Darkness Unleashed by A. Ivy

I cannot believe I haven’t posted a review for Darkness Unleashed by Alexandra Ivy. For being the fifth novel in a series, and not having a chance to read the rest of the series, I have to say I never felt like I was missing anything. It was great!

A scarred recluse, Jagr makes no secret of his disdain for others’ company. But now, as a member of Chicago’s powerful vampire clan, he has certain obligations to fulfill. The latest: track down a missing Were pureblood and return her to her sister. The problem: Regan Garrett has no intention of complying. And though Jagr agreed not to harm an inch of this stubborn female’s distractingly tempting body, he’ll gladly kiss her into submission, awakening an urge he hasn’t felt in years. hell, in centuries…

Regan vowed never to be at the mercy of another man. That goes double for arrogant, steel-muscled vampires with eyes of ice. All Regan wants is revenge against those who imprisoned
her. She doesn’t need an ally. She certainly doesn’t need a mate. But soon soon Regan will have to choose–between a lust for vengeance, and a passion as dark and dangerous as the night…

I am such a bad girl.  Darkness Unleashed was one of those novels that got caught in my review backup and I seriously thought I had written this already.  To start things off, Darkness Unleashed was amazing.  For not having read any of the previous novels in the Guardians of Eternity series, I never felt like I was missing any key components to the plot or that the characters were more complex than they should have been.  There wasn’t any inside jokes I was left out of and I was introduced to a world I am eagerly trying to get back to.  Even though this was my first foray into their world, there was nothing that left me floundering.

The chemistry between Regan and Jagr was both amusing and exasperating.  Regan and Jagr have many of the same past experiences, but Regan very much falls into the trap of “you don’t know what I’ve been through”.  Through it all, Jagr never says anything to give her any other impression.  Jagr does feel something for her, but he still very much wants to get back to his cloistered lifestyle.  Throughout their entire time together, neither really change their mind about each other and yet you can see how their characters grow to needing each other.

The plot itself is another aspect that has made me eager for more of this world.  While the conflict was very much centered around Regan and Jagr, there were elements where you could tell that something from the past was affecting the current situation.  There was nothing that screamed “you should’ve read me first”, but it did make me curious enough to want to go back and read what had happened.  At the same time, we’re given a lot of glimpses into what is going to happen in the future.

Overall, Darkness Unleashed was a great ride and perfect for anyone looking for a romance to get lost into.  The cultures of the shapeshifters and vampires within the Guardians of Eternity series was definitely intriguing and one I’m not overly familiar with.  It’s nice to see something a little different in a genre filled with the same creatures.

Read Order:
When Darkness Comes
Embrace the Darkness
Darkness Everlasting
Darkness Revealed
Darkness Unleashed
Beyond the Darkness

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

7 Comments

  1. For some reason I couldn’t get into this one, I also didn’t like character development. I’m really looking forward to her next book with the sexy were King *wiggles eyebrows*.

    Great Review!

  2. This sounds like a good read but I think I’ll start at the beginning. It IS always nice to be able to start in the middle of a series and not feel like you are missing anything. Great review!

  3. I have been meaning to read this series, its on my wishlist! Good to know that you don’t have to read them in order necessarily. Tho I don’t think I could skip one, I am OCD like that ;)

  4. I was happy to see your review. I have picked up several of these books, but had not read any of them.
    I look forward to reading all of this series now..

  5. Hi Jackie – I tried the first one last summer and while I thought it was okay, it didn’t inspire me to start spending my money on the series. It’s nice to hear that a reader can skip around though. I appreciate it when a PNR author gives some leeway, especially when each book focuses on a different couple.

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