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Boston After Dark #1
Surrender the Dark
As a provocative series of paranormal temptation begins, a vampire king seduces the supernaturally gifted man hunting him. But when the stakes are literally life or death, their struggle for control is no game.
Benjamin Fuller is a hunter, born and bred. Blinded as a child by the vampire who slaughtered his family, he’s blessed with a second sight that allows him to catch and kill his quarry. What his gift can’t help him see coming is his fierce, almost carnal attraction to the mystery man who claims to be a fellow hunter and whose touch triggers both lust and revulsion. When he gains the upper hand, Benjamin vows to bring his enemy to his knees.
After many years spent in exile, the only one who can help restore Tzadkiel Dragoumanos to his rightful place as War King is a blind hunter with golden curls, a lithe dancer’s physique, and distinctive facial scars—scars Tzadkiel gave him two decades ago. The mere scent of Benjamin Fuller provokes an unwelcome rush of insatiable desire. Yet to win an all-out supernatural war, Tzadkiel must resist the ravenous hunger to possess his prey—for now.
Note: Books 2 and 3 are published by the Author. A copy of Taste the Dark can be obtained free via Tibby's web site. Chapters of Claim the Dark, book 3, are being posted as written on the author's Patreon site.
Benjamin Fuller is a hunter, born and bred. Blinded as a child by the vampire who slaughtered his family, he’s blessed with a second sight that allows him to catch and kill his quarry. What his gift can’t help him see coming is his fierce, almost carnal attraction to the mystery man who claims to be a fellow hunter and whose touch triggers both lust and revulsion. When he gains the upper hand, Benjamin vows to bring his enemy to his knees.
After many years spent in exile, the only one who can help restore Tzadkiel Dragoumanos to his rightful place as War King is a blind hunter with golden curls, a lithe dancer’s physique, and distinctive facial scars—scars Tzadkiel gave him two decades ago. The mere scent of Benjamin Fuller provokes an unwelcome rush of insatiable desire. Yet to win an all-out supernatural war, Tzadkiel must resist the ravenous hunger to possess his prey—for now.
Note: Books 2 and 3 are published by the Author. A copy of Taste the Dark can be obtained free via Tibby's web site. Chapters of Claim the Dark, book 3, are being posted as written on the author's Patreon site.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2017
56 people are currently reading
529 people want to read
About the author
Tibby Armstrong
43 books235 followersTibby Armstrong is an author of Paranormal, Contemporary, and LGBTQ Romance fiction.
Tibby hangs out on social media at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tibby..., dreaming up new plots and teasing readers with snippets from her works in progress.
Tibby hangs out on social media at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tibby..., dreaming up new plots and teasing readers with snippets from her works in progress.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
April 15, 2017
~3.5~
The world building and writing in Surrender the Dark are exceptional. Some of the prose struck me as ornate, and I had a hard time getting into the book initially, but the more I read, the more I realized the word choices and cadence are appropriate to the story and characters.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story like no other. Benjamin and Tzadkiel don't merely annoy each other. They HATE each other, despise each other. They are blood enemies.
Benjamin's family killed Tzadkiel's brothers, and Benjamin, blinded by Tzadkiel as a child when he showed compassion for the captured vampire, has carried on the family legacy for two decades.
Benjamin is a vampire hunter; Tzadkiel, a vampire and War King.
This book is driven by a detailed, complex plot involving ancient feuds, alliances, and magic.
Benjamin and his best friends—Nyx, a witch/fae, and Akito, a human who desperately craves a superpower—find themselves fighting WITH Tzadkiel instead of against him.
There's nothing easy about Benjamin and Tzadkiel's relationship. This is not a sweet or easy romance. Indeed, this a paranormal suspense novel first; a romance a distant second.
The last few chapters are exciting and gripping. I LOVE the ending, and the sacrifices Benjamin and Tzadkiel make for each other.
While the epilogue doesn't tie up all loose ends (this is the first book in a series, after all), there's no doubt the MCs are enemies no longer. They are lovers, friends, family.
This is a striking story, and I fully understand the 5 star reviews. My rating is based on a personal preference for more romance (and more steam; I was really disappointed by how muted the sex scenes were).
The plot is heavy and complicated; the paranormal elements take up a lot of page time, and the relationship gets lost in the shuffle.
The world building and writing in Surrender the Dark are exceptional. Some of the prose struck me as ornate, and I had a hard time getting into the book initially, but the more I read, the more I realized the word choices and cadence are appropriate to the story and characters.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story like no other. Benjamin and Tzadkiel don't merely annoy each other. They HATE each other, despise each other. They are blood enemies.
Benjamin's family killed Tzadkiel's brothers, and Benjamin, blinded by Tzadkiel as a child when he showed compassion for the captured vampire, has carried on the family legacy for two decades.
Benjamin is a vampire hunter; Tzadkiel, a vampire and War King.
This book is driven by a detailed, complex plot involving ancient feuds, alliances, and magic.
Benjamin and his best friends—Nyx, a witch/fae, and Akito, a human who desperately craves a superpower—find themselves fighting WITH Tzadkiel instead of against him.
There's nothing easy about Benjamin and Tzadkiel's relationship. This is not a sweet or easy romance. Indeed, this a paranormal suspense novel first; a romance a distant second.
The last few chapters are exciting and gripping. I LOVE the ending, and the sacrifices Benjamin and Tzadkiel make for each other.
While the epilogue doesn't tie up all loose ends (this is the first book in a series, after all), there's no doubt the MCs are enemies no longer. They are lovers, friends, family.
"You see me," Benjamin said. "The real me."
"I see you," Tzadkiel affirmed . . . "Hunter mine."
This is a striking story, and I fully understand the 5 star reviews. My rating is based on a personal preference for more romance (and more steam; I was really disappointed by how muted the sex scenes were).
The plot is heavy and complicated; the paranormal elements take up a lot of page time, and the relationship gets lost in the shuffle.
April 11, 2017
I had not read anything by this author before reading Surrender the Dark. I read the blurb, though, and just had to see how the author managed to make a vampire hunter and the vampire that killed his family and blinded him go from enemies to lovers. Had to. And, man oh man was it a fantastic ride! Seriously, I loved every moment. In fact, I read the whole book in one sitting, I loved it so much.
Surrender the Dark is not like other vampire stories I've read. Here, vampires aren't actually evil or soulless, though the hunters would have you believe differently. In fact, way back in history, the family that became hunters and the family that were granted immortality were related and they coexisted peacefully for some time, until...they didn't. Jealousy or bad decisions...who can say, but they've been blood enemies for hundreds, if not thousands of years, at this point. Surrender the Dark calls into question who the indiscriminate killers really are.
Quite the nursery rhyme, am I right? Well it was what Benjamin Fuller was raised on. He's a hunter, born and bred. And when Ben was eight, his parents and uncle were slaughtered by a vampire and he was blinded. To be fair, though, the vampire had been captured and tortured by said parents and uncle, so you could say things are...complicated.
For most of the last 20 years, Benjamin, fueled by anger and hate, has hunted and killed as many vampires as he could find in Boston. He hunts with his two best friends, Nyx, who is part witch and part fae, and Akito, who has always wanted to be a superhero.
Tzadkiel has been walking this earth for thousands of years. Vampires have a rich history filled with honor and ritual. But now, they are mostly just trying to survive. Tzadkiel has been in hiding, trying to heal from his injuries that were inflicted by Benjamin's family. Twenty years and he's still weak from the iron and poison he was injected with. Tzadkiel has a plan, though, to get his strength back and also strengthen his mora (his vampire family) once again. To that end, the hunted hunts the hunter.
Tzadkiel keeps disillusioning Ben regarding everything he had been taught about vampires. Well, mostly. Tzadkiel might harbor a tiny bit of a grudge for all his mora that have died at the hands of Benjamin Fuller and as Tzadkiel is still suffering the after effects of the torture he endured, two decades ago, he's got some reason to be pissy about it. In fact, they both have plenty of reason to distrust the other.
Still, both Tzadkiel and Benjamin are attracted to one another and neither of them can seem to stop it. And, because there is a power struggle going on in Boston that puts everyone in danger, they keep finding themselves in situations where allying themselves with each other is more favorable to the alternative. So they strike a bargain. A temporary alliance to see the danger through and then? Well, then, there is a debt to pay; justice to serve. See? Complicated. I loved how it all resolved, though. Nothing went down like I thought it would, but I loved it, and Tzadkiel and Benjamin do get their HEA.
So, did I enjoy Surrender the Dark? Oh, hell yes, I did! I loved it. This is exactly my kind of vampire story and exactly the way I like my enemies-to-lovers stories. I had no idea what to expect going in, and the story just latched right onto me and I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend Surrender the Dark to anyone who loves paranormal/vampire stories. It felt fresh and it thoroughly entertained and enthralled me.
------------------------------------
ARC of Surrender the Dark was generously provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Surrender the Dark is not like other vampire stories I've read. Here, vampires aren't actually evil or soulless, though the hunters would have you believe differently. In fact, way back in history, the family that became hunters and the family that were granted immortality were related and they coexisted peacefully for some time, until...they didn't. Jealousy or bad decisions...who can say, but they've been blood enemies for hundreds, if not thousands of years, at this point. Surrender the Dark calls into question who the indiscriminate killers really are.
"Hunter born. Hunter bred. Kill the vampires or you’ll be dead."
Quite the nursery rhyme, am I right? Well it was what Benjamin Fuller was raised on. He's a hunter, born and bred. And when Ben was eight, his parents and uncle were slaughtered by a vampire and he was blinded. To be fair, though, the vampire had been captured and tortured by said parents and uncle, so you could say things are...complicated.
For most of the last 20 years, Benjamin, fueled by anger and hate, has hunted and killed as many vampires as he could find in Boston. He hunts with his two best friends, Nyx, who is part witch and part fae, and Akito, who has always wanted to be a superhero.
Tzadkiel has been walking this earth for thousands of years. Vampires have a rich history filled with honor and ritual. But now, they are mostly just trying to survive. Tzadkiel has been in hiding, trying to heal from his injuries that were inflicted by Benjamin's family. Twenty years and he's still weak from the iron and poison he was injected with. Tzadkiel has a plan, though, to get his strength back and also strengthen his mora (his vampire family) once again. To that end, the hunted hunts the hunter.
Tzadkiel keeps disillusioning Ben regarding everything he had been taught about vampires. Well, mostly. Tzadkiel might harbor a tiny bit of a grudge for all his mora that have died at the hands of Benjamin Fuller and as Tzadkiel is still suffering the after effects of the torture he endured, two decades ago, he's got some reason to be pissy about it. In fact, they both have plenty of reason to distrust the other.
Still, both Tzadkiel and Benjamin are attracted to one another and neither of them can seem to stop it. And, because there is a power struggle going on in Boston that puts everyone in danger, they keep finding themselves in situations where allying themselves with each other is more favorable to the alternative. So they strike a bargain. A temporary alliance to see the danger through and then? Well, then, there is a debt to pay; justice to serve. See? Complicated. I loved how it all resolved, though. Nothing went down like I thought it would, but I loved it, and Tzadkiel and Benjamin do get their HEA.
So, did I enjoy Surrender the Dark? Oh, hell yes, I did! I loved it. This is exactly my kind of vampire story and exactly the way I like my enemies-to-lovers stories. I had no idea what to expect going in, and the story just latched right onto me and I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend Surrender the Dark to anyone who loves paranormal/vampire stories. It felt fresh and it thoroughly entertained and enthralled me.
------------------------------------
ARC of Surrender the Dark was generously provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2017
I don't want to get too excited here but this has the potential to be a great paranormal romantic suspense series with phenomenal worldbuilding, strong leading characters and loads of action/adventure. Armstrong has taken a modern day Boston and transformed it into an urban fantasy landscape brimming with secret lairs, underground civilizations, supes of all kinds, secret doors and a blood feud that spans years.
We have the sexy vamp in Tzadkiel and his fierce paramour, Benjamin. They have a shared and painful past that pits them against one another initially.
Hunter and vamp. Drawn to each other and repulsed by their attraction simultaneously. I'm licking my lips here because them's the goods right there! You know what that means, kids?
Well, sorta. The sex was a teensy bit rough if infrequent and I have to say if authors don't quit chain-yanking me on the hate sex I'm going to get SUPER fussy. These two had biting snark and an ocean's worth of water under the bridge and they still couldn't manage some hate sex?
Luckily the whole "fated" thing came along and saved the day. I heart me some fated mates and these two met when Benjamin was just an innocent tike of 8 or so. Even then Tzadkiel found his elderflower (NICE! Armstrong didn't go with the ubiquitous something woodsy) scent irresistible. Naturally Benjamin has similar feels with regard to Tzadkiel. Who can resist and vamp in leather though? I mean, really.
The defense rests.
Surrender the Dark definitely fits the hurt/comfort bill with Benjamin having been blinded and disfigured by Tzadkiel as a child then orphaned. While Tzadkiel withstood 36 straight hours of torture at the hands of Benjamin's uncle (an asshole, in case you were wondering) including losing his fangs and being injected with iron and...
Yeah, it was bad. So bad he had to go to ground for two decades to minimally recover, so you can imagine how pissed he was when he woke up.
I wanted Tzadkiel to be a bit more unscrupulous than he turned out to be, but he's good... vampire? What's plural for vampire or is it like deer? Whatever you get what I mean. I liked him and I liked that Armstrong made his voice align with his age, wisdom and experience. Actually, both men had their own unique voices that I had no trouble differentiating between. I so enjoyed getting a front row seat to witness the evolution of their relationship from enemies to something more and how they each grappled with their changing perceptions of the other.
However much I enjoyed the growth of their relationship, Surrender the Dark is very much a paranormal adventure/urban fantasy with an up-tempo pace intermingled through the worldbuilding and romance plotlines, so if you're looking for a really strong romance storyline you'll probably be disappointed. The two strongest secondary characters are Benjamin's best friends, Nyx and Akito, and while I liked them and wouldn't mind learning more about them I'm hoping the next book will continue with Tzadkiel and Benjamin's story and their adventures with even more action, please.
Recommend to urban fantasy fans.
I couldn't resist.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley.
We have the sexy vamp in Tzadkiel and his fierce paramour, Benjamin. They have a shared and painful past that pits them against one another initially.
Hunter and vamp. Drawn to each other and repulsed by their attraction simultaneously. I'm licking my lips here because them's the goods right there! You know what that means, kids?
Well, sorta. The sex was a teensy bit rough if infrequent and I have to say if authors don't quit chain-yanking me on the hate sex I'm going to get SUPER fussy. These two had biting snark and an ocean's worth of water under the bridge and they still couldn't manage some hate sex?
Luckily the whole "fated" thing came along and saved the day. I heart me some fated mates and these two met when Benjamin was just an innocent tike of 8 or so. Even then Tzadkiel found his elderflower (NICE! Armstrong didn't go with the ubiquitous something woodsy) scent irresistible. Naturally Benjamin has similar feels with regard to Tzadkiel. Who can resist and vamp in leather though? I mean, really.
The defense rests.
Surrender the Dark definitely fits the hurt/comfort bill with Benjamin having been blinded and disfigured by Tzadkiel as a child then orphaned. While Tzadkiel withstood 36 straight hours of torture at the hands of Benjamin's uncle (an asshole, in case you were wondering) including losing his fangs and being injected with iron and...
Yeah, it was bad. So bad he had to go to ground for two decades to minimally recover, so you can imagine how pissed he was when he woke up.
I wanted Tzadkiel to be a bit more unscrupulous than he turned out to be, but he's good... vampire? What's plural for vampire or is it like deer? Whatever you get what I mean. I liked him and I liked that Armstrong made his voice align with his age, wisdom and experience. Actually, both men had their own unique voices that I had no trouble differentiating between. I so enjoyed getting a front row seat to witness the evolution of their relationship from enemies to something more and how they each grappled with their changing perceptions of the other.
However much I enjoyed the growth of their relationship, Surrender the Dark is very much a paranormal adventure/urban fantasy with an up-tempo pace intermingled through the worldbuilding and romance plotlines, so if you're looking for a really strong romance storyline you'll probably be disappointed. The two strongest secondary characters are Benjamin's best friends, Nyx and Akito, and while I liked them and wouldn't mind learning more about them I'm hoping the next book will continue with Tzadkiel and Benjamin's story and their adventures with even more action, please.
Recommend to urban fantasy fans.
I couldn't resist.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley.
March 29, 2017
~~~
**5 Stars**
How do you tell people about a book that you’re so in love with that, even though you’ve read it over and over…and over, it becomes more cherished with each reading? How do you explain that each scene is better than the last and it would be impossible to choose a favorite part? How do you describe that the author’s words in this romantic and thrilling love story pierced your heart and lifted you away? I guess by asking them to trust you enough to read it.
Surrender the Dark is a book I have had the most wonderful pleasure of being involved with from early on. I was able to see this story develop through many revisions. And boy, did it evolve. With each rendition it grew wonderfully more complex, compelling and beautiful. I have a rather biased review for you, as you can tell, but please know that this book is special regardless of my rapport with the extraordinary and lovely, Tibby Armstrong.
CHARACTERS
Benjamin Fuller – Impertinent, cocky, insolent and cantankerous. And also none of those things. Benjamin is driven, skilled, and deeply, deeply troubled. Quite a package. And all those eccentricities come in the fair-haired lithe and agile form of a blind hunter dressed in leather and weapons.
Tzadkiel Dragoumanos – Battle-hardened, sophisticated, lethal, and virtuous. As War King, Tzadkiel exudes power and confidence. His unquestionable honor drives his sense of duty, no matter his conflicted heart.
Nyx – I believe you are going to completely dig Nyx! One of Benjamin’s two best friends from his youth, and a full-fledged badass all on her own. Nyx has the wisdom of a sage, the patience of a saint, and the swift acumen to keep a tetchy Benjamin in line.
Akito – He breaks my heart in this book. I think you might find a little of yourself in Akito. I did. It’s not easy being the ‘regular’ guy.
STORY
I won’t say too much here (I want you to discover this all on your own), but this story spans some 20 plus years with exciting and engrossing circumstances that capture you from the very first pages.
Benjamin’s family has been hunting monstrous vampires for eternity, it is their sworn duty. Benjamin, a hunter born, a hunter bred, is raised to continue his family’s legacy. He and his friends take the responsibility seriously, and they’re good at it, working as a team to protect Boston from these heinous creatures.
Tzadkiel’s family has been torn apart and now their home, Boston, is at risk of ruin because of an imbalance between warring factions. It is up to Tzadkiel to protect his mora at any cost. And to do this he will need a sacrifice.
WRITING
Writing like this proves romance can be so much more than just a scintillating read. This beautiful composition weaves rhythm with harmony, witty repartee with fiery passion, reasoning with turmoil. Tibby Armstrong has amplified her writing prowess exponentially with this book. She skillfully crafts a paranormal romance book that is convincing, sumptuous, and most of all splendidly entertaining.
A quote I cut, with the author's permission, from a FB post.
A Saturday snippet for all you m/m vampire lovers:
Surrender the Dark
Random House / Loveswept
December 2016
I would like to thank Tibby Armstrong and Random House-Loveswept for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.com
**5 Stars**
How do you tell people about a book that you’re so in love with that, even though you’ve read it over and over…and over, it becomes more cherished with each reading? How do you explain that each scene is better than the last and it would be impossible to choose a favorite part? How do you describe that the author’s words in this romantic and thrilling love story pierced your heart and lifted you away? I guess by asking them to trust you enough to read it.
Surrender the Dark is a book I have had the most wonderful pleasure of being involved with from early on. I was able to see this story develop through many revisions. And boy, did it evolve. With each rendition it grew wonderfully more complex, compelling and beautiful. I have a rather biased review for you, as you can tell, but please know that this book is special regardless of my rapport with the extraordinary and lovely, Tibby Armstrong.
CHARACTERS
Benjamin Fuller – Impertinent, cocky, insolent and cantankerous. And also none of those things. Benjamin is driven, skilled, and deeply, deeply troubled. Quite a package. And all those eccentricities come in the fair-haired lithe and agile form of a blind hunter dressed in leather and weapons.
Tzadkiel Dragoumanos – Battle-hardened, sophisticated, lethal, and virtuous. As War King, Tzadkiel exudes power and confidence. His unquestionable honor drives his sense of duty, no matter his conflicted heart.
Nyx – I believe you are going to completely dig Nyx! One of Benjamin’s two best friends from his youth, and a full-fledged badass all on her own. Nyx has the wisdom of a sage, the patience of a saint, and the swift acumen to keep a tetchy Benjamin in line.
Akito – He breaks my heart in this book. I think you might find a little of yourself in Akito. I did. It’s not easy being the ‘regular’ guy.
STORY
I won’t say too much here (I want you to discover this all on your own), but this story spans some 20 plus years with exciting and engrossing circumstances that capture you from the very first pages.
Benjamin’s family has been hunting monstrous vampires for eternity, it is their sworn duty. Benjamin, a hunter born, a hunter bred, is raised to continue his family’s legacy. He and his friends take the responsibility seriously, and they’re good at it, working as a team to protect Boston from these heinous creatures.
Tzadkiel’s family has been torn apart and now their home, Boston, is at risk of ruin because of an imbalance between warring factions. It is up to Tzadkiel to protect his mora at any cost. And to do this he will need a sacrifice.
WRITING
Writing like this proves romance can be so much more than just a scintillating read. This beautiful composition weaves rhythm with harmony, witty repartee with fiery passion, reasoning with turmoil. Tibby Armstrong has amplified her writing prowess exponentially with this book. She skillfully crafts a paranormal romance book that is convincing, sumptuous, and most of all splendidly entertaining.
A quote I cut, with the author's permission, from a FB post.
A Saturday snippet for all you m/m vampire lovers:
Tzadkiel yanked the hunter’s head back to expose his neck. Benjamin gasped, his pulse leaping under the goose bumps dotting his skin.
The scent of terror, sharp and bright, called to Tzadkiel, whetting his predator-drive. Hunger and arousal licked at his control, peeling back the layers of his humanity to expose the vampire beneath.
“That’s right, hunter,” Tzadkiel bit out, saliva pooling. “Fear me.”
Benjamin, panting, remained stock still, fear pulsing off him in fragrant waves. “Go ahead. Bite me. It’ll be the last fucking thing you do.”
Surrender the Dark
Random House / Loveswept
December 2016
I would like to thank Tibby Armstrong and Random House-Loveswept for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.com
April 17, 2017
While I enjoyed "Surrender the Dark," I didn't totally *love* it as much as I'd hoped that I would.
For me, the story had so much world building, so many different things going on, that the romance aspect took a bit of a back seat.
I did like how Benjamin, blinded at age 8 while fighting a vampire, never came across as weak or a person to be pitied. Not once. He was a hunter and played the cards he'd been dealt.
And the 'War King', Tzadkiel, who'd lost his entire family over the millennia at the hands of Benjamin's family, was bound by both honor and vengeance, in equal measure, to ensure that justice was brought against those responsible.
Even if 'those responsible' turned out to be someone for whom he had growing feelings.
The game of cat and mouse between Tzadkiel and Benjamin was always entertaining; however, I truly wanted the story to focus (a lot) more on their feelings and budding attraction, which I found a bit minimal for my tastes.
My favorite parts of the story were where both Tzadkiel and Benjamin began to realize that their worlds weren't quite as black and white as they'd always thought. That, sometimes, mistakes are made, terrible ones, but even then, people can change and forgiveness earned.
The story was tight and well thought out, but the scope of this one was vast, so there were many, many pages spent to flesh out the world in which the hunters and vampires lived, going back roughly 400 years. As I said, lots of world building in this one.
Don't get me wrong, though. I was never bored. I just wished that the focus of the story had been a bit more on the feels between the MC's and less on past wars, marital problems between witches, and zombies.
So while I enjoyed this story, the title of 'Todd's favorite vampire story of all time' is still firmly held by Alexa Land's "The Tinder Chronicles." (That one's highly recommended, folks.) : )
Overall, I'd rate "Surrender the Dark" at around 3.75 stars and hope that future books in the series focus a teeny bit more on the feels and connections between the MC's.
------------------------------------------------
My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
Read
May 8, 2017DNF at 15%. No rating, but I sort of hated it from the start. Couldn't wait to put it down.
April 14, 2017
~3.75 stars~
My friend, Jewel, was right. The writing, the world-building, was top notch. Surrender the Dark gripped me with its story. Sworn enemies to lovers? Check.
Tzadkiel is a millennia-old vampire who has awakened after 20 years to find his mora (his family) is all but decimated. He only remembers that day 20 years ago, when that 8-year-old boy gave him a drink of water and unknowingly helped him to escape the psychotic family of vampire hunters who held him captive. He was able to kill the family who held him in the process of escape, except the boy of course, but they'd weakened him almost to death. And he now swears to kill the hunter(s) who've murdered his family over the last 20 years.
Benjamin is the 8 year old boy who was born and bred to kill vampires. It's all he knows and shows us a variation of how much hate is taught and ingrained in one's life. He has sworn to kill the evil vampires, and he can't wait to come across the one that killed his family.
Dilemma, much? Both truly sworn enemies, once they come across each other. And they hate each other with a passion. Not normal romance-hate, pure, pure hate, for a good long while. Delicious for me, because that kind of enemies-to-lovers promises to be scorching hot when they give in, amiright?
I loved how the author threw them together against a shared enemy. Instead of taking the easy way where they could just jump into angry sex, they got closer to each other another way. I really liked that.
So what didn't work for me? My tastes run to romance first, other plotlines second. And this one was all world-building and not nearly enough romance. The hate and figuring out what was going on in this paranormal world stayed front and center for so much of this book, that the romance didn't have nearly enough time to develop. By the end, it was very insta-lovey for me because there was almost zero relationship development.
I'd definitely read this author again. Armstrong is a talented writer, and the world she created was amazing. I just need more romance, personally.
My friend, Jewel, was right. The writing, the world-building, was top notch. Surrender the Dark gripped me with its story. Sworn enemies to lovers? Check.
Tzadkiel is a millennia-old vampire who has awakened after 20 years to find his mora (his family) is all but decimated. He only remembers that day 20 years ago, when that 8-year-old boy gave him a drink of water and unknowingly helped him to escape the psychotic family of vampire hunters who held him captive. He was able to kill the family who held him in the process of escape, except the boy of course, but they'd weakened him almost to death. And he now swears to kill the hunter(s) who've murdered his family over the last 20 years.
Benjamin is the 8 year old boy who was born and bred to kill vampires. It's all he knows and shows us a variation of how much hate is taught and ingrained in one's life. He has sworn to kill the evil vampires, and he can't wait to come across the one that killed his family.
Dilemma, much? Both truly sworn enemies, once they come across each other. And they hate each other with a passion. Not normal romance-hate, pure, pure hate, for a good long while. Delicious for me, because that kind of enemies-to-lovers promises to be scorching hot when they give in, amiright?
I loved how the author threw them together against a shared enemy. Instead of taking the easy way where they could just jump into angry sex, they got closer to each other another way. I really liked that.
So what didn't work for me? My tastes run to romance first, other plotlines second. And this one was all world-building and not nearly enough romance. The hate and figuring out what was going on in this paranormal world stayed front and center for so much of this book, that the romance didn't have nearly enough time to develop. By the end, it was very insta-lovey for me because there was almost zero relationship development.
I'd definitely read this author again. Armstrong is a talented writer, and the world she created was amazing. I just need more romance, personally.
March 1, 2017
The story opens as an adorable eight-year old, Benjamin Fuller, is playing outside when lured into his house by his horrid uncle. He has to repeat to himself the nursery rhyme that gives him a bit of bravery to face up to his family's cruel legacy as hunter of vampires and the supernatural. Not only does the uncle kill, he steals and tortures, but when Benjamin has to put on a brave (sort-of) face and join in, all hell breaks loose. Fast forward into the future and the two are at each other's throats. Benjamin has become a full-grown hunter determined to find the vamp who scarred him for life and destroyed his family, while the vamp is wanting to restore his kingdom and power.
I probably don't need to say that he's not a cruel vampire who feeds on people like Dracula. That wouldn't work for this kind of book. The author isn't using anything new in terms of characters, but what does is write these well. Benjamin is annoying a little when he's stubborn to face the facts but he doesn't take THAT long and is reasonable. It was interesting with him being blind and how his world worked from without and within due to that.
The bar was his friend and even that was intriguing since the author didn't have throwaway characters - she gives the regular bartender a part, too. Benjamin's friends are an interesting blend as well - a witch who weakens her power with jewelry because she's too terrified of her parents, and a boy from a mental hospital who wants more than anything to have some kind of "superpower." The three bonded during breakdowns, but they bonded for life, so the set-up for all the connections between them made this more than a quick and easy lay of a book with little substance other than bedroom play and unrealistic love interest.
Imagine explaining that one to others - 'hey, these are my best friends. We met in the asylum.' Here's the guy I'm in love with - 'I met him when I was supposed to kill him.'
There's no quick dive into the sack either, thankfully, and the author makes sure to have plenty of other story to complement anything developing between the two main characters. There's the bigger picture of a bigger threat than either realized, the conflict between what needs to happen (a death) to fix something no matter what their feelings are, and a chase for a small mystery. If you're into paranormal romance of this type, this well-written story should have you glued. Characters aren't new but they are well done. Storyline keeps a story amidst a relationship that doesn't cause eyerolls. It's not all heat and spark - fortunately there's substance as well.
Read and reviewed after receiving from netgalley
I probably don't need to say that he's not a cruel vampire who feeds on people like Dracula. That wouldn't work for this kind of book. The author isn't using anything new in terms of characters, but what does is write these well. Benjamin is annoying a little when he's stubborn to face the facts but he doesn't take THAT long and is reasonable. It was interesting with him being blind and how his world worked from without and within due to that.
The bar was his friend and even that was intriguing since the author didn't have throwaway characters - she gives the regular bartender a part, too. Benjamin's friends are an interesting blend as well - a witch who weakens her power with jewelry because she's too terrified of her parents, and a boy from a mental hospital who wants more than anything to have some kind of "superpower." The three bonded during breakdowns, but they bonded for life, so the set-up for all the connections between them made this more than a quick and easy lay of a book with little substance other than bedroom play and unrealistic love interest.
Imagine explaining that one to others - 'hey, these are my best friends. We met in the asylum.' Here's the guy I'm in love with - 'I met him when I was supposed to kill him.'
There's no quick dive into the sack either, thankfully, and the author makes sure to have plenty of other story to complement anything developing between the two main characters. There's the bigger picture of a bigger threat than either realized, the conflict between what needs to happen (a death) to fix something no matter what their feelings are, and a chase for a small mystery. If you're into paranormal romance of this type, this well-written story should have you glued. Characters aren't new but they are well done. Storyline keeps a story amidst a relationship that doesn't cause eyerolls. It's not all heat and spark - fortunately there's substance as well.
Read and reviewed after receiving from netgalley
on-hold-for-now
June 29, 2019I’ve put this on hold for now for two reasons.
Firstly the start of the book is darker than I expected. I could get past this of course but that brings me to the second reason. The next book is only available on pdf this isn’t a lot of good to me. I use an iPad and a kindle paperwhite. The print is too small for me so I’m out for now.
Firstly the start of the book is darker than I expected. I could get past this of course but that brings me to the second reason. The next book is only available on pdf this isn’t a lot of good to me. I use an iPad and a kindle paperwhite. The print is too small for me so I’m out for now.
May 22, 2017
This is a great enemies to lovers story. This is a stunning and original Hunters vs. Vampires book. This is a MM romance between a vampire who wants to kill a hunter, and a skilled hunter, breed to execute the vampire race.
The atmosphere Tibby Armstrong has created is completely absorbing and with a Dark-ish tone envolving every page, every street of Boston, that had me fascinated since the very first page.
The world building is extremely attractive and the writing is remarkable.
To build a great and solid world in this genre is not easy. I have read tons of paranormal books. Some of them are good but, sadly, the vast majority not so much because of its lack of originality.
And then, "Surrender the Dark"comes, mixing Greek mythology, with a different concept of vampires and hunters and drag me in, almost magically, restating my love for a genre that I do not love easily.
And what make Armstrong's Universe original and appealing is a mixture of great things: the plot is consistent. The characters are developed, deep and very likable. The dialogues sharp, and to the point.
The whole idea of "Surrender the Dark" is terrific, as well as the many little things that put the story together.
I felt very identified with the humor in this book. It is sarcastic and sour, and the author achieve a superb mixture between a dark atmosphere,with evil creatures lurking in the night, and very amusing interactions between the characters. Part of my high rate is because I find the humor in this book magnificent.
I loved Benjamin since the first page. I loved that boy playing in his uncle's yard. And I love the man he becomes. I really liked the way that boy grew up assuming wrong beliefs as unquestionable truths, and how he learned life is not always what it seems (or what your parents told you).
But, probably, I love Tzadkiel even more than Benjamin, and not only because I think the character is sexy as hell. No, there is more. I like the way he talks and the loyalty to his family, to his mora. He is honorable. He is smart. He is powerful, and his power is extremely hot. He is my War King .The undeniable winner for me.
Something I really enjoyed in this unique story is the fact that they don't go from enemies, to lovers all at once. It is more complicated and entertaining than just that. The couple goes from mortal nemesis, to reluctant allies, and in the middle of that process they become lovers. But the hate and the need of vengeance is still there, so the charm and the curiosity about what is going to happen is on the scene till the end.
While I was reading Surrender the Dark, I was thinking that even if our MC are both males (sexy and hot long-haired males) that fell in love to each other (and you with them) the nuanced plot was more centered in the superb supernatural world the author was giving us, than in the love story itself. Benjamin and Tzadkiel are our guides in this ride, and certainly their relationship is the final reason of the book, but you could say their romance is not the absolute center here. I didn't care because I was completely absorbed in Armstrong's world, but I have to confess I'm a bit dirty and I missed more steam.
This is book one of a trilogy. Taste the Dark and Claim the Dark are expected on December 2017 and May 2018.
There is no doubt I will continue reading this series.
The atmosphere Tibby Armstrong has created is completely absorbing and with a Dark-ish tone envolving every page, every street of Boston, that had me fascinated since the very first page.
The world building is extremely attractive and the writing is remarkable.
To build a great and solid world in this genre is not easy. I have read tons of paranormal books. Some of them are good but, sadly, the vast majority not so much because of its lack of originality.
And then, "Surrender the Dark"comes, mixing Greek mythology, with a different concept of vampires and hunters and drag me in, almost magically, restating my love for a genre that I do not love easily.
And what make Armstrong's Universe original and appealing is a mixture of great things: the plot is consistent. The characters are developed, deep and very likable. The dialogues sharp, and to the point.
The whole idea of "Surrender the Dark" is terrific, as well as the many little things that put the story together.
I felt very identified with the humor in this book. It is sarcastic and sour, and the author achieve a superb mixture between a dark atmosphere,with evil creatures lurking in the night, and very amusing interactions between the characters. Part of my high rate is because I find the humor in this book magnificent.
I loved Benjamin since the first page. I loved that boy playing in his uncle's yard. And I love the man he becomes. I really liked the way that boy grew up assuming wrong beliefs as unquestionable truths, and how he learned life is not always what it seems (or what your parents told you).
But, probably, I love Tzadkiel even more than Benjamin, and not only because I think the character is sexy as hell. No, there is more. I like the way he talks and the loyalty to his family, to his mora. He is honorable. He is smart. He is powerful, and his power is extremely hot. He is my War King .The undeniable winner for me.
Something I really enjoyed in this unique story is the fact that they don't go from enemies, to lovers all at once. It is more complicated and entertaining than just that. The couple goes from mortal nemesis, to reluctant allies, and in the middle of that process they become lovers. But the hate and the need of vengeance is still there, so the charm and the curiosity about what is going to happen is on the scene till the end.
While I was reading Surrender the Dark, I was thinking that even if our MC are both males (sexy and hot long-haired males) that fell in love to each other (and you with them) the nuanced plot was more centered in the superb supernatural world the author was giving us, than in the love story itself. Benjamin and Tzadkiel are our guides in this ride, and certainly their relationship is the final reason of the book, but you could say their romance is not the absolute center here. I didn't care because I was completely absorbed in Armstrong's world, but I have to confess I'm a bit dirty and I missed more steam.
This is book one of a trilogy. Taste the Dark and Claim the Dark are expected on December 2017 and May 2018.
There is no doubt I will continue reading this series.
This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession
May 21, 2017
4.5 stars
An extraordinarily well written paranormal romance.
We get vampires and vampire hunters, witches and fae. All living and fighting in Boston with humans mostly unaware.
The vampires and hunters, descendants of Greek gods, have ancient animosity between the families. Blood enemies with hearts full of revenge.
It grabs your heartstrings from the very beginning. I was immediately sad for the boy Benjamin. Horrified and outraged at the mistreatment of Tzadkiel the vampire at Hunter hands.
Twenty years after their first ill-fated meeting, our MCs reunite. Their story takes them from "enemies" to "reluctant allies" to "lovers".
This first book in the series focuses on world building and develops the action and drama between the supernatural forces.
But the MCs chemistry shines throughout and doesn't ever hit backburner status. Instead, their attraction is a seemingly insurmountable problem. The more they collaborate, the more they realize the honor and dedication in the other. Their attraction gradually morphs into respect.
It's more than a slow-burn romance. It's a story of acceptance, forgiveness, and understanding.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
An extraordinarily well written paranormal romance.
We get vampires and vampire hunters, witches and fae. All living and fighting in Boston with humans mostly unaware.
The vampires and hunters, descendants of Greek gods, have ancient animosity between the families. Blood enemies with hearts full of revenge.
It grabs your heartstrings from the very beginning. I was immediately sad for the boy Benjamin. Horrified and outraged at the mistreatment of Tzadkiel the vampire at Hunter hands.
Twenty years after their first ill-fated meeting, our MCs reunite. Their story takes them from "enemies" to "reluctant allies" to "lovers".
...lust had supplanted reason, eroding Tzadkiel’s hate and replacing revenge with a different sort of blood-driven fantasy.
This first book in the series focuses on world building and develops the action and drama between the supernatural forces.
But the MCs chemistry shines throughout and doesn't ever hit backburner status. Instead, their attraction is a seemingly insurmountable problem. The more they collaborate, the more they realize the honor and dedication in the other. Their attraction gradually morphs into respect.
Awareness of the incongruities between what he’d been taught and what he now knew to be true. There were no monsters here. ~Benjamin
It's more than a slow-burn romance. It's a story of acceptance, forgiveness, and understanding.
Once you closed your metaphorical eyes to misunderstandings and imperfections, conceits and prejudices, then, and only then, could you see the strength and beauty that had been there before you all along.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
May 25, 2021
Stunning, simply stunning. This book is a triumph, it takes a common trope - of vampires and vampire hunters, along with all associated paranormal species - and creates a unique exploration of their world in a strangely familiar, but still mysterious, modern Boston setting.
In both Benjamin and Tzadkiel, Tibby has crafted an enemies to lovers romance which is not only wholly believable, it is one which the reader wants to triumph.
The UST in this book is delicious and when it finally bears fruit, the heat factor rockets through the roof.
The world building is brilliantly executed, there's never an info dump of exposition, instead the setting is allowed to gently reveal itself as you read it.
There's enough mystery left to keep you reading and the touches of "real world" mythology were very clever.
I can't wait for the second and third books in this series to come out. Gorgeous cover, gorgeous book and an interesting look at how being sightless doesn't make you blind to life.
Due for publication from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept on May 23rd.
#ARC kindly provide by the publishers via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and honest review.
In both Benjamin and Tzadkiel, Tibby has crafted an enemies to lovers romance which is not only wholly believable, it is one which the reader wants to triumph.
The UST in this book is delicious and when it finally bears fruit, the heat factor rockets through the roof.
The world building is brilliantly executed, there's never an info dump of exposition, instead the setting is allowed to gently reveal itself as you read it.
There's enough mystery left to keep you reading and the touches of "real world" mythology were very clever.
I can't wait for the second and third books in this series to come out. Gorgeous cover, gorgeous book and an interesting look at how being sightless doesn't make you blind to life.
Due for publication from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept on May 23rd.
#ARC kindly provide by the publishers via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and honest review.
June 11, 2017
5++++++ STARS!!!
This is how you write Paranormal Romance.
I feel like I have been waiting a very long time for this book.
It had everything I love and crave in a Paranormal Romance plus some.
And let me tell you, that plus some blew me away. How the author managed to pull this off with the level of feeling I felt for both Benjamin and Tzadkiel blew my mind. For sure there had to be a bad guy. For sure I’d love one and hate the other. Mind blown that this is not at all what I felt.
I was intrigued about the world; fascinated by the connection; fearful of fate and totally moved by the sacrifice.
This book truly was brilliant in all the ways a Paranormal Romance should be. There should be a balance between the world building and the romance, and this perfected it. I loved how this wasn’t in your face insta-love, far from it. This was confusion, hate and desperation. It was lovely to behold.
I was totally caught up in the world in this book. Lions and tigers and bears oh my! Seriously. I love how all the different paranormal elements are accounted for. A whole different kind of world hiding in plain sight.
There isn’t anything I can think of that I didn’t like about this book aside from it ending.
Very well done PNR. Like I said, I have been waiting a long time for something just like this.
I willpatiently anxiously await more in this series.
**ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group-Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
This is how you write Paranormal Romance.
I feel like I have been waiting a very long time for this book.
It had everything I love and crave in a Paranormal Romance plus some.
And let me tell you, that plus some blew me away. How the author managed to pull this off with the level of feeling I felt for both Benjamin and Tzadkiel blew my mind. For sure there had to be a bad guy. For sure I’d love one and hate the other. Mind blown that this is not at all what I felt.
I was intrigued about the world; fascinated by the connection; fearful of fate and totally moved by the sacrifice.
This book truly was brilliant in all the ways a Paranormal Romance should be. There should be a balance between the world building and the romance, and this perfected it. I loved how this wasn’t in your face insta-love, far from it. This was confusion, hate and desperation. It was lovely to behold.
I was totally caught up in the world in this book. Lions and tigers and bears oh my! Seriously. I love how all the different paranormal elements are accounted for. A whole different kind of world hiding in plain sight.
There isn’t anything I can think of that I didn’t like about this book aside from it ending.
Very well done PNR. Like I said, I have been waiting a long time for something just like this.
I will
**ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group-Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
May 15, 2017
Surrender the Dark is a slow-burn romance between a hunter and a vampire that are connected by their families' centuries-old animosity.
Each has his own scars and both are responsible in some way for the other's suffering. It's a true enemies to lovers story with Benjamin and Tzadkiel honestly hating each other at the beginning and for the most part of the story.
Their connection and forgiveness for the other comes gradually. They learn to trust each other and to see the other for who he is rather than what he is. They're attracted to each other but at the same time they can't ignore what they have lost in the hands of the other.
The story is set up in a world where all supernatural creatures are real but the general public doesn't know their existence. A supernatural war is happening under everyones noses in order for a power-hungry witch to control all the magic in the city and to exclude his emenies of accessing it.
It's the first book of a trilogy and it's apparent as there are a lot of unresolved issues at the end. The main couple does get their happy ending though they are still in the middle of the war which is certainly not over.
The next story centers around a different couple but I hope Ben and Tzadkiel are going to play an important part there as well. It would be nice to see them again, united and secure in their relationship.
* An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
Each has his own scars and both are responsible in some way for the other's suffering. It's a true enemies to lovers story with Benjamin and Tzadkiel honestly hating each other at the beginning and for the most part of the story.
Their connection and forgiveness for the other comes gradually. They learn to trust each other and to see the other for who he is rather than what he is. They're attracted to each other but at the same time they can't ignore what they have lost in the hands of the other.
The story is set up in a world where all supernatural creatures are real but the general public doesn't know their existence. A supernatural war is happening under everyones noses in order for a power-hungry witch to control all the magic in the city and to exclude his emenies of accessing it.
It's the first book of a trilogy and it's apparent as there are a lot of unresolved issues at the end. The main couple does get their happy ending though they are still in the middle of the war which is certainly not over.
The next story centers around a different couple but I hope Ben and Tzadkiel are going to play an important part there as well. It would be nice to see them again, united and secure in their relationship.
* An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
May 18, 2017
4 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review. Quotes used were from an ARC and may be different in the final copy.*
I have to admit, I’ve stayed away from paranormal romance lately, but I’m glad I took a chance on this book because I really enjoyed it!
I actually had the wrong idea of what this story would be like though. For some reason, I was expecting something along the lines of Benjamin being kidnapped and held captive and the two men falling in love during that time, but that was not at all what the story was. There was no captivity or Stockholm Syndrome. Instead, it was pretty much that they both wanted to kill each other but Tzadkiel needed Benjamin alive for the time being, and Benjamin was just waiting for the right opportunity, and then they ended up with a common goal (even though Tzadkiel still wanted to kill Benjamin). Both men thought the other was a monster, and I could completely understand why, but the irony was that neither really was a monster. And other than one really sappy conversation during a battle scene, their romance was full of tension but ultimately sweet and overall believable considering the premise.
Now let’s talk about Benjamin because <3 <3 <3 [incoherent mumbling and cooing]. He was kind of one of those perfectly imperfect characters whose flaws only seemed to make him more lovable, and sometimes I complain about that, but not this time because I just loved him! He had weaknesses and vulnerabilities and emotional scars. He had some insecurities about his blindness and his facial scars, not so much because of how it affected his life (he could still get around and do everything) but more because he felt like people judged him, were only interested in him because of pity or because they figured he’d be easy, etc. He was also a self-proclaimed alcoholic who drank often to try and forget his problems. Self harm and mental illness in his past were also hinted at (but they were never explained or present in the story). So yeah, Benjamin was prickly, but it was only because of the walls he built up, and I kind of just wanted to give him a big hug and make everything all better.
Benjamin also had some of the BEST descriptions (in Tzadkiel’s POV) that I have ever read. I’ll show you all an example of just one of them so you can understand:
The story outside of the romance was also good, but I was more interested in the characters and the romance.
The only thing that disappointed me was that the blindness was mostly canceled out by magical abilities that basically allowed Benjamin to see when he was near Tzadkiel (just in purple light instead of all the colors). That was a shame since, before that, the portrayal of the blindness seemed great with all the little mentions of things, like how Benjamin was able to get around the city by memorizing certain things, and how he poured drinks by listening to the sound of the liquid in the glass to know when it was full. The book also covered some misconceptions, like how blind people don’t have other supersenses. But then he could basically see, so that stuff wasn’t in the book anymore.
So overall, the disability rep could’ve been better, but I really enjoyed the story, the writing, the romance, and the characters!
*Note: This is part of a series and leaves some of the broader plot threads open, but it works well as a standalone since the next book is about different main characters.*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes M/M paranormal romance with vampires, lovably imperfect characters, enemies-to-lovers, and equal relationships (i.e. no alpha male).
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
---------------------
First Thoughts:
Disappointed that the blindness was partially canceled out by magical ability, but the characters, romance, story, and writing were great! Full review closer to release date.
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review. Quotes used were from an ARC and may be different in the final copy.*
I have to admit, I’ve stayed away from paranormal romance lately, but I’m glad I took a chance on this book because I really enjoyed it!
I actually had the wrong idea of what this story would be like though. For some reason, I was expecting something along the lines of Benjamin being kidnapped and held captive and the two men falling in love during that time, but that was not at all what the story was. There was no captivity or Stockholm Syndrome. Instead, it was pretty much that they both wanted to kill each other but Tzadkiel needed Benjamin alive for the time being, and Benjamin was just waiting for the right opportunity, and then they ended up with a common goal (even though Tzadkiel still wanted to kill Benjamin). Both men thought the other was a monster, and I could completely understand why, but the irony was that neither really was a monster. And other than one really sappy conversation during a battle scene, their romance was full of tension but ultimately sweet and overall believable considering the premise.
Now let’s talk about Benjamin because <3 <3 <3 [incoherent mumbling and cooing]. He was kind of one of those perfectly imperfect characters whose flaws only seemed to make him more lovable, and sometimes I complain about that, but not this time because I just loved him! He had weaknesses and vulnerabilities and emotional scars. He had some insecurities about his blindness and his facial scars, not so much because of how it affected his life (he could still get around and do everything) but more because he felt like people judged him, were only interested in him because of pity or because they figured he’d be easy, etc. He was also a self-proclaimed alcoholic who drank often to try and forget his problems. Self harm and mental illness in his past were also hinted at (but they were never explained or present in the story). So yeah, Benjamin was prickly, but it was only because of the walls he built up, and I kind of just wanted to give him a big hug and make everything all better.
Benjamin also had some of the BEST descriptions (in Tzadkiel’s POV) that I have ever read. I’ll show you all an example of just one of them so you can understand:
There had been a moment when Tzadkiel had reached the top of the stairs and had seen Benjamin slouching indolently in the velvet and leather wingback chair. Long legs sprawled open, sunglasses reflecting the sparkle of the somewhat gritty bar’s ironic chandeliers, the hunter had looked half pirate and half king of his chosen realm.
The story outside of the romance was also good, but I was more interested in the characters and the romance.
The only thing that disappointed me was that the blindness was mostly canceled out by magical abilities that basically allowed Benjamin to see when he was near Tzadkiel (just in purple light instead of all the colors). That was a shame since, before that, the portrayal of the blindness seemed great with all the little mentions of things, like how Benjamin was able to get around the city by memorizing certain things, and how he poured drinks by listening to the sound of the liquid in the glass to know when it was full. The book also covered some misconceptions, like how blind people don’t have other supersenses. But then he could basically see, so that stuff wasn’t in the book anymore.
So overall, the disability rep could’ve been better, but I really enjoyed the story, the writing, the romance, and the characters!
*Note: This is part of a series and leaves some of the broader plot threads open, but it works well as a standalone since the next book is about different main characters.*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes M/M paranormal romance with vampires, lovably imperfect characters, enemies-to-lovers, and equal relationships (i.e. no alpha male).
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
---------------------
First Thoughts:
Disappointed that the blindness was partially canceled out by magical ability, but the characters, romance, story, and writing were great! Full review closer to release date.
March 23, 2017
Benjamin Fuller was (reluctantly on his part) raised to be a vampire hunter just like all of his family members before him. His uncle was cruel, often abusive to him, and was determined to teach him the ways of killing a vampire. At only 8 years old Benjamin didn't really want any part of it, until one night when a vampire used Benjamin's kindness against him to not only escape but kill his family. Benjamin was injured in the attack and it costs him his eyesight, so he decides to never show mercy again and takes his place as the last vampire hunter. Tzadkiel spends 20 years in hiding trying to recuperate after the torture at the hands of Benjamin's uncle. He vows to reclaim his place as head of the mora again (his vampire "pack"). In order to do so, he must sacrifice the last hunter and drink his blood. Both Benjamin and Tzadkiel have very conflicting emotions about each other. One one hand they are enemies, but they also feel a strong chemistry with each other.
I have to admit, this one really surprised me. I went into this one expecting a lot of "hot and heavy" scenes and for their attraction to be the main focus point. It really wasn't. I actually really loved this one so much! The chemistry between the two of them is sizzling, but because they are enemies they repeatedly push each other away so not much happens between them for a long time. I REALLY didn't expect this one to get me all teary either!! I'm not a big crier and I wasn't sobbing (my eyes were just sweating! I swear!) but this one definitely gave me the feels.
I loved all of the characters in this one, even the secondary character were really well written. I also really liked the difference in perspective with this one. In every book we ever read about vampires they are evil bloodsuckers, but in this one they are a bit different. I found that I really loved the change. I ended up reading this in one sitting because the plot was steady and kept me on the edge of my seat. This is my first ever read by Tibby Armstrong, and I have to say, I loved it! I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!
* I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *
I have to admit, this one really surprised me. I went into this one expecting a lot of "hot and heavy" scenes and for their attraction to be the main focus point. It really wasn't. I actually really loved this one so much! The chemistry between the two of them is sizzling, but because they are enemies they repeatedly push each other away so not much happens between them for a long time. I REALLY didn't expect this one to get me all teary either!! I'm not a big crier and I wasn't sobbing (my eyes were just sweating! I swear!) but this one definitely gave me the feels.
I loved all of the characters in this one, even the secondary character were really well written. I also really liked the difference in perspective with this one. In every book we ever read about vampires they are evil bloodsuckers, but in this one they are a bit different. I found that I really loved the change. I ended up reading this in one sitting because the plot was steady and kept me on the edge of my seat. This is my first ever read by Tibby Armstrong, and I have to say, I loved it! I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!
* I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *
May 26, 2017
This started a little slow for me but got progressively better as it went along. I very much enjoyed the story and see a lot of potential for a series. If the author takes it that way, I'll definitely be reading!
May 23, 2017
I had a hard time beginning this story. There was a lot of back-ground that needed to be covered and I was having a hard time keeping all the players straight. Pushing past the first few chapters, I actually started wondering just where Tibby Armstrong was taking us.
Benjamin is the hunter. Tzadkiel is the hunted. Until the tables are turned and Benjamin is forced to work with him to save the only two friends he had. Unfortunately, the attraction that they feel for each other is only complicating matters. Benjamin can’t b believe that he is drawn to the one person who ruined him, killed his family and now wants his power back.
Tzadkiel never wanted to hurt a mere child. He had no choice. Now that he can finally make his way back to his Mora after his kidnapping and torturing, he needs the help of the hunter to get the one thing back that will restore all of his power. He doesn’t know if he could trust him, he doesn’t know if he should hate him but he knows that the attraction he is feeling is totally unwanted and won’t be accepted by his men.
Benjamin starts seeing another side of Tzadkiel and starts questioning everything that he was told. As he finds out what this Vampire is really like, the true story behind the Hunters and the Hunted, he can’t help but start to respect him and have feelings for him. Now, as the supernatural war is started, he has a choice to make … help him or kill him.
As I said in the beginning, I had a hard time at the start of the book. There are a lot of major characters in this story, a lot of supernatural beings. Witches, warlocks, fae, vampires, weres, zombie vampires and the hunter. I did have a hard time sorting them out but, as the story went on, I realized that they all played a huge part in Benjamin realizing how wrong he was through his life and how wonderful Tzadkiel was. And, I have to recognize the writing of Tibby Armstrong. She made the story interesting and intriguing. Just when you thought there was no way that they could not act on their feelings, she threw something in that made it possible. She is a thought-provoking author that knows how to use her words to get important messages across to her readers. The last sentence in this book told me everything that II needed to know about Tibby Armstrong, made me truly respect her and convinced me that she’s an author that I want to read again.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
February 10, 2018
The narration on this one detracted from my enjoyment. The two main characters didn’t really have chemistry to me. It seemed more of a pity thing as well as a I’m horny and lonely. I didn’t enjoy them together.
Also, the hunters were pretty weak for having their own magic as were the vsmpir s. The Fae were the only ones making real power plays.
This plot was just not good.
Also, the hunters were pretty weak for having their own magic as were the vsmpir s. The Fae were the only ones making real power plays.
This plot was just not good.
Read
May 23, 2017Review originally posted at Sinfully.
3.5 stars
This is a paranormal, sworn enemies to lovers story that puts a bit of a twist on vampire lore, by adding some Greek mythology to their origin story. While the blurb is all about the relationship between Tzadkiel and Benjamin, this is definitely more urban fantasy than romance, the focus on a brewing war for control of Boston, with the romance firmly on the side.
The prologue of the book set an exciting tone as an 8 year old Benjamin, the last in a long line of Hunters, has a fateful meeting with Tzadkiel, the captured ancient vampire War King, that will set the tone for both their futures and continue the ages-long war between their families. The book then moves twenty years into the future with a blind, lonely, near alcoholic Benjamin about to cross paths once again with the vampire that vows to destroy him as he destroyed the rest of Benjamin’s family.
Unfortunately the book didn’t keep up the pace after that initial set up and I had a bit of a tough time getting into it. The writing was very descriptive and slowed the story at times. The world building is interesting, but there is a lot to cover as there is a big mix of characters, including Benjamin’s best friends Nyx, a powerful witch, and Akito, a human who wishes he was more. Their backstory is only touched upon, but they have forged a powerful bond that includes protecting Nyx from her fae mother and witch father. Throw in an army of zombie-like creatures and some Greek gods and you have the set up for a supernatural war that can end up in the destruction of Boston. There is a lot going on in this story, which will be continued in future books, and a lot of history to be told. I found that although each character’s backstory was touched on, few of them were able to yet be fleshed out, with information dropped as necessary.
The bond between Tzadkiel and Benjamin built very slowly as they are forced to work together and Benjamin, in particular, is forced to reevaluate much of what he thought he knew of vampires and of his own family line. The two spend a lot of time together and I could sense the lust, but didn’t feel much romantic connection between them until the very end of the story. The last few chapters really ratcheted up the action and the bond between Benjamin and Tzadkiel exploded off the page in these moments.
As the first in a series, this installment fell heavily on set up when the blurb had me expecting more of a paranormal romance than an urban fantasy (something I’ve read plenty of in the past and am not averse to, but generally need a different mindset for going into it). For my personal taste, I would have preferred more of a balance of the world building with the action and the love story. There is still much we do not know about many of the characters and there is still a ways to go as the battle between good and evil will continue. By the end I did adore Benjamin and Tzadkiel as a couple and a force to be reckoned with. I’m hoping that with much of the lore presented in this book, the next installment will focus a bit more on the new relationship between Tzadkiel and Benjamin as they forge ahead with their allies into war.
If you are a fan of descriptive urban fantasy with a wide variety of paranormal and magical elements and don’t mind having the romance take a back burner I think this will work very well for you.
3.5 stars
This is a paranormal, sworn enemies to lovers story that puts a bit of a twist on vampire lore, by adding some Greek mythology to their origin story. While the blurb is all about the relationship between Tzadkiel and Benjamin, this is definitely more urban fantasy than romance, the focus on a brewing war for control of Boston, with the romance firmly on the side.
The prologue of the book set an exciting tone as an 8 year old Benjamin, the last in a long line of Hunters, has a fateful meeting with Tzadkiel, the captured ancient vampire War King, that will set the tone for both their futures and continue the ages-long war between their families. The book then moves twenty years into the future with a blind, lonely, near alcoholic Benjamin about to cross paths once again with the vampire that vows to destroy him as he destroyed the rest of Benjamin’s family.
Unfortunately the book didn’t keep up the pace after that initial set up and I had a bit of a tough time getting into it. The writing was very descriptive and slowed the story at times. The world building is interesting, but there is a lot to cover as there is a big mix of characters, including Benjamin’s best friends Nyx, a powerful witch, and Akito, a human who wishes he was more. Their backstory is only touched upon, but they have forged a powerful bond that includes protecting Nyx from her fae mother and witch father. Throw in an army of zombie-like creatures and some Greek gods and you have the set up for a supernatural war that can end up in the destruction of Boston. There is a lot going on in this story, which will be continued in future books, and a lot of history to be told. I found that although each character’s backstory was touched on, few of them were able to yet be fleshed out, with information dropped as necessary.
The bond between Tzadkiel and Benjamin built very slowly as they are forced to work together and Benjamin, in particular, is forced to reevaluate much of what he thought he knew of vampires and of his own family line. The two spend a lot of time together and I could sense the lust, but didn’t feel much romantic connection between them until the very end of the story. The last few chapters really ratcheted up the action and the bond between Benjamin and Tzadkiel exploded off the page in these moments.
As the first in a series, this installment fell heavily on set up when the blurb had me expecting more of a paranormal romance than an urban fantasy (something I’ve read plenty of in the past and am not averse to, but generally need a different mindset for going into it). For my personal taste, I would have preferred more of a balance of the world building with the action and the love story. There is still much we do not know about many of the characters and there is still a ways to go as the battle between good and evil will continue. By the end I did adore Benjamin and Tzadkiel as a couple and a force to be reckoned with. I’m hoping that with much of the lore presented in this book, the next installment will focus a bit more on the new relationship between Tzadkiel and Benjamin as they forge ahead with their allies into war.
If you are a fan of descriptive urban fantasy with a wide variety of paranormal and magical elements and don’t mind having the romance take a back burner I think this will work very well for you.
March 28, 2017
While I'm no stranger to m/m in a contemporary setting, I'm slowly making strides to branch out and find m/m in other genres.. like paranormal or historical. So when I saw the premise for SURRENDER THE DARK to be a m/m enemies to lovers romance set against a dark world with paranormal elements, I was super excited.
Which makes my lack of overall joy pretty sad.
This is my first read by Armstrong and I'll admit after reading the premise upon initial request, I didn't refresh my memory by looking over the synopsis before opening up my kindle and went in rather blind (pardon the obvious joke). I don't think my issue was the writing so much -- though while there were some excellent lines, I did find in general it wasn't always engaging and did on occasion find myself confused -- as there was just a lot happening and I never felt like we were given time to focus on one aspect enough to truly understand or feel immersed in this world.
Not only do we have vampires but we have fae, were, zombies, hunters, angels (maybe!) and we're suddenly navigating treachery and conspiracy amongst those warring groups of supers. Some bits are explained along the way, some aren't who we're meant to believe they are, good isn't who you think, evil is subjective, we have to see beyond the surface even when we can't see it all, and then you have this epic hate-battling-lust dynamic between the two leads and.. suddenly with hardly any warning we're transitioning into tender feelings and remorse.. and..
Honestly, I think there's something to be said for some skimming and trying not to info-dump on a reader too much but you have to keep things a little simpler if you write under the assumption that your audience will just go with the flow. Just when I thought I got the hang of things, suddenly we're name-dropping gods and constellations and Helen of Troy and it just didn't all seem to fit.
I'm not sure if this is a series or not but I kind of like the idea of the unresolved-standalone. I appreciated the ending and how there were a lot of issues still at large, I totally loved that a certain character wasn't cured of what he lacked, but unfortunately the overall feeling this story left me with was just.. muddled. I'll admit that might be partially my own expectations (I think I expected more erotica and less mythology when I read the initial pitch and it's definitely the opposite) but also the fact is that sometimes striving to freshen an oversaturated market with a new take on an old favourite can backfire if you overdo and add too many unique characteristics into the kiln. It kinda comes out a blobby congealed mess.
From what I can see in the reviews posted here, I'm definitely in the minority, and that's fine. There are a lot of great bits that make up SURRENDER THE DARK. I just felt the main story kind of got overwhelmed in the details.
2.5 "your entire personality is like a hand job in a cold shower" stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
Which makes my lack of overall joy pretty sad.
This is my first read by Armstrong and I'll admit after reading the premise upon initial request, I didn't refresh my memory by looking over the synopsis before opening up my kindle and went in rather blind (pardon the obvious joke). I don't think my issue was the writing so much -- though while there were some excellent lines, I did find in general it wasn't always engaging and did on occasion find myself confused -- as there was just a lot happening and I never felt like we were given time to focus on one aspect enough to truly understand or feel immersed in this world.
Not only do we have vampires but we have fae, were, zombies, hunters, angels (maybe!) and we're suddenly navigating treachery and conspiracy amongst those warring groups of supers. Some bits are explained along the way, some aren't who we're meant to believe they are, good isn't who you think, evil is subjective, we have to see beyond the surface even when we can't see it all, and then you have this epic hate-battling-lust dynamic between the two leads and.. suddenly with hardly any warning we're transitioning into tender feelings and remorse.. and..
Honestly, I think there's something to be said for some skimming and trying not to info-dump on a reader too much but you have to keep things a little simpler if you write under the assumption that your audience will just go with the flow. Just when I thought I got the hang of things, suddenly we're name-dropping gods and constellations and Helen of Troy and it just didn't all seem to fit.
I'm not sure if this is a series or not but I kind of like the idea of the unresolved-standalone. I appreciated the ending and how there were a lot of issues still at large, I totally loved that a certain character wasn't cured of what he lacked, but unfortunately the overall feeling this story left me with was just.. muddled. I'll admit that might be partially my own expectations (I think I expected more erotica and less mythology when I read the initial pitch and it's definitely the opposite) but also the fact is that sometimes striving to freshen an oversaturated market with a new take on an old favourite can backfire if you overdo and add too many unique characteristics into the kiln. It kinda comes out a blobby congealed mess.
From what I can see in the reviews posted here, I'm definitely in the minority, and that's fine. There are a lot of great bits that make up SURRENDER THE DARK. I just felt the main story kind of got overwhelmed in the details.
2.5 "your entire personality is like a hand job in a cold shower" stars
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
June 21, 2017
3 "War King & Hunter Mine" Stars
Great 3rd person alternating POV world building for the series as it seems there will be 3 books each with its own couple & HEA. It reads like a series standalone. However unless Ms. Armstrong is going to flashback everything Akio goes thru for the next book, I would advocate reading this one first as you will need to see what all he went thru in this book before continuing his story in another.
For those of you who like a Enemies-to-Lovers Slow-Burn, this will be right up your alley. I'm more of an Insta-Love person myself. I was disappointed personally in this book as I had been very excited & had waited patiently to get my hands on it. Truthfully, I saw it taking a more dark turn into the enemy territory or some of those issues being more pronounced in darkening their relationship. I also also not a big angst fan unless there are Dark elements. This was angst all over the place. I was also a little put off by waiting to get to almost 60% b4 even a kiss & up to 70% for the author to get to some Smexy Time.
I also felt it was a little wordy for me. Ms. Armstrong is quite the Wordsmith & I'm ashamed to admit I had to look up a couple of words to get their meaning. I had to switch my brain from Plain Ole Regular Vampire to something totally new. There was also alot of magical elements to this story which led me further to confusion as I don't read that paranormal version very often.
So now let's get down to the Brass Tacks. I didn't totally enjoy this book but didn't hate it either. Kinda a Meh. I do think some of the reasons for my feelings may be that I looked forward to this book for awhile. Once I started instead of reading in a couple of days @ the most it took me 4 days to finish. I might read the next book, but not sure I will search & seek it out. I highly doubt I would ever read this again & it will not go down as a favorite in the least!
I received a free copy of this book on behalf of NetGally & voluntarily chose to post a review.
Great 3rd person alternating POV world building for the series as it seems there will be 3 books each with its own couple & HEA. It reads like a series standalone. However unless Ms. Armstrong is going to flashback everything Akio goes thru for the next book, I would advocate reading this one first as you will need to see what all he went thru in this book before continuing his story in another.
For those of you who like a Enemies-to-Lovers Slow-Burn, this will be right up your alley. I'm more of an Insta-Love person myself. I was disappointed personally in this book as I had been very excited & had waited patiently to get my hands on it. Truthfully, I saw it taking a more dark turn into the enemy territory or some of those issues being more pronounced in darkening their relationship. I also also not a big angst fan unless there are Dark elements. This was angst all over the place. I was also a little put off by waiting to get to almost 60% b4 even a kiss & up to 70% for the author to get to some Smexy Time.
I also felt it was a little wordy for me. Ms. Armstrong is quite the Wordsmith & I'm ashamed to admit I had to look up a couple of words to get their meaning. I had to switch my brain from Plain Ole Regular Vampire to something totally new. There was also alot of magical elements to this story which led me further to confusion as I don't read that paranormal version very often.
So now let's get down to the Brass Tacks. I didn't totally enjoy this book but didn't hate it either. Kinda a Meh. I do think some of the reasons for my feelings may be that I looked forward to this book for awhile. Once I started instead of reading in a couple of days @ the most it took me 4 days to finish. I might read the next book, but not sure I will search & seek it out. I highly doubt I would ever read this again & it will not go down as a favorite in the least!
I received a free copy of this book on behalf of NetGally & voluntarily chose to post a review.
April 7, 2017
ARC provided by the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an impartial review.
This story appears to be the beginning of a new series, and as such, the author spends much of the time world-building. Unfortunately, I found this incredibly boring and after a while it became difficult to focus on the pages. From the blurb, I thought this would be a paranormal romance with the protagonists, Benjamin, the hunter, and Tzadkiel, the vampire king, immediately attracted to one another and eventually becoming lovers and going against the bad guy. In this case, the bad guy is The Morgan, the head of the witch coven and father of Benjamin’s BFF, Nix.
But the blurb doesn’t begin to describe the scope of this story. The book starts out with gruesome details of torture and then segues into deep animosity between the two chief protagonists and then—lo and behold—zombies enter the picture! To be honest, if I wasn’t reading this for review, I would have DNFed it at 33%. But I decided to persevere to the halfway mark before making a decision. And then I kept going since there was a hint of sexual attraction and it looked like there might be some deep emotional attraction between Benjamin and Tzadkiel in the future. Maybe there’d be a romance after all. And there was—though it was one of those push-and-pull romances where the characters continued to disappoint each other nearly to the end of the story.
The biggest issue for me was that I didn’t feel connected to either of the MCs, and quite frankly, I really didn’t care if they got together, or even if they won the battle and lived to see another day (or a sequel in this case.) I just didn’t feel the love between the two, and what’s more important to me—I didn’t get hooked by either character, so this one fell flat.
I did admire the writer’s craft and imagination in building this world, and the complexity of the hierarchy of paranormal beings and their powers. For that reason, I gave this two stars. It was okay. But overall, from the perspective that I would have enjoyed some bonding, especially after there was some blood exchanged, and I surely would have enjoyed caring about one or both characters—no. This story just didn’t do it for me.
This story appears to be the beginning of a new series, and as such, the author spends much of the time world-building. Unfortunately, I found this incredibly boring and after a while it became difficult to focus on the pages. From the blurb, I thought this would be a paranormal romance with the protagonists, Benjamin, the hunter, and Tzadkiel, the vampire king, immediately attracted to one another and eventually becoming lovers and going against the bad guy. In this case, the bad guy is The Morgan, the head of the witch coven and father of Benjamin’s BFF, Nix.
But the blurb doesn’t begin to describe the scope of this story. The book starts out with gruesome details of torture and then segues into deep animosity between the two chief protagonists and then—lo and behold—zombies enter the picture! To be honest, if I wasn’t reading this for review, I would have DNFed it at 33%. But I decided to persevere to the halfway mark before making a decision. And then I kept going since there was a hint of sexual attraction and it looked like there might be some deep emotional attraction between Benjamin and Tzadkiel in the future. Maybe there’d be a romance after all. And there was—though it was one of those push-and-pull romances where the characters continued to disappoint each other nearly to the end of the story.
The biggest issue for me was that I didn’t feel connected to either of the MCs, and quite frankly, I really didn’t care if they got together, or even if they won the battle and lived to see another day (or a sequel in this case.) I just didn’t feel the love between the two, and what’s more important to me—I didn’t get hooked by either character, so this one fell flat.
I did admire the writer’s craft and imagination in building this world, and the complexity of the hierarchy of paranormal beings and their powers. For that reason, I gave this two stars. It was okay. But overall, from the perspective that I would have enjoyed some bonding, especially after there was some blood exchanged, and I surely would have enjoyed caring about one or both characters—no. This story just didn’t do it for me.
May 18, 2017
***3.5 Stars***
I’ve waffled a bit over this one and it’s not because I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. It had more to do with what I was expecting and what I actually got while reading the book. The world building and setup of the series story arc as well as the secondary ones were done very well and I’m quite interested in seeing how it all plays out. I could easily picture what was going on my head and though there were parts that dragged a bit for me, it didn’t last long and I enjoyed the flow of the writing. But as much as I liked all of that, the romance side of the story just didn’t grab me like I thought it would based on Tzad and Ben’s shared history. The tension between them didn’t set me on edge with want. There was some heat between them and I enjoyed their bantering and I did like both of them, but that spark was missing for me and I didn't fall in love with them and their journey.
In all honesty this felt more like an urban fantasy novel with a touch of romance than a true blue PNR and had it been touted as UF my rating would be higher because I wouldn’t have been anticipating the romance to be the main focus and just gone with it. But it is what it is and as I said in the beginning, I really enjoyed the world that the author has created and am looking forward to seeing where she takes us with this series.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley ~
I’ve waffled a bit over this one and it’s not because I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. It had more to do with what I was expecting and what I actually got while reading the book. The world building and setup of the series story arc as well as the secondary ones were done very well and I’m quite interested in seeing how it all plays out. I could easily picture what was going on my head and though there were parts that dragged a bit for me, it didn’t last long and I enjoyed the flow of the writing. But as much as I liked all of that, the romance side of the story just didn’t grab me like I thought it would based on Tzad and Ben’s shared history. The tension between them didn’t set me on edge with want. There was some heat between them and I enjoyed their bantering and I did like both of them, but that spark was missing for me and I didn't fall in love with them and their journey.
In all honesty this felt more like an urban fantasy novel with a touch of romance than a true blue PNR and had it been touted as UF my rating would be higher because I wouldn’t have been anticipating the romance to be the main focus and just gone with it. But it is what it is and as I said in the beginning, I really enjoyed the world that the author has created and am looking forward to seeing where she takes us with this series.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley ~
Read
May 11, 2017DNF April 2017
Not for me. At all. I couldn’t finish this. Made it to about 50% and couldn’t do any more. I never really cared about either Benjamin or Tzadkiel, and really, their enmity, the injustices they’ve done to each other, make it seem impossible they could ever come together romantically.
I don’t buy it. The writing style isn’t my cuppa either. Giving up.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Not for me. At all. I couldn’t finish this. Made it to about 50% and couldn’t do any more. I never really cared about either Benjamin or Tzadkiel, and really, their enmity, the injustices they’ve done to each other, make it seem impossible they could ever come together romantically.
I don’t buy it. The writing style isn’t my cuppa either. Giving up.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2017
3 stars
I feel like I might be in the minority here, but unfortunately Surrender the Dark didn't grip me as much as I'd hoped it would.
I liked the character development of Ben and Tzadkiel, mortal enemies at first who really hated each other and slowly fall in love. They were really well developed and I guess it's realistic for their relationship to slowly develop from hate into love, but I just didn't feel like there was enough romance. There was so much happening that the romance took a back seat.
I really liked the supporting characters, Nyx and Akito, Ben's best friends. They were funny and I loved their friendship.
The world building however was excellent! And the writing was beautiful too, though I felt it was too ornate sometimes. And then I felt like the transitions weren't always smooth. Something would be happening and in the next paragraph something else was happening and I sorta felt like I missed something.
The book still kept me engaged though, and I'm definitely gonna read the sequel and secretely hoping it'll be Akito's story and there'll be a little more romance.
Arc generously provided by publishers via Netgalley for an honest review
I feel like I might be in the minority here, but unfortunately Surrender the Dark didn't grip me as much as I'd hoped it would.
I liked the character development of Ben and Tzadkiel, mortal enemies at first who really hated each other and slowly fall in love. They were really well developed and I guess it's realistic for their relationship to slowly develop from hate into love, but I just didn't feel like there was enough romance. There was so much happening that the romance took a back seat.
I really liked the supporting characters, Nyx and Akito, Ben's best friends. They were funny and I loved their friendship.
The world building however was excellent! And the writing was beautiful too, though I felt it was too ornate sometimes. And then I felt like the transitions weren't always smooth. Something would be happening and in the next paragraph something else was happening and I sorta felt like I missed something.
The book still kept me engaged though, and I'm definitely gonna read the sequel and secretely hoping it'll be Akito's story and there'll be a little more romance.
Arc generously provided by publishers via Netgalley for an honest review
May 23, 2017
My Review:
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I liked it...a lot.
The book starts when Benjamin was an 8 yo little boy, being trained by his family to be a vampire hunter. His training is beyond barbaric...both from the perspective of the little boy and the vampire. Those first few scenes are pretty rough. Then the book jumps ahead almost 20 years...and once again the vampire and the hunter are facing off, but both their lives have been greatly affected by what happened to them 20 years ago.
They each see one another as the enemy, but they really don't know the other person, because they're both wrong.
This is an interesting story and an interesting world. Of course there are vampires, but Benjamin as a hunter has a bit of paranormal abilities too. He's been blinded, but he can still see the glow of paranormal beings auras...that enables him to hunt. It was interesting because when Tzadkiel is around, his aura makes it so that Benjamin can actually see...even if it's by a purple glow.
The whole conflict between Tzadkiel and Benjamin worked. They are so far on opposite sides, they can't even see that maybe they both need to adjust their way of thinking...until they have no choice. I liked how their relationship developed. It felt natural as things slowly turn around. I loved getting to experience their developing relationship with them. It was a totally engrossing, entertaining read.
But there are also fae and witches who affect the story...and will definitely come into play in the rest of the series. It should be interesting. There is Benjamin's team in his vampire hunting. Lots of interesting stories happening with them. I'm honestly really excited about where this series could go. This was a great first book, and I'm ready for more...NOW!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I liked it...a lot.
The book starts when Benjamin was an 8 yo little boy, being trained by his family to be a vampire hunter. His training is beyond barbaric...both from the perspective of the little boy and the vampire. Those first few scenes are pretty rough. Then the book jumps ahead almost 20 years...and once again the vampire and the hunter are facing off, but both their lives have been greatly affected by what happened to them 20 years ago.
They each see one another as the enemy, but they really don't know the other person, because they're both wrong.
This is an interesting story and an interesting world. Of course there are vampires, but Benjamin as a hunter has a bit of paranormal abilities too. He's been blinded, but he can still see the glow of paranormal beings auras...that enables him to hunt. It was interesting because when Tzadkiel is around, his aura makes it so that Benjamin can actually see...even if it's by a purple glow.
The whole conflict between Tzadkiel and Benjamin worked. They are so far on opposite sides, they can't even see that maybe they both need to adjust their way of thinking...until they have no choice. I liked how their relationship developed. It felt natural as things slowly turn around. I loved getting to experience their developing relationship with them. It was a totally engrossing, entertaining read.
But there are also fae and witches who affect the story...and will definitely come into play in the rest of the series. It should be interesting. There is Benjamin's team in his vampire hunting. Lots of interesting stories happening with them. I'm honestly really excited about where this series could go. This was a great first book, and I'm ready for more...NOW!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
May 24, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Surrender the Dark is the first book in a new series by Tibby Armstrong and she sets up a really intense enemies to lovers plot here, with some detailed world building. This is a rare book where the conflict between the men continues almost throughout the story. Even as they grow to understand one another, and even be drawn together, Tzadkiel sees no other choice but to ultimately kill Benjamin. There isn’t quite that crackle of intensity, that pull between love and hate, that is what normally makes this trope so appealing to me. But I think Armstrong does set up the conflict well and carries it through the story nicely.
The world Armstrong creates here is detailed and complex. Aside from the backstory and conflict between the two men, we face the bigger picture of the battle going on among the various supernatural factions in the city. I was impressed with how well developed the world building is here and Armstrong shows a lot of creativity. On the other hand, I’ll admit I found it overwhelming at times. There is so much happening, so many details and so much depth, that a lot of the time I had trouble really understanding all the politics, history, etc. The language is also somewhat heavy, which makes it even harder to follow. So I felt like I was missing a lot, and it was a little hard to work through all the various elements of the supernatural world and figure out exactly what was going on in the story.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Surrender the Dark is the first book in a new series by Tibby Armstrong and she sets up a really intense enemies to lovers plot here, with some detailed world building. This is a rare book where the conflict between the men continues almost throughout the story. Even as they grow to understand one another, and even be drawn together, Tzadkiel sees no other choice but to ultimately kill Benjamin. There isn’t quite that crackle of intensity, that pull between love and hate, that is what normally makes this trope so appealing to me. But I think Armstrong does set up the conflict well and carries it through the story nicely.
The world Armstrong creates here is detailed and complex. Aside from the backstory and conflict between the two men, we face the bigger picture of the battle going on among the various supernatural factions in the city. I was impressed with how well developed the world building is here and Armstrong shows a lot of creativity. On the other hand, I’ll admit I found it overwhelming at times. There is so much happening, so many details and so much depth, that a lot of the time I had trouble really understanding all the politics, history, etc. The language is also somewhat heavy, which makes it even harder to follow. So I felt like I was missing a lot, and it was a little hard to work through all the various elements of the supernatural world and figure out exactly what was going on in the story.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
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