Friday, January 7, 2011

ARC Book Review: Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall

Immortal Guardians
Dianne Duvall
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Zebra 
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420118617
ISBN-13: 978-1420118612
Purchase on Amazon
Once, Sarah Bingham's biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she's handed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control...In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible - when it means forfeiting the world she's always known, and the life he would do anything to protect.



Crystal's Review:
Darkness Dawns is a stellar debut for author Dianne Duvall and her Immortal Guardians series! It’s been a while since a novel has kept me up all night because I just could not set it down!

Sarah Bingham is a music professor and a bit of an organic freak. After a night suffering from insomnia she sets outs before dawn to ready an area for her vegetable garden when a series of events leads her to a man staked in the ground bleeding profusely; and stark naked. She takes him home to nurse him back to health and soon finds herself caught in the middle of a war between vampires and Immortals.

Vampires are gradually afflicted by a madness after being infected by the vampire virus. In certain humans though, ‘gifted’ humans, the virus turns them immortal and they become the Immortal Guardians, each with their own unique abilities, who protect the human world from these creatures.

Roland Warbrook is one of these guardians. When he finds himself ambushed by vampires and about to turn to dust in the sun rescue comes from an unlikely source. The compassionate human, Sarah, who he vows to protect, instantly intrigues him. However, trust does not come easily to this anti-social immortal that has been betrayed too many times by those he loves.

Duvall masterfully entwines romance and danger for a fresh take on the paranormal.
Darkness Dawns starts out with a bang and continues at a fast, gripping pace that never disappointed. Intricate world building and new aspects explained with out dragging down the story line. This novel has a cast of yummy Immortal Guardians; each tall, dark and drool worthy, well deserving of some wicked fantasizing.

Sarah is a spunky and kind heroine you can easily relate to while Roland is all alpha but sweet & considerate, a hero you will be crazy about. It’s not just lust at first sight for this pair; they have an actual connection of similar likes and opinions that is very refreshing. Their love scenes are steamy and tastefully done; this is pure romance people.
Duvall provides entertaining and witty dialogue between characters, a mysterious sub plot that will keep you wondering and a wide cast that I’m eager to see more of.  I found the leader of the Immortal Guardians, and the eldest of the Immortals, especially delicious and I can’t wait to see more of him.

I was thrilled at how this novel ended with the main plot & characters neatly tied up and the sub plots left open for further novels. The organic preferences of the characters were a bit overused but that is a minor thing in a magnificent story.
A must read for 2011!



5 Wine Glasses!





Immortal Guardians series



3 comments:

  1. Great review! This book surprised me, I loved it..

    ReplyDelete
  2. I haven't heard of this one! MUST READ IT!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What an awesome review! Thank you for the chance to win your book.
    -Dawn aka dawnmomoffour
    thedoyle6@rogers.com

    ReplyDelete

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