Seduce the Darkness [Mass Market Paperback]

Gena Showalter has penned another clever futuristic in Book #4 SEDUCE THE DARKNESS of her Alien Huntress futuristic series for Pocket (July 2009). In present day New Chicago, eternally youthful and beautiful, Bride McKells has been struggling for 80 years to figure out how to survive as a vampire on her own since she doesn't know any others of her kind. When she first woke up as a vampire decades ago she had to learn not to kill humans and other worlders while taking their blood to survive. Lately she's been getting sick from feeding much off anyone and bad smells drive her crazy. However, one night on the street she follows a very beloved familiar smell that she's sure will finally lead her to her long-lost shape-shifter friend, Aleaha Love, who Bride has been searching for for sixteen years. Instead the scent leads Bride to the arrogant, womanizer, Devyn de bon Laci, who Bride doesn't realize is King of the Targons. Bride can appreciate this gorgeous man's chiseled features and glittering skin but all she really cares about is if he knows where Leah is. Devyn has had carnal knowledge of many women, who all seem to find him irresistible, but he denies knowing Leah. He's made it his mission in life, after being deprived of any pleasures growing up, to bed every woman he comes in contact with. So he finds it hard to believe that Bride can resist his sexy charms. However, when Devyn realizes Bride is a vampire, since she tries to mesmerize him into telling her what he knows, he uses his powers to temporarily freeze her into place and leaves her. When Bride is able to move, she is determined to locate Devyn again. She finally discovers him the next day with his friend, Dallas from AIR (Alien Investigation & Removal Agency) as they are recapturing escaped Schon alien, Nolan, who can infect humans with a virus through sex that turns them into cannibals. Bride not only bests Devyn and Dallas but ends up holding Nolan captive at her apartment in exchange for Leah, who she is sure Devyn knows how to locate. What ensues is pure incendiary fun in one of the hottest antagonist relationships in paranormal romance history with Devyn and Bride not wanting to concede an inch to the other! Gena Showalter's highly arousing and imaginative SEDUCE THE DARKNESS will seduce readers from first page to last leaving romance fans only begging for more from one of the reigning Queens of paranormal romance.

I didn't read the previous books in the Alien Huntress Series, but I didn't have any problems keeping up with the story and I don't feel like it took anything away from the story. Although, there were times throughout the book, that I did wonder about one or two of the other characters' back story. So, to find out their stories you can be sure I'll be reading the previous books.

This is a futuristic, paranormal romance set in Chicago, water is now a very precious commodity, so much so that people don't bath with it anymore. They use enzyme baths, a mist stray system that cleans you without water. Fruit and vegetables are synthetically reproduced. Bride McKells' has been on her own ever since she woke up on the streets of Chicago, not being able to remember who is or where she has come from. She has spent much of her time alone, trying to find out who she is and any information on vampires because she doesn't know a thing about either. As far as Bride know, she is the only vampire in existence because she has never met another. Bride needs to learn what she can about vampires, besides what she has read in books, because lately she has had a problem with the blood she drinks, after the first few drops, she gets sick. She is out one evening, contemplating drinking from a stranger when she smells a delicious, familiar scent in the air. A scent that reminds Bride of the only friend she has ever had and lost long ago. Bride follows the scent straight to Devyn.

Devyn, King of the Targons, is an agent for AIR, Alien Investigation and Removal, with a voracious appetite for women and a very narcissistic personality. He is also a very sexy guy dripping with seduction, that turns heads where ever he goes. But he likes variety in his sexual conquests and doesn't like bedding the same species more than once. So, are your hackles raised yet about Devyn? When Devyn runs into Bride, he knows that she is not human but he's not sure what species she is, so he is intrigued by her and pursues her until he finds out she is a vampire. He's had a vampire before so he quickly loses interests, but yet he can't stop thinking about Bride. When their paths cross again, they find out Bride's blood is a cure to an alien virus, that was once thought to be a catastrophic, incurable disease. Now Bride is an even more a mysterious attraction for Devyn, which puzzles and worries him.

Seduce the Darkness is told in the third person, so we get a glimpse into what the characters are thinking and feeling. Bride is loner, someone who is use to being on her own but she is also tough and doesn't let anyone take advantage of her. Devyn's character, at first you just want to hate, maybe kick a few a times because he is so full of himself and his own self worth. The sexual tension between Bride and Devyn is building thing. Devyn readily admits his attraction to Bride, while Bride tries fighting the attraction because she doesn't want to be another conquest and get her heart broken in the process. Of course, Bride's refusal of Devyn's advances is just more fuel to the fire, he's not use to getting turned down. Bride is forced to work with Devyn, because he knows answers to her mysterious vampire race and the where a bouts of her lost friend. And the only way she's going to get those answers is to put up with Devyn.

There are a quite a few twist and turns in the plot that keep your interest piqued throughout the story. I like the different alien characters involved in this story, it gave a sort of a Star Wars type feel to it - I racked my brain trying to think of a show or movie to compare but I keep coming back to Star Wars. The banter between Bride and Devyn is sharp, witty and fun, as the story starts to develop you start to see how these two completely different personality types compliment each other. There is plenty of romance, and the seduction in the story is fabulous, when it final climaxes, you'll sigh in relief from the tension that has built up to that point. No pun intend. In comparing this story to the Lords of the Underworld series, I would say it was a lighter read not as dark. There is also a side story that subtly develops, so you get an idea of what the next book could be about but it doesn't over run the main story line. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a futuristic, paranormal romance that is fast paced, amusing and packed full of passion with a healthy dose of sexual tension.

Seduce the Darkness is the next book in Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress series. I have to say that she is a great writer because up until this book I didn't like Devyn. He was just too slick, too beautiful, too sure of himself, and the way he `collected' women? I wasn't sure who would be a good pair for him... Or if I even wanted to meet that woman; would she be a collector of men?

Turns out the perfect women for said playboy is Bride McKellis. Bride meets Devyn by chance, you see he smells like an old friend, and is immediately infuriated and repulsed/attracted to him when he tries to bed her. Until he finds out she's a vampire. (he already has had one you see) Deeper into the story we learn Devyn's not just a player, he physically can't find pleasure with the same woman twice. Is it ADD or something more serious?

When the two fated lovers meet yet again they discover fascinating things. Devyn isn't too bad (heehee) and Bride's blood holds the key to stopping an apocalyptic like virus. Having this entire book be about Devyn, instead of the glances we get in previous books, makes me not dislike him even, dare I say... find him attractive? Bride is indeed the perfect mate for him, rather than a collector of men, she is his counterbalance and doesn't let Devyn get away with crap.

I still wouldn't recommend reading it by itself, the story is so much richer if you have read the previous three. Trust me they are just as amazing and the lead heroes will have you blushing furiously.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 32 reviews  4.3 out of 5 stars