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Darkness Everlasting

Alexandra Ivy

Published 2008        395 pages

Summary (from the book jacket)

Two men...one desires her love...the other her life...

Darcy Smith always sensed she was different from everyone else - if only she knew how different.  Possessing a secret strong enough to end an entire race of demons, Darcy unwittingly becomes a pawn in an epic battle between the vampires and the Weres as she discovers a new world filled with ecstasy - and dark passions…

Consumed with lust for Darcy, Styx - the Anasso of vampires - will do everything in his powers to keep her out of the lair of Salvatore Giuliani, the deadly leader of the Weres.  But protecting the woman he loves could cost Styx the ultimate price...

Salvatore Giuliani knows time is running out for the Weres.  Pushed to the brink of extinction, he will stop at nothing to make Darcy his ultimate conquest and queen - for she alone holds the key to his survival. But which of these men can Darcy trust?  For all it takes is one bite to plunge her into a lifetime of servitude - or a lifetime of pleasure.

The Review

Darkness Everlasting is Alexandra Ivy’s third novel in her Guardians of Eternity vampire romance series.  All of the novels in this series are stand alone romances, so you don’t have to read them strictly in order but you may wish to do so, since characters from earlier novels do return in the later ones and past events are occasionally referred to.

Darkness Everlasting follows the story of Styx, the mysterious Aztec vampire warrior first introduced in Embrace The Darkness.  He unexpectedly became the Anasso (the leader of all the vampire clans) at the end of that book and the opening pages of Darkness Everlasting see Styx trying to avert a supernatural war between the Weres and the vampires.

Salvatore, the King of the Weres, has refused to follow the laws of the supernatural world and has taken up residence in Chicago, leaving a trail of dead humans behind him and his pack.  Styx discovers that Salvatore is tracking a young human female and determines to capture her before Salvatore can get to her and plans use her as leverage to make the werewolves return to their own territory.

But the best-laid plans of mice and vampires often go awry - and soon Styx finds himself enraptured by Darcy, the gentle human female that he has captured.  As Anasso he should do what is best for the vampires, including making peace with the Weres, but as a man he can’t let her go....

Alexandra Ivy gives readers another solid instalment of paranormal romance with Darkness Everlasting.  Her experience in writing romance (Alexandra Ivy is a pen name for Deborah/Debbie Raleigh who has written many popular non-paranormal romance novels) shows itself in her hugely likeable characters that make readers want to root for them, and their HEA.

Darkness Everlasting has a fast paced fantasy plotline that keeps the action and the romance moving forward, although the romance is always focus of the story making this a book that will appeal more to romance fans than fantasy fans.  It ticks all the right boxes for paranormal romance and if you are a romance fan I honestly don’t think you will be disappointed in this book but to me it lacks a certain indescribable something (and I really can’t put my finger on it.)  Possibly the best way I can describe it is that if a reader wasn’t already a fan of the paranormal romance genre I don’t think that this book would convert them.

Another personal gripe with this book is the clothes the vampires wear:
“Tonight he had put aside his traditional robe and chosen black leather pants, thigh-high boots, and a black silk shirt.  He had assumed that this garb would make him less noticeable as he travelled the streets of Chicago.”

Do vampires really always wear satin jackets and velvet pants? Or silk shirts, leather trousers and thigh-high boots?  All while trying to keep a low profile and blend in with humanity unnoticed…?  Answers on a postcard please!

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