Contest and Review: Seduce the Darkness (Alien Huntress series) by Gena Showalter

I have been told by the publisher I can give away three copies of Seduce the Darkness, to be mailed to the winners by Pocket Star. If you want to enter to win a copy of Seduce the Darkness, leave a comment, and please include an email address so I can let you know you've won and can find out where the books should be mailed. If you leave a comment your name goes in the hat once, if you leave a comment and you follow this blog then your name goes in the hat twice. I'll assign everyone either one or two numbers and then run a random number generator to decide the winner on Sunday July 5.

Now, for the review:

I supposed I've gone about this series backwards, reading the fourth book first. But I think that coming in late to the series was okay, I never really felt lost, like there was some part of this world that I didn't understand. Other couples were mentioned, and looking through the earlier book descriptions I see that those books were about those couples getting together.

My first comment has to do with genre definition. In my mind, Urban Fantasy is my world with supernatural beings in it. Some of the series I like stretch this a bit, like The Rachel Morgan /Hollows series by Kim Harrison which is kind of a parallel universe. And some of them stretch that definition a great deal, like the Kate Morgan / Magic Bites series by Ilona Andrews. Seduce the Darkness falls into that latter category. I mean, sure, there are vampires, but this universe is a futuristic world where Aliens from many planets live along side humans, and where most food seems to be synthetic, unless you are very rich. It is not my world. I'm putting this book into the Paranormal Romance category for my purposes, not Urban Fantasy.

With that being said, Seduce the Darkness was an enjoyable read. This is a HEA romance book with lots of inner dialogue about feelings. That's not really my thing, but if it is yours then this is right up your alley. For me, I enjoyed the story, the action, the plot, the characters, and even the bad guys. I would compare Seduce the Darkness to the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole. Lots of romance stuff, but also lots of world building and plot and action and story and character building of people other than just the two lovers.

Before I go too much farther, here's the blurb:

The war between otherworlders and humans changed Earth beyond recognition. It also saved Bride McKells's life. Before, the gorgeous vampire was a target for every fanatic with a stake and a crucifix. Now, she's free to roam the streets -- and desperate to find others of her kind. One man claims to have the answers she seeks. Devyn, King of the Targons, is a warrior and a womanizer, and he makes no secret of how much he wants Bride -- and how dangerous he could be to her in every way.

An avid collector of women, Devyn easily seduces human and otherworlder alike. Until now. Not only does Bride resist him, but she leaves Devyn feeling something entirely new...a bone-deep need bordering on obsession. Her blood is the key to curing a vicious alien disease, but helping Bride uncover her origins will compel her to choose between electrifying passion and a destiny that could tear her from Devyn's side forever.

What am I going to rate Seduce the Darkness? To be honest, I have to take a point away for doing the one thing that just annoys me in a Romance book: having part of the conflict be something that is only there because our love-birds don't communicate with each other. But, maybe not a whole point, because it really was a deep seated thing, and they did talk about it sooner than some authors would have had them talk about it. And I did enjoy the plot, it was something different, plus the world building was interesting. I'll give it an 8 of 10. Without reading the other books, I can't rate the series yet.

Book Rating: 8 of 10







1. Awaken Me Darkly
2. Enslave Me Sweetly
3. Savor Me Slowly
4. Seduce the Darkness