Gwen’s review of Eve of Darkness (Marked, Book 1) by S.J. Day
Urban Fantasy released by Tor 28 Apr 09
Let me just say that it’s nice to see some ethnic flavor in a heroine for once. And this heroine kicks some serious butt. Not to mention that the heroes (yes, more than one) are oh so yummy and kick butt right along with her. Read on to see what else I thought about this new Urban Fantasy series from Sylvia Day – one of my favorite erotic romance writers on the planet.
The Marked series is built on a present day world where angels, seraphim, and demons are a hidden, but very real power. The soldiers of the “good” are the Marked, or Marks – humans who have the Mark of Cain as punishment for sin. They have to serve, or fight for, Jehovah to work off the Mark and make it into Heaven. To do this, Day uses the Catholic practice of “indulgences.” Yes, Martin Luther is laughing his protestant hienie off, but work with us here.
Archangels are the primary terrestrial power, running whole firms of Marks. These firms are masquerading as large corporations that fund the Marks’ work. Marks are jostling for seniority to be made archangels and to maybe run their own firm. Archangels are jostling for power amongst each other for power and prestige, and the love of Jehovah, etc. It’s all very “corporate politicky” at the terrestrial level, and could be a tad boring, but Day manages to keep it fresh and interesting. Then, once you get past the archangels, it becomes very much about the seraphim and the absolute and consuming love of God. A Christian God, but again, work with us here.
So that’s the basis of the series. Then, for the Eve books, add into it the ages old struggle between the brothers Cain and Abel. Both are attracted to the same woman, Evangeline (Eve for short – yeah, I know – nothing Oedipal about that ::smirk::). She becomes one of the Marked because of her acting on this love/lust from the brothers. Unbeknownst to her, her induction into the ranks of the Marked is linked to some bigger, deeper, older, more Machiavellian doings by one of the archangels. This all unfolds slowly thru this book and into the next. All pretty interesting and left me wondering what the heck was going to happen next as the pattern begins to emerge in EoD.
One of the criticisms I have of most new Urban Fantasy series is the amount of a novel’s real estate an author feels they must spend on world building. And when you have a world as complex as this one, there is quite a bit. It becomes worth it as you get further into this first book and as the variety of subtexts and subplots become apparent, but it’s a bit of a slog to get thru at first. Where the author is taking you is not quite clear, so there’s some reluctance to wade thru all that detail. It’s worth it, though, for the surprises and tension it brings to the read.
As you can guess, the sexual and general tension between the three main characters – Cain, Abel, and Eve – is fun and is the real reason I finished the book. While Eve seemed a little too accepting of this alternate reality, I realized the “fantasy” part of Urban Fantasy has to start somewhere. Not to mention that Day excels at writing hot sex scenes and this book is no exception. I love the passion she can imbue her characters with, while also making them doubt themselves – it’s a very humanizing thing to do for such mythic characters.
The villains in this first book are scary dudes. You’re not sure how the heck Eve, et al, are going to protect themselves against them – particularly with their own side working against them to an extent. It makes for a fun suspense thread and good action.
I recommend this book to any Urban Fantasy fans out there who like the plots a little twisted and the sexual tension high. I recomend it to fans of Day’s historical romances – this is a different take from this wonderful author and one I didn’t regret reading. The series promises to be a fun ride.
Grade: B+
Summary:
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Cursed by God, hunted by demons, desired by Cain and Abel… All in a day’s work.
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For Evangeline Hollis, a long-ago fling with a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks just became a disaster of biblical proportions. One night with a leather-clad man of mystery has led to a divine punishment: the Mark of Cain.
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Thrust into a world where sinners are drafted to kill demons, Eve knows her learning curve must be short. A longtime agnostic, she begrudgingly maneuvers through a celestial bureaucracy where she is a valuable but ill-treated pawn. She’s also become the latest point of contention in the oldest case of sibling rivalry in history…
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But she’ll worry about all that later. Right now she’s more concerned with learning to kill while staying alive. And saving the soul she’d never quite believed she had.
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Read an excerpt (scroll down).
Other books in the series:
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