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Paladins of Darkness #5
Darkness Unknown
Alexis Morgan's seductive Paladin series continues with a red-hot romance between a powerful warrior sworn to secrecy and the irresistible woman who makes him lose control.... Gwen Mosely's life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, bleeding and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. But the real shock is how his wounds heal overnight -- a trait he shares with Gwen's teenaged half-brother Chase. Jarvis Donahue can't keep his eyes -- or his hands -- off the sexy redhead who rescued him. Gwen's warm smile and lust-filled eyes are impossible to resist...but Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Although Gwen may hate Jarvis for it, he is dutybound to introduce Chase to the Paladins' dangerous lifestyle. As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen's farm. Jarvis is determined to protect his lover -- but if he reveals his identity, he not only betrays his people's secret, he risks losing her forever....
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2009
13 people are currently reading
953 people want to read
About the author
Alexis Morgan
97 books999 followersAlexis Morgan grew up near St. Louis and received a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She and her husband have made the Pacific Northwest their home for more than thirty years, where she launched her career as a writer. She is published in paranormal romance, fantasy romance, American West historicals, and most recently, contemporary romances with her new Snowberry Creek series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 3, 2013
Eh, this one irritated me. The heroine was really bland and her interaction with the hero seemed like a secondary plotline. There wasn't much tension in the book and the heroine wasn't even involved in the climax of the storyline. I was also very, very unhappy that the heroine was justifiably angry at the hero for being responsible for dragging her brother into a life of fighting, dying, and reviving only to do it all again for his whole life, yet she couldn't hold on to it. SHE actually sets out to seduce and apologize to HIM. WTF?!?!
I understand the hero's position and know he couldn't do less than try to integrate the brother into his world, but that doesn't change the fact that he was working behind the heroine's back the whole book. I wanted them to work through it but I didn't expect the heroine to just drop her issues like it was nothing. The problem is not the danger to her brother, the problem is the deliberate scheming and lying. The heroine just ended up looking weak and spineless with the way it all turned out. Ugh, I expected a better romance for Jarvis.
I understand the hero's position and know he couldn't do less than try to integrate the brother into his world, but that doesn't change the fact that he was working behind the heroine's back the whole book. I wanted them to work through it but I didn't expect the heroine to just drop her issues like it was nothing. The problem is not the danger to her brother, the problem is the deliberate scheming and lying. The heroine just ended up looking weak and spineless with the way it all turned out. Ugh, I expected a better romance for Jarvis.
January 13, 2010
I loved this book, but I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could. My only complaint was that there were sooo many hints that "something" was going on in the woods behind Gwen's farm, and yet nothing ever happened. At one point, Jarvis, Jake, and Chase ran out into the woods, but lost the trail. Buuuut, still, the author never really picked it up. Maybe it's for the next book, but I kept waiting for Gwen to get abducted or for someone to get jumped. Other than that, the whole storyline was great, I love the way Alexis Morgan writes her women. They're always fun, strong and have witty comebacks without all being the same heroine but a different name. I really can't wait for the next installation in the Paladins series...comes out in March!
February 27, 2009
I enjoy the very different [almost:] immortals and the situation which they face - fighting [usually:] crazed alien invaders from a world separated from ours by an energy barrier prone to failures triggered by seismic activities.
This latest outing is set in the Missouri area, as was the second book Dark Defender. It has the requisite yummy hero [introduced in book 2:] and the heroine he is not supposed to let know about who he is, what he does and why he does it. This is [of course:] complicated for him by falling in love with her AND by the fact she has a half-brother whom she has raised who has the Paladin genetic heritage. She's not going to be happy about the lies and even less happy when he puts a sword in her brother's hand... This another great read from Alexis Morgan.
Paladins series:
DARK PROTECTOR
DARK DEFENDER
IN DARKNESS REBORN
REDEEMED IN DARKNESS
DARKNESS UNKNOWN
This latest outing is set in the Missouri area, as was the second book Dark Defender. It has the requisite yummy hero [introduced in book 2:] and the heroine he is not supposed to let know about who he is, what he does and why he does it. This is [of course:] complicated for him by falling in love with her AND by the fact she has a half-brother whom she has raised who has the Paladin genetic heritage. She's not going to be happy about the lies and even less happy when he puts a sword in her brother's hand... This another great read from Alexis Morgan.
Paladins series:
DARK PROTECTOR
DARK DEFENDER
IN DARKNESS REBORN
REDEEMED IN DARKNESS
DARKNESS UNKNOWN
August 20, 2011
This book's awful. Gwen has less personality than one of her alpacas and spends 99% of her time cooped up on her farm knitting and cooking and doing various other chores, while simultaneously worrying about whether she should whip up some more nourishment for her strapping young man of a brother. The guy, whose weird name I can't even remember, is - believe it or not - BLANDER than Gwen, which is saying a lot. Said strapping young man has anger issues ... there are caves overrun by aliens ... plenty of *plundering* goes on, which really should be restricted to Vikings and pirates ... and lots of peach cobbler is consumed, courtesy of Ye Olde Fifties Housewife. Darkness Unknown is apparently book 5 in some series, but there's no way in hell I'll be finishing it and / or reading the rest. *shudder*
I'll leave you with a quote:
"As content as she looked, he almost hated to stop. But he'd promised her ice cream, and he wanted her to trust him on the small things so she'd think he was a man of his word. That way, when he did need to lie to her, she might not notice as fast."
Gawd. The drama.
I'll leave you with a quote:
"As content as she looked, he almost hated to stop. But he'd promised her ice cream, and he wanted her to trust him on the small things so she'd think he was a man of his word. That way, when he did need to lie to her, she might not notice as fast."
Gawd. The drama.
February 18, 2010
LOVED THIS BOOK!
This is my favorite within the series. Jarvis, our leader in the world of Paladins, finds himself in a precarious position in this book.
He is out in the woods tracking an Other that escaped the tunnels and found his way to the surface and suddenly finds himself surrounded by more then one.
His fellow Paladin was wounded during the fight at the barrier and Jarvis is now alone and is mortally wounded, maybe even left for dead, again...
Gwen Mosley can't figure out why the dogs are acting so strange? She follows them outside of her farmhouse to see what the commotion is. The dogs lead her into the nearby woods and to an injured man. Something about this massive man is different? After fetching her brother to help, she loads him into a cart and back to the house. She finds as she cleans up the strangers wounds, they are starting to heal right before her eyes! She would be scared, if she didn't already know someone with this same ability...
The many faucets of this book are so exciting. A great story, start to finish.
A great read.
This is my favorite within the series. Jarvis, our leader in the world of Paladins, finds himself in a precarious position in this book.
He is out in the woods tracking an Other that escaped the tunnels and found his way to the surface and suddenly finds himself surrounded by more then one.
His fellow Paladin was wounded during the fight at the barrier and Jarvis is now alone and is mortally wounded, maybe even left for dead, again...
Gwen Mosley can't figure out why the dogs are acting so strange? She follows them outside of her farmhouse to see what the commotion is. The dogs lead her into the nearby woods and to an injured man. Something about this massive man is different? After fetching her brother to help, she loads him into a cart and back to the house. She finds as she cleans up the strangers wounds, they are starting to heal right before her eyes! She would be scared, if she didn't already know someone with this same ability...
The many faucets of this book are so exciting. A great story, start to finish.
A great read.
January 18, 2011
I really, really enjoyed this one, but so far books 2 and 4 were the best IMHO.
While I enjoyed the focus in the romance aspect I found that a better world building was missing in this installment. Not much about the others or the barrier. Actually almost none.
Nevertheless, we have a heroine with a younger brother who realizes he is a paladin. It was great to read about a young kid (18) realizing that his whole world was about to change and that he belongs to something bigger than him. I believe this was the best thing about this book. The romance was pretty cool too but to read about this boy finding out he was born to fight against evil and the whole world was depending on him was the best part.
This is a great series and I definitely recommend it specially to those like me who have read all the best paranormal series there are out there. This series has an amazing original new plot and you're gonna love it!
While I enjoyed the focus in the romance aspect I found that a better world building was missing in this installment. Not much about the others or the barrier. Actually almost none.
Nevertheless, we have a heroine with a younger brother who realizes he is a paladin. It was great to read about a young kid (18) realizing that his whole world was about to change and that he belongs to something bigger than him. I believe this was the best thing about this book. The romance was pretty cool too but to read about this boy finding out he was born to fight against evil and the whole world was depending on him was the best part.
This is a great series and I definitely recommend it specially to those like me who have read all the best paranormal series there are out there. This series has an amazing original new plot and you're gonna love it!
March 25, 2009
Darkness Unknown is the fifth book in the Paladins of Darkness series. This is the story of Jarvis Donahue, the leader of the St. Louis Paladins, and Gwen Mosley. We’ve previously met Jarvis in the second book of the series, Dark Defender...
For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Review site on the web, Bitten By Books, for the review of Darkness Unknown in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.
For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Review site on the web, Bitten By Books, for the review of Darkness Unknown in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.
March 2, 2010
this book so far is good and its got a story line i want to see the end of and at this rate i shall have it read by the end of today. javis wants the best of both worlds and i hope he gets it with his lover and his work.
July 31, 2009
Review to come
March 3, 2014
so loving this series. Can't read them fast enough. Good hot steamy sex but good battle scenes as well. Author gives the characters good backgrounds for us to know each of them.
June 3, 2015
Loved it.
January 26, 2017
We’re back in St. Louis with Jarvis. It’s his turn to find a woman, but he also finds a new Paladin recruit.
These two really brought a smile to my face. I could feel the connection from the beginning. Jarvis is definitely a sexy man but he is also so sweet to Gwen and a great mentor for Chase.
Gwen is very much a southern gal. Her style of phrasing comes through gently without being too corny. And I love her two dogs.
Footnote: 1) BTW: in case you didn’t know the author has a bunch of free short stories relating to this series on her website starting Laurel and Bane and progressing through the rest of the group. They have some cute scenes and give more insight into our heroes.
2) I like the Lord of the Rings tie-in. It’s one of my favorite book and movie series. But I like Legolas better.
Fave scenes: The banana split kiss, the freckle counting, Aragorn & the milk and Jarvis retrieving his sword.
These two really brought a smile to my face. I could feel the connection from the beginning. Jarvis is definitely a sexy man but he is also so sweet to Gwen and a great mentor for Chase.
Gwen is very much a southern gal. Her style of phrasing comes through gently without being too corny. And I love her two dogs.
Footnote: 1) BTW: in case you didn’t know the author has a bunch of free short stories relating to this series on her website starting Laurel and Bane and progressing through the rest of the group. They have some cute scenes and give more insight into our heroes.
2) I like the Lord of the Rings tie-in. It’s one of my favorite book and movie series. But I like Legolas better.
Fave scenes: The banana split kiss, the freckle counting, Aragorn & the milk and Jarvis retrieving his sword.
May 14, 2017
3.5 Stars
This the fifth instalment in the Paladin series, and even though it was a great book, it lacked something the previous books had in abundance. . . the romance. Jarvis and Gwen's relationship was a strenuous one from the beginning. They had some obstacles to overcome, mainly Jarvis' insecurities, but in the end they do end up together. It's just a shame we didn't see them get any more than a few chapters of the loved-ups.
Other than that we get to meet several new and interesting Paladins, who I hope we meet again in future books. And as with all the others we get a good helping of action and suspense. This is definitely a book I would read again.
This the fifth instalment in the Paladin series, and even though it was a great book, it lacked something the previous books had in abundance. . . the romance. Jarvis and Gwen's relationship was a strenuous one from the beginning. They had some obstacles to overcome, mainly Jarvis' insecurities, but in the end they do end up together. It's just a shame we didn't see them get any more than a few chapters of the loved-ups.
Other than that we get to meet several new and interesting Paladins, who I hope we meet again in future books. And as with all the others we get a good helping of action and suspense. This is definitely a book I would read again.
June 22, 2020
This was an enjoyable read.
Gwen lives on a farm where she raises alpacas and cares for her younger brother, Chase. One night, she follows her dogs out to the river in the forest behind her house and finds a man who is badly injured. She, with the help of her brother, takes him back to her house. He heals quickly like her brother and decides that he can possibly give her some answers to her questions regarding her brother.
That man is Jarvis, a Paladin. He holds the key to her questions and also her heart.
Gwen lives on a farm where she raises alpacas and cares for her younger brother, Chase. One night, she follows her dogs out to the river in the forest behind her house and finds a man who is badly injured. She, with the help of her brother, takes him back to her house. He heals quickly like her brother and decides that he can possibly give her some answers to her questions regarding her brother.
That man is Jarvis, a Paladin. He holds the key to her questions and also her heart.
February 2, 2020
I hate when I don't enjoy a book and I can't really pin down why. The flow of this story felt weird, the characters emotions a little too off-the-wall for me. This series is proving a little hit and miss, but they're quick reads, so onward we go.
July 13, 2020
(Explícito). No me gustó. Nada. Al menos Jarvis tiene a alguien. ... narrado en tercera persona. No se avanzó en nada sobre las traiciones y el comercio de las piedras azules. Gwen resultó ser muy controladora con Chase. ...
August 7, 2017
Nothing special
January 3, 2019
Yay! No females were kidnapped in this book. Finally a different plot. But i did realize I'm invested in the plot and want to know who the main bad guy in the series is.
May 24, 2020
It was ok. Expected better for Jarvis. Looking forward to a Jake book.
March 18, 2017
Great series.
February 15, 2010
GUEST REVIEW KARRA
Gwen Mosely is just a sweet country bumpkin residing on her small farm in Missouri. She raises alpacas for a living, along with raising her seventeen year old half-brother Chase. Chase has the strange ability to rapidly heal from wounds, which is something that he and his sister have dealt with privately, keeping it a secret from the outside world.
After stumbling across a man’s nearly dead body in the woods that border her property, and witnessing the man heal at an incredible rate, she wheels him back to her farmhouse with the help of her brother and tends to the man’s more serious wounds.
Jarvis Donahue, the sexy left-for-dead man, awakens the next morning with the intentions of getting up and getting out. He’s not interested in answering any of Gwen’s questions, but when she coaxes him into staying for breakfast so he can meet her brother, his plans abruptly change: he realizes the teenage boy is a fellow Paladin, or warrior born to defend mankind against aliens that are known as the Others. Though the boy doesn’t know it yet, Jarvis knows that he must soon tell him that he will one day enlist in the secret army that spends the majority of their lives fighting creatures the rest of humanity doesn’t know exist; dying over and over again with no relief in sight. This reality is the one thing that all Paladins must keep secret from the world, even their loved ones.
Not looking forward to that confrontation, Jarvis decides to ease into the Mosely’s lives by volunteering to help train Chase in martial arts, thus also earning Gwen’s trust. While Jarvis keeps busy, the Others are finding their own ways to thwart the Paladins, and it’s only a matter of time until the truth is out and Jarvis’ world comes crashing down around him.
Darkness Unknown is the fifth book in Morgan’s Paladins series, and though I typically like to read all of the books of a series in order, I’m kind of glad I didn’t follow that routine this time around. Darkness Unknown was the perfect book to use as a diving board into the world of the very masculine Paladins.
Now, the whole Paladin aspect isn’t unique to the genre, as most paranormal books have a band of heroes who fight some kind of evil, but I liked how they war against aliens instead of other, more standard beasties. These aliens, known as Kalith in their world and Others to the Paladins, escape into our world to escape the darkness that is consuming theirs. That would be fine and dandy, except by the time they cross the barrier, they’re typically insane and hell bent on doing whatever they can, including slaying innocents, to remain in the light.
The Paladins are Earth’s only hope in keeping those aliens at bay and since they’re all as hot as Jarvis, there aren’t any complaints on my end. Rippling, sun-kissed muscles? Yes, please. A guy who can swing a sword with ease and is genuine and cares about others’ feelings? I’ll take him. Preferably against the wall.
Jarvis and Gwen’s relationship is the highlight of the book and it’s done in such a way that my only description of it would be believable. Well that, and cute. Their dialogue reminded me of two teenagers; where the girl’s innocent and sweet, and the guy is just bold and funny in his efforts to sweep the girl off of her feet. I enjoyed their interactions and how intense they both felt, not only for each other, but for what matters in their lives. The secondary characters are also well done, and leave me hoping that Alexis Morgan writes future Paladin books about them so they can find their own happiness.
Overall, Darkness Unknown is definitely a recommended read. Not a “stop what you’re doing and buy this now,” book, but one that I think any fan of a good paranormal romance will enjoy.
Gwen Mosely is just a sweet country bumpkin residing on her small farm in Missouri. She raises alpacas for a living, along with raising her seventeen year old half-brother Chase. Chase has the strange ability to rapidly heal from wounds, which is something that he and his sister have dealt with privately, keeping it a secret from the outside world.
After stumbling across a man’s nearly dead body in the woods that border her property, and witnessing the man heal at an incredible rate, she wheels him back to her farmhouse with the help of her brother and tends to the man’s more serious wounds.
Jarvis Donahue, the sexy left-for-dead man, awakens the next morning with the intentions of getting up and getting out. He’s not interested in answering any of Gwen’s questions, but when she coaxes him into staying for breakfast so he can meet her brother, his plans abruptly change: he realizes the teenage boy is a fellow Paladin, or warrior born to defend mankind against aliens that are known as the Others. Though the boy doesn’t know it yet, Jarvis knows that he must soon tell him that he will one day enlist in the secret army that spends the majority of their lives fighting creatures the rest of humanity doesn’t know exist; dying over and over again with no relief in sight. This reality is the one thing that all Paladins must keep secret from the world, even their loved ones.
Not looking forward to that confrontation, Jarvis decides to ease into the Mosely’s lives by volunteering to help train Chase in martial arts, thus also earning Gwen’s trust. While Jarvis keeps busy, the Others are finding their own ways to thwart the Paladins, and it’s only a matter of time until the truth is out and Jarvis’ world comes crashing down around him.
Darkness Unknown is the fifth book in Morgan’s Paladins series, and though I typically like to read all of the books of a series in order, I’m kind of glad I didn’t follow that routine this time around. Darkness Unknown was the perfect book to use as a diving board into the world of the very masculine Paladins.
Now, the whole Paladin aspect isn’t unique to the genre, as most paranormal books have a band of heroes who fight some kind of evil, but I liked how they war against aliens instead of other, more standard beasties. These aliens, known as Kalith in their world and Others to the Paladins, escape into our world to escape the darkness that is consuming theirs. That would be fine and dandy, except by the time they cross the barrier, they’re typically insane and hell bent on doing whatever they can, including slaying innocents, to remain in the light.
The Paladins are Earth’s only hope in keeping those aliens at bay and since they’re all as hot as Jarvis, there aren’t any complaints on my end. Rippling, sun-kissed muscles? Yes, please. A guy who can swing a sword with ease and is genuine and cares about others’ feelings? I’ll take him. Preferably against the wall.
Jarvis and Gwen’s relationship is the highlight of the book and it’s done in such a way that my only description of it would be believable. Well that, and cute. Their dialogue reminded me of two teenagers; where the girl’s innocent and sweet, and the guy is just bold and funny in his efforts to sweep the girl off of her feet. I enjoyed their interactions and how intense they both felt, not only for each other, but for what matters in their lives. The secondary characters are also well done, and leave me hoping that Alexis Morgan writes future Paladin books about them so they can find their own happiness.
Overall, Darkness Unknown is definitely a recommended read. Not a “stop what you’re doing and buy this now,” book, but one that I think any fan of a good paranormal romance will enjoy.
August 9, 2021
We met Jarvis back in book two of this series so I was happy to see that DARKNESS UNKNOWN was his story. Jarvis is a lot like the Seattle Paladin leader, Devlin Bane, in that he's levelheaded, calm in a crisis, and a natural leader. Those skills have led him well but he's on uneven footing with his attraction to Gwen. Things are even more complicated because he needs to help Chase control his aggression and come into his Paladin status but he knows that if Gwen ever discovers he's training her brother to be a killer she'll never forgive him. I liked seeing the recruitment of a Paladin and though Chase starts out as an angry 17 year old, you can tell he wants to do better but he just doesn't know how to control his emotions. Jarvis quickly becomes like a father figure for Chase, along with another Paladin, Jake, and the bonding moments between the men were really sweet.
Each book has featured a strong and outspoken heroine and Gwen fits right into that category. She gave up everything to take care of Chase when their mother died and she's fiercely protective of him; with 10 years between them she's often more of a mother than a sister to Chase. But raising Chase and running the family farm has left Gwen floundering when it comes to relationships so when Jarvis continues to come around she sees how good he is with Chase and how flirtatious he is with her. Gwen can't resist Jarvis even knowing that he's keeping a ton of secrets. I do feel that Gwen put blinders on pretty quickly and didn't question Jarvis's secrets; she pretty much trusts him and assumes he's one of the good guys right away.
I really enjoyed that Gwen is strong and independent but she's also incredibly forgiving and caring and she has just the right soft touch to be a welcoming home for Jarvis. He doesn't show it very often, but Jarvis has accepted that he'll remain alone and Gwen shows him that that doesn't have to be the case. I really enjoyed them together, especially the way they bring out a more playful side in each other. It was nice to finally see Jarvis let go and fall in love.
The mystery of the blue stones and the traitors in the Regent organization is still on-going and I'm dying to know who all is behind it, though I have a few guesses.
Each book has featured a strong and outspoken heroine and Gwen fits right into that category. She gave up everything to take care of Chase when their mother died and she's fiercely protective of him; with 10 years between them she's often more of a mother than a sister to Chase. But raising Chase and running the family farm has left Gwen floundering when it comes to relationships so when Jarvis continues to come around she sees how good he is with Chase and how flirtatious he is with her. Gwen can't resist Jarvis even knowing that he's keeping a ton of secrets. I do feel that Gwen put blinders on pretty quickly and didn't question Jarvis's secrets; she pretty much trusts him and assumes he's one of the good guys right away.
I really enjoyed that Gwen is strong and independent but she's also incredibly forgiving and caring and she has just the right soft touch to be a welcoming home for Jarvis. He doesn't show it very often, but Jarvis has accepted that he'll remain alone and Gwen shows him that that doesn't have to be the case. I really enjoyed them together, especially the way they bring out a more playful side in each other. It was nice to finally see Jarvis let go and fall in love.
The mystery of the blue stones and the traitors in the Regent organization is still on-going and I'm dying to know who all is behind it, though I have a few guesses.
October 27, 2011
Book 5 in the Paladin series was so much fun and such a nice change of pace. For this book, Morgan decided to back away from the ongoing storyline of theft/corruption. The four previous books focused on this ongoing storyline and each one left me wishing that the storyline had progressed further. By not even touching on that storyline in this book, I almost felt like the book was more satisfying, as it didn't leave me wishing for more. Also, it was kind of nice to have a break from the repetitive nature of the previous books. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other 4 books, despite their tendency towards being somewhat formulaic (except the first book which more or less set the formula), but having read all of these books in a little over a week, the break was nice.
This book focuses on the discovery and "recruitment" of newly discovered Paladin, Chase Mosely. Neither Chase nor his older sister Gwen understand Chase's unique ability to heal quickly or his overly aggressive nature. Discovering a badly wounded Jarvis Donahue in the woods near their farm is a stroke of luck when they realize that he shares Chase's quick healing. They hope to learn something from him. Jarvis, once he realizes what Chase is, hopes to recruit him into the Paladins once he turns 18. And of course, Jarvis and Gwen can't deny their mutual attraction. There was a lot of relationship building in this book which I really liked. I could really feel the romance between Jarvis and Gwen.
The one downside to this book was that we didn't get to visit with any of our Paladin friends from previous books. They were only mentioned briefly a few times. The upside to that is that this book can be read without having read the others in the series. If you haven't read the others you might miss out on some background, but otherwise the story would probably still be enjoyable. I still recommend reading the others first, but because it doesn't continue the ongoing story arc and the other characters don't make an appearance, it can be read standalone.
I highly recommend this book and this series and look forward to reading book 6.
This book focuses on the discovery and "recruitment" of newly discovered Paladin, Chase Mosely. Neither Chase nor his older sister Gwen understand Chase's unique ability to heal quickly or his overly aggressive nature. Discovering a badly wounded Jarvis Donahue in the woods near their farm is a stroke of luck when they realize that he shares Chase's quick healing. They hope to learn something from him. Jarvis, once he realizes what Chase is, hopes to recruit him into the Paladins once he turns 18. And of course, Jarvis and Gwen can't deny their mutual attraction. There was a lot of relationship building in this book which I really liked. I could really feel the romance between Jarvis and Gwen.
The one downside to this book was that we didn't get to visit with any of our Paladin friends from previous books. They were only mentioned briefly a few times. The upside to that is that this book can be read without having read the others in the series. If you haven't read the others you might miss out on some background, but otherwise the story would probably still be enjoyable. I still recommend reading the others first, but because it doesn't continue the ongoing story arc and the other characters don't make an appearance, it can be read standalone.
I highly recommend this book and this series and look forward to reading book 6.
October 29, 2015
Meh. Not really my cup of tea but was a good read for what it was. I don't have any outstanding grievances about the book. To be honest, I just didn't care about it. Like at all. The concept ended up being interesting (just not what im into) but the characters and the plot were plain and didn't connect with me.
First off, despite the concept being interesting, the book doesn't stand on its own. It's obvious serious shit has gone down in the previous books and not having read them really affected my enjoyment/understanding of this one. Which sucked cause it seemed interesting and yet the blurbs of the previous books in the series just didn't interest me in the slightest. There was nothing that made me want to previous books and there was nothing that made me want to continue with the series. To put it simply, this book was obviously a filler, there for fans of the series with characters they'll be familiar with and know and yet had nothing for new readers to enjoy or even look forward to.
Second, the Paladin concept wasn't really about knights and good vs evil. Which i blame myself for since i just ASSUMED that's what they meant. Paladin is pretty much another word for knight but i guess the way they explained it, it makes some sense but it does mislead new reader. Me being one of them. In reality, it was about . So that in itself was a bummer. No ancient knights or cool magic powers.
It was all pretty basic sci-fi. I mean, it wasn't a terrible concept overall just not something i was into.
Like i said before, i didn't hate the book and it wasn't bad but it also didn't engage me enough to read previous books in the series or even continue on to next ones.
First off, despite the concept being interesting, the book doesn't stand on its own. It's obvious serious shit has gone down in the previous books and not having read them really affected my enjoyment/understanding of this one. Which sucked cause it seemed interesting and yet the blurbs of the previous books in the series just didn't interest me in the slightest. There was nothing that made me want to previous books and there was nothing that made me want to continue with the series. To put it simply, this book was obviously a filler, there for fans of the series with characters they'll be familiar with and know and yet had nothing for new readers to enjoy or even look forward to.
Second, the Paladin concept wasn't really about knights and good vs evil. Which i blame myself for since i just ASSUMED that's what they meant. Paladin is pretty much another word for knight but i guess the way they explained it, it makes some sense but it does mislead new reader. Me being one of them. In reality, it was about . So that in itself was a bummer. No ancient knights or cool magic powers.
It was all pretty basic sci-fi. I mean, it wasn't a terrible concept overall just not something i was into.
Like i said before, i didn't hate the book and it wasn't bad but it also didn't engage me enough to read previous books in the series or even continue on to next ones.
May 22, 2011
Review:
This book can be read independently as a stand alone even if it's book 5 in the series. There is enough intel there to keep the reader in the loop.
I've read the previous books like 4 years ago so I've essentially forgotten what went on. I remember the world of the Paladins but almost forgotten the characters, never mind the events. I had a quick browse through book 4 before reading this book but book 4 was about a Seattle Paladin. This book is about a different state Paladin. So essentially a totally different set of characters in the same world of the Paladins. I seem to remember though that books 1 and 2 were very interesting. I might have to re-read them and do a retrospective review, if and when I get the chance. This book still retains Alexis Morgan's fantastic "author's voice". But for some reason the story telling quality does not seem to be as compelling as I remember the first 2 books were. Could it be that my memory has kinda editted what I remebered of it... or, my reading experiences was and/or is, being affected by my mood. Can't really tell you. Don't really know myself. But I do know that it feels like this book's story telling quality is not as compelling as books 1 & 2. I also don't like the way the model holds the sword in the cover. It tells me that his sword is blunt to be stupid enough to hold the naked blade like that. One other thing, there are no cute sidekicks. However, a lovely enough read that I would give it a 4 out of 5.
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 4
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
This book can be read independently as a stand alone even if it's book 5 in the series. There is enough intel there to keep the reader in the loop.
I've read the previous books like 4 years ago so I've essentially forgotten what went on. I remember the world of the Paladins but almost forgotten the characters, never mind the events. I had a quick browse through book 4 before reading this book but book 4 was about a Seattle Paladin. This book is about a different state Paladin. So essentially a totally different set of characters in the same world of the Paladins. I seem to remember though that books 1 and 2 were very interesting. I might have to re-read them and do a retrospective review, if and when I get the chance. This book still retains Alexis Morgan's fantastic "author's voice". But for some reason the story telling quality does not seem to be as compelling as I remember the first 2 books were. Could it be that my memory has kinda editted what I remebered of it... or, my reading experiences was and/or is, being affected by my mood. Can't really tell you. Don't really know myself. But I do know that it feels like this book's story telling quality is not as compelling as books 1 & 2. I also don't like the way the model holds the sword in the cover. It tells me that his sword is blunt to be stupid enough to hold the naked blade like that. One other thing, there are no cute sidekicks. However, a lovely enough read that I would give it a 4 out of 5.
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 4
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
June 25, 2011
Such an incredible story. This one was possibly one of my faves as I took a strong liking to Jarvis' character in previous stories. In this book, Hunter got my interest for sure & I'm hoping that something is done with him in future stories. Jake is a must have too... sigh. I really appreciated her bringing Chase's character to life and exploring his plot line. Do I have you interested yet?
It was nice to let the Regents take some time off for a bit and take a step back from the corruption. I really enjoyed just focusing on the Paladins and what it meant to be one.
Two things that did bother me about the book were relatively small. Not sure if you would call this a spoiler alert or not, so if you're concerned about that....don't read on.
Okay, if you're reading this ~ it's on you. =)
We get a glimpse into Gwen's mind and we see that she loves a guy who can swing a sword...but then nothing's done with that information even after the big reveal, fight, and make up. Bum deal. The other thing is that we see a lot of Gwen's internal processing over Jarvis and his secrets. In one point of the book, he's been up front and honest with her about having to keep secrets. She ponders this and realizes he's distraught and feeling guilty over it and it seems as though it irritates her a little because she acknowledges that he's fighting a secret war & is one of the good guys. So you'd think that this thought process would come back up at some point in the end when she's mad at him for that very thing & he's bared his soul, told the truth, risked his career, etc. Nope. Doesn't even get a mention. Not when she's talking to her brother. Not when she's talking to him. Sigh.
It was nice to let the Regents take some time off for a bit and take a step back from the corruption. I really enjoyed just focusing on the Paladins and what it meant to be one.
Two things that did bother me about the book were relatively small. Not sure if you would call this a spoiler alert or not, so if you're concerned about that....don't read on.
Okay, if you're reading this ~ it's on you. =)
We get a glimpse into Gwen's mind and we see that she loves a guy who can swing a sword...but then nothing's done with that information even after the big reveal, fight, and make up. Bum deal. The other thing is that we see a lot of Gwen's internal processing over Jarvis and his secrets. In one point of the book, he's been up front and honest with her about having to keep secrets. She ponders this and realizes he's distraught and feeling guilty over it and it seems as though it irritates her a little because she acknowledges that he's fighting a secret war & is one of the good guys. So you'd think that this thought process would come back up at some point in the end when she's mad at him for that very thing & he's bared his soul, told the truth, risked his career, etc. Nope. Doesn't even get a mention. Not when she's talking to her brother. Not when she's talking to him. Sigh.
August 11, 2010
The Paladins are great! I know that I just trashed on Lori Fosters idealization of physical male perfection while allowing for men's emotional health to be below par but what makes Alexis Morgan different is that she gives us strong but hopeless men. They fight the good fight only to turn into the thing they fight. These men while ridiculous aggressive, possessive (seriously I would like to round up every romance/erotica-ish writer and conversate about this), and protective. They are fairly primitive in their possessive and protectiveness. What Lori Foster might lack in male emotional expression Alexis Morgan has in spades! I like the struggle these guys go through. The hopelessness of feeling like they can't find anyone to be with because they are not worthy of the women that they fall for. Oh and speaking of women, why are they so damn hardheaded!? On the one hand I love that they can take care of themselves. But when I'm reading I just want to scream let the man go out into the woods on his own! He's a dumbass for going without back up! The women are very much about having these men's back. Where he goes so does she! Awesome really. I have read the entire series at this point and it's one of my favorites.
April 10, 2012
When Gwen finds a handsome man injured and conscious behind her alpaca farm, her life begins to change. To her shock, the man's wounds begin to heal on their own--just like her younger brother, Chase. Gwen has sacrificed everything to keep her younger brother home and secure since their mother died. The injured stranger, Jarvis, noticed Chase's skill and offers to train him in martial arts to help control his temper, but that's not his only reason. He's attracted to Gwen, but he knows he can't tell her his secret: that he's a Paladin, fighting off alien invasions on a regular basis, and that her brother shares the Paladin genes--and is doomed to die again and again and recover from his wounds.[return][return]I've wanted to read this series for a few years, and I was disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were too high, or I entered the series on a wrong book. From the beginning, too much was assumed that I knew what was going on in this world. Large tracts of the book weren't about romance, either, but focused on Chase as he trained and learned about the Paladins. Actually, Gwen wasn't even part of the dramatic climax of the book. It just didn't grab me. At the very least, it was a quick read.
January 2, 2012
Es war nicht so, dass ich mit dem buch nicht glücklich gewesen wäre, das war ich wirklich.
Jarvis war ein netter Kerl, Gwen auch ein relativ gleichberechtigter Charakter und ihr Bruder Chase als ein noch nicht entdeckter zukünftiger Paladin hat mir besonders gut gefallen.
Was mich nun schon seit mittlerweile 5 Büchern ärgert ist, dass es mit der Hintergrundhandlung nur millimeterweise weitergeht, und dabei so wenig, dass ich selbst noch keine Vermutung anstellen konnte, wer die Anderen über die Barriere bringt und zu welchem Zweck jetzt eigentlich, wer aller noch in die Sache verstrickt sein könnte etc.
Immer wieder blicken kleine und - wie ich finde - geniale Ideen durch die Handlung, z.b. warum Paladine mit Schwertern und nicht mit Schusswaffen kämpfen, aber es geht einfach zu langsam voran!!!
Trotzdem mag ich diesen Männerverein wirklich gerne und bleibe der Reihe treu :)
Jarvis war ein netter Kerl, Gwen auch ein relativ gleichberechtigter Charakter und ihr Bruder Chase als ein noch nicht entdeckter zukünftiger Paladin hat mir besonders gut gefallen.
Was mich nun schon seit mittlerweile 5 Büchern ärgert ist, dass es mit der Hintergrundhandlung nur millimeterweise weitergeht, und dabei so wenig, dass ich selbst noch keine Vermutung anstellen konnte, wer die Anderen über die Barriere bringt und zu welchem Zweck jetzt eigentlich, wer aller noch in die Sache verstrickt sein könnte etc.
Immer wieder blicken kleine und - wie ich finde - geniale Ideen durch die Handlung, z.b. warum Paladine mit Schwertern und nicht mit Schusswaffen kämpfen, aber es geht einfach zu langsam voran!!!
Trotzdem mag ich diesen Männerverein wirklich gerne und bleibe der Reihe treu :)
February 10, 2010
4 1/2 stars
I have found in most books I don’t like teens, but this one is very good, the teen is not over the top, mean or just pain stupid. This book is my favorite in the series so far. It has lots of good elements, love, danger, secrets, and even an Alpaca farm.
A good, exciting story about a sister Gwen and her half brother living alone on a farm with alpacas. Gwen’s finds a half dead man in the woods that can heal like her brother, so she wants to find out more about him for her brother, but as time goes on the man she thought she could trust gets her brother in the hospital. Will Gwen ending up fleeing or staying?
One complaint, it was never made clear what went on at the farm that keep the dogs and alpaca's on neddles or one time Gwen felt being watched.
I have found in most books I don’t like teens, but this one is very good, the teen is not over the top, mean or just pain stupid. This book is my favorite in the series so far. It has lots of good elements, love, danger, secrets, and even an Alpaca farm.
A good, exciting story about a sister Gwen and her half brother living alone on a farm with alpacas. Gwen’s finds a half dead man in the woods that can heal like her brother, so she wants to find out more about him for her brother, but as time goes on the man she thought she could trust gets her brother in the hospital. Will Gwen ending up fleeing or staying?
One complaint, it was never made clear what went on at the farm that keep the dogs and alpaca's on neddles or one time Gwen felt being watched.
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