Chasing Sunrise

The Darkmore Saga #1

by Lex Chase

2nd Edition

Darkmore Saga: Book One

The once glorious aisa kingdom of Darkmore lies in ruins, and King Sevon Maraté is trapped. Sevon endures unrelenting abuse and is used as a scapegoat by Lord Dominic Ravensgrove, who rules Darkmore from the shadows. Coping by dressing in gowns and jewels, the effeminate king relishes the scraps of freedom he is given to be himself.

As a verkolai, Sevon possesses the ability to part the Veil separating his world from hundreds of others. His gift provides a chance for escape, but Dominic refuses to relinquish his tool for power. When Dominic forges an ambitious plan to invade the prosperous shifter land of Priagust, he manipulates Sevon’s desperation for his people’s survival. Out of options, Sevon has no choice but to cooperate.

On their foray into Priagust, Dominic's men abduct a shifter named Jack. Despite being tortured for information, Jack's loyalty to his kind never wavers. But Jack’s knowledge about Darkmore’s history unsettles Sevon, and a curious bond begins to form. Despite Sevon’s mistrust, Jack is determined to tame the beautiful king’s wild heart and perhaps earn his freedom.

As war looms, Sevon fears Jack’s kindness is another trap. Conflicted, Sevon wonders if he should risk chasing the sunrise or remain Dominic's compliant prisoner.

1st Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, 2014.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Shapeshifters, LGBT

280 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2014

About the author

Lex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, “We’re all going to die, I’m just trying to make it a little more interesting.” Now, she’s on a mission to make the world a hell of a lot more interesting.

Weaving tales of cinematic, sweeping adventure—and depending on how she feels that day—Lex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster. Her pride is in telling stories of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. If you’re going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love.

Lex is a pop culture diva, her DVR is constantly backlogged, she has intense emotions about Hannibal’s Hannigram, and unapologetically loved the ending of Lost. She wouldn’t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind.

She is grateful for and humbled by all the readers. She knows very well she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and welcomes feedback.

You can find her on those Facebook and Twitter things at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LXChase
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lex_Chase

Find her blog at http://lexchase.com

Reviews

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

First I’m going to say this book is nothing like this author’s other series. Chasing Sunrise was much darker. At times it was almost hard to read some of the atrocities performed by the villains in this book. You will hate the baddies. HATE them! So the author did her job there for sure. This book is set in an alternate universe where humans, vampires and shifters once coexisted. Then they all turned on each other and wars were fought. Now everyone lives in their own world hidden by a veil that hides them from people who are not like them.

The book revolves around the young king, Sevon, who was orphaned before he was 5. He grew up knowing nothing that wasn’t planted there by Dominic, the power hungry villain in this book. Dominic has brutalized and brainwashed Sevon from the beginning. When the world of the Aisa (vampires) is at it’s breaking point, Dominic convinces Sevon they must seek outside help from the shifters and that means crossing into their world. As the reader you know Dominic has more sinister plans but Sevon goes along thinking he’s helping his people the only way he can. Sevon is considered the “puppet king” of Dominic. Sevon knows first hand the cruelty Dominic can dish out. He lives in fear of his next beating or retribution for disobeying Dominic. Dominic also plays the flip side of the only one who truly knows Sevon’s secrets and tolerates Sevon’s preference for dresses. Dominic plays mind games and tells Sevon he loves him.

Jack is a shifter that was Sevon’s best friend before the big Hurricane that changed all of their lives. He’s escapes to his world with the promise to himself one day he’ll again find Sevon. Twenty years later, he sees Sevon. Jack is his captive. Sevon doesn’t remember him at all. Jack is determined to be there for him no matter the cost to himself.

It’s always SO much harder to review fantasy books with complex world building. I just can’t explain all the detail in this story or capture the nuance of it in a few paragraphs. The world building in this book was thorough and complex but kept me captivated. You know at some point Sevon is going to realize. You’re dying for him to do something! The author mixed many of the tropes we’ve come to expect from vampire and shifter books with new and interesting mythology.

Poor Sevon is a mess. He’s a beautiful young King who holds power in name only. He’s controlled by abuse. Physical and verbal. In many ways he mirrors a domestic violence victim. I found myself highly frustrated with his refusal to see what I saw, but then you remember he’s been raised with nothing but cruelty and lies from a very young age by a man who is a master at manipulation. He’s all alone. He has no idea who he can and can’t trust. He’s trapped, essentially. Sevon is forced to play a part while it eats him up inside. Then he meets Jack.

Jack is amazing! I’m completely smitten with him. He’s very much your fairy tale prince with a witty and naughty edge to him. Jack shows Sevon the first true kindness he’s every known. Sevon wants that, but he’s so confused and frightened of betrayal he’s trained to think the worst will happen.

I don’t mean to make this book sound all gloomy. I think the author does a good job of giving you glimpses of hope and then kicking you down again. Essentially how Sevon feels for most of this book. This book is about him breaking away and finally being who he is. Who he’s meant to be. The royal decedent of the beloved King Louis.

Another part of this book I really liked was that the ultimate warriors sworn to protect the royal line were strong and fierce women. I thought they really added so much to the story and helped Sevon and Jack find their way. Chasing Sunrise had way more sex than I’ve ever read in a book by this author. Sevon is a very sexual creature and the author explores this aspect in detail.

If you love abused characters that dig themselves out of the dark with the help of some who loves them you’ll enjoy this one. Or if you like vampire or shifter books but know these aren’t fluffy vamps. I’m really looking forward to the next two books in this trilogy!

[Elaine White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book – Chasing Sunrise (The Darkmore Saga #1)
Author – Lex Chase
Star rating - ★★★☆☆
No. of Pages – 280

Cover – Good
POV – 3rd person, multiple POV, omnipresent sometimes
Would I read it again – No.

Genre – LGBT, femme, cross-dressing, paranormal, fantasy, shifters


** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine


WARNING: trigger topics: rape, gang rape, domestic abuse, physical and emotional abuse, cannibalism


To be quite honest, this book and I didn't get along. By the 25% mark, I thought about stopping. By 35% I knew I would stop, if I hadn't agreed to review it. I persevered regardless, but it was hard. Most of the story was brutal and uncomfortable to read. There was a lot of talk about off-page rape, gang rape, coercion, domestic abuse, controlling behaviour and so much more.

I liked the characters of Sevon and Jack all throughout. Though Sevon did some despicable things, I could understand his motivation and that he didn't have much choice. He was backed into a corner, with only obedience or pain as options. He chose obedience. It was highly disturbing to encounter Dominic's POV, talking so freely about using Sevon's blood highs (part of the culture) to keep him compliant and so high that he didn't know he was being raped or gang raped. And that was just... There are no words to say how horrible it was to read, though none of it was explicit. It was partly how casually he accepted and gloried in what he'd done and partly disgust at how unaware Sevon was, and that Dominic knew that, they put me off.

Every time Sevon was touched, kissed or came onto Dominic, it was extremely uncomfortable to read. It made my skin crawl. His interactions with Jack were natural and nowhere near creepy.
I also found that Sevon slipped into very feminine, even childish, behaviours at times. Often, other than the sex scenes, it read as though Sevon was a female character who had been turned into a male.

I'm not sure if it was worse to know what Sevon had been through or to know and realise that Sevon had no clue. So whenever he flirted with Dominic or talked about the way the men of the palace looked at him as though they had experience with him intimately, I cringed a little more inside, knowing that he was so unaware of the truth. That those men had the intimate knowledge he was so sure they didn't have, that when Dominic's friends and the men of the palace made crude remarks, they were probably talking from experience. And that Sevon thought he was safe with them and the hard truth was that he was only safe until the blood high came and then Dominic used his 'monster' to allow them access to their King. He was made a fool, a puppet and a joke to everyone in the palace, without ever knowing it.

Mostly, this book just made my skin crawl and made me feel disgusted. The small moments where Sevon and Jack were alone together were the only redeeming parts of the story, where I didn't feel like I wanted to vomit.

It was also really gross that humans, in this story, were used as nothing more than cattle. Kept in pens, treated like sheep and cows, they were left naked permanently, sold off and used as food.

What I really don't get is that Sevon stepped out of the veil with Dominic dozens of times, to visit the lighthouse, to hunt etc, but he never once thought about abandoning Dominic there and returning behind the veil himself? I mean, it seems a logical step – even if it would eliminate a need for 50% of the story – because Dominic can't manipulate the veil himself and no one else in the human world could either. He'd be stuck there and Sevon would be safe. But he never once considers it?

As this is a review copy, I'm not going to talk much about grammar/spelling issues, particularly since I never noticed any glaringly obvious ones. I would have marked them otherwise. However, the POV situation was really confusing. It began as though there would be one POV in each scene/chapter, but then became omnipresent far too frequently, throughout the book. Sometimes 2-3 chapters would go by, with only one POV, sometimes you'd barely get one page, as there were multiple characters giving their POV, on their own, as well as during other people's scenes.

Thankfully, by the time you reach the 55-60% mark, the story begins to improve. It becomes less about Dominic and more about Sevon, as it should be. Until this point, despite the best attempts to make it about Sevon's growth, the story really just revolved around telling us all the horrid details of how Dominic had caged Sevon and brainwashed him into who he wanted him to be.

The best characters were Sevon and Jack. As the MC's, they were really good at being versatile, fitting into the situations they encompassed naturally. Next up, I really liked Kaltag and Bianca. They had their little mini-drama's.

However, there were too many POV for me – Dominic, Sevon, Jack, Kaltag, Bianca and probably some more in there, too. Xo definitely had a small part and Cassandra. I think some of that could have been left out, since it wasn't really relevant.

~

Overall, if I'd know the story was this dark, I wouldn't have agreed to review it. I know when things aren't to my taste, but there was no warning of rape, domestic abuse or anything else. Nothing prepared me for how disgusted I'd feel or that I'd never want to finish the book, because I just couldn't endure anymore.

Kudos to the author for making the worst parts of this story off-page, but still terrifyingly impactful. I've read detailed horror scenes that barely make me blink. The emotional trauma this story put me through will probably relinquish any need for a re-read. This one will be staying with me for a long, long time.

Although the romance between Sevon and Jack was sweet and fiery at times, it didn't work for me as an overall novel. Dominic was too cruel and hedonistic, Sevon was too damsel-in-distress and the sex scenes were a little rushed and brutal for my liking. There was only one 'gentle' love scene in the whole book, while the rest were either gross-factor events, because of Dominic, or they were rushed because Sevon and Jack had stolen that time together.

Overall, I'm left with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I'll need some truly light fluff to scrub my brain of the worst parts of this book, then I only hope I can forget being inside Dominic's head; the creepiest creep I've read about in a long time.

I'm sad to say that, although I don't know what the next book in the series is about, I won't be reading it.

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** I received an ARC of this book for a fair and honest review***

This book.. man it was an emotional roller coaster. At times I wanted to smack Sevon and other times I just wanted to give him a hug. Seeing the relationship with Dominic and then with Jack was interesting to watch. To see how Dominic has poisoned a young boy through the years with lies and manipulations and the absolute control he feels he's entitled to and his internal thoughts were horrifying to read (horrifying in that someone would actually think those kind of things.) And then there's Jack.. sweet, kind adorable shifter Jack. Sevon and Jack were friends as toddlers but circumstances tore them apart but fate brings them back together.

The world building was really well done and I loved the mix between fantasy and the "real" world. And can I say those Armigers were some badass chicks, I enjoyed the parts they were in immensely. All of the side characters were just there enough for me to advance the story and no one seemed out of place or uneeded.

I really enjoyed this book.. even though some parts were hard to read I held out the belief that everything would work out in the end..

[M'rella]

Um... there is a woman on the cover. O.o Is it M/M?

[VVivacious · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Review. This review can also be found here.

Sevon Marate is the puppet king of Darkmore (the country of the aisa) and the one pulling his strings is Lord Dominic Ravensgrove. But for Sevon, Dominic is also his lover, advisor and his abuser.

Dominic’s plan to capture the shifter land of Priagust leads to the capture of Jack, who turns out to be someone from Sevon's distant past.

As Sevon and Jack begin to bond, will Sevon finally see Dominic’s true face and more importantly will he finally find the courage to stand up to his tormentor…?

For anyone who picks up this book, I advise you to read it to the end because looking at this book in its entirety makes it a much better story.

Sevon is a deeply damaged character and what is even worse is that he has never felt loved in his living memory. And compounding this fact is the knowledge that Dominic is the one who raised him, who slowly poisoning his mind to the point that Sevon doesn’t remember how to trust. Sevon hides his hurt behind the face of a haughty cruel king but in his innermost thoughts his beliefs are something completely different.

This book is written predominantly from Sevon’s POV with a sporadic sprinkling of the POVs of other characters in between. I feel that having the book written mainly from Sevon’s POV was a bit of a pitfall. One, because he knew all about the world of the aisa so he never explains exactly what is what. The author has provided a very helpful glossary at the end but I wished it was in the beginning of the book given how I had to manipulate the entire book thinking that the aisa are the same as vampires and frankly I wasn’t so of the mark. Second, because he wasn’t the most likeable of characters in the beginning and he has a bit of a mental breakdown towards the middle of the book which is quite disquieting but in retrospect it also lead me to have sympathy for the character so that actually kind of worked well. But the problem is I was very tempted to stop reading when all this was happening and I feel many others will be as well but the point I want to make is that the story and plot get better from here on out.

Jack is an ungati shifter. I really liked Jack while I hated Dominic from the get go. Jack has this quiet strength about him and when he is being tortured by Sevon and Dominic, I personally took him for a warrior. Somehow his fierce love and determination is what gets Sevon across his indecisiveness and into action. Personally Jack was one of my most favourite characters in this book.

Then there are the Armigers, who I really liked. They are like a band of amazons. Bianca is also one of my favourite characters in this book. I loved her strength and determination and the best part was the fact that she was so brave and good. Personally the Armigers were good enough to be the main characters. I loved Bianca, Chaney, Cassandra and Xo and I would love to read more about these four.

I must commend the author on her characterizations because even when her good characters do deplorable things she still manages to get the point across that they are the good characters. She has created some pretty strong characters in this book who are sure to stay with you.

Since this book is part of a series I was afraid that the final confrontation wouldn’t be in this book but the good thing about the book is that the author completely finishes this arc of the story so that we don’t have to wait for justice to be delivered. Once Sevon takes a stand the earlier pace of this book which is basically like a step forward followed by two steps backward is lost and we get a fast paced plot which is continuously shifting and the story accelerates from peacetime to wartime.

The only part of this book which I found absolutely deplorable was the fact that the aisa keep humans as livestock and that just doesn’t sit well in the pit of my stomach but since this fact is only mentioned once or twice in the book, I was happy ignoring it for the rest of the story.

Overall the writing in this book is really good with an interesting plot which only lacks a bit of world-building but I guess that will be taken care of in the following books (read post script). But the most beautiful part of this book is its phenomenal characters who leave an impression.

P.S. If you are one of those people who hate moving on to the next para without having fully understood the previous one (like me… guilty) I suggest a quick read of the glossary at the end of the book which will quell all doubts.

I loved the cover, the light play from sunlight to darkness is a manifestation of the veil and water enhances Sevon’s powers to work the veil. Also well the title is Chasing sunrise and the cover depicts it quite well. Also the book is quite adequately named but you really need to read all the way to the last chapter to figure out why the book is named so.

[GayListBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly thank you Nina for pushing this read my way. The Darkmore saga book one, has been a pleasure to read with a good storyline and a good balance of characters throughout. Plenty of action and I feel this will be a hit for those readers who enjoy fantasy/paranormal which contains f/f and m/m characters. I loved the ‘Glossary’ telling me who was who, where they came from, who lived in what lands - now that saved a lot of time and I could get right on with the story. There are fair few characters in this book, and I wasn’t there going “so they are who and they are part of where, again?” which can happen occasionally with a new series of books, or I could refer back if needed. I know it can be part of the fun and challenge getting to grips with new characters….but it is also lovely to have a little of that info up front too.

The story begins with the heir to the throne, Prince Sevon, as an ever so cute soon to be four-year-old, whose world changes overnight from that of a secure, loving environment to that of brutality and evil. Sevon grows up brainwashed and domineered by a man whose only goal is to use Sevon for his powers and prestige against their people and to overthrow the worlds of others.

Sevon appears in some ways naïve and perplexed, although when his heart pulls at him, he does his best to stand up for himself and others while knowing this will entail beatings, humiliation, rape and being chained in the dungeons for days on end. Sevon is powerless to Dominic's demands. Dominic cruelly misleads Sevon into believing his ancestry was weak and incapable of ruling their world. Sevon has to hide his sense of humanity, empathy and compassion for humans and shifters. As time passes, Sevon is lonely, and cannot risk talking to or trusting anyone with his fears and realisations, without painful consequences. With no one to turn to and despite his powers, Sevon has no other option but to withstand the brutality, whilst living in hope of either change or finding a way out.

 

'Dominic encompassed the entirety of his world...And nothing would ever change. It was easier to pretend it would all be okay.'

 

Dominic once respected by Sevon's father, King Louis, who believed him to be loyal and a devoted brother-in-arms, abuses his position to take control from the Marate royal family. Dominic is domineering, crude, unrelenting, full of greed with no care to the pain of others, other than taking pleasure from it. He believes he can rule Darkmore (Aisa world) and Priagust (Shifter world) without charge or consequence, using Sevon as a tool, bullying, punishing and creating fear wherever he roams.

Jack is Sevon's childhood friend and sweetheart, loyal throughout, no matter the trials that come his way. Separated during the hurricane that is set to destroy their palace home, Jack makes a childhood promise to king Louis to protect Sevon. Although Jack was unable to safeguard Sevon from Dominic's evil clutches, now an adult Jack is unbending in his campaign to save Sevon and restore king Louis' ambitions to provide an equal world between all living beings. No easy task with Sevon’s feelings of anger, doubt and inadequacy along with his confusion over his emotions for Jack. Jack’s shifter strength, mentally and physically, aid in his ability to overcome the torture he suffered during his capture by Dominic to forge ahead.

This is a fantasy tale filled with horror and bloody war, mystical happenings mixed with the reality of the human world. It is gruesome in places, with characters enduring painful, torturous deaths along with evil thoughts and actions, which is sweetened with the beauty of magic, love, survival and determination where Sevon's allies fight to defend and defeat.

Sevon is a beautiful, magical verkolai prince; Jack is the hunky saviour shifter of the day, Dominic is pure evil and I’m looking forward to book two.

Reviewed by Teddy

To see more of this review and others like it please visit us at Gay List Book Reviews at www.gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com

[Jana Denardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy in return for an honest review (which in no way influenced my review). Let me get this out of the way first: this is a dark story. If darkness isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll probably want to find a different story. However, if you’re like me and like your stories as dark as straight coffee then you’re in for a treat. The Darkmore series is well named. This story contains a very abusive and long-term relationship (I’d say that one of the main subplots is the protagonist escaping the mental cage he has lived his life inside) and it definitely has scenes of torture, not to mention humans are kept as ‘livestock’ and are eaten.

So yes, definitely not everyone’s cuppa, but the story is also very good and compelling. We’re dropped into Sevon and Jack’s lives when they are just children. Prince Sevon is only three (and Jack slightly older) when a hurricane levels his kingdom and changes his life forever. Jack ends up back in his home realm, with the shifters, locked out Sevon’s world (Think of it this way, the Aisa, Sevon’s vampire-like race, the shifters and the humans live in intersecting but separate realms). Sevon falls under Dominic’s control then and there.

The story fast forwards two decades and Sevon is king, a puppet king and people call him that to his pretty face. Everyone knows Dominic is the ruler and he does so with an iron hand. Dominic is a well-drawn villain you’ll love to hate. The best thing that can be said about him is that he does hold true to his convictions: the shifters are monsters deserving of death and humans are only fit to be eaten. Dominic has spent literally all of Sevon’s life controlling him mostly with sex and beatings until Sevon believes that he deserves the terrible things that happen to him.

Sevon is aware things aren’t well in his kingdom. He knows Dominic’s iron fist and the casual killing is wrong. He knows almost nothing has been repaired since the hurricane twenty years ago and Dominic has him convinced that invading the monstrous shifter lands is the key. To that end, they’ve made scouting incursions and this is how Jack comes back into Sevon’s life.

It’s hard to review certain stories without giving away too much plot and I definitely don’t want to do that. Let’s just say Jack knows who Sevon is (but not vice versa) though is a bit surprised by both the state of the kingdom and the fact that Sevon finds release for some of his anxiety in dressing as a woman (he’s not transgendered but he does like wearing dresses). Dominic knows exactly who Jack is and makes sure that Sevon has to be involved in torturing him for ‘information.’ Things do not go well with Jack or the newly returned Armigers, the female protectors of the king lead by Bianca (so yay for a group of strong women!) especially when they keep bringing up Sevon’s father, not realizing that Dominic has led Sevon to believe Louis betrayed the kingdom and ran off when there is a far darker fate for the former king.

Jack quickly becomes Sevon’s lifeline, especially where Sevon’s verkolai abilities are concerned (they’re special powers even among the Aisa) because Dominic is pushing Sevon too hard and might burn him out. Sevon is slow to trust however because of how Dominic has his head twisted around.

I’ll admit it, sometimes Sevon makes you want to slap some sense into him but I suppose getting slapped around is part of his problem. You have to sit back and remember that this is what abuse looks like. Sevon has been highly isolated, told his entire life Dominic and only Dominic loves him and has his best interests in mind. The beatings and time in the dungeon, the rough humiliating sex, all of it was to ‘train’ Sevon to be the best king he can be.

Sevon needs someone as patient, kind and understanding as Jack to save him and at its base that’s really what this novel is about. Can Sevon be saved? Is it too late for him to be a good king? Can he trust someone who might actually love him?

I really enjoyed the story and I’m looking forward to see what comes next. Sevon and his world are interesting and Jack is just wonderful (and I have to love Bianca and her women warriors, too).

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Full Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Don't be fooled by the pretty, full-of-light, calm sunrise on the cover---this book was actually rather dark. It wasn't bleak or depressing, but it was dark nonetheless.

And most of that darkness came courtesy of Dominic. Dominic was vile. He was a physcially, emotionally, and sexually abusive, cruel, manipulative, truly messed-up sociopath. So if you like a villain you can utterly hate, you've found one. But possibly the worst abuse was the way he messed with Sevon's head. He spent 20 years lying, telling Sevon he loved him, making Sevon rely on him and believe that he couldn't survive without him, making Sevon feel guilty... It was a very realistic form of abuse---just in a very fantastical context.

But then there was Sevon himself. I felt terrible for him but was afraid that, after all that abuse, he would come across as this weak, puppy-dog character, but he didn't. Yes, he was confused sometimes about what to feel or think or do, as anyone would be after what he'd been through. And yes, he let Dominic have control over him because he literally didn't have any other options at that point. But I still felt that he was a strong. He kept going each day despite the horror of the situation he was living in. He did stand up to Dominic sometimes and defend others, even when he knew he would be tortured for it. He tried to stay true to himself as best as he could. And, above all else, he never let the abuse turn him into a cruel person himself. I also liked Sevon for the way he broke stereotypes. He wore makeup, gowns, and lacey panties with leather pants and combat boots, and he owned it. The way the cross-dressing was included was also great because it was just a part of who he was rather than the focus of the story.

And then there was Jack, who was great from the moment he was introduced in the dungeon. He was confident, smart, observant, and caring. But he also stood up to Dominic, always managed to keep his humor even in the worst of moments, and didn't let anyone or anything break him.

So as you can probably tell from everything I've said so far, this novel was VERY character-driven. I liked that though, so I never felt it was too slow. The romance, however, was a little too sappy and perfect for me. All the obstacles came from outside the relationship rather than inside, and personally I like to have some of both.

I also felt that things started jumping around from POV to POV a bit too much near the end, and there were a lot of fight scenes shown that weren't bad but just weren't necessary.

One last thing that could go either way depending on your preference was the complexity of the world. It was kind of urban fantasy because the characters went out into the human world sometimes, but it was also kind of high fantasy. There were aisa (basically vampires) and shifters, each with various different species within them that each had different abilities. There were also different lands where they lived within the Veil. And as someone who rarely reads high fantasy, it was a little confusing at times, but not impossibly so. I didn't know there was a glossary in the back, so I recommend using that because it probably would've helped!

Overall though, I liked how character-driven the book was, how well the manipulation and effect it had on Sevon was portrayed, and the vampire/sensual feeding aspect since I love vampire books, so it was an enjoyable read!

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes somewhat dark, character-driven paranormal romance and who doesn't mind some scenes of abuse/torture and mentions of rape (but no explicit scenes).

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dedication reads

For those who suffer in silent darkness and fear they will never see the freedom of light. Let hope be strength. Chase the sunrise.

It is only through thinking after finishing the novel I realised what this truly meant. This is a novel about three different races who are all interconnected. The Aisa immortal beings who feed on humans and believe me we are not talking sexy blood drinking. After the prologue of the novel, humans are kept as and called livestock. The Shifters divided according to inner beast, an honourable, loyal race and finally Humans. Although, Aisa are basically human before being awakened to their immortality and gifts. The Aisa are divided into several breeds and the main character in this novel, Sevon, is the highest and rarest of the Aisa and by birth, King of the Aisa’s land of Darkmore.

I don’t want to go into too much detail, as half the enjoyment is learning about this new world and the societies within it. There are Veils/shields between the worlds of the Shifters, the Aisa and Humans but only the Shifters have knowledge of the continued existence and history of all three races and as far as we know Sevon is the only one who can break through the veils.

Sevon, although a superior being and son of wonderful honourable and royal parents, has been manipulated, abused and lied to since he was a toddler by the evil Lord Dominic Ravensgrove, after his parents are killed. He doesn’t know the truth about his father the King, or the lineage of his mother. Sevon’s story is a story of domestic abuse although exaggerated for the sake of this fantasy story. The emotions, manipulation and confusion in Sevon’s mind is real. His abuser is extreme but uses techniques and strategies that translate to domestic abuse in our society. This is not necessarily an easy book to read, but it is an enriching one.

The description of the worlds, the rituals and social norms, right down to clothing is really lush. Often in stories that include a type of vampire, shifters and alternate worlds, the descriptions can overwhelm characterisation, not so here. I empathised with the characters. I loved Jack, Sevon’s long lost shifter friend, and his adopted family. I hated Dominic, admired and cheered for Bianca and her Armigers. My opinion of Sevon wavered throughout the events in the book, which made him an extraordinary being who kept my interest. I really couldn’t put this book down it is an enthralling read and I cried towards the end.

I nearly lowered my rating, as the abuse and description of violence in Chasing Sunrise is quite graphic, and there is a lot of it. I can’t in all honesty say the violence wasn’t gratuitous in some parts and in an ideal world I would have taken some of it out. However, there does tend to be more violence in some Fantasy reads and it isn’t what stays with you by the end of this novel. I also wanted to assure readers who enjoy alternate reality reads that this one is first class.

I have just read that this is book 1 in a Darkmore series. I will definitely be queuing up for book 2.

original review on www.prismbookalliance.com

[Meraki P. Lyhne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This marks my debut at reading High Fantasy. I think it important to mention as it colors the review. I was pleased to learn that it, even being classified as High Fantasy, also had a streak of Contemporary, and the balance between the two is pretty cool.

In Chasing Sunrise we follow a young king, Sevon, and the tyrannical and power-hungry Lord Dominic. Sevon has been reduced to a mere puppet and forced to aid Dominic in his thirst for power and destruction of Sevon’s father’s dream. Dominic even saw the decimation of the kingdom of Darkmore as a suitable means to get what he wants. In his most desperate moment, Sevon finds an inner strength and tried to fight the hold Dominic has on his throne, mind, and soul.

”When another tried to run, she clubbed him into submission with a severed leg. When the third held up his arms, begging, Cassandra snapped them off at the elbow.”

This is a taste of the well-phrased battle of a vendetta hundreds of years old. Building the world of Darkmore, the myths and legends behind the reasons for the kingdom’s destruction, and the races who battle, Lex Chase has brought interesting ideas forth. The veil and the magic Dominic can wield are probably my favorite ideas of all.

This being High Fantasy, a genre new to me, I often felt like I fell behind and just didn’t get it. I was very focused on understanding this whole world and races, and I was boggled by contradictions and little details that weren’t explained to a point where I felt like I got it. Maybe others won’t have the same problem, and maybe it’s just because I’m so inexperienced with reading something so foreign to the world I know.
Being thrown into the world, little things like on page 34. “If he still had a stomach, he would have vomited”. At this point, the aisa hadn’t been explained, but I later found out that they eat humans—blood, meat, and bones. Why don’t they have a stomach then? And on page 136 this happens: Sevon vomits “blackened chunks of gore”. This isn’t the only contradiction, and they kind of pulled me from the story. I would have loved for the glossary to have been in the beginning of the book so I wouldn’t feel lost for more than half of it. Guess that’s a downside to e-books—flipping back and forth isn’t ease, especially when the TOC is in the back and I had no idea there was a glossary until I finished the book.

It doesn’t change the fact that Lex Chase is very good at describing both a broken mind and the mind of a true tyrant. She has a knack for throwing the raw and gritty to the forefront, and readers may find some of the violence disturbing. I love the grit, though! She also paces the story and character evolution well, describes battle so that the reader can almost smell the copperish hint of blood in the air, and the magic of her world satiates the pages to satisfaction. Sex (both the good and the bad) is character development, not just something stuffed in there to make it sexy or shock the reader. I liked that balance. I enjoyed it once I got over the few contradictory details.

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with a copy provided by the publisher / author for an honest review. Rated 2.5 out of 5.0 Love Bytes.)

Content Warnings: Contains references to non-consensual sex, forced sex, drugged gang rape, graphic violence and physical torture.

I want to start by saying that this is the first book from this author that I’ve read. I think that technically the author did a good job. The story was well enough written and edited, and I wish I could say that I liked it, but I really didn’t. I think the author excels at writing evil and dislikeable characters if the characters in this book are any indication, and other folks might love it, or at least like it more than I did. I added the content warnings above because there were references to all of them in this work. They might be triggers to some readers.

I can’t remember EVER reading a book where I so totally despised the main character as much as I did in this book. For background, I didn’t pick this book to read and review. Another reviewer on our blog did, but she couldn’t make it through it, and asked for someone to take it over. I blindly agreed, since I’ve pretty much really liked all the other books I’ve read that were re-issued by DSP Publications. Well, there is an exception to every rule, and this book is the exception.

Let me step back and explain. The main character of this story, Sevon, is totally unlikeable. Is it his fault? No, after his parents were murdered, he was raised by the very man who killed his parents, and eventually became the man’s lover. He believes everything that Dominic, the sadistic killer says and never questions anything…like EVER! Also, Sevon runs around in women’s clothes all the time, which there is nothing wrong with, but it just seemed like a dumb aspect to add to the story in my opinion. Let me clear, the character isn’t transgender, he is a transvestite…preferring women’s panties and dresses. Whatever. I could have looked past that, but there weren’t many other details about him that would make me like him.

The book overall was quite dark, which is usually my favorite type of read, so I expected it to grow on me…but it didn’t…not even a little bit. I would not label it a fantasy novel, even though it had a veiled world within our own. I’m not sure what I would classify it as. Overall I thought the world building lacked some needed depth, and some of the character building could have used a little more work. For example, there were characters that came and went, with little impact on the story. And my biggest complaint? Through it all the only constant was sniveling little Sevon. Did he work things out as it went along? Yes. Did he become more likeable? Not in my opinion.

I would say the book is OK, based solely on the author’s writing. If I were rating the storyline, the rating would be lower. I read that this is the beginning of a trilogy. I personally wouldn’t even consider subjecting myself to any further pieces of this one.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ~ I’m not going to lie; this was a hard book to read at times. Our main protagonist, the young king Sevon, has been controlled and mislead since he was a child by his lover and sole advisor, Dominic, who ultimately betrayed and killed his father. But Sevon doesn’t know this. He doesn’t know Dominic doesn’t actually love him and is only using him for his own political gains and power, and it takes Sevon a painfully long time to figure it out. He’s finally only able to do so when his boyhood friend, Jack, comes back into his life after having escaped the coup when the old king was killed many years ago.

Sevon’s character was difficult in many ways to accept, but probably the hardest part was the possibility of Sevon being used for fetishism. Sevon is often referred to as being feminine. He’s the only character in the story who wears women’s panties—none of the female characters seem to wear women’s finery or undergarments—and he’s paraded around in ball gowns, impossible shoes, and is submissive in almost every sense of the word. There are heavy sexual undertones to his manner and dress, and with the juxtaposition of those traits to his lack of power, his being brainwashed, and then being physically and mentally abused… it was hard to swallow. The violence around his uniqueness and circumstances very much bothered me. I have read other books of this ilk, and perhaps the theme was intentional. If so, I’ll confess my own bias and admit it was a bit too much Nietzsche for me.

The world was interesting. There are other realms: the shifter realm, the vampire realm, the human realm, and countless more. They all have their own dimensions, hidden from each other by magic, and among the races who inhabit these realms there is fantastic variation. In the vampire world—Sevon’s world—humans are used as cattle. From his point of view they are little more than livestock, but when we, as the reader, are able to see what they are saying, and through dialog and action eventually understand their motivations, we come to the conclusion that humans being a lesser species may be another one of the lies Sevon was told so that he could be controlled and, possibly, so that all the vampires in this realm could feed without remorse. For those who feel remorse, that is.

Jack hails from the shifter realm. When he comes into the story, he provides Sevon with another point of view, and that perspective allows Sevon to overcome his destructive training and his abuse. This is book one of a series, and with what Sevon has gone through, part of me wonders if it’s all a little too late. Will he become a monster from his victimhood, or use his inherited power to save the world? Time will tell.

Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach Reviews

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

Chasing Sunrise is the first book in Lex Chase’s Darkmore saga. I, for one, am looking forward to what is to come from this series if this first book is anything to go by. Just… wow! This book is definitely different from Chase’s earlier works, if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s so good. It’s dark and gritty and it’s emotional. This author combines real life difficulties with the fantasy of an elaborate fictional world. I was truly captivated from word one.

There’s so much heartbreak in this book. It’s devastating almost to watch one man walk through all of it. The poor kid, I just about understand why he wanted to believe everything that Dominic said, just to have someone in his life that was solid. First, his father was murdered, not to mention that Dominic tells him his whole life that his father was a weak, selfish king, when in fact, he was the opposite. Then his mother is killed right in front of him. He unknowingly banishes his father’s guard when he’s forced into his power as a toddler (far too soon). He lost his best friend when he lost his family. The man that proclaims to love him beats him bloody and lets his men beat him as well. He’s lied to, controlled, forced to do things that are disturbing and horrible. Everyone reports to Dominic, so when he complains, begs for help, pleads for someone to listen, Dominic always finds out and punishes him severely for it. No wonder he’s so skeptical when his father’s guard returns and when Jack shows up. His trust has been completely eviscerated.


Read Crissy’s review in its entirety here.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the world the author created in this book!
The things that happen to poor Sevon when he is a child.. The losses he went through were terrible. Especially with who was responsible for it all and how close he is to him after Sevon becomes king. This book mixes shifters and Aisa~ vampires who live on two different plains along with humans. This book was dark at points and there were also points were you wanted to yell through the book at Sevon and tell him to wake up, stop following Dominique lol.
Jake has loved Sevon since they were children when they used to play with each other. Then when Sevon loses his parents and forgets about Jake after he is told Jake his dead it takes Sevon along time to realize who Jake his when he sees him again as a adult.
There was a lot of action, some dark points and some sweet between these two.

All together I really liked this book!

I would recommend this book!

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chasing Sunrise deals with surviving an abusive relationship in a fantasy setting. The story is set in a magical world that lies next to the human one, and is full of shape shifters and vampire/ghouls. Sounds like a great premise, but sadly the book didn't work for me.
Reasons:
a) I don't enjoy "high fantasy", and this world is definitely part of that genre.
b) the plot tends to jump around, and i had trouble keeping track of who's pov the story was told through
c) there was little backstory building up the years of abuse the main character suffered through, which made it difficult for me to engage with him

i'm a big fan of Lex Chase's other books, this one just didn't work for me

[Ben Lilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some very disturbing connotations that femininity is not a source of strength, but weakness, to be exploited and punished. But if you're a fan of dark paranormal fiction, with a protagonist who is fetishized for his dress and mannerisms, then you may enjoy this.

[Serena Yates]

no review