Veena’s review of When Darkness Ends (Guardians of Eternity, Book 12) by Alexandra Ivy
Paranormal Romance published by Zebra 26 May 15
There have been moments along the way in this series when I felt that a story would come to an end, especially after the forces of good destroyed the chance for the evil to escape between the dimensions. However new plots, threats, and characters emerged and the series continued. Along the way we met a host of very interesting paranormal characters and learned a lot about Ms. Ivy’s brand of magic. A new threat emerged in the last book, which concludes here and also concludes this long-running series. I am somewhat puzzled – why now?
Cyn is an interesting character, and I suppose since he’s the clan chief of Ireland, it’s only fitting that he find a faerie princess to mate. Of course, it makes it much more interesting when the relationship starts off acerbic, since that keeps the dialogue hot and the reader engaged.
Fallon is a poor little princess hemmed in by the dictates of the very narrow life that she’s forced to lead as the princess of the highest of the faerie kind. When she’s sucked into Cyn’s lair and tasked with teaming with him to defeat the threat that could decimate the paranormal world, she’s not sure how to react, since on the one hand she appreciates the adventure, but on the other?
There are some very interesting elements in the story, particularly the labyrinth that foils the druids and powerful faeries, as well as the vampires and other lesser mortals. Of course, it’s the gargoyle to the rescue with his uncertain magic. The plot is evil enough and engaging enough to keep the reader interested, but the red-hot chemistry and the deep, dark menace is missing in the story. However, I do find it interesting that the villain in this final piece is a human magic user who almost singlehandedly defeats the most powerful people in the universe.
I’ve enjoyed the series and I like how the author bids goodbye with her vampires basking in the peace that they’ve wrought in this world.
Grade: B
Summary:
The Guardians of Eternity are facing a final battle to save their world—but battles of the heart may be the most difficult to fight…
Cyn, the vampire clan chief of Ireland, is an unabashed hedonist whose beauty is surpassed only by his insatiable appetite for pleasure. It’s no wonder he’s furious when he’s transported from the magical land of the pureblooded feys to his desolate medieval castle—only to have his very existence thrown into a chaos that even he cannot charm his way out of…Most women may be all but powerless against Cyn, but Fallon, a sharp-witted fairy princess, is less than beguiled by the silver-tongued vampire. She’s a serious soul with no time for the sort of games he plays—especially when they learn that someone is trying to close the veil that separates the dimensions. But seduction may prove the most powerful force of all, as attraction ignites between the unlikely pair even as worlds are colliding around them…
Other books in this series
