Title: Darkness Dawns (ARC)Author: Dianne Duvall
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 02/01/11
Summary:
Once, Sarah Bingham's biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she's handed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control... In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it means forfeiting the world she's always known, and the life he would do anything to protect.
Plot: 3 Stars
Without ruining the ending, I just want to add that everything wrapped up a little too nicely. There is a specific fact about Sara that is pretty much left out throughout the entire novel, but comes into play at the end to make everything perfect. It could have been alluded to or mentioned in passing once or twice to make the ending a little more believable. Otherwise, this novel was another fresh take on vampires in the Paranormal Romance genre. The similarities and differences between vampires and immortals in this novel were very interesting. Vampires didn't live that long because the bloodlust slowly drove them insane, while immortals were able to cope and live longer lives thus making them guardians between vampires and humans. But it was just one little detail that decided whether a turned human became a vampire or an immortal.
Pace: 4 Stars
This novel had many twists and turns, and kept up a moderately fast pace. Some twists I saw coming, others took me by surprise. Sarah seemed to welcome the immortals into her life and believe what they told her a little too readily, but she also witnessed a lot of the information (as opposed to just being told) so it wasn't too much of a stretch. Sarah and Roland also seem to come together a little quickly, but it wasn't unrealistic. There were some scenes that seemed a little out there in regards to Sarah reacting to crisis with a level head, but instead of taking away from the story, it just made me like her more. Although the other immortals we meet don't play as big of a role as Roland, it was interesting to see them interact with this new, more social Roland.
Characters: 4 Stars
Sarah was a very interesting heroine. She was a strong woman and showed real caring when taking care of Roland. She meets him under dire circumstances and plays a pivotal role in saving his life. From there her world is turned upside-down as she is swept into the world of the immortals, but she keeps a level head and never becomes overwhelmed. Roland, who is known as antisocial to all of the other immortals, really comes out of his shell as her forges a relationship with Sarah.
Cover: 3 Stars
Bare-chested, faceless guys have never really made me like a cover. It's a bit overdone in the romance world, and never really gives you much of a clue to the plot. The only thing about the cover model I didn't dislike was the fact that he had a shirt on, but it was open. This, to me, seems a bit more realistic than running around firght evil with absolutely no shirt on. The reddish-orangeish hues of the cover were a nice choice, along with the background image. But I'd have to say that my two favorite details are the swirl behind the title and the font choice. The font has a bit of an old world, gothic feel while staying simple and easy to read.
Overall: 3.5 Stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book for review from Abigail of All Things Urban Fantasy.
Glad you enjoyed it too. I actually liked the little twist about Sara was a fun surprise that I was not at all suspecting. Can't wait for the next book.
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