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Keepers of Twilight #1
The Soft Edge of Midnight
After a horrible ordeal and lengthy captivity, Illori Swain is resigned to wither her life away in loneliness. Then she meets Karsten Morris, a male unicorn she has been searching for, the other half of her soul.A man of worth and a stallion of breeding, Karsten Morris sees Illori as his salvation, the love he’s searched for all his life. The luck and light that rule their existence finally bring them together, but everything worthwhile is tested, and fate isn’t against making the good suffer.After escaping her captivity, free from the bonds of hell that held her, Illori is now hunted by two of Hell’s minions.One, Sammael, a fallen angel with one foot in Heaven, is set on the scent by Lucifer himself. The other, Nybras, is a devil vying for Sammael’s job. Nybras will stop at nothing to get what he thinks he deserves.When the devil cheats to gain his prize, Sammael must join forces with Karsten to save the mare Illori to make sure the balance of the verses are not compromised.
240 pages, Kindle edition
First published January 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Stella Price
100 books186 followersOne half of the award winning best selling writing team of Stella and Audra Price, Stella is the older and more worldy of the two sisters. Stella and Audra write several series, including the Eververse series, the Dragon elementals series, Duvall Inc. and the Keepers of twilight series.
Stella lives in New York and is also a award winning cover artist. She does all of their book covers.
Stella lives in New York and is also a award winning cover artist. She does all of their book covers.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 27, 2008
I was quickly swept up into the authors' world of unicorns, angels, devils, withces, fae, demons, hunters, and humans. There was lovemaking, sex, and F&*#ing. The good guys were good (but not too good), the bad guys were very bad, sorta bad, and maybe not quite so bad. There was the epic battle of good vs evil, love vs hate, and heaven vs hell. Who won? Well...for this round at least, the good guys (and gals). I gulped this book down in one sitting and at the end, I was ready to read more about some of the secondary characters and other characters that were only obliquely referred to throughout this book. I'll definately be looking for the next by these authors.
Illori is a female unicorn. She spent the last thousand years as the captive of an evil one when all she wanted to do was find a way home to Glimmer, mate with a stallion unicorn, and have baby foals. There were already so few unicorns before she was captured and now she's sure she is the last one on Earth.
Karsten is a stallion unicorn (and a hot one at that). He was trapped on this side of the Veil when Glimmer was separated from Earth. He never found a mate through his hundreds of years, and now he's sure he's the last unicorn on Earth.
When these two meet, it's an instant attraction; and not just because they're the only two unicorns they know of. Is it possible they are true mates? Before they can find out, they'll have to battle the creatures of dark who would literally kill to have their own pet unicorn.
My only criticism of this book is that I wish the authors' had a bit more on the hero/heroine relationship. The bad guys had way more sex than the lead characters. Does this mean sex is bad? The interaction between the romantic leads just needed a little more feeling and heat IMHO. Did it stop my enjoyment of the story? Heck no...I devoured this book and will be looking for the next. I can't wait to see what Sammael gets up to next!!
Illori is a female unicorn. She spent the last thousand years as the captive of an evil one when all she wanted to do was find a way home to Glimmer, mate with a stallion unicorn, and have baby foals. There were already so few unicorns before she was captured and now she's sure she is the last one on Earth.
Karsten is a stallion unicorn (and a hot one at that). He was trapped on this side of the Veil when Glimmer was separated from Earth. He never found a mate through his hundreds of years, and now he's sure he's the last unicorn on Earth.
When these two meet, it's an instant attraction; and not just because they're the only two unicorns they know of. Is it possible they are true mates? Before they can find out, they'll have to battle the creatures of dark who would literally kill to have their own pet unicorn.
My only criticism of this book is that I wish the authors' had a bit more on the hero/heroine relationship. The bad guys had way more sex than the lead characters. Does this mean sex is bad? The interaction between the romantic leads just needed a little more feeling and heat IMHO. Did it stop my enjoyment of the story? Heck no...I devoured this book and will be looking for the next. I can't wait to see what Sammael gets up to next!!
April 20, 2008
A thoroughly enjoyable read!
I thought it was great! Even after such a horrible ordeal, Illori manages to prove to herself that she's much stronger than she thought. She may be naive in some aspects but she picks things up fast.
Karsten, an agent longing for more, finally finds his mate when he follows Illori's scent.
Both have been stuck in our world since the doorway to their world had been closed, both wondering if there were other unicorns out there like them. Her sisters gave up hope, but Illori tracks down her only hope, only to be literally chained to Belial. She lives through horros while stuck with him, and it takes quite a while for her to be able to get past it when she finally escapes. Running into Karsten was pure fate, and I'm glad they find each other.
Sammael, who is sort of like a double agent with one foot each on the good/bad side, is sent after Illori to be brought back to Lucifer, but On High wants something different from Sam or else he'll be sucked back into Hell. But Nybras, a devil with his own agenda, kidnaps Illori for himself, intending to use her to 'up' his status with Lucifer.
An unlikely pair to team up, Karsten and Sam chase after them to rescue Illori and get rid of Nybras, and while this is going on, Sam is meeting people along the way that is changing his outlook and has him wondering. Some things are beginning to have meaning for him, things that he never cared about before.
The action is great, the ending stretched out and superb, and the erotic scenes leave the reader breathless, pulse racing, and wanting more. Not to disappoint, there is more, LOL!
If I had to choose one character in the book that I adore, it's Sam. And I'm now looking at caramel in a whole new light, LOL! Read it for yourself, I can guaranty you'll agree.
I thought it was great! Even after such a horrible ordeal, Illori manages to prove to herself that she's much stronger than she thought. She may be naive in some aspects but she picks things up fast.
Karsten, an agent longing for more, finally finds his mate when he follows Illori's scent.
Both have been stuck in our world since the doorway to their world had been closed, both wondering if there were other unicorns out there like them. Her sisters gave up hope, but Illori tracks down her only hope, only to be literally chained to Belial. She lives through horros while stuck with him, and it takes quite a while for her to be able to get past it when she finally escapes. Running into Karsten was pure fate, and I'm glad they find each other.
Sammael, who is sort of like a double agent with one foot each on the good/bad side, is sent after Illori to be brought back to Lucifer, but On High wants something different from Sam or else he'll be sucked back into Hell. But Nybras, a devil with his own agenda, kidnaps Illori for himself, intending to use her to 'up' his status with Lucifer.
An unlikely pair to team up, Karsten and Sam chase after them to rescue Illori and get rid of Nybras, and while this is going on, Sam is meeting people along the way that is changing his outlook and has him wondering. Some things are beginning to have meaning for him, things that he never cared about before.
The action is great, the ending stretched out and superb, and the erotic scenes leave the reader breathless, pulse racing, and wanting more. Not to disappoint, there is more, LOL!
If I had to choose one character in the book that I adore, it's Sam. And I'm now looking at caramel in a whole new light, LOL! Read it for yourself, I can guaranty you'll agree.
April 4, 2008
After a horrible ordeal and lengthy captivity, Illori Swain is resigned to wither her life away in loneliness. Then she meets Karsten Morris, a male unicorn she has been searching for, the other half of her soul.
A man of worth and a stallion of breeding, Karsten Morris sees Illori as his salvation, the love he’s searched for all his life. The luck and light that rule their existence finally bring them together, but everything worthwhile is tested, and fate isn’t against making the good suffer.
After escaping her captivity, free from the bonds of hell that held her, Illori is now hunted by two of Hell’s minions.
One, Sammael, a fallen angel with one foot in Heaven, is set on the scent by Lucifer himself. The other, Nybras, is a devil vying for Sammael’s job. Nybras will stop at nothing to get what he thinks he deserves.
When the devil cheats to gain his prize, Sammael must join forces with Karsten to save the mare Illori to make sure the balance of the verses are not compromised.
The Soft Edge of Midnight is an entertaining and spicy blend of dark fantasy and romance. One doesn't necessarily expect a romance involving unicorns to encompass bondage with a little added mild torture, but Stella and Audra Price have deftly commingled these diverse elements to deliver a very entertaining read for the more mature reader. Reminiscent of Saintcrow and Thompson, a good addition to any fan of the darker side of paranormal romance/fantasy.
A man of worth and a stallion of breeding, Karsten Morris sees Illori as his salvation, the love he’s searched for all his life. The luck and light that rule their existence finally bring them together, but everything worthwhile is tested, and fate isn’t against making the good suffer.
After escaping her captivity, free from the bonds of hell that held her, Illori is now hunted by two of Hell’s minions.
One, Sammael, a fallen angel with one foot in Heaven, is set on the scent by Lucifer himself. The other, Nybras, is a devil vying for Sammael’s job. Nybras will stop at nothing to get what he thinks he deserves.
When the devil cheats to gain his prize, Sammael must join forces with Karsten to save the mare Illori to make sure the balance of the verses are not compromised.
The Soft Edge of Midnight is an entertaining and spicy blend of dark fantasy and romance. One doesn't necessarily expect a romance involving unicorns to encompass bondage with a little added mild torture, but Stella and Audra Price have deftly commingled these diverse elements to deliver a very entertaining read for the more mature reader. Reminiscent of Saintcrow and Thompson, a good addition to any fan of the darker side of paranormal romance/fantasy.
April 7, 2008
Lets see..First off I loved this book, and I hope that anyone who has any interest in paranormal romance/drama reads this story. At the beginning I could tell what was going to happen with the two unicorns, I mean a lonely female unicorn looking for a nice male unicorn, and another main character just happens to be a male unicorn looking for a girl it's quite easy to see that they are going to get together. That's about the only fault in the story that I can find. And yet, even when I knew it was going to happen, the progression of the couple's story was very unpredictable. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all, and everything turned out good in the end. The characters were quite unforgiving in regards to sex. It reminded me of Anne Rice in that regard. Now I want to read more books about the Eververse. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good romantic story as well as a a lot of drama!
June 24, 2008
Okay, here goes... I really thought there was a great deal of potential in this book for a more defined story. I understand it's erotica, however, I felt like the storyline was there just as filler between sex scenes. Don't get me wrong - the sex scenes were hot even if a lot of them made me feel slightly dirty. It's hard for me to imagine Angels, Fallen or not (and it was hinted the Gabriel did the dirty with Sammael and Azrael), being such sexual creatures. Still, I'm not anti-sex when it compliments the story. In this case sex, or the road to the next sex scene, became the story and I felt a little short changed.
As for Karsten and Illori? There was so much backstory missing that would have helped the chemistry between them be more believable. He catches her scent, they meet and instant love? Even with the mate/destiny theory it felt forced and too fast. I would have loved to know more about Illori before, during and even after her imprisonment with Bel. She was imprisioned for hundreds of years and now she's free and likes sweets. What else do we really know? Other than the fact she's a pure soul - which I find interesting given her less than pure thoughts and shocking display of violence there's not much more to her. I also would have liked Karsten's spy background to be more than a sidebar explanation for his obvious ease hopping between countries and wealth. Due to the black spots on his soul, remarked on several times, he was obviously a very good assasin/spy. How did he come into that particular line of work as it should have gone against his true nature? His relationship with Bianca - a good witch- would have been fun to know more about to better understand why she could so easily hike up her skirts and get down and dirty with Sammael. From what I gathered light witches and Fallen don't mix - part of why Sammael enjoyed it so much.
Obviously the beings the reside in Hell are supposed to be depraved and sick in all of their appetites so it's only natural to feel a little slimy after reading some of their scenes. Sammael, sitting on the fence as he is, is a little more like the inhabitants of hell than he likes to admit if for no other reason than his sexual appetite and his obvious pleasure from turning innocents into dirty little whores (as he calls them). Still, there is a lightness to him that is keeping him solidly on the fence and serving both masters. I don't envy him his job. I don't think he envies it either.
Eververse has potential but I think there needs to be more character development for me to feel vested in the sex. Sex scenes are so much hotter when there is anticipation of some kind. The seemingly constant quest for more sex in this book left me kind of cold because I didn't know enough about the characters to care why they were doing it. And unlike most men, women need to feel a connection to a character to enjoy reading the sex.
Well, at least this woman does. I was hoping for a lot more from this read than I got. Sorry.
As for Karsten and Illori? There was so much backstory missing that would have helped the chemistry between them be more believable. He catches her scent, they meet and instant love? Even with the mate/destiny theory it felt forced and too fast. I would have loved to know more about Illori before, during and even after her imprisonment with Bel. She was imprisioned for hundreds of years and now she's free and likes sweets. What else do we really know? Other than the fact she's a pure soul - which I find interesting given her less than pure thoughts and shocking display of violence there's not much more to her. I also would have liked Karsten's spy background to be more than a sidebar explanation for his obvious ease hopping between countries and wealth. Due to the black spots on his soul, remarked on several times, he was obviously a very good assasin/spy. How did he come into that particular line of work as it should have gone against his true nature? His relationship with Bianca - a good witch- would have been fun to know more about to better understand why she could so easily hike up her skirts and get down and dirty with Sammael. From what I gathered light witches and Fallen don't mix - part of why Sammael enjoyed it so much.
Obviously the beings the reside in Hell are supposed to be depraved and sick in all of their appetites so it's only natural to feel a little slimy after reading some of their scenes. Sammael, sitting on the fence as he is, is a little more like the inhabitants of hell than he likes to admit if for no other reason than his sexual appetite and his obvious pleasure from turning innocents into dirty little whores (as he calls them). Still, there is a lightness to him that is keeping him solidly on the fence and serving both masters. I don't envy him his job. I don't think he envies it either.
Eververse has potential but I think there needs to be more character development for me to feel vested in the sex. Sex scenes are so much hotter when there is anticipation of some kind. The seemingly constant quest for more sex in this book left me kind of cold because I didn't know enough about the characters to care why they were doing it. And unlike most men, women need to feel a connection to a character to enjoy reading the sex.
Well, at least this woman does. I was hoping for a lot more from this read than I got. Sorry.
September 16, 2011
Illori has spent a thousand years held captive by a demon who wanted to use her abilities, and now she has finally managed to escape she just wants to find a mate and settle down. But the Glimmer was sealed off from the mortal world years ago and she believes she is the last unicorn remaining so has resigned herself to loneliness. Karsten is a stallion who has been trapped on earth since the portals were sealed, he has been searching for his kind and a way home ever since. When he stumbles across Illori he is thrilled at finding a potential mate but there are dark forces searching for her - can he find a way to keep her safe?
Illori has been through a lot and has given up on having any kind of happy ending, unicorns are supposed to be lucky but she is convinced that she is the unluckiest unicorn to have ever existed - something that she has quite a lot of evidence to back up. I did feel that she came across a little too innocent at first but I was pleased she had a backbone to her and was prepared to stick up for herself so that she didn't end up being captured again. Karsten was a hot stallion who has a bit of a dark background and has worked as a spy in the past. I really would have liked to have learnt more about both of their backgrounds as I feel it would have helped me become more invested in them as a couple but I still liked them both and wanted them to find a happy ending.
We spend a lot of time with Sammael, a fallen angel who seems to straddle the lines of good and evil working for both sides. At first I didn't think I would like him at all but as you get to know him better I became really curious about him and hope that we get to see more of him in the future. It'll be interesting to see how things change for him now he has become involved with a certain character (I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers). I'm also looking forward to finding out more about the other fallen angels and seeing if there is a way for them to redeem themselves.
While the sex scenes were definitely steamy (and there were plenty of them!) I would have liked a bit more of the focus to be on Illori and Karsten rather than the side characters. The plot was good though and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Illori has been through a lot and has given up on having any kind of happy ending, unicorns are supposed to be lucky but she is convinced that she is the unluckiest unicorn to have ever existed - something that she has quite a lot of evidence to back up. I did feel that she came across a little too innocent at first but I was pleased she had a backbone to her and was prepared to stick up for herself so that she didn't end up being captured again. Karsten was a hot stallion who has a bit of a dark background and has worked as a spy in the past. I really would have liked to have learnt more about both of their backgrounds as I feel it would have helped me become more invested in them as a couple but I still liked them both and wanted them to find a happy ending.
We spend a lot of time with Sammael, a fallen angel who seems to straddle the lines of good and evil working for both sides. At first I didn't think I would like him at all but as you get to know him better I became really curious about him and hope that we get to see more of him in the future. It'll be interesting to see how things change for him now he has become involved with a certain character (I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers). I'm also looking forward to finding out more about the other fallen angels and seeing if there is a way for them to redeem themselves.
While the sex scenes were definitely steamy (and there were plenty of them!) I would have liked a bit more of the focus to be on Illori and Karsten rather than the side characters. The plot was good though and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
March 28, 2008
It's ironic. I spent the better part of 4 days (not including work) reading this book, and only after I finished it did I hear "Mony Mony" on the radio - which as you are probably well aware includes the line "...like a pony, like a pony..." I smell theme song...
Anyway, this is the first book from the Price sisters I've read. It's also the first PNR book I've read where the shifters were unicorns - who I totally loved as a little girl. Who didn't? Because of this, I was really hoping to like this book more than I did.
My biggest problem was holes in the author's mythology. For instance, two demons wager on how long a third will survive torture in Hell. Um...people don't die in Hell. They are pretty much stuck there to endure whatever torture the Big S deems appropriate. That's why it's Hell.
The other problem I had was that the characters mentioned having a balance of good and evil, but then the authors didn't deliver. Yes there was a Big Bad - several, as a matter of fact. But instead of being the balancing good figure, God was portrayed as a sadistic puppetmaster who only created humans to amuse himself with their misery. Personal feelings aside, if you have real bad, then you need real good to even things out.
On the up side, the sex scenes were steamy and the plot moved along fairly quickly. Overall, I thought the idea behind the book was interesting, but the characters needed to be more individualized and the writing needed a bit more polish.
Anyway, this is the first book from the Price sisters I've read. It's also the first PNR book I've read where the shifters were unicorns - who I totally loved as a little girl. Who didn't? Because of this, I was really hoping to like this book more than I did.
My biggest problem was holes in the author's mythology. For instance, two demons wager on how long a third will survive torture in Hell. Um...people don't die in Hell. They are pretty much stuck there to endure whatever torture the Big S deems appropriate. That's why it's Hell.
The other problem I had was that the characters mentioned having a balance of good and evil, but then the authors didn't deliver. Yes there was a Big Bad - several, as a matter of fact. But instead of being the balancing good figure, God was portrayed as a sadistic puppetmaster who only created humans to amuse himself with their misery. Personal feelings aside, if you have real bad, then you need real good to even things out.
On the up side, the sex scenes were steamy and the plot moved along fairly quickly. Overall, I thought the idea behind the book was interesting, but the characters needed to be more individualized and the writing needed a bit more polish.
July 25, 2016
Soo.. at first when I read this I was like unicorns? I had read many of the duo's books by then so I was a bit skeptical at first, but it was unnecessary. They do such a wonderful job infiltrating the light and the dark. They kept the unicorns pure and innocent to a point, regardless of the chaos that was going on around them. And then enters Sammael.....
At first I hated him. He was a conceited, evil angry f***, but shockingly by the end of the story he was my favorite character. You get to watch the progression and growth of the characters, especially his, throughout the story. Another thing I love about their style of writing is that its layered. You always have more than one story going on at the same time and if this series progresses, then it will be a continuation and you will get to see all the characters again. I love that about their books!! You never have to let go of your favorite characters!
The story itself was excellent. Plenty of action throughout the book and plenty of sex too!! You get a brief introduction to many characters and dip into all facets of the paranormal. Lots of room for more stories and intrigues, with lost of fascinating characters!! I can't wait for another taste!!
At first I hated him. He was a conceited, evil angry f***, but shockingly by the end of the story he was my favorite character. You get to watch the progression and growth of the characters, especially his, throughout the story. Another thing I love about their style of writing is that its layered. You always have more than one story going on at the same time and if this series progresses, then it will be a continuation and you will get to see all the characters again. I love that about their books!! You never have to let go of your favorite characters!
The story itself was excellent. Plenty of action throughout the book and plenty of sex too!! You get a brief introduction to many characters and dip into all facets of the paranormal. Lots of room for more stories and intrigues, with lost of fascinating characters!! I can't wait for another taste!!
October 25, 2015
This story has so many elements and characters you might feel you are missing something. You aren't. The author writes with a quick wit and the love story is the focus. The trial is secondary, but very very important to them.
Unicorns have always had a rough go of it. Especially when they are left on the other side of the Glimmer and living on the human plain... or underneath it. The story touches on the dark & the light of witches, fae, and the underworld to get our Unicorns to their happy spot. Add in some tongue-in-cheek 007 like characteristics for Karsten (the male unicorn) and some believable naivete' of Illori, our female, and a race across the green isle and you've got a story full of sorrow, laughter, a dark lord, and a whole lot of love.
Unicorns have always had a rough go of it. Especially when they are left on the other side of the Glimmer and living on the human plain... or underneath it. The story touches on the dark & the light of witches, fae, and the underworld to get our Unicorns to their happy spot. Add in some tongue-in-cheek 007 like characteristics for Karsten (the male unicorn) and some believable naivete' of Illori, our female, and a race across the green isle and you've got a story full of sorrow, laughter, a dark lord, and a whole lot of love.
May 17, 2017
Stella I a a new to me author.. A shifter book like no other.. Karsten a unicorn shifter is locked out of his world Glimmer.. Glimmer is thought to be all gone although there is talk of a way to get there to see.. All other unicorn shifters are gone.. Illori, a female unicorn shifter who was held captive by a dark angel is finally free from his restraints.. Her family ended up tiring to he human side and married had kids and a "normal life" .. Both long for a true mate, neither know of the other... They go on there way trying to make lives for themselves..will they find out about each other or has to much time passed for hope.. This is a must read.. Full of raw emotion, I for one am a new fan of Stella's and can't wait to read more from this extemly talented author...
October 24, 2015
This was my first Unicorns book...and hopefully not my last. Lots of plot twists and hot scenes right from the beginning. I must say I loved Karsten but Sam left a sweet spot that I would love to read more about.
August 23, 2016
The Price sisters AMAZE ME! The worlds they create are awesome!! The erotic scenes will leave you needing more..This is a must read!!
October 30, 2015
I absolutely loved this book! I never would have thought unicorn shifters could be sexy, but oh my!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews