Customer Reviews

In Darkness Reborn (Paladins of Darkness, Book 3)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was a little iffy with book one, pleasantly surprised with book two, but book three has firmly set me on the road to being a fan of Alexis Morgan's Paladins series.

In Darkness Reborn, Barak (the Other) is still having problems fitting in. Laurel does her best by allowing him to work in her doctor's office, handling supplies and such, but just his presence there sets off the wounded Paladins. Therefore, Bane comes up with the idea to transfer him to the geology department. Of course he has to smooth it over by forking over funding money to that department, but gets it done. Barak is leery about his new position, but that all ends when he meets his boss, Lacey. She's blonde, blue-eyed, and as warm as the sun in his new world. She also hates his guts because her brother, Penn, is a Paladin and Barak represents the very people that Penn has to fight. Not to mention she starts off their new arrangement by trying to make his life hell. More information about the blue stones and why they are valuable comes to light in this book as well as the abilities of Others. There is also a hint in the end that the next book will provide even more information, but I'll let you read that for yourself.

Overall, I found it quite enjoyable. I read it in just a couple of nights. The action is fast-paced. The love scenes are a bit steamy. My only complaint is that Barak is soooo stiff and unemotional--or at least he seems to. I would have to assume that Morgan made him that way because he is Other and sets himself apart because of his secrets.

I was delighted with Barak's story and can hardly wait for the next one. But let me tell you about this one.

Lacey Sebastian is a geologist, she works to study the barrier, and the earthquakes and volcanos that affect it. Her brother is a Paladin who has an injured hand. Never very calm and likeable his temper is strained by the worry over whether he will be able to rejoin his fellows.

Barak is from the Other world. He came across and saved Laurel's life in the first book so the Paladins have allowed him to live although not without putting up with alot of guff. He is transfered to Lacey's charge and ordered to work with her. He doesn't tell anyone anything about his world or the special powers he possesses.

Barak is immediately attracted to Lacey but he knows that no human woman would want his attention. He and Devlin Bane and Blake Trehern are desperately trying to find out who is smuggling the blue garnets into our world. Barak is sensitive to the gems and they glow in his presence.

I love this world and I feel Barak is one hero that is more underdog than hero until he shows his colors. Do not miss this one.

I blew through the first two books in this series and waited anxiously for this one. I was really curious to see how the author would handle Barak as a hero. We met him in Dark Protector when he saved Dr. Laurel Young's life. He's one of the Others, the Paladin's sworn enemy. I had no idea what to expect and - wow, this book was great. No one does the tortured hero like Alexis Morgan.

In the beginning of the book, Barak is alone in every sense of the word - he's a man between worlds. Then he's paired with Lacey, who has no reason to like or trust him. Her brother has dedicated his life to fighting the Others and now she finds herself attracted to the very man she's supposed to despise. But he's not like she expected. He's loyal, determined and intriguing. Both of them are torn. Barak has a secret that, if revealed, could cost more lives.

This book surprised me, made me smile in places and kept me reading way too late into the night.

Barak q'Young is an Other and therefore reviled by the Paladins amongst which he works and lives. Rescued by Dr. Young and in turn her savior, Barak wants to make a life for himself on this side of the barrier but runs into obstacles most of the time. Usually those obstacles are huge Paladin warriors not wanting him to even breathe the same air as they do. Tired from constantly having to defend himself and seeing how it is affecting his friend, Barak agrees to a transfer to another lab. He wants to help in the fight to find the person responsible for selling the gems that light his world and in doing so hopes that he will become accepted among the people that call him enemy.

Lacey Sebastian has spent her entire life watching her brother fight for his life time and time again in the ongoing battle between the Others and the Paladins. When she is told that her new lab assistant is none other than the Other that was rescued by Dr. Young, her ire knows no bounds. She refuses to trust in someone that could betray her at the blink of an eye, until she comes to know him. In Barak q'Young, Lacey becomes aware of many contradictions. He is not the loathsome subhuman monster that she grew up learning about in different horror stories. He is kind, loyal and sexy. Quickly falling under his spell, Lacey is unsure how she will keep him in her life. Torn between her love for Barak and her love for her Paladin brother, Lacey has decisions to make. Decisions that involve more than just herself and her selfish yearnings.

Barak and Lacey work well together and in turn become very close. The battle between the Others and the Paladins rages on because blue gems are still being stolen and sold. When his beloved is kidnapped, Barak decides enough is enough and makes the choice to save her, even at the cost of his very life.

If I could say anything to Alexis Morgan at this moment it would be, "Bravo!" I have been dying for In Darkness Reborn since reading Dark Defender. Fully anticipating Barak's story but unsure if I would like the romance between he and Lacey, I should have known that I didn't have anything to worry about. Written in such a way that was completely realistic, In Darkness Reborn captured my attention, kept me spellbound, and wound its way around my heart. I fell in love with Barak from scene one and ached at his yearning to be accepted not as a monster but as a man. I found his devotion to Lacey eye opening and romantic. Lacey's characterization was classic. The victim of an overbearing and stubborn older brother, I loved how she ended up having both her brother and Barak wrapped around her finger.

Fully not expecting the storyline to take the turn it did, I have to admit complete surprise at the end. I love when authors stump and surprise me and Alexis Morgan did just that. The only thing wrong with In Darkness Reborn? It didn't come with the next installment and I have to wait until December for Cullen's story. The time can't pass by quick enough; I am just that hooked on this series.

Talia reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I fell in love with Barak the first time I read about him. This book just confirmed my feelings. The warriors are all strong as well as their women. I felt Baraks and Laceys pain at not being able to come forward because he was from a different world as well as their undeniable love for each other.

This novel of the continuing saga of Paladins battling Others and all the people involved continues to pack a punch. The characters are well developed, excellent dialogue, great descriptive narrative. It continues to have good action scenes, and great sexual encounters. I loved Barak (the Other) who was a willing pawn for the strong-willed Paladins and the people they worked for. I liked that he had great sensitivity but kept it under wraps to placate those around him who hated the sight of him. I am enjoying the series immensely! Looking forward to next instalment.

I have to say, Alexis Morgan's Paladins of Darkness series is really starting to grow on me. I had some critical issues with the first two books (Dark Protector and Dark Defender) that kept them from being truly stellar reading experiences for me (I liked both, but I didn't love them and rated each three stars)...and in truth, I thought there were a few in this book as well, but Barak's story is by far my favorite of the first three books.

Barak, the Other who saved the handler Laurel's life in Dark Protector, is having a lonely, difficult time adjusting to life on this side of the barrier, especially as he's well aware of how deeply his presence breeds resentment and anger in the Paladins around him. They are his mortal enemies after all. Finally, when the smack talk starts including Laurel, her mate Devlin Bane steps in and arranges a transfer of the Other to a less Paladin-heavy area of the Center than the medical ward. Having the Other forced on her doesn't do anything to please geologist and vulcanologist Dr. Lacey Sebastian, especially as her brother Penn is a Paladin and she's been raised to loathe the species responsible for so much death and destruction. But she's forced to accept Barak into her department, and she does actually need the help...but she sure wasn't expecting the zing of...something...that she got when she first shakes Barak's hand. A tremor of that particular magnitude is destined to rock both their worlds. But Barak IS Other, and as much as he chose to cross the barrier, he cannot risk sharing secrets that would make it easier for the Paladins to kill his kind, no matter how attracted to Lacey he becomes...and how very much just not being so alone any more means to him.

I still have a lot of unanswered questions about this series that probably should've been already addressed. I still have problems with some inconsistencies in mythos between the three books and some contradictory information. I'm still very confused and don't quite buy the way that Barak has been accepted - no matter how reluctantly everyone says it is - into the Paladin's stronghold and be allowed to walk around relatively unmolested. Yes, he's different than the mindlessly mad Others that surge across every time the barrier falls, but he's still Other - and no one's been interrogating him or pressing him for information on his species because one handler has befriended him? Even if that handler is the head Paladin's lover? That strains my willing suspension of disbelief to the breaking point, and always will. That being said, Barak's story - Barak as a character, actually - struck such a sympathetic chord with me that all the issues and the previous plot holes and contradictions didn't seem quite so glaring in In Darkness Reborn.

I feel for Barak. Alone - for longer than he's just been on this side of the barrier - and deeply lonely for it. Hated and reviled for what he is. No one but Laurel, really, with any sense of interest to look beyond that to WHO he is. Living a tentative existence at the mercy of Paladins who are sworn mortal enemies. Unable and unwilling to foreswear his sense of honor and be a traitor to his people, despite obvious issues with the world he came from. And deeply attracted to a woman who loathes him. I found him to be a very sympathetic and deeply honorable character, and I found a lot of poignancy and relevancy to his struggles as his and Lacey's relationship started to evolve. In it were echoes of the struggles and concerns of bigotry and intolerance. I think the concerns raised here harken to the real world struggles of bi-racial couples, same-sex couples, and any other "unconventional" relationship. I found that aspect to be rewarding to read about.

Yes, I had some issues. I was deeply disappointed that we still haven't been given much more than a glimpse into the motivations and life of an Other...and I'm very frustrated that an entire book with an Other as the main character didn't reveal what the heck they call themselves! "Other" starts to get demeaning after awhile. I didn't totally buy the rather quick evolution from loathing and disgust to love that Lacey went through. It wasn't horrible, there was time that passed, but I think it would've been a bit more believable had her original position not been QUITE so negative. Still...the reason she felt so negative, with a brother as a Paladin, was understandable. I'm also more than a little tired of the seeming repetition of the mysterious big bad guy who moves his wee little corruptible pawns around with anonymous (for the reader) phone calls and visitations. In the first book, the guard was the corrupt pawn, the regent lost his life for it in the second, and in the third we have...the IT guy with a gambling problem. All being manipulated and maneuvered by the Evil Man Behind the Curtain. After three books that thread is getting more than a little frayed. I'd like to see some true progression. And frankly, I still don't buy into illegal gem trading as a very convincing way to make a lot of money. How do you sell gems that don't exist in our world? Wouldn't that draw some attention?

Regardless, all those issues really faded in importance with the way Barak's personality stole the show for me in In Darkness Reborn. I genuinely liked him and totally sympathized with his very internal struggles. And I liked Lacey, too. Yeah, she did a bit of an abrupt about face on her feelings, but she's smart, spunky, and really good at her job and I like that in a female lead. I'm enjoying the series more and more and look forward to continuing with the next installment!

I bought Dark Protector (Paladins of Darkness, Book 1) on a lark. I was looking for something with a slightly different premise from the usual vampire/time travel/wolf/ghost paranormals that have seemed to flood the market. Dark Protector held something new; Warriors that returned from the dead to fight again and again but always with the knowledge that eventually, they would become the thing they fought against. Dark Protector was a very good read and though the author's writing was very rough in places, the premise and the character development gave me the desire to give her a chance and read the second, Dark Defender.

Dark Defender (Paladins of Darkness, Book 2) was as good as the first, the writing had improved, the character development in new characters was done well and the original characters stayed true to form. I thought I might have found a winner in Ms. Morgan.

In Darkness Reborn (Paladins of Darkness, Book 3) has verified my trust in her abilities. Her original characters carry through this story well, staying true to themselves and unflinching in their personalities. So many times, first characters tend to become wishy-washy as the series progresses. Not so with Ms. Morgan. In this story, Barak, who we met in the first book, has been well fleshed out and is a rich personality but is his own man and not a carbon copy of any other that she's written. Her heroine, Lacey Sebastian, is humanly flawed which is a delight in the face of so many perfect heroines these days. The story was very well done, easy to become engrossed in and even Barak, as an Other, was easy to relate to as far as the many problems he faces not only trying to fit into the human world, but to keep true to the honor he holds above all else.

If I have any complaints at all about Ms. Morgan, it is that she seems to latch on to an 'favorite phrase' and uses it too often, in this case "she stepped into his arms" or some such subtle variation. Other than that, it has been a joy to watch her growth as an author while I read a well thought out and consistent new series.

My only question now, can she maintain the standard she has set with the first three in her newest which will be released late November, Redeemed in Darkness (Paladins of Darkness, Book 4). I certainly hope so! It's already on my pre-order list.

This third book features Lacey and Barak's story. Barak is an Other from the world the Paladins are constantly fighting. The Paladins protect the barrier. Barak was first introduced in Dark Protector. He helped save Dr. Laurel Young's life and is now living in the world of the Paladins. Lacey is a geologist hoping to track activity of the earthquakes and volcanoes in the Seattle area. Barak's world is a dark world and the Others are leaving their homes to cross the barrier looking for a better life. The Other are using their sacred blue gemstones as payment to cross the barrier. The Paladins want to know who on their side of the barrier is taking the stones as payment to cross. Barak wants to help but not cause his people any more death. We get another look at the characters in the first two books along with Lacey and Barak. The love story was touching and moved beautifully throughout the book. I am looking forward to the next story that will feature Barak's sister and Cullen.

Let me beginning by saying I've loved this series since I stumbled on Dark Protector. Devlin Bane is exactly the sort of character I fall for. A dark alpha type who try as he might can't resist the woman he loves despite all the obstacles in the way.

Barak was a total surprise to me. The enemy of the Paladins, an Other with honor and integrity. The loneliness of his new world is heartbreaking. He is insulted and sneered at by those around him. Even Laurel, his only friend, doesn't truly know him. The Paladins don't accept him. Even Devlin who defends him doesn't especially like him despite the fact that Barak offered his life to save Laurel.

Then he meets Lacey Sebastian, a geologist determined to find a way to predict the earthquakes and volcanic activity that cause the barrier between their two worlds to fail and put the lives of her brother and his comrades in danger. She alone sees Barak as something more than just an Other.

The heat between the two is tangible. It's impossible not to cheer Barak on in his quest to win Lacey. But the real surprise is that regardless of how much he loves and needs her he holds onto his honor and refuses to use his gifts to help her knowing that it would harm his people.

In Darkness Reborn takes the Paladins series to a new level. The enemy becomes less one dimensional. The battle becomes less black and white. The Others do as they must just as the Paladins do. This book leaves you itching to see how the Others live and what drives them to commit almost certain suicide by crossing the barrier.