Customer Reviews

Embrace The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity, Book 2)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Embrace the Darkness is a passionate romance that takes up the story several weeks after the end of When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, Book 1). If you remember nothing else from the previous book, you will remember Viper. Vampire clan leader, Viper was the bored and beautiful fallen angel surrounded by hedonistic decadence, who in aiding Dante and Abby, came into contact with the beautiful demon Shay who saved Viper's life. This brief encounter marked them both and they are both haunted by dreams of the other

Unable to forget Shay, Viper has searched for her and finding her for sale at a demon auction he knows he must possess her. Shay the last living Shalott demon, a race of assasins whose blood is powerful aphrodisiac and a prized delicacy to vampires, is enraged to have been purchased by Viper. Some thanks for saving his life. She figures that Viper's just out for a tasty snack and she's not thrilled to be on the menu. But blood is not what Viper wants from Shay, he wants her in his bed so that he can free himself from the obsession she inspires.

Viper surprises Shay, he treats her reverently and is willing to use his immortal patience to gain her willing surrender. Shay has been a slave for years. She is surprised to be treated with kindness and finds herself unable to resist this magnetic and sensual vamp. And as Shay finally surrenders to the passion that Viper stirs within her, Viper finds that instead of purging his obsession, bedding Shay only strengthens his need for her. He finds himself even more addicted to her and not just in bed. He loves holding her and even just watching her sleep.

But even as the relationship develops between Shay and Viper, a powerful evil seeks Shay for her magical blood. Viper is willing to suffer torture and even to sacrifice his race and his own immortal existence to keep Shay safe, but it looks like that may not be enough. And should he fail, Shay will be sacrificed so that evil may flourish. But in the final climatic battle it will takes everyone's skills and then some to beat the bad guy and save Shay and Viper.

Author Alexander Ivy has really hit her stride with Embrace the Darkness. Though it was difficult to work into the summary here, she did a great job of fleshing out Shay and Viper - who can relate to what Shay suffered as a slave more than you would imagine from the power he holds now. For a romance focused book, Ivy managed a surprising amount of substance in the background plot and the final battle was actually well done and not just some easy toss off. In addition to taking advantage of characters Dante and Abby who return from the previous book, Ivy has again created several wonderful supporting characters. There is Levitt a height and courage challenged gargoyle whose fierce loyalty to Shay ends up allowing him to rise up past his limitations to make him a powerful ally. And then there is Styx, second in command of the Ravyns, a group that has brought the vampires out of savagery and Styx has dedicated himself to maintaining the balance necessary to preserve his people. A powerful warrior, Styx's honor is being corrupted by a vow of loyalty as he tries to hold true to his people and his leader, as the leader degenerates into madness and evil. And like she did with Viper in the last book, Ivy left me wanting more of Styx who will be the hero in her next book.

I really enjoyed Embrace the Darkness, even though I am not a vampire fanatic, and I am really looking forward to her next book.

This is an enchanting addition to Alexandra Ivy's first book WHEN DARKNESS COMES. I hadn't read #1 when I picked up EMBRACE THE DARKNESS. So, I had no clue why the terrifying but sexy Viper was in the club of despicable trolls on the night the half-Shalott demon female Shay was sold by auction.

Shalott demons are virtually extinct on Earth having been hunted by vampires for their blood which can heal a vampires' mortal wounds and has the lovely side effect of being highly erotic. Also, Shalott demons are the best asassins of the Underworld. Shay has never been fully trained, having been kept as a slave for most of her life. She's been caged and kept in rags, forced to hunt for vermin to survive. But the night Viper walks back into her life, she is going to be sold to someone new and possibly more deadly than any of her former masters.

Viper, the head of the Chicago vampire Clan is known to be deadly but his heart was stolen by Shay long months before in EMBRACE THE DARKNESS when she saved his life. Shay, of course, as no idea that Viper loves her. She is terrified of vampires because one of them killed her demon father.

Viper ends up buying Shay for a ridiculous amount of money but before he can get her out of the auction house someone else tries to buy her. Viper says no..and almost dies when someone else attacks trying to steal Shay from Viper.

Viper finally gets Shay home to his remote estate outside of Chicago. But his lovemaking plans are put on hold indefinitely due to Shay's fear of becoming Vipers midnight snack. When that doesn't happen, she is fed, shown to a real bedroom, and given her own clothes. Shay is reluctant to believe this is all for her. Poor Viper, his love for Shay is deep and true but he can barely romance Shay due to all the people trying to keep them apart.

As it is, Viper and Shay eventually find another despite all the distractions including a jealous pint-sized gargoyle. The love story is magically handled, and the reader totally buys into it.

The introduction of Styx, the Aztec vampire and subject of the next Guardians of Eternity installment is exciting. Styx sounds yummy enough to keep him in bed with crackers. I am eagerly awaiting the release in May '08.

I agree with the prior reviews, these novels should be read in order.

Alexandra Ivy has released the second installment of her Guardians of Eternity series called EMBRACE THE DARKNESS. Readers will once again meet Viper, the head of the Chicago vampire clan and Shay, a cursed half breed Shalott whose very life lies in the palm of Viper's hand.

Viper has not gotten to where he is today being weak. As the vampire leader in Chicago, the deadly Viper commands great respect from his clan. When he sees the lovely Shay displayed on the slave auction block, he purchases her for his own. He refuses to assess the reasons why he desires her so strongly. Yes, she saved his life. Yes, she is beautiful. Yes, he wants her in his bed. But while he acknowledges his tremendous want, he refuses to admit his yearning need. Once the purchase papers are signed and Shay is officially his, Viper begins a thorough seduction, wanting Shay as a willing participant in his bed.

Shay is half-human and half-Shalott. As the last known living member of her kind, her blood is ambrosia to vampires. Cursed and controlled since she was a child, Shay is dismayed to find herself up for auction once more. Evor, a repulsive and evil troll, holds her bound to her curse. Becoming the property of Viper at the auction makes Shay distrustful of his motives. She believes he means to drain her of her sought after blood. Though Viper treats her with respect and care, Shay remains suspicious - because why Viper really wants her is a mystery.

Viper and Shay exist in tentative harmony. Before Viper can convince Shay of his feelings, he is forced to defend his beautiful Shalott because someone more powerful than Viper wants her as well. Someone willing to kill to get her.

I sat and consumed EMBRACE THE DARKNESS in one sitting. I fell in love with Viper in WHEN DARKNESS COMES and was thrilled to learn that he had his own story. Viper was totally bewitching to me. His sense of honor is different than most of the vampires I have read about, creating in me an instant fascination. Then, add in his complete respect and longing for Shay and I could have swooned. Shay's prickly yet vulnerable characterization makes her a worthy heroine to Viper. She saved his life in the first Guardians of Eternity installment and I found myself intrigued with her slavery and curse. Fighting the evil that was trying to surround Shay, Viper and she made a great team.

I hope that readers will become as enchanted with EMBRACE THE DARKNESS as I am. Since EMRACE THE DARKNESS is the second in the series, I would recommend reading WHEN DARKNESS COMES first. I didn't want to miss any of the action and was better able to understand the back story for having read the first book. I am also ecstatic to announce that the third of the series, DARKNESS EVERLASTING, Styx's story, will release in May. It goes without saying that I am a Guardian of Eternity fangirl for life!

STORY BRIEF:
Shay is half human and half Shalott (demon). Her blood is an aphrodisiac to vampires. She is the last Shalott in existence. A curse binds her to the troll Evor. He puts her on the auction block to sell as a slave. Viper (a vampire clan leader) buys her with the highest bid. She expects to be kept as a slave and is wary to find that he treats her as a guest. A powerful evil entity wants Shay and sends hellhounds, demons, and others to get her. She and Viper must fight and at times flee. A relationship between Viper and Shay develops through lust and more. A fun part of the story is Shay's friend Levet (a three-foot tall gargoyle), another slave of Evor.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
The Shay and Viper characters weren't entertaining enough. Their story seemed to drag, but got more interesting toward the end. The demons, vampires and others having conflicts and fighting for power was similar to a lot of other books. Some of Viper's past was merely referred to and should have been better explained. The best parts were with the actions of Levet toward the end. He delighted me. He did some interesting things. I would give 4 stars for Levet's activities, but since his parts were minor, I'm staying with 2 stars for the main story. Also because at times, I wanted it to be over.

DATA:
Story length: 330 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 6. Total number of sex scene pages: 21. Setting: unknown time possibly current day Chicago, Illinois, and other Midwest areas. Copyright: 2007. Genre: paranormal romance.

Embrace the Darkness is the second book in the Guardians of Eternity series. Following the events in When Darkness Comes (Book 1), Viper (chief of a vampire clan) buys the Lady Shay (last of the Shalott demons, though technically she's half human) at auction. This annoys her more than a little as in the previous book she did save his life. Though Viper's motives may appear nefarious, he actually wants to protect Shay. However, unknown to both of them, she's actually in a lot more danger than they suspect. To survive, they'll not only have to depend on each other, but also their friends - both old and new.

I have a problem with this book, it was just so nice. Too nice. The bad guys were bad (or misunderstood), the good guys were good. It was well written. There were nice (there's that word again) comic touches from Levet, the heroine's gargoyle companion. But I don't think it's quite for me. I'm finding I prefer urban fantasy with its darker undertones, over paranormal romance.

Having said that, Shay and Viper have some strong dialogue and a great chemistry. I found Viper to be the more well-rounded character of the two, Shay was not quite so interesting. Levet is a little gargoyle with a big heart. He works as both a sidekick and a conscience and has some of the best lines.

There are some inconsistencies in the plot, or maybe I didn't pick up on all the subtleties. Specifically relating to Shay's curse. There's also a tendency to pull back from things, for example when Viper talks about the time before he was a clan chief how terrible things were for him. Shay questions him, but he just says - 'you don't want to know'. Also about the powers of each vampire clan chief - it's confidential. I'll make allowances for this once in a story, but more than that and it starts to annoy.

Alexandra Ivy does know how to keep her readers interested. New vampires are introduced here - Styx and Santiago. And there's mention of a 'young and fierce werewolf'. She puts in just enough to keep you interested in where the story is going. I also like that she makes the bad guy a little more three dimensional than your standard evil overlord. We get a glimpse of the hero he might have been in the past.

It's a nice story, well written with engaging moments. Slightly too light for me. The humour, and chemistry between the characters lifts it above a lot of the other paranormal romance out there. Recommended for fans of Jacquelyn Frank and Alyssa Day.

Book 1 - When Darkness Comes (available)
Book 3 - Darkness Everlasting (May 2008)

Even though Dante was the main character in When Darkness Comes, Viper is the one who stood out in that book for me. Ms. Ivy made my day when his story was next in the Guardians of Eternity Series. If you were like me and needed your fix of Viper, this book will do it for you. From the time that Viper buys Shay from the auction house till the end where they are fighting the evil that is pursuing her, this book kept me enthralled the whole time. The only thing I wished that Ms. Ivy did not include in this book were the two Egyptian vamps we met in Dante's book. If you don't remember them, go back and read the first book. They were droolicious. Nothing is better than a good book.

Viper--the Vampire in this was delicious, sexy and absolutely perfect. I love the interaction between the hero and heroine, the suspense in the story, the constant action and equal balance between romance and adventure. I thought "When Darkness Comes" was spectatcular---but Embrace the Darkness was totally engrossing....and it has made me hungry for Styx's story that is to follow ......

Viper was a secondary character in Ivy's first book in her new Guardian series- When Darkness Comes and made quite an impression. He is one of these sexy undead men who is a smooth talker like the best things in life and when he meets his mate and true love Shay, well he becomes a changed man.
Shay was also briefly shown in the first book. She is part Shallot, a demon whose blood is an aphrodisiac to vampires. Poor Shay is cursed and has no free will. She is being sold at an auction and Viper ends up buying her and will become her master. But Viper doesn't want to abuse Shay or even really control her. Ever since he met her, he can't get her out of his mind and wouldn't mind having her in his bed. And if she welcomes him to drink from her, all the more better. But Shay is one tough cookie and even though she is very attractive to Viper she won't give in because of what he is.
There is a constant battle of wills between these two that include the constant fear of Shay being taken away from Viper. Not even Viper's skill and power can protect her. Something wants Shay and her blood and won't take no for an answer.
Embrace the Darkness is an overall fun read. There are witty conversations between Viper and Shay and they both lust after each other constantly. Plus there is an enjoyable secondary character for comic relief called Levet a gargoyle and he is almost takes over the story.
Embrace the Darkness is a light read and fans of paranormals, especially of vampires and demons would not want to miss this book and series.

Katiebabs

When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, Book 1)

With the landslide of paranormal romance lately it's easy to find cookie cutter story lines and boring plots. Not this book. It had a great story line and the characters were vivid. I was at a disadvantage having not read any prior books in this series but was able to catch on and enjoyed this a lot.

Continuing from When Darkness Comes, Shay is returned to Evor, her troll `owner', once the witches are dead. It is a curse that has attached her to Evor ~ should one perish, so will the other. On the auction block, feeling degraded and used, one voice calls out a large sum, `buying' her on the spot. Viper.

It has been months since they've seen each other, but Viper was never able to get Shay out of his mind. He wants more than `ownership' of her. He wants it all. The problem is convincing her that he isn't as terrible a vampire than she seems to believe he is, for it was vampires that had long ago murdered her father.

Shay has had to grow up hiding her true self, constantly moving from place to place. She's seen the hardships her mother had gone through and wants none of it. She never had any friends, never anyone close to her that could later backstab her if given the opportunity.

As the last of the Shalotts, she knows why vampires want her blood, and she refuses to give it. She doesn't understand why Viper `bought' her from Evor. What could he possibly want with her? Someone to do his every bidding? He can find any number of women who would do so willingly. Why her?

Viper is determined to show her that he wants her with him willingly ~ and not as a slave.

After winning Shay, a fight rings out with a wizard, one determined to bring the Shalott to his master, the feel of evil in the room. While leaving the auction house, that same feeling is following them, ever determined to get its hands on Shay. But Viper is determined as well - he won't let her go without a fight.

While at his private retreat, they are attacked by a Lu. Escaping to Dante and Abby's, they hide. And while hiding, Viper brings in a witch, wanting the curse that binds Shay and Evor together broken. Feeling an attack coming, they escape only to become surrounded by Styx and his Ravens, vampires; an old/ex friend of Viper's. Shay escapes but Viper is captured. Tortured, he is told to use the amulet that would bring Shay to his side. He refuses, stating that he will do anything and everything to keep his future mate safe.

But Shay is a warrior and won't just sit idly while Viper's life hangs in the balance. With the help of Levet, her small gargoyle friend, she finds where Viper is being held and rescues him, holding up to her end of the bargain and offering her blood to save him.

Knowing the danger they face will never end, Viper defeats the evil plaguing Shay, making for a perfect beginning of the end of the novel.

This reader is sooooo enjoying this series, and I pray it'll be around for a long time. The author has a way of making the world of vampires feel well and truly normal, like everyday life. Her style of writing sucks the reader right into the story, painting every scene as clearly as if the reader is right along with the characters. There is a constant flow, and that constant flow had me still thinking of what's going on in the story well after I put the book down for the night.

Right from the beginning, I felt that Shay and Viper were perfect for each other; the banter between the two, how they frustrate each other, how they can get under each other's skin. It was perfect ~ funny/witty parts, sad parts, explanations that have you understanding the characters and why they are the way they are.

Actions scenes well battled, scenes of thoughts, feelings and planning well spaced and acted out beautifully, love scenes that make you hot under the collar, a perfect ending all blended with characters you love to love and characters you love to hate make this one hell of a good book! I can't wait to get my hands on Darkness Everlasting!