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Chimney Rock #2
Darkness Bred
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Ever since shapeshifter Elin escaped to Whidbey Island, danger has stalked her every move. Her human traits, combined with her unique supernatural gifts, make her a prized being to be possessed . . . or destroyed. It is only the passionate attraction she shares with werehound Sean Black that gives her hope for her future-if she can elude the lethal predators who are hot on her scent. HIDES DANGER AND DESIRE Sean knows that Elin, with her delicate beauty and seductive powers, is his one perfect mate. The woman who can restore his humanity and make him stronger than ever. He'll need that strength and more to protect her from those who wish to destroy him and everything he desires. For Sean carries a secret that binds him to an enemy from the past and to a darker, deadlier force-a malignant evil that is hunting the women of Whidbey Island . . .
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
15 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Stella Cameron
106 books420 followersStella Cameron is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author. With over fourteen million copies of her books in print, Cameron is now turning her pen to mysteries and independently publishing COLD, Introducing Alex Duggins. She draws on her English background for this new, already critically acclaimed mystery series. Atmospheric, deeply character and relationship driven, COLD reveals the power of old secrets to twist the present. Cameron’s reputation for using her backgrounds to add tension and allure to her stories is heightened again.
Cameron is the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Achievement Award for distinguished professional achievement and for enhancing the stature of the Northwest Literary community. She lives in Washington with her husband Jerry, her Papillon Millie, black cat Zipper, and a cheeky little tabby named Jack.
Cameron is the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Achievement Award for distinguished professional achievement and for enhancing the stature of the Northwest Literary community. She lives in Washington with her husband Jerry, her Papillon Millie, black cat Zipper, and a cheeky little tabby named Jack.
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April 10, 2013
This is an honest review based upon an ARC provided by the publisher via a giveaway.
Summary
Darkness Bred by Stella Cameron is a hot mess of a book full of stilted dialogue, pointless journeys, and inconsistent actions. Male characters treat women as foolish children and women stamp their feet like two-year-olds having a tantrum in response. Except then those women are supposedly secretly unbelievably powerful and hold the key to the werehounds survival. It's a little like someone took a bunch of fantasy elements and threw them in a blender then wrote down what came out. I had a hard time finishing this book and would recommend others attempt to read it only if they receive it for free.
Favorite Quote
“Women were always spoilers. They could always make men weak. Damn, why do they have to be so irresistible?”
After reading this sentence, I looked the author up on the Internet to see if Stella Cameron was a pen name for a man because I couldn't believe a woman would write something so patently misogynistic unless the author was setting up the character to get corrected later. He was not, in fact, shown the light later in the book.
Fantasy World
Whidbey Island is full of werewolves, vampires, fae, and werehounds along with the unsuspecting human population which is discussed briefly, and which only makes rare appearances. The rules of this fantasy world are so unclear that when something supposedly remarkable happens, it doesn't really register with the reader because it was unclear what the rules were in the first place. Then the aliens and middle earth creatures are added to the mix for no discernible purpose. Huh?
Tingle Factor
The author introduces lots of artificial barriers to the characters getting busy which seem ludicrous. When they finally manage to do the deed after 300 pages, the description takes less than half a page. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
Romance
I have absolutely no idea why these people are together or what they have in common.
Drama
One impossible situation is piled on top of another until I'm not sure what the most important issue is. Instead of increasing tension it increases confusion. So many villains, so little time.
Heroine
Elin is an adopted fae who has run away from home to be with the werehound of her dreams. Except it turns out she's not really a fae although her adoptive fae Mother, Queen Tarhazian, has lots of control over her and revokes her abilities as a punishment for leaving. Elin flies around here and there with no clear purpose except waiting for Sean to bond with her and occasionally scooping green stuff out of the air.
Hero
Sean was turned werehound against his will and wants to be human again. He is endlessly pursued by the man who turned him and wants to make Sean his slave. He loves Elin, but is uncertain she really knows what she wants or what she's getting into by having a relationship with a werehound. Sean wanders around randomly attacking evil and then running off when he's supposed to be leading his team. Mostly he just putters around until the “right” time to mate Elin occurs.
Summary
Darkness Bred by Stella Cameron is a hot mess of a book full of stilted dialogue, pointless journeys, and inconsistent actions. Male characters treat women as foolish children and women stamp their feet like two-year-olds having a tantrum in response. Except then those women are supposedly secretly unbelievably powerful and hold the key to the werehounds survival. It's a little like someone took a bunch of fantasy elements and threw them in a blender then wrote down what came out. I had a hard time finishing this book and would recommend others attempt to read it only if they receive it for free.
Favorite Quote
“Women were always spoilers. They could always make men weak. Damn, why do they have to be so irresistible?”
After reading this sentence, I looked the author up on the Internet to see if Stella Cameron was a pen name for a man because I couldn't believe a woman would write something so patently misogynistic unless the author was setting up the character to get corrected later. He was not, in fact, shown the light later in the book.
Fantasy World
Whidbey Island is full of werewolves, vampires, fae, and werehounds along with the unsuspecting human population which is discussed briefly, and which only makes rare appearances. The rules of this fantasy world are so unclear that when something supposedly remarkable happens, it doesn't really register with the reader because it was unclear what the rules were in the first place. Then the aliens and middle earth creatures are added to the mix for no discernible purpose. Huh?
Tingle Factor
The author introduces lots of artificial barriers to the characters getting busy which seem ludicrous. When they finally manage to do the deed after 300 pages, the description takes less than half a page. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
Romance
I have absolutely no idea why these people are together or what they have in common.
Drama
One impossible situation is piled on top of another until I'm not sure what the most important issue is. Instead of increasing tension it increases confusion. So many villains, so little time.
Heroine
Elin is an adopted fae who has run away from home to be with the werehound of her dreams. Except it turns out she's not really a fae although her adoptive fae Mother, Queen Tarhazian, has lots of control over her and revokes her abilities as a punishment for leaving. Elin flies around here and there with no clear purpose except waiting for Sean to bond with her and occasionally scooping green stuff out of the air.
Hero
Sean was turned werehound against his will and wants to be human again. He is endlessly pursued by the man who turned him and wants to make Sean his slave. He loves Elin, but is uncertain she really knows what she wants or what she's getting into by having a relationship with a werehound. Sean wanders around randomly attacking evil and then running off when he's supposed to be leading his team. Mostly he just putters around until the “right” time to mate Elin occurs.
May 16, 2013
Have you read Stella Cameron? I have and always thought she was mostly historical with the occasional contemporary book thrown in. What I didn't realize was she writes a wicked werewolf ooops werehound story! Excellent mastery of the PNR genre!! Darkness Bred is the second book in her Chimney Rock Series is an exciting follow up to her Darkness Bound Book. Revolving around the PNR factions that live, love and fight throughout Chimney Rock.
Elin was kidnapped as an infant by a Demon who had her for a very short time before she was kidnapped again by the Queen of the fey. Not your basic warm and fuzzy upbringing. She was doted on and yet confined.. all truths were withheld and Elin has no idea who she is. What she does know is she has the ability to shapeshift into a cat, can fly when needed and can go invisible..
Caleb Black was your basic Doctor's Son.. all he wanted to do was be like his father but at 22 he helped out an injured man and in thanks the man bit him.. leaving him for dead. Except he didn't die he turned.. now over a hundred years later he is part of a Team of werehounds who are fighting to get their humanity back. Any way they can.. When Caleb crosses path with Elin he knows she holds the secret to his humanity.
People, mostly women are dying in Chimney Rock and no one is sure why. There are rumors but nothing substantial. Caleb and the team are working to discover what is happening but everything they do leads to another dead end. Tensions are high enough and added to it is the fact that Caleb's Team leader is against him making a soul connection to Elin. Figures her connection to the Fey will lead to leaks and that Elin will end up spying for the Fey. And Elin's "family" isn't any better. Her "mother" has declared that if she bonds with Caleb she will be expected to spy for her and if she doesn't prepare to suffer the consequences.
Stuck between the poverbial rock and hard place these two do all they can to fight for their right to be together. When Niles discovers his mate is pregnant and practically goes off the deep end, Caleb is forced to step in as acting Alpha.. and Elin and Caleb working with the friendly neighborhood Vampire work to figure out just who is killing people off? Is it the werewolf that turned Caleb? Or can it be some mysterious Vampire? Or maybe a human servant? How can they help? What can they do? and who do they ask for help? Lots of questions and very little time to figure out the answers..
A Seriously GREAT book.. I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into this series!!
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Darkness Bred provided by netgalley and scheduled for release on May 28, 2013
Elin was kidnapped as an infant by a Demon who had her for a very short time before she was kidnapped again by the Queen of the fey. Not your basic warm and fuzzy upbringing. She was doted on and yet confined.. all truths were withheld and Elin has no idea who she is. What she does know is she has the ability to shapeshift into a cat, can fly when needed and can go invisible..
Caleb Black was your basic Doctor's Son.. all he wanted to do was be like his father but at 22 he helped out an injured man and in thanks the man bit him.. leaving him for dead. Except he didn't die he turned.. now over a hundred years later he is part of a Team of werehounds who are fighting to get their humanity back. Any way they can.. When Caleb crosses path with Elin he knows she holds the secret to his humanity.
People, mostly women are dying in Chimney Rock and no one is sure why. There are rumors but nothing substantial. Caleb and the team are working to discover what is happening but everything they do leads to another dead end. Tensions are high enough and added to it is the fact that Caleb's Team leader is against him making a soul connection to Elin. Figures her connection to the Fey will lead to leaks and that Elin will end up spying for the Fey. And Elin's "family" isn't any better. Her "mother" has declared that if she bonds with Caleb she will be expected to spy for her and if she doesn't prepare to suffer the consequences.
Stuck between the poverbial rock and hard place these two do all they can to fight for their right to be together. When Niles discovers his mate is pregnant and practically goes off the deep end, Caleb is forced to step in as acting Alpha.. and Elin and Caleb working with the friendly neighborhood Vampire work to figure out just who is killing people off? Is it the werewolf that turned Caleb? Or can it be some mysterious Vampire? Or maybe a human servant? How can they help? What can they do? and who do they ask for help? Lots of questions and very little time to figure out the answers..
A Seriously GREAT book.. I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into this series!!
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Darkness Bred provided by netgalley and scheduled for release on May 28, 2013
June 2, 2013
If you haven’t had the chance to delve into Stella Cameron’s Chimney Rock series, what are you waiting for? For the longest time I associated Cameron’s work with fantastic historical romances (I’m sure I read my way through her entire Mayfair Square series while in high school) or even contemporary thrillers. But who would have thought Ms. Cameron could extend her literary genius to paranormal romance as well? I sure didn’t! And I was a bit skeptical to say the least that someone who could such believable historical novel could produce a believable paranormal. I don’t mind admitting that I was wrong on so many levels.
As soon as I began reading, I was embroiled in life on Whidbey Island. Where werehounds work alongside Vampires, Witches and other psychics. Where a young fae can escape to and remain hidden from Others trying to gain her powers for their own means. Or here a werehound on the run could hide without fear of discovery or worry of acceptance. Sean is the hero we all want to meet in a dark alley. Elin is the heroine we all want to see get her happy ending.
With sexy characters, fantastic story line and phenomenal world building Darkness Bred is a Must Read for any fan of the paranormal.
As soon as I began reading, I was embroiled in life on Whidbey Island. Where werehounds work alongside Vampires, Witches and other psychics. Where a young fae can escape to and remain hidden from Others trying to gain her powers for their own means. Or here a werehound on the run could hide without fear of discovery or worry of acceptance. Sean is the hero we all want to meet in a dark alley. Elin is the heroine we all want to see get her happy ending.
With sexy characters, fantastic story line and phenomenal world building Darkness Bred is a Must Read for any fan of the paranormal.
May 18, 2013
"Darkness Bred" was just an 'okay' kind of read. While I did enjoy the paranormal elements tremendously, what really threw me off the the 'whacky' and crazy pacing of the entire plot line and the lack of growth and characterization of the characters.
I will admit that I was intrigued from page one due to the amount of action and sense of mystery of what was to come next. But what really dropped it for me was the amounts of useless drama and side curbs that were thrown into the plot. I mean come on and get on with the story!! Stop throwing in junk that doesn't make sense!!
I was also hoping for a sexy romantic paranormal read but that too didn't happen for me either. I did not see sparks between the characters and wondered why they were put together? It just seemed to me as if the male lead just wandered around like a lost puppy being the 'hero' and fighting bad guys while trying to figure out the right time in which he can mate with his female. WTF?!
What a hot mess. I'm disappointed. YET AGAIN, SEXXXAAYY cover!! Oooh!! I spent minutes drooling over it. ;)
I will admit that I was intrigued from page one due to the amount of action and sense of mystery of what was to come next. But what really dropped it for me was the amounts of useless drama and side curbs that were thrown into the plot. I mean come on and get on with the story!! Stop throwing in junk that doesn't make sense!!
I was also hoping for a sexy romantic paranormal read but that too didn't happen for me either. I did not see sparks between the characters and wondered why they were put together? It just seemed to me as if the male lead just wandered around like a lost puppy being the 'hero' and fighting bad guys while trying to figure out the right time in which he can mate with his female. WTF?!
What a hot mess. I'm disappointed. YET AGAIN, SEXXXAAYY cover!! Oooh!! I spent minutes drooling over it. ;)
April 28, 2013
I wanted so much to enjoy this story like I have previous Cameron novels, but I just couldn’t find enough enjoyment to rate it higher. I like the little hints of previous series that were slipped in and it was nice to see the good news Leigh had, even if her mate handled it terribly. The passion between Elin and Sean was lost in the craziness of the plot and the choppy dialogue was sadly lacking in what we expect from a great novel. I didn’t love the first book in this series, but sadly, this one hurt even more to read. This book was definitely not for me, but I respect the work that went in to it so make sure to check it out for yourself and see what you think. I continue to hope Cameron will find her stride again and return to the great writing I first encountered, but sadly it just wasn’t to be found in this book.
Rating: 1.5 stars
for full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...
Rating: 1.5 stars
for full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...
May 15, 2013
DARKNESS BRED (Chimney Rock) By Stella Cameron
Publication Date: May 28, 2013
Reviewed By: Reading In Pajamas/ Cori
Rated: 4 Stars
REVIEW:
This book draws the reader in from page one. Darkness Bred is full of mystery, danger, action, intrigue and romance. Stella Cameron is a new author for me and this is the first book I've read of hers. I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed the world she created full of supernatural creatures. Sean and Elin both have an interesting back story that leaves the reader guessing. Sean and Elin are meant to be together and will fight to stay together no matter the consequences. I recommend this book for paranormal romance lovers!
*Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Publication Date: May 28, 2013
Reviewed By: Reading In Pajamas/ Cori
Rated: 4 Stars
REVIEW:
This book draws the reader in from page one. Darkness Bred is full of mystery, danger, action, intrigue and romance. Stella Cameron is a new author for me and this is the first book I've read of hers. I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed the world she created full of supernatural creatures. Sean and Elin both have an interesting back story that leaves the reader guessing. Sean and Elin are meant to be together and will fight to stay together no matter the consequences. I recommend this book for paranormal romance lovers!
*Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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May 24, 2013
This is the second book in the series and it continues the story of the Werehounds and their quest to all become more human but focuses on the story of Sean and Elin.
Seans past comes back to haunt him. The one that turned him into a werehound is lurking in the background. And Elin is trying to figure out who she really is since she was stolen as a child and taken to the Fae's.
Throughout the story you are being led to learn more about Elin and how she connects to New Orleans and the Court of Angels.
This book seems to be a transition book to her next book. Let's just hope it comes sooner then a year from now.
Seans past comes back to haunt him. The one that turned him into a werehound is lurking in the background. And Elin is trying to figure out who she really is since she was stolen as a child and taken to the Fae's.
Throughout the story you are being led to learn more about Elin and how she connects to New Orleans and the Court of Angels.
This book seems to be a transition book to her next book. Let's just hope it comes sooner then a year from now.
September 11, 2015
So, after I finished Shadow of Night, I had to pick a book to distract me. I happened to be on vacation, so my choices were limited. As I said in the review of Shadow of Night, all I wanted to read was the third book of that series. I didn't have that, so I chose this one.
I'm repeating all this because this book had an uphill battle. This is a book from the Chimney Rock series which focuses on a pack of werehounds. The werehounds have been dying out, along with all the other shifters. The females are dying during pregnancy with their children. The first book of the series, Darkness Bound, explains all this. I read it pre-blog, so it's not reviewed, but the basic idea is the leader of the pack, Niles meets and falls for his mate, Leigh. Sean, the main character of this story is Niles' second in command and plays a large part in protecting Leigh. We discover Leigh is a particular race that is thought to have no magical abilities, but actually just has very rare ones. The idea is that these rare abilities would allow them to carry children for the werehounds. (Don't worry, I'll come back to this one in Feminist Corner. What's Feminist Corner? Check out my blog for more.)
During the first book, we also meet Silkywidden, a mysterious cat. Well, she is also a shifter, and part of the same race as Leigh. She and Sean have fallen in love while acting as go betweens for Leigh and Niles in the first book. This book starts with the necessity for a decision: Can Sean and Elin (Silkywidden) be together? Niles is concerned because Elin is fey. She's not, but she's not telling anyone that because she wants to make sure Sean wants her, not just her possible reproductive abilities (again, I'll come back to this, patience). See, Elin was kidnapped as a baby and raised by the fey Queen. Niles is worried Elin is a spy for the Queen - and to be fair, the Queen does want her to do that. She's refused. Leigh already suspects Elin's true origins, and she sees the love between the two, so he's firmly on their side. Niles is harder to convince. In the first book, they encounter a traitor among the hounds, this seems to put them all in a distrusting mood.
So, this books is less a romance than the first one was. The romance is pretty much done before it even starts. What the plot primarily rests on is the appearance of a new bad guy, The One. The one has also absorbed the hound that made Sean, Aldo. Aldo has been after Sean ever since Sean escaped from him. Sean is ridiculously protective of Elin, even though Elin helps him (saves him, really) when he goes after The One the first time. So, it's not surprising when he freaks because Elin has run off to New Orleans.
Now, this is probably what saved the book for me. As I said, this book had an uphill battle. I was pretty...meh about it up till her trip to New Orleans. The reason for that is because it meant crossover with Cameron's other series, Court of Angels. Court of Angels is about the Millet family, as well as the other prominent supernatural families of New Orleans, and their fight against the evil Embran. This series is how I discovered Cameron in the first place. My mom had read the first three and passed them along to me. I enjoyed them enough to check out other books by her. I found Chimney Rock. I enjoyed Chimney Rock, but not as much as Court of Angels. The possibility of some crossover makes both series more interesting to me.
Now, for the bad stuff. The absolute sexist bullshit of looking for a woman for the main purpose of procreating, all the while knowing that it could potentially kill her, is epic. The only thing that saves the first one from this pitfall is that Niles decides he doesn't want children if it means risking Leigh. Unfortunately, he takes a few thousand steps back in this book when Leigh actually does get pregnant. He tells her that if it looks like the kid is going to kill her, he won't lose her, no matter what. So, lemme sum up: no matter what her choice is, no matter what she wants to do with her own body, he will make the decision and end the pregnancy. How he plans to do that is never clear. His intentions are only implied, but... Regardless, I'm sure you can see my issue. He doesn't seem to respect her decisions or ability to make her own. First, her decision to have a kid, then her decision to end her pregnancy. Add to that his initial decision to find an incubator...
This book continued these issues. Sean keeps treating Elin like she can't handle herself...or can't think for herself. In some cases I agree that her involvement just makes things worse, but he treats her like she couldn't possibly contribute anything of value. It shifts towards the end, after she goes to New Orleans, but... Sean, like Niles, doesn't care if Elin can have his children - he loves her when he thinks she's fey, and he loves her when he finds out she's not.
Still, there is a taint on the whole series with the idea that they're initially just looking for incubators.
I do like this series, and the Court of Angels, but they're not favorites. I'll keep reading them, but in contrast with Shadow of Night, I'm not freaking out that there's no information on the next books in either series.
I'm repeating all this because this book had an uphill battle. This is a book from the Chimney Rock series which focuses on a pack of werehounds. The werehounds have been dying out, along with all the other shifters. The females are dying during pregnancy with their children. The first book of the series, Darkness Bound, explains all this. I read it pre-blog, so it's not reviewed, but the basic idea is the leader of the pack, Niles meets and falls for his mate, Leigh. Sean, the main character of this story is Niles' second in command and plays a large part in protecting Leigh. We discover Leigh is a particular race that is thought to have no magical abilities, but actually just has very rare ones. The idea is that these rare abilities would allow them to carry children for the werehounds. (Don't worry, I'll come back to this one in Feminist Corner. What's Feminist Corner? Check out my blog for more.)
During the first book, we also meet Silkywidden, a mysterious cat. Well, she is also a shifter, and part of the same race as Leigh. She and Sean have fallen in love while acting as go betweens for Leigh and Niles in the first book. This book starts with the necessity for a decision: Can Sean and Elin (Silkywidden) be together? Niles is concerned because Elin is fey. She's not, but she's not telling anyone that because she wants to make sure Sean wants her, not just her possible reproductive abilities (again, I'll come back to this, patience). See, Elin was kidnapped as a baby and raised by the fey Queen. Niles is worried Elin is a spy for the Queen - and to be fair, the Queen does want her to do that. She's refused. Leigh already suspects Elin's true origins, and she sees the love between the two, so he's firmly on their side. Niles is harder to convince. In the first book, they encounter a traitor among the hounds, this seems to put them all in a distrusting mood.
So, this books is less a romance than the first one was. The romance is pretty much done before it even starts. What the plot primarily rests on is the appearance of a new bad guy, The One. The one has also absorbed the hound that made Sean, Aldo. Aldo has been after Sean ever since Sean escaped from him. Sean is ridiculously protective of Elin, even though Elin helps him (saves him, really) when he goes after The One the first time. So, it's not surprising when he freaks because Elin has run off to New Orleans.
Now, this is probably what saved the book for me. As I said, this book had an uphill battle. I was pretty...meh about it up till her trip to New Orleans. The reason for that is because it meant crossover with Cameron's other series, Court of Angels. Court of Angels is about the Millet family, as well as the other prominent supernatural families of New Orleans, and their fight against the evil Embran. This series is how I discovered Cameron in the first place. My mom had read the first three and passed them along to me. I enjoyed them enough to check out other books by her. I found Chimney Rock. I enjoyed Chimney Rock, but not as much as Court of Angels. The possibility of some crossover makes both series more interesting to me.
Now, for the bad stuff. The absolute sexist bullshit of looking for a woman for the main purpose of procreating, all the while knowing that it could potentially kill her, is epic. The only thing that saves the first one from this pitfall is that Niles decides he doesn't want children if it means risking Leigh. Unfortunately, he takes a few thousand steps back in this book when Leigh actually does get pregnant. He tells her that if it looks like the kid is going to kill her, he won't lose her, no matter what. So, lemme sum up: no matter what her choice is, no matter what she wants to do with her own body, he will make the decision and end the pregnancy. How he plans to do that is never clear. His intentions are only implied, but... Regardless, I'm sure you can see my issue. He doesn't seem to respect her decisions or ability to make her own. First, her decision to have a kid, then her decision to end her pregnancy. Add to that his initial decision to find an incubator...
This book continued these issues. Sean keeps treating Elin like she can't handle herself...or can't think for herself. In some cases I agree that her involvement just makes things worse, but he treats her like she couldn't possibly contribute anything of value. It shifts towards the end, after she goes to New Orleans, but... Sean, like Niles, doesn't care if Elin can have his children - he loves her when he thinks she's fey, and he loves her when he finds out she's not.
Still, there is a taint on the whole series with the idea that they're initially just looking for incubators.
I do like this series, and the Court of Angels, but they're not favorites. I'll keep reading them, but in contrast with Shadow of Night, I'm not freaking out that there's no information on the next books in either series.
April 17, 2020
very slow reading
October 18, 2021
Loved it.
June 19, 2024
The writing is odd - disjointed. There were instances where it was either unclear or didn't make sense who was doing what. It was a bit hard to tell the secondary characters apart too.
September 12, 2013
Darkness Bred is one of those books that I really wanted to love, but didn't. It was okay, and there were a few parts I enjoyed - like the creatures inhabiting this world. But overall it was just an okay read I didn't hate it,but I didn't particularly like it. First of all, to be fair I didn't know this was part of series and therefore didn't read the first book Darkness Bound. This may have effected my reading experience but then again, maybe not. I would've expected this story to be able to stand on it's own because of the shift in main characters, but perhaps not. Let me explain my feelings - I'll put a spoiler alert here because there will be some.
It was okay, I suppose. Honestly I wouldn't recommend this one unless you have nothing else to do with your time (I'm talking about sitting in the hospital/repair shop/other place that requires a lot of waiting with only this book or a blank wall for company situations). I will most likely not be reading more in this series. 2 stars.
It was okay, I suppose. Honestly I wouldn't recommend this one unless you have nothing else to do with your time (I'm talking about sitting in the hospital/repair shop/other place that requires a lot of waiting with only this book or a blank wall for company situations). I will most likely not be reading more in this series. 2 stars.
July 30, 2013
Title: Darkness Bred
Author: Stella Cameron
Rating: 4.25/5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Series: Chimney Rock
Publisher: Forever an imprint of Hachett
ISBN: 1455500143
~ Book Description ~
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
Ever since shapeshifter Elin escaped to Whidbey Island, danger has stalked her every move. Her human traits, combined with her unique supernatural gifts, make her a prized being to be possessed . . . or destroyed. It is only the passionate attraction she shares with werehound Sean Black that gives her hope for her future-if she can elude the lethal predators who are hot on her scent.
HIDES DANGER AND DESIRE
Sean knows that Elin, with her delicate beauty and seductive powers, is his one perfect mate. The woman who can restore his humanity and make him stronger than ever. He’ll need that strength and more to protect her from those who wish to destroy him and everything he desires. For Sean carries a secret that binds him to an enemy from the past and to a darker, deadlier force-a malignant evil that is hunting the women of Whidbey Island . . .
~ Karen’s Review ~
Darkness Bred by Stella Cameron is the sequel of Darkness Bound, the first book in the series. The location of the series is Whidbey Island, Puget Sound, Washington State. Whidbey is a nice quiet island, if you don’t notice that it is a hot bed of paranormal activity. As the non-paranormal inhabitants must have their heads stuck in the sand because, denial is not a river in Egypt, it is the mindset of the nonparanormal inhabitants of Whidbey. Darkness Bred is a complex paranormal read, and I would not recommend this book to new readers of the genre because of the intricate world that Stella Cameron has built. Furthermore Darkness Bred is not a standalone read, it is book two in the series and without reading book one Darkness Bound, readers will be lost.
Cameron’s book Darkness Bred, starts out shortly after the events of Darkness Bound, the main characters of this book are Sean a werehound and Elin a fae princess. The island of Whidbey is inhabitedby werehounds, werewovles, fae (who live beyond the veil), vampires, and various other paranormal creatures. One thing you learn quickly from a Cameron book is to take nothing at face value, her plots are multifaceted and you should never assume who is friend or who is a foe. The lines between the two can be muddled at best, in any paranormal book, and in the world of Darkness alliance are formed and broken for a myriad of reasons. In Darkness Bred you have the central love story of Sean and Elin, two people who both hold an abundance of secrets. But these aren’t the only two inhabitants of Whidbey who have secrets lurking just under the service. All the characters from the first book are also included in book two, and the story line is a continuation of that book.
The major theme of the series is one of inclusion, as the werehounds want to be part of the human world, but honestly I have not read anything in the books that leads me to believe that they are excluded from being part of the mundane human world. This need to be ‘more human’ makes no sense, as they do nothing that stands out as otherworldly, when they interact with humans. I would like Cameron to explore the deep need of the werehounds to be accepted. As I understand the books these werehounds were not born that way, they were bitten and changed; therefore they are altered humans. Maybe a ‘born’ werehound book would be a good edition to the series, to get a sense of what they are like, to understand the non-human aspect of their society.
Author: Stella Cameron
Rating: 4.25/5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Series: Chimney Rock
Publisher: Forever an imprint of Hachett
ISBN: 1455500143
~ Book Description ~
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
Ever since shapeshifter Elin escaped to Whidbey Island, danger has stalked her every move. Her human traits, combined with her unique supernatural gifts, make her a prized being to be possessed . . . or destroyed. It is only the passionate attraction she shares with werehound Sean Black that gives her hope for her future-if she can elude the lethal predators who are hot on her scent.
HIDES DANGER AND DESIRE
Sean knows that Elin, with her delicate beauty and seductive powers, is his one perfect mate. The woman who can restore his humanity and make him stronger than ever. He’ll need that strength and more to protect her from those who wish to destroy him and everything he desires. For Sean carries a secret that binds him to an enemy from the past and to a darker, deadlier force-a malignant evil that is hunting the women of Whidbey Island . . .
~ Karen’s Review ~
Darkness Bred by Stella Cameron is the sequel of Darkness Bound, the first book in the series. The location of the series is Whidbey Island, Puget Sound, Washington State. Whidbey is a nice quiet island, if you don’t notice that it is a hot bed of paranormal activity. As the non-paranormal inhabitants must have their heads stuck in the sand because, denial is not a river in Egypt, it is the mindset of the nonparanormal inhabitants of Whidbey. Darkness Bred is a complex paranormal read, and I would not recommend this book to new readers of the genre because of the intricate world that Stella Cameron has built. Furthermore Darkness Bred is not a standalone read, it is book two in the series and without reading book one Darkness Bound, readers will be lost.
Cameron’s book Darkness Bred, starts out shortly after the events of Darkness Bound, the main characters of this book are Sean a werehound and Elin a fae princess. The island of Whidbey is inhabitedby werehounds, werewovles, fae (who live beyond the veil), vampires, and various other paranormal creatures. One thing you learn quickly from a Cameron book is to take nothing at face value, her plots are multifaceted and you should never assume who is friend or who is a foe. The lines between the two can be muddled at best, in any paranormal book, and in the world of Darkness alliance are formed and broken for a myriad of reasons. In Darkness Bred you have the central love story of Sean and Elin, two people who both hold an abundance of secrets. But these aren’t the only two inhabitants of Whidbey who have secrets lurking just under the service. All the characters from the first book are also included in book two, and the story line is a continuation of that book.
The major theme of the series is one of inclusion, as the werehounds want to be part of the human world, but honestly I have not read anything in the books that leads me to believe that they are excluded from being part of the mundane human world. This need to be ‘more human’ makes no sense, as they do nothing that stands out as otherworldly, when they interact with humans. I would like Cameron to explore the deep need of the werehounds to be accepted. As I understand the books these werehounds were not born that way, they were bitten and changed; therefore they are altered humans. Maybe a ‘born’ werehound book would be a good edition to the series, to get a sense of what they are like, to understand the non-human aspect of their society.
February 10, 2023
Always considered small, fragile and obedient, the heroine finally makes her move and escapes the oppression of her Fae mother. She knows the were hound hero is meant to be hers. And he knows she's meant to be his. But their relationship is strained and problematic to say the least. Her mother vows to see them separate and his alpha and pact mate are adamant about him falling under her fae spell and compromising the safety of their community. But regardless of all the pressure to stay apart, they vow to stay together.
The hero makes it clear in no uncertain terms that if she goes, he goes. But that doesn't mean he's immediately willing to complete their bond. They barely know each other and between them are enough secrets that entering into a mate bond now will cause heartache later. Secrets like what the heroine truly is and what the hero was accused of back in Chicago. They may love each other and long for each other but they don't 100% trust each other. And now an ancient and insane vampire is after the heroine and this just adds fuel to the fire in regards to just how ill-advised their relationship is. Together they have to learn to trust one another and, in the process, stop the evil from destroying their world.
I thought this book was shit...Let's start with that. First of all, I disliked the heroine. She was supposed to be fragile and meek yet at every opportunity she put herself in danger despite the plea from the hero to stay safe. I didn't HATE the hero but neither did I feel any sort of attachment to him. But the major issue I had with the book was the language and the way it was written. It was honestly like the author didn't speak English. Every word out of the characters mouths was horribly disjointed and scattered. It was no fluidity and as such it was an absolutely torture to read. Once again characters just rambled on and on without anything any important or vital to the plot and by half way through I wanted to stab myself in the eye in the book corner. I didn't you'll be happy to know but I did do a how bunch of skimming. I was never invested in the plot, could have cares less about the characters and could barely keep focused on what was going on but I just wanted it to stop. But I stuck through and finished the damn thing but when purge time comes this will be the first to go-no hesitation.
The hero makes it clear in no uncertain terms that if she goes, he goes. But that doesn't mean he's immediately willing to complete their bond. They barely know each other and between them are enough secrets that entering into a mate bond now will cause heartache later. Secrets like what the heroine truly is and what the hero was accused of back in Chicago. They may love each other and long for each other but they don't 100% trust each other. And now an ancient and insane vampire is after the heroine and this just adds fuel to the fire in regards to just how ill-advised their relationship is. Together they have to learn to trust one another and, in the process, stop the evil from destroying their world.
I thought this book was shit...Let's start with that. First of all, I disliked the heroine. She was supposed to be fragile and meek yet at every opportunity she put herself in danger despite the plea from the hero to stay safe. I didn't HATE the hero but neither did I feel any sort of attachment to him. But the major issue I had with the book was the language and the way it was written. It was honestly like the author didn't speak English. Every word out of the characters mouths was horribly disjointed and scattered. It was no fluidity and as such it was an absolutely torture to read. Once again characters just rambled on and on without anything any important or vital to the plot and by half way through I wanted to stab myself in the eye in the book corner. I didn't you'll be happy to know but I did do a how bunch of skimming. I was never invested in the plot, could have cares less about the characters and could barely keep focused on what was going on but I just wanted it to stop. But I stuck through and finished the damn thing but when purge time comes this will be the first to go-no hesitation.
October 11, 2013
Book Review- Darkness Bred by Stella Cameron
I had a hard time getting in to this book. The story line was very confusing to me. I did not read the first book of the series so was lost when reading this book. It really doesn’t stand alone. There was a lot going on and I assume that it was carried over from the first book. The relationship of the main characters didn’t seem real or believable. The way the author wrote their relationship was distant. They claimed to love each other but I had a hard time seeing it.
This book is about Sean who is a werehound and part of an elite group that protects innocents against the paranormal world that humans are unaware of. The paranormal in this story include vampires, werewolves, and the Fae. He has a past and is being chased by the werehound who turned him. Sean is being hunted by the law for murder that his sire werehound framed him for. While he is hiding he joins the werehound pack that helps the human race. The werehound pack is searching for Deseran women to mate with in order to build their species from the brink of extinction.
Sean’s mate is Elin. She was kidnapped as an infant and raised by the queen of the Fae, Tarhazian. She leaves the land of the Fae, banished by the queen for helping the werehounds. The werehounds assume she is Fae and the pack doesn’t quite trust her. Her relationship with Sean is frowned upon by his pack and the Fae queen who threatens Elin.
As the war between paranormals and the werehounds progress, Elin searches her true identity and what she really is. Sean fights to protect her and his pack. His past catches up to him and he is in the fight for his life and his mate.
I give this book a 2 out of 5. I really didn’t care for it.
I had a hard time getting in to this book. The story line was very confusing to me. I did not read the first book of the series so was lost when reading this book. It really doesn’t stand alone. There was a lot going on and I assume that it was carried over from the first book. The relationship of the main characters didn’t seem real or believable. The way the author wrote their relationship was distant. They claimed to love each other but I had a hard time seeing it.
This book is about Sean who is a werehound and part of an elite group that protects innocents against the paranormal world that humans are unaware of. The paranormal in this story include vampires, werewolves, and the Fae. He has a past and is being chased by the werehound who turned him. Sean is being hunted by the law for murder that his sire werehound framed him for. While he is hiding he joins the werehound pack that helps the human race. The werehound pack is searching for Deseran women to mate with in order to build their species from the brink of extinction.
Sean’s mate is Elin. She was kidnapped as an infant and raised by the queen of the Fae, Tarhazian. She leaves the land of the Fae, banished by the queen for helping the werehounds. The werehounds assume she is Fae and the pack doesn’t quite trust her. Her relationship with Sean is frowned upon by his pack and the Fae queen who threatens Elin.
As the war between paranormals and the werehounds progress, Elin searches her true identity and what she really is. Sean fights to protect her and his pack. His past catches up to him and he is in the fight for his life and his mate.
I give this book a 2 out of 5. I really didn’t care for it.
May 16, 2014
Ugh.. thought I would give this one a chance because after all it's Stella Cameron. But once again, I'm finding that this whole paranormal genre is just not cutting it for me anymore. A major problem I had with this book is that the conversations that took place between several of the characters I had to go back and reread. I kept thinking well, maybe it's me. I'll just quit reading now and come back to it later. But the problem never went away. I know the main characters were able to communicate telepathically, so maybe it is intentionally written that way.. to show how well the characters know one another. Writers will do all kinds of creative things to add to the whole plot device of the story. Either way.. it just cut it for me. I love stories that are dialogue driven and dialogue with holes is annoying. And with the way I read and the quantity I read that is saying something. It's part of a series and I'm sorry to say I've had my fill.
February 16, 2014
Really Only 3 & 1/2 stars.
I seemed to connect to this one sooner than the first but it still took me awhile to finish compared to other paranormal stories I read. This one made more sense since I was familiar with the premise behind the world the characters live in except the writing still didn't flow the way I would have liked it to.
The plot seemed kind of all over the place and convoluted at times, it may be that way though to try and set up more on the series still to be released? I'm not sure I will continue reading the rest or not. Unfortunately, I won't be on pins and needles waiting for the next release but if I did happen to see the next one I might still get it depending on who the new story will about.
I seemed to connect to this one sooner than the first but it still took me awhile to finish compared to other paranormal stories I read. This one made more sense since I was familiar with the premise behind the world the characters live in except the writing still didn't flow the way I would have liked it to.
The plot seemed kind of all over the place and convoluted at times, it may be that way though to try and set up more on the series still to be released? I'm not sure I will continue reading the rest or not. Unfortunately, I won't be on pins and needles waiting for the next release but if I did happen to see the next one I might still get it depending on who the new story will about.
May 26, 2013
Stella Cameron has created a chilling suspense.
Where things not only go bump in the night, they
hold reader's spellbound and wanting more!
This is where hidden dangers meet desire.
Where nothing is what it seems. And where
dark, deadly things are stirring.
Evil is stalking and hunting down it's prey.
The women on Whidbey Island are in grave danger.
As Elin's supernatural gifts make her a prime target
for these lethal predators.
Can Sean Black save her or will evil succeed and the
two be destroyed?
This is the second book in the red-hot, sizzling,
Chimney Rock series. I loved the book and enjoy
Stella Cameron's masterful storytelling.
Where things not only go bump in the night, they
hold reader's spellbound and wanting more!
This is where hidden dangers meet desire.
Where nothing is what it seems. And where
dark, deadly things are stirring.
Evil is stalking and hunting down it's prey.
The women on Whidbey Island are in grave danger.
As Elin's supernatural gifts make her a prime target
for these lethal predators.
Can Sean Black save her or will evil succeed and the
two be destroyed?
This is the second book in the red-hot, sizzling,
Chimney Rock series. I loved the book and enjoy
Stella Cameron's masterful storytelling.
May 28, 2013
I was disappointed in the first book of the series, but since first books can become victim to having the story lost in the world building I decided to give the second one a chance. Unfortunately, Darkness Bred has awkward interactions, unmemorable characters, and a plot that is really all over the place. I am usually a fan of all-things- paranormal, but even the 'monsters' are unbelievable in this world. Stella has yet to convince me that werehounds can be way cooler than werewolves. I like that authors try to approach the same-old stories with new twists, but this time the attempt just fell flat. I recieved an copy of this title from Goodreads First-Reads for an honest review.
January 8, 2014
Apparently Stella Cameron, at age 70, is just NOT meant to be writing paranormal romance.
There was no romance. The characters were lacking depth & development. The dialogue made no sense and was completely boring.
The plot line for this book added MORE paranormal hoo-ha to the garbage that had already been thrown into book 1, Darkness Bound. So book 2 ended up even MORE confusing & ridiculous--if that's possible!
I had heard great things about Stella Cameron, but her Chimney Rock series didn't pan out for me. I feel wasteful even giving these books 1 star. Half a star would be generous!
Moving right along...anything would be better than these books! Drat!
There was no romance. The characters were lacking depth & development. The dialogue made no sense and was completely boring.
The plot line for this book added MORE paranormal hoo-ha to the garbage that had already been thrown into book 1, Darkness Bound. So book 2 ended up even MORE confusing & ridiculous--if that's possible!
I had heard great things about Stella Cameron, but her Chimney Rock series didn't pan out for me. I feel wasteful even giving these books 1 star. Half a star would be generous!
Moving right along...anything would be better than these books! Drat!
July 29, 2016
I think that I just do not understand some of the hang-ups and indecision in this book. If there were a chance to live a life with your soul mate, then what could honestly stop you?? She makes him happy, he makes her happy. Very simple. The constant back and forth and debate just got on my nerves and definitely did not add to the story. To me it was not suspenseful at ALL. The mystery aspect was obvious... I struggled to finish it. I definitely wish that I had chosen another book on my vast shelf of books waiting to be read. I do seem to be acquiring them faster than I can read them. I am positive one of them would have been more entertaining.
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March 22, 2014First off I would like to say Thanks you Goodreads. I won this book frm the giveaway.
I just LOVE Stella Cameron. This book is part of a series. I didn't read the first, but however I will go back and do so. I love the character of Elin and Sean. I want to kow more about Leigh and Niles. I would love to read more about Whidbey Island. I will have to find the rest of the series.
I love a good supernatural book especially a Paranormal romance. If you ke Vampires and Werewolves this is your book.
I just LOVE Stella Cameron. This book is part of a series. I didn't read the first, but however I will go back and do so. I love the character of Elin and Sean. I want to kow more about Leigh and Niles. I would love to read more about Whidbey Island. I will have to find the rest of the series.
I love a good supernatural book especially a Paranormal romance. If you ke Vampires and Werewolves this is your book.
August 29, 2013
Honestly I kind of wanted to throttle the two main characters. They're supposedly in love but can't seem to have an honest conversation, and they're both so stubborn they refuse to listen to each other or admit that other people might have a point worth listening to. I finished reading it because I was mildly curious about what happened and didn't have anything more compelling in my to-read stack. I liked the first book in the series, but if this second one is typical of what's to come I don't know that I'll continue reading the series.
August 16, 2013
Great writer, boring book. I won this one in a giveaway, and was really looking forward to the read. I literally labored through the whole thing. A shame too, as the first book was pretty interesting. I'm giving it a mid-range rating because there is nothing wrong with the book's writing style or character building. I just didn't connect with the protagonists, and I was never drawn into the story- others may not feel the same way.
June 13, 2013
Terrible. I dont know how the first book was so much better written than this one.
Only got about 25% through it (kindle edition) before I had to stop reading, which rarely happens to me.
Female lead was very childish and annoying, also seemed to constantly be treated like a child by the male lead and all the other characters.
Writting and grammar was all over the place, as was the plot.
I really wanted to like this as well.
Only got about 25% through it (kindle edition) before I had to stop reading, which rarely happens to me.
Female lead was very childish and annoying, also seemed to constantly be treated like a child by the male lead and all the other characters.
Writting and grammar was all over the place, as was the plot.
I really wanted to like this as well.
June 15, 2013
I was so so on the first book, so this book was going to be a make or break book for the series for me. Sadly it didn't work for me and I'm not sure I can explain why. I do know that I read about 10 pages and put the book down, then tried to pick it up 3 more times, but didn't read more than 5 pages each time, the book just couldn't hold my attention.
May 22, 2013
I could not finish this book. I got about 1/3 of the way and just couldn't keep reading. I had no idea what was going on and really could care less. The characters were boring and hardly spoke and when they did it made no sense. Maybeone day I'll try to pick this up and try again but when there are so many good paranormal books out there it makes it hard to force yourself to read a book.
February 19, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book and am really upset that there are not more books in this series in print. If there are more for a type of e-reader I do not have one so I am out of luck I guess. I thought it was brilliant for Ms. Cameron to bring in some of the history from the Millett family series to further the story along.
January 23, 2015
Expected it to be a classical paranormal romance. A good one at that. But then it turned out to be disappointing rather than good. This book just did not speak to me. Read it but would not recommend it for somebody who seeks for a great or fascinating book. Not that there is anything wrong with it. It simply was not a book for my taste.
November 17, 2015
I decided to continue on with this second book of the Chimney Rock series after I learned from another reviewer that the good doctor, “the humanitarian vampire,” made more appearances. A crush made me read it. I hope there’s a novel forthcoming that revolves solely around Dr. Saul VanDoren…that’s all I wish to say.
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