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The Children of the Gods #1
Dark Stranger: The Dream
Syssi's paranormal foresight lands her a job at Dr. Amanda Dokani's neuroscience lab, but it fails to predict the thrilling yet terrifying turn her life will take. Syssi has no clue that her boss is an immortal who'll drag her into a secret, millennia-old battle over humanity's future. Nor does she realize that the professor's imposing brother is the mysterious stranger who's been starring in her dreams.
Since the dawn of human civilization, two warring factions of near-immortals - the descendants of the gods of old - have been secretly shaping its destiny. Leading the clandestine battle from his luxurious L.A. high-rise, Kian is surrounded by his clan, yet alone. Descending from a single goddess, clan members are forbidden to each other. And as the only other immortals are their hated enemies, Kian and his kin have been long resigned to a lonely existence of fleeting trysts with human partners. That is, until his sister makes a game-changing discovery - a mortal seeress who she believes is a dormant carrier of their genes.
Ever the realist, Kian is skeptical and refuses Amanda's plea to attempt Syssi's activation. But when his enemies learn of the Dormant's existence, he's forced to rush her to the safety of his keep. Inexorably drawn to Syssi, Kian wrestles with his conscience as he is tempted to explore her budding interest in the darker shades of sensuality.
READER'S NOTE: Kian and Syssi's story is a 3 book series. It completes in Book 3 of the series, Dark Stranger Immortal, and the characters embark on a new adventure in book 4, Dark Enemy Taken.
If you hate cliffhangers and long, ongoing sagas, this is not for you. To everyone else, love and happy reading.
KIAN AND SYSSI'S STORY Book 1--Dark Stranger The Dream
Book 2--Dark Stranger Revealed
Book 3--Dark Stranger Immortal
AMANDA'S STORY Book 4--Dark Enemy Taken
Book 5--Dark Enemy Captive
Book 6--Dark Enemy Redeemed
KRI & MICHAEL'S STORY Book 6.5--My Dark Amazon
ANDREW'S STORY Book 7-- Dark Warrior Mine
Book 8-- Dark Warrior's Promise
Book 9-- Dark Warrior's Destiny
Book 10-- Dark Warrior's Legacy (coming out soon)
This is a new and re-edited version, professionally proofread by JuliaProofreader.
Since the dawn of human civilization, two warring factions of near-immortals - the descendants of the gods of old - have been secretly shaping its destiny. Leading the clandestine battle from his luxurious L.A. high-rise, Kian is surrounded by his clan, yet alone. Descending from a single goddess, clan members are forbidden to each other. And as the only other immortals are their hated enemies, Kian and his kin have been long resigned to a lonely existence of fleeting trysts with human partners. That is, until his sister makes a game-changing discovery - a mortal seeress who she believes is a dormant carrier of their genes.
Ever the realist, Kian is skeptical and refuses Amanda's plea to attempt Syssi's activation. But when his enemies learn of the Dormant's existence, he's forced to rush her to the safety of his keep. Inexorably drawn to Syssi, Kian wrestles with his conscience as he is tempted to explore her budding interest in the darker shades of sensuality.
READER'S NOTE: Kian and Syssi's story is a 3 book series. It completes in Book 3 of the series, Dark Stranger Immortal, and the characters embark on a new adventure in book 4, Dark Enemy Taken.
If you hate cliffhangers and long, ongoing sagas, this is not for you. To everyone else, love and happy reading.
KIAN AND SYSSI'S STORY Book 1--Dark Stranger The Dream
Book 2--Dark Stranger Revealed
Book 3--Dark Stranger Immortal
AMANDA'S STORY Book 4--Dark Enemy Taken
Book 5--Dark Enemy Captive
Book 6--Dark Enemy Redeemed
KRI & MICHAEL'S STORY Book 6.5--My Dark Amazon
ANDREW'S STORY Book 7-- Dark Warrior Mine
Book 8-- Dark Warrior's Promise
Book 9-- Dark Warrior's Destiny
Book 10-- Dark Warrior's Legacy (coming out soon)
This is a new and re-edited version, professionally proofread by JuliaProofreader.
349 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2015
27894 people are currently reading
17343 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,236 reviews
November 11, 2015
Don't read if you want a strong female lead
If you are like me and like your female leads to be strong and dynamic, don't expect that here. This is a Cinderella story that leaves you wanting a character worthy of the classic storyline. Instead we get a character who is so one dimensional she could be a stick figure. This is a storyline that is all tell and no show, full of awkward backstory and overly detailed descriptions of how everyone looks. Personally, I am more interested in them as complex characters. I can skip the endless chiseled chests/jaw and dainty yet large breasted descriptions, especially when the scenes fall flat emotionally.
If you are like me and like your female leads to be strong and dynamic, don't expect that here. This is a Cinderella story that leaves you wanting a character worthy of the classic storyline. Instead we get a character who is so one dimensional she could be a stick figure. This is a storyline that is all tell and no show, full of awkward backstory and overly detailed descriptions of how everyone looks. Personally, I am more interested in them as complex characters. I can skip the endless chiseled chests/jaw and dainty yet large breasted descriptions, especially when the scenes fall flat emotionally.
October 16, 2016
They made me give it one star
Flat characters. No tension. No involvement. Typos. No resolution in this book of any type. Childish writing. Only finished it to see how it would turn out. Basically click bait free book to make you buy others (theoretically). No clue how this got so many high ratings.
Flat characters. No tension. No involvement. Typos. No resolution in this book of any type. Childish writing. Only finished it to see how it would turn out. Basically click bait free book to make you buy others (theoretically). No clue how this got so many high ratings.
December 5, 2016
Dear Goodreads, never, ever again recomend me a book like this again. It pains me that so many women gave it so many stars (I didn't even want to give it one, I would give it minus five, though). The female characters have the personality of a hair pin. Kian treats Sissy like a dumb child who has to be protected and taken care of and whatever. "Shh, baby, I'm here, you don't have to worry about anything, I'll take care of you, I'll provide." Give me a fucking break. And she's like a real lady but all his previous lovers weren't, of course. And she's his. For real. And they want to fuck but oh, wait, it's more than that because they met yesterday but they truly care about each other and they feel this connection and... Call me a feminist (please) but this book offended the shit out of me. I'm tired of women to be portrayed as stupid dumbasses waiting for the male to decide their fate. Cavemen need to stop writing romance books, or we have to stop reading them. I really regret reading this one.
October 7, 2015
"Dark Stranger The Dream" is the launch of the Children of the Gods series by I.T. Lucas. The author builds her own complicated legendarium based on ancient Sumerian documents and their descriptions of aliens. It is compelling and complicated world-building tied to real-life implications throughout the centuries. In this first installment, Lucas spends considerable time crafting the universe of the near-immortals as the descendants of goddesses. These near-immortals have some of the same physical and mental characteristics ascribed to vampires, such as quick healing, fangs, strength and speed and intensely compelling hyper-sexual manipulation. Two clans of the near-immortals have been at war for centuries and low-birth rates and warfare have reduced numbers to the point that the children of the gods are seeking alternatives to ensure the continuation of their race. One alternative includes seeking mortals with the dormant immortal gene. Dr. Amanda Dokani, sister to the clan regent, believes she has discovered two likely candidates.
Syssi's precognition abilities are what first bring her to Amanda's attention, but the two develop a fast friendship. Amanda is sure Syssi may be a solution to the immortals' problems, but Amanda's brother Kian is skeptical. He indulges Amanda's research, but is more consumed by the day-to-day oversight of his large clan, the constant vigilance required to ward off their eternal enemies and marshaling the massive altruistic endeavors his clan sponsors. Then Syssi and Kian meet and the two are inexplicably drawn to one another. Soon afterward, Amanda's research is breached by their enemies and Syssi becomes a target. Without divulging all their immortal secrets, Amanda and Kian have to convince Syssi to come under their protection.
The book is told in third person omniscient point of view, with each chapter headed by a name and that person's version of events. At times, the transition is a small overlap of a scene between two characters. This is one of my favorite narrative forms since I appreciate reading a scene from both the hero's and the heroine's point of view. I feel it enriches the story, and Lucas handles it deftly. Several chapters are told from the point of view of minor characters, which adds to the richness of the overall character development and makes the world-building more faceted.
This book was a page turner as the "legends" of the immortals expanded and as the intrigue and danger from the enemy clan became more prevalent. Characters have distinct personalities. For instance, Dr. Amanda is brilliant, but a sultry and unapologetic femme fatale. Kian is a product of his ancient oligarchical leadership and is still having trouble adjusting to a more collaborative effort required in a digital age where the clan is spread all over the world. Syssi is shy and quiet, and probably the least fully developed main character, but I have hopes for her coming into her own in future installments.
This book does not have a resolved ending, and in fact the author does not promise one until the third book. Luckily all three are already available and offered on Kindle Unlimited.
This trilogy reminds me a little of the Krinar Chronicles by Anna Zaires. If you enjoyed those books, I think you will have a blast with these.
Syssi's precognition abilities are what first bring her to Amanda's attention, but the two develop a fast friendship. Amanda is sure Syssi may be a solution to the immortals' problems, but Amanda's brother Kian is skeptical. He indulges Amanda's research, but is more consumed by the day-to-day oversight of his large clan, the constant vigilance required to ward off their eternal enemies and marshaling the massive altruistic endeavors his clan sponsors. Then Syssi and Kian meet and the two are inexplicably drawn to one another. Soon afterward, Amanda's research is breached by their enemies and Syssi becomes a target. Without divulging all their immortal secrets, Amanda and Kian have to convince Syssi to come under their protection.
The book is told in third person omniscient point of view, with each chapter headed by a name and that person's version of events. At times, the transition is a small overlap of a scene between two characters. This is one of my favorite narrative forms since I appreciate reading a scene from both the hero's and the heroine's point of view. I feel it enriches the story, and Lucas handles it deftly. Several chapters are told from the point of view of minor characters, which adds to the richness of the overall character development and makes the world-building more faceted.
This book was a page turner as the "legends" of the immortals expanded and as the intrigue and danger from the enemy clan became more prevalent. Characters have distinct personalities. For instance, Dr. Amanda is brilliant, but a sultry and unapologetic femme fatale. Kian is a product of his ancient oligarchical leadership and is still having trouble adjusting to a more collaborative effort required in a digital age where the clan is spread all over the world. Syssi is shy and quiet, and probably the least fully developed main character, but I have hopes for her coming into her own in future installments.
This book does not have a resolved ending, and in fact the author does not promise one until the third book. Luckily all three are already available and offered on Kindle Unlimited.
This trilogy reminds me a little of the Krinar Chronicles by Anna Zaires. If you enjoyed those books, I think you will have a blast with these.
March 10, 2017
There's cheesy and then there's cheesy. I just couldn't do it a minute longer. DNF at 40%
January 17, 2019
Holy Sh*t this was awful
This book takes you on a long unwinding journey to nowhere! It really doesn't go anywhere. It was repetitive as fuck. The h "Syssi" says the same thing over and over and over again. My Gawd. Awful. Not to mention, half the book is spent with her dreaming of having sex with the H.
Run for the hills on this one,because if you are looking for a plot line or anything of substance then you won't find it here. Thank God it was free *Shudders*
This book takes you on a long unwinding journey to nowhere! It really doesn't go anywhere. It was repetitive as fuck. The h "Syssi" says the same thing over and over and over again. My Gawd. Awful. Not to mention, half the book is spent with her dreaming of having sex with the H.
Run for the hills on this one,because if you are looking for a plot line or anything of substance then you won't find it here. Thank God it was free *Shudders*
August 8, 2016
meh. and its technically a seriel story, therefore... there's no ending. Hate serials. just feels lazy to me. Vampire world where alpha vamp find his "MFEO" (Meant For Each Other) mate. There's a war between ancient vamp clans clans and I honestly found that more interesting then the coupling- never a good sign. Unless I'm reading a book for the world building. Which I wasn't at the time of this reading. And even if I was- uh, you can't short story a world building. SO. Yeah. I think I'm passing on going further at this point.
December 25, 2018
DNF at like...I dunno, 25%? 30%? Who even knows because nothing happens?
This is like a cut rate first draft of a Black Dagger Brotherhood fanfic, mixed with some Fifty Shades and sprinkled with shit every nerdy 8th grade girl wrote about vampires in study hall back in 1997.
If you’re playing bad book bingo this will fill your card fast. Let’s see:
- Multiple POVs for no reason
- One dimensional heroine who talks up being a strong woman yet seems to have no redeeming value and the core of her personality is her lust for a dominant man
- Telling the reader everything instead of letting them figure it out, including the classic “injecting awkward explanations into dialogue purely to tell the reader something”
- Mind numbing repetition of physical feature descriptions
- Flimsy plot involving villains called “Doomers”
- A Mary Sue sister character who is incredibly beautiful, a genius, drives a Porsche
- An unlikable hero who reads like an older woman with a conservative streak (instead of the hot alpha male type he is supposed to be)
So yeah. This has gotta be a no for me, dawg.
This is like a cut rate first draft of a Black Dagger Brotherhood fanfic, mixed with some Fifty Shades and sprinkled with shit every nerdy 8th grade girl wrote about vampires in study hall back in 1997.
If you’re playing bad book bingo this will fill your card fast. Let’s see:
- Multiple POVs for no reason
- One dimensional heroine who talks up being a strong woman yet seems to have no redeeming value and the core of her personality is her lust for a dominant man
- Telling the reader everything instead of letting them figure it out, including the classic “injecting awkward explanations into dialogue purely to tell the reader something”
- Mind numbing repetition of physical feature descriptions
- Flimsy plot involving villains called “Doomers”
- A Mary Sue sister character who is incredibly beautiful, a genius, drives a Porsche
- An unlikable hero who reads like an older woman with a conservative streak (instead of the hot alpha male type he is supposed to be)
So yeah. This has gotta be a no for me, dawg.
Read
December 23, 2017**update edit after reading book 2**
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one. The story is missing so much that's important while going on and on about things that aren't. Pretty frustrating. No real review and will be taking away the rating.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one. The story is missing so much that's important while going on and on about things that aren't. Pretty frustrating. No real review and will be taking away the rating.
April 12, 2022
0 stars ⭐
Lmao.What in tarnation did I just read??
When the blurb for this book (that Kindle kept pushing) read "Twilight meets Ancient Aliens with the sizzle of Fifty Shades" (wth lol) I laughed so hard that I had to read it.
But IT'S SO BAD??? How this has more than 1 star on any platform is beyond me.
The characters (immortal gods with fangs filled with venom???) are terrible.The plot is terrible. The smut is terrible. This whole book is a trash fire.
And if I have to read "juices" in this context again I'm gonna sue someone.
Lmao.What in tarnation did I just read??
When the blurb for this book (that Kindle kept pushing) read "Twilight meets Ancient Aliens with the sizzle of Fifty Shades" (wth lol) I laughed so hard that I had to read it.
But IT'S SO BAD??? How this has more than 1 star on any platform is beyond me.
The characters (immortal gods with fangs filled with venom???) are terrible.The plot is terrible. The smut is terrible. This whole book is a trash fire.
And if I have to read "juices" in this context again I'm gonna sue someone.
September 8, 2015
Kian and Amanda are brother and sister. Kian is in charge of the clan and he can feel the strain catching up with him. When his sister tells him she has found a test subject that rates at a ten on her scale and she has hired her, he isn't happy. He gets even more upset when Amanda tries to talk him into hooking up with Syssi. He isn't interested...but when circumstances arise and he meets her, the two are drawn to one another. Will they be able to fight this attraction? Will he be able to save his clan from the Doomers? Will he ever be able to find love and not hold back?
September 11, 2019
Excellent
This ended up being a very good book. I gave it 4stars because it was slow for me at first, but once it got going I loved it. Now on to book two, can’t wait.
This ended up being a very good book. I gave it 4stars because it was slow for me at first, but once it got going I loved it. Now on to book two, can’t wait.
December 30, 2016
So many things.....le sigh.
Absolutely lacking. Slow paced story with a lack of character development, not enough editing and too much focus on relatively insignificant characters. The two main characters , Syssi and Kian, don't even meet until well into the book and by then its hard to really even care that they met. They have the personalities of wet cardboard. The constant repetition of things and dwelling so long on minor details and topics. The book ended at a strange place. I get that its a series of books, but damn. Can I get some type of excitement?
Just glad it was free.
Absolutely lacking. Slow paced story with a lack of character development, not enough editing and too much focus on relatively insignificant characters. The two main characters , Syssi and Kian, don't even meet until well into the book and by then its hard to really even care that they met. They have the personalities of wet cardboard. The constant repetition of things and dwelling so long on minor details and topics. The book ended at a strange place. I get that its a series of books, but damn. Can I get some type of excitement?
Just glad it was free.
October 24, 2019
1.5/5.0
I SO rarely sink to giving a book a one star. There is almost always something that can up that to at least a two. And there was in this story... until the very end - or the lack of one. It has a full stop ending (ei: no ending at all, it just quits right in the middle of the conflict.)
So, here’s the deal. I picked this book up in-spite of the mixed reviews because the synopsis sounded really interesting and creative - something hard to do in this over-saturated paranormal world. And, in that light, it really was good. The core storyline was very intriguing and held all kinds of promise.
It was the execution of that great storyline where it fell apart. It was all over the place! No focus at all throughout most of the book. With each new chapter, we randomly jump from one character to the next. We’re reading about Syssi (h) in a chapter, then Kian (H) in the next chapter, Then, we’d jump to a cousin in a chapter, then to Syssi’s brother (whom we don’t even know and never makes an appearance except for the one chapter.). Then, on to Kian’s sister (cause she needs a chapter or two all her own.) Then a totally random chapter with the funeral of a minor character who was no more than a blip in the story.... and on and on. And, most of these chapters had very little to do with the overall plot!!
Add to that the weird dream-sex, biploar behavior of Kian, annoying, timid Syssi who does nothing but blush and obsess, etc. etc... and.... When things FINALLY seemed to get on track near the (very) end of the book I was anxiously anticipating something - a revelation from Kian about what the heck is going on, the two main characters finally admitting and revealing their feelings.... something! Yeah... nope. That’s where it just quits.
What a great idea that fell terribly short.
I SO rarely sink to giving a book a one star. There is almost always something that can up that to at least a two. And there was in this story... until the very end - or the lack of one. It has a full stop ending (ei: no ending at all, it just quits right in the middle of the conflict.)
So, here’s the deal. I picked this book up in-spite of the mixed reviews because the synopsis sounded really interesting and creative - something hard to do in this over-saturated paranormal world. And, in that light, it really was good. The core storyline was very intriguing and held all kinds of promise.
It was the execution of that great storyline where it fell apart. It was all over the place! No focus at all throughout most of the book. With each new chapter, we randomly jump from one character to the next. We’re reading about Syssi (h) in a chapter, then Kian (H) in the next chapter, Then, we’d jump to a cousin in a chapter, then to Syssi’s brother (whom we don’t even know and never makes an appearance except for the one chapter.). Then, on to Kian’s sister (cause she needs a chapter or two all her own.) Then a totally random chapter with the funeral of a minor character who was no more than a blip in the story.... and on and on. And, most of these chapters had very little to do with the overall plot!!
Add to that the weird dream-sex, biploar behavior of Kian, annoying, timid Syssi who does nothing but blush and obsess, etc. etc... and.... When things FINALLY seemed to get on track near the (very) end of the book I was anxiously anticipating something - a revelation from Kian about what the heck is going on, the two main characters finally admitting and revealing their feelings.... something! Yeah... nope. That’s where it just quits.
What a great idea that fell terribly short.
September 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! I've gotten into the paranormal romance genre lately and have really enjoyed it. I have found that some authors succeed at it more than others. I.T. Lucas is very talented and I really liked her usage of science in the book. When I read the description, I was a little worried that the science themes would be over my head, but she really explained them in a way that made it easy to understand. The science was really an added bonus to an already hot novel! I liked the characters and thought that they were well developed. I also liked the hot scenes! I'm very hooked on this series already and can't wait to read book 2! I'm sure that it will be just as exciting as this one!
November 22, 2015
This was good :-)
I really think I'm going to buy the next book in the series, or, I'm sure I will :-)
Thank You Ms Lucas
Ken
I really think I'm going to buy the next book in the series, or, I'm sure I will :-)
Thank You Ms Lucas
Ken
December 30, 2015
This is the first review ive ever written so bear with me...
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and since the day it arrived on my doorstep i couldnt put it down. If you are looking for a new paranormal world to get into this book is definitely for you. Its got a little bit of everything; action, romance, paranormal/sci fi, mystery...what more could you want!!
I love all the different perspectives we get, each chapter being from a different persons POV really kept me interested in the story.
I cant wait to read about what happens next in "Dark Stranger Revealed"!!
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and since the day it arrived on my doorstep i couldnt put it down. If you are looking for a new paranormal world to get into this book is definitely for you. Its got a little bit of everything; action, romance, paranormal/sci fi, mystery...what more could you want!!
I love all the different perspectives we get, each chapter being from a different persons POV really kept me interested in the story.
I cant wait to read about what happens next in "Dark Stranger Revealed"!!
September 12, 2015
Intriguing romantic story. This isn't a typical vampire story, and instead of bloodthirsty vampires the immortals are a dying spices facing extinction. Some of them are the good guys and some bad.
August 1, 2016
Very different with the normal paranormal books that I've read so far. I'm so suck into the book that I didn't realise the time. The beginning of the book is very confusing for me. Cos there's quite a number of characters PoV. But later it's easy to catch up. Looking forward to next cos Dark Stranger the Dream left me hanging.
February 8, 2018
I picked this up based on some recommendations. This is a new author to me but I love paranormal so I gave it shot. A bit slow to get moving. Loved the world building and the history of the immortals. The book got better as it went along. The story arc does not wrap up on this book. Kian and Syssi have 3 books in their HEA. I did buy the next two right away so I can get the whole story. Great secondary characters. Several chapters are in their POV as well.
Looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
Looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
November 8, 2015
Great read!
This story grabs you and keeps you interested. Too bad it was not longer. I guess I will have to buy the next book.
This story grabs you and keeps you interested. Too bad it was not longer. I guess I will have to buy the next book.
December 31, 2018
Really enjoyed this book but it was quite a slow pace. I’m not sure I want to commit to 3 or more long books per couple at that pace. Otherwise I would’ve gladly continued.
September 12, 2017
If you love sappy love fools, who in a repetitive manner drool over each other than you are right up this books ally.
Sadly not one character shows substance or any intrigue. Insecurities and anxieties are dissected and analyzed in detail. In such a childish way it hurt my eyes reading. One dimensional, superficial and overdramatic.
The other part of the writing style i didn't like was, that the characters had a whole crazy mental cinema going on. They mused, analyzed and had thought processes going on in their heads, it bored me to death. Most of it wasn't even relevant for the story or in any kind appealing. Character features were justified. I don't need to read about the book characters justifying to me as a reader why they are the way they are. I want to experience that through the story and the characters past and future actions. Not reading every time a resume and a psycho head analysis.
Everything the male character was focused on;
- i love her (after knowing her for 2 days)
-i can't have her ( past ex-issues)
-i am a martyr in my own mind set and love to torture myself.
And The female character wasn't even better
-a damsel in unknowingly distress
-likes to be rescued and protected from a strong dominant male.
-her insecurities were annoying.
-Her righteous suffering and moral code...
yada yada yada!!
Nothing was integrated smoothly in the story. And their unbelievable sexual attraction and heart aching feelings after 1 day alone made me nauseous.
One fine example:
..."Acid? What made her think it was acid? Oh, right, the dirt sizzled where drops of it fell."...
The whole plot, background and world created were nothing original, just copied.
The glorious west fights against the dark and cruel east.
Every feature of the characters were not paraphrased. They were praised and almost preached to be the righteous and morally correct. All this stereotypical worldview. Superficial cliches topped with a pantie melting sappy love story with no substance and lots of dullness.
Sadly not one character shows substance or any intrigue. Insecurities and anxieties are dissected and analyzed in detail. In such a childish way it hurt my eyes reading. One dimensional, superficial and overdramatic.
The other part of the writing style i didn't like was, that the characters had a whole crazy mental cinema going on. They mused, analyzed and had thought processes going on in their heads, it bored me to death. Most of it wasn't even relevant for the story or in any kind appealing. Character features were justified. I don't need to read about the book characters justifying to me as a reader why they are the way they are. I want to experience that through the story and the characters past and future actions. Not reading every time a resume and a psycho head analysis.
Everything the male character was focused on;
- i love her (after knowing her for 2 days)
-i can't have her ( past ex-issues)
-i am a martyr in my own mind set and love to torture myself.
And The female character wasn't even better
-a damsel in unknowingly distress
-likes to be rescued and protected from a strong dominant male.
-her insecurities were annoying.
-Her righteous suffering and moral code...
yada yada yada!!
Nothing was integrated smoothly in the story. And their unbelievable sexual attraction and heart aching feelings after 1 day alone made me nauseous.
One fine example:
..."Acid? What made her think it was acid? Oh, right, the dirt sizzled where drops of it fell."...
The whole plot, background and world created were nothing original, just copied.
The glorious west fights against the dark and cruel east.
Every feature of the characters were not paraphrased. They were praised and almost preached to be the righteous and morally correct. All this stereotypical worldview. Superficial cliches topped with a pantie melting sappy love story with no substance and lots of dullness.
September 19, 2015
Dark Stranger The Dream is just the beginning to a new series,The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Series, by I. T. Lucas. This book introduces us to the characters of Dr. Amanda Dokani who is a researcher, her researcher assistant Syssi and Amanda's brother, Kian. Kian and Amanda are both immortals and the book does a very good job describing their life and how they became who and what they are. The book just begins to get really interesting when it ends. I look forward to reading the second book in the series.
January 18, 2017
Very slow start, way too many points of view and not enough detail. Not enough world building happening. Kian and Sissy are ridiculous. They meet say almost literally two words to each other, Sissy falls asleep on Kian in a five minute car ride and bam! They're in love. Just like that, Kian is whining about how being seperated from her feels wrong (and the author never really explains why that's a necessity) after he has spent a total of maybe 90 non-communicative minutes with her in his whole centuries long life. Really? I give up.
February 8, 2017
I don't understand the high ratings for this book. The idea of the story was good; however, the author killed it for me by the constant droning of explanations and inner thoughts. To me the droning was just to fill pages but in doing so I had a very hard time finishing this book. It took me several days because I had to keep putting it down because I was bored. Even the sex was boring. I won't purchase any more from this author. I was disappointed with the author and the people who rated this so highly. P.S., if there was an editor, he/she missed a lot.
January 5, 2016
Extensive world building set the stage very well in this first installment of this series. Looking forward to reading more in this series as well as from this author. I would recommend this read to any paranormal romance fans. I received this book free through Goodreads first reads.
November 6, 2015
A branch of a Scottish clan of near immortal makes Los Angeles its home, where its exceptionally good looking members can blend among the many wannabe actors and musicians who flock to the city of lights. Kian, their leader, believes that by hiding in plain sight among the large city's mortal population his people are safe from their enemies the Doomers. Both groups originate from the mythological gods and had been at war since antiquity, when the God Mordth, the God the Doomers worship, had been spurned by the goddess Annani, the matriarch of Kian's clan. He had sworn himself as well as his descendants to wipe out Annani together with her descendants, and to obliterate the gods' matriarchal tradition of a woman's right to choose her mate. The Doomers adhere to his hateful patriarchal legacy, and to keep human society at large from achieving democracy and enlightenment they manipulate global affairs and instigate wars.
But the Doomers are not the only problem Kian's clan faces. Annani's descendants can't find immortals who descent from other goddesses to enrich their limited genetic (godly) pool. While Kian is leading the war, his sister Amanda who is a professor of neuroscience is leading a search for Dormants by testing mortals for paranormal abilities. Dormants are carriers of the godly unrealized genes who can be turned into immortals. Her research assistant Syssi's precognition ability is the strongest yet, but to activate Syssi Amanda needs Kian's help. When the Doomers get their hands on Amanda's research material and find about Syssi the story takes off on a page turning thrill ride.
Each character has a unique voice and a fully developed personality, and the world building is incredible, with a complete culture and mythology going back to the time of the gods. I loved the deep friendship that develops between Sissy and Amanda despite how different from each other they are in almost every possible way, and how much both Amanda and Kian care about Syssi. The heart-pounding action and Sissy and Kian's titillating romance kept me reading into the night, while the funny scenes woven in between made me laugh out loud.
By the time I finished book one I was completely immersed in the story, and by book four I was dreaming about it. The children of the gods is my new favorite urban fantasy series.
But the Doomers are not the only problem Kian's clan faces. Annani's descendants can't find immortals who descent from other goddesses to enrich their limited genetic (godly) pool. While Kian is leading the war, his sister Amanda who is a professor of neuroscience is leading a search for Dormants by testing mortals for paranormal abilities. Dormants are carriers of the godly unrealized genes who can be turned into immortals. Her research assistant Syssi's precognition ability is the strongest yet, but to activate Syssi Amanda needs Kian's help. When the Doomers get their hands on Amanda's research material and find about Syssi the story takes off on a page turning thrill ride.
Each character has a unique voice and a fully developed personality, and the world building is incredible, with a complete culture and mythology going back to the time of the gods. I loved the deep friendship that develops between Sissy and Amanda despite how different from each other they are in almost every possible way, and how much both Amanda and Kian care about Syssi. The heart-pounding action and Sissy and Kian's titillating romance kept me reading into the night, while the funny scenes woven in between made me laugh out loud.
By the time I finished book one I was completely immersed in the story, and by book four I was dreaming about it. The children of the gods is my new favorite urban fantasy series.
June 2, 2016
God was i glad that this one was over. Don't get me wrong, the book was decently written and the concept was really interesting. It just bored the hell out of me!
Maybe it's just me, because the other reviews are so praising I can't believe we read the same book.
A couple of problems I had:
The book had so many different change of POV's I guess I just never really connected with the characters (the female lead had only a third of the chapters and in the others she rarely appeared)
1 chapter featured the brother of the female lead, that appeared to have no significance at all, apart from finding out how the bad guys came into the country? (Who cares?)
Nothing happened! Like seriously, nothing at all. One guy (we didn't know) died, and there was a brief attack (with barely any drama, read none) that's it. I can't understand how someone can call this book fast paced.
The characters were shallow (At least to me). I felt no connection with either of them, this may be me because I always connect better with the female and she got barely any time. She had "preminitions" (sort of) maybe once and did nothing else but drool over the male lead. The male at least did some shit, but any interactions with (fuck i already forgot her name, I finished maybe 10 min ago) the girl were awkward at best, not sexy or vaguely romantic at all and in the end nothing happened between them!
Maybe the author wanted to build the suspense by interupting them or something, but the phonecall is the most cliche thing ever. Please just don't.
Yea well, I'll keep at this, I could go on but the book doesnt deserve it. It wasn't horrible, maybe just dissapointing? I just needed to rant (I have never written a review this long).
I was expecting something better.
Maybe it's just me, because the other reviews are so praising I can't believe we read the same book.
A couple of problems I had:
The book had so many different change of POV's I guess I just never really connected with the characters (the female lead had only a third of the chapters and in the others she rarely appeared)
1 chapter featured the brother of the female lead, that appeared to have no significance at all, apart from finding out how the bad guys came into the country? (Who cares?)
Nothing happened! Like seriously, nothing at all. One guy (we didn't know) died, and there was a brief attack (with barely any drama, read none) that's it. I can't understand how someone can call this book fast paced.
The characters were shallow (At least to me). I felt no connection with either of them, this may be me because I always connect better with the female and she got barely any time. She had "preminitions" (sort of) maybe once and did nothing else but drool over the male lead. The male at least did some shit, but any interactions with (fuck i already forgot her name, I finished maybe 10 min ago) the girl were awkward at best, not sexy or vaguely romantic at all and in the end nothing happened between them!
Maybe the author wanted to build the suspense by interupting them or something, but the phonecall is the most cliche thing ever. Please just don't.
Yea well, I'll keep at this, I could go on but the book doesnt deserve it. It wasn't horrible, maybe just dissapointing? I just needed to rant (I have never written a review this long).
I was expecting something better.
January 17, 2016
Dark Stranger The Dream is a thrilling first book in The Children of The Gods series, and I can tell that this series is going to be amazing. One of those that I grab a book as soon as a new one is out.
Kian is the immortal son of the last surviving goddess and the leader of his clan in the US. He is gruff, short tempered, and the ultimate dominant alpha, but he is also selfless, honorable, totally devoted to his family, and a total hunk. Syssi is smart, shy and soft spoken, but hides a steel backbone. Working in a neuroscience lab, Syssi doesn't know that her boss, Dr. Amanda Dokani (who is Kian's sister), is an immortal and is testing people with paranormal abilities to find humans who are dormant carriers of immortal genes. Amanda suspects that Syssi is a dormant and wants Kian to attempt her activation. He refuses because he finds seducing and deceiving Syssi dishonorable. But when Kian meets Syssi at his sister's lab, his resistance falters, especially since he is forced to spend time with her while rescuing her and Amanda from his enemies the Doomers. Nevertheless, he tries to do the right thing and stay away from Syssi. Syssi feels powerful attraction to Amanda's gorgeous brother, but is intimidated by him and his behavior is confusing her. Syssi thinks he is way out of her league.
This was such an exciting read, and not only because of the hot romance. It was fast paced and suspenseful, and the characters read like real people with real problems. I loved both Kian and Syssi, as well as the rest of the cast, and can't wait to find out what happens to them in the next book in the series – Dark Stranger Revealed.
Kian is the immortal son of the last surviving goddess and the leader of his clan in the US. He is gruff, short tempered, and the ultimate dominant alpha, but he is also selfless, honorable, totally devoted to his family, and a total hunk. Syssi is smart, shy and soft spoken, but hides a steel backbone. Working in a neuroscience lab, Syssi doesn't know that her boss, Dr. Amanda Dokani (who is Kian's sister), is an immortal and is testing people with paranormal abilities to find humans who are dormant carriers of immortal genes. Amanda suspects that Syssi is a dormant and wants Kian to attempt her activation. He refuses because he finds seducing and deceiving Syssi dishonorable. But when Kian meets Syssi at his sister's lab, his resistance falters, especially since he is forced to spend time with her while rescuing her and Amanda from his enemies the Doomers. Nevertheless, he tries to do the right thing and stay away from Syssi. Syssi feels powerful attraction to Amanda's gorgeous brother, but is intimidated by him and his behavior is confusing her. Syssi thinks he is way out of her league.
This was such an exciting read, and not only because of the hot romance. It was fast paced and suspenseful, and the characters read like real people with real problems. I loved both Kian and Syssi, as well as the rest of the cast, and can't wait to find out what happens to them in the next book in the series – Dark Stranger Revealed.
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