{Review} Dark Desire (Dark Series #2) by Lauren Dawes

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: November 24th, 2014
Finished Date: January 21st, 2015

Publishers:  Momentum
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eARC

Pages: 414

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

The time of Odin is over. The Aesir gods now live among the humans in their bustling modern cities. Their brutal dominion over the other gods and their eradication of the entire dark elf race may have ended, but their actions have not been forgotten.

With the death of Adrian still haunting Taer’s every waking breath, she dreams of getting revenge on the dark elf responsible for her brother’s murder. But when the one person she’s depending on to train her in the art of weaponry refuses to help, she has no other choice but to get instruction from the most unlikely of people. Driven by an undeniable desire, Taer finds herself learning more than just how to fight.

Eir, the goddess of healing, has had her spirit destroyed with the death of her twin at the hands of a deranged god. Still struggling with her loss, she is merely surviving each day. That is until a chance encounter with a human shows her that her broken heart can be mended in the simplest of ways.

The Review: Dark Desire is the second book in the Dark Series and just as good as book one.
Everyone is feeling the fallout from the climax of book one but none more so than Taer and Korvain who lost a brother – Adrian – and revenge is the order of the day. Taer is consumed with the need to kill the man responsible and will stop at nothing to avenge her brother, leading her to accept help from dubious places when Korvain refuses to train her in her weakened state.
Also feeling an overwhelming sorrow is Eir, the goddess of healing who cannot forgive herself for not saving her twin from Loki’s wrath. Unlike Taer, Eir goes about her life without revenge on her mind but struggles to survive the guilt …. That is until she meets someone who shows her there is more to life, that she needs to heal herself as she heals others and that one extraordinary human man can show her how to love again.
Loki is also regrouping, still more determined than ever to avenge his treatment from Odin, he starts to plot and scheme anew and what better way to start than with the help of a criminal overlord and his enforcers….. battles will be fought in different ways now but the stakes no less high.

So, I really enjoyed this second outing into the Dark Series and I found it a lot easier to slip back into this world of Norse mythology brought into current times. Whilst Bryn and Korvain are very present in this book, it was definitely Taer and Eir who took the leading roles throughout. Taer was broken in this, a complete turnaround from her character in book one and it’s understandable, you can definitely relate to her in this book as she is tormented in dreams about her brothers’ death, lives with the visible scars of that horrid event and no one wanting to help her achieve vengeance on his murderer because of her weakened state. I thought she really came into her own here and took chances and risks that she never would have before. I’m intrigued by the relationship that came about when she found a mysterious person to train her, he has all of my interest as much as Taer’s and I really hope we get more from them.
Eir is another character that is easy to empathise with, even though she and Taer are consumed with guilt, anger and grief, their processes couldn’t be more different. Taer grasps the anger and uses it to her advantage, being proactive in her quest for revenge but Eir is more solemn and deals with a lot of it internally. Eir is a caregiver so is unused to have to be on the receiving end of that, but what better way to mend her broken heart than finding love and a possible soul mate. This brings the romance to book two in much the same way as Bryn & Korvain did to book one. I felt the story needed this, the romance gave some tenderness into an otherwise sad instalment of the series and I just love to see the Valkyrie find love in unexpected places.
I felt the storyline wasn’t as dynamic as the previous book but that went hand in hand with the way book one ended so I wasn’t expecting all out action and big battles again because it made sense that everyone needed to regroup. I actually really enjoyed the different feel of this story, it was a lot more subdued and I think it balanced out really well. Taer’s thread brought the action, from her training and also from her dreams, they injected a certain fear into the book and I often wondered whether Taer was capable of what she had set her mind to. I really liked the new comer that entered her life, they have chemistry and a certain amount of sexual tension that may lead somewhere in future books. I liked her ending, I was shocked but satisfied and I was left wondering what was next for her and Korvain. I also liked the history that we got from the person who Taer was after, we got his story and therefore a greater understanding of where he came from and how he became who he was.
Eir’s thread brought tenderness and love to the story, giving a sweetness that was much needed amongst the grief and anger. I liked how she connected with her suitor and what they shared. I actually think he is a fab match for her and I enjoyed his story just as much as anyone elses. He was very protective of those he loved and there were times when my heart broke for both of them.
We still get to see what’s going on with the bad guys, as I said, we get Adrian’s killers story but we also catch up with Loki and see him putting more plans into action. He has the help from the criminal world and hired enforcers who also happen to be part of the dark elves – so very deadly and again he sets his sights on Bryn and co. I wouldn’t say his story was very prevalent in this but it is a great continuation from book one and you just know he is cooking up some scheme to put all our favourite characters in danger again! I can’t wait for more! 

4.5 flowers!

{Review} Dark Deceit (Dark Series #1) by Lauren Dawes

Posted by Melanie 
Release Date: September 25th, 2014
Finished Date: October 8th, 2014

Publishers: Momentum
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 384
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

The time of the Aesir gods is over. Now they live amongst the humans in their bustling modern cities. Their brutal dominion over the gods and humans may have ended, but their actions have not been forgotten.

Korvain is feared like no other. His ruthlessness and cold heart are legendary, but when he is given the task of killing one of the most fabled goddesses of all time, he is left with an undeniable desire to make her his own. Failure in his task means only one thing: death. Will he follow his orders, or will he follow his heart? 

Bryn’s whole world crumbled when she left Odin’s service to protect the other Valkyries. Now living with the humans, she is the only thing standing between them and total destruction. But her beliefs are about to be shaken to the core when she meets Korvain—a volatile, completely irresistible Mare who threatens to take away more than just her innocence.

The Review: Dark Deceit was a great start to the ‘Dark Series’ and I really liked it.
To give a bit of the lowdown of the story, it goes like this…. Bryn was Odin’s lead Valkyrie, the first in fact and someone has hired Korvain – an assassin - to kill her thinking that by taking her out, Odin’s death will become possible and that is what the person who has hired Korvain is ultimately after. Korvain is someone who shouldn’t exist, his kind being wiped out by the Aesir gods, so he has no problem taking this request on BUT when he makes contact with Bryn, he finds himself putting the deed off as he becomes enamoured with her and is left conflicted, should he kill her? Or kiss her?
Bryn had left Odin’s side over a century ago and along with her Valkyrie sisters has made her home on earth amongst the humans. She is unaware of the threat to her life but very intrigued by the new bouncer she has hired, for some reason, she is drawn to him and he makes her feel things she has never felt before…. But can she trust him?
When someone starts picking of her Valkyrie sisters though, she is left with no choice but to trust him – not just with her life but her heart too.
So, I really enjoyed this story and I liked the author’s use of Norse mythology. A lot of the characters are recognisable from that mythology and I’m sure most of you know about Valkyrie. I liked how the Valkyrie are portrayed her and I like how they tie to Odin in a more emotional way than that which I usually read. Bryn of course, is the leader so it makes sense that the story be based around her and what better way to bring some hotness to the story than sending Korvain to her doorstep. I loved that Korvain had been sent to kill her and gets blindsided by meeting her, it created a good scenario and for a good while you’re left wondering if he will actually go through with it. They are a great match though, he has the mysterious, dangerous, alpha hotness about him and she’s a strong, beautiful woman who needs a man like that to compliment her, it’s clear from the get go that these two have chemistry and you can really route for them to become something to each other. I like how Korvain uses his abilities to spend time with Bryn, that adds to the seductive feel and really the fact that these two should be enemies amps that up as well.
The actual story that didn’t involve the romance was quite violent and brutal. Someone is killing the Valkyries and we get to be there for all of that through the murderers pov, I won’t spoil it for you but you will probably guess who the villain will be, but saying that…. Nothing is straight forward. The story is told from multiple pov and introduces us to people in Korvain’s life as well as the Valkyrie on Bryn’s side. With Korvain being an assassin, he obviously answers to someone so there will be consequences if he doesn’t go through with his task and could have devastating effects for him. The action in this was great, the pacing just as good and I’d say that this is just a peek into what potential this series has and I definitely like what I read so will be back for more.

4.5 Stars!

Thank you to Momentum for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.