Review: Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall

Item: Darkness Dawns
Rating: 4
Author: Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in 2019 Audio Book Challenge, Reviews / 7 Comments

Title: Darkness Dawns
Author(s): Dianne Duvall
Series: Immortal Guardians #1
Also in this series: Night Reigns , Phantom Shadows , In Still Darkness , Darkness Rises, Night Unbound , 🎧︎Phantom Embrace, Shadows Strike, Blade of Darkness, Awaken the Darkness
Narrator(s): Kirsten Potter
Published by Tantor Audio on July 25, 2011
Length: 10 hrs 39mins
Genre(s): Paranormal Romance
Source: Audible Escape
Format: Audiobook

Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating:

Series Rating:

Heat Level:

In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts…where passion can last forever, if you’re willing to pay the price…
Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control…
In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible—when it means forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect...

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This is my first time reading Dianne Duvall and I assure you it will not be my last. I had a great time listening/reading to Darkness Dawns, the first book in the Immortal Guardian paranormal romantic suspense series. I heard so many great things about this series, I knew I had to try it and I got a copy of the audiobook through the audible romance package to do so. Darkness Dawns is filled with enough steamy romance and action to keep you entertained.

The book introduces readers to a group known as the Immortal Guardians who spend their time protecting innocent humans from vampires. What made these guardians special was despite being infected with the vampire virus, their unique DNA makeup they a spared them the madness that normal humans experience from the infection

I enjoyed the unique world and interesting characters the author created. The sarcastic banter between the immortals and the humans who worked with them had me laughing whenever these moments occur.

The main characters Roland and Sarah were a treat. Sarah is a music professor. Because of her bouts, with insomnia, she sets out at dawn to prepare the soil for her garden. While she is busy turning the soil something moving at high speed crashed into her and knocks her to the ground. She believed it was a wild animal, but then on hearing the hunter’s conversation she realised it was not an animal. She took it upon herself to carry out a rescue, with, no form of backup other than her trusty shovel. I loved that scene.

She is smart, brave and strong. She definitely held her own.

Roland, a member of the Immortal Guardians is an anti-social 900-year-old immortal who prefers to work alone. He has issues with trust having been dealt the sting of betrayal several times. Compassionate but, deadly, he has proven to be a worthy adversary. I loved seeing him in action.

Someone wants him dead, which was evidenced by the several attacks made against him by an army of vampire minions. He has no idea why, but he along with his team members are determined to find out and put a stop to it. Besides this, readers are treated to another story, which had no bearing on what was happening with Roland. I am curious to learn more.

The romance is what you would expect in paranormal stories, fast paced. Despite the quick pacing, I enjoyed it. I believed they were a perfect fit.

Narrator

I found the narration by Kirsten Potter to be excellent. She did a great job with the voices, especially the variety of accents. I enjoyed how she captured the emotions and expressions of the characters.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Darkness Dawns delivered an exciting, suspenseful, romantic story. Fans of paranormal romance and urban fantasy will enjoy this offering. I have the second book Night Reins in my audible library.

Story Evaluation
Plot	4
Characters	4
World Building	4
Writing Style	4
Pacing	4
Cover	4
Narrator (Audio)	5
Enjoyment	3.5
Ending	4
Overall:

About Kirsten Potter

Kirsten Potter, a graduate of the Boston University School for the Arts, has performed on stage, film, and television, including roles on Medium, Bones, and Judging Amy. An award-winning audiobook narrator, Kirsten has won AudioFile Earphones Awards for her reading of The Snowball by Alice Schroeder and her performance as Barbara in George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara. Her other titles include The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley, Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson, Sammy’s House by Kristen Gore, and Madapple by Christina Meldrum, which was a Booklist Editors’ Choice for Best Audiobook 2008. Kirsten has received recognition from the American Academy of Achievement and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, as well as numerous regional awards.

About Dianne Duvall

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. Her debut novel Darkness Dawns, Book 1, was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews and for Best Paranormal Romance – Vampire by The Romance Reviews. Night Reigns, Book 2, was declared an “utterly addictive” Top Pick by RT Book Reviews and was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance 2011 by The Romance Reviews. Phantom Shadows, Book 3, was named a Top Pick by both The Romance Reviews and Night Owl Reviews. Her Immortal Guardians novella “In Still Darkness” was released in the Predatory Anthology in May 2013. Darkness Rises, Book 4, was also nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance. Night Unbound, Book 5 in the series, will be released on September 2, 2014. When she isn’t writing, Dianne loves all things creative. When her nose isn’t buried in a book, she is very active in the independent film industry and once even appeared onscreen as a machete-wielding maniac not unlike the vampires she so loves to create in her novels.

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Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading

Nadene's addiction to reading began at an early age, when a family friend gifted her a copy of Wuthering Heights. From that moment she was never without a book.She will read anything as long the material is compelling enough to hold her attention. She gained many experiences through the pages of the books she had the opportunity to read.She created this blog to share her love of books with like minded individuals hopes that in sharing reviews of the books read visitors to the blog will discover their next addictive read. When not reading, Nadene enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching television.

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Tags: audio, paranormal romance

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kindlemom1

December 20, 2020, 19:52

Glad both the story and audio were so good! Love when that happens. 😉

Debbie Haupt

Nadene this sounds fantastic. I love it when there’s great banter too where you find yourself laughing out loud. Thanks for the great review

Melliane

that’s an author I heard about but I haven’t tried her novels

Carole's Random Life

This sounds really good! I know that I have one or two of her books but haven’t read her yet. It sounds like I need to bump her up on my tbr list.

Sophia Rose

I read a novella from late in this series that I really enjoyed. I meant to go back and read the series. So glad to see how much you enjoyed book one. The humor and plot sound fab!