Tempting Darkness (Templar Vampire Series, Book 3) [Paperback]

Rene Lyons (Author)

Book Description

Series: Templar Vampire | Publication Date: October 30, 2007

Trapped in the dark, can two lost souls find their way back to the light?Book Three of the Templar Vampire series Once a proud Templar Knight, Lucian of Penwick lost his faith when God damned him as a vampire.Tormented by guilt, he is dragged back to his ancestral home and forced to confront the sins of his past.As he struggles to uphold his oath, Lucian knows if he falters, its not just his own soul on the lineRipped from life as she knew it, Jessica Vargo is held prisoner in a world of darkness and torment.Deep in the bowels of a medieval castle, the line between myth and reality blurs and the only one she can trust is the seven-hundred-year-old vampire.But as darkness tempts, can Lucian and Jessica find their light?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Having always had a love of books, it wasn?t until the age of fifteen that Rene Lyons knew writing was something she simply had to do. Lost in history at an early age, the Knights Templar always held a special spot in her heart. Then there is her obsession with all things dark and mysterious, especially vampires. It seemed only natural that her two loves would one day come together in the form of the Templar Vampires. She couldn?t resist the call of these damned warriors. They crept into her mind and pounded on her brain, leaving her no choice but to write them. She now spends her days balancing her family and her writing, as she lives a dream she?d chased for nearly twenty years. One rule Rene always tries to live by is to never take herself too seriously. Life is too short not to laugh as much as she can every day.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599986574
• ISBN-13: 978-1599986579
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once you start reading this awe-inspiring tale you won't be able to put it down., April 5, 2008

By 

C. Dionne "Chrissy Dionne" (Cloverdale, OREGON USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tempting Darkness (Templar Vampire Series, Book 3) (Paperback)

Lucian of Penwick had joined the Order of the Templar Knights because of his devotion to God. He never dreamed that God would curse him to a life as a vampire. His desire to return to the bosom of his family resulted in the predicament he now finds himself - chained in a dungeon as his own brother does everything in his power to try to get Lucian to reject the oath that he's clung to for seven hundred years.

Jessica Vargo never believed in vampires - at least she didn't until she was ripped from her quiet dull life by Lucien's brother, Stephan. Suddenly her world becomes one of darkness and pain and she finds herself with no one but Lucian to give her hope that she'll return to the life she once knew.

Stephan, Lucian's brother, enjoys the pain and distress that he causes her with his daily tortures in a bid to break Lucian and ensure that Lucian is stripped of his humanity. What better way of doing that is there than to deny a vampire fresh blood and leave him chained up in a dungeon with a bleeding young woman? In order to redeem himself in God's eyes he's been given a chance to undo his sins - he has to Protect the Guardian, Guard the holiest of relics, and not kill an innocent. How is he supposed to protect anything when he can't even protect Jessica from Stephan's sadistic actions? While Jessica is horrified by what is happening to her, she also realizes that Lucian is nothing like Stephan. Despite the fact that he lives in darkness, she finds herself falling for him and desperate to keep him near - he's her salvation. Escaping Stephan won't be easy and will leave lasting effects on them. Is there any hope for true love between a woman who adores sunlight and a man who is forced to live in the darkness?

Rene Lyons brings the world of the TEMPLAR KNIGHTS to light with startling clarity. Once you start reading this awe-inspiring tale you won't be able to put it down. I don't generally read many vampire tales but something about this one simply called to me. Lucian's devotion to a God who's damned him is amazing and I have to admit the simple fact that he's continued to hold true to his faith for seven hundred years is nothing less than inspiring. Jessica's bravery in the face of everything she endures really endears her as a true heroine and I found that I truly admired her.

TEMPTING DARKNESS is the third book in Rene Lyons' TEMPLAR VAMPIRES series and believe me you will not be disappointed. This storyline is full of all the angst, passion and raw emotions that draw a reader in and make you want to know everything there is to know about these characters. I hadn't read the first two books in this series before I picked this one up but I will definitely be heading over to Samhain Publishing to pick up my copies very soon and will keep an eye out for the others to be released.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars -, July 7, 2008

By 

melindeeloo (sb,ca) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tempting Darkness (Templar Vampire Series, Book 3) (Paperback)

The first half of Tempting Darkness was pretty good. In the first book Midnight Sun (Templar Vampire Series, Book 1), former templar knight Lucien surrendered himself to his guilt and his brother Stephen's hatred. Stephen is also a vampire but where Lucien has vowed to regain his soul, Stephen revels in his power and depravity.

Stephen imprisoned Lucien with a human woman Jesse, starving Lucien and taunting him with Jesse's blood. Stephen's intent is to break Lucien's control and once Lucien has damned himself by drinking Jesse to death, Stephen plans to send Lucien straight to hell in retribution for their family's death. But as Lucien fights to hold to his vow, he begins to develop a need for more than Jesse's blood, a need to protect her and rescue her from the nightmare that they've been trapped in. Somehow Lucien and Jesse manage to pull together and escape from Stephen's dungeon. But even as Lucien and Jesse form a bond and Lucien's love engenders a trust that gets Jesse past her victimhood, they are recaptured and they know that there is no hope of surviving the torment a second time.

I really enjoyed the first two books, but how much torment can one series hold? First there was dark and tormented Sebastian and then even darker and more tormented Constantine and now Lucien tormented by his guilt. Yes, I know loosing your soul and being cursed to walk the night as a predator is cause for a great deal of anguish, but these guys all have major issues from their human days. You'd think after living for a few hundred years they'd invest in a few decades of group therapy and come to grips with the past.

I probably wouldn't have minded this so much though if the recapture hadn't made the second half book a frustrating déjà vu - been there done that, why did we need to do it again? I couldn't understand why Stephen just didn't kill Lucien and Jesse both already and it seemed that Lucien would have still been damned since he hasn't earned back his soul yet. It took all of Stephen's bad guy credibility away. I suppose that it didn't help that I found the whole resolution between Lucien and Stephen a bit confusing and anticlimactic.

So this all left me with mixed feelings about the book and the series itself. The next book isn't out yet, so I guess I have time to decide whether I want to read about the next two dark and tormented Templar's finding their soul mates.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can not put it down, December 13, 2007

By 

C. Bella "Book Lover" (Damascus, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tempting Darkness (Templar Vampire Series, Book 3) (Paperback)

This series is so good. When I sit down to read I feel like I am there. As if I am witnessing an event. What makes this a good read is that her characters have REAL personalities. This should be made into a movie. It is THAT good! I hope Ms. Lyons continues this series.