Fated Friday

Darkness Awakened:

Order of the Blade, Book 1, 

Stephanie Rowe, March 2012

K, so if you haven't figured out yet our book club book for June was Stephanie Rowe and her Order of the Blade book Darkness Awakened. For many of us this was our first introduction to Ms. Rowe and then others have been long time fans. I have to tell you now that when you purchase this book just go right ahead and get all three cause you are sooo gonna want to know what happens next.

This is one of those high adrenalin books that starts out at 100mph and never lets up. I mean you are two pages in and there are already 6 dead bodies! Talk about throwing you into the deep end. Now normally I am a fan of the fated love between the main character's but not so much with this series. I mean who wants to find their true mate, or in this case, sheva only to have to kill yourself or her to keep you both from going crazy and taking out everyone around you?? Not something most people would sign up for. And I have to say I was a little annoyed with the Order through out this book because they are all so fatalistic. Damn it man, you are immortal warriors, find a way around this curse. But the farther into the story you get and you hear the stories of other couples that have succumbed to the curse and the innocents that were hurt, I was like, someone needs to take Grace out NOW!

I do so love when an author gives me a kick ass heroine to root for. Grace was strong and loyal and I liked the fact that she didn't just accept that their connection was a curse and fought what at times almost felt like a self fulling prophesy.

You can't help but feel sorry for all of the members of the Order, warriors who main purpose in life is to police your own race and kill those that find their mates. I could so relate to why Quinn would have to shut off his emotions, there is no way that you could do that for thousands for years and not totally lose it.

This world that Ms. Rowe has created is unique and interesting and evolving. She gave us not just one but two great villains to hate, a quest to save the world, plenty of emotionally wounded but extremely hot men to fantasize about healing and a compelling love story that will make you question fate and her grand design. Not to mention a bitchin' way to carry your weapons!

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries This book was given to us by the author for an unbiased review. Many thanks.

Contest alert:  Comment to win choice of any one of Stephanie Rowe's backlist (ebook or print depends on availability. International winners, ebook only.  Not all books available in ebook). 

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darknessawakenedprimalheattrilogybookone-738740-140.html 

http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Awakened-Primal-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B007JE1B1C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340674383&sr=8-1&keywords=darkness+awakened+stephanie+rowe

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/darkness-awakened-stephanie-rowe/1109480555?ean=2940014334105

About the Author:

Four-time RITA® Award nominee and Golden Heart® Award winner Stephanie Rowe is a nationally bestselling author of more than twenty books. She writes romance (paranormal, suspense and contemporary), as well as teen, pre-teen and motivational nonfiction. A life-long reader, she began crafting stories at age ten, but didn't realize it was her dream until she was an adult.

Once the light dawned, she immediately left behind "work" as the world defines it and went to "work" as she defines it, which means getting up every morning with a smile in her heart so she can spend the day doing that which makes her spirit sing.

Stephanie believes in learning to listen to your heart in order to figure out what your dreams are, and then opening yourself to the inspiration that will direct you there. She believes we all deserve the right to enjoy life, and for the ride to be as easy as we want it to be, and that we all should accept nothing less than making our dreams come true.

Stephanie lives in New England, and spends every day doing her best to fill it with people, observations and activities that uplift her soul, which include writing, tennis, friends, and her amazing family
http://www.stephanierowe.com/index.html