Darkness Rises (Immortal Guardians series Book 4)

I love this author, love the series, love the characters and love the intriguing story line that combines vampires, immortals and aliens. The more we learn the more we want to learn and the author is quite clever in dolling out little bits of things to come without losing the focus on the current endearing duo. There is a freshness in Krysta and Etienne and the way they fall in love that appeals, and add to this a mix of sexy and you can't miss.

Is there anything bad? Yes, the wait for the next book. Great reading!

I was looking forward in reading this book but as the story progresses, the conversation between the characters got kinda cheesy! It's like the characters in the story got soft and kinda lost the alpha thing going on! They kinda lost their edge! While the main characters are great, I was more interested in the situation with Ami and the situation with Zach! Sheldon was hilarious! The books before this were much better!

I love your Immortal Guardian series. They are exciting, romantic, with some comedy. I love how
You incorporate all these things. I love all the characters and hope you will continue writing about them ,keeping me informed of everything happening in all their lives. I was not an avid reader but I can't stop reading your books on The Immortal Guardian series. Please tell me what the next book is called after this one. Has it been released?

If you like Black Dagger Brotherhood, Midnight Breed, Dark Protectors, and books by Larissa Ione, Nalini Singh, etc., you will enjoy this series as well. Very well-written and you find yourself invested in these 'people'. Loved it. I just wish the author would write faster :)

Read from October 26 to 27, 2013

Listened for Fun/Read for Review (Audible/Edelweiss)
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.75

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Darkness Rises is my favorite in the series so far!

Story Thoughts: I want to start by saying that I have been WAITING for Darkness Rises for a LONG time! Pretty much the second I finished Phantom Shadows I was chomping at the bit to get a hold of this book. I was not disappointed. I was surprised how much I loved the direction that Darkness Rises took the Immortal Guardians. It seem the situation is changing and our guardians are having to adjust. Plus the more special humans that join the ranks the better. I really liked the mix of action and romance in this one too. Krysta and Etienne had an amazing connection!

Character Thoughts: LOVED Krysta! I really thought in the beginning she was going to be to "off-putting" but after learning her back story, it just fit. She was strong and was really good at what she does. Etienne has always been fantastic! It was nice to get a whole book for him. I loved seeing all the other Guardians/Wives/Seconds we have come to love. Specifically little sister and angel boy! I can't wait to see where that goes :)

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Kirsten Potter / Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

I love Kirsten! She is one of my favorite narrators. Her pacing, timing, and emotions are always pretty spot-on with the characters of the Immortal Guardians. Heck, I even had this book to read and chose to listen to it.

Final Thoughts: When is the next one? *sigh*

The fourth book of the Immortal Guardians series is an action filled adventure full of intrigue, romance and immortal warriors.

This series continues to be a great, entertaining and wild read with its world full of strong, intriguing characters that bewitch the reader and continue to draw them deeper into the adventure.

When Krysta comes across an immortal warrior, Etienne, who saves her life, she's not sure what to think after all she is on a mission to kill all vampires. Etienne is immediately intrigued with Krysta and when the two are attacked by humans, Krystal returns the favor and is introduced to the world of the Guardians.
The action starts at the beginning of the book and continues with well orchestrated and descriptive battle scenes. The book is fast paced and flows smoothly throughout the story. The suspense build as the Guardians are attacked by an enemy they thought had been eliminated and they come to the conclusion that they may have been betrayed.

The attraction between Etienne and Krysta is intense and as fast paced as the plot, but fits with the personalities of these characters making them a perfect match. The author conveys the intensity of the emotions with a clarity that has the reader bewitched by this couple.

The author has created a vivid paranormal world that engages and entertains the reader with some intriguing plot twist and surprises for the characters. Once started, I had to finish this book and I am looking forward to reading more in the future.

REVIEWED BY LIZ

In the Immortal Guardians world, humans are NOT aware of the existence of vampires, so it's impressive the heroine in this book, Krysta, is a vampire hunter. The fact that she actively engages them and occasionally wins? Amazing. Of course, Krysta is not a "normal" human so she has a bit of an edge in her fight against the vampires--Krysta can see auras. I've said before that I love tough heroines. I love when they're literally tough, like they can hold their own in a fight and can take care of themselves. But that's not all. Krysta's physical toughness is tempered with some real vulnerability. She's had tragedy in her past and it has changed her life. The combination of strength and vulnerability in Krysta made her character feel very real to me. Add to that her snarky sense of humor and you've got the exact formula for a great heroine!

Étienne is an Immortal Guardian, albeit a young one (he's "only" a couple hundred years old). I liked Étienne because he's kind of like two sides of the same coin: he's old fashioned because he's not really into the skimpy way women dress these days, but on the other hand, he finds it totally hot that Krysta can kick ass! I found some of Étienne's reactions to Krysta a little predictable, but his mix of old-world sensibilities and more modern ones were sexy. I think that Étienne is going to appeal to a lot of readers for that very reason but also because he's a true gentleman. Even though he knows that Krysta can handle herself, he always makes sure that she's safe and that he always has her back.

Étienne and Krysta are great together. In stories like this, where the hero is some kind of warrior, it can be difficult for the heroine to have any kind of, well, heroics. But that's what makes this book interesting and a lot of fun - Krysta gets her chance to be heroic too!

I really enjoyed DARKNESS RISES and think anyone who reads paranormal romance would as well. It isn't your typical paranormal romance, though. Here, vampires are the bad guys! Immortal Guardians are (of course) the good guys but they have some similarities with the vampires, including a need for blood. But I won't tell you more than that about them! You'll have to pick up this book if you want to find out more!

Although DARKNESS RISES is Book 4 in the Immortal Guardians series, it can be read at any time, even without having read anything else in the series.

BOTTOM LINE:
Like the other Immortal Guardian books, DARKNESS RISES has great characters. A feisty, strong heroine and a sensitive, powerful hero combine to make this book fun and sexy. Interesting secondary characters from previous novels may inspire new readers to check out the rest of the series and will have all readers anticipating the next book.

RATING: A- (4½ stars)

Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

HOT DANG!!! I loved this book.
Dianne is an amazing author and I had the pleasure of listening to on audio and Kristin Potter is AMESOME-SAUCE good!!!!

Full Review:
NUMBER OF STARS: 5
REVIEW:
Immortal Guardians are suppose to protect the humans from the threat of vampires. But what is an Immortal Guardian suppose to do when a human takes it upon themselves to fight vampires? Well be amazed, a little shocked and a whole lot intrigued. Well that is if you are Etienne and you just happen to stumble upon Krysta kicking some serious vampire butt!!

Etienne & Krysta make an awesome couple. They are so much fun yet fierce. They both love to fight, to protect and to keep their loved ones safe. Together they are stronger than ever. But the only problem is that Krysta is human and Etienne is Immortal. But neither seem to care about that. That is until Krysta almost gets herself killed during a battle.
But this is not the only threat that the Immortal Guardians have. A threat from the past has raised it's heads and this time the stakes are even higher.

I am totally in love with Dianne Duvall's Immortal Guardians. They are all so dreamy and kick a$$. Darkness Rises is an amazing book. I had the great pleasure of reviewing this book for Tantor Media. I love Kirsten Potter as a narrator. Kirsten is amazing and reading the story to you. It feels like she is telling the story not reading. By this I mean that if never feels like she is just reading words. Kirsten is engulfed in the story. She makes you feel like you are there in the middle of the action. And the voices!!! Dang this girl is talented with voices. If you love audio books and love Dianne I would recommend picking up a copy of any of the Immortal Guardian books. All 4 are narrated by Kirsten and all are fabulous.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4.5-5 stars

This was another great addition to this series. Krysta and Etienne are perfect for each other and I love them both. The storyline is interesting and engaging (as usual) and my only issue with this book is it ending and having to wait for the next book to come out to see what happens next! *sigh*

Krysta is pretty kickbutt. She's a Vampire hunter (with the help of her brother as backup) and has been doing it for 6 years. She's never met a sane vampire before but one night when she encounters more Vampires than she can handle on her own, she ends up getting help from what appears to be a good Vampire. She's unwilling to trust him at first and flees as soon as she can. She doesn't realize that she didn't get away.

Etienne is French and a 200+ years old Immortal (a Vampire-like paranormal that is sane and hunts Vampires to protect humanity). Etienne is out hunting Vampires one night when he sees a woman (Krysta) being tailed by Vampires. He's surprised when the woman turns around and starts fighting and killing them. He helps when she gets in trouble but isn't sure who she is or her intentions, and for some reason his telepathy doesn't work on Krysta. Fearing she might be an enemy, Etienne follows her home and spies on her to find out who she is.

Etienne spends some time figuring out who Krysta and her brother are. He starts shadowing her while she hunts and tries to keep her safe while keeping it from her. When she finally figures it out, they end up in a confrontation and she realizes again that Etienne isn't a regular Vampire. At one point, Krysta and Etienne end up getting attacked by mercenaries and Etienne is drugged and almost captured. Krysta ends up helping him out and, consequently is seen by the mercenaries as a target. When the mercenaries destroy her home, her and her brother decide to stay with Etienne until things are settled.

Krysta is able to keep hunting with Etienne and they get to know each other and start to get close but still don't give in completely to their feelings for each other. When they finally do, they both fear it's too soon but don't want to fight their feelings any more. It was actually kind of cool seeing Etienne trying to figure out Krysta and how she feels about him without his telepathy working on her....poor guy. Krysta and Etienne really do end up being pretty perfect for each other though and I was very happy to see them get together. Meanwhile, the action plot heats up as they're able to track the base of the newest threat. Unfortunately, they don't know the true enemy behind unleashing the most recent threat so there are still things unfolding that make me very anxious for the next book in the series. As the action plot is being concluded, Krysta and Etienne get a great HEA (loved the visit to Krysta's parents!).

This was a great book from a great series. I love the characters and the storyline is always interesting and makes me want more because it's just so good! I will be waiting for the next book in the series but I have and will be rereading all of the series in the future. I'd recommend this book. 2 thumbs up! :D

* note - I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator did a great job as usual.

Krysta is a rare human female. She knows that she is different and she uses her differences to fight an evil that most believe to be myth. She has vowed to eradicate all vampires from the face of the earth. It's a solid plan. It's a plan that she has stuck to for quite a few years. The sexy vampire who helps her slay the blood suckers is a game changer she was not prepared for. Etienne is not sure what to make of the human who fights vamps nearly as well as an Immortal. His interest is piqued and he just has to know more about her. That interest leads to time together and from there it does not take long for the sparks to start flying.
One of my favorite things about Darkness Rises was the manner in which Etienne and Krysta's romance progressed. There was attraction and doubts and so many what if's, but they had found something that worked solely for them and they were content with it. The mortal and immortal woes were there, but just a little nagging presence in the background for them. They are both happy slaying vampires together. I loved this. All of Dianne's Immortal Guardians books are easily loved though. That is just part of the magic in this world that she has created.
Duvall's Immortal Guardians series is a series that needs to be read in order. While one of their threats was eliminated in Phantom Shadows there are still characters and relationships that have been developed in the previous books that makes reading them in order a necessity.
Fans of Dianne's are treated to plenty of page time with the heroes and heroines of the past books. I am also pretty sure there was page time give to a future couple, if not the next couple. Roland and Bastien are full of shocking surprises. It seems the women in their lives have made some very interesting changes.

book provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review

I have followed this series from the start. I absolutely fell in love with the guardians and I’m totally surprised it took me this long to pick up the next installment in the series. I forgot about the joy they gave me; the wonder in the writing and dimension of the storyline. Absolutely brilliant.

Krysta is yet another wonderfully strong and resilient woman to join the group. She is tough, kick-butt and as stubborn as they come. She is also the perfect match for Etienne.

Etienne is a young immortal, by their standards, at two hundred years. For centuries he has fought alongside his two siblings, but now there is a new force in town. She makes his blood heat and well other things. No one can understand what has happened to Etienne to make him seem distant and withdrawn, but he knows. Now if he can just figure out how to protect her from herself and have her in his bed.

Unknown to the immortals, danger is back. They must band together to fight an enemy they thought they defeated. Only they are the last to know that the game has changed. Unfortunately there are even more things to protect, but together they can conquer.

Ms. Duvall has written an amazing story. She has consistently written solid plots and engaging characters. All of this while keeping secrets tight to her chest and making me love and want the series more and more. Her stories are filled with action, humor, intrigue and romance. This is definitely not your grandma’s bodice ripper. It is also not a blush worthy, read it in secret, erotic romance. It’s a perfect blend of genres. Something everyone can enjoy.

Darkness Rises is a wonderful read. It is fast paced and makes you want to read “one more chapter”, time and time again. Regrettably, I do think you need to read all of the stories in the series before this novel. I just can’t fathom someone enjoying this book as much as someone who knows the characters and is invested in them. This is a tight knit group and the past couples are written throughout the book. I will say that if you love a good vampire novel then you won’t be dissatisfied. Darkness Rises didn’t disappoint me and I will keep coming back for more. I can’t wait for the next installment, Night Unbound.

Dianne Duvall – Darkness Rises – Immortal Guardians 04

This is the fourth book in the Immortal Guardians series and I have enjoyed them all. This one is no exception. First a word about the series: there is a network of good guys – including humans, gifted ones, and Guardians. The guardians are fang-bearing, blood-sucking good guys with assorted powers, the gifted ones are individuals with special powers, and the humans are just regular guys with skills and dedication. The bad guys are vampires – fang-bearing, blood-sucking ex-humans on a fast track to crazy. There is a vamp virus – if the person who contracts it is a gifted one they become an Immortal Guardian – if the person is a regular human they end of a vampire, a so far incurable transformation. Enough said.

The hero of this story is Étienne, one of the Immortal Guardians. While out looking for vampires one night he finds Krysta who is out trolling for vampires by pretending to be easy prey. To his astonishment she is apparently human and an extremely skilled fighter. Since she intrigued him and was vastly outnumbered, he steps in and helps finish off the group of vamps she had lured. She is startled and assumes he’s a vamp also (it’s the whole fang thing) and escapes him with the help of her brother.

Étienne goes from intrigued to obsessed, following her on her nightly vamp-killing tours while trying to decide what to do. Then a paramilitary group starts hunting the Immortal Guardians (again) and they don’t care how much mayhem is caused to bystanders in the process. Étienne is hit with enough tranquilizer darts to bring him down while ensuring she has the time to get away. She doesn’t, of course, and he ends up at her home with her brother healing him. Now there are two humans with knowledge they shouldn’t have. And then there’s the paramilitary guys who might have followed them home…

The rest of the book proceeds with the developing relationship between Krysta and Étienne, the pursuit of the human mercenary threat, and, of course, killing vampires. Lots of action, I really enjoyed it. I look forward to more in this series…

There’s a series thread continuing from earlier books concerning Ami who is now pregnant. And then there’s Zach, and enigmatic character with wings who drifts in and out of the storyline – also introduced earlier. Their threads are unresolved and will undoubtedly form the basis for other books. Other characters from previous books continue to be major players in the storylines so it is better to read this series in order…

Immortal Guardians series
Darkness Dawns #1
Night Reigns #2
Phantom Shadows #3
In Still Darkness in Predatory #3.5
Darkness Rises #4

I received this ARC from NetGalley…

Darkness Rises by Dianne Duvall quickly reminded me why I enjoy paranormal romances wrapped in suspense and a little paranormal woo-woo. While this was my first Duvall novel and the fourth in the Immortal Guardians series, this worked wonderfully as a standalone. Fans of Laurie London's Sweetblood series will love the fast-pace, characters and sizzling romance that Duvall delivers.

Etienne an immortal guardian is watching from the rooftops never campus keeping an eye out for vampires. He is a hunter and keeps the bloodsuckers from ruling the night. As he watches he sees Krysta, obviously impaired exiting a sorority house. He is struck by her beauty and begins to follow her fearing she would make an easy target, and sure enough vampires are soon on her tail. When she enters a dark alley, he moves forward to aid her but gets the shock of his life, when this completely sober beauty begins kicking vampire ass. The tale that unfolds was fast-paced, engaging and totally hot. From the characters to the world Duvall had me under her spell, as I laughed, squirmed and rooted for this duo.

All of the characters I encountered throughout Darkness Rises were fleshed out and had unique voices, so that I immediately could tell them apart. Etienne is a two hundred year old Frenchman, who was a gifted one. He was accidentally turned Immortal along with his brother by their sister. As an Immortal, he is young, but already an experienced hunter who can read minds and hear thoughts. I found him to be smexy, funny and just so darn cute. I laughed as much as I sighed over him. Krysta is one kick-ass heroine who see auras. She uses that gift to hunt vampires with her brother, a healer. Krysta is confident, determined and thinks getting to choice her weapons from a collections of bad-ass weapons is the crème de la crème. She is level headed she, and she processes things logically without getting all hysterical. We meet other immortals and gifted ones, and some couples from previous books. I loved how they work as a unit and am anxious to go back and read through the series.

In Darkness Rises, the author gave us a strong sense of the world and the supernatural creatures residing there. I loved all the rich details which slid seamlessly from the author's pen giving me a panoramic view. While some might say Etienne and Krysta's romance developed too quickly, but for me, the author made it feel genuine, and I was immediately invested in them both. The sexual tension, banter and smoking hot sex scenes were scrumptious. The plot had the couple facing a new threat, recruiting the enemy and going on the offense. It was intense, action-packed and had my heart racing. The tale is told from several perspectives which help draw me in and connect. There are side threads which develop and will continue into the next book, but for the most part this story was self-contained. After an intense climactic scene towards the end, the author gives us some humor and leaves us on a high note as she sets up for book five. Copy received in exchange for unbiased review that originally published at caffeinated book reviewer.

Honestly the best Immortal Guardians book in this series so far! I enjoyed every book in a different way and for different reason, but Darkness Rises has everything I look and crave for in a Paranormal Romance story!

Usually, I prefer the first book in a series, it's always darker and I discover the whole new universe the author has to offer. One thing I really like from this series is the imagination and the creativity the author; Dianne Duvall, with an all new and reinvented vampire story! But with Darkness Rises, I was served! At first, I didn't think I would like it that much; I couldn't put the book down since I was so into Krysta and Etienne story!

It was a great and original combination of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Aka Krysta, and one of the original former of the Immortal Guardians Etienne. Their universes collide one night when Etienne is patrolling the campus. Thinking Krysta was in danger and under the attack of a group of vampires, Etienne came to the rescue but was turned down (or turn on!) by Krysta abilities. All right, girl power!!!

This series gave me mostly kick-ass, enterprising, resourceful and courageous heroine, Sara and Amy (great news about this one!) are ones of my favorite, but Krysta took the first place right away!

Plus, we learn a bit more about Zach, this dark, mysterious, wounded and unpredictable immortal Aka angel who might have an eye on the sweet Juliette... Can't wait to read their story! (Well I hope there will be one!!!)

Overall, in Darkness Rises, the reader will continue his quest with the Immortals Guardians against the vampires but also against a new human threat that might take everyone down but mostly everyone by surprise!

If you had the chance to read this successful series, Darkness Rises is the ultimate book (so far) and you have to read it, it's a must! If you are new to this series, you crave Paranormal Romance and want to read something different, where the vampires are the bad guys, run to your library to buy or order this series right away!

Darkness Rises
Dianne Duvall
Zebra, Oct 1 2013, $7.99
ISBN: 9781420129786

For several years, vigilante Krysta Linz used her only paranormal power reading auras to identify vampires. Immortal Guardian Étienne d'Alençon observes Krysta pretend to be a helpless human female out for a good time as she lures bloodsuckers into her trap before she kills them with her swords.

Étienne congratulates Krysta with her destroying vampires; as he explains his species though sharing some physical traits differs from the evil ones. Her brother Sean the healer fixes her injuries and shares with Krysta, fascination and fear of the Guardian. However, when Etienne realizes a long thought dead malevolence has arisen, he needs the siblings to help him even as he falls in love with the mortal.

The latest Immortal Guardians romantic urban fantasy (see Darkness Dawns) is an exciting action-packed thriller though the relationship between the engaging lead couple seems similar to that of Night Reigns. Fast-paced, series fans will relish this fabulous entry even as we need a scorecard to keep track of who's who helps in this enjoyable complex story.

Harriet Klausner

In the fourth installment of the Immortal Guardians, Duvall brings us into the life of Immortal Guardian, Etienne d'Alencon, and Krysta, a gifted mortal who can see vampire auras and has a healer brother named Sean. Etienne instantly feels protective towards Krysta from the moment he spies her taking on vampires by herself. He follows her home and discovers that her brother is gifted also and he must bring them under his protection because another enemy has emerged and they have a target on Sean and Krysta's back.

As with the other books in this series, Duvall dives in and out of the lives of the other Immortal Guardians and their mates. This keeps the readers refreshed on their lives but also keeps their storyline moving without detracting from any new characters and developments. Krysta's character is seriously kick-ass and a much needed heroine among the testosterone filled Guardians. At the end of book three we thought that the big, bad enemy had been defeated. Unfortunately, out of the ashes of their previous foe, rises a mysterious and as they discover, more powerful enemy gunning for them.

Another great book in an already amazing series by Dianne Duvall. If you are not a fan yet I suggest you pick her books up and plunge into this captivating world of paranormal beings.

`Darkness Rises' turned out to be my favorite "Immortal Guardians" book to date. I enjoyed the new characters of Krysta and her brother Sean; both gifted ones - an aura reader and a healer. Krysta didn't take any crap from anyone and had been hunting vampires on her own (with Sean's assistance) for six years before running into Étienne, an Immortal Guardian. Krysta is drawn to Étienne, even when she doesn't want to be, but there is no stopping their attraction. Meanwhile, other problems are cropping up for the Immortal Guardians which require swift action to hopefully resolve. I loved the relationship between Étienne and Krysta, as well as the interplay between the Immortal Guardians and their Seconds. With a lot of action, plus a shocking discovery at the end of the book, `Darkness Rises' will keep you on the edge of your seat and then have you begging for the next book now!

Immortal Guardians series: Darkness Dawns (1), Night Reigns (2), Phantom Shadows (3), Darkness Rises (4)

Definitely another 5 star book by Ms Duvall. This is a contemporary paranormal (vampires & immortals) romance. Krysta is a young woman in her min - late twenties that is the only known vampire hunter and has been doing it for the past 6 years. Etienne comes across her fighting a large group of vampires so steps in to help. She is very leary of him because he has fangs. The story line continues on from book one but can be a standalone. I'd recommend reading them in order. I look forward to reading more of Ms Duvall' s books, especially this series, in the future. I purchased a copy of this book through KU.

I loved the chemistry between Etienne and Krysta and really found myself rooting for them. We also get to read about past couples as they contribute to the overall story without detracting from the main characters or slowing down the action. And can I just say that I laugh during any scene where Sheldon opens his mouth! He’s one funny dude!

I whipped through these books in record time and now I’m stuck waiting on the next one in the series. I have so many questions and want to know more about Zach and his fascination with Lisette.

What an enjoyable and intriguing read. So come on, Ms. Duvall, give us Immortal Guardian fans the next one!

Focused. Strong. True.

In the fourth installment of the Immortal Guardians, Duvall brings us into the life of Immortal Guardian, Etienne d'Alencon, and Krysta, a gifted mortal who can see vampire auras and has a healer brother named Sean. Etienne instantly feels protective towards Krysta from the moment he spies her taking on vampires by herself. He follows her home and discovers that her brother is gifted also and he must bring them under his protection because another enemy has emerged and they have a target on Sean and Krysta's back.

As with the other books in this series, Duvall dives in and out of the lives of the other Immortal Guardians and their mates. This keeps the readers refreshed on their lives but also keeps their storyline moving without detracting from any new characters and developments. Krysta's character is seriously kick-ass and a much needed heroine among the testosterone filled Guardians. At the end of book three we thought that the big, bad enemy had been defeated. Unfortunately, out of the ashes of their previous foe, rises a mysterious and as they discover, more powerful enemy gunning for them.

Another great book in an already amazing series by Dianne Duvall. If you are not a fan yet I suggest you pick her books up and plunge into this captivating world of paranormal beings.

`Darkness Rises' turned out to be my favorite "Immortal Guardians" book to date. I enjoyed the new characters of Krysta and her brother Sean; both gifted ones - an aura reader and a healer. Krysta didn't take any crap from anyone and had been hunting vampires on her own (with Sean's assistance) for six years before running into Étienne, an Immortal Guardian. Krysta is drawn to Étienne, even when she doesn't want to be, but there is no stopping their attraction. Meanwhile, other problems are cropping up for the Immortal Guardians which require swift action to hopefully resolve. I loved the relationship between Étienne and Krysta, as well as the interplay between the Immortal Guardians and their Seconds. With a lot of action, plus a shocking discovery at the end of the book, `Darkness Rises' will keep you on the edge of your seat and then have you begging for the next book now!

Immortal Guardians series: Darkness Dawns (1), Night Reigns (2), Phantom Shadows (3), Darkness Rises (4)

Definitely another 5 star book by Ms Duvall. This is a contemporary paranormal (vampires & immortals) romance. Krysta is a young woman in her min - late twenties that is the only known vampire hunter and has been doing it for the past 6 years. Etienne comes across her fighting a large group of vampires so steps in to help. She is very leary of him because he has fangs. The story line continues on from book one but can be a standalone. I'd recommend reading them in order. I look forward to reading more of Ms Duvall' s books, especially this series, in the future. I purchased a copy of this book through KU.

I loved the chemistry between Etienne and Krysta and really found myself rooting for them. We also get to read about past couples as they contribute to the overall story without detracting from the main characters or slowing down the action. And can I just say that I laugh during any scene where Sheldon opens his mouth! He’s one funny dude!

I whipped through these books in record time and now I’m stuck waiting on the next one in the series. I have so many questions and want to know more about Zach and his fascination with Lisette.

What an enjoyable and intriguing read. So come on, Ms. Duvall, give us Immortal Guardian fans the next one!

Focused. Strong. True.

I have been excited about this series since I read the first book. The world building is great and the romances are light hearted, sexy, and touching, Here we have hot French Immortal who has a thing for very strong women and Krysta who kicks major ass as a vampire hunter. Their love story is quick and made much more exciting by mind reading. There is a great deal going on in this book. Maybe a little too much as I might have enjoyed more relationship development as much as I liked seeing the couples and characters from other books. You will definitely want to read the other books before you read this one but is a good read.

Can't wait for several of the characters to meet their match and hope the Duvall spends a little more time on the romance next time but overall I am vampire romance happy.

I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it!

Two opposites, one goal:

Krysta is a mortal whose "gift" of seeing auras has helped her fight vampires for the past six years. She's constantly getting injured and putting her life on the line, but she won't stop until every last vampire is dead. Then someone who seems to be a vampire comes to her aid in a fight, and she's suddenly not sure who is a friend and who is a foe. She just knows that Etienne is handsome and sexy and seems to be on her side. She wants to believe in him.

Etienne is an Immortal Guardian whose gift is telepathy. Yes, Immortal Guardians survive on blood and are sensitive to light, but they're not vampires. They have been protecting humans from vampires for millennia. When Etienne sees Krysta fighting vampires, he's protective and attracted to her.

Because she's gifted and therefore a potential Immortal Guardian, he brings her and her brother into the world of the Immortal Guardians.

Soon Immortal Guardians and vampires alike are under attack from an enemy that should not exist. The Immortal Guardians, with Krysta's help, must uncover this powerful, mysterious enemy.

Before one of them is captured and becomes a lab rat.

Love, mystery, mortal danger, and betrayal:

Etienne is a protective hero who knows how to curl a girl's toes with his kisses. He's also a two hundred year-old gentleman who knows that he's "wooing" a young, modern woman. He tries to be up to date for Krysta's sake, which leads to some funny dialogue.

Krysta is a kick-butt heroine with a great sense of humor. In fact, there is a lot more humor overall in this book than in the previous ones. There's a scene in which Krysta's brother, Sean, visits--well, I don't want to spoil it for you. But you'll enjoy getting to know the other side of some of the more staid characters.

There's plenty of mortal danger, and I found myself worrying about characters that I cared about. I wasn't sure if all of them were going to survive. Again, no spoilers here.

The enigmatic character Zach features prominently in DARKNESS RISES. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of him in the future. Most likely in the next book.

The mystery of the enemy's identity will keep you turning the pages. The answer is a blow to the leaders of the Immortal Guardians, Seth and David, and leaves us with a cliffhanger. Fortunately, other story lines are wrapped up nicely to make up for it.

Is DARKNESS RISES on your TBR pile? I highly recommend it. To get the most enjoyment out of the book, read the series starting with book one, Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians).

Darkness Rises Dianne Duvall.

ARC supplied by Netgalley.
I love paranormal romance abut strangely have never read any of Dianne's works. Well, she's now become a favourite author as I simply loved this book. I wasn't sure if I'd follow it OK, as its a return to a world already revealed in past novels, but I was fine. I think I'd have enjoyed it even more if I'd known the histories of characters from past books, but that didn't stop me from savouring the story and romance in this book. Its a twist on the usual vampire novels with "ordinary" vampires mostly turning mad fairly quickly, and devolving into killers. Etienne and his colleagues belong to a group known as Immortal Guardians, who protect humans by keeping these killers off the streets, but of course even with their talents its a dangerous task, and needs thorough thought and backup. Krysta and her brother Sean have some special gifts, and after she saw her fiancé killed by a vampire she's been all out to kill them each night. Then she comes across Etienne, she knows he's not the same as those she's killed, but she finds it hard to believe when instead of killing her he helps her.
There's attraction between them that neither are keen to acknowledge at first, but through circumstances Krysta and Sean get drawn into Etienne's world, and they learn things they'd never dreamed of, and more about their own gifts. Of course, as all the best novels do - they get pulled into danger and Dianne manages to make this really credible. I hate those where, just as the heroine is in big trouble, she pulls out some new, unknown skill. Krysta doesn't, she gets hurts and bleeds, as do the Immortals though of course they heal quicker. There's some interesting side stories too, hinting at novels to come and I love the way that this links to past books, (which I now want to read!!) and also sets scenes for future ones. It's not a cliffhanger novel, its part of a series but the story itself is complete. I have a real dislike, horror, hatred, disapproval of cliffhangers, especially when its so long to wait til next book, but series like this where each book links but is complete are fabulous, they allow an in-depth story, with a world that's already introduced earlier, but without that cheated feeling I get when suddenly, just as things heat up it's "the end" Argghh...frustration rules then. Priced at £3.78 for 416 pages its excellent value and one for my keeper files.
Stars: fantastic read, full five.

Etienne and kristal found each other when he see Krystal fighting with vampires and kill them. The couple started to see each other and helping each other because they have he same goal. They are hunting vampires and Etienne is emmer of a organization called the immortal guardians. The have great powers and abilities more than the vampires. I do not like to give spoilers buy I really like the serie. The only complaint is that the author, ms Duvall take too many pages in the sex scenes. Pages that can be describing more actions in the story. Besides Etienne and Krystal there other characters Ami and Marcus and new immortal Zach. I recommended this book to everybody who like paranormal stories.

Great read. I really enjoyed this installment. Duvall did a great job creating and growing the relationship between Krysta (Vampire Hunter) and Etienne (French Immortal Guardian Hottie). He rescued her, she rescued him, they fell in love and whooped up on Vampires and those awful human assassins alike.

Among the danger lurking around every corner, the fighting, and the arguing, there are a lot of laughs in here as well.
In this book you will find some great battles scenes, interesting and entertaining dialogue and hot, hot loving!

This book sets up Lisette's book nicely. I am eager to see how she falls in love with the mysterious Immortal with wings.

Awesome story! Great add to the series! Étienne and Krysta are a couple that kick so much butt. I fell in love with Krysta from her first scene. She took no crap from anyone and refused to be treated then less then what she is. Even with all the rough edges they are sweet and touching together. Can't wait for the next.