Customer Reviews

Darkness Unknown (Paladins of Darkness, Book 5)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Jarvis is a Paladin. He meets Gwen whose half-brother is also genetically predisposed to Paladin traits. He decides he's going to recruit said brother AND get into Gwen's pants without telling Gwen that her half-brother has mythical powers and will die repeatedly for the rest of his short life.

Jarvis AGONIZES over not being able to tell Gwen about Paladins. In fact this takes up the vast majority of the book. We see Jarvis agonize, we hear from other characters about Jarvis' agony, we see Gwen agonize over the over agonizing Jarvis and it got on my nerves. Real real bad. Especially considering that this main conflict throughout the novel was dispatched so very neatly. If we are going to have this much agony it had better be worth my while.

Show not tell was also an issue in this novel. We are constantly told of Jarvis' emotional struggle, but see very little of his actual development from "I want in her pants" to "I love her desperately". In fact when Jarvis confesses his love it is "he told her he loved her" seriously, just like that, and I was not expecting it at all because his character had not developed to that level within the novel. We'd heard nothing about his love or lack thereof for the first 250 pages so the admission seems to come apropos of nothing.

Also there were times in the books when certain plot points seemed to be leading somewhere (like Others in the forest outside Gwen's farm) but then they would disappear as though they were not issues at all. This was very confusing and I found myself going "What about!!!!" at several points in the book.

All of this being said I think Morgan is a great writer in terms of her prose. A lot of authors drive me crazy with their writing style, but I feel Morgan has great voice and the ability to write really really well. Despite all of my issues with this novel I read it in one night and really enjoyed most of it. The first four novels in this series are a much better indicator of Morgan's talent in storytelling and writing than this particular novel.

Did Alexis Morgan really write this book? I couldn't believe how amateur the writing style was, especially after reading all the other books in the series. The author told me everything, never let the characters do it themselves, or if they started to, she abruptly summarized for them. Grr! I knew the author had some minor issues with her writing style, but in this book I never got to know the main character or empathize with him or any of the other characters. I'd been waiting a long time for this book because I loved the series. Now it's doubtful I will continue. What happened??

I had this book in my wish list for quite some time. When it, finally, came out, I bought it. It was disappointing. Though the characters were well developed, there were no REAL conflicts. The ONLY one was emotional. Although the emotions were well written, there were no challenges. The story also seemed incomplete. I know this is a series, but each installment has had a beginning and an end for the main characters. This book seemed to be incomplete. For ex...what happened concerning the Others in the woods???

I would not recommend this book at all. The only purpose of reading this is to know the new characters introduced. The rest of the story is pointless.

So far i have read every book in the Paladin series(just not in order lol), and unfortunately this book was a HUGE disappointment to the series. Jarvis has been in the other books but never talked about in depth so i was excited about finally getting to read about him, but his story was so badly written and lackluster that im surprised i even finished the book.

The story basically begins with a half dead Jarvis being found by a young women(Gwen/Chase)and her brother on their family farm. When Gwen notices that Jarvis has the same abilities as her brother she decides to try to find some answers. FROM this point the book could still have been decent but it was a complete bust, most of the book was spent with either Jarvis hating the fact that he had to lie to Gwen or thinking about being with her. The whole story was so bad that even the most obsessed Paladin reader couldnt find any good points about the book.

Good luck to those of you who feel you have to read the book to keep up to date with the Paladin series, but try reading Hunters story because it was amazing(lol)
ENJOY

This is my first book I have read in this series and i will be getting the others! I love romance novels with a fantasy twist and this series looks very promising. The thing I loved most about this book is that it wasn't all sex focused and there was a great story to it! I get bit so many times by romance novels that spend more time agonizing over the sexual tension and pining that the story gets completely left out. This book has a fantastic story line and the romantic content is perfectly applied!

I am huge fan of Morgan's Paladin series - I absolutely loved the first three books. What's not to like about the Paladins, gorgeous modern day knights secretly battling invaders from another world. Paladins who possess an amazing ability which allows them to resurrect from almost any fatal wound, but who are burdened with the knowledge that one day they will awaken from death devoid of humanity, as violent and insane as their enemies (Dark Protector, Dark Defender). Or putting a spin on the formula, an exotic handsome honorable enemy who defies all preconceptions and tries to make a life among the Paladins who view him with distrust and hostility (In Darkness Reborn).

The pathos which made these previous books so appealing is pretty much missing here. In Darkness Unknown, Paladin warrior Jarvis thinks about what a poor candidate for a long term relationship he is with his final death looming closer and closer while he's trying to talk himself out of his attraction for the freckled farm girl Gwen. But unlike the earlier books, we don't see Jarvis waking in the lab with a handler shaking their head at Jarvis' deteriorating test scores, and Jarvis' internal dialog just doesn't have the same emotional pull. Without the pathos to win you over Jarvis is still a hunky hero, but with little help from love scenes which are pretty much by the numbers, his relationship with Gwen just misses the mark - I thought that the great freckle hunt had such potential for upping the steam quotient but it was a talking point only and didn't play a part in the love scenes, too bad.

Add to all of that plot pieces which go nowhere (what about the Others lurking in the woods driving the dogs crazy?) and the fact that there wasn't much in the way of conflict built (the little bit set up in Gwen's betrayal is far too easily resolved) and add to that less battle action than in previous books and result was that over all Darkness Unknown just didn't live up to it's predecessors.

Sorry for the rant. If you are looking for a pleasant romance in a thin paranormal wrapper you may still find Darkness Unknown entertaining, but having really enjoyed the first three books in the series (and to a lesser extent the fourth) Darkness Unknown was somewhat of a disappointment for me. But hope beats eternal, the brief walk-on by maimed Paladin, Hunter, and the grim prognosis for Hunter ever being able to resume the warrior duties that are so key to his identity, makes him look to be the kind of tortured hero that Morgan does best - so I will likely give the series one more shot if Hunter's book is up next and see if Morgan can recapture her earlier magic.

Since I've been reading the Paladin series from it's tasty, alpha-male beginning I was a little bored by this latest story in the series. Gwen Mosley is cute, but take charge older sister who drags a very injured Jarvis out of her creak after he's wounded battling Others. She drags him home to get answers for her own brother who also has the amazing ability to heal just about anything. The only problem- she never really attempts to get any answers! She never even gives her brother the picture of his father that Jarvis finds for them. She and her brother spend almost the entirety of the book like Ostriches, heads in the sand ignoring answers around them and obvious truths.

Jarvis is your typical manly man paladin whose conflicted in wanting a relationship with Gwen but also doesn't want to hurt her with the craziness of his Paladin lifestyle. But everything just comes over very...pallid, vapid. Gwen tells him their over after her brother is injured toward the end of the book, and after a very brief consultation with her brother does a complete 180 degree flip like someone had flipped a switch on all her morals and beliefs. I just wasn't buying it.

While Jarvis and Gwen can spend most of the book like two nervously sweet teenagers, it just didn't provide that over all tingle of a great story for me. I hope Ms. Morgan hits the mark better next time as I've really enjoyed the series.

The Paladin series in order:
Dark Protector
Dark Defender
In Darkness Reborn
Redeemed in Darkness
Darkness Unknown

Paladin warrior Jarvis Donohue finds himself in the woods, alone and wounded. Having vanquished all but one escaped Other, he is on the last one's trail. Bleeding, tired, and barely able to stand, Jarvis finds the Other he is after but to his surprise, the alien has brought friends.

Gwen Mosely is on the trail of whatever it is that is making her dogs howl so loudly. Following the hounds into the woods on her property, Gwen is astonished to find a bloodied and battered unconscious man. Calling her strong younger brother to help, the two drag the hurt man to their home. There is no way Gwen is leaving the man to die because 1) it is the right thing to do and 2) the man's wounds are miraculously healing as quickly as wounds on her brother have healed. Needing answers for that one thing alone, Gwen begins her nursing duties.

Jarvis regains consciousness and realizes that he is no longer bleeding and his red-headed and enchantingly freckled nurse is a beautiful woman. As Gwen begins asking questions about her brother's ability to heal as quickly as Jarvis, he knows he can't give her the answers she seeks. All he can offer is the here and now that their mutual attraction demands. After all, how on Earth will Gwen still love him when she finds out the truth?

DARKNESS UNKNOWN is the fifth book in Alexis Morgan's intoxicating Paladins of Darkness series. Just when I thought the story had been told wit the release of Redeemed in Darkness, Ms. Morgan has upped the ante and penned another installment that keep me spellbound and reading for hours.

Jarvis Donohue knows that at his age, being revived is getting harder and harder for his handler to accomplish. His uncanny ability to heal intrigues Gwen and Jarvis tries so very hard to not give in to temptation and fall in love. Easier said than done but I loved watching his struggle. Jarvis' infatuation with Gwen's freckles made me shiver more than once and long story short, he made me drool.

Gwen's loyalty to her brother is to be commended. Father, mother, sister, and caretaker all rolled into one, Gwen wanted to best for her sibling and strived to achieve that end. Her feelings for Jarvis, while heady and sensuous, are almost innocent in nature. Plain and simple, she loves him. Her qualities and outlook on life are more of a `small town girl' who hasn't been jaded by the bad things in life and that characterization is perfectly suited to the raw masculinity that is Jarvis Donohue. Gwen does not allow her feelings to cloud her judgment and that is another reason why I liked her. She was strong but still retained her femininity.

Magical, mystical, and just plain mesmerizing, DARKNESS UNKNOWN is a must read! I am unable to get enough of these sexy warriors and as long as Alexis Morgan tells their stories, I will be first in line to read them!

Please note that DARKNESS UNKNOWN, while a complete standalone, is part of a series and as such, I recommend reading the books in the order in which they released:

DARK PROTECTOR: PALADINS OF DARKNESS, BOOK 1
DARK DEFENDER: PALADINS OF DARKNESS, BOOK 2
IN DARKNESS REBORN: PALADINS OF DARKNESS, BOOK 3
REDEEMED IN DARKNESS, PALADINS OF DARKNESS, BOOK 4

***Natalie S. for Wild on Books***

Book 5 in the Paladin series was so much fun and such a nice change of pace. For this book, Morgan decided to back away from the ongoing storyline of theft/corruption. The four previous books focused on this ongoing storyline and each one left me wishing that the storyline had progressed further. By not even touching on that storyline in this book, I almost felt like the book was more satisfying, as it didn't leave me wishing for more. Also, it was kind of nice to have a break from the repetitive nature of the previous books. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other 4 books, despite their tendency towards being somewhat formulaic (except the first book which more or less set the formula), but having read all of these books in a little over a week, the break was nice.

This book focuses on the discovery and "recruitment" of newly discovered Paladin, Chase Mosely. Neither Chase nor his older sister Gwen understand Chase's unique ability to heal quickly or his overly aggressive nature. Discovering a badly wounded Jarvis Donahue in the woods near their farm is a stroke of luck when they realize that he shares Chase's quick healing. They hope to learn something from him. Jarvis, once he realizes what Chase is, hopes to recruit him into the Paladins once he turns 18. And of course, Jarvis and Gwen can't deny their mutual attraction. There was a lot of relationship building in this book which I really liked. I could really feel the romance between Jarvis and Gwen.

The one downside to this book was that we didn't get to visit with any of our Paladin friends from previous books. They were only mentioned briefly a few times. The upside to that is that this book can be read without having read the others in the series. If you haven't read the others you might miss out on some background, but otherwise the story would probably still be enjoyable. I still recommend reading the others first, but because it doesn't continue the ongoing story arc and the other characters don't make an appearance, it can be read standalone.

I highly recommend this book and this series and look forward to reading book 6.

While this book is my least favorite in the Paladin series by Morgan, it's still a good, solid addition to the series. The two main characters didn't seem right for each other and while the ongoing plot thickens about who the traitors are, the romance does not heat up in this story. This is a good book to borrow or buy used.