The heartbreaking ending in Night Unbound left me curious to learn the fate of two of the Immortal Guardians, Yuri and Stanislav. After learning of Yuri’s fate in Phantom Embrace  the story left me wondering what Duvall had in store for Stanislav. In Awaken the Darkness, she provided all the answers needed for closure.

The story begins with a recap of the last events in Night Unbound. Then it fast forward two and a half years later to the discovery of Stanislav buried alive in a basement for that entire timeline. Because of the lengthy period of being buried with no form of sustenance, his body entered stasis mode. He awakens after two and a half long years with no memory of his past. The only thing he knows is pain and loneliness.

Enters Susan Meyer, an author and a telepath. Susan is searching for property to purchase. Somewhere peaceful and which will provide her freedom from the thoughts of others. On seeing the farmhouse, she felt compelled to purchase it, despite its state of disrepair. After moving in, Susan, with the help of her dog, discovers Stanislav and freed him from his underground prison. She nursed him back to health. During this time, the two became close.

This installment focused on Stanislav’s recovery, his growing relationship with Susan, and their attempts to learn who buried him alive. The other members of the series appeared near to the end of the story, resulting in a heartfelt reunion. Duvall did not mention much about Stanislav in the previous books. So learning about him in Awaken the Darkness was a treat. Protective, caring and definitely a gentleman all traits which Susan appreciated. Susan was also a wonderful character. Brave, strong and protective. She surely knows how to handle herself, to the dismay of the villains. Also, I loved how she fearlessly came to Stanislav’s defense.

The story revealed some interesting tidbits about Susan and how she came to be on the leader of the guardian’s radar. We get some action, which of course was intense and brutal. This, along with the humour and the romantic scenes, made for a compelling read. The epilogue evoked a combination of smiles and tears, culminating in a satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy paranormal romance, then this series would make a great addition to your bookshelf.



The narration by Kirsten Potter has become my expectation for this series. She is the voice of the series. I don’t believe another narrator could do justice to the series. She does a wonderful job with the characters, accents and all. Her narration breathes life into the story.