Edge of Darkness

LITERAL ADDICTION’s Review of Edge of Darkness

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Vivacious Valkyrie and Pack Alpha - Marta & Chelle:

Dark Crime by Christine Feehan (Marta):

It's very hard to keep readers engaged as a series gets longer and it's a trap that many authors fall into. What worked so well in the beginning can become stale and readers constantly demand to be surprised. Ms. Feehan's Dark series has been such an interesting one full of intense emotions, beautiful narrative and incendiary heat. This story is shorter than most and yet is still full of passion and a few surprises and, of course, there's that little thing of claiming a life mate!

I really liked the beginning of this story and felt so much empathy for the heroine Blaze, whose life has been brutally changed forever. She deals with her grief by taking control of her own destiny, but a chance call to a stranger sees yet another rock thrown her way and this time it's a landslide ! The male who answers her call is Maksim and he's definitely not human he us Carpathian and now Blaze has fallen into his world and there's no way Maksim will ever let her leave.

Ms Feehan has somehow stepped away from her previous style and this felt far more modern with a fresh twist. If honest at first I didn't realise it was a Carpathian story and the plot was fuelled by unexpected alliances. Diehard fans will enjoy this but I think those who perhaps felt jaded might also see a fresh approach to tempt them back. I'm happy to report the story was not bogged down by excessive chanting (which many readers find repetitive) and as this story arc continues I know I wil be back for more!

Dead by Twilight by Maggie Shayne (Chelle):

I've been a fan of the Wings in the Night series since book #1, continuing with Wings in the Night: Reborn and Twilight Guardians this last year. I can, without a doubt, say that this was one of my favorite Wings in the Night tales, to date.

Maggie brings us another of her feisty, fiery, independent heroines with Chloe, and I found myself comparing her a bit to Rachel de Luca from Maggie's Brown & de Luca stories. She's just a heroine you love to love and her interaction with the hero was witty, sexy, and full of intrigue.

Overall, the story was smart, fun, and gripping. I am so, SO excited Wings in the Night is back and properly reborn! :)

Cimarron Spirit by Lori Herter (Marta):

This is quite a short read and it's by an author who is completely new to me. Our heroine is Annie an archeologist who, whilst investigating ruins, stumbles upon the find of the century, a vampire! Rafael de la Vega waited a long time for someone to ease his lonely undead life and although at first he wants nothing more than to see the back of the meddling woman as he gets to know more about Annie it's clear that what they both feel could be so much more than mere attraction.

Now nothing is ever that simple and if it was where would the story be? You see Annie is caught up in the midst of the dreaded triangle as Brett, who owns the land she digs on has proposed to her but is it love or just convenience ? Annie proudly proclaims the she is " her own woman " but can she make the right choice for her? A life with a family in the sun or whatever a vampire can offer and then there's the slight problem of Rafaels past and it's a lot closer than Annie realises!

I must point out that I did feel this was very reminiscent of Ms Feehan's work with similar names used and even shifting. I wonder if this was written possibly as a homage or even as fan fiction? Either way it did for this reader end a touch abruptly and I would have liked just a little more but as a quick read to while away an hour it hit the spot perfectly.

OVERALL:
We would recommend this anthology, especially for fans of the authors' series, those who discovered Christine and Maggie's work by first reading Lori Herter, and, of course, any fan of vampire fiction.