Dawnbreaker (Dark Days, Book 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jocelynn Drake (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 29, 2009

The dawn brings new terror for the creatures of the night . . .

Those of her race fear Mira for the lethal fire she bends to her will—a power unique among nightwalkers, both a gift . . . and a curse.

The naturi despise Mira for what she is—as they prepare the final sacrifice that will destroy the barriers between the worlds. And once the naturi are unchained, blood, chaos, and horror will reign supreme on Earth.

Mira can trust only Danaus, the more-than-mortal vampire slayer, though he is sworn to destroy her kind. And now, as the day approaches when titanic forces will duel under cover of darkness, destiny draws them toward an apocalyptic confrontation at Machu Picchu. But all is not lost, for a wild card has been dealt to them: a rogue enemy princess who can change the balance of power and turn the dread tide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“With its ever–thickening plot, fans of supernatural drama are sure to get their money’s worth.” (Romantic Times BOOKclub )

“NIGHTWALKER is an action-packed, stellar debut. Jocelynn Drake will have you coming back for more.” (Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author of Halfway to the Grave )

“An unflinchingly self-assured first novel, chiseled with subtlety and irony into a darkly suspenseful and blessedly surprising story. In exacting detail, and with prose as silky and enticing as her protagonist, Drake has composed a love letter to the vampire genre. I wish I’d written it.” (Vicki Pettersson )

“An intoxicating mix of jet-setting action and sparkling turns of phrase that let me taste the Nile and feel the British fog. NIGHTWALKER is a must-read addition to the urban fantasy genre, filled both with action and satisfying characters.” (Kim Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of For a Few Demons More )

About the Author

The bestselling author of the Dark Days series and a former financial analyst, Jocelynn Drake lives in Wisconsin.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; Original edition (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061542881
• ISBN-13: 978-0061542886
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #718,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

By day, Jocelynn Drake is a clean-cut financial analyst writer, but in her free time she writes about a dark underworld where vampires rule. The author of Nightwalker, she lives in Kentucky.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars It's a decent story, but I have an overwhelming sense of déjà vu I can't shake October 1, 2009

By Mrs. Baumann VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Plot Summary: Mira is back home, but the naturi have followed her to Savannah, and they're picking off the local vampires and werewolves to weaken her position. Just when things are getting really ugly with the local werewolf alpha, Danaus shows up because the time is near for the next naturi sacrifice. They leave for Machu Picchu, the site where Mira was tortured 500 years ago, and where the naturi tried to open a door to an alternate dimension to free their queen. Everyone is relying on Mira's fire-starter abilities to fry naturi, but she's also been working on mastering the earth magic that nearly swamped her last time.

I hate to be a party pooper, but I think this series is stuck in a rut. I don't feel like progress is being made from book to book, and I had a strong sense of déjà vu with the plot line. Like the past two books, Mira and Danaus maintained an uneasy alliance, they skirmished with the naturi, and then they had a big confrontation that Mira barely survives. Unfortunately it's all become too predictable, and I think the next book needs to break the mold to pull this series back up to the stellar level of the first novel.

The "I'll kill you when this is over" line has become a running joke between Mira and Danaus, but their relationship is STILL stuck in first gear. According to the timeline within the story, only one month has passed since they first met, but after three books I've passed antsy and now I'm frustrated. The lack of build up since their initial encounter is disheartening, and it has taken the edge off any romantic hopes I had for this couple.

For all my grumbling, I'm happy to say that Jocelynn Drake has not lost her touch when it comes to the pacing. The scenes flew by, and I was fully engrossed by the finale, but once again the ending lacked closure. I appreciate the need to keep things loose for sequels, but I also don't want to read a series that feels like Mira is trapped in a "Groundhog Day" scenario. I'm sorry to say, but this series has moved from one of my `must buys' to a `maybe buy.'

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Urban fantasy without the romance November 3, 2009

By CS

Format:Kindle Edition

An interesting Urban Fantasy with a believable (non-romanticized) view of the paranormal world. It is not a PNR... the focus is DEFIANTLY not on romance. Romance isn't even in the picture.

The series is starting to become a little predictable... wash-rinse-repeat. I'm interested to see if book 4 will bring something new or if it will read as just another run through the wash cycle.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Meandering Plot and Inconsistent Characters October 24, 2009

By S. Fontes

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I read Dawnbreaker after very much enjoying the first two books in the series. In the first two books there were minor character inconsistencies and irrelevant tangential plotlines that could be overlooked. But in Dawnbreaker, these flaws become an extremely large problem. The main character Mira is written like she has multiple personality disorder and you never know who you are dealing with at any one moment - or from sentence to sentence, the changes are so quick. Hints in previous books about as-yet-unrevealed important plot points are just dropped, the action scenes are surprisingly unengaging, and I just stopped caring whether or not the enemy naturi were going to take over the earth and kill everyone. This genre is my favorite and I tend to be very forgiving of authors' errors if I like the characters or the world created in the book or the action scenes. But this author is not only making the exact same mistakes in her third book, but she's making them absolutely impossible to ignore. Or forgive. Skip this book.