Darkest Before Dawn

KGI #10

by Maya Banks, Tad Branson (Narrator)

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t...

The enigmatic Hancock has been both opponent and ally to the KGI teams for as long as they've known him. Always working a deep game, Hancock's true allegiance has never been apparent, but one thing is for certain—he never lets anything get in the way of duty.

But now, his absolute belief in the primacy of his ultimate goal is challenged by a captive he's been ordered to guard, no matter how much she suffers in her prison. She's the only woman who's ever managed to penetrate the rigid walls surrounding his icy heart, but will he allow his perplexing feelings for the beautiful victim to destroy a mission he's spent years working to complete or will he be forced to sacrifice her for “the greater good.”

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Military Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Military Romance

Audiobook

First published October 27, 2015

About the author

Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Pissed Off Stars



Oh there will be spoilers and lots of gifs!!

I am so pissed and disappointed right now! I have waited forever for my beloved Hancock's story. His story had such potential. My Hancock, the super soldier, cold, hard, but good and redeemable under it all. That is not what I got here. See that is the problem when you love a character so much and you wait for their book, sometimes it doesn't live up to your expectations. Well this book didn't just let me down, it blew my dreams of a yummy Hancock love to hell!



The first 30% of the book was so boring, repetitive, and tedious it took everything in me to power through. Repeating over and over the same lines, thoughts, and inner- struggle. Then over the top, unnecessary details are the reason it took 50 pages to say what could have been covered in 10 tops. At points my eyes glazed over and I just prayed for it to be over!



So in the first half of the book I really liked Honor. I thought she was brave, sassy, and a fighter. She had a sweet caring heart and a ton of courage. Then it's like at about the 60% mark she turned into someone else completely. Someone so over the top ridiculous, and unrealistic that I could no longer relate to her and felt a complete disconnect. Come on, you want me to believe that this woman, this fighter, or any woman for fuck sake, would all of a sudden just be ok with being a sacrificial lamb for the greater good? She not only is okay with dying she knows she will be raped repeatedly, and tortured beyond belief before said death will come and then the death will be slow and painful, but hey she's okay with that. It's cool.

“And I forgive you, for what it’s worth. You’re right. What is the good of the one compared to the good of the many?”-Honor



Oh and of course I am suppose to believe that after she is nearly raped twice, beaten during both almost rapes, Hancock betraying her, breaking her trust, and planning to hand her over to hell, She wants him to be her first lover. You know so that her first time isn't from rape since she is going to be raped over and over.

“Would you . . . Would you make love to me? Now? Before you have to give me to Maksimov? Will you show me just once what it should be like so that I’ll know? So that I’ll have that one memory of something beautiful, something that no one else can ever touch. That can never be tainted no matter what else is done to me. So that when another man . . . hurts me, I can retreat to this moment and hold on. Shut out everything but this one perfect night. Will you do this for me?”-Honor



She deserved a gentle initiation. Not down-and-dirty fucking. He closed his eyes, swearing at his choice of thoughts. The idea of other men holding her down, raping her like mindless animals made him sick. His erection lost its rigidity and bleakness entered his soul.-Hancock

That leads to the creepiest sex I have ever read. It was bad, just bad. I mean fuck! The whole time he is "making love" to her he is thinking of how he has to make it good so that when she is being raped she can hold on to this beautiful memory! LOL sure. Hancock the whole time he is fucking her (because that was not making love) is doing it while still planning on turning her over to a fate worse than hell. Because nothing is more romantic then thinking about impending rape while making love for the first time to a traitor.

“Killing is second nature to him. To him killing is as normal as breathing. As eating or drinking. If it gets him what he wants, he does it. He thrives on pain, torment.” He winced again. “Torture. Rape. You can’t imagine the twisted, sadistic things he does to the women he rapes. He’s into every imaginable crime. He has no loyalty except to himself. He deals drugs, guns, bombs. Human trafficking. He’s a fucking pedophile and he indulges himself even as he sells children to people who are as perverted and twisted as he is.”-Hancock about Maksimov



And Hancock, pff his character was destroyed for me. I mean I could understand to a point that he is a harden man and he has to finish the mission for the greater good. But from the minute he started having feelings for Honor he should have changed the plan to sacrifice her. As the book went on I lost all respect and love for him. He was so hypocritical and ludicrous. He was not the same Hancock I grew to love from the other books. He even at one point thinks of how he could save her, he has done it twice before, saved other women. That there would always be another chance to get the bad guy, but he ain't gonna do it. Why? Cause he is tired of chasing the bad guy and letting him slip through his fingers. So fuck Honor. Oh but he feels guilt about it.

He’d dropped the guise of justice and his pursuit of Maksimov, not once but twice, to save other innocents. So why not Honor? If he were truly honest, he would admit to himself, to his men, that this being their last chance was bullshit. There was always another opportunity given time and patience. But patience was what he was fast running out of. His resolve to end it now had less to do with it being his only shot and a lot more to do with the fact that Hancock was weary and he wanted out. -Hancock



By the time he gets his shit together and decides he isn't giving Honor up. It's too little, too late for me. He was ruined for me. I didn't buy his instant change of heart. I didn't buy his love. I didn't buy that he goes from a heartless prick to a sappy puss that cries all the time in the blink of an eye. And I didn't buy their relationship at all. This book was a total fail for me.



It really upsets me. This book was a total hot mess. like a train wreck that you can't look away from. KGI has always been one of my favorite series. Their stories so awesome, their loves so epic. I can't believe this is a KGI book, let alone my Hancock's book. I feel so let down. I really hope this isn't going to be the new norm for the KGI books, because I can't take much more of this shit.



http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars
I've been such a huge fan of Maya Banks, but I'm finding that most of her recent releases have been slightly less than lackluster for me lately. While I loved the first five books in the KGI series, since book six it's been taking a significant decline for me. The story lines are just OTT out there, the characters not quite what they used to be. But still I was holding out hope for Hancock to finally bring this series back to what it used to be. I've been eagerly anticipating his book for years, so I was beyond excited to get my hands on Darkest Before Dawn....only to be disappointed.

The first 25% of the book I struggled to get into it. It was repetitive to the point of redundancy. Hancock's internal musings of him being the bad guy but for good intentions was repeated ad nauseam. I suppose this is good for readers coming into the series without having read the previous books. But for fans of the series that have been up to date? Well, let's just say you'll get a bit of a refresher.

The story really took off after the 25% mark and I found I couldn't put the book down. The action and suspense really picked up. The budding romance begin...and then it all crashed down after the 60% mark.

The heroine was idealistic and naive to the point of being OTT about it. It's almost cheesy for me to say that Honor was just too honorable, but that's what it is. While I really liked her in the beginning, her internal monologue and reasoning after the 60% mark was just beyond anything I could wrap my mind around. I don't care how much you want the bad guys to get caught, no person in their right mind will reason with themselves that they're OK with being betrayed and sacrificed for the greater good because it's the "right" thing to do. She's not a soldier. She's a relief aid volunteer. When she finds out Hancock's plans on using her, she's not mad, crying, trying to escape. Nope. She accepts it all with the calmness of a woman that was just told that the purse she wanted isn't in stock. Ah well, it is what it is. In Hancock's defense, he never lies to her. Unless you consider lie by omission. He never confirms that he's there to save her and doesn't give her false hope. But he never point blank admits it either. This was just the beginning of the end for me. His epiphany came a little too late for me to sympathize with him or even like him.

Add into the mix that Honor is a virgin, because it's not enough with her personality fitting her name. Nope. You have to add the cherry on top. Pun intended

But not only does she accept everything with an unbelievable sort of calm, she asks Hancock to take her virginity. Why? Because she doesn't want her first time to be a rape, since that is inevitably what would happen to her once she's handed over to the man that hired Hancock. Rape. Torture. Death.

Well...YEAH! A man with the intentions of sacrificing me for the greater good does not exactly make me go all tingly in the nether regions. Add into the fact that she knows what she has in store for her and how horrific her death will be, and yet her line of thinking is Oh, Hanckcock. You're so brave and honorable for making such a hard decision. Please take my virginity. I want you to be the one. Yep. Not only does she forgive him, but she rationalizes it and praises him for it.

After 60% the book just spiraled down faster than a junky on a bender. Hancock flipped a switch and pulled a complete 180; going from badass to p*ssy in 0 to 6 seconds. It was great to finally get the entire KGI crew, but unfortunately it was a case of too little too late. For all the hopes I had for this book, sadly after finishing it, I think I'm done with this series. I kept hoping that it will come back to what it once was, but after 4 books in a row that left me underwhelmed, I just don't have it in me to continue.

I know what Maya Banks is capable of, and her earlier books are a true testament to that. Her Sweet series was one of my favorites. But sadly the releases she's had lately seem to be missing a certain edge that her earlier work had. I'm still holding out hope, but not with this series.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense

This was repetitive, cheesy, over-the-top melodramatic, slow, and borderline ridiculous at times. I didn't really care much for the hero or heroine or their romance.

I've been underwhelmed with the last couple of books in this series and with the books in her Breathless Trilogy, Surrender Trilogy, and especially the Slow Burn series. I really hope the next Kelly/KGI book will be better.

[Angela (Reading Frenzy Book Blog) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darkest Before Dawn has a strong premise, and since I’m a fan of military dramas I wish I could say it was enough to make this a winner for me. Sadly, however, the book falters under the weight of overwhelming excesses.

This is an overly detailed, nearly 400 page story that would definitely benefit from a shorter length. There is a great deal of exposition in the beginning, and while I appreciated the author’s intention to acclimate readers like me, who are new to the series, it’s just too lengthy. What’s troublesome is how often exhaustive exposition is used throughout the entire book—basically each time a character from a previous book is mentioned (which occurs frequently).

The dialog and narration are exceedingly redundant. Even the plot points are repetitive. I stopped counting the number of times Hancock injects Honor with a sedative so he won’t have to answer her questions, witness her sense of betrayal, struggle with her, etc.

Perhaps one of the biggest downfalls is the one-dimensional main character. Honor is exactly as her name indicates: honorable. However, she’s excessively so. She’s kidnapped, beaten, and she’s about to be raped, tortured, and killed, but she announces that it’s all right because her death is for the greater good. It pushes the bounds of realism. Honor has no flaws, so rather than being a character you can relate to she becomes a caricature.

The book is light on romance and heavy on the action, which was a smart choice. I was anticipating the characters would fall victim to the cliché insta-lust; however, their attraction occurs much later in the story. The focus is primarily on the military mission. It’s dark, gritty, and violent.

Fans of the series may be interested to know that characters from previous books return to play key roles in the story.

** ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. **

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Protecting at All Cost Stars

Darkest Before Dawn is a standalone and is part of the KGI series. I love Maya Banks. She’s one of the first authors I discovered when I adventured to **cough** smut reading. I mean, New Adult / Contemporary reading.

What can I say? She has a way in creating different characters and addictive stories.

This is my first KGI book. I’ve heard so many great things about this series and I LOVE action pack novels. You throw in a sexy Hero, well I’m a happy gal.

I didn’t read the previous books, but Hancock has been on both sides, good and bad. Regardless where his ties are, he’s a man of his word. Honor is the only survivor of an explosion and is now hunted, because there should be no survivors. She’s a woman in a war-torn country and everything seems kind of dire. Because of Honor’s background, Hancock is requested to “save” Honor and bring her back.

“You’re safe, Honor. I’ve got you. Nothing will hurt you tonight”

The descriptive writing is a bit heavy in the beginning. There’s a lot of character build up and you find out where the characters come from. The two main characters interact around the 20% and from there, the pace picks up and you are taken for a wild ride.

“Thank you”
“For what”
“For saving me…”
“I made no such promise, Honor”
“You trying is enough”

Honor and Hancock are attracted to each other, but both have goals that need to meet before anything romantic can happen. Hancock is on a mission and Honor is just trying to survive. But nothing is what it seems! Hancock needs to do the right thing, but what happens by doing the right thing is also a bad thing?

I love Hancock’s conflicting emotions in this book. He works very hard to do right, but he considers himself a monster and wants so much more for Honor. I love my Heroes with issues. Honor is no damsel in distress. She’s smart, strong and self-less.

“I care too … much, and that’s why I’m so … [angry], Honor. Because I’m not supposed to care. I’m not supposed to be human. I’m a killer”

The banter is addictive and adds a little nice tension to the story.

I like the complexities of the story and how it kind of sucks you in. If you are a fan of action pack reads with a leading male character, then this one is for you.

An ARC was provided

AMAZON

[Vintage · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh buh-ruther.

Too many tears. You know who cried? The men. The almighty mighty might military men cried me a river of boo hoo.




I read the reviews right before I read, no, right before I skimmed this. Sadly they are spot on. This was no bueno.

Hancock was a waffling, big cry baby whiner with some dom tendencies, and whatsherface is a fool me over, do gooder that is frankly kind of boring.

How many tropes are there?

1. The alpha male that turns into a cupcake by the widdle woman.

2. The heroes that rail on the other heroes for turning into said cupcakes.

3. The over-emoting love and honor speeches that were just downright embarrassing.

4. Mojo The simple, but good hearted character that barely talks. "Good Mojo." Bad Mojo" I kid you not. Guess who dies?

5. The "I'm not good enough for her/him..."

6. The hokey all male review by the KGI men, "Let's go watch Hancock cry like a little girl when his chick comes back."

7. The surprise pregnancy. She's a doctor for crying out loud.

You know who was interesting? The grumpy SOB Conrad or Kyle the interested Marine.
P.S. You know how it ends? Hancock takes her to live on a remote island by themselves. Yep, Hancock, Honor and the baby and that's it. She went from being a doctor to a SAHM on a remote island.

[Geri Reads]

I'm setting this one aside for a moment. It's not doing anything for me at all.

[PLerman]

OMG! I am so excited for Hancocks story, I feel like it is going to be a good one, but I also really wanted Sean and Rusty! Cant decide which one I want more.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honor is a relief worker in some arabian war-zone.
When her clinic is being bombed, she's the only survivor, and the bad guys are hunting her.
She escapes, only to be caught/rescued by Hancock.
We all met him in the KGI books before - he's trying to find this huge russian gangster, the one who killed his foster mom.

And to lure him closer, he has to have Honor - she's his last chance to get revenge.
But the longer he's close to her - the harder it will be to let her go...

What will happen to Honor & Hancock?
Will there be a HEA?
Will everybody survive???


____________________________



I loved every KGI book so far - ok, I did hate a little on those with too much paranormal stuff - those mind-reading ones... but I always read them and loved the characters..
So I don't know what was wrong this time...it was probably just that I wasn't in the mood for it... because I couldn't read this book.
I started and I liked the whole idea, but the beginning alone...that bomb that goes off in that clinic and Honor surviving and getting out of there. It could've been told in 2 pages, but it took Maye 5% of the book to tell it. That's been the problem for me with Maya's books for a while now... She just writes too much. Every book of hers that I've read in the last years could've been told with half the words, or even less. She repeats things CONSTANTLY and she goes into too much detail. Some detail is good, but I don't care about most of those details.

I don't want to stop people from reading and enjoying this book.
I loved that Hancock finally got his own book, and I was really looking forward to reading it, but there were just way too many unnecessary words (pages) for me.

I will read everything that Maya writes in the future (not the paranormal stuff) and I hope that she'll lose some of her words on the way.

The story itself was pretty good. It would've been totally my kind of romantic suspense.
But all those repeats and stuff I didn't care about, made it very hard for me to read it.
I finished it, but I finished it in only 3 hours. It was so bad that I skipped most of it, and only read when people were talking to each other, everything else was just totally redundant.
Sorry :/

Still 4 stars, because I love KGI and I would've loved Hancock too.
As I said before, don't let my own weirdness stop you from enjoying the book! ☺

[CC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huh - well after the last total disaster in the series, I was pleased this was not a total train wreck.

There were still some repetition issues, but not nearly as bad as the last book.

The problem I had with this one was the relationship. Hancock was not committed until the end and then he wussed out. Honor had to "man up" because he was incapable. Separations do not make me happy. Especially when the heroine has to make the move to get them back together and extricate Hancock's head from his ass.

This book was violent. Killing, abuse, attempted rapes, torture, attempted suicide, etc. It is not for the meek.

At the end of the day, I was happy they got together which shocked the hell out of me. In the beginning, I was pretty happy with hoping Hancock died a painful death. Even in the middle I still felt this way. He came around at the end. But then he became a pathetic version of himself and I lost respect.

I have no idea if I can continue this series....

[Shari · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader

The hero Hancock has been in past books in the series. Me, well, I forgot who or what he was and while he is  the hero, it didn't cause too many problems not remembering him. Since I didn't really like him, it was something I didn't even cry over or go back to find out who he was. I just didn't care.

Hancock and is former Titan team have been after their villain for years. The last two times they have gotten close, they chose to save an innocent instead of taking out the bad guy. Now they are closer than ever to getting to him again, but the one hiccup is another innocent must be sacrificed for the greater good. (Fuck that)

The story starts off with a literal bang as the relief center Honor Cambridge works at (somewhere in the middle east) is bombed by New Day. Getting all the patients out, Honor runs back in to help save her co-workers only to be crushed by a wall that in reality saves her life. She frees herself and uses a level head to pack and hide from the men who want all the clinic workers to show their power. Spending days sleeping an nights walking, Honor evades the terrorist until an American approaches her to save her, or so she thinks.

Hancock and his team have been sent to retrieve the American woman who has escaped and evaded the terrorists. Not to save her, but to turn her over to the bad guy they are after so they can kill him. They know she won't survive and that she will have a long lingering death. Hancock evades her questions, never lies, but never gives her the truth either. All through their escape Honor shows the men she is one of the best people, but also innocent of the ways of the world. They grow to respect her and all have problems turning her over to finish their mission.

And that is where I was so furious with the story. It's one thing to hold onto this hope that turning over an innocent will save thousands, but when they and especially Hancock meet her, they don't change their minds. They intend to let her go to a man who will rape her, beat her, hurt her and then turn her over the terrorist who tried to kill her to begin with to have even more torment. The team all knows this, but Hancock leads.

After Honor is brutally attacked by their current bad boss (no rape, just attempted), Hancock comes clean with what's going on and Honor starts to get cold and internal in her thoughts. It's for the greater good right? But as she is preparing her mind for what is going to happen, she starts defending Hancock's actions and that he is a good man. *PUKE*

So Honor is a virgin and she doesn't want her first time to be in a rape so she asks Hancock to make love to her.



Seriously, he says this in the middle of having sex with her and he plans to turn her over to be raped, beaten and degraded. I just couldn't find it in my heart to like either of them after this. Oh, and they forgot the condom.

After this I was kind of over the entire story. Even if he decided not to do it, he kept holding onto his convictions way to long and Honor kept defending him for them. So sad that she was willing to be a martyr for her man.

Things happen that are supposed to make you change your mind about Hancock, but it was too late. Honor gets her torture, but is never raped. The end came and I was ever so glad to be done with these characters. They just left me with a WTF feeling.

The KGI group makes an appearance briefly in the latter part of the book. While I love some of these guys, it just seemed flat and uninteresting.

So I have read every one of the books in this series except for one. I have loved the earlier books. The latter books keep becoming something that just leaves me cold. And so I must say, I am done reading this series. I just can't take any more of the heroines being sappily innocent and sweet while the men want to dominate what they think and feel. It doesn't feel like a passionate love but more like a take over of someone who has no thoughts or feelings.
Discussion Starter
So I love sweet and innocent heroines, but also women who are strong and go get 'em. When does the innocent and sweetness go too far? What's the line of being an martyr or being a strong heroine? Do we want martyr's in our romance?

Can we forgive hero's for being idiots? Do they go too far at times that even as a reader you can't forgive them? Is the greater good really greater?

This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader

[Vashti · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do for the greater good of man? Would you sacrifice one for hundreds or even thousands.What if that one person that you would willingly sacrifice never in their entire life hurt a human life,but instead did everything to ease the plight of human suffering. What if you have strong feelings for said person...there are a lot of what if's,and I for one would have a hard time deciding ,a hard choice to be sure.
This is book#10 in the KGI series of romantic suspense by Maya Banks and it is Hancock's and Honor's story.
Honor is an aid worker in some war torn country invaded by a rebel faction and they bombed the clinic she was in.The rebels come to do a body count,but they call a halt and make plans to return in the morning.Honor ,survives and manages to escape before they return.There is a price on her head,she caused the rebels to lose face as she has constantly evaded being captured traveling by night and managing to sleep by day.All she wants is to get home and be with her family.
Hancock is a merc,we saw him in prior books,but this man has had a hidden agenda all along.......he is a fighter for the greater good,his mission now is to capture the aid worker for his criminal boss to barter her to an even worse criminal,the Russian that he has been wanting all along.
When they meet up in a village,she in disguise as a native,he knows it's her,she thinks that he is going to save her and take her home.Hancock and his men have never met a person like her before,who is this woman that is pure goodness,so selfless and giving....Honor does not know that she is just a means to an end.
Wow,this heroine went thru the mill!! attempted rape two times,physical and mental torture to the extreme,I was gutted for this heroine,I just wanted her to be safe and happy.
The hero at the beginning,I so hated him,how could he do this to the heroine,willingly trade her to the evil men knowing that her life would be pure hell and torture and death would be a relief when it came.As they began to get closer,and the men see her as a truly good person,they begin to question about giving her up.How can one choose to sacrifice one so pure in order to bring down an evil madman.The heroine herself accepts her fate and asks the hero to give her a night of happiness so she can remember what making love is like when she is given over and knows the depraved abuse that she will suffer.She wants to give her virginity to some one of her choice,not taken in a rape.Everything changes after this night when Hancock and Honor make love.
When he made the decision not to hand her over and form a new plan,I was happy.But,again,things went awol and Honor was captured and Hancock shot .Both of these characters went thru so much,Honor more so,but the anguish of Hancock was gutting.
If ever there was a couple that deserved their HEA ,it was this one.From a dark story,the epilogue was super sweet with them together as a happy couple with their child.

[Elfina Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn Maya Banks never fails to deliver! This was the perfect book for the right mood. Something different with a shit ton of action, excitement and panty watering thrills. Be still my thundering heart as badass Hancock sets out on a mission. Yes he'll take a prisoner, sacrifice the little lost lamb for the good of the many. Honor thinks he's salvation sent on a daring rescue mission but he has other plans and they don't involve getting her home!

Excellent...excellent read, had some minor hiccups but still very enjoyable, recommend to all who loves the thrills and chills of dominate alpha men! See you on the flip side....enjoy!

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars is probably being a bit generous - more like 2.5 stars because I do love Hancock the thorn in the side of our KGI boys. But parts of this plotline were just ridiculous Hancock rescuing the oh so noble Honor Cambridge to turn her over to the bad guys for the "greater good" is one thing but then to tell her his plans, her accepting of being the martyr and then begging him to take her virginity and forgiving him....the woman's not a saint she's a doormat! .

I do like the concept of this series and the strongest books in the series focus on the relationship between the Kelly family members, even in this book the best parts include them in the big rescue at the end but I'm just not a fan of Maya Banks writing style or the suspense aspects of her plots.

[☾ Dαɴιyα ☽ · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the popular series about the super-elite, top secret, family-run business that is the Kelly Group International (KGI), Darkest Before Dawn is the tenth book, but no worries, it can be read as a standalone. It's one of those installments that don't center around a member of the KGI, but rather a man who's been, as far as I could see, kind of frenemies with the KGI, Guy Hancock. Fans of the previous books will be happy to know the previous characters make an appearance here as well to play an important role in the resolution. I, having not read any of those books, was a bit overwhelmed with the sheer amount of minor characters, and their relationships. It would take me awhile to grasp all of it if I wanted to, but I think the majority of readers who'll choose to read about Hancock and Honor will be those who have read at least some of the earlier stories, and they should know about the Kelly family and others.


The story begins when the relief center in the Middle East where Honor volunteered was bombed and she was the sole survivor. Her escape made her a target of the terrorist group responsible for the attack, which also made her an important part of Hancock's plan to finally take down Maksimov, the man he had a personal vendetta against. But that plan was not easy to actually carry out as it would inevitably lead to Honor's slow and painful death, a fact that had been weighing heavily on Hancock and his team who had admired Honor from the start, and it raised the question whether sacrificing one innocent person for the greater good was really worth it.


The premise sounded, and it still does sound interesting. I wish I could say the same about the story itself, but sadly I can't. In my opinion (and I'm not alone in this; I've checked), this book contains way too much repetition. The word count could have been significantly lower without it hurting the plot. In fact, it would have helped it by not making me or anyone else who picks it up to read about the same things, whether it's facts, thoughts, or actions, over and over and over again. The books has 378 pages -- it's a lot of pages to go through when the constant repetitiveness is annoying you. It made me want to wish I, too, had skimmed some parts. And while I'm on the subject of annoying things and parts I wish I'd skimmed, I have to say this: if you're going to put words in the mouth of a supposedly religious Muslim, please don't make them sound as though they haven't a clue about Islam. It is not enough to just use the word God in Arabic, and then say whatever. Just no.


While the premise did sound interesting, what really made me accept this ARC was Hancock, and if I had read this series before, I'm certain his book would've been one I'd be anxiously anticipating. I do so love reading about these bad guys who in the end always do the right thing. Hancock proved to be one of them, but a couple of things about him left me confused. The time it took him to finally, finally reach the decision about Honor was one. After everything I learned about his past actions, and the present facts, it seemed like something that just didn't fit in. The second is: he kept, like almost everyone else, referring to himself as a emotionless machine, but all the emotions he felt belie that. And he had many. It surprised me about him and everyone else, just how much they cried, these big, tough guys, tasked to do the dirty jobs the government can't. Other than that, I did like the loyalty and the bond he and his team shared.


What to say about Honor? Her name says it all. She was a saint. Honor is the kind of character that most will probably like. She definitely seemed like the person one might like to have in their lives, as she seemed to be the most caring, giving, forgiving, compassionate character ever. But how often do we really find people who have no flaws at all? And, well, I prefer my fictional characters to have flaws, something to make them more real. "There's nothing more boring than perfect." I'm afraid I agree with this.


The development of the romance between Honor and Hancock was okay, slow, but okay. The bigger part of the story was about Hancock's plan to take down Maksimov, and ANE (the terrorist group hunting Honor). Having to deal with such dangerous people had put all of them in danger many times. There is no shortage of violence in the book, though it didn't seem as gruesome as it could have been.
Would I have preferred both the plan and the romance were handled differently? Yes! Why? I can't say as it would be a spoiler, but I will say it's because of my own personal preferences.


In the end... I'm not even sure what to put in the end. Darkest Before Dawn left me wanting to scream: TOO MUCH REPETITION! And ignoring that, I think, ultimately, I'm not the right audience for this type of romantic suspense -- I admit, reading about military never held much appeal to me. I wouldn't want to scare anyone away from reading this book, especially not those fans looking forward to Hancock's book. If you've waited for it, then go for it, and see for yourself. Good luck!



***ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review



Darkest Before Dawn by Maya Banks is a heart-pounding thriller suspense that takes place in a war torn country in the Middle East. Honor is a relief worker working in a clinic that happened to be attacked and bombed by a terrorist militant network. Injured, hungry and alone Honor tries her best to escape the men who are hunting her down but she doesn't get far. Hancock and his men have been assigned to rescue and retrieve Honor from a militia unit that is after her. Honor assumes Hancock's mission was to help her return safely back home but little does she know Hancock has some other ulterior motives. He wants to use Honor as a way to draw out another criminal mastermind that was behind the murder of his foster mother. But as Hancock and Honor continue to spend more time together, the walls that surrounds Hancock's tough exterior begins to crumble when he slowly lets Honor in. Will his feelings for Honor affect his original mission? Or will Hancock realize that the only important mission is the safety and protection of Honor?



Darkest Before Dawn is my first KGI book that I have read of the series. I will say that I enjoyed reading this action packed thriller suspense but I wished the author would have condensed some parts in the book. There were times that I felt the author was too detailed where it wasn't needed and a bit repetitive in the beginning. But towards the last 30% of the book, the action, romance, and suspense begins to pick up and allows readers to really feel the tension and uncertainty. As a fan of Maya Banks, I loved that she was able to showcase a strong heroine throughout the book and readers were able to witness a strong mercenary man who has soft spot for the woman who held his heart hostage. Overall, Darkest Before Dawn was an enjoyable thriller romantic suspense.



Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Maya Banks

[Auntee · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thoughts about this book are all over the place...

I loved the first 100 pages or so. I so admired the heroine (Honor) and all that she did to survive. I was pulling for her, I was with her every step of the way. Even when she met up with the (anti)hero (Hancock). (This guy would fit right into Anne Stuart's Ice series...) I knew what he planned for her, but I still had hope that there would be a way out for Honor...

I knew Hancock had some questionable morals/ethics, I knew his whole "sacrifice one for the greater good" nonsense, and I knew that's what he planned to do with Honor--sacrifice this innocent, brave woman so thousands of unknown "others" could escape the reign of his arch enemy, the man he's been trying to get for years--Maksimov. I just couldn't understand his way of thinking, especially when he got to know and admire Honor. Would it kill him to let her go? Didn't he have a history of letting innocents go (a couple of the Kelly women who he saved?) I wanted to kill him for his stubbornness!

But what really set me off and almost made me stop reading was when Honor found out what was to be her fate...and she was okay with it? WTH? Are you crazy? You fought so hard for your life and you're okay with Hancock turning you over to this sadistic psycho who after he's done abusing you is going to turn you over to an ISIS-like group of fanatics and a fate worse than death? All so Hancock can bust up Maksimov's organization and save the world from an evil despot? What a martyr...

Okay, after about 50 pages of this nonsense, where Honor and Hancock also fall in love and he's still going to hand her over to the crazies (although at least now it's killing him to do it)...I didn't know what to think. Well yes, I did think that they were both batshit crazy!
But then (thankfully) there was a twist, plans changed, and there was hope. The last 100 pages were quite riveting (and emotional) and darn if I didn't have a tear in my eye.

So I don't know what to think. Half the book I liked, even loved at times. And half the book made me so angry...

I'm thinking maybe Maya Banks had better wrap up this series soon, because the last few books have been either 'meh' or highly illogical. This one was all over the place. I'm feeling somewhat generous just because the absurdity of it all entertained me...3 1/2 stars

[Mysti · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE You can see I've listened to this audiobook numerous times. The first time I read it, I stayed up until 2am, sitting alone in the dark, eating Pringles, and crying as I finished this book. I was probably more upset because the guy reading the audio book was so emotional!!!! I want to be clear - this is a bad, lazily written book. The selling point is (1) Hancock, and (2) the narrator.

Hancock (trained by Rio, leader of ex-military group Titan, love of my life) has no clue that his mission involving Honor Cambridge (Relief worker in war torn country, virgin, sacrificial lamb) will change his life forever.

Hancock and his team have sought to destroy Maksimov for years. Each time he gets close, his conscience stops him. First, he saved Grace. Then he saved Maren. He has such a big heart that’s hidden. Honor is a kick ass woman who escaped an attack on the relief center she was at. She’s then on the run from a militant group. Among the people of the country she becomes a “beacon of hope, an angel sent from Allah”. The terrorist group wants her and Maksimov wants her. Hancock and his team capture her in hopes to win favor and get closer to Maksimov. They didn’t count on falling in love with her brave, warrior heart.

I've got soooooooo many complaints with this book. Biggest complaint is there is way too much time spent on repeating the same things over and over. More thoughts than actual action between the characters. I swear, “sacrifice one for the greater good” and “sacrificial lamb to slaughter” and “saving thousands of lives” were all said at least a hundred times each. There’s also basically an entire chapter on her parents and siblings and their careers and football. Nobody f*cking cares. The audiobook is 14 hours - it could honestly be cut down to about 6 hours if you took out all the repetition.

Then - the sex portion got so corny. She wants Hancock to be her first so that the first time she has sex isn't when she's being raped. I was ready for tender loving but it was short and too meh. Also, If I hear one more virgin say "It feels good but I don't know what to do! Help me!" when trying to reach her orgasm I'm going to snap! JFC women don't say that IRL!!!! I was just rolling my eyes. Oh - or the woman saying, "let me make you feel good. show me how to please you." when referencing sucking c*ck - ugh. WTF is wrong with people.

Plus, there are too many rape attempts. It’s like WTF don’t you have anything else? There is also a death that seriously broke my heart. I was so pissed because we hadn’t really had anyone we loved die before and I was like WTF Maya!!! So damn mad about that. I cried like a baby during that death. Damn I'm still mad about it. It's like when Hedwig died in Harry Potter.

I thought this one was completely different than the other KGI books. I still loved it.

I LOVE YOU HANCOCK!

[Lani ⚔⚔ the Destroyer ⚔⚔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't believe I am rating a KGI book just 2 stars, but there it is. I don't want to write a scathing review because I'd much rather move on to reading something far more enjoyable so I will point out a few of my issues.

I found the first 30% really hard to get into. The monologue from Hancock about how bad he was and the horrible torture Honor was going to endure when he gave her up to the terrorists was incredibly repetitive and loooooong. I didn't buy their connection, their first time (sex) was a little WTF given the whole situation, and then the ILY revelation that came immediately after was really unbelievable. Honor's response to the situation was too bizarre to be believed. I made it to 65% of the book, considered DNF, but I just wanted it over so counted down the percentages on my kindle screen until I got to the end. I can't be bothered writing anymore about Darkest Before Dawn, but this great review sums up everything I thought in far more detail
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autry's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

Hancock and Honor was both tough as nails, and brave enough to forge ahead in war torn countries for the greater good of the people. One has an outpouring of support for people in need and willing to risk her life to provide aid. The other is willing to jump out of airplanes and drive for days on end for a mission. Sympathy has no place in Hancock’s life; emotions allow things to get messy and complicated, screwing up his missions, risking his men's lives.

From the start of Hancock and Honor's relationship it was clear it would be two hardheaded individuals battling each other and the terrorist looking for her. Each one bringing in a very strong, dominate personality into a very tense situation. It takes a long while before each one realizes their feelings for each other. Unsure of how their situation plays out, they both decide to give each other their all for at least one night. That night was the night that broke through Hancock’s walls and the relationship takes flight from there.

Darkest Before Dawn was a long awaited novel to many readers; it however did not live up to my expectations. I did not really feel any type of emotion towards Hancock or Honor until 60% of the way through the book. It was a real struggle to continue to read the dialogue between the two. It seemed to read in circles, she would always remind Hancock and his men of her stance on her job and how no one will tell her that where she will work. And in his response, or yelling at her, he reminds her what will happen to he if he leaves her behind or the terrorist finds her. I had many times while reading, my mind couldn’t believe anyone would think or act as Honor and Hancock were.

There would be a great amount of spoilers if I listed everything that made me think this is not up to Maya Banks standards. It almost as if someone else wrote the first half of this novel, then Maya stepped in to finish it up. The last couple of chapters are where the intensity cranks up and KGI actually becomes part of the novel, until then they are barely mentioned. Overall I am disappointed in Darkest Before Dawn, more novels have been confirmed and I hope they will be filled with new, fresh ideas that draw the read in from the start.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never really wanted to read Hancock's story as his ethics followed a very fine line but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and dived in. The first half of the book was gripping and very emotional but then Honor started getting on my nerves with her repetative lines telling Hancock she forgave him and she was willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good - it all turned cheesy and boring.

I wanted to rate it higher than the 3 stars but unfortunately it just didn't deserve it. On the upside it made me want to read the whole series again :)

[TJ *Book Twins Reviews*]

I read the previous books in this series a year or so ago and fell in love with them. The books are action packed and filled with smoking hot alphas & badass women. Plus... Maya Banks!! This one, however fell short of the mark. I couldn't finish it.

I expected so much more from Hancock. He's supposed to be the baddest of the bad! Alas, I was disappointed 😔. I plan to read the next in line hoping for the best.

No rating since I didn't finish the book.

[AH · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a DNF (did not finish) review. I read through to 42% and this book is not for me.

Why?

- I did not like the hero Hancock- Here we have a big bruiser of a military man, all muscle, all business. He rescues his damsel in distress (although she is really badass) only to constantly think about turning her over to the bad guys for the greater good. At first the book reminded me of the TV series American Odyssey, but too much time was spent in the hero's head. Men do not think that way. They can't possibly.

But -

I loved the heroine Honor. - This is a woman who manages to escape a massacre, disguises herself as a native, and looks out for herself and others.

Unfortunately, the narrative dragged a little for me and I can't keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for a review copy of this book.

[Mskychick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-1/2 stars. Overall, I enjoyed the story.
I have some reservations, though. Honor is over-the-top good, way too sweet and forgiving to be believable. Hancock is, conversely, over-the-top dark.
And this book would be better with some heavier editing. There was a lot of ruminating by the characters about the same thing. Over and over again. Pages long, only to be repeated again a few chapters later. Issues were too belabored to be enjoyable.
I did enjoy this book much more than the last KGI books. I've really disliked her last few, so I was very happy to find this one much more palatable. KGI characters do not make an appearance until pretty late into the book.

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't feel that the domination factor was really needed there at the end. It didn't really feel organic to the book. Maybe it is really time for me to let this series go for reelz.

[Malinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars

This was a good story overall. I will note that the first half seemed well written but a bit dull and wordy. The last half was much better and made it worth getting through the first part. I liked Honor and Hancock...well, he grew on me.

Honor is a brave young woman. She is the youngest of her siblings and part of a warm and loving family. Honor knew early that she wanted to help people and started using her ability with languages to learn many middle eastern languages and dialects. Her family wasn't happy about Honor going into terrorist controlled countries in her mission to help others but she wasn't to be detoured.

Hancock is a man that doesn't "officially" exist. He used to be part of Titan, a government run black ops team. Unfortunately, when the government decided it was time to "erase" Titan, Hancock and his men had to disappear. Hancock and his team spend their time trying to take out bad guys. Because he has to do some bad things for the "greater good" at times, Hancock considers himself a bad guy but he's really more of a good guy than he realizes or is willing admit.

So Hancock and his team have been on the trail of a Russian arms dealer for years. This guy is a mega bad guy and someone that needs to be taken out ASAP. Hancock is working undercover for a cronie of this Russian and hoping to get closer to his target this way. He finds out that a terrorist group is looking for an aid worker that escaped their attack on a hospital. The Russian wants leverage over the terrorists so he wants the aid worker to use against them. Hancock decides he needs to find this woman because it's sure to be the key to getting to the Russian. Honor is the aid worker and after she managed to escape the wreckage of the hospital she is able to stay ahead of her pursuers for a week before she's found.

Honor is found by Hancock and although she's relieved he's American, there's something about him that makes her unsure if she trusts him. Hancock doesn't really feel right about making Honor think he's taking her home when he's really taking her to a Russian who will be sending her right back to the terrorists that Hancock saved her from. He doesn't like it but feels he has no other choice. It doesn't help matters when Honor starts winning over Hancock's team as well and none of them are happy about their plan. There's obviously some drama and angst as they have to deal with this. Honor starts out not trusting Hancock but then sees that underneath his hard exterior is some kindness and she begins to trust him. I don't want to get to detailed and start dropping spoilers but lets just say that there's a decent amount of back and forth and angst to deal with. Thankfully, Hancock and Honor get through the issues and drama and end the story with a nice HEA.

I enjoyed this story overall. As I already noted, the first half wasn't the greatest but the last half was pretty good. I liked Honor very much for the most part but there were occasions where I thought she was a little too easy with her emotions. Hancock starts out cold and slowly thawed as he spent more time with Honor. That worked for me and although Hancock wasn't perfect, I liked him in the end. Although the first half of the story got a bit tedious at times, I did like the last half...I wish I could just recommend the last half. LOL.

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and I though the narrator did a great job. :)

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkest before Dawn reels me right back into this series. Some of these books are hit or miss for me. This one is a hit, straight into the heart. I cried near the end of this book. I am touched and moved to tears because of the main character, Honor. Honor is one of those people who are too good to be true. She is truly someone who wants to serve and do better for the world. Instead of bemoaning and bitching about the horrors, she wants to make a difference. She isn't a flighty idealistic child. She is focused and studies to ensure she can blend in and help those she in need, specifically the poor and suppressed in the Middle-East. She is a woman with a plan and she will execute it.

I am not going to lie. I think Honor is crazy. Her mad language skills are impressive. Her desire to survive and her determination are all impressive. Her skills are actually believable as I have met polyglots like her. They are something special. Honor is also special because she is not TSTL. She is a woman with a goal and she will make it. It is her bad luck those who are against her are pure evil.

We finally get to learn more about anti-hero Hancock. He has popped up several time in the series as a questionable man. This book takes an in-depth look into his world. This world is one which prizes on the greater good at the sacrifice of the few. This is a very provocative concept which is anathema to those in the Western culture. Most 1st world citizens can not fathom this concept. If they do, it is only when that sacrifice isn't personal. I am going to sound jaded in this review, but sometimes, I am disgusted with my own countrymen because of their shallowness. This book brings home just how vain, frivolous and worthless most human beings are. Because we see two heroic types of people in this book and it is impressive. I know I couldn't do either Hancock or Honor's job. Both of them are beyond tough. Both of these type of people are required in this world to make up for the slack the majority of us over-indulged people.

What moves me in this fast paced story which is speeding towards a massive train wreck, is how much some people will sacrifice for the greater good. These people have meaning in their life and I am a bit ashamed at how little I contribute to help better the world. This book motivates me to volunteer time and material to my local shelters. Because at each nasty reveal, Honor embodies her name. She takes the high rode and is that angel of mercy who willing accepts being the sacrificial pig so hundreds and thousands of others will survive. This kind of goodness is so rare in the world.

The horrors of what happens to Honor are gritty and realistic. Ms. Banks never gets too graphic. There is enough detail to pull the reader deeper into this book. This book is a page turner as I could not put it down once I started. The suspense is fabulous and the plot development is excellent. The conclusion is actually a bit rushed feeling with a slightly surreal pulling of all these special forces. Up until the ending, I could totally believe this story to real. I am glad how the ending occurred because the happily ever after is well earned by Honor and Hancock. This romantic suspense is recommended to those who want to be inspired to do better.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was just suppose to be a simple assignment. No attachments. Just a cut and dry objective. Then Hancock met Honor and everything he thought he knew….everything about his beliefs were tested.

Working in a war zone is never easy. Heartache and death surround your every move. For Honor - it is her dedication to the clinic she works in that drives her to surround herself in danger. Then her will to live is tested. Militants bomb the clinic, leaving Honor as the sole survivor buried in the rubble. With the will to live fueling her on, Honor digs her way out of the ruins and barely escapes the clutches of her captors. Injured, hungry and alone - Honor dedicates herself to trying to remain alive. The hope of escaping the militants the fuel that she needs to carry on.

Hancock and his men have been assigned the task of finding Honor and keeping her from the militia that is hunting her down. It took Hancock and his crew very little effort to find Honor. They convince her they are her way out of this war torn country. Little does Honor know, but there is another agenda in play. Hancock is using her as a pawn to get his hands on a target. There will be no homecoming for the beauty. In fact, saving Honor will lead her right back towards captivity.

The more time Hancock spends with Honor, the more he questions his objective. Day by day the two seem to grow closer. Something that makes Hancock’s betrayal all the more difficult. When the time comes to turn Honor over, will Hancock let his feelings cloud the job at hand?

It was so hard to write a review for Darkest Before Dawn. There were so many emotions swirling around in regards to this book. Each page was filled with the torment that Honor was experiencing. Tears would roll down my face as I dived deeper into this book.

The story was written with such emotion. I couldn’t put it down. Then again, there were times I just didn’t want to know what was coming next. Hancock was…….well, amazing!! His struggle between duty and finding the one person that could melt the ice surround his heart was a sight to behold. Honor was the epitome of surviving through a tragedy. Together they were the perfect compliment to one another.

There were a lot of details in this story. In fact, I think I loved it more because it WASN’T your typical happily-ever-after storyline. This story was full of suspense, heartache, and discovery. I loved every minute of it!!

[Stephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hancock’s belief in his ultimate goal is being challenged by his perplexing feelings for the beautiful victim he needs to sacrifice for “the greater good” in this gripping contemporary romance.

Honor’s mission is to help the ravaged people in the war torn countries but this time her mission has landed her up a creek and with very few options and the reader can’t help but get caught up in the story as Hancock and Honor’s missions collide. The chemistry between Honor and Hancock sizzles with steamy passion but the relationship is one that is built on secrets and a situation that puts them on the wrong side of each other with the relationship and the situations both causing lots of emotional turmoil that grips the heart throughout the story. These strong compelling characters pull you into their story and keep you on the edge of your seat while the fast paced, smooth flowing plot thrills readers with lots of suspense, turmoil, action and romance.

Honor has managed to besmirch a terrorist groups’ honor and they won’t stop until they’ve captured and tortured her to death which puts her in the crosshairs of several deadly factions all set on using her for their goals. Expectations builds lots of spine tingling tension as Honor causes quite a bit of chaos among Hancock and his team and Hancock keeps readers wondering just how far he will go to achieve his mission. The well written scenes and details enthrall readers from the very beginning and the intriguing events guarantee there is never a dull moment.

I have been waiting for Hancock’s story for a while and there was no way that I could put it down once I got started because, while Honor seems to be too good to be true and Hancock may just be too bad to be redeemed, Maya Banks brings these two characters to life and ensures that readers can understand just what motivates them which makes it real easy to become completely lost in all the excitement.
- Eva

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugg, I have so many negative feels about this book, I don't even know where to start.

The heroine was such a badass the first half of this book, then she got a personality transplant and turned into a total doormat.
Hancock didn't just toe the line of being an Alphahole. No, he saw the line and blew past it in his jet, with a first class ticket to doucheland. There was nothing redeemable about him in this book. NOTHING
Their relationship was so BLAH, and the way they finally reconnected just pissed me off like you couldn't believe.

Full review to come at www.thebookpushers.com