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Beyond the Night #1
A Broken Light
For Jace Bennett and Elias James monsters are no myth. In their world, no one sweet talks vampires or cuddles werewolves. The night is dark, and the unnatural creatures lurking in it dangerous.
Holding back the shadow, hunters protect an oblivious population. Once filled with ideals, Jace now hunts to avenge his family. Elias, true to his incubus nature, kills to live. When fate brings the natural born enemies together, they form an unlikely alliance to save a town from blood thirsty ghosts.
Sparks fly and attraction flares, but when Jace learns Elias isn't human, prejudice threatens their fragile bond. A threat from a common enemy forces them back together and Elias' unexpectedly humane actions cast Jace's black and white convictions into shadow. Shaken and facing an impossible choice, can Jace learn to redefine monster in time to save them?
Holding back the shadow, hunters protect an oblivious population. Once filled with ideals, Jace now hunts to avenge his family. Elias, true to his incubus nature, kills to live. When fate brings the natural born enemies together, they form an unlikely alliance to save a town from blood thirsty ghosts.
Sparks fly and attraction flares, but when Jace learns Elias isn't human, prejudice threatens their fragile bond. A threat from a common enemy forces them back together and Elias' unexpectedly humane actions cast Jace's black and white convictions into shadow. Shaken and facing an impossible choice, can Jace learn to redefine monster in time to save them?
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2012
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233 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 27, 2012
There are some topics that I just don't read about. Ghosts and incubus stories. How can you have a meaningful anything with a ghost? It's a ghost. You can't touch it and to fight it you have a bag of salt and some hale-marys in your pocket. Put an incubus in a story and you have nothing but sex and possibly some soul-sucking. Yawn.
That is NOT this book. In this world, Vampires and werewolves are not romantic heroes but real monsters that go bump in the night.
Jace comes from a family of Hunters who work to protect the unknowing from these horrors. In less than a year, Jace has lost every member of his family to these monsters and works to keep from drowning in depression in the wake of their deaths.
Elias is a Hunter too. His incubus nature feeds off the emotions of those he kills. He can never let anyone close because he doesn't want to risk accidentally killing them when he becomes emotionally involved.
Both men have tragic pasts and they are resigned to living their lives alone until they stumble into each other working the same case.
I loved the writing. Jace felt like a walking open wound. I felt cold along with Elias every time he stepped outside. The world was rich and complex, not allowing me to guess what was going to happen. I especially liked that there wasn't a need to cram relationship development at the end. I does help that this is the first book in the series and so I anticipate reading more about Elias and Jace in the next book.
That is NOT this book. In this world, Vampires and werewolves are not romantic heroes but real monsters that go bump in the night.
Jace comes from a family of Hunters who work to protect the unknowing from these horrors. In less than a year, Jace has lost every member of his family to these monsters and works to keep from drowning in depression in the wake of their deaths.
Elias is a Hunter too. His incubus nature feeds off the emotions of those he kills. He can never let anyone close because he doesn't want to risk accidentally killing them when he becomes emotionally involved.
Both men have tragic pasts and they are resigned to living their lives alone until they stumble into each other working the same case.
I loved the writing. Jace felt like a walking open wound. I felt cold along with Elias every time he stepped outside. The world was rich and complex, not allowing me to guess what was going to happen. I especially liked that there wasn't a need to cram relationship development at the end. I does help that this is the first book in the series and so I anticipate reading more about Elias and Jace in the next book.
January 21, 2012
Diane Adams has gone in a very different direction with this excellent book. The story has much of the flavor of the TV series Supernatural but with a twist. Jace and Wade are brothers and hunters of anything evil. Wade is bitten by a werewolf while the brothers are hunting one night and Jace has to shoot him before he turns. That night haunts Jace and his sanity. Elias is an incubus but also a hunter. Jace and Elias join up on a case in Minnesota where girls are being mysteriously decapitated. They meet with Terry, the brother of the latest victim and enter into a battle with ghosts and a supposedly dead witch. The story reads very smoothly and kept me turning pages until I finished the book. Jace, Elias and Terry were all well developed characters and I couldn't help liking them. In true Adams style the romance between Jace and Elias was engaging. The ending of this installment in the series was surprising and has me waiting impatiently for more. I can't think of any reader of paranormal books who wouldn't get swept up in this book.
January 24, 2012
I feel a little bad giving this rating, because it is a good, fast-paced adventure story, which is normally my favorite kind of book. But it was just too derivative of Supernatural and felt unoriginal because of it. Also, the editing. God, PLEASE put punctuation marks in your sentences so I have some idea WTF is supposed to be going on! I had to re-read so many sentences and still ended up confused. The book has potential, but it needs some more original world building and an editor. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series. It has the possibility of being entertaining but also has some things that need worked out, IMHO. This is just what I think, other people might completely disagree.
May 13, 2012
I am biased. I always say this when i comment on Diane's books. Diane is a long time writing friend and I get very involved with what she writes. I have followed this story from day one...
I love Jace and Elias and this book, and I look forward to more instalments in their story.
I love Jace and Elias and this book, and I look forward to more instalments in their story.
January 22, 2012
I am probably going to "borrow" some of the words my friend, MandyM, used in review because she wrote it first -- and I agree with her.
This story can easily be attribute into an homage (or is it fanfic of some kind?) to the TV series, Supernatural: Two brothers, hunting for monsters because it is what their family do.
On the positive note, it fills with action and thrill, and the two MCs are pretty likeable. Jace is a hunter with past guilt over while Elias is a half-incubus who kills monster to feed his hunger. For them to find each other is a good thing. The supporting character, Wade (Jace's brother) and Terry (a brother of a murdered girl) are also interesting. There is a twist regarding Wade and Jace (which I like) and I do want to know what happens next with these hunters.
Having said that ....
The feeling of a Supernatural episode is heavy -- including the car (even if it's not Impala) and the using of salt and iron, personally, I feel like it sort of takes the uniqueness out of it.
On top of that, I must AGAIN blame the lack of editing in this one. The story doesn't feel like it flows smoothly (which is a let down, since I think Diane Adams has better writing). Some of the lines don't even make sense, and I need to go reread it several times. I mean, using punctuation marks can easily help, IMO. It's annoying to read, especially since I'm not a native English speaker.
Some of the examples:
...
He wiped the foam off his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks that hit the spot." (punctuation mark will help)
He clenched his teeth against the burning pain as Winchell cut into Elias' flesh a spell written with his fresh spilled blood. (this line probably needs some other words to put sense into it)
"There is a home site and a homestead. It's an easy thing to confuse. (isn't it supposed to be "It's an easy thing to get confused"??)
...
Also, in the beginning, Jace is said to be 21 (At fourteen, Jace believed he could decide to not be gay. At twenty-one, he understood it could never be that easy) but later on the story, Jace is only 20 years old? ("Your size. How old are you, Gigantor?"; "Twenty."). Yeah, I don't mean to be anal, but this inconsistency should be caught by editor (if they read it!) early on.
Seriously, the editing in M/M publishing these days becomes so ridiculous. Considering that the price is close to mainstream titles, it's disappointing.
This story can easily be attribute into an homage (or is it fanfic of some kind?) to the TV series, Supernatural: Two brothers, hunting for monsters because it is what their family do.
On the positive note, it fills with action and thrill, and the two MCs are pretty likeable. Jace is a hunter with past guilt over while Elias is a half-incubus who kills monster to feed his hunger. For them to find each other is a good thing. The supporting character, Wade (Jace's brother) and Terry (a brother of a murdered girl) are also interesting. There is a twist regarding Wade and Jace (which I like) and I do want to know what happens next with these hunters.
Having said that ....
The feeling of a Supernatural episode is heavy -- including the car (even if it's not Impala) and the using of salt and iron, personally, I feel like it sort of takes the uniqueness out of it.
On top of that, I must AGAIN blame the lack of editing in this one. The story doesn't feel like it flows smoothly (which is a let down, since I think Diane Adams has better writing). Some of the lines don't even make sense, and I need to go reread it several times. I mean, using punctuation marks can easily help, IMO. It's annoying to read, especially since I'm not a native English speaker.
Some of the examples:
...
He wiped the foam off his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks that hit the spot." (punctuation mark will help)
He clenched his teeth against the burning pain as Winchell cut into Elias' flesh a spell written with his fresh spilled blood. (this line probably needs some other words to put sense into it)
"There is a home site and a homestead. It's an easy thing to confuse. (isn't it supposed to be "It's an easy thing to get confused"??)
...
Also, in the beginning, Jace is said to be 21 (At fourteen, Jace believed he could decide to not be gay. At twenty-one, he understood it could never be that easy) but later on the story, Jace is only 20 years old? ("Your size. How old are you, Gigantor?"; "Twenty."). Yeah, I don't mean to be anal, but this inconsistency should be caught by editor (if they read it!) early on.
Seriously, the editing in M/M publishing these days becomes so ridiculous. Considering that the price is close to mainstream titles, it's disappointing.
January 31, 2012
The setup of this first story in a new series is not unfamiliar in this day and age of ghost busters, supernatural beings coming out of the woodwork (in books and movies, at least), and everyone either fancying themselves a vampire lover or someone, like a hunter, who could kick their asses should they ever decide to attack. As familiar as this world may seem, the characters of Jace and Elias breathe new life into the definition and meaning of what a ‘monster’ is. In a sense, they take that concept and turn it on its head.
Jace is haunted by his family’s death, his brother’s teachings that everything non-human is evil, and his own drive for revenge. He sees everything in black and white –until he is confronted with the fact that Elias, who seemed to be a good guy because he is a hunter, is also an incubus. Jace’s initial reaction is predictable, but watching him gradually grow out of blindly following what he has been told toward making up his own mind was quite interesting.
Elias is one of the ‘good’ bad guys. He may be an incubus, but he has found an interesting way of living with that, actually using his need for life energy for a good cause. He may look like a ‘monster’ if you apply the strict definition, but once you look under the surface, he is a living, breathing being who just wants to survive, like any one of us.
I liked the way this story examines the meaning of ‘monster’ in a new ay. This isn’t about how someone looks or what he eats, this is about what he believes in and what he does. The parallel to how society (Jace) treats those who are different (Elias) is clear, and I like the end result this story leads to. A sense of imminent danger permeates everything these guys do, but their growing understanding and love comes through as well. This book is a good mix of romance and adventure, with a good dose of horror thrown in for good measure. If you like paranormal stories, and don’t mind the odd gruesome murder or a host of vengeful ghosts, you may like this book. I am definitely curious to find out what the rest of the series has to offer.
NOTE: This book was provided by Silver Publishing for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online.
Jace is haunted by his family’s death, his brother’s teachings that everything non-human is evil, and his own drive for revenge. He sees everything in black and white –until he is confronted with the fact that Elias, who seemed to be a good guy because he is a hunter, is also an incubus. Jace’s initial reaction is predictable, but watching him gradually grow out of blindly following what he has been told toward making up his own mind was quite interesting.
Elias is one of the ‘good’ bad guys. He may be an incubus, but he has found an interesting way of living with that, actually using his need for life energy for a good cause. He may look like a ‘monster’ if you apply the strict definition, but once you look under the surface, he is a living, breathing being who just wants to survive, like any one of us.
I liked the way this story examines the meaning of ‘monster’ in a new ay. This isn’t about how someone looks or what he eats, this is about what he believes in and what he does. The parallel to how society (Jace) treats those who are different (Elias) is clear, and I like the end result this story leads to. A sense of imminent danger permeates everything these guys do, but their growing understanding and love comes through as well. This book is a good mix of romance and adventure, with a good dose of horror thrown in for good measure. If you like paranormal stories, and don’t mind the odd gruesome murder or a host of vengeful ghosts, you may like this book. I am definitely curious to find out what the rest of the series has to offer.
NOTE: This book was provided by Silver Publishing for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online.
December 2, 2012
DNF. Was too difficult for me to keep up with POVs to the point where I had to reread several times to discern who was actually narrating. What was equally difficult was how it read like an episode of Supernatural, and the editing in spots was jarring, taking me completely out of the story--missing punctuation, repetitive words and story inconsistencies to name a few (though, the last could very well be explained later in the story, but I just didn't care enough to continue).
I was disappointed because I like the author's other series, The Making of a Man. While the genres are decidedly different, the quality of this was just far below what I've come to expect from Ms. Adams.
I was disappointed because I like the author's other series, The Making of a Man. While the genres are decidedly different, the quality of this was just far below what I've come to expect from Ms. Adams.
April 23, 2017
Jace is a hunter who has lost his family to the monsters (vampires, werewolves etc), Elias is another hunter, but he isn't human. They meet in a small town with a nasty monster problem.
This book surprised me - sometimes in good ways, sometimes not. The romance between Jace and Elias was enjoyable, and I particularly liked Elias.
The world building was mostly good, and there was a reasonable amount of explanation. Towards the end things did get wierder than I'd been expecting - I'm hoping there will be a sequel which will hopefully explain a few things.
Generally an enjoyable read.
This book surprised me - sometimes in good ways, sometimes not. The romance between Jace and Elias was enjoyable, and I particularly liked Elias.
The world building was mostly good, and there was a reasonable amount of explanation. Towards the end things did get wierder than I'd been expecting - I'm hoping there will be a sequel which will hopefully explain a few things.
Generally an enjoyable read.
May 18, 2012
This story will keep readers guessing until the end. There were enough paranormal elements to the story to keep things interesting but the attraction and witty/playful comments between the two main characters kept you ‘awww’-ing and the edge of your seats. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any spicier, a virginal sex scene and another love interest is thrown into the mix. The story was a short read about 250 pages and when it was over I jumped online researching the author for more of her stories. Overall this was a good story and I think it will be an even better series.
May 19, 2012
I liked it a lot more than I expected. It was nothing...special...and yet it captured my attention, and while it was short it dealt with the main characters well. They developed their relationship pretty well considering it was only days. Nice.
Oh God! Please don't let there be a sequel about Wade and Terry! That would be just cruel. The poor ghost doesn't need any more heartbreak, and I sure wouldn't want to see Terry hurting either. No sequel, for the love of God! Unless Wade comes back to life. Which can't happen.
Oh God! Please don't let there be a sequel about Wade and Terry! That would be just cruel. The poor ghost doesn't need any more heartbreak, and I sure wouldn't want to see Terry hurting either. No sequel, for the love of God! Unless Wade comes back to life. Which can't happen.
April 8, 2012
I loved Jace and Elias and also Wade and Terry. Really want to read more about all 4 of these guys.
February 3, 2012
Not your typical Diane Adams book, but I truly enjoyed reading this. Sorry, no spoilers here. :)
I am looking forward to more of Jace and Elias.
I am looking forward to more of Jace and Elias.
September 20, 2012
First off, I was extremely annoyed that the author kept insisting that Elias, at 5'8", is short. I'm sorry, I'm not sure what the author was thinking, but the average height for men in America is 5'9.5", so I think Elias at 5'8" is fine height-wise. (Average height for women is about 5'4", so it's not like he'd have much competition from that side either.) It didn't do anything for the story at all. It just made it annoying, as if the author had been determined to make him fit into the "twink" category. What does confuse me, though, is that while Elias described himself as 5'8" (his "diminutive [snorts with contempt] five foot eight inch frame," I might add), when he and Jace first met, Jace estimated him to be five feet, flat. Maybe the author changed her mind about his height and didn't fix that? Either way, it didn't really do much for the plot except give it more material for melodrama and profiling (hooray! no).
Their meeting, though...that part was melodramatic.
Eh... It does get somewhat better, though, so there's that. I'm also moderately interested in finding out more (aka, reading the next installment)(doesn't sound like much, but even a tiny spark of interest is better than no interest at all :D) so kudos for that one, I'd say. Still, it's probably more like a 3.5/5 than an actual 4, though.
Their meeting, though...that part was melodramatic.
Eh... It does get somewhat better, though, so there's that. I'm also moderately interested in finding out more (aka, reading the next installment)(doesn't sound like much, but even a tiny spark of interest is better than no interest at all :D) so kudos for that one, I'd say. Still, it's probably more like a 3.5/5 than an actual 4, though.
June 23, 2012
A solid start to what has the potential to be an interesting series. This book is a solid 4 stars in comparison to other books I have read in this genre. So why 3 stars? In comparison to Diane Adams' body of work this book failed to pull me in and make me emotionally invested in the characters like her making of a man series or broken memories. I think the let down is due to the fact that Wade never tells Jace important truths about their family, an important unresolved issue that should have been addressed. Having Elias know and forcing him to keep that knowledge from Jace, i think would put an unnecessary strain on a budding relationship. This particular loose end is why I give this book 3 stars. I do look forward to reading more. The premise is interesting and the story is done well enough to leave me wanting more.
January 30, 2012
I expected better because Diane Adams' Making of a Man series is just fantastic. It feels like somebody else wrote this book because the editing is so awful and it's really distracting me from the story. It's almost like it was written in one sitting and never reviewed or edited before being sent straight to publication. I'm not sure where the fault lies, but given that Making of a Man doesn't read at all like this one, I'm leaning towards being disappointed in beta readers (if there were any) and the Silver Publishing editing team (again, if there were any).
That being said, even though it does feel very Supernatural-like as mentioned by previous reviewers, the store isn't half bad if you can get past the truly horrible editing.
That being said, even though it does feel very Supernatural-like as mentioned by previous reviewers, the store isn't half bad if you can get past the truly horrible editing.
June 5, 2012
Diane Adams is one of my favorite authors and this first installment of the Beyond the Night series did not disappoint. Jace, Terry & Wade are all wonderful, but Elias, well, he is just a total cutie...love him. There seems to be a few unanswered questions, which hopefully will be revealed in future installments. Looking forward to the next adventure!!!
January 23, 2012
When did Diane Adams start to write Supernatural fanfic? This was like reading about Sammy finally hooking up with the nice boy-demon next door. I still enjoyed the book since it was well-written, packed with action and the two MCs very likable but the world building wasn't very creative.
July 26, 2012
Awesome book. Set in a supernatural universe, two very unique hunters find what they need in each other. Elias who's birth rite is monstrous and Jace who can do more things with his mind than is strictly normal are a great pairing. I'm soooo looking forward to the next book in this series.
January 26, 2012
I have never watched Supernatural so that didn't bother me, but I'm deducting a star for the editing mistakes. Lots and lots of editing mistakes.
November 12, 2013
Good story. Fans of Supernatural may like it.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews