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Twilight Fall

Lynn Viehl

Published 2008      318 pages

Summary (from the book jacket)

A devastating loss… Immortal Darkyn lord Valentin Jaus lost one woman after accidentally infecting her with his vampiric blood.  Consumed by guilt, he fears he will bring only pain to anyone who dares love him.

A mysterious past… Landscaper Liling Harper touches the lives of the infirm with daily deliveries of fresh flowers and an aura that soothes their pain.  But her good deeds have made her vulnerable to an insidious organization desperate to reclaim her.

An insatiable desire… Brought together by fate, bound together by passion, Valentin and Liling find solace in each other’s arms.  But the ties that bind them are deeper – and more dangerous – than either of them can possibly imagine.

The Review

Twilight Fall is the sixth novel in Lynn Viehl’s popular Darkyn paranormal romance series.  Readers who are new to the world of the Darkyn will be better off starting with If Angels Burn, the first Darkyn novel, and then reading the series in order.  Each Darkyn novel is a stand alone a romance but there is a long running story arc that spans all of the stories, and for this reason I would advise reading the previous novels first.

In Twilight Fall it is now the turn of Valentin Jaus (a character who first featured in Private Demon where he lost the first great love of his life to another Darkyn male) to find love again.  Love appears in the form of Liling Harper, a woman with a secret past and some strange healing abilities.  It is her unnatural talent for healing that allows her to mend Valentin’s love-scarred heart - in the processes freeing him from his self-imposed restraints and enabling him to love again.

In addition to the romance between Valentin and Liling, there is an exciting action background to Twilight Fall with the Brethren (best explained as an anti-Darkyn organization that treats the Darkyn with what can only be described as extreme prejudice) on the hunt to kill or capture Liling.

The Darkyn series has always featured the twists and turns in the long term relationship between Alexandra Keller and Michael Cyprien (from If Angels Burn.)  Twilight Falls is no exception only this time Alex and Michael are not fighting with each other, nor are they in any mortal danger – Michael is supporting Alex in her investigations into facilities for orphaned children run by the Brethren.  Her investigations unearth some startling facts about her own childhood and a connection between most of the women who have been recently turned into Darkyn.  These revelations look set to be expanded in future novels, making Twilight Fall a pivotal read for fans of this series.

With all the plot development and the strong background elements in this story there is a lot competing for the readers attention.  As a result readers strictly orientated to romance may feel short changed, since there isn’t too much time left for romantic relationship development. The romance between Valentin and Liling is of a dominant/submissive nature.  He needs to dominate and she desperately wants to submit - making them an exceedingly well matched couple!  Because Valentin and Liling are so well matched there is little tension between the two of them, all the stresses on their relationship coming from outside forces.

Readers who are less prescriptive about the romantic content of their paranormal romance should enjoy Twilight Fall for all it has to offer – a fast paced, exciting action plotline combined with sexy vampires, romance and a large portion of fantasy mystery.  Really, what more could you ask for?

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