immediately sad for the boy Benjamin. Horrified and outraged at the mistreatment of Tzadkiel the vampire at Hunter hands.
Twenty ...more
An extraordinarily well written paranormal romance.
We get vampires and vampire hunters, witches and fae. All living and fighting in Boston with humans mostly unaware.
The vampires and hunters, descendants of Greek gods, have ancient animosity between the families. Blood enemies with hearts full of revenge.
It grabs your heartstrings from the very beginning. I was immediately sad for the boy Benjamin. Horrified and outraged at the mistreatment of Tzadkiel the vampire at Hunter hands.
Twenty ...more
5++++++ STARS!!!
This is how you write Paranormal Romance.
I feel like I have been waiting a very long time for this book.
It had everything I love and crave in a Paranormal Romance plus some.
And let me tell you, that plus some blew me away. How the author managed to pull this off with the level of feeling I felt for both Benjamin and Tzadkiel blew my mind. For sure there had to be a bad guy. For sure I’d love one and hate the other. Mind blown that this is not at all what I felt.
I was intrigued ...more
This is how you write Paranormal Romance.
I feel like I have been waiting a very long time for this book.
It had everything I love and crave in a Paranormal Romance plus some.
And let me tell you, that plus some blew me away. How the author managed to pull this off with the level of feeling I felt for both Benjamin and Tzadkiel blew my mind. For sure there had to be a bad guy. For sure I’d love one and hate the other. Mind blown that this is not at all what I felt.
I was intrigued ...more
Stunning, simply stunning. This book is a triumph, it takes a common trope - of vampires and vampire hunters, along with all associated paranormal species - and creates a unique exploration of their world in a strangely familiar, but still mysterious, modern Boston setting.
In both Benjamin and Tzadkiel, Tibby has crafted an enemies to lovers romance which is not only wholly believable, it is one which the reader wants to triumph. The UST in this book is delicious and when it finally bears fruit, ...more
In both Benjamin and Tzadkiel, Tibby has crafted an enemies to lovers romance which is not only wholly believable, it is one which the reader wants to triumph. The UST in this book is delicious and when it finally bears fruit, ...more
Surrender the Dark is a slow-burn romance between a hunter and a vampire that are connected by their families' centuries-old animosity.
Each has his own scars and both are responsible in some way for the other's suffering. It's a true enemies to lovers story with Benjamin and Tzadkiel honestly hating each other at the beginning and for the most part of the story.
Their connection and forgiveness for the other comes gradually. They learn to trust each other and to see the other for who he is rather ...more
Each has his own scars and both are responsible in some way for the other's suffering. It's a true enemies to lovers story with Benjamin and Tzadkiel honestly hating each other at the beginning and for the most part of the story.
Their connection and forgiveness for the other comes gradually. They learn to trust each other and to see the other for who he is rather ...more
4 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review. Quotes used were from an ARC and may be different in the final copy.*
I have to admit, I’ve stayed away from paranormal romance lately, but I’m glad I took a chance on this book because I really enjoyed it!
I actually had the wrong idea of what this story would be like though. For some reason, I was expecting something along the lines of Benjamin being kidnapped and held captive and the two men fallin ...more
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review. Quotes used were from an ARC and may be different in the final copy.*
I have to admit, I’ve stayed away from paranormal romance lately, but I’m glad I took a chance on this book because I really enjoyed it!
I actually had the wrong idea of what this story would be like though. For some reason, I was expecting something along the lines of Benjamin being kidnapped and held captive and the two men fallin ...more
Mar 23, 2017
Julie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
new-release-challenge-2017,
netgalley
Benjamin Fuller was (reluctantly on his part) raised to be a vampire hunter just like all of his family members before him. His uncle was cruel, often abusive to him, and was determined to teach him the ways of killing a vampire. At only 8 years old Benjamin didn't really want any part of it, until one night when a vampire used Benjamin's kindness against him to not only escape but kill his family. Benjamin was injured in the attack and it costs him his eyesight, so he decides to never show merc
...more
This started a little slow for me but got progressively better as it went along. I very much enjoyed the story and see a lot of potential for a series. If the author takes it that way, I'll definitely be reading!
...more
May 23, 2017
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
guiltypleasures-kittyangel
I had a hard time beginning this story. There was a lot of back-ground that needed to be covered and I was having a hard time keeping all the players straight. Pushing past the first few chapters, I actually started wondering just where Tibby Armstrong was taking us.
Benjamin is the hunter. Tzadkiel is the hunted. Until the tables are turned and Benjamin is forced to work with him to save the only two friends he had. Unfortunately, the attraction that they feel for each other is only complicating ...more
Feb 10, 2018
Ezinwanyi Chinyere
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
gay-romance,
disability,
paranormal-romance,
witches-wizards-sorcerers,
vampires,
magic,
urban-fantasy,
m-m,
fae,
audiobook
The narration on this one detracted from my enjoyment. The two main characters didn’t really have chemistry to me. It seemed more of a pity thing as well as a I’m horny and lonely. I didn’t enjoy them together.
Also, the hunters were pretty weak for having their own magic as were the vsmpir s. The Fae were the only ones making real power plays.
This plot was just not good.
Also, the hunters were pretty weak for having their own magic as were the vsmpir s. The Fae were the only ones making real power plays.
This plot was just not good.
May 23, 2017
Debra
added it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Debra by:
Lisa Arbitrary - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog
Review originally posted at Sinfully.
3.5 stars
This is a paranormal, sworn enemies to lovers story that puts a bit of a twist on vampire lore, by adding some Greek mythology to their origin story. While the blurb is all about the relationship between Tzadkiel and Benjamin, this is definitely more urban fantasy than romance, the focus on a brewing war for control of Boston, with the romance firmly on the side.
The prologue of the book set an exciting tone as an 8 year old Benjamin, the last in a l ...more
3.5 stars
This is a paranormal, sworn enemies to lovers story that puts a bit of a twist on vampire lore, by adding some Greek mythology to their origin story. While the blurb is all about the relationship between Tzadkiel and Benjamin, this is definitely more urban fantasy than romance, the focus on a brewing war for control of Boston, with the romance firmly on the side.
The prologue of the book set an exciting tone as an 8 year old Benjamin, the last in a l ...more
Mar 27, 2017
h o l l i s
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
urban-f,
ebook,
hate-to-love-romance,
finished-in-march-2017,
thriller,
para-romance,
romance,
lgbtqia,
2017-reads
While I'm no stranger to m/m in a contemporary setting, I'm slowly making strides to branch out and find m/m in other genres.. like paranormal or historical. So when I saw the premise for SURRENDER THE DARK to be a m/m enemies to lovers romance set against a dark world with paranormal elements, I was super excited.
Which makes my lack of overall joy pretty sad.
This is my first read by Armstrong and I'll admit after reading the premise upon initial request, I didn't refresh my memory by looking ov ...more
Which makes my lack of overall joy pretty sad.
This is my first read by Armstrong and I'll admit after reading the premise upon initial request, I didn't refresh my memory by looking ov ...more
3 "War King & Hunter Mine" Stars
Great 3rd person alternating POV world building for the series as it seems there will be 3 books each with its own couple & HEA. It reads like a series standalone. However unless Ms. Armstrong is going to flashback everything Akio goes thru for the next book, I would advocate reading this one first as you will need to see what all he went thru in this book before continuing his story in another.
For those of you who like a Enemies-to-Lovers Slow-Burn, this will ...more
Great 3rd person alternating POV world building for the series as it seems there will be 3 books each with its own couple & HEA. It reads like a series standalone. However unless Ms. Armstrong is going to flashback everything Akio goes thru for the next book, I would advocate reading this one first as you will need to see what all he went thru in this book before continuing his story in another.
For those of you who like a Enemies-to-Lovers Slow-Burn, this will ...more
ARC provided by the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an impartial review.
This story appears to be the beginning of a new series, and as such, the author spends much of the time world-building. Unfortunately, I found this incredibly boring and after a while it became difficult to focus on the pages. From the blurb, I thought this would be a paranormal romance with the protagonists, Benjamin, the hunter, and Tzadkiel, the vampire king, immediately attracted to one another and eventual ...more
This story appears to be the beginning of a new series, and as such, the author spends much of the time world-building. Unfortunately, I found this incredibly boring and after a while it became difficult to focus on the pages. From the blurb, I thought this would be a paranormal romance with the protagonists, Benjamin, the hunter, and Tzadkiel, the vampire king, immediately attracted to one another and eventual ...more
May 18, 2017
Kahea
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romance,
fiction,
arc,
contemporary,
mm-romance,
reviewed,
netgalley-arc,
paranormal-urban-fantasy,
lgbtqia,
inked-hotties
***3.5 Stars***
I’ve waffled a bit over this one and it’s not because I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. It had more to do with what I was expecting and what I actually got while reading the book. The world building and setup of the series story arc as well as the secondary ones were done very well and I’m quite interested in seeing how it all plays out. I could easily picture what was going on my head and though there were parts that dragged a bit for me, it didn’t last long and I enjoy ...more
I’ve waffled a bit over this one and it’s not because I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. It had more to do with what I was expecting and what I actually got while reading the book. The world building and setup of the series story arc as well as the secondary ones were done very well and I’m quite interested in seeing how it all plays out. I could easily picture what was going on my head and though there were parts that dragged a bit for me, it didn’t last long and I enjoy ...more
DNF April 2017
Not for me. At all. I couldn’t finish this. Made it to about 50% and couldn’t do any more. I never really cared about either Benjamin or Tzadkiel, and really, their enmity, the injustices they’ve done to each other, make it seem impossible they could ever come together romantically.
I don’t buy it. The writing style isn’t my cuppa either. Giving up.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Not for me. At all. I couldn’t finish this. Made it to about 50% and couldn’t do any more. I never really cared about either Benjamin or Tzadkiel, and really, their enmity, the injustices they’ve done to each other, make it seem impossible they could ever come together romantically.
I don’t buy it. The writing style isn’t my cuppa either. Giving up.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars
I feel like I might be in the minority here, but unfortunately Surrender the Dark didn't grip me as much as I'd hoped it would.
I liked the character development of Ben and Tzadkiel, mortal enemies at first who really hated each other and slowly fall in love. They were really well developed and I guess it's realistic for their relationship to slowly develop from hate into love, but I just didn't feel like there was enough romance. There was so much happening that the romance took a back s ...more
I feel like I might be in the minority here, but unfortunately Surrender the Dark didn't grip me as much as I'd hoped it would.
I liked the character development of Ben and Tzadkiel, mortal enemies at first who really hated each other and slowly fall in love. They were really well developed and I guess it's realistic for their relationship to slowly develop from hate into love, but I just didn't feel like there was enough romance. There was so much happening that the romance took a back s ...more
My Review:
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I liked it...a lot.
The book starts when Benjamin was an 8 yo little boy, being trained by his family to be a vampire hunter. His training is beyond barbaric...both from the perspective of the little boy and the vampire. Those first few scenes are pretty rough. Then the book jumps ahead almost 20 years...and once again the vampire and the hunter are facing off, but both their lives have been greatly affected by what happened to them 20 y ...more
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I liked it...a lot.
The book starts when Benjamin was an 8 yo little boy, being trained by his family to be a vampire hunter. His training is beyond barbaric...both from the perspective of the little boy and the vampire. Those first few scenes are pretty rough. Then the book jumps ahead almost 20 years...and once again the vampire and the hunter are facing off, but both their lives have been greatly affected by what happened to them 20 y ...more
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Surrender the Dark is the first book in a new series by Tibby Armstrong and she sets up a really intense enemies to lovers plot here, with some detailed world building. This is a rare book where the conflict between the men continues almost throughout the story. Even as they grow to understand one another, and even be drawn together, Tzadkiel sees no other choice but to ultimately kill Benjamin. There isn’t quite that crackle of intensity, that pull between love ...more
3.75 stars
Surrender the Dark is the first book in a new series by Tibby Armstrong and she sets up a really intense enemies to lovers plot here, with some detailed world building. This is a rare book where the conflict between the men continues almost throughout the story. Even as they grow to understand one another, and even be drawn together, Tzadkiel sees no other choice but to ultimately kill Benjamin. There isn’t quite that crackle of intensity, that pull between love ...more
2.5 Stars
Surrender the Dark is the first of a new series: The Dark, that told stories of the vampires Dragoumanos brothers set on modern Boston. It's the story of betrayal, honor, love and redemption. Pretty interesting take on the supernatural world, actually, especially the vampire one. It got interesting when the pairing characters were from opposite camps, the vampire and their hunter. Not only that, theirs is the sort of deadlock over past hurt that left physical mark on both. That's a huge ...more
Surrender the Dark is the first of a new series: The Dark, that told stories of the vampires Dragoumanos brothers set on modern Boston. It's the story of betrayal, honor, love and redemption. Pretty interesting take on the supernatural world, actually, especially the vampire one. It got interesting when the pairing characters were from opposite camps, the vampire and their hunter. Not only that, theirs is the sort of deadlock over past hurt that left physical mark on both. That's a huge ...more
I had high hopes for this book. The premise was so intriguing. It's a male/male romance between mortal enemies. One hero is a blind, scarred vampire hunter; the other, is the War King vamp who slaughtered the hunter's entire family. It has two of my favorite tropes rolled into one, a scarred, tortured hero and a forbidden romance. It sounded dark and edgy and fully of sexy angst, and it was all of those things. But it didn't work for me.
I generally enjoy an enemies to lovers story. My problem wi ...more
I generally enjoy an enemies to lovers story. My problem wi ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romance Readers R...: Feb 2018 Buddy Read - Surrender the Dark (Nadine Bookaholic), Ezinwanyi | 33 | 28 | Mar 05, 2018 01:47PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Tibby Armstrong is an author of Paranormal, Contemporary, and LGBTQ Romance fiction.
Tibby hangs out on social media at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tibby..., dreaming up new plots and teasing readers with snippets from her works in progress. ...more
Tibby hangs out on social media at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tibby..., dreaming up new plots and teasing readers with snippets from her works in progress. ...more
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