What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Arrowhead #7
The Protector
“Love is a battlefield.”
The stakes have never been higher in this riveting installment of the Black Arrowhead series.
As a member of the Shifter Council, Eden Thompson faces critical decisions every day, yet nothing has proved more challenging than selecting a mate. While she’s busy evaluating potential suitors, a felon with an axe to grind trespasses on her land. Sorting out her personal life is enough hard enough, so Eden hires a Chitah to upgrade her security system. When an innocent joke leads to a night of passion, they make a pact to keep the affair a secret.
Lucian Cross is a genius when it comes to science and technology—if only his social skills were as impressive. When the most unattainable woman in Storybook seduces him, his life is irrevocably changed. Despite their undeniable chemistry, Eden is searching for a lifelong commitment, and Lucian… isn’t. But when a suitor captures Eden in his deceitful web, Lucian must choose between following his heart or protecting it.
It’s a fight for survival in this heart-pounding romance, but will security and reputation prove more valuable than love?
Love takes courage.
Opposites attract when two strangers form an undeniable connection despite the divisive forces threatening to keep them apart. This interspecies, interracial romance with a splash of forced proximity will have you believing in fate and everlasting love.
The stakes have never been higher in this riveting installment of the Black Arrowhead series.
As a member of the Shifter Council, Eden Thompson faces critical decisions every day, yet nothing has proved more challenging than selecting a mate. While she’s busy evaluating potential suitors, a felon with an axe to grind trespasses on her land. Sorting out her personal life is enough hard enough, so Eden hires a Chitah to upgrade her security system. When an innocent joke leads to a night of passion, they make a pact to keep the affair a secret.
Lucian Cross is a genius when it comes to science and technology—if only his social skills were as impressive. When the most unattainable woman in Storybook seduces him, his life is irrevocably changed. Despite their undeniable chemistry, Eden is searching for a lifelong commitment, and Lucian… isn’t. But when a suitor captures Eden in his deceitful web, Lucian must choose between following his heart or protecting it.
It’s a fight for survival in this heart-pounding romance, but will security and reputation prove more valuable than love?
Love takes courage.
Opposites attract when two strangers form an undeniable connection despite the divisive forces threatening to keep them apart. This interspecies, interracial romance with a splash of forced proximity will have you believing in fate and everlasting love.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 13, 2025
172 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Dannika Dark
65 books6,198 followersDannika Dark is a nine-time USA TODAY Bestselling author, APA Audie Awards Finalist, and AudioFile Earphones Award winner. Her pulse-pounding urban fantasies and paranormal romances are an addiction that has thrilled readers for more than a decade. She does not support the use of AI.
ABOUT THE BOOKS
All Dannika Dark novels are written in the same universe (Mageriverse). Characters in this flawed world (much like our own) confront prejudice, constraints, and societal problems as they search for purpose or love. Diverse characters building a found family are at the heart of every story. Villains get their just deserts, and love conquers all.
THE MAGERI SERIES Urban Fantasy Romance
When a young woman unwittingly receives the gift of immortality from a Mage, she must leave everything behind. But her conviction is put to the ultimate test when she falls for her mortal enemy.
Enemies to lovers, found family, hidden magic, forced proximity, soul mates, protective mate, diverse supernaturals.
Primary genre: Fantasy
Start reading STERLING
THE SEVEN SERIES Paranormal Romance
Austin Cole and his brothers are forming a pack, and the last thing on their minds is getting tethered to a mate. But the more they resist, the harder they fall.
Found family, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, rock star romance, tortured hero, grumpy/sunshine, biker romance, alpha hero, cinnamon roll hero, multicultural
Primary Genre: Romance
Start reading SEVEN YEARS
THE CROSSBREED SERIES Urban Fantasy Romance
Raven Black is a rogue who hunts criminals for fun. But when a secret organization offers her a job, she’ll need to rise to the challenge. Half-Mage, half-Vampire, she’s caught between two worlds. Will desire become her biggest distraction when she’s paired up with a Vampire?
Found family, wicked banter, morally grey characters, slow burn, emotional scars, "I would burn down the world for you," diverse characters, who hurt you?
Primary Genre: Fantasy
Start reading KEYSTONE
THE BLACK ARROWHEAD SERIES Paranormal Romance
Brave women and fiercely loyal men form an unconventional pack in this edge-of-your-seat paranormal romance with plenty of twists and turns.
Found family, friends to lovers, anxiety/disability rep, past trauma, multicultural, different worlds
Primary Genre: Romance
Start reading THE VOW
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 18, 2025
Story 5 stars. Narration 5 stars by Nicole Poole-stellar!
Dannika Dark has finally done it. After 13 years of reading all her books, she finally made me cry. I rarely cry while reading/listening so this was quite the accomplishment. This installment of the Black Arrowhead pack books was a well written and intricately plotted book. Plenty of romance, a bit of angst, a chosen family vibe and even some extreme violence made this one of my favorites of this series so far. Truthfully, I seem to say that each book is my favorite of the series so I’m leaving it as one of my favorites-as I am sure the next one will also be.
This was Lucien’s book. He’s a chitah, not a shifter but a breed group characterized by extreme speed, lethal venom in their fangs, chitah markings on his body when aroused or under duress, other things as well. We first met him in Dark’s first series, Mageri. In fact, his brother is the main male character of that series. He is part of the pack even though he’s not a shifter. Eden is the local council woman and has great power because of that position. In addition to her high powered job, she also takes care of her father whose health is fading after a thousand years. He wants her to find a mate before he dies. To that end, she’s been going on a lot of bad dates. Lucien witnesses one of the horrible dates and helps her. They become friends first. She’s a shifter so that is one strike against them. He’s not what she thinks her father would want for her, but love doesn’t discriminate. This is a paranormal romance, but as usual with Dark’s books they aren’t cut and dry or cookie cutter. There’s always intrigue and evil doers to cause problems. But this series is also about found family and while spicy at times it’s also heartwarming. I love her characters, her plots and her Easter eggs she usually includes from other series. I loved the whole thing and highly recommend any series by this author. Narration was wonderful as always with Nicole Poole-a narrator who has narrated all of this author’s work.
Dannika Dark has finally done it. After 13 years of reading all her books, she finally made me cry. I rarely cry while reading/listening so this was quite the accomplishment. This installment of the Black Arrowhead pack books was a well written and intricately plotted book. Plenty of romance, a bit of angst, a chosen family vibe and even some extreme violence made this one of my favorites of this series so far. Truthfully, I seem to say that each book is my favorite of the series so I’m leaving it as one of my favorites-as I am sure the next one will also be.
This was Lucien’s book. He’s a chitah, not a shifter but a breed group characterized by extreme speed, lethal venom in their fangs, chitah markings on his body when aroused or under duress, other things as well. We first met him in Dark’s first series, Mageri. In fact, his brother is the main male character of that series. He is part of the pack even though he’s not a shifter. Eden is the local council woman and has great power because of that position. In addition to her high powered job, she also takes care of her father whose health is fading after a thousand years. He wants her to find a mate before he dies. To that end, she’s been going on a lot of bad dates. Lucien witnesses one of the horrible dates and helps her. They become friends first. She’s a shifter so that is one strike against them. He’s not what she thinks her father would want for her, but love doesn’t discriminate. This is a paranormal romance, but as usual with Dark’s books they aren’t cut and dry or cookie cutter. There’s always intrigue and evil doers to cause problems. But this series is also about found family and while spicy at times it’s also heartwarming. I love her characters, her plots and her Easter eggs she usually includes from other series. I loved the whole thing and highly recommend any series by this author. Narration was wonderful as always with Nicole Poole-a narrator who has narrated all of this author’s work.
July 19, 2025
Audiobook - Audible
Narrated by
Nicole Poole
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dannika Dark, you write bad guys that make me want to strangle my Kindle.
You write love of the heart that makes me think, and feel love in my own heart.
-and you write sad goodbyes that make me cry and sob like a man with a papercut.
You're writing is superb and you'll always be an anticipated read, that will hit me in all my feels.
Narrated by
Nicole Poole
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dannika Dark, you write bad guys that make me want to strangle my Kindle.
You write love of the heart that makes me think, and feel love in my own heart.
-and you write sad goodbyes that make me cry and sob like a man with a papercut.
You're writing is superb and you'll always be an anticipated read, that will hit me in all my feels.
July 3, 2025
It's worth losing sleep. Full RTC
July 15, 2025
Oh man the emotions I am feeling. That was a beautiful ending. I was not at all surprised by a certain announcement from a certain wolf but what he did for Eden was beautiful and made me cry even more than I already was.
I swear each book Dannika releases is better than the last and those are always hard to beat. I can’t put into words what this world and these characters mean to me but it’s like coming home every time I read of these books. Now, when is the next release because I can’t wait to see whose story is next!
I swear each book Dannika releases is better than the last and those are always hard to beat. I can’t put into words what this world and these characters mean to me but it’s like coming home every time I read of these books. Now, when is the next release because I can’t wait to see whose story is next!
July 21, 2025
Dannika has done it again. She always knows how to write fantastic stories. The ending was an HEA but it also had a bittersweet element to it. I won't go into detail because it would spoil to much of the storyline. I did cry like a baby. She handled the situation with so much respect and definitely did it justice. I loved finally getting Lucian's story. I have been wanting to see him get his girl for so long. He finally got her and she was absolutely perfect for him. Council Woman Eden was a wonderful edition to this series. We rarely see anything about the council and it was nice to get a mini look at what goes on with them behind the scenes. I listened to this in Audiobook and Nicole Poole knocked it out the park again. She is seriously my favorite female narrator. She is absolutely perfect and she is very good at making sure you know she is different people by the way she portrays those people in the story. I cannot wait to see what Dannika has in store for us next. I am so excited to see who our next couple will be.
July 20, 2025
**********Contains Spoilers**********
Another good addition to the Black Arrowhead Series. I thought that Lucian and Eden were great together. I loved getting to know Lucian better and meet Eden properly. Even if on paper that they don’t seem like they’d be a good match I think they’ve perfect for each other, and they definitely balance each other out. I also loved seeing Lucian let his walls down and let someone in which allowed himself to drop his walls and become closer to his pack and know that they aren’t going to reject him. I think that him being born with darker hair and being seen as a defective in Chitah culture, as well as him being viewed as an a*sehole because he’s blunt and then having his kindred spirit reject him because she already has a mate didn’t help matters at all.
I loved seeing them form a connection despite their differences, even if they were both deluding themselves that it was only a temporary arrangement between them. They could laugh together, their life is definitely going to be filled with love. I thought that their chemistry was completely off the charts, as well as hot as hell. Eden’s father Afram’s love for her shone through the pages. I’m really looking forward to each of the remaining pack members, Calder included getting their own stories. I wonder if we’ll eventually find out why he’s the way he is. There’s so many characters from the Mageriverse that I’d love their stories but only time will tell. I’d happily read anything that Dannika decides to write. I’d definitely recommend this book, series, Mageriverse and author to everyone.
Another good addition to the Black Arrowhead Series. I thought that Lucian and Eden were great together. I loved getting to know Lucian better and meet Eden properly. Even if on paper that they don’t seem like they’d be a good match I think they’ve perfect for each other, and they definitely balance each other out. I also loved seeing Lucian let his walls down and let someone in which allowed himself to drop his walls and become closer to his pack and know that they aren’t going to reject him. I think that him being born with darker hair and being seen as a defective in Chitah culture, as well as him being viewed as an a*sehole because he’s blunt and then having his kindred spirit reject him because she already has a mate didn’t help matters at all.
I loved seeing them form a connection despite their differences, even if they were both deluding themselves that it was only a temporary arrangement between them. They could laugh together, their life is definitely going to be filled with love. I thought that their chemistry was completely off the charts, as well as hot as hell. Eden’s father Afram’s love for her shone through the pages. I’m really looking forward to each of the remaining pack members, Calder included getting their own stories. I wonder if we’ll eventually find out why he’s the way he is. There’s so many characters from the Mageriverse that I’d love their stories but only time will tell. I’d happily read anything that Dannika decides to write. I’d definitely recommend this book, series, Mageriverse and author to everyone.
July 16, 2025
incredible and moving
Now this edition to the Black arrowhead pack series has put me through the ringer! Laughed, sobbed, had me on the edge of my sleep and raising my fist in victory. I love all of Dannika Darks books but Lucien has △⃒⃘Lways been the guy I’ve been cheering for! I’m beyond happy, he’s finally got his book. We also get some major questions answered about other characters of the pack! Eeeek I’m so happy
Now this edition to the Black arrowhead pack series has put me through the ringer! Laughed, sobbed, had me on the edge of my sleep and raising my fist in victory. I love all of Dannika Darks books but Lucien has △⃒⃘Lways been the guy I’ve been cheering for! I’m beyond happy, he’s finally got his book. We also get some major questions answered about other characters of the pack! Eeeek I’m so happy
July 18, 2025
I love love love Lucian and Eden! Eden is searching for a life partner because it's what her father wants before he passes. Lucian was rejected by his mate and doesn't believe in love until he sets his eyes on the Stunning Eden. He will do anything for her. Her being the higher authority does not help the situation because she doesn't want to be seen as favoring Lucians' pack if they are together. They just can't seem to stay away from each other, and their chemistry is 🔥🔥
Eden is dealing with a couple of troublemakers. Lucian does everything to keep his female safe and its swoonworthy 🥰
As always, the amazing Nicole Poole did a fantastic job narrating this book!
Eden is dealing with a couple of troublemakers. Lucian does everything to keep his female safe and its swoonworthy 🥰
As always, the amazing Nicole Poole did a fantastic job narrating this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2025
The best yet
This one had me in my feelings a few times. I just love this world. When are Hope and Lorenzo gonna have another baby????
This one had me in my feelings a few times. I just love this world. When are Hope and Lorenzo gonna have another baby????
November 13, 2025
I missed these characters and Lucian was always a favorite castaway.
He deserved the world!
He deserved the world!
July 24, 2025
Loved it
Absolutely loved it. Mageriverse is awesome and loved every set of books set in it. Reread all multiple times and never get sick of them. Great characters, plot twists and best for me no cliffhangers.
Absolutely loved it. Mageriverse is awesome and loved every set of books set in it. Reread all multiple times and never get sick of them. Great characters, plot twists and best for me no cliffhangers.
July 25, 2025
On the one hand, this particular installment was a little less offensive than the others. It was still set primarily in shifter culture, even though one of the main characters is a "Chitah" (one of Dannika Dark's personal pet magical species, not based on true folklore). The *setting* is still the only true problematic part. Somehow, the entire town is filled entirely with supernatural species ("Breed"), and humans don't appear at all.
The Breed culture is still gross and offensive. Shifters are always trying to breed an Alpha into existence, and this Alpha is a redheaded man with super charming, persuasive powers. The pack that he leads is the opposite of a meritocracy. Rather, the Alpha is the leader of the pack even without any particular education or work experience. He is simply born into it because of the eugenics-style breeding program that shifters engage in. No one questions the idea that the redheaded man should be in charge, and no one else seeks to obtain any kind of advanced degree and replace him as the pack's leader.
I have noted previously that this author is weirdly anti-education. No character ever goes away to college. This installment tries to specifically address that, with one character telling another that humans are the ones who go out and put a degree on their wall; for all these supernatural people, they learn things by way of Youtube videos and just reading at home. I don't really understand *why* that is the case, but apparently, they take this as a given.
The author likes to do this for her own ease of storytelling, but it isn't realistic. There is a town of "Cognito" that supposedly is completely, or almost completely, populated by these supernatural Breeds. So, you expect me to believe that there is a city in this country that doesn't have McDonald's, or any other chain, and doesn't have involvement with the electric company and mortgage companies and salesmen, and Uber drivers bringing people in from out of town? There is never a human runaway who thinks Cognito is the "big city," relative to where the teen runaway lived before, and escapes there on a bus? And in this digital age where everything is always being recorded, no out-of-towner has ever successfully captured video of a character shifting into a tiger?
The protagonist of this novel is a tiger shifter. And she is a mixed-race Black woman, which was kind of nice, I suppose. She is a member of the "Higher Authority," which is the government these supernatural people have. But, for all that she kept going on and on about how she works long hours all day, I am not entirely sure what it is that she does. She apparently collects supernatural contraband, which she admits herself she does not understand who makes it or how it's made or where it comes from. She seems to think a big part of her job is confiscating these supernatural items and hiding them away, and then transporting them from one hiding spot to another. And it's not that she has a staff of employees who do this for her; it is literally HER job to schlep stuff around. She has two coworkers in the same boat as her, with the same title and responsibilities, but no other staff.
... I always knew that this government made no sense, but, damn.
This whole world is some kind of Republican fantasy. So, bearing that in mind, the government is extremely small. It wields little actual power, offers no services, and it seems to just consist of some kind of poorly executed criminal justice system.
The plot of this novel is about the protagonist's romantic life. There is a Chitah man who is clearly her OTP. Then there are a couple other men around who want to mate with her because of her status on the Higher Authority, basically. There is a minor subplot about the fact all her time not spent at work (doing whatever the fuck it is that she does) is spent taking care of her elderly father.
As usual for this author, much more interesting stories are mentioned in passing, but are never the focus of this book. So we know that the protagonist's father was a Black man alive in the 1800s, and he actively participated in the Underground Railroad. ... I would read the fuck out of that. Are you kidding me? I could have read about a tiger-shifting Black man helping slaves to escape their masters to the North, and instead you stuck me with this romance slop?
One of the competing love interests is a mage (the Dannika Dark version, not the typical idea of a mage), and he is pure evil. He threatens and intimidates the protagonist into considering his marriage proposal.
What I found most baffling was how this woman --capable of turning into an honest-to-God tiger-- reacted to this man telling her he wasn't going to allow her to leave the room until she agreed to his marriage proposal. Bitch, make him hit you! You are the only government official for miles around, and this man is threatening to physically harm you? Let him! Then you will be justified in turning into a tiger and tearing his fucking throat out.
Even if she didn't want to risk getting punched/choked/slapped/zapped by the mage, she should have had him arrested just for threatening her. "Intimidation" is its own crime in some states, in the context of trying to intimidate a government official, and there are also crimes like assault, disorderly conduct, threatening a domestic violence victim, etc. I could have found a way to charge this mage just for the act of threatening/blackmailing me.
Yet, this bitch is weirdly passive. She acts as though he has her bent over a barrel, and she has no choice but to acquiesce to his demands. ... Why? And if you are such a powerful leader, wouldn't you rather fight him to the death, rather than be blackmailed?
Characters who were previously the focus of this series make appearances. The horse shifter woman who was at risk of getting kidnapped and used as a sex slave just because she's infertile? She said hi. The one-armed man who believes that his life has no value and it is a blessing that any pack would have him despite his disability? He appears. The woman who was impregnated by some unidentified shadow agency and then married a rich vampire dude? She says hi, too. The uneducated, unemployed "Alpha" man continues to throw his weight around and act as if it is his divine right to be leader, even though I can't point to any particular fact about him that would make me want him to be in charge of me.
The male lead, the "Chitah," is considered defective simply because he has black hair. ... That is all. His species normally has blond hair, so having a different color makes females of his species think that he might not have all his supernatural gifts, and that is all they care about.
So, all of this culture is totally bullshit. Dannika Dark acts like it's perfectly normal that all these breeds oppose interbreeding for fear that a hybrid will be defective, with watered-down gifts. She says this like she just assumes all people are naturally interested in eugenics, and we have children based on what creature we are trying to breed. No one has children just out of love, apparently. There is always a Master Race plan.
The author also has a tendency to discourage crossbreeding whenever possible. So, even though she paired two characters of different species in this book, and they really COULD bear children together, she had both leads talk about the fact they're not sure they actually want children. In the final book of the Crossbreeds series (same universe by same author, different characters), lots of those characters also came to the conclusion that they simply didn't want kids.
When she paired a wolf shifter woman with a vampire, she made sure that the shifter woman already had a kid. That way it was fine that she paired the woman with a sterile partner. When she paired the mage/vampire hybrid protagonist of the Crossbreed books with a vampire, that was fine, because they were both infertile. When she paired a "Potential" with a wolf shifter man, that worked out fine, because she used her "Potential" powers to become a wolf shifter herself, through sex, so their kid could still be a nice pureblood.
The author has introduced at least four hybrid characters by now, across both series, and every single time it is supposed to be shocking if they can use powers from both sides of their ancestry. Again-- as if maintaining their powers is all that really matters.
Shifter culture thinks that people with "defects" aren't worth their own wasted breath, and certainly shouldn't be allowed to breed. Homosexual and transgender love has no value, because it can't produce biological children. People should only breed with their own race, because otherwise --gasp!-- the hybrid children might not have all their powers, and that is apparently the only thing that matters.
This romance isn't satisfying even as a romance. Because one guy is obviously the one she's supposed to end up with, and any other guys are too cartoonishly evil to be considered real competition.
The Breed culture is still gross and offensive. Shifters are always trying to breed an Alpha into existence, and this Alpha is a redheaded man with super charming, persuasive powers. The pack that he leads is the opposite of a meritocracy. Rather, the Alpha is the leader of the pack even without any particular education or work experience. He is simply born into it because of the eugenics-style breeding program that shifters engage in. No one questions the idea that the redheaded man should be in charge, and no one else seeks to obtain any kind of advanced degree and replace him as the pack's leader.
I have noted previously that this author is weirdly anti-education. No character ever goes away to college. This installment tries to specifically address that, with one character telling another that humans are the ones who go out and put a degree on their wall; for all these supernatural people, they learn things by way of Youtube videos and just reading at home. I don't really understand *why* that is the case, but apparently, they take this as a given.
The author likes to do this for her own ease of storytelling, but it isn't realistic. There is a town of "Cognito" that supposedly is completely, or almost completely, populated by these supernatural Breeds. So, you expect me to believe that there is a city in this country that doesn't have McDonald's, or any other chain, and doesn't have involvement with the electric company and mortgage companies and salesmen, and Uber drivers bringing people in from out of town? There is never a human runaway who thinks Cognito is the "big city," relative to where the teen runaway lived before, and escapes there on a bus? And in this digital age where everything is always being recorded, no out-of-towner has ever successfully captured video of a character shifting into a tiger?
The protagonist of this novel is a tiger shifter. And she is a mixed-race Black woman, which was kind of nice, I suppose. She is a member of the "Higher Authority," which is the government these supernatural people have. But, for all that she kept going on and on about how she works long hours all day, I am not entirely sure what it is that she does. She apparently collects supernatural contraband, which she admits herself she does not understand who makes it or how it's made or where it comes from. She seems to think a big part of her job is confiscating these supernatural items and hiding them away, and then transporting them from one hiding spot to another. And it's not that she has a staff of employees who do this for her; it is literally HER job to schlep stuff around. She has two coworkers in the same boat as her, with the same title and responsibilities, but no other staff.
... I always knew that this government made no sense, but, damn.
This whole world is some kind of Republican fantasy. So, bearing that in mind, the government is extremely small. It wields little actual power, offers no services, and it seems to just consist of some kind of poorly executed criminal justice system.
The plot of this novel is about the protagonist's romantic life. There is a Chitah man who is clearly her OTP. Then there are a couple other men around who want to mate with her because of her status on the Higher Authority, basically. There is a minor subplot about the fact all her time not spent at work (doing whatever the fuck it is that she does) is spent taking care of her elderly father.
As usual for this author, much more interesting stories are mentioned in passing, but are never the focus of this book. So we know that the protagonist's father was a Black man alive in the 1800s, and he actively participated in the Underground Railroad. ... I would read the fuck out of that. Are you kidding me? I could have read about a tiger-shifting Black man helping slaves to escape their masters to the North, and instead you stuck me with this romance slop?
One of the competing love interests is a mage (the Dannika Dark version, not the typical idea of a mage), and he is pure evil. He threatens and intimidates the protagonist into considering his marriage proposal.
What I found most baffling was how this woman --capable of turning into an honest-to-God tiger-- reacted to this man telling her he wasn't going to allow her to leave the room until she agreed to his marriage proposal. Bitch, make him hit you! You are the only government official for miles around, and this man is threatening to physically harm you? Let him! Then you will be justified in turning into a tiger and tearing his fucking throat out.
Even if she didn't want to risk getting punched/choked/slapped/zapped by the mage, she should have had him arrested just for threatening her. "Intimidation" is its own crime in some states, in the context of trying to intimidate a government official, and there are also crimes like assault, disorderly conduct, threatening a domestic violence victim, etc. I could have found a way to charge this mage just for the act of threatening/blackmailing me.
Yet, this bitch is weirdly passive. She acts as though he has her bent over a barrel, and she has no choice but to acquiesce to his demands. ... Why? And if you are such a powerful leader, wouldn't you rather fight him to the death, rather than be blackmailed?
Characters who were previously the focus of this series make appearances. The horse shifter woman who was at risk of getting kidnapped and used as a sex slave just because she's infertile? She said hi. The one-armed man who believes that his life has no value and it is a blessing that any pack would have him despite his disability? He appears. The woman who was impregnated by some unidentified shadow agency and then married a rich vampire dude? She says hi, too. The uneducated, unemployed "Alpha" man continues to throw his weight around and act as if it is his divine right to be leader, even though I can't point to any particular fact about him that would make me want him to be in charge of me.
The male lead, the "Chitah," is considered defective simply because he has black hair. ... That is all. His species normally has blond hair, so having a different color makes females of his species think that he might not have all his supernatural gifts, and that is all they care about.
So, all of this culture is totally bullshit. Dannika Dark acts like it's perfectly normal that all these breeds oppose interbreeding for fear that a hybrid will be defective, with watered-down gifts. She says this like she just assumes all people are naturally interested in eugenics, and we have children based on what creature we are trying to breed. No one has children just out of love, apparently. There is always a Master Race plan.
The author also has a tendency to discourage crossbreeding whenever possible. So, even though she paired two characters of different species in this book, and they really COULD bear children together, she had both leads talk about the fact they're not sure they actually want children. In the final book of the Crossbreeds series (same universe by same author, different characters), lots of those characters also came to the conclusion that they simply didn't want kids.
When she paired a wolf shifter woman with a vampire, she made sure that the shifter woman already had a kid. That way it was fine that she paired the woman with a sterile partner. When she paired the mage/vampire hybrid protagonist of the Crossbreed books with a vampire, that was fine, because they were both infertile. When she paired a "Potential" with a wolf shifter man, that worked out fine, because she used her "Potential" powers to become a wolf shifter herself, through sex, so their kid could still be a nice pureblood.
The author has introduced at least four hybrid characters by now, across both series, and every single time it is supposed to be shocking if they can use powers from both sides of their ancestry. Again-- as if maintaining their powers is all that really matters.
Shifter culture thinks that people with "defects" aren't worth their own wasted breath, and certainly shouldn't be allowed to breed. Homosexual and transgender love has no value, because it can't produce biological children. People should only breed with their own race, because otherwise --gasp!-- the hybrid children might not have all their powers, and that is apparently the only thing that matters.
This romance isn't satisfying even as a romance. Because one guy is obviously the one she's supposed to end up with, and any other guys are too cartoonishly evil to be considered real competition.
July 18, 2025
Let’s get one thing straight: I loved this book. Like, irrationally grinned-at-my-phone-in-public loved it. Lucien and Eva? Dynamite. Lucien is that rare combination of stoic, lethal, and secretly one heartbeat away from full-on emotional combustion. And Eva? She’s a capable, no-nonsense force of nature. She doesn’t need rescuing—but damn, does she deserve someone who’s ready to burn the world down for her. (Spoiler: Lucien was already holding the match.)
Now, about that trope… the whole “let’s just be sex buddies while I look for real love”? Oh yes, that happened. It was a slow-motion trainwreck powered by denial and sexual tension. Lucien with his “this is fine” energy while clearly dying inside? Iconic. Eva pretending it’s just casual while emotionally measuring him for boyfriend jeans? Relatable. They’re both lying to themselves and it’s glorious.
The story arc was familiar, sure—but the character depth and pacing made it feel fresh. The subplot with her father added a surprising emotional gut-punch. The only thing I really wanted? For them to build their own house on the property. Like, come on. Symbolism, people.
In short: emotional slow-burn, fierce heroine, tragic backstories, top-tier protectiveness, and the kind of romance that pretends it’s not romance... until it is.
Now, about that trope… the whole “let’s just be sex buddies while I look for real love”? Oh yes, that happened. It was a slow-motion trainwreck powered by denial and sexual tension. Lucien with his “this is fine” energy while clearly dying inside? Iconic. Eva pretending it’s just casual while emotionally measuring him for boyfriend jeans? Relatable. They’re both lying to themselves and it’s glorious.
The story arc was familiar, sure—but the character depth and pacing made it feel fresh. The subplot with her father added a surprising emotional gut-punch. The only thing I really wanted? For them to build their own house on the property. Like, come on. Symbolism, people.
In short: emotional slow-burn, fierce heroine, tragic backstories, top-tier protectiveness, and the kind of romance that pretends it’s not romance... until it is.
July 13, 2025
I love returning back to the Black Arrowhead series. Each series is a stand alone with new couples and for the seventh installment this one follows Eden Thompson and Lucian Cross.
Eden Thompson is a member of the shifter council and she has decided to hire Lucian to come in and update the security in her home. With her fathers ailing health she wants to be sure he’s okay inside the home while she’s at work. Her job is dangerous after all dealing with some dangerous shifters. What comes next are some hilarious, but tension filled scenes. They are complete opposites, but they have this strong connection. They are both from different species but Lucian isn’t the only one who has his eyes set on Eden. I loved seeing some updates from other members from the pack, like Tak, and Hope. I was on the edge of my seat the last 20% of the book. It was so good.
The narrator, Nicole Poole does a brilliant performance portraying Eden, Lucian and several other characters in the book. I just love how she breathes life into the characters. Outstanding performance.
A very special thanks to Libro.fm + Tantor Media for the ALC.
Eden Thompson is a member of the shifter council and she has decided to hire Lucian to come in and update the security in her home. With her fathers ailing health she wants to be sure he’s okay inside the home while she’s at work. Her job is dangerous after all dealing with some dangerous shifters. What comes next are some hilarious, but tension filled scenes. They are complete opposites, but they have this strong connection. They are both from different species but Lucian isn’t the only one who has his eyes set on Eden. I loved seeing some updates from other members from the pack, like Tak, and Hope. I was on the edge of my seat the last 20% of the book. It was so good.
The narrator, Nicole Poole does a brilliant performance portraying Eden, Lucian and several other characters in the book. I just love how she breathes life into the characters. Outstanding performance.
A very special thanks to Libro.fm + Tantor Media for the ALC.
July 17, 2025
I can always count on Dannika Dark books to be outstanding. and this book was it had Adventure it had Secrets it had plot twists it just was a great story. and the narration excellent. I was so excited for this book because the male character has always been so secretive we're quiet I maybe I should say in all the books very broody so I was excited for his story and this did not disappoint he was still brooding and quiet but you got to learn more about who we really was how smart he really really was. and I absolutely love that the female character was an extremely powerful know what she wants No Nonsense woman. because they definitely were a match. I would highly recommend.
July 16, 2025
Absolutely wonderful
As with every other book this author has written this latest one is also absolutely wonderful & I don't say that lightly. Lucien has always,been favourite of mine & that he has his happy ever after is just perfect!
I am a woman for whom tears are a rarity, I cried towards the end & right up to finishing this story, that's a powerful emotion to feel from a book which says it all, my advice as always is to start with the first book in this series for a proper understanding of this world & all of the characters as each one follows on from the last
Enjoy 😉
As with every other book this author has written this latest one is also absolutely wonderful & I don't say that lightly. Lucien has always,been favourite of mine & that he has his happy ever after is just perfect!
I am a woman for whom tears are a rarity, I cried towards the end & right up to finishing this story, that's a powerful emotion to feel from a book which says it all, my advice as always is to start with the first book in this series for a proper understanding of this world & all of the characters as each one follows on from the last
Enjoy 😉
July 24, 2025
The series has always shown the struggle that the benefits of this breed world has to go through. I fully enjoy them. This book is about a cheetah that falls in love with a tiger that works for the higher authorities. This holds Eden to a higher expectation because of her job, Lucian helps set up security systems. When it comes to love they are all of equal status at different times. Shape shifters, mages, vampires, and more live in this world. It's a great series!
July 17, 2025
I couldn't put this book down and glad I was home alone. I reacted outloud and even cried. It has a beautiful end of the book and I hope Dannika Dark comes out with more. I have reread her books a lot and Nicole Poole does an amazing job narrating. Finished this book in a day, it was worth it to clear my day for this. It kept me captivated from the beginning to end.
July 17, 2025
I feel like I've waited forever for Lucian's story. it sure was worth the wait.
July 23, 2025
By far my fave in the series so far. Love Lucian and Eden!!
July 23, 2025
the usual high standard
Love this series. Somehow the extraordinary characters feel real and relatable. The emotions reach out and draw you in, the ups and downs tug at your heart
Hard to come back to our Earth and everyday!
Love this series. Somehow the extraordinary characters feel real and relatable. The emotions reach out and draw you in, the ups and downs tug at your heart
Hard to come back to our Earth and everyday!
July 22, 2025
I couldn’t wait to read this book, and it didn’t disappoint! I’ve been waiting for Lucian’s story. This one was definitely a tear jerker, so make sure you’re prepared for that! 10 out of 10!
July 20, 2025
It’s so good to finally- FINALLY!!!! see Lucian get his own book and a happy ending. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 20, 2025
Loved it!!
I love this series! It needs to be turned into a tv show! I am sure everyone would agree with me!
I love this series! It needs to be turned into a tv show! I am sure everyone would agree with me!
July 18, 2025
Can I join this family!
Such a wonderful story. Of love and strength, of laughter, of family, and of belonging. It was also exciting, and my favorite of the series.
Such a wonderful story. Of love and strength, of laughter, of family, and of belonging. It was also exciting, and my favorite of the series.
August 12, 2025
I love the easter eggs you get in Dannika's books. The ending for this book was so beautiful and sad. I'm glad that in the end Eden learned what her father really wanted for her. After what happened in The Brave with Virgil I am by no means surprised by his announcement and I can't wait for his book and to see where his storyline goes now. I was a little surprised that Melody didn't talk about Naya and how she is with her parents pack with Eden, that would have been a fun little easter egg. I am so happy Lucian finally got his HEA and we got to finally learn more about why he decided to try out living in a pack.
"My father had raised me to walk in his footsteps, and those were big shoes to fill. He always said: Be more than a good person; be a person who does good things."
-Found Family
-Forced Proximity
-Socially awkward MMC
"My father had raised me to walk in his footsteps, and those were big shoes to fill. He always said: Be more than a good person; be a person who does good things."
-Found Family
-Forced Proximity
-Socially awkward MMC
October 2, 2025
Always impossible to put down.
This was a great addition to the series. Plus as a long time fan it was fun to see a character from so long ago get their happily ever after.
This is an amazing author and you can't go wrong with her books.
This was a great addition to the series. Plus as a long time fan it was fun to see a character from so long ago get their happily ever after.
This is an amazing author and you can't go wrong with her books.
August 2, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
October 29, 2025
Story: 4 ⭐️
Steam: 3 🔥
Audio: 5 🎧
Steam: 3 🔥
Audio: 5 🎧
July 28, 2025
4.0
As a longtime fan of Dannika Dark, I was looking forward to continuing this series. One thing I’ve learned from her work: it's best to listen to this series in order. The storylines build beautifully, and you’ll appreciate the subtle connections between books even more when you follow the intended path.
The story dives deep back into the world of shifters. I really appreciated the variety within the pack—different shifter types, not just the typical wolf-centric narrative, which gave the whole vibe a fresh edge.
Eden stood out as a strong female lead. Her independence and energy felt like a breath of fresh air and offered a welcome shift in tone from the usual fare. She’s easy to root for and carried the story with real presence. Lucian was fine, though, if I’m honest, I tend to be a sucker for a stronger male lead. His chemistry with Eden had its moments, especially when things started to heat up. Because yes, there’s some spice here. It’s not overwhelming, but enough to keep things simmering in the background and give their relationship a spark.
The pacing was spot on, keeping the plot moving without dragging or losing focus. There was always something pulling me forward, and before I knew it, I’d reached the end. I loved that it left the door open for the next book, and now I’m left wondering who will step into the spotlight next.
All that said, I still lean toward preferring some of Dannika’s earlier works. There’s a nostalgic magic in those stories that I haven’t quite let go of. Still, this audiobook is a solid addition to the universe and worth the listen if you’re into urban fantasy with layered characters, supernatural flair, and just the right dash of romance.
As a longtime fan of Dannika Dark, I was looking forward to continuing this series. One thing I’ve learned from her work: it's best to listen to this series in order. The storylines build beautifully, and you’ll appreciate the subtle connections between books even more when you follow the intended path.
The story dives deep back into the world of shifters. I really appreciated the variety within the pack—different shifter types, not just the typical wolf-centric narrative, which gave the whole vibe a fresh edge.
Eden stood out as a strong female lead. Her independence and energy felt like a breath of fresh air and offered a welcome shift in tone from the usual fare. She’s easy to root for and carried the story with real presence. Lucian was fine, though, if I’m honest, I tend to be a sucker for a stronger male lead. His chemistry with Eden had its moments, especially when things started to heat up. Because yes, there’s some spice here. It’s not overwhelming, but enough to keep things simmering in the background and give their relationship a spark.
The pacing was spot on, keeping the plot moving without dragging or losing focus. There was always something pulling me forward, and before I knew it, I’d reached the end. I loved that it left the door open for the next book, and now I’m left wondering who will step into the spotlight next.
All that said, I still lean toward preferring some of Dannika’s earlier works. There’s a nostalgic magic in those stories that I haven’t quite let go of. Still, this audiobook is a solid addition to the universe and worth the listen if you’re into urban fantasy with layered characters, supernatural flair, and just the right dash of romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews