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Vampire Armageddon #1
Darkness Decending Devyn Quinn
The first seal has been broken, signaling the end of days. Fallen angels in the form of vampires are infecting humans one by one, creating an army fit for Armageddon. Of the few who survive the infection, one stands alone above all others…
For one year, Jesse Burke has been suppressing the beast within, driven by vengeance to destroy the vampiric fallen angels terrorizing New Orleans. But a war of biblical proportions is too much for one girl to handle, and she must turn to slayer Maddox deValois for training, though it threatens her fiercely-guarded independence. At the same time, the sinister demon Queen Amonate is doing everything in her power to lure Jesse into embracing the darkness inside her soul—a power play that will trap her in a deadly web of deception between the forces of good and evil…
Before this war is over, everyone will learn that hell hath no fury like a woman possessed…
For one year, Jesse Burke has been suppressing the beast within, driven by vengeance to destroy the vampiric fallen angels terrorizing New Orleans. But a war of biblical proportions is too much for one girl to handle, and she must turn to slayer Maddox deValois for training, though it threatens her fiercely-guarded independence. At the same time, the sinister demon Queen Amonate is doing everything in her power to lure Jesse into embracing the darkness inside her soul—a power play that will trap her in a deadly web of deception between the forces of good and evil…
Before this war is over, everyone will learn that hell hath no fury like a woman possessed…
353 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 2, 2011
11 people are currently reading
1601 people want to read
About the author
Devyn Quinn
48 books301 followersDevyn Quinn lives in the scenic Southwest, though she has called several other states home. She is a huge fan of dark gothic music & shoot-’em-up action movies. But reading is her first love and Devyn spends too much time with history books, as well as feeding her addiction for celebrity biographies. She especially enjoys reading books on Hollywood before the 1960′s and is crazy about Marilyn Monroe, her legend and her myth.
Has also written under AKAs:
Caitlyn McKenna
Jeya Jenson
From website:
I started out writing paranormal romance under a few pen names that didn’t get very far in the publishing world. Later on, after years of not writing, I debuted in small press and used the name of Caitlyn McKenna. My first releases were Echoes of Angels (later re-released as The Keeper of Eternity) and Descent of Demons (later re-released as The Price of Eternity). When I began writing erotic romance, I wrote under the name of Jeya Jenson for several epublishers/small presses such as Ellora’s Cave, Extasy Books and others. Later, I was offered a contract by a NY publishing house, and neither pen name was acceptable to the editor. After batting some names around, I became Devyn Quinn. Several of my Jeya Jenson titles also made the jump to print, such as Flesh and the Devil (Kensington Aphrodisia), Before Night Falls (now published as Sins of the Flesh, Kensington Aphrodisia) and Sins of Flesh (now published as Sins of the Night, Kensington Aphrodisia).
At this time I write solely under the name of Devyn Quinn and will continue to do so in
Has also written under AKAs:
Caitlyn McKenna
Jeya Jenson
From website:
I started out writing paranormal romance under a few pen names that didn’t get very far in the publishing world. Later on, after years of not writing, I debuted in small press and used the name of Caitlyn McKenna. My first releases were Echoes of Angels (later re-released as The Keeper of Eternity) and Descent of Demons (later re-released as The Price of Eternity). When I began writing erotic romance, I wrote under the name of Jeya Jenson for several epublishers/small presses such as Ellora’s Cave, Extasy Books and others. Later, I was offered a contract by a NY publishing house, and neither pen name was acceptable to the editor. After batting some names around, I became Devyn Quinn. Several of my Jeya Jenson titles also made the jump to print, such as Flesh and the Devil (Kensington Aphrodisia), Before Night Falls (now published as Sins of the Flesh, Kensington Aphrodisia) and Sins of Flesh (now published as Sins of the Night, Kensington Aphrodisia).
At this time I write solely under the name of Devyn Quinn and will continue to do so in
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 27, 2011
DNF
Usually I have more patience than this. I can keep pushing through almost any book in the hope of it turning into a good read. But this? For some reason, there is no patience. I’m done. I am bored and I am irritated and I just want to move onto a book I might actually like.
More often than not, I like being dropped into a story and left to catch up—in moderation, of course. I don’t enjoy huge info dumps or long pages of introspection to introduce me to a character, but I still need something if I’m supposed care about the events unfolding. You can’t just have huge clumps of back and forth dialogue between two characters I don’t know well enough to care about. Especially when what I do know of them from how they have talked and behaved to date leaves me cold.
The heroine was thoroughly irritating. Her attitude was so back and forth that it could flip flop multiple times within a page. She had no place to go, was skin and bones, and was pretty worthless at her big goal of killing vampires. The hero talks to her for just a few minutes and decides to let her come home with him (for some reason) because she’ll need training. And she goes. Right… But then when she gets there she keeps jumping to conclusions and cussing at him and threatening to leave. But then she’d flip back to being emo because she didn’t really want to leave, because she had no place to go. But then it would flip again and she’d curse at him again for something and then it would flip back. I, personally, would have kicked that rude, psycho freak to the curb.
Then for some reason they decide to sleep in the same bed for the night—sleep being the operative word. But they wake up in close contact and come close to having sex—by page 62, mind you—for some reason. Apparently he’s willing to get close to a virtual stranger who he knows is infected. And she…well, her character doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, so I don’t really know what motivated her. She had these random (completely random) moments of finding him hot and feeling that he was someone she might be able to risk being close to without having to worry too much about the demon inside of her. But they only talked for like an hour or two the first night, so any attraction reads hollow. Especially because they both are dirty and run down and she is gaunt from resisting the demon. And then they both comment on the other not smelling that great and needing a shower…. I can hardly resist, myself. ;)
Other than the characters and the lack of motivation presented, I just don’t think this author’s style is my type. I’ve read a book of hers, Siren’s Surrender, previously and had the same problem with it. There I was able to find likable characters and an interesting world to help push me through it. Here I don’t have that. It’s all tell, tell, tell, tell. I couldn’t sink into the book and forget that I was being told a story. I also felt the characterizations were too clunky and in your face. I prefer a more natural feel to the personalities and dialogue.
The one thing that I can say in this book’s favor is that the hero, Maddox, actually has a job. It was very different and very refreshing. He was totally upfront about his need to work to maintain a roof over his head and to finance his vampire hunting. I have to admit that I would assume he would have built up a nest egg in his long lifetime, but it’s possible he couldn’t, so I’ll let that go. But what was great about this job (or what I saw of it) was that it was at a construction site and he couldn’t go wandering off on his own during work hours, like so many other PNR and UF characters. He was stuck there for his 8 hours and only when he was off could he be a badass. I also found it interesting that he admitted to lying about kicking a bad habit his partner was worried about him having. I think that has a lot of possibilities.
Although that stirred my interest slightly, by that time it was too late. I got to page 134 and I was done.
Review posted on Fiction Vixen.
Usually I have more patience than this. I can keep pushing through almost any book in the hope of it turning into a good read. But this? For some reason, there is no patience. I’m done. I am bored and I am irritated and I just want to move onto a book I might actually like.
More often than not, I like being dropped into a story and left to catch up—in moderation, of course. I don’t enjoy huge info dumps or long pages of introspection to introduce me to a character, but I still need something if I’m supposed care about the events unfolding. You can’t just have huge clumps of back and forth dialogue between two characters I don’t know well enough to care about. Especially when what I do know of them from how they have talked and behaved to date leaves me cold.
The heroine was thoroughly irritating. Her attitude was so back and forth that it could flip flop multiple times within a page. She had no place to go, was skin and bones, and was pretty worthless at her big goal of killing vampires. The hero talks to her for just a few minutes and decides to let her come home with him (for some reason) because she’ll need training. And she goes. Right… But then when she gets there she keeps jumping to conclusions and cussing at him and threatening to leave. But then she’d flip back to being emo because she didn’t really want to leave, because she had no place to go. But then it would flip again and she’d curse at him again for something and then it would flip back. I, personally, would have kicked that rude, psycho freak to the curb.
Then for some reason they decide to sleep in the same bed for the night—sleep being the operative word. But they wake up in close contact and come close to having sex—by page 62, mind you—for some reason. Apparently he’s willing to get close to a virtual stranger who he knows is infected. And she…well, her character doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, so I don’t really know what motivated her. She had these random (completely random) moments of finding him hot and feeling that he was someone she might be able to risk being close to without having to worry too much about the demon inside of her. But they only talked for like an hour or two the first night, so any attraction reads hollow. Especially because they both are dirty and run down and she is gaunt from resisting the demon. And then they both comment on the other not smelling that great and needing a shower…. I can hardly resist, myself. ;)
Other than the characters and the lack of motivation presented, I just don’t think this author’s style is my type. I’ve read a book of hers, Siren’s Surrender, previously and had the same problem with it. There I was able to find likable characters and an interesting world to help push me through it. Here I don’t have that. It’s all tell, tell, tell, tell. I couldn’t sink into the book and forget that I was being told a story. I also felt the characterizations were too clunky and in your face. I prefer a more natural feel to the personalities and dialogue.
The one thing that I can say in this book’s favor is that the hero, Maddox, actually has a job. It was very different and very refreshing. He was totally upfront about his need to work to maintain a roof over his head and to finance his vampire hunting. I have to admit that I would assume he would have built up a nest egg in his long lifetime, but it’s possible he couldn’t, so I’ll let that go. But what was great about this job (or what I saw of it) was that it was at a construction site and he couldn’t go wandering off on his own during work hours, like so many other PNR and UF characters. He was stuck there for his 8 hours and only when he was off could he be a badass. I also found it interesting that he admitted to lying about kicking a bad habit his partner was worried about him having. I think that has a lot of possibilities.
Although that stirred my interest slightly, by that time it was too late. I got to page 134 and I was done.
Review posted on Fiction Vixen.
April 9, 2012
Jesse returns to New Orleans post-Katrina to hunt the vampires that killed her sister and left her infected with a demon that drives her to crave blood. Jesse is woefully unprepared to fight the vampires but luckily runs into a real vampire hunter, Maddox, who recognizes her unusual status as a human infected but not turned into a vampire. Together they and other hunters try to staunch the ever increasing number of vampires that may be signalling the End of Days.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I like the vampire lore that Quinn has developed. I also like that the vampires are pure evil. Not that I don't enjoy a friendly vamp now and then, but it is nice for them to be a clear enemy for a change. I like that the characters are flawed. Jesse is brash and makes bad decisions (understatement). Maddox has his own ghosts to deal with. There is lots of action with this motley crew of slayers. Looking forward to the next installment.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I like the vampire lore that Quinn has developed. I also like that the vampires are pure evil. Not that I don't enjoy a friendly vamp now and then, but it is nice for them to be a clear enemy for a change. I like that the characters are flawed. Jesse is brash and makes bad decisions (understatement). Maddox has his own ghosts to deal with. There is lots of action with this motley crew of slayers. Looking forward to the next installment.
October 19, 2011
2.5 stars
Huh this was sorta pretentious read....like it had illusions of grandeur but ened up lacking ...in all ways but one...the setting was amazingly done...I could see everything in my head rally well...
But I really didn't like the rest of the book, and i nearly added it to my DNF shelf a time or two....but I sloughed through, though it still surprises me that I made it to the end!
Right from the start the heroine bugged me. She had a tstl moment in the first couple pages..I know I was supposed to think she was just naive, but that's not how it came off, IMO . I tried to get past it, and give her the benefit of the doubt but she never really improves.
And the hero... I didn't like too much either...better then the heroine, sure. But that's not saying much. He's got a depressed/ self hatred thing going on that is only marginally explained....
Also, there are a few other secondary characters, but the little we get regarding them didn't whet my appetite at all...
The romance aspect while present is unsatisfying. Really really unsatisfying. It didn't even feel like romance to me...maybe because before a realtionship can really form (and this is sorta a hot button issue)
There was the potential for the story to go deeper into the heroes ...I guess you could call it an addiction, but the story glosses over it. One minute it's a major plot point, the next everything's resolved. Maybe it'll be mentioned in the next book, but at this point I don't think I'll be reading it.
Oh and let's not forget the amazing number of info dumps....it seemed like every few pages were getting more info dumped on us....an okay I'll admit it, I started skimming those bits...there was just so much! Maybe if I'd been more invested in the story, knowing the world better would have mattered more...
Oh and the seemingly endless pages of intro-freaking-spection! Usually I enjoy getting inside characters heads, but not to the exclusion of the actual story!
Lastly the endings a cliffhanger...a poorly done one...it was too abrupt, and sorta left me with a Wth? feeling.
So yeah, a disappointing read... I'm not sure if I'd recommend it to anyone, but if you're looking for a good PNR or a UF with a strong romantic element, I'd skip this one altogether
Huh this was sorta pretentious read....like it had illusions of grandeur but ened up lacking ...in all ways but one...the setting was amazingly done...I could see everything in my head rally well...
But I really didn't like the rest of the book, and i nearly added it to my DNF shelf a time or two....but I sloughed through, though it still surprises me that I made it to the end!
Right from the start the heroine bugged me. She had a tstl moment in the first couple pages..I know I was supposed to think she was just naive, but that's not how it came off, IMO . I tried to get past it, and give her the benefit of the doubt but she never really improves.
And the hero... I didn't like too much either...better then the heroine, sure. But that's not saying much. He's got a depressed/ self hatred thing going on that is only marginally explained....
Also, there are a few other secondary characters, but the little we get regarding them didn't whet my appetite at all...
The romance aspect while present is unsatisfying. Really really unsatisfying. It didn't even feel like romance to me...maybe because before a realtionship can really form (and this is sorta a hot button issue)
There was the potential for the story to go deeper into the heroes ...I guess you could call it an addiction, but the story glosses over it. One minute it's a major plot point, the next everything's resolved. Maybe it'll be mentioned in the next book, but at this point I don't think I'll be reading it.
Oh and let's not forget the amazing number of info dumps....it seemed like every few pages were getting more info dumped on us....an okay I'll admit it, I started skimming those bits...there was just so much! Maybe if I'd been more invested in the story, knowing the world better would have mattered more...
Oh and the seemingly endless pages of intro-freaking-spection! Usually I enjoy getting inside characters heads, but not to the exclusion of the actual story!
Lastly the endings a cliffhanger...a poorly done one...it was too abrupt, and sorta left me with a Wth? feeling.
So yeah, a disappointing read... I'm not sure if I'd recommend it to anyone, but if you're looking for a good PNR or a UF with a strong romantic element, I'd skip this one altogether
October 13, 2011
Loved this one, I love everything Quinn writes. I heard she isn't writing anymore though?
September 17, 2011
Original Romancing the Darkside Review:
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....
This new dark paranormal world blew me away!
In the midst of a world where fallen angels are turned vampires that seek to rule the world, Jesse Burke struggles to maintain her humanity after being attacked but not turned. In her quest to remain human, Jesse decides to become a vampire slayer and hunt down the beasts that not only attacked her, but also took her sister away from her. Having no experience and guidance, she makes for a less than worthy slayer but refuses to stop. On one of her hunting nights, she meets the mysterious and sexy slayer Maddox deValois, who saves her from the vampire she's attempting to slay.
As a Palidrome, a sentinel created to fight the vampires (known as the Telave) on Earth, Maddox sees potential in Jesse and offers her a place to stay and training skills for her survival. He hopes to save Jesse from the same fate that stole his long ago lover Serafina. As Jesse and Maddox spend more time together, their dangerous attraction grows and threatens to lure them both into darkness.
This is a great new start to an urban fantasy series with a darker side. Devyn Quinn's world building is creatively graphic that isn't too overwhelming, never interfering with the plot. The setting of New Orleans, post Katrina just adds to darkness the of the story.
When we first meet Jesse she doesn't fit the typical kick ass heroine in urban fantasy, she's a bit rough around the edges and has major trust issues but grows into a strong leading lady by the book's end. Maddox is dangerously sexy but has secrets of his own that he struggles with making. These two characters definitely fall in the "tortured hero" category, which possibly plays a role in their mutual attraction. The sexual tension between these two is off the charts and I thank the author for including their steamy encounters which are sometimes looked over in the urban fantasy genre.
Darkness Descending skillfully combines a unique concept using light and dark, fallen angels turned vampires, all while creating suspense, excitement, romance and a bit of dark humor. The villains in the story are perfectly cast, they're powerful, evil and will stop at nothing to achieve their agenda. One of my favorite elements of the story is how vampires are portrayed, they are far from the romantic and sensual characters we're used to, in this book they're bloodthirsty beings who have no emotion and are cold blooded predators. Was I fond of the cliffanger at the end of the book? Not at all, but I anxiously await the sequel to see what dangerous adventures await Jesse and Maddox! If you were ever a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel or Supernatural, you'll like the enticing and dark world that Ms. Quinn has created in her Vampire Armageddon series.
{Review copy courtesy of author}
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....
This new dark paranormal world blew me away!
In the midst of a world where fallen angels are turned vampires that seek to rule the world, Jesse Burke struggles to maintain her humanity after being attacked but not turned. In her quest to remain human, Jesse decides to become a vampire slayer and hunt down the beasts that not only attacked her, but also took her sister away from her. Having no experience and guidance, she makes for a less than worthy slayer but refuses to stop. On one of her hunting nights, she meets the mysterious and sexy slayer Maddox deValois, who saves her from the vampire she's attempting to slay.
As a Palidrome, a sentinel created to fight the vampires (known as the Telave) on Earth, Maddox sees potential in Jesse and offers her a place to stay and training skills for her survival. He hopes to save Jesse from the same fate that stole his long ago lover Serafina. As Jesse and Maddox spend more time together, their dangerous attraction grows and threatens to lure them both into darkness.
This is a great new start to an urban fantasy series with a darker side. Devyn Quinn's world building is creatively graphic that isn't too overwhelming, never interfering with the plot. The setting of New Orleans, post Katrina just adds to darkness the of the story.
When we first meet Jesse she doesn't fit the typical kick ass heroine in urban fantasy, she's a bit rough around the edges and has major trust issues but grows into a strong leading lady by the book's end. Maddox is dangerously sexy but has secrets of his own that he struggles with making. These two characters definitely fall in the "tortured hero" category, which possibly plays a role in their mutual attraction. The sexual tension between these two is off the charts and I thank the author for including their steamy encounters which are sometimes looked over in the urban fantasy genre.
Darkness Descending skillfully combines a unique concept using light and dark, fallen angels turned vampires, all while creating suspense, excitement, romance and a bit of dark humor. The villains in the story are perfectly cast, they're powerful, evil and will stop at nothing to achieve their agenda. One of my favorite elements of the story is how vampires are portrayed, they are far from the romantic and sensual characters we're used to, in this book they're bloodthirsty beings who have no emotion and are cold blooded predators. Was I fond of the cliffanger at the end of the book? Not at all, but I anxiously await the sequel to see what dangerous adventures await Jesse and Maddox! If you were ever a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel or Supernatural, you'll like the enticing and dark world that Ms. Quinn has created in her Vampire Armageddon series.
{Review copy courtesy of author}
August 4, 2011
Darkness Descending by Devyn Quinn
Paranormal Romance –Aug. 2nd, 2011
4 stars
Jesse Burke lives in a world filled with strife. Fallen angels have become evil vampires and are infecting the human population. Humanity is trying to stay alive. Jesse was taken and attacked along with her sister. But unlike her sister she survived, but she can feel the demon inside her growing from her infection. Scarred, starving, and homeless, she seeks to become a vampire slayer but bungles the job badly. Then, she is miraculously saved by a mysterious man named Maddox.
Maddox saves a waif from certain death only to discover she has been infected. As one of the resistance, he feels there is great potential in this rebellious and stubborn young woman. But he has never met anyone that has survived the vampires’ infection and does not know the consequences. Maddox is a Palindrome - a sentinel created to fight Telave or vampires on Earth. He is totally resistant to the demon infection. However, Maddox is tortured by the knowledge that he was not there to protect his lover Serafina from her death. He adopts the untrusting Jesse and helps her learn how to survive and fight. They grow closer but Maddox has a dark side and a secret addiction. Will their growing attraction have a chance? As the tension mounts, Jesse soon finds herself a pawn between good and evil...
This urban fantasy is set in a bleak world that is dark and fascinating. I enjoyed reading the mythology behind the Fallen Angels and The Enlightened One. Maddox is a fantastic and complex hero. His strength and determination make him a very admirable character even as he fights against his darker side. However, Jesse is not nearly as likeable. She is turn stubborn, naive, irrational and often immature. I found myself largely ignoring the sections she was highlighted and skipping to Maddox and the interesting storyline. This world has great potential, and I hope to see further development in the storyline and the main character as she matures.
Dark, gritty and violent. This is a story filled with a shadowy world that urban fantasy lovers will enjoy.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance –Aug. 2nd, 2011
4 stars
Jesse Burke lives in a world filled with strife. Fallen angels have become evil vampires and are infecting the human population. Humanity is trying to stay alive. Jesse was taken and attacked along with her sister. But unlike her sister she survived, but she can feel the demon inside her growing from her infection. Scarred, starving, and homeless, she seeks to become a vampire slayer but bungles the job badly. Then, she is miraculously saved by a mysterious man named Maddox.
Maddox saves a waif from certain death only to discover she has been infected. As one of the resistance, he feels there is great potential in this rebellious and stubborn young woman. But he has never met anyone that has survived the vampires’ infection and does not know the consequences. Maddox is a Palindrome - a sentinel created to fight Telave or vampires on Earth. He is totally resistant to the demon infection. However, Maddox is tortured by the knowledge that he was not there to protect his lover Serafina from her death. He adopts the untrusting Jesse and helps her learn how to survive and fight. They grow closer but Maddox has a dark side and a secret addiction. Will their growing attraction have a chance? As the tension mounts, Jesse soon finds herself a pawn between good and evil...
This urban fantasy is set in a bleak world that is dark and fascinating. I enjoyed reading the mythology behind the Fallen Angels and The Enlightened One. Maddox is a fantastic and complex hero. His strength and determination make him a very admirable character even as he fights against his darker side. However, Jesse is not nearly as likeable. She is turn stubborn, naive, irrational and often immature. I found myself largely ignoring the sections she was highlighted and skipping to Maddox and the interesting storyline. This world has great potential, and I hope to see further development in the storyline and the main character as she matures.
Dark, gritty and violent. This is a story filled with a shadowy world that urban fantasy lovers will enjoy.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
August 2, 2011
When I found out that I'd be recieving an Arc of Darkness Descending I was ecstatic. When it finally arrived in the mail I was literally jumping up and down with joy. Since seeing the cover and reading the blurb it's been on the top of my wishlist.
Wow! I just LOVED this book! I had so much trouble putting it down. A dark and exciting new world has been opened up to us.
Each description of the towns and the damage that had been done by (cyclone) Katrina are so well written you can just picture everything as if your there and walking through it all. That mixed in with a fast paced plot with many twists and turns, packed full of kick ass action, danger, forbidden romance, sexual tension that'll have your toes curling, strong minded characters, vampires (telave) taking over the world, what more could you ask for?!?!
It's so great reading about a female heroine, Jesse Burke is such an amazing character going through all that she has and still coming out on the other side. She's strong minded and has the will to never give up. There's more to Jesse than meets the eye.
Jesse's saved by Maddox who is a demon hunter and has devoted his life to fighting and killing vampires (telave.)
The attraction and sexual tension between the two will leave your insides buzzing. With all the secrets and trust issues they both have, will it last? Can't wait to see what is instore for Jesse and Maddox.
An amazing start to a brand new series and an ending that'll leave you coming back for more. If you love Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance then sink your teeth into this amazing story, you won't be disappointed.
Wow! I just LOVED this book! I had so much trouble putting it down. A dark and exciting new world has been opened up to us.
Each description of the towns and the damage that had been done by (cyclone) Katrina are so well written you can just picture everything as if your there and walking through it all. That mixed in with a fast paced plot with many twists and turns, packed full of kick ass action, danger, forbidden romance, sexual tension that'll have your toes curling, strong minded characters, vampires (telave) taking over the world, what more could you ask for?!?!
It's so great reading about a female heroine, Jesse Burke is such an amazing character going through all that she has and still coming out on the other side. She's strong minded and has the will to never give up. There's more to Jesse than meets the eye.
Jesse's saved by Maddox who is a demon hunter and has devoted his life to fighting and killing vampires (telave.)
The attraction and sexual tension between the two will leave your insides buzzing. With all the secrets and trust issues they both have, will it last? Can't wait to see what is instore for Jesse and Maddox.
An amazing start to a brand new series and an ending that'll leave you coming back for more. If you love Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance then sink your teeth into this amazing story, you won't be disappointed.
October 7, 2011
This book left me in a quandary after reading other reveiws i thought the main female lead would turn out to be weak but far from this i found her to be strong her iron will to hold onto who she was even with the demon that wanted to consume her soul from within. She showed so much strength of character,and her willingness to try and fight with her body, a body that was failing from the battle that raged within her was amazing iam hoping to see so much more of the physical battle and kick butt attitude come to the forfront with book two, with the changes that happen to her in the end of book 1.Now for the part that was hard to take the male lead although sexy was weak willed and addicted an adiction that lead him to do something that could have been detremental to the women he was falling in love with, this happens halfway through the book and will leave you with the omg i dont beleive he just did that mouth hanging open moment although he does redeem himself in regard to showing how much he loves her in the end of the book i will say that in most of the uf and pnr books the male character has been to hell and back and done some pretty horrible things before ending up being the strong outstanding men that shine throughout the books,this man is still under going his struggles to pull it all together iam so hoping he will finally be the amazing man we all like to see standing alongside and sometimes in front of his lady in book 2. That all said i really did enjoy this book read it in two days and am looking forward to seeing the changes that will take place in book 2 with both of them.
September 10, 2011
This is my first experience with Devyn Quinn ... and I like it. The myth is not very different, Vampires are Fallen Angels that feed upon humans (a race called Telave), the fledglings are Kindreds, and the sentinels that are immune to the bloodlust are Palindromes. It's not a difficult "world-building" to follow.
In this post-Katrina New Orleans, Jesse is an exception. She's the only female that can survive bloodlust, with demon inside of her. She's not a vampire nor Palindrome (since all Palindromes are male) and she fights the demon that whispers bloodlust every single time. Until she meets Maddox, one of the Palindromes, that helps her to find her strength to fight the vampires. Though Maddox is not without issue, he's an addict, he lets vampires drink his blood.
I like the "darkness" of New Orleans Post-Katrina, I like how Jesse is not a common heroine/slayer (she has demon inside her!) and how Maddox is not a perfect hero (my God, he's an addict!). I love the attraction between them and definitely looking forward to his redemption after breaking Jesse's trust (Stupid Man!), and I definitely ENJOY the rather twist cliff-hanger in the end.
I think this is a series that I will love to follow next ...
In this post-Katrina New Orleans, Jesse is an exception. She's the only female that can survive bloodlust, with demon inside of her. She's not a vampire nor Palindrome (since all Palindromes are male) and she fights the demon that whispers bloodlust every single time. Until she meets Maddox, one of the Palindromes, that helps her to find her strength to fight the vampires. Though Maddox is not without issue, he's an addict, he lets vampires drink his blood.
I like the "darkness" of New Orleans Post-Katrina, I like how Jesse is not a common heroine/slayer (she has demon inside her!) and how Maddox is not a perfect hero (my God, he's an addict!). I love the attraction between them and definitely looking forward to his redemption after breaking Jesse's trust (Stupid Man!), and I definitely ENJOY the rather twist cliff-hanger in the end.
I think this is a series that I will love to follow next ...
September 22, 2014
I enjoyed this book. In fact with all the mixed reviews I was kinda worried that I wouldn't enjoy it at all. This had just enough action to keep me happy. Small amount of lovin. The thing is that I enjoyed this book but then around the last 100 pages or so it just kinda was a let down. I know the ending was a cliff hanger of sorts for the next book. But somewhere along the way I lost some interest. So yes the characters were enjoyable. The storyline was pretty good. But I didn't love it the way I thought I would in the beginning. Overall it wasn't a bad read. Maybe the next book will pick up speed and catch my attention again.
August 3, 2011
Urban Fantastic! Astonishing! Ingenious! Darkness Descending by Devyn Quinn is a paranormal junkie's dream! Devyn Quinn has an undeniable melismatic flourish for spinning a truly wonderful paranormal! Vampires trying to annihilate mankind in a post Katrina New Orleans was pure brilliance. This incredible new view on the origins of vampires is a manifestation of creativity and sensational writing. Jesse Burke has overcome the impossible and she has intrigued me, I want to know more. Maddox has the makings of the next "Junk Du Jour", with the fighting skills we all want in our men. This thrilling new series is sure to please.
August 23, 2011
I really found this book to be amazing. I loved how the story was told. The main character Jesse was tough yet vunerable. Maddox is dark and tough but there is a gentleness in him. This is a dark and grity fantasy taking place in New Orleans and a must read.
June 21, 2011
Freakin Loved!!!! Review will be posted soon
January 5, 2012
the book starts out really slow but by the end you're going omg when does the next one come out i have to know what happens next
October 9, 2011
Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes directly from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)
Book 1 in the Vampire Armageddon series
First, I’d like to thank the wonderful ladies at Romance Reviews Today for sending me this book for review – check out their website here: www.romrevtoday.com. Thanks again, ladies!!!
Alright, down to business. This book was one of them puzzlers. The book started out and I wanted to cry. The book was all tell. The characters were wimpy, not at all kick-ass, their actions were awkward and all over the place and there was absolutely NO build-up of sexual tension so the ‘smoldering heat’ and lust kinda smacks you in the face when it first comes up. I was terribly disappointed because, well, I hate not liking books. And the first third of this book was headed toward a low D grade. But then…
But then the book totally changed pace. I don’t know if the author wrote the first 130 pages, set the book down for a while, and then picked it back up again when she had developed some actual writing and character development skills, but after that 130 page mark the book actually became… decent. Enjoyable. Kinda cool. Not kick-ass awesome… but not bad. And I was overjoyed – really, really excited that I wasn’t going to have to read another 240 pages in the style of the first 130 because I might have taken Maddox’s gun and shot the book to pieces. The book, after page 130, showed that this author had potential – and since the plot was really interesting, I’m hoping that Quinn develops her talent very quickly for the next book in the series – which I will be reading.
So, here’s a quick re-cap of the plot for ya’ll before I dissect the book a little more closely. Jesse Burke is a human infected with a demon – it crawls under her skin and whispers dreams of immortality in her ear at night. However unlike every other human being who has been infected, Jesse refuses to give in to the demon’s demands – and thus hovers between a state of humanity and undead-ness (which is what one turns into when yielding to the demon's demands). Angry and feeling the hopelessness of her situation, Jesse decides to kill as many of the vampire/demons that infected her as she can. After doing some research into vampire slaying, Jesse sets out for a cemetery in the middle of the night and attempts to kill her first undead. Only it doesn’t go so well. And Jesse almost dies. Until some guy named Maddox shows up with his gun and blows the thing to pieces. Maddox then invites Jesse to his home sweet home for some training and sleep – after all, if she wants to be a slayer she has to learn from the best, right? But what happens when Maddox learns that Jesse has a demon inside her – and is on the verge of becoming something he’s determined to destroy?
So, let’s start off with what sucked (vampire pun – get it?). The first 130 pages, as we already established, sucked in very frustrating ways. The characters don’t act believably make really weird decisions, talk like they’re best friends when they’ve really just met, sleep in the same bed even though they’ve known each other for mere hours… it’s all very odd and unrealistic and awkward for the reader. The romance is terrible, with no build-up of sexual tension or even hints at it. The world building is confusing and doesn’t make much sense – there are a lot of holes in the story. People are dying all over the place from strange bites to their body and the police all think it’s because of some rabid animals? I don’t think so. Humans are way too suspicious for that, and we love conspiracy theories. Surely someone has decided on vampires by now. Also, hasn’t anyone seen the attacks or the feedings? No one is that careful. If there are truly that many vampire/demons (that also isn’t explained very well – are they demons that look like vampires, or are they pretty much what we would call vampires except they have demons inside them… it’s bad when you can’t tell what species something is) someone would’ve caught them at something by now and in such a viral world, it would’ve been all over the place. The book makes humans out to be a very non-assuming, kind of stupid race which is pretty dumb. Just sayin’.
But after a while I got used to the shaky grasp I had on Quinn’s world and I got comfortable enough with it to enjoy the story. And the plot was AWESOME. And Jesse was pretty cool, too. I liked how strong she was and how enigmatic her role in the epic battle between heaven and hell’s warriors (on earth, of course) is. I really wanted to know more, and that kept me hooked for a lot of the story. I loved the legends and the action – that was my kind of story. The plot was well-developed, moved at a good pace, and always had a hook to keep you reading. The plot was this book’s saving grace, along with the admiration I felt for the heroine. She’s stuck between two worlds, hurt and hunted by everyone, lied to and very confused yet she’s strong, determined, and ready for action. Boo. Yah. Baby.
Oh, but ladies. One more thing that made this book sink low, low, low. The hero. Was. Pathetic. He does NOT deserve a capital 'h'. He was addicted to a demon’s kiss (otherwise known as a vampire bite) really weird and kinky-odd, he was awkward, out-of-place and pretty depressing. I sincerely hope he gets better because I did not like him. He was the antithesis of Jesse and instead of helping her I feel like he drags her down. That’s a no-no in a romance, so Mr. Hero Maddox better get his broad backside in gear and fast. He’s also inconsistent and a bit of a Debbie-downer. Like I said. Pathetic.
That’s all there is to this considerably long review! Stay tuned to my blog for updates on the series and if it’s worth your while!
“Sexy”ness rating: is rated hot, however it’s not terribly sexy due to its rather unpredictable nature. No build-up of sexual tension… it was really weird. Just a sex scene plopped randomly into the middle of the book because the author thought she needed one.
Overall Rating: C-
Bottom Line: I can’t give this book any higher than a C-, but the second half of the book shows the author has some real potential. I’ll be keeping up with this series to let you know how it develops and if you should struggle through this one to get to the rest. While the romance isn’t very well developed the plot is pretty cool.
Book 1 in the Vampire Armageddon series
First, I’d like to thank the wonderful ladies at Romance Reviews Today for sending me this book for review – check out their website here: www.romrevtoday.com. Thanks again, ladies!!!
Alright, down to business. This book was one of them puzzlers. The book started out and I wanted to cry. The book was all tell. The characters were wimpy, not at all kick-ass, their actions were awkward and all over the place and there was absolutely NO build-up of sexual tension so the ‘smoldering heat’ and lust kinda smacks you in the face when it first comes up. I was terribly disappointed because, well, I hate not liking books. And the first third of this book was headed toward a low D grade. But then…
But then the book totally changed pace. I don’t know if the author wrote the first 130 pages, set the book down for a while, and then picked it back up again when she had developed some actual writing and character development skills, but after that 130 page mark the book actually became… decent. Enjoyable. Kinda cool. Not kick-ass awesome… but not bad. And I was overjoyed – really, really excited that I wasn’t going to have to read another 240 pages in the style of the first 130 because I might have taken Maddox’s gun and shot the book to pieces. The book, after page 130, showed that this author had potential – and since the plot was really interesting, I’m hoping that Quinn develops her talent very quickly for the next book in the series – which I will be reading.
So, here’s a quick re-cap of the plot for ya’ll before I dissect the book a little more closely. Jesse Burke is a human infected with a demon – it crawls under her skin and whispers dreams of immortality in her ear at night. However unlike every other human being who has been infected, Jesse refuses to give in to the demon’s demands – and thus hovers between a state of humanity and undead-ness (which is what one turns into when yielding to the demon's demands). Angry and feeling the hopelessness of her situation, Jesse decides to kill as many of the vampire/demons that infected her as she can. After doing some research into vampire slaying, Jesse sets out for a cemetery in the middle of the night and attempts to kill her first undead. Only it doesn’t go so well. And Jesse almost dies. Until some guy named Maddox shows up with his gun and blows the thing to pieces. Maddox then invites Jesse to his home sweet home for some training and sleep – after all, if she wants to be a slayer she has to learn from the best, right? But what happens when Maddox learns that Jesse has a demon inside her – and is on the verge of becoming something he’s determined to destroy?
So, let’s start off with what sucked (vampire pun – get it?). The first 130 pages, as we already established, sucked in very frustrating ways. The characters don’t act believably make really weird decisions, talk like they’re best friends when they’ve really just met, sleep in the same bed even though they’ve known each other for mere hours… it’s all very odd and unrealistic and awkward for the reader. The romance is terrible, with no build-up of sexual tension or even hints at it. The world building is confusing and doesn’t make much sense – there are a lot of holes in the story. People are dying all over the place from strange bites to their body and the police all think it’s because of some rabid animals? I don’t think so. Humans are way too suspicious for that, and we love conspiracy theories. Surely someone has decided on vampires by now. Also, hasn’t anyone seen the attacks or the feedings? No one is that careful. If there are truly that many vampire/demons (that also isn’t explained very well – are they demons that look like vampires, or are they pretty much what we would call vampires except they have demons inside them… it’s bad when you can’t tell what species something is) someone would’ve caught them at something by now and in such a viral world, it would’ve been all over the place. The book makes humans out to be a very non-assuming, kind of stupid race which is pretty dumb. Just sayin’.
But after a while I got used to the shaky grasp I had on Quinn’s world and I got comfortable enough with it to enjoy the story. And the plot was AWESOME. And Jesse was pretty cool, too. I liked how strong she was and how enigmatic her role in the epic battle between heaven and hell’s warriors (on earth, of course) is. I really wanted to know more, and that kept me hooked for a lot of the story. I loved the legends and the action – that was my kind of story. The plot was well-developed, moved at a good pace, and always had a hook to keep you reading. The plot was this book’s saving grace, along with the admiration I felt for the heroine. She’s stuck between two worlds, hurt and hunted by everyone, lied to and very confused yet she’s strong, determined, and ready for action. Boo. Yah. Baby.
Oh, but ladies. One more thing that made this book sink low, low, low. The hero. Was. Pathetic. He does NOT deserve a capital 'h'. He was addicted to a demon’s kiss (otherwise known as a vampire bite) really weird and kinky-odd, he was awkward, out-of-place and pretty depressing. I sincerely hope he gets better because I did not like him. He was the antithesis of Jesse and instead of helping her I feel like he drags her down. That’s a no-no in a romance, so Mr. Hero Maddox better get his broad backside in gear and fast. He’s also inconsistent and a bit of a Debbie-downer. Like I said. Pathetic.
That’s all there is to this considerably long review! Stay tuned to my blog for updates on the series and if it’s worth your while!
“Sexy”ness rating: is rated hot, however it’s not terribly sexy due to its rather unpredictable nature. No build-up of sexual tension… it was really weird. Just a sex scene plopped randomly into the middle of the book because the author thought she needed one.
Overall Rating: C-
Bottom Line: I can’t give this book any higher than a C-, but the second half of the book shows the author has some real potential. I’ll be keeping up with this series to let you know how it develops and if you should struggle through this one to get to the rest. While the romance isn’t very well developed the plot is pretty cool.
July 19, 2023
Still awaiting book 2
I've reread this book a few times, first finding it at my library and then purchasing it before realizing, there wasn't a second book. It leaves you on a cliff hanger. So I investigated to find out, there was no promising news of a second book coming out soon. I was very sad to see this news, I'm still holding out hope that one day maybe the author will self-publish or something. I'm dying here, I need to know where the author was going with this. I can already tell the things I make up in my head, isn't nearly as good as whatever the author intended. I had brief hope when I saw it pop up in kindle unlimited that perhaps the sequel had been published between my bouts of rereading but alas, it was not.
I've reread this book a few times, first finding it at my library and then purchasing it before realizing, there wasn't a second book. It leaves you on a cliff hanger. So I investigated to find out, there was no promising news of a second book coming out soon. I was very sad to see this news, I'm still holding out hope that one day maybe the author will self-publish or something. I'm dying here, I need to know where the author was going with this. I can already tell the things I make up in my head, isn't nearly as good as whatever the author intended. I had brief hope when I saw it pop up in kindle unlimited that perhaps the sequel had been published between my bouts of rereading but alas, it was not.
Read
July 15, 2019If you're looking for a gritty paranormal romance, this is the book for you! I love brave, heroines and Jesse Burke is one determined gal set on revenge against the vampiric fallen angels that have destroyed her life. But she can't quite do it alone, so Immortal vampire slayer Maddox deValois steps in to help. He takes on the role of mentoring her in combat AND passion. This erotic story is action packed and a great summer read!
May 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this book so much! It is very dark and gritty. It's about a novice vampire slayer with a beef with the vampires that propels her. I loved the characters in this book. They all had flaws that held them back and made some characters worse and some better. I would love to read more stories of the characters in the book. The ending left me wanting more.
January 20, 2019
The book was slow going at the start but by the end I definitely wanted more. Can’t wait to see how the storyline matured and unfolds.
added-it
March 27, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/27/2021)! 🎁
June 6, 2023
Felt like it could be an interesting story line but ended up feeling like too many genres in one and all build up to the next book.
July 27, 2019
This was my first book by this Author and I really enjoyed their new take on Vampirism. I have so many reasons why I can’t wait for the next book, but I don’t want to put any spoilers in my review. I will say I really find the heroine a joy to read as she fumbles through her plan.
April 11, 2012
*possible mini (like a speck of a) spoiler in paragraph 6, close your eyes when you get to it... but I don't think it would spoil the reading for anyone.
This was another book that I got when I was at AAD Philadelphia last year, and yes I know, it has taken me a while to get to it, but in my defence I got so many fantastic books and this is another good one! It is the first in what I think could be an intriguing series but it is also a book which seems to polarise its audience. Between those who love it and those who didn't finish it. Me... I enjoyed it and would happily buy and read the second one to see where it is going. In my humble opinion, it is definitely worth a read.
The question is why?
I liked the story, I liked the premise, I liked the main characters and I liked the fact that this was clearly only a first instalment, the main events are still to come. That is not to say that nothing happens in this book, it does, there is plenty of it, but it is a novel of growth and discovering the lay of the land. So what do we discover?
Vampires stem from fallen angels and are creating an army, the original and powerful angels hidden in society able to pass for humans and choosing who they want in their army. An army which is growing. The Palindromes are defenders of the humans, men who have a genetic link to angels who mated with selected human women a millennia ago to father defenders of humanity. But their numbers are dwindling and they only discover who they are after they have been attacked by vampires, or rather the Telave. However a prophecy says that in their time of need a leader will be sent to help them: in steps Jesse Burke, not only is she young, a woman but she is also the only human ever to survive a vampire attack and infection. Every day she battles her inner demon and has no intention of letting it win.
Jesse is an interesting heroine, she is scared, angry, confused, brave and determined. We learn as she does about the world she has been plunged into, about the world of the Telave and the Palindromes, the world of Maddox deValois.
Maddox is an interesting hero, almost an anti-hero in a way, he is strong and hard and worldly and secretive as he is an addict. Addicted to smoking and as we find out to the vampiric bite. I don't think I am spoiling anything by saying that, we are openly told he is and for me it does explain his budding relationship with Jesse. I am not talking romance, because I don't think it is romance yet, I think it is lust and sex and need and addiction for both of them. She needs to feel human and human contact and he needs to feel her if you get my drift.
You meet the secondary characters of Sam and Reyes, both part of team palindrome and two very different men, with very different backgrounds, they add gravitas to the tale and help with the story telling, I am interested in seeing where they go. The villains are suitably villainous and creepy, all with secrets and even though we only really meet Amonate at the end of the novel she shares a little one with us too.
The ending comes very quickly once you get into the novel and like all good first instalments it ends on a cliffhanger, I am intrigued where this will go, therefore... yes... I shell be spending my hard earned cash and investing in part 2!
Add this to your poolside reading as I give this book 4 frillies out of 5. A fun and engaging read with plenty of promise.
PS! If you want to have a look chapter one is available on the author's website.
This was another book that I got when I was at AAD Philadelphia last year, and yes I know, it has taken me a while to get to it, but in my defence I got so many fantastic books and this is another good one! It is the first in what I think could be an intriguing series but it is also a book which seems to polarise its audience. Between those who love it and those who didn't finish it. Me... I enjoyed it and would happily buy and read the second one to see where it is going. In my humble opinion, it is definitely worth a read.
The question is why?
I liked the story, I liked the premise, I liked the main characters and I liked the fact that this was clearly only a first instalment, the main events are still to come. That is not to say that nothing happens in this book, it does, there is plenty of it, but it is a novel of growth and discovering the lay of the land. So what do we discover?
Vampires stem from fallen angels and are creating an army, the original and powerful angels hidden in society able to pass for humans and choosing who they want in their army. An army which is growing. The Palindromes are defenders of the humans, men who have a genetic link to angels who mated with selected human women a millennia ago to father defenders of humanity. But their numbers are dwindling and they only discover who they are after they have been attacked by vampires, or rather the Telave. However a prophecy says that in their time of need a leader will be sent to help them: in steps Jesse Burke, not only is she young, a woman but she is also the only human ever to survive a vampire attack and infection. Every day she battles her inner demon and has no intention of letting it win.
Jesse is an interesting heroine, she is scared, angry, confused, brave and determined. We learn as she does about the world she has been plunged into, about the world of the Telave and the Palindromes, the world of Maddox deValois.
Maddox is an interesting hero, almost an anti-hero in a way, he is strong and hard and worldly and secretive as he is an addict. Addicted to smoking and as we find out to the vampiric bite. I don't think I am spoiling anything by saying that, we are openly told he is and for me it does explain his budding relationship with Jesse. I am not talking romance, because I don't think it is romance yet, I think it is lust and sex and need and addiction for both of them. She needs to feel human and human contact and he needs to feel her if you get my drift.
You meet the secondary characters of Sam and Reyes, both part of team palindrome and two very different men, with very different backgrounds, they add gravitas to the tale and help with the story telling, I am interested in seeing where they go. The villains are suitably villainous and creepy, all with secrets and even though we only really meet Amonate at the end of the novel she shares a little one with us too.
The ending comes very quickly once you get into the novel and like all good first instalments it ends on a cliffhanger, I am intrigued where this will go, therefore... yes... I shell be spending my hard earned cash and investing in part 2!
Add this to your poolside reading as I give this book 4 frillies out of 5. A fun and engaging read with plenty of promise.
PS! If you want to have a look chapter one is available on the author's website.
November 2, 2014
SEE FULL REVIEW HERE: http://feministfairytalereviews.blogs...
PUBLICATION DATE: August 2, 2011
GENRE: Paranormal Romance-Urban Fantasy-Vampires-Angels
SETTING: Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana
SERIES: Vampire Armageddon #1
HERO: Maddox deValois
HEROINE: Jesse Burke
SENSUALITY RATING: Hot
OVERALL RANKING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Darkness Descending is my first book by Devyn Quinn and I was looking forward to starting a new paranormal series from the beginning. All in all, I was extremely impressed by Ms. Quinn's writing style and worldbuilding and I will definitely be looking for the next in this series.
The Vampire Armageddon series is urban fantasy that takes place in an alternative post-Katrina New Orleans. The basic premise of the series deals with disgraced angels who fed on human blood after falling and helped spawn a demonic race known as the Telave. The Telave drink their victims blood and infect them with a demonic plague. This plague kills the victims within a day or so of the bite and then the demon spirit takes over the corpse. The Enlightened One (a female God) helps the human race by having her angels mate with humans. These actions result in an all-male immortal, fighting race called Palindromes which are awakened by the bite of the Telave.
Because this is the beginning of the Vampire Armageddon series, there was a significant amount of worldbuilding. I thought that Devyn Quinn did a decent job of providing background while not letting the plot suffer. While there were some cases of information dumping, I never felt overwhelmed with the amount of mythology that was thrown at me. The trope of fallen angels is pretty popular right now, but I thought the whole Telave and Palindrome idea was creative and realistic for this particular genre. There were some unanswered questions that I think will help tie later installments in the series together as well.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed Darkness Descending and recommend it to anyone who likes original vampire/fallen angel series with a darker twist than most. Devyn Quinn does not skimp on the horrific details like the fight scenes and the twisted flashbacks of the characters which I love in urban fantasy. Be forewarned that there is a slight cliffhanger ending to this book. But, I did not find it too frustrating. I thought it was a successful way to finish the first installment and keep readers eager for more.
FAVORITE QUOTE: “I want you to know that I see you. I know what you are. And I’ll help you figure it out every step of the way.”—Maddox (Page 186)
PUBLICATION DATE: August 2, 2011
GENRE: Paranormal Romance-Urban Fantasy-Vampires-Angels
SETTING: Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana
SERIES: Vampire Armageddon #1
HERO: Maddox deValois
HEROINE: Jesse Burke
SENSUALITY RATING: Hot
OVERALL RANKING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Darkness Descending is my first book by Devyn Quinn and I was looking forward to starting a new paranormal series from the beginning. All in all, I was extremely impressed by Ms. Quinn's writing style and worldbuilding and I will definitely be looking for the next in this series.
The Vampire Armageddon series is urban fantasy that takes place in an alternative post-Katrina New Orleans. The basic premise of the series deals with disgraced angels who fed on human blood after falling and helped spawn a demonic race known as the Telave. The Telave drink their victims blood and infect them with a demonic plague. This plague kills the victims within a day or so of the bite and then the demon spirit takes over the corpse. The Enlightened One (a female God) helps the human race by having her angels mate with humans. These actions result in an all-male immortal, fighting race called Palindromes which are awakened by the bite of the Telave.
Because this is the beginning of the Vampire Armageddon series, there was a significant amount of worldbuilding. I thought that Devyn Quinn did a decent job of providing background while not letting the plot suffer. While there were some cases of information dumping, I never felt overwhelmed with the amount of mythology that was thrown at me. The trope of fallen angels is pretty popular right now, but I thought the whole Telave and Palindrome idea was creative and realistic for this particular genre. There were some unanswered questions that I think will help tie later installments in the series together as well.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed Darkness Descending and recommend it to anyone who likes original vampire/fallen angel series with a darker twist than most. Devyn Quinn does not skimp on the horrific details like the fight scenes and the twisted flashbacks of the characters which I love in urban fantasy. Be forewarned that there is a slight cliffhanger ending to this book. But, I did not find it too frustrating. I thought it was a successful way to finish the first installment and keep readers eager for more.
FAVORITE QUOTE: “I want you to know that I see you. I know what you are. And I’ll help you figure it out every step of the way.”—Maddox (Page 186)
September 28, 2011
What a huge disappointment...
At fifty page, it seemed really promising but the more the story went and the more it fell flat and wasn't that great. The idead behind Darkness Descending is that vampirism is a virus, a sort of demon or parasite that takes control of his host with the "usual" bite. And there's the Palindrome, humans that are immortals and immune to the bites of these evil creatures and a sort of warriors of the human race.
The story begin when one of those Palindrome , Maddox de Valois, rescue Jesse from the death while she try to kill one vampire. But Jesse is not a girl like all the others. She've been bite by vampires but didn't become one (for a reason not really explain). So she have the vampiric virus inside her. Basically, she have voices inside her head telling her to feed her hunger and to bite people so she have to resist these impulses. That's a real basic résumé and there's some thing I won't tell but that's the thing; at some point, I felt overwelm with details about the World-building. There was just so much stuff and it felt like it took more time explaining the Universe than there was action. Sometimes it seemed to me like the author didn't really know what to do with her characters.
Speaking of which, this was probably my biggest disappointment ; the characters. When Maddox rescued Jesse, he was supposed to train her to kill vampires but he didn't even show her, not even once. I didn't like the characters or the way their relashionship was developped. Jesse had no spine and was too plain for my taste. At first, Maddox seemed interesting but I was wrong. The more the story goes, the more we see he's just a pathetic addict (to vampire's bite). He ask for honnesty but he give it just when it suit him. It felt like he was just using Jesse for his own pleasure and he really hurted her. It remind me of the cheating boyfriend type. You know, the kind of guy always promising to not doing it again but who can't just help himself. In the end, this kind of relashionship become destructive. Like they're bad for each others but can't stay away. If that's a savior of the human race, I wouldn't want to be caught in the middle of an Apocalypse.
At fifty page, it seemed really promising but the more the story went and the more it fell flat and wasn't that great. The idead behind Darkness Descending is that vampirism is a virus, a sort of demon or parasite that takes control of his host with the "usual" bite. And there's the Palindrome, humans that are immortals and immune to the bites of these evil creatures and a sort of warriors of the human race.
The story begin when one of those Palindrome , Maddox de Valois, rescue Jesse from the death while she try to kill one vampire. But Jesse is not a girl like all the others. She've been bite by vampires but didn't become one (for a reason not really explain). So she have the vampiric virus inside her. Basically, she have voices inside her head telling her to feed her hunger and to bite people so she have to resist these impulses. That's a real basic résumé and there's some thing I won't tell but that's the thing; at some point, I felt overwelm with details about the World-building. There was just so much stuff and it felt like it took more time explaining the Universe than there was action. Sometimes it seemed to me like the author didn't really know what to do with her characters.
Speaking of which, this was probably my biggest disappointment ; the characters. When Maddox rescued Jesse, he was supposed to train her to kill vampires but he didn't even show her, not even once. I didn't like the characters or the way their relashionship was developped. Jesse had no spine and was too plain for my taste. At first, Maddox seemed interesting but I was wrong. The more the story goes, the more we see he's just a pathetic addict (to vampire's bite). He ask for honnesty but he give it just when it suit him. It felt like he was just using Jesse for his own pleasure and he really hurted her. It remind me of the cheating boyfriend type. You know, the kind of guy always promising to not doing it again but who can't just help himself. In the end, this kind of relashionship become destructive. Like they're bad for each others but can't stay away. If that's a savior of the human race, I wouldn't want to be caught in the middle of an Apocalypse.
January 4, 2012
Darkness Descending is the first book in the Vampire Armageddon series by Devyn Quinn and a Paranormal Romance from Signet Eclipse.
Book Blurb:
The first seal has been broken, signaling the end of days. Fallen angels in the form of vampires are infecting humans one by one, creating an army fit for armageddon. Of the few who survive the infection, one stands alone above all others...
For a year, Jesse Burke has been suppressing the beast within, driven by vengeance to destroy the vampiric fallen angels terrorizing New Orleans. But a war of biblical proportions is too much for one girl to handle, and she must turn to slayer Maddox deValois for training, though doing do threatens her fiercely guarded independence.
At the same time, the sinister demon Queen Amonate is doing everything in her power to lure Jesse into embracing the darkness within.
Before this war is over, everyone will learn that hee hath no fury like a woman possessed...
My thoughts:
Jesse Burke and her twin sister were out celebrating their birthday when the unthinkable happened. They were seduced by a pair of vampires, taken and bitten. Found and transported to the hospital, Amanda soon died of the vampire infection - but Jesse survived. Not turned - but housing the invading demon.
Now Jesse shares her body with the demon - and fights every day to maintain control over it.
Determined to find and destroy as many vampires as possible, Jesse teams up with Maddox. He is one of three Palindrome’s fighting the Telave in New Orleans.
Maddox agrees to teach Jesse how to fight, how to kill the Telave. But Maddox is fighting his own demons - and losing.
Darkness Descending is the first book I have read by Devyn Quinn and it is an okay read.
I never connected with any of the characters and felt like the story was a bit disjointed and then wrapped up the big bad too easily.
I give Darkness Descending 2 out of 5 stars.
Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Signet (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451234332
ISBN-13: 978-0451234339
Book Blurb:
The first seal has been broken, signaling the end of days. Fallen angels in the form of vampires are infecting humans one by one, creating an army fit for armageddon. Of the few who survive the infection, one stands alone above all others...
For a year, Jesse Burke has been suppressing the beast within, driven by vengeance to destroy the vampiric fallen angels terrorizing New Orleans. But a war of biblical proportions is too much for one girl to handle, and she must turn to slayer Maddox deValois for training, though doing do threatens her fiercely guarded independence.
At the same time, the sinister demon Queen Amonate is doing everything in her power to lure Jesse into embracing the darkness within.
Before this war is over, everyone will learn that hee hath no fury like a woman possessed...
My thoughts:
Jesse Burke and her twin sister were out celebrating their birthday when the unthinkable happened. They were seduced by a pair of vampires, taken and bitten. Found and transported to the hospital, Amanda soon died of the vampire infection - but Jesse survived. Not turned - but housing the invading demon.
Now Jesse shares her body with the demon - and fights every day to maintain control over it.
Determined to find and destroy as many vampires as possible, Jesse teams up with Maddox. He is one of three Palindrome’s fighting the Telave in New Orleans.
Maddox agrees to teach Jesse how to fight, how to kill the Telave. But Maddox is fighting his own demons - and losing.
Darkness Descending is the first book I have read by Devyn Quinn and it is an okay read.
I never connected with any of the characters and felt like the story was a bit disjointed and then wrapped up the big bad too easily.
I give Darkness Descending 2 out of 5 stars.
Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Signet (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451234332
ISBN-13: 978-0451234339
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October 11, 2011I´m kind of torn about that one...
I liked the end a lot better than the first half of the book, which was kind of slow paced. I guess there´s always the problem of introducing the reader to a new world in the first book in a series, setting up the worldbuiling and introducing the characters without slowing down the story.
The concept of vampires in Darkness Descending is interesting and original enough that you don´t feel like you´re reading just another book about vampires.
I also kind of liked Maddox better than Jesse. Maybe it´s me and I just like my heroines a little tougher, more independent and strong, but she just felt helpless and clueless to me.
There really is a strong sexual tension between her and Maddox, and even though it book is declared as PNR, it lacked one major element I consider typical for paranormal romance books.
This first book in a new series (I guess, since I haven´t found anything about a possible second) is not as good as others, for example Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent, but it kept my hooked well enough that I will definetly read the next installment.
But I think I´ll have to sleep a few times over it before I give it a final rating!
I liked the end a lot better than the first half of the book, which was kind of slow paced. I guess there´s always the problem of introducing the reader to a new world in the first book in a series, setting up the worldbuiling and introducing the characters without slowing down the story.
The concept of vampires in Darkness Descending is interesting and original enough that you don´t feel like you´re reading just another book about vampires.
I also kind of liked Maddox better than Jesse. Maybe it´s me and I just like my heroines a little tougher, more independent and strong, but she just felt helpless and clueless to me.
There really is a strong sexual tension between her and Maddox, and even though it book is declared as PNR, it lacked one major element I consider typical for paranormal romance books.
This first book in a new series (I guess, since I haven´t found anything about a possible second) is not as good as others, for example Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent, but it kept my hooked well enough that I will definetly read the next installment.
But I think I´ll have to sleep a few times over it before I give it a final rating!
January 7, 2012
I did not finish this book.
It started out a bit slow, but ok. I had some minor grumblings, like the superhuman sentinels being named Palindromes (come on, it made me think of literature lessons in high school instead of hunky protectors) and the fact that I thought that Reyen, the Native American sidekick of Maddox was more interesting than Maddox himself.
But then about half way in and just when there was finally some action one of my pet peeves happened:
The hero and heroine have sex and right after the hero runs off to have intimate dealings with another woman!
That's when I decided to put down the book. I just didn't want to read the drama and whatnot that would unfold between Maddox and Jesse (Jesse of course saw him run off with the other female just to make things juicy) and only get a mildly enjoyable paranormal action storyline to go with it to take the edge of the drama.
It started out a bit slow, but ok. I had some minor grumblings, like the superhuman sentinels being named Palindromes (come on, it made me think of literature lessons in high school instead of hunky protectors) and the fact that I thought that Reyen, the Native American sidekick of Maddox was more interesting than Maddox himself.
But then about half way in and just when there was finally some action one of my pet peeves happened:
The hero and heroine have sex and right after the hero runs off to have intimate dealings with another woman!
That's when I decided to put down the book. I just didn't want to read the drama and whatnot that would unfold between Maddox and Jesse (Jesse of course saw him run off with the other female just to make things juicy) and only get a mildly enjoyable paranormal action storyline to go with it to take the edge of the drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2011
Armageddon... That's what New Orleans has turned into... All because of hurricane Katrina. Well not really... it's just the state of the environment. The armageddon that is mentioned about is escalating number of Vampires. In this book, vampires are actually demons. Human shells inhabited by demons.
Anyway... it's a 3.5 actually. It had a promising start and an entertaining end... but the middle part was sort of dragging. :/ I guess most of the book was focused on describing the derelict state of the surroundings... :( And there were a lot of "flashbacks" That put a damper in my the flow of the story...
Will I read the next book. Yup. I want to know what happens next.
Anyway... it's a 3.5 actually. It had a promising start and an entertaining end... but the middle part was sort of dragging. :/ I guess most of the book was focused on describing the derelict state of the surroundings... :( And there were a lot of "flashbacks" That put a damper in my the flow of the story...
Will I read the next book. Yup. I want to know what happens next.
February 23, 2013
This is the second book by this author that I have tried but wasn't able to finish. I think she might not be for me. With this book I found the heroine a little TSTL with her actions. Maddox kept trying to tell her things to help her stay alive at the start, but it was like pulling teeth for her to even listen to him. Of course he wasn't much better when Jesse started to tell her story, he wouldn't believe her without proof and even then didn't really want to. I just couldn't handle it any more and threw in the towel. This one just wasn't for me.
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