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My Immortals #5
My Darkest Passion
Addison O'Henry has no idea magic is real or that the fragile peace between the magekind-humans who can use magic-and demons is about to shatter. All that changes the day she's abducted by one of the magekind. After a ritual murder goes horribly wrong, Addison ends up with demon-sourced magic that nearly kills her. But for the intervention of demon Harsh Marit, she might not have survived. Though Harsh does what he can to help her return to what used to be normal, they both know her life will never be the same. With corrupt mages threatening them both, her honor requires her to help Harsh and the demon warlord he serves. If that means accepting her power and the high rank it confers on her, so be it. Now her once distant relationship with Harsh turns hot and immediate as the two of them explore the dark passion of a forbidden relationship. My Darkest Passion is Book 5 in the My Immortals Series, set in a world where demons are real and the people who have used magic to protect innocent humans aren't always in the right.
331 pages, Paperback
First published April 17, 2013
10 people are currently reading
852 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Jewel
58 books527 followersCarolyn Jewel was born on a moonless night. That darkness was seared into her soul and she became an award winning and USA Today bestselling author of historical and paranormal romance. She has a very dusty car and a Master’s degree in English that proves useful at the oddest times. An avid fan of fine chocolate, finer heroines, Bollywood films, and heroism in all forms, she has two cats and a dog. Also a son. One of the cats is his.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 21, 2013
Okay, people. I'm going to spoil some things in this review, although, plot-wise...there's not actually that much to spoil here. This book is more character driven than most of the others in the series. That said, I'll exercise restraint, so anyone other than those who want to go into a book totally virgin (in which case, why read reviews?) should be fine.
First off, I'm a big fan of Jewel's work, particularly this series. I like the writing style. I like that the heroines come from a place of sexual equality with the heroes. I like the world Jewel has created. In short: I'm a fan. That said, there were some things that I thought were missing in this book. It's not perfect, but it is damn good. And it's brave (more on that below).
Anyone who reads a lot of paranormal romance will likely be familiar with what I refer to as the "supernatural frat brothers" setup. It's common for the first book in a series to present you with a bunch of big alpha male dudes who all live together and fight evil in between bouts of beer pong and foam parties. Typically, the dudes are transparently sequel bait and fairly interchangeable. Often, however, the heroines are even more generic. That's why you'll see fans talk about "John's book", "Phury's book", "Oswald's book", etc.
By that calculus, this is "Harsh's book." But this isn't just Harsh's book. This is Addison's book and to my surprise, it's also Kynan's book. Jewel's great strength in this series is characterization of both the male and female characters. Unlike, say, every hero of a Cynster novel, I can tell Nikodemos apart from Xia, and Durian from Iskander. Just as importantly, I can tell Gray (love Gray) from the heroine of this novel, Addison.
In the end, this is a book about a woman's recovery from a horrifying traumatic event that both injured her and transformed her. Addison is brutalized in a way that marks her; she's also transformed into someone terrifyingly powerful. This book is the story of how she recovers from the hurt, and learns to own the power. It covers a significant span of time (two+ years, by my count), and by the end of it, you believe in who Addison has become and you believe in why she and Harsh are right together.
I said this book is brave, and I almost can't count the ways. This is a book that is willing to give you a sexually victimized heroine and to let her be a sexual being. This is a book that isn't afraid to have a heroine consider abortion and it isn't afraid to admit that a woman who bears a child of rape may not have any maternal feelings for that child. This is a book that is willing to non-judgementally show a heroine having sex with someone who isn't the hero.
But here's the best thing: This is a book in which the heroine is, in most respects, far more powerful than the hero. And he loves that about her. Many romances that have a similar set-up have to "correct" for it by making the hero sexually dominant. But this isn't that kind of book. This may be the best portrayal of a truly equal romantic partnership that I've ever seen in the genre.
A brief note about why I said this was also Kynan's book: he's a major character in it, and one of the most important. Over the course of the series, his transformation from a brutally dangerous and half-feral creature into an essentially functional being has been fascinating to watch. What Kynan does here for Addison is perhaps the greatest measure so far of the distance he has traveled. I loved everything about that aspect of the story.
This is by far my favorite of Jewel's books, and I gave it five stars even though I found myself with questions afterwards. How did Harsh get to be what, precisely, he is, remains opaque. It was also murky to me how, exactly, the war with the mages kicked off and what's happening up in Northern California. I was sort of taken aback by the "Carson and Nikodemus have two children" bit (when did that happen?) and Carson's appearance in the story seemed off to me. She's smarter than she seemed to be in those scenes.
Despite those criticisms, however, this book grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I would happily read an entire subsequent book about Harsh and Addison, and what happens as Addison figures out her role as a warlord. They're both fantastic characters, and I really hope that they play major roles in subsequent books. I stalked Jewel's blog pretty obsessively waiting for this book to come out. It was well worth that wait.
First off, I'm a big fan of Jewel's work, particularly this series. I like the writing style. I like that the heroines come from a place of sexual equality with the heroes. I like the world Jewel has created. In short: I'm a fan. That said, there were some things that I thought were missing in this book. It's not perfect, but it is damn good. And it's brave (more on that below).
Anyone who reads a lot of paranormal romance will likely be familiar with what I refer to as the "supernatural frat brothers" setup. It's common for the first book in a series to present you with a bunch of big alpha male dudes who all live together and fight evil in between bouts of beer pong and foam parties. Typically, the dudes are transparently sequel bait and fairly interchangeable. Often, however, the heroines are even more generic. That's why you'll see fans talk about "John's book", "Phury's book", "Oswald's book", etc.
By that calculus, this is "Harsh's book." But this isn't just Harsh's book. This is Addison's book and to my surprise, it's also Kynan's book. Jewel's great strength in this series is characterization of both the male and female characters. Unlike, say, every hero of a Cynster novel, I can tell Nikodemos apart from Xia, and Durian from Iskander. Just as importantly, I can tell Gray (love Gray) from the heroine of this novel, Addison.
In the end, this is a book about a woman's recovery from a horrifying traumatic event that both injured her and transformed her. Addison is brutalized in a way that marks her; she's also transformed into someone terrifyingly powerful. This book is the story of how she recovers from the hurt, and learns to own the power. It covers a significant span of time (two+ years, by my count), and by the end of it, you believe in who Addison has become and you believe in why she and Harsh are right together.
I said this book is brave, and I almost can't count the ways. This is a book that is willing to give you a sexually victimized heroine and to let her be a sexual being. This is a book that isn't afraid to have a heroine consider abortion and it isn't afraid to admit that a woman who bears a child of rape may not have any maternal feelings for that child. This is a book that is willing to non-judgementally show a heroine having sex with someone who isn't the hero.
But here's the best thing: This is a book in which the heroine is, in most respects, far more powerful than the hero. And he loves that about her. Many romances that have a similar set-up have to "correct" for it by making the hero sexually dominant. But this isn't that kind of book. This may be the best portrayal of a truly equal romantic partnership that I've ever seen in the genre.
A brief note about why I said this was also Kynan's book: he's a major character in it, and one of the most important. Over the course of the series, his transformation from a brutally dangerous and half-feral creature into an essentially functional being has been fascinating to watch. What Kynan does here for Addison is perhaps the greatest measure so far of the distance he has traveled. I loved everything about that aspect of the story.
This is by far my favorite of Jewel's books, and I gave it five stars even though I found myself with questions afterwards. How did Harsh get to be what, precisely, he is, remains opaque. It was also murky to me how, exactly, the war with the mages kicked off and what's happening up in Northern California. I was sort of taken aback by the "Carson and Nikodemus have two children" bit (when did that happen?) and Carson's appearance in the story seemed off to me. She's smarter than she seemed to be in those scenes.
Despite those criticisms, however, this book grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I would happily read an entire subsequent book about Harsh and Addison, and what happens as Addison figures out her role as a warlord. They're both fantastic characters, and I really hope that they play major roles in subsequent books. I stalked Jewel's blog pretty obsessively waiting for this book to come out. It was well worth that wait.
February 20, 2015
College student Addison learns that magic is real and that monsters hide beneath beautiful exteriors, as she falls victim to a mageheld demon minion in a Mage's grab for power. And though she is rescued by Harsh and Kynan, who are from the same demon race as the attacker who stole her old life, Addison is forever changed.
I enjoyed My Darkest Passion, but it wasn't as focused in the romance department and this didn't really end up being Harsh's book at all, it is completely Addison's. But that isn't actually a problem, if the story is approached with the right expectations, because even though this wasn't my favorite book in the series from a romance standpoint, Addison is a great protagonist and her evolution over the course of the story is a great one.
Addison starts out as a victim of horrific events, including an off screen rape which is often a deal breaker for me in a book that has sensual elements. But Jewell doesn't whitewash Addison's recovery - or trivialize the impact that the events have on her relationships - and when all is said and done Addison ends up living up to her nickname of 'Awesome' and ends up being a force to be reckoned with in the Demon world, since the change in her life comes with Warlord caliber powers.
Even though it muddied the waters a bit, I did like Kynan's role in the story - and I am really looking forward to him finally getting a book of his own. I was expecting more of Harsh in the story, but he ends up being more of a side player for much of the journey to his HEA. Still I liked seeing more of Harsh and I was happy to see his hidden secret come to light and for Addison to manage to break his rigid control. There is some good steamy stuff between Harsh and Addison, normally there is a bit of naughtiness in the romance because of the demonkinds' procreational draw to human woman (and the desire to mate in their true form and that's here as well) but the special bond between Harsh and Addison and the mental connection between them as Kin (demons) add a real intensity to their love scenes.
For fans of the Jewell's My Immortals, there are a fair number of cameos from characters that have appeared earlier in the series, and a big movement in the series background arc, as things heat up in the conflict between demons and mages. I am not sure how accessible this story is to series newcomers though - despite a glossary in the back - even with information that is imparted to bring Addison, who is learning about the world, up to speed.
I enjoyed My Darkest Passion, but it wasn't as focused in the romance department and this didn't really end up being Harsh's book at all, it is completely Addison's. But that isn't actually a problem, if the story is approached with the right expectations, because even though this wasn't my favorite book in the series from a romance standpoint, Addison is a great protagonist and her evolution over the course of the story is a great one.
Addison starts out as a victim of horrific events, including an off screen rape which is often a deal breaker for me in a book that has sensual elements. But Jewell doesn't whitewash Addison's recovery - or trivialize the impact that the events have on her relationships - and when all is said and done Addison ends up living up to her nickname of 'Awesome' and ends up being a force to be reckoned with in the Demon world, since the change in her life comes with Warlord caliber powers.
Even though it muddied the waters a bit, I did like Kynan's role in the story - and I am really looking forward to him finally getting a book of his own. I was expecting more of Harsh in the story, but he ends up being more of a side player for much of the journey to his HEA. Still I liked seeing more of Harsh and I was happy to see his hidden secret come to light and for Addison to manage to break his rigid control. There is some good steamy stuff between Harsh and Addison, normally there is a bit of naughtiness in the romance because of the demonkinds' procreational draw to human woman (and the desire to mate in their true form and that's here as well) but the special bond between Harsh and Addison and the mental connection between them as Kin (demons) add a real intensity to their love scenes.
For fans of the Jewell's My Immortals, there are a fair number of cameos from characters that have appeared earlier in the series, and a big movement in the series background arc, as things heat up in the conflict between demons and mages. I am not sure how accessible this story is to series newcomers though - despite a glossary in the back - even with information that is imparted to bring Addison, who is learning about the world, up to speed.
April 30, 2013
I don't know why the publisher dropped this series, but I'm tempted to make them know how stupid they were. :)
My Immortals is one of the strongest PNR/UF romance out there. It has a completely unique world-building, a strong voice able to write characters in all the spectre of human peculiarities, a mix of old and new characters in every book. It's never boring.
My Darkest Passion leans more toward UF than pure pnr (which is really good in my book). We have a strong human woman who has faced two horrific weeks, at the end of which is transformed in kin and hunted. From here starts the journey along her life until she comes to her full potential: a warlord as powerful as the others.
A couple of things prevented me from going full fan on it (five glowing stars).
-The rapes and their effects. Yes, there's no doubt the situation is not sugarcoated. She can't stand touch, she's frail at moments etc. My problem was you don't go from shunning contact to having a full sexual relationship in less than six months. Like this, with fingers snapping. I didn't want to read about her recovery (it would be a different kind of book). But I have to see or understand how all of it was possible (including "violent sex" with Kynian none the less...)
-Her family. She does all she can at the beginning to go back to her family and her life. We see nothing of this: nor a painful family reunion nor a joyful one. Nor we see her trying to be normal again. We are told (here literally, there's a "hole" in the timeline. It jumps twice in her fully human world to the moments when kin is present).
-Her child. The final scene with Carson was an almost WTF moment. I'm not sure why Carson had to be the bitch. Yes, I understand her fears, not so much her attitude. Talking of tactless.
But worse was the heroine's lack of reaction. I have no doubt she made the right choice and she's sure about it. Still it really doesn't sound "normal" this lack of reaction. I have no children, nor I have wanted them. But if you can have a problem letting go of a pet, even knowing it's best for him, how tough giving away your child is?
I definitely did not expect her to change her mind or going mushy. But I did expect her to have a "pang" or something else than worry about Nikodemus' reaction to his mate's stress.
There's quite a big bang in the over all plot arc with this story and I'm looking forward to read the next books in the series.
My Immortals is one of the strongest PNR/UF romance out there. It has a completely unique world-building, a strong voice able to write characters in all the spectre of human peculiarities, a mix of old and new characters in every book. It's never boring.
My Darkest Passion leans more toward UF than pure pnr (which is really good in my book). We have a strong human woman who has faced two horrific weeks, at the end of which is transformed in kin and hunted. From here starts the journey along her life until she comes to her full potential: a warlord as powerful as the others.
A couple of things prevented me from going full fan on it (five glowing stars).
-The rapes and their effects. Yes, there's no doubt the situation is not sugarcoated. She can't stand touch, she's frail at moments etc. My problem was you don't go from shunning contact to having a full sexual relationship in less than six months. Like this, with fingers snapping. I didn't want to read about her recovery (it would be a different kind of book). But I have to see or understand how all of it was possible (including "violent sex" with Kynian none the less...)
-Her family. She does all she can at the beginning to go back to her family and her life. We see nothing of this: nor a painful family reunion nor a joyful one. Nor we see her trying to be normal again. We are told (here literally, there's a "hole" in the timeline. It jumps twice in her fully human world to the moments when kin is present).
-Her child. The final scene with Carson was an almost WTF moment. I'm not sure why Carson had to be the bitch. Yes, I understand her fears, not so much her attitude. Talking of tactless.
But worse was the heroine's lack of reaction. I have no doubt she made the right choice and she's sure about it. Still it really doesn't sound "normal" this lack of reaction. I have no children, nor I have wanted them. But if you can have a problem letting go of a pet, even knowing it's best for him, how tough giving away your child is?
I definitely did not expect her to change her mind or going mushy. But I did expect her to have a "pang" or something else than worry about Nikodemus' reaction to his mate's stress.
There's quite a big bang in the over all plot arc with this story and I'm looking forward to read the next books in the series.
January 27, 2016
http://bookslifewine.com/r-my-darkest...
Dr. Harsh Marit! Finally!
I feel conflicted about this one. Dr. Harsh Marit has been one of my favorite secondary characters in this series for some time. I was excited to see how his book would go but I have some feels about the dark subject matter of Harsh's book.
My Darkest Passion is...difficult for me in some ways. The heroine of the story - Addison - was raped and impregnated by a mageheld under directive to do so. I've been expecting this [rape] would go down eventually as the magekind is looking to start a breeding program. My Immortal Assassin showed the lengths mages were willing to go through to get access to more power - this is a logical conclusion.
I would say that My Immortals as a series is rather dark (for a romance, that is) while each individual book has its own issues (or not) to tackle. I feel that My Darkest Passion really dives back into that dark space with the kidnapping, rape and impregnation of Addison. Ms Jewel tackles several subjects in My Darkest Passion: misogyny, power corrupted, rape + pregnancy and slavery.
Addison O’Henry is a normal college student without a care in the world until the day she is kidnapped. A mage who wanted to start a [demon] breeding program forced one of his magehelds to go out and kidnap a woman to impregnate. All sorts of things go horribly wrong (as if kidnapping and rape wasn't bad enough) so the mage wants to have Addison killed. This decision leads to Kynan and Harsh coming to the location where Addison was being held and freeing her. Later, when Harsh confronts the mage who had Addison kidnapped and raped, the mage's reply was classic misogyny with a nice helping of victim blaming on top:
"...stayed at home like a good girl." Gosh that statement made me see RED since it's typical victim blaming BS. Of course, a man who is willing to enslave others (demons) and have an innocent kidnapped and raped (for his own evil reasons) would never take responsibility for his actions or even consider himself wrong. All must happen as he wants because it is he who wants it. The mage - Giuseppe Infante - seems to be pretty typical of the magekind: although he claims to "protect humans" from demons in reality he is willing to sacrifice any and all to obtain the most power possible. The power that magekind claims it uses solely for the protection of human kind has corrupted the magekind to perversion instead.
The plot line with Addison's rape and pregnancy was handled by Ms Jewel with such care. Addison was given time and space. She made the decision to keep the baby because the person who impregnated her desperately did not want to take part in it.
I can't imagine the pain - knowing that you are creating a child...and knowing that the child will be born into slavery and most likely die in slavery, knowing little to no love and affection. These very same atrocities parallel those found in America's past.
Addison's rape is not on page - taking place before the beginning of the book - and I felt her responses and her required healing time were very well done. My Darkest Passion seems to be spread out over the longest time period thus far: about two years from the beginning to the ending of the novel. I truly appreciated this length because it gave Addison time to heal from her trauma instead of the typical romance behavior of "super healing sex."
Once Addison started to heal My Darkest Passion really took off for me. Addison was a kickass person (her friends call her Awesome) before she was kidnapped and she became a complete badass after. I loved the fact that Ms Jewel didn't give the impression that Addison's trauma was the reason for her badassness - Addison was just leveled up when she acquired Warlord level powers. Addison wasn't being rescued by Harsh, Addison was rescuing Harsh. !! Loved it. LOVED all of it. Loved Addison's badassness. Loved the new Kin she saved and swore to her. LOVED Harsh.
Now...I'm waiting anxiously for book #7 - Kynan & Maddy's book - to drop. GIVE IT TO ME!! NOOOOW
Dr. Harsh Marit! Finally!
I feel conflicted about this one. Dr. Harsh Marit has been one of my favorite secondary characters in this series for some time. I was excited to see how his book would go but I have some feels about the dark subject matter of Harsh's book.
My Darkest Passion is...difficult for me in some ways. The heroine of the story - Addison - was raped and impregnated by a mageheld under directive to do so. I've been expecting this [rape] would go down eventually as the magekind is looking to start a breeding program. My Immortal Assassin showed the lengths mages were willing to go through to get access to more power - this is a logical conclusion.
I would say that My Immortals as a series is rather dark (for a romance, that is) while each individual book has its own issues (or not) to tackle. I feel that My Darkest Passion really dives back into that dark space with the kidnapping, rape and impregnation of Addison. Ms Jewel tackles several subjects in My Darkest Passion: misogyny, power corrupted, rape + pregnancy and slavery.
Addison O’Henry is a normal college student without a care in the world until the day she is kidnapped. A mage who wanted to start a [demon] breeding program forced one of his magehelds to go out and kidnap a woman to impregnate. All sorts of things go horribly wrong (as if kidnapping and rape wasn't bad enough) so the mage wants to have Addison killed. This decision leads to Kynan and Harsh coming to the location where Addison was being held and freeing her. Later, when Harsh confronts the mage who had Addison kidnapped and raped, the mage's reply was classic misogyny with a nice helping of victim blaming on top:
"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's not my fucking fault. She should have stayed at home like a good girl."
-locations 2622
"...stayed at home like a good girl." Gosh that statement made me see RED since it's typical victim blaming BS. Of course, a man who is willing to enslave others (demons) and have an innocent kidnapped and raped (for his own evil reasons) would never take responsibility for his actions or even consider himself wrong. All must happen as he wants because it is he who wants it. The mage - Giuseppe Infante - seems to be pretty typical of the magekind: although he claims to "protect humans" from demons in reality he is willing to sacrifice any and all to obtain the most power possible. The power that magekind claims it uses solely for the protection of human kind has corrupted the magekind to perversion instead.
"You realize, don't you, what's going on in San Diego? Elsewhere, too. There are fewer of us now so they've taken to running breeding programs. Our children, born into slavery."
- location 3422
The plot line with Addison's rape and pregnancy was handled by Ms Jewel with such care. Addison was given time and space. She made the decision to keep the baby because the person who impregnated her desperately did not want to take part in it.
“These things take time,” he said. “I can wait.”
She lifted her head, and he could have died from the pain he saw there. “Bejar cried, you know.”
He didn’t answer.
“After the first time he did that. To me.” She sniffed, and he looked around for tissues. “He didn’t want to do any of it, but that asshole Infante made him.”
- location 2129
I can't imagine the pain - knowing that you are creating a child...and knowing that the child will be born into slavery and most likely die in slavery, knowing little to no love and affection. These very same atrocities parallel those found in America's past.
Addison's rape is not on page - taking place before the beginning of the book - and I felt her responses and her required healing time were very well done. My Darkest Passion seems to be spread out over the longest time period thus far: about two years from the beginning to the ending of the novel. I truly appreciated this length because it gave Addison time to heal from her trauma instead of the typical romance behavior of "super healing sex."
Once Addison started to heal My Darkest Passion really took off for me. Addison was a kickass person (her friends call her Awesome) before she was kidnapped and she became a complete badass after. I loved the fact that Ms Jewel didn't give the impression that Addison's trauma was the reason for her badassness - Addison was just leveled up when she acquired Warlord level powers. Addison wasn't being rescued by Harsh, Addison was rescuing Harsh. !! Loved it. LOVED all of it. Loved Addison's badassness. Loved the new Kin she saved and swore to her. LOVED Harsh.
Now...I'm waiting anxiously for book #7 - Kynan & Maddy's book - to drop. GIVE IT TO ME!! NOOOOW
April 27, 2015
Reread to get ready for the newest book in the series. Just as good a read this time around as the last; actually enjoyed it enough this time to bump it up from 4 stars to 5 stars.
The first half of the book was good, the second half fantastic. The story harks back to the darker feel of the early books; and until very near the end had a more UF feel than PNR (which I liked). This was really Addison's story more than Harsh's, and Kynan had a strong supporting role.
I really liked Addison, even if I didn't always agree with her actions. Women who have suffered the horrific experiences that Addison did at the beginning of the book have two choices: wallow in misery and defeat, or pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. I've known women who have done both; and I'm happy that after a period of being dazed and confused, Addison came out swinging to get her life back in order.
Harsh's big secret finally came out here, a freeing event in his life; and there is all-out war brewing between the Demons and the Mages. Can't wait for Kynan's book. The war plotline looks to be great reading.
The first half of the book was good, the second half fantastic. The story harks back to the darker feel of the early books; and until very near the end had a more UF feel than PNR (which I liked). This was really Addison's story more than Harsh's, and Kynan had a strong supporting role.
I really liked Addison, even if I didn't always agree with her actions. Women who have suffered the horrific experiences that Addison did at the beginning of the book have two choices: wallow in misery and defeat, or pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. I've known women who have done both; and I'm happy that after a period of being dazed and confused, Addison came out swinging to get her life back in order.
Harsh's big secret finally came out here, a freeing event in his life; and there is all-out war brewing between the Demons and the Mages. Can't wait for Kynan's book. The war plotline looks to be great reading.
July 19, 2014
I won this book from Risky Regencies blog. Carolyn Jewel emailed me the ebook then. I have loved the My Immortal series. This is a solid entry in the series, although it is not as much of a romance as the previous books. This one feel smore like urban fantasy. Addison is a very strong character, and she sort of takes over the book. We see a bunch of Kynan too, as well as Harsh.
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I personally was not happy that Addison sleeps with Kynan before she sleeps with Harsh. I know that Addison has been abused and raped, and was impregnated by her captor and his Mageheld. It is wonderful that Addison was able to move on from that, and become empowered to take control of her own sexuality. Even knowing that is a healthy and good thing, as a romance novel, I was disapporvng that she had sex with Kynan before she slept with her true mate, Harsh. Apparently I'm more of a traditionalist than I knew!
It was totally aweomse that Addison becomes more powerful than Harsh in this book. Addison is the alpha in the realtionship, and that totally rocked (whew, I'm not a complete traditionalist!). The writing of this book was very solid, and I'm so glad that Ms. Jewel decided to take up the production of her books for this series. Can't wait for the next one!
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I personally was not happy that Addison sleeps with Kynan before she sleeps with Harsh. I know that Addison has been abused and raped, and was impregnated by her captor and his Mageheld. It is wonderful that Addison was able to move on from that, and become empowered to take control of her own sexuality. Even knowing that is a healthy and good thing, as a romance novel, I was disapporvng that she had sex with Kynan before she slept with her true mate, Harsh. Apparently I'm more of a traditionalist than I knew!
It was totally aweomse that Addison becomes more powerful than Harsh in this book. Addison is the alpha in the realtionship, and that totally rocked (whew, I'm not a complete traditionalist!). The writing of this book was very solid, and I'm so glad that Ms. Jewel decided to take up the production of her books for this series. Can't wait for the next one!
May 5, 2013
Cool, cloaked and controlled demon in a $5K suit
I love a story that opens right in the middle of the action. On a parched, hot afternoon, Harsh Marit and Kynan Aijan arrive at a ranch in the middle of nowhere to find Addison O'Henry naked and imprisoned behind deadly magical wards in an old shack with no food, water or toilet. It’s clear to Harsh she has been beaten, brutalized and likely raped. Her hair has been shaven off in an abortive attempt by her adbuctor to enslave her psychically.
Burning up, disoriented, brutalized, starved and dehydrated, she has been held captive by Infante, a powerful mage, for 3 days.
Her captor Infante, in talks to swear fealty to uber-warlord demon Nikodemus, accused Addison of killing 5 of his psychically enslaved magehelds and demands that in return he kill Addison. Nikodemus sends two of his sworn demons to kill her: Harsh Marit, his right hand, and Kynan Aijan, a warlord. These two couldn’t be more different. Harsh is seriously hot (think Arjun Rampal) -- a tall, cool demon in a $5,000 suit, with hints of unseen powers. And Kynan, a powerful, violent, millennia-old warlord on a short fuse who looks like a college dude.
Harsh and Kynan feel considerable power coming from Addison, power as strong as or stronger than Kynan’s, but Addison is human, weak and unable to free herself. Her inability to control her power could kill them all so Kynan psychically locks her down. But they won’t kill her without more information. Impatient, Infante uses his magehelds try to kill them all. Serious demon-mage magic fight ensues, Harsh and Kynan free Addison and drive her to Harsh’s ranch to figure out what’s what. Addison figures certain death with Infante, possible death with Harsh and Kynan, so she goes with them. She is just trying to survive.
At the ranch she begins to feel the strangeness and fear of a new connection with Harsh and Kynan. Harsh suppresses his powerful attraction to her and takes care of her needs, helps stabilize her, and helps her make sense of her constant battle for dominance with Kynan.
Addison’s intense attraction to Harsh and his to her – well it’s a little tough to hook up after a rape. She faces a shyteload of issues having to do with her rape and new powers, and Jewel really excels at making the relationships work with all this trauma. Addison tries and fails to go back to her vanilla life. She and Harsh become friends, but when they act on the sexual attraction, she flashes back to her attacks.
Addison has to make some hard choices and learn how to handle what she now is and can do. And it is Kynan, with whom she is embroiled in a constant battle for supremacy, who physically helps her through this, not Harsh. Harsh is there for her constantly, but only remotely, as he travels globally to take care of business for Nikodemus.
Two years pass before Harsh returns and finds Addison a warlord to be reckoned with. They fall right back into the intense attraction. And this time nothing stops them.
Then Infante returns with a bunch of powerful mages, still bent on killing Addison and Harsh and the battles begin. There’s a lot of action. This is a very visual book with violent scenes that still seem a little dreamlike because of all the magic and psychic stuff going on. Demons are mentally linked to each other and this sort of adds to that otherworldliness. I feel this almost dreamlike quality throughout Jewel’s writing, not just this series.
There is no instalove, happily, and no instasex either. But being in Addison’s as well as Harsh’s mind helps steam up the pages. And there is a 16-page sex scene, I kid you not. Sixteen pages. Jewel writes these like no other. They are seriously hot, but balance so well with the plot.
Harsh is cool, cloaked and controlled sexiness. He is not an instant open book. We and Addison learn some new things about him as the story unfolds. An Alpha so confident and so strong, he doesn’t have to dominate Addison or make her submit. He is not just passionate, he is compassionate. And Addison is a strong H. who can give him what he needs.
This is equally Addison and Harsh’s story and a really great read. There is no straight line to HEA. It introduces a female human warlord who we see grow into and master her power and fit into the demon hierarchy. We see more glimpses of Harsh’s demon form (yay!). Fans of sex in shifted form will enjoy this, but it’s not in your face. I’m still waiting for Jewel to put it ALL out there, not just a measly paragraph or two.
I recommend that you read the previous books in the series to get the full benefit. In My Darkest Passion, I felt again how powerful Nikodemus really is and why warlords and mages and witches are swearing fealty to him. But it’s been a few years since I read his book, My Wicked Enemy and I’m going to re-read it, since it also introduces Harsh Marit.
I give this 4 stars for just 2 things: Kynan’s later relationship with Addison seemed in conflict with their control issues; and the last line of the book seemed just shoehorned in there.
(I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.)
I love a story that opens right in the middle of the action. On a parched, hot afternoon, Harsh Marit and Kynan Aijan arrive at a ranch in the middle of nowhere to find Addison O'Henry naked and imprisoned behind deadly magical wards in an old shack with no food, water or toilet. It’s clear to Harsh she has been beaten, brutalized and likely raped. Her hair has been shaven off in an abortive attempt by her adbuctor to enslave her psychically.
Burning up, disoriented, brutalized, starved and dehydrated, she has been held captive by Infante, a powerful mage, for 3 days.
“Something happened to me out there that changed me, and now I’m not the same. Maybe I’m not even the same person anymore.”
Her captor Infante, in talks to swear fealty to uber-warlord demon Nikodemus, accused Addison of killing 5 of his psychically enslaved magehelds and demands that in return he kill Addison. Nikodemus sends two of his sworn demons to kill her: Harsh Marit, his right hand, and Kynan Aijan, a warlord. These two couldn’t be more different. Harsh is seriously hot (think Arjun Rampal) -- a tall, cool demon in a $5,000 suit, with hints of unseen powers. And Kynan, a powerful, violent, millennia-old warlord on a short fuse who looks like a college dude.
“Harsh was scary in a way that snuck up on you. Physical perfection did not mean stupid and calm was not the same as placid. In some ways, he was scarier than Kynan, and Kynan Aijan was not someone you wanted to mess with. Ever.”
“Kynan just gave into the mayhem that lived in him, and he’d loved every minute of it. Harsh, on the other hand, had called on an ice-cold calculus and killed another living creature with full awareness of his choices.”
Harsh and Kynan feel considerable power coming from Addison, power as strong as or stronger than Kynan’s, but Addison is human, weak and unable to free herself. Her inability to control her power could kill them all so Kynan psychically locks her down. But they won’t kill her without more information. Impatient, Infante uses his magehelds try to kill them all. Serious demon-mage magic fight ensues, Harsh and Kynan free Addison and drive her to Harsh’s ranch to figure out what’s what. Addison figures certain death with Infante, possible death with Harsh and Kynan, so she goes with them. She is just trying to survive.
At the ranch she begins to feel the strangeness and fear of a new connection with Harsh and Kynan. Harsh suppresses his powerful attraction to her and takes care of her needs, helps stabilize her, and helps her make sense of her constant battle for dominance with Kynan.
Addison’s intense attraction to Harsh and his to her – well it’s a little tough to hook up after a rape. She faces a shyteload of issues having to do with her rape and new powers, and Jewel really excels at making the relationships work with all this trauma. Addison tries and fails to go back to her vanilla life. She and Harsh become friends, but when they act on the sexual attraction, she flashes back to her attacks.
Addison has to make some hard choices and learn how to handle what she now is and can do. And it is Kynan, with whom she is embroiled in a constant battle for supremacy, who physically helps her through this, not Harsh. Harsh is there for her constantly, but only remotely, as he travels globally to take care of business for Nikodemus.
Two years pass before Harsh returns and finds Addison a warlord to be reckoned with. They fall right back into the intense attraction. And this time nothing stops them.
“Harsh held a chair for her. She sat and his fingers brushed the tops of her shoulders. He might as well have put his hand around his cock.”
“She hadn’t even known just how much she liked men with his physical attributes: dark skin, black hair, muscles that gave him shape and heft. Not to mention everything that went with him being who and what he was. Complicated. Deep. So controlled she was dying to find out what happened if he let go.”
Then Infante returns with a bunch of powerful mages, still bent on killing Addison and Harsh and the battles begin. There’s a lot of action. This is a very visual book with violent scenes that still seem a little dreamlike because of all the magic and psychic stuff going on. Demons are mentally linked to each other and this sort of adds to that otherworldliness. I feel this almost dreamlike quality throughout Jewel’s writing, not just this series.
There is no instalove, happily, and no instasex either. But being in Addison’s as well as Harsh’s mind helps steam up the pages. And there is a 16-page sex scene, I kid you not. Sixteen pages. Jewel writes these like no other. They are seriously hot, but balance so well with the plot.
“…then he bent over her and slid his hands under her ass and set himself to finding and setting off every nerve ending in her sex.”
Harsh is cool, cloaked and controlled sexiness. He is not an instant open book. We and Addison learn some new things about him as the story unfolds. An Alpha so confident and so strong, he doesn’t have to dominate Addison or make her submit. He is not just passionate, he is compassionate. And Addison is a strong H. who can give him what he needs.
This is equally Addison and Harsh’s story and a really great read. There is no straight line to HEA. It introduces a female human warlord who we see grow into and master her power and fit into the demon hierarchy. We see more glimpses of Harsh’s demon form (yay!). Fans of sex in shifted form will enjoy this, but it’s not in your face. I’m still waiting for Jewel to put it ALL out there, not just a measly paragraph or two.
I recommend that you read the previous books in the series to get the full benefit. In My Darkest Passion, I felt again how powerful Nikodemus really is and why warlords and mages and witches are swearing fealty to him. But it’s been a few years since I read his book, My Wicked Enemy and I’m going to re-read it, since it also introduces Harsh Marit.
I give this 4 stars for just 2 things: Kynan’s later relationship with Addison seemed in conflict with their control issues; and the last line of the book seemed just shoehorned in there.
(I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.)
May 22, 2013
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2013/05/10/...
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: ARC from the author
Addison O’Henry has no idea magic is real or that the fragile peace between the magekind—humans who can use magic—and demons is about to shatter. All that changes the day she’s abducted by one of the magekind. After a ritual murder goes horribly wrong, Addison ends up with demon-sourced magic that nearly kills her. But for the intervention of demon Harsh Marit, she might not have survived. Though Harsh does what he can to help her return to what used to be normal, they both know her life will never be the same.
With corrupt mages threatening them both, her honor requires her to help Harsh and the demon warlord he serves. If that means accepting her power and the high rank it confers on her, so be it. Now her once distant relationship with Harsh turns hot and immediate as the two of them explore the dark passion of a forbidden relationship.
This blurb came from the author’s website.
My introduction to Carolyn Jewel was through book one of this series, My Wicked Enemy. I was browsing in a small city chain bookstore, long since absorbed into a megastore, looking for something new to read when the title caught my eye. I pulled it off the shelf and read a very interesting blurb. I decided to buy the book and the rest as they say, is history. Since then I have purchased a copy of all of her paranormal worked and enjoyed them. It had been a little since her last My Immortals release so I was happy to see that My Darkest Passion was set back in this world. When Jewel asked on twitter if any reviewers would like a copy I leaped on the opportunity. In fact when I finished reading it I had to do a glom of the entire series.
Jewel has created a very complex world for the My Immortals series. She does a far better job of explaining the history and world building than I could here. And yes I tried. I recommend that if this is your first book in this series that you either read about her world or read the previous four books first. My Darkest Passion builds on characters and events from the earlier stories.
Harsh was starting to come into his own as one of Nikodemus’ diplomats when he was sent along with Kynan, another demon, to the property owned by a mage named Giuseppe Infante. Nikodemus is a powerful demon warlord who has decided to stand up against abuses by both magekind and other demons. He carved out a substantial territory in California, and continued to gain both independent and sworn allies in his fight to bring balance. Harsh is one of those who has sworn an oath to Nikodemus when he was freed from being a mageheld. Nikodemus sent Harsh and Kynan to kill if necessary whatever they found imprisoned in a metal shed as part of Nikodemus’ promise to protect magekind and demons from each other. Instead of killing Addison,the prisoner, Harsh and Kynan decided they needed to hear the other side of the story and ended up rescuing her. Infante had ordered his mageheld to capture a woman and instead of his planned target they ended up capturing Addison. During the ritual murder of a mageheld Addison was able to break free long enough to injure Infante, and disrupt the ritual to the point that the mageheld’s power entered her instead of entering Infante. Addison, a human, now has the power and instincts of an ancient powerful demon but no knowledge or training of how to handle them. She was also traumatized by her treatment at Infante’s orders and the combination has made Addison a very unpredictable dangerous person to be around. Kynan, Addison, and Harsh all had a connection that went beyond the typical need for a demon to have others in close proximity. However, Harsh was too sensitive to allow Addison to work through her trauma without taking it personal so despite their attraction he left her alone until Infante returned, determined to make Addison and everyone who helped her pay, preferably with their lives.
Jewel takes an interesting tactic in her organization of this book. Addison’s healing and recovery occur off screen, which I think brings the reader closer to understand Harsh and his perspective of her when she returns. While I was reading I asked myself if I missed seeing her heal and came to the conclusion that I wanted to get back to the action when she was with Harsh. This technique might not work with all readers as was pointed out to me in a discussion about My Darkest Passion but it worked for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Harsh discover who Addison was after she incorporated her demon powers with her human nature. I also felt that while Addison was at relative peace with who she had become, she still did not know the extent of her power. Watching as she discovered new facets to what she could do when she was protecting someone she cared about was also very interesting. Together Harsh and Addison made a formidable team. I liked how they remained true to who they had been but also grew as characters. Jewel also moved the entire story line along setting up what appears to be a major confrontation between Nikodemus and those of his ilk against the magekind.
Overall I enjoyed reading My Darkest Passion. It was great to re-enter this world and see what new twists Jewel was throwing at her poor characters. Like I said in the beginning I do not recommend that you start the series with this book without at least reading her background information which is a drawback to a new reader. Once you are familiar with the world, the characters are all extremely vivid and the torment she puts them through is rather intense. I continue to look forward to what comes next and I have my eye on a few characters.
I give My Darkest Passion a B.
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: ARC from the author
Addison O’Henry has no idea magic is real or that the fragile peace between the magekind—humans who can use magic—and demons is about to shatter. All that changes the day she’s abducted by one of the magekind. After a ritual murder goes horribly wrong, Addison ends up with demon-sourced magic that nearly kills her. But for the intervention of demon Harsh Marit, she might not have survived. Though Harsh does what he can to help her return to what used to be normal, they both know her life will never be the same.
With corrupt mages threatening them both, her honor requires her to help Harsh and the demon warlord he serves. If that means accepting her power and the high rank it confers on her, so be it. Now her once distant relationship with Harsh turns hot and immediate as the two of them explore the dark passion of a forbidden relationship.
This blurb came from the author’s website.
My introduction to Carolyn Jewel was through book one of this series, My Wicked Enemy. I was browsing in a small city chain bookstore, long since absorbed into a megastore, looking for something new to read when the title caught my eye. I pulled it off the shelf and read a very interesting blurb. I decided to buy the book and the rest as they say, is history. Since then I have purchased a copy of all of her paranormal worked and enjoyed them. It had been a little since her last My Immortals release so I was happy to see that My Darkest Passion was set back in this world. When Jewel asked on twitter if any reviewers would like a copy I leaped on the opportunity. In fact when I finished reading it I had to do a glom of the entire series.
Jewel has created a very complex world for the My Immortals series. She does a far better job of explaining the history and world building than I could here. And yes I tried. I recommend that if this is your first book in this series that you either read about her world or read the previous four books first. My Darkest Passion builds on characters and events from the earlier stories.
Harsh was starting to come into his own as one of Nikodemus’ diplomats when he was sent along with Kynan, another demon, to the property owned by a mage named Giuseppe Infante. Nikodemus is a powerful demon warlord who has decided to stand up against abuses by both magekind and other demons. He carved out a substantial territory in California, and continued to gain both independent and sworn allies in his fight to bring balance. Harsh is one of those who has sworn an oath to Nikodemus when he was freed from being a mageheld. Nikodemus sent Harsh and Kynan to kill if necessary whatever they found imprisoned in a metal shed as part of Nikodemus’ promise to protect magekind and demons from each other. Instead of killing Addison,the prisoner, Harsh and Kynan decided they needed to hear the other side of the story and ended up rescuing her. Infante had ordered his mageheld to capture a woman and instead of his planned target they ended up capturing Addison. During the ritual murder of a mageheld Addison was able to break free long enough to injure Infante, and disrupt the ritual to the point that the mageheld’s power entered her instead of entering Infante. Addison, a human, now has the power and instincts of an ancient powerful demon but no knowledge or training of how to handle them. She was also traumatized by her treatment at Infante’s orders and the combination has made Addison a very unpredictable dangerous person to be around. Kynan, Addison, and Harsh all had a connection that went beyond the typical need for a demon to have others in close proximity. However, Harsh was too sensitive to allow Addison to work through her trauma without taking it personal so despite their attraction he left her alone until Infante returned, determined to make Addison and everyone who helped her pay, preferably with their lives.
Jewel takes an interesting tactic in her organization of this book. Addison’s healing and recovery occur off screen, which I think brings the reader closer to understand Harsh and his perspective of her when she returns. While I was reading I asked myself if I missed seeing her heal and came to the conclusion that I wanted to get back to the action when she was with Harsh. This technique might not work with all readers as was pointed out to me in a discussion about My Darkest Passion but it worked for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Harsh discover who Addison was after she incorporated her demon powers with her human nature. I also felt that while Addison was at relative peace with who she had become, she still did not know the extent of her power. Watching as she discovered new facets to what she could do when she was protecting someone she cared about was also very interesting. Together Harsh and Addison made a formidable team. I liked how they remained true to who they had been but also grew as characters. Jewel also moved the entire story line along setting up what appears to be a major confrontation between Nikodemus and those of his ilk against the magekind.
Overall I enjoyed reading My Darkest Passion. It was great to re-enter this world and see what new twists Jewel was throwing at her poor characters. Like I said in the beginning I do not recommend that you start the series with this book without at least reading her background information which is a drawback to a new reader. Once you are familiar with the world, the characters are all extremely vivid and the torment she puts them through is rather intense. I continue to look forward to what comes next and I have my eye on a few characters.
I give My Darkest Passion a B.
July 14, 2021
The author, who I don't know, gave me this book signed a few years back at a conference and I regret I didn't read it sooner. It didn't follow the usual 'guidelines' you tend to see for paranormal romance making it come across as more realistic so to speak. I did read it without any other books in the series but I'll be checking them out. (It didn't hurt that Harsh is exactly the kind of guy I would be attracted to. I don't feel like I see enough men written with his kind of calm considerate personality.)
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February 10, 2020It is nice
April 30, 2013
I normally stick to Historical Romance but I received a free copy of this book and was drawn into the story. It was the first book in the series I have read (and first of this author for me). The thing that drew me in was learning the nuances of the relationships of the demons/mages/kin, etc. I was more interested in learning how everyone related to each other in the hierarchy system and then the different clans (of sorts) for the warlord/leaders than anything really. This is probably because of the genre switch because the storyline seemed intriguing in and of itself, just not my normal kind of read. The reason this wasn't a 4 star book for me, frankly it ended like a game of hot potato. Someone dropped it like a hot rock. I had no clue that the end was there. We have a clear storyline coming up for another book because the trouble that is brewing outside of the main two character's relationship (the stuff that is causing them trouble their whole book) is not resolved, let alone even starting to be resolved. It felt very incomplete and for that reason alone, I cannot say that this should be considered a stand alone book. You really must need the other books in the series to feel like you weren't just shut off 3/4s the way through a story. The characters themselves were developed enough to feel like you could read this on its own, but the plot just didn't feel complete.
I certainly will enjoy picking up the series as a series though in hopes that I can get the end of my plot which as a reader, I want to follow so badly to its end.
I certainly will enjoy picking up the series as a series though in hopes that I can get the end of my plot which as a reader, I want to follow so badly to its end.
March 14, 2014
Caution I do spill some spoilage:
I found My Darkest Passion a great read. My Forbidden Desire is still my favourite of Carolyn Jewel's books but I was really glad to finally read Harsh's story. It was an interesting concept to give magic to a completely vanilla human. I found her quick acceptance, though really how could she deny it, came a bit too soon but one of the great things about us is our ability to adapt so who knows. I was confused when Addison hooked up with Kyran when it had seemed more likely of a Addison/Harsh partnership. Still feel iffy about it but kind of like that it stirred things up for the reader. Though when it is dropped (at least for me since I hadn't read Iskander's story) that Harsh was bi I hoped that maybe it might turn out to be a Addison/Harsh/Kyran thing. Addison and Kyran turned out to mesh really well so I was a little disappointment they didn't become more of a thing though I know he is fated for Maddy. I love that Addison adapts to this new world and instead of being a woman that has to turn to the male demons for help she becomes this bad ass woman who lives her life and stands by her choices. Yes, she eventually joins them but not until she figures it out on her own. I'd recommend this series to others though I'd probably tell them to start at the beginning.
I found My Darkest Passion a great read. My Forbidden Desire is still my favourite of Carolyn Jewel's books but I was really glad to finally read Harsh's story. It was an interesting concept to give magic to a completely vanilla human. I found her quick acceptance, though really how could she deny it, came a bit too soon but one of the great things about us is our ability to adapt so who knows. I was confused when Addison hooked up with Kyran when it had seemed more likely of a Addison/Harsh partnership. Still feel iffy about it but kind of like that it stirred things up for the reader. Though when it is dropped (at least for me since I hadn't read Iskander's story) that Harsh was bi I hoped that maybe it might turn out to be a Addison/Harsh/Kyran thing. Addison and Kyran turned out to mesh really well so I was a little disappointment they didn't become more of a thing though I know he is fated for Maddy. I love that Addison adapts to this new world and instead of being a woman that has to turn to the male demons for help she becomes this bad ass woman who lives her life and stands by her choices. Yes, she eventually joins them but not until she figures it out on her own. I'd recommend this series to others though I'd probably tell them to start at the beginning.
June 29, 2018
I liked this book the first time I read it and I’ve read it more than once since I first bought it. I’m really digging the powers Adison manifested and how Kynan taught her how to use what she had. I think she was a little immature, but I’m not all that familiar with people her age/life style/goals in the first place so that was an adjustment to me. Manly because I thought she acted a bit self-absorbed and unyielding to see what’s in front of her at first.
She definitely wasn’t who I pictured Harsh would get hooked up to, but she grew on me. I loved seeing how a warlord would think when it pertains to other kin around them and learning about territory and the like. I will just say that Jewel’s ability when creating characters can be interesting at times. You can hate a character in one book, end up liking them in another, and then go right back to hating them. I’ve a love/hate with Carson. I understand the intricacies of her character, but she can be downright bitchy and overly dramatic at times to me. Her stunt at the end of this book… really… did we need to go there? This was a book where she was bitchy.
The breeding programs just add a little bit more of “omfgIh8u” towards magekind for me.
She definitely wasn’t who I pictured Harsh would get hooked up to, but she grew on me. I loved seeing how a warlord would think when it pertains to other kin around them and learning about territory and the like. I will just say that Jewel’s ability when creating characters can be interesting at times. You can hate a character in one book, end up liking them in another, and then go right back to hating them. I’ve a love/hate with Carson. I understand the intricacies of her character, but she can be downright bitchy and overly dramatic at times to me. Her stunt at the end of this book… really… did we need to go there? This was a book where she was bitchy.
The breeding programs just add a little bit more of “omfgIh8u” towards magekind for me.
May 18, 2013
I really loved how this story shifted the power dynamics. In the previous stories the women, had to bind themselves to their men, in order to be able to function. This is much more Addison's story, even though Harsh is the hero. Addison is more powerful, although new to her powers, and Harsh really supports her and loves her because of her power. I liked seeing Kynan really evolve in this story. Addison was kidnapped, raped and abused. She becomes pregnant and has to work through how she will handle that , while learning to deal with warlord powers she obtained during her imprisonment. This is not sugar coated in any way in the story. The story takes place over several years as she adjusts and deals with her trauma and powers. SPOILER..
September 9, 2013
There are some things that bother me in this book, principally the lack of choice the heroine has in everything; the other characters present their decision as reasonable and the best and only choice for her, but I can't stand it, especially when they want her to take an oath of fealty just because it would be the most practical things to do, glossing over all the serious implication of such an act... I hate when the narrator presents the heroine as unreasonable and silly just because she doesn't agree immediately. In addition, I hate those new urges the heroine has because of her new powers (i.e. she doesn't like to stay alone and want to coddle with demons, she wants to provoke other demons...). And I am also not comfortable with books using rape tropes. Because of all of those reasons, I was fed up with the book near the middle and decided to stop reading it and to not read the rest of the series, despite some interesting elements or characters.
October 1, 2013
Having come into the "My Immortals" series with this book which is 5th in the series would highly recommend you start at the beginning with the first book. I definitely will be looking for the first 4 books in the series!
The story of Addison, a junior in college at U.C. San Diego, and the bizarre turn her life takes when she is kidnapped by Infante, a mage, is intense. Her meeting with Harsh and Kaynan is as instrumental in her life altering changes as her kidnapping. Addison's struggle with what happened to her as a prisoner is one that any woman can identify with. Her initial denial of the mind blowing shift in reality as she knew it her whole life would be a typical human response and very believable. Addison's emerging feelings for one of her saviors is a major focus in the book.
Danger, intriguing characters, hot sex scenes, good story line makes this book well worth the read. Would definitely recommend this to anyone that is into the paranormal.
The story of Addison, a junior in college at U.C. San Diego, and the bizarre turn her life takes when she is kidnapped by Infante, a mage, is intense. Her meeting with Harsh and Kaynan is as instrumental in her life altering changes as her kidnapping. Addison's struggle with what happened to her as a prisoner is one that any woman can identify with. Her initial denial of the mind blowing shift in reality as she knew it her whole life would be a typical human response and very believable. Addison's emerging feelings for one of her saviors is a major focus in the book.
Danger, intriguing characters, hot sex scenes, good story line makes this book well worth the read. Would definitely recommend this to anyone that is into the paranormal.
April 15, 2014
Another "My Immortal" series and I feel this story contained more depth between the war of mages and demons. Still had fantastic, hot sex scenes but this book happens to shape the authors world more. The past books have been leading up to conflicts between nasty mages who don't give a damn about who they hurt to gain power over demonkind while Nikodemis and his sworn fiends do what they can to protect themselves without giving up their souls.
This book happens to be about Harsh Merit--and how different he is from the other demons. Negotiator, sworn demon to Nikodemis, and wounded lover of Fen and Iskander, Harsh is closed off from anyone other than his immediate demon family. But that changes when he and Kaynan try to negotiate with a mage who has a human trapped in sweat box.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm hoping for more! Please write more Ms. Carolyn Jewel!
This book happens to be about Harsh Merit--and how different he is from the other demons. Negotiator, sworn demon to Nikodemis, and wounded lover of Fen and Iskander, Harsh is closed off from anyone other than his immediate demon family. But that changes when he and Kaynan try to negotiate with a mage who has a human trapped in sweat box.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm hoping for more! Please write more Ms. Carolyn Jewel!
January 11, 2015
This was a beautiful story. Different from the previous installments of the series, but much more powerful and moving.
As another reviewer mentioned, this is very much Addison's story...with Kynan and Harsh her supporting men.
I love that Carolyn writes her female leads from a point of sexual equality to the men. Yes, Harsh gets a little jealous of Addison's other sexual experiences (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers!), but there is a lack of "mine"/alpha male posturing that is seen in many PNR novels. The idea that a woman is more attractive if she is less experienced and "belongs" only to the man.
And let me just say, Kynan...swoon! So excited to read his story. He has developed so much over the course of the series. His interactions with Addison in this novel were beautiful.
As another reviewer mentioned, this is very much Addison's story...with Kynan and Harsh her supporting men.
I love that Carolyn writes her female leads from a point of sexual equality to the men. Yes, Harsh gets a little jealous of Addison's other sexual experiences (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers!), but there is a lack of "mine"/alpha male posturing that is seen in many PNR novels. The idea that a woman is more attractive if she is less experienced and "belongs" only to the man.
And let me just say, Kynan...swoon! So excited to read his story. He has developed so much over the course of the series. His interactions with Addison in this novel were beautiful.
September 12, 2013
just yesterday, got free copy of this book. I was so eager to read it that i finished it in one day. its not a typical romance novel but romance is definitely in story.
It's story about addison, how she becomes warlord from vanilla human. A mage kidnapped and raped her. she was saved by Harsh and Kynan.
Harsh character is cool and calm. He helps her to control her emotions. their love is not a love of first sight. They took their time to fall in love.this part i like it
but when addison push away harsh herself and have sex with Kynan knowing she likes harsh more, didn't feel right. Harsh part was so limited there should have more about him.
Kynan is interesting character and i would love to read about him. this is my 1st read of this series but definitely try others too.
It's story about addison, how she becomes warlord from vanilla human. A mage kidnapped and raped her. she was saved by Harsh and Kynan.
Harsh character is cool and calm. He helps her to control her emotions. their love is not a love of first sight. They took their time to fall in love.this part i like it
but when addison push away harsh herself and have sex with Kynan knowing she likes harsh more, didn't feel right. Harsh part was so limited there should have more about him.
Kynan is interesting character and i would love to read about him. this is my 1st read of this series but definitely try others too.
May 13, 2013
I am in love with the "My Immortals Series". Carolyn Jewel has really put a twist on paranormal reads with the way her characters walk in the everyday, vanilla world.
"My Darkest Passion" will definitely be my favorite. The way she has brought a true human into the story enamored me throughout and never let me go. This alone took me into the relationships and excited me in a way other paranormals haven't before. And I read a lot of paranormals and love this genre!
Hats off to Carolyn Jewel for outdoing herself with this addition to her "My Immortals Series"
"My Darkest Passion" will definitely be my favorite. The way she has brought a true human into the story enamored me throughout and never let me go. This alone took me into the relationships and excited me in a way other paranormals haven't before. And I read a lot of paranormals and love this genre!
Hats off to Carolyn Jewel for outdoing herself with this addition to her "My Immortals Series"
October 11, 2013
Personally I feel like the focus should be more on the heroine of the story instead of the romance, luckily this book did just that.
I really like the theme of this book and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
The author has done a great job in describing the demons and mages and everything else and how they function around each other. This amount of detail is what I look for in good reads.
The book definitely ended with an open ending, but that's logical due to the fact it's part of an ongoing series.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I really like the theme of this book and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
The author has done a great job in describing the demons and mages and everything else and how they function around each other. This amount of detail is what I look for in good reads.
The book definitely ended with an open ending, but that's logical due to the fact it's part of an ongoing series.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
March 17, 2023
It was good to get Harsh’s story after all this time. What happened to Addison was horrible and I am glad the author acknowledged that and gave her a couple of years to start healing before beginning a relationship between her and Harsh. I also liked that she still isn’t magically better and has ongoing issues to deal with. It’s more believable and seeing them navigate their various triggers together makes the relationship even stronger. Well done. I only wish there wasn’t so much collateral damage in the battles.
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May 9, 2013I liked the story and I think the heroine was super strong, but when I finish a book I like to feel satisfied/happy/complete. I didn't feel that way with My Darkest Passion. I know a lot of that has to do with my own personal feelings toward families. It wasn't bad, it just left me feeling unsettled and hopeful to forget the story. That said this is one of my favorite series and I'm hopeful Jewel will self-publish more installments.
October 3, 2013
4/5; 4 stars; A-
This series gets better and better as it goes along. I liked the fact that in this story Addison, a female, is the demon. In the previous books the females were witches, either pure witches or witch/demon hybrids. Harsh was a character in the first book in the series and has made cameos on others. It was great to see him as the main character in a book, along with a hefty dose of bad boy Kynan. Great story. I am looking forward to more in this series.
This series gets better and better as it goes along. I liked the fact that in this story Addison, a female, is the demon. In the previous books the females were witches, either pure witches or witch/demon hybrids. Harsh was a character in the first book in the series and has made cameos on others. It was great to see him as the main character in a book, along with a hefty dose of bad boy Kynan. Great story. I am looking forward to more in this series.
May 16, 2013
This latest in the My Immortals series has a kick-ass heroine and it ended up being more her story, and not as much a paranormal romance with demon hero Harsh, as I was hoping for. The entire story seems part of an all out war between mages and the demon kin, which I hope will conclude in the next book in the series.
June 13, 2013
This is an ongoing series by Carolyn Jewel about demons (who call themselves Kin) and their mage/witch counterparts. In this latest installment Harsh Merit finds his perfect counterpart in human turned kin, Addison O'Henry. Addison wasn't my fave, but she did a good job standing up for women everywhere. I cannot wait to see where Jewel is going with this series!
November 6, 2013
This was probably my least favorite in the My Immortals series but not entirely sure why. I think a lot of it had to do with my dislike of the heroine Addison. I just couldn't warm up to her and didn't like her as a person. That being said, the writing is wonderful as always and the world building continues to be strong. Still waiting/hoping for Kynan's story next.
December 8, 2013
Like the series a lot and was excited to finally get Harsh's story but didn't love it.
Felt like it was confusing at times. Thought the whole Kynan/Addison hookup was unnecessary. Felt like there could have been more about Harsh like how he rose to power and became Nikodemus' second, etc. how he made the choice to leave medicine, etc.
Felt like it was confusing at times. Thought the whole Kynan/Addison hookup was unnecessary. Felt like there could have been more about Harsh like how he rose to power and became Nikodemus' second, etc. how he made the choice to leave medicine, etc.
January 9, 2014
It's a good"ish" book. There are a lot of holes in the story itself and you get lost in the jumps of time. She skips over 3-6 months at a time and the characters aren't as developed as they should or could have been
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