Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians) [Mass Market Paperback]

Dianne Duvall (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 1, 2011 | Series: Immortal Guardians (Book 1)

In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts . . . where passion can last forever, if you're willing to pay the price . . .

Once, Sarah Bingham's biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she's landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control . . .

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it mean forfeiting the world she's always known, and the life he would do anything to protect.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Filled with sexy men and plenty of action, Darkness Dawns kept me turning the pages well past my bedtime. This debut novel from Dianne Duvall was a thrilling read. She's definitely one author to watch."-The Romance Reviews-5 stars/Top Pick

"These dark, kick-ass guardians can protect me any day!" --New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Ivy

2011 RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance Nominee
"This is a strong start in what looks to be a thrilling and chilling new paranormal series.  Fantastic!"

~RT Book Reviews

"Darkness Dawns is a stellar debut for author Dianne Duvall and her Immortal Guardians series!  It's been a while since a novel has kept me up all night because I just could not set it down!"

--Reading Between the Wines

"Darkness Dawns is deeply romantic, daringly sensual, with dark paranormal characters that make it nearly impossible to put down."

--All Things Urban Fantasy

From the Author

Immortal Guardians series

Darkness Dawns - Book 1
Night Reigns - Book 2
Phantom Shadows - Book 3
Predatory - Novella 3.5
Darkness Rises - Book 4

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Zebra; Reprint edition (February 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420118617
• ISBN-13: 978-1420118612
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (208 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. Her debut novel DARKNESS DAWNS was nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews, for Best Paranormal Romance - Vampire by The Romance Reviews, and for Best Book of 2011 by Long and Short Reviews. NIGHT REIGNS, the second book in her Immortal Guardians series, was declared an "utterly addictive" Top Pick by RT Book Reviews, "intense, passionate and engrossing" by The Romance Reviews, and "a clever, unique, and brilliantly executed book" by Long and Short Reviews. PHANTOM SHADOWS, the third book in the series, was released on October 2, 2012, and has been deemed a Top Pick by The Romance Reviews and by Night Owl Reviews.

When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and once even appeared onscreen as a machete-wielding maniac not unlike the vampires she so loves to create in her novels.

Information on her books and the latest news can be found on her website at DianneDuvall.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 122 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Took a wrong turn in Vampire Land July 15, 2011

By Mistress of The Dark Path

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

There are many directions you can go with vampire books these days, but this one will take you far off the beaten path. It heads into a direction no man, or vampire, has gone before. Many of the characters in this novel, whether human or not, are environmentally friendly and health conscious. Now, I'm not against such things in real life, but I didn't expect to find it in a paranormal romance. I like my blood suckers to be dark, dangerous, and generally uncaring (until the right woman comes along and brightens their otherwise depressingly long existence). To be fair, the author makes her "vampires" to be bad, but she also includes another blood sucking race called "immortals". Rather original, I must say, but I digress. These guys are supposed to be the defenders of humans and enemies of vampires. Therefore, they can go "green" and that is okay. This is in addition to the main human character, Sarah, who also follows these tenets heavily.

So, to clarify some of this, I will list some of the fascinating topics covered in this novel. First, you will see some rather lengthy dialog on the benefits of organic food. It is tastier, after all. Then comes the religious conversation on whether drinking blood, in any form, is acceptable to God. Sarah will list all the old testament rules (which were debatably nullified in the new testament) about how you can't eat animals with blood still in them. Also, rabbits, pork, shellfish, birds of prey, and scavengers are also banned. Just to add to this already fun conversation, she points out how pigs and rabbits eat their own feces, yum! Don't forget shellfish are full of toxins. It all makes me want to run out to Captain D's for the seafood platter right now!... That is, after I order the meat lovers pizza topped with all kinds of pork from Papa Johns.

Back to the blood drinking front. It should be understood that "Immortals" don't actually "drink" blood. At least, it doesn't really go into their stomachs. Rather, they suck it right through their fangs and it goes directly into their bloodstream. Surely the pesky few drops that go elsewhere don't count against them? At least, they hope God will understand. Personally, I think the author missed an ideal opportunity here to campaign for Brita Fang Filters. That way, any toxins from the blood of non-organic eating humans can be removed before ingestion. The excess waste can then be spit out into an appropriately labeled hazmat container. Really, if vampires ever did come out of the closet, I would be the first to invest in such a product!

Anyway, moving right along, the environmentally friendly characters do go to great lengths to prove their resolve in saving the planet. Considering the longevity of immortals, this does make sense on some level. They do have more at stake (no pun intended) than us short lived mortals do. So using "green" dish soap and, of course, driving low-emission cars makes a lot of sense for these ruthless killers. Being earth friendly isn't quite enough for the author, though, as the evils of alcohol had to be attacked as well. You see, the "Immortals" must filter out impurities in anything they eat or drink (it isn't just blood these guys need but food as well). The more unhealthy stuff they intake, due to their lack of Brita Fang Filters, the more blood they must suck to stay healthy. Yes, it is all very confusing, but the author does her best to explain. So avoiding harmful substances, such as alcohol, means less need to partake of human blood. Since the Immortals are there to protect humans from vampires, this consideration is important.

In summary, if you are looking for a dark paranormal romance novel that has no additional agenda, this book is not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a bloodsucker "light" novel that spends plenty of time discussing todays health risks and environmental problems, then you may like this novel. Oh, by the way, let us not forget that cell phones will give you brain tumors. Just a parting word of caution. The main character, Sarah, will verify this for you! Read more ›

48 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun PNR! February 1, 2011

By Melissa Books and Things

Format:Kindle Edition

Ah yes... Roland, one who was thought to be anti-social and a royal pain in the.. uh... hiney is very swoon worthy! He "meets" a young music teacher, Sarah who is strong, independent and a bit weary of others herself. Roland finds himself wanting to protect the young mortal from danger he feels he brought upon her and as the danger progresses she finds out exactly what he is. Now the question becomes is if they both can trust one another to find out what is sparking between the two.

Some may find the relationship between Roland and Sarah a bit fast. However, I found it completely refreshing. There was not a frustrating amount of me yelling at the book saying... "Tell HER!" or "Tell HIM!" when it came to any secrets. They both laid their souls bare and dealt with the consequences. This is probably one of the reasons I forgave Sarah for stealing my book boyfriend. She also gave as good or better than she received even when some things were hard for each other to understand.

I'm not going to say much more because I'd be tempted to completely spoil the book and I won't! I give this book 5 stars and I flew through the book. I can't wait for the next in the Immortal Guardian series! If you love PNR, you will enjoy this book. Can I have the next one now? Seriously, can I? *bats eyelashes*

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars - Darkness Dawns Sweet, and Steamy - the promising immortal cast really shines in Duvall's series starter February 2, 2011

By melindeeloo TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When the very normal Sarah bravely acts to rescue an injured stranger from torture and certain death, she is drawn into a world she never dreamed existed - for Roland is not truly the undercover agent he first claims to be but actually an immortal protector who guards humanity from predation by insane vampires.

I actually really enjoyed this debut effort. Even though I am no longer a huge fan of vamps, author Duvall brings some science and enough of a twist to the vampire mythos here to avoid some of the 'same old same old' in the romance along with a sweetness to the relationship that I really liked. Sarah is capable and caring without being one of those stupidly suicidal heroines who refuses to acknowledge that being independent doesn't mean taking on an enemy who outmatches you. Roland, is pretty much everything you'd want from a vamp leading man - minus the arrogance. Plus, his history brings Roland a good amount of vulnerability without making him emotionally crippled, so that it is the Sarah's kindness and sense of humor that wins his heart instead just the sizzling physical attraction between them.

I actually really liked all of Duvall's immortals. While the starring pair did get most of the screen time, there was a nice amount of development/introduction to other characters in the world. Roland's friend Marcus has a particularly poignant story, and the most ancient of the immortals, Seth, was intriguing as well.

So, good new world, a sweet and steamy romance, enough vampiness to make vampire fans happy and enough deviation from the old standard vamp romance formula for those who aren't. I am definitely ready for more of Duvall's world, looks like the com/Night-Reigns-Immortal-Guardians-Book/dp/1420118625">next book is tentatively scheduled for December 2011, I can't wait to see who's up next. Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Recyle this book -- preferably before reading or listening January 17, 2013

By Michael

Format:Audible Audio Edition

Since I took a chance on Charlaine Harris's "Dead Until Dark" in an Audible "paperback" sale, I have been strangely hooked on supernatural female heroine books.

This is a guilty pleasure which I am reluctant to admit, being a typical man.

However, many of these books are well done, entertaining, and even hysterically funny (like Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate or Darynda Jones' Charlie Davidson series). I think that men who overlook them are missing out. Sure they all have romance novel elements, but I can fast-forward through that stuff if I have to.

"Darkness Dawns", however, is different breed of cat. It had enough going for it that I wanted to see how it ended (and I did pay for it, dammit) so I was determined to slog through.

But really -- this book is just sophomoric.

The two main characters, Roland and Sarah, are just perfectly perfect. They are perfectly handsome or beautiful, perfectly built with rippling muscles or hourglass figure, have perfect skin, perfect hair, are incredibly sensitive, unbelievably self-possessed, -- and humorless, smug, shallow, vapid, and intolerant in that special way that only the terminally self-righteous can be. They eat only organic foods, wear natural fibers, eschew homophobia, drive Priuses and carefully recycle their cat food cans. (I only hope that Nietzsche the Wonder Cat -- the only character I really liked in this book -- gets to eat real tuna and not some vegan slop.)

Our hero is an incredible fighter. He can beat twelve vampires at a single thrust and then cook perfect organic eggplant parmesan without missing a beat. He eats no meat -- except for that blood drinking thing. He is a perfect lover. He is a fabulous interior decorator who works exclusively in earth tones....

Roland is also a Nobel laureate, physicist, neurosurgeon, test pilot, and rock star, out to save the world by defeating a band of inter-planetary vampires from the ninth dimension. OK -- that last sentence is not exactly true, but it would have been totally in character with the book. Dianne Duvall probably never got the memo that Buckaroo Banzai is parody, not role model.

Sure, as a kid I fantasized about being a muscle-bound, square-jawed space jockey who could smite aliens while curing cancer and make the ladies swoon. But I outgrew pulp fiction when I came to realize that perfect is BORING. Perfect people lack character and dimension.

This book is chock full of unimaginative and improbable fights, cheesy deus-ex-machina rescues (would you believe Amazing Healing Touch and teleportation?), gratuitous environmental correctness, tedious erotica (not sex -- as a typical man I have no objection to sex), and interminable "relationship chats" as Nicole Hollander might put it.

Bleagh! Read more ›