Darkness Falls by A.C. Warneke, is the dramatic conclusion to Malorie Sinclair’s quest to have a real life, a story that reunites old lovers, reveals new secrets, strengthens family ties, challenges the strongest Aradian, and brings us Hope.
The majority of the characters return from book one Darkness Comes, but we are introduced to a few new and important characters in this book. Feryn, Jiro, Taella,Varick and Jack have been dusted off, polished and given more depth, and dimension in this story. I found this to be a good thing as it allowed me to see the connections between the characters much better, to understand the intrigue, the betrayals, and their roles to the overall plot of the story. Malorie’s father Gus, has more of a behind the scenes role in this book, being a character that’s discussed and searched for.
New secondary characters include Nadine, Scott Macintyre, Hunter, and Ginny, each filling important and connective roles to the overall storyline
I found the brief glimpse into Malorie’s childhood, made her more of a real character; explaining why a simple, real life is so important for her to provide for her son Toby. Malorie’s character remains headstrong, driven and vibrant, while also showing a loving, vulnerable and more mature side. Seeing Malorie in non-combat mode, interacting with Toby, showed a more feminine side to her character, a mother who placed her child’s security above all else.
I found the writing in this book to be far better than the first book, flow, pacing and memory/dream sequences were not as confusing, editing excellent. I’m not going to share, any of the actual storyline, or highlight moments, as I don’t want to give away any of the plot out of context. This was not a quick and easy read for me, the story is complex, having a few twists and turns, some ah ha moments and there were a few sections I had to re-read to make sure I understood the connections. The timeline appears to be about 5 – 7 months, but sometimes my brain got lost in Netherspace, and I had to step back and do a mental re-cap. The overall story seems to tie up most of the loose ends, and provides the reader with a satisfying HEA, ending on a positive note. I do see some character situations that could make good novellas, or follow on stories, but maybe I’m reading more into this then there really is.
I received a copy of the book from the author for an honest review. All in all, this was a four star read for me.