Customer Reviews

Darkling (Playaway Adult Fiction)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The D'Artigo sisters, Camille, Delilah, and Menolly, are half-Fae, half-human operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency (O.I.A.) Camille is a Witch. Delilah is a Changeling Death Maiden. Menolly is a Vampire who chooses to keep a strong grip on her ethics. Though she is a predator, Menolly never harms the innocent and is actively helping to recruit other vampires to pledge the same.

When humans begin to go missing, then turn up as newly born vampires, it is up to the D'Artigo sisters and their battle weary friends to pull themselves together and confront the newest emerging threats. The one responsible for the newly risen is Dredge. Dredge is known as the scourge of the land. It was Dredge who tortured, and worse, to Menolly before turning her into a night walker. Menolly lives (no pun intended) for the night she finally catches and stakes the vile monster.

Good news is that the elfin queen has hired a mercenary bounty hunter, Rozurial "Roz", to help them. Roz is not just another merc though; he is an incubus who, at the young age of seven, saw Dredge slaughter his family. There is no doubt that Roz will do anything and everything within his power to help them defeat Dredge. Bad news is that Dredge has kidnapped a human female friend of the sisters'. Unless they can locate her - FAST - Menolly knows exactly what her evil sire will do.

***** Do not believe this story is just for fans of the undead and Fae. There are references and appearances to Merlin, Morgan LeFay, Grandmother Coyote (one of the Hags of Fate), Demonkin, and so much much more. There is something for everyone's taste. Be warned there are one or two short love scenes and not all are with opposite genders. Yet I stress that these are short and not too graphic for those readers who are too phobic on the subject. The story is non-stop action and has deep, dark plots that kept me up reading long past my bed time. Here be Dark Fantasy with a unique twist. YES! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

So it's here we learn about Menolly. If you haven't been keeping track I suggest you start with the first two books in this series. I liked this one mostly because of the action. Menolly is brought in by Chase to solve the murder of four vampire victims found in a local movie theater. Before they can figure out whose the cause, more bodies show up on a daily basis. If your in it this series for the romance, I think you would be disappointed. Even though Menolly gets over her "touching" problem, she doesn't FALL in love with anyone. Not like her sisters have in the previous novels. It's strickly let's-get-the-bad-guys. Rest assured fans, there will be a fourth novel. Apparently Galenorn is starting back to the first sister in her fourth novel. I'm thinking-rotation?

I struggled with this third entry in the story of the D'Artigo sisters that focuses on Menolly, the youngest sibling. The previous two books, Witchling (The Sisters of the Moon, Book 1)and Changeling (The Sisters of the Moon, Book 2), both did a better job of drawing me into the minds and stories of their characters, the older D'Artigo sisters Camille and Delilah.

The story this time focused on the escalation of the battle between the sisters and the demon Shadow Wing with the Earth invasion of the Elwing Blood Clan. Headed by Menolly's sire, Dredge, the clan proceeds to nab unsuspecting humans, creating a human/Fae crisis as people start to disappear. The stakes are raised when a close friend is taken. With the help of previous characters, like Morio the fox demon and Chase Johnson, plus the addition of the incubus demon, Roz, the sisters scour the city for new, blood-crazed vampires.

Ultimately, after another visit to the Otherworld, the story culminates with Menolly battling her inner demons and eventually her sadistic sire. Fair warning, a few random sexual encounters popped up that left me scratching my head. In the previous books, Galenorn did a nice job of weaving in these encounters. However, these parts of the story felt out of context and distracting. Perhaps it had something to do with Menolly's much darker and more painful past, versus her relatively innocent sisters. In spite of my disappointment, I'm still happy overall with series and looking forward to the fourth book.

Menolly is the third D'Artigo sister, the dark one. Since she was attacked by Dredge and made into a vampire, she sleeps by day--if nightmares are what anyone would call restless sleep. More than anything, she fears her demon nature and has made her sister Camille promise to stake her if she gets out of control.

When her sister's boyfriend, Chase, the head of the Faerie Human Crime Scene Investigation Unit of Seattle, comes into the Wayfarer covered in blood, she knows there's trouble. Coming in with blood to a supernatural bar is tantamount to offering yourself for dinner.

There's trouble afoot. Across the street at the local vintage theatre, there are four dead bodies and they've been drained by vampires. The bodies disappear before they can be collected and handled properly unleashing new vampires on the city.

Dredge has managed to cross over from Faery to Earth and he's plotting again to set up a vampire colony and make himself King. As each night passes, the vampires he's made are making more loyal subjects.

It's up to Menolly and her sisters to stop him. And as Grandmother Coyote says to Menolly: "You will have to do something you would never do..."

This book pushes my limits for violent content. Dredge's making of Menolly was particularly vicious and left the immortal vampire both physically and mentally scarred. In my opinion, this third novel has the best character development of the other three. I like Menolly as the "Blade of Justice". The rule suits her well.

There are elements from classical myths here: Grandmother Coyote, Morgaine, her lover Arturo, and Mordred as well as others make appearances. My deduction for the one star is because these novels tend to stir in a lot of characters into the mix without fully developing the world.

"Darkling" is the third book in Ms. Galenorn's serial novels about the D'Artigo sisters. For the most part, this story stands alone; however, if you really enjoy the world Galenorn has created, you may want to read the other two novels as well.

Witchling (Book 1)
Changeling (Book 2)

Darkling / 978-0-425-21893-8

The third in the Sisters of the Moon series, "Darkling" carries on the point-of-view cycle by moving to the third sister in the family - the ill-fated Menolly. Half-human and half-Fae like her sisters, her particular cross to bear is her hated vampirism. In the second book of the series, "Changeling", we learned that the sisters' old enemies were joining forces with the vampire group that tortured and turned Menolly, and "Darkling" follows that plot thread as a chance for Menolly to face her past demons and vanquish her old sire.

If I may get minor criticism out of the way first: "Darkling" carries on the proud Fantasy Kitchen Sink themes of this series, but via taking a minor left turn on "Fourth and Bananas", as it were - Loki the Trickster makes a special cameo appearance here, as does Morgaine and her Arturian crew in their quest for the Merlin - a plot point that will presumably become relevant later but does little to clear the air here and now. There's also the sudden and jarring introduction of a vampiric taboo against severing the magical lifeline between vampiric sire and child, as well as a similar taboo against murdering one's own sire - a strange plot point, given that (a) one would suspect that at least some vampiric children are sired unwillingly, and (b) if the D'Artigo sisters have cared about social niceties prior to now, that hasn't come through the narrative. Overall, it feels like a cheap shot to easily inject some quick angst (OMG! Now even the vampires will shun Menolly!) into an otherwise excellent setup of redemption and revenge.

These small criticisms aside, the novel readily redeems itself by maintaining this series' high aversion to angst levels - a particularly tricky thing to pull off in a novel that is largely about Menolly's torturous history and her working through the issues arising from the same. It's gratifying to see a rape victim portrayed with so much depth and sensitivity - Menolly has recovered from her torture through her strength and determination, but in order to truly be free from the magical ties that bind her to her sire, she must go through a sort of magical counseling session to work through her inner demons. Along the way, her sister Camille is able to see and relive Menolly's memories, and Menolly realizes that protecting her sisters from the knowledge of what happened to her will only drive a wedge between them in the long run, and she comes to trust that her sisters can handle the truth - a surprisingly deep philosophical conclusion from a "fluffy" fantasy series.

Although I enjoyed "Darkling" immensely and recommend it to fans of the series, it is important to note that this is a much darker novel than the first two entrants, as the plot focuses solidly on Menolly's torturous history, so be forewarned.

~ Ana Mardoll

There's everything but the kitchen sink in the third instalment of the best-selling Sisters of the Moon series.

Half-human and half-Faerie, the D'Artigo sisters are as at home in Seattle as they are in the Otherworld. Camille is a witch, and rules the roost. Delilah shape-shifts into a tabby cat when stressed, but can be a panther at other times. Menolly is a vampire, but not because of her half-Faerie heritage - but for the psycho-sadist Dredge who's likely responsible for the outbreak of newborn vampires and the havoc they're causing Seattle.

Vampires, shifters, witches, demons, sprites, gargoyles - you name it; this book as it all. (And a preview of the next book even includes unicorns.) But is it all necessary? Everything fits together well, the characters seem well formed, and the plot's intriguing. Yet something I can't put my finger on is stopping this good book from being great. It's missing the "wow" factor.

But a bothersome issue is the way Menolly and Camille treat Delilah - with kid gloves. The whole "we can't stress her out", "got to protect her" attitude they have comes across as condescending. So why isn't "Kitten" giving her sisters a stern talking-to? They acknowledge her strength and computer skills, but that's not enough.

But since there are further books in the series contracted, maybe Delilah will get to kick their arses after all. One can only hope...

Returning to the Seattle, WA area, we join Menolly, third of the half fae/half human D'Artigo sisters who are living Earthside because of bounties on their heads in their own land, which they call Otherworld. Witchling was the eldest sister's (Camille) story and Changeling brought us closer to Delilah, a were-cat. Now we are allowed a glimpse into the life of the vampire faerie Menolly. Turned unwillingly, Menolly fights a constant battle against the inherent nature of the brutal blood drinkers. Unwilling to inflict her torturous memories on her sisters, Menolly shoulders her nightmares alone, unable to stop them from unfurling each night because she, unlike humans, cannot wake from her sleep. She takes comfort in raising their pet gargoyle Maggie and in owning/running an Otherworld bar, where her reputation precedes her in discouraging any trouble. Her bar also contains a portal to Otherworld so she and hers also act as guardians against unwelcome visitors.

Menolly is suddenly called by her sister's mate to the scene of a multiple homicide, despite the knowledge that the excessive blood-letting might unleash Menolly's darker instincts. But the horror is greater than expected - someone is attacking innocents and turning them into baby vampires - the most deadly because of their lack of control. Convinced that her rogue vampire sire, Dredge, is to blame, she begins the hunt to find the coven that escaped retribution when Menolly was attacked. But Menolly is unsure of her fledgling powers and her ability to defend herself, much less her sisters, against her fiendish sire. The other issue at hand is whether or not Dredge is acting on his own or if he is part of the larger plot by Shadow Wing, a leader in the demonic realms, to take over Earthside. With their own homeland in the midst of a political war and their usual resources worn thin, the D'Artigo sisters do what they do best - improvise - and take care of matters one at a time while watching one another's back.

I think Galenorn has hit upon an awesome fantasy world, although it is getting difficult to keep some of the players straight. I'm glad she's planning on continuing the series past the original trilogy, but I have to admit to being quite upset over the ending of her two paranormal mystery series. Her message on her website is wonderful - but I disagree with her that she doesn't do mysteries as well. Like this series, there is substance to the plot and the characters, as well as a lot of character growth and realistic thoughts and emotions. Not everything is as wholesome as apple pie, but her characters suck it up and deal with it like anyone in the real world would have to do. Menolly is a perfect example. So, if you enjoy a little realism with a lot of fantasy, this is ideal for you.

Darkling is the third book in the Sisters of the Moon series, the follow-up of Changeling(2). In Witchling(1) we meet the D'Artigo sisters- Camille, the eldest who is a witch, Delilah, the middle child who is a werecat, and Menolly, the baby of the family who is a vampire.

The plot of Witchling establishes the confusing existance of the three realms- Otherworld, Earth and the Subteranean Realms and introduces us to a host of otherwordly species from both those found on Earth and those from without. Darkling draws us further into the darker sides of these races. Menolly is dragged into a hunt for her own kind this time: vampires. The tale of how she was turned is revealed this time, giving us a new villain to loathe, Menolly's sire, Dredge. She's pretty sure he's behind the recent murders and turnings happening around Seattle, she just has to find out if he's working for his own agenda or that of Shadow Wing.

Though darker in tone and content, Darkling is a story about healing. Menolly has been through so much more than anyone close to her knows and she finally has to face her demons both inside and out. Some fans will be disappointed that Smoky makes no appearance in this book but Maggie, Iris, Erin and Tim/Cleo, some other fan faves are all here and greatly enrich the story.

I personally enjoyed Darkling the most of the three books in the series thus far. It was more emotional, touching and empowering than the other installments and Menolly turned out to be so much more than I had anticipated. A great new character, Roz, is introduced and while this story went off into left field regarding the main thread of the series it brought the sisters closer together which I think will be very important in future books. Greatly looking forward to the next installment- Dragon Wytch.

This is the third book in the series that started with Witchling then moved to Changling. I had a difficult time glomming onto the series initially.

The premise was interesting enough: three sisters, half-human and half-Fae, all with different abilities live Earthside in Seattle and work for the OIA (Otherworld Intelligence Agency). But I wanted to know more about their actual home, more about the Fae. And I wasn't getting enough of that in the first two books. Took me a while to read Changling but halfway through it started rolling and I devoured it.

Darkling is my favorite of the Yasmine Galenorn books. It deals with a problem that directly relates to Menolly, the vampire sister. Twelve years ago, she was spying on the baddest of bad vampire clans when she was captured, tortured, raped and turned into a vampire by the leader, Dredge. Now he's back, wreaking havoc, murdering and kidnapping.

In the previous books, big and small hints have been thrown down about Menolly, but it's here in Darkling where you learn a great deal about her as well as learning about the girls' home, the Otherworld. Menolly grows as a person and the conclusion is satisfying, both for her as well as the reader.

Right now, Menolly and Jezebel from Jackie Kessler's Hell on Earth series are my two favorite, most admirable fictional characters. Both are no-nonsense, tough and smart. I'm glad I stuck with Galenorn's Sisters of the Moon series.

In Darking the story was so flat and vamp Menolly so bloodless that I quit reading this book twice before managing to slog my way through.

The plot mainly meanders without building a whole lot of interest or excitement, even though another battle is brewing with Menolly's sire Dredge trying to take over the world. But really there were only two chapters that were very interesting, the one where Menolly goes to the Otherworld to get some psychic aversion therapy so that she can get over her fear of her big bad boogieman of a vampire sire, and the one where she actually faces him down - though for such a powerful old evil dude he was not that hard to take out. From reading the first two books I thought that Menolly was going to get a romance of her own in this book. Although she did have two intimate encounters, Menolly was so emotionally contained that these were 'just there' and were so brief and passionless that they almost seemed liked they were pasted in as an afterthought.

For me I think that the biggest problem with the book was Menolly herself, she just wasn't that likeable. The control that was necessary to allow her to overcome her bloodlust instincts and function around her sisters and every else that had a pulse made it difficult to connect with Menolly, even though her painful past should have made her a sympathetic character. As the lead character in a book written in first person it was a problem that even the housekeeper Iris was more interesting. The only thing that saved this book from 2 stars or less is that Menolly's sisters and the rest of Galernon's cast from previous books returning here are good. Galernon especially does a good job of creating interesting sexy bad boy male characters, Camille's demon lovers Trillian and Morio were back, and an intriguing new addition incubus demon and mercenary Roz looks like he'll be joining the cast -- for some reason I thought he'd be Menolly's love interest, maybe in the next book.

I have a strong suspicion that the reason this book was so weak is that it was originally going to be the final book in a trilogy, but the author decided to stretch it to a longer series and saved some of the good stuff for later -- because the other books while still lightweight were better. The only reason I actually finished Darkling was that it isn't fair to review a book you don't finish. So while I can't really recommend Darkling -- I think that you could skip this one without missing much and still read the rest of the series -- I may still read Dragon Wytch where the story shifts back to Camille.