Mona Lisa Darkening (Monère: Children of the Moon) [Kindle Edition]

Sunny (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

On the vernal equinox, Mona Lisa is taken against her will to NetherHell, the cursed realm of the damned. In this place, she will be torn from both within and without by desire, love, and ecstasy. And when her first love crosses the boundaries of the world to rescue her, she must choose her own destiny—before others choose it for her.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 656 KB
• Print Length: 308 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0425226476
• Publisher: Berkley (January 6, 2009)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001OLROWG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,720 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

A family practice physician and Vassar graduate, I was finally pushed into picking up my pen by the success of the rest of my family. Much to my amazement, I found that, by golly, I actually could write a book. And that it was much more fun than being a doctor. As an author, I have appeared on Geraldo at Large and CNBC.

When I'm not busy reading and writing, I'm editing my husband's books, New York Times bestselling author Da Chen, and being a happy stage mom for my young actor son, Michael Chen.

Mona Lisa's story continues in March 2011 with MONA LISA ECLIPSING. For contests, excerpts, and more information please visit my website at www.sunnyauthor.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, January 21, 2009

By 

Philbecmom (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mona Lisa Darkening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a HUGE fan of this series, and could not wait for this book to come out. I am so disappointed in this book that I am writing my first book review ever. I do not know if Sunny was under a word limit (this is the first book published in mass paperback size -- the rest were in TSP), or if this was supposed to be a transition book to move the series in a new (undisclosed) direction, but I thought this was a tremendous let down. There were a lot of characters, a lot of information and a lot of ups and downs, but they were all very quick and very perfunctory. The most well developed part of the entire book were the last few pages and Mona Lisa's decisions about her relationship with Dontaine. All the other men in her life made a "guest appearance" and disappeared. There were no tremendous revelations and no great resolutions. I did not feel as if the series moved forward, and can only guess where it is going. Read the book because it is part of the series, and we can only hope that the next book reverts to form and is, once again, exceptional.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sunny could've done better, February 4, 2009

By 

S. de Freitas (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mona Lisa Darkening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was highly anticipating the next installment in the Mona Lisa series but I was unfortunately disappointed. I don't feel that the major points of the plot (i.e. Mona Lisa descending to NetherHell, her duality with Mona Louisa and the development of her relationship with the Gargoyle warlord) was fleshed out enough. I was left with way too many questions (like, why the hell did a black light come down and take Lisa when she was basking anyway?!? Is it because partly dead ppl can't bask??) and the ending was really unsatisfying. It basically loops you right back to the beginning situation, although the characters feel very differently about eachother - but it crops up another host of questions. My other bone of contention is that the first part of the book moves too quickly and the latter half dRaGs... I feel like it was filler to make a deadline. Who wants to read about a protracted day in the salon? And lastly, the sex was lackluster. There were some good "moments" -- but Sunny, you could do better than that. I hope this was a fluke and the next novel is way better... or else this series will turn into a cheesy weekend miniseries that I'd dub "The Adventures of Mona Lisa and her Demon Friends" complete with unfinished plot threads and chemistry that fizzles.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The character continues to grow throughout each novel making her boldest moves yet., January 8, 2009

By 

Rachel P. Smith "BittenbyBooks.com" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mona Lisa Darkening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

Mona Lisa is the first mixed blood Queen the Monere have ever had. Descended from the moon, her people, the Monere draw their strength and long lifespan from it. Once a month her people gather to her to bask in the light of the moon while she draws down its power. On this night of the vernal equinox, one of the two times a year when night and day are equal and the barrier between Earth and Hell is at it's weakest something goes terribly wrong. She is engulfed by darkness and disappears only to find herself in NetherHell.

NetherHell is the lowest level of hell and a place where even her mate and a Crown Prince of Hell, Halcyon, dares not go. While struggling to survive in NetherHell a gargoyle warlord named Gordane captures her. He's soon obsessed with Mona and she finds it difficult not to return his affections. By becoming her protector through NetherHell Mona Lisa finds herself more and more drawn to him. Her feelings for Gordane begin to grow and strengthen, but what happens when Mona Lisa's lost love reappears and crosses the threshold of NetherHell to rescue her? All this while her inner demon, the evil Monere queen that she shares her body with, Mona Louisa, is doing her level best take control of Mona Lisa's body.

Mona Lisa Darkening is Sunny's newest installment in her Children of the Moon series. Mona Lisa Darkening is her best since The Children of the Moon debut novel, Mona Lisa Awakening. Mona Lisa Darkening not only introduces a well thought out new character, but brings back a favorite of readers. Life is anything but boring for Mona Lisa and this time around things become even more incredible. Halycon is probably most people's favorite of Mona Lisa's loves, but Gordane makes a strong go at the title. He will leave readers demanding to know more about him.

Mona Lisa Darkening is a self describing title. The sweet, innocent Mona Lisa we met in the first novel is long gone, but in a good way. The character continues to grow throughout each novel making her boldest moves yet. While Mona Lisa comes from an alien race who need the moon in order to draw down their powers, she's only human. Using the Superman mythos of having incredible powers while at the same time tempering those powers with her human upbringing and the morals that go with that, you will find yourself drawn in.

If you haven't read Sunny's Monere, Children of the Moon series, and I confess I read all four to do this review, I believe you're missing out. I was pleasantly surprised by all four and can't wait for the next installment.

Reviewed at Bitten by Books Paranormal Fiction Review Site by SunandHeir