What do you think?
Rate this book
Wings in the Night #16
Twilight Guardians
They tell 20-year-old Charlie O’Malley that they have a cure for the condition that will eventually kill her–an untested, experimental cure. All they want in return is for her to join their elite team and train to kill the Undead.
She takes the deal because it will make her stronger than ordinary humans, strong enough to kill the vampire who took her blood, used her body, and murdered her mother--the vampire who'd lied when he said he loved her.
Killion is sure he’s the last of his kind, destined to walk in endless solitude, endless night. Charlie is a spark of light in his eternal darkness. His desire for her is powerful and impossible to resist, and he’ll destroy anything that stands between them. Even though it will probably get him killed.
Ancient vampire elders Rhiannon and Roland come out of exile, risking their lives to help a furious, raging girl fulfill her destiny as a savior of their kind. But before the tale ends, their lives will be forever changed.
She takes the deal because it will make her stronger than ordinary humans, strong enough to kill the vampire who took her blood, used her body, and murdered her mother--the vampire who'd lied when he said he loved her.
Killion is sure he’s the last of his kind, destined to walk in endless solitude, endless night. Charlie is a spark of light in his eternal darkness. His desire for her is powerful and impossible to resist, and he’ll destroy anything that stands between them. Even though it will probably get him killed.
Ancient vampire elders Rhiannon and Roland come out of exile, risking their lives to help a furious, raging girl fulfill her destiny as a savior of their kind. But before the tale ends, their lives will be forever changed.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2014
393 people are currently reading
1527 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
258 books2,575 followersI live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
September 2, 2014
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
Maggie Shayne's beloved Wings in the Night series has been REBORN with Twilight Guardians. The characters that us diehards loved in the early books - Rhiannon, Roland, Eric, Roxy... are back along with an exciting new cast and crew of Chosen, Undead and animal familiars in an exciting and engaging tale full of deceit and mayhem, and ending in survival and new love!
Roxy, the oldest living Chosen has reconnected with her granddaughter. A woman she has been having dreams about her entire life. She has a preternatural sense somehow that the blood of her blood will be something special. So when Charlie's life is in danger, Roxy steps in to make sure she's safe. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned, especially in a world rife with DPI operatives looking to make sure the extinction of the Undead went as they hoped it had back in 2011.
Charlie O'Malley was an ordinary girl, with the exception that she had the Belladonna antigen and was sheltered and coddled by her mother her entire life. When she starts having strange erotic dreams about the handsome and captivating Killian she thinks she's going crazy. Until she's taken under her grandmother's wing and actually meets the man behind the dreams.
Killian believes that he is the last of his kind. When he finally meets the woman of his dreams, he realizes he doesn't much care anymore. Unfortunately, his embedded desire to keep Charlie safe is overwhelmingly hindered by the fact that she thinks vampires are blood sucking monsters out to use people with the antigen as their favorite meal.
When Charlie escapes and is scooped up by members of the Department of Paranormal Investigations, she enters a web of deceit unlike anything she's ever known. The question is, will she be able to reconcile what her heart is telling her about Killian versus what she's led to believe by the DPI before it's too late?
Twilight Guardians was a captivating story and a must read for all WitN fans. It started out fairly mellow with the reintroduction of the world building for new readers and the introduction of the cast, but it didn't leave the reader wanting for material even then. Once the entire cast was introduced and you got a sense of where the world stood in this new future for the Undead and Chosen, the book took off like a shot and didn't let go. There was action, adventure, subterfuge, and more and the characters were put through the wringer with regards to emotion that you couldn't help but experience right along with them. If you're coming to the world late and haven't had a chance to enjoy the old Wings in the Night novels yet, no worries, you can most definitely start here (and then feel free to go back and get the back story next). :)
I cannot wait to see where Maggie goes with the series. There is some seriously amazing world building and character growth that happened at the end of TG, and it looks to be an incredible ride!
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
Maggie Shayne's beloved Wings in the Night series has been REBORN with Twilight Guardians. The characters that us diehards loved in the early books - Rhiannon, Roland, Eric, Roxy... are back along with an exciting new cast and crew of Chosen, Undead and animal familiars in an exciting and engaging tale full of deceit and mayhem, and ending in survival and new love!
Roxy, the oldest living Chosen has reconnected with her granddaughter. A woman she has been having dreams about her entire life. She has a preternatural sense somehow that the blood of her blood will be something special. So when Charlie's life is in danger, Roxy steps in to make sure she's safe. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned, especially in a world rife with DPI operatives looking to make sure the extinction of the Undead went as they hoped it had back in 2011.
Charlie O'Malley was an ordinary girl, with the exception that she had the Belladonna antigen and was sheltered and coddled by her mother her entire life. When she starts having strange erotic dreams about the handsome and captivating Killian she thinks she's going crazy. Until she's taken under her grandmother's wing and actually meets the man behind the dreams.
Killian believes that he is the last of his kind. When he finally meets the woman of his dreams, he realizes he doesn't much care anymore. Unfortunately, his embedded desire to keep Charlie safe is overwhelmingly hindered by the fact that she thinks vampires are blood sucking monsters out to use people with the antigen as their favorite meal.
When Charlie escapes and is scooped up by members of the Department of Paranormal Investigations, she enters a web of deceit unlike anything she's ever known. The question is, will she be able to reconcile what her heart is telling her about Killian versus what she's led to believe by the DPI before it's too late?
Twilight Guardians was a captivating story and a must read for all WitN fans. It started out fairly mellow with the reintroduction of the world building for new readers and the introduction of the cast, but it didn't leave the reader wanting for material even then. Once the entire cast was introduced and you got a sense of where the world stood in this new future for the Undead and Chosen, the book took off like a shot and didn't let go. There was action, adventure, subterfuge, and more and the characters were put through the wringer with regards to emotion that you couldn't help but experience right along with them. If you're coming to the world late and haven't had a chance to enjoy the old Wings in the Night novels yet, no worries, you can most definitely start here (and then feel free to go back and get the back story next). :)
I cannot wait to see where Maggie goes with the series. There is some seriously amazing world building and character growth that happened at the end of TG, and it looks to be an incredible ride!
September 2, 2014
Maggie Shayne's Wings in the Night series has Reborn! Twilight Guardians is a griping tale of discovery, survival, and love!
Killian is a vampire. He believes that he is the last of his kind. Charlotte O'Malley (aka Charlie) is one of the Chosen, a human with the rare Belladonna antigen. She believes that the vampires are vicious creatures who prey on people like her and that her best choice for survival - and better yet vengeance - is to take the experimental drug BDX. They are both wrong!
Roxy is the oldest surviving member of the Chosen and Charlie's grandmother. She has always known that she was special and that her female descendant - Charlie - would also be special. Roxy knows that Charlie has a grand destiny. Is Charlie destined to save the band of surviving vampires and protect members of the Chosen? Or will she bring about their destruction? You'll have to read this page turning novel and find out!!
This book is an excellent addition to Maggie's shelf ;)It is a must-read for all fans of Maggie's Wings in the Night series (hint, hint newbies You should check them out)& an excellent novel for anyone who loves vampires, the paranormal, and the message that love conquers all!
Killian is a vampire. He believes that he is the last of his kind. Charlotte O'Malley (aka Charlie) is one of the Chosen, a human with the rare Belladonna antigen. She believes that the vampires are vicious creatures who prey on people like her and that her best choice for survival - and better yet vengeance - is to take the experimental drug BDX. They are both wrong!
Roxy is the oldest surviving member of the Chosen and Charlie's grandmother. She has always known that she was special and that her female descendant - Charlie - would also be special. Roxy knows that Charlie has a grand destiny. Is Charlie destined to save the band of surviving vampires and protect members of the Chosen? Or will she bring about their destruction? You'll have to read this page turning novel and find out!!
This book is an excellent addition to Maggie's shelf ;)It is a must-read for all fans of Maggie's Wings in the Night series (hint, hint newbies You should check them out)& an excellent novel for anyone who loves vampires, the paranormal, and the message that love conquers all!
September 4, 2014
I can't say enough about Maggie Shayne and Wings in the Night. But I don't want to spoil the story for you.....so get the book and read! Great to have the vamps back and taking care of business. I have really missed Rhiannon and Roland and the gang. Now I have to wait a whole year for the next one.....
September 5, 2014
Great reboot
I am so glad that this series is back with a new generation. I can't wait to see what Maggie has in store for us next.
I am so glad that this series is back with a new generation. I can't wait to see what Maggie has in store for us next.
September 7, 2014
This story is fast paced and I read it all in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Charlie is one of the Chosen and Roxie (her grandmother she's never met) shows up to take her away to protect her. DPI is at it again has the Chosen thinking the vampires that are protecting them are there to suck them dry. Killian thinks he's that last vampire alive and is drawn to Charlie. We also meet a few of our favorite vampires along the way. I'm not saying more to spoil the story but it's a fast paced book all the way through. Can't wait for the next one.
September 3, 2014
I won't bore you with a recap on the plot because you'll find it everywhere. What I will give you is my honest review. I'm a newbie to this series and Vampire books. WOW I'm hooked. I wasn't lost because Maggie gave enough background to get by with the old characters that joined the new cast. She did leave me longing to read what I missed out on in her previous books. The book had so many emotions from the different characters and I felt for all of them because they were all suffering in so way. This is a great read and you can get by like I did if your new to the series.
September 7, 2014
The story grabbed me from the first page. I couldn't put the book down until I finished. Loved the story. If you are looking for a great read then I recommend this book. New characters meet my favorite characters from previous books. You can start this series with this book and you will not feel lost or confused. Enjoy reading
September 4, 2014
I have a smile on my face as I just finished this roller coaster of a book. It's a great read. I will process some more and add to the review later.
September 2, 2014
Need to process the book more before I can write a review. What I can say is that 5 stars is not enough! Loved it!
September 9, 2014
You know, I started reading Maggie Shayne's books years ago and some of the first books I read was her vampire series. I have to admit I had forgotten how all-encompassing these books are. Once you start reading them, you do not want to put them down. You are plunged into a world where most vampires are good, you really can't take their pictures and the only humans that can be turned to vampires are those who carry the Belladonna Antigen. Charlie is one of those carriers who meets and falls for a vampire named Killian. She thinks he's wonderful and the answer to her prayers until her mother disappears, she meets a grandmother she never knew she had and she grows to believe that all of the horrible things that are suddenly happening in her life are Killian's fault. You are taken back in time to the original series when Rhiannon, Roland, Devlin, Eric and Roxy start popping up throughout the book. The best way I can describe this is as if you had a favorite coat that you loved because it was so comfortable and always kept you so warm and looked good with everything, but it suddenly disappeared. Then years later you're spring cleaning in the attic and you find it again! That's what it was like reading this book. I cannot wait for the next one because I'm dying to find out who finally brings Devlin to his knees!
April 25, 2022
The first half or so of the book had me thinking she was a moron, but she was a young naive girl in a hopeless situation with people pulling on her in many directions, and the last half of the book brought it to an action packed, enemies to friends conclusion of this part of her life…making me want to know more.
September 9, 2014
Wonderful book that continues the Wings in the Night series. The characters of Killian and Charlie sweep you up and carry you along for the ride. Having Rhiannon, Roland, and Pandora show up for the adventure is the cherry on top of the sundae! Gripping storyline that keeps you involved from beginning to the end. Can't wait for the next in the series!
December 2, 2016
I absolutely love the original Wings in the Night series, the newer ones added to the series like this one are ok. It was an entertaining read but wasn't as good as the original series.
September 9, 2014
A few years ago, the existence of vampires was revealed to the public, fueled by the lies of the government agency, DPI, the humans were made to fear vampires. People decided they had to eliminate the monsters before they could wipe out mankind. When all was said and done, the public was led to believe that all the vampires were destroyed.
Now, DPI is back and they are up to their old tricks. They want to get their hands on the Chosen- a group of people that possess the rare Belladonna antigen- they are the ones protected by the vampires and the only ones that can be turned. They have a new round of experiments they want to conduct and they are trying to get willing volunteers. They fake a vampire attack, claim they have elliminated the threat, but admit that if they were wrong once, they could be wrong again. They use the attack to beseech those with the Belladonna antigen to come in for treatment and assistance.
Luckily for Charlie, she has a grandmother she's never met who knows just how evil DPI is and is determined to keep them both off the grid. Unfortunately, Charlie know anything about the world she finds herself in and she is easily frightened away when she learns the man she's been dreaming about and falling for is one of the undead. Now in the hands of DPI, she is learning the hard way just which side is the right one.
I waited for months to get my hands on this book. I love the Wings in the Night series and I was very excited to hear that the author was bringing it back. This newest installment, I think, is one of the best yet. Shayne brings back some of my favorite characters (Rhiannon, Roland, and Pandora) and adds in amazing new characters, leaving the gate wide open for future installments. (YAY!) The story was fast paced and Charlie's journey of discovery about herself, her family, DPI, the vampires, and Killian kept me riveted. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, there was an unexpected twist that changed everything and had me wondering what would happen next.
Overall, this was an excellent book. It had a little bit of everything, action, intrigue, romance and even some humor. I ended up finishing the book in one day because I honestly couldn't let myself go to sleep until I knew just how the story ended. Now I will have to wait impatiently for the next book to be released.
Now, DPI is back and they are up to their old tricks. They want to get their hands on the Chosen- a group of people that possess the rare Belladonna antigen- they are the ones protected by the vampires and the only ones that can be turned. They have a new round of experiments they want to conduct and they are trying to get willing volunteers. They fake a vampire attack, claim they have elliminated the threat, but admit that if they were wrong once, they could be wrong again. They use the attack to beseech those with the Belladonna antigen to come in for treatment and assistance.
Luckily for Charlie, she has a grandmother she's never met who knows just how evil DPI is and is determined to keep them both off the grid. Unfortunately, Charlie know anything about the world she finds herself in and she is easily frightened away when she learns the man she's been dreaming about and falling for is one of the undead. Now in the hands of DPI, she is learning the hard way just which side is the right one.
I waited for months to get my hands on this book. I love the Wings in the Night series and I was very excited to hear that the author was bringing it back. This newest installment, I think, is one of the best yet. Shayne brings back some of my favorite characters (Rhiannon, Roland, and Pandora) and adds in amazing new characters, leaving the gate wide open for future installments. (YAY!) The story was fast paced and Charlie's journey of discovery about herself, her family, DPI, the vampires, and Killian kept me riveted. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, there was an unexpected twist that changed everything and had me wondering what would happen next.
Overall, this was an excellent book. It had a little bit of everything, action, intrigue, romance and even some humor. I ended up finishing the book in one day because I honestly couldn't let myself go to sleep until I knew just how the story ended. Now I will have to wait impatiently for the next book to be released.
December 16, 2016
I'd love to give this more stars, as the premise sounded like it had great potential, but two things ruined it for me.
The first was the main character, Charlotte, (Charlie). She was petulant and annoying. If it weren't for the secondary characters, I may not have bothered to finish this. The final part of the book had her acting in such a way that was so far-fetched, that I almost wanted to skip over the parts that she "starred" in.
The second was that my edition really needed to have another edit run-through. When the incorrect word or punctuation is way off, it really pulls me out of the story.
The winning parts of this were a few of the secondary characters, such as Roxy, (Charlie's grandmother), Rhiannon and Roland, (2 of the oldest vampires in existence). They were well-drawn out and interesting.
The first was the main character, Charlotte, (Charlie). She was petulant and annoying. If it weren't for the secondary characters, I may not have bothered to finish this. The final part of the book had her acting in such a way that was so far-fetched, that I almost wanted to skip over the parts that she "starred" in.
The second was that my edition really needed to have another edit run-through. When the incorrect word or punctuation is way off, it really pulls me out of the story.
The winning parts of this were a few of the secondary characters, such as Roxy, (Charlie's grandmother), Rhiannon and Roland, (2 of the oldest vampires in existence). They were well-drawn out and interesting.
August 12, 2015
What was I thinking!
The book has a wonderful premise ruined by stupid characters. The protagonist, Charlie, is not smart or wonderful, despite the any number of times the other characters and the author keep telling us otherwise. She's just impulsive and should have been killed in the first few pages, that way at least the book might have profited from a new protagonist. Maybe Charlie's grandmother, Roxy..
I skimmed the pages on my e-reader hoping that th.ings improved but instead I found that no matter how many pages I skipped I was still able to follow the story.
Bottom line: The premise and the setting are great but poor writing and stupid characters ruin the story. Take away: Never invest time in something just because it's free to download.
The book has a wonderful premise ruined by stupid characters. The protagonist, Charlie, is not smart or wonderful, despite the any number of times the other characters and the author keep telling us otherwise. She's just impulsive and should have been killed in the first few pages, that way at least the book might have profited from a new protagonist. Maybe Charlie's grandmother, Roxy..
I skimmed the pages on my e-reader hoping that th.ings improved but instead I found that no matter how many pages I skipped I was still able to follow the story.
Bottom line: The premise and the setting are great but poor writing and stupid characters ruin the story. Take away: Never invest time in something just because it's free to download.
August 11, 2015
This started off strong...then really jumped the shark. I couldn't stand bad-ass Charlie.
May 11, 2017
The world believes vampires are gone. They were destroyed and have not been heard from again. But the government is still using the threat of their existence to round up people with The Chosen, humans that are capable of becoming vampires. Charlie is one of those people, and when the government finds out, her life takes a drastic change.
Charlies was everything I would expect out of a confused teenager - but she was 20. At times she just seemed a tab bit immature, and I had a hard time remembering that she wasn't sixteen. She is faced with quite a decision to make though. On one side, her grandmother is a friend of the vampires that you will see many times in the original Wings in the Night series. On the other hand, she's grown up with lies about how the vampires are out to kill her because of her blood. I wasn't too surprised to see her jump at the opportunity the government offers.
Along the way, she meets Killion, who may be the last vampire left in America. I wish I could tell you more about him, he's the main male character, but he seemed more like a plot device at times. I really wanted him to be something really special, but it didn't play out that way. In a romance, I really like seeing a strong couple with both playing major roles in the story.
I really loved that Maggie Shayne was able to include some of my old favorites of, especially Rhiannon, I just love her. They played an important part in the story, so it isn't just a cameo appearance either. This was a fun re-introduction to the world of Wings in the Night, just not the great romance that I had hoped for.
Charlies was everything I would expect out of a confused teenager - but she was 20. At times she just seemed a tab bit immature, and I had a hard time remembering that she wasn't sixteen. She is faced with quite a decision to make though. On one side, her grandmother is a friend of the vampires that you will see many times in the original Wings in the Night series. On the other hand, she's grown up with lies about how the vampires are out to kill her because of her blood. I wasn't too surprised to see her jump at the opportunity the government offers.
Along the way, she meets Killion, who may be the last vampire left in America. I wish I could tell you more about him, he's the main male character, but he seemed more like a plot device at times. I really wanted him to be something really special, but it didn't play out that way. In a romance, I really like seeing a strong couple with both playing major roles in the story.
I really loved that Maggie Shayne was able to include some of my old favorites of, especially Rhiannon, I just love her. They played an important part in the story, so it isn't just a cameo appearance either. This was a fun re-introduction to the world of Wings in the Night, just not the great romance that I had hoped for.
October 11, 2015
Charlie O’Malley has a rare blood type. She’s required to be registered with the government and severely at risk for premature death and…vampire attack. So when Charlie’s grandmother shows up on her doorstep and whisks her away, telling her that everything the government has told them about vampires is false, she’s understandably confused. Then she meets Killian, a vampire she feel inexplicably and powerfully drawn to. But who can she really trust in this twisted conspiracy?
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The premise is fresh, the fantasy world full and convincing, and the characters passionate. Charlie’s character undergoes a clear transformation and her relationship with Killian is intense and riveting. The involvement of the government makes the story that much bigger, involving more than just the usual two characters and upping the stakes. The vampire characters of Rhiannon and Roland are equally dark and powerful, hinting at a rich back-story. Roxy is sassy and fun, bringing a lighter edge to the story. There wasn't a moment when I felt the plot was dragging, it’s non-stop action all the way. The ‘heart’ issues with the BD recruits, I must say, did seem a little over the top and could have been made much simpler and more believable, but overall, it was a great and well-told paranormal romance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The premise is fresh, the fantasy world full and convincing, and the characters passionate. Charlie’s character undergoes a clear transformation and her relationship with Killian is intense and riveting. The involvement of the government makes the story that much bigger, involving more than just the usual two characters and upping the stakes. The vampire characters of Rhiannon and Roland are equally dark and powerful, hinting at a rich back-story. Roxy is sassy and fun, bringing a lighter edge to the story. There wasn't a moment when I felt the plot was dragging, it’s non-stop action all the way. The ‘heart’ issues with the BD recruits, I must say, did seem a little over the top and could have been made much simpler and more believable, but overall, it was a great and well-told paranormal romance.
October 16, 2016
Gah. This is one of the worst books I've ever finished. I think I may have sprained my eyes from rolling them so frequently. It's hard to even know where to start to explain how truly dreadful this thing was.
Characters... one-dimensional, nothing new or interesting.
"plot"... silly, with too many switch-backs to bother to keep track of, without adding anything interesting
Hormones don't actually equal chemistry between characters.
Completely ridiculous version of vampires. If they can bleed out, how can there even be such a thing as an ancient one?
Just weak, lame, predictable, and pointless.
Characters... one-dimensional, nothing new or interesting.
"plot"... silly, with too many switch-backs to bother to keep track of, without adding anything interesting
Hormones don't actually equal chemistry between characters.
Completely ridiculous version of vampires. If they can bleed out, how can there even be such a thing as an ancient one?
Just weak, lame, predictable, and pointless.
not4me
July 6, 2025Prch Amazon Aug. 22, 2015
Not for me
YA
No Sex scenes
Apparently a spin off of sorts from some other series of hers.
Didn't know that when I bought it.
Will never read
📝🎵Purchased from Amazon August 22, 2015
Not for me
YA
No Sex scenes
Apparently a spin off of sorts from some other series of hers.
Didn't know that when I bought it.
Will never read
📝🎵Purchased from Amazon August 22, 2015
July 7, 2015
love this series
tbr-later
October 22, 201522 October 2015: $0.00 FREE on Kindle
23 September 2015: $0.99 on Kindle
24 July 2015: $0.00 FREE on Kindle
23 September 2015: $0.99 on Kindle
24 July 2015: $0.00 FREE on Kindle
Want to read
July 27, 2015Free 07-26-15 (PNR: Vampires)
http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Guardi...
http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Guardi...
September 24, 2015
Excellent read! I always loved Maggie Shayne's vampire books but this one was above and beyond the best I have read in quite awhile!
July 1, 2015
Wings in the Night: Reborn Book #1/Wings in the Night #19
I know this is a new “series” by Maggie Shayne, but really, since there are major appearances from old characters from her original Wings in the Night series I feel this is more of a continuation of her Wings in the Night series, which she is now self-publishing (you go Ms. Shayne!) However, I do believe Ms. Shayne wants people to feel like they can start here and don’t have to feel the pressure to read all 18 before starting this one. And I feel like she has done a great job with this. While there is some back story, it is all explained and I don’t feel like a newbie would be lost starting the series from here.
5 stars so, obviously, I loved it! It was such a page turner I hated to put it down to do silly things like eat or go to sleep at night.
As brief as possible Summary:
This is the story of Charlie O’Malley, one of The Chosen, and actually the granddaughter of the oldest Chosen, Roxanne (Roxy) O’Malley (first introduced in Demon’s Kiss) and her vampire Killian. Charlie was never told what she is because her mom was over-protective. She has to learn everything from Roxy (who she had never met her grandmother until she came sweeping in from no-where) to protect Charlie as DPI is on to her. Roxy takes Charlie to one of her “safe houses” that she lives off the grid. There Charlie finally meets the guy she has been dreaming about, Killian. Although, she doesn’t know he’s a vampire… Charlies is just starting to find out she is one of The Chosen and what that means.
Charlie finds out Killian is a vampire and takes off in a car and gets in a car accident. She is taken to a hospital where Killian (unbeknownst to Charlie at the time) gives her some of his blood to keep her alive. The DPI come and this guy, another Chosen, Lucas Townsend (LT), convinces her to come with him (being scared of vampires/Killian and not knowing what is really going on) goes with him. She is taken to a secret DPI base where she meets other Chosen who are strong and appear to be going through some sort of military training. LT tries to convince her to take this “cure” (BDX) so she won’t die young and have superhuman strength. She declines and says she wants to go home. That’s when LT tells her that her mom is dead and shows her a picture and tells her Killian killed her mom. She goes ballistic and takes the IV cure (all three doses at once- not normal.) And starts training with the rest of the recruits, and it turns out she is the strongest of them, but no one knows why.
In the meantime Rhiannon and Roland, who have been in hiding with other vampires in Transylvania after the vampire apocalypse, have a mutiny on their hands. Devlin and other vampires want revenge on DPI and don’t want to listen to the “elder” vampires. They destroy a village near the castle and start heading back to the US to destroy the DPI once and for all. Rhiannon has a “spy” in Devlin’s group who keep her informed. So, Rhiannon and Roland head to the US to stop Devlin and his vampires from murdering humans. They get side-tracked helping Killian try to rescue Charlie from the DPI. It doesn’t go that great, some of them get captured, and then escape, and captured again and rescued. It’s a long list, so I won’t get into the nitty-gritty details. Eventually, Charlie has escaped along with two other recruits (the girl eventually dies), but the other one, Christian tries to help the vampires with Charlie. Roland got one of his legs bitten off by a shark during the escape when Devlin and his group arrive (they stop and help Rhiannon and Roland.) Devlin told Rhiannon that the village in Transylvania was giving information to the DPI, which is why they killed only the guilty humans.
So, Charlies’s mom is actually alive and being held by the DPI, Roxy has been captured by the DPI, as have most of Devlin’s group. Charlies gets up to speed on the real information on vampires and The Chosen that she needs to know. She makes up with Killian. Finds out the “cure”/BDX that DPI gave her actually shortens her life span that her heart can explode out of her chest at any moment if she doesn’t get enough of the Protectol injection to slow her heart down. She also thinks that she has been given an injection of toxin to make their blood toxic to vampires so they can’t be turned (since all recruits get this), she doesn’t think she can be turned into a vampire to save her life. They also talk on and off on the phone with Eric about various things, but he basically tells them the BDX shortens the Chosen’s lives.
The rescue mission begins; they have to go to a ship that DPI are using to save everyone. Success, of course! They rescued Charlie’s mom (they got Roxy out first at the other location, not the ship), Devlin’s group (Devlin helped), LT helped too (didn’t take much convincing he was on the wrong side), they also found Reaper being held captive (Reaper is from Angel’s Pain) and find out that Briar and Vixen were captured too, but taken somewhere else and he doesn’t know where Jack or Topaz are. Charlie sustained a gunshot wound and is bleeding to death, Killian is able to transform her into a vampire, she didn’t have that toxin in her blood (thank goodness!) Rhiannon and Roland (who was able to help a little bit- so far his leg has not regenerated) were able to find the offspring that DPI had made by taking the BDX/Chosen’s eggs and sperm to create a hybrid Chosen. Rhiannon was able to find the little girl she was forced to fight when she was a captive. She is taking care of her as a daughter and has named her Nikki, short for Rhianikki, Rhiannon’s human name.
It really didn’t fit into my summary, but I wanted to add that Pandora, of course, is in the story as she is alive and will living with Rhiannon and Roland. We also get to meet another animal who is probably also going to become part of the vampire family, Olive, Roxy’s owl. Roxy while living off the grid would help wounded/injured animals, nurturing them back to health and releasing them. Roxy released Olive twice and she kept coming back. Olive also has a very strong attachment to Charlie. After a rocky start to their meeting Olive and Pandora seem to be getting along better. :o)
My parting thoughts:
I know, I know, it took me almost a year to read this book. No, I wasn’t putting it off, I was afraid to read it! Since Ms. Shayne’s my favorite author I KNEW it would be great… I was afraid of finishing it and going into Wings in the Night withdrawal (once again…) But, with the next installment, Twilight Vendetta being released in August I figured I wouldn’t have to wait that long now…. (and no, I won’t be waiting to read the next one a year from now. I plan on starting it as soon is it’s delivered on my Kindle) :oD I’m SUPER excited about reading about Devlin’s story and who his girl is going to be to fully turn him to the elder vampire’s way of thinking. I am also hoping that sometime down the line Ms. Shayne will write a story about LT (Lucas Townsend.) I know, he was working for DPI, but he didn’t know everything, admits he was wrong, and wants to do what is right. I hope we can read about his journey in the future. Oh, and I have to add, I'm guessing Roland's leg doesn't grow back and Killian makes Roland a new one? I'm sure we'll find out in the next book.
I know this is a new “series” by Maggie Shayne, but really, since there are major appearances from old characters from her original Wings in the Night series I feel this is more of a continuation of her Wings in the Night series, which she is now self-publishing (you go Ms. Shayne!) However, I do believe Ms. Shayne wants people to feel like they can start here and don’t have to feel the pressure to read all 18 before starting this one. And I feel like she has done a great job with this. While there is some back story, it is all explained and I don’t feel like a newbie would be lost starting the series from here.
5 stars so, obviously, I loved it! It was such a page turner I hated to put it down to do silly things like eat or go to sleep at night.
As brief as possible Summary:
This is the story of Charlie O’Malley, one of The Chosen, and actually the granddaughter of the oldest Chosen, Roxanne (Roxy) O’Malley (first introduced in Demon’s Kiss) and her vampire Killian. Charlie was never told what she is because her mom was over-protective. She has to learn everything from Roxy (who she had never met her grandmother until she came sweeping in from no-where) to protect Charlie as DPI is on to her. Roxy takes Charlie to one of her “safe houses” that she lives off the grid. There Charlie finally meets the guy she has been dreaming about, Killian. Although, she doesn’t know he’s a vampire… Charlies is just starting to find out she is one of The Chosen and what that means.
Charlie finds out Killian is a vampire and takes off in a car and gets in a car accident. She is taken to a hospital where Killian (unbeknownst to Charlie at the time) gives her some of his blood to keep her alive. The DPI come and this guy, another Chosen, Lucas Townsend (LT), convinces her to come with him (being scared of vampires/Killian and not knowing what is really going on) goes with him. She is taken to a secret DPI base where she meets other Chosen who are strong and appear to be going through some sort of military training. LT tries to convince her to take this “cure” (BDX) so she won’t die young and have superhuman strength. She declines and says she wants to go home. That’s when LT tells her that her mom is dead and shows her a picture and tells her Killian killed her mom. She goes ballistic and takes the IV cure (all three doses at once- not normal.) And starts training with the rest of the recruits, and it turns out she is the strongest of them, but no one knows why.
In the meantime Rhiannon and Roland, who have been in hiding with other vampires in Transylvania after the vampire apocalypse, have a mutiny on their hands. Devlin and other vampires want revenge on DPI and don’t want to listen to the “elder” vampires. They destroy a village near the castle and start heading back to the US to destroy the DPI once and for all. Rhiannon has a “spy” in Devlin’s group who keep her informed. So, Rhiannon and Roland head to the US to stop Devlin and his vampires from murdering humans. They get side-tracked helping Killian try to rescue Charlie from the DPI. It doesn’t go that great, some of them get captured, and then escape, and captured again and rescued. It’s a long list, so I won’t get into the nitty-gritty details. Eventually, Charlie has escaped along with two other recruits (the girl eventually dies), but the other one, Christian tries to help the vampires with Charlie. Roland got one of his legs bitten off by a shark during the escape when Devlin and his group arrive (they stop and help Rhiannon and Roland.) Devlin told Rhiannon that the village in Transylvania was giving information to the DPI, which is why they killed only the guilty humans.
So, Charlies’s mom is actually alive and being held by the DPI, Roxy has been captured by the DPI, as have most of Devlin’s group. Charlies gets up to speed on the real information on vampires and The Chosen that she needs to know. She makes up with Killian. Finds out the “cure”/BDX that DPI gave her actually shortens her life span that her heart can explode out of her chest at any moment if she doesn’t get enough of the Protectol injection to slow her heart down. She also thinks that she has been given an injection of toxin to make their blood toxic to vampires so they can’t be turned (since all recruits get this), she doesn’t think she can be turned into a vampire to save her life. They also talk on and off on the phone with Eric about various things, but he basically tells them the BDX shortens the Chosen’s lives.
The rescue mission begins; they have to go to a ship that DPI are using to save everyone. Success, of course! They rescued Charlie’s mom (they got Roxy out first at the other location, not the ship), Devlin’s group (Devlin helped), LT helped too (didn’t take much convincing he was on the wrong side), they also found Reaper being held captive (Reaper is from Angel’s Pain) and find out that Briar and Vixen were captured too, but taken somewhere else and he doesn’t know where Jack or Topaz are. Charlie sustained a gunshot wound and is bleeding to death, Killian is able to transform her into a vampire, she didn’t have that toxin in her blood (thank goodness!) Rhiannon and Roland (who was able to help a little bit- so far his leg has not regenerated) were able to find the offspring that DPI had made by taking the BDX/Chosen’s eggs and sperm to create a hybrid Chosen. Rhiannon was able to find the little girl she was forced to fight when she was a captive. She is taking care of her as a daughter and has named her Nikki, short for Rhianikki, Rhiannon’s human name.
It really didn’t fit into my summary, but I wanted to add that Pandora, of course, is in the story as she is alive and will living with Rhiannon and Roland. We also get to meet another animal who is probably also going to become part of the vampire family, Olive, Roxy’s owl. Roxy while living off the grid would help wounded/injured animals, nurturing them back to health and releasing them. Roxy released Olive twice and she kept coming back. Olive also has a very strong attachment to Charlie. After a rocky start to their meeting Olive and Pandora seem to be getting along better. :o)
My parting thoughts:
I know, I know, it took me almost a year to read this book. No, I wasn’t putting it off, I was afraid to read it! Since Ms. Shayne’s my favorite author I KNEW it would be great… I was afraid of finishing it and going into Wings in the Night withdrawal (once again…) But, with the next installment, Twilight Vendetta being released in August I figured I wouldn’t have to wait that long now…. (and no, I won’t be waiting to read the next one a year from now. I plan on starting it as soon is it’s delivered on my Kindle) :oD I’m SUPER excited about reading about Devlin’s story and who his girl is going to be to fully turn him to the elder vampire’s way of thinking. I am also hoping that sometime down the line Ms. Shayne will write a story about LT (Lucas Townsend.) I know, he was working for DPI, but he didn’t know everything, admits he was wrong, and wants to do what is right. I hope we can read about his journey in the future. Oh, and I have to add, I'm guessing Roland's leg doesn't grow back and Killian makes Roland a new one? I'm sure we'll find out in the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2019
Ever find a book that you weren’t looking for a discover some old friends? That is what happened with Twilight Guardians. I have always loved Maggie Shayne and her books never disappoint. Once again I was able to visit the world of Vampires, Chosen and the evil group of DPI. The story flowed from the pages and I was so wrapped up in their struggles that I didn’t want to put this book down! The characters are so compelling and I loved seeing old friends from other books. Will definitely be reading more from this series!
February 14, 2022
Edge of my seat throughout this book! The characters were rootless. You wanted them to win. Charlie was a modern heroine! Stubborn, independent, fierce, and not afraid to own her mistakes. Maggie really reignited this series and made it accessible to a new legion of fans and entertained her long-term fans like me!
August 15, 2018
Maggie Shayne's Wings in the Night series has been Reborn! Twilight Guardians is a griping tale of discovery, survival, and love! Absolutely love all characters New and old and can't wait to read more!!!
January 10, 2025
If this is what bestselling authors write, we are done for
So many unnecessary words, thoughts repeated ad nauseam. Bad grammar, weird punctuation and word choices.
Excruciatingly poor intimate scenes.
Cannot recommend.
So many unnecessary words, thoughts repeated ad nauseam. Bad grammar, weird punctuation and word choices.
Excruciatingly poor intimate scenes.
Cannot recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews