Customer Reviews

After Twilight

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After twilight is a magical anthology from some of the best supernatural writers around. Redemption, love, and sacrifice are the main themes. Very HOT love scenes, especially in "Dark Dream. For those of you who love supernatural lovers and stories of love/sacrifice, this book is for you!

"Masquerade" by Amanda Ashley: "Phantom of the opera" singer, Leanne, is drawn to the cop who watches the show every night. Jason Blackthorne has lived for 300 years an unwilling vampire. He is drawn to Leanne who resembles his long lost love. Will he choose death to save her from his hunger? or will she redeem his soul?

"Dark Dream" by Christine Feehan: This author just keeps getting better and better. "Dark Dream" is the latest installment of the Carpathian/vampire series Christine Feehan writes. This time, Falcon, a Carpathian 1000 years older than his prince, is finally coming home to look on the prince's human converted lifemate. Falcon wants to know his life, deadicated to hunting down true vampires, has not been in vain; that their is hope for the Carpathian race. On his way, he comes across a human female that is being hunted by an ancient vampire. Can he save her? Or will she save him?

"Midnight Serenade" by Ronda Thompson: Stephanie shane, wildlife researcher, rescues a large wolf from illegal hunters. In the process of saving the wolf, she is bitten. Tracing the blood, she comes to Rick Donavan's home..and no site of the wolf. There follows an internal struggle for Rick. He must choose to end his life to save her, or to take her as his lifelong were-mate. What will he choose?
Enjoy!

After Twilight is sooooooooo HOT. All of the three sensual stories invite to you share in forbidden, sensual love.

Masquerade was written by Amanda Ashley a few years ago. Now it is included in this wonderful, exciting anthology. Jason Blackthorne is a very old vampire. For three hundred years, he has wandered the world alone. Now, he is very tired. Tired to exist only in the night. That is, until he sees a performance of Phantom of the Opera and Leanne. Her resemblance to his first and only love was uncanny, arousing forth emotions he had long thought dead. Dangerous emotions . . . Is Leanne strong enough to embrance the dark side of his existence or will the purity of her love free him for all eternity?????

The second story is Dark Dream written by the very hot Christine Feehan. This story deals with Falcon, a very old Carpthian who is sent out by Prince Vladimir (Mikhail's father) to become a guardian of the Carpathian people. Each of the choosen warriors willingly give up any chance at life. All give up on love, on happiness in order to insure that their people are kept safe. For many, many centuries Falcon has been utterly, totally alone. He has grown in power and in strength. He also knows that the beast in him is equalling strong, clawing for dominance. For this reason, he is headed back to his homeland wanting to see for himself his Prince (Mikhail) and his human lifemate who has been successfully converted. Before ending his existence, he longs to look upon something good and pure, longs for reassurance over the many, many kills he has made in his centuries of existence. Unexpectedly, he encounters Sara Marten who has "seen" Falcon in her dreams. She recognizes his handsome face right away, knows of his vulnerable and lonely soul. He is her Dark Angel . . . Her Dark Dream.

This story was incredibly, beautifully written. Falcon has an unwavering sense of loyality and devotion. Nothing or no one could ever prevent him from his duty to protect. He willingly sacrifices his new found happiness in order to fulfill his obligation. Christine has written another Carpathian to die for. Oh and an added bonus - several favorites make an appearance, too. EXTREMELY recommended!! I can't get enough of these Carpthians . . . :)

The third story is Ronda Thompson's Midnight Serenade. It is an incredible "moving" lovestory about a curse, werewolves and the redeeming quality of love. The characters were beautifully written. Their torment and longing for peace and love drew the reader into the story. Simply outstanding!! This story alone proves that love truly does conquer all. I couldn't put it down. Simply breathtaking.

So, fellow readers, if you seek to explore the dark side of love, RUN and grab yourself a copy and allow yourself to be swept away by the forbidden. ENJOY!

"After Twilight" is a satisfying paranormal romance anthology containing three well-written tales of mysterious and powerful men and the women who love them. Though the first and last stories were a little uneven at times, that did not take away from my enjoyment of these darkly seductive tales.

"Masquerade" by Amanda Ashley tells the story of Jason Blackthorne, a vampire who has walked the earth utterly alone for the last three hundred years. But a ray of light reaches his tortured soul when he sees Leanne performing in the play "The Phantom of the Opera". Leanne bears an uncanny resemblance to Jason's long lost love, and as he gets to know her, she brings to life feelings in Jason that he thought were gone forever. For once in his long existence, Jason has found happiness, but he knows that he loves Leanne far too much to inflict his dark curse on her, and he fears how she will react if she discovers what he really is. Terrified that he will end up hurting Leanne if his bloodlust becomes too strong, Jason knows he must end their relationship. Will losing Leanne destroy Jason's soul forever, or will the power of Leanne's love save Jason from an eternity of darkness?
Though Jason was somewhat of the clichéd tortured monster, Ashley's compelling story still kept me turning pages.

"Dark Dream" by Christine Feehan is by far the best story in this anthology, and the main reason I bought it. We are once again taken into Feehan's fabulous world of Carpathians, immortal beings who drink blood to survive but never kill those they feed on, can shape-shift into just about anything and can communicate by telepathy. Falcon is one of the most ancient Carpathians, who was sent out by Prince Vladimir before the prince's untimely death to protect mortals and immortals alike from vampires, monsters without equal who were once Carpathians but chose to give up their souls for the momentary rush of the kill.
Falcon has long since lost his emotions and the ability to see in colour, as all male Carpathians do after a few hundred years of life, and the only thing that can save him from the darkness slowly consuming his soul is finding his lifemate, the one woman made specifically for him who can balance out his darkness with her light. Convinced long ago that he would never find his lifemate, Falcon poured his heart out to her in a diary. And now, when Falcon knows he is close to the edge, he is on his way back to his homeland to meet his new Prince and his once human lifemate before he ends his existence by greeting the dawn. But on his journey, Falcon meets a woman in an alley in Romania, and suddenly he is bombarded by colour and emotion. But just as suddenly as she appeared, the woman is gone, so Falcon sets out to find her.
Sara Marten has spent the last fifteen years living a nightmare. Her entire family was murdered by a vampire, and the terrifying monster now follows Sara wherever she goes. So when she sees Falcon drinking the blood of a man, she believes he is a vampire too. But when Falcon finds her and she gets a look at him, she sees the familiar face of her Dark Angel. Because Sara found Falcon's diary fifteen years ago, and she has loved and cherished the words he wrote for her ever since.
Falcon and Sara are a fantastic couple, and the passion that sparks between makes for some wonderfully sensual reading. Together, Falcon and Sara are determined to find and destroy the ancient vampire that has tortured Sara for all these years and the reader is treated to some thrilling and suspenseful scenes. The story builds to a heart-pounding climax and as an extra treat; some old favourites from previous "Dark" books make an appearance! "Dark Dream" is a wonderful read that really deserved a full-length book, but was still great just as it is.

"Midnight Serenade" by Ronda Thompson introduces Rick Donovan, a country veterinarian who is tormented by a curse - he's a werewolf. When wildlife advocate Stephanie Shane rescues an injured wolf from some illegal hunters, she is bitten while trying to help the animal. But this is no ordinary wolf, and Stephanie follows the trail of blood right into Rick Donovan's house. Rick is terrified that he may have given Stephanie his curse by biting her, but as these two get to know each other, he can't help falling in love with her. Stephanie too loses her heart to this handsome and reclusive vet, and their romance is both passionate and sweet. But when Stephanie starts experiencing some strange changes, Rick knows his worst fears have become reality. Will Rick have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the woman he loves? Or will fate intervene and allow these two to be together?
Once again, we are given somewhat of the same old tortured monster, but the story had enough originality and interesting enough characters that I was still able to enjoy it.

"After Twilight" may well appeal to some readers more than others, but with the excellent Feehan story and the highly entertaining Ashley and Thompson stories, I think there is something in this anthology for everyone. Each of these tales is a quick, romantic, and intriguing read and comes well recommended!

This book is a compilation of three of Leisure Books very best authors. Two have significant paranormal experience and one has done a masterful job at her first paranormal effort.

Madeline Baker, writing as Amanda Ashley, presents a beautiful love story between a tremendously sexy, yet tormented vampire, Jason. He falls in love with a singer, Leanne, in the Phantom of the Opera Cast and aches to claim her, yet he knows because of the darkness in his soul, he never can. Watching the development of this love story, the beauty unfold, you find yourself demanding they consummate their love. Which way will our vampire hero choose, eternal life without his love, or mortality in which he's certain to die?

Christine Feehan presents another of her glorious "Dark" series. We find Falcon, an ancient of rich heritage, returning to his homeland to pay homage to his prince, before seeking eternal rest, seeking the dawn. En route, he meets a beautiful soul, Sara Marten, who gives him a reason to live, a reason to continue his long existence. Unfortunately for Sara, and for Falcon, she has been long chased by a vampire, also of ancient blood. How they face and destroy this threat is a test to power, courage and the ancient essence of love.

Ronda Thompson, familiar to many, is ravishing in her debut as a paranormal author. She presents a beautiful story of Rick, a werewolf who encounters a beautiful conservationist, Stephanie, who is desperately trying to save wolves in the area in which he lives. Unfortunately Rick accidentally bites Stephanie, thus making it almost certain that she will become a werewolf as well. He knows that to save her, he must sacrifice his life. How he makes the sacrifice, is best left to the reader to discover.

This is a wonderful anthology, by three talented authors, you should not miss this one for your book collection at home. Pick it up, you'll not be sorry.

I bought this anthology for Christine Feehan's Dark Dream, and after reading was glad I did. The story introduced us to a new point in Carpathian history -- hopefully catapulting us away from the quickly-getting-tired vampire-oriented stories of the rest of the series. The characters themselves were lacking the "fire" between characters like Jaques and Shea and Julian and Desari, but I think that most of the faults of this book were due to the length requirements that Ms. Feehan had to contend with. Truth be told, I believe that this story deserved a full novel of its own. Falcon was wonderful, though. It also had the added plot bonus of involving old friends, Jacques, Shea, Mikhail and Raven.
I hope that Ms. Feehan continues on this new plot trend, but gets back to her pre-Fire characterization with the next novel in the series.

The other stories were good. I can't say that I remember reading Amanda Ashley's offering, but then, I've read all of her vampire books before, and I've *never* been able to remember anything about them. *shrug*

Rhonda Thompson's offering was good, but I didn't like the ending that much. I like paranormal romance, and I don't care if everyone ends up a "monster." The story itself is very sensual, and the characters are very human and likable. The hero is torn about his existence (nice to see in a werewolf romance) but the whole tone of the story is pretty dark. I see how the ending was necessary, given the nature of the curse, I just found myself wishing it wasn't. It seemed almost gimmicky at the end, instead of having a high dramatic quality that I'm sure the author intended. I'm also looking forward to finding the sure-to-be-released sequel to this story!

This is my first time reading Amanda Ashley & Rhonda Thomson, but definitely not my last! Both are now that greatest of all finds--new favorite authors! I can't remember the last time I read a collection of short stories, but I wanted to sample these authors in hopes of finding more paranormal romances to enjoy. I'm new to this genre, the closest I came was Rice's vampire series, now seen as incomparable in excitement, sensuality, and satisfaction. I've seen the future & it's not Rice or her Lestat.

Thomson's Werewolf story is the most believable, moving and romantic of its type, unique as incredible as that seems, for this wolf-man is almost too human, & sexy is an understatement. I may never go back to mere human romances again. I hope this author keeps her unique edge and continues to breathe life into such marvelous character-driven stories.

Amanda Ashley creates a female antagonist, Leanne, who is a bit too incredible & perfect to believe in fully, plus annoyingly reluctant one minute, accepting too much too soon the next. Jason, not an imaginative name for a vampire from Europe, & Leanne go back & forth constantly--vowing to never see each other again, only to fall back into each other's arms repeatedly--a tiring plot design of crisis & fulfillment that keeps irritatingly interrupting the reader's escape into the story. This seems a lazy, template-driven way to create tension to me. Still, this is a sensual fantasy fairy tale that will satisfy almost any appetite, though the climax may seem effortful once it's over. Ashley delivers on her promises predictably--I'm still hoping to find an author who will surprise me with an unpredictable ending in this genre. I will peek at Ashley's other paranormals to see if she's a worthy new favorite author to explore fully.

Feehan satisfies completely with another fantastic book from her "Dark" series. Dark Dreams features a powerful ancient Carpathian guardian of his people, about to walk into the sun & end his existence. He has given up in his search of the Light lifemate who could save him from becoming the very evil he hunts & destroys. Same exact plot, just different names and details. We get exactly what we expect in Feehan's Dark series, and the climactic moment, while even thrilling at times & eventually satisfying, gets as stale as monogamy in a loveless marriage after awhile. What makes up for that predictability is Feehan's expert character development which makes us care about & love them like we would a chosen family. The humor is perfectly blended and laugh-out-loud hilarious. The romance & sensuality more fulfilling, detailed & REAL than any other in this genre. Still, the laziest phrase authors use in ALL of these novels, though gratefully Feehan uses it less than most, "he deepens the kiss", turns me off like a cold shower. Please authors & EDITORS, delete that phrase from your stories--it adds nothing to our knowledge of the characters or story, and is just unnecessary sloth.

It is exciting to read each author's different idea of what would make mythic monsters romantic and acceptable to the human characters & readers alike. I'm addicted to this new-for-me genre because these authors DO make suspending reality fairly easy, an escape sorely needed in today's world of human monster's with no morals. Here instead, we are confronted with morally good creatures traditionally seen as monsters that are anything BUT. Thanks to these three authors for introducing me to a new source of pleasure--short novel length stories packed into a single-book bargain. I look forward to filling my selves with more books from all three! Like those potato chips we can't eat just one of, these stories are irresistable.

This was my first exposure to Amanda Ashley and Chrisine Feehan. All I can say is Wow! I've enjoyed Linda Lael Miller's vampire stories and was looking for something similar. I enjoyed Ashley's story, Masquerade, about Leanne and Jason. The setting was today, the characters seemed so real, you felt you knew them, especially Jason. He had such a tender side but his character did not seem far-fetched. This was a very touching and beautiful love story, beginning to end.
Christine Feehan's Dark Dream was my introduction to her Dark Series, Wow. I really marvelled at her ability to create this uniquely different world. There was a great love story, an introduction to the Carpathian Society which so engrossed me, I went out and bought all of her Dark Series books. It reminded me of Lucas' Star Wars empire. Christine has created a believable story of how vampires came to be which is more unusual and therefore more entertaining. These Carpathians are not human but a nearly extinct species that is mistaken for vampires. This was a truely different type of love story but this difference, made it that much more interesting. This story had so much of everything. If you want something different and satisfying, without a large investment give this a try. Thompson's Midnight Serenade was also a satisfying story, but after the first two stories, not as interesting. You get three love stories with a slight twist. If you like unique romance reading, give this a try, you'll love it!!

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Masquerade by Amanda Ashley (originally published 1994)

Jason Blackthorne is the stuff of nightmares...and fantasies. He is a vampire, doomed to an eternity of darkness and feeding on human blood to survive, until he meets Leanne, the sunshine to his darkness. She is a singer/dancer, to whom Jason finds himself inexplicably drawn. From the moment Leanne meets him, she is convinced he is the man she has waited for her whole life. But Jason is terrified to reveal his secret; convinced Leanne would be repulsed by the truth. Will they overcome the curse binding him to a lonely darkness forever, to be together?

Ms. Ashley writes another stunning vampire tale. Her characters come alive, in spite of the novella length of the story. One will feel the agony of Jason's lonely life, along with him, as well as the bittersweet joy he finds in Leanne; and will be cheering them on to a happy ever after. But be forewarned, reading this tale will give the reader great desire to listen to Phantom of the Opera.

Dark Dream by Christine Feehan

Falcon is an ancient Carpathian, sent out by his prince Vladimir, over 1000 years ago, to hunt the evil vampires. He has been alone and without a lifemate for so long, he is in danger of turning vampire himself. Falcon decides to return to his home in the Carpathian Mountains one final time to see his new prince, Mikhail, and the Prince's once human lifemate, Raven, before destroying himself by meeting the dawn. In the last leg of his journey, he meets Sara Marten and is shocked to discover she is his lifemate. Sara discovered an ancient diary many years ago, which drew her for some unknown reason, to a mysterious dream man. She has since been running from the vampire that murdered her family She is surprised to meet this dream man in the flesh... at first mistaking him for the vampire she has been eluding for the past 15 years. Sara is therefore not surprised to discover his secret. But before they can be happy, they must defeat the vampire, enlisting the aid of Falcon's Prince Mikhail, his brother Jacques, and their lifemates, Raven and Shea. Will they conquer this evil nemesis to find eternal love?

Ms. Feehan has done it again! She has created incredible characters, who will live on in memory long after the story is finished. Her best-selling Dark saga only improves with age and each new tale. This novella is every bit as fulfilling as one of her full-length novels. This is not a story to be missed.

Midnight Serenade by Ronda Thompson

Rick Donavan is a country veterinarian, who lives in isolation, separating himself from everyone. For he suffers an ancient curse, having been bitten by a werewolf and becoming one himself. Stephanie Shane is a wildlife advocate, who is trying to build up support for wolves in the wild, trying to make all aware of their importance and beauty. She has been tracking a wolf pack and happens upon some farmers trying to kill a wolf, but only succeeding in wounding him. She is bitten as she tries to help the wolf with its injuries, before it runs off. She follows the injured wolf's trail right through the door or Rick's home. He fascinates Stephanie, despite his trying to discourage her from her mission. Rick is also attracted to her, sensing some pull between them. However, he now fears he may have passed his curse on to Stephanie, and decides he must save her from it. Will they defeat the odds to be together? Or are they doomed from the start?

This is Ms. Thompson's debut in the paranormal genre and she does not disappoint. Hers is an impressive addition to this book, featuring two of the most world-renowned paranormal romance authors. This story is fast paced and never slows down. The characters are very well drawn and will be memorable. This reviewer hopes Ms. Thompson's first foray into the paranormal is not her last.

AFTER TWILIGHT is a more than satisfactory book to be read during the Halloween season, or any time of the year. All three stories are ones to be savored over and over again. Run out and buy a copy today.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, 2001. All rights reserved.

After Twilight is an anthology of three stories written by authors who have well established fans who look forward eagerly to each new book and this offering is in time for Halloween. Amanda Ashly's story is a very romantic view of a vampire who falls in love with an innocent young woman who sings in the cast of the Phantom of the Opera. Ronda Thompson's contribution is about a werewolf who is willing to sacrifice his life for the woman he loves. Finally, Christine Feehan's take on the vampire legend, a separate species that appear human but have amazing powers and devasting weakenesses, continues a series started in 1999. The recurring theme in all three stories is that love is worth fighting for and worth any sacrifice for the loved one. Feehan's story is the most complex, in part because she has created a world through a series of novels and in part because she brings a great deal of action to her story. There is a battle with a ghoul and a vampire, wounded heroes and heroines. For her fans, this is a great story with more background to the world she has created. For fans of Ashly and Thompson, the story is considerably more violent than what they are used to. To be fair, it is mythical, fantastic violence and leaves a great deal to the imagination. Thompson's story, while interesting shows a lack of experience with writing paranormal fiction, almost as if she was uncomfortable with her subject and characters. It is a good start however and she should improve. Ashly is an old hand at romantic vampires with tortured souls, the story was a little too easy for her. Perhaps she should try a werewolf or ghost to broaden her horizons. These are minor concerns though and the book is an easy, quick, entertaining read.

Well I normally don't like short story collections because they are short stories. Ususally the characters don't have time to really develope and grow but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I bought it with the intent to oly read Christine Feehan's story "Dark Dream" but soon was pleased to find the other two stories enjoyable to read also.
The first is by Amanda Ashley aka Madeline Baker. Its a vampire story & much like the other vampire stories she's written, the hero is the vampire who was turned hundreds of years ago but would give it all up to be human again. The heroine is a modern day actress who is a cast member in his favorite musical, "the Phantom of the Opera." He feels such attraction for her that he can't stay away from her but he also knows that he can never have a life with her because of what he is. This story is full of longing and heartwrenching scenes. I really enjoyed the story and was happy I had taken the time to read it.
The second story is "Dark Dream" by Christine Feehan. Its another in her Dark series. I have loved all of her stories and this one was no different. The hero, Falcon is a very ancient Carpathian who comes across a very strong and unusal human female. She has been out running and out smarting a evil vampire for years. She is drawn to Falcon because she has been his lifemate for centuries. Even before she was born he knew her. Together they must defeat the evil and save some very special children. We get to meet up with several characters from the early Dark books. It was nice to meet Mikail,Raven, Jacques & Shea again. These characters are so vividly written and thier stories so compelling that it makes you crave more and more stories.
The third story is from an author I'd never read before, Ronda Thompson. Her story "Midnight Serenade" is a werewolf story. It starts off with the heroine, Stephanie who's a wildlife researcher there to study wolves, scarring off some hunters after a male wolf. They have shot him and she is on his trail to help the injured wolf. She follows the trail of blood into a cabin where she meets Dr. Rick Donovan DVM. Rick is the wolf but he can't let her know that. He doesn't ever remember anything when he turns so he has no clue that he bit her as a wolf. Now he is terrified that she will turn just as he has. Together they struggle for the life and freedom of the wolf. They must also battle thier own feelings of passion and fear. Its a very well developed story for a short story and I think this author will have to be put on my to buy list for the future.
All in all I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and I finished it all in one setting.