Chained by Darkness

The Sensor #2.5

by Susan Illene

The longer a man lives, the greater the chance his actions will cost him in the future. When that man is an immortal nephilim, the misdeeds can really pile up. Lucas has paid for the crimes of his past for centuries, resisting any close relationship that might make his life even more difficult. Until Melena. Only she could begin to melt the ice shielding his heart, but then he was captured by his greatest enemies—angels.

Now imprisoned in Purgatory, he’s awaiting trial for his latest crime and knows the verdict will not be in his favor. Lucas is resigned to the fact his life might be over, but fears without his protection Melena may not survive for long. She’s got her own enemies back in Alaska and her mortality makes her easy prey. Whatever happens to him, he must find a way to keep her safe. No matter the cost.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Angels, Magic, Vampires, Romance

ebook

First published October 30, 2013

About the author

Susan Illene served in the US Army for eleven years and worked as a human resources specialist and an Arabic linguist. She served two deployments to Iraq, and after leaving the army, she studied history at the University of Oklahoma. She currently lives with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lies you tell others don’t do near the damage as the ones you tell yourself.

*Might contain spoilers*
There is one thing that bothers me in this series, and that is the lack of emotions. Well, there is emotions, however I don't feel them. Specially not with Melena. When she sees Lucas after months apart, AND knowing he has been tortured all that time, she didn't show much. Hell, people describing how she was after Lucas was imprisoned, annoyed me. She should have at least broken down a couple of time. I sure as hell would... I mean, come on; it's Lucas!

When that reality is changed, the only thing one can do is learn from it and do their best to not let it harm them again.

Also, having seeing what Lucas has been through and going through is killing me. The pain, the hell he was to face? Heartbreaking! However, Lucas has, for me, lost a bit of his appeal. That usually happens for me when I read the male's POV. You get to see a soft side, which is not bad, AT ALL, but when you are so used to the character being cold, hard, ruthless, mean, alpha male you fell in love with, you kinda loose the lust and love for him because he no longer is the man you fell in love with to begin with, you know what I mean?

Logic. It could get you every time, but he preferred to cut it down with a sword.

[Danielle (Danniegurl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS IN LUCAS' POV

So this is a book about Lucas who is in Purgatory due to the circumstances in the last book. I really dislike what is happening it him and how they aren't even really diving deeper into what's going on or the circumstances of what happened to bring him to Purgatory. But we finally get a bit of insight into Lucas' brain which is great. He does think about Mel often, and as much as she does about him, which surprised me. I'd like to have seen how it all came how he went from hate to love. He explains the first time he started to feel a shift in his feelings for Mel which was nice to see and hear because this wasn't a very momentous event. To Mel it would have been very insignificant but to Lucas this showed her strength and her character. Aside from all the torture, which lets face it clearly isn't doing anything good for the nephilim. In some ways they end up sitting in there for decades, and can either plot their revenge or go a bit crazy. It'll happen I bet. I dislike how the angels are, I was hoping for them to be better, but we knew there was a reason Lucas wasn't too pleased when one showed up last book. I am interested in seeing why all the nephilim left have some relation to sensors, through their lines I really think this will affect Lucas and Mel's relationship. We shall see though.

We do find out about Lucas' sentencing and what he has to endure, I really hope he gets out before the time is fully up, based on what the author wrote at the end of the book I'm going to say it's a definite possibility.

We do get 1 point of time with Mel's POV.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before picking up this book from Lucas's point of view, I started the third book in the Sensor Series and quickly came to the conclusion that I had very little idea about what in the heck was going on. So I then proceeded to pick up Chained by Darkness and ate it up in an afternoon.

I highly recommend reading this book BEFORE you read Darkness Divides. It clarifies everything so wonderfully. Not only that, but we get special insight into Lucas's feelings of Melena and the deeply rooted love he has for her. SO PERFECT!!

On top of that, we get a sneak-peak into Lucas's past and the events that have made him the badass man he is now. His childhood was full of hardships that hardened him and made him into the seemingly ruthless killer we have come to know him as. But the truth is, what makes him 'Lucas' runs so much deeper. He is so much more than a cold-blooded killer and his loyalty to Melena knows no boundaries.

Definitely read this short book on Lucas and his time in Purgatory before reading the next book in the Sensor Series. You won't regret it!

[Pam Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Chained by Darkness Stars

Holy Moly! If you were on the fence about Lucas this book will push you to be a full blow Lucas LOVER! I am telling you there is more to him than what he was showing us in past books.

I hate that he is where he is, but I love that we got to see what makes him tick and why. And oh my word all the feels!! I don’t want to give anything away but the Malena parts they will make you just feel so much for these two.

Love man its Love.

Again I really liked Cris’s narration for this series.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read for fans of the series. A lot happen here that will impact the future.

Purely personal. I'm not sure I like a world where angels have no mercy nor sense of fair justice or were Purgatory equals torture. If you are a religious person, you might feel offended. I'm not. But even if I don't care for the religious angle (or lack of it), I need fairness and justice or someone fighting for it.

Weirdly enough, his Pov was better than hers. :)

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:
It's no secret that I have loved this Urban Fantasy series. It's a great world with a great premise and a bit more romance involved than you normally find in Urban Fantasy. I love that!

This is a novella and is numbered as #2.5. You can read my reviews of the other two books here:
1. Darkness Haunts review (A+ rating)
2. Darkness Taunts review (A+ rating)
As an UF series, the first two books were written entirely from Melena's POV and that works, but at the end of Book #2, there was a huge cliffhanger. This book takes place from that cliffhanger and now we're in Lucas's POV. I love that Susan Illene did this switch for this novella. It adds so much to the story to see Lucas's thoughts and what he's been through and what he's willing to go through...for Melena. *sigh...you have to love a character wiling to put everything on the line for the woman he loves.*

This absolutely is a series that I HIGHLY recommend. Melena is tough and has skills that just make her an incredible character. The world-building is amazing and as the characters evolve, it's becoming even more so. This novella reveals so much about Lucas's history and why's he's treated Melena the way that he has over the years. LOVE him!

Again, this book ends with things not necessarily all in a happy place, but this is an UF series that does so without making the reader want to pull the author's hair out at the end. I really love the way that Susan Illene produces those cliffhangers. Anticipation, not frustration, is the key and she does it incredibly well.

If you haven't started this series yet, what are you waiting for? It's fabulous!

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is from (mainly) Lucas' point of view, and gives us some real insight into the motives behind his behaviour. This story is dark -- it takes place in Pugatory for the most part, so there were times I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading -- but there were sufficient highlights to ensure I kept reading. Plus I just HAD to know what was going to happen as a result of Lucas' sentencing.

Lucas is a complex character, as you'd expect when one has lived for nearly 3000 years, and to see things from his perspective -- especially the way he feels for Melena -- was fantastic.

This is well written, as I've come to expect from this author, and the author note at the end is well worth a read, too. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

[☀Rachael☀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than book 2!

[LeslecturesdeMylene · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.leslecturesdemylene.com/20...

17/20 - Un plaisir d'être dans la tête de Lucas surtout après la fin du tome 2 .....

[Cissou33 · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'aime beaucoup cette saga même si j'ai encore l'impression d'être parfois devant un (Très bon) ersatz de Kate Daniels (notamment dans la relation entre Melena et Emily qui ressemble à cette entre Kate et Julie, pour ne citer qu'un exemple).
Néanmoins, le mélange des êtres surnaturels (vampires, loups garou, fées, sensibles, anges, nephilim...) permet à la saga de renouveler le genre.
Melena m'a manqué durant ce tome mais c'était un passage obligé. J'ai beaucoup aimé me plonger dans les pensées et le passé de Lucas, j'ai détesté ces connards arrogants d'archanges, et j'attends avec impatience de découvrir l'évolution de Melena.

[Loucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deux nouvelles qui font bien la transitions entre les évènements des tomes 2 et 3. La première nous en apprend plus sur Lucas, les anges et le purgatoire. La seconde, plus courte, raconte une petite aventure de Melena et Emilie.
La première nouvelle est un peu violente et glauque mais est nécessaire pour bien comprendre le tome 3. Elle est centrée sur Lucas.
La deuxième nouvelle est moins indispensable mais on apprend quelques nouvelles infos sur Melena et on découvre Hunter, un loup-garou assez présent dans le tome suivant.

[Daisy Delfin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I will keep on reading this series, after finishing the first book. But the audio edition was free in my subscription for a limited (and now passed) time, so I gave the second book a shot. More things come together and I started to really enjoy the series. So I binged as much as I could, before I had to return the audiobooks. I listened to them till book 3 (another two books).

I for sure enjoyed there series and will pick up the 4th book on KU.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because of a romance challenge and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Even though I had not read any of the previous books in this series I was able to understand what was going on. That being said I feel if I had then I would have gotten more out of this book. This will definitely be a series I read more of in the future.

[Helle Gade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story, is told from Lucas perspective, after the Arch Angel Remil took him to purgatory for judgment and punishment.


Here we get an unique chance of getting to know more about our favourite nephilim.


I absolutely love this series.

[Georgia Tumbleweed McNabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Side Story

I really liked this side story, which will fill a lot when I read the next book.
I do Not like the guardians and their sadistical attention to the prisoners. The archangels are not much better and appear to have no real concept of actual life and actions.

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting take on things.

[Blynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved having Lucas' perspective!

[Kathy Zuercher Diveley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucas

Lucas gets sent to purgatory for letting Melena die, then giving her his blood. He fights an Archangel, so she'll be protected.

[Lorna Jarrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

great Novella

Having discovered this series at its completion I am so glad I get to read the what happens in the in between! Am loving the series and characters.

[Jess - Les Tentatrices · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://wp.me/p7NXJX-25a

Vous le savez, j’adore cette série qui se révèle plus passionnante de tome en tome, je suis complétement tombée sous le charme de l’univers et des personnages. Alors quand j’ai vu que les éditions MxM Bookmark allait traduire les nouvelles entre les tomes, il était évident que j’allais m’empresser de lire celui-ci ! Il faut savoir que « Enchainé par les Ténèbres » regroupe en réalité le T2.5 « Chained by Darkness » et le T2.6 « Tempting the Moon ».

Dans la première partie, nous nous retrouvons peu de temps après les évènements survenus dans le tome 2. Mais cette fois-ci, nous sommes dans la tête de Lucas ! C’est un personnage assez taciturne et mystérieux alors pouvoir être dans sa tête et en savoir plus sur sa vie passé et ses sentiments, c’est vraiment un pur régal. On va donc le retrouver au Purgatoire où l’on va suivre son « procès » et les sévices qu’il va subir tout au long de celui-ci. En plus d’en apprendre un peu plus sur lui, on bascule du côté des Anges qui étaient peu présents jusqu’à présent. On se rend compte que la vie « la-haut » n’est pas vraiment le paradis pour tout le monde. Une autre facette de l’histoire que nous dévoile l’auteur et je dois avouer que c’est toujours aussi passionnant !

Concernant la deuxième partie, nous retrouvons Melena et Emily, la jeune fille qu’elle a pris sous son aile. L’histoire va s’orienter vers un petit problème rencontrer avec un jeune loup garou qui tourne autour d’Emily depuis un certain temps. L’histoire est sympathique et passionnante, comme toujours, par contre je ne sais vraiment pas ce qu’elle va apporter pour la suite de l’histoire. Peut-être est-ce un aperçu pour un futur spin-off concentré sur l’histoire d’Emily ? Si c’est le cas, je serais au rendez-vous, évidemment !

En bref, « Enchainé par les Ténèbres » sont deux histoires aussi prenantes que les tomes principaux. Idéales pour nous faire patienter jusqu’en Avril et un peu calmer la frustration que l’on ressent à la fin du deuxième tome. Je vous conseille vivement de lire ce tome avant de vous lancer dans le troisième lors de sa sortie. Les quelques actions qui se déroulent dans le 2.5 vont servir de transitions et préparer à des changements conséquents pour la suite de l’histoire.

[Lianne Pheno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avis tiré de mon blog :

Je ne m'attendais pas à ce que ce tome hors série soit si indispensable. En fait on a vraiment besoin de le lire pour comprendre la suite.
J'ai vraiment aimé ma lecture, je dois dire que ça faisait du bien de passer sur le point de vue de Lucas.

Et ce tome n'est pas de tout repos. En fait Lucas est en attente de son procès, si il a lieu. Procès car il a échoué dans sa mission. Hors sa mission était la dernière chance que lui avaient donné les anges. Il va donc le payer très cher car on ne passe pas les millénaires sans devenir expert en tortures.
Si vous n'avez pas l'estomac accrochés vous risquez de ne pas aimer ce tome. Car niveau description de douleur et de moyen de faire craquer un être humain, c'était le top.

Sans plus vous en dévoiler pour ne pas spoiler je dirais qu'un autre point que j'ai vraiment apprécier c'est de découvrir la vie de Lucas, ce qu'est vraiment son quotidien. Car en fait en dehors des moments ou il étaient en mission avec Melena, en fait on ne savait rien de lui, rien du personnage derrière le masque.

Ce que j'ai bien aimé aussi c'était le fait que malgré les apparences qui au début nous donnent l'impression que tous les personnages sont plus des statues que des véritable être de chairs, en fait tout les personnages ont des failles. Ils ne sont pas invincible, ils ne sont pas incorruptible. Et on a vraiment l'impression de changer d'avis sur les personnage. Ce qui est vraiment très sympa pour un tome aussi court.

Je ne dirais qu'une chose au final : Si vous aimez la série, lisez le, ne passez pas à coté !
Bon après ça reste un texte court donc je ne peux pas lui mettre une super note mais j'ai vraiment apprécie la lecture.

16/20

[Auriane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diese Review ist schwierig zu schreiben, ohne zu spoilern. Zusammenfassung, etc. lasse ich jetzt alles weg und gehe direkt auf das Buch ein:
Sagen wir mal so: ich hasse die Engel. Echt jetzt, was die mit Lucas ist nicht mehr tragbar, auch wenn ihre oberflächlichen Gründe vielleicht zutreffen mögen. Ja, Lucas ist eine Gefahr für die Menschheit mit seinen Fähigkeiten, aber es gibt ihnen nicht das Recht, ihn so dermaßen zu demütigen. Und da sage ich im Hinblick auf einen ganz speziellen Teil, der wohl jeden Leser mitgenommen hat. Kein Wunder, dass Lucas im nächsten Band nicht preisgeben will, was er geopfert hat, um Melena unsterblich zu machen und zu beschützen. Ich frage mich gerade auch, ob er auch Micah davon erzählt hat (kurz vor dem Duell erzählt er ihm ja "alles", aber auch das?).
Ganz irritierend finde ich auch die Bemerkung am Ende, dass Erzengel Remiel wohl Tränen in den Augen hat. Da denke ich mir nämlich nur so: echt jetzt? wirklich? Dazu kommt noch die Ignoranz angesichts der Verhätltnisse in dem Engelsgefägnis, worum die Engel sich ja anscheinend einen Dreck scheren und trotzdem schockiert sind.
Aufgrund meiner Beschwerden über die Engel und ihre Handlungen und nicht über das Buch, wird eigentlich schon deutlich, dass ich dem Buch nur 5 Sterne geben kann. Wenn ein Buch solche Emotionen auslöst, dann kann es nur mit 5 Sternen belohnt werden (oder eigentlich mit 4,5 Sternen und einem Auge zugedrückt, deswegen kommt es trotz der 5 Sterne auch nicht das 5-Stars-Regal).

[Rachel Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are reading the Sensor Series, you absolutely must read this. I hate to think someone might miss out of part of the story due to this book's "novella" status, because it is crucial to the whole story. I love this book for many reasons: One being we get to see inside the mind of Lucas. I especially love finding answers to questions I had like "What the hell was Lucas doing while Melena was being tortured?" Two, we are able to find out much of why Lucas is the way he is and this also seems like this is going to be a key issue later on. Three, we're able to learn all these things without the agonizing torture of a prequel. I despise prequels and this book perfectly gave us back history without flashbacks in the middle of an exciting scene or worse, an entire story devoted to the past. My favorite thing this book offers and the others have not is the writer's thoughts at the end of the book. I admit, I was left in a bit of a tizzy after reading the final pages but she calms you down by not only offering hope, but a few words about life in general. My only regret in this book is that I found out the next one doesn't come out until April. It is my birthday that month however, and I think it's safe to say I've already picked out my birthday present for myself.

[Teresa Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purgatory isn't fun unless you can beat up an Archangel.

This review is from: Chained by Darkness: Book 2.5 (Sensor Series) (Kindle Edition)

Told from the Nephilim Lucas's view point during his time in Purgatory for allowing Melena to die momentarily before being brought back by CPR and Defibrillator assistance. Archangels are determined to make him pay for breaking an oath Melena knew nothing about, so when she inserted herself into the final battle in book two she didn't know that Lucas would pay the price for her recklessness. Their love has grown stronger while apart, but now they face a much longer separation. Will Melena decided to go after him and break him out? will anything come of their lovemaking? Will they be able to stand the test of time in their separation? Archangels can be really stuck up snobs, and Lucas proves they aren't invincible. I will be reading the next book as soon as this posts, this is a series I will follow as long as it's being written because Susan Illene draws you into her characters and makes you visualize and feel their pain and joys, and heartbreak.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5 Stars)
With any series there will be books you love and some you don't. "Chained by Darkness" is my least favorite book in the sensor series. First and foremost, I usually do not like books about angels because the characters are usually less than angelic. This is the case with this book. The angels and archangel seemed more demonic and showed a surprising lack of concern for humans or paranormal. They were prideful and judgmental and quite frankly I didn't like it.

This is Lucas' story during the time he was imprisoned. This story reveals information about his upbringing and the reasons behind why he thinks and feels the way he does an out humans and sensors. Truthfully, there was not a lot in this read that moved the story forward. It was more of a filler and insight into Lucas point of view. I was not a fan of all of the punishment/torture scenes but I suppose it counted as being action.

If you truly love this series you will probably enjoy this book. I just wasn't a big fan of this one.

[Poetic Puppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucas was taken away by the Archangel Remiel and we’ll find out in this novella what his fate will be. Will he be spending more time in Purgatory or will he be sentenced to death? And just how will Melena cope now that he’s gone? While Lucas’ fate hangs in the balance, things are not running smooth for our heroine, who is experiencing some unexpected complications of her own due to their bond.

You truly learn to appreciate Lucas for the man that he is in this novella. His character is tested by the Angels as he not only undergoes torture at the hands of the guardian Kerbasi , but he’s also tested on a completely unexpected level by Eli, one of his own.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find this novella a rather emotional read. (Yes, I cried. I’m not ashamed to admit it). If you don’t like reading scenes of violence and torture, then I’d of hoped you’d have stopped reading this series by now, but in case you haven’t, be warned that Purgatory is not a pleasant place to be and Kerbasi is a particularly sadistic character.

[Runningrabbit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was divided into two parts. Simply put, his and hers.

The first part of the book steeped and stifled me with so much acute boredom it was painful. After the first few chapters, I noticed the book basically went into so much detail on similar scenes and scenarios that it became as repetitively banal as studying bricks in a wall with a magnifying glass.

To stuff it in a nutshell, I skimmed so much of the first part that I was lucky I discovered that the second part went back into the easy style of the the previous books. To add insult to injury, the first half could have been compressed into a few chapters and still have reached the same conclusion and projected the same mood, atmosphere and impact.

Luckily the second part redeemed itself and left me still wanting to read future novels in the series.

[Angela Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to appreciate when an author can take a character from the first book, who I found extremely unlikeable, and manipulate me into maybe, kinda, actually caring about him. This is a great novella because it gives some important insight into Lucas's character. Hey, he's not evil; he's just got issues. Even though the story takes place with Lucas in Purgatory, it was still well-paced with some great action scenes. Also, it has some very significant developments for the series, so it cannot be skipped just because it's a novella. I even have a hunch about an element that was introduced but not yet fully explained, and I'm looking forward to seeing if I'm right! But I won't say what and give anything away.

[Jules Poet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book about Lucas's time in purgatory. He's continuously tortured and yet he remains unyieldingly loyal to Melena, Emily and his twin, Micah. He faces a trial that is literally life or death because of saving his beloved with his own nephilim blood after she had died. Imagine a world where that's something punishable. She was his charge and he was supposed to protect her no matter what. Have you ever tried to hold back a woman who is passionate, fierce, headstrong and fearless from doing something she believes in? He failed.... who wouldn't? That and the blood are what his trial is all about. It's quite a story!

Susan Illene continues to be an A+ author and Cris Dukehart continues to be an A+ narrator!

[Kara-karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a really intriguing insight into Lucas's mind, this is a very good novella. Before I read it I was moaning about another shirtless hero on the cover of urban fantasy book, but this cover suits Lucas and this story to a tee. It was pretty great, especially the ending with Melena, which made me really look forward to the next book. Also, loved Sons of Anarchy mention. *thumbs up*