Dark Alpha's Fury

I have been anticipating this book for what seems like forever! Xaneth has been on the edge of many tales and we all wanted to know when he would have his story. Finally we get to see inside his tortured mind. As for Aisling, she has been distant from the rest of the Reapers as she tried to find Xaneth. Getting to read about her past was so emotional. This story has everything, Reapers, Dragon Kings, The Others, Death and so much more! I didn’t want to put it down. While this is the last book in this series, I am sure this is not the last time we will hear from these characters

4.25 stars— DARK ALPHA’S FURY is the sixteenth and final instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult REAPER paranormal, fantasy romance series -a spin off from the author’s Dark Kings series, which is a spinoff from Donna Grant’s DARK WARRIOR series which in turn is a spin off from the author’s DARK SWORD series- all set in the Highlands of Scotland. This is Light Fae Xaneth and Reaper Aisling’s story line. DARK ALPHA’S FURY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is a continuing premise throughout. Xaneth is Queen Usaeil’s nephew, and his story begins in the Dark Kings series.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Reapers (believed to be a folk lore amongst the Fae) are a group of Dark and Light Fae who have been betrayed by someone in their past life, selected by Death (aka Erith), on their own deathbed, to do her bidding-Death is the judge and jury; the Reapers are the executioners. The Reapers are not harbingers of death but are tasked with destroying the Light and Dark Fae who have crossed a line from which there is no return. All Reapers must follow two rules: never to fall in love; and never to reveal their existence to anyone but a group known as the Others, have declared themselves the rulers of the Fae, and their next ‘mission’ is to take down the Reapers, having failed to destroy the Dark Kings.

NOTE: If you have not read any of the previous story lines or series, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from several third person perspectives including Xaneth and Aisling DARK ALPHA’S FURY focuses on the search for the Light Fae Xaneth. Xaneth, nephew of Dark Fae Queen Usaeil has been missing for months, a prisoner of his aunt who had Xaneth tortured from within. Upon the death of Usaeil, and Xaneth’s escape, our hero has been a one-man assassin, searching for evil in the wake of Lena and the Fae Others battling for ultimate control. Lena, the leader of the Others, has the ability to absorb magic from anyone using the magic near or in her presence, and as such as set her sights on the Fae, and ultimately the Reapers and the Dragon Kings. Xaneth is determined to take down Lena and the Others but refuses any help from the woman with whom he has fallen in love. Aisling has been searching for months for our story line hero. Their connection is soul deep but Xaneth struggles with what he has become, a beast he no longer recognizes, a beast that has the ability to destroy that which he deems to be evil. Aisling refuses to let Xaneth fight the Others on his own, and with the help of the Reapers sets into motion a plan to beat Lena at her own game. What ensues is the building relationship between Aisling and Xaneth, as our couple place themselves in the direct line of fire in an effort to dismantle the Others, and take down the woman in charge.

The relationship between Xaneth and Aisling has been building throughout both the Dark Kings, and the Reapers series. Usaeil, in an effort to kill her entire family, imprisoned Xaneth, leaving him alone, lost in his own mind. Months of torture and unaware of how or why, Xaneth would eventually escape, knowing he was no longer the man or the Fae he once was but has become something more, with the ability to detect and ‘smell’ evil. Aisling has been searching for Xaneth on her own, with the permission of Erith, forgoing her duties as a member of the Reapers. When the Dragon Kings were unable to locate or rescue Xaneth, Aisling knew she would be the only one to locate the man with whom she was falling in love. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful, colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including most of the previous couples introduced in the Reapers series, as well as Ulrik, King of the Silver Dragons, and Guy, King of the Red Dragons; Death aka Erith and her mate Cael, and Lena, the leader of the Others.

DARK ALPHA’S FURY is a detailed, complex and satisfying conclusion to Donna Grant’s REAPER series but the author has revealed the characters will continue to appear in the new spin-offs including the DRAGON KINGS and the SKYE DRUIDS series. The fast paced premise is action packed, heart breaking and emotional; the romance is seductive but struggles in the face of fear and misunderstanding; the characters are charismatic and determined.