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Game of Shadows #1
Rising Darkness
USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison begins an all-new, darkly romantic paranormal saga, in which the fate of existence itself lies in the balance—and the key to victory may rest in the hands of two eternal lovers…
In the hospital ER where she works, Mary is used to chaos. But lately, every aspect of her life seems adrift. She’s feeling disconnected from herself. Voices appear in her head. And the vivid, disturbing dreams she’s had all her life are becoming more intense. Then she meets Michael. He’s handsome, enigmatic and knows more than he can say. In his company, she slowly remembers the truth about herself…
Thousands of years ago, there were eight of them. The one called the Deceiver came to destroy the world, and the other seven followed to stop him. Reincarnated over and over, they carry on—and Mary finds herself drawn into the battle once again. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that Michael will go to any lengths to destroy the Deceiver.
Then she remembers who killed her during her last life, nine hundred years ago…Michael.
In the hospital ER where she works, Mary is used to chaos. But lately, every aspect of her life seems adrift. She’s feeling disconnected from herself. Voices appear in her head. And the vivid, disturbing dreams she’s had all her life are becoming more intense. Then she meets Michael. He’s handsome, enigmatic and knows more than he can say. In his company, she slowly remembers the truth about herself…
Thousands of years ago, there were eight of them. The one called the Deceiver came to destroy the world, and the other seven followed to stop him. Reincarnated over and over, they carry on—and Mary finds herself drawn into the battle once again. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that Michael will go to any lengths to destroy the Deceiver.
Then she remembers who killed her during her last life, nine hundred years ago…Michael.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 27, 2013
137 people are currently reading
3591 people want to read
About the author
Thea Harrison
63 books5,495 followersI write paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and other stuff. I taught myself to read when I was four. That was around the time I tried to ride my tricycle to work. I wasn't sure where work was, but I knew it had to be interesting if people went there every day. Now I combine my love of books with work, and I don't have to ride my tricycle to get there. My Elder Races series began May, 2011. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
April 8, 2013
Spoilers
Hmm… I'm not sure what to think of Darkness Rising, I had a lot of mixed feelings. It was good but it also kind of wasn't at the same time. I liked that the premise was something I'd never read before in an UF novel (something similar has probably been written, I've just never come across it). And I was impressed that there seemed to be quite a lot of thought and effort put into the worldbuilding — it was one of the best aspects of Darkness Rising. Most UF novels are rubbish at worldbuilding — they're so lazily written. I also appreciated the fact that the main characters weren't stereotypical. The hero (Michael) was a loner, he had no human connections, he was intense and he was kind of sociopathic. The heroine (Mary) was somewhat annoying on occasion but for the most part she was a strong and engaging character. They had distinct and layered personalities — especially Michael.
I'm not sure how to explain the plot but I'll try… Mary is seeing and hearing things and having weird vivid dreams. She doesn't know if she's going mad, but when someone tries to kill her she realises that things aren't what they seem and that mysterious forces are at play. Naturally, there's a powerful evul guy trying to fuck things up. There's also reincarnation, soulmates, powers and all kinds of other stuff. I'm making it sound lame, it's actually better in the book.
Anyway, it took a while to get invested in the plot — probably because I didn't know what the hell was going on.
The first half didn't flow very well — the writing and story felt rather forced. Everything just seemed to be thrown together with no rhyme or reason - Mary having random weird dreams and visions, the wind talking to her, gunmen chasing her, her house burning down, and running away from bad guys, birds and strange forces. I was kind of lost for a while and it wasn't until the latter half before things started to mesh together and become clearer.
I was frustrated with how long it took for Mary and Michael to actually meet. When they did meet though, I enjoyed their interactions — it was great seeing hard as fuck Michael who cares about no-one, get all protective and unsure around Mary. I love those kinds of relationships.
The main issue I had was how slow the pace was — there was a lot of stuff happening but it took too long to get to the heart of things. Actually, the entire book just felt like a very long introduction to the world, characters and plot — it didn't feel like a full story, even though it's only the first in a series and there's more to come, there just wasn't that complete feeling after finishing Darkness Rising.
I wasn't keen on the number of POV's - I would have preferred just Mary and Michael's.
At the end I still wasn't really clear on what Mary and Michael were and where they came from. Were they angels? Were they aliens? Were they some species from a parallel dimension? Were they from another planet? I needed more information about their home planet/dimension/whatever.
Oh also I was weirded out by Michael mentioning that in past lives him and Mary weren't always lovers sometimes they were parent/child, siblings or even grandparent/grandchild… It kind of tainted the romance.
Favourite quote:
His was an old, savage soul, and she had, in an instant, become the single, shining jewel that lived inside of him.
I'll definitely be reading the sequel. Mary and Michael were engrossing characters, the romance was interesting (sort of) and the plot really kicked in towards the end. Hopefully, the second book will be faster paced and I'll find myself more easily immersed in the story since most elements have already been set up and established.
Hmm… I'm not sure what to think of Darkness Rising, I had a lot of mixed feelings. It was good but it also kind of wasn't at the same time. I liked that the premise was something I'd never read before in an UF novel (something similar has probably been written, I've just never come across it). And I was impressed that there seemed to be quite a lot of thought and effort put into the worldbuilding — it was one of the best aspects of Darkness Rising. Most UF novels are rubbish at worldbuilding — they're so lazily written. I also appreciated the fact that the main characters weren't stereotypical. The hero (Michael) was a loner, he had no human connections, he was intense and he was kind of sociopathic. The heroine (Mary) was somewhat annoying on occasion but for the most part she was a strong and engaging character. They had distinct and layered personalities — especially Michael.
I'm not sure how to explain the plot but I'll try… Mary is seeing and hearing things and having weird vivid dreams. She doesn't know if she's going mad, but when someone tries to kill her she realises that things aren't what they seem and that mysterious forces are at play. Naturally, there's a powerful evul guy trying to fuck things up. There's also reincarnation, soulmates, powers and all kinds of other stuff. I'm making it sound lame, it's actually better in the book.
Anyway, it took a while to get invested in the plot — probably because I didn't know what the hell was going on.
The first half didn't flow very well — the writing and story felt rather forced. Everything just seemed to be thrown together with no rhyme or reason - Mary having random weird dreams and visions, the wind talking to her, gunmen chasing her, her house burning down, and running away from bad guys, birds and strange forces. I was kind of lost for a while and it wasn't until the latter half before things started to mesh together and become clearer.
I was frustrated with how long it took for Mary and Michael to actually meet. When they did meet though, I enjoyed their interactions — it was great seeing hard as fuck Michael who cares about no-one, get all protective and unsure around Mary. I love those kinds of relationships.
The main issue I had was how slow the pace was — there was a lot of stuff happening but it took too long to get to the heart of things. Actually, the entire book just felt like a very long introduction to the world, characters and plot — it didn't feel like a full story, even though it's only the first in a series and there's more to come, there just wasn't that complete feeling after finishing Darkness Rising.
I wasn't keen on the number of POV's - I would have preferred just Mary and Michael's.
At the end I still wasn't really clear on what Mary and Michael were and where they came from. Were they angels? Were they aliens? Were they some species from a parallel dimension? Were they from another planet? I needed more information about their home planet/dimension/whatever.
Oh also I was weirded out by Michael mentioning that in past lives him and Mary weren't always lovers sometimes they were parent/child, siblings or even grandparent/grandchild… It kind of tainted the romance.
Favourite quote:
His was an old, savage soul, and she had, in an instant, become the single, shining jewel that lived inside of him.
I'll definitely be reading the sequel. Mary and Michael were engrossing characters, the romance was interesting (sort of) and the plot really kicked in towards the end. Hopefully, the second book will be faster paced and I'll find myself more easily immersed in the story since most elements have already been set up and established.
January 16, 2018
I'm calling it at 72%. I just can't read anymore, it's too boring. I tried, but I don't have it in me to plow through yet another boring book after reading two this weekend past. I've reached my quota. 72% still counts as reading the whole book.
Why is it so boring...well, the storytelling is disjointed and flips between multiple POV's and includes flashbacks. It doesn't always indicate when something is a flashback, leaving the reader to figure it out. It's a lot of stumbling around in the dark reading. And, it feels like nothing happens - technically, there are some action scenes, but they're written so blandly that it feels like nothing.
That's the main problem with this book - it evokes zero emotion. The main characters are bland and don't even like each other. At 72% in and there's zero romance, which would be fine if this wasn't classified as paranormal romance. Blah.
The subject matter also isn't for me. It's sort of Native American in origin. Not sure how much I can say without spoiling it.
On another note, this author's Elder Races series is good, especially the books with Dragos the DRAGON!
Why is it so boring...well, the storytelling is disjointed and flips between multiple POV's and includes flashbacks. It doesn't always indicate when something is a flashback, leaving the reader to figure it out. It's a lot of stumbling around in the dark reading. And, it feels like nothing happens - technically, there are some action scenes, but they're written so blandly that it feels like nothing.
That's the main problem with this book - it evokes zero emotion. The main characters are bland and don't even like each other. At 72% in and there's zero romance, which would be fine if this wasn't classified as paranormal romance. Blah.
The subject matter also isn't for me. It's sort of Native American in origin. Not sure how much I can say without spoiling it.
On another note, this author's Elder Races series is good, especially the books with Dragos the DRAGON!
April 25, 2013
Spoilers
This book is disjointed in its storytelling and frustrating to read because some elements are really interesting but the overall story is not enjoyable. There is no flow.
My favorite character was Tony. Poor Tony doesn't even get a phone call when she leaves town to skip her appointment with him. She also doesn't call him when her house burns down and she thinks Justin is in it. Supposedly he and Justin are her only friends, but after saying that she ignores his presence on the planet.
The Eastern dragon with the long name we don't know was also pretty cool but that scene felt contrived because it was in the middle of tired people driving in a race against the clock.
I have really enjoyed the Elder Races. Some of the concepts and dream descriptions in this book are very interesting. Harrison paints scenes well. The storyline is just not put together in any kind of order.
The problem with reading this book is there are too many points of view AND too many conflicts. It was annoying. Their is an overall race against the clock tension. Then there is the Mary's life is a mess and she is whack tension. Their is the Astra is whack and dying but supposedly a "good guy". Michael is a sociopath. Justin is the annoying ex who married Mary to pretend he wasn't gay. Justin gets kidnapped although Mary thinks he burned in the house fire. He ends up dead anyway so it doesn't matter. Nicholas is the dead but helpful ghost presence whose death really hurt the cause. The wind mages are either good or bad but easy to destroy and they are spies. Really they may as well give up. I did. I finished the book, but I am not going to read the next one.x
This book is disjointed in its storytelling and frustrating to read because some elements are really interesting but the overall story is not enjoyable. There is no flow.
My favorite character was Tony. Poor Tony doesn't even get a phone call when she leaves town to skip her appointment with him. She also doesn't call him when her house burns down and she thinks Justin is in it. Supposedly he and Justin are her only friends, but after saying that she ignores his presence on the planet.
The Eastern dragon with the long name we don't know was also pretty cool but that scene felt contrived because it was in the middle of tired people driving in a race against the clock.
I have really enjoyed the Elder Races. Some of the concepts and dream descriptions in this book are very interesting. Harrison paints scenes well. The storyline is just not put together in any kind of order.
The problem with reading this book is there are too many points of view AND too many conflicts. It was annoying. Their is an overall race against the clock tension. Then there is the Mary's life is a mess and she is whack tension. Their is the Astra is whack and dying but supposedly a "good guy". Michael is a sociopath. Justin is the annoying ex who married Mary to pretend he wasn't gay. Justin gets kidnapped although Mary thinks he burned in the house fire. He ends up dead anyway so it doesn't matter. Nicholas is the dead but helpful ghost presence whose death really hurt the cause. The wind mages are either good or bad but easy to destroy and they are spies. Really they may as well give up. I did. I finished the book, but I am not going to read the next one.x
July 30, 2015
Check out this review and others at badassbookreviews.com
I’m being very generous with this rating. Rising Darkness was one of those books with an over complicated plot and a pretentious prose that seemed to shout “Look at me! Am I not clever?” The first half was maddening and boring by stages and I was tempted to dnf it many times. The second half was more exciting and clarified many things but I’m not sure it made up for the terrible beginning.
Mary has always felt like something is missing in her life. Lately, something seems to be wrong but she doesn’t know what it is. She’s always had weird recurring dreams that disturb her and they seem to be getting more vivid. Then a chance meeting with a psychic and a cry for help open her up to a world she cannot believe existed.
It takes Mary a loooong time to belief what’s going on. A really long time. Even after all sorts of crazy stuff happens to her, she keeps thinking she’s crazy. I think Ms. Harrison wanted the reader to be as confused as Mary and sympathize with her disbelief, which could have worked if the story had been told in the first person and we only knew what Mary knew. However, this book is written in the third person and there are several other POVs including that of Michael, an old woman, the villain plus some confusing dreams with extravagant descriptions that seemed to go on and on. Instead of making the story mysterious, it was annoying to have all these people be so vague for no recognizable purpose.
Once Mary and Michael are together (at around the halfway point) and the reader gets some answers, there were some good parts. I was really touched by Michael’s reaction when he confronted what happened in their previous lifetime. The end was exciting so there’s a big chance the next book in the series will be significantly better.
If you have read Thea Harrison before, please be warned that this book is darker than her Elder Races series. Terrible stuff happens to innocent people and this may make some readers squirm. Things are not completely resolved at the end. The book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger but the story is more of a “Round 1″ where combatants inflict enough damage that they have to retreat to their corners and regroup.
I recommend readers to wait until the next book is out to see if the series is worth the effort (I read somewhere that this will be a duology…not sure if this is true though.) If the second book is sensational, then you can gird your loins to suffer through the first half of Rising Darkness because you’ll be sure to get a big payoff.
Review of audiobook edition, narrated by Sophie Eastlake.
I’m being very generous with this rating. Rising Darkness was one of those books with an over complicated plot and a pretentious prose that seemed to shout “Look at me! Am I not clever?” The first half was maddening and boring by stages and I was tempted to dnf it many times. The second half was more exciting and clarified many things but I’m not sure it made up for the terrible beginning.
Mary has always felt like something is missing in her life. Lately, something seems to be wrong but she doesn’t know what it is. She’s always had weird recurring dreams that disturb her and they seem to be getting more vivid. Then a chance meeting with a psychic and a cry for help open her up to a world she cannot believe existed.
It takes Mary a loooong time to belief what’s going on. A really long time. Even after all sorts of crazy stuff happens to her, she keeps thinking she’s crazy. I think Ms. Harrison wanted the reader to be as confused as Mary and sympathize with her disbelief, which could have worked if the story had been told in the first person and we only knew what Mary knew. However, this book is written in the third person and there are several other POVs including that of Michael, an old woman, the villain plus some confusing dreams with extravagant descriptions that seemed to go on and on. Instead of making the story mysterious, it was annoying to have all these people be so vague for no recognizable purpose.
Once Mary and Michael are together (at around the halfway point) and the reader gets some answers, there were some good parts. I was really touched by Michael’s reaction when he confronted what happened in their previous lifetime. The end was exciting so there’s a big chance the next book in the series will be significantly better.
If you have read Thea Harrison before, please be warned that this book is darker than her Elder Races series. Terrible stuff happens to innocent people and this may make some readers squirm. Things are not completely resolved at the end. The book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger but the story is more of a “Round 1″ where combatants inflict enough damage that they have to retreat to their corners and regroup.
I recommend readers to wait until the next book is out to see if the series is worth the effort (I read somewhere that this will be a duology…not sure if this is true though.) If the second book is sensational, then you can gird your loins to suffer through the first half of Rising Darkness because you’ll be sure to get a big payoff.
Review of audiobook edition, narrated by Sophie Eastlake.
April 5, 2013
Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks
Rising Darkness is the first book in a new series by Thea Harrison. Thea’s Elder Races series is inventive, sexy and interesting. I picked up Rising Darkness because I really enjoy Thea’s other books and hoped I would enjoy this series too. I knew going into this book that is was very different from anything Thea has written before. I did not go into it expecting Elder Races version 2.0 and I think that’s important to say. But even knowing that it would be very different, for me Rising Darkness turned out to be an example of ‘just because you love one set of stories from an author doesn’t mean you will enjoy them all’.
What I enjoyed about the book:
Rising Darkness starts with seven people basically about to commit suicide in order to be reborn in a human body at a different time. They are chasing an ultimate evil. And that ultimate evil is one sociopathic crazy arsed villain. Thea wrote The Deceiver very well. I believe nightmares will ensue thanks to him.
The concept was interesting. I have never read anything like it. You can tell that Thea put a lot of thought into the details while building this world and this story.
There are some really sweet moments in this book. Michael is falling in love for the first time in his current incarnation and it’s done well. This is not your typical romance book. It is dark and serious. But the tender words add a bit of beauty to an otherwise gloomy world.
What I enjoyed and didn’t enjoy at the same time:
Mary is the main heroine of the series. She is feeling lost and confused lately. She’s been having dreams/nightmares since she was a child but they are getting more and more frequent and severe in nature. She is hearing voices and thinks she is going mad. When the soul is reborn it takes a while for previous memories to come back and unless someone is there who understands and who can guide you, it can make you go crazy. I found Thea wrote Mary with her struggles and fears quite well. This is the first time her soul has been reborn in 900 years and she’s been born and reborn and fighting for 6,000 years! But even though I found her well done, I wasn’t able to connect with her as I would have liked to.
Same goes for Michael. I found his well written yet I didn’t click fully with him either.
The romance in Rising Darkness is slow. Really slow. In fact, the hero and heroine don’t even meet until past page 100. In a way, since this is the first book in a two part story, the hero and heroine’s romance shouldn’t be hot and heavy from page one but it was still a bit too long to wait for them to meet for my taste. But when the romance is introduced (as I mentioned above) there are some really tender moments.
The detail in the book was amazing. Thea’s world and setting is incredibly documented. Thea’s voice is beautiful and her writing is very visual. But I found myself confused more than once, lost in the sheer amount of detail. It is expected to have lots of detail and description in a first book of a new series – it’s necessary to build the world and the setting for the reader – but in this book it also caused the story to drag.
What didn’t work for me:
Really, it all comes down to the pacing of the book and my ability to connect with it. Some books suck you in right away while others don’t. This one didn’t do it for me. It was just too slow.
Overall, Rising Darkness was an interesting book that I just didn’t click with. What I would suggest to you, if you are a fan of Thea’s Elder Races books and are wondering if this new series is for you, is to get online and read reviews written by reviewers you trust. See what they liked and didn’t like about the book and go from there. Because you might like a book that is slow building and full of detail and description where it’s not everyone’s thing and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on a book just because some are saying it wasn’t their favorite.
Rising Darkness is the first book in a new series by Thea Harrison. Thea’s Elder Races series is inventive, sexy and interesting. I picked up Rising Darkness because I really enjoy Thea’s other books and hoped I would enjoy this series too. I knew going into this book that is was very different from anything Thea has written before. I did not go into it expecting Elder Races version 2.0 and I think that’s important to say. But even knowing that it would be very different, for me Rising Darkness turned out to be an example of ‘just because you love one set of stories from an author doesn’t mean you will enjoy them all’.
What I enjoyed about the book:
Rising Darkness starts with seven people basically about to commit suicide in order to be reborn in a human body at a different time. They are chasing an ultimate evil. And that ultimate evil is one sociopathic crazy arsed villain. Thea wrote The Deceiver very well. I believe nightmares will ensue thanks to him.
The concept was interesting. I have never read anything like it. You can tell that Thea put a lot of thought into the details while building this world and this story.
There are some really sweet moments in this book. Michael is falling in love for the first time in his current incarnation and it’s done well. This is not your typical romance book. It is dark and serious. But the tender words add a bit of beauty to an otherwise gloomy world.
What I enjoyed and didn’t enjoy at the same time:
Mary is the main heroine of the series. She is feeling lost and confused lately. She’s been having dreams/nightmares since she was a child but they are getting more and more frequent and severe in nature. She is hearing voices and thinks she is going mad. When the soul is reborn it takes a while for previous memories to come back and unless someone is there who understands and who can guide you, it can make you go crazy. I found Thea wrote Mary with her struggles and fears quite well. This is the first time her soul has been reborn in 900 years and she’s been born and reborn and fighting for 6,000 years! But even though I found her well done, I wasn’t able to connect with her as I would have liked to.
Same goes for Michael. I found his well written yet I didn’t click fully with him either.
The romance in Rising Darkness is slow. Really slow. In fact, the hero and heroine don’t even meet until past page 100. In a way, since this is the first book in a two part story, the hero and heroine’s romance shouldn’t be hot and heavy from page one but it was still a bit too long to wait for them to meet for my taste. But when the romance is introduced (as I mentioned above) there are some really tender moments.
The detail in the book was amazing. Thea’s world and setting is incredibly documented. Thea’s voice is beautiful and her writing is very visual. But I found myself confused more than once, lost in the sheer amount of detail. It is expected to have lots of detail and description in a first book of a new series – it’s necessary to build the world and the setting for the reader – but in this book it also caused the story to drag.
What didn’t work for me:
Really, it all comes down to the pacing of the book and my ability to connect with it. Some books suck you in right away while others don’t. This one didn’t do it for me. It was just too slow.
Overall, Rising Darkness was an interesting book that I just didn’t click with. What I would suggest to you, if you are a fan of Thea’s Elder Races books and are wondering if this new series is for you, is to get online and read reviews written by reviewers you trust. See what they liked and didn’t like about the book and go from there. Because you might like a book that is slow building and full of detail and description where it’s not everyone’s thing and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on a book just because some are saying it wasn’t their favorite.
April 8, 2013
In this richly intricate novel about reincarnation, destined lovers, and an ageless enemy, Thea Harrison is tells a masterful story. Mary is a doctor who feels like something’s off, as voices appear in her head and vivid, disturbing dreams overtake her life. As she slowly recovers her memories and realises this plane of life is not what it seems, she meets Michael, a hardened warrior who appears to be her salvation.
Reading Thea Harrison’s novel is like a reader’s feast for the Gods. It’s beautifully written, vivid and flows easily, and could easily translate to a movie script. While the concepts covered within the first half of the book are highly detailed, it was never too difficult to grasp due to the easy prose.
Primarily an urban fantasy, the novel never really lets up as Mary is subjected to drama after drama – some physical, spiritual, and psychological. Concepts such as reincarnation, psychic dreams, and psychological trauma are covered with due brilliance, despite their spiritual and subjective nature.
There’s definitely a focus on romance too as she meets Michael, her spiritual twin who has been searching for her for many lifetimes. As their first meeting translates from a threat of danger, to protection, to tenderness, I found myself rooting for the pair despite complications from the past. The two are broken and need each other like fire and water, and you can see the two slowly regaining their strength whey they’re with each other. The sexual tension and romance here is through the roof, so I would definitely not recommend it for younger readers.
While I haven’t read Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, I’ve picked up on the more dark, serious tone of this series compared to the latter. Rising Darkness was a quick read for me and I can’t wait to devour the sequel when it comes out.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted on my Happy Indulgence blog. Check it out for more reviews!
Reading Thea Harrison’s novel is like a reader’s feast for the Gods. It’s beautifully written, vivid and flows easily, and could easily translate to a movie script. While the concepts covered within the first half of the book are highly detailed, it was never too difficult to grasp due to the easy prose.
Primarily an urban fantasy, the novel never really lets up as Mary is subjected to drama after drama – some physical, spiritual, and psychological. Concepts such as reincarnation, psychic dreams, and psychological trauma are covered with due brilliance, despite their spiritual and subjective nature.
There’s definitely a focus on romance too as she meets Michael, her spiritual twin who has been searching for her for many lifetimes. As their first meeting translates from a threat of danger, to protection, to tenderness, I found myself rooting for the pair despite complications from the past. The two are broken and need each other like fire and water, and you can see the two slowly regaining their strength whey they’re with each other. The sexual tension and romance here is through the roof, so I would definitely not recommend it for younger readers.
While I haven’t read Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, I’ve picked up on the more dark, serious tone of this series compared to the latter. Rising Darkness was a quick read for me and I can’t wait to devour the sequel when it comes out.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted on my Happy Indulgence blog. Check it out for more reviews!
August 11, 2013
Thea Harrison's book are a bit hit or miss for me but this is the first one I DNF. I really don't know why but the story, characters - good and bad - didn't grab me - they just stayed solidly stuck to the page. I plodded along through the first 80 or so pages hoping that when Mary and Michael finally hooked up things would start to get interesting but unfortunately they didn't and another 80 or so pages along I finally gave it up.
One of the problems, for me, was the overly long descriptions of entirely non essential elements. Four paragraphs describing the apartment building she once lived in, three paragraphs describing the food in Michael's cabin, all for no apparent reason.
Mystical characters were introduced without any explanation for either who they were or why they were there. Hawkes turning up to save her from being kidnapped ditto wolves offering to protect her and then a dragon helping to heal her but I had no idea who these creatures were or where they fitted into the story. Maybe this was all explained after I stopped reading so I might be being unfair here.
All in all this was a very disappointing read
One of the problems, for me, was the overly long descriptions of entirely non essential elements. Four paragraphs describing the apartment building she once lived in, three paragraphs describing the food in Michael's cabin, all for no apparent reason.
Mystical characters were introduced without any explanation for either who they were or why they were there. Hawkes turning up to save her from being kidnapped ditto wolves offering to protect her and then a dragon helping to heal her but I had no idea who these creatures were or where they fitted into the story. Maybe this was all explained after I stopped reading so I might be being unfair here.
All in all this was a very disappointing read
November 15, 2019
Dnf....zzzzzz
September 14, 2013
I put off reading this book because of all the bad ratings and reviews. However, a while later I thought I might as well give it a try. I ended up loving it. The world Harrison has created is wonderful, captivating and interesting. The characters are really unique and as a reader, I felt connected to the heroine and hero (Mary and Michael) something that doesn't always happen. Harrison's style of writing is an absolute pleasure to read, and I believe it to be due the whole "show don't tell" thing. To sum it up, Rising Darkness was a thoroughly satisfying read that completely surpassed my expectations based on the reviews I had seen here on Goodreads. I'm not a usual reviewer (this is my first one...I doubt many people will read this) but I thought I'd write this to show that people have different tastes in books, just as they do in music, food, style etc. I hope people will not walk away from this book just because of the negative reviews (like I almost did). If you're interested, you should give it a try. You may not like it, but you never know, you could be passing by a potential favourite.
May 16, 2016
This was pretty good. Since it didn't have Dragos and Pia in it, I wasn't as impressed. Ok, it was a new series entirely that didn't have anything to do with shifters. While this wasn't my cup of genre tea, some will probably love it.
May 14, 2019
A story of soulmates reuniting and facing the evil that forced them apart in the first place.
Mary, an ER doctor, has always felt disconnected from her life and that feeling has intensified recently, making her worry about her mental state. She has spent years trying to figure out what's wrong with her, but has nearly lost hope, when a strange turn of events lead her to Michael.
Michael, who experienced similar feelings accompanied by inexplicable rage growing up, has answers for Mary that finally make sense, no matter how outlandish they are. The two of them are .
It was a story that had potential that it didn't quite reach for me, and although there's a lot of action and interesting abilities involved, it felt like I was waiting for something to happen for most of the book, a feeling that wasn't particularly helped by the ending.
One thing that surprised me was the slow romantic progress, especially considering that the couple .
The series continues with Falling Light where the story concludes.
Mary, an ER doctor, has always felt disconnected from her life and that feeling has intensified recently, making her worry about her mental state. She has spent years trying to figure out what's wrong with her, but has nearly lost hope, when a strange turn of events lead her to Michael.
Michael, who experienced similar feelings accompanied by inexplicable rage growing up, has answers for Mary that finally make sense, no matter how outlandish they are. The two of them are .
It was a story that had potential that it didn't quite reach for me, and although there's a lot of action and interesting abilities involved, it felt like I was waiting for something to happen for most of the book, a feeling that wasn't particularly helped by the ending.
One thing that surprised me was the slow romantic progress, especially considering that the couple .
The series continues with Falling Light where the story concludes.
April 5, 2013
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C
The world is initially set up around 8 people, 1 set to destroy the world and the others, including 3 sets of mates, are trying to stop him. This fight has continued for thousands of years as their spirits keep reincarnating, but each time a person’s spirit comes back, they have no memory of their past and have to find their way to remembering everything again. There to help them as best she can, when she can find them, is Astra, a woman who remembers everything, from every single year. The one who wants to rule the world, known as the Deceiver, has been slowly killing their spirits and now only Michael and Mary are left. At the start of this story, Michael knows Mary is out there, his mate from so long ago, but Mary has no memory of her past lives and once the memories start to come back, she’s now having to fight for her current life. She’s on the run, in constant danger has to try and trust Michael, a man she’s slowly starting to remember and while she’s dealing with those feelings, she has to stay clear of the Deceiver as he’s trying to do everything he can to draw her out.
There is a TON of world set up. The story actually felt like one big introduction to the world and the characters. All the main storylines are left open ended and to be continued at the end of the book. Know that going in as we’ll have to wait to find out what happens to the hero, heroine and the big bad guy.
I liked the idea of these mated spirits finding each other again after hundreds and thousands of years apart. I did find it curious that it’s only Mary and Michael that will be leading the way. We learn early on that the other spirits that made up their original group have been destroyed and I kept thinking how interesting it would be to have them present in the story as well. Maybe they’re just presumed to be destroyed, anything’s possible I suppose!
The bad guy or the Deceiver, well he’s Bad with a capital B. He kills for the fun of it. In fact, the Destroyer ends this story and his last scene really left a bad taste to be honest. It’s clear as this book winds down that the story is going to be continuing into the next book, but there’s a last scene that I really could have done without. It proves he’s a crazy psycho killer and I didn’t really need the reminder to be honest, already got that point across earlier.
The romance is almost nonexistent which is disappointing since these two people are soul mates who have found each other after all this time. We have to wait and wait and wait some more for them to finally have sex and even then it seems to take a backseat to the world and larger overall storyline of the good vs. evil showdown that was heading their way. Hopefully there will be a lot more sexy in the follow-up story.
I thought this was a good story with an interesting world that’s very dark. I don’t like it not having a clear cut ending. Readers might want to wait for book 2 to come out before starting with this one, if being left hanging isn’t your cuppa tea. It already feels as though this will be a series that’s going to need to be read in order. I can’t imagine picking up the next book and not having the history and background that’s described in Rising Darkness. This was an interesting set up, but I still feel like I’m waiting for the meat of the story and the series to start.
Blog rating: C
The world is initially set up around 8 people, 1 set to destroy the world and the others, including 3 sets of mates, are trying to stop him. This fight has continued for thousands of years as their spirits keep reincarnating, but each time a person’s spirit comes back, they have no memory of their past and have to find their way to remembering everything again. There to help them as best she can, when she can find them, is Astra, a woman who remembers everything, from every single year. The one who wants to rule the world, known as the Deceiver, has been slowly killing their spirits and now only Michael and Mary are left. At the start of this story, Michael knows Mary is out there, his mate from so long ago, but Mary has no memory of her past lives and once the memories start to come back, she’s now having to fight for her current life. She’s on the run, in constant danger has to try and trust Michael, a man she’s slowly starting to remember and while she’s dealing with those feelings, she has to stay clear of the Deceiver as he’s trying to do everything he can to draw her out.
There is a TON of world set up. The story actually felt like one big introduction to the world and the characters. All the main storylines are left open ended and to be continued at the end of the book. Know that going in as we’ll have to wait to find out what happens to the hero, heroine and the big bad guy.
I liked the idea of these mated spirits finding each other again after hundreds and thousands of years apart. I did find it curious that it’s only Mary and Michael that will be leading the way. We learn early on that the other spirits that made up their original group have been destroyed and I kept thinking how interesting it would be to have them present in the story as well. Maybe they’re just presumed to be destroyed, anything’s possible I suppose!
The bad guy or the Deceiver, well he’s Bad with a capital B. He kills for the fun of it. In fact, the Destroyer ends this story and his last scene really left a bad taste to be honest. It’s clear as this book winds down that the story is going to be continuing into the next book, but there’s a last scene that I really could have done without. It proves he’s a crazy psycho killer and I didn’t really need the reminder to be honest, already got that point across earlier.
The romance is almost nonexistent which is disappointing since these two people are soul mates who have found each other after all this time. We have to wait and wait and wait some more for them to finally have sex and even then it seems to take a backseat to the world and larger overall storyline of the good vs. evil showdown that was heading their way. Hopefully there will be a lot more sexy in the follow-up story.
I thought this was a good story with an interesting world that’s very dark. I don’t like it not having a clear cut ending. Readers might want to wait for book 2 to come out before starting with this one, if being left hanging isn’t your cuppa tea. It already feels as though this will be a series that’s going to need to be read in order. I can’t imagine picking up the next book and not having the history and background that’s described in Rising Darkness. This was an interesting set up, but I still feel like I’m waiting for the meat of the story and the series to start.
April 14, 2013
3.5 Stars
If you're a Thea Harrison fan looking for something in the same vein of her Elder Races series, stop right here. This is nothing like that. Instead, the Game of Shadows series is something much darker, complicated and non-traditional.
Honestly, I was terribly lost in the beginning. I was almost a third of the way through the book before I finally caught the rhythm and felt like I had an idea of what was going on. There was just so much information. But more than that, I think it was the various points of view, exacerbated by past life memories that made it hard for me to figure out who was the focus of some passages and what the relevance was. My confusion pulled me out of the story and as a result, it took me longer than usual to connect to the characters. Once I was about 90 pages in, however, the problem had passed.
The story follows Mary, a doctor, who has never really felt like she fit... like she was never really a part of the world. She tried dating, even marriage, but never found a romantic connection, or even a desire. She has had strange dreams all of her life about a group of beings who sacrificed their alien lives to track a fugitive to Earth. Each had a soul mate they were forced to separate from. And through the course of the story, she learns that she was one of those beings. They have lived multiple lives on earth, searching for their quarry, the Deceiver, and hoping to reunite with the other half of their soul.
As the story begins, a dark force is hunting Mary, and killing whatever gets in its way. She runs, almost straight into the path of Michael, the other half of her soul who has been searching for her for centuries. She doesn't know him right away, but it's only a matter of time before they reconnect and recover the memories of their past lives together. They must learn to know and trust each other again if they have any chance of defeating the malevolent being bent on destroying them both.
Once Mary and Michael find their way to each other, that's when the book found legs for me. After all, it's romance I connect to in Harrison's work. And I loved the dynamic between these two. Once I got to see Michael with Mary, I really appreciated having seen who he was before he found her. The contrast was what was so effective. I loved watching him come alive with her. The sexual element between them was great and I believed in the connection between them. It really was the best part of the book.
Be aware that this book does not have a finite ending. Think of it more as the opening salvo in war between the good guys and the bad. The story is clearly just beginning. And we still have a lot to learn, especially about our villain and the mysterious grandmother. Now that I think I have a firm grip on the worldbuilding, I think book two will be a lot easier to jump into. It's a shame I have to wait until 2014 to see what happens next.
Rating: B-
*ARC Provided by Berkley
If you're a Thea Harrison fan looking for something in the same vein of her Elder Races series, stop right here. This is nothing like that. Instead, the Game of Shadows series is something much darker, complicated and non-traditional.
Honestly, I was terribly lost in the beginning. I was almost a third of the way through the book before I finally caught the rhythm and felt like I had an idea of what was going on. There was just so much information. But more than that, I think it was the various points of view, exacerbated by past life memories that made it hard for me to figure out who was the focus of some passages and what the relevance was. My confusion pulled me out of the story and as a result, it took me longer than usual to connect to the characters. Once I was about 90 pages in, however, the problem had passed.
The story follows Mary, a doctor, who has never really felt like she fit... like she was never really a part of the world. She tried dating, even marriage, but never found a romantic connection, or even a desire. She has had strange dreams all of her life about a group of beings who sacrificed their alien lives to track a fugitive to Earth. Each had a soul mate they were forced to separate from. And through the course of the story, she learns that she was one of those beings. They have lived multiple lives on earth, searching for their quarry, the Deceiver, and hoping to reunite with the other half of their soul.
As the story begins, a dark force is hunting Mary, and killing whatever gets in its way. She runs, almost straight into the path of Michael, the other half of her soul who has been searching for her for centuries. She doesn't know him right away, but it's only a matter of time before they reconnect and recover the memories of their past lives together. They must learn to know and trust each other again if they have any chance of defeating the malevolent being bent on destroying them both.
Once Mary and Michael find their way to each other, that's when the book found legs for me. After all, it's romance I connect to in Harrison's work. And I loved the dynamic between these two. Once I got to see Michael with Mary, I really appreciated having seen who he was before he found her. The contrast was what was so effective. I loved watching him come alive with her. The sexual element between them was great and I believed in the connection between them. It really was the best part of the book.
Be aware that this book does not have a finite ending. Think of it more as the opening salvo in war between the good guys and the bad. The story is clearly just beginning. And we still have a lot to learn, especially about our villain and the mysterious grandmother. Now that I think I have a firm grip on the worldbuilding, I think book two will be a lot easier to jump into. It's a shame I have to wait until 2014 to see what happens next.
Rating: B-
*ARC Provided by Berkley
April 3, 2013
Review also posted at
“Gone is the banter and humor of the snarky heroines and the over powering alpha heroes of the Elder Races…Thea Harrison will sure to surprise her fans with this new genre she’s ventured in to.” ~Under The Covers
Gone is the banter and humor of the snarky heroines and the over powering alpha heroes of the Elder Races. Oh no, this series is different from that genre. Rising Darkness is a dark urban fantasy laced with magic and a hint of romance. Ms. Harrison had also brought in reincarnation, ghosts, spirits and added myths of fallen angels in to the story. Thea Harrison will sure to surprise her fans with this new genre she’s ventured in to.
Mary and Michael along with their comrades had come to this world over six thousand years ago. A total of seven, now only three, had given up their alternate world to pursue the Deceiver, who had plans to destroy the world. For centuries, they lived human lives and then reincarnated over and over attempting to pursue their goal.
The start of the story was bittersweet. Mary and Michael giving up their lives for the better good is quite a sacrifice. I was a bit sad for them, but I knew the plan was for them to get together again in the next world. I was certainly curious on how Ms. Harrison will work things out. Getting back together is extremely complicated. It took several years before they find each other, and when they do, recognition of whom they are can be an issue. Mary did not remember whom she was at first, and Michael was left with no choice but to stand back and wait. My heart broke for Michael when Mary didn’t recognize him. Imagine him having to go through that for many years…heart breaking.
The world building was elaborate and done well. Not one time that I felt overwhelmed. I have to admit that this is not a light read, but I enjoyed just the same. There were some gruesome scenes that would make you cringe, but it truly shows how evil and corrupted the Deceiver is. He undoubtedly has and will bring havoc to this world. Mary and Michael will surely have a long road ahead of them.
Like I said, Rising Darkness is a dark urban fantasy novel. If you are looking for a PNR with a happy-ever-after, this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for a dark urban fantasy read with a hint of romance and a dash of thriller, I recommend giving Rising Darkness a try
*Review provided by publisher
May 31, 2013
2.5 stars - okay to pretty good - The first Game of Shadows Novel, Rising Darkness, is not at all what I expected from having read Harrison's Elder Races book. Rising Darkness has a science fiction-y feel and since the underlying elements in the world building are initially somewhat confusing and very slow to unfurl, it took well into the book before I started to get a sense of where the story was going.
I was somewhat prepared, after all the book has been out a while and I've read a few of the reviews, but I really wasn't that invested in the story and the characters until the magic 100 page mark that other reviewers have mentioned. At that point the action picks up, the two leads finally converge, the heroine finally finds out what is/has happened to her, and the story got a lot better.
So the bottom line on Rising Shadows, is that I ended up liking it but not enthusiastically. This story really had the heart of a novella – so about a novella's worth of stuff actually happened in the story and a couple things with some secondary characters were not used to the advantage that they could have been for either pathos or promise. At this point, I am not exactly champing at the bit for the sequel, but I have a while to decide until Falling Light continues the story in February next year.
I was somewhat prepared, after all the book has been out a while and I've read a few of the reviews, but I really wasn't that invested in the story and the characters until the magic 100 page mark that other reviewers have mentioned. At that point the action picks up, the two leads finally converge, the heroine finally finds out what is/has happened to her, and the story got a lot better.
So the bottom line on Rising Shadows, is that I ended up liking it but not enthusiastically. This story really had the heart of a novella – so about a novella's worth of stuff actually happened in the story and a couple things with some secondary characters were not used to the advantage that they could have been for either pathos or promise. At this point, I am not exactly champing at the bit for the sequel, but I have a while to decide until Falling Light continues the story in February next year.
May 10, 2014
3/5; 3 stars; B-
Hmm, what to say. I think this book and the world building had more potential than was realized throughout the course of the story. Somehow it fell flat for me. It took me more than a week to read this book because it didn't draw me and I kept putting it down. The dark was too prevalent, the past was too mysterious and the characters not engaging. There was still very solid structure and writing but I didn't love the story.
Hmm, what to say. I think this book and the world building had more potential than was realized throughout the course of the story. Somehow it fell flat for me. It took me more than a week to read this book because it didn't draw me and I kept putting it down. The dark was too prevalent, the past was too mysterious and the characters not engaging. There was still very solid structure and writing but I didn't love the story.
dnf
January 13, 2018I gave up at about 20%. How could this be the same author that wrote Dragon Bound? There is no way!
This book was dark, boring, way too much world building, way too many characters (I have no idea who was who). But I know when I quit the heroine and hero had still not met!!!
Bored silly. Confused and just not worth it!
This book was dark, boring, way too much world building, way too many characters (I have no idea who was who). But I know when I quit the heroine and hero had still not met!!!
Bored silly. Confused and just not worth it!
March 15, 2013
Michael and Mary
A lot of detail and setup for the future of this series. It took a while for me to get into it. Full review to come on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
A lot of detail and setup for the future of this series. It took a while for me to get into it. Full review to come on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
April 11, 2013
Slow to start... awesome at finish! Can't wait for the next one!!
Review to come....
Review to come....
August 10, 2020
So a book buddy suggested I read Thea Harrison. So I picked this one up and I have one word, GAG. I couldn’t believe how horrible this book was, it was terrible. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like him. I didn’t like anything. I didn’t like the way the story was told. What the fresh hell?
I’m happy to say my book buddy is not insane. Whew! I picked up the wrong Series. So I’m letting this thing go, wiping it from my memory.
I’m going to the series she wanted me to read fingers crossed.
I’m happy to say my book buddy is not insane. Whew! I picked up the wrong Series. So I’m letting this thing go, wiping it from my memory.
I’m going to the series she wanted me to read fingers crossed.
July 26, 2020
I wasn't expecting this book (in a good way). The tone is different from her Elder Race books. Not a lot of humor and it's more UF (at least book 1, I'm currently reading book 2) with the way it ended. But it's still Thea Harrison's incredible writing. The twist on certain mythology and history was interesting and I enjoyed it immensely.
March 29, 2013
Mary has felt different her whole life. She married Justin in an attempt at normalcy and when he admitted he was gay and their marriage was dissolved, all she felt was relief that she didn't have to pretend anymore. Now the chaos in her life is coming to a head. Dropping weight she can't afford, losing sleep because of dreams she can't understand, and suddenly hearing voices in the wind, Mary is on the edge. To avoid a doctor's appointment Justin insists on, she takes off for a drive, not knowing that one decision will save her life and change everything she thought she knew.
After a day filled with visions, kidnap attempts, and murder, Mary is found by Michael who starts to explain to her why she has felt different. They are from an alien race that came to Earth over 6,000 years ago in search of a criminal, The Deceiver. They are born to humans and their souls are reincarnated after death then reborn, where it takes years for them to recover their memories. Each of their members have a partner, a counterbalance to their soul that they aren't complete without and Mary is Michael's. But this is the first time in 900 years that Mary's soul has been reborn as Michael has searched each life for her. Now Mary must adjust quickly to her new reality and old memories that are flooding in because she is on The Deceiver's radar and that is the only hope Mary and Michael have of surviving this life with their souls intact.
Rising Darkness has a much different feel than Harrison's Elder Races series. It's dark, it's sinister, and while it is definitely a romance, it has a very strong urban fantasy vibe. Intense and tightly woven, it drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading late. This is also a two-parter. Mary and Michael's journey will continue in Falling Light next February. I was a little torn on what to say in this review because I can't recommend Rising Darkness unequivocally to everyone. If you prefer the more traditional romance with the HEA tied up in a neat bow at the end, you may not love this book as much as I did. If you are looking for a unique, intense paranormal romance with strong world-building, then I'd recommend giving Rising Darkness a shot.
Favorite quote
After a day filled with visions, kidnap attempts, and murder, Mary is found by Michael who starts to explain to her why she has felt different. They are from an alien race that came to Earth over 6,000 years ago in search of a criminal, The Deceiver. They are born to humans and their souls are reincarnated after death then reborn, where it takes years for them to recover their memories. Each of their members have a partner, a counterbalance to their soul that they aren't complete without and Mary is Michael's. But this is the first time in 900 years that Mary's soul has been reborn as Michael has searched each life for her. Now Mary must adjust quickly to her new reality and old memories that are flooding in because she is on The Deceiver's radar and that is the only hope Mary and Michael have of surviving this life with their souls intact.
Rising Darkness has a much different feel than Harrison's Elder Races series. It's dark, it's sinister, and while it is definitely a romance, it has a very strong urban fantasy vibe. Intense and tightly woven, it drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading late. This is also a two-parter. Mary and Michael's journey will continue in Falling Light next February. I was a little torn on what to say in this review because I can't recommend Rising Darkness unequivocally to everyone. If you prefer the more traditional romance with the HEA tied up in a neat bow at the end, you may not love this book as much as I did. If you are looking for a unique, intense paranormal romance with strong world-building, then I'd recommend giving Rising Darkness a shot.
Favorite quote
"You're a miracle," he said. "I didn't think I knew how to feel anymore. I thought I was half dead." He covered her mouth with his and whispered against her lips, "My miracle. My home."
April 11, 2013
REVIEW: Have you ever wondered about reincarnation? Did you ever have a sense of déjà vu?
Well, that is how our heroine has felt most of her life. Mary’s dreams, both asleep and awake, take her to places that feel familiar and dark. But her dreams become reality when the voice in her head, tells her to run and run fast. Evil is waiting for Mary and soon the disembodied voice will be her only companion until a handsome stranger reveals that Mary is dying and her psychic spirit is a beacon for those hoping to destroy their kind.
Michael has been searching for his mate for over nine hundred years. Without his mate, he is only half of a whole; the other half to his soul is missing. When he finally locates the one, it will take some convincing on his part to prove to Mary that love truly transcends the centuries. As Mary’s memories return so too does the Deceiver-the darkness that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that Mary loves. Fighting as a team, Mary and Michael will join together in an attempt to thwart what evil has in store.
Michael and Mary’s relationship is slow to build. In fact, a good portion of the book is spent following Mary as she pursues the voice in her mind. Michael’s storyline introduces much of the background information regarding the premise of the story and more is revealed when Michael finally convinces Mary that they have always belonged together and together they would destroy the Deceiver. I like that Mary did not accept Michael at face value and wasn’t willing to jump into bed, but then again, neither was Michael-the man knew that his mate needed time to understand the reality of their situation. I also liked that Thea did not drag out the angst and anxiety between the couple. It was a given that Mary and Michael belonged together so why prolong the inevitable book after book.
Thea Harrison has written a fascinating and amazingly detailed introductory storyline that spans the ages with well-developed yet vulnerable characters and richly detailed worlds. From ancient civilizations to current day native culture and rituals, Thea blends fantasy with science fiction, suspense with hope, hatred with love.
Arc supplied by the publisher.
see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com
Well, that is how our heroine has felt most of her life. Mary’s dreams, both asleep and awake, take her to places that feel familiar and dark. But her dreams become reality when the voice in her head, tells her to run and run fast. Evil is waiting for Mary and soon the disembodied voice will be her only companion until a handsome stranger reveals that Mary is dying and her psychic spirit is a beacon for those hoping to destroy their kind.
Michael has been searching for his mate for over nine hundred years. Without his mate, he is only half of a whole; the other half to his soul is missing. When he finally locates the one, it will take some convincing on his part to prove to Mary that love truly transcends the centuries. As Mary’s memories return so too does the Deceiver-the darkness that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that Mary loves. Fighting as a team, Mary and Michael will join together in an attempt to thwart what evil has in store.
Michael and Mary’s relationship is slow to build. In fact, a good portion of the book is spent following Mary as she pursues the voice in her mind. Michael’s storyline introduces much of the background information regarding the premise of the story and more is revealed when Michael finally convinces Mary that they have always belonged together and together they would destroy the Deceiver. I like that Mary did not accept Michael at face value and wasn’t willing to jump into bed, but then again, neither was Michael-the man knew that his mate needed time to understand the reality of their situation. I also liked that Thea did not drag out the angst and anxiety between the couple. It was a given that Mary and Michael belonged together so why prolong the inevitable book after book.
Thea Harrison has written a fascinating and amazingly detailed introductory storyline that spans the ages with well-developed yet vulnerable characters and richly detailed worlds. From ancient civilizations to current day native culture and rituals, Thea blends fantasy with science fiction, suspense with hope, hatred with love.
Arc supplied by the publisher.
see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com
March 26, 2013
I did not finish this book. I just couldn't. I read the first 200 pages or so and had to force myself to read that much. I am sorry to sound so harsh. I really love Thea's Elder Races series, so I wanted to like this one too. But this one was just too much in the way of set up and I didn't enjoy any of the story I read. I knew by page 200 that there was no reason to finish since I had no desire to pick up the next books so why bother with the set up.
The basic premise of the story is that several beings--mated pairs (I wasn't sure if they were aliens, angels, or what) took a poison so that they would be re-born as human and follow the Deceiver to earth. For 6,000 years they have been reborn and once they finally reclaimed their memories, which they would do gradually while they grew up, they would then try to locate each other and then the Deceiver and try to kill him. 6,000 years? Not doing such a great job so far. While the beings lost time being reincarnated (every time the deceiver killed them), the Deceiver skipped all that by stealing bodies, killing the existing soul and slipping into that new body with his memories in tact.
There was the physical plane, the spiritual plane, all levels of life and we had to watch as they reclaimed their memories of their past lives so they could move forward with the new one.
I didn't see any indication that they even inconvenience the Deceiver over the 6,000 years.
The basic premise of the story is that several beings--mated pairs (I wasn't sure if they were aliens, angels, or what) took a poison so that they would be re-born as human and follow the Deceiver to earth. For 6,000 years they have been reborn and once they finally reclaimed their memories, which they would do gradually while they grew up, they would then try to locate each other and then the Deceiver and try to kill him. 6,000 years? Not doing such a great job so far. While the beings lost time being reincarnated (every time the deceiver killed them), the Deceiver skipped all that by stealing bodies, killing the existing soul and slipping into that new body with his memories in tact.
There was the physical plane, the spiritual plane, all levels of life and we had to watch as they reclaimed their memories of their past lives so they could move forward with the new one.
I didn't see any indication that they even inconvenience the Deceiver over the 6,000 years.
April 2, 2013
What it's about: This is a brand new series by The Elder series author Thea Harrison. Thea starts off her new paranormal series with Mary, an ER nurse who has disturbing dreams and is more than even she realizes. There's a lot here, but I'll try to be brief. Basically, Mary is from an alien race who reincarnates as humans. They are looking for a criminal they call The Deceiver. There are eight of them and each has a partner. Mary's is Michael … who also happens to be the one who killed her in their past life.
Why you should read it: This series is not like her Elder novels. It's a little darker and more harsh. What I loved about the book was the chemistry between Mary and Michael. He's dark, tormented and hot (best kind of hero), and Mary completes him. It's intense to watch the romance between the two grow. What I didn't understand was why The Deceiver still hadn't been caught 6,000 years later, which is a bit far-fetched. If you can suspend disbelief, I'd give Rising Darkness a try. I enjoyed it.
To see what the author has to say check out the HEA Blog
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
Why you should read it: This series is not like her Elder novels. It's a little darker and more harsh. What I loved about the book was the chemistry between Mary and Michael. He's dark, tormented and hot (best kind of hero), and Mary completes him. It's intense to watch the romance between the two grow. What I didn't understand was why The Deceiver still hadn't been caught 6,000 years later, which is a bit far-fetched. If you can suspend disbelief, I'd give Rising Darkness a try. I enjoyed it.
To see what the author has to say check out the HEA Blog
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
October 16, 2013
I hate giving this book 3.5 (leaning toward 3) stars. I really love Thea Harrison's work and was looking forward to this read. I gave the book an extra half star for the ending because it redeemed the entire book for me. 75% of the book is world-building, and I get that. I'm a fairly patient reader when it comes to "first books" in a series because I can appreciate story-development and am willing to wait for the outcome. However, development has to be entertaining too. The majority of this book is lugubrious and, like Mary, I felt completely in the dark. I understand that Mary is learning to regain her memories and self, but there are very little light moments. I really missed Ms. Harrison's trademark humor. It surfaces when Mary and Michael finally meet but it is well into the story and by that time I was craving more.
Still, the ending is compelling and I'm looking forward to the next book. Surely, the problems I have with this book will be resolved in the next. I really, really hope so.
Still, the ending is compelling and I'm looking forward to the next book. Surely, the problems I have with this book will be resolved in the next. I really, really hope so.
June 19, 2013
Not at all what I was expecting. I think the problem that I had is that I expected the book to have a more solid ending, and then move on to another couple for the next book. Harrison's other series is like that, and I prefer having new couples for each book - otherwise I just get bored and there just gets to be too much drama. Hence why I prefer paranormal romance to urban fantasy. With this book, I was expecting paranormal romance, but got urban fantasy. I would have given the book 2 stars, but I did like the story and was pretty into it up until I realized that there was going to be no conclusion to the book and had the wait until the next. I just had to battle a bit with my own expectations.
July 12, 2014
3 Stars
Let the morning bring me word of your unfalling love, for I have put my trust in you.
Fast-paced, intriguing, complex world-building but I somehow couldn't connect with the characters. Read it on the beach and I can't say I was bored or super-excited. I will probably read the next...
Let the morning bring me word of your unfalling love, for I have put my trust in you.
Fast-paced, intriguing, complex world-building but I somehow couldn't connect with the characters. Read it on the beach and I can't say I was bored or super-excited. I will probably read the next...
September 6, 2025
I wonder if the rating on this book isn’t because the people who picked it up were expecting romance instead of urban fantasy. I’m sure people who read UF are annoyed at the romantic elements, but possibly less so since there’s no triangle,
While I’m not crazy about the take on certain biblical elements, it’s interesting. Also, after having delved into some overly wordy and pretentious fantasy work recently, I really appreciate that it’s not a 500+ page installment.
So our h has a moment, takes off for a drive, and somehow manages to have a psychic info dump, which leads to the bad guy getting a lead on her, which leads to eventually her being located by the H, who already knows of much of their past lives…and their origin. And well, over the course of I dunno…a day or two, they reconnect and she does serious damage to the bad guy - after a fashion. Too bad he can jump bodies.
While I’m not crazy about the take on certain biblical elements, it’s interesting. Also, after having delved into some overly wordy and pretentious fantasy work recently, I really appreciate that it’s not a 500+ page installment.
So our h has a moment, takes off for a drive, and somehow manages to have a psychic info dump, which leads to the bad guy getting a lead on her, which leads to eventually her being located by the H, who already knows of much of their past lives…and their origin. And well, over the course of I dunno…a day or two, they reconnect and she does serious damage to the bad guy - after a fashion. Too bad he can jump bodies.
February 6, 2022
Leider springt der Funke bei mir nicht über. Die Geschichte hat die Hälfte des Buches benötigt, überhaupt etwas in "Schwung" zu kommen. Aber als Schwung kann man das nicht bezeichnen. Die wechselnden Erzählstränge tragen leider genau zum Gegenteil bei.
Wer hier auf gute Urban Fantasy hofft, wird bitter enttäuscht. Vielleicht kann es Teil 2 retten. Denn bis dato bleibt auch der Bösewicht noch sehr farblos.
Wer hier auf gute Urban Fantasy hofft, wird bitter enttäuscht. Vielleicht kann es Teil 2 retten. Denn bis dato bleibt auch der Bösewicht noch sehr farblos.
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