Drawn Into Darkness

Soul Gatherer #1

by Annette McCleave

Serving a five-hundred-year sentence as a Soul Gatherer-one who battles demons for the souls of the dead-Lachlan MacGregor keeps his distance from humans. That is, until the lovely Rachel Lewis knocks on his door, begging for help.

As they struggle to rescue her daughter from the clutches of a powerful demon, Lachlan finds himself increasingly drawn to the artistic single mother. But when Death assigns him an unbearable task, he's left wondering who will provide more for his soul.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Demons, Fantasy, Angels, Urban Fantasy

332 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 29, 2009

About the author

Annette McCleave is an RWA® Golden Heart winner for Best Paranormal Romance and a Golden Heart finalist in Historical Romance. She has published three paranormal romances with NAL Signet Eclipse and several stories on her own.

Reviews

[♡ Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lachlan McGregor ist ein Seelenwächter und hat von der Herrin des Todes den Auftrag bekommen, auf die 14-jährige Emily aufzupassen. Das ist aber gar nicht so einfach, da Emily sich mit Lachlans größtem Feind – dem Dämon Drusus – eingelassen hat. Außerdem ist da noch Emilys Mutter Rachel, von der Lachlan sich magisch angezogen fühlt…

Leider muss ich sagen, dass mich dieses Buch sehr gelangweilt hat, und somit habe ich das Buch auf Seite 150 abgebrochen. Bereits vorher war ich zweimal sehr versucht, das Buch wegzulegen, aber ich wollte ihm doch noch eine Chance geben.
Der Schreibstil ist auch wirklich völlig in Ordnung, und es gab sogar Passagen, die interessant und gut waren. So konnte ich mich zum Beispiel in Rachel gut hineinversetzen, die sich um ihre rebellische Tochter sorgt.
Aber die meisten Seiten fand ich einfach nur öde, und ich musste aufpassen, dass meine Gedanken beim Buch blieben und nicht abschweiften.
Die Freude, die ich normalerweise verspüre, wenn ich lese, wollte sich hier einfach nicht einstellen, und letztendlich habe ich es als für mich verschwendete Zeit gesehen, dieses Buch zu lesen.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4 ½ stars – Paranormal Romance

Drawn Into Darkness is a fascinating debut read in an inventive, unique new PNR series about modern day Soul Gatherers charged with battling demons for the souls of the dead. Author Annette McCleave has created an imaginative world where angels and demons are fighting a war for possession over the souls of the dead, with Soul Gatherers mastered by the goddess of Death, caught in the middle, and the power is starting to shift in favor of the dark side.

Former Scottish Highland knight Lachlan MacGregor still has 91 years left on his five-hundred-year sentence to atone for his past sins by serving as a Soul Gatherer for the goddess of Death. He’s lived a solitary existence for the past 400 years, maintaining limited distance from human contact, which has enabled him to become one of the most powerful, supernatural warriors and successful Soul Gatherers of all time.

Now posing as a priest in San Jose, Lachlan’s tasked with protecting a 14-year-old Goth teenage girl named Emily Lewis who appears to be an integral player in the war between good and evil and who’s being lured by a powerful demon named Drusus, who also has ties to Lachlan’s painful past. When his neighbor, the lovely, lonely divorced artist Rachel Lewis, begs Lachlan to help save her daughter Emily, can he keep his distance and avoid having his personal feelings interfere with his penance and duty to Death, or will Rachel shatter his self-control and bring the fierce warrior to his knees?

Even though the premise of the series was a bit complex at times, I still found myself absorbed in the story. Lachlan is an angst-laden, hunky, sword-wielding immortal warrior with a sexy Scottish accent who kicks some major demon ass to prevent them from stealing the souls of the dead. He’s a very appealing hero, he and Rachel have combustible chemistry and sweet, sexy romance, and there are a couple of smokin’ hot love scenes.

This series spins a fresh, interesting twist on good versus evil, angels battling demons, and heaven and hell, and the characters were all intriguing. I’m curious to see where the series goes from here, and I’ll definitely check out the second book, Bound By Darkness when it comes out in May’2010. 4-4 ½ stars!

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Totally original with a strong, admirable heroine and a HAWT tortured hero. Delicious.

[Kathi · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Gefährlich wie ein Engel" ist der erste Teil einer Reihe von Annette McCleave. Zum Inhalt werde ich hier nur sehr wenig schreiben, es ist besser, wenn man beim Lesen noch einige Überraschungsmomente hat.

Seelenwächter kommen weder in den Himmel, noch in die Hölle. Sie können sich aber einen Platz im Himmel verdienen. Die Wächter müssen sich gegen Dämonen behaupten. Lachlan MagGregor muss noch 90 Jahre als Seelenwächter dienen. Eines Tages bekommt er den Auftrag, nicht nur die Seelen Verstorbener zu schützen, sondern auch ein lebendiges Mädchen namens Emily, das bei ihrer Mutter Rachel wohnt. Lachlan hat eine sehr bewegende Vergangenheit, von der der Leser Stück für Stück Neues erfährt.

Das Buch ist teilweise ziemlich spannend und mit der Erotik wird hier nicht übertrieben, was ich gut finde. Die Charaktere im Buch werden zwar gut beschrieben, ich wurde mit ihnen aber nicht so richtig warm. Sie haben meiner Meinung nach einfach zu wenig Tiefgang. Die Geschichte selbst gefällt mir gut, sie hätte aber etwas besser erzählt werden können. Manche Szenen sind mir einfach zu unrealistisch. Es gibt da eine erotische Szene, die ich sehr unpassend finde, da ich das in dieser Situation absolut nicht nachvollziehen kann. Genaueres kann ich dazu leider nicht schreiben, sonst würde ich zu viel verraten. Wenn man das Buch gelesen hat weiß man bestimmt, was ich damit meine.

Rachel hat im Buch einige Probleme mit ihrer Tochter Emily. Mir fehlen bei den Dialogen zwischen den beiden irgendwie die Emotionen. Leider haben mich die Charaktere in diesem Buch kaum berührt. Rachel und Lachlan kann ich mir noch relativ gut vorstellen, auf Emilys Charakter wird meiner Meinung nach aber viel zu wenig eingegangen. Sie hat ja eigentlich eine sehr große Rolle in der Geschichte. Ich hätte von ihr gerne noch mehr erfahren. Das Ende lässt einen etwas nachdenklich zurück. Einiges bleibt offen. Das Buch endet ziemlich seltsam, da hätte ich mir mehr erwartet.

Schlecht finde ich den Roman nicht. Ich werde diese Reihe weiterverfolgen. Die Geschichte liest sich sehr leicht, trotzdem ist es keine anspruchslose Lektüre. Sie erzählt viel mehr als ich aufgrund des Klappentextes erwartet hätte. Die Liebesgeschichte steht eigentlich nicht direkt im Vordergrund. Das gefällt mir relativ gut, sie wird jedoch sehr oberflächlich behandelt. Die Idee der Geschichte ist nicht völlig neu, hat aber auch viel Eigenständigkeit. Trotzdem vergebe ich diesmal nur 2 Sterne, da ich mit den Protagonisten leider nicht so viel anfangen kann. Das gewisse Etwas vermisse ich hier. Vielleicht können mich die Folgebände ja vom Gegenteil überzeugen.

[Mojca · Rating 1 out of 5]

A battle for human souls between good and evil, between Death and Satan, between Gatherers and Demons is at large. Both Death and Satan are vying for one human soul in particular, that of a fourteen-year-old girl. The only one standing between them is Lachlan MacGregor, immortal Scottish warrior.

I liked the premise and the author’s slightly different take on the good ol’ battle, but unfortunately I soon lost interest in the melee. The story was all over the place, the pacing extremely uneven, there was no real buildup (at least not an intriguing and gripping one), and I just couldn’t empathize with the characters. Lachlan seemed like a cardboard cutout and why, oh why, did he have to wear priestly clothing? A disguise so people left him alone. It would be easier to just tell them to bugger off and he would’ve spared the heroine some inner recriminations about "wanting the hunky priest". Rachel was annoying at best and extremely annoying at her worst, and don’t get me started on her daughter, Emily (the big hoopla of the story). Where do author get the idea troublesome, sullen, rude teenagers are appealing as characters? I simply wished the big bad demon got his way and end of the story.

Disappointing.

[Bookaholics · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawn Into Darkness: A Soul Gatherer Novel by Annette McCleave
Paranormal Romance – Sept. 1st, 2009
3 1/2 stars

Annette McCleave has brought to life a unique and fascinating world in her debuting book Drawn Into Darkness. I was quickly absorbed by her imaginative novel where angels and demons fight for control and power over the dead.

Lachlan MacGregor is caught in the middle. He is a soul gatherer responsible for battling demons and preventing them from stealing the souls of the dead. Atoning for his past for 4 centuries, his newest assignment has him mystified. He has been ordered to travel across the world to America, where he is given little aid in his mission to protect a special girl named Emily. The only problem is he has been instructed to stay close to her family. And that means befriending Emily’s single and gorgeous mother Rachel. Posing as a priest Lachlan tries to keep his intense attraction to Rachel on a tight leash because he knows any relationship is futile. Rachel deserves happiness and any life with him would be doomed from the start. But attempts on Emily’s life bring the couple closer and desire that should remain hidden ignites…

Annette McCleave has definitely created a world worth exploring. The group of Soul Gatherers who seek atonement for their past reminded me of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series. I found nearly all of the characters intriguing and enjoyed the sections between the 2 main characters. The only part of the story which I had difficulty enjoying were the areas that involved Emily. Emily was not endearing. Although she is a teenager and expected to be rebellious and bratty, I found her reckless and spiteful behavior kept me from liking her. Unfortunately, she did not show any remorse at the difficulties she gave her mother or Lachlan. Even though keeping Emily safe was the focus of the story, I just didn’t think she was worth the trouble. Because of Emily’s unsympathetic character, I could not rate this story higher although I found all the rest of characters extremely fascinating.

This being said, if you love paranormal romance and are looking for new characters and a fresh world that will intrigue you, Drawn Into Darkness will attract you. This new series is definitely one to watch out for!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't quite what I expected, or maybe I just didn't quite know what to expect, but it was recommended by a friend whose books I usually like, so I gave it the ol' college try. Coming off of reading JR Ward's "Covet" I wasn't sure I was up for another angels vs demons with a human caught in between. This was way better than I expected. I like the concept of Death being a demi-god(dess) and how she takes warrior souls from Purgatory to become her Soul Gatherers.
Our hero Lachlan MacGregor, is great, even posing as a priest, he still exudes his intense manly sexuality. He is an immortal warrior from the early 1600s, who ended up in Purgatory by falling under a demon's thrall and not only indirectly causing the death of his 3 children and his wife, but his brother. Well he bargained with Death, who agreed all to easily, to take his life for his brother's. So he stabbed himself. Suicide.
So 400 yrs later, Death has him watching a human 14 yr old girl named Emily. He's also watching her mom Rachel. Turns out Emily is a mythological prophesy come true. She can cross the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. So naturally she is a rebellious goth girl who falls for a smooth-talking demon. The very demon who killed Lachlan's family! I think that the connection between Rachel and Lachlan is really well-done, and the fear Rachel had for her daughter mirrored my own as a mother that i had a really hard time in some points, not wanting to throttle Emily. But the ending was well-deserved, and the battle between Lachlan and the demon Drusus was soo well-thought out. The ace up his sleeve of asking God's favor was perfect for the storyline. And the idea of making them both mortal for the duration of the fight? I never saw that one coming, but almost wish other authors would use it! It's a great concept. My only complaint (and this may be more of my "mom side" than my objective reader side) was that Emily never really woke up and saw her mom for what she was. It was Angry-goth-teen then bam! happy new life as Trinity Girl. it should have been an epilogue rather than just the last chapter. But I did like how Em brought Carlos back...you go Trinity Girl!

[Romancing the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review by Jen

I picked this book up at the library. I found it while scanning the shelves looking for something new to read. The fact that it was paranormal and the first book in a series (Soul Gatherers) were pluses. So I picked it up and started to read.

It look a little while for me to really get where the book was going. It starts out introducing the reader to our hero, Lachlan, by dropping us right into the middle of one of his "assignments" as a Soul Gatherer. However, it's not really explained what he's doing at this point and that left me quite confused. And let me tell you, it's not a good thing to have me confused within the first 10 pages of a 300 page novel. But I stuck with it.

Then we meet Rachel, our love interest, and her daughter Emily, an angst ridden teen. Their strained relationship sends Rachel to Lachlan for advice and support. But, of course, Rachel doesn't know about this paranormal world Lachlan lives in, but it drawn into it anyway.

So, this book reminded me a lot of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunters. You have a "god" (Death vs Artemis) who collects souls of people, which lands them working for the god pretty much unwillingly as a way of redeeming themselves. And then there is the hoard of demons (daimons) who are the nemesis of the "good guys".

After the slow start, I really got into this book and ended up reading the second half non-stop. I enjoyed it, but found it to be lacking if you compare it to the Dark-Hunters. However, it is the first in a series, so a lot of setting up of the world and introducing the major players is necessary and therefore all that extra narrative can be forgiven.

All that said, I will likely hunt down a copy of the sequel, Bound by Darkness, to see where Annette McCleave is going to take this series.

[UberApril]

ohmygawd. i thought she passed away in 2024 but it was another woman with the same name lol. dummy me

[Jacquy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inhalt: Lachlan ist ein Wächter der Seelen. Er ist dafür zuständig die Seelen der Verstorbenen einzusammeln, damit sie in den Himmel oder die Hölle gebracht werden können. Aber er hat noch eine zusätzliche Aufgabe, die er sich nicht erklären kann: Er soll auf ein Mädchen namens Emily aufpassen. Seit wann interessiert sich der Tod für Menschenleben und was ist so besonders an dem Mädchen? Lachlan rettet sie nach einem Busunfall und lernt dabei ihre Mutter kennen. Er wird schneller in das Leben der beiden hineingezogen als er sollte…

Meinung:
Die Wächter der Seelen sind diejenigen, die weder in den Himmel, noch in die Hölle gehören. In ihrer Zeit als Wächter können sie sich einen Platz im Himmelreich verdienen.
Lachlan ist eigentlich schon tot und altert nicht mehr, was es ihm so schwer macht, Emily und vor allem ihrer Mutter Rachel näher zu kommen. Er altert nicht mehr und wird noch 90 Jahre auf der Erde bleiben, weshalb er keine Beziehung eingehen kann. Trotzdem fühlt er sich zu Rachel hingezogen und das, obwohl er sowas seit 400 Jahren nicht mehr gefühlt hat und nicht dachte, dass er dazu in der Lage wäre.

Emilys Freund Drew ist da das größere Problem. Er ist nämlich 22 Jahre alt, fährt Motorrad – und ist ein Dämon. Er ist der Hauptgrund, dass sich Em und ihre Mutter immer weiter voneinander entfernen. Sie möchte ihnen nämlich den weiteren Kontakt verbieten, allerdings hat Drew Em schon so weit eingewickelt, dass sie ihm mehr vertraut als ihrer eigenen Mutter.

Die Geschichte dreht sich allerdings nicht nur um die Probleme von Emily und ihrer Mutter, sondern es geht „nebenbei“ auch um den Kampf zwischen Wächtern und Dämonen, die jedes Mal aufs Neue um die Seelen der Verstorbenen kämpfen.

Das Buch hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Die Charaktere sind alle sehr realistisch und die Handlung ist zwar nichts komplett neues, allerdings hat die Autorin viel Eigenes mit in die Geschichte reingebracht und so einen einzigartigen Plot geschaffen. Ihr Debütroman ist spannend und es dauert nicht lange bis man von der Geschichte mitgerissen wird.
Die Geschichte wird in der dritten Person erzählt, wobei auf eine Person immer besonders geachtet wird und man ihre Gedanken und Gefühle erfährt. Das sind größtenteils Rachel und Lachlan, allerdings gibt es auch Szenen in denen Drew im Vordergrund steht.
Was sich mir nicht ganz erschließt ist der Titel. Dieser lautet ja „Gefährlich wie ein Engel“, mit der Geschichte hat er aber nicht viel zu tun, da Lachlan kein Engel ist und diese auch sonst keine große Rolle spielen.

Charaktere:
Rachel liebt das zeichnen und von Beruf ist sie grafische Designerin. Dieser Job nimmt leider viel Zeit in Anspruch und ihre Chefin lässt keine privaten Probleme als Entschuldigung gelten, weshalb sie wenig Zeit für ihre Tochter Emily hat. Sie bereut das sehr, allerdings kann sie es sich auch nicht leisten, den Job zu kündigen. Sie macht sich große Sorgen um Emily, besonders aufgrund ihres acht Jahre älteren Freundes. Rachel fühlt sich schon bei der ersten Begegnung zu Lachlan hingezogen, allerdings kann sie dieser Anziehungskraft nicht nachgeben. Zum einen tarnt sich Lachlan als Priester, die ja enthaltsam sein müssen, und zum anderen traut sie sich nicht mehr eine zu große Nähe zu Männern aufzubauen, seit sie sich von ihrem Ex und Emilys Vater hat scheiden lassen.

Emily ist ein typischer 14-jähriger Teenager. Sie ist Gothic, aber vom Charakter her immer noch das Kind das sie wirklich ist, auch wenn sie nicht so aussieht. Sie wird so von Drew, dem Dämon, getäuscht, dass sie ihm mehr vertraut als ihrer eigenen Mutter und so ihr Leben in große Gefahr bringt.

Lachlan ist ein Wächter der Seelen. Als er noch lebte hat er einen großen Fehler gemacht, aufgrund dessen er nicht sofort nach seinem Tod in den Himmel kam, sondern 500 Jahre lang als Wächter der Seelen die Seelen der Verstorbenen „einsammeln“ muss. Seitdem hatte er keine richtigen Gefühle mehr wodurch er umso mehr erstaunt ist, als er sich stark zu Rachel hingezogen fühlt. Das beruht zwar auf Gegenseitigkeit, wie er schnell feststellt, allerdings hat auch er seine Gründe, sich dem Verlangen nicht hinzugeben. Da er eigentlich schon tot ist altert er nicht mehr. Anders als Rachel.
Er kennt Drew bzw. Drusus noch aus seinen Lebzeiten und für das, was dieser ihm da angetan hat, hat er immer noch keine Rache bekommen. Da kommt es ihm gerade recht, dass er den Auftrag bekommt, Emily vor ihm zu beschützen.

Fazit:
Ein interessanter Plot der zudem noch sehr gut umgesetzt wurde. Dazu kommen sympathische Charaktere, sodass es leicht ist, sich von diesem Buch fesseln zu lassen.
Kritikpunkte habe ich keine, aber es hat mich nicht genug „umgehauen“ um 5 Punkte zu bekommen. Daher: 4,5/5 - hier trotzdem aufgerundet auf 5!

[Jane Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall plot was interesting, but the romance and characters were lacking. I had trouble with methods of conflict.

STORY BRIEF:
In 1603 Lachlan died after enemies killed his wife and children. Since then he has worked for Death as a soul gatherer. When someone dies, Lachlan touches him/her to collect their soul and holds it until an angel arrives to take it to heaven (or Satan’s messenger arrives to take it to hell). At times Lachlan must fight demons with swords and other weapons as they try to steal souls destined for heaven. Death is a female demigod. In addition to his soul gathering duties, Death assigns Lachlan to watch over and protect Emily, a teenager. Drusus is a powerful demon who has become Emily’s boyfriend. He is using the name Drew. He is handsome, in his 20’s and rides a motorcycle. Emily is a surly and rebellious teenager with a goth look who sneaks out at night to be with Drew. Her mother Rachel is divorced, works a demanding job, loves Emily, but is having trouble being a parent and interacting with Emily. Lachlan is their neighbor and helps Rachel with Emily issues, for example following Emily when she sneaks out. The main mystery is why Death and Drusus both are interested in Emily. A second mystery concerns the Linen, a religious item in Lachlan’s possession that Drusus wants.

REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH MILD SPOILERS):
The main romance is between Rachel and Lachlan. She doesn’t know about his world or his abilities. Several conflicts occur when Rachel sees or learns something and is angry at Lachlan or thinks he lied to her. For example, he was in a sword fight with deep cuts which she saw. The next day they are healed with no scars. When she asked him where the cuts went, he said “I heal very fast.” He started to explain, but she was angry and didn’t believe him. She said “no matter what it is you need to say, I’m not ready to hear it,” and she walked away. In the beginning, Lachlan is attracted to her but refuses to have a relationship with her because “he knew he would end up hurting her” (which was not true). Later Drusus tells lies to Rachel which she believes and which cause more conflict with Lachlan. These conflicts were not interesting for me. I’d rather see conflicts based on circumstances, personality differences, plot development, etc. I also would have liked more interesting character development. For some reason, the romantic relationship didn’t appeal to me, party because of items mentioned above. It might have been better if the personalities were more interesting.

Regarding the main mystery of why Death and Drusus wanted Emily, it was interesting. But I did not like one major plot point. Drusus is more powerful than Lachlan and could have killed him but let him live. Lachlan asks Death for help. Death tells Lachlan that he has a weapon that he can use to defeat Drusus, but she won’t tell him what it is. This bothered me. Death assigned Lachlan to protect Emily, but she won’t help him?

My favorite parts of the book were about Carlos. In fact I loved the ending concerning him.

Minor problem with the publisher (not the author’s fault): Page 75 says Lachlan has “a sprinkle of crisp, dark hair” on his chest. The cover model has none.

DATA:
Story length:332 pages. Swearing language; strong. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 21. Setting: current day and 1603 California, Antarctica and Scotland. Copyright: 2009. Genre: fantasy mystery romance.

[Beate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lachlan MacGregor hat die Aufgabe über Emily zu wachen. Sie ist eine Dreifaltige Seele, eine menschliche Seele, die mit der Macht geboren wurde auf allen drei Ebenen wirken zu können. Himmel, Erde und Hölle.
Lachlans Aufgabe besteht auch darin, für die Herrin des Todes, als Wächter die Seelen die Toten vor den Dämonen zu schützen und diese an die Engel zu übergeben, um sie in die nächsthöhere Ebene mitzunehmen.
Emily, ein heranwachsender Teenager ist in einer rebellischen Phase. Sie hat einen Freund, der, wie es sich herausstellt ein Dämon ist und es auf Lachlan abgesehen hat. Drusus hat ihm vor Jahren alles genommen was Lachlan je etwas bedeutet hatte. Es erweist manchmal etwas schwierig sich beidem zu widmen. Er soll Emily bewachen, aber auch die Seelen der Verstorbenen aufnehmen und an die Engel weitergeben.
Emilys Mutter, Rachel, die völlig am Ende ist, durch die stressige Art ihrer Tochter bittet Lachlan um Hilfe, der als Tarnung auf der Erde als Priester fungiert.

Stil und Sprache:

Lachlan und Rachel merken schnell, das sie Gefühle zueinander haben und kommen sich näher. Es kommt zu einer leidenschaftliche Beziehung. Lachlan erzählt Rachel, wer er in Wirklichkeit ist, wie er gestorben ist, warum er ein Seelenwächter geworden ist und das er auf Emily aufpassen muss.
Sehr spannend wurde es gegen Ende des Buch, als man dann auch erfuhr, warum Drusus damals eigentlich sterben musste und warum Lachlan sich geopfert hatte. Die Autorin verblüfft den Leser, als sie über Pontius Pilatus schrieb und über die Verurteilung Jesus und die Verbindung dessen mit Drusus als auch mit Lachlan.

Figuren:

Lachlan wird als ein liebenswerten Mann beschrieben, der tief in sich einsam ist. Er birgt Geheimnisse, vor allem vor Rachel, die aber nach und nach zum Vorschein kommen. Er setzt sich für seine Seelenkollegen ein und bildet sie zu besseren Kämpfern aus. Er hat ein grosses Herz
Rachel ist eine alleinerziehende Mutter. Sie hat einen schwierigen Job als Grafikdesignerin und ist dadurch wenig zu Hause. Die Arbeit ist stressig und ihre Chefin macht ihr das Leben zur Hölle.
Emily, die durch ihre Trotzigkeit ihre Mutter zum Wahnsinn treibt, hat mir gut gefallen. Schwarze Kleidung, schwarze Schminke, wobei ihre Mutter sie immer noch als kleines Kind sieht, dessen Lieblingsfarbe einmal Blau war.
Drusus, oder auch Drew genannt, hatte von Anfang an etwas böses und heimtückisches.
Aber auch die anderen Nebenfiguren in diesem Buch waren sehr interessant. Die Herrin des Todes, weisses langes Haar, bildhübsch, mit Pumps und schicken Klamotten bekleidet.
Erzengel Michael, der schon etwas väterliches hatte und auch der Roma-Magier Stefan waren sehr imposant. Wer hat schon ein Wohnmobil, in das man hineingeht und sich danach in einem Schloss wiederfindet.

Aufmachung des Buches:

Das Cover des Buches ist wunderbar gestaltet. Ich vermute mal, das die wunderschöne Frau auf dem Titelbild, die Herrin des Todes ist. Die Vorderseite des Taschenbuches geht in die Rückseite über. Man bekommt das Gefühl, das über eine Stadt gewacht wird.
Das Buch hat 20 Kapitel und am Ende bekommt man einen Einblick in den zweiten Teil der Serie.

Fazit:

Viel Romantik und Gefühle spielen in diesem Buch eine grosse Rolle. Die Geschichte von Lachlan fand ich sehr faszinierend. Stellenweise denkt man darüber nach, ob es wirklich diese Wächter gibt, die dafür sorgen, das die Seele eines Verstorbenen auf die richtige Ebene findet.

[aki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zuerst muss ich sagen, dass ich dieses Buch in der Papierversion habe und nicht in der Ebook-Version wie auf dem Blog nun zu sehen ist.

Ich habe dieses Buch im letzten Monat selbst gekauft und das Cover und der Klappentext haben mich sehr angesprochen.

Rachel ist alleinerziehende Mutter und hat mit den Tücken des Alltags zu kämpfen. Ihr Ex - Mann und Vater ihr Tochter Emily zahlt unregelmässig Unterhalt, das Geld reicht somit vorne und hinten nicht, trotz dessen dass sie die meiste Zeit des Tages arbeiten ist. Zu allem Überfluss steckt Emily auch noch mitten in der Pubertät und der tägliche Streit mit ihr ist schon fast vorhersehbar.

Lachlan MacGregor hingegen ( irgendwie finde ich den Namen Lachlan immer noch ein wenig befremdlich oô) ist ein Wächter der Seelen.

Wächter der Seelen sind die Menschen, die es weder in den Himmel noch in die Hölle schaffen. Sie hängen quasi auf einer der Zwischenebenen fest. Indem sie die Seelen Verstorbener for Satan und seinen Dämonen retten, sitzen sie ihre jeweiligen Strafen ab.

Lachlan MacGregor ist einer von ihnen. Seit nun mehr als 400 Jahren ist er einer von ihnen, gilt das der beste seines Fach.

Diesmal jedoch soll alles anders für ihn laufen. Er bekommt den Auftrag, Emily zu beschützen, diese vor Unheil durch einen Dämon zu beschützen und ehe sich MacGregor versieht, verleibt ihm dieser Auftrag alles ab, was er sich nie zu träumen gewagt hätte.

Der Schreibstil von Annette McCleave ist wirklich flüssig zu lesen und ich hatte keine Probleme in das Buch hineinzufinden. Es liess sich flüssig und nachvollziehbar lesen, enthält sowie Action - als auch Erotikszenen.

Bei einer Szene fand ich es allerdings etwas.. naja, unpassend. Ich meine, Lachlan sagt ihr, wer er wirklich ist, was seine Aufgabe ist und warum er Emily beschützen muss und kurze Zeit später liegen die beiden glücklich schnaufend nebeneinander, als hätte er all das nicht gesagt.

Auch Emily Reaktion auf die Offenbarung, warum sie solch eine wichtige Rolle in der Welt Lachlans spielt, war ein wenig.. ich weiss nicht, genau, wie ich es ausdrücken soll, aber ich hätte mir gewünscht, gerade dabei ein wenig mehr in ihre Seele blicken zu können, zu erfahren, wie sie darüber denkt, was sie tief in ihrem Inneren fühlt.

Meiner Meinung nach war ihre Reaktion zu schnell abgewiegelt, so nach dem Motto "Oh wirklich? Ja, dann ist das halt so.."

Alles in allem war es jedoch eine gute Lektüre für zwischen durch, welche sich an einem Sonntag - Nachmittag in der Sonne gut verschlingen lässt.

4 von 5 Gänseblümchen und ich denke, ich werde in die beiden Folgebände auch reinlesen.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annette McCleave's Drawn Into Darkness deserves 5 stars. The world that she has created is sexy, enticing, passionate, and fresh. I have not read a book this intriguing in a long time.

This book is an interesting tale about good vs. evil. It’s about Soul Gatherers that work for none other than Death herself. While the book revolves around the basics of heaven and hell it doesn’t insist upon a clean cut of right and wrong. Drawn Into Darkness has everything, angel and demons, Death and Soul Gatherers, mages and humans and even a bratty teenager. It’s the perfect mix for an exciting, sexy and dangerous world.

The characters in this book are also refreshing. It’s rare that I read a book where the secondary characters are just as important if not more important than the main characters. Every single person in this book played a relevant part and they were all unique.

The Hero Lachlan MacGregor is not what I consider the typical male lead. Yes he is strong, sexy and a warrior, but he has so much depth to him. He has been a soul gatherer for centuries and he still feels for every soul that he collects. His guilt over the death of his family is enough to bring you to tears. He shapes this book into one of triumph. He leads with his heart in his desperate attempt to save his soul and the souls of his family all while trying to save the life of a teenager whose mother he has fallen in love with.

The Heroine Rachel Lewis is a typical single mother trying to find a way to reconnect with her 13 year old daughter Emily. Rachel is an artist who works long hours and sees herself as a failure as a mother. She loves her daughter which is why she goes to Lachlan, the priest that lives upstairs in her building.

Emily is a teenager who gets herself into so much trouble. She curses, sneaks out at night, and even falls for an evil lure demon. She plays a special part in this book and her not falling to evil is imperative.

This book had me hooked from the first page. It is fast-paced, exciting, and full of danger. Annette McCleave has outdone herself with her debut novel. Her writing is precise and to the point. Every detail that is included is important. I look forward to reading Bound by Darkness the second book in the Soul Gatherer series. This series will go far.

Once again I give Drawn Into Darkness 5 Stars!!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drawn Into Darkness is an interesting introduction to the Soul Gatherers. I wasn't sure how much I'd like this one, as I'm not a big reader of highlander warriors, but Lachlan's story was very intriguing.

Drawn Into Darkness introduces us to Lachlan MacGregor, a former Scottish Highland knight who, after taking his own life, is now in the service of Death for 500 years as a Soul Gatherer. He's currently living his life under the guise of a priest in order to discourage human contact, mainly that of females. Throughout his "term of service" he's become the most successful Soul Gatherer and a fierce warrior. Upon gathering the soul of a recently deceased person, he takes the soul into his heart where it's held until Heaven's "courier" claims it. Recently though the courier has been arriving late which puts the soul at risk of being taken by couriers for Hell. Each time this happens he must fight the demons off, keeping the soul safe until delivery can be made.

We are also introduced to the artistic single mom, Rachel Lewis and her 14-year old Goth daughter, Emily. Rachel struggles to maintain her career as a print designer while taking care of her newly rebellious daughter. Death orders Lachlan to protect Emily. So, he watches over her, not exactly sure what Death's interest is in the girl. Unfortunately a powerful demon, one Lachlans dealt with in the past, Drusus, notices his attention on the girl and is determined to take her from him.

In protecting Emily, Lachlan is forced to deal with Rachel, who he finds extremely attractive. He battles with his feelings and the reality of his life as a gatherer, but ultimately cannot deny them. As their relationship grows, the ensuing battle between good and evil brings them all together, fighting to save Emily, who's significance is ultimately revealed.

This book surprised me with all it's sword-wielding battles, good vs. evil, Heaven vs. Hell, touching and hot romance and the fight to save those you love enough to die for. I will definitely check out book 2, Bound By Darkness which tells Brian's story, another Gatherer, who we met in Drawn Into Darkness being trained by and working with Lachlan.

[Eric Maier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annette McCleave has created a world with great possibilities. Similar to Harry Potter, her world is a juxtaposition of the ordinary world and a supernatural one. The world has the possibility of becoming a multi-writer-series like Forgotten Realms and Star Trek. The reason for this is that the story does not have to follow the same Soul Gatherer in additional novels.

I wanted to finish this book from the get-go, which is saying something as the previous 3 or 4 books I started I gave up on and never finished. It was well written and even in the "uncorrected proof" copy (which I read) I only saw one or two line-edit errors.

One of the things I didn't like too much was the first sex scene. Don't get me wrong, it was very erotic and made me want to look up Annette and go out on a frisky-date with her just to see, but I felt like it was out of place in the novel. It felt like it detracted from the story somehow - made it seem like it was less of a story than it was. The second sex scene didn't have as much of an out-of-place impact, maybe because I'd already experienced the first one.

The other thing I didn't like a whole lot was the transformation of the youngest main character, Emily, into a near-divinity. It is a neat idea but it closed out a lot of the interest I had in her character. She went form this angst teen into a super-being. Suddenly she isn't human anymore and can manipulate anything she wants such as resurrecting dead people. It became difficult for me as a "normal" person to relate to this totally non-"normal" being.

I should also mention that the use of only one word "no'" to set up an accent was a little distracting.

All that being said, I will still be on the lookout for the next novel in the series and see where Annette will take it. (In fact, maybe I'll pen a Soul Gatherer novel too and see what she thinks. :) )

[Mishel Forte · Rating 4 out of 5]

DRAWN INTO DARKNESS is definitely a great and promising start to this new paranormal romance series. Annette McCleave has added some very unique and inventive elements to the PNR genre. The idea of Soul Gatherers was very well thought out and written down (even in the Uncorrected Proof). I enjoyed Lachlan (although his accent was slightly annoying - sorry to the Scottish lovers out there). Lachlan is not a typical alpha male. He's actually a mixture of Alpha and gentleman in my opinion. A fresh element indeed =) I like the Alphas but frankly they can be a bit overwhelming and tiresome after a while.

Rachel was a good heroine to get to know. Funny, smart, and extremely likeable I thought she was a perfect match for Lachlan. The only downside to Rachel?.. her daughter Emily. Now I get the whole rebellious teenager thing. But Emily is important to the story (you'll see why in the end) and I found myself rolling my eyes big time while reading most of the scenes with her in it. Quite frankly I wanted to smack the girl. I couldn't really like her even though Lachlan was sent to protect her soul. Even after the climax at the end and the battle between Lachlan and the "bad guy" I still couldn't really find it in me to like the poor girl. I'm definitely hoping for some improvement in her character with book two.

One thing I loved was the interaction and friendship between Lachlan and fellow Soul Gatherer Brian - hilarious stuff!! I'm definitely looking forward to continuing on with BOUND BY DARKNESS which comes out next month. I also have to get off my butt and purchase my own copy of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS =) All in all, I don't think you'll be disappointed with trying this series out

[Erinaceina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I can understand why other readers have seen a resemblance to the Dark-Hunter series, I think that this was deeply superficial and certainly did not extend to the tone of the book. I had a couple of big problems with this book, so while it was okay, I wouldn't read the rest of the series.

1) The mythology was too overtly Christian for my tastes, with events around the Crucifixion being key to the storyline and the hero's main weapon being his faith in God. (On the other hand, Death is a demigod who wants to be a full god - how does that fit into the Christian mythos?)

2) As others have commented, Emily is an atrociously whiny brat. We don't see enough of her as she was before Drew got to her to really care about her. On the other hand, Rachel's reaction is frustrating, and feels like 'OMG, she likes black clothes and Goth music! How dreadful! Of course she's under the thrall of a demon!' at times. Of course, this is the reason why I tend to avoid romance novels with teenage children as secondary characters: they tend to be Acting Out and Led Astray, and can only be redeemed by remembering how much they love the colour pink and fluffy bunnies. (Yes, I'm exaggerating, but this trope does irritate me).

3) I felt that the focus of the story was often on Rachel's problems as a single mother, juggling a rebellious daughter and work pressure, rather than the romance or the supernatural elements. I wasn't really that interested in what was going on at work, and this seemed to take up quite a lot of space.

That having been said, this is a solid read and well written. My disappointment is a matter of personal taste.

[TXreader Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For centuries Lachlan Macgregor has battled demon thieves for the souls of the dead, carrying out his pledge to deliver them into Heaven or Hell. But his greatest challenge as a Soul Gatherer is now among the living.

Struggling to connect with her troubled teenage daughter, Emily, artist Rachel Lewis turns to her enigmatic yet strangely compelling neighbor for advice. As Lachlan soon discovers, the girl has fallen victim to a seductive demon--a specter from the past using the unsuspecting women to fulfill an ancient prophecy and settle a hellish score with Lachlan himself.

In the race to save Emily and avert a disastrous power shift among the deities, Rachel and Lachlan forge an uncommon bond. But how can Lachlan tell the mortal woman he's falling in love with, that the next soul he's been enlisted to gather--and deliver beyond--is her daughter's?


*****
A completely new kind of story. This is the first book from Annette Mccleave, and I am impressed. The story isn't weighted down with building the "world" this series follows. The action starts on page one and never stops and the characters are well developed and likable enough for me. The base of the series might sway some people with the whole "God vs. Satan", soul gatherers, and "death", but the religious aspect didn't bombard the story. It only gave the basis for who, what, why, and where the characters are in this series. I found it a refreshing change of storyline. Sometimes paranormal romance starts to blend together and become repetitive. I can't wait to get to book 2 in the series...I hope it's about Brian.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annette McCleave's paranormal romance debut revolves around a world where the tug of war between good and evil, God and the devil, light and dark, rages on behind the scenes of everyday life.

Lachlan is the hero, under a curse for 500 years to be a Soul Gatherer for Death. Soul Gatherers are men who collect souls so that they reach their destination, whether it be heaven, hell or purgatory.

Rachel, the heroine, is a graphic artist trying to balance work, single motherhood and a teenage daughter whose rebellious stage is getting out of hand. (As you read you find out there are "devilish" reasons for that rebellion). The romance between Lachlan and Rachel was balanced well against the action scenes, a definite must in a paranormal romance.

All in all the book was quite good. The idea of the Soul Gatherers was interesting and seemed well thought out. Annette's take on the battle of good and evil was enough to keep me reading, despite how annoying Rachel's daughter was.

Two reasons for three stars: 1) The book reminded me a little of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter novels. Especially the part where a goddess has power over a bunch of warriors who had died and then were resurrected into her service. 2) The book could have been a little longer so that the ending would not have seemed so rushed.

All in all, if you are a paranormal romance fan, try this new series. I plan on reading the second novel.

[Shannon (Savhage Temptrest) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on "Drawn Into Darkness" by Annette McCleave. The story was an interesting twist on the age old battle between good and evil, Heaven and Hell, and God vs. the Devil.

This story focuses on Lachlin, a sixteenth-century Scottish knight condemned to purgatory as a Soul Gatherer for Death because of the sins he committed when he was a living person, and Rachel, a single, divorced mother trying to save her teenage daughter, Emily, from an evil demon, from Lachlin's past, out to end Emily's life and possess her soul.

On one hand, I liked the idea of the Soul Gatherers, the mix of ancient religion and modern day life, and the action-packed scenes in the story. On the other hand, the beginning of the book was very slow and the characters were a little tame for the storyline. I liked the book, but I think I was just expecting a more fast-paced, grittier, harder paranormal romance read. I would still recommend it to all fans of tamer fictions and romances with religion dominating the storyline.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I find it difficult to elaborate beyond that, which probably means that it wasn't particularly memorable, but I did enjoy myself once I got into it. Truth be told, that took a while, though. I was very confused during the first couple of pages — there was no real explanation to what was going on and it just took all of my effort to try and figure it out — but it got easier as the story went along.

It was a pretty standard paranormal romance story, to be honest, aside from the fact that the main female character was a single mother with a teenage daughter. I did appreciate that, and the fact that she was allowed to be a bit quirky and insecure, but still genuine — human, if you will. The lore was also very interesting with the angels and demons and soulgatherers, though perhaps just a tad bit cliché.

All in all, I liked it, even if I won't continue the series. One was more than enough for me and the ending was satisfying as it is.

[Ghostsoup1313 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. Better written than most romance novels. At least it had some form of plot. The author kept the action going which is a plus when it comes to romance novels. In so many of them NOTHING happens.

The story and characters were interesting. The pacing was good but there were some background info about the characters and unique qualities of the characters that should have been introduced earlier or at least foreshadowed earlier.

On a personal note I thought the mythology Ms. McCleave created was interesting but not to my taste. When I read a Paranormal Romance I'm not looking for overt Christian influences. And the mythology's world view struck me as "women can be independent but only to a certain extent." As in there are no female Gatherers and the only female deity was Death. Odd since women are the life givers.

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It didn't leave me dying to read the next book, but that's mainly because I didn't see the set-up for the next book, I'm sure if I break down and read the excerpt for the next book I'll be dying to read it. I think there was a little bit of inconsistency in some wording though. The story is about people in purgatory who have to gather the souls of dead people and pass them off to someone who will guide them to Heaven or Hell. So it's a God vs. Satan type of world but there were several times where a character who is supposed to be fighting for the side of God would say something like "only the gods know where he is". It was mildly distracting but I really liked the story so I got over it.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to write something long usually about the books I review but honestly, all that needs to be said is that it is a decent book but with a low rating from me. I rate it low because it is by far from amazing and really good books. It passes as a ''Eh, was o k to read''.

Some will probably find this book amazing and that's o k but it's a typical romance, with a few catches here and there and the rest was something I usually read in every romance novel. Hell, I'm writing my own romance novels.

I don't need to shun anything of course but if I think I could write a book like this, more then likely it is not a good read for me and the fact is, I can make a book similar just like this but I still give Annette McCleave credit.

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise for this book; it was unique and not done to death like so many PNR themes are. The worldbuilding was good and discretely inserted where necessary. Characters were the weak spot in this book, however. I loved the Scottish hero, Lachlan, and not just because of his delightful accent! But Rachael never did it for me and in fact, her character made it hard to feel a part of this book. I plan to read the next book in the series but I will search for it at the library rather than buying it. Wish me luck with that!

[Barrie Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get tired of reading the same fantasy books. Annette is a breath of fresh air! The idea of immortals (done before) who are reliving their lives again and again to make up for their errors in their past life. These immortals work for Death who is neither good or bad. She can be nice or mean. When someone dies, these men go get the soul and depending on what the person did in life, the soul goes to heaven or hell. Of course there are demons, who want the soul and there are fights. Overall good book.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story overall but little 'oomph' and could have been improved with just a little more character development. As this is the first in a series I think think the story is impacted by the many characters introduced but I did not feel I got a good feeling of substance to the characters emotions and reasons for their actions.

One of those stories where I could tell while reading that each new plot development was added conveniently to carry the story on to the end so I could not 'sink' myself totally into the story.

[Jackie (Literary Escapism) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this is a great start to a new paranormal romance series and Annette McCleave is going to have a smashing hit on her hands. Drawn into Darkness comes out tomorrow morning and you will definitely want to be at the bookstore to get your hands on a copy. Or at least bug your librarians for copies.

To read my full review, click here.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Wasn't sure I would with the whole Soul Gathering thing. The Scots are fascinating but the "bairns" word always trips me up. Am I pronouncing it right in my head? There are some other words that get used with Scottish characters that I only have a vague idea of their meaning, but oh well, back to the book.
I found that I was VERY emotionally involved with this book. I'm just glad no one was around to see me reacting to the moving passages of this book.