Awaken the Darkness (Immortal Guardians Book 8)

I absolutely love this series. For me I get everything I could want. I get the action/adventure, mystery, romance , comedy and so much more. These books pull me into their world and I feel like I’m a part of the story. I cannot wait for the next book to come out!!!

They are not with the group ... The other immortals in this story. In the beginning we find out how Stan came to be buried alive, then it’s just about Stan and Susan. He lost his memory, so it’s about them learning his extraordinary abilities as he gains his strength back. It was 80% before their one sex scene. He had to make sure he was not in a previous relationship. He got that information from his second who is the only one who knows he is alive at this point. The other immortals do not find out he is alive until the end of the book and they all welcome him back.

They are not with the group ... The other immortals in this story. In the beginning we find out how Stan came to be buried alive, then it’s just about Stan and Susan. He lost his memory, so it’s about them learning his extraordinary abilities as he gains his strength back. It was 80% before their one sex scene. He had to make sure he was not in a previous relationship. He got that information from his second who is the only one who knows he is alive at this point. The other immortals do not find out he is alive until the end of the book and they all welcome him back.

I’m a deliriously happy romance book reader. Ms. Duvall has brought Stanislav back to us and I know I can’t be the only fan out there cheering and jumping up and down in excitement. This is a book that HAS to go on my keeper shelf, along with all the others. This is an amazing series and it keeps getting better and better.

I remember being over the moon when I found out that Awaken the Darkness was coming out and I couldn’t wait to read it. The wait was worth it. The novel is everything I could have hoped for. I plunked myself down into my favorite reading chair and stayed there, all the way to 1 AM, until I finished the book loving every page, every minute and totally feeling the loss of sleep well worth it.

I really want to say that this book, even though it’s part of the Immortal Guardians series, is a standalone read. Why you ask? Because Stan has lost his memory and has no past to draw upon. It’s only Susan and Stan fighting to stay alive, running from those that want to kill and/or capture them while having absolutely no idea why or what they did to deserve it. They don’t know who to trust or where to go to be safe. Talk about intense suspense, action and drama!

Ms. Duvall does provide a prologue that gives enough history to understand how Stanislav ends up as Susan eventually finds him. I’d forgotten those details of the battle so it was great for me to revisit it and get emotionally involved right away.

The one thing that Stan doesn’t lose is how to pursue a woman and romance her right into his arms, his bed, or wherever he can. There’s just one little problem preventing him from getting anywhere near that point. Talk about two frustrated characters. It was devious fun. Eventually their situation is sorted out and they finally, finally get together. That was fun too.

I liked how every time the hero remembered something it caused a hiccup in their burgeoning relationship. Eventually, the truth comes out but by that time Susan is invested in loving and being with Stan, no matter what. She’s no shrinking violet.

The action scenes were gripping, well written and nail-bitingly perfect. It was only towards the end that the Immortal community comes on stage to aid Stanislav and Susan. It was extremely poignant when Susan met Ami. I won’t tell you the reason why. I liked how the revelation of those secondary heroic characters was done because it reinforced my belief this could be a standalone for new readers. It was presented from Susan’s point of view and she was totally clueless. A reader learns as she does and I liked that angle.

Awaken the Darkness is terrific, exciting, wonderful, special and is an action filled romance that fans of Ms. Duvall are going to go ga-ga over. Well, I certainly did. I’m happy-skippy on one hand but on the other I’m sulky because now I have to wait and wait for the next book. It’s supposed to be Seth’s turn! Seth! It can’t come fast enough! Dianne Duvall rocks!

originally posted at long and short reviews

She was the only thing that kept him sane.

Awaken the Darkness is the latest mesmerizing installment in Dianne Duvall’s fabulous Immortal Guardians series. This series is earth-shattering awesome and Dianne has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Each of the stories – and I’m still catching up – has been heart-stopping, intense, humorous and powerfully romantic.

If you are a newbie to Dianne’s Immortal Guardians, don't worry about reading the series out-of-order. Each novel and novella can be read as a stand-alone and has a self-contained romance, so you won't be lost if you dive in with any of the books. You'll just know more about the supporting characters if you do read the books in order.

If you read the previous book, Blade of Darkness, you have, no doubt, been worried about Stanislov’s fate as he went missing after the epic battle with the mercenaries. One immortal died - a devastating loss to the team – but Stan’s disappearance seemed even more cruel as it was not clear what had happened to him. As a rule, the team never leaves anyone behind. Was he captured? Did he join his best friend in the hereafter? Sadly, Seth hasn’t even been able to pick up Stan’s essence with his transcendent senses - though not from a lack of trying. Still, none of the team has given up on Stan.

Thankfully, Awaken the Darkness answers the question as to Stan’s fate. Indeed, he is still with us. Regrettably, his suffering has been constant and horrific and has dragged on for an incomprehensible two-and-a-half years. His savior is Susan Meyer, an author and an innocent-to-the-Immortal-Guardians’-world gifted one. She is a telepath who hears Stan’s voice – and, thankfully, responds. When Stan is rescued, he has amnesia. He doesn’t know his name, what he is or who is friend or foe. He only knows that he will protect Susan with every special ability that he has. His tale of recovery is heart-breaking, heart-warming and fraught with danger.

Susan understands being different as her psychic abilities have always set her apart. She knows she should be afraid of this man with glowing eyes, but she also feels in her heart that she cannot abandon him. The two are strongly attracted to each other, but Stan is so honorable that he won’t enter a relationship with Susan without knowing that he doesn’t have a wife out there somewhere who he would then be unfaithful to.

I connected with Stan and Susan from the first. They were each strong and compelling characters and their stories – past and present - will tug at your heart strings. I loved how accepting Susan was of nonconformity and how Stan knew as soon as he detected her presence that she was a friend. Even though their connection was immediate, it felt natural and not rushed in the least. Their romance was sweet and hot and I couldn’t get enough of them together. Susan’s dog, Jax, was a wonderful addition. He was a pistol, full of energy and personality and I hope he makes some return appearances in later books.

Following please find a few favorite lines from Awaken the Darkness:

“I should definitely sleep in another room.”
“No,” she stated firmly. Before she could change her mind, she crossed to the bed, slipped beneath the covers, then looked at him expectantly.
“Where is Jax?” he asked, unmoving.
“Downstairs. He liked to sit on the ottoman at night and watch out the back window for raccoons and opossums. Why?”
“He’s the only chaperone available to us.”
---
“Is it okay if I call you Stan?”
“Well,” he drawled, trying to sound less than enthusiastic, “I guess so. I mean, I’d prefer that you call me Stud Muffin. But Stan will do.”
---
Alexei met Stanislav’s gaze. “I like her.”
He smiled. “I like her more.”

Awaken the Darkness grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. It’s fast-paced, action-packed and, even though parts of it are hard to read with Stan’s torment, there’s also an abundance of comic relief that serves to keep the story light and entertaining. I inhaled every word staying up way past my bedtime on a work night to finish it! Dianne’s characters are believable and her story-telling is flawless. If you enjoy paranormal urban fantasy romances and haven’t checked out Dianne’s Immortal Guardians, you are missing out on an exceptional series!

4.5-5 stars

This was a great story and addition to the series. I will say that I've been wondering what happened to Yuri so it's nice to find out and see him get together with Susan. Yuri's story is somewhat of a standalone as the rest of the series characters don't come into it until much later in the story. And since he lost his memory, there are more explanations than there normally might be.

Susan is a woman with powers, the ability to hear the thoughts of others. This has often been as much of a curse as a gift and others finding out about Susan's abilities has brought much danger in the past. Susan keeps herself hidden and wants to find a remote home where people won't notice her and she also won't hear the stray thoughts of others.

Yuri is an Immortal Guardian that's around 400 years old. Immortal Guardians have powers and hunt vampires to protect humans from the vampires. Yuri was in a battle in which he was severely injured and the he was abducted and then buried alive. Immortal Guardians are hard to kill but being buried will put them into stasis until their uncovered.

When the story begins, Susan is looking for a house to buy that is remote. She visits one that's nice and remote but it's a real fixer-upper and she's unsure. But she just a feeling about the place that makes her want to buy it. A feeling that fades after she leaves the house but comes back with a vengeance whenever she's at the house. After some wishy-washy behavior, Susan finally decides to buy the house and moves in a while later. When Susan finds Yuri, she's freaked by the obvious issues with him being alive after being buried in the dirt for however long. Yuri doesn't have his memories and has no idea who he is or how he got there but he his instincts tell him it could be dangerous to call the authorities. Susan doesn't want to involve the police and decides to trust him since she's able to read his mind and knows that he's not lying to her and doesn't want to hurt her.

Susan and Yuri bond quickly...partially because they're very similar and work well as a couple and partially because they're in a situation together that requires them to rely on and trust each other. Susan's purchase of the house prompted some people to action and soon the bad guys that were after Yuri are intent on getting on capturing him. Since Yuri can't remember anything about his past, he can't call anyone for help and Susan is his only allie. Thankfully, Susan is able to take care of herself so she's a good partner for Yuri. Eventually, Yuri and Susan are able to figure out a way for Yuri to access his past and finally regain his memories. Once all that's taken care of and the bad guys are dealt with, Susan is welcomed to the "Immortal family" and the story ends with Susan and Yuri doing well and heading towards a HEA together.

I greatly enjoyed this story. I really liked Susan...she was smart, strong willed and competent but wasn't outrageously badass in an unbelievable way. I already liked Yuri in previous stories but didn't really know him well in those stories. In this story, I loved him and was so happy to see him get his piece of happiness. Overall, I loved the characters and the story was great and very engaging so I'd definitely recommend this story. :)

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator did a great job.

Once again, Dianne does not disappoint. Stanislav and Susan are perfect together. Susan is a telepath looking to escape the closeness of civilization. She found a house in the middle of nowhere. While it requires a lot of updating, she feels drawn to it, happy, like she is home. Stanislav, who had been gravely injured, was dragged to the home during the last great battle and buried in the basement. While he scares everyone else away from the home, he draws Susan in. He is in and out of consciousness in his grave, but Susan, her voice and her singing bring him the only comfort he knows. One day, Susan’s dog, Jax, begins digging him up, scenting him under the ground. Susan is drawn by intense curiosity and continues what Jax started. Once she finds Stan, she is drawn to him as much as he is to her. He has no idea who he is, all memory gone. But he is being hunted and they work together to escape capture by the unknown parties. Susan is an incredible heroine, she would do anything for Stanislav, knowing who he is deep inside, even though neither have any idea what his story is. Stanislav is incredibly protective of her and the perfect honorable man. Susan helps bring Stanislav back to the immortal family. I can’t wait to read the next installment!

I have been following this series and devouring them as quickly as Ms. Duvall can write them. The current installment doesn't disappoint. I ordered it AND finished it today. I was always a strict historical romance reader, but wanted something different. I borrowed the first book in the series, and found the characters to be interesting, and the concept of immortals engaging. Awaken the Darkness, is action packed, has a strong, well thought out story line that smoothly transitions from book to book. You can read them stand alone but i would recommend reading them in order. The experience is worth it.

I really enjoyed this story and think that it is a great addition to the series! Susan and Stanislav's story answers a question that diehards have wanted to know for a while now (where is Stanislav?) but it is so much more than that! If you are new to the series, this book would hook you into wanting to know more about the characters and the amazing world that Dianne Duvall has created! She has given us this book where there is a bit of drama and adventure and a lot of "What Happened?" here. The entire series is not your typical immortal stories or your typical love stories.
Narration by Kristen Potter is always great. She does wonderful accents for the characters in all the books.
Keep giving us amazing stories!

Another great one in a perfect series. Honestly this book and every one before it has been one that I have loved to read! The world could be ending and everyone running for saftey and I'd still be happily reading this book. I'm so happy Stan is back and the family reunion is priceless. I do wish that my favorite Immortal could speak to his sister but all in all this book is a heartwarming yet at times heartbreaking book and I loved every word in it. Eagerly waiting for the next in the series!!

Another great book. I’m glad Stan got his book. Susan is perfect for him. As their gifts are similar. Stan has a quiet strength about him. And being buried for two and a half years. Susan is a author who can reads minds and is strong in her own way, I like that she is different than the other women as she is very sweet but can kick butt when necessary. And the gentle way she takes care of Stan when he is injured. Definitely five stars.

Another great addition to the Immortal Guardians world. I admit, I got a bit teary eye when he finally met up with Seth and his brethren. This author continues to outdo herself. 8 books later and I'm still awaiting the next book in the series.

Dianne's skills at weaving stories, evoking emotions, and sinking you into her world are otherworldly, and Awaken the Darkness is no different.

The childlike enthusiasm of Stan, and the kindness and courage of Susan will have you laughing and smiling like a fool. So grab your biggest bowl of popcorn, an Eggo or two, pair it with a fine sweet Red (I suggest Beaujolais, a nice full body...just like a certain Russian), get curled up in your favorite blanket and settle in for another amazing rollercoaster ride!

I always enjoy returning to the world of the Immortal Guardians. This eighth installment is an awesome gift for long time fans of the series. This is Stanislav‘s book. You read that right. One of the immortals believed to have been killed a few books back is actually alive! He has been buried alive for the past 2 1/2 years, ever since he was horribly wounded in the battle that killed his best friend, Yuri. He has been in and out of stasis this whole time and doesn’t remember who or what he is; he knows only loneliness and pain. Until Susan comes.

Susan is a Gifted One who moves in to the home above the basement where Stanislav is buried. He uses his empathetic gifts to prompt her to buy the house and eventually to dig him up. Susan is a telepath, so the two of them are able to communicate truths to each other that help get past what would be a mountain of fear and suspicion for most women. I mean, if most ladies were to dig up a body six feet underground and find him still living, at the very least they would call 911. Susan ends up letting Stan stay with her and nurses him back to health.

The bulk of this story takes place in Susan‘s home. This couple is largely isolated and we don’t see the rest of the cast until near the end of the book. But I still enjoyed this so much. I never felt particularly connected to Yuri or Stanislav in the early books. I guess I just kind of thought of them as cannon fodder. But then Yuri got his story and now seeing his best friend essentially brought back from the dead has been really cool. Props to Dianne Duvall for finding a way to make this happen.

Stanislav is a great hero. He is a gentleman and at no time does he fail to put Susan first: her safety, her feelings, her fears. And he does it without ever being an alpha hole. I loved that Susan was able to take care of herself without needing to be big and bad. And even though they fell for each other quickly, I loved taking the journey with them.

Big points and major feels when Stan gets reunited with the rest of his team. And as always, excellent world building. These books are very well written PNR. And there has been no drop in quality whatsoever as the series made the jump to independent publishing. In fact, Duvall has managed to hang onto the quality and maintain the tone and feel of the series over time better than many other long running authors in the genre.

If you’ve never tried this series before and you’re in the mood for some solid paranormal romance, I would recommend you give it a try. Or if you enjoyed some of the books early in the series and think you might like to come back, give it a go. I’m already looking forward to where the series takes us next. Raising my hand again for a Chris Reordan book. I’m not giving up.

Rating: B+

I have listened to all of the Immortal Guardians books and love them all. This one is no different. The relationships between the characters draws the reader in and everything becomes personal and relatable. I will continue to wait for the next release.

AWAKEN THE DARKNESS wasn't my favorite book of the series, but it was still an enjoyable addition to the overall storyline.

AWAKEN THE DARKNESS felt more like a filler book than a book that continues the overall storyline. Most of the book takes place with Stanislav and Susan in isolation and getting to know eachother and in Stanislav's case, getting to know himself.

The romance didn't totally draw me in like the previous couples. Don't get me wrong, Susan and Stanislav fit together nicely and have a strong physical connection, but It didn't feel totally believable with the amount of trust and dependency they put on each other so quickly. Now having said that, Stanislav doesn't know who he is for a good portion of the book, so some of the trust and dependency can be contributed to that. I still would have liked a deeper build up to everything.

I loved the action scenes, they fit with the rest of the series nicely. The storyline was nice and entertaining. There was danger and mystery involved. I loved how easily the rest of the Immortal Guardians reacted to both Stanislav's return and Susan's addition to his life. I would have loved to have the team more involved in the book, but Stanislav needed that time to tell his story.

I look forward to seeing what comes next for the Immortal Guardians we already know and to seeing who else joins their family next.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read every immortal guardian book and this is one of my favorites! Finally Duvall shakes it up from cookie cutter plot and here Susan FINDs her man...under the ground in her basement. Lol

This is a little diff, hilarious and heartwarming, cooky since it’s paranormal, and I highly recommend this particular book & the audible for immersion reading. The narrator is one of my favorites and she does the diff voices and accents so well It livens the story. Plus i have to wait another YEAR before the next book so i wanna drag it out. Still finish in 2 days max...in 1 night if im super impatient. Haha

** no spoilers **

Boilerplate storyline for Immortal Guardian Series, but still really good — it’s usually a Boy meets a “gifted one,” omits being akin to a “vampire,” falls madly in love within 1-3 days, all is forgiven & she grudgingly accepts his GQ good looks and perfect personality, chaos ensues BuT they prevail, and she commits to changing into an immortal so they live (HEA) Happily Ever After...literally forever.

Thank goodness Duvall is a storytelling magician and still able to find surpring ways to make the reader addicted to this series. I like how old characters make apperances in all her books, especially Seth & David - the two most powerful and overall larger story regarding their fight with the “Others.”

Awaken the Darkness was a gripping addition to the Immortal Guardians series that moved me beyond measure. The story itself is quite different from previous books as it centers strictly around the main couple Stanislav and Susan for 99.9% of the story-line, as opposed to having the rest of the immortal guardian family popping in every so often to help support the plot. I believe this is because this story was originally intended to be a novella, but outgrew it. This didn't diminish the story at all in my opinion as many paranormal romances are written similarly, the ending definitely made any slight deficit worth it. The series arc itself didn't move forward, but the author promises to make up for that with the next book, which just happens to be the immortal's leader, Seth. I'm on pins and needles waiting for that release. I loved Stanislav and Susan together, they fit perfectly and their chemistry was palpable from the pages. Stanislav story was heart-breaking at times, but witty dialogue and sizzling passion rounded it out nicely. This entire series is a recommended read for any and all paranormal romance fans.

*I received a copy of this book from the author as a gift.

This book was not what I excepted. It does cross over with some of the other books but it is a book within itself. Stanislav has been missing for the past couple of books and no one knows what happened to him. I do not know if I wanted this book to be longer or shorter. I felt as though if is was a novella I would be okay with that, but if it was the length of the other books I would be okay as well.

There was action, funny moments, and heartfelt moments as well. I am glad that Stanislav found Susan. I also enjoyed the epilogue and I hope that Cliff is one step closer of being saved.

I am a bit annoyed that most of the women that we meet so far are telepathic. I would love to have someone who can teleport or someone who has the gift of psychometry. I want more of a broad spectrum of different gifts when it comes to The Gifted Ones.

So my sister loaned me her copy of this book, and it is awesome. I am so happy that there is now resolution to Stan's story. One thing though is that I now realise David may not have a story, since the author indicated that Seth's story is next. I think that is the final book. That's really a bummer for me. I hope she finds some way to intertwine a story for David into Seth's story. Or maybe a novella. Please, please!

It was an amazing book and even better series! I couldn't put any of them down and this one was no exception. Not gonna lie, I lost some sleep cause I kept thinking just one more chapter lol but I'm not complaining at all. I can't wait for Seth's book next. He deserves his hea. If you're looking for a great book that has great action, bad guys u wanna hate, and good guys u wanna love these books r for u. I'm only sad that I'm not a gifted one haha

I have to admit that I'm finished with this series. I've read them all and I've noticed a pattern. The book with Zach in it was the only one worth reading for me. The rest of them are pretty much all the same, just stick in a different immortal and a different "gifted one". Very little to identify one main character from the other. They really need to have their own specific personalities or it just doesn't work book after book.

4.5 really but I couldn’t find the option for a half star! I have read all of the books in this series and this was one of my favorites. Perhaps it was the amnesia and how Stan and Susan worked through it together, but I loved it. The only thing I wish for was more interaction between the rest of the immortals. I felt the ending was a bit rushed and honestly, a little anticlimactic. Kirsten’s narration of this story.... outstanding, remarkable, amazing. She is perhaps one of my favorite narrators!

I love the Immortal Guardians Series however, this one didn't really do much for me. I'm glad Stan found his love but I would have liked more interaction with the other Guardians. It was only Stan and Susan so it became one dimensional to me. I still love the series though and can't want for the next one.... Sure wish there'd be one with Seth!!!

The one star is due to the following, not to the content of the storyline...

I have been an avid fan of the Immortal Guardians series, purchasing the audible version of books 1-7 so that I could listen to the story narrated by an outstanding narrator, Kirsten Potter, while commuting five hours a day to and from work. I anxiously awaited the eighth installment, pre-ordering my book so that I would have the latest and greatest as soon as it was released. You can imagine my surprise upon receiving my pre-ordered book, that there was no way for me to purchase the audible version without first subscribing to Audible for an additional $14.95 per month. Now, a month after release, you can purchase the audible version for $17.95. I know this has nothing to do with the author, but I am disappointed. I have yet to read the book, as I have now become accustomed to the different character voice nuances of the narrator (if you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to the narrated version, try it out, you’ll love it!). In future, I will restrain myself from pre-ordering until I am certain the audible version is available, with no “subscription” strings attached.

Awaken the Darkness is a fantastic addition to the Immortal Guardian series. We finally find out what happened to Stanislav two years ago and why Seth has been unable to find him.
Now we're ready for David and Seth's stories!