Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Christina Dodd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

From New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd comes the second book of DARKNESS CHOSEN, a seductive series about an ancient, dark evil that lives in the modern world ...

 

A thousand years ago, a brutal warrior struck a terrifying bargain. In return for the ability to change at will into a cold-hearted predator, he promised his soul, and the souls of his descendants, to the devil. 

Handsome, powerful Rurik Wilder battles darkness -- the darkness without, and the darkness within. For he possesses the power to transform himself into a fierce bird of prey, and that gift has caused death and destruction. 

At last he is offered the chance to redeem himself and break the evil pact which has held his family in thrall for centuries. Only one woman stands in his way -- flamboyant Tasya Hunnicutt, a writer determined to wreak revenge on the assassins who murdered her family. Assassins, it's been rumored, who have powers no human should ever possess...

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

An interview with Jasha and Rurik Wilder from Darkness Chosen:

Christina Dodd: Today we have with us Jasha and Rurik Wilder, the brothers featured in the first two books of the Darkness Chosen series by Christina Dodd (that's me.) I've asked them here to talk about the 1000-year-old deal with the devil and their family's part in it. So, which one of you men would like to start?

 

Rurik: Let Jasha start. He's the oldest in the family, and he loves to hear himself talk.

 

Jasha: That's because I'm the only one who's smart enough to walk and chew gum at the same.

 

Rurik: No, it's because you're pompous and boring.

 

CD: All right, I'm glad we got that settled. Jasha?

 

Jasha: Our ancestor, Konstantine Varinski, roamed the Russian steppes, and he was nothing more than a gangster. He beat people up for fun and profit, burned villages, threw widows and children out in the snow to freeze, and ravished maidens. He made quite a reputation for himself, and the devil recognized a great opportunity. He came to Konstantine and offered a deal -- Konstantine and all his descendents would have the power to change at will into an animal predator capable of tracking their enemies, and in exchange, the devil would get their souls.

 

Rurik: Konstantine agreed and killed his own mother to seal the deal.

 

CD: Great guy.

 

Rurik (sarcastically): Makes me proud to be his descendent. Trust me, there's no villainy the Varinskis haven't excelled at. Ever since the original Konstantine, they've been mercenaries willing to track and kill for a price. They've been a horrible legend, feared all over Russia. They used unwilling women and had only sons, never daughters. They never married, never fell in love.

 

CD: So what changed?

 

Jasha: My father met my mother.

 

Rurik: They are stupid in love with each other, and they've been married since the earth's crust cooled.

 

CD: That's how long my husband and I have been married! And we're stupid in love, too!

 

The Wilder Brothers: Congratulations! (High fives all around.)

 

Jasha: So my father and mother immigrated to the US, to Washington state, changed their last name to Wilder, and had us three boys one year after another.

 

CD: Three boys?

 

Rurik: We have a brother. Adrik ... disappeared when he was seventeen.

 

CD: That's a sore subject.

 

The brothers nod solemnly.

 

Jasha: Ten years later, our sister was born.

 

CD: I thought the family didn't have girls.

 

Rurik: Never in a thousand years. Firebird is our miracle.

 

CD: You guys are big, buff men. You're saying you can change into an animal whenever you want? You can turn into an adorable bunny-rabbit or a fluffy little kitty-cat?

 

Jasha: Predators. We can only change into predators. When I decide I want to run with the pack, I turn into a wolf.

 

Rurik: And when I wish to soar through the skies, I become a hawk.

 

CD: Cool!

 

Jasha: Yes, but the pleasures of turning into a predator -- the freedom, the sense of being better than normal people --deliver a man right into the hands of the devil. And since our mother had her vision, we have to be very, very careful not to fall prey to temptation because -- don't laugh -- the Wilders have been chosen to break the deal with the devil.

 

CD: Wait. Your mother had a vision? You've been chosen to break the deal with the devil?

 

Rurik: With the help of the women we love.

 

CD: Who are the women you love?

 

Jasha: You'll have to read the books to find out. My story's SCENT OF DARKNESS, and of course, the most interesting.

 

Rurik (scornfully): Ha! The most interesting if you want to read about some guy who needs a flea bath and eats dog treats.

 

Jasha (icily): At least I don't snack on mice.

Rurik (ignoring him): My story is TOUCH OF DARKNESS, and it's the second installment in the Darkness Chosen series.

 

Jasha (winking at me): We hope you'll be bold enough to take a walk on the wild side with us and share our romantic adventures. 

 

Rurik: (his voice deepening as he leans forward to gaze deep into my eyes): If you are, I promise you won't regret it.

 

Christina Dodd: (fanning herself with forgotten interview script): So when do we leave?  

Read more about Jasha, Rurik, and the whole Darkness Chosen cast: christinadodd.com/home_paranormal_dc.html 

And don't forget -- Aleksandr's story, WILDER, is out August 7, 2012!

About the Author

Christina Dodd is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into twelve languages. She lives in Washington with her husband and two dogs.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Signet (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451221842
• ISBN-13: 978-0451221841
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #386,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Dodd, Christina

More About the Author

Chat with Christina via Facebook and Twitter, and even better, join her mailing list to have her news delivered right to your inbox! http://christinadodd.com/lists/?p=subscribe

Readers become writers, and Christina Dodd has always been a reader. She reads everything, but because she loves humor, she likes romance best.

A woman wants things like world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants things like a Craftsman router with attachments, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will miraculously make his bald spot disappear. So when Christina's first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to quit work and write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?

Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before her first novel, CANDLE IN THE WINDOW, was published. In the twenty-two years since, her novels have been translated into 25 languages, won Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards and been called the year's best by Library Journal. Christina Dodd herself has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle (11/18/05, # 13 Down: Romance Novelist named Christina.) Publishers Weekly praises her style that 'showcases Dodd's easy, addictive charm and steamy storytelling.'

Christina's 2011 releases include TAKEN BY THE PRINCE, #9 in the Governess Brides series, and in the tradition of Nora Roberts, a new romantic suspense series starting with SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA and REVENGE AT BELLA TERRA.

Christina Dodd is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars better than the first one, but still pretty bad, September 9, 2007

By 

duchess "duchy" (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This review will contain spoilers, proceed at your own risk!!!








Touch of Darkness by Christina Dodd is the second book in her Darkness Chosen erotic fantasy series. I hated the first book, and would not have read the second except for having gotten them at the same time. (Believe me - they are both going straight into the donation bin!) I was surprised that this one, while still dumb, managed to be a lot better than the first. Not better enough that I will ever bother with the third or fourth (or however many more will come), but it was an improvement of sorts (not that that is saying a whole lot...).



This one deals with the second son of the family (human and hawk shapeshifter), Rurik Wilder, and his lover, Tasya Hunnicutt. At least in this one, they have already been lovers before the story begins, which is a definate improvement over the first book, where the entire unrealistic relationship between the hero and heroine grated on my nerves. And they have to work hard to find their holy object, unlike the first book where it just fell into their laps. But they still pause to have sex when being chased by evil shapeshifters who serve the devil, and in other inappropriate and downright stupid times. Come on - I know it is erotica - but does it have to be stupid????? And the part with the unexpected princess - spare me such a Mary Sue moment, please!

"Mary Sue" is a term used by science fiction and fantasy fans to denigrate extremely idealized and lucky female characters (who are often self-inserted avatars of the author, but do not need to be). A typical Mary Sue character is not only beautiful and kind and smart, but she is the best at everything she tries to be or do - whether she is the greatest warrior ever ALONG with being a scholar AND a powerful magic user AND a great musician, AND great in bed, etc. The heroine of this book does edge into Mary Sue territory, though there are many worse ones out there, especially in paranormal erotica and romance.

Speaking of which - there is a term for male Mary Sue - male Mary Sues are called Gary Stus. And Rurik is a classic Stu. Handsome, intelligent. Can turn into a hawk. Not just any fighter pilot, but the best in the whole US military. Someone who stopped terrorists from having atomic weapons. Great in bed. And when his military career is over, becomes a world class archaeologist. And he is still way too young to have spent the years of training and/or graduate school that would be required to be both a fighter pilot and an archaeologist who could be the leader of an important excavation.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it and have some fun, September 18, 2007

By 

L. Urquhart - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Every bit as much good fun as the first book in the series, the character development was even better here, especially with the periphrial characters. Even they reveal a nuance or depth of character that makes me wonder just when they will show up in the storyline again. Christina Dodd shows how consistent she can be in any genre.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great second book, August 7, 2007

By 

Marie Cohen "book traveler" (miami, fl) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a great second book. It took you a littler deeper into the family aboard and what was happening with them. I can not wait for the the other books to come out. Great cliff hanger at the end!!