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The Dark #2
Conquer the Dark
The rapidly approaching battle between Dark and Light threatens to destroy mankind in this action-packed new series from New York Times bestselling author L.A. Banks.
Celeste Jackson never had much hope for the future—and certainly never imagined that she would be living in an abandoned warehouse in Philadelphia with her magnificent protector Azrael, the angel of death, and a fierce battalion of warrior angels. But although her powers have bestowed the angels with the freedom to return to the Light or stay within the mortal realm, they need her more than ever.
Celeste is one of the few remaining half-human, half-angel Remnant, with a unique ability to locate others of her kind. The search leads Azrael and his celestial brothers to Egypt to recover a powerful relic that can raise an army of bloodthirsty fallen if it falls into the wrong hands. It is a relic the dark angel Asmodeus will do anything to possess—and his quest puts Celeste in mortal danger. Soon Azrael faces an impossible Can he surrender the woman who has become his salvation . . . or will he save her and allow all of humanity to perish?
Celeste Jackson never had much hope for the future—and certainly never imagined that she would be living in an abandoned warehouse in Philadelphia with her magnificent protector Azrael, the angel of death, and a fierce battalion of warrior angels. But although her powers have bestowed the angels with the freedom to return to the Light or stay within the mortal realm, they need her more than ever.
Celeste is one of the few remaining half-human, half-angel Remnant, with a unique ability to locate others of her kind. The search leads Azrael and his celestial brothers to Egypt to recover a powerful relic that can raise an army of bloodthirsty fallen if it falls into the wrong hands. It is a relic the dark angel Asmodeus will do anything to possess—and his quest puts Celeste in mortal danger. Soon Azrael faces an impossible Can he surrender the woman who has become his salvation . . . or will he save her and allow all of humanity to perish?
339 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 27, 2011
About the author
L.A. Banks
58 books1,284 followersA pseudonym used by Leslie Esdaile Banks, she also wrote under the names:
Leslie E. Banks
Leslie Esdaile
Leslie Esdaile Banks
Leslie Banks
Alexis Grant
L.A. Banks, a native Philadelphian, was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program. With many awards to her credit, Banks also held a masters of fine arts degree in film and media arts from Temple University. She lived in Philadelphia with her family until she passed away on the morning of August 2, 2011.
Visit L.A. Banks' page on the Macmillan website: http://us.macmillan.com/author/labanks
Leslie E. Banks
Leslie Esdaile
Leslie Esdaile Banks
Leslie Banks
Alexis Grant
L.A. Banks, a native Philadelphian, was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program. With many awards to her credit, Banks also held a masters of fine arts degree in film and media arts from Temple University. She lived in Philadelphia with her family until she passed away on the morning of August 2, 2011.
Visit L.A. Banks' page on the Macmillan website: http://us.macmillan.com/author/labanks
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 5, 2011
As a fan of L.A. Banks, I tried to wait as long as I could to savor the novel which is one of her last completed works. I always love the historic elements that Ms. Banks has weaved within her storytelling. I've read the first book, Surrender the Dark and was waiting patiently for the release of this continuation. The book did not disappoint. I have learned alot from Ms. Banks' work. If you are a fan, please take the time to get this one. I loved it. I just wish there was another to follow, unfortunately there won't be.
October 5, 2011
Really sad that I won't be able to continue Celeste and Azrael's story. Rest in Peace L.A. Banks...
February 1, 2013
LOVED IT! Hate that L.A Banks passed away so soon. She was becoming my favorite Author of all time.
April 25, 2011
I took my time and enjoyed this book from beginning to end since it is the last. It did not disappoint. AZ what an ANGEL. The interaction between the group was funny and heart warming. I liked the first book but this one is on another level pure enjoyment.
The sequel did not disappoint.
The sequel did not disappoint.
March 6, 2019
Review
I have always enjoyed reading her books. I miss her. I would like to see her series with Damali as a movie
I have always enjoyed reading her books. I miss her. I would like to see her series with Damali as a movie
July 9, 2021
Wow, was L.A.Banks psychic or what? I do believe this 2 book series explains a lot about why our world has been in this tailspin of willful ignorance, unconscionable lunacy, sadistic degradation, sinister corruption, unbelievable mayhem, and unchecked violence… Ooh, I wish there were at least one more book (or 2-3!) to completely answer all the questions I have and ultimately what happens to Azrael, Celeste, Isda, Bath Kol, Aziza, Gavreel, Paschal, Maggie, and Melissa!
I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys “thinking deep” and making connections to the storyline, current events, history, geography, science, spirituality, religion, and “human justice”…
📚♥️📚👁👁♥️📚♥️
I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys “thinking deep” and making connections to the storyline, current events, history, geography, science, spirituality, religion, and “human justice”…
📚♥️📚👁👁♥️📚♥️
April 2, 2018
better than the first but still quite drawn out. lots of traipsing back and forth across Egypt.
lots of typos and spelling errors. words missing sentences even attributed to the wrong character. felt very sloppy on the editor's part.
perhaps rushed and distracted due to the author's imminent death.
lots of typos and spelling errors. words missing sentences even attributed to the wrong character. felt very sloppy on the editor's part.
perhaps rushed and distracted due to the author's imminent death.
January 27, 2018
Heavy moral, religious, rightness of living themes. The message was so heavy it actually distracted me from the story. Similar ideologies from her Vampire Huntress series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2018
I love this series
I absolutely fell in love with the first book, and the second one gave me the ending I really needed.
I absolutely fell in love with the first book, and the second one gave me the ending I really needed.
July 10, 2012
This is book two in the series, and it picks up a few months after book one took place. I loved visiting this world again, meeting up with the characters and learning more about them. Within the first chapter I got a new song, the one by Santana that one of the angels played. It's become a new favourite of mine. LOL, so while you read the rest of the review, click play and get into the feel of the book:
That first scene just blew my mind, I can't believe the author is no longer with us and won't be sharing more fun and fantastical tales. I love Celeste & Az together, they just have so much chemistry, the struggle Az and the other angels feel as they get ready for the battle ahead, the way Celeste inspired them and gave them hope, just made me love her especially, after she comforted them.
Isda is the MAN!!! And he's so clearly Jamaican, I loved his character in this book, although his story was so sad, the heartbreak he must have felt knowing ... well I'll let you read and discover for yourself. Aziza is my girl!! I loved her from the very beginning, she reminds me so much of several women I know that I couldn't help but love her, the lessons she had to learn were clear though & man it's a lesson I needed as well.
The journey, the battle, the true stories shared within the fiction, the history lessons, I just was so floored, I kept going to google to see if what she was sharing (especially about the Founding Father, who broke the rules in Philly, yeah that was real too) was real and being surprised and happy when I found out they were. (then being freaked out that they were real..oh noo)
The few sex scenes between the couples were very sensual and well written, they just drew you in and were so sexy, hmmm. Which is why I gave it the three stars, not so much for the raunchy wildness but for the steamy love, especially on the train, WOW!!
Cons of the story, being the author passed away and wasn't able to finish the series, many of the characters' stories were just beginning to be told and having the series be incomplete meant that we only got the bare minimum on them, the battle isn't complete, it's just really beginning and it was left on a bit of a cliff hanger and I want to know what happened DAMMIT!!
Even though the rest of the series won't be done, each book does stand on it's own, the essential plot pieces for each book are taken care of in the book, but there are more pieces to the main puzzle that won't be revealed until the next one, which unfortunately won't be coming along.
It's a fabulous read, especially because the books are with strong black characters and have music within it. There are strong Abrahamic traditional information/messages within the book, so if you don't like Christian/Jewish/Arabic/Egyptian lore then this might not be for you, but if you don't mind that?? DIVE IN!!!
That first scene just blew my mind, I can't believe the author is no longer with us and won't be sharing more fun and fantastical tales. I love Celeste & Az together, they just have so much chemistry, the struggle Az and the other angels feel as they get ready for the battle ahead, the way Celeste inspired them and gave them hope, just made me love her especially, after she comforted them.
Isda is the MAN!!! And he's so clearly Jamaican, I loved his character in this book, although his story was so sad, the heartbreak he must have felt knowing ... well I'll let you read and discover for yourself. Aziza is my girl!! I loved her from the very beginning, she reminds me so much of several women I know that I couldn't help but love her, the lessons she had to learn were clear though & man it's a lesson I needed as well.
The journey, the battle, the true stories shared within the fiction, the history lessons, I just was so floored, I kept going to google to see if what she was sharing (especially about the Founding Father, who broke the rules in Philly, yeah that was real too) was real and being surprised and happy when I found out they were. (then being freaked out that they were real..oh noo)
The few sex scenes between the couples were very sensual and well written, they just drew you in and were so sexy, hmmm. Which is why I gave it the three stars, not so much for the raunchy wildness but for the steamy love, especially on the train, WOW!!
Cons of the story, being the author passed away and wasn't able to finish the series, many of the characters' stories were just beginning to be told and having the series be incomplete meant that we only got the bare minimum on them, the battle isn't complete, it's just really beginning and it was left on a bit of a cliff hanger and I want to know what happened DAMMIT!!
Even though the rest of the series won't be done, each book does stand on it's own, the essential plot pieces for each book are taken care of in the book, but there are more pieces to the main puzzle that won't be revealed until the next one, which unfortunately won't be coming along.
It's a fabulous read, especially because the books are with strong black characters and have music within it. There are strong Abrahamic traditional information/messages within the book, so if you don't like Christian/Jewish/Arabic/Egyptian lore then this might not be for you, but if you don't mind that?? DIVE IN!!!
November 16, 2011
After reading book one in the series, I was highly disappointed with one of my favorite authors of the vampirism series that I loved so dearly. I still need to complete this series. Since I heard she was writing an angelic series, I was extremely excited to know and read...but the first book was torture to try to read and like which was a surprise to me. I thought I would give her another chance with this book 2 in the series.
So far, starting out, I was trying to get into the romance of Celeste and her Dark Angel Azarael. Yet, a few pages after was just reading gibberish...like what happened to my favorite girl writer??? Could she only write the vampire series that I liked/loved so much, still haven't read her werewolf series.
The book cover is HOT but so far the book is NOT. The book covers the Mayan theory on 12/21/12, which we are really coming near this date...end of this world. Azarael and his angelic friends will go further into it and watching over the library--as a past librarian, think this is odd and so much historical Egyptian concepts thrown in the book that doesn't connect for me just yet.
Ironically, I liked the demons...which had less coverage in the book. I also loved the circle with Remnant female energy and angelic energy praying for a young lad to be healed, and coming to the Nubian village and sighted as angelic figures. The ending chapters was the best part of the entire book! Otherwise, I would have given this book a 1 star, now bumped to a 2 star: okay read.
Adrienna Turner
www.adriennaturner.webs.com
So far, starting out, I was trying to get into the romance of Celeste and her Dark Angel Azarael. Yet, a few pages after was just reading gibberish...like what happened to my favorite girl writer??? Could she only write the vampire series that I liked/loved so much, still haven't read her werewolf series.
The book cover is HOT but so far the book is NOT. The book covers the Mayan theory on 12/21/12, which we are really coming near this date...end of this world. Azarael and his angelic friends will go further into it and watching over the library--as a past librarian, think this is odd and so much historical Egyptian concepts thrown in the book that doesn't connect for me just yet.
Ironically, I liked the demons...which had less coverage in the book. I also loved the circle with Remnant female energy and angelic energy praying for a young lad to be healed, and coming to the Nubian village and sighted as angelic figures. The ending chapters was the best part of the entire book! Otherwise, I would have given this book a 1 star, now bumped to a 2 star: okay read.
Adrienna Turner
www.adriennaturner.webs.com
February 19, 2012
I read both books in this series that possibly would have continued had it not been for Ms. Banks death. I wanted to like it, but I struggled to give it a 3star rating. There is no need to rehash the plot as the synopsis is fairly accurate.
More didn't work for me in this book than did work for me. I'm fine with religious books and books with religious connotations. I'm fine with Angels fighting, but I do have a problem with beer-swilling, cursing warrior Angels that take lovers while heavy-handedly saying prayer is the answer. It doesn't fit my paradigm. I felt the book was heavy-handed in trying to get Ms. Banks views across that you must prepare for a life beyond the human/earthly realm. While we're at it,Celeste, really-why not just celestial? While the Angels were my biggest hurdle to overcome, I was extremely bored with the overwritten, overly descriptive sentences describing Azrael, the romance & the overlong travelogue. I lost track of why the trip was being taken.
What did work, hmmmm.....fundamentally I liked Celeste & Azrael (H/h) and the other couples as well. The action was good. The plot and the apocalyptic storyline showed much promise.
By the time I got to the end, I was thankful it was over and wouldn't read a 3rd volume of this series even if Ms. Banks left enough notes for someone to follow. Sorry this series just wasn't for me.
More didn't work for me in this book than did work for me. I'm fine with religious books and books with religious connotations. I'm fine with Angels fighting, but I do have a problem with beer-swilling, cursing warrior Angels that take lovers while heavy-handedly saying prayer is the answer. It doesn't fit my paradigm. I felt the book was heavy-handed in trying to get Ms. Banks views across that you must prepare for a life beyond the human/earthly realm. While we're at it,Celeste, really-why not just celestial? While the Angels were my biggest hurdle to overcome, I was extremely bored with the overwritten, overly descriptive sentences describing Azrael, the romance & the overlong travelogue. I lost track of why the trip was being taken.
What did work, hmmmm.....fundamentally I liked Celeste & Azrael (H/h) and the other couples as well. The action was good. The plot and the apocalyptic storyline showed much promise.
By the time I got to the end, I was thankful it was over and wouldn't read a 3rd volume of this series even if Ms. Banks left enough notes for someone to follow. Sorry this series just wasn't for me.
May 1, 2014
Celeste Jackson never had much hope for the future—and certainly never imagined that she would be living in an abandoned warehouse in Philadelphia with her magnificent protector Azrael, the angel of death, and a fierce battalion of warrior angels. But although her powers have bestowed the angels with the freedom to return to the Light or stay within the mortal realm, they need her more than ever.
Celeste is one of the few remaining half-human, half-angel Remnant, with a unique ability to locate others of her kind. The search leads Azrael and his celestial brothers to Egypt to recover a powerful relic that can raise an army of bloodthirsty fallen if it falls into the wrong hands. It is a relic the dark angel Asmodeus will do anything to possess—and his quest puts Celeste in mortal danger. Soon Azrael faces an impossible decision: Can he surrender the woman who has become his salvation . . . or will he save her and allow all of humanity to perish?
Celeste is one of the few remaining half-human, half-angel Remnant, with a unique ability to locate others of her kind. The search leads Azrael and his celestial brothers to Egypt to recover a powerful relic that can raise an army of bloodthirsty fallen if it falls into the wrong hands. It is a relic the dark angel Asmodeus will do anything to possess—and his quest puts Celeste in mortal danger. Soon Azrael faces an impossible decision: Can he surrender the woman who has become his salvation . . . or will he save her and allow all of humanity to perish?
September 4, 2011
To my knowledge, this is L.A. Banks' last book in this particular series, and I'm still saddened by her untimely passing this year. I'm wondering if she didn't get a chance to do final editing on this novel because it just doesn't seem as polished as her other works.
As usual, the story is inspiring and moving, but at times I found the plot to be both rushed and confusing. However, Banks builds up lots of momentum near the end of this book, and you are left longing for more! Unfortunately, there remain many unanswered questions.
As usual, the story is inspiring and moving, but at times I found the plot to be both rushed and confusing. However, Banks builds up lots of momentum near the end of this book, and you are left longing for more! Unfortunately, there remain many unanswered questions.
September 14, 2011
I hated for this to come to an end. The love of Celeste and Azrael is deep. Like world ending deep and I hate this is the end. Lady Banks thanks for the history lesson, love, passion, tears, laughter and fear of things that go bump in the night. When the time comes don't forget to send me one of those Angels (Read the book to see what I'm talking about.) LOL!
June 19, 2023
Once again, L.A. Banks' heroes and heroines are inspiring, her villains swagger around full of pride (when they're not being foiled), and lessons about enlightenment abound. The action's a bit slow, but I feel like I'm learning too much to be concerned.
It's sad to know we'll never get anymore of her works, or the conclusion of this story-line.
It's sad to know we'll never get anymore of her works, or the conclusion of this story-line.
January 3, 2013
Most sequels can't compete with their originals but this one actually ups the anti. The war between heaven and hell has come to earth. Only a handful of human women and their angelic protectors stand in the way.
July 26, 2013
I can't put my finger on the element this book was missing to keep me engaged. I loved Celeste the angels, the storyline and the plot.. but something was missing.. it took me two weeks to finish the book.. and at the end I wasn't even really paying attention anymore..
September 27, 2011
A very good continuation of the story, hopefully Ms. Banks either finished the next book or left enough notes for her story to continue. Either way I have enjoyed reading her work.
October 31, 2011
Just "OK". Don't think I'm into the angels and demons.
December 15, 2011
this series is so wonderful!
October 30, 2012
I enjoyed this. It wasn't as good as the first book. I would have liked to see more detail, and a longer book.
January 2, 2013
Great author, great books, great series...I will miss her writing!
July 11, 2013
Enjoyed this so much better than the first. More action.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews