Darkthirst

Darklight #2

by Bella Forrest

“Without us, evil will continue to grow. In the end, it will consume everything. Everyone.”

Sink deeper into the enthralling world of Darklight...

Pre-order now.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Fiction

488 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2019

About the author

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024:

BELLA IS BACK!

*** New, updated online store at https://BellaForrest.com

*** New books coming soon

*** Possible Film/TV series coming soon

*** Stay up to date by joining our e-mail list at https://BellaForrest.com/join

###

Bella Forrest is a lover of fantasy, romance, action, and mystery infused stories with twists you don’t see coming. She has sold over fifteen million books since her first novel was published in 2012.

Check out her website for a full list of her books: https://BellaForrest.com

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellaForrest...

Here's a list of some of Bella's books:

DARKLIGHT

Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
Darkhunt (Book 9)

A LOVE THAT ENDURES (Trilogy)
A Love that Endures 1
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3

HARLEY MERLIN AND THE SECRET COVEN

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn's Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary
Persie Merlin and Leviathan's Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters (Book 20)
Persie Merlin and the Dying Song (Book 21)

THE CHILD THIEF

The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

Hotbloods (Book 1)
Hotbloods (Book 2): Coldbloods
Hotbloods (Book 3): Renegades
Hotbloods (Book 4): Venturers
Hotbloods (Book 5): Traitors
Hotbloods (Book 6): Allies
Hotbloods (Book 7): Invaders
Hotbloods (Book 8): Stargazers

THE GENDER GAME

The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE

Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

Books 1 to 7

Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

Books 8 to 16

Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero...

Books 17 to 24

Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

Books 25 to 32

Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

Books 33 to 41

Season 6: A Gift of Three

Books 42 to 50

Season 7: A Call of Vampires

Books 51 to 59

Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

Books 60 to 68

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

Books 69 to 77

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)

Season 11: A Shade of Mystery
A Shade of Mystery (Book 87)
An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A Gate of Light (Book 91)
A Dawn of Worlds (Book 92) ➜ Coming soon!

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

I like the idea of an alternative world where the vampires come from. I struggled to finish this book. Too much self reflection by Lyra. I believe there was too much padding. It took them until the end of the book to realise they should involve the press. It was totally unrealistic for the 21 year old to take the lead and make the group decisions when there was an experienced captain possibly in his 30s or 40s.
Immature thinking and decision making.

[GypsyLace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe ....

I am giving Bella Forrest only 3 stars. This second installment of this series was 80 percent filler. Most of this book was a whole lot of nothing. I am surprised I finished it. At the 80% mark, things pick up for a bit.

The worst writing in this book was about town people making posters that read "we love you vampires even if you don't sparkle" Really???? Ugh!

Anything of relevance is probably in the next installment. This just wasted my time.

[debturk1970_bookvibes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, Dangerous & Exciting Reading!!😕💔😢💥 4.5 Stars 🌟
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
Darkthirst: Darkblood #2

Lyra, Dorian & co are in hiding & on the run from the Bureau. They're trying to figure out where the heck they go from here!😢 They are all faced with constant struggles, hard choices then to add insult to injury, betrayal!💔 They'll turn to old friends & allies, some to family but mostly to each other as they attempt to battle Beasts from the Immortal Plane, Bigotry & hatred and the Humans led by Lyra's Uncle Alan. They must try & get through to them all that these Vampire's aren't the threat they're insisting they are or bring them down, then prove all of the depraved things Alan & the Board have sanctioned!!😱🙏💕
This is an epic challenge, lives will be lost, but an entire Race's existence is on the line!!🙏💥🙏

Another excellent read. I was completely riveted to every page!😍 I did find Lyra a bit annoying at times, her head up her butt about Dorian, at all times, gets a bit wearing!!🙈 Other than that it was fantastic.🌟🎉

Debbie, 1970, UK

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to find Forrest’s series alternating between being an absorbing, enjoyable read and a frustrating and tedious one. The premise is still intriguing enough as are a handful of characters enjoyable enough that I still want to find out where this goes. The novels continue to be between 400-500 pages, and the redundancies in Forrest’s prose style and the overthinking of Lyra’s inner monologues are wearing thin.

This novel focuses on the conflict and culpability of the Bureau. The situation seems impossible, as most good fiction in this genre demands. Quite a few questions are answered about darkness, the nature of vampires and redbills and Uncle Alan, but inconsistencies between the stated rules of this fictional world and the demands of the plot are growing. Still the Bryce siblings and Zack Sloan’s banter make the read worth it. There are beautifully written poignant moments as well.

[Glovanna Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkthirst doesn't disappoint!

This book takes over where the first book left off. More monsters to fight. More Bureau intrigue! More Dorian and Lyra. Bella is great at world building as well as developing characters that you really want to ride along with.

[Lizzie J · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

So continues my epic journey of torturing myself with the Darklight series. After rating the first book 1 star and ranting about it for many paragraphs, I decided it would be a good idea to pick up the almost 500 page sequel. Yes, I realize the lack of logic in my actions.

Honestly, I was decently surprised by the quality of this one. I thought the writing was better, and it didn't contain nearly as many cringy scenes and dialogues as the first one. That said, considering the first book is probably one of the worst books I've read, that still doesn't put this one high on my list.

The biggest issue with this book is all the unnecessary detail. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the entire book is filler because some key elements and questions are beginning to be answered, but do we really need to discuss every. single. thing. as a group after we just witnessed it happening? I'm so sick of having to read through paragraphs and paragraphs of dialogue that goes absolutely nowhere. It got to the point where I was skipping any paragraph longer than 10 lines, and I don't think I missed anything.

The biggest thing Darkthirst has over Darklight is that their escape and hiding gets us out of that military compound I hated so much. Even though they're still following orders/commanding a group and fighting and all the unrealistic stuff for a group of people who behave like teenagers, it read a lot more naturally in my opinion.

I was also happy to get to see a little more of the vampires in action, even if it means wanting to slap Lyra if I have to hear her describe Dorian as strong one more time. We get it. We got it the first 500 times you mentioned it.

Their relationship does annoy me to a certain extent. I didn't understand the first half of the book when they were just trying to "be friends." Actually, that's wrong. I get that they didn't want to involve a relationship while they're trying to focus on survival. That makes sense to a certain degree. What didn't make sense was Lyra's knowledge of being friends. Like, there would be a scene where Dorain would come in the room, and she'd be glad to see him, only to freak out about her feelings. So, are you not normally happy to see your friends? It didn't make sense to me, and things overall got better once they decided to embrace their attraction to each other.

So, Dorian's fine in my opinion, but now let's discuss the other unknown number of vampires involved. Starting with my first question of: how many vampires even are there?? We're always given vague indications of groups, but there are too many names to keep track of (aside from the main three that come in and out of the story.) And even though the other vampires are given names and described to us, they seem to disappear as fast as they reappear, and there's always a new one we suddenly need to be introduced to.

The actions of the vampires who are not Dorian are also pretty confusing. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. Sometimes they can do this, sometimes they can't. They don't understand the phrase "being in a pickle," but they can tell you that they're getting "red flags." There are too many conflicting aspects of this story to sometimes take it seriously.

But, I guess we'll see where book 3 takes us because I apparently can't leave it alone until it's over.

[Preri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb is not wrong. This is truly an enthralling series. Action-packed, with mystery, intrigue, romance, it's really very interesting.

It's just not that realistic. I'm not talking about the vampires or the paranormal aspects of it. Those are obviously not supposed to be realistic. I'm talking about the humans. The different government organizations, the military strategies, the reactions of the public - they're all a little bit far-fetched.

Honestly, the most realistic thing was the general public immediately starting to fetishize vampires once they learned about them.

Nevertheless, this was a thoroughly entertaining novel with intriguing premises, solid characters, and just the right blend of the other factors. I'm honestly really impressed for such a small-scale novel.

And I'm out.

[♦♣ queen of faerie ♠♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance though...

*sobs*

How are they going to figure this one out???

[Karen Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good supernatural fiction

This was a tough story to get into at first but it was better once the momentum started to build. I’ll give the rest of the series a chance but it wasn’t as engaging as the Merlin series

[Stephaneezer Scrooge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not know how this book got such stellar reviews. I found living in Lyra’s head absolutely exhausting. So much so that I didn’t completely finish the book. I got to 70% and since I wasn’t enjoying the book, rather dreading it, I skimmed the remaining pages to “finish” it. Disappointing.

[Nicole*bookaholic* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 2nd book was a continuation right where the 1st one ended. It had a lot of action. It did drag on for me though. Took forever to read.

[Angela Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic! And can’t wait to read book 3. I love Lyra and Dorian together. There was so many twists it kept me hooked.

[Andrea]

DNF 63%

Tried a few time to get through this one but couldn't so I think I'll call it now.

[louise sumner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so hard to put down

Even better than the first book, I was addicted to this 2nd installation and the bit I liked best (SPOILER) was meeting a certain new character that I thought was awesome and I'm looking forward to reading more of them.

[Katrin Stensparre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Bella Forrest and I rated the first book in the Darklight-series with the highest score possible, but this book, “Darkthirst”, was a bit of a disappointment. It just takes to much time to come forward with the story and I find that frustrating - which makes me jump in the text whilst reading, just skipping parts out of boredom.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great story and Bella Forrest is an amazing writer, but everything’s just happening too slow. I want more of Dorian and Lyra and their love story. I want grandeur not ordinary and prolonged feelings that never gets to be explored properly - that would make the story and their feelings to grow and become more true and interesting.
Holding my fingers crossed that “Darkworld” will be more like “Darklight”.
Sincerely,
K

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragging onward

This KU library selection is the second book in the series' overarching storyline about a government agency running amok in their efforts to eradicate vampires. The MC's are an agency soldier and the vampire who kidnapped her in book one in an effort to open negotiations with the agency. They are now on the run and in hiding in the Arizona Canyonlands, fighting the attraction that is potentially fatal to the not quite lovers. I found myself skipping and skimming through redundant reminiscing and ruminating, which occurred much too often. I wish the best to this tenacious group of fighters and survivors on their journey through the tear that separates the planes, but won't be making the trip with them.

[Ashley Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up where the first book ends. Lyra and Dorian, along with the other vampires that have escaped, are hiding out within the caves from the Bureau, who's mission is to destroy the vampires once and for all. The book had a lot of action, but was slow in some places due to the different issues that arise from the constant threat from the Bureau's search parties as well as unrest within the vampire ranks. On top of all of that Dorian and Lyra are still having troubles with their growing attraction for one another, which causes Lyra physical pain. Throughout the book, I felt a lot of time was spent on their problems they faced trying to survive in their different hideouts, instead of moving the plot along. I liked Lyra and Dorian as a strong couple as well as leaders of their groups. I enjoyed the character growth throughout the book especially of her team members who switched sides. Overall, this book was a solid sequel to a great series!

[Margie Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Vampires' Honor.

Excellent story, engaging characters full of romance and action. The action sequences were amazing and the romantic limitations were great. The emphasis on duty, honor and fealty made the storyline for me. Our readers will enjoy and be completely engaged with this book. Kudos to the author.😇

[Sherri Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable great reading

I really enjoyed this book and I was happy that they caught their uncle. But it seems it's not over yet only beginning with everything that they keep finding out about the Bureau. Can't wait to see what will happen next for them.

[Laurie Garner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story began to drag, and the characters lacked development. I struggled to get through the second book. I doubt I will even read the third one. Very disappointed. Too much battle scene and too little story development.

[Margie Mendez-Shomer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!!

Can t wait for book 3. Different kind of vamp. I hope all turns out well for the lead characters.

[Bronwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Redbills were blue for some reason.

One line stands out and makes me even more inclined to read the next one: "Your vampire friends are stronger now. You're about to see why they are universally and inter-dimensionally loathed"
(This review was longer but a lot of it got missed out for some reason when posted. So to sum it up: I loved this book and will read the next.) (And for over half the book I was screaming at the pages to go to the immortal plane because the mortal one was to dangerous.)
Honestly I think the book was okay. I gave it five stars because it had really good parts and its complex plot is what I like to see.
It did slow down a bit in the middle and near the end. To the extent I felt like going in a snail's pace.
The characters are good and feel real.
Another con is that though it was a complex plot, it did feel all-over-the-place at times. But it meant something in the end (of the book).
This is a series so I will be reading the next one (and am yet to read it). I enjoyed it enough and don't want to just stop here.

Also: Redbills. Only when they were also described at having black on them did I view them as partially red. I know its in the name but in the first book there was no real colour description from what I remember so I just presumed they were blue and they were called redbills because they drank blood.
Laini: I guessed she was Dorian's sister but never got to know what she actually was to him until halfway through this book. I was right, sort of. She's his sister-in-law.
Rhome: I guessed he wasn't another brother, but who he was to Dorian was only revealed somewhere before Laini. I'll let you find out for yourself. Rhome is Dorian's Cousin
Kane: How old is he? In the first book I imagined him as a middle aged man but ended up thinking of him as around Laini and Dorian's age.
With Laini and Rhome I'm glad it wasn't just said and they don't act like whatever family member they are. They do act like what they are, which I'm glad for, but maybe it should have been said as well what they were somewhere in book 1. Maybe the middle or end so we're still guessing in the beginning.

[Danielle (Danniegurl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 stars

This book was really incredibly long. So So So SO much happens here. We learn so many things, it’s impossible to give all the info in this review. But for the most part the book has been a bit too downer for me. It’s been incredibly difficult story as we move forward when Lyra learns some information that changes everything.

This is month on the run, months of difficulties.

I do like the story however, I did end up skimming some parts as I was bored with all the rehashing and going over the details without actually accomplishing something. The story is intriguing, engaging and fascinating. The take on vampires completely different from what we are used to.

I did see the information we got toward the end coming a bit sooner and I’m honestly surprised that Lyra and the gang didn’t realize it themselves and had to be told.

I’m actually excited for the next part of the series, the next book because it seems like things are starting to look up and maybe they won’t be so on the run or whatever.

Despite the book being so downer for me, I am still invested in the plot, I still have so many unanswered questions still even while getting some questions actually answered. I may break or go to the next one right away.

[R · Rating 1 out of 5]

My God this is a boring and frustrating read. Book 1 was lengthy, but I understand; it's an introduction to a series so let's spend time on the characters and their background. Book 2 goes absolutely NOWHERE! 50% through and nothing has happened. They go out on a mission, things kick off, they slump home tired and injured - rinse, repeat. Over. And over. A refreshing change to the normal "vampire" books but that's about it. In one word? Whiny. MC is supposed to have lead some elite military group but every fight someone is injured, she's so emotional she's running around flapping and the humans collectively are basically useless. Vampires only feed on darkness - and it took 50% book 2 to confirm they clean the soul when people die, which didn't deserve the looong build-up and isn't a surprise when it had already been hinted at - yet every bad-guy showdown it's "no please don't hurt him!" and, surprise, they come back. And romantic interest? Please. MC spends almost the entire book "oh I love him, but I shouldn't love him, it hurts when I'm near him, I'm passing out, no don't hurt the evil people killing innocents, ooo I slept next to him and didn't hurt, oh now I hurt again, I'm so tired, waaaa waaaa". You want vamps on your side, who feed on evil and keep the balance in the world, but don't want them to eat because that's "barbaric". No room for Dorian - this book is made up of MC's conflicting and repetitive thoughts. Praying for this book to give SOMETHING and for MC to grow a pair of lady-balls.

Bored of this review? Then don't bother with this series, it will destroy you.

[Hollie Smurthwaite · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I really liked the first book in the series, but struggled with this one. Lyra gets very preachy in this book and I felt as if they had the same conversations 2-3 times, and that got old. There were a few battles, which I enjoyed. The action is done very well. The problem is all the space between the action.

Lyra spends the entire book worried about the vampires and humans working together and sympathizing and worrying over everyone in an overly good way for my tastes. The relationship with her and Damian was a little stale for me too. They're both so attracted and so committed to making it work. Lots of pining and looks and so much inner dialogue about it. The pain Lyra experienced around Damian is an interesting barrier, but too much rumination on it.

There are some interesting twists, and another good ending in that threads are wrapped up, but the continued story still remains open.

[Elizabeth du Fresne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyra and Dorian take on the Bureau

In the second of the Dark Light series, author Bella Forrest takes the human and vampire characters we met in the first book and takes us further in the tale. The humans working with the vampires during the trial period have chosen to go with the vampires into hiding in the canyons and desert of the SouthWest after they discover the deceit of the Occult Bureau in their secret genocidal plans for the vampires. While.in hiding, New creatures and monsters from the Immortal Plane appear through the tear between the dimensions. Conflict with the Bureau escalates and although the folks in seclusion with Lyra and Dorian lose some members ultimately the Bureau itself suffers badly too. One is interested in the characters him an and supernatural and in the patterning action that occurs. Ready for Volume 3.

[Amanda Greathouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too lengthy, but tons of action.

So I will say after the first book this one definitely has more action. There is also more Lyra and Dorian action so to speak. We definitely learn more about their feelings for each other. I made this book a 3 for a couple of reasons. One, way too lengthy again on Lyra and her thinking and overthinking in multiple situations. Second the book became predictable and you could almost tell when the next bad thing was gonna happen. Third more questions with not a lot of answers, but I guess that is why Bella has more books. Just like her previous series this story goes on for another couple of books. Not sure if I'll keep reading unless I'm bored.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read the more I want to know.

I am so excited about how the story had played out so far, even the bits I didn't see coming. I adore the relationship between Dorian and Lyra. Their chemistry is intoxicating and pulls you even deeper into the story. The connections between the humans and vampires are getting more complicated and stronger. I love how they all come together to escape and fight the Bureau.

This is a story that had me on tenderhooks waiting to find out how everything was going to unfold and how everyone was going to fair. How the Immortal Plain was going to effect the Mortal plain. And I wasn't disappointed at all. I loved every little twist and turn, every development and well just everything between Dorian and Lyra,

[Larry Coppock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-Stop Excitement

Anyone wanting a story with non-stop action and excitement will find it within this story. Book 2 provided closure to much that was started in Book 1 and does so in a manner that is thorough and entertaining. The intrigue and back stabbing going on all the while trying to save the vampire remnants is juggling that’s hard to keep up with but which finally comes together with a satisfying conclusion. Characters become more defined and part of the scene. Banter becomes more telling and endearing. All in all this is an exceptional book and I highly recommend it. Can’t wait for Book 3.

[Kelly Willcoxbrackeen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Adult

The action contained in this story kept my turning pages well into the not-so-wee hours of the morning. The main characters in the first book find themselves in quite the pickle when they find the Occult Bureau told them lies. They are on the run and fighting for their lives, not just from soldiers but from monsters escaping the Immortal Plane. I love how descriptive things like scenery and smells are. I can’t say I am in love with all the main characters though. The “heartburn” thing is annoying also. I think the author uses it to delay getting the characters together.

Well, on to the next book...

Happy reading my fellow bookworm...