Darkness Everlasting (Guardians of Eternity, Book 3)
 

Darkness Everlasting

by Alexandra Ivy

Darcy Smith always sensed she was different from everyone else - if only she knew how different. Possessing a secret strong enough to end an entire race of demons, Darcy unwittingly becomes a pawn in an epic battle between the vampires and the weres as she discovers a new world filled with ecstasy-and dark passions...Consumed with lust for Darcy, Styx - the Anasso of vampires - will do... (read more)

Top tags: paranormal romanceparanormalvampiresseriesshapeshifters (all tags)

 

Member Reviews

  • Kia G
    • Rated 4 stars

    This is book 3 in the Guardians of Eternity series by Alexandra Ivy. This has been a fun series to read because characters from previous books do reappear and sometimes have significant roles in the storyline. This is true of this book and it is part of why so far “Darkness Everlasting” is my favorite book in the series.

    This is the story of Darcy Smith, a woman who knew she was not a normal human being but had no idea what she could be. She had no idea that vampires and werewolves exist in her world. Imagine her shock when she is kidnapped by the Anasso (king) of the vampires to keep her away from a werewolf king who wants her for his queen. A battle as much emotional as physical ensues for Darcy’s heart and her commitment to a lifetime with one of these two beings.

    I do want to give a “heads up” to those readers who desire a strong feminine heroine and lament the “end of feminism” each time they come across a character not quite up to their expectations. Darcy Smith may be judged as wanting as a heroine who can kick butt and take no prisoners. She spends a great deal of time emphasizing her “do no harm” philosophy and tends to hang back and not take control initially of a situation. Her saving grace is when provoked to defend herself she can arguably fight back. I say arguably because her one major physical victory appears to be an accident though she does initiate a defense. In Darcy’s defense, I think she can be considered a strong woman because she upholds her personal philosophy even in extreme situations.

    The one major problem I had with this book was the clumsy attempt at comic relief provided by a small gargoyle named Levet. Levet also appears in book 2 “Embrace the Darkness”. I found him charming in book 2 but for some reason his insertion into this storyline seemed forced and awkward at times. Though his character bridges some important events, sometimes his appearance and behavior was more distracting than anything and seldom truly humorous.

    Salvatore Guiliani, the self-proclamed werewolf king, initially appears to be a rather two-dimensional character, but by the end of the book, Alexandra Ivy, does a good job of providing complexity to his character. His motives for wanting Darcy for his queen are not as self-serving as they initially appear. I now think of him as a tragic hero though a bit misguided.

    My primary reason for enjoying this book so much is the Anasso, Styx. Styx also appears in book 2 and for most of that book is considered a “bad guy”. It is the remembrance of what he is capable of combined with his nobility as the Anasso that makes him that perfectly sexy blend of bad boy with a good heart. Simply put, Styx is hot.

    I would recommend reading the first two books in this series before attempting this one. I don’t think the book would work as well without reading the previous stories because as I have mentioned before, several characters reappear in this book, some with important roles, and let’s not forget the “bad boy” impact for Styx that is carried over from book 2. I’m looking forward to book 4!

    Kia G wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Sarah
    • Rated 5 stars

    The 3rd book in the Guardians series centers around the new Vamp Anasso Styx. His love interest is Darcy Smith, a human girl struggling to get by. Styx isn't the only one interested in Darcy. Salvatore, the handsome Werewolf King, has been tracking her himself and wants her desperately. Styx wants Darcy's mind and body but Salvatore may just want her body. Darcy is unsure of her feelings for Styx and not sure which man to choose. Loads of steamy, love scenes and a nice rounded storyline and plot. Can't wait for the next book in the series to be released. ;)

    Sarah wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • GinRobi
    • Rated 5 stars

    Can’t ask for better!

    Darcy Smith is a bartender among several other jobs. She does these just to stay afloat; having not finished high school, good jobs are hard to come by. She does what she needs to, to survive. Having been in foster care since a baby, she’d been moved less than every two years, coming to believe herself a freak. finally running away as an early teen. She isn’t like normal people. When she gets hurt, she heals two quickly to be human. She’s stronger and faster than a normal human. At age eighteen, she stopped aging. She believes she’s a freak. And for that reason, doesn’t let anyone close to her - no meaningful friendships, no meaningful relationships. She’s alone - and until she can figure out why she is the way she is, prefers it that way.

    Styx has a problem. Seems the prince of weres is in Chicago, where he isn’t supposed to be. He’s outside his hunting territory, and Styx wants to know why. News travels, and Styx finds out he’s after a girl - Darcy Smith. He plans to get to her first and use her as a hostage, and as a bargaining chip with Salvatore. What he didn’t plan on was wanting Darcy for himself. And just when Salvatore almost has his hands on her, Styx beats him to it.

    Salvatore Guiliani is desparate. Turns out, Darcy is one of four missing sisters, all who had gone missing shortly after birth and believed to have been sold on the black market. Their DNA had been ‘toyed’ with, which surpresses the wanting/needing to shift. The weres need Darcy and her sisters because of it. Having been forced by the vampires to boundaries is slowly killing their race. Purebloods are almost non-existint, as are curs, and if they have Darcy and her sisters, who’s shifting has been surpressed, they’d be able to carry children full term, replenishing their race.

    Styx treats her wonderfully, never making her feel like a hostage or a bargaining chip. He cares for her a great deal - Darcy feels a kinship with him, can feel his loneliness. When Darcy finds out that Salvatore wants nothing more than a breeder, the thought sickens her stomach. And she won’t be pushed, for she’s fallen in love with Styx, and no one, not even the mother she never knew she had, can change her mind or heart, regardless if she is a were…

    Oh, did I like this one. I adore the series and can’t wait to get my hands on the next novel. While is seems that most men have that caveman attitude, Styx learns quickly that Darcy will not be pushed around. She isn’t one to be told what to do. Believing she is human, he thinks her fragile and vulnerable, until Darcy shows him otherwise.

    She doesn’t back down from an argument, and gives as good as she gets. Styx isn’t used to that. He’d lived the life of a monk for so long, celibacy and all, and is finding the stirrings of desire in him fresh and new. Darcy surprises him more and more, and what surprise could be the biggest … when they end up mated.

    I loved watching Darcy and Styx fall for each other. It was the sweetest thing. Action scenes where well written and spaced, love scenes erotic enough to make any reader hot under the collar and breathless. The author has a way with her descriptions of sucking (no pun intended) you into the story and you’ll have a hard time letting go. I think the best part was when Darcy managed to convince both Styx and Salvatore that everything can work out if they compromised, teaching them both a lesson. This novel sets up the next few novels in the story really well. Truly a series in the paranormal romance genre you don’t want to miss.

    GinRobi wrote this review Tuesday, September 16 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Leigh Ann B
    • Rated 4 stars

    I liked this book better than the first one in the series.

    Leigh Ann B wrote this review Tuesday, May 20 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • gnat65
    • Rated 5 stars

    Styx has been placed in the role of Anasso. As the leader of all vampires, he must look out for their best interests in the demonic world. Rumors abound about the Weres and their dissatisfaction at being delegated to a small area of land in which to hunt. With these rumors come details of dead humans, something that Styx can not tolerate. Arriving in Chicago to meet with Viper, his friend and a fellow vampire, Styx needs Viper’s help with the only plan he has devised. It seems he has some power where the Weres and their leader, pureblood Salvatore Giuliani, are concerned and it involves a tiny woman named Darcy Smith. Salvatore has been searching for Darcy for years and as luck would have it, Styx finds her first.

    Darcy Smith has spent most of her life on the outside looking in. Growing up in foster home after foster home, her earliest lessons were to take care of herself and trust no one. But most of all, she knew something was odd about her. She doesn’t know what; just that she has always felt different. When a handsome man and his two goons enter the bar where she works, Darcy finds herself shying away from the stranger’s blatant appraisal. Escaping this man becomes her first and foremost desire, but instead of being able to just disappear, she comes face to face with the most stunning and mysterious man she has ever seen.

    Styx kidnaps Darcy preparing to hold her as his hostage as a means to get the Weres to cooperate. He doesn’t want to desire her, but he does. As the days pass, Styx and Darcy’s lives become so intertwined that the reasons for her remaining with him become obsolete. Styx knows one thing and one thing only – Darcy will never be turned over to the Weres, even if he has to keep her hostage forever.

    Since reading EMBRACE THE DARKNESS, I have been looking forward to Styx’s story. He caught my attention with his loyalty to the former Anasso and while he did not want to take the now deceased vampire’s place, I am glad he did. A product of the ancient Aztecs, Styx is striking with his burnished brown skin and his long braided hair. Like Darcy, I became enamored with him almost immediately. Darcy’s characterization made me smile, and I often loved how she played upon Styx’s emotions and teased him. The love they came to find with each other is truly eternal.

    DARKNESS EVERLASTING releases in May 2008. Of course, after having read it, I now find myself craving even more from this talented author. I’m thinking that Salvatore’s story would be perfect as the next book in this wonderful and addicting series. I wonder if he would be attracted to an enamored book reviewer who has a thing for Weres?
    ***Natasha Smith for Romance Junkies***

    gnat65 wrote this review Sunday, March 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Katy Budget Books
    0 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 0 stars

    Alicia's staff pick.

    Purchase at Katy Budget Books

    Katy Budget Books wrote this review Tuesday, May 20 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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