Rising Darkness

Dark Enchantments #2

by Cynthia Cooke

Demon hunter, vampire and member of the Cadre,Damien Hancock has come to Wolvesrain to helpEmma McGovern defend herself against a powerfuldemon. For if Emma finds love—and consummatesthat love—the demon Asmos will fulfill a generations-old curse and claim her soul. Damien knows justhow powerful the ancient demon is, but he neveranticipated the all-consuming effect courageousEmma would have on him.

Having led a sheltered life within the walls of herancestral estate, Emma senses that Damien, like her,carries too much pain and loneliness in his heart.But as their attraction proves impossible to resist,Emma fears it is the curse that is drawing themtogether. Can the love she has found in Damien'sstrong arms now help her fight the rising darkness?

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Vampires, Harlequin, Harlequin Nocturne, Paranormal, Demons

276 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Cynthia Cooke is an acclaimed USA Today Bestselling author, with a prolific career spanning two decades. Since her debut in 2003, Cynthia has captivated readers worldwide with her compelling storytelling. With over 40 novels to her name, she has enchanted audiences in 12 different countries through her works published by esteemed houses such as Harlequin, Entangled Publishing, and Amazon Kindle Worlds.

Recognized for her mastery of heartwarming small-town romantic suspense, Cynthia fearlessly guides her readers along the razor's edge of anticipation and intrigue. Her immersive narratives leave no room for rest and take you on a thrilling journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat long into the night.

Take a leap of faith and immerse yourself in Cynthia Cooke's world, where the heart races, emotions soar, and love conquers all.

Twitter - https://twitter.com/CynthiaCooke5

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.cook...

Reviews

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived in her life in fear, Emma McGovern is reminded once again that Asmos, a demon from the seventh realm will claim has his own when Asmos sends demon wolves to stalk her but this time the Cadre has sent Damien. Damien has every intention of capturing and containing the demon Asmos but he didn’t bargain for the effect that Emma has on him. Will their love help them fight the demon or will it cost them both of their lives?

This romance is not your typical boy meets girl and they live happily ever after and it keeps the readers in doubt about the outcome until the very end. The characters are strong, compelling and easily draw readers into their story from the very beginning as surely as their hearts are captured by Emma and her situation. The romance has sparks flying but this romance has a major obstacle – if they give into their desires, a demon will claim Emma.

This story has a fast pace and smooth flowing plot that keeps readers glued to the pages in anticipation and adrenaline pumping suspense with a few surprises along the way. The story also has an overall gothic, shivery chill feel to the story that has goose bumps prickling and the hairs on the back of the neck rising.

The Vampire’s Reckoning and its characters are well-developed story and the author did a great job of adding such a mysterious atmosphere to the story that I felt like I right there with the characters as they fight for their lives.

[Rebecca Whaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Great book! I love paranormal. Emma and Damian are awesome together! It's been a while since I've gotten into a paranormal book because they all seem the same but this was Great! I loved the story and I couldn't get enough of Damian. Very sexy and dominant. I will definitely read more by this author!

[Tracie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling storyline, dynamic characters, The Vampire's Reckoning was a great read. Not your typical romance where you know how things will end, which is refreshing this story had me easily drawn in and held my attention throughout. I will be recommending this book and look forward to reading more.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vampire's Reckoning is my first story to have read by Cynthia Cooke and I really enjoyed her style of writing, it was easy to read and her characters were easy to connect with. The story is of Emma whose family has been cursed for a few hundred years, that if they fall in love on the equinox each year the demon Asmos will try to to take over their body to be able to be permanently present in the human realm. Damien is a vampire who tries to rid Emma of the threat of Asmos for good but love finds a way between them and throws everything into chaos.
This book had plenty of angsty drama as wolves and vampires fight to get a hold of Emma and the essence she has in her blood. I only wished that there had been a little more romantic connection between Emma and Damien and that the ending didn't feel quite so rushed but on the whole it was a good story and I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

[Karen Roma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cynthia Cooke is a new author for this reader, who delivered a well-rounded story with good character portrayals and exciting world building too. While I like both Emma and Damien, I didn’t feel the depth of chemistry that is usually evident in a paranormal romance, however I did enjoy the story. My first read by Ms Cooke will definitely have me coming back for more.

[Zviko Mukamba · Rating 2 out of 5]

😂🙄This thing sucks !

Romance... A flop and too rushed
Paranormal parts.... Too many creatures and half assed
Representation... Racist as fuck.... Gypsy curse? Evil Gypsies trying to suck the blood of innocent virgin white girl... Yeesh

It would have ended better if Emma conquered Asmos herself and had badass wolf companions
Or if she got turned by Nicholai and he captured Asmos and fpught against Cadre

By the way the Cadre as an organisation fighting paranormals? Stupid fucking name

[★¸. • * ° *Jillie* ° *•.¸☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read these awhile ago. Comments and review to follow.



You can find me over on Facebook at My Open Book at the Dragonfly. Come over and say hello.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

i did enjoy this book but it didnt really draw me in.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

For 200 years now, the McGovern family has been held by the curse of a gypsy girl. Betrayed by a McGovern ancestor, the gypsy had called upon the demon Asmos to curse any McGovern to a brutal death should they ever fall in love and have that love consummated. The curse could only be lifted with the death of Asmos or the end of the McGovern bloodline. Damien Hancock remembered that night vividly; that was the night the vampires came to the woods and attacked his family, brutalizing his sisters and turning him and his brother, Nicholai. All this time Damien has denied the dark side and kept his blood pure by refusing to feast on a human. The Cadre, a group that captured those from the dark realm, took Damien in and helped him develop his new powers. Emma McGovern has kept herself a recluse in the Wolvesrain mansion. Her mother succumbed to the family curse 20 years before, on the eve of the Equinox and every anniversary since, the wolves come to Wolvesrain to tempt Emma from safety. Damien’s been recruited to go to Wolvesrain to protect Emma and to capture the demon Asmos. One look at Emma and the pull between them is incredibly strong. Is the pull a result of the curse, or is there truth to their attraction?

This is my first real vampire book, so I can’t rate the paranormal aspect in comparison to other books. Ms Cooke drew me in to the dark world that is Damien’s and Emma’s. Damien is tortured by what he has become and battles constantly with his natural urges that seem to be growing stronger. Emma discovers a hidden strength that even surprises herself. Nice twist in Emma’s memories and theirs is a hard won HEA, but one that you can’t help routing for. This is a great combination of gypsy curses, wolf guardians, bloodthirsty vampires, and the battle of good over evil. Well done!

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emma McGovern has lived her life in fear. A centuries old curse has plagued her family for generations. If she finds love, and consummates that love, Asmos a demon from the 7th realm, will claim her as his own. To remind her of his power, Asmos sends demon wolves for her each year on the night of the equinox. This year is no different, except the Cadre has sent an agent to help her. But he might just be her undoing.
This story had a good premise. It started out good and much of the initial parts with Damien were good. However, some of the wording of the cursed line, how many generations it’s been and Damien’s relation were very confusing and took a bit for me to straighten out. Really though, it was Emma’s naivete of the situation that had me shaking my head. She doesn’t seem to really know why she’s running or why the events are happening, which is a total contradiction to the description of the book and just made me not want to finish it. She also didn’t really have much of an understanding of the Cadre either. It made me wonder how she survived as many seasons as she had.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

[Moondance · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the night of the Equinox, a devil's moon pierced the treetops, casting silver light into the clearing.

A gypsy curse in 1761 dooms the McGovern family. The demon Asmos is called forth and each woman in the McGovern line will never be allowed to enjoy true love. The demon will kill the lover with the woman's hands.

Damien is a demon hunter and vampire that wants to help Emma McGovern fight the demon Asmos. Damien's brother Nickolai is aligned with the gypsies and wants the demon to come forth in Emma and cause destruction.

Emma does not know her family history. She was scarred as a child and has spent most of her life cloistered in Wolvesrain, her ancestral home.

Damien is strangely drawn to Emma and finds that he must do everything he can to save her and himself.

A decent storyline that weaves magic from present day and the 1700's. Of course Damien makes a few missteps that hinder his relationship with Emma. There were a few other characters that I assume pop up in future books. Or at least I hope so that I can be reacquainted with the Cadre.

[gremlinkitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm having trouble forming sentences from my thoughts so I'm just going to list them instead. :)

Emma and Damien were likable enough characters, even if their 'woe is me' routines got a bit annoying, luckily that got progressively better as the book went on. My main problem was that their romance took a bit of a backseat to the curse and vampires and I didn't quite buy it at the end.
The concept of the Cadre was interesting and I'd like to read the other Dark Enchantment books for an expansion on the organization.
Some scenes were rather graphic and took me a bit by surprise because I don't usually find those things in a Silhouette book, but they weren't such a big deal.
The writing was very good, even if some spots were a tad boring, and I'll be sure to look for more Cynthia Cooke books in the future.
Overall it's not the best paranormal romance I've read, but it kept my interest and entertained me all the same.
3.5 stars

[Cassey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's your usual romance thing, boy meets girl...only boy is a vampire who works for an agency that deals with paranormal problems, and girl has to deal with a family demon curse.

The story reason for the instant attraction/love works quite well for me...but aspects of the characterisation and story development not as much. For all of Damien's age and struggle with blood lust that we know is supposed to be there, it's just not done well. The same for his conflict with Nicholi. The hints at the story of The Cadre, and the two folks we meet, is something that intrigued me.

But this is a great world, and I'll totally give it another whirl.

*I'm a lucky fish and got the netgalley for this read.*

[CloudsJen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book left me feeling like I needed more resolution from the storyline.

Everything was going great until the last page, and then I wondered if the last part of my book was missing. I won't go into the details, but I can't help but wondering how that works out when they stop having sex and leave the bedroom. ;)

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Centuries ago Emma's Ancestor got on the wrong side of a gipsy and a curse was put on the women of her family. If they find and consummate love a demon will take them over. Damien Hancock is a vampire and demon hunter and he finds himself in a bind, the demon needs vanquishing but this mightn't be the best thing for Emma.

It's pretty predictable but very readable

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The vampires reckoning was a change of pace from your average vampire book. Add in demons the Cadre curses demonic wolves and one woman at the center of it all.

It was a good read but i felt there was a lack of chemistry between Damien and Emma. Emma alone was a very likable chacracter. She saw her mother murdered and knows her death is fated to happen at some point. It was just interesting.

[Jennifer Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book review of Past Imperfect by Rown Worth ...

This was well written and had well defined characters. It has a love story, a mystery & all with a paranormal twist. What's not to like?

It was a good read give it a try!

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well,I just feel like this was not the book for me. I felt the story dragged and I just could not connect w with the characters. I was really hoping to turn a corner but unfortunately this was just not captivating enough for me. The characters chemistry was lacking and just to many dead spots.

[Stacie]

Quick read about a woman whose family has been cursed by a gypsy getting revengne on her lover. A vampire named Damien is sent to help Emma with the curse and fight the demons.

[Aparna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very OK book. Not too exciting to read, seemed to drag on a bit.

[Emmeline Lock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Largely a disappointing read. The premise was great, it started well, but faltered. Sigh.

[Ashu · Rating 1 out of 5]

worst book i ever read... didn't feel any connection between the H\h.. the heroine was TSTL and the hero didn't have a spine.. the secondary characters were weak... basically, just a waste of time..

[Jennifer Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma lives in fear. An old curse keeps her from falling in love or the demon Asmos will claim her as his own!

It was well written and interesting to read!