Hexensturm

Otherworld / Sisters of the Moon #10

by Yasmine Galenorn

Polizist Chase Johnson entdeckt in einem Park in Seattle ein eigenartiges Dimensionsportal. Noch während die drei Schwestern und ihre Gefährten das Phänomen untersuchen, zieht eine magische Macht Chase hindurch. Verzweifelt bittet Hexe Camille daraufhin Feenkönigin Aeval um Hilfe, die hinter der Öffnung die Magie der Alten Feen wittert. Eine erste Expedition in deren Sphäre scheitert jedoch, Chase bleibt verschollen. Werden Camille und ihre Schwestern ihn retten können?

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

416 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2011

About the author

NOTE: I SELDOM visit Goodreads and do very little here. Please see my website for more information on my work: https://galenorn.com

New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.

She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/

NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.

Reviews

[Treece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

Brutal, angst-ridden and chaotic, Courting Darkness swept me along in a rush of primeval lore, sinister beings, and unanswered riddles. At the heart of it all, is the exquisite, lusty and resilient Camille, half-fey, part mortal, High Priestess, sister, wife, and matriarch in the making. Oh yes, after reading this novel, one day, this sensual bombshell will rule her family and more. Much more.

Of course, Camille is my favorite of the three sisters. I identify with many of her characteristics, particularly because I am the eldest in my own family. The strong sense of responsibility and sacrifice that comes with loving, guiding, supporting and nurturing countless people who rely on you.

Camille is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. In this novel, she prevails and is not broken by the trials and horrors that come her way. My admiration for her grew, I cried, laughed and cheered. Also, I believe that Smoky will usurp Trillian's place in the reverse harem hierarchy. (Or at least that is my hope b/c he is my favorite).

**Slight Spoiler Alert**

The Triple Threat : Aevil is fascinating, Titania a dark-horse ---and then, there's Morgaine. Ah, Morgaine. Well, I get the feeling there is a showdown brewing. Morgaine is a nasty piece of work, the Mean Girl of the trio. Camille is going to be in for some rough waters with this vicious, social-climbing bitch of a sorceress.

Menolly/Morio : Meh. I am not feeling the love on this one. I don't care why or what and when. Whoosh. Keep it the hell out of the vicinity. Or throw me a refreshing plot twist. Keep this (possible) trope away from me and my reading. That is all I am gonna say about this since I hate spoilers.

Shade : Give me more and don't hold anything back. Yessss.

Chase : Why oh why do we keep chasing Chase? I'm so ambivalent about him right now. Is this really necessary? He is a cheating, ungrateful bastard. If they could off a more lovable character (Henry) then why are we still stuck with this guy? Is it because he is good-looking and great in the sack? Or credible at his job? Or Delilah's first love? *rolls eyes* Hey, you figure it out cuz I don't need him to make this story worthwhile.

Smoky : Love me some dragons. They beat out the kitsune and the drow. Team Smoky, all the way to the finis line, baby. I wish Camille would cease placing Trillian in front as alpha. Hell, there were long intervals when he was gone.

Seamus : I hope they bring him back soon. He's hot, dark and mysterious, plus he is full-blooded fey.

Wilbur : What the heck happened to this dude? He is their neighbor after all, and pretty interesting. With the new threat, they are gonna need him.

**End of Spoiler Alert**


In the meantime, I can't wait to see what the future has in store for the polyandrous libidinous weaver of spells. Camille has more than earned an amazing HEA and the plan is to keep reading.

Until then, I'll just dust off my slippers and enjoy the carpet ride. Sisters of the Otherworld is outrageous, outstanding and ostentatious.

[Wr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have skipped this one

[Jenevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 10 book in the Sisters of the Otherworld series. This one is told from Camille's point of view. Camille, Smoky, Roz, and Iris have just returned from the Northlands where Iris had to confront her past to see if she had any chance of a future. No sooner so they return home then they are immediately headed back out as a deamon has a message for Camille and will talk to no one else. The message..."Hyto is near". A psychotic father-in-law is just what Camille needs right now, especially one who blames all his misfortunes squarely upon Camille and Smokey. But of course, Camille ends up being captured by Hyto. Can she escape before he kills her? And even if she can, what scars will she bear on mind and soul besides her body?

I could not put this book down. There was so much going on that I just had to keep reading. Fast-paced, edgy, intense, and a complete page-turner.

[David Caldwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are spoilers in this review.

I was disappointed with this book.It is the tenth book in the series and in my opinion the one with the most problems.The book is both very fast and slow at the same time.There are some awkward elements.Finally there is a lot of graphic language and sex scenes.

Starting with the awkward elements,there were three that ranged in severity. Ashere or the snow monkey character seemed to have no real purpose.He was a mercenary but was willing to fight to the death even after Hyto left him to die. Menolly was almost non-existent in the story despite being one of the main characters.Her main role seemed to make meaningful eye contact with Mario so we could be reminded her blood had been used to save him and form a strange sexual bond between them.Camille noticed these glances every time and always thought how she would prefer they not sleep together, but she wouldn't freak out if it had to happen.Finally The whole Chase subplot seemed to be tacked on like a bad addition.On top of being shoehorned into the novel as an obvious future plotline,the plotline was left hanging.Even though the story continued more than three weeks after he collapsed and was taken into for testing, he is never mentioned again.

The book is fast paced but the author has a tendency to repeat pieces of information that slows it down at same time.One example is in about 20 or 30 pages, I saw some variation of while Delilah is no longer with Chance, he was her first love, so she loves him like a brother about 12 times.Even in her one page letter to the readers she manages to tell us the book is dark twice. As mentioned earlier,every time Menolly appeared we heard the same thing.

I found a couple of comments in the book ironic."Crap.And I didn't usually use that term." The second is a little longer."I let out a laugh,and then,with Smoky's help, told them everything that happened.Well, almost everything.We left our lovemaking out of it. Trillian and Morio could know,but not everybody wanted or needed to hear that much detail.Sometimes TMI was TMI."The reason I find these comments ironic is she gives a half apology for saying crap, even though she uses it several more times,but has no problem dropping F-bombs whenever she is happy(wants sex).mad,scared, or worried.Since that is the only four emotions Camille has in this book it means she uses that word a lot.In fact the only time she choose not to use it is when she said lovemaking in the second statement.After having read the several blow by blow(pun intended) sexual encounters, I find it hard to believe that the author would actually have the nerve to mention TMI. I really don't need to have such graphic details in my novels.At times, it was difficult to distinguish between this novel and a letter to Penthouse magazine.Thankfully the author agreed with me during the rape scenes where she glossed over most of the actual details.

Yes, the book was darker than some of the other in the series, but that did not hurt the story.But the series does seem to be suffering from a problem that happens in most series. As they progress and get stronger and more characters are introduced, they lose some of the edge they had that made them so likable in the beginning.They have to face stronger foes which helps to separate them from the readers more and more.With more characters, more are shoved into the background just because they can't all fit.Hopefully Yasmine Galenorn can get the series back on track.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 10 of the D'Artigo sisters is the end of the line for me. This series has taken too long to conclude. I've lost my interest. This book is as others have said and the author herself has said, darker. Why is it darker? Because Camillie is raped, beaten and humiliated by her father in law. Lest any reader freak out and think the details of the kidnapping and following rape is explicit, let me reassure you, it is not. It's merely implied and we see the end result as the author glosses over it.

This is not why I rated the book a 2. Actually, had I not read that section, I wouldn't have even given this book a two. I would have rated it a 1 star. The darker theme I enjoyed and would have given the book a 3. But since the story line took a sluggish pace with little resolution to conclude, I gave that a 1 star. The average is 2 star. Here is what I would like:

1. Less powers and gifts bestowed upon the sisters. Every single sister seems to receive more and more powers. I call this the "Anita Blake" syndrome. Camille is now part of the dragons? Okey Dokey.

2. Less sexual entanglement. Really, now Menolly wants to fuck ONE of Camille's husbands. Camille's father in law lusts and wants to fuck Camille? WTH. This is yet another "Anita Blake" syndrome.

3. Less on relationship and more on the storyline. I'm enjoy a good relationship story like any other. But seriously, 10 books and we STILL haven't met the main villain? What are we waiting for? IS he like the Wizard of Oz? We pull back the curtain and we see a little man? Based on the teaser for book 11, I don't believe we get to meet the main villain either.

4. Less drama queen drama. My daddy doesn't love me. What is up with this theme? Two of the main characters have severe daddy issues. (I'm counting D'Artigo sisters as 1). Even their cousin is without a father. It seems like each of these characters all have a missing father figure or a messed up relationship with their father. This is a bit too much drama queen shit that just doesn't do it for me. Way overboard in the manufactured angst.

This book is really for those who are D'Artigo addicts. If you haven't read any of the previous ones, no worries, Ms. Galenorn is very repetitive about the sisters' past and what has happen to date. You won't miss a thing.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camille D'Artigo has a problem - several, actually. Demons are trying to break the seal between worlds so they can take over Earth, and only she and her sisters have a chance of stopping them. Her fae father has disowned her for joining forces with the Earthside fae Queens. And her father-in-law intends to kill her. After he breaks her - body and spirit.

While darker than the previous novels in this urban fantasy series, no character is stronger than the half-human, half-fae Camille. With the support of her sisters and husbands (yes, she has three - common for fae), even these horrific trials can be overcome. I love these novels for the ease in which you can relate to the three sisters. For although they are half fae, it seems that their hearts are just as strong and as fragile as a human's. If you enjoy a little darker fantasy, give this series a try with its first novel, Witchling.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - great!

This book was really very powerful, and very good, and very "all of that," but for whatever reason, it's not hitting my "that was AMAZING!" meter. I do think I'll give it 4.5 "great" stars, though. :-)

Please note, this book is very dark. I don't know how obvious it is from the description, but Camille IS raped in this book. So if rape is a trigger for you, you might want to skip this book. She came through the three (3!) experiences more or less okay, though, thanks to her goddess, the Moon Mother, giving her strength and/or whisking her away from Hyto's torture at the critical moments. (And thankfully, Hyto got his comeuppance in the end.)

There was at least one scene in this book that made me cry copious amounts of tears, but, believe it or not, it had nothing to do with Camille's experiences. Instead, Bruce O'Shea, leprechaun, proposed to Iris Kuusi, Talon-haltija (Finnish house sprite)! She accepted! And it was beautiful. :-)

That scene (on pages 97-98, which began Chapter 9) was also before the really dark stuff, so it made for a nice reminiscence when bogged down in the dark. And thankfully, the really dark stuff didn't last all that long. With help, Camille escaped after being in Hyto's clutches for just two days (I think it was just two days). :-)

Later on in the story, when Camille, Smoky, Delilah, Shade, and Iris were going up to meet Hyto for what turned out to be the final battle against him, Iris again gave me a happy moment, though I didn't laugh. It's a humorous line, but I think I was just so nervous about the upcoming fight that I wasn't in the mood for laughter. (Camille laughed a little, though. As I said, it was a "sudden break in mood".) Iris and Camille were lamenting Winter's length and wishing for Spring and Iris says,

"... Last night, a pansy chased me down the path in my dreams, threatening me if it didn't stop snowing."

:-) This line occurred on page 237 in Chapter 20. And later on in Chapter 20, Camille meets Smoky's mother! (I really like the Lady Vishana.) :-)

Earlier in the story, before Camille was captured, she shared a moment with two of her three husbands (this was the scene that opened Chapter 5, from pages 52 to 57). I must admit to pretty much skimming this section. For whatever reason, I wasn't in the mood to read about their sexual escapades.

Then a bit later, Camille shared with her husbands what happened between her and Vanzir in the attack that disabled Morio (temporarily, though he was out of action for most of this book's events). As expected, Smoky did not take it well. Camille ended up going for a walk - alone - and I just wanted to shake some sense into them all. They seemed to forget that Hyto was out there somewhere! And sure enough, Hyto captured Camille down by their pond. :-(

After she was discovered taken, though, thankfully Smoky and Vanzir put aside their disagreement and worked more or less together with the others to help save her. And in the end, Camille told them both to basically forget about it. She was majorly traumatized and sooo not in the mood for their $#!^. So all seemed to be okay in the D'Artigo household by the end. :-)

And that ending! Iris shared with Camille the news that she is pregnant! And she asked Camille to officiate at her wedding to Bruce, on Valentine's Day! :-) And. . .

As Iris told the others her news, I stood back, watching my family. Watching my lovers, my sisters, my brothers-by-choice. We were a community. We were connected even though we all had our separate lives.
. . .
. . . Add on top of that, we were all fighting a war, with all the skirmishes in between.
But come what may, we were forever together.
We would always be sisters. [fin]

I may or may not have shed a happy tear or three at this ending. :-)

Speaking of "skirmishes in between," no spirit seals were found in this book. I think we (meaning we readers) are still waiting on the sixth one to put in an appearance. It's been so long since a spirit seal last played a major role in a book's plot, though, that I can't really remember.

Also, we didn't really meet any new-to-the-series creatures or beings, though we did get to see more Elder Fae (Yannie Fin Diver and that spider-like woman were especially memorable...unfortunately, in the latter case). And we also got to see more dragons! After Camille defeated Hyto with the unicorn horn (hooray!), he was taken to the Dragon Reaches, and Camille got to go, too! She was welcomed into the fold, as it were, by not just Lady Vishana. :-)

There was more that went on in this book, including - toward the end, after all of the earlier "excitement" - Camille's induction in Aeval's court (and though we saw the beginning, Camille shared a regretful thought about how she will never be able to share the ceremony with her family, and then she didn't share it with us, either!). Also, for Yule, Delilah and Shade gave Camille a cat! A shadow cat!

And then, three weeks later (according to the timeline in the book; I read this book over just two days, lol), we had the scene that ended the book. :-)

So this was a really good - great - story, that somehow failed to strike that "amazing!" note. Maybe someday, though, I'll reread it and be wowed. I can see that happening, especially as I now know how everyone survives. :-)

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tenth in the Otherworld / Sisters of the Moon urban fantasy.

Galenorn rotates the telling of the stories from sister to sister. In this one, it's Camille's point of view and is a short blip of tidying up.

My Take
I'm being generous in giving this a "3". The story is good; the execution is bad. I don't know if Galenorn got distracted, was in a bad mood, or something was going bad in her life, but chunks of this read like her first couple of books. Just bad.

I did enjoy Camille turning the demon into a poodle. With an ornate cut. I did NOT enjoy Camille being such a wuss. Gimme a break. This just felt out of character to me. Yes, she is in a really bad spot. But this is not her first time at the rodeo. The first threat Hyto makes and she breaks. WTF?? I could see Delilah break and transform into her kitty cat self, but not Camille. The strength of the family who has held everyone and everything together all their lives. She broke faster than a fine crystal glass dropped from a 20-story building. She took forever before she made a stab at defiance. Gag.

All the writing Galenorn did on this aspect was terrible. Didn't she remember the "supposed" strength of Camille's character? Galenorn keeps doing this too. Several times Delilah's character has veered from the baseline. So Hyto threatens her family. Is this a surprise?? Does she really think that kowtowing will keep him from killing them anyway? Then there's her self-encounter. With herself. How high school can ya get?

My eyes got really tired reading through just about the whole of Camille's imprisonment. They kept rolling and rolling and...rolling. I was tempted to just skip ahead to save on the wear and tear.

I did like the Moon Mother's interventions. No real help in a physical sense, but definitely a morale booster. And very much in line with the typical god/goddess-type of help.

Oh...gimme another break. Hyto's threatened to kill the family and burn down the house. So, they move Camille and her husbands to Smoky's barrow, leaving everyone else in the house. Uh-huh, that makes sense. Another WTF moment brought to us by Yasmine Galenorn. It takes awhile before they figure out that, duh, they should bring the rest of the family to safety. Which happens in dribs and drabs.

Then there's her "determination to fight through the pain". I'd'a believed this before her pathetic performance in Hyto's dreyerie.

One of the positives: we get an inkling on just how it is that Smoky stays so clean all the time! Smokey also provides us with a bit of his family background and how he became the oldest child...and a ninth son of a ninth son.

G-r-r-reat...they finish off the cannon fodder but leave Camille vulnerable. I almost wanted her to get finished off...you know, that whole genetic selection thing.

The Story
Everything is going wrong. Hyto's been sighted in Seattle. The Bog Eater might be loose. Chase has been kidnapped. And, somehow, Trillian figured out what happened between Camille and Vanzir. And he's insisting that Camille spill to Morio and Smoky. Eek!

The Characters
There are three D'Artigo sisters: Camille, Delilah, and Mennolly. They are half-fae and half-human with a lot of individual differences. They live together with their significant otherseseses (you'll find out!) and other friends and allies in an old Victorian in Seattle.

Camille is the oldest and she's also a Moon Maiden, a priestess to the Moon Mother. She's married to three, well, men: Trillian is a dark Charming fae, a Svartan, who works as a mercenary; Morio Kuroyama is a Youkai-kitsune (Japanese fox demon), Grandmother Coyote's grandson, and he works death magic with Camille (poor baby is still recovering from events in Blood Wyne ); and, Smoky, a.k.a., Lord Iampaatar, is a half-silver, half-white dragon shifter---and a ninth son of a ninth son---with one mean-ass father. She owns the Indigo Crescent bookstore which is run by Giselle, a demon gift from Vanzir. Dierdre is a coyote shifter Camille hired to run the new restaurant attached to the bookstore which the inheritance from Henry Jeffries enabled.

Delilah is the middle sister who also shifts into a housecat and a panther. One of their adventures caused the Autumn Lord, an Elemental, to take an interest in her and now she is also a Death Maiden. The only living one. She's hooked up with Shade, a half-shadow dragon, half-Stradolan (lets him use the shadows), who will stand in for the Autumn Lord. She has a dead twin, Arial, who watches over her from an astral plane and turns into a ghostly leopard.

Mennolly, the youngest, was an acrobat before she was caught and turned into a vampire. Now she runs the Wayfarer Bar & Grill, a bar and inn for supes. She's promised to Nerissa Shale, a werepuma with the Rainier Puma Pride (she's working as a counselor for FH-CSI now) and seeing a lot of Roman, an extremely powerful vampire who is Blood Wyne's son who wants her for his consort. And has hinted he'd be interested in the same arrangement as Camille has with her men. Derrick Means is a Werebadger who now works as a bartender at the Wayfarer.

Sephreh ob Tanu is the girls' father and he's being a jerk, putting Court over family. Shamas ob Olanda is full Fae and the girls' cousin. He works Earthside for Chase. Rythwar is the girls' aunt and Sephreh's sister. She fully supports the girls and thinks her brother is a fool. Yeah, auntie!!

Lady Iris Kuusi, a Finnish house sprite and Priestess of Undutar as well as the girls' housekeeper, is now free and able to marry Bruce O'Shea (see Hexed: Ice Shards ), a leprechaun, if he still wants her. Maggie is their baby calico gargoyle.

Detective Chase Johnson heads up the Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation (FH-CSI). Events in Bone Magic gave the girls the choice of letting him die or giving him the Nectar of Life. It's...not been a fun ride for him. He's now seeing Sharah, Queen Asteria's niece, and an elfin medic with FB-CSI. Yugi is Chase's second-in-command.

Other allies and friends who live at the house include:
Rozurial, a mercenary and incubus as well as one of Mennolly's lovers. Vanzir is a dream-chaser demon who sucks up the life energy of others. After events in Blood Wyne , he's no longer bound to the girls.

The Court of the Three Queens (the girls call them the Triple Threat) is that of the three Earthside Fae queens: Titania is the Queen of Light and Morning of the Seelie; Morgaine is a half-Fae Queen of Dusk and Twilight; and, Aeval is the Queen of Shadow and Night of the Unseelie. Camille is expected to pledge to Aeval's court. An act for which her father will disown her.

Hyto is a white dragon, a ninth son of a ninth son, and Smoky's father. He's now divorced from Smoky's mother, Vishana, and banished from the Dragon Reaches and he blames it all on Camille. Yeah, yeah, yeah, cry me a river... He's teamed up with Asheré, a "snow monkey", a monk who has gone rogue from the Northlands. Hanna is a Northman held captive by Hyto and forced to help him. Kjell is the son Hyto uses to keep Hanna in line.

Carter is a leader of the Demonica Vacana Society; he's half-demon and half-Titan through his father Hyperion. Howl is the Elemental Wolf Lord of the snow (see Hexed: Ice Shards ), a Great Winter Wolf Spirit; Kitää is his wife and the Mother of the Katabas Wolf People. Grandmother Coyote is one of the Hags of Fate, who helps the worlds retain balance. Trytian is a demon who can't make up his mind which side he will support. All the girls know is that he doesn't want Shadow Wing either. Herne the Hunter makes an appearance and holds back his son, Tra. Yannie Fin Diver is a greedy Finfolk and one of the Elder Fae. Not a good enemy to have. St. George, a.k.a., Georgio, and Estelle Dugan make an appearance as well.

Elaqneve is the Elfin lands in Otherworld (OW), which is a human generic reference for another dimension where many of the elves, gods, Elemental Lords, etc. all live. Access to OW is through portals. The Sidhe and Fae themselves call it Y'Eírialiastar. Y'Elestrial is the city-state in OW where the girls were raised and which is ruled over by Queen Tanaquar. The Ionyc Seas are a current of energy by which some of the supernaturals can travel. Talamh Lonrach Oll, the Land of Brilliant Apples, is what the Triple Threat are calling the land they bought in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range. The U.S. government recognizes it as a sovereign nation provided they hold up their end of the deal.

The Cover
The cover is a soft lavender sky with huge snowflakes softly drifting, the all-white Smoky posing in the background and a demure-looking Camille gazing out at us in her black rubber camisole and silver under-bust corset, her long black hair drifting with the snow. A very romantic looking cover. What a misnomer, that is!

The title sounds better than it is as it's not so much Courting Darkness as surviving it.�

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a different feel in this addition of the series. I did peak at the reviews of some to get a feel for the reception. I found the darkness based in an emotional reality. It covered some very human aspects and presented it all in fantasy and mythical splendor. while it wasn't my favorite of the series, i did appreciate what was being done in the book. I will surely continue reading the series. I do like the sisters their mates and friends and all their challenges.

[Alice4170 🌙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
This was definitely a heavy installment but it was really really good. I’m glad to see Camille’s powers getting stronger, and her relationship with the Moon Mother is really awesome as well. This book had me cringing a lot, but it was a good continuation of the series.

[Elisabethclaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite Camille book so far It has so many Trigger warnings I can't even start counting
But how all that hard content was put into the story was really good and morals given at the end

[Jeanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am done with the series. Too many things wrong with this one.

[Kt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things were really starting to look up for Camile. She's more in love then ever with her triad of husbands, now that Morio is on the mend, and the other two are home safe with her, well as safe as they can be considering the war. Even her upcoming training with Morgaine doesn't bother her as much anymore. All that changes when she is captured by Smoky's father, who is bent on vengence. He plans to break her mind, body, and soul slowly in the most horrific ways possible. She knows she must hold on to hope with every last shred, but how long can she really hang on with what she is about to face?

Not once in this entire series has the danger been as real and horrific as it was in Courting Darkness. In the author's note at the end she talks about how the story was dark, but that it had to be that way due to Hyto's nature. I completely agree with her, especially since he is by far the sickest thing the sisters have faced. That's really saying something when you look back over everything that has happened. My heart was pounding for the entire book and I literally cringed everytime Hyto came around. However, it isn't all dark as we got to see just how strong Camile is. What she withstands is nothing short of remarkable, but what is even more impressive is her character growth in the end. She learns that she can't always be the rock and that sometimes its okay to lean on others for support. In the past she has always taken on the heaviest burdens, but now I see her sharing some of that with the others, making the group only stronger in the end. The more these sisters grow and mature, the greater a force the become to be reckoned with. I know I wouldn't want to be on their bad side.

Courting Darkness, like all of Camille's books, comes jammed packed with sensuality. (Who can blame her as she has three incredibly sexy men for husbands!) It's always entertaining to watch them all struggle to get along and make things work, as each man is very different. Of course the focus in this book was mostly on Smoky due to the circumstances. I really enjoyed the closer look into his life. As a dragon he is so very territorial and quick to anger, yet his devotion to Camile is incredible. To see such a powerful being practically bow down before her is quite amazing. Despite his extreme reaction to certain events, I found myself falling even more for him, so that he is probably my favorite of her husbands.

With each new installment in this series, my favorite sister always seems to shift to whose ever turn it is to narrate. I think this really shows how talented Yasmine Galenorn is as she is able to make the reader fall for each sister over and over again. They all have their own unique "voice," and the variety really ratchets the enjoyment factor tenfold. As always, the ending left me satisfied yet more than hungry for more. So, make sure you don't miss Courting Darkness as it is yet another great installment in this stellar series.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had enthusiastically picked up this book with fond reminiscence of the first three books of the series, at the time of purchase not knowing that this was book ten of a series. The good thing about Galenorn's writing and the way that she does set up her Otherworld series, however, is that the novels can be read as stand-alone books as she does spend time reintroducing characters and giving a rehash of what happened previously. She rotates the point of view of her books between her three main characters, each sisters with unique talents. Courting Darkness is told from the point of view of Camille, a witch and priestess of the Moon Mother.

When I had picked up the book I noticed the spine was stamped "paranormal romance" and thought "that's not right. These were always more urban fantasy. Girls kicking butt with magic and being awesome." But, as I started reading, I quickly remembered why I didn't enjoy Camille as much as a character, and why this really is paranormal romance and not urban fantasy. As I saw someone describe them, her books are "porny." But really, what can you expect from a character who has three husbands?

I had some problems with this book. Big problems. There is a scene of sexual assault in this novel that I really don't think Galenorn needed to go into such graphic detail on. I've read other books where the horror of rape were implied without having to go into implicit detail. In addition to the scene, I found it ludicrous that after, the main character, Camille, would be lacing herself into a corset to "support" her bruised ribs. Really? And sexual activity right after a sexual trauma? Has Galenorn ever researched sexual trauma or PTSD? Looked at a psychology text? I really lost interest at that point.

Along with the disturbing rape/sex combo in the book, there were some inconsistencies that it seemed she tried to pick up at the end unsuccessfully. She kept introducing bad guys with no rhyme or reason as to why they were being introduced, then no mention of them until the very end. It looks like she's going to leave them for another book. Honestly, all I could think of was that her characters are big fat self-important Mary Sues.

[keikii Eats Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

To read more reviews from this author and others, check out my blog at keikii Eats Books!

59 points, 3 stars.
Warning: Depictions of Rape

Courting Darkness finally takes us back to Camille being the lead character again, after the previous two books really suffered for the fact they weren't lead by her. Over the past two books, Camille has gone through a hell of a lot of shit. It has been a really hard time for her.

And instead of being introspective on the hurts that she has already gone through recently, we're going to pile more shit on her instead!

Camille has become the punching bag for the series and for the author. I don't like it! She is already strong enough, dang it! Hyto has kidnapped Camille, and is doing everything in his power to make her, and by extension Smoky, suffer. Just like he promised three books ago.

Yes, this is a powerful book for the series. But that is all it really covers. There are a few other things, but all of it is about this one aspect of the story. Or all of what actually matters in the book covers this.

I just really wish this author would stop using rape. I find that she doesn't handle it well. I feel it is used cheaply and to ill effect. Like the author wants the character to overcome something awful, so she has them raped. And it is just so tiring. Is everyone in this series going to be raped at some point to "make them stronger"? Is this just the thing to do in a book series? It is just getting annoying and tiresome and I really hate it.

I hate it so much that it really changed the way I enjoyed this book. Typically I enjoy books where a lot of bad shit happens to the main character when already a ton of bad shit has happened to the character. I just didn't here. I didn't like it.

[Bookaholics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courting Darkness by Yasmine Galenorn
Paranormal Romance – Nov. 1st, 2011
4 stars

Camille D’Artigo is a half-elvish, half-human with an unusual family: her second sister Delilah is a shapeshifter, and the youngest Menolly a vampire. Camille also has three husbands: a Svartan (dark elf), a dragon, and a fox-spirit. Unfortunately, her dragon father-in-law, Hyto, is a sadistic and vicious person who holds a grudge against Camille. When Camille is kidnapped and tortured by Hyto, can her family save her in time?

This book is a complex read. I fear that my review will not do this story any justice since this book is the tenth book in the series, and I’ve never read the previous nine books! I actually have to read up the characters’ fact files on the author’s website! The did like the world the created and diversity of fascinating characters. I would especially like to read more about Delilah, the shapeshifter sister. However, I have to admit Camille is an extraordinary character. She gives off this big sister vibe and yet she’s vulnerable and openly admits to needing her three husbands’ support. The most admirable thing about this book is how the author dares to confront difficult issues. The torture that Camille goes through is a complete shocker!!

If you are a fan of this series, this latest installment is definitely a page-turner!

Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance Club

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read if you have enjoyed the Otherworld series. It is an extremely fast read that you will not want to put down. Camille is facing Hyto, Smoky's father in this novel. I would not call this book easy going, it is rather dark. You will see how strong Camille is and how her character's strength continues to grow both emotionally and magically. I really can't say much more without giving away things, so I will just tell you now to go purchase this book when it comes out!

I would suggest reading Iris's story before reading Courting Darkness. Parts of Iris's story are mentioned a few times in this book, but it does not require reading it to fully understand.

Iris's story is located in the book Hexed, it is named Ice Shards, the book also includes 3 other novellas from other authors.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/96...

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Camille, the oldest of the D'Artigo sisters tries to rescue her little sisters ex-boyfriend from a fairy ring abduction...a series of events unforeseen comes to play. Starting with the kidnapping, torture, rape and beating of Camille by a cruel and ruthless tyrant. All will be risked to achieve an escape that could be moot, as her kidnapper's ultimate goal is her painful death. Camille has a backbone of steel...but some things are to hard for even our strong heroine to survive. To see such a refined beauty degraded by such a ruthless enemy brought out the water works for me. I don't know if it was the pain he inflicted on her or the humiliation that she was made to endure which brought out the tears...I just knew I was enraged for her and sympathized with her. "WHAT DOESN'T KILL US MAKES US STRONGER."~Nietzsche~

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed every other book in this series so far, but Camille is getting on my last nerve. She is very full of herself as far as her looks go, and since she is narrating the story we get to hear about that for he first half of the book. Also, Camille's stories are getting very 'porn'y. I skipped pages trying to get past the gratuitous sex scenes and back into the story.
About halfway through the book it got better. Camille stopped talking about her sex appeal as much and the story got meatier. I think this was a bit darker than the other stories, and I didn't enjoy it as much as I do the ones told from the other sisters POV, but I finished it. And I will keep reading her stories just so I don't get lost when reading the rest of he series.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I feel that Galenorn's writing and storytelling has improved over the course of this book series, I can't help but be a little disappointed in this book. There is just too much going on. The original jist of these books was that the girls were tying to find all of the spirit seals to prevent all hell breaking loose and the first few (5?) books had them on that track. I can't remember the last one that followed that plot line. I suppose character development and additional stories are important but can we finish one thing before we start another? I'll continue to read the series since I've come this far but I'd like to see the storyline get back to basics.

[Lily · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was way too dark for my tastes and I felt like it should have had a disclaimer about triggering content.

I was quite uncomfortable, for lack of a better word, by the way Camille 'handled' being raped by her father in-law by telling herself that her sister survived being brutalized and raped so she could too.

Prior to this book, the series had been dark but not to this emotional and psychological extent.

[Carrie (Book Fairy) Fort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great journey! I love Camile! She's such a sensual women so how could this book not be sensual.
It was an emotional journey and amazing! She's a true warrior woman!

[Michelle McKinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of crying with this book.

[Brooke Sillaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Round up to 4.5 stars.

[Sandy Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a really difficult time reading scenes of violence against women, and there was a great deal of that in this book. I know we already had similar content told from the vampire sister's perspective, but I think the tense really makes a difference to me as a reader (for some unfathomable reason). For some reason reading about the abuse that Menolly faced in the past was somehow easier to separate from than the present abuse of Camille.

Also, the way this trauma is treated by the author seems unrealistic. Not to say that Camille does not experience nightmares and flashbacks, but it is like she decides that this horrible sexual trauma that she has experienced is just simply not going to impact her sex life at all, and then it doesn't. I'm not going to say that this could not ever happen, and I recognize that different people handle trauma in very different ways, but in my experience (having worked with many women who have experienced trauma - sexual and otherwise), this does not ring true.

These issues aside, I did enjoy the book. So much that I have gone back and forth between four and three stars. I listened to the audiobook on my way to and from work. I really enjoy the narrator who does the reading too. I am really glad that I randomly selected the first book from a selection of audiobooks at the local library. If you like urban fantasy and good versus evil epic tales, then you will likely enjoy this.

The audiobook is an especially good way to make your commute more entertaining.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the D'Artigo sisters. The bond that they all have is unbreakable. I'm really getting sick of urban fantasy with main characters who are all moody lone wolves. It works for Harry Dresden of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, but that's about it. It's quite refreshing to see protagonists who are not scared to call for help or who are working hard to build a community out of nothing. Just when I thought the character development for Camille was at peak perfection Ms. Galenorn continues to surprise me. The events that follow in Courting Darkness are horrific. Camille goes through an ordeal that no person should ever go through, but she manages to survive. It blew my mind that instead of going with the independent woman trope Ms. Galenorn makes Camille address her trauma right away instead of bottling it all up. I absolutely loved that by making Camille realise her emotions she was able to not become a victim of her own thoughts or abuse. I found Courting Darkness to be empowering. But another person might be triggered by the abuse that Camille endures. I do think that this book could be skipped if need be. But, doing so would cause the reader to miss out on an important life lesson and major event in Camille's life. Added bonus I'm content that my favourite minor character, a Finnish house spirit by the name of Iris finally gets a happy ending.

[Denise Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful read in Galenorn's Otherworld series. This book was dark, dark, dark...but the writing was beautiful. There was one moment toward the end that threw me--a new character introduced in the last act, which was a little jarring and I felt could've been set up better--but overall a powerful and moving read. The book had some dark moments, for sure, but it ended on a moment of hope. Recommended.

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to audio narrated by Cassandra Campbell. This story is focused on Camille, while trying to save Chase, Camille is kidnapped, abused and raped. A lot of different things pulling on Camille and her friends. Dealing with the emotional fallout from things that happened in the previous book as well as this new trauma, also new bad guys introduced. Very graphic, some things resolved, while leaving many open story threads.

[Dwayne Tranbarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courting Darkness

Camille is amazing She went through much hardship to come out the other side stronger than before. It is not just the sisters but now an entire family standing together

[Halo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this one. It was a dark story that sets up further series plot points. However, I feel the majority of the story is unnecessary. Several chapters ended with lazy writing. I will continue the series, but won't recommend it.