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Darkling

Yasmine Galenorn

Published 2008      281 pages

Summary (from the book jacket)

We’re the D’Artigo sisters: Half-human, half-Faerie, we’re savvy – and sexy – operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But our mixed-blood heritage short circuits our talents at all the wrong times.  My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch whose magic is as unpredictable as the weather.  My sister Delilah transforms into a tabby cat when she’s under stress.  And Me?  I’m Menolly, acrobat-extraordinaire-turned-vampire.  And I’d give my right fang to make my sire pay for killing me.  That is, if he doesn’t find me first….

All over Seattle, humans have been going missing, only to turn up as newborn vampires - the sure sign of a rogue vamp on the loose. It looks like Dredge is to blame.  The same sadistic Dredge who gave me my scars, and who may well be in cahoots with the demon Shadow Wing. If so, Otherworld and Earth are screwed. The only way we can hope to defeat Dredge is for me to travel home to Otherworld, where I must face my own demons. Because unless I sever the ties that bind me to Dredge, all hell is going to break loose....

The Review

Darkling is the third book in Yasmine Galenorn’s Sisters of The Moon series, following the lives and adventures of three half-human, half-Faerie sisters living on earth. 

Darkling is Menolly’s story and it is told in first person by Menolly.  Menolly is the youngest of the three sisters but her life has definitely been the hardest.  Twelve years ago while working for the OIA, Menolly was captured by Dredge, a rogue vampire she was gathering evidence on.  He tortured and raped her before killing her and turning her into a vampire – he then released her so that she could return home and prey on her family.

Menolly has to confront her demons and face up to her own dark vampiric side in Darkling.  For the last twelve years she has been stuck in the past, reliving her memories of the night she was turned vampire in her nightmares, but never managing to get over the attack that not only killed her but changed her for eternity.

Menolly must now face Dredge if she is to stop him from wreaking havoc on the streets of Seattle with the army of ravenous new-born vampires that he is creating.  If, with the help of her sisters and a trip to Aladril (the city of seers) in Otherworld, Menolly manages to break the bond between her herself and her sadistic sire she might just stand a chance of being able to defeat him….

Darkling has all the usual fun and Faerie frolics that fans of this series has come to expect.  As well as all the usual mythical and magical creatures and characters from the previous books Darkling introduced a new character, an incubus called Roz who is a bounty hunter and vampire killer.  Roz makes an interesting new addition to the story with his stakes, garlic bombs, Uzi and his 700 year vendetta against Dredge, the vampire who killed his entire family.  Hopefully we will see more of him in following books.

Darkling has a dark vibe running through it, probably because Menolly’s story is dark.  Her brutal turning aside, Menolly still struggles with her bloodlust and her predatory vampire instincts every day and while her sisters help as much as they can, they have never really fully understood exactly how much Menolly changed when she became a vampire. 

Darkling makes for an entertaining, fast paced read that should satisfy most urban fantasy fans.  This novel isn’t a paranormal romance though – no matter what it says on the spine of the book – there is no HEA and the primary focus of the novel isn’t romantic relationship development.  If you are looking to read a romance and those things are important to you this story might not be for you.  But if you are a fantasy fan who enjoys reading exciting fantasy adventure novels with strong female protagonists, I can’t imagine why this book isn’t on your bookshelf!

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