The world went silent when the mist came. Following a sonic blast heard around the world as the gates of Aites were thrown open, the mist clung to the mortal world, but it was not empty. Creatures dwelled within the mist, and when the mist left, they remained. Yet, with the ravagers another came forth. The gatekeeper, Charu strode across the land in hunt of his quarry, those spirits which had … had broken through the barrier. With his lamp of souls, he moves over the world capturing the spirits and bringing death to those driven to madness, infected by exposure to their miasmatic taint. He will stop at nothing to accomplish his task.
The ravagers brought civilization to its knees, hiding out as an infestation within the city. Meredith was one of handfuls of people left in Ashton, barely clinging to survival as resources ran low. When a shift in power dynamics brings the people under the yoke of the ravagers, Meredith knows that her time may soon be up. She doesn’t anticipate being saved by a dangerous spirit bent on destruction.
Can love bloom and flourish between a grim spirit and a human woman with spirits running in havoc around them, and will their magic together be enough to save humanity from a crippling fate?
*This book contains elements of horror.
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Etruscan myth lovers! This is a keeper of a paranormal romance novel! I do highly suggest to get caught up on this mythos if you’re not at all familiar with it because it is, indeed, different to its Roman successor. But I found this story to be a fascinating dystopic look of what could be our future but based on an Etruscan pantheon which is very original.
I’m not certain how to review this novel. I mean, the more S.J. Sanders writes, the longer her stories are. This is a win-win for me! I love longer novels, and I hardly see this being attempted by indie writers. This is also the first one I’ve even heard of using Etruscan mythology. This definitely delighted me because I want to learn more about something I have yet to encounter in a paranormal romance setting. My only knowledge about the Etruscans is about their metallurgy, more specifically, their gold work. It is so mega-fascinating as we don’t even remember or have successfully attempted to recreate it! All these teeny little balls of gold arranged into magnificent patterns. If only more hoards could be unearthed. I’m afraid the ancient Romans just dumped them in some melting pot as it was the gold they were after rather than the artistry. I’m all for artistry.
Sanders fleshed out her characters but slowly as information must be released in a specific manner in order to progress the storyline. Considering the ever-increasing number of players, this was necessary stratagem when one looks back on the finished tale. Yes, there was action and adventure. I know I would not want to live in this dystopia, only read about it. It’s very dark, and what one must live with is… well, if you’re attached to your cell phone, you will hate it! Obviously, there was a rift in the human universe’s continuum, allowing… creatures to come in who wish to take it over one way or another. I wouldn’t read it if I was battling depression or missed getting my meds refilled. It was that daunting.
I wish I could discuss more, but I would ruin the story. If you need more, look at the other reviewers for details. As I said at the beginning, this is a keeper. I loved how Sanders fleshes out the hero and heroine of this tale, and the ending is definitely worth it. For at least three reads.
*WARNING* contains sexual content and violence
Charu is a different character. He changes emotionally as the story progresses, but still stays his unfeeling, stony self (I know! Sounds contradictory.) Meredith is a strong, brave woman, but runs and hides a lot (yeah, contradictory). These characters learn things about themselves as they go (luv this!). The cover would suggest an alien story, but this is freaky spirits or mythology or maybe a mish mash of the two. I really liked the story. This story has a place in it that made me want toss my kindle and contact Miss Sanders on Facebook demanding she fix it. I’m glad I finished, the egg was original and beautifully poetic. It sounds like Turan is already meddling in something else, so I’m ready to see what happens.
I don’t usually read dark mythologica and/or horror romance. But Sanders did it again. The story is awesome and well written. Charu is one of my favorite characters of S.J. Sanders. I can not wait for the next Dark Spirits book.
Wow! It’s been a long time since I read anything in the horror genre, but this story was fascinating. Monsters were trying to take over the human world and Charu, as the gatekeeper, has one purpose – to force the monsters back through the gate. Meredith was trying to survive and was almost inhabited by one of the monsters. Charu saved her. Then she followed him on his mission. Neither knew that love would keep them together. Only one side note: too many typos. This book needs a good proof reader.