What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Angels #3
Darkness Devours
New York Times bestselling author Keri Arthur has been hailed for her “smart, sexy”* urban fantasy novels. Now, she continues her Dark Angels series set in the realm of danger and desire known as the Guardian World…
Half-werewolf, half-Aedh Risa Jones can enter the realm between life and death, and she can see the Reapers who collect the souls of the dead. Now, she is using her gifts—and the investigative know-how of a man who broke her heart—to find a cabal searching for the power to control time, reality, and fate. And this is besides her work for the Vampire Council, half of whom want her dead.
But for now the Council needs her alive. Someone is killing blood-whore addicted vampires, and Risa must find the guilty party. If she succeeds, she may finally convince the council to lift the execution order on her life. But before she succeeds, she must first survive…
Half-werewolf, half-Aedh Risa Jones can enter the realm between life and death, and she can see the Reapers who collect the souls of the dead. Now, she is using her gifts—and the investigative know-how of a man who broke her heart—to find a cabal searching for the power to control time, reality, and fate. And this is besides her work for the Vampire Council, half of whom want her dead.
But for now the Council needs her alive. Someone is killing blood-whore addicted vampires, and Risa must find the guilty party. If she succeeds, she may finally convince the council to lift the execution order on her life. But before she succeeds, she must first survive…
392 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 26, 2012
201 people are currently reading
3313 people want to read
About the author
Keri Arthur
100 books6,002 followersKeri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson, Guardian series, has now written more than 25 books. She's received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and recently won RT's Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives in Melbourne with her daughter and two crazy dogs
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
July 23, 2012
This series is quickly losing it's appeal. Not much happens to push the overall plot of the series. I'm not sure if it's because Keri Arthur is contracted for a bunch of books and wants it to fit or whatever, but I don't think we learned much about the keys or who killed Risa's mother. Even the romance of the series hasn't gained much ground, even though they took the next step. The first book was all set up and these last two were both filler books.
In Darkness Devours, Risa once again finds herself ensnared by the Vampire Council. In order to prove her worth, and to stop them from killing her, Risa must hunt a creature that has been consuming Vampires. On top of that, Risa is still searching for the infamous Nadler, who is still on his killing spree.
In this book we learn more about Azriel, but it's nothing important. It's like wow, he's had sex, now I know more about his character. I remember being a bit annoyed by the nonstop mention of sex in the Riley Jensen series but in this series, I hate it. All Risa thinks about is sex. Her life could be in danger and she thinks about being horny or she thinks about the fact that she's not horny. It's like my god woman, you're mother has been ripped apart, you are being haunted by the adehe and half the vampire council wants to kill you and all you can think about is sex. Even her ex,who betrayed her and who wrote nasty things about her mother can turn her on. Don't get me wrong, I'm not uptight, I don't think that it's wrong for a young single woman to enjoy herself, but there has to be a time and place for everything.
Add to that her obsession with trusting Lucien. It is SO obvious that he cannot be trusted. To the point where I can no longer take Risa seriously, because I think that she is an idiot. I'm not sure what Lucien's game is, but even if he's not evil, she should still get rid of him. There is a scene where he all but rapes her, so that he can read her mind. Apparently he can only read her mind during sex, don't even get me started on that ridiculous plot point, put in only to give Arthur more chances to write sex scenes. In my opinion, Risa doesn't keep Lucien around for any other reason than to be her sexual partner and it's annoying that she would endanger herself, her mission and her friends just to get laid.
spoiler below.
Than there is what happens with Azriel in this book. I waited so long for the hook up, but I can't see what the point was of it. Nothing changed,like at all. This book seems pretty useless. We got 1 maybe 2 new nuggets of information and that is all.
In Darkness Devours, Risa once again finds herself ensnared by the Vampire Council. In order to prove her worth, and to stop them from killing her, Risa must hunt a creature that has been consuming Vampires. On top of that, Risa is still searching for the infamous Nadler, who is still on his killing spree.
In this book we learn more about Azriel, but it's nothing important. It's like wow, he's had sex, now I know more about his character. I remember being a bit annoyed by the nonstop mention of sex in the Riley Jensen series but in this series, I hate it. All Risa thinks about is sex. Her life could be in danger and she thinks about being horny or she thinks about the fact that she's not horny. It's like my god woman, you're mother has been ripped apart, you are being haunted by the adehe and half the vampire council wants to kill you and all you can think about is sex. Even her ex,who betrayed her and who wrote nasty things about her mother can turn her on. Don't get me wrong, I'm not uptight, I don't think that it's wrong for a young single woman to enjoy herself, but there has to be a time and place for everything.
Add to that her obsession with trusting Lucien. It is SO obvious that he cannot be trusted. To the point where I can no longer take Risa seriously, because I think that she is an idiot. I'm not sure what Lucien's game is, but even if he's not evil, she should still get rid of him. There is a scene where he all but rapes her, so that he can read her mind. Apparently he can only read her mind during sex, don't even get me started on that ridiculous plot point, put in only to give Arthur more chances to write sex scenes. In my opinion, Risa doesn't keep Lucien around for any other reason than to be her sexual partner and it's annoying that she would endanger herself, her mission and her friends just to get laid.
spoiler below.
Than there is what happens with Azriel in this book. I waited so long for the hook up, but I can't see what the point was of it. Nothing changed,like at all. This book seems pretty useless. We got 1 maybe 2 new nuggets of information and that is all.
June 10, 2015
4.5
A new case for Risa is a Council's test to see if she should live or die. She cannot refuse it. This will get her close to the uglier side of the vampire world.
The way urban fantasy depicts vampires today is that they are either wonderful misunderstood creatures or monsters. Even when they have both traits they don't even come close to Keri Arthur's. Her vampires are more horrifying and in Darkness Devours you get to see a part of that viciousness.
And the fact they are the ones who are the victims here makes the story even better. Something invisible is eating vampires while they are alive. After the things Risa finds out in the course of the story, it is really hard to feel sorry for them.
As for the keys, every time they get a new lead, something bad happens. Risa has another encounter with the Aedh. This time with worse consequences than before.
Even though he appears in this book more than once, there is less Lucian than before. A good thing.
The best parts of this book are Azriel's behaviour and Risa's steady and unstoppable growth.
A new case for Risa is a Council's test to see if she should live or die. She cannot refuse it. This will get her close to the uglier side of the vampire world.
The way urban fantasy depicts vampires today is that they are either wonderful misunderstood creatures or monsters. Even when they have both traits they don't even come close to Keri Arthur's. Her vampires are more horrifying and in Darkness Devours you get to see a part of that viciousness.
And the fact they are the ones who are the victims here makes the story even better. Something invisible is eating vampires while they are alive. After the things Risa finds out in the course of the story, it is really hard to feel sorry for them.
As for the keys, every time they get a new lead, something bad happens. Risa has another encounter with the Aedh. This time with worse consequences than before.
Even though he appears in this book more than once, there is less Lucian than before. A good thing.
The best parts of this book are Azriel's behaviour and Risa's steady and unstoppable growth.
July 3, 2012
Having been an avid fan of Keri Arther for a number of years now, it doesn't surprise those around me that I grab onto any new releases she does. I have loved every book Keri has ever written and was thrilled that she side lined the Riley Jenson series with the continuation of Risa...
Risa's first two books were fantastic, breath taking, but for some reason I can't find the words to fulfil the feelings of this 3rd episode - it simply blew me away!! I don't know what has happened between book two and book three but somehow Keri has upped her writing and I was caught on every single page of this book, absolutely thrilling and I'm spent up on emotions having finished it!!!
Risa is a wonderful character, I loved her as a little girl in the Riley series and I adored her mom... now that she is grown up and discovering things on her own (with Riley and co in the backgroudn I might add), the story continues and I love it...
I was always a fan of Keri Arthur's, right from my first series of Ripple Creek... this will NEVER EVER change... she is an amazing writer and I am literally dying for my next fix of Risa!!!
Risa's first two books were fantastic, breath taking, but for some reason I can't find the words to fulfil the feelings of this 3rd episode - it simply blew me away!! I don't know what has happened between book two and book three but somehow Keri has upped her writing and I was caught on every single page of this book, absolutely thrilling and I'm spent up on emotions having finished it!!!
Risa is a wonderful character, I loved her as a little girl in the Riley series and I adored her mom... now that she is grown up and discovering things on her own (with Riley and co in the backgroudn I might add), the story continues and I love it...
I was always a fan of Keri Arthur's, right from my first series of Ripple Creek... this will NEVER EVER change... she is an amazing writer and I am literally dying for my next fix of Risa!!!
July 8, 2012
Risa is still no closer to finding and destroying the keys that can open the gates of hell. With no word from her Aedh father, Risa is stuck as to how to look for the remaining keys, so to stay ahead of the game she instead tries to find out who the other major players are that want the keys. She's given little chance to research her adversaries when the vampire council forces her to investigate the murders of several vampires.
The overall plot of the series is very slow moving. Instead of continuing with the story arcs in previous books, the bulk of the story is a new mystery that adds nothing to the overarching storyline established in the first book.
-I thought that there were too many info-dumps. I did think information was needed to explain all the who's, what's, where's and why's but I would have appreciated if it was done in a more organic and subtler way.
-I didn't really understand why Hunter and the vampire council made Risa investigate the murders of low level vampires. In the previous books Hunter was desperate for Risa to find the keys that could unlock hell. She needed Risa's unique powers in order to possess them, without Risa she wouldn't be able to find the keys herself. Yet Hunter makes Risa waste her time on investigating vampire murders instead of letting her look for leads on the keys. It's ridiculous - a few vampire murders are pretty insignificant compared to hell on Earth.
Why Risa even bothered with the vampire council in the first place, I don't know. They weren't even upholding their end of the agreement to investigate her mum's murder, so she owed them nothing.
I also couldn't believe that the vampire council would be stupid enough to execute Risa if she didn't impress them. They know Risa has very powerful connections, and if they kill her, her friends and family would avenge her death. Her being alive is far less hassle for them than killing her and risking death themselves when Quinn, Riley, Iliana, Rhoan, Tao, Azriel and Risa's dad would hunt them down. And with her dead who else would find the keys they so desperately want - the whole thing made little sense.
-I was tired of everyone manipulating and lying to Risa - the vampire council, Hunter, the Raziq, Lucian and her dad. I can tolerate it when the heroine has 1 or 2 people using her but when it feels like pretty much everyone is, then it gets tiresome.
-I thought Risa trusted Lucien far too much especially when he's always acting so suspiciously and constantly hiding things. It was stupid how Risa didn't use any common sense considering how many coincidences there happened to be when it came to Lucien, his timing and his powers. She trusts him even though he's done nothing to prove himself - it just makes Risa look dumb and I loathe dumb heroines. What's worse is how she constantly questions Azriel's motives when he's done nothing but protect her and be upfront with her.
I hope the love triangle doesn't continue, it's obvious Azriel's the one for her. Azriel is protective, caring and open about his feelings for Risa - he's great. Whereas Lucien's just a rubbish love interest - he's slimy, arrogant and manipulative. The romance is exciting enough as it is with Azriel and Risa having a forbidden relationship, so Lucien isn't really needed to spice things up.
-Risa only ever seemed to get attacked whenever Azriel would disappear to do some other unimportant task. I'd have expected them not to seperate after the first few times Risa got attacked, but instead Azriel conveniently has to be other places so the scene can be set for Risa to fight for her life. It's difficult to read supposedly intelligent characters doing stupid things that will no doubt lead to danger.
-Risa has way too many powers - walking the gray fields, talking to souls, clairvoyance, teleporting abilities, face-shifting, a fire wielding sword and a dragon that protects her. With that many powers
I'd expect Risa to be more able to take care of herself instead she gets beaten regularly and always has to be saved by Azriel.
-I found Risa's obsession with her motorbike beyond annoying. I don't know why authors think it's remotely interesting having the heroine repeatedly tell readers that they love thier car/bike. Saying it once or twice is fine but constantly shoving it down readers throats is irritating.
I'm looking forward to the next book but I'd rather not to read about Hunter and the vampire council - they're far too smug and annoying.
I hope the next book focuses on Risa finding the keys, her friendship with Tao and Iliana, her relationship with her dad, her romance with Azriel and also Risa investigating Lucien's motives.
The overall plot of the series is very slow moving. Instead of continuing with the story arcs in previous books, the bulk of the story is a new mystery that adds nothing to the overarching storyline established in the first book.
-I thought that there were too many info-dumps. I did think information was needed to explain all the who's, what's, where's and why's but I would have appreciated if it was done in a more organic and subtler way.
-I didn't really understand why Hunter and the vampire council made Risa investigate the murders of low level vampires. In the previous books Hunter was desperate for Risa to find the keys that could unlock hell. She needed Risa's unique powers in order to possess them, without Risa she wouldn't be able to find the keys herself. Yet Hunter makes Risa waste her time on investigating vampire murders instead of letting her look for leads on the keys. It's ridiculous - a few vampire murders are pretty insignificant compared to hell on Earth.
Why Risa even bothered with the vampire council in the first place, I don't know. They weren't even upholding their end of the agreement to investigate her mum's murder, so she owed them nothing.
I also couldn't believe that the vampire council would be stupid enough to execute Risa if she didn't impress them. They know Risa has very powerful connections, and if they kill her, her friends and family would avenge her death. Her being alive is far less hassle for them than killing her and risking death themselves when Quinn, Riley, Iliana, Rhoan, Tao, Azriel and Risa's dad would hunt them down. And with her dead who else would find the keys they so desperately want - the whole thing made little sense.
-I was tired of everyone manipulating and lying to Risa - the vampire council, Hunter, the Raziq, Lucian and her dad. I can tolerate it when the heroine has 1 or 2 people using her but when it feels like pretty much everyone is, then it gets tiresome.
-I thought Risa trusted Lucien far too much especially when he's always acting so suspiciously and constantly hiding things. It was stupid how Risa didn't use any common sense considering how many coincidences there happened to be when it came to Lucien, his timing and his powers. She trusts him even though he's done nothing to prove himself - it just makes Risa look dumb and I loathe dumb heroines. What's worse is how she constantly questions Azriel's motives when he's done nothing but protect her and be upfront with her.
I hope the love triangle doesn't continue, it's obvious Azriel's the one for her. Azriel is protective, caring and open about his feelings for Risa - he's great. Whereas Lucien's just a rubbish love interest - he's slimy, arrogant and manipulative. The romance is exciting enough as it is with Azriel and Risa having a forbidden relationship, so Lucien isn't really needed to spice things up.
-Risa only ever seemed to get attacked whenever Azriel would disappear to do some other unimportant task. I'd have expected them not to seperate after the first few times Risa got attacked, but instead Azriel conveniently has to be other places so the scene can be set for Risa to fight for her life. It's difficult to read supposedly intelligent characters doing stupid things that will no doubt lead to danger.
-Risa has way too many powers - walking the gray fields, talking to souls, clairvoyance, teleporting abilities, face-shifting, a fire wielding sword and a dragon that protects her. With that many powers
I'd expect Risa to be more able to take care of herself instead she gets beaten regularly and always has to be saved by Azriel.
-I found Risa's obsession with her motorbike beyond annoying. I don't know why authors think it's remotely interesting having the heroine repeatedly tell readers that they love thier car/bike. Saying it once or twice is fine but constantly shoving it down readers throats is irritating.
I'm looking forward to the next book but I'd rather not to read about Hunter and the vampire council - they're far too smug and annoying.
I hope the next book focuses on Risa finding the keys, her friendship with Tao and Iliana, her relationship with her dad, her romance with Azriel and also Risa investigating Lucien's motives.
June 15, 2012
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
The last person Risa expected to ever have to deal with was the werewolf who broke her heart. As she well knows after him using her to dig up dirt on her mother, Jak's investigative skills are very thorough, which is exactly what she needs in her search to find the remaining member of the consortium who must be stopped. Meanwhile the Vampire Council is still teetering on ordering her execution order, and she must work to prove her worthiness to them. Her latest mission involves blood-whores and the vamps that are addicted to them, and she has very little time to find the killer before the Council tires of waiting and her number comes up.
I am still 100% in love with Risa's character. (Well maybe not quite 100%, more like 98% as her relationship issue are driving me a little batty, but I'll get into that in a little bit.) Out of a fierce loyalty to her close friends and a need for revenge against her mother's killer, she literally runs herself on fumes to get the job done. Despite being beholden to the Vampire Council, she doesn't meekly cower to them even if that would be the sane thing to do. She always finds a way to hold her own no matter what she is up against. She really is an unstoppable force, especially as we see Risa's determination to continue to hold on to her mission despite being on the very brink of death countless times.
I cannot believe Risa is still messing around with Lucian. The guy obviously has a lot more going on than he has revealed, and the way he uses her for information is ridiculous. Seriously everything about that Aedh makes me grind my teeth. Risa is so admirable in so many ways, but her determination to keep Lucian in her life in order to keep from wholly committing to Azriel really gets on my nerves. I understand she was burned badly in the past, but that doesn't really explain why she continues on with the Aedh when he knows that he cannot really be trusted. If it really is that much of an issue to protect her heart, well then she just needs to find some other bloke to shag instead. Granted, a lot my frustration stems from the insane push and pull dance that has been going on between Risa and Azriel for three books now. I will say that there was a little be more gratification in Darkness Devours, but in the end it only left me even more unsure of what exactly was going on between them. Hopefully the slow build up will play out well in the end, but for now I have to say that it is driving me possibly batty.
Keri's ability to raise the stakes in each every book never ceases to amaze me. We saw this in the Riley Jenson series, and now even more so in the Dark Angels series. Each installment is more action packed than the last, and trust me, that is no small feat. I especially love the way she weaves other issues into the main plot line of the series, making things all that much more dangerous and trying for Risa. Absolutely nothing comes easy for the characters, but that's what makes things more interesting. So just like the previous installments, I have to give Darkness Devours a resounding 5 star rating. Keri Arthur sure knows how to keep the reader coming back for more!
The last person Risa expected to ever have to deal with was the werewolf who broke her heart. As she well knows after him using her to dig up dirt on her mother, Jak's investigative skills are very thorough, which is exactly what she needs in her search to find the remaining member of the consortium who must be stopped. Meanwhile the Vampire Council is still teetering on ordering her execution order, and she must work to prove her worthiness to them. Her latest mission involves blood-whores and the vamps that are addicted to them, and she has very little time to find the killer before the Council tires of waiting and her number comes up.
I am still 100% in love with Risa's character. (Well maybe not quite 100%, more like 98% as her relationship issue are driving me a little batty, but I'll get into that in a little bit.) Out of a fierce loyalty to her close friends and a need for revenge against her mother's killer, she literally runs herself on fumes to get the job done. Despite being beholden to the Vampire Council, she doesn't meekly cower to them even if that would be the sane thing to do. She always finds a way to hold her own no matter what she is up against. She really is an unstoppable force, especially as we see Risa's determination to continue to hold on to her mission despite being on the very brink of death countless times.
I cannot believe Risa is still messing around with Lucian. The guy obviously has a lot more going on than he has revealed, and the way he uses her for information is ridiculous. Seriously everything about that Aedh makes me grind my teeth. Risa is so admirable in so many ways, but her determination to keep Lucian in her life in order to keep from wholly committing to Azriel really gets on my nerves. I understand she was burned badly in the past, but that doesn't really explain why she continues on with the Aedh when he knows that he cannot really be trusted. If it really is that much of an issue to protect her heart, well then she just needs to find some other bloke to shag instead. Granted, a lot my frustration stems from the insane push and pull dance that has been going on between Risa and Azriel for three books now. I will say that there was a little be more gratification in Darkness Devours, but in the end it only left me even more unsure of what exactly was going on between them. Hopefully the slow build up will play out well in the end, but for now I have to say that it is driving me possibly batty.
Keri's ability to raise the stakes in each every book never ceases to amaze me. We saw this in the Riley Jenson series, and now even more so in the Dark Angels series. Each installment is more action packed than the last, and trust me, that is no small feat. I especially love the way she weaves other issues into the main plot line of the series, making things all that much more dangerous and trying for Risa. Absolutely nothing comes easy for the characters, but that's what makes things more interesting. So just like the previous installments, I have to give Darkness Devours a resounding 5 star rating. Keri Arthur sure knows how to keep the reader coming back for more!
April 27, 2012
**ARC Received from the Publisher
Our Review [by LITERAL ADDICTION’s Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson]:
I have said before, and I will say again, that the Dark Angels series zoomed to the very top of my 'favorite Urban Fantasy series ever' list immediately upon completion of the first book, and each new book that comes along afterward solidifies its position at that precipice.
This installment was absolutely no exception to the rule. In fact, if it's possible, this is the best book yet - though the last 2 have been so incredible it seems ridiculous to even say that.
Darkness Devours picks up where Darkness Rising left off, with Risa still attempting to see her quest to fruition while working with some unsavory allies and dealing with the fallout of her last mission. The complexity of her situation and the dangers continue to pile up, and she is dealing as best she can.
Yet again, the relationship between Azriel and Risa builds and provides the reader with an incredible amount of delicious tension. The relationship arc between these 2 has been building wonderfully over the last 2 books and there is a point in Darkness Devours where you finally feel like there will be relief, only to be left wondering once more - just as Risa and Azriel themselves are left wondering.
Paranormal Romance readers may not love what Keri's been doing with these two. It's definitely not your get-together quick and end up with a Happily Ever After at the end of a book scenario, but if you're a true Urban Fantasy lover, you have to both respect and crave what she has done and continues to do in this series, and even though it's not PNR friendly with regards to the quick HEA, PNR readers won't be able to deny the magnetism or the unbelievably hot romance evident throughout these books.
Darkness Devours was another intriguing, action packed, sexy, witty, suspenseful, emotional thrill ride set in a dark, dangerous, sensual, thrilling world, and once more I didn’t want it to end!
Risa goes through so much in this series, but that just makes her more respectable as a strong female lead. And as a wonderful book should, you are drawn so far into her story that you can actually feel yourself getting exhausted by all of her trials and tribulations. Add this kick-butt leading heroine to the beautifully woven world of Dark Angels and a supporting cast who lend wonderfully to the story arc and you end up with an absolutely incredible fantasy read.
LITERAL ADDICTION Paranormal Book Club gives Darkness Devours 5 Skulls.
Like its predecessors, we HIGHLY recommend Darkness Devours for everyone! Keri Arthur fans will adore this series, but more than that, these books have EVERYTHING you want in a perfectly written Urban Fantasy. They are dark, dangerous, gritty, intriguing, and suspenseful, yet sensual, titillating and emotional.
I am so excited for the next installment of the Dark Angels series. Keri continues to amaze.
Our Review [by LITERAL ADDICTION’s Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson]:
I have said before, and I will say again, that the Dark Angels series zoomed to the very top of my 'favorite Urban Fantasy series ever' list immediately upon completion of the first book, and each new book that comes along afterward solidifies its position at that precipice.
This installment was absolutely no exception to the rule. In fact, if it's possible, this is the best book yet - though the last 2 have been so incredible it seems ridiculous to even say that.
Darkness Devours picks up where Darkness Rising left off, with Risa still attempting to see her quest to fruition while working with some unsavory allies and dealing with the fallout of her last mission. The complexity of her situation and the dangers continue to pile up, and she is dealing as best she can.
Yet again, the relationship between Azriel and Risa builds and provides the reader with an incredible amount of delicious tension. The relationship arc between these 2 has been building wonderfully over the last 2 books and there is a point in Darkness Devours where you finally feel like there will be relief, only to be left wondering once more - just as Risa and Azriel themselves are left wondering.
Paranormal Romance readers may not love what Keri's been doing with these two. It's definitely not your get-together quick and end up with a Happily Ever After at the end of a book scenario, but if you're a true Urban Fantasy lover, you have to both respect and crave what she has done and continues to do in this series, and even though it's not PNR friendly with regards to the quick HEA, PNR readers won't be able to deny the magnetism or the unbelievably hot romance evident throughout these books.
Darkness Devours was another intriguing, action packed, sexy, witty, suspenseful, emotional thrill ride set in a dark, dangerous, sensual, thrilling world, and once more I didn’t want it to end!
Risa goes through so much in this series, but that just makes her more respectable as a strong female lead. And as a wonderful book should, you are drawn so far into her story that you can actually feel yourself getting exhausted by all of her trials and tribulations. Add this kick-butt leading heroine to the beautifully woven world of Dark Angels and a supporting cast who lend wonderfully to the story arc and you end up with an absolutely incredible fantasy read.
LITERAL ADDICTION Paranormal Book Club gives Darkness Devours 5 Skulls.
Like its predecessors, we HIGHLY recommend Darkness Devours for everyone! Keri Arthur fans will adore this series, but more than that, these books have EVERYTHING you want in a perfectly written Urban Fantasy. They are dark, dangerous, gritty, intriguing, and suspenseful, yet sensual, titillating and emotional.
I am so excited for the next installment of the Dark Angels series. Keri continues to amaze.
June 6, 2013
It’s been some time since I read the first two books in this series by Keri Arthur but I found myself remembering a lot about the world-building. Fast-paced and full of action, one is for certain with this urban fantasy book: there is now way that you will be bored reading it!
Risa Jones has a lot to deal with. Too many monsters, an ex-boyfriend and two gorgeous creatures that want her but she doesn’t know if she can trust. Yes, nobody said her life was easy!
I really like Risa. What’s not to like? She’s strong, brave, a great friend, smart and she’s honest with herself and her needs.
So, let’s say more about the men in her life. Ex-boyfriend Jak is simply horrible. I didn’t like him at all and he had the worst attitude. Lucian is totally untrustworthy for me. It’s obvious that he has a hidden agenda and the he has told many lies to Risa but for some reason, Risa, trusts him. Let’s see what the future will bring to them. On the other hand, there is Azriel. I simply love him! He’s always there for her and he’s very protective. Their relationship in this book changes and Risa sees another part of him…finally!
This is a very good urban fantasy series and this book proves it. I totally recommend it to all the fans of the genre!
Risa Jones has a lot to deal with. Too many monsters, an ex-boyfriend and two gorgeous creatures that want her but she doesn’t know if she can trust. Yes, nobody said her life was easy!
I really like Risa. What’s not to like? She’s strong, brave, a great friend, smart and she’s honest with herself and her needs.
So, let’s say more about the men in her life. Ex-boyfriend Jak is simply horrible. I didn’t like him at all and he had the worst attitude. Lucian is totally untrustworthy for me. It’s obvious that he has a hidden agenda and the he has told many lies to Risa but for some reason, Risa, trusts him. Let’s see what the future will bring to them. On the other hand, there is Azriel. I simply love him! He’s always there for her and he’s very protective. Their relationship in this book changes and Risa sees another part of him…finally!
This is a very good urban fantasy series and this book proves it. I totally recommend it to all the fans of the genre!
June 26, 2012
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 4.5/5
Risa can’t avoid trouble and danger, at all. She’s finding herself right back in the middle of it as Darkness Devours opens and even though the key story line is moved a bit to the back burner for this latest installment, Risa finds no downtime as the council and Madeline Hunter are testing her to prove her worth as they decide whether or not to keep her alive, or put an order out for her execution. Even though the main series storyline isn’t front and center, it is in Risa’s mind and she’s asked her ex, Jak, a reporter, to help follow some leads that might be more open to him than they would be to anyone else. One of the keys was stolen in the previous book and they’re trying to figure out who took it, and all leads are pointing to John Nadler, a mystery man of sorts as no one knows anything about him, other than he’s a player in this whole mess. The three keys need to be found. If brought together into the wrong hands, they control the gates to heaven and hell. Risa’s attention is divided between tracking down Nadler and proving her worth to the council who’ve assigned a task for her: figure out who or what is killing vampires that have all frequented an underground club that caters to the extreme blood addicts, where feeding off blood whores often times result in the “donors” death. Something is killing the vampires who are killing during their feedings at this club and the council and Madeline Hunter, head of the Directorate, have given Risa a deadline for finding the creature that’s doing the killings and take of the problem.
Risa spends time tracking Nadler and trying to figure out who he is, and hoping that will lead them to the stolen key. But by far, the storyline that stood out was the “test” the council and Hunter put her up against. She’s fighting an enemy she’s never seen before and she has to stay down in the vampire club in order to track the killer. The problem with that, her beating heart and being surrounded by many hungry, on the edge, addicted vampires. Risa gets ripped apart, injured, drained, you name it, the woman goes through it all. But if nothing else, it’s teaching her how to hone her skills and she gets a lot more familiar with Amaya, her sword that has a personality and power that’s all its own. The world Risa and her friends are living in continues to expand with creatures and forces that are new to her and she relies heavily on Azriel to help fill in the unknown information.
“…Can you manage to shower yourself, or do you wish assistance?”
At any other time I would have voted for assistance, simply because it would have led to a whole lot more. But I didn’t even have the energy for anything resembling a sexual urge, let alone desire.
“I’ll be fine.” With my fingers pressed against the glass side of the shower, I stepped in cautiously and raised my face to the water. Its warmth ran down my body, washing away the grit, blood, and whatever else was sticky on my skin.
Azriel didn’t release me immediately, his grip still on my elbow, as if he expected me to fall down at any minute. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Yes. And thank you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What for?”
“For knowing when to do nothing more than hold me.”
“That,” he said softly, “will never be a problem.”
The men in Risa’s life, Lucian and her reaper shadow Azriel are in a word – HOT! Lucian is still such a wildcard and I’m with Azriel in not trusting him at all. Risa mentions several times that he’s like an addiction and she can’t say no to sex with him when he’s in the room. It’s a statement she makes a few times, and I have to think that there’s some truth to it, which begs a bigger question: what’s Lucian up to? He’s obviously using Risa (in my mind) and he makes no secret that he reads her mind for information when they’re having sex. Even knowing all this, she can’t say no to him, and honestly doesn’t really want to; at least initially. There’s some question as to how she’s really feeling about Lucian at the end, but one thing is certain, it’s not positive feelings. Now Azriel…oh this is a reaper I’m loving more and more with each book. He’s a huge presence in this story and his relationship with Risa crosses a line that will be hard for them both to ignore and I don’t want them to! I love these two together, but Azriel also has his secrets and made it clear early on that he’s there to help her with the key situation and once it’s resolved, that’s it. I don’t believe for a second that he’ll just disappear after this is all over with, especially considering the events in this story. But for time the being, Risa and Azriel are getting closer and I’m loving every minute of it.
Risa continues to grow as a character and she learns new things about herself with each horrible situation she finds herself in. She’s stronger than she thinks and she’s smart; an awesome combination in a heroine. Her friends Ilianna and Tao are in the background for this go-around, as Tao is still recovering from being near death at the end of the last book. Also absent are Riley and Quinn, Rhoan does show up briefly, but this is very much all about Risa, and to a large extent, Azriel against the enemies. Risa is becoming a fierce heroine and I’m enjoying so much seeing her conquer anything thrown in her way. The series keeps picking up steam and this is the strongest installment yet. The series should be read in order, as the main storyline continues to grow and expand with each book. I was completely drawn into this world and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Blog rating: 4.5/5
Risa can’t avoid trouble and danger, at all. She’s finding herself right back in the middle of it as Darkness Devours opens and even though the key story line is moved a bit to the back burner for this latest installment, Risa finds no downtime as the council and Madeline Hunter are testing her to prove her worth as they decide whether or not to keep her alive, or put an order out for her execution. Even though the main series storyline isn’t front and center, it is in Risa’s mind and she’s asked her ex, Jak, a reporter, to help follow some leads that might be more open to him than they would be to anyone else. One of the keys was stolen in the previous book and they’re trying to figure out who took it, and all leads are pointing to John Nadler, a mystery man of sorts as no one knows anything about him, other than he’s a player in this whole mess. The three keys need to be found. If brought together into the wrong hands, they control the gates to heaven and hell. Risa’s attention is divided between tracking down Nadler and proving her worth to the council who’ve assigned a task for her: figure out who or what is killing vampires that have all frequented an underground club that caters to the extreme blood addicts, where feeding off blood whores often times result in the “donors” death. Something is killing the vampires who are killing during their feedings at this club and the council and Madeline Hunter, head of the Directorate, have given Risa a deadline for finding the creature that’s doing the killings and take of the problem.
Risa spends time tracking Nadler and trying to figure out who he is, and hoping that will lead them to the stolen key. But by far, the storyline that stood out was the “test” the council and Hunter put her up against. She’s fighting an enemy she’s never seen before and she has to stay down in the vampire club in order to track the killer. The problem with that, her beating heart and being surrounded by many hungry, on the edge, addicted vampires. Risa gets ripped apart, injured, drained, you name it, the woman goes through it all. But if nothing else, it’s teaching her how to hone her skills and she gets a lot more familiar with Amaya, her sword that has a personality and power that’s all its own. The world Risa and her friends are living in continues to expand with creatures and forces that are new to her and she relies heavily on Azriel to help fill in the unknown information.
“…Can you manage to shower yourself, or do you wish assistance?”
At any other time I would have voted for assistance, simply because it would have led to a whole lot more. But I didn’t even have the energy for anything resembling a sexual urge, let alone desire.
“I’ll be fine.” With my fingers pressed against the glass side of the shower, I stepped in cautiously and raised my face to the water. Its warmth ran down my body, washing away the grit, blood, and whatever else was sticky on my skin.
Azriel didn’t release me immediately, his grip still on my elbow, as if he expected me to fall down at any minute. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Yes. And thank you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What for?”
“For knowing when to do nothing more than hold me.”
“That,” he said softly, “will never be a problem.”
The men in Risa’s life, Lucian and her reaper shadow Azriel are in a word – HOT! Lucian is still such a wildcard and I’m with Azriel in not trusting him at all. Risa mentions several times that he’s like an addiction and she can’t say no to sex with him when he’s in the room. It’s a statement she makes a few times, and I have to think that there’s some truth to it, which begs a bigger question: what’s Lucian up to? He’s obviously using Risa (in my mind) and he makes no secret that he reads her mind for information when they’re having sex. Even knowing all this, she can’t say no to him, and honestly doesn’t really want to; at least initially. There’s some question as to how she’s really feeling about Lucian at the end, but one thing is certain, it’s not positive feelings. Now Azriel…oh this is a reaper I’m loving more and more with each book. He’s a huge presence in this story and his relationship with Risa crosses a line that will be hard for them both to ignore and I don’t want them to! I love these two together, but Azriel also has his secrets and made it clear early on that he’s there to help her with the key situation and once it’s resolved, that’s it. I don’t believe for a second that he’ll just disappear after this is all over with, especially considering the events in this story. But for time the being, Risa and Azriel are getting closer and I’m loving every minute of it.
Risa continues to grow as a character and she learns new things about herself with each horrible situation she finds herself in. She’s stronger than she thinks and she’s smart; an awesome combination in a heroine. Her friends Ilianna and Tao are in the background for this go-around, as Tao is still recovering from being near death at the end of the last book. Also absent are Riley and Quinn, Rhoan does show up briefly, but this is very much all about Risa, and to a large extent, Azriel against the enemies. Risa is becoming a fierce heroine and I’m enjoying so much seeing her conquer anything thrown in her way. The series keeps picking up steam and this is the strongest installment yet. The series should be read in order, as the main storyline continues to grow and expand with each book. I was completely drawn into this world and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
June 27, 2012
*I received this book for review at Book Savvy Babe Blog*
I really liked the Riley Jensen/Guardian series by Keri Arthur, but I love the Dark Angels series. This series is set in the same world as the Riley Jensen series, and some characters cross over. Risa, the heroine, was a minor character in the Riley series and now she’s all grown up. With each book in the Dark Angels series, Risa’s abilities grow and her life becomes increasingly complicated. Through it all, she maintains her loyalty to her friends and family.
In Darkness Devours, half-werewolf/half-Aedh Risa seeks the help of Jak, a former flame who broke her heart, to help her find the person trying to gain control of the gates of hell. Azriel again plays a prominent role in the book, his connection to Risa deepens and they work together as partners. Azriel is very protective of Risa and his humanity shows up much more in this installment in the series. Risa’s other love interest, Lucian is in the book, but his actions are suspicious and Risa starts standing up for herself much more with Lucian, and Jak. While Risa has her hands plenty full trying to stay ahead of the Aedh who hunt her, the Vampire Council is also on her case, asking for help and putting her in more dangerous situations. Something is killing blood whores, and they charge Risa with resolving the situation.
As you might imagine, Darkness Devours is chalk full of action. Risa is constantly on the move, working to defend herself, keep ahead of her enemies, and manage her complicated love life at the same time. One thing I absolutely love about Keri Arthur’s world is that the women have such confidence with their sexuality. Risa is only half-werewolf, but she has a very healthy sex drive and she does not shy away from it, or feel guilty for having lovers. I am so thankful that Risa does not have the over-long inner monologues about who she should and shouldn’t sleep with. She has been hurt in the past by lovers, so she is cautious, but she accepts her nature and does her best to not over-think or over-analyze her sexual encounters.
The plot definitely moves forward in Darkness Devours. Risa has confrontations with the Aedh, she has to deal with the hurt that Jak caused her, Lucian’s place in her life is still in question, and she makes progress with the vampire council. I am very happy with Darkness Devours, I am thrilled that Risa is continuing to grow and to learn more about her Aedh abilities. At the same time, I am eager to find out what happens next. The Dark Angels series is shaping up to be a series that I will happily follow for years. As long as Keri Arthur keeps writing the books, I will keep reading them.
I love diving into the Dark Angels world, the setting and world is thoroughly thought out, the characters are well-developed and engaging, the action is thrilling, and there are plenty of steamy scenes. Readers who enjoy dark fantasy paranormal books will love this series, it’s a series that should not be missed.
I really liked the Riley Jensen/Guardian series by Keri Arthur, but I love the Dark Angels series. This series is set in the same world as the Riley Jensen series, and some characters cross over. Risa, the heroine, was a minor character in the Riley series and now she’s all grown up. With each book in the Dark Angels series, Risa’s abilities grow and her life becomes increasingly complicated. Through it all, she maintains her loyalty to her friends and family.
In Darkness Devours, half-werewolf/half-Aedh Risa seeks the help of Jak, a former flame who broke her heart, to help her find the person trying to gain control of the gates of hell. Azriel again plays a prominent role in the book, his connection to Risa deepens and they work together as partners. Azriel is very protective of Risa and his humanity shows up much more in this installment in the series. Risa’s other love interest, Lucian is in the book, but his actions are suspicious and Risa starts standing up for herself much more with Lucian, and Jak. While Risa has her hands plenty full trying to stay ahead of the Aedh who hunt her, the Vampire Council is also on her case, asking for help and putting her in more dangerous situations. Something is killing blood whores, and they charge Risa with resolving the situation.
As you might imagine, Darkness Devours is chalk full of action. Risa is constantly on the move, working to defend herself, keep ahead of her enemies, and manage her complicated love life at the same time. One thing I absolutely love about Keri Arthur’s world is that the women have such confidence with their sexuality. Risa is only half-werewolf, but she has a very healthy sex drive and she does not shy away from it, or feel guilty for having lovers. I am so thankful that Risa does not have the over-long inner monologues about who she should and shouldn’t sleep with. She has been hurt in the past by lovers, so she is cautious, but she accepts her nature and does her best to not over-think or over-analyze her sexual encounters.
The plot definitely moves forward in Darkness Devours. Risa has confrontations with the Aedh, she has to deal with the hurt that Jak caused her, Lucian’s place in her life is still in question, and she makes progress with the vampire council. I am very happy with Darkness Devours, I am thrilled that Risa is continuing to grow and to learn more about her Aedh abilities. At the same time, I am eager to find out what happens next. The Dark Angels series is shaping up to be a series that I will happily follow for years. As long as Keri Arthur keeps writing the books, I will keep reading them.
I love diving into the Dark Angels world, the setting and world is thoroughly thought out, the characters are well-developed and engaging, the action is thrilling, and there are plenty of steamy scenes. Readers who enjoy dark fantasy paranormal books will love this series, it’s a series that should not be missed.
August 5, 2012
Read the 3 star reviews, everyone else has already said it better than I will. There's one by someone named Ferdy, one by Naomi, and one by my pal Pamela/Spaz P.
Look, the book was fine but it didn't add anything to the series and there were a lot of issues. I'm still a fan but the series doesn't have the impact that the other series had. It's tough to be compared to your own work, but inevitable. The biggest thing in this book that stood out was when Risa said that what was going on was far beyond Riley and Rhoan's experience and capabilities. (p129) Which was just an annoying excuse to keep them out of Risa's story when in a logical world they'd be working together. Send them to America or something if you really want them out of it. Because clearly the girl with no experience before any of this started except some personal protection training sessions isn't as capable as those two heroes, even with her abilities. And Riley can talk to ghosts, BTW, could have helped. But Risa I Can Suddenly Kill 16 Vampires doesn't need help.
And the choice to make the book entirely about distasteful vampire politics and not advance the key story at all was really odd. I haven't even bought into the key story, I don't really get it, but it is the foundation for the series, it's why Azriel is here, it's probably why Lucien is screwing with Risa, it's the center of the entire plot, so to skip the whole thing for the whole novel strikes me as just trying to keep selling more novels by stretching things out more.
The story that was there was mostly fine. Lucien is still a total jerk and it's starting to look like he's using some sort of magic on Risa to control her, but she's fighting it. Nothing has been said so this isn't a spoiler, but I think he most somehow be the bad guy they're looking for, no one else is in the book and he wants revenge in the people who tore his wings off. I don't think anyone is taking the threat he could represent seriously enough.
Overall it was an ok book with a lot of holes, especially when you compare it to the tighter stories that I've come to expect for the author.
Look, the book was fine but it didn't add anything to the series and there were a lot of issues. I'm still a fan but the series doesn't have the impact that the other series had. It's tough to be compared to your own work, but inevitable. The biggest thing in this book that stood out was when Risa said that what was going on was far beyond Riley and Rhoan's experience and capabilities. (p129) Which was just an annoying excuse to keep them out of Risa's story when in a logical world they'd be working together. Send them to America or something if you really want them out of it. Because clearly the girl with no experience before any of this started except some personal protection training sessions isn't as capable as those two heroes, even with her abilities. And Riley can talk to ghosts, BTW, could have helped. But Risa I Can Suddenly Kill 16 Vampires doesn't need help.
And the choice to make the book entirely about distasteful vampire politics and not advance the key story at all was really odd. I haven't even bought into the key story, I don't really get it, but it is the foundation for the series, it's why Azriel is here, it's probably why Lucien is screwing with Risa, it's the center of the entire plot, so to skip the whole thing for the whole novel strikes me as just trying to keep selling more novels by stretching things out more.
The story that was there was mostly fine. Lucien is still a total jerk and it's starting to look like he's using some sort of magic on Risa to control her, but she's fighting it. Nothing has been said so this isn't a spoiler, but I think he most somehow be the bad guy they're looking for, no one else is in the book and he wants revenge in the people who tore his wings off. I don't think anyone is taking the threat he could represent seriously enough.
Overall it was an ok book with a lot of holes, especially when you compare it to the tighter stories that I've come to expect for the author.
March 20, 2024
I absolutely adored this series. It has become one of my all-time favorites, a timeless masterpiece that never fails to capture my attention. No matter how many times I read it, the story and characters still feel fresh and engaging. It's a rare gem in the world of Books, an enduring beauty that stands the test of time and continues to grip audiences with its captivating plot and relatable characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2012
Keri Arthur is one of my top three favorite authors, if not my first. Everything she writes is imaginative, creative, thrilling and sensual. I haven't read a book by her that I didn't like, and with so many under her belt, that's saying something. My favorite series was of course the Riley Jensen series, but this one is a very close second. Risa is a character that will get stuck in your mind. Her actions, humor and kick butt attitude is fun and memorable.
When I first read DARKNESS UNBOUND, I immediately fell in love with the world Keri Arthur built, mostly because it's an extension of the Riley Jensen series, but also because we get a new outlook and angle on a world we already love. Not to mention the characters are extremely compelling and fresh. Oh, and there's a few hot tamales of course.
A new character that plays a decent size role is Risa's ex Jak. At first I thought I wouldn't like him, being that he was a jerk and walked all over their relationship, but he grew on me. He's not the male I want to see with Risa of course, but I do want to see him stick around for a while.
I'm not to hot on Lucian anymore. There's just something he's hiding that bothers me. Sure, he's hot and makes Risa heat up, but he's just not Azriel. Azriel is a one of a kind character. I love everything about him, even when he's being a sook or withholding information. Risa and him and just..right.
As story lines go, this one was exciting and well built. Which wasn't a surprise being that Keri Arthur wrote it. *grins* Besides it being exciting, it was also dark and gritty and everything I love in a book. When I only had a hundred pages left, I began to panic. I didn't want it to come to an end. Luckily, Darkness Hunts will be released in Novemember, so I'll try to survive until then...*grins*
If you didn't already learn my love for this book and this arthur from the last few paragraphs...I'll highly recommend you pick up this series, or any Keri Arthur series now. Stop what you're doing and drive to you're closest book store and buy a Keri Arthur Book! :)
When I first read DARKNESS UNBOUND, I immediately fell in love with the world Keri Arthur built, mostly because it's an extension of the Riley Jensen series, but also because we get a new outlook and angle on a world we already love. Not to mention the characters are extremely compelling and fresh. Oh, and there's a few hot tamales of course.
A new character that plays a decent size role is Risa's ex Jak. At first I thought I wouldn't like him, being that he was a jerk and walked all over their relationship, but he grew on me. He's not the male I want to see with Risa of course, but I do want to see him stick around for a while.
I'm not to hot on Lucian anymore. There's just something he's hiding that bothers me. Sure, he's hot and makes Risa heat up, but he's just not Azriel. Azriel is a one of a kind character. I love everything about him, even when he's being a sook or withholding information. Risa and him and just..right.
As story lines go, this one was exciting and well built. Which wasn't a surprise being that Keri Arthur wrote it. *grins* Besides it being exciting, it was also dark and gritty and everything I love in a book. When I only had a hundred pages left, I began to panic. I didn't want it to come to an end. Luckily, Darkness Hunts will be released in Novemember, so I'll try to survive until then...*grins*
If you didn't already learn my love for this book and this arthur from the last few paragraphs...I'll highly recommend you pick up this series, or any Keri Arthur series now. Stop what you're doing and drive to you're closest book store and buy a Keri Arthur Book! :)
July 7, 2012
I have to just jump right in on this one, not gonna recap...
Maaaaaaan. I WANT to like this series as much as I loved the Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson Guardian series. The Dark Angels series definitely has its own merits and I love components of it, particularly the heroine, Risa Jones. But all through this third Dark Angels novel, Darkness Devours, there are things that really drove me bananas, and totally distracted from otherwise enjoying the story. First off, I. cannot. stand. Lucian, Risa's Aedh lover. He is constantly manipulating her and, for the most part, with her permission. She is stubborn in placing trust in him, despite his shady behavior and the glaringly obvious inconvenient (for her) facts, everyone can see clear as day, except for her. Frustrating. Even though she knows he is lying and could be using her to get his revenge, she continues to tangle with him and it really bugs the crap out of me. In fact, the best parts of the book for me was when she was blowing him off. So, merits to her for blowing him off, but she still never kicked him to the curb, and that is long overdue.
The progression of her relationship with Azriel, her Reaper guard, as well, really irritated me. He is the man in this love triangle I am rooting for, and yet everything fell flat with them as well. They took a step forward together, which we've been waiting for through the 2 previous books already, and then took one giant pause that had me feeling unsatisfied. To top it all off, we've also got an old flame who did her wrong thrown in, named Jak. Risa's hormones are bouncing all over the pages through every chapter, and I just wanted to shake her and say "Enough!"
And then there is the vampire mega-bitch named Hunter, and her position not only with the Directorate but on the Vampire Council as well... She keeps doing all this awful sh!t to Risa, and Risa keeps taking it. Look, I know she wants to solve the mystery of who killed her Mom, and she believes that Hunter can help her, but Hunter needs to f* off and die. Risa can seriously do this without her. No matter how much it seems to want to be stressed that Risa needs the Directorate, and the Vampire Cazadors, to help solve the mystery, each book we learn they don't know sh!t. And enough with the kidnappings already! Every single book she is kidnapped, multiple times, and her life is threatened if she doesn't do the fraction's bidding. After so many times hearing "you have hours to do this for us or you'll die", it loses all effectiveness.
One of the things that I love most about reading Keri Arthur is her outstanding ability to write a very strong Urban Fantasy heroine who is immersed in this richly dark and paranormal version of Melbourne. Risa can kick ass and takes names, but is also a highly sensual and confident creature. There is fantastic gore, violence, and mythology with a little bit of erotica thrown in, and it's done seemingly effortlessly. No doubt Ms. Arthur creates characters that you feel for, because look at this passionate rant her book has evoked from me. Ahem. I saw another reviewer compare this series to *early* Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series, and I definitely concur with that observation.
The plot is very complex, and the mystery is very well done, when we're spending time with it, but damn there was just too much of a lover-square (it's like a triangle, but with an extra guy) going on for me. There is no doubt that Ms. Arthur can write a wicked story and keep you entertained, but this installment left me with too many parts in which I was either frustrated or annoyed. All in all I can't say the book was bad, it wasn't. Darkness Devours kicked ass in some areas, but stalled miserably in a few critical areas that have me less enthusiastic over reading the next book. And that makes me sad. Come onnnn Darkness Hunts... don't lose me!
Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews
Maaaaaaan. I WANT to like this series as much as I loved the Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson Guardian series. The Dark Angels series definitely has its own merits and I love components of it, particularly the heroine, Risa Jones. But all through this third Dark Angels novel, Darkness Devours, there are things that really drove me bananas, and totally distracted from otherwise enjoying the story. First off, I. cannot. stand. Lucian, Risa's Aedh lover. He is constantly manipulating her and, for the most part, with her permission. She is stubborn in placing trust in him, despite his shady behavior and the glaringly obvious inconvenient (for her) facts, everyone can see clear as day, except for her. Frustrating. Even though she knows he is lying and could be using her to get his revenge, she continues to tangle with him and it really bugs the crap out of me. In fact, the best parts of the book for me was when she was blowing him off. So, merits to her for blowing him off, but she still never kicked him to the curb, and that is long overdue.
The progression of her relationship with Azriel, her Reaper guard, as well, really irritated me. He is the man in this love triangle I am rooting for, and yet everything fell flat with them as well. They took a step forward together, which we've been waiting for through the 2 previous books already, and then took one giant pause that had me feeling unsatisfied. To top it all off, we've also got an old flame who did her wrong thrown in, named Jak. Risa's hormones are bouncing all over the pages through every chapter, and I just wanted to shake her and say "Enough!"
And then there is the vampire mega-bitch named Hunter, and her position not only with the Directorate but on the Vampire Council as well... She keeps doing all this awful sh!t to Risa, and Risa keeps taking it. Look, I know she wants to solve the mystery of who killed her Mom, and she believes that Hunter can help her, but Hunter needs to f* off and die. Risa can seriously do this without her. No matter how much it seems to want to be stressed that Risa needs the Directorate, and the Vampire Cazadors, to help solve the mystery, each book we learn they don't know sh!t. And enough with the kidnappings already! Every single book she is kidnapped, multiple times, and her life is threatened if she doesn't do the fraction's bidding. After so many times hearing "you have hours to do this for us or you'll die", it loses all effectiveness.
One of the things that I love most about reading Keri Arthur is her outstanding ability to write a very strong Urban Fantasy heroine who is immersed in this richly dark and paranormal version of Melbourne. Risa can kick ass and takes names, but is also a highly sensual and confident creature. There is fantastic gore, violence, and mythology with a little bit of erotica thrown in, and it's done seemingly effortlessly. No doubt Ms. Arthur creates characters that you feel for, because look at this passionate rant her book has evoked from me. Ahem. I saw another reviewer compare this series to *early* Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series, and I definitely concur with that observation.
The plot is very complex, and the mystery is very well done, when we're spending time with it, but damn there was just too much of a lover-square (it's like a triangle, but with an extra guy) going on for me. There is no doubt that Ms. Arthur can write a wicked story and keep you entertained, but this installment left me with too many parts in which I was either frustrated or annoyed. All in all I can't say the book was bad, it wasn't. Darkness Devours kicked ass in some areas, but stalled miserably in a few critical areas that have me less enthusiastic over reading the next book. And that makes me sad. Come onnnn Darkness Hunts... don't lose me!
Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews
November 8, 2014
The Dark Angels series is just getting better and better with each instalment and I'm excited that the rest of the books are already available so I'm going to be able to devour them in quick succession. I'm a huge fan of Keri Arthur and she never disappoints so if you've not read these books (or any of her others!) then I'd definitely recommend them. You do need to read this series in order starting with Darkness Unbound though so if you're new to this series please don't carry on reading this review or you'll probably end up with spoilers!
Now that Risa has been coerced into working for Madeline Hunter and the rest of the Vampire Council she's in a very difficult position. She only made the deal for Hunter's help finding out who murdered her mother but since they're not offering her much in the way of assistance she is getting the raw end of things since they're constantly testing her. As much as she wants to tell Hunter where to go Risa knows that wouldn't be good for her health, as it is half of the Council want her dead and the only way to get them off her back is to solve the mystery of who is murdering blood-addicted vampires. Luckily she's got reaper Azriel on her side but even he can only do so much and she'll be lucky to survive the latest case.
I think the thing I love the most about this series is the characters, Risa's two very good friends Tao and Illiana have both proved time and time again that they would do anything for Risa and it's obvious how much they all care for each other. Risa doesn't want to get them involved but neither of them are going to walk away easily. My favourite character from the beginning (aside from Risa of course) is without a doubt Azriel, he has always stolen the show every time he steps onto the pages and that's no exception here. I am absolutely loving seeing his relationship with Risa grow, I have a feeling he's keeping more than a few secrets but I don't doubt for a second that he would do anything to protect her. I was actually pleased that we saw less of Lucien in this instalment, I've never particularly trusted his character and I'm convinced that he has his own agenda that doesn't necessarily include looking out for Risa's best interests. I'm hoping we'll find out one way or the other soon and that Risa will send him out of her life on a permanent basis!
We do get to meet an interesting character from Risa's past too, Jak is the werewolf who used her to write a story about her mother and broke her heart in the process so I was predisposed to hate him but he's actually incredibly charming. I'm glad that Risa doesn't trust him and isn't planning on letting him get too close again in the future but I did end up quite liking the banter between them and the way he constantly teases her. Jak isn't a great guy, he fully admits that the story is always the most important thing to him and that he'll do whatever it takes to get it, which definitely doesn't make him trustworthy but he's not a bad person for Risa to have in her corner the whole time their interests align. He has useful contacts and he's willing to help Risa as long as there is something in it for him in the long run.
I think Darkness Devours was probably the most action packed story in the series so far, Risa has a lot to deal with and there are plenty of obstacles in her way so be prepared for some new and interesting enemies to pop up. I love the way Keri Arthur is always expanding on her world building to add new creatures and legends because you really never can guess what she'll throw at you next. I can't wait to dive into Darkness Hunts to see what's next for Risa and crew.
Now that Risa has been coerced into working for Madeline Hunter and the rest of the Vampire Council she's in a very difficult position. She only made the deal for Hunter's help finding out who murdered her mother but since they're not offering her much in the way of assistance she is getting the raw end of things since they're constantly testing her. As much as she wants to tell Hunter where to go Risa knows that wouldn't be good for her health, as it is half of the Council want her dead and the only way to get them off her back is to solve the mystery of who is murdering blood-addicted vampires. Luckily she's got reaper Azriel on her side but even he can only do so much and she'll be lucky to survive the latest case.
I think the thing I love the most about this series is the characters, Risa's two very good friends Tao and Illiana have both proved time and time again that they would do anything for Risa and it's obvious how much they all care for each other. Risa doesn't want to get them involved but neither of them are going to walk away easily. My favourite character from the beginning (aside from Risa of course) is without a doubt Azriel, he has always stolen the show every time he steps onto the pages and that's no exception here. I am absolutely loving seeing his relationship with Risa grow, I have a feeling he's keeping more than a few secrets but I don't doubt for a second that he would do anything to protect her. I was actually pleased that we saw less of Lucien in this instalment, I've never particularly trusted his character and I'm convinced that he has his own agenda that doesn't necessarily include looking out for Risa's best interests. I'm hoping we'll find out one way or the other soon and that Risa will send him out of her life on a permanent basis!
We do get to meet an interesting character from Risa's past too, Jak is the werewolf who used her to write a story about her mother and broke her heart in the process so I was predisposed to hate him but he's actually incredibly charming. I'm glad that Risa doesn't trust him and isn't planning on letting him get too close again in the future but I did end up quite liking the banter between them and the way he constantly teases her. Jak isn't a great guy, he fully admits that the story is always the most important thing to him and that he'll do whatever it takes to get it, which definitely doesn't make him trustworthy but he's not a bad person for Risa to have in her corner the whole time their interests align. He has useful contacts and he's willing to help Risa as long as there is something in it for him in the long run.
I think Darkness Devours was probably the most action packed story in the series so far, Risa has a lot to deal with and there are plenty of obstacles in her way so be prepared for some new and interesting enemies to pop up. I love the way Keri Arthur is always expanding on her world building to add new creatures and legends because you really never can guess what she'll throw at you next. I can't wait to dive into Darkness Hunts to see what's next for Risa and crew.
September 2, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Dark urban fantasy that amps up Risa’s relationships and the action.
Opening Sentence: We do what we have to do—we track these people down by whatever means necessary.
The Review:
Risa Jones’ life is once again held in the hands of Madeline Hunter and the Vampire Council. Risa has only 72 hours to prove herself by finding what is cannibalizing vampires or else she will be executed. She is once again drawn into a vampire underworld that she didn’t even know existed. Risa really wants to stop these gruesome acts on humans but she knows that to do so would only be foolish.
Darkness Devours continues with Risa trying to find the remaining two keys her father is forcing her to find. Risa is still being watched closely by friend and foe who want to get their hands on the keys either to open the gates or to keep them closed. These gates have the potential to unleash hell on earth or to keep souls from reincarnating which will not bode well for the human race. After a fight with fire elementals that left Risa’s friend Tao hurt badly, Risa starts to rely only on herself and Azriel to protect her friends and keep them from harm’s way.
Risa foolishly enlists her horrible ex-boyfriend Jak Talbott for his skills as a journalist. Risa is still trying to find out who is behind the murders. She has a name but she needs more information on this secretive man and Jak has the skills to find him.
Little is seen of the sexy and mysterious Lucian, which is fine by me. I think there is something fishy with him anyways even though Risa trusts him for some reason. Az and Risa’s relationship takes a giant leap (Yes!). Risa is having conflicting emotions about her relationships. She is still too scared to surrender to her feelings and hides behind self-deprecation and hurtful words. She is worried about having her heart broken.
Darkness Devours is action-packed and intense. The two different storylines play out equally, the key storyline plays out heavily but still adds more mystery to the story that will be played out later. Risa is learning some hard lessons that are going to play into her immediate future.
In the end, Darkness Devours is the book I have been waiting for in this series and not just because of the sexy Az. This novel really delved into both storylines which seem to have more in common with each other instead of being separate cases. This was a pivotal book in this series and it has sold me into this world. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next in Darkness Hunts.
Notable Scene:
“But,” he said softly, lightly pressing his palm against my cheek, “I can share what it is like to be with a reaper in human form. And perhaps in the end that will be less dangerous for us both.”
He didn’t mean physically dangerous. He meant emotionally. And he was wrong on both counts. He was breaking all reaper rules, and I was risking my heart yet again—how could any form of relationship between us not be considered dangerous?
And yet, as he’d noticed earlier, sometimes the gain was worth the punishment—or the broken heart, as I suspected might be the case for me if I wasn’t very, very careful.
“I don’t care what form you’re in, Azriel,”I said, meeting his gaze steadily. “I just want you. Here. Now.”
His hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck, the gently tugged me closer.
“Well, then,” he said, his words a warm caress that made my lips tingle, “I guess I have no choice.”
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Signet provided me with a copy of Darkness Devours. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Dark urban fantasy that amps up Risa’s relationships and the action.
Opening Sentence: We do what we have to do—we track these people down by whatever means necessary.
The Review:
Risa Jones’ life is once again held in the hands of Madeline Hunter and the Vampire Council. Risa has only 72 hours to prove herself by finding what is cannibalizing vampires or else she will be executed. She is once again drawn into a vampire underworld that she didn’t even know existed. Risa really wants to stop these gruesome acts on humans but she knows that to do so would only be foolish.
Darkness Devours continues with Risa trying to find the remaining two keys her father is forcing her to find. Risa is still being watched closely by friend and foe who want to get their hands on the keys either to open the gates or to keep them closed. These gates have the potential to unleash hell on earth or to keep souls from reincarnating which will not bode well for the human race. After a fight with fire elementals that left Risa’s friend Tao hurt badly, Risa starts to rely only on herself and Azriel to protect her friends and keep them from harm’s way.
Risa foolishly enlists her horrible ex-boyfriend Jak Talbott for his skills as a journalist. Risa is still trying to find out who is behind the murders. She has a name but she needs more information on this secretive man and Jak has the skills to find him.
Little is seen of the sexy and mysterious Lucian, which is fine by me. I think there is something fishy with him anyways even though Risa trusts him for some reason. Az and Risa’s relationship takes a giant leap (Yes!). Risa is having conflicting emotions about her relationships. She is still too scared to surrender to her feelings and hides behind self-deprecation and hurtful words. She is worried about having her heart broken.
Darkness Devours is action-packed and intense. The two different storylines play out equally, the key storyline plays out heavily but still adds more mystery to the story that will be played out later. Risa is learning some hard lessons that are going to play into her immediate future.
In the end, Darkness Devours is the book I have been waiting for in this series and not just because of the sexy Az. This novel really delved into both storylines which seem to have more in common with each other instead of being separate cases. This was a pivotal book in this series and it has sold me into this world. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next in Darkness Hunts.
Notable Scene:
“But,” he said softly, lightly pressing his palm against my cheek, “I can share what it is like to be with a reaper in human form. And perhaps in the end that will be less dangerous for us both.”
He didn’t mean physically dangerous. He meant emotionally. And he was wrong on both counts. He was breaking all reaper rules, and I was risking my heart yet again—how could any form of relationship between us not be considered dangerous?
And yet, as he’d noticed earlier, sometimes the gain was worth the punishment—or the broken heart, as I suspected might be the case for me if I wasn’t very, very careful.
“I don’t care what form you’re in, Azriel,”I said, meeting his gaze steadily. “I just want you. Here. Now.”
His hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck, the gently tugged me closer.
“Well, then,” he said, his words a warm caress that made my lips tingle, “I guess I have no choice.”
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Signet provided me with a copy of Darkness Devours. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 17, 2018
To read more reviews in this series and others, check out keikii eats books!
76 points/100 (4 stars/5) [revised from 5 stars]
Risa Jones is being threatened by everyone to find the keys to heaven and hell, or else. You cannot follow the demands of everyone and have them all be happy, though, especially when they're all in competition for the same thing. The Vampire Council, who Risa also now kind of works for, isn't too happy with her, either. They want her to find who is killing blood-whore addicted vampires, or else they, too, will kill her.
The stakes are raised yet again. With every new book, more and more shit is getting heaped onto the Risa pile. It is fun. Risa is getting penned in, she is cornered. And like anyone who is cornered, she is refusing to cooperate. Meanwhile, the attacks on her are increasing. She can't go anywhere without getting attacked by someone it feels like. I enjoy it so much. This is actually why I rated the book so high, Arthur managed to make me feel as cornered in as Risa.
Madeline Hunter has sent Risa on yet another sidequest. We just have to find who is killing vampires who are into some very unsavory acts. As if this is a problem for society or something? Bah. I just wanted to yell at the book for it to get back to the main plot. Between that and her constantly checking in on Tao, the book just felt so...pointless. I can't help but feel this series could have been a lot better if Keri Arthur stuck to the point. We're just really no closer to the end of the series, despite nearly being to the halfway point. It feels like nothing has happened to further the series.
Lucian is fucking awful to be around. I hate him. He is an awful human being (which probably isn't a surprise since he isn't human). He just is awful for Risa. I don't understand why she continues to want to be with him, why she lets it cause strife between her and Azriel. I understand why Lucian has to be around for the whole key thing, but the personal stuff? Make him go away, please.
Az-baby, on the other hand? Azriel and Risa for life. I just love these two, even when they're fighting and have trouble communicating. Azriel is such a fun character to be around. Risa is convinced he doesn't care for her, he gets upset that she says this even though that is all he ever really shows her - that this is just a job. But, you can tell Azriel is holding a bunch of things inside him. I just need to have these two together. I'm emotionally invested, now!
Definitely fun on an emotional level. Frustrating on a story level.
76 points/100 (4 stars/5) [revised from 5 stars]
Risa Jones is being threatened by everyone to find the keys to heaven and hell, or else. You cannot follow the demands of everyone and have them all be happy, though, especially when they're all in competition for the same thing. The Vampire Council, who Risa also now kind of works for, isn't too happy with her, either. They want her to find who is killing blood-whore addicted vampires, or else they, too, will kill her.
The stakes are raised yet again. With every new book, more and more shit is getting heaped onto the Risa pile. It is fun. Risa is getting penned in, she is cornered. And like anyone who is cornered, she is refusing to cooperate. Meanwhile, the attacks on her are increasing. She can't go anywhere without getting attacked by someone it feels like. I enjoy it so much. This is actually why I rated the book so high, Arthur managed to make me feel as cornered in as Risa.
Madeline Hunter has sent Risa on yet another sidequest. We just have to find who is killing vampires who are into some very unsavory acts. As if this is a problem for society or something? Bah. I just wanted to yell at the book for it to get back to the main plot. Between that and her constantly checking in on Tao, the book just felt so...pointless. I can't help but feel this series could have been a lot better if Keri Arthur stuck to the point. We're just really no closer to the end of the series, despite nearly being to the halfway point. It feels like nothing has happened to further the series.
Lucian is fucking awful to be around. I hate him. He is an awful human being (which probably isn't a surprise since he isn't human). He just is awful for Risa. I don't understand why she continues to want to be with him, why she lets it cause strife between her and Azriel. I understand why Lucian has to be around for the whole key thing, but the personal stuff? Make him go away, please.
Az-baby, on the other hand? Azriel and Risa for life. I just love these two, even when they're fighting and have trouble communicating. Azriel is such a fun character to be around. Risa is convinced he doesn't care for her, he gets upset that she says this even though that is all he ever really shows her - that this is just a job. But, you can tell Azriel is holding a bunch of things inside him. I just need to have these two together. I'm emotionally invested, now!
Definitely fun on an emotional level. Frustrating on a story level.
November 27, 2017
Fierce flesh-devouring teleporting creatures from Hindu myth invade Melbourne, Australia to prey on vampires and the vampire council will kill our heroine if she doesn't stop the slaughter! Lots of gore and dismemberment, demonic bloodhounds, disembodied evil priests, two animated magic swords that try to merge with their bearers, a somewhat mysterious reaper companion, an ex-lover she has to work with, travel through gray fields, travel as a disembodied fire being, face shifting, answering to her uncle in the Directorate, enigmatic orders from her disembodied father, and a frustrating main quest to keep the portals of hell from being unlocked! Oh, my. What a melee in this book! I still like the series, so three stars, and I already bought Darkness Hunts, but I think I need a long breather before I jump back in.
July 2, 2020
I really struggled to finish the last 30% of this, and won't read any further in the series. I'm not sure why it went wrong so fast, but I lost interest here for multiple reasons.
1. The heroine is a dumbass. She doesn't call in for help from people perfectly capable of helping her when she's outmatched (which is 99% of the time), or is being blackmailed and under threat of death. She doesn't even investigate as to the root behind these strong-arm tactics and the politics involved; she just lies down and accepts her fate as a slave to Hunter's whims. She also rabidly defends a guy as being on their side when all suspicions point otherwise and there is no reason to trust him. Because, you know, she's screwing him so surely anyone she screws can't be bad.
2. She's also weak and inept. Despite all the talk about how she's half-Aedh and how she's been trained by her Guardian uncle and aunt on combat techniques, she spends most of the time bumbling around. Anytime she succeeds in a fight, it's her sword that does it, or someone else saves her.
3. Inconsistency. Okay, in the previous series, Quinn was half-Aedh and for this reason the vampire council feared him and treaded lightly. Additionally, only a select few knew of what he was and what Aedh was. Suddenly, in this series, everyone and their mother knows the Aedh and that Risa is half-Aedh. Moreoever, her Aedhness does not impress them in the least and they sit around threatening her and she bows to their will in fear for her life. What is up with that?
4. It struck me as pretty inconsistent/ hypocritical, not to mention self-serving, for the heroine to tacitly assist the blood whore feast-murder operation and thus enable it to keep going. She's all concerned about humanity's fate because DEMONS AND THE GATE, oh noes, but she'll let human beings continue to be murdered everyday because she's all scared of the council. Grow a fucking pair and quit trying to sit on both sides of the fence.
1. The heroine is a dumbass. She doesn't call in for help from people perfectly capable of helping her when she's outmatched (which is 99% of the time), or is being blackmailed and under threat of death. She doesn't even investigate as to the root behind these strong-arm tactics and the politics involved; she just lies down and accepts her fate as a slave to Hunter's whims. She also rabidly defends a guy as being on their side when all suspicions point otherwise and there is no reason to trust him. Because, you know, she's screwing him so surely anyone she screws can't be bad.
2. She's also weak and inept. Despite all the talk about how she's half-Aedh and how she's been trained by her Guardian uncle and aunt on combat techniques, she spends most of the time bumbling around. Anytime she succeeds in a fight, it's her sword that does it, or someone else saves her.
3. Inconsistency. Okay, in the previous series, Quinn was half-Aedh and for this reason the vampire council feared him and treaded lightly. Additionally, only a select few knew of what he was and what Aedh was. Suddenly, in this series, everyone and their mother knows the Aedh and that Risa is half-Aedh. Moreoever, her Aedhness does not impress them in the least and they sit around threatening her and she bows to their will in fear for her life. What is up with that?
4. It struck me as pretty inconsistent/ hypocritical, not to mention self-serving, for the heroine to tacitly assist the blood whore feast-murder operation and thus enable it to keep going. She's all concerned about humanity's fate because DEMONS AND THE GATE, oh noes, but she'll let human beings continue to be murdered everyday because she's all scared of the council. Grow a fucking pair and quit trying to sit on both sides of the fence.
August 3, 2012
So I was doing my normal scan of the book's in wal-mart while I was grocery shopping and then, what do my eyes spy? But a new Keri Arthur book, and I won't lie I did a fan girl squee. Yes, it earned me many a strange looks from the women and children looking as well but it was well worth it.
Keri Arthur is probably on my top five favorite author list. She never gets old and that is saying allot given the amount of works she has written.
I know when I pick up a book with her name on it, I am not going to be disappointed.
I actually keep up with release dates since I get so invested with her series but with Darkness Devour I was caught off guard given the busy schedule my life has taken. So it was an awesome surprise to pick up the third installment of the series.
Fan's of Risa's Reaper, this book is the one for you. I was clenching the sides of the book until my knuckles were white with anticipation as the moment grew and then seemed to fade, only to grow again. This was a moment that took three books in the making and I was not let down!
That is the best thing about Arthur's books, her relationship's are complex, they don't meet and fall in love in the first five chapter's like so many other books do. No, they struggle with it and you can't help but become involved in the character's life as you silently will them together.
I also like that with the action she pack's into her pages, it doesn't seemed rushed, it is like a movie script and if I closed my eyes I could see each punch and spray of blood.
Favorite Charrie: Tao.
Rating:
5 Raven's
**This is a book I bought with my own money, the statement's above are my own thoughts and opinions, I was in no way compensated for my review. Thanks!**
Keri Arthur is probably on my top five favorite author list. She never gets old and that is saying allot given the amount of works she has written.
I know when I pick up a book with her name on it, I am not going to be disappointed.
I actually keep up with release dates since I get so invested with her series but with Darkness Devour I was caught off guard given the busy schedule my life has taken. So it was an awesome surprise to pick up the third installment of the series.
Fan's of Risa's Reaper, this book is the one for you. I was clenching the sides of the book until my knuckles were white with anticipation as the moment grew and then seemed to fade, only to grow again. This was a moment that took three books in the making and I was not let down!
That is the best thing about Arthur's books, her relationship's are complex, they don't meet and fall in love in the first five chapter's like so many other books do. No, they struggle with it and you can't help but become involved in the character's life as you silently will them together.
I also like that with the action she pack's into her pages, it doesn't seemed rushed, it is like a movie script and if I closed my eyes I could see each punch and spray of blood.
Favorite Charrie: Tao.
Rating:
5 Raven's
**This is a book I bought with my own money, the statement's above are my own thoughts and opinions, I was in no way compensated for my review. Thanks!**
August 29, 2013
Another annoying story in the series I stubbornly persist in reading.
Lucian rapes Risa in this installment of the series. Loud and clear for all to read. And how does she react? She is mildly annoyed!
Yes, she does kick him out. And yes, she does tell him to stay away but, her reaction is severely lacking!
I mean the guy friggin raped you!! And not only your body, but also your mind!!! And your only reaction is to wait till he's all done before you tell him to stay away for a couple of days?!?!?!?! WHAT THE EFFING HELL??? I mean, seriously!!!
One bright side that came out of this book is that she and Azriel finally get down and dirty, and my oh my, I admit, it was worth the sludge I had to muddle through at the beginning to read that.
Beyond that, the story was annoyingly frustrating. The author still relies on the few phrases she has all but bored us to tears with throughout the Guardian series and up until now. I mean, for someone with so much imagination, dear author, your phrases have turned into mindless repetitions. I'd understand if your characters have their own catchphrase sentences that they repeat often, but repeating the same descriptive phrases over and over gets old… fast! Come up with new analogies and wanna-be-funny similes or whatever else type of phrases you choose to constantly repeat.
The story line is somewhat interesting, but I. sadly. would not recommend this series to anyone, even if I will still suffer through the remaining books (if only to find out why Lucian is after the keys and making Risa's life miserable. (My current suspicion is that he is a Raziq under cover…). Until the last book is out, I read on.)
Lucian rapes Risa in this installment of the series. Loud and clear for all to read. And how does she react? She is mildly annoyed!
Yes, she does kick him out. And yes, she does tell him to stay away but, her reaction is severely lacking!
I mean the guy friggin raped you!! And not only your body, but also your mind!!! And your only reaction is to wait till he's all done before you tell him to stay away for a couple of days?!?!?!?! WHAT THE EFFING HELL??? I mean, seriously!!!
One bright side that came out of this book is that she and Azriel finally get down and dirty, and my oh my, I admit, it was worth the sludge I had to muddle through at the beginning to read that.
Beyond that, the story was annoyingly frustrating. The author still relies on the few phrases she has all but bored us to tears with throughout the Guardian series and up until now. I mean, for someone with so much imagination, dear author, your phrases have turned into mindless repetitions. I'd understand if your characters have their own catchphrase sentences that they repeat often, but repeating the same descriptive phrases over and over gets old… fast! Come up with new analogies and wanna-be-funny similes or whatever else type of phrases you choose to constantly repeat.
The story line is somewhat interesting, but I. sadly. would not recommend this series to anyone, even if I will still suffer through the remaining books (if only to find out why Lucian is after the keys and making Risa's life miserable. (My current suspicion is that he is a Raziq under cover…). Until the last book is out, I read on.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2012
Risa, ½ werewolf & ½ Aedh, is neck deep in trouble in Darkness Devours. The vampire council is testing Risa and has arrange a horrific task to eliminated the being murdering villainess/murdering vampire ... their tests don’t stop there. There are Aedh hunting Risa for her ability to bring them the keys they require. Jak, her ex-boyfriend that broke her heart, is pulled back into Risa’s life by her own choice (although Jak’s reemergence is painful, Risa decides she needs Jak’s investigational skill and will make the sacrifice). Lucian is playing games with Risa and not just phsically. Azriel, her protector, is showing a more human side and this opens up the possibility for a more intimate relationship.
Darkness Devours is action packed with lots of dark and devious plans coming from all sides. Risa must develop her power and grow as a character or she won’t survive. She has to come to terms with her past heart ache caused by Jak ... learn to stand up against the difficult demands of Lucian ... come to terms with her relationship with Arziel … cope with the vampire council ... lastly stay ahead of all the Aedh trying to use her.
Keri Arthur has created a marvelously dark and desperate world for the heroin Risa to traverse. It is a fabulous experience to follow her through these difficult situations. Throughout Darkness Devours she stays true to her friends and family. Darkness Devours is a great dark fantasy paranormal story.
Darkness Devours is action packed with lots of dark and devious plans coming from all sides. Risa must develop her power and grow as a character or she won’t survive. She has to come to terms with her past heart ache caused by Jak ... learn to stand up against the difficult demands of Lucian ... come to terms with her relationship with Arziel … cope with the vampire council ... lastly stay ahead of all the Aedh trying to use her.
Keri Arthur has created a marvelously dark and desperate world for the heroin Risa to traverse. It is a fabulous experience to follow her through these difficult situations. Throughout Darkness Devours she stays true to her friends and family. Darkness Devours is a great dark fantasy paranormal story.
February 27, 2015
So... Risa is no further forward when it comes to the keys. This book centers more on the side missions rather than the overall plot of the series. Her mother is hardly mentioned and it's easy to forget that her death was the reason for Risa's involvement with Hunter.
The bit that really quite annoys me is that Risa seems to be more of a passive heroine rather than an active one, like Gin from the Elemental Assassins series and Kate from the Kate Daniels series. It's like all this stuff happens to her, Hunter drags her in to work out who is killing blood whores and why. And what happened to the deal that Risa wouldn't kill anything, just hunt it? That seems to have been forgotten. Anyway... Risa just kind of seems to float from one disaster to another, from one capture to another, running herself into the ground and losing her spark.
I do love hating Lucian. I KNOW there is something with that guy and I totally agree with Azriel that he isn't what he appears.
I also find myself loving Azriel as the series progresses. He does what he can for Risa but he knows something that we don't and I need to discover what it is!!!
Jak is one character that you are probably supposed to dislike, but I love him for who he is. He's cheeky, focused and lightened the mood with Risa when she is too focused on the missions for too long.
And I love Amaya! She is one awesome sword. I totally want one.
The bit that really quite annoys me is that Risa seems to be more of a passive heroine rather than an active one, like Gin from the Elemental Assassins series and Kate from the Kate Daniels series. It's like all this stuff happens to her, Hunter drags her in to work out who is killing blood whores and why. And what happened to the deal that Risa wouldn't kill anything, just hunt it? That seems to have been forgotten. Anyway... Risa just kind of seems to float from one disaster to another, from one capture to another, running herself into the ground and losing her spark.
I do love hating Lucian. I KNOW there is something with that guy and I totally agree with Azriel that he isn't what he appears.
I also find myself loving Azriel as the series progresses. He does what he can for Risa but he knows something that we don't and I need to discover what it is!!!
Jak is one character that you are probably supposed to dislike, but I love him for who he is. He's cheeky, focused and lightened the mood with Risa when she is too focused on the missions for too long.
And I love Amaya! She is one awesome sword. I totally want one.
July 15, 2013
I skipped book two and it was still okay to read book 3 without any issues. I will going back to book 2 as soon as I get it from the library. This is a 3.5 star book. I really enjoyed it!
This one brings an asshole back into Risa's life. Jak the jerk off reporter has the gall to still make passes at Risa. I want to slap him upside the head. I don't like him at all. The sexual tension between Azriel finally bursts open. It's much better than being with Lucien. Still, both males have stamina.
This story is kind of a drag as Risa is pulled deeper into Hunter's web. It's not good. She is way in over her head. Plus the whole story on blood whores is repulsive. Sounds like there should be a spin off there too. When it comes to world building, Ms. Arthur never skimps. She adds all these facets I'd like to delve more deeply in. She tends to give us a taste, hook us in and then make us wait for resolution. Very frustrating!
This story moved pretty fast and it makes me want to read the next book. Recommended for urban fantasy lovers who enjoy good plots and engaging characters.
This one brings an asshole back into Risa's life. Jak the jerk off reporter has the gall to still make passes at Risa. I want to slap him upside the head. I don't like him at all. The sexual tension between Azriel finally bursts open. It's much better than being with Lucien. Still, both males have stamina.
This story is kind of a drag as Risa is pulled deeper into Hunter's web. It's not good. She is way in over her head. Plus the whole story on blood whores is repulsive. Sounds like there should be a spin off there too. When it comes to world building, Ms. Arthur never skimps. She adds all these facets I'd like to delve more deeply in. She tends to give us a taste, hook us in and then make us wait for resolution. Very frustrating!
This story moved pretty fast and it makes me want to read the next book. Recommended for urban fantasy lovers who enjoy good plots and engaging characters.
September 23, 2012
LOVED. I think that I am enjoying this series much more than the Riley series. As I said before...love this world and can't get it out of my head! My feelings about Lucian have been right from the beginning..I really dislike him. Love the direction of Risa & Azriel, I think their relationship is written so well. I don't agree with others that feel that this book didn't move the story forward. We are getting to see Risa realize herself what she is capable of and just how far she is willing to go to survive. I think this is important, because she needs to know before she gets to the really hard stuff that is coming. The experience with Amaya is a perfect example. This is definitely not a static character. My biggest issue is that after reading the first 3 one after the other, there are quite a few descriptions that seem to be repeated over and over, in the same exact wording. I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed if I had read them as they came out, but it bothered me none the less. I cannot wait for the next one!
October 17, 2015
Risa Jones, is half werewolf and half Aedh, who is reluctantly working for Madeleine Hunter to solve her mother's murder. Risa doesn't like keeping secrets from those she loves and cares about but doesn't really have much choice. Risa's Aedh lover Lucian is keeping things from her and his dislike for Azriel is pretty much mutual. Azriel is a reaper and Risa's protector. Risa is being drawn further into Hunter's web and she doesn't see a way out anytime soon. Can Risa resolve Hunter's newest problem? Will Risa finally act on her feelings for Azriel? Your answers await you in Darkness Devours.
This series keeps getting better with each book. I don't trust Lucian as far as I can throw him. Azriel has a bit more of my trust than Lucian. Risa is worried for her friends. The story is definitely building and suspenseful too. The characters are real, raw, honest, compelling, interesting, and unexpected too. I look forward to my next adventure in this series.
This series keeps getting better with each book. I don't trust Lucian as far as I can throw him. Azriel has a bit more of my trust than Lucian. Risa is worried for her friends. The story is definitely building and suspenseful too. The characters are real, raw, honest, compelling, interesting, and unexpected too. I look forward to my next adventure in this series.
July 6, 2012
Loved this book. We finally get to see Azriel and Risa's relationship grow in this book. I love Azriel. There is just something about this reaper who is not suppose to feel anything make my heart melt when he cracks little jokes with Risa when she least expects it.
I can't stand Lucian and I wish Risa would just end it completely. I have a feeling he might be behind some of the things going on. I think he has a hidden agenda that's not quite out in the open. She is just blinded by the good sex. Though I think she may have enjoyed herself more with someone else and she just won't admit it to herself.
Anyways a nice addition to this series and I can't wait to see more of Risa and Azriel's relationship bloom even more.
I can't stand Lucian and I wish Risa would just end it completely. I have a feeling he might be behind some of the things going on. I think he has a hidden agenda that's not quite out in the open. She is just blinded by the good sex. Though I think she may have enjoyed herself more with someone else and she just won't admit it to herself.
Anyways a nice addition to this series and I can't wait to see more of Risa and Azriel's relationship bloom even more.
July 6, 2012
My quick and to the point thoughts--
There was tons, and I do mean tons of Azriel love throughout this entire book that it just made everything worthwhile for me.
I felt so bad for Risa more times than I could count. I mean, the poor girl is attacked and injured more than anyone I have ever read about, I think.
I loathe Hunter and Lucian with every fiber of my being...and then some, if that’s even possible.
And WTF was this dope Jak doing except wasting precious space in my Risa/Azriel book!?!
All I have left to say is thank the book lords there is another book coming out in Nov, because I don’t think I will ever get enough Risa and Azriel!
There was tons, and I do mean tons of Azriel love throughout this entire book that it just made everything worthwhile for me.
I felt so bad for Risa more times than I could count. I mean, the poor girl is attacked and injured more than anyone I have ever read about, I think.
I loathe Hunter and Lucian with every fiber of my being...and then some, if that’s even possible.
And WTF was this dope Jak doing except wasting precious space in my Risa/Azriel book!?!
All I have left to say is thank the book lords there is another book coming out in Nov, because I don’t think I will ever get enough Risa and Azriel!
July 15, 2012
Third book in the Dark Angels series, this one held as much tension as its predecessors. Arthur is one of my favorite paranormal romance authors because she knows how to write a badass heroine. And she doesn’t tease to the point of frustration. After the first two books, there were certain developments begging to happen. Some writers would tantalize and arouse without a satisfying follow through…ahem, Twilight. But Arthur always delivers, which is why this series remains on my favorites list.
August 3, 2012
I love this series, there is so much going on that you barely manage to catch a breathe. You certainly never get bored. I will say that the more this series goes on the more like Riley, Risa becomes. I'm still not entirely sure who is actually the good guys. Everyone has their own motivations and they're not all in Risa's best interest - if I'm sure of anything, it's that!
January 26, 2015
It's been some time since I last read any books of this series and I have to say. I got into it as if I read the first two books just last week! I love when that happens!
Now, if only I can have Azriel wrapped in...well nothing. Then I'd be the happiest reader in the world ;)
Look forward to book #4.
Now, if only I can have Azriel wrapped in...well nothing. Then I'd be the happiest reader in the world ;)
Look forward to book #4.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews