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The Dark Ones Saga #1
The Dark Ones
To touch a Dark One is death.
To talk to an immortal is suicide.
Yet, I've been marked by both.
A Vampire.
And the King of the immortals.
My life is no longer my own.
And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin with.
It was theirs.
It's always been theirs.
To talk to an immortal is suicide.
Yet, I've been marked by both.
A Vampire.
And the King of the immortals.
My life is no longer my own.
And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin with.
It was theirs.
It's always been theirs.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2015
2603 people are currently reading
5790 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Van Dyken
177 books18.5k followersRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of mafia and contemporary romances.
Hey guys I'm rarely on Goodreads, if you need to reach me feel free to email!
EMAIL ME: rachelvandykenauthor@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-...
Hey guys I'm rarely on Goodreads, if you need to reach me feel free to email!
EMAIL ME: rachelvandykenauthor@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,135 reviews
September 21, 2015
Four words to describe this book ....
I FUCKING LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!
6 Truly the Best Paranormal Book Ever Stars
I love Rachel Van Dyken, one of my goals is to read ALL of her books. So when I heard her latest book was going to be a Paranormal one, I was ALL over that. I love me my paranormal books. If you are on the fence about this genre, then let me explain my love for it.
I love paranormal reads because it’s like taken to another world, where everything is magnified by ten. It’s like the can’t breathe without each other kind of love books. This is the STUFF I crave and gets my body going.
Genesis is the Heroine and she is human. Ethan is a Vampire. Genesis, from childhood, has been taught about Vampires. Should her number be called, she will be there to serve them. Don’t think sexual, think more on an educational basis.
Genesis is called and is placed in Ethan’s care. However, someone wants Genesis, someone who shouldn’t want her and will upset the balance. Ethan needs to protect Genesis or everything will be at a lost.
I found it very interesting that in this world Genesis is aware of the vampires. I actually liked this. The storyline never read typical and I was always wondered what would happen next. Genesis from an early age was made to feel like she was ugly. This was completely adorable and she falls into the damsel in distress category I love so much.
I also love all the other characters that come to play in the book. It’s one of my favorite things about Rachel Van Dyken reads. She creates these side characters and you sort of get attached to them and with each book you read, you get to know them more. There are not only vampires, but angels and werewolves in this world. I loved how everyone has their own back story and it just made the read feel different and flow well.
I love the banter between Ethan and Genesis. Genesis doesn’t fall for Ethan, she is confused because she thought she was there for a reason, but it turns out it wasn’t the reason at all. While she ponders her new situation, Ethan can’t fall for Genesis. Ethan’s troubled past won’t allow it. This created wonderful tension and I was wrapped up in knots over it!
There are so many things that went on, it was addictive and exciting. I loved everything about this read. I read this book in one sitting and I couldn’t put it down. When I finished reading it, I wanted to read it again. I am definitely getting the paperback and audio version.
You did good Rachel. You did good.
Questions
Is this a standalone?
Is there a HEA?
Will there be a book 2?
An ARC was Provided
The Dark Ones PRE-Order bitches.... ASAP - > http://amzn.to/1FrUKaV
I FUCKING LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!
6 Truly the Best Paranormal Book Ever Stars
I love Rachel Van Dyken, one of my goals is to read ALL of her books. So when I heard her latest book was going to be a Paranormal one, I was ALL over that. I love me my paranormal books. If you are on the fence about this genre, then let me explain my love for it.
I love paranormal reads because it’s like taken to another world, where everything is magnified by ten. It’s like the can’t breathe without each other kind of love books. This is the STUFF I crave and gets my body going.
Genesis is the Heroine and she is human. Ethan is a Vampire. Genesis, from childhood, has been taught about Vampires. Should her number be called, she will be there to serve them. Don’t think sexual, think more on an educational basis.
Genesis is called and is placed in Ethan’s care. However, someone wants Genesis, someone who shouldn’t want her and will upset the balance. Ethan needs to protect Genesis or everything will be at a lost.
I found it very interesting that in this world Genesis is aware of the vampires. I actually liked this. The storyline never read typical and I was always wondered what would happen next. Genesis from an early age was made to feel like she was ugly. This was completely adorable and she falls into the damsel in distress category I love so much.
I also love all the other characters that come to play in the book. It’s one of my favorite things about Rachel Van Dyken reads. She creates these side characters and you sort of get attached to them and with each book you read, you get to know them more. There are not only vampires, but angels and werewolves in this world. I loved how everyone has their own back story and it just made the read feel different and flow well.
I love the banter between Ethan and Genesis. Genesis doesn’t fall for Ethan, she is confused because she thought she was there for a reason, but it turns out it wasn’t the reason at all. While she ponders her new situation, Ethan can’t fall for Genesis. Ethan’s troubled past won’t allow it. This created wonderful tension and I was wrapped up in knots over it!
There are so many things that went on, it was addictive and exciting. I loved everything about this read. I read this book in one sitting and I couldn’t put it down. When I finished reading it, I wanted to read it again. I am definitely getting the paperback and audio version.
You did good Rachel. You did good.
Questions
Is this a standalone?
Is there a HEA?
Will there be a book 2?
An ARC was Provided
The Dark Ones PRE-Order bitches.... ASAP - > http://amzn.to/1FrUKaV
February 10, 2017
"Survive. And when the flames threaten to take you higher and higher, give in. When the heat scorches you from the inside out, when tears no longer come, when the need is all you can contemplate...you survive."
The Dark Ones is the first book in The Dark One's Saga. With a blend of vampires, werewolves, dark angels, sirens, and more, Rachel Van Dyken offers a magical paranormal world that you will want to experience.
"Now do your job, Ethan. Go to her."Genesis, the heroine, is a human who has spent her life serving the immortals. She understands her place in the world and when her number is called to work for the immortals she is surprised to find out the job she has been called for isn't exactly what she thought it would be. She has been called to mate with a Vampire King. Ethan is a vampire who has suffered great loss in his life. Although he knows it is his duty to mate, he fears he will never be able to love again. As Ethan and Genesis are put together, their relationship blossoms into a lasting bond that no darkness can pull apart.
"Loving again will take everything I have left."Told in dual POV, The Dark Ones is an NA Paranormal Romance full of action and suspense. The writing style is free-flowing with magical characters living in a fantastical world. The passion between the main characters was tender and the emotional development that takes place between them is explored thoroughly as the plot unfolds. The supporting characters play a pivotal role in the series as they enhance the plot significantly with their magical powers and contribution to this world.
Overall, I highly recommend The Dark Ones to my Paranormal Romance reading friends. Rachel Van Dyken has an addictive writing style that flows naturally from one moment to the next. I am 100% invested in discovering each and every facet of this world! Cassius' story Untouchable Darkness is next and he is already loaded on my Kindle!!!!
***The Dark One's Saga***
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
October 22, 2017
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
Why has no one forced me to read this before?!? I honestly don't know why it took me so long to pick this up since I'm such a huge fan of RVD's but clearly I'm just crazy. This book had me gripping my Kindle and holding my breath until I could get all my answers, and I loved every second of it.
The story thrusts us right into the world of Paranormal beings and leaves readers grasping for clues as to what is actually going on. I loved that not everything was explained about the Dark Ones and all of the paranormal aspects of the story right away. It made the story so captivating to get these hints about everything. It wasn't done in a way that I felt lost, but rather it added a suspense feeling, which i really enjoyed.
Genesis and Ethan were the main focus of the story but there was also a lot going on around them involving other characters. Everything came together really well and I liked that other characters were such an instrumental part of this book. I still loved getting to watch Genesis and Ethan fight each other, though, and that was my favorite part of their relationship. Ethan was so scared to let himself feel again and watching that battle within his character made me love him even more than his intensity did.
Bottom line, don't make the same mistake I did and ignore this book, it's just too good for that!
Amazon US * Amazon UK
Why has no one forced me to read this before?!? I honestly don't know why it took me so long to pick this up since I'm such a huge fan of RVD's but clearly I'm just crazy. This book had me gripping my Kindle and holding my breath until I could get all my answers, and I loved every second of it.
The story thrusts us right into the world of Paranormal beings and leaves readers grasping for clues as to what is actually going on. I loved that not everything was explained about the Dark Ones and all of the paranormal aspects of the story right away. It made the story so captivating to get these hints about everything. It wasn't done in a way that I felt lost, but rather it added a suspense feeling, which i really enjoyed.
Genesis and Ethan were the main focus of the story but there was also a lot going on around them involving other characters. Everything came together really well and I liked that other characters were such an instrumental part of this book. I still loved getting to watch Genesis and Ethan fight each other, though, and that was my favorite part of their relationship. Ethan was so scared to let himself feel again and watching that battle within his character made me love him even more than his intensity did.
Bottom line, don't make the same mistake I did and ignore this book, it's just too good for that!
November 11, 2017
This was surprisingly enjoyable. I really didn't expect much, so it was like that gift that is wrapped in a trash bag at Christmas and you're thinking you're getting a 6-pack and a lottery ticket, only to open it and find a great pair of earrings and matching necklace.
I see a diamond in Evan's near-future!
The world here is pretty fun. There are immortals who live in the world alongside humans. The ones we are exposed to in this book are vampires, werewolves, sirens, archangels, and "dark ones" who are archangelish. So, yay variety!
Look, I know it's not funny, but they're donuts!! DOUGHNUTS!! (I've been on a diet for 3 weeks now. I would KILL for a doughnut. I couldn't look away. Sorry)
The humans, on the other hand, are kind of pathetic. They exist solely to serve the immortals if they are called into service. And, although it is rare that they are called, they are schooled from birth on how to best serve them. Our heroine, Genesis, is called. She's scared shitless because she knows that if she makes one wrong move, the immortals will simply kill her and call another.
The next human will have to dispose of it properly. If they're lucky...
Genesis is brought before a panel of immortals so they can decide who claims her. It is a fight between a vampire and a "dark one", and the vamp wins. But the Dark One is a poor sport, so he intends to steal her away. And, it's on!
Epic battle time.
Personally, I liked the Siren, Alex, the best. He was hilarious and I hope he gets his own book in this series. My second favorite was the werewolf, Mason. He was adorable and sweet. The vampire, Ethan, was third on my list. A little too broody for my taste, but then vampires are supposed to be broody I guess. They always seem to be, anyway, so it must be a requirement. And, Ethan had his charm too.
Aww, poor baby vampires have to live forever with perfect health and looks. Let's give them something.
Our group of immortals live in a house together and they have their quirks that make them pretty lovable. One such quirk is that they have never seen The Lion King. Genesis rectifies this problem.
And that's how I ended up spending my evening between a vampire and a werewolf, eating steak and watching a Disney movie while they argued over the animal kingdom, not to mention the lion's choice in song.
That sounds like a fun evening to me. Here I am, like a chump, watching Disney movies with my kids while eating celery. Some people really know how to live.
*sigh* I miss m&m's.
This book was a fun and charming paranormal romance. I loved the world and the characters and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
I see a diamond in Evan's near-future!
The world here is pretty fun. There are immortals who live in the world alongside humans. The ones we are exposed to in this book are vampires, werewolves, sirens, archangels, and "dark ones" who are archangelish. So, yay variety!
Look, I know it's not funny, but they're donuts!! DOUGHNUTS!! (I've been on a diet for 3 weeks now. I would KILL for a doughnut. I couldn't look away. Sorry)
The humans, on the other hand, are kind of pathetic. They exist solely to serve the immortals if they are called into service. And, although it is rare that they are called, they are schooled from birth on how to best serve them. Our heroine, Genesis, is called. She's scared shitless because she knows that if she makes one wrong move, the immortals will simply kill her and call another.
The next human will have to dispose of it properly. If they're lucky...
Genesis is brought before a panel of immortals so they can decide who claims her. It is a fight between a vampire and a "dark one", and the vamp wins. But the Dark One is a poor sport, so he intends to steal her away. And, it's on!
Epic battle time.
Personally, I liked the Siren, Alex, the best. He was hilarious and I hope he gets his own book in this series. My second favorite was the werewolf, Mason. He was adorable and sweet. The vampire, Ethan, was third on my list. A little too broody for my taste, but then vampires are supposed to be broody I guess. They always seem to be, anyway, so it must be a requirement. And, Ethan had his charm too.
Aww, poor baby vampires have to live forever with perfect health and looks. Let's give them something.
Our group of immortals live in a house together and they have their quirks that make them pretty lovable. One such quirk is that they have never seen The Lion King. Genesis rectifies this problem.
And that's how I ended up spending my evening between a vampire and a werewolf, eating steak and watching a Disney movie while they argued over the animal kingdom, not to mention the lion's choice in song.
That sounds like a fun evening to me. Here I am, like a chump, watching Disney movies with my kids while eating celery. Some people really know how to live.
*sigh* I miss m&m's.
This book was a fun and charming paranormal romance. I loved the world and the characters and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
August 31, 2017
Buddy read with Nenia, Sarah, and Celestine!
*looks at book*
*looks at average rating*
*looks back at book*
I mean, this book reads like something the author just dashed off over the course of a couple nights without plotting anything beforehand. Like she literally just sat down at her computer with the intent to write a paranormal story, and then did it.
Without forethought.
Without any sort of consistency.
But with the definite intent to make every sentence its own paragraph.
The entire book was so random and read like she just made it up as she went along. Right until the very end new ideas and rules were thrown out there for no apparent reason. None of it made sense. None of it seemed remotely related to anything else. None of it served any sort of purpose except to up the word count, which is odd because the book was so short and a lot of it was filler.
Also, there was no worldbuilding whatsoever. None to explain why humans and immortals apparently coexist in the same world, and why a human's number might be called so they have to go to the immortals to teach them... or something. Except everything humans are taught in school about immortals is wrong. For some reason. Even though they all live together in the same world. Which is in Seattle, but you barely even know that because the city isn't described AT ALL. Hell, not even the house the characters live in is described. And aside from a brief physical description of each character when they're introduced in the second (or third?) chapter, they get nothing.
THERE WAS ZERO CONTEXT FOR THIS ENTIRE BOOK.
Genesis was one of those heroines who does nothing but blush, cry quietly, and be beautiful. She doesn't know she's beautiful, of course. In fact, her mom told her she was ugly her entire life because of some woman generations back who besmirched the family name. Because random dead relatives tarnishing the family name is totally a thing normal people care about in 2015.
Oh, and Genesis says "What?" a lot. Like it's seriously her favorite word.
Ethan is her mate, who's standoffish until two seconds later when he turns super possessive. The other immortals (a werewolf and two sirens) seem to exist only to act as relationship counselors and feed Genesis (because Ethan is such a shit mate he can't even stop groping her long enough to let her eat). They all act like teenagers, and I was genuinely confused at times whether I was reading YA or an adult romance. It was so juvenile. One second Genesis has no idea what's going on and the next she's joking with the immortals like they've always been best friends and she hasn't been taught to fear them her whole life.
Again, this book made no sense. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Oh wait, wrong book . In the beginning, Genesis's number is called and she goes to a... place. Where there are some immortals in a room. And they use their powers on her and then this other guy Cassius comes up and touches her. Then suddenly the other immortals take her away like there's some kind of race against time and bring her to their house so Cassius won't find her. I'm pretty sure he knows where they live though, and he seems to live in the same part of the city because he keeps casually showing up places, so that, again, makes no sense. Even though Cassius is clearly their enemy, he's not. He's their king. But he's also their friend and brother. And he's not the bad guy, this other guy is. Only the other guy is actually kind of... not bad? I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE.
I can't even give quotes because I might as well just link to the book. It's so bad. Great idea, poor execution.
*looks at book*
*looks at average rating*
*looks back at book*
I mean, this book reads like something the author just dashed off over the course of a couple nights without plotting anything beforehand. Like she literally just sat down at her computer with the intent to write a paranormal story, and then did it.
Without forethought.
Without any sort of consistency.
But with the definite intent to make every sentence its own paragraph.
The entire book was so random and read like she just made it up as she went along. Right until the very end new ideas and rules were thrown out there for no apparent reason. None of it made sense. None of it seemed remotely related to anything else. None of it served any sort of purpose except to up the word count, which is odd because the book was so short and a lot of it was filler.
Also, there was no worldbuilding whatsoever. None to explain why humans and immortals apparently coexist in the same world, and why a human's number might be called so they have to go to the immortals to teach them... or something. Except everything humans are taught in school about immortals is wrong. For some reason. Even though they all live together in the same world. Which is in Seattle, but you barely even know that because the city isn't described AT ALL. Hell, not even the house the characters live in is described. And aside from a brief physical description of each character when they're introduced in the second (or third?) chapter, they get nothing.
THERE WAS ZERO CONTEXT FOR THIS ENTIRE BOOK.
Genesis was one of those heroines who does nothing but blush, cry quietly, and be beautiful. She doesn't know she's beautiful, of course. In fact, her mom told her she was ugly her entire life because of some woman generations back who besmirched the family name. Because random dead relatives tarnishing the family name is totally a thing normal people care about in 2015.
Oh, and Genesis says "What?" a lot. Like it's seriously her favorite word.
Ethan is her mate, who's standoffish until two seconds later when he turns super possessive. The other immortals (a werewolf and two sirens) seem to exist only to act as relationship counselors and feed Genesis (because Ethan is such a shit mate he can't even stop groping her long enough to let her eat). They all act like teenagers, and I was genuinely confused at times whether I was reading YA or an adult romance. It was so juvenile. One second Genesis has no idea what's going on and the next she's joking with the immortals like they've always been best friends and she hasn't been taught to fear them her whole life.
Again, this book made no sense. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Oh wait, wrong book . In the beginning, Genesis's number is called and she goes to a... place. Where there are some immortals in a room. And they use their powers on her and then this other guy Cassius comes up and touches her. Then suddenly the other immortals take her away like there's some kind of race against time and bring her to their house so Cassius won't find her. I'm pretty sure he knows where they live though, and he seems to live in the same part of the city because he keeps casually showing up places, so that, again, makes no sense. Even though Cassius is clearly their enemy, he's not. He's their king. But he's also their friend and brother. And he's not the bad guy, this other guy is. Only the other guy is actually kind of... not bad? I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE.
I can't even give quotes because I might as well just link to the book. It's so bad. Great idea, poor execution.
March 20, 2016
The big, bad toughies are scared of…LOVE.
Well, now I get it. Rachel Van Dyken has been on my radar for a little while. I knew she wrote romance but I heard that she only wrote clean romance. There is nothing wrong with clean romance, but I like a bit of sizzle in my reads. When I mentioned to a few friends that I heard she was clean, the responses ranged from – LOL, Hmm…maybe there might be one or two that were clean, and lastly…her books have enough connection between the characters that you don’t need to see them in the bedroom. So…my interest was piqued and I put her to the test.
Firstly …where do I start? She has written A LOT. There were contemporary romance, historical romance and paranormal romance. I was in the mood for Paranormal so The Dark Ones was the first cab off the rank. Not a bad start to be honest.
Wow, The Dark Ones really packed a punch. I was sucked into this story from the beginning until the very end. Vampires, werewolves, sirens, demons, archangels and the dark ones, all come together and we see how they live with humans.
Genesis is human and has been groomed to serve the immortals. She knew all along that she could be called up to serve them and was under the impression that her role would involve teaching immortal children modern ways. Her grooming and teaching were mainly from her horrible mother who belittled her and made her feel ugly and useless. Imagine her surprise when she is called up to do her duty and finds out that everything she has learnt is a lie. She meets The Dark One who is the King of the Immortals and he takes a fancy to her almost immediately. NOT A GOOD THING AT ALL!! She also meets some of the Elder Immortals that know how much danger she’d be in if The Dark One, Cassius, actually claimed/marked her. They spirit her away and try to hide her from Cassius.
Ethan a vampire elder is attracted to Genesis and has to claim/mark/mate with her to get her out of Cassius’s clutches. With his friends, Mason (werewolf elder) and Alex and Stephanie (siren elders) they manage to protect her.
The mating of Ethan and Genesis isn’t smooth and loving. Ethan has a history that made him weary of mating and falling in love. Genesis because of her upbringing thinks his rejection is based on her ugliness and inferiority. Their journey together to find happiness was great and I liked seeing them face and conquer their obstacles together.
The Dark Ones is full of intrigue and mystery. I was interested to see how all the immortals live and work together. Their secrets must be kept, yet they live relatively normal lives. They work, shop, eat and drink like humans, but some of them need a little more to keep them in top form. While I was mostly interested in Ethan and Genesis, I couldn’t help but be intrigued with Cassius, Mason, Alex and Stephanie too.
There were some intimate scenes which definitely had just the right amount of heat to tick the right boxes for me and showed the connection between Ethan and Genesis. They were not overdone or hardcore, just the right amount of sexy to get my heart pumping.
Well now that I’ve finished my first Rachel Van Dyken, I can definitely say that it won’t be my last. Her writing style is smooth and easy to follow. I felt connected to the characters she created and I wanted to know more about the supporting ones. Rachel doesn’t write overly descriptive or too much inner-monologue which is a HUGE plus for me. It kept the pace and storyline consistent and interesting.
Next up, Untouchable Darkness and finding out how Cassius is dealing being…HUMAN!!
To buy The Dark Ones from Amazon - http://amzn.to/1XEoDhK
I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -
September 14, 2015
This is shaping up to be a great PNR series for me. Even though The world building is not that strong because I'm the kind of reader who prefer the author to paint the whole world clearly to me without feeling too much like info dumping. But once this story hit 30%, things really took off. I enjoyed the secret revelation and twist to the story.
Genesis is a human who was summoned by The Dark One, Cassius. All her life, she had been taught to be humble and ready to serve the immortals. But when she finally immerse into their world, she found out that what she had been wrong all along.
Ethan is a vampire and one of the Elder. Despite his reluctance to have another mate, he decided that in order to save Genesis from Cassius, he needs to mate with her. Ethan had a heartbreaking backstory with his previous mate, which make him not wanting to be with another human. He was quite a hothead and everyone tends to get on his nerve.
By the way, this is not a love triangle if you are reading into the blurb too much. However, there are some great supporting casts that I would like to read their books asap.
Alongside Ethan, we have Alex, a manwhore Siren who provide tons of comic relief, his sister, Stephanie and Mason, a vegetarian werewolf who had an obsession with feeding people. And of course, The Dark Ones, Cassius. He is part angel, part human, who is consider the King of Immortals. He is such a complex character that I was having a hard time understanding his motives and whether is he even good or bad.
As this is a PNR, with the power of mating, is bound to have some kind of insta-love, which in this case it doesn't bother me. The attraction and love between Genesis and Ethan is hard to me to determine whether is due to the mating or not and what do I care. I'm just happy for two of them. Seeing as we got some hint into Cassius's love story, I think his romance will have a better build up compare to Ethan.
However, everything is not just peachy and dandy with everyone. There is a problem with mates dying among the immortals and they are looking for a probably solution in Genesis. They think she might be the key to unlock the curse and restore the balance. We also have the archangel from the higher up trying to make things even more difficult for Ethan and Genesis. Can they be even more paranoid? What's up with all these test?
Overall, I think this is a pretty kickass first book for a series and Rachel already have me liking all her secondary characters. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Genesis is a human who was summoned by The Dark One, Cassius. All her life, she had been taught to be humble and ready to serve the immortals. But when she finally immerse into their world, she found out that what she had been wrong all along.
Ethan is a vampire and one of the Elder. Despite his reluctance to have another mate, he decided that in order to save Genesis from Cassius, he needs to mate with her. Ethan had a heartbreaking backstory with his previous mate, which make him not wanting to be with another human. He was quite a hothead and everyone tends to get on his nerve.
By the way, this is not a love triangle if you are reading into the blurb too much. However, there are some great supporting casts that I would like to read their books asap.
Alongside Ethan, we have Alex, a manwhore Siren who provide tons of comic relief, his sister, Stephanie and Mason, a vegetarian werewolf who had an obsession with feeding people. And of course, The Dark Ones, Cassius. He is part angel, part human, who is consider the King of Immortals. He is such a complex character that I was having a hard time understanding his motives and whether is he even good or bad.
As this is a PNR, with the power of mating, is bound to have some kind of insta-love, which in this case it doesn't bother me. The attraction and love between Genesis and Ethan is hard to me to determine whether is due to the mating or not and what do I care. I'm just happy for two of them. Seeing as we got some hint into Cassius's love story, I think his romance will have a better build up compare to Ethan.
However, everything is not just peachy and dandy with everyone. There is a problem with mates dying among the immortals and they are looking for a probably solution in Genesis. They think she might be the key to unlock the curse and restore the balance. We also have the archangel from the higher up trying to make things even more difficult for Ethan and Genesis. Can they be even more paranoid? What's up with all these test?
Overall, I think this is a pretty kickass first book for a series and Rachel already have me liking all her secondary characters. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
September 25, 2015
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
"She gave me her body. In return, I gave her my soul."
After reading that well known saga that dealt with vampires, werewolves, and a certain human, I never thought I would be reading another vampire paranormal romance. But when I heard that Rachel Van Dyken was going to be writing a paranormal romance, I knew I had to get my hands on this book. And OMG...RVD nailed it!!! Seriously, she didn't just give us just vampires, humans, and werewolves but she added every immortal beings you can think of from sirens, angels, archangels, and the dark ones.
The Dark Ones was more than just a typical paranormal romance. This book captured your attention right off the opening pages when you are introduced to a human named Genesis, whose number was called upon to serve the immortals. Genesis never thought she would be marked by not one just an immortal vampire named Ethan but also by a Dark One, a half human and half angel called Cassius. Now her life will never be the same once she begins her new life with the immortals.
When Ethan marked Genesis, his connection to her was so strong and intense. Literally, the bond was so strong as his bloods mixed along with Genesis. In this case, RVD does something differently with this book because she kept Genesis human. The reasoning for Genesis humanity to be kept intact will be further explained in the book when readers learn about the relationships of immortals and humans. The story of Ethan and Genesis is not just a typical romance story but a story built upon layers of the past, the future, and balances.
I really don't want to spoil this book because RVD completely surprised me with this book with all the twist and turns. A character that I wanted to dislike stole my heart at the end. And of course, RVD had two amazing secondary characters in Alex and Mason. All I got to say is go read The Dark Ones. This book had everything from romance, heartache, sacrifices, loss, sadness, laughter and banter. So if you are looking for a fresh, rousing, and enchanting paranormal romance that has everything then I highly recommend you to READ this book.
P.S.
Rachel please hurry up with Cassius book. I seriously can't wait for his story.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Rachel Van Dyken
"She gave me her body. In return, I gave her my soul."
After reading that well known saga that dealt with vampires, werewolves, and a certain human, I never thought I would be reading another vampire paranormal romance. But when I heard that Rachel Van Dyken was going to be writing a paranormal romance, I knew I had to get my hands on this book. And OMG...RVD nailed it!!! Seriously, she didn't just give us just vampires, humans, and werewolves but she added every immortal beings you can think of from sirens, angels, archangels, and the dark ones.
The Dark Ones was more than just a typical paranormal romance. This book captured your attention right off the opening pages when you are introduced to a human named Genesis, whose number was called upon to serve the immortals. Genesis never thought she would be marked by not one just an immortal vampire named Ethan but also by a Dark One, a half human and half angel called Cassius. Now her life will never be the same once she begins her new life with the immortals.
When Ethan marked Genesis, his connection to her was so strong and intense. Literally, the bond was so strong as his bloods mixed along with Genesis. In this case, RVD does something differently with this book because she kept Genesis human. The reasoning for Genesis humanity to be kept intact will be further explained in the book when readers learn about the relationships of immortals and humans. The story of Ethan and Genesis is not just a typical romance story but a story built upon layers of the past, the future, and balances.
I really don't want to spoil this book because RVD completely surprised me with this book with all the twist and turns. A character that I wanted to dislike stole my heart at the end. And of course, RVD had two amazing secondary characters in Alex and Mason. All I got to say is go read The Dark Ones. This book had everything from romance, heartache, sacrifices, loss, sadness, laughter and banter. So if you are looking for a fresh, rousing, and enchanting paranormal romance that has everything then I highly recommend you to READ this book.
P.S.
Rachel please hurry up with Cassius book. I seriously can't wait for his story.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Rachel Van Dyken
October 3, 2015
A first for me once again because this was my first paranormal romance novel and I didn't really know what to expect...but bottom line is that...
It was a little hard to keep up with all the characters: vampires...
...werewolves...
...archangels...
...sirens, demons, dark ones and much more...
I love Rachel Van Dyken and her writing style and that I think had a lot of influence in me liking this book. I finished it pretty fast because I couldn't put it down and had to see what was going to happen next.
You may wonder why only 4 stars?
Well that's because there where some parts I didn't know what to make of and that weren't quite believable but because where talking about fantasy here I chose to look past them and enjoy the book...which I did :D
Will I be reading more paranormal romance?
But for know I'm taking a break and going back to contemporary romance :P
July 24, 2024
A supernatural world where humans are kept in the dark!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 🙂🥰☺️😎
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Genesis - she is a human in a supernatural world. Humans are taught from the start to believe that they are ugly, and they are nothing to the supernaturals. They stay apart except for every now and then a number is called, and that human has to go in front of the immortals and be judged. If they are not immediately killed because they do something the immortal beings don’t like, then they are supposed to work for them the rest of their life. The humans are supposed to train the next generation on the ways of humans, the internet and other things.
The Hero: Ethan - he is a very old vampire, one of the elders. He once had a mate who died and does not want another. He joins together with the elder of the sirens, Alex and the werewolves elder, Mason against the Dark One, Cassius. The Dark Ones are half angel and half human and more powerful than any of the other immortals. Cassius is considered king of the immortals.
The Story: when Genesis’ number is called. She is terrified that she will be immediately killed. Though she has studied her entire life about all the types of immortals, what they need the humans for and knows what she is supposed to do in service to them, she is basically shaking in her boots. She is summoned by Cassius who thinks Genesis is part of a prophesy, so he starts to mark her as his. That is when Ethan, Alex and Mason come in and get an audience with the human. Ethan knows he needs to rescue Genesis from Cassius, so he demands that he get her. Cassius owes Ethan a favor, so has no choice but to give her to Ethan.
Ethan gets Genesis home and meets again with Alex and Mason. They know they have to cover the mark Cassius made with one of their own or Cassius will hunt her and be able to track her. When they try, they are unable to mark her. Ethan, who hadn’t wanted a mate, has to try to mark her and he does so he is now mate to Genesis. Meanwhile Genesis is reeling from the fact that everything she knew about immortals and what humans were to them was a huge lie.
This was quite a new take on a supernatural story. I liked the fact that there are different types of immortals and different characters in this book that were funny and interesting. I also liked the two main characters quite a bit and the whole plot about Cassius wanting Genesis. The next few books are about the other immortal characters in this one, so I enjoyed getting to know them in this one.
There was some of the book that seemed to be disjointed or not fully fleshed out and some parts were a bit confusing, but overall, I liked the story. I did, however, fall asleep a few times while listening to this one and had to keep backing up the audiobook. I don’t know if that says I was just very tired or if it says something about this story. I generally don’t fall asleep while listening to audiobooks even if I am laying down.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Chris Chambers and Hollie Jackson. I have listened to a lot of books narrated by Hollie Jackson and I like her, though she sounds a bit old for this heroine. Chris Chambers also does a good job and I like his voice.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 🙂🥰☺️😎
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Genesis - she is a human in a supernatural world. Humans are taught from the start to believe that they are ugly, and they are nothing to the supernaturals. They stay apart except for every now and then a number is called, and that human has to go in front of the immortals and be judged. If they are not immediately killed because they do something the immortal beings don’t like, then they are supposed to work for them the rest of their life. The humans are supposed to train the next generation on the ways of humans, the internet and other things.
The Hero: Ethan - he is a very old vampire, one of the elders. He once had a mate who died and does not want another. He joins together with the elder of the sirens, Alex and the werewolves elder, Mason against the Dark One, Cassius. The Dark Ones are half angel and half human and more powerful than any of the other immortals. Cassius is considered king of the immortals.
The Story: when Genesis’ number is called. She is terrified that she will be immediately killed. Though she has studied her entire life about all the types of immortals, what they need the humans for and knows what she is supposed to do in service to them, she is basically shaking in her boots. She is summoned by Cassius who thinks Genesis is part of a prophesy, so he starts to mark her as his. That is when Ethan, Alex and Mason come in and get an audience with the human. Ethan knows he needs to rescue Genesis from Cassius, so he demands that he get her. Cassius owes Ethan a favor, so has no choice but to give her to Ethan.
Ethan gets Genesis home and meets again with Alex and Mason. They know they have to cover the mark Cassius made with one of their own or Cassius will hunt her and be able to track her. When they try, they are unable to mark her. Ethan, who hadn’t wanted a mate, has to try to mark her and he does so he is now mate to Genesis. Meanwhile Genesis is reeling from the fact that everything she knew about immortals and what humans were to them was a huge lie.
This was quite a new take on a supernatural story. I liked the fact that there are different types of immortals and different characters in this book that were funny and interesting. I also liked the two main characters quite a bit and the whole plot about Cassius wanting Genesis. The next few books are about the other immortal characters in this one, so I enjoyed getting to know them in this one.
There was some of the book that seemed to be disjointed or not fully fleshed out and some parts were a bit confusing, but overall, I liked the story. I did, however, fall asleep a few times while listening to this one and had to keep backing up the audiobook. I don’t know if that says I was just very tired or if it says something about this story. I generally don’t fall asleep while listening to audiobooks even if I am laying down.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Chris Chambers and Hollie Jackson. I have listened to a lot of books narrated by Hollie Jackson and I like her, though she sounds a bit old for this heroine. Chris Chambers also does a good job and I like his voice.
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December 25, 2019
I'm gonna say it... I was
extremely
confused for a lot of this story. It was at once complex and simple. There were times where I felt I was being led somewhere and yet the thought or action wasn't completed. I was left dangling, hoping for just a little more. When I finally got a good idea of what it was I was actually reading, I was glad to be both entertained and intrigued. Even though I was confused, I enjoyed reading about the journey Genesis went through, her transition from obtuse female protagonist to understanding heroine. Ethan grabbed my attention from the start and watching his every move, his every word, his every thought was a freaking thrill. I only wish the chemistry between the two main characters ran a bit hotter than illustrated. I don't get why adult authors who write adult books for adults are so terrified of writing about a truly scorching connection between their characters.
Give me heat!!
I've read quite a few books by RVD, but this one was far different from anything I've read before. I love when authors write in different genres. It gives me the chance to see how they speak in another voice, how adaptable they are to different scenery, how their writing can transcend me in a multitude of ways. In my humble opinion, with The Dark Ones, RVD tempted me just enough to see how the rest of this series measures up.
I've read quite a few books by RVD, but this one was far different from anything I've read before. I love when authors write in different genres. It gives me the chance to see how they speak in another voice, how adaptable they are to different scenery, how their writing can transcend me in a multitude of ways. In my humble opinion, with The Dark Ones, RVD tempted me just enough to see how the rest of this series measures up.
February 9, 2019
This was a good read. Went by really fast. Not a whole lot of content but enuf mystery to keep me interested. Was expecting some hot sex (see very yummy torso on over), wasn’t too much of that. Kinda tame. But interesting plot kept me going. Might read the next one.
Update: bought the next one. It's a tough sell tho, I hope it lives up to expectations. It's starting off from a hole tho cuz I disliked the h of book 2 in book 1. SELFISH!!! She endangered the heroine of this book to "get her guy" as if he's a piece of meat to acquire (wouldn't that be nice in real life if we could do that, but she's a h in a romance novel and that behavior doesn't cut it!)
We shall see how this goes...
Update: bought the next one. It's a tough sell tho, I hope it lives up to expectations. It's starting off from a hole tho cuz I disliked the h of book 2 in book 1. SELFISH!!! She endangered the heroine of this book to "get her guy" as if he's a piece of meat to acquire (wouldn't that be nice in real life if we could do that, but she's a h in a romance novel and that behavior doesn't cut it!)
We shall see how this goes...
February 10, 2017
I Loved this! Why did I not know it even existed? Seriously, I devoured it in one sitting and could get lost in this Dark world for days! RVD had renewed my Paranormal fire!
September 22, 2015
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I thought I’d never read a book with vampires in it ever again. I was wrong. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS ONE! The romance was so freaking good, ahhh all the feeeels!!!! I know I know, it was too soon bla bla bla, but I never complain about that happening. I LOVE love. I can’t explain the feeling this book gave me. It brought me back to those feelings I got when I discovered paranormal books in high school.
Genesis has been training all her life to serve the dark ones. She was supposed to teach their children how to use technology. Kind of like a high class baby sitter. There was always a possibility that her number would be called, but she never really expected it to happen to her. When her number was called, everything she thought she knew was a lie. The immortals didn’t need her to teach their children anything about technology. They needed her for something else.
Genesis has been marked by the dark one, Cassius. Ethan then whisks her away and marks her in order to save her. Ethan hasn’t bonded with anyone in a long long time. Some painful events kept him from wanting to get too close to anyone else. He tried so hard not to care about Genesis, but he just couldn’t help himself. She was entirely lovable!
This book is very fast paced. I wanted to slow down while reading it. I never wanted it to end. It was just soooo good! That sneak peek at the end for the next book slayed me. It’s going to be torture waiting for it to come out. I may cry.
BLOG POST
I thought I’d never read a book with vampires in it ever again. I was wrong. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS ONE! The romance was so freaking good, ahhh all the feeeels!!!! I know I know, it was too soon bla bla bla, but I never complain about that happening. I LOVE love. I can’t explain the feeling this book gave me. It brought me back to those feelings I got when I discovered paranormal books in high school.
Genesis has been training all her life to serve the dark ones. She was supposed to teach their children how to use technology. Kind of like a high class baby sitter. There was always a possibility that her number would be called, but she never really expected it to happen to her. When her number was called, everything she thought she knew was a lie. The immortals didn’t need her to teach their children anything about technology. They needed her for something else.
Genesis has been marked by the dark one, Cassius. Ethan then whisks her away and marks her in order to save her. Ethan hasn’t bonded with anyone in a long long time. Some painful events kept him from wanting to get too close to anyone else. He tried so hard not to care about Genesis, but he just couldn’t help himself. She was entirely lovable!
This book is very fast paced. I wanted to slow down while reading it. I never wanted it to end. It was just soooo good! That sneak peek at the end for the next book slayed me. It’s going to be torture waiting for it to come out. I may cry.
BLOG POST
February 24, 2018
I was long overdue for a paranormal romance!!!
The Dark Ones is the first installment in Rachel Van Dyken's paranormal romance (PNR) series titled: The Dark Ones Saga. The author has created a fascinating world featuring humans, vampires, werewolves, sirens, angels, and other immortals. In a sea of PNR novels that start to bleed together after awhile, you likely haven't read this story before. It's fast-paced, fun, incredibly sexy, features suspenseful and emotional conflict, and ends with an epic teaser for the next installment which makes the entire saga difficult to put down. Oh, and lucky, lucky you! Each book in this collection can be read as a standalone. They interconnect with each other in the same paranormal world but each story features a different romance. You can safely start with whichever one strikes your fancy...or you can start with this first one and go in order. Whatever you decide, just start!
My favorite quote:
“Sometimes it's best ... To love for a moment than to never experience it.”
The Dark Ones is the first installment in Rachel Van Dyken's paranormal romance (PNR) series titled: The Dark Ones Saga. The author has created a fascinating world featuring humans, vampires, werewolves, sirens, angels, and other immortals. In a sea of PNR novels that start to bleed together after awhile, you likely haven't read this story before. It's fast-paced, fun, incredibly sexy, features suspenseful and emotional conflict, and ends with an epic teaser for the next installment which makes the entire saga difficult to put down. Oh, and lucky, lucky you! Each book in this collection can be read as a standalone. They interconnect with each other in the same paranormal world but each story features a different romance. You can safely start with whichever one strikes your fancy...or you can start with this first one and go in order. Whatever you decide, just start!
My favorite quote:
“Sometimes it's best ... To love for a moment than to never experience it.”
May 12, 2017
Rate: 4/3-3.5 stars.
February 5, 2017
3.5 stars.
Some notes:
1. If the Dark Ones are good and bad, why do some seem bad?
2. At the end, why would Cassius have to die if he failed to get Stephanie to love him? Why wouldn't he just lose his immortal glow? (That would be more logical),
3. The book was action packed, but the speed was both its strength and weakness for there was more lust than love.
Good fast light read.
Some notes:
1. If the Dark Ones are good and bad, why do some seem bad?
2. At the end, why would Cassius have to die if he failed to get Stephanie to love him? Why wouldn't he just lose his immortal glow? (That would be more logical),
3. The book was action packed, but the speed was both its strength and weakness for there was more lust than love.
Good fast light read.
May 19, 2023
4.5 stars
Loved it. This was a slightly different take on the whole vampire genre. Throw in some angels, werewolfs and sirens, it had me hooked from the start. Yes it was a bit predictable but who cares.
Now I hope we get all their books!
Loved it. This was a slightly different take on the whole vampire genre. Throw in some angels, werewolfs and sirens, it had me hooked from the start. Yes it was a bit predictable but who cares.
Now I hope we get all their books!
Want to read
December 9, 2022FREE on Amazon today (10/28/2017)!
March 13, 2018
GAH!
I started this book at 9 Pm last night, thinking, once again, that I would just drift asleep.
Nope.
Not even close.
I really loved this one. I love all of Rachel's books, but this had my heart bursting with Ethan and Genesis. I'm so excited for more books in this series!
I started this book at 9 Pm last night, thinking, once again, that I would just drift asleep.
Nope.
Not even close.
I really loved this one. I love all of Rachel's books, but this had my heart bursting with Ethan and Genesis. I'm so excited for more books in this series!
December 4, 2017
Buddy read with buddies from Unapologetic Romance Readers Group,
Celestine
,
Heather
, and
Nenia
.
Read for the URR 2017 New Year's Reading Challenge prompt 'Vampire Romance'
How on Earth does this book have a four star average?!? Does no one else care that this book makes no sense? It's like Van Dyken attempts world building in a few scenes, but then gets bored and tosses all that stupid logic stuff out the window in favour of faux 'poetic' lines like
'...like he knew the future before the present had even happened.' (page 45)
and the addition of plot twists and an almost love triangle. To start with I thought it was going to be some kind of crazy love quintet, but then two of the guys turned into friends despite their amazing hotness and one of them being an irresistible male siren and we were left with the more 'simple' love triangle.
The original idea was reasonable and could have been a solid three, but the execution was so sloppy and haphazard that it's just barely managed to make it to a two instead of one (the editing wasn't bad enough for me to be quite as tough as that). Clearly absolutely no planning went into the plot, otherwise I wouldn't have been left asking questions like "Why are the Dark Ones considered to be the strongest? Why must blood always be shed for balance? Why was it up to Genesis to decide between Cassius or Ethan? Why was becoming the mate of an immortal so much harder, and more deadly, for men than women? Why do immortals instantly feel the need to bond with their human mates, but the same doesn't happen for the humans unless they are in love with the immortal?
Maybe I should have been expecting a below par book when I had trouble with the opening sentence
"I was never one to be accused of being patient." *shakes head and sighs in resignation at authors who don't understand the meaning of words before they decide to employ them in their books*
Another thing that bothered me was finding that the final 10% of the book turned out to be advertising for other Van Dyken books.
When I first finished this I considered looking for the second book in the series, but after reading a couple negative reviews of Untouchable Darkness it doesn't look like the problems I've had with this one are in any way resolved in the next book and I'm not one for masochistic reading (well, not much anyway). So many reviewers talk about Van Dyken's skills with other romance subgenres, so I won't write her off completely. If I happen to come across one of her contemporary romances I would be willing to give it a go, but don't hold your breath.
Read for the URR 2017 New Year's Reading Challenge prompt 'Vampire Romance'
How on Earth does this book have a four star average?!? Does no one else care that this book makes no sense? It's like Van Dyken attempts world building in a few scenes, but then gets bored and tosses all that stupid logic stuff out the window in favour of faux 'poetic' lines like
'...like he knew the future before the present had even happened.' (page 45)
and the addition of plot twists and an almost love triangle. To start with I thought it was going to be some kind of crazy love quintet, but then two of the guys turned into friends despite their amazing hotness and one of them being an irresistible male siren and we were left with the more 'simple' love triangle.
The original idea was reasonable and could have been a solid three, but the execution was so sloppy and haphazard that it's just barely managed to make it to a two instead of one (the editing wasn't bad enough for me to be quite as tough as that). Clearly absolutely no planning went into the plot, otherwise I wouldn't have been left asking questions like "Why are the Dark Ones considered to be the strongest? Why must blood always be shed for balance? Why was it up to Genesis to decide between Cassius or Ethan? Why was becoming the mate of an immortal so much harder, and more deadly, for men than women? Why do immortals instantly feel the need to bond with their human mates, but the same doesn't happen for the humans unless they are in love with the immortal?
Maybe I should have been expecting a below par book when I had trouble with the opening sentence
"I was never one to be accused of being patient." *shakes head and sighs in resignation at authors who don't understand the meaning of words before they decide to employ them in their books*
Another thing that bothered me was finding that the final 10% of the book turned out to be advertising for other Van Dyken books.
When I first finished this I considered looking for the second book in the series, but after reading a couple negative reviews of Untouchable Darkness it doesn't look like the problems I've had with this one are in any way resolved in the next book and I'm not one for masochistic reading (well, not much anyway). So many reviewers talk about Van Dyken's skills with other romance subgenres, so I won't write her off completely. If I happen to come across one of her contemporary romances I would be willing to give it a go, but don't hold your breath.
September 22, 2015
I really wanted to love this one, but I just couldn't connect with the MCs. I wasn't convinced of the "love" that they felt for each other.
I did like the premise a lot though, but the storyline felt a bit too complicated than it should have been. Maybe it's just me, but overall, it didn't flow smoothly.
I did like the premise a lot though, but the storyline felt a bit too complicated than it should have been. Maybe it's just me, but overall, it didn't flow smoothly.
November 9, 2020
The Dark Ones is a guilty-pleasure for me. Mind you, it's by no means a perfect book... far from it in fact. But I had a lot of fun with this one!
The first time I tried to read this book, I found it hard to get into the storyline because there were so many different characters (try being a teacher that has to mark a million essays, ok? don't judge me). I ended up putting the book down and forgetting about it until months later. I'm glad I decided to pick up this book again!
Genesis was an interesting character. Having quite an unusual childhood (she's basically groomed to serve immortals) coupled with her mum's incessant verbal abuse, she starts off as a timid heroine but flourishes into a loyal and capable woman. The hero, Ethan, is the vampire who marks Genesis to save her from the Dark One. Even though their relationship started off more insta-lust, it wasn't like that for very long. There was an emphasis on how pure love mattered (insert romantic sigh here). The development of their romance and the way they were able to bare their past to each other was very cute and I loved every moment of it.
I really liked the supporting characters too. Everyone had personality but most of all, they were believable. I generally find it hard to get into paranormal romances because characters are often reduced to their stereotypical caricatures. And don't get me wrong, there is some of that here but the author was able to really bring these characters to life in a way that made me care for them. Mason was, without a doubt, my favorite. He's such a sweetheart . I'm so intrigued by his story and can't wait to read his book.
Like many have mentioned, this book does lack description and a good plot foundation. It seemed very wishy-washy at parts and we sort of just learn things as we go. I basically know nothing about the society that exists outside of these main characters. The character titles also don't make much sense (like, is Cassius a king or not...?).
All in all, despite its shortcomings, I really liked this book. Like I said earlier, The Dark Ones is a guilty-pleasure for me, the writing isn't great but hey, this one just does it for me! I'm tempted to bump up my rating but for now, I'll leave it as is.
Rating: 4/5
The first time I tried to read this book, I found it hard to get into the storyline because there were so many different characters (try being a teacher that has to mark a million essays, ok? don't judge me). I ended up putting the book down and forgetting about it until months later. I'm glad I decided to pick up this book again!
Genesis was an interesting character. Having quite an unusual childhood (she's basically groomed to serve immortals) coupled with her mum's incessant verbal abuse, she starts off as a timid heroine but flourishes into a loyal and capable woman. The hero, Ethan, is the vampire who marks Genesis to save her from the Dark One. Even though their relationship started off more insta-lust, it wasn't like that for very long. There was an emphasis on how pure love mattered (insert romantic sigh here). The development of their romance and the way they were able to bare their past to each other was very cute and I loved every moment of it.
I really liked the supporting characters too. Everyone had personality but most of all, they were believable. I generally find it hard to get into paranormal romances because characters are often reduced to their stereotypical caricatures. And don't get me wrong, there is some of that here but the author was able to really bring these characters to life in a way that made me care for them. Mason was, without a doubt, my favorite. He's such a sweetheart . I'm so intrigued by his story and can't wait to read his book.
Like many have mentioned, this book does lack description and a good plot foundation. It seemed very wishy-washy at parts and we sort of just learn things as we go. I basically know nothing about the society that exists outside of these main characters. The character titles also don't make much sense (like, is Cassius a king or not...?).
All in all, despite its shortcomings, I really liked this book. Like I said earlier, The Dark Ones is a guilty-pleasure for me, the writing isn't great but hey, this one just does it for me! I'm tempted to bump up my rating but for now, I'll leave it as is.
Rating: 4/5
January 14, 2019
3 "So much potential." Stars.
So... I wanted to love this one. I really did. It has so much potential! The plot is interesting, the characters are interesting, the paranormal beings have interesting abilities. The problem is it all fell just short of its potential. There wasn't enough information or character development. And when the heck did Genesis and Ethan fall in love enough to pass any kind of ultimate test? Seriously when? I missed it.
I'm glad I gave it a go, but I don't think I'll continue with the series. Kind of a shame because the next couple had a nice set up in this one. It sounds quite interesting.
Word Of The Day: Interesting 😊
Happy reading!
So... I wanted to love this one. I really did. It has so much potential! The plot is interesting, the characters are interesting, the paranormal beings have interesting abilities. The problem is it all fell just short of its potential. There wasn't enough information or character development. And when the heck did Genesis and Ethan fall in love enough to pass any kind of ultimate test? Seriously when? I missed it.
I'm glad I gave it a go, but I don't think I'll continue with the series. Kind of a shame because the next couple had a nice set up in this one. It sounds quite interesting.
Word Of The Day: Interesting 😊
Happy reading!
January 4, 2018
3.5*
This author's been sitting on my Kindle for years. I went in blind, without even reading a blurb, and I was pleasantly surprised by how effortless I fell into it.
The story itself was quite interesting; the mix of paranormal beings, fated love, friendship, a few twists. Lots of possessive and protectiveasshole alphas. It lacked depth, but what I missed the most was the world building. 90% of the story happens in the house. It wasn't even detailed. Basically I imagined nothing when it came to scenery. And believe me when I say I have plenty of imagination.
Overall it was an etertaining, light read and I might even continue with this series in the future. I'll defitinely try some other books by this author.
This author's been sitting on my Kindle for years. I went in blind, without even reading a blurb, and I was pleasantly surprised by how effortless I fell into it.
The story itself was quite interesting; the mix of paranormal beings, fated love, friendship, a few twists. Lots of possessive and protective
Overall it was an etertaining, light read and I might even continue with this series in the future. I'll defitinely try some other books by this author.
October 17, 2019
I was quite impressed with this read. The plot was fast paced and I really enjoyed the characters. My only complaint is that I felt the connection between the hero and heroine was a bit too instantaneous. They just seemed to fall in love too easily, and yet, I never got a full grasp of their relationship, bond or connection. They barely had any time to get to know one another before they were professing their undying love and devotion to one another. It was still an enjoyable read and I will definitely continue this series and check out some of this writers other work.
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September 1, 2017DNF at 26%. This was a Clean Out the Kindle Buddy Read with Sarah, Nenia and Heather from the Unapologetic Romance Readers group. So far it ranked one star, two stars and my stellar DNF. But I am sticking with my policy and not ranking or reviewing a DNF.
Book source: Amazon freebie.
Book source: Amazon freebie.
August 4, 2016
Omg so good! I love paranormal and Rachel knocked it out of the park. I am OBSESSED with these characters and want more!!!!
November 1, 2023
I see why this book is free... What I don't see, is how ANYONE would pay $5 for any of the books that follow this one in this series...🤨
Now, let me be fair.. every book I've attempted to read in this genre hasn't been great. Some better than others, but for the most part none of them were ever able to hit the mark for me.. Writing about Angels must be a difficult interprise to take on.. It seems it's made even more difficult when an Author tries to pair them alongside other Immortal beings. As this Author attempted to do here..
The concept in Theory is stellar.. Even the characters were interesting to an extent.. But the execution of all of this was just done horribly.. From the plights, to the reasonings, this did not make sense. It was all over the place. Almost like this book was just the rough draft of the actual story. It was not structured well at all.. It lacked focus.. So everything came out in the wash as mangled. Twisted like a pretzel 🥨.. Which in turn had my brain feeling the same way. I'm honestly surprised that I did not DNF this book..
So that's why I gave it 2 ✨..
Also, the grammar here was horrible.. it drove me nuts reading these characters talking in the present tense, yet their words were spoken/typed in the past tense.🥴🥴
Simply put, an Editor is needed badly for this 1st book. And FOCUS 🧐 of the plot should be the name of the game here. And a major grammar reboot will help matters tremendously..
So, I really can't say that I would recommend this one to anyone..
Sure that you've all figured out that I will not be returning for book two.
Now, let me be fair.. every book I've attempted to read in this genre hasn't been great. Some better than others, but for the most part none of them were ever able to hit the mark for me.. Writing about Angels must be a difficult interprise to take on.. It seems it's made even more difficult when an Author tries to pair them alongside other Immortal beings. As this Author attempted to do here..
The concept in Theory is stellar.. Even the characters were interesting to an extent.. But the execution of all of this was just done horribly.. From the plights, to the reasonings, this did not make sense. It was all over the place. Almost like this book was just the rough draft of the actual story. It was not structured well at all.. It lacked focus.. So everything came out in the wash as mangled. Twisted like a pretzel 🥨.. Which in turn had my brain feeling the same way. I'm honestly surprised that I did not DNF this book..
So that's why I gave it 2 ✨..
Also, the grammar here was horrible.. it drove me nuts reading these characters talking in the present tense, yet their words were spoken/typed in the past tense.🥴🥴
Simply put, an Editor is needed badly for this 1st book. And FOCUS 🧐 of the plot should be the name of the game here. And a major grammar reboot will help matters tremendously..
So, I really can't say that I would recommend this one to anyone..
Sure that you've all figured out that I will not be returning for book two.
November 8, 2017
Genesis and Ethan
When Genesis number is called, she enters the presence of a Dark One, a vampire, a werewolf, and a male and a female siren, Is Genesis the one human who will fulfill prophecy? This is the question that she and the immortals want to know the answer to.
Ethan is the vampire. He marks Genesis to keep her from the Dark One. What Ethan and Genesis discover is they are mates. Because they are mates, Ethan can protect her except when she sleeps. Then the Dark One can invade Genesis' dreams and tempt her away from Ethan. Is Genesis' love strong enough to resist the Dark One's temptation, his test?
It was probably my expectations, but the beginning of this novel was a bit confusing to me. Once I got the format down, the pace sped up to a nice speed. The pages flew past quickly. The main characters were developed but I wish I knew more of their backgrounds. The secondary characters are a delight and I can see future novels for each of them. The plot is simple but full of conflict. There are steamy love scenes in this novel. I look forward to future books.
When Genesis number is called, she enters the presence of a Dark One, a vampire, a werewolf, and a male and a female siren, Is Genesis the one human who will fulfill prophecy? This is the question that she and the immortals want to know the answer to.
Ethan is the vampire. He marks Genesis to keep her from the Dark One. What Ethan and Genesis discover is they are mates. Because they are mates, Ethan can protect her except when she sleeps. Then the Dark One can invade Genesis' dreams and tempt her away from Ethan. Is Genesis' love strong enough to resist the Dark One's temptation, his test?
It was probably my expectations, but the beginning of this novel was a bit confusing to me. Once I got the format down, the pace sped up to a nice speed. The pages flew past quickly. The main characters were developed but I wish I knew more of their backgrounds. The secondary characters are a delight and I can see future novels for each of them. The plot is simple but full of conflict. There are steamy love scenes in this novel. I look forward to future books.
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