Dark Gift

Shadow and Light #4

by Kim Richardson

I didn’t think my life could get any worse—but it did. A series of gruesome murders shake New York City, and it’s my job to try and catch the murderous SOBs before they kill their next victim. But something doesn’t smell right. Literally. The deeper I dig, the worse it gets. Turns out these murders are not what they seem. They’re much, much worse. It gets better. A new darkness has risen. Something I’d never faced before and a lot more powerful than me. Yeah, I was shocked too. With the Legion of angels still hunting me, I thought nothing could be worse than a bounty on my head. Boy, was I wrong. Don't miss the action-packed continuation of the Shadow and Light series! Dark Gift is a sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy filled with demons, angels, vampires, werewolves, witches, fae, leprechauns, jinn, and shifters. If you enjoy urban fantasy books with a kick-ass heroine and plenty of action, suspense and humor, then you’ll love reading Dark Gift. Grab your copy today!

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires, Young Adult, Fae

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2019

About the author

Kim Richardson is the award-winning author of the bestselling SOUL GUARDIANS series. She lives in the eastern part of Canada with her husband, two dogs and a very old cat. She is the author of the SOUL GUARDIANS series, the MYSTICS series, and the DIVIDED REALMS series. Kim's books are available in print editions, and translations are available in over 7 languages.

Reviews

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

“El gran poder no corrompe a una persona ni la hace mala, solo trae su verdadero yo a la luz. Y tu, Rowyn, eres una buena persona. Nunca pienses lo contrario”.

Nota para mí misma y para aquellos que les sucede lo mismo que yo:

*No empieces estos libros en temporada de exámenes o de profundo estrés. Sabes lo que te acaban enganchando porque son novelas tan ligeras que necesitas saber que pasa. Cuanto más estresada estás, más ganas tienes de leer. Luego, pasa lo que pasa, se hace de madrugada, no quieres dormir y quieres saber que pasa todo el rato, cuando hay aspectos de tu vida más importantes que una novela de serie B. Ya tendremos tiempo de leerlos con más calma en temporada baja. Además, te vas a quemar las pocas neuronas que te quedan sanas*.

“Ser el primero no siempre es algo bueno, especialmente cuando el poder oscuro está involucrado. Hay riesgo, complicaciones. Es posible que tu cuerpo no sea capaz de sostener este poder. Incluso podrías morir”.

Me ha gustado mucho más. Ha mejorado, (bueno, dentro de lo que cabe). Lo admito, una noche de semi insomnio más ansiedad acumulada me han hecho leerlo en menos de doce horas. Me ha gustado, al final el cambio que quiere hacernos la historia, solo pido que no lo fastidie más. Este nuevo personaje en juego es el doble y el tripe de mejor que nos querían poner al principio. Gareth, te adoro. Eso sí, no pienso leer la continuación ahora mismo porque me haría más mal que bien. Quiero leerlas con calma, pronto.

A OTRA COSA MARIPOSA.

[John Colley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

Honestly don't think ill bother with the next book. Why? Roweyn is annoying and thick doing the sane stupid things time and time again including childish temper tantrums. A shame as the cats / Baal demons are cool.

[Mummy's Naughty Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this is getting interesting. First we meet the demon that gave his blood to make the half bloods Lucian. Then we meet Roweyn's new half siblings created from her blood and dark magic. Then Lucian gives her a gift. This book was okay, not as great as some of the others but not bad either. The Baal demons make this story. We are getting more of the background and seeing glimpse of the war to come. I felt that some of the original story from the beginning of the book was lost.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

I'm enjoying this series. Lots of action and really cool stuff.
I'm on to read Book 5 now. Already loaded.

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daddy dearest

We finally get to see who Rowyn’s demon daddy is! And he’s certainly a bad ‘un! This is just as fast as the other books, and she also finally starts a romance - fade to black though, heads up.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say that I was excited when I got my hands on Dark Gift would be an understatement. I couldn’t wait to jump back into this world. Rowyn tends to get herself in quite a few messes, as usual. This was a heart pumping, adrenaline rush. A paranormal series I can’t seem to get enough of.

So much happens in Dark Gift, you never know which way the story is going to go. Rowyn is asked to help on a case, that leaves some half-breeds dead. But all the while Lisbeth has got her hands on Rowyn, with a threat against her grandmother. Also, she finds out who her other father is. And that cat called it; it’s like a paranormal soap opera.

Honestly, I don’t know how Rowyn keeps it together. Sometimes I wanted to yell at her because instead of thinking things through. She tends to act and regret it later. But she’s still sarcastic as ever. Richardson has created a world full of evil but also good. There’s the darkness that threatens to swallow her whole world. But deep inside she has a light.

Overall, Four Boundless Stars.

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[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky to have received an ARC from the author & glad to say this is another exciting & fast-paced new book in the Shadow & Light series.
Our well known & much loved MCs are again plunged into another other-worldly & evil shenanigans involving brutally murdered & displayed corpses turning up all around the city. There follows a nail-biting & extraordinaryly exciting tale where Rowyn, & her band of evil-slaying, kick-ass, magical side-kicks, do battle with witches, demons, magic & dark, evil entities. Together with hot dynamics with elf-extrordinaire, Gareth; Kim again spins her magical writing spell from the very beginning until the last action-packed page! Will Rowyn be able to solve the mystery without giving in to the darkness that threatens to engulf her entirely. Is everyone around her to be trusted & should she accept the 'dark gift' on offer from a surprising source! Highly recommended read & can't wait for the next installment of Rowyn's paranormal odyssey &, hopefully, more of the delicious Gareth!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rowyn needs to get laid. She is attracted to almost every male she meets and drooling over the physique of Father Thomas just blew up my squick meter (and I’m not even Catholic)

I would advise other readers not to read the blurbs about the next three books in the series as they pretty much give away the plot. They need spoiler warnings.

I did find the dilemma she is in on whether to follow Lisbeth’s demand to kill the leader of the wolf shifters or risk her grandmother’s life a good plot twist. Ditto when it came to the vampire leader.

What in hell is wrong with Jax and where did Ethan come from?

Reading on, Jax barely makes an appearance but we do revisit Ethan and his cronies. They are bad news.

Why can’t Rowyn confiscate a soul blade from any of the angels she vanquishes? You know, spoils of battle and all.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Ame mucho leer este libro! ¿Ya mencioné que me encanta la personalidad que tiene Rowyn? Es una protagonista, rebelde, temeraria, graciosa y buena amiga. La amo.

Me facino Gareth y su participación en este libro, es un personaje con secretos y un pasado doloroso. Ame tener más información del elfo y ese acercamiento con nuestra heroína me tiene shipeandolos. Y Tyrius sigue siendo indispensable en la vida de la protagonista ,y es un personaje maravilloso, LO AMO es un amor de gatito amigo.
Este libro me sorprendió mucho por qué si bien hay muchas revelaciones importantes y es muy fácil seguir leyendo, es tan adictivo leerlo que no temes continuar la saga, yo voy a seguir pidiendo mi final feliz para Rowyn y Tyrius. Amo a ambos. Son increíbles.
En esta historia me gusta poder saber más sobre el mundo sobrenatural.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG WOW
This book was amazing. It had suspense, intrigue, snarkiness and a whole lot of sarcasm and laughs. Rowyn is one serious badass heroine who seems to get into some tough and impossible situations but somehow manages to make it out - sort of. Her sidekicks are also the best and know when to give Rowyn the tough love she needs or just a good kick in the pants! There were numerous times in this book where I seriously wanted to punch someone! I know that I was growling to myself many times - just kick his ass!!!

Kim Richardson is an amazing storyteller. This series is definitely a must for any reader. I absolutely love it and can’t wait to see how my favourite heroine gets out of this next extremely tough situation.

[Irene Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boring

Still am not sure about this series and this is book four, there is a lot of really nothing much happening but of course everything goes awry for our hapless heroine Rowyn. The elf character Gareth is a nice touch and brings some interest into the chaos and Jax has definitely lost Rowyn's interest. She also now has a pack of werewolves looking to kill her after she killed their Alpha not meaning too of course. Then a group of unmarked turn up having been created with her blood and been given dark magic by the witch who wants her dead and their whole focus is killing her. She accepts a gift from an archdemon who claims to be her father this proves to be a big mistake when will she learn guess the next book will show how foolish she has been..

[Valérie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une étoile en moins simplement car Rowyn m’a vraiment énervée à ne toujours pas écouter ce que lui disent ses amis. C’est le seul reproche que je fais vraiment à cette série, l’héroïne n’évolue pas beaucoup en quatre tomes, répétant les mêmes erreurs de jugement. C’est vraiment l’unique point faible et j’ai du mal à comprendre l’auteure sur ce coup là.

Cependant, cela reste un excellent tome, rempli de surprises et bourré d’action. On en apprend beaucoup sur la filiation de la jeune femme et le cadeau qu’elle reçoit nous laisse profiler une suite très intéressante.

[C.J. Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I pick up another book in this series, I seriously cannot put it down. Kim has a way of dragging you into this world and making you want to sit with popcorn and watch it all unfold. The main character is such a badass you want to be her. She describes the opposing characters so well you want to hate them and demolish them. The supporting characters absolutely become a part of your own tribe. Yet again, a great read and a great find in a series of books. Bravo

[Annelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it from cover to cover

OMG! I LOVE this book! This Gareth guy is definitely a game changer in Rowyn's life! Game over Jax and hello to a new hot and respectful guy!
I also love the new baal, Kora, Tyrius'wife. They're so cute together!!! And what about when Rowyn had Tyrius on her shoulder and Gareth had Kora on his??? Just a perfect family picture. This is right!
I reeeaaallly look forward reading about Rowyn and Gareth!!!

[Rachel Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like how another love interest was shoved forward and we were just supposed to forget about Jax, despite the THREE books full of yearning and sexual tension and romantic turmoil... was that all a complete waste?? Also, I was getting really tired of Rowyn making horrible decisions because she had "no choice"...

All that aside, I DO like Gareth. And the plot kept me turning pages, so I'm still enthralled by the story.

[amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better!

Tyrius is by far the greatest character. Followed up by Father Thomas, just because of the way Rowyn is in this book. Which is hilarious I might add. I was hoping to get to see more of Gareth in this as well.

Cannot wait until book 5 comes out!

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Relentless

I enjoyed this series until this book. It was relentless. There was no relief at all. It was one bad thing right after the other. Nothing got resolved. I just stopped caring, but kept reading until the bitter end hoping for something - anything to bring relief. I was disappointed. I'm not even interested enough to read more...

[S Spurr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series it’s fast paced & exciting. The kitty cats are awesome & I love ‘The Elf’
If there’s a wrong/bad decision to be made you can guarantee Rowyn will make it.
It’s always easy to look at other people & see very clearly the mistakes they make,
If only we could see ourselves that clearly we’d all make better choices lol.
I’m ready & waiting for the next book!

[Kris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading when she killed an innocent.

I foreshadowed this might happen when things kept being out of control. All these new characters, no development. Just people thrown into the mix and bad things keep happening.

And then Rowyn killed an innocent.

There are so many ways this could have played out but this choice was wrong. Even worse, this isn't the first time.

I'm done.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, wow. Just oh, wow!

These keep getting better and better. Snarky? Yes. Vulnerable? Yup. Life or death? Oh heck yeah!
You know how some series the protagonist gets a new power and then the baddies have to be ramped up to 11 just to make it interesting? Nope, not this time.
Yes there is power, but the pacing is much kore reasonable.

[Lita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better. I do find myself annoyed with Rowyn from time to time because she should be a bit smarter and better able to control her smart mouth but for the most part I like the character. I am curious to know what's up with Jax but it doesn't matter that much. I do hope Rowyn and the elf stay together.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed. Not nearly as funny. MC makes a lot of dumb choices. Also, still no romance. 80% of this book is long-winded descriptions of fight scenes…and we get ONE page of fade to black sex. Not even affection, depth or romance!! I’ve been WAITING for the emotion. And I get NOTHING!!

[Pam Whatmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

I couldn't put the book down, thoroughly enjoyed it. But why do the women in these books have to be so aggressive. Apart from that small criticism, I would recommend it.

[Amanda Schouburgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Another fantastic book in an already amazing series, I really enjoy reading about this world and there fascinating characters, I'm looking forward to reading the next one in this series.

[Andy Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooo

Que regalooo, a él le llamo yo un buen regalo a ver quien se anota a practicar con la cazadora. No creo Que nadie quiera y todo esto , donde anda el tonto de Jax. A ver si aparece con una excusa que es lo mejor que hace ultimamente

[Lissa Rice]

**4 Boundless Stars** Full Review and Rating will be up on Boundless Book Reviews

[Meredyth Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation of the storyline, great characters and interaction between the main characters. Have really enjoyed this series.

[Véronique Laplante Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the fourth book in this serie. Cannot wait for the fifth one.

[Hilda Carrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!! I wish I could have a cat like Tyrius

[Anita Rheinhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. Can't wait for the next one. She meets her father, or blood father. Demons finding new ways to get souls. Everything comes at a price.