Friday, January 13, 2012

Review: Night Reigns by Dianne Duvall

Book description:

Ami isn't much for trusting strangers. She has a hard time trusting anyone. But she's no coward, and she's no pushover in the protection department either. So when she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight deranged vampires on his own, she doesn't hesitate to save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized what one little rescue would get her into . . .

Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment he's not interested in backup. From the moment Ami arrives in his life, he can't deny that she's strong, smart, and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she's also destroying his protective solitude and stirring desires he can't bear to awaken. After all, whatever her secrets — how can she defeat death itself?


Review:

Right off, I really liked this book and found myself thinking about the world and characters long after I put the book down for the night. I found it refreshing that both characters were able to kickass and take names, forming a formidable partnership in the war with vampires, and that they formed a friendship before jumping in the sack. Ami is a severely damaged woman that harbors a dangerous secret, her trust issues are only the beginning of her problems. I won't give anything away, you know I hate spoilers, but I did feel that her vulnerabilities and reactions were believable and realistic. Marcus is a true warrior and he has spent his many years fighting mostly alone, with no help from a Second. It's written like he was about to head off the deep end into total recluse mode, living only to fight. Both Marcus and Ami have depth and emotions that are easy to feel. Marcus was what I call a comfortable guy, easily at home in the kitchen or helping around the house but fierce and strong in a fight. He is also compassionate and isn't too afraid of his emotions. This relationship developed with equal shares of trust and respect, with a healthy dose of lust thrown in. 

One thing that I feel should be pointed out, I did find some of the world/lore behind the characters to be reminiscent of the Dark Hunter world created by Sherrilyn Kenyon. For example, the Dark Hunters have Hunters/Squires and Immortal Guardians have Immortals/Seconds. DH fight daimons and IG fight vampires, and both worlds have it so the baddies are just a twisted version of the good guys. Ash leads the DH and Seth leads the IG, both guys having many secrets and unseen abilities. These similarities are more like flattery and less like copying, but it was something that I noticed straight away. 

I'd love a chance to go back and read book one, Darkness Dawns, just so I can see how the relationship played out between Roland and Sarah. Despite being part of a series I had no problem at all following the events of Night Reigns, and I really just want to read the first book because I enjoy Dianne Duvall's writing. I was also pleased that there would definitely be a book 3 because the secondary characters are plentiful, but bummed that the wait would be so long, all the way until October.

Other books in the series:
Darkness Dawns
Night Reigns
Phantom Shadows (coming soon)


Author website:
http://www.dianneduvall.com/index.html

Reviewed by Anna Dougherty 
This book was sent via publisher for review purposes


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Really nice review. I've read the first book but haven't had the chance to start this one. So glad to hear there will be a third book :-)

Cylver said...

Anna, do yourself a favor and read Darkness Dawns. Roland and Sarah are a great couple and their story is wonderful! Sarah proved to be a tough, resourceful woman in the very first chapter, something that always endears me to a character.

Also, we are first introduced to Ami. Seeing the shape was in when rescued makes her an even more compelling character.