The Stone of the Eklektos

Creatures of Darkness #1

by Britney Jackson

Rose Foster is just your typical, bisexual, smart-mouthed, socially awkward genius from a family full of felons. Okay, fine, so maybe there’s nothing typical about her. But she’d at least maintained a semblance of normalcy in her life until the night a stranger gave her a red stone and disappeared without a trace. Rose suddenly finds herself hunted by monsters that she never believed existed. A vampire, named Theron, is particularly interested in killing her. Her only hope of survival is to work with Kallias, a cynical, ancient Greek vampire with the ability to read and control minds. As a vampire, he hardly seems trustworthy, but he has his own reasons for wanting Theron dead, which works in her favor. With the help of Kallias, Rose finds unlikely allies among an unusual group of vampires. The only problem is… these vampires seem to be hiding an important detail about what she is. In her quest to defeat Theron and the vampires who follow him, Rose must face the possibility that she might, in fact, be an even darker monster than the ones trying to kill her... In the first installment of the Creatures of Darkness series, find out how our perpetually sarcastic, bisexual protagonist found herself in the world of vampires in the first place.

...
About the Creatures of Darkness Series :

The Creatures of Darkness series is a queer fantasy series that follows Rose Foster—the perpetually sarcastic, bisexual protagonist—and an unlikely group of vampires who begrudgingly try to save the world.

There’s also a bit of queer romance going on in the midst of the chaos—especially once seductive, Viking warrior, Kara Unnarsdóttir, comes into the picture in The Tomb of Blood .

Follow Rose and her companions as they fight to stop a nefarious plan that was set into motion thousands of years ago, and as Rose unravels the mystery of what she really is.

The fourth and final book of the series, The Reign of Darkness , is available now!

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, LGBT, Bisexual, Lesbian, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

750 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2016

About the author

Britney Jackson is an award-winning author of LGBTQ fantasy and sapphic romance. She’s adored books for as long as she can remember and has loved writing for almost as long.

She has a passion for creating the kind of heroes she needed when she was younger: heroines with mental illness, flaws, and traumatic pasts. She centers her books around strong, lesbian and bisexual women who find courage, love, and happy endings.

She resides in Alabama with her two kids and the snuggliest cat you’ll ever meet. She has a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts and Religion and did her graduate work in English.

Her recent sapphic fantasy novel, Pirates of Aletharia, won a Goldie Award in 2022, and she’s currently at work on its sequel.

Learn more at britneyjackson.com.

Reviews

[khi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book with heterosexual romance especially a supernatural one, in fact I think the last time I did was my wattpad werewolf phase in 2016. My friend promised me that the following books has a lesbian relationship developing, with the main character Rose, who’s a bisexual woman.

That being said, that may have been the only reason I read this book- with the promise that it takes a queer turn. But nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book. The main relationship is straight as I’ve mentioned so if you can’t bare to read that then that’s fine however if this was the wait I had to wait for it to take a queer turn, it was definitely worth it. This book is so good.

I’m shocked it doesn’t have a higher rating actually.

Becoming a really big fan of this author, recently one of her pirate books has been taking off in the wlw community and I hope she keeps taking off because this writing is amazing.

Amazing characters and absolutely hilarious- especially the main character

So if you can stand one book focusing on a heterosexual relationship, then yeah I totally recommend this. (Haven’t red the second books but my friend is very adamant that the series takes a hard left as it explores the main characters bisexuality)

[Shannon👻 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly... I'm really struggling to decide what rating I want to give this book. I can't decide on three or four.
I really enjoyed the book and the story, we have a great set of characters and personalities, but just Rose not being able or wanting to listen to help or advice really started to annoy me very quickly.
Like I understand she is an independent woman and doesn't need any help etc but sometimes, everyone needs help and I don't know it just made me very angry.
But yes... I am still reading the rest of the series probably, as I'm already on book two.

[XR · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in the book are very likeable. I thought the best friend duo of Rose and Audrey was really sweet, and I liked how their friendship began. I love Erik and Emma. They're both so cute and hilarious. I truly felt for Kallias though... this guy, seriously needs a break or something hehe. Anyhow... I can't wait to read the next book.

[Tracy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Action-packed and snarky as all get-out. It’s a long book but if you’re patient through the intro/world building part, it’s well worth it. I loved the characters. The story’s addicting. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

[Amee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this series. I recommend it to everyone! It’s the queer vampire series you’ve always wanted! <3

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just flew through the entire series. Book one did a great job setting the stage for what was to come. Of the 4, this was my least favorite, but I love the sarcasm. This is a dialog heavy book which I’m always a fan of.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance in this one. I primarily ready f/f but I went into this knowing that would not be the case here. It’s not that there was anything wrong with the romance, I just didn’t feel they were a good match long term.

[Jordan Mooring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting book. I couldn't put it down. It’s a long book, but it was so fun and action-packed I couldn't put it down. The fight scenes are great, and on top of that, the main character Rose is sarcastic and funny. The world-building is so well-done it feels realistic. I fell in love with the characters. It's a great start to the series. I'm so invested in the series now.

[&]

que castigo do monstro foi esse...😭 ai mds oq eu n faço por lésbicas bebedoras de sangue

[Natalie Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I e-met Britney Jackson through several rounds of Twitter writing games, including #writeLGBTQ and #LGBTQwrimo. Like a nincompoop, I thought none of her Creatures of Darkness books were released. When I finally cottoned on, I bought The Stone of Eklektos and started reading. And suddenly it was two o'clock in the morning and I was nowhere near tired and internally screaming about the ending. So yeah. Fricking brilliant book.

The Stone of Eklektos begins the story of Rose Foster, a perpetually snarky Ancient History major trying to work her way through college. Everything's going peachy until a mysterious stranger gives her an ancient diary and a red stone, claiming they belong to her. Rose tries to return to her routine of classes, waitressing, studying, and LOTR marathons, but that's difficult when two vampiric strangers show up. The psychopathic Theron wants to kill her. The troubled Kallias wants to save her. The choice is easy. Rose and Kallias launch on an life-altering journey to stop Theron, investigate the stone, and start putting the past to rest.

As other reviews have noted, the book's many strengths include the characters, pacing, and thrills. Rose and Kallias especially sparkle off the page. I honestly haven't had this burning of a desire for fanfiction in a long, long while, but there really needs to be fanfic that involves cuddles and flower crowns. Though the novel only takes place over a few weeks, their growing intimacy and sizzling sexual tension feels organic and natural. Rose's bisexuality is on-point representation, and she isn't the only queer character. The world-building is also a treat: for example, vampires under a century old are called "babies," and I want this to be canon in every vampire universe. I was surprised and happy about how open the vampires are about when and where they changed, since it reverses of the trope of origin stories as big, shocking reveals.

Because every book review's gotta have nitpicks, let's nitpick. The writing is overall uneven. Sometimes it's brilliant; other times, less than stellar. I highlighted many passages with quippy dialogue, lovely turns of phrase, and beautiful sentiments, but the excess of adverbs made my eyes glaze over a few times. There's a few lines of slut-shaming and negativity about sex work. It seems random how much a given vampire is in touch with modern culture. Again, these are quibbles, and my enjoyment of the story far outshone any errors.

If you like The Vampire Diaries, if you like True Blood, heck if you like any vampire stories at all, read Jackson's Creatures of Darkness. I laughed. My heart raced. For a story about the undead, I'd never felt more alive while reading.

[Katie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three words. Queer. Vampire. Series. 😻

Loved the series. But let’s talk about book 1.

Pros:
◾️ Rose. She’s a badass.
◾️ LGBT rep: Rose is bisexual
◾️ Vampires. Love them.
◾️ Funny and sarcastic
◾️ Loveable flawed characters
◾️ Thrilling exciting story

Cons:
◾️ Kinda feels like a prequel instead of book 1. But that might be because a friend told me about the series and I knew what to expect.
◾️ No Kara in this one. I love Kara! Loved all the characters in this one too though.

[Michelle Hodgkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm right in the beginning part of the book, and I don't think I can go any further.

I'm not sure if this counts as spoilers, because it's literally the first few pages of the book, but here it goes.

Our scene starts in Ancient Greece, and we are told our characters are talking in Greek. This surprises me, as I'm sure they would have been talking in Klingon! Instead of speech or address more suited to the era, both characters talk to modern parlance, calling each other babe, and honey.

And that grinds me. I wasn't expecting love-word that would have been used exclusively in that time frame, but no real effort was used to set the scene aside from the author telling us it was so.

And when the wife is found to have been having it off with a blood sucking fiend of the night, she behaves as if she'd done something as small as getting her man's kicks dirty.

And the husband? After being brutally tortured for 7(!?) days, not only is he completely cognizant, he starts having a totally un-urgent talk with said cheating wife.

Tl;dr the first part of this story is a case of telling, not showing and neither of the characters are engaging. Probably won't be reading any further.

[Issy Waldrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple of caveats - I started reading this series because of the authors most recent book Pirates of Aletharia, and because of the promise of a sapphic relationship in the series (which doesn't start until the second book, though it is mentioned in the synopsis for this one). Nor was I aware of if/what type of relationship she'd have in this story (it's het - and it's done well).

Irrespective, I really enjoyed it! It's a long, slow burn story, dark and gritty in some places, and has a lot of depth. Rose is a great character, though she holds a lot of pain, and secrets that she isn't aware of, and the supporting cast is well detailed and interesting too. Audrey is great, and I'd love to see some more of her, and even Kallias isn't that bad. Darkness and trauma is common among many of the characters, and as vampires, some of the characters, especially the villain, are real monsters. But there is kindness and care amongst it all (especially from Rose) and you can't help but be drawn to them. It is the type of story that sinks its fangs in and doesn't let go, and all up it is a great vampire story, and I'm very eager to read the rest of the series.

[Natalie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is great and I have so much to say about it. But for this book specifically: Rose is a badass and she’s f——ing hilarious! Think of any paranormal romance you’ve ever read, this turns all those tropes upside down. Rose is no damsel. Inexperienced? Sure! Shy? Sure! But she’s gonna take things into her own hands and save herself. Not to mention Rose is unapologetically bisexual. Which honestly is all too rare in this genre! And this is maybe slightly a possible spoiler but: Alpha Male doesn’t get the girl. 😘 This Book is just the tip of the iceberg so keep reading. Its queer, funny and badass. And your gonna love Kara when you meet her! 😍😍😍😍

[Random German Guy #42 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definetly more of a romance than everything else and a pretty good one at that. The story is ok, but not all that much happens for how long every book is. A lot of the characters are great, the whole insecure protagonist thing is treated well for once (it is not quickly fixed) and most problems do not get fixed magically over night. The romance features a pretty drastic change from Book 1 to Book 2, but even if it feels a bit forced, it actually has a reason.

If you want a paranormal romance then this is very much worth picking up. The story not that much, but it makes up for it in other departments.

3,5/5 Stars

[Kristi Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snarky strong intelligent women rule!

Any one one who enjoys authors Laurell K Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Celia Kyle and their ilk with their strong sassy females heroines who don't sit around to be rescued and the sexy men who love to irritate them will like this book. Beautifully written with relatable characters put in impossible situations with a bit of fate and ancient vampires playing the long game behind the scenes. Accept your destiny and read this book. The only thing that is the biggest problem for me is the wait for the next one.

[Wendy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros: Characters are easy to fall in love with (This is very important to me when looking for a book). I even loved hating the bad guys. Interesting plot.

Cons: At the beginning some dialogue seemed super clunky and excessive to the point of slowing down otherwise fast paced and exciting scenes. After a few chapters the characters fall into better rhythm and the problem fixes itself.

Overall: I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw the book at the wall. I couldn't put this stupidly wonderful book down. 8/10 Would read again.

[Retta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly drawn out unnecessarily I actually wanted to skip pages and found myself extremely frustrated with the main character Rose. l think this book had A lot of potential to be 4* but I found myself just wanted to hurry the story along so I could be finished and start another book. Will I read book 2 that has yet to be decided

[mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh rose foster... where do i even begin? honestly the plot wasn't anything to different from a standard first novel in a vampire fantasy series, however i did appreciate the world building as it did feel unique to what i've read/watched before in this genre. i think this book would've been rated a five-star if it weren't for the constant back and forth of rose and kallias. it got tiring after the third time and that essentially made up the first half of the book and i was just done with their whole dynamic. the characters are all flawed in some way and they all felt so real and genuine in the way they interacted which is why i sped through dialogue heavy parts because it just flowed so naturally. in conclusion: rose foster strongest book girl to exist and the love of my life and the best 'chosen one' character ever.

[Candace Aresfury · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t…DNF at 25%. The story sounded promising from the blurb but damn if it wasn’t drawn out soooooo much! Pages and pages of dialogue and while I like some good banter nothing moved the story along. Our main character Rose is infuriating, she’s attacked twice, has a friend who has premonitions and another who wants to help but is still like, nah, I’ll be ok, I can protect myself. I’m sorry what…you’re going to research the attacker to death? And of course let’s not listen to the other big baddy who has saved your life twice, nope, and we’re still clueless as to who and what he is? Come on. That was a lot of run in sentences to say I will probably not be finishing this book or series. My patience just won’t let me.

[Taylor Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Stone of Eklektos" provides a refreshing blend of vampires, queer representation, and clever writing that resonated with my tastes. The sarcastic wit of the main protagonist, Rose, added an entertaining layer to the narrative. However, the heterosexual romance between Rose and one of the male vampires felt a bit tiresome and repetitive, not aligning with my usual reading preferences. Despite this, the intriguing ending successfully reignited my interest, leaving me eager to dive into the next installment. Overall, a captivating read with a promising continuation.

[Stephen Argent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic start to this series

What an exciting ride this book takes you on. As it progresses, we’re slowly learning more about Rose, Kallias and the world of vampires. Most particularly, about Rose’s role in the future of humanity. This is a great start to what I hope will be a superb series.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!

What a ride! Intelligent women, witty reparte, vampires and a touch of something more, what’s not to like. Of course there’s a lot of blood and killing, because, vampires! This books was a bit long, but that will not keep me from reading the next book…

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book but a slow start

I really like this book but it took me a bit to get into it. At first I was considering stopping reading it but as I progressed through I couldn't put it down!

[Gene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, like the plot and the characters most of the time, I just wish that Rose wasn't such a brat.

[⚚]

rose te amo, that's it that's the review.

[Mathilda · Rating 3 out of 5]

To anyone who read this book and is debating whether they want to continue the series or not: Do it! This is undoubtedly the weakest of the series. It only goes uphill from here.

[Rtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book and series is amazing. Totally worth it. Its got a great plot with lots twists and turns.

It was a little confusing because Rose falls in love with a man in the first book. Please don't let it stop you from reading it. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say, my little lesbian heart did a happy dance.

This book is packed with ancient vampires, a lot of sarcastic humor and a story line that sucks you in. I wish they could make this a movie series.

[J H]

DNF - I read it for over two hours, and it just didn't hold my attention. It was listed as LGBTQ+ Fantasy on Amazon, but I couldn't hold on long enough to get to where the MC figured out that she's bi.