From the Dark (Silhouette Nocturne) [Mass Market Paperback]

Michele Hauf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

Centuries past, through mists of a dark time where vampires and witches lived side by side, vampires gained power by enthralling a witch, ultimately draining her of her strength and depriving her of immortality. Until the enslaved witches rebelled--and cast a spell making the blood of a witch deadly to a vampire.

Now, past and present are about to collide.

Michael Lynsay is a man in the spotlight, at the height of his career, with the ability to mesmerize audiences. But he has a secret--he is a vampire, fighting the darkness of his nature. And it looks like it's a losing battle--until he meets Jane Renan, the only woman who can understand his conflicted nature. And the only woman who can destroy him--through love.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Silhouette (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037361750X
• ISBN-13: 978-0373617500
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #470,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michele has been writing romance, fantasy, action/adventure and paranormal stories for a couple decades and enjoys reading the same. It never fails that when she's working on a project set in the icy months of winter, that it's actually humid and hot outside, and vice versa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 stars...., October 15, 2007

By 

Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From the Dark (Silhouette Nocturne) (Mass Market Paperback)

What if your very existence was anathema to the one you were falling in love with? Witches and vampires are known enemies as a witch's blood is pure poison to a vampire....

Rocker Michael Lynsay needs a break. His vampiric nature is in danger of taking over so he retires to a friend's home to get his head together. He doesn't expect a visitor, especially not one as tantalizing as Jane Renan. Jane has her own secrets, however, ones she dares not share with Michael. Will these secrets destroy both Michael and their growing love?

FROM THE DARK starts off slowly, more along the lines of a sensuous romance than what I was expecting. However, the romance is a bit on the dark side and there were some scenes that I found a bit unsettling for a romance. Michele Hauf does keep these scenes well within the boundaries of her world, but I initially struggled with the notion of Michael becoming bewitched by Jane. In the beginning, the chemistry between Michael and Jane seemed to only be a product of the sex magic rather than true love developing.

About halfway through the story, FROM THE DARK suddenly clicked for me. The relationship between Michael and Jane started to feel real. The ending is perhaps one of the most intense ones I can remember reading although some readers may find it a bit on the violent side. Perhaps Michele Hauf did too good of a job at keeping the secrets that gradually unveil as the tension and uncertainty between Michael and Jane is a bit overwhelming and detracts somewhat from the storyline. FROM THE DARK is definitely worth reading, although not nearly the caliber of Ms. Hauf's later Nocturne release, FAMILIAR STRANGER. Oftentimes, first books in a series are bogged down in the world building so it will be interesting to see how this series develops as there is some definite potential, particularly with Ravin Crosse as the next heroine.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Vamps may rock, but this book doesn't, November 19, 2006

By 

E. Pauley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From the Dark (Silhouette Nocturne) (Mass Market Paperback)

Well, I don't agree with Harriet's review. After reading Hauf's other books I was looking forward to this one. Feom The Dark was a great disappointment. I won't go into the story details because that is already here. But I will say beware, this is not a well written or well plotted story. It's as if the author was given a story outline and told to fill in the blanks. Boring and bordering on stealing the rock star vampire image from one of Ann Rice's vamp books. The characters in this Nocturne are a cliche. Getting well-known writers to write paranormal books is nothing but a ploy to sell books. Find the writers who sincerely are paranormal writers and give them a chance. They are out there. So please give us readers the real writers of paranormal stories or I'm afraid Nocturne won't go far. Just because Silhouette hires their own established writers to pen these books doesn't mean they are good reads. This one sure isn't.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thrilling vampire love story, November 6, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From the Dark (Silhouette Nocturne) (Mass Market Paperback)

Michael is a famous rock star, the lead singer of The Fallen, but he uses his career as a cover to hide his vampiric nature. He drinks human blood, but has never killed a mortal though he has come close too many times. His friend from the band Jesse Olson lends him his house as a place to regain his control of his thirst.

Jane Renan goes to a client's home to create stained glass windows and to wait until the proper time to participate in the ritual that will allow her remain immortal as she is the offspring of a paternal vampire and a maternal witch. When Michael and Jan meet as they share the same abode, he is perturbed by his attraction to her. They begin a relationship, but it remains incomplete as a witch's blood is poison for a vampire, yet he needs to taste hers if they are to stay together.

This is definitely a thrilling vampire love story starring believable characters that enable readers to accept the existence of vampires and witches at least in the Hauf universe. Although there is little action in FROM THE DARK, sub-genre fans will feel compelled to read this enthralling romance in one delightful bite, make that sitting.

Harriet Klausner