Evernight

Darkest London #5

by Kristen Callihan, Moira Quirk (Narrator)

Once the night comes…

Will Thorne is living a nightmare, his sanity slowly being drained away by a force he can't control. His talents have made him the perfect assassin for hire. But as he loses his grip on reality, there is no calming him—until he finds his next target: the mysterious Holly Evernight.

Love must cast aside the shadows…

Holly cannot fathom who would put a contract on her life, yet the moment she touches Will, the connection between them is elemental, undeniable—and she's the only one who can tame his bouts of madness. But other assassins are coming for Holly. Will must transform from killer to protector and find the man who wants Holly dead…or his only chance for redemption will be lost.

Genres: Romance, Steampunk, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Historical Romance, Historical

Audible Audio

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she'd rather be. She is a RITA winner and three-time nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer's Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine's Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher's Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

Reviews

[Bubu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 04/18: b-r with Joanna, Sam, Isabella and Kyraraker

A few additional thoughts

Will is a demon, a sanguis, former member of the Nex, he had literally his heart ripped out and now he's changing into something that he doesn't understand. He's lost his place in the world.

When almost everybody expects the worst from you, what are the chances that you can realistically pursue your innermost dreams? Unlike most heroes I've read, he doesn't hold back. Once he knows what he wants, he has no compunction voicing his wishes, nor does he feel ashamed of them. And that is a rather rare quality in a hero.

In my original review I said, he had some very memorable lines. It is in those lines, in his yearning for more, that I could see the cracks in his flamboyant façade, which gives him the multi-faceted character I so love.

Holly and Will. These two, oh, these two....My review doesn't do justice to their beautiful story, I know.

***************

Original review: March 2017


What to say? What to say?

- I loved it? Sure. Which is why I've given this a 5-star-rating.
- I like the author's style? I've already stated that in more or less every review I've written about a book by Kristen Callihan, especially in the Darkest London series.
- The story is compelling? Of course, why would I continue with the series.
- I adored the heroine? It's a Kristen Callihan book; of course, I'll love the heroine.

Okay, I'll try it this way as most of my GR friends are hero-centric (and I'm sorry for any memorable hero I don't mention because he doesn't come to my mind as I write this - And please feel free to list some of your own if you like):

If you loved Sebastian from Devil in Winter
If you loved Colin from A Week to Be Wicked
If you loved Felix from The Luckiest Lady in London
If you loved Nicholas from Luck Be a Lady
If you loved Drew from Tangled
If you loved Derek from Dreaming of You
If you loved Colin from Romancing Mister Bridgerton
If you loved Joshua from The Hating Game

You will love William Thorne. Naughty, flamboyant, devil-may-care Will with his dirty mouth and wicked humour. But despite the easiness he displays, he shows depths when it's needed, compassion when it's warranted and understanding when it's wanted. He has some very, very memorable lines but the one I'll quote shows his despair over losing the woman he loves:

“Holly!” he shouted without thought, his feet flying over the hard ground. The crimson bustle of her skirts swayed with her quick steps. And his soul cried out in wrongness that she should be apart from him. “Evernight!”

I know the quote probably doesn't say much to you but believe me, by the time Will shouts and runs after Holly we've already endured a very heartbreaking moment.

This could be read as a stand alone. However, I wouldn't recommend it. Too much word building would be lost, and that is one of the main strengths of the whole series. To read Evernight solely for the love story, though, I assume one could get away with not reading the previous books.

This book has a few weaknesses and one big weakness at the very end. Put it this way, all I could think on the last 3-4 pages was 'Are you fucking kidding me?' But on the whole this moment didn't diminish the utter fun I'd had during the book.

Holly and Will are simply perfect for each other.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story from the Darkest London series. I would have loved for the guy on the cover to actually resemble Will Thorne. I imagine Will has to look something like this:
One thing I didn't quite get was what was the bid deal with Will losing his memory if he was simply going to get it back within moments of just seeing her? And just b/c he got his memory back, why is he suddenly restored to his demon powers. Did I miss something?
Looking forward to Soulbound.
(image credit: http://fuchsiart.deviantart.com/art/S...)

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Evernight is book 5 in the Darkest London series that is romance, paranormal, historical, supernatural, mystery, suspense, and steampunk. I'm not usually a big reader of paranormal, supernatural, or steampunk but I am starting to love each book in this series more than the previous; do not be scared away if you also don't usually read books with these elements. Kristen Callihan has created a world that is wildly imaginative and intricate with captivating characters. This book is dangerously close to being the best I have read so far in 2014.
 
If you have read the earlier books in the series you will remember Holly Evernight, Will Thorne, and the horrific circumstances that brought them together. This picks up a couple months after the previous book and Will is on the hunt for Holly to exact revenge for the part she played while he was a captive. When he meets up with her, he is unpleasantly surprised that any advantage he might have had are useless against Holly. This is due to Holly being an elemental; while also being a genius inventor Holly can control metal. Will was originally half human and demon but now having a clockwork heart made out of platinum that over time seeps throughout his body turning him all metal, he is consequently at the mercy of Holly. Will finds a relief and control over the metal in his body that he never had without Holly and Holly finds a protector against unknown assassins trying to kill her; thus we have our two protagonists bound together.
 
I have now thrown out the terms, elemental, demon, and clockwork heart, which if you haven't read the series could make you feel confused and overwhelmed. There is no way for me to shortly and coherently summarize all the components that make up this incredible world Ms. Callihan has created. Suffice to say there is the group Suppression of Supernaturals (SOS) who Holly works for and is dedicated to protecting humans from rogue supernaturals and the Nex, a group of supernaturals who wouldn't mind revealing themselves to humans and being in charge, who Will previously worked for. The battle of these two groups is the main tree that the rest of the story arcs branch from but we also have the Ghosts in the Machine (GIM) former humans who have died but been brought back to life with clockwork hearts that flitter between both sides, a bigger spotlight in this book on the fae, and introduction to the Alamut, a group of shadowy assassins. There are also appearances by past main characters that involve a werewolf, more elementals, and a half angel. Again, this can all sound overwhelming but Ms. Callihan does an amazing job of describing, introducing, and interweaving all of these components, without info dumping, world building in such a way that everything is so fantastical. This book would definitely be better read as part of the series so everything is understood but I'm here to tell you the main couple, Will and Holly, are great enough together for someone to randomly pick this book up and read as a standalone.
 
Holly is a very composed and literal individual, which probably stems from her being a genius and tinkering with mechanics all the time. She also suffers from agoraphobia due to her imprisonment where she meets Will. Will is used to decadence, dirty talk, and general shenanigans due to his demon side. There is some resentment from Will as he blames Holly for what he has become because she created his clockwork heart but that dissipates fairly quickly as he realizes she was as much a victim as him. The way he teases and brings out her feisty side will have you grinning ear to ear and the poignant scenes with such deep heartfelt emotion between the two will have your heart feeling two sizes too big for your chest. Holly tries to keep a wall up enough times that you may find yourself getting angry at her before she finally gives in while I know readers are going to fall helplessly in love with Will. Their out of the bedroom and in the bedroom scenes are scorching. The sexual chemistry made up of anticipation, push/pull, desire, and the way Will calls Holly "love" and dirty talks, will have you fanning yourself. This couple also has such lightness to them when they are together that reading about them is immensely pleasing.
 
Everything happening is so intriguing that there is never a dull moment and I never wanted to put the book down. I did feel Holly recovered from her agoraphobia pretty quickly and the ending felt somewhat rushed as certain things seemed to be wrapped up with too tidy of bows; these are rather small complaints, though. Even with all the complex story arcs swirling around Will and Holly they were dynamic enough to remain front and center, never over powered by the story. This series started off good and only improves with each book; this latest one is my favorite. Whether you like paranormal, supernatural, or romance this series and especially this book more than delivers. I will definitely be anxiously anticipating the next in the series which will be about Adam, the father of the GIMs and Eliza, Holly's cousin.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

May’s prompt for the TBR Challenge was “Something Different”, with the suggestion of reading a book with an unusual setting, non-fiction or something out of my comfort zone.  I gave it a lot of thought… and then thought about it some more, because I had trouble finding something that fit the bill.  I have plenty of books on my Kindle or in the house that might have done the job, but not many that that I actually wanted to read and were thus on my TBR pile. I know this is a challenge and I do like the fact that it does make me read genres I don’t often read, but I didn’t have the time or the inclination to struggle reading something I just didn’t fancy, especially as I’ve got a big pile of review books waiting in the wings.

I probably read one, perhaps two paranormals a year (and that number will drop unless someone else comes up with another good historical PNR series!)  so on that basis I suppose Kristen Callihan’s Evernight might qualify as being a bit out of my comfort zone. I admit I’m cheating though, as I’ve read all the other books in the series and loved them.  But what the hell, I’m getting something off my TBR pile, which is the ultimate goal!

This is the fifth book in the series, and picks up the story of Holly Evernight and Will Thorne that began in the previous book, Shadowdance, when Holly, who works for the SOS (Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals) as a kind of Q was forced by a crazed demon to perform a horrific experiment.  Amaros – a fallen angel – wanted to prolong his life by means of a clockwork heart, but wasn’t willing to undergo the implant without testing it on someone else first. That someone was Will Thorne, a powerful Sanguis demon and member of the Nex, an organisation dedicated to bringing down the reign of humans and allowing supernaturals to live in the open.

When Amaros ripped out Will’s living, beating heart, Holly had no choice but to replace it with a platinum one if he was to continue to live – and a year later, she can still hear his screams and remember the expressions of terror and agony on his face.  As a result of this experience, Holly has become a recluse, content to tinker with her inventions at the home she now never leaves.

But even though her house is extremely well-protected by means of various alarms and booby-traps, there have been a number of attempts on her life recently - yet she has no idea who is behind them or what could be their motive.  A fourth attempt is not long in coming, and Holly is astonished to discover that her attacker on this occasion is none other than Will Thorne, who has turned almost entirely to metal.  Being a powerful Elemental with the ability to control metal, Holly is well able to defend herself against him – but she quickly realises that this is a being driven almost insane by pain, and instinctively acts to help him rather than to dispose of him.

Using her abilities, she is able to halt the progress of the metal throughout Will’s body and to lessen his pain so that gradually, he is able to regain his reason and his senses.  He has little memory of where he has been or what he has been doing for the past year; the overwhelming agony of the metal gradually encroaching through his body has caused him to almost lose his mind – but he does recall two things.  That for the past year, the desire to revenge himself upon Holly has been the one thing occupying his thoughts – and that someone told him where to find her.

Will quickly realises that killing Holly is not an option – she is the only person who is likely to be able to cure him, and besides, just being close to her alleviates his suffering – so he offers her a deal.  He will protect her if she finds a cure and keeps him pain free.

Ripping out a man’s heart and replacing it with a clockwork one isn’t perhaps the best way to begin a relationship (!), and Will and Holly certainly don’t get off to a great start.  She is not completely convinced that he has changed his mind about killing her for one thing; and she’s prickly, waspish and most definitely does NOT appreciate Will’s slightly risqué quips, his handsome, leanly muscled form, his charm and the fact that the way he looks at her makes her stomach flip.  Well - she doesn’t want to appreciate them, anyway.

And Will doesn’t want to like Holly either; she’s starchy, overly logical (he thinks) and he hates that he needs her and resents her for it.  But when he starts to see beyond her aloofness and to understand the reasons behind it, realising that she is as much of a victim as he is, he finds himself more than liking her and takes to needling her to shake her up a bit.  She’s shut herself away for the past year and hasn’t been out of the house, yet she’s a lovely young woman who should be living her life and not locked away from the world.  Sanguis demons are by nature hedonistic and Will certainly appreciates the finer things in life, especially when it comes to women; and to him, Holly is very fine indeed.  Yet she persists in trying to shut him out, even after an explosive sexual encounter the fervour of which astonishes them both.

Both central characters are thoroughly engaging and the fact that they’re complete opposites - she’s buttoned up and logical, he’s laid-back and quite delicious – allows for a slow build-up of the attraction between them and makes for a lusciously steamy romance. There’s a deft bit of role-reversal here, too, with Holly being the one to hold back while Will, who has never been loved, longs for it and once he has it, embraces it with his whole heart and soul.  It’s incredibly romantic and is one of the things that makes him such a wonderful hero.

The chemistry between the pair is off the charts; the air positively crackles whenever they’re on the page together, and I loved their gradual progression from two people who have been forced into proximity to a couple unable to envisage life without each other.   Ms Callihan has penned yet another intense, sensual romance that is bound to set pulses racing, but there is more to the central relationship than sex. There’s tenderness, humour, caring and a deep emotional connection that is so beautifully written that it broke my heart when the machinations of another seemed poised to wrench Will and Holly apart forever.  My one quibble with the book as a whole is that the final resolution is perhaps a little too easily come by when set against the desolation into which Holly has been swept because of the sacrifice Will makes in order to keep her safe. But on the other hand, the rest of the story is so compelling and the protagonists so appealing that I’m able to forgive that tiny weak spot in what is otherwise a wonderful read.

Kristen Callihan has created a fantastical world that exists just below the surface of Victorian London, a world populated by demons, angels, werewolves (Lycans) vampires (Sanguis), GIMs (humans who have died but been brought back to life by means of a clockwork heart), Fae… it may sound a little overwhelming to someone unfamiliar with the series or with paranormals in general, but the author is extremely good at giving relevant information without going into lots of dry exposition or info-dumps.  Each book in the series is “self-contained” in that it tells a complete story in itself while also laying trails of breadcrumbs for forthcoming books and picking up threads from previous ones; and although it undoubtedly helps to have read the earlier books, if you’re prepared to do a bit of homework, then it’s quite possible to read Evernight as a standalone.

That said, all the books in this series so far have been excellent; I’ve rated them all B+/4.5 stars and above, so I can say without hesitation that it is absolutely worth starting at the beginning with Firelight if you fancy dipping your toe into historical PNR waters.

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/21
I wasn't disliking this initially, but I think upon reread, I noticed a couple of things, in fact, I wondered briefly if this would be more like 3 star book for me. I had a big time struggle in the first 10-13 chapters with the dependence on Holly for Will's pain and sanity (it smacked of fate-mating-he calls her "My Evernight" far too early). I didn't feel like the feelings were well delineated from the need and I don't care for that. I also struggled with Will a bit. He's not extreme in the the least. He's not heavily loyal, he's not as irreverent as Ian, he's not calculated or heavily cunning, he's not ruthless, and there's an underlying and strange sensitivity. Basically I didn't know what to make of him. I still am not completely sure how I'd describe him, but that's actually ok. I love that KC made him bond so strongly to people, (Jack and Holly, in this case) and did a great job showing that through Jack, honestly. I don't need him to be all one thing or another, but in ways I had as much trouble with his transitions and development as he seemed to. By ch13 or so, things started clicking and demonstrating this and I remembered why I rated it 4.5. I still struggled with their beginnings, but I will say in the end they put those concerns to bed as well. I think the beginning also struggled because it felt a little more disconnected than the others; they are essentially the beginning of the second half of this series and that story took time to flesh out. I don't think I realized this last time I read it.
**B-R w/ Bubu, Joanna, Whiskey, Isabella, and Ursula
________
Solid 4.5...I don't know I might need a reread. I can't put my finger on why this fell a little short of 5--when they are separated, I thought oh, I wish I got to read a whole extra book on Will falling for Holly again
so maybe it was the neat ending. Maybe it was that I didn't want it to end.

[Carmel (Rabid Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Lately it seems that many of my favourite paranormal romance series have written all of their main characters’ tales, and have started adding secondary ones in order to be able to crank out more installments. The main problem with this is that it’s hard to introduce new couples this late in the game, and still have readers connect with them, because they weren’t part of the author’s original world. Kristen Callihan has succeeded where countless others have failed by A) having enough foresight to provide a bit of back story with a novella (ENTWINED), and B) ensuring that her protagonists were able to stand on their own while still fitting into her DARKEST LONDON universe. EVERNIGHT is a multilayered, beautifully written book, and a stunning testament to the power of love.

Callihan continues to break the traditional PNR mold by ensuring that each new installment is truly unique instead of a cookie cutter replica of a similar story, but with a different main couple. These novels could easily be read as stand-alones, however I’ve given this series 5 stars across the board, so it goes without saying that you should definitely start with FIRELIGHT. The plot line of this book is seriously un-unravelable between Thorne’s insanity (what’s real vs. mad imaginings), the SOS’ machinations, and several other mysterious players who aren’t even revealed until the very end. Heck, even the romance left me skeptical as to whether a HEA was even possible for Holly and Will.

There’s no shortage of paranormal elements in this tale with elementals, GIM (Ghosts in the Machine), fallen angels, Sanguis demons, fae, and shifters all playing vital roles. The DARKEST LONDON world is even further expanded upon with the addition of Here (Earth), There (Supernatural plane), and Nowhere (Hell), along with the seamless blending of the PNR, historical, and Steampunk genres for which this author is famous for. I especially enjoyed this installment because Evernight is an inventor, so on top of outstanding world-building and character development; readers also get tons and tons of gadgets like clockwork hearts and spectrometers! Callihan’s imagination is limitless, and she definitely doesn’t believe in doing anything halfway.

I loved Will and Holly’s romance; they are brought together by necessity, torn apart by others’ schemes, only to be finally reunited by fate. The cost of love has never been higher with immortality, sanity, and their very lives on the line. Evernight’s clever mind, ironclad will, and raw power complimented Thorne’s brute strength, sexual magnetism, and cunningness perfectly. The dirty talk between them was deliciously scandalous, and the sex scenes ranged from crude, to tender, to light BDSM. More often than not, I found myself doubting whether either of these characters would ever be able to find happiness, but that too was part of Kristen Callihan’s exquisitely executed master plan.

Steampunk, historical, paranormal romance—categorize this book however you like, but one thing remains clear, EVERNIGHT was awesome!

[h o l l i s · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bet my buddies were laughing at me as I complained about wanting (for once) a female character named Hollis.. welp, I got one! And in the same damn series, haha. True, she goes by Holly (yuck, I do not accept this nickname, but it was cool seeing 'Hol' thrown around!) but she is infact named after her grandfather; he of the novella 3.5.

That fun fact aside, no, I did not love this one as much as the previous book, which finally got a big five stars out of me. Buuuut it was pretty close. There was a moment near the end that I was kinda disappointed about, that didn't get fleshed out or given the potential I had rather hoped for (though it was delightfully romantic and dramatic), and for some reason despite my yay-factor over the #twinsie named heroine, I didn't always love Holly. She might actually be my least favourite heroine of the series. Go figure.

He would adore her if she gave him half the chance.

Will, on the other hand, was just delightful; even if I do think he fell for our leading lady a little quicker than I expected him to. But despite my reservations with Holly, their dynamic as a pair was so great. Callihan writes the best couples.

As for the epilogue, I have many many questions. So many. I did not love the Eliza May and Adam element in EVERNIGHT but I'm hoping their book while change my opinion on this situation. Guess I'll find out tomorrow!

[Ann Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our heroine, Holly Evernight is a metal elemental and an inventor. Cool, right? A heroine who is smart and she fights too! One of my favorite scenes was when she fought a raptor.  Anyways, her life is about science and order, then, William came along.  They have a history together and not a good one.  Better read the book to find out what it is.  William became her protector for there's a contract on her life.

This is my second book with this series. I've read book 1 and liked it. I enjoyed this one better, though.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful addition to the wonderful series!

What I appreciate the most is the fact that, even after 5 books, the series is still solid, interesting, intriguing and excellent!
There's no weakness showing. On the contrary: it becomes more complicated and this last book leaft me wanting to read the next installment immediately!

Each next character is fresh and their stories are each different than the previous. For me that's the sign of masterful storytelling!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favourite of the series.

10 ‘Never trust the Fae’ Stars.

When they ripped out his heart, and he finally succumbed to blissful oblivion, he held onto one thing: his hate for his tormentor and the one with the angel’s face and the devil’s mind. Evernight.
We meet Will Thorne in Shadowdance and well he didn’t have my sympathy but he totally won me over in this book. He is a sanguis demon who worked for the Nex the opposite of the SOS. He has his loyalties to Jack and that is what got him in the trouble to begin with. He is slowly dying.

Will is passionate, has a zest for life and wants to enjoy every moment of life. Until he was taken by a Fallen Angel and his heart was exchanged for a clockwork heart. He is out for vengeance and he’ll do anything to get it. Even put out a contract on Holly’s head. He is plagued with madness and isn’t in his right mind until he meets her and realises that she can help him.

Holly lives on logic, routine and rules she doesn’t like to get emotionally involved in anything through her affinity for metal she spends most of her time working for the SOS making cool gadgets and in her laboratory. Since the incident when she was kidnapped and forced to work with the Fallen Angel she hasn’t left her house but is until Will bursts in to kill her but changes his mind as Holly tries to find a cure he will protect her from the contract on her head.

Holly and Will are amazing together as they are individually. Holly comes to terms for the feelings that she is developing for Will and Will realises that he wants more out of life.
Will has a fantastic sense of humour which made me laugh.

“I picked this room because it was the closest," he muttered, "but hells bells, it's like walking into a pink nightmare." He shuddered and turned to her. "I have the sudden fear that I might be attacked by dozens of French poodles.”

He loves getting a rise out of Holly How I love their banter and the battle of the wits.

“Another obvious statement.” Evernight let out a small huff. “Do you always interrupt people?” “I cannot remember. If they were as pedantic as you, I’m certain I did.” Her black winged brows snapped together. “Fine. I shall use small words and phrases.”

They have sweet moments and realise how they have been played and what they will have to sacrifice to save one another. But they also realise the real feelings that they have for one another.
"What if you had my heart?" "As you have mine?" His lips brushed her cheek, his breath unsteady. "Do I, Holly? Do I have your heart?" Her smile was tremulous. "You've had it all along."

Holly hides her desires well until she can’t anymore and Will loves it.

"I knew it," he said in a low rumble. "Under all that starch you're as dirty-minded as I am."

There were so many touching moments, heartfelt and heartbreaking moments and I was always rooting for them.

Adam plays a major role in this book but I won’t go in to too much detail although he does have a hidden agenda it just doesn’t work out the way that is meant to but his book is next.

Ms. Callihan sure knows how to pull you in to a series I have to say that this is a fantastic series and I can only recommend it but in saying that you want to have to read this series as it is unique in its own way. This book was no different. It has everything that makes a fantastic read. There is an intricate plot, with twists and turns. I in no way whatsoever was bored throughout the whole of the book quite the opposite I read during work as well which I’m not allowed to do but who cares.

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

When they ripped out his heart, and he finally succumbed to blissful oblivion, he held onto one thing: his hate for his tormentor and the one with the angel’s face and the devil’s mind. Evernight.

Evernight is the fifth installment in the Darkest London series that starts with an explosive beginning to the story: a bloodthirsty demon seeking vengeance on the mad inventor that took out his heart and replaced it with a clockwork heart and altered his nature forever.

Evernight is drenched in danger, drama, and wickedness. It includes a sizzling romance with a lot of tension between enemies that become lovers.

• Meet William Thorne:

Will is a 27-year-old Sanguis Demon—demons that thrive on blood and debauchery—consider them a more sinister version of Vampires.

Will was a member of The Nex—a ruthless organization dedicated to bringing down the reign of humans and letting supernaturals live in the open.

During the events of Shadowdance, Will is caught and subjected to an unimaginable form of torture that severely altered his very essence from a Sanguis to a being that his half-machine and the clock is ticking before he meets his demise.

It took a devastating toll on him physically and mentally and left him with one purpose: the promise of retribution on the one who is the source of his pain—Holly Evernight.

• Meet Holly Evernight:

Holly is a 23-year-old human that hails from a unique family of inventors also known to be metal elementals and served the SOS for generations.

Humans who are elementals are not considered to be supernatural beings yet they do have unique powers associated with their elements.

Holly works for the SOS (The Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals) but Holly's brilliance precedes her reputation and she may have been gifted with the most unique powers than any of her predecessors.

Holly was kidnapped in Shadowdance and was forced to use one of her inventions and commit what would be considered a grave violation by replacing a live beating heart with one of her brilliant inventions: a clockwork heart.

“To clarify, it disgusts me that I want you. You are crude. You use every opportunity to rub my base needs and weakness in my face.”

Ever since he awakened from his nightmare, Will had been living in an excruciating pain that was driving him mad. He fully blames Holly for this but little does he know Holly is as much of a victim as he is.

Will is ready to take his revenge upon Holly, but more things come to light and he finds out that Holly had become a target for supernatural assassins for some reason.

Will and Holly form some sort of a beneficial partnership: Holly provides what Will needs to keep the madness and death at bay while he provides her his protection from the assassins lurking around her.

“I picked this room because it was the closest,” he muttered, “but hells bells, it’s like walking into a pink nightmare.” He shuddered and turned to her. “I have the sudden fear that I might be attacked by dozens of French poodles.”

I adored Will and Holly's chemistry, she was the ice to his fire. Will is crude, wicked, and roguish while Holly is composed, logical, and quite reserved. While Will is able to to melt that ice and bring out more of her personality—and as for Holly, with time she begins to see that deviant façade starts to fade and a whole different person lays underneath all that wickedness.

I adored their constant bickering and was merrily entertained by their banter. I couldn't get enough of them.

“From flesh to bone to blood of heart, shall we be entwined, never to part.”

The romance developed beautifully and with Holly and Will the sparks flew right away. There was a lot of pull-and-push but my favorite moments were when they were open and vulnerable around each other. Their feelings were so raw and you realize the devastation of how doomed their romance is.

Holly is reserved but it was fun to have naughty Will tease and rile her up, Holly is not what she seems and it's always the quiet ones that end up surprising you.

The passion between them was tangible and their emotional scenes played with my heartstrings.

“I would show you the world if you let me,” he said against her skin. “I would do anything just to see joy and wonder light up your lovely face.”

I continue to be impressed by Kristen Callihan's storytelling and world-building, I can't get enough of these characters and this world.

[Ferdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers

I wasn't expecting to like Evernight after reading the synopsis but it turned out to be a rather entertaining if cheesy PNR read.

Summary: Will (emo demon) wants to kill Holly (scientist/elemental), instead he ends up protecting and sexing her. Aw yea. Also, bad guys.

-Holly was quite a decent heroine, I didn't think I'd like her because she was so stiff and dull in the previous book but she was actually really fun to read about. She wasn't TSTL or insufferable, she was calm and logical especially when compared to Will, their contrasting personalities made for some amusing interactions. I especially loved when she told him about her first time, it was hilarious.
It was also great to see Holly not fall at Will's feet straight away. Sure, she fancied him as soon as she saw him but she managed (unlike most PNR heroines) not to be some pathetic needy loser five minutes after meeting the hero.

-I kind of liked Will but I also didn't, his murderous/manwhore ways and bitchiness/self-pity in the first half was off putting. He was much better than the previous hero (Jack) though, who was the absolute worst. At least when Will realised he had feelings for Holly he did nothing to hurt her or upset her unlike Jack who emotionally tortured Mary for years just for the thrill of it. Jack actually showed more concern and emotion for Holly in this book then he ever did with Mary, his supposed soulmate, it was weird.

-I had mixed feelings for Will/Holly's relationship, their banter was enjoyable and cute, but their romance was tainted by Will despising her and wanting to kill her at the start. I'm getting bored of all the different forms of abuse these PNR heroines have to put up with from their so called heroes, it's become such a cliche.
On the plus side, it was refreshing how Holly was the one acting distant and cold for the most part, and how Will was the one doing most of the passing out, it made a nice change.

-I loved that Holly lost her virginity by hiring a prostitute, I've never come across a heroine who's paid for sex with a prostitute let alone lost their virginity to one… her telling Will all about it was the best scene in the book.

-I rolled my eyes at Will solving the agoraphobia Holly had for over a year in a ten second conversation, he didn't even say anything deep or profound. It was rather unrealistic.

-I had to laugh at Will saying he didn't harm women when not only did he try to kill Holly, he also killed another woman by drinking all her blood. So yea, he was a total liar.

-Will's whole amnesia thing at the end was pointless when he pretty much remembered everything and returned to normal as soon as he saw Holly again. Also, those seven months apart meant he was probably shagging and impregnating half of England. Ugh.

-Adam was a complete plank, him chaining Eliza May for over a year and then expecting her to be grateful about it was bonkers. He basically imprisoned her yet he still had the gall to act hard done by and call Eliza all sorts of names. What did he expect her to do giggle and swoon at being held against her will? What a fucker.

-The British slang and whatnot was atrocious, there's no way any British person from the 19th century or any century for that matter spoke like that.

-The world was easy to immerse into and enjoyable to read about.

All in all, this wasn't a perfect read, it was full of cliches and caricatures but despite all that it was still a fun read.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Before he could say a word, she moved closer and pressed her smooth palm to his scar.
He nearly swooned. Clutching the chair at his side, Will swayed into her space, lured by the luscious heat and pleasure that she gave him with that simple touch. A moan escaped him.
"Interesting," she murmured.
He would kill her. Just for that. "I do believe I hate you, Miss Evernight."
Firelight caressed her skin as she gave him the smallest of smiles. "Your sense of humor is odd."
He hadn't been joking.

After the events that happened in Shadowdance, I was really looking forward to William and Holly’s book. Especially because like Will, I did blame Holly for what happened to him. Yes, her intentions were good when she made the platinum heart for the villain of the previous book, and she had no idea that said villain would use it on William as a test beforehand, but still …. because of her invention William had to endure pain and madness. A madness that is slowly consuming him. And all he seeks is revenge against his maker, Holly. But things are not as they seem, and Holly is the only person who can keep the madness at bay for Will. And so he must protect the person he set out to kill, hoping that she can be his redemption.

Holly is an Elemental, who believes in logic and the intellect. Feelings are much harder for her to understand, so she tries to stay away from them. After her capture in the previous book, and the monstrous acts she had to witness, she has removed herself from society, unable to leave the safety of her house. But then a hit is taken out on her, and the only man who can protect her is the one man she could not save before.

I really liked Will, and his wicked humor. It took a while for me to warm up to Holly, perhaps because she came across as cold and unfeeling. Luckily that wasn’t who she really was, and once she started to show her true feelings for Will, she made an excellent partner for him. Their romance was slow building, like I’ve come to expect from this series, and I must say the ending where their love proved just how strong and enduring it is, made me very happy.

This really is an excellent series. And I just love this world the author created. With every instalment more is revealed about different supernaturals, and in this one we get to meet the Fae and we learn more about Adam, the creator of the GIM.

A must read for all lovers of Historical and Paranormal Romance.

[leidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

[ 3.5 Stars ]

this was pretty enjoyable and entertaining, especially at the beginning, but also forgettable and simple. I wanted to read something exactly like this so it served me right.

[Jen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of the Darkest London series since day 1, but I honestly never thought I would love another installment the same way I loved Firelight. That was, of course, before I read this book. Evernight blew me away. It’s sexy; it’s emotional. The action is great. The pacing is great. The romance is… fan-freaking-tastic. Simply put, this is one of the best books I have read this year.

Kristen Callihan did an incredible job setting the stage for this story in Shadowdance. Inventor and elemental Holly Evernight was held captive and forced to experiment on sanguis demon William Thorne. He survived getting the clockwork heart she put inside of him, but just barely. His body and his sanity will never be the same. He blames Holly for what happened to him, never fully grasping the degree to which she was coerced. Now, in his crazed mind and deteriorating body, his only conceivable course of action is to kill her. But he is going to have to get in line.

Someone has made Holly a target for assassins, so she has turned her home into a fortress designed to keep her safe. Most of her assailants don’t survive their attempts, but William manages to breach her defenses. The only reason she survives is because of her ability to control metal. You see, William’s clockwork heart is steadily turning his flesh to platinum. And Holly’s touch stops him dead in his tracks. But the two quickly find out that her abilities can ease his suffering like nothing else has. His vendetta quickly turns into a need for her touch, and from there, a symbiotic relationship. He’ll serve as her protector, while she works to cure him.

I loved everything about this book, but perhaps the best thing it had going for it was Will. He oozes sexuality and swagger. He talks dirty. He is lethal. And inside is this vulnerable heart which has never been loved. Even his own mother rejected him. So watching this relationship develop between him and Holly is just lovely. The sexual tension is fantastic and the physical stuff is dead on, but it’s the emotional interplay that knocks it out of the park. Holly is the perfect counterpoint to the hero. She is analytical and focused. She is physically vulnerable and agoraphobic, but proves herself able to conquer her fears over and over again. There is nothing predictable or stale about the relationship building or the larger plot which surrounds it.

The story moves quickly and settles nicely into this dark and fascinating world that just keeps growing from book to book. We see familiar faces like Jack and Mary, while Callihan lays more ground work for future stories featuring characters like Adam and Sin. Every page I read made me hungry to read the next one –and now that it’s over, I am on the edge of my seat for the next book. The ending is totally satisfying and I am considering just starting it over, so I can enjoy the book all over again. I enjoyed it that much. If you aren’t reading this series, you are missing out.

Rating: A


*ARC Provided by Forever

[Melindeeloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just a bit confused when I started this - with a Darkest London and a London Steampunk book coming out so close together, I started out thinking I was in that other world - but I came back up to speed fairly quickly. I really loved this story, Will is sort of anti hero and he comes back into Holly 's life when he tries to kill her in revenge for her part in the incident in the previous book which had her witnessing his torture and him ending up with a platinum clockwork heart. I reality, Holly was as victim as well even though the heart was her invention and Will 's torment left her so traumatized that she can't bear to leave her house. When Holly foils Will's attempt on her life, they discover that her elemental talent can ease the pain that Will is suffering as the metal from his heart tries to take him over, and in exchange Will becomes Holly's protector since he's not the only one trying to kill her.

In addition to starting as enemies, Will and Holly are pretty much opposite personalities, he's wicked, flamboyant and joyous and she's analytical and reserved, so the relationship takes a good amount of time to develop and the build-up of the attraction between them makes this really steamy. But what really made this wonderful is Will, he's never really had the chance to be loved but he so yearns for it. And once it is within his grasp, he embraces it with his whole soul - which makes the story very romantic when all is said and done.

Woven into Holly and Will 's story is the set up for Adam's story with author Callihan bringing another supernatural element into her world in the form of the Fae. And it also looks like she's beginning to position Sin, the long lost brother to the original the sisters who kicked off the series, for his own book as well. Yay, hope Callihan keeps them coming, I love this series.

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts: Another satisfying addition to the Darkest London series. This installment focuses on Holly Evernight and her love interest Will Thorne. These two are sizzling hot together, even if it does take a little time for their romance to develop.

Update 12/5/14 Christal and I discuss this book over at Badass Book Reviews as part of the Jumble Your Genres reading challenge. Check it out!

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. I obviously did not read the synopsis for this book when requesting it very well! I always state that I don't read paranormal romance or anything involving demons or vampires. Hah! This book had all of this and more and guess what? I actually enjoyed it. Will wonders ever cease? I guess that's a classic case of trying something new and having an open mind. It was a fun ride this book.

What's the book about then?

Holly Evernight belongs to a very special family of inventors. They have nobly served the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals for generations. And Holly may have the most special creative powers of them all. But her skills are about to be tested as she tries to save the life of a half-man-half machine whose clockwork heart is ticking down to the bitter end...

William Thorne was a rebel, a hired assassin for the SOS's greatest rival, before he was taken, tortured, and transformed. Now his mind and soul battles with his body as he becomes less and less human. But the true fight for his humanity will be waged within his heart.

My Review:

We meet William Thorne as he succumbs to the hands of a fallen angel in the presence of Miss Holly Evernight as she partakes in the transformation of him in the most painful of manners. He ends up with a clockwork heart, made by Holly, she literally was observer to him having his heart ripped out. But never fear dear readers because she does a good job of helping that heart heal later on.

Thorne is a specific type of demon, but Holly Evernight has played a part in changing him forever. He seeks her out. Drawn to her. Then the sparks begin to fly. The dance of anger/love, the atmosphere of lust and want between the two is quite tangible in this book. It's very entertaining.

Evernight is an Elemental, she works wonders with metal in particular and is protected by an array of other worldly creatures, it's not normally within her logical thinking to fall for a demon, a blood sucking demon at that, but darn is he hot and sexy! I mean how can any warm blooded woman resist right? And after all, she helped make him what he is today.

Slowly, with languorous intent, he dipped his head. The flick of his tongue at the corner of her mouth sent a tight jolt down her center. His strong, hot fingers caged her cheeks, holding her there as his lips barely brushed hers. "Tell me," he whispered thickly. "Tell me you feel this pull between us."

Feel the pull between them? Heck you can't miss it, this book has some scorching sizzling sex scenes in it. Not a book you want to read to your teenage son or daughter if you are a parent perhaps, otherwise you could be changing every shade of red under the sun!

But alas, it's forbidden and frowned upon and much tries to come between them including assassination attempts. I suspect reading some of the books prior to this one (I realised it's book five in a series after I started it) would help with some of the character awareness and plot history. However, I managed to enjoy it as a stand alone book.

There is magic, powers, illusion, demons, fallen angels, Fae, Elementals, Elves and of course the odd human here and there. It's another world, time and place. Set in London, the background is wonderful. I did enjoy the way the Author uses "proper English" in her speech through the book, I was hearing a fair few posh English accents especially from Holly Evernight. She's an awesome character, clever, sassy, capable, mesmerising.

This is really ultimately the story of Thorne and Evernight, their dance, their destiny. But there is a good bit of action, fighting, escapades, danger and other things thrown in too. It's not all gooey romance and erotic tales, but if you like that type of thing you will LOVE this book.

Entertaining, enthralling, and just pure escapism for me. And I will now have to eat my hat after telling friends I would never enjoy a book that contains demons, the supernatural, blood sucking creatures and what-not. I stand corrected. I liked this one.

Kristen Callihan is a talented writer, her novels in this series have been hugely popular and I can see why. Totally captivating stuff.

I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did note that on Amazon UK this book is listed as Darkest London #6 whereas on NetGalley and Goodreads it is book #5.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this one and judging it as a standalone, considering I only read Book 1 Firelight (because of the Beauty and the Beast theme) two years ago and didn't manage to catch up with the subsequent books.

First and foremost, I need a little time to get used to the world building, the 17th century of London filled with demons, faes, elemental. There is a touch of steampunk-ish in the world with our heroine being the genius inventor.

Holly Evernight is an inventor and the person behind William Thorne's clockwork heart. A year ago, she was forced to put the clockwork heart into his demon body, which resulting in him turning platinum over time and losing his sanity. Now Holly had been hiding in her resident for a year, worrying her safety once she step foot outside. Apparently, someone wanted her dead.

William Thorne is a demon and a shadow walker. He longed to search for the woman who was responsible for his demise. He wanted to kill Holly Evernight for putting him through hell. His body is no longer his, he is in constant pain and sometimes he is not even sane.

When this two supposed sworn enemies met face to face, William was shocked to find out how easily Holly can control his platinum body using her elemental power. She can also ease his pain and reverse his body back to flesh if she wanted to help him. They both strike up a deal with William providing her with protection from assassins, while Holly will find a cure for him, while easing his pain in the meantime.

Holly is the brainiac heroine who is always poise regardless of the circumstances. While, William is the carefree blood sucking devil who make it his personal mission to annoy the hell out of Holly and tip her routine off-kilter. The fact that he had to remain in close quarter with her due to his condition make it all the more interesting. They had a lot of fun witty banter going on within the household. By the way, why is the guy in the cover had brown hair? Will is suppose to have shoulder length white hair.

There are a lot of things going on in this book. We have Holly and William's predicament, someone wants to either capture or kill Holly, the powerful Adam holding Eliza May as prisoner and an evil fae who is manipulating them all. There are a multiple POVs, but I feel that Adam's POV is just a tease to build up for his story with Eliza May next. So I find myself mostly skimming his part and concentrating on Will and Holly's. There are some cameo's from previous characters, but I don't find myself missing that much even though I didn't know them that well.

I like the fast pacing of the plot that resulting in me finishing this in just one day. Things just keep happening and I just want to know what's next. The climax and little twist towards the end make me worried for our couple's demise. Of course, things will work out find for them, although it seems so hopeless and impossible. Overall, I'm liking this steampunk romance very much and I plan to catch up with the previous missed installments.

I felt that the way William regain back his memory was too easy. It makes Mab, the evil fae's power looks weak. In regards to William's condition being reverse back, I felt a little puzzle as to how he is gonna manage it. And why is he reading up scientific books when he was suppose to lose his memory? Just a few things that left me puzzled.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so incredibly disappointed in the story given to Holly and Will in Evernight. There was so much potential... sooooooo much. And instead of getting a unique story with real character development and a full plot set in a robust steampunk world that was well built over the last FOUR and a half novels, we got... this.

First of all, if you have not read Shadowdance then you will likely not understand Evernight. That was massively disappointing because the details about what Holly and Will went through in the previous story were sparse. They were teasers. They were meant to make you want to read the next book that would be detailing everything these two went through. And they were all you fucking got as background.

The story opens with Will going to attack Holly in retribution for the platinum clockwork heart she was forced to put into him in the last novel.

Holly is an elemental, a descendent of magical beings gifted with the ability to control and manipulate metal. She's the head of Weapons and Gadgets for a secret society for supernaturals, based in London, and lives alone in a gorgeous, well appointed mansion in Mayfair. She is a prisoner in her own home from the PTSD of being kidnapped and forced to experiment on supernatural beings, most of which resulted in their deaths.

Things we never learn about Holly:
- Where the fuck her parents are.
- How her family got so wealthy and how she affords such luxury.
- How she got into the whole "brilliant scientist" gig, including: where she was trained, went to school, or otherwise got to this point in her life.
- What all happened to her in Shadowdance.
- Anything other than the fact that she can manipulate metal, is completely emotionless and analytical, and not a virgin.

This girl is the Spock of Steampunk.

Will is half-demon, specifically the type of demon that can only go out at night, moves very fast, turns into a shadow, and drinks blood. In every other story this would be a vampire... but in the Darkest London series, it's a Sanguis demon. His formative years were spent with a group of orphan supernatural boys, which is how he met and became friends with Jack Talent from Shadowdance. He was punished for helping Jack and forced to be one of Holly's experiments, which is why he has a platinum clockwork heart. The result: His supernatural body is rejecting the platinum and he's alternating between vampire-demon and craze-Silver-Surfer.

Unlike Holly, we actually DO learn quite a bit about Will, but his background, history, linage - details that, you know, build a character and endear him to the reader - are all given in the middle or toward the end of this story, well after his overt sexual behavior turns off both the reader and Holly.

I mean that literally. After the first time they have sex she tells him that his attitude is a complete turnoff and she doesn't want to be with him again.

To be clear: I do not blame her one bit.

So here we are, with one severely underdeveloped and emotionless female lead and one hyper-sexualized male lead, little to no background on them, and within the first 5% of the story the plot forces them to be constantly touching each other.

Like, CONSTANTLY touching, to the extent of Holly having to rub Will's body down at least once a day. Because science.

Now, if we were given a sense of how close these two one-dimensional characters had gotten after being tortured together... or maybe that they were able to offer one another comfort or help the other through the PTSD from their awful, horrific experiences of the previous novel... then MAYBE this would make sense.

But they hated each other.

No wait, WIll hated Holly. She's emotionless so she doesn't feel anything.

And then Will suddenly DOESN'T hate Holly. He gets a boner almost as soon as he is touched by her and no, the readers aren't the only ones wondering if that's a platinum boner... he encourages her to ask him later on and we never get an answer. It's definitely a solid boner though and quite large. So there's that.

Other than that, Will woos Holly with words such as "cunny," "quim," and "tup." His sharp, knife-like features and silver shoulder length hair pull her in... I get that Will is a vampire-demon and he's a known womanizer... I know I'm reading a paranormal romance (emphasis on "romance") but dude. This was just not good.

So besides having to stay in constant contact and give full body rubdowns for scientific purposes, the plot for Evernight is driven by hit-demons who are out to kill Holly.

There are two groups out to kill Holly:
1. A new group introduced in this novel that were easily dispatched.
2. An order that the SOS has been trying to take down for FOUR and a half novels, an order so evil and unbeatable that they had caused tension and driven those other plots significantly.

One of those groups was taken down by one vampire-demon in about three paragraphs of text. Hint: It's not the first one.

I think this is one of the longest reviews I've done without a single animated gif or attempt at humor, so let me wrap it up with a list of my beefs, in no particular order.

My list of disappointments with Evernight:
1. Underdeveloped and emotionless female lead.
2. Hyper-sexualized male lead.
3. Ridiculously easy-to-end villains.
4. Lame ass reason for characters to be sexually entwined.
5. Laughable battle/fight scenes that end so quickly, they might as well not even have happened.
6. Luuuuuurve between two characters who barely know each other, and what they do know is not all that great.
7. Pretty much ZERO supporting characters or cast.
8. A side-plot of supernatural characters whose motivations were kept absurdly vague and who were not at all likable.
9. The most convoluted, unrealistic ending to any supernatural story ever. Ever. I said ever.
10. An obscene amount of wasted opportunity to write about two super interesting characters with an extremely unique backstory in a richly developed steampunk world.

But despite all of that, I did manage to finish it.

I think there was a mild turning point after Holly told Will he was offensive. He started to act a bit more decent and his grotesque sexuality got a bit self depreciating and a bit charming.

Overall, my biggest problem with Evernight was just how much opportunity was wasted. I can't even bring myself to get excited for what will clearly be the next novel, about Adam the creator of GIM's (Ghost's in the Machine).

And that, my friends, sucks.

[Douglas Meeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristen Callihan seems to excel at bringing together couples who really don’t like each other at the start of these novels in the Darkest London series (which seems to get a bit darker as this series progresses).

William Thorn and Holly Evernight are an extreme example of that talent since their first meeting in this novel he is trying to kill her, not a great opening line in most instances since her feelings are close to his, but this is Darkest London and it only raised the bar a bit higher than the others in this series.

You also do not get wilting flower heroines; the women are strong but still vulnerable. Holly Evernight is possibly one of the strongest of these heroines and still the author was able to build a believable romance here.

What you get is a soaring romance that is wrapped in a mystery with a couple of subplots being moved along at the same time. The lack of the legion of secondary characters that you saw in some previous novels is pretty much missing here and the emphasis is mainly on the main couple which is understandable since the distance from trying to get a couple from “I want to kill you” to “I love you” is an awful long way but Ms Callihan pulls it off right nicely but not without dragging the reader through some pretty emotionally gut wrenching situations and a surprising twist of an ending, throw in an almost Cinderella vibe and you have an amazingly great reading experience that will stay with you for a long time.

I would warn you to take nothing for granted in this story and the last page leaves you with a inkling for what I expect will be a series changing next novel along the lines of Acheron (sorry if you don’t know that reference)

Bottom Line: An exceptional novel, well written, a romance that will roll around in your mind for days or longer, an alpha male, an exceptionally strong heroine and it all works together. I only had one complaint, you left us in the dark on the maid, I expect some detail next novel. The ending was a bit of a dark premonition for the next novel and left me a bit unsettled but I guess that was the purpose, hold on to your seat for the next one. This may be the best book of the series to date so don’t miss it, the previous novel would give you some better background but is not a requirement I do not believe since most of the important things are revisited.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evernight and Will

Right, so this book was freaking awesome. I love this series and this one will now be my favorite. It was that awesome. Full review to come on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that certainly put the steam in "steampunk.". In perhaps a different measure than I expected. *coughs*

I need to get my head out of that space before my mind goes to the gutter, but in sum - I liked this book, but not as much as previous entries in the series. I will start this review saying that I love Callihan's writing and worldbuilding in this series. It draws me in so much that I find myself drawn to the pairing of the characters, their charming banter, their steamy interludes, and ultimately the dangers they face. In previous entries in this series, there was a nice balance of sexual tension with the action, something I loved reading. The last book "Shadowdance" had me at point one and pulled me through the narrative on Jack and Mary's accounts. It was intriguing, dark, and gave me a good handle on the characters and their experiences. I'd even say "Firelight", "Moonglow", and "Winterblaze" did the same with their respective couples, with some caveats in tow.

"Evernight" showcases Holly Evernight, an introverted inventor who can control metal as her elemental power, and she works with the SOS (common link between all the female leads of this series). In the previous book, "Shadowdance", Holly had a bit, but significant role in the fate of Will Thorne, a Sanguis demon whose heart was ripped out and replaced with a clockwork one. He was tortured and knocking on death's door. Will blamed Holly and in the cusp of madness, he vowed to kill her - in vengance as well as on behalf of a group (the Nex) he was a former part of.

This book expands on that story thread, but I don't think ever brings everything introduced to fruition. I definitely say that I loved Will and Holly's characters in and of themselves. Their banter is fun in points, their chemistry is palpable, and more often than not, I found myself chuckling on the bus when reading this on my commutes and taking time during my lunch breaks and nightly reading times to peruse my copy. Will becomes Holly's protector, and the two end up having to work together to figure out who wants Holly dead and who's pulling the strings of their respective roles in the scheme of something much bigger than themselves.

Yet, while the story started off with strong points, I think there were some caveats that affected my reading of this. Some of the sensual interludes felt a bit repetitive and didn't quite strike a balance as much as other installments in this series (I had this same issue with "Firelight" in spaces) between action, tension and character development. I'll admit the story itself didn't feel as strongly asserted as other reads in the series as well. A story thread linking to Mab, a powerhouse figure in the world of the Fae, isn't drawn to fruition as much as it could've been, as much as the lore is intriguing in and of itself. Adam's character feels weak compared to others in the series drawn so far, though I did like some eyes taken to Will's past and his former links with a dangerous group. Holly and Will's fates are intertwined, and while they're played like pawns with some intriguing moments of conflict and potential peril, something felt like it was missing, and I couldn't figure out what it was for the longest time after I put the book down.

After pondering on it, I realized the presentation came across as awkward for details - hard for me to fluidly follow and get invested in despite some key moments for the characters where they face the possibility of being torn apart. The ideas and moments of peril are there, but the development feels shortchanged in the long and short of it. I didn't mind the fluff of Will and Holly's relationship because those moments were fun. The action scenes also seemed a bit abbreviated in comparison to previous books. Holly, at one point, faces a dangerous fight against a demon and ends up making far too quick of work of it despite how dangerous this demon and its respective bargains are.

I debated on my rating for this the longest time, and ultimately decided to rate it either 3 or 3.5 stars. I'm settling on 3, because while I thought it was a good book, there were still many caveats that I found it hard to overlook. I'm still excited to see what Callihan writes in this series, because her attention to place, character, and conflict is very good, and unlike any other series I've read for the time, place, and lore.

Overall score: 3/5 stars

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley (Forever), and I also purchased a copy of the book.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

ARC Review
Originally posted at http://loveaffairwithanereader.blogsp...

Evernight is book 5 in the Darkest London series.

I started reading this series after the 2014 RT Convention. I attended a session where Kristen Callihan was on the panel and I won a copy Shadowdance. Having never read any of the books, I decided to start from book 1. I quickly became immerse in the world of shifters, elementals, demons and other immortals. But more than anything, I became enamored with the stories. Kristen Callihan has a way of writing deeply emotional stories with suspenseful plots. Getting so involved in their humanness, I don’t think of the characters as paranormals. Evernight is no different.

I would rank this story only second to Shadowdance (which I would nominate as one of the top three books I’ve read this year). I’m not sure I will ever recover from the despair I felt over Jack’s story. This story also starts with a hero who experiences an excruciating past. Will is desperate to get revenge against the person he thinks is responsible for his current condition. For me, although Will is a strong character, it is Holly that is unforgettable. She is human with an elemental gift over metal. She is an inventor, an engineer, a mechanic succeeding in 19th Century, male dominated world. She is a member of the SOS (The Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals). As Q is to James Bond, Holly Evernight is to the SOS. What makes Holly’s character unforgettable is that she is the stoic one in the relationship. Will is the passionate one. As a sanguis demon, “bonds were emotional ties that wrapped about a sanguis’s soul quickly and dug in deep.” Holly grew up in a household in which she was loved, but didn’t necessarily feel a lot of affection. She holds people and relationships at arms length. She can legitimately sequester herself in her lab and others would not necessarily know she is hiding. She is not mercurial, but rather slow and steady, methodical and process driven. It is Will who brings her to life, shows her joy, helps her live. Ah, so satisfying.

One thing that strikes me about this book is how superbly the author builds suspense. There are multiple story lines developing and, unlike some other stories I’ve read recently, one thread does not take away from the other. The narrative is delicately balanced.

This also has one of my favorite endings in any series. First, I love the look-across-the-room instant. It is heartbreaking. Secondly, there is a classic meet-at-the-train-station-moment that made my knees buckle and brought tears to my eyes. It is an intensely emotional moment written so well you can see them running across the platform and hear the music in the background. Another ah, so satisfying moment.

IN A NUTSHELL:
When you buy this book, be ready to be thrilled. You may want to start on a weekend because you will not want to put it down.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[-ya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I wasn’t sure if I would like Evernight as much as I adored the previous four entries in the Darkest London series. This is one paranormal series out there that hooked me from the start and compelled me to read it patiently in a suggested reading order. I am glad that Evernight didn’t disappoint. Cheers:D

Holly is a scientist working for SOS (The Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals) and man, she is definitely NOT a damsel in distress.

“You may have more power, and perhaps one day, you’ll have the luck to catch me unaware. But you do not have my resolve. You come between me and mine again, and I will slice you into ribbons so slowly, it will take agonizing hours for this mortal shell you now wear to die. “

William is an altered sanguis with a lot of charm.

“Yesterday after you’d fainted---”
“Collapsed,” he corrected. “Men do not swoon or faint. They might collapse, however. After protecting their woman against any and all threats. Although, in my case, it was really more of having a rest, if we want to be precise.”

I do not understand the finer nuances of love. But I know it exists, that it is something to covet and protect. Even if it eludes me."

Set in Victorian era, Darkest London series is not only filled with supernaturals, demon, fae, elemental but also has a nice blend of banter, interesting plotline, great characterization, and steam. Kristen Callihan is a fantastic storyteller, and though her NA novels didn’t work for me, this paranormal series certainly hit the mark.

#Each installment is a stand-alone, but reading in order is recommended.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it, yet another edition of Kristen Callihan's books that go straight to the top of my favourite list...

I adored Holly and Will, loved their story and loved the finish - makes me want the next book yesterday!!!

[Anali · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Ursula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished listening to this (so effectively read it again) and I have to say I am amending my rating. And have adjusted my bookshelves (my assessment of the MCs)

Originally a 3 star for me, it is now a 4.5 star book.

I got SO much more from listening to Moira Quirk's narration and it actually shocked me how many of the nuances and subtleties I had missed when reading the story, in snatched moments of peace, on my Kindle. When listening, you cannot skip any bits and the characterisation often becomes very real. These are actual people, talking to me and with each other while I am driving, cleaning or cooking.
I had been very hard on the MCs- I came to admire and like them. Holly was courageous, loyal and strong. She rescued William as often as he rescued her. William grew from a shallow, pleasure-seeking young man to a noble and heroic lover. They were prepared to die for each other, literally, and I found that immensely moving.
I am leaving my original review (below) because it is interesting to note how much my opinion changed on the second reading/listening.

Can warmly recommend both the story and the audio version of the story. Just wonderful.

Original Review (based on reading the book)

It was always going to be hard to follow Jack and Mary's book, and this didn't quite make it for me.

I had a problem with both the hero, Will, and the heroine, Holly. And some aspects of the plot were frankly improbable or silly.

Let's start with Will. Basically, he was a demon who worked for an organisation that was creating murder and mayhem in London on behalf of the supernatural beings. He was actively working against everything the heroes from the first 4 books were working for. Hmmm....
He was an assassin and murderer, and depended on sex and blood to get himself off. Basically a feckless hedonist. He had been brutally hurt in the previous book but was essentially a "baddie" so when I added that all up, he didn't seem hero material to me. Vampires are not my thing anyway, so any kind of blood-sucker would have to work damned hard to win me over, I admit.
Will just never had the smarts or the strength of the previous books' heroes for me. He was attractive and sexy, I guess, but without the gravitas and depth of Jack and Win. He had a sad little back story about being rejected by his human mum and not knowing who his demon dad was but honestly, his life seemed pretty good to me. I guess it was there to explain why he was working with the team NEX.
Ultimately, he struck me as quite immature and selfish.

Holly- a highly intelligent, rather cold scientist, driven by her curiosity and desire to innovate and invent. Could have been terrific. For me, she came across as detached and lacking an ethical dimension. (Did she care what her inventions were used for? Not really.) I just couldn't warm to her. There wasn't the vulnerability or compassion of Poppy or Mary.

I suppose, in a way, they suited each other. I couldn't somehow imagine them so passionately in love that everything else became less important than their relationship. There was a strong sexual attraction but the emotional connection seemed much weaker.

Some things happened that were frankly hard to swallow.
That Will was dumb enough to take Holly out for a meal, knowing she was targeted for execution, with only himself for protection. (Over-confident little sanguis demon.) Whereupon she was attacked by several assassins and they nearly die. Duh!
Or when they go to that ghastly fight club and Holly fights a demon and wins! Yeah, right. Why did she have to go with him again? Couldn't he have discovered the info without her? But it gave the author an excuse to dress staid Holly in slutty clothes and pretend to be Will's blood-whore. And get Will even more randy. And have her let him drink her blood. Really? Just not working for me.

So sadly, this was not the book I was hoping for, but it was still a jolly good tale and a (mostly) fun read.
I have to say, too, that I listened to as well as read this one, and Moira Quirk is a bloody brilliant narrator- her accents are to die for. She slips from Irish to Scottish to Northern England to cockney in a heartbeat. Fabulous.
Thanks for the illuminating BR with My GR friends Sam, Bubu, Joanna, Whiskey and Isabella!!

[Krita · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Lisa Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callihan has the ability to create some of the quirkiest, loveable characters ever. Holly and Thorne are her newest opposites attracting “experiment” and boy did it work. Holly (I always kind of pictured Abby from NCIS in my mind ) had appeared briefly in several of the earlier books and I was so pleased to see that this crafty, quirky inventor finally got her chance to shine in her own storyline. I’ve read all the books in this series and they were all 5 star reads for me, this one being one of my favorites along with Firelight. I read on Goodreads that Firelight , book 1 was rejected by all but one publisher and it went on to win RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, Library Journal’s best book of the year, Publisher’s Weekly’s Spring 2012 best book and ALA RUSA’s best romance book of 2012. It would not surprise me to see more of the same for this book.
While in the past, I’ve not enjoyed demons in a storyline so much (I’m more the vamp or shifter lover) Thorne’s macho, assine behavior was a perfect compliment to the nerdy (if that word can even be used in Victorian England) emotionless inventor Holly. They have a past and you really need to have read the earlier books in this series to thoroughly appreciate the meshing of these characters.
In Shadowdance, Holly was forced to construct a clockwork heart for a madman and this madman has come back into her life to extract his revenge. A year after Shadowdance finds Holly housebound and afraid to venture back to her job as head inventor at SOS (Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals) and Thorne is going mad with pain as his body is consumed by Platinum. Holly uses her elemental magic to push back this metal invasion and relieve his pain and once they both realize that they must frequently touch or caress, the real fun begins. While Holly’s not technically a virgin (another wonderful little side story here), her responses to Thorne’s masculinity are often laugh out loud funny. Holly’s no shrinking violet and is capable as giving as good as she gets.
I love the world building in Callihan’s books. This steampunk version of Victorian England is a vivid character all it’s own and one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed this series so much. Holly’s inventions and Victorian London are as fascinating as the mystery and secrets that add yet another layer to this fascinating series. I also love that we get glimpses and tidbits of information on former characters from earlier books- Poppy, St John, Adam, Lucien, Mary Chase and Jack. Can’t wait to see who has the starring role in book 6 and 7, Soulbound (2/24/15) and Foevermore (TBA), St John and Layla or Adam and Eliza May. Either would be more than entertaining and will be on my auto buy list as this series just gets better and better. When I first started this book, I found myself sitting up way too late to read and as it progressed trying to slow down and savor it as I knew Feburary is still a long ways off.
The only complaint I had about this book and it’s minor to me as I don’t get all hung up on the covers but I wanted Thorne to have long flowing platinum hair as described in the book rather than the close cropped blondish look . As I read this ARC on my Kindle, I didn’t see the book cover till I had finished and was posting my review so it was definitely a minor point.