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It’s dark outside, but hope will not be defeated.

Michael, Akio, Yuko and the rest are searching for the pieces necessary to put together a craft which Michael hopes will take him to Bethany Anne.

But first, there are idiots in his way, seeking the same parts and intend to take them.

By force.

The challenge is they will find out what ‘force’ truly means when they dare to go up against the Dark Messiah.

One way or another, Michael will get back to Bethany Anne.



288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2018

807 people are currently reading
226 people want to read

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Michael Anderle

2,332 books1,783 followers

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5 stars
1,042 (63%)
4 stars
413 (25%)
3 stars
145 (8%)
2 stars
29 (1%)
1 star
9 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,236 reviews2,346 followers
September 23, 2024
Dawn Arrives
By Michael Anderle
I don't think this advanced the story much at all, and this was the final book, I believe. The first three books were entertaining, but this was a rehash, and what wasn't didn't finalize the story well. This is just my opinion.
Profile Image for Tremont G.
188 reviews4 followers
February 21, 2018
Just read book 21 - Life Goes On. This is basically a summary of that book with a ton of Giles throw in

What a total waste of time. The only interesting thing to happen was the introduction of Demon the cat. That lasted all of like 2 pages and then nothing! The rest of the book that wasn't just a rehash of everything in Life Goes On was all about GILES! I F'ING HATE GILES. This book is supposed to be about Michael, but it was filled with stupid, annoying, immature CRAP about Giles. Of all characters, why Giles? There was no point, he did nothing, added nothing to the story. WTF did I just read.
388 reviews16 followers
March 3, 2018
Mild compared to the action of earlier books. Pleasant light read. Haven't read all of the other series, so didn't know all the characters mentioned although I didn't find that problematic.
Profile Image for Suz.
2,293 reviews74 followers
November 19, 2018
This was a good spinoff series, even if I couldn't keep up with all the characters. I'm kind of surprised that they did the reunion in this series rather than the main series, though. It works so no complaints.
33 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2018
Binge-worthy authors

I couldn't get past the initial chapters of MA's first Kurtherian Gambit book, Death Becomes Her. For some reason I didn't like the intro. It was too slow & not very interesting. I had stopped reading paranormal long ago and wanted a more sci-fi/outer space focused story. It sat in my kindle library for more than a year.
Then I found Ell Leigh Clarke's series with MA & loved the writing, characters, humor, etc. And after reading the authors' notes, fan reviews, etc.; I decided to try MA's original story again. I'm so glad I gave it a second chance! Once I got past the initial setup/intro, it was a story I had a hard time putting down, & became a binge-worthy series.
I also enjoyed The Second Dark Ages books about Michael, but they would have been even better with further development. (spoiler) What's up with Michael's cat? And the elite being trapped under a building for 150 years came out of left field. I guess I'll find out if there are any spinoffs in MA's other collaborations.
And although there are some typos and grammatical errors in all of the books, they're insignificant in relation to the joy and pleasure I get from reading about these characters and their adventures.
P.S. M.A. & E.L.C. I wrote several other 4 & 5* reviews while reading your books, but never published them. I hate Amazon's review process/software. I invariably try to press & hold to highlight text to delete or move, but get kicked out back into the book. Most of what I've written is deleted. 😕 Sorry, but I usually give up & go on to my next book.
I've had to rewrite parts of this review more than 5 times. I'm doing it because you deserve the reviews. I have thoroughly enjoyed your stories & look forward to more.
Profile Image for Ana.
148 reviews21 followers
June 6, 2019
Better finale

*******. Spoiler Alert******




This volume was a much better finale than Life Goes On.
But I still have some issues with the way things were handled.
Michael Anderle spent a lot of time with Giles and what about Sabine? She and Demon disappeared after Bethany Anne arrived. I see so many missed opportunities here. Sabine was mentioned once in the warehouse in China when they collected the ship parts and was never mentioned again. She just faded in the background.
Reading this book we are able to see some of the missing chunks from Life Goes On but still is not enough.
I think Michael Anderle is stretched out thin with so many spin-off books. He lost his focus in the main story and neglected the continuity of the main plot. I didn’t see this in early books. His later books could not stand alone or be read out of order. I read them in order and got confused with so many tangent lines.
The subplots were not resolved in a satisfying way and left me feeling like something was missing or either hoping that something else was going to happen.
I’m struggling to decide if I’ll continue with the next phase of the story.
Maybe in the future, but right now, I don’t think I want to be that disappointed after investing so much time and emotions into a series.
Profile Image for C H.
125 reviews
August 1, 2018
I don’t like how main character personalities drastically change when collaborating with other authors

First off I mostly enjoyed the core books except for when MC’s devolved into mindless chatter and/or this really queer need to rattle off so called curse phrases. This continued into this book as well.

Michael’s personality changed too much with this book. The reunion of BA and Michael was rather ridiculous and soon after the meshing of other MC’s was really rather bland with too much bad filler dialogue.

I found that I could not continue the book after the reunion because it was all too much of a soap opera feel with bad acting included.

Every so often I have to stop reading a Gambit book because the mindless chatter and curse counting goes into the pre-teen giggle toilet humor mill. I stopped reading the core books at book 19 because I was just feeling too bleh with the whole thing.

I am interested in checking out other authors in the KGambit universe but I hope that I find more interesting plot lines and less infantile cursing.
Profile Image for Veronica.
1,014 reviews5 followers
September 2, 2020
An era closes...

All of the threads are pulled together and tied off, and the next great adventure is ready to start! The co-authoring is seamless, and I love how everyone gets to meet each other. The Kurtherian universe is an amazing place to be, and I can't wait to move on to the next age.
Profile Image for Katy.
1,495 reviews10 followers
April 9, 2022
OMG!

This book was so damned SATISFYING!

Everything that has been happening to Michael, Bethany Anne, Akio, Yuko, Eve, THW & co., and far too many more characters to mention, have had their T's crossed, and their I's dotted, to the point that it's okay that they are all leaving Earth, to go with Bethany Anne on more adventures (on a side note, is it strange that I was so very relieved that Akio's six brothers-in-arms were finally rescued from entombment?).

I must admit, I wasn't sure how this last Michael book was going to go, but it answered every single romantic need in my body, for happy endings when needed, while also still thrilling me with it's final battles, and confrontations, that left Earth one more step on the side of Honour!

You can't get better than that!

Except, of course, with the calibre of writing that is all a part of this amazing KU, of course you can - and that makes me sooooo happy! 💖

According to my reading list, I literally have one more book from Michael Anderle's main story line to go - that's: Life Goes On - and that really will be the final book in the Kurtherian Gambit part of this whole Universe of stories.

Once again, I'm excited to be taking the next steps in this amazing journey, and am so grateful that one of the first books I chose to buy for the Kindle my daughter bought for me, for Christmas 2021, was Craig Martelle Free Traders series, which led me to looking for more of his stuff - which led me directly to the Kurtherian Gambit sets of series!

So, I'm not wasting any more great reading time, and am off to start the next book - Yay!
Profile Image for Sydney.
1,339 reviews67 followers
April 1, 2021
4 Like Hipsters and Condescension Stars

Dawn Arrives is the four book in The Second Dark Ages series by Michael Anderle.

See! Bethany Anne just livens up the story. Simple. See steps in and makes all of their hard work and sacrifice of the last book obsolete. We get introduced to a bunch of characters that will be joining them in another run-off series. And see so many of their people with happy hearts by the end of this book.

Michael and Bethany Anne’s meet up made me happy, and kept me laughing for a while. It was ridiculous and amped up the levity that had been missing. I think Anderle was trying to accomplish this by introducing Yuko and Jacqueline’s romantic feelings. However, they were either saddening or annoying, respectively.

This book feels like a filler type of book. Simply going to paces. Happy-go-lucky, hey everyone’s happy again drama. Which would usually constitute, at most, 3 stars. However, this being the long awaited reunion, and that it didn’t disappoint I had to give it that final 4th star.
Profile Image for 〰️Beth〰️.
816 reviews62 followers
February 15, 2018
Still not as cohesive as I had hoped.

I know it is hard to bring together multiple plot points from almost two dozen books. Valiant effort but where as the jumps in sections flow in most of these stories the last two DM books really show the lack of cohesiveness between El and Michael’S portions. I know Michael s stretched thin but remember the framework this started on. Michael writing Michael and BA. not to dis ELL, love her stories, just feel this last two would have been better if Michael stepped back from the “business” of books and spent all his time finishing these last two.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Meadows.
232 reviews11 followers
February 17, 2018
Bethany and Michael reunion

Michael, Yuko, Akio and their Earth team conclude their search for the Chinese clan Kutherian artifacts. Mayhem and unbelievably naive bad guys help the older vampires fight out their frustrations while working toward a reunion between Bethany Anne and Michael.

Giles Kurns received a hefty portion of attention in the book as well. He's a character who hasn't had much exposure in this series since he is part of the second generation of Etheric space travellers. A flawed character without a filter is like the punchline of a joke we haven't heard yet. I expect there will be more humor at his expense in subsequent books.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
323 reviews3 followers
February 18, 2018
Absolutely loved it!

So many threads pulled together from all the different series, in one place we get to see who joins up with BA and Michael to head back into space. On a personal note, I was very happy that the Elite guys were finally unburied after 150+ years under rubble from WWDE. Best news of all...this is not the end but rather the beginning of a new series involving all our favorite characters! Looking forward to “Payback Is A Bitch” Book 1 of The Kurtherian Endgame!
442 reviews8 followers
July 3, 2018
The Best Apology Books Ever

Yes this reader was devastated when Michael was gone and hoped for him to return. The series was fantastic Michael comes back to defend honor, with even some added humor and more human characteristics. This series is about Michael making Earth the way Bethany Anne would want it while trying to secure a spaceship to hunt his love down. Loved how the blood hunters so cocky were eliminated and the way Michael worried about his lack of hair was great fun! Thank you both to both authors for a fantastic 4 book series!
139 reviews
July 6, 2020
Finally!!!

Don't get me wrong, I love Akio and Michael the buddy movie but it is so rewarding to see them reach their goal here on Earth! The epic meeting between BA and Michael, a side adventure with Giles, the Elite joining back with Akio, the Bitches just existing and everyone from the sub series being rounded up to head off to space make for an awesome ending to this series. Plus there is a huge surprise at the end that guarantees Michael and BA will face one of the hardest challenges ever!
Profile Image for Karen.
1,424 reviews2 followers
July 19, 2020
Michael and Bethany Anne

This KU library selection is the conclusion of the series devoted to Michael, The Dark Messiah. For 150 plus years he has been separated from his love, TQB, Bethany Anne. First it was due to his being caught in a nuclear blast and having to regenerate inside The Etheric, then because the gate to space was destroyed preventing BA from returning to Earth. But her eventual return sets a new standard for "working things out". I have enjoyed this series and am looking forward to reading more about M and BA as they return to the stars to protect Earth.
1,038 reviews3 followers
August 15, 2023
I loved this one!

I know I’m very late to Kurtherian Gambit world, but it is such a well written series that I believe many will discover it years from now and still fall in love with the many characters. I need to know what goes on with Bethany Anne and Michael and the bun in the oven. What happens with Sabine and her feelings for Akio??? There are so many lives to be followed!
I want to thank Michael Andersen and all of the contributing authors that made this such an awesome series and for keeping this universe in KU.
Profile Image for Sandy Chapman.
240 reviews5 followers
February 17, 2018
Worth the wait

The long awaited final book of the Second Dark Ages series is definitely worth the wait. Micheal and Akio have some 'fun' as they work together wrapping up loose ends in Japan. Michael and Bethany Ann's reunion is as explosive as expected while still offering more than anticipated. Great ending while also delivering some surprises I hadn't been anticipating that left me looking forward to Bethany Ann and Michael's upcoming new series.
Profile Image for Gaileen Crowell.
171 reviews
February 21, 2018
So thrilled to see this finally

Michael-the ultimate gentleman oozing with Honor, taking down those who need to be chastised.
My favorite bad ass! I am sad to be seeing his era coming to an end, but it would be dark and mysterious for him to pop in from time to time through the next generations coming up. Just saying. Thanks, MA for this amazing universe and all the stories that continue to be generated. May the fun never end!
Profile Image for Linda.
582 reviews
January 2, 2019
A wonderful compliment to Life Goes On. Once again love the scan of Bethany Ann and Michael's reunion. So glad that Uko gets her love. So sad about the state of America. I fear it would really be like that if TWWDE happened in reality. All of Michael Anderle and his supported authors in the Kutherian Gambit series are highly emotional and intense. A shot in the arm of high adrenalin with Kutherian crack.
Profile Image for Cari Elliot.
93 reviews8 followers
September 21, 2019
Not a great spin off series

I really enjoy the main kurtherian gambit series, so I read this before the last book, since the storylines meet back up. Buuuut, it's a disappointment. This feels almost like a fanfic, rather than a spin off. Everything feels rushed - character growth, story arcs, relationships. In the main series, we have growth and relationships based on time and experiences. Here, not so much.
718 reviews6 followers
November 24, 2019
Good story!!

After twenty one books, to ask whatever about why, what, when, etcetera is not needed. If I didn't enjoy these, I wouldn't read all of them. They are other writers who I could only get a little into the book and had to leave it because of dumb. Good luck with speed reading. I wrote something about it a while back in one of these reviews. It works for me, your mileage may vary.
383 reviews
April 3, 2020
This book was a fantastic way to tie up things on Earth for the three different series that took place during the second dark ages. This series was my favorite of the three. Michael was just so awesome, and I loved seeing him start to try his hand at humor. I loved this series and this book so much that I had to write something to say how great it is even though I can't properly express how great they were. I highly recommend them! Michael Anderle and his collaborators rule!
Profile Image for Debra Stubbins.
334 reviews
April 14, 2020
Makes you want more...

Done and dusted in just over 3 hours. The tears fall, Michael has been reunited with his love Bethany Ann, but will their love hold? They both have been through so much pain and change, will they overcome their challenges to be together forever?
A very emotional ending to Michael’s series, just love the little surprise and can’t wait to read what happens next.
Profile Image for Louise.
784 reviews3 followers
May 18, 2020
Well...

There it is. The tie up. The "end" (as it were) I've read 63 books in about 6 weeks. The many different series all tying together here. I liked it, but maybe I'm a bit burnt out by them all? Idk. It's cool, but it very much is the "happy ever after" thing, and whilst it's lovely ro read, it's not really life. I think after the outcry over Micheals death, MA is a bit leary of doing that again. Which is a shame, because it's just life.
Profile Image for Chris B.
213 reviews7 followers
July 20, 2021
Lots of threads come together in this final book in this sub-series about Michael as it intersects with Bethany Anne’s story in the Kurtherian Gambit series. I liked that it filled my need to know what happened to Michael.
Now I can go on the read the last (book 21!!) of the Kurtherian Gambit series, which is already downloaded and ready to go. I waited to read that because Michael had come back to BA in book 20 so that triggered my need to fill in the 150 year gap before that happened.
45 reviews
October 24, 2021
wow

Read this book after the last BA book, after discovering from MA that she and michael meet up in each edition. So cool to get both of the prospectives!

I wasn’t sure I was going to continue reading when it got all alieny, but couldn’t put the series down. It’s not even the genre I read. However, after another tangent of the leira chronicles I decided to give MA another look…well worth reading, glad I had a week off from work as have read 26 books!!!!!
Profile Image for Hilton mather.
50 reviews1 follower
December 10, 2021
I liked that this book tied a lot of things up on earth and basically ended that thread but man what a mess at the end of the book. For some reason we end up with a chunk of Giles adventures, which came out of nowhere and i guess was supposed to be a set up for another spinoff. I think M A took a wrong turn there, I'd have much more preferred to hear about Sabine who just sort of gets forgotten by the end of the book.
165 reviews
February 15, 2018
Wow!

What an interesting reunion, totally par for the course. Well Mr. Anderle, the saying is go big or go home, you definitely went big. Holy cow did you ever. I am really looking forward to BAs POV and I am sure I won't be disappointed. And Ms. Clarke with an e, thank you for your contribution. Excellent writing.
Profile Image for Laura.
1,229 reviews11 followers
February 17, 2018
Love Michael!!!

Solid ratings for Dawn Arrives!
Love reading about Michael, Akio, Yuko, and Eve. All the extra characters just adds more excitement to the storyline.
I'm guessing this is the last of the Second Dark Ages series but that's okay. It was a good ride and the ending was as it should be.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews

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