Find me in The Dark Realm

I’ve spent the last week in the dark realm – this is not a reflection of my life but of the books I’ve been absorbed in. My head has been buried in Delilah Devlin’s dark urban fantasy series, The Dark Realm.

Absolutely my fave by Devlin, The Dark Realm series is a sensual experience with complex plots, powerful world building, enticing characters and sizzling romance. Her world is almost too real as she bases it in the ancient mythology and legends that are the foundation of our nightmares (well, mine at least!). Read just one and you’ll be hooked.

Darkness Burning, the third in the series, recently won the 2010 Aspen Gold Published Authors Contest for best erotic novel. Boy, did they get that right! Readers will fall for her characters and be absorbed into the quick action. Unquenchable lust, insatiable desire, undiscovered love, irresistible attraction, and unstoppable fate sustain the intensity of Darkness Burning. It’s a wild ride so hold on tight.

Set in a post-storm New Orleans, the story is filled with vampires, demons, weres and a few other supernatural creatures. Alex, a male “Born” vampire first introduced in Seduced By Darkness, has been hidden for centuries from those who want to destroy him. At the forefront is his quest to eliminate those who threaten him, his family and his unborn child. The characters, both those returning from previous books in the series and newly introduced ones, draw readers immediately into the plot which starts right off from where the previous book ended. (I paused only long enough to download it onto my nook and kept reading!)

The newest character to be introduced into the series is Mikaela, New Orleans journalist intent on writing the story of the post-storm city. Curious about the monsters roaming the night, she is determined to find what happens after the sun goes down. While most people hide themselves from what now roams the New Orleans streets, Miki seeks it out. But she isn’t prepared to find Alex, a man she cannot understand nor deny.

Since I need to feel the love to love the book, the chemistry between Alex and Miki drew me into their particular story. They had me blushing and grinning every time they came together. It was electric. And as with all the Born vampires, hunger for blood and sex are interchangeable so there were a few other partners along the way. While the openness towards sharing sex was far from my reality, Devlin defined a society norm for her world that allowed me to accept their relationships as loving.

Along with the love, I also need some suspense and drama. Darkness Burning gave me what I needed.  Devlin provided drama, suspense and just the right edge of violence that kept me up late into the night reading. With the foundation set in the two previous books, Alex finally sets into motion the plan to take down the council of Born vampires.  Deemed the dark prince, Alex is the classic supernatural hero with his strength, intellect and resourcefulness.  The added bonus is his tenderness that he shows when Miki whose innocence, so unlike his own life, calls to him.

There were a lot of background issues, past relationships, connections and overall world-building that you miss if you haven’t read the previous two books in the series. To truly understand the facets of this intricate plot, I recommend you read the other Dark Realm books first. Now onto the fourth in the series… I have to know what happens… here I come, Darkness Captured.

Do I even need to say it? I give this book 5 lusciously dipped chocolate strawberries.