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Dark Age Dawning #1
Nightfall
First in a stunning new post-apocalyptic paranormal romance trilogy.
Growing up with an unstable, often absent father who preached about the end of the world, Jenna never thought in her wildest nightmares that his predictions would come true. Or that he would have a plan in place to save her-one that includes the strong, stoic man who kidnaps and takes her to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest.
The mysterious ex-Marine named Mason owes a life-debt to Jenna's father. Skilled and steadfast, he's ready for the prophesied Change, but Jenna proves tough to convince. Until the power grid collapses and mutant dogs attack-vicious things that reek of nature gone wrong.
When five strangers appear, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty packs, Jenna defies her protector and rescues them. As technology fails and the old world falls away, Jenna changes too, forever altered by supernatural forces. To fight for their future, she and Mason must learn to trust their instinctive passion-a flame that will see them through the bitter winter, the endless nights, and the violence of a new Dark Age.
Growing up with an unstable, often absent father who preached about the end of the world, Jenna never thought in her wildest nightmares that his predictions would come true. Or that he would have a plan in place to save her-one that includes the strong, stoic man who kidnaps and takes her to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest.
The mysterious ex-Marine named Mason owes a life-debt to Jenna's father. Skilled and steadfast, he's ready for the prophesied Change, but Jenna proves tough to convince. Until the power grid collapses and mutant dogs attack-vicious things that reek of nature gone wrong.
When five strangers appear, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty packs, Jenna defies her protector and rescues them. As technology fails and the old world falls away, Jenna changes too, forever altered by supernatural forces. To fight for their future, she and Mason must learn to trust their instinctive passion-a flame that will see them through the bitter winter, the endless nights, and the violence of a new Dark Age.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2011
60 people are currently reading
4711 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Connor
23 books148 followersWho are we, you might ask? Well, we’re a collaborative writing team comprised of Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. Our pen name comes from two bad-ass female SF characters: Ellen Ripley (from Alien) and Sarah Connor (from The Terminator). When you put them together, you get Ellen Connor…and we hope to rock your world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
August 31, 2021
Third re-read: 31.08.2021
I don't know why I decided to re-read this one again. Maybe because I like the concept? I dunno. That said, I do like the story, but............want more from it. More spark, more chemistry, I guess? Overall, I skimmed some here and there but that might be because I couldn't focus much.
Second re-read: 15.03.2019
Strangely, this book isn't actually so bad. After my last re-read of another book of M/F, I thought this re-read would go to hell as well, however, I am pleasantly surprised that it kept my attention. It's filled with action, and some badassery (is that even a word?), and a making of pack. Though as usually, there's some thing that bothered me. I find that the book lacked the depth and closeness that the pack in the making should have. It should've been built up more. Same goes for the relationship between the two main characters. It goes too long with bickering, only to suddenly find true caring/love for one another. It just should have had more.
That said, the concept, this world of the Dark Age is quite interesting and I wish this one had had more of that with Jenna and Mason. As it is though, the series continues with different couples each book, which I have not read. And I'm uncertain of whenever I will. Plus, there are some things that I would've like answered; like how Mason and Jenna can communicate telepathically. Why could they do that?
New rating: 2.5/3 stars.
Other Characters:
→ Bob Suleski, a middleaged man who was a coach.
→ Edna Cartwright, was co-worker of Bob.
→ Tru ‘Midnight’ (15?), a boy punk/goth with attitude.
→ Angela ‘Ange’ Sheehan (44), mother to Penny (9?).
→ Dr. Chris Welsh, who ‘lives’ at the nature station.
→ Mitchell P. Barclay, Jenna's father who's dead. A man of prophecies.
Re-read: 23.10.2016
I still like this book. A lot. No, I don't love it, but I like it, very much. There's action, there's tension, there's love, there is friendship, there is death and there is life. This book does pretty much have it all. Even reading this the second time around, I still enjoyed it. I adore John Mason (29?) and Jenna Barclay (24/25?). Apart they are strong, together they are a force to be reckoned with. I like how their romance is build up, and how the people come together for survival. I love seeing the characters develop, how much stronger, wiser, tougher. I like the pace of the book. It's not too fast, nor too slow. And I like that something happens often so that you don't get bored. Overall, it's easy to tell I like this book. Even the second time around.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance/Post-Apocalyptic (M/F).
Series: - Trilogy, Book One
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - John Mason,
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Probably...
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows?
Rating - 3.5/4 stars.
First read: 10.12.2013
I don't know why I decided to re-read this one again. Maybe because I like the concept? I dunno. That said, I do like the story, but............want more from it. More spark, more chemistry, I guess? Overall, I skimmed some here and there but that might be because I couldn't focus much.
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Not The Worst Re-Read*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Second re-read: 15.03.2019
Strangely, this book isn't actually so bad. After my last re-read of another book of M/F, I thought this re-read would go to hell as well, however, I am pleasantly surprised that it kept my attention. It's filled with action, and some badassery (is that even a word?), and a making of pack. Though as usually, there's some thing that bothered me. I find that the book lacked the depth and closeness that the pack in the making should have. It should've been built up more. Same goes for the relationship between the two main characters. It goes too long with bickering, only to suddenly find true caring/love for one another. It just should have had more.
That said, the concept, this world of the Dark Age is quite interesting and I wish this one had had more of that with Jenna and Mason. As it is though, the series continues with different couples each book, which I have not read. And I'm uncertain of whenever I will. Plus, there are some things that I would've like answered; like how Mason and Jenna can communicate telepathically. Why could they do that?
New rating: 2.5/3 stars.
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
Other Characters:
→ Bob Suleski, a middleaged man who was a coach.
→ Edna Cartwright, was co-worker of Bob.
→ Tru ‘Midnight’ (15?), a boy punk/goth with attitude.
→ Angela ‘Ange’ Sheehan (44), mother to Penny (9?).
→ Dr. Chris Welsh, who ‘lives’ at the nature station.
→ Mitchell P. Barclay, Jenna's father who's dead. A man of prophecies.
A few minutes later, she muttered, “God, you can be such a prick.”
“I have one whenever you’re ready for it.”
“Bite me.”
“That can be arranged too.”
Re-read: 23.10.2016
I still like this book. A lot. No, I don't love it, but I like it, very much. There's action, there's tension, there's love, there is friendship, there is death and there is life. This book does pretty much have it all. Even reading this the second time around, I still enjoyed it. I adore John Mason (29?) and Jenna Barclay (24/25?). Apart they are strong, together they are a force to be reckoned with. I like how their romance is build up, and how the people come together for survival. I love seeing the characters develop, how much stronger, wiser, tougher. I like the pace of the book. It's not too fast, nor too slow. And I like that something happens often so that you don't get bored. Overall, it's easy to tell I like this book. Even the second time around.
“If survival means kissing somebody who smells like you, I want no part of it.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance/Post-Apocalyptic (M/F).
Series: - Trilogy, Book One
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - John Mason,
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Probably...
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows?
Rating - 3.5/4 stars.
First read: 10.12.2013
July 3, 2011
*3.5 Stars*
The absolute best thing about this book was the world. I have never read a Romance like it and it rocked my world. It felt so fresh and different from the usual Paranormal Romances. There weren’t any zombies in it (although they sure seemed zombie-like), but it read just like a zombie movie. It had all the tension and excitement inherent to those movies. Because the dawning of the Dark Age was occurring as we were reading the book, we (the reader) faced the same uncertainty and nerves that the characters did. It was a very effective was of sucking me in.
I know I just mentioned it, but I want to stress how much I loved the way the book unfolded. The Dark Age didn’t happen at the same time for everyone. It didn’t start in the United States at all. So rumors and fear are widespread, even though some people don’t believe it will spread. It settled in the East when it finally hit the U.S. The West side split from them and lived in their comfortable world of denial. They didn’t believe the rumors of what was really going on out there in the world. Because of their denial we get to discover the truth right alongside Jenna, our heroine from the West. We don’t know quite what is going on, we just know they need to hide. Electronics stop working, cars won’t start. And the demon dogs are the stuff of nightmares.
I loved the way the author setup the early interactions between Jenna and Mason. He doesn’t come up to her and try to explain and rationalize what is going to happen. He knows time is running out so he does the most expedient thing—he kidnaps her. Honest to God kidnaps her. She’s terrified and she doesn’t trust him, even when he starts to explain. It’s not until undeniable proof is presented later that she really believes. I loved that this wasn’t sugarcoated, because I wouldn’t have believed it if it had been. But with the way it was written I could understand Jenna’s emotions, just like I could understand her slow softening toward him after she learned the truth.
Although from the subject matter you would think this would be a book filled with nonstop action, it wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, there was action and horror, that’s just not all there was. The author included slower, tension filled sections that gave us a good idea of how scary (and boring) the waiting can be. And when Jenna extends their safety to a group of strangers we get to see that being a Good Samaritan is not always a good idea when food is in short supply.
I loved that we got to see a wide range of characters. They were true strangers and each had a very different personality. I really, really loved getting to see how each person reacted differently to the situation. I find myself curious about Penny, but Tru is the secondary character that I liked the most. I liked watching him grow from being a punk kid who hasn’t seen an eyeliner he doesn’t like (kidding!) to being an integral part of their survival team. I guess the apocalypse was the making of him.
I found Mason and Jenna’s relationship by turns compelling and disturbing. Mason was focused on keeping them alive and rarely gave in to softer emotions. I can understand his hyper vigilance even though Jenna had an issue with it. Jenna’s emotions rocked back and forth between angry and thankful. I could understand her out of kilter emotions to a degree (the world is going to hell, after all), but it was taken to the extreme a little too much. I actually came to intensely dislike Jenna. By the end of the book I was mostly fond of her again, but it was a close thing there for a while.
Jenna would push Mason for caring and affection and then become intensely angry when he shook her off. But half the time they were in a very dangerous situation. I cheered Mason on for brushing her off when she wanted to hold his hand for comfort. He needs to be at the ready to fight because he was really the only thing keeping them from dying. That’s what made me so angry at her. I am tired of people who bitch and moan about the person who is keeping their ass alive. They're in every movie or book where characters are forced to survive in a world gone mad, and I'm sick of those people criticizing the very skills that are saving them. Personally, I want that tough as nails person with me when the end comes.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that Mason did need to learn how to relax and allow intimacy during the down times. I’m not saying he didn’t need to work on it, I’m just saying that I was tired of Jenna picking the worst moment for affection and then taking it so personally when he didn’t cooperate. And the fact that Jenna thought it was okay to punish him by being a tease? Very, very unattractive in my eyes. No wonder he was afraid to try to get close after that.
Because Jenna’s emotions were all over the place I never knew quite how she would react to anything. It was like being around someone with a short fuse. You constantly wondered when they were going to snap this time around. The emotions were portrayed well and it all felt intense, but they kind of made me uncomfortable. They were even physically fighting with each other at one point. And they both tended to link anger with arousal. It was intense, sure, but it just wasn’t for me.
When Mason and Jenna finally got together in the end it didn’t feel quite right to me. At times I really wondered if the author kept changing her mind while writing about how she wanted to portray Jenna because she felt a little bipolar. Because she was so all over the place with her emotions I didn’t think her quick switch to love and devoted caring for Mason felt authentic. I needed a more gradual change for a girl that could be so whacked out.
Although I had issues with the romance I still plan to rush out and buy the second book whenever it came out. The book was gritty and dark and the author was not afraid to throw in an unexpected twist or two. I had a hard time accepting the hero and heroine’s ability to communicate and work through their issues, but I had no doubts about the sexual tension. That sucker popped. So if you’re in the mood for something different, I recommend giving this a whirl.
Favorite Quote:
Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.
The absolute best thing about this book was the world. I have never read a Romance like it and it rocked my world. It felt so fresh and different from the usual Paranormal Romances. There weren’t any zombies in it (although they sure seemed zombie-like), but it read just like a zombie movie. It had all the tension and excitement inherent to those movies. Because the dawning of the Dark Age was occurring as we were reading the book, we (the reader) faced the same uncertainty and nerves that the characters did. It was a very effective was of sucking me in.
I know I just mentioned it, but I want to stress how much I loved the way the book unfolded. The Dark Age didn’t happen at the same time for everyone. It didn’t start in the United States at all. So rumors and fear are widespread, even though some people don’t believe it will spread. It settled in the East when it finally hit the U.S. The West side split from them and lived in their comfortable world of denial. They didn’t believe the rumors of what was really going on out there in the world. Because of their denial we get to discover the truth right alongside Jenna, our heroine from the West. We don’t know quite what is going on, we just know they need to hide. Electronics stop working, cars won’t start. And the demon dogs are the stuff of nightmares.
I loved the way the author setup the early interactions between Jenna and Mason. He doesn’t come up to her and try to explain and rationalize what is going to happen. He knows time is running out so he does the most expedient thing—he kidnaps her. Honest to God kidnaps her. She’s terrified and she doesn’t trust him, even when he starts to explain. It’s not until undeniable proof is presented later that she really believes. I loved that this wasn’t sugarcoated, because I wouldn’t have believed it if it had been. But with the way it was written I could understand Jenna’s emotions, just like I could understand her slow softening toward him after she learned the truth.
Although from the subject matter you would think this would be a book filled with nonstop action, it wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, there was action and horror, that’s just not all there was. The author included slower, tension filled sections that gave us a good idea of how scary (and boring) the waiting can be. And when Jenna extends their safety to a group of strangers we get to see that being a Good Samaritan is not always a good idea when food is in short supply.
I loved that we got to see a wide range of characters. They were true strangers and each had a very different personality. I really, really loved getting to see how each person reacted differently to the situation. I find myself curious about Penny, but Tru is the secondary character that I liked the most. I liked watching him grow from being a punk kid who hasn’t seen an eyeliner he doesn’t like (kidding!) to being an integral part of their survival team. I guess the apocalypse was the making of him.
I found Mason and Jenna’s relationship by turns compelling and disturbing. Mason was focused on keeping them alive and rarely gave in to softer emotions. I can understand his hyper vigilance even though Jenna had an issue with it. Jenna’s emotions rocked back and forth between angry and thankful. I could understand her out of kilter emotions to a degree (the world is going to hell, after all), but it was taken to the extreme a little too much. I actually came to intensely dislike Jenna. By the end of the book I was mostly fond of her again, but it was a close thing there for a while.
Jenna would push Mason for caring and affection and then become intensely angry when he shook her off. But half the time they were in a very dangerous situation. I cheered Mason on for brushing her off when she wanted to hold his hand for comfort. He needs to be at the ready to fight because he was really the only thing keeping them from dying. That’s what made me so angry at her. I am tired of people who bitch and moan about the person who is keeping their ass alive. They're in every movie or book where characters are forced to survive in a world gone mad, and I'm sick of those people criticizing the very skills that are saving them. Personally, I want that tough as nails person with me when the end comes.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that Mason did need to learn how to relax and allow intimacy during the down times. I’m not saying he didn’t need to work on it, I’m just saying that I was tired of Jenna picking the worst moment for affection and then taking it so personally when he didn’t cooperate. And the fact that Jenna thought it was okay to punish him by being a tease? Very, very unattractive in my eyes. No wonder he was afraid to try to get close after that.
Because Jenna’s emotions were all over the place I never knew quite how she would react to anything. It was like being around someone with a short fuse. You constantly wondered when they were going to snap this time around. The emotions were portrayed well and it all felt intense, but they kind of made me uncomfortable. They were even physically fighting with each other at one point. And they both tended to link anger with arousal. It was intense, sure, but it just wasn’t for me.
When Mason and Jenna finally got together in the end it didn’t feel quite right to me. At times I really wondered if the author kept changing her mind while writing about how she wanted to portray Jenna because she felt a little bipolar. Because she was so all over the place with her emotions I didn’t think her quick switch to love and devoted caring for Mason felt authentic. I needed a more gradual change for a girl that could be so whacked out.
Although I had issues with the romance I still plan to rush out and buy the second book whenever it came out. The book was gritty and dark and the author was not afraid to throw in an unexpected twist or two. I had a hard time accepting the hero and heroine’s ability to communicate and work through their issues, but I had no doubts about the sexual tension. That sucker popped. So if you’re in the mood for something different, I recommend giving this a whirl.
Favorite Quote:
"If survival means kissing somebody who smells like you, I want no part of it."
Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.
June 7, 2011
Favorite Quote: “If survival means kissing somebody who smells like you, I want no part of it.”
The world is coming to an end. Changing in ways people can not comprehend – and that is if you can live to see tomorrow. Technology is failing. Cars won’t start. And maybe the scariest, there are what people refer to as demon dogs - hunting, eating, and devastating the human population. It started in eastern Europe and has slowly made its way west. Because there is no communication, and worse, not many people left who have survived this apocalypse, the people in the western United States do not know what is headed for them. Except Mason. Mason met up with a man named Mitch Barclay when he was young. Mitch was crazy to most people, spouting off crazy theories about the world ending. But Mason listened, and then watched as a demon dog killed him. The last thing Mitch asks of Mason is to save his daughter when the time comes.
That is how Mason ends up kidnapping the unknowing Jenna one night in Oregon. Jenna knows the world isn’t exactly a safe place, but she never thought danger lurked out by her mailbox. Mason ties her up, and takes her to a secluded cabin in the woods. It is here where she first is angry and upset that she has been kidnapped. But it is also here where she witnesses the demon dogs up close. Sees what they can actually do to a human. She learns of Mitch and Mason’s relationship, and they bunker down for a long cold winter.
But they aren’t going to be alone for long. A group of five strangers show up at their cabin door, pleading for a safe place to stay. Low on food already and patience Mason wants nothing to do with them but Jenna’s heart is too big to turn them away. Together, this misfit group must face a new world.
Nightfall is the first book in the Dark Age of Dawning series by Ellen Connor (aka the writing team of Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty). Dark, intense, and downright scary, this book is pretty full of awesome. The world they have created just might give you nightmares, but I also bet you won’t be able to put this book down. The fear that comes off these characters, as they try to outwit these viscous beings can be felt off the pages. These demon dogs were actually once human. Some even shift to somewhat of a human if killed. But there is no humanity in these dogs. They need to eat, and they have ways of communicating with each other. Towns, cities, even states have been wiped out. Mason, an ex-marine becomes this little group’s leader. Having knowledge and warnings from Jenna’s father years ago, he is somewhat prepared to lead this group. Jenna is more the heart. She is strong, and level headed, but she also is kind and is the glue that holds these strangers together.
We also meet Tru, a teenager who is quick to throw an insult, but deep down is just as unsure about himself than every other teenager. He is good with a gun and becomes Mason’s second. We also have the 44 year old Angela, with her young daughter, Penelope who never speaks, but eerie things happen with her as the book progresses.
There are some gruesome scenes in this book, where my eyes went very wide (I may never look at a spider the same way again). When a demon dog bites you, you don’t necessarily turn into one of them but you turn into…something. As Jenna and Mason run through a town, they see dead half-human half-other animal people everywhere. At the core of this book is a story of survival. And accepting the fact that life will never go back to “normal.” Throughout their struggle, Mason and Jenna have this very intense romance. Mason likes to be in charge, and likes everything to go his way. Even though their attraction is very evident between them, Jenna refuses to proceed with it until Mason gives her something back. And boy is he stubborn. However, I love that the romance is just as hard and even dark like the book is.
There are some crazy twists in this one, especially towards the end. For as much action and suspense we get in this book, I kind of wish it was a little longer. Or the ramifications that happen to certain characters were explored more. I love this book, but I wanted a little more at the end. I kind of expected this to be more of an urban fantasy series, but instead, the next book is about a supporting character. I don’t’ want to be done with Jenna and Mason yet. There is still so much to explore.
That being said, I’m very excited to see where Ellen Connor takes us in this world. There is much to be explored and the last two books of this trilogy feature characters you meet here.
Rating: B+
The world is coming to an end. Changing in ways people can not comprehend – and that is if you can live to see tomorrow. Technology is failing. Cars won’t start. And maybe the scariest, there are what people refer to as demon dogs - hunting, eating, and devastating the human population. It started in eastern Europe and has slowly made its way west. Because there is no communication, and worse, not many people left who have survived this apocalypse, the people in the western United States do not know what is headed for them. Except Mason. Mason met up with a man named Mitch Barclay when he was young. Mitch was crazy to most people, spouting off crazy theories about the world ending. But Mason listened, and then watched as a demon dog killed him. The last thing Mitch asks of Mason is to save his daughter when the time comes.
That is how Mason ends up kidnapping the unknowing Jenna one night in Oregon. Jenna knows the world isn’t exactly a safe place, but she never thought danger lurked out by her mailbox. Mason ties her up, and takes her to a secluded cabin in the woods. It is here where she first is angry and upset that she has been kidnapped. But it is also here where she witnesses the demon dogs up close. Sees what they can actually do to a human. She learns of Mitch and Mason’s relationship, and they bunker down for a long cold winter.
But they aren’t going to be alone for long. A group of five strangers show up at their cabin door, pleading for a safe place to stay. Low on food already and patience Mason wants nothing to do with them but Jenna’s heart is too big to turn them away. Together, this misfit group must face a new world.
Nightfall is the first book in the Dark Age of Dawning series by Ellen Connor (aka the writing team of Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty). Dark, intense, and downright scary, this book is pretty full of awesome. The world they have created just might give you nightmares, but I also bet you won’t be able to put this book down. The fear that comes off these characters, as they try to outwit these viscous beings can be felt off the pages. These demon dogs were actually once human. Some even shift to somewhat of a human if killed. But there is no humanity in these dogs. They need to eat, and they have ways of communicating with each other. Towns, cities, even states have been wiped out. Mason, an ex-marine becomes this little group’s leader. Having knowledge and warnings from Jenna’s father years ago, he is somewhat prepared to lead this group. Jenna is more the heart. She is strong, and level headed, but she also is kind and is the glue that holds these strangers together.
We also meet Tru, a teenager who is quick to throw an insult, but deep down is just as unsure about himself than every other teenager. He is good with a gun and becomes Mason’s second. We also have the 44 year old Angela, with her young daughter, Penelope who never speaks, but eerie things happen with her as the book progresses.
There are some gruesome scenes in this book, where my eyes went very wide (I may never look at a spider the same way again). When a demon dog bites you, you don’t necessarily turn into one of them but you turn into…something. As Jenna and Mason run through a town, they see dead half-human half-other animal people everywhere. At the core of this book is a story of survival. And accepting the fact that life will never go back to “normal.” Throughout their struggle, Mason and Jenna have this very intense romance. Mason likes to be in charge, and likes everything to go his way. Even though their attraction is very evident between them, Jenna refuses to proceed with it until Mason gives her something back. And boy is he stubborn. However, I love that the romance is just as hard and even dark like the book is.
There are some crazy twists in this one, especially towards the end. For as much action and suspense we get in this book, I kind of wish it was a little longer. Or the ramifications that happen to certain characters were explored more. I love this book, but I wanted a little more at the end. I kind of expected this to be more of an urban fantasy series, but instead, the next book is about a supporting character. I don’t’ want to be done with Jenna and Mason yet. There is still so much to explore.
That being said, I’m very excited to see where Ellen Connor takes us in this world. There is much to be explored and the last two books of this trilogy feature characters you meet here.
Rating: B+
July 6, 2011
I tried. I really did. I wanted to like this way more than I did because I loved the premise.
The urban fantasy storyline worked for me. A changing world with failure of tech and the beginning rise of magic, a group of people trying to survive in the new world--all good. What didn't work for me was the romance angle.
Let me comment on Mason first. I really don't care for the tortured hero love interest--ugh. It just seems dated; that is my bias so I tried to look past that to the elements of the relationship as far as romance. We never see any real reason why these two cared about each other. There is no real dialogue or getting to know each other nor is there a significant passage of time to account for it.
Because of this I spent way too much time rolling my eyes (one fell out, lol) or yelling "give or a break" or the ever popular "Really?" You can check out my Kindle highlight/outbursts comment here: https://kindle.amazon.com/profile/Jes....
Another issue with the romance was that it seemed like the romance was forced in. The story would be rolling along and then the characters would engage in some badly timed kissing or sex. I'm assuming this was to illustrate how great their passion for each other was, but it didn't work for me.
NON PLOT SPOILER
I shit you not, at one point, they were trekking through the woods filled with zombie wolves and stopped to have a passionate argument followed by some kissing. If it had been a book instead of my Kindle, book would have met wall.
This book was a collaboration between Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty which I found out after I finished, and it felt like it. I don't know how they divided the work, but it felt like one did the PNR and one the UF.
Despite that rant, there were elements that I liked and I will probably get the upcoming books in this series (AFTER I Kindle sample them). I LOVED the fact that this was a complete story with no cliffhanger ending. I am also intrigued enough by the magic aspects and how it will develop in the future books with the passage of time.
The next book is three years after the event in Nightfall and the third book takes place twelve years later. That is absolutely brilliant thinking and give the writers huge leeway in world building.
I would recommend this book to PNR fans and give it a solid C.
The urban fantasy storyline worked for me. A changing world with failure of tech and the beginning rise of magic, a group of people trying to survive in the new world--all good. What didn't work for me was the romance angle.
Let me comment on Mason first. I really don't care for the tortured hero love interest--ugh. It just seems dated; that is my bias so I tried to look past that to the elements of the relationship as far as romance. We never see any real reason why these two cared about each other. There is no real dialogue or getting to know each other nor is there a significant passage of time to account for it.
Because of this I spent way too much time rolling my eyes (one fell out, lol) or yelling "give or a break" or the ever popular "Really?" You can check out my Kindle highlight/outbursts comment here: https://kindle.amazon.com/profile/Jes....
Another issue with the romance was that it seemed like the romance was forced in. The story would be rolling along and then the characters would engage in some badly timed kissing or sex. I'm assuming this was to illustrate how great their passion for each other was, but it didn't work for me.
NON PLOT SPOILER
I shit you not, at one point, they were trekking through the woods filled with zombie wolves and stopped to have a passionate argument followed by some kissing. If it had been a book instead of my Kindle, book would have met wall.
This book was a collaboration between Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty which I found out after I finished, and it felt like it. I don't know how they divided the work, but it felt like one did the PNR and one the UF.
Despite that rant, there were elements that I liked and I will probably get the upcoming books in this series (AFTER I Kindle sample them). I LOVED the fact that this was a complete story with no cliffhanger ending. I am also intrigued enough by the magic aspects and how it will develop in the future books with the passage of time.
The next book is three years after the event in Nightfall and the third book takes place twelve years later. That is absolutely brilliant thinking and give the writers huge leeway in world building.
I would recommend this book to PNR fans and give it a solid C.
November 1, 2011
★★★½ ✩This is the best ★★★ star book I’ve read this year, and for that I have to give it another ½ star. I really liked this book, when I wanted to love it. It is like one of those B movies – you know, the classic kind that turn into a blockbuster. There are so many neat things in it. However, there is something off about it too. When I found out it was a collaboration of two authors, this made total sense to me. Still, I would recommend it to anyone looking for an apocalyptic sci-fi romance or a book with zombies for a challenge – it is a hoot.
I especially enjoyed doing it as a “buddy read” in the Nothing But Reading Challenges Group – ladies you saw where this was going long before I did. It was so compelling, nobody in the group stayed on track – we all read ahead.
I’ve set up the next book in the Dark Age Dawning series – and joining in a “buddy read” again.
I especially enjoyed doing it as a “buddy read” in the Nothing But Reading Challenges Group – ladies you saw where this was going long before I did. It was so compelling, nobody in the group stayed on track – we all read ahead.
I’ve set up the next book in the Dark Age Dawning series – and joining in a “buddy read” again.
April 29, 2012
I attempted to read this book several months ago. Ultimately, this book was not for me despite the fact that I love Ann Aguirre as an author, I love post-apoc books and I had marked this as highly anticipated almost a year before its release. I ended up not finishing this book and abandoning it after about 20%.
There are some things I did like about the book. I liked the idea of it, I liked a few parts but other parts just did not work -- to me this may have been as a result of the collaborative effort between two writers. But I could be wrong. The set-up is perfect for so many of us that love survivalist based books -- the world is failing, technology and science are collapsing and a magic world is on the rise. With this shift, comes zombie like creatures that are terrifying and on the hunt. A group of survivors is thrown together, some have military training and others do not. Together they work together to survive. Okay, that is where I stopped liking this book.
The story did not adequately develop the characters and the relationships, in my opinion. Things seemed to happen only because perhaps in a movie or this type of book they might be expected to happen, but there was absolutely no backbone to the development of these things. For example, there are female bonding scenes that come out of nowhere and sexual relationships that just seem to happen with no connection or development. There are cliched character types (dark brooding sarcastic teen male, etc.) and cliched relationships (two females get drunk, talk about sex even though there is absolutely no lead up to their friendship).
In the end though, I know there are many readers who loved this book and I am disappointed that I was not one of them.
There are some things I did like about the book. I liked the idea of it, I liked a few parts but other parts just did not work -- to me this may have been as a result of the collaborative effort between two writers. But I could be wrong. The set-up is perfect for so many of us that love survivalist based books -- the world is failing, technology and science are collapsing and a magic world is on the rise. With this shift, comes zombie like creatures that are terrifying and on the hunt. A group of survivors is thrown together, some have military training and others do not. Together they work together to survive. Okay, that is where I stopped liking this book.
The story did not adequately develop the characters and the relationships, in my opinion. Things seemed to happen only because perhaps in a movie or this type of book they might be expected to happen, but there was absolutely no backbone to the development of these things. For example, there are female bonding scenes that come out of nowhere and sexual relationships that just seem to happen with no connection or development. There are cliched character types (dark brooding sarcastic teen male, etc.) and cliched relationships (two females get drunk, talk about sex even though there is absolutely no lead up to their friendship).
In the end though, I know there are many readers who loved this book and I am disappointed that I was not one of them.
January 25, 2012
Imagine living in a post-apocalyptic world. Europe and the Far East haven't been heard from in years. The United States is split between the decimation of the East Coast and the "survivors" living on the West Coast. They still have technology but it's controlled and limited, almost like living in a modern day dictatorship with no one single leader. Scary stuff. Now imagine being kidnapped by a strange man who wants to "save" you from the coming prophesied change of the "The Dark Age" - a prophecy foretold by your own dead father.
When the prophecy comes true and ushers in a new reality, one of bloodthirsty zombie-like half man/half animal shifters, magic and the complete collapse of society and technology, Jenna and her rescuer/kidnapper Mason, face unforeseen challenges, vicious attacks... and an all consuming passion neither was prepared for.
I don't know what I was expecting, but wow - I was blown away! This is a thrill a minute, brutal, bloody and can't-put-downable read. Jenna and Mason are "frenemies" who become more than lovers but it's a hard, dark road and it totally works. The side characters are flawed, bold, scared, whiny, flat out freaky, but interesting in a way that keeps you reading well into the night. It's a dark, violent and bloody world they now find themselves living in and the author portrays that - sometimes almost too vividly.
Non-stop action along with heart wrenching emotions makes this one of my best reads so far in 2012. I can't wait to read the rest of this series. 5 stars/A+
When the prophecy comes true and ushers in a new reality, one of bloodthirsty zombie-like half man/half animal shifters, magic and the complete collapse of society and technology, Jenna and her rescuer/kidnapper Mason, face unforeseen challenges, vicious attacks... and an all consuming passion neither was prepared for.
I don't know what I was expecting, but wow - I was blown away! This is a thrill a minute, brutal, bloody and can't-put-downable read. Jenna and Mason are "frenemies" who become more than lovers but it's a hard, dark road and it totally works. The side characters are flawed, bold, scared, whiny, flat out freaky, but interesting in a way that keeps you reading well into the night. It's a dark, violent and bloody world they now find themselves living in and the author portrays that - sometimes almost too vividly.
Non-stop action along with heart wrenching emotions makes this one of my best reads so far in 2012. I can't wait to read the rest of this series. 5 stars/A+
October 2, 2016
I absolutely adored this book! I had no idea what to expect when I picked it up and I was pleasantly surprised. I always enjoy anything to do with the apocalypse and anything remotely zombie like and this was no different. It was a unique take on zombie like creatures and I loved it! And the book was so action packed, I couldn't stop turning the pages because I just needed to know what happened! The only thing I could have done without was the romance aspect but even then it wasn't over the top and it barely affected my enjoyment of the story. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can't wait to get started on book two!
May 16, 2024
Wow, never in a million years would I have imagined I'd love a book this dark and scary. This was unlike anything I have ever read before in the romance genre. Nightfall had two incredible leads and wonderful secondary characters that I'm looking forward to reading more about in books 2 & 3.
This was just off the charts scary and thrilling and steamy as hell.
Thanks for the recommendation Shawna!
Weird Factor - off the charts insane! LOL
2024 re-read 3 stars
This was just off the charts scary and thrilling and steamy as hell.
Thanks for the recommendation Shawna!
Weird Factor - off the charts insane! LOL
2024 re-read 3 stars
April 3, 2023
So schade, dass die Reihe seinerzeit hierzulande nicht gut angenommen wurde. Den ersten Teil bekommt man mittlerweile nur gebraucht, das eBook zum zweiten Teil ist überhaupt nicht mehr verfügbar und Teil drei wurde scheinbar nie übersetzt. Ich glaube ja, dass die Bücher heutzutage viel besser ankommen würden. In Zeiten von "Alien-smut" und Co. traue ich uns alles zu.
Spaß beiseite, ich fand das Buch klasse! Zugegeben, die Welt macht absolut keinen Sinn, aber der Kampf auf Leben und tot war so packend beschrieben, dass ich das Gefühl hatte, mit dabei zu sein. Und die Gruppe um Mason und Jenna mochte ich auch.
Stellenweise wird es blutig, die Liebesgeschichte ist weder flauschig noch nett und sprachlich wird es dementsprechend eher derb, aber auch das mag ich und es passte gut zur Welt. Das Buch ist anders und hebt sich ab. "Trashig", ja. Aber auf eine gute Art.
Da die Bücher in sich abgeschlossen sind, könnte man die Reihe an dieser Stelle beenden, aber ich hätte schon große Lust weiterzulesen.
Spaß beiseite, ich fand das Buch klasse! Zugegeben, die Welt macht absolut keinen Sinn, aber der Kampf auf Leben und tot war so packend beschrieben, dass ich das Gefühl hatte, mit dabei zu sein. Und die Gruppe um Mason und Jenna mochte ich auch.
Stellenweise wird es blutig, die Liebesgeschichte ist weder flauschig noch nett und sprachlich wird es dementsprechend eher derb, aber auch das mag ich und es passte gut zur Welt. Das Buch ist anders und hebt sich ab. "Trashig", ja. Aber auf eine gute Art.
Da die Bücher in sich abgeschlossen sind, könnte man die Reihe an dieser Stelle beenden, aber ich hätte schon große Lust weiterzulesen.
November 1, 2011
Waffling between 3 and 3.5 stars. I think having two writers who write in very different genres is forcing me down to the 3.
Interesting concept, the story definitely held my attention, and I was invested in the characters, but I felt like I could clearly see when one author would leave off and the other would pick up the story. It went from an apocalyptic sci-fi to extreme PNR and swung back around a few times. Kinda gave me motion sickness. I didn't feel like the stories wove together very well.
However. I found myself reading this compulsively, sneaking in pages when the bosses were in meetings and staying up late to read just a little more. I think this was a good start to the series and I'm excited to read the next book.
Interesting concept, the story definitely held my attention, and I was invested in the characters, but I felt like I could clearly see when one author would leave off and the other would pick up the story. It went from an apocalyptic sci-fi to extreme PNR and swung back around a few times. Kinda gave me motion sickness. I didn't feel like the stories wove together very well.
However. I found myself reading this compulsively, sneaking in pages when the bosses were in meetings and staying up late to read just a little more. I think this was a good start to the series and I'm excited to read the next book.
June 1, 2011
This book didn't fall neatly into any category. I consider it mostly a post apocalyptic and survival story wrapped around a romance. The world surely does end but in a manner different from any seen before. Dark things are abroad in the changing world. The tension level is high. The story revolves around John and Jenna and their escape from the city and struggle to survive the ravening beasts in the wilderness and understand the rules of the new world. The hero and heroine are both well drawn. They start out with John protecting Jenna because of a promise he made to her father and Jenna hanging with John as her best bet to survive. They each bring elements to their partnership that the other needs. Slowly their feelings deepen.
This book was very well written. It starts right in the middle of the action and never lets up. There aren't any unnecessary scenes. It is tightly written. The emotions ring true and the emotional progression is believable. The secondary characters are well drawn. The story is not all roses. Realistic bad stuff happens. There was some angst.
I normally enjoy a good epilogue that advances the characters' lives a year or so. Here I kind of think I'd rather the book ended without one. For one thing I think the advancements made in the time that passes before this final scene are too great and a bit pat. But mostly because, contrary to my life long preferences, I would have loved to see a second book about this pair. I would have loved to read about their struggles and triumphs as they arrive at that wonderful world shown in the epilogue.
This book was very well written. It starts right in the middle of the action and never lets up. There aren't any unnecessary scenes. It is tightly written. The emotions ring true and the emotional progression is believable. The secondary characters are well drawn. The story is not all roses. Realistic bad stuff happens. There was some angst.
I normally enjoy a good epilogue that advances the characters' lives a year or so. Here I kind of think I'd rather the book ended without one. For one thing I think the advancements made in the time that passes before this final scene are too great and a bit pat. But mostly because, contrary to my life long preferences, I would have loved to see a second book about this pair. I would have loved to read about their struggles and triumphs as they arrive at that wonderful world shown in the epilogue.
June 15, 2011
3 ½ stars. Above average for romantic suspense with lots of adrenaline excitement in an apocalyptic and magic world.
STORY BRIEF:
The author name Ellen Connor consists of a writing team of two people (Ann Aguirre/Ava Gray and Carrie Lofty). They were inspired by the bad-ass female sci-fi characters in The Terminator and Alien movies. The name Connor is from the character Sarah Connor in The Terminator. Ellen is from Ellen Ripley in Alien. This book has a feeling like the Terminator movie: the apocalyptic state on earth with dangerous creatures (demon dogs) trying to kill all humans. This story is a small group of humans trying to survive. Anything with computer technology no longer works including most cars. The only method of communication is the old fashioned analog radio – but the established radio stations are not broadcasting. The reader gets the feeling that there are no humans left in the cities – and any who survived are doing so like the group we are reading about.
Years ago Jenna’s father Mitch was predicting this apocalyptic disaster. Mason was a troubled teen who was taken in and helped by Mitch. Mitch trained Mason to prepare for it. Before he died Mitch asked Mason to promise to take care of his daughter Jenna when it happened. Now the event has happened. There’s no time to explain so Mason kidnaps Jenna, tying her up and taking her to his cabin in the forest. Having seen the demon dogs she now understands. Mason has enough food for the two of them to stay in the cabin for the winter. Then a group of five people arrive at the cabin asking for help. Mason is reluctant but Jenna lets them in and insists they stay. They discover a scientist Chris at a research station several miles away. He is broadcasting on an old radio saying he has plenty of food. The group decides to travel to Chris. Mason gives everyone guns and ammo to shoot the demon dogs along the way.
There is magic involved. When someone is bit by a demon dog, they react in different ways. Some become demon dogs, some die, others become shape shifters. One of the group is a little girl Penny who has magic abilities.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was ok as an escape, slightly above average. It felt like an action movie – lots of action and suspense. The plot is simple - good guys fighting bad guys. There were some sex scenes – I liked the first one best – sex after adrenaline stress. The others were pretty good. I liked the happy ending – it was fulfilling. There’s an interesting collection of characters. I enjoyed Tru the most because he changed the most. He had been a self-mutilating (cutting) Goth kid. But put him in this dangerous world of kill or be killed and he became an excellent shooter, strong, reliable, and heroic. I liked seeing his change.
To give something 4 stars I want to feel “I really like it” at the end which was not my feeling. But it was still good.
DATA:
Story length: 327 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 5. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: mid 21st century Oregon and the Rocky Mountains. Copyright: 2011. Genre: apocalyptic paranormal romantic suspense.
STORY BRIEF:
The author name Ellen Connor consists of a writing team of two people (Ann Aguirre/Ava Gray and Carrie Lofty). They were inspired by the bad-ass female sci-fi characters in The Terminator and Alien movies. The name Connor is from the character Sarah Connor in The Terminator. Ellen is from Ellen Ripley in Alien. This book has a feeling like the Terminator movie: the apocalyptic state on earth with dangerous creatures (demon dogs) trying to kill all humans. This story is a small group of humans trying to survive. Anything with computer technology no longer works including most cars. The only method of communication is the old fashioned analog radio – but the established radio stations are not broadcasting. The reader gets the feeling that there are no humans left in the cities – and any who survived are doing so like the group we are reading about.
Years ago Jenna’s father Mitch was predicting this apocalyptic disaster. Mason was a troubled teen who was taken in and helped by Mitch. Mitch trained Mason to prepare for it. Before he died Mitch asked Mason to promise to take care of his daughter Jenna when it happened. Now the event has happened. There’s no time to explain so Mason kidnaps Jenna, tying her up and taking her to his cabin in the forest. Having seen the demon dogs she now understands. Mason has enough food for the two of them to stay in the cabin for the winter. Then a group of five people arrive at the cabin asking for help. Mason is reluctant but Jenna lets them in and insists they stay. They discover a scientist Chris at a research station several miles away. He is broadcasting on an old radio saying he has plenty of food. The group decides to travel to Chris. Mason gives everyone guns and ammo to shoot the demon dogs along the way.
There is magic involved. When someone is bit by a demon dog, they react in different ways. Some become demon dogs, some die, others become shape shifters. One of the group is a little girl Penny who has magic abilities.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was ok as an escape, slightly above average. It felt like an action movie – lots of action and suspense. The plot is simple - good guys fighting bad guys. There were some sex scenes – I liked the first one best – sex after adrenaline stress. The others were pretty good. I liked the happy ending – it was fulfilling. There’s an interesting collection of characters. I enjoyed Tru the most because he changed the most. He had been a self-mutilating (cutting) Goth kid. But put him in this dangerous world of kill or be killed and he became an excellent shooter, strong, reliable, and heroic. I liked seeing his change.
To give something 4 stars I want to feel “I really like it” at the end which was not my feeling. But it was still good.
DATA:
Story length: 327 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 5. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: mid 21st century Oregon and the Rocky Mountains. Copyright: 2011. Genre: apocalyptic paranormal romantic suspense.
November 14, 2011
First in a stunning new post-apocalyptic paranormal romance trilogy.
Growing up with an unstable, often absent father who preached about the end of the world, Jenna never thought in her wildest nightmares that his predictions would come true. Or that he would have a plan in place to save her-one that includes the strong, stoic man who kidnaps and takes her to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest.
The mysterious ex-Marine named Mason owes a life-debt to Jenna's father. Skilled and steadfast, he's ready for the prophesied Change, but Jenna proves tough to convince. Until the power grid collapses and mutant dogs attack-vicious things that reek of nature gone wrong.
When five strangers appear, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty packs, Jenna defies her protector and rescues them. As technology fails and the old world falls away, Jenna changes too, forever altered by supernatural forces. To fight for their future, she and Mason must learn to trust their instinctive passion-a flame that will see them through the bitter winter, the endless nights, and the violence of a new Dark Age.
An unusual choice of reading material for me - I'm not a fan of post-apocalyptic themes, something about them is simply not attractive at all. But I'm glad I made an exception this time.
Mason is wonderful - a total alpha male, with communication issues. He doesn't want to get involved, but resisting Jenna is hard, and since he made a promise to her father he can't leave either. He is ready for the Dark Age, after all he spent most of his life preparing for this - but now he has 7 other people depending on him, and he isn't happy at all.
Jenna's life had definitely turned upside down - well, hers and those of the rest of humanity. Luckily for her, she has a hero who will protect her with his life - but she isn't sure she wants him.
I like both Jenna and Mason, but there a tiny thing that bothered me.
I can see the things about post-apocalyptic novels that attract people. But I have to admit that the thought of the entire civilization gone scares me and makes me uncomfortable.
The ending itself is perfect IMO.
Rating:
4.5 stars
April 23, 2011
I love the self-torture of reading post-apocalyptic books. I typically start making out a supply list while reading them. The main aspect that draws me to this type of book is the how. There are so many different ways an author can bring on an apocalypse. Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty give the reader a very original take on how it will happen, Dark Magic. This Dark Magic does not only affect people, but it has a major impact on technology. I loved the originality of this book. I have been impatiently anticipating getting this book in my hands. When a friend won an ARC of it on Twitter I think I was more excited about it than she. Readers are given a different take on an apocalypse, a diverse cast of characters, and a sexy romance with an intriguing story. This book is all around greatness.
Jenna Barclay has listened to the crazy prophecies of what her father Mitch believes will happen her entire life. She has grown up watching her father come in and out of her mother’s life with no care that his life in the woods with his cult is breaking her mother’s heart. Needless to say when she is stuffed into the trunk of her own car by someone who claims to be following her father’s orders, she is not shocked by the craziness of it. She just adjusts and immediately plans for escape. John Mason, who respected Mitch Barclay as a father figure has no problems about successfully carrying out the man’s dying wish, protect his daughter when the Dark Age comes. He has spent many years preparing for this event. What he did not plan for is the wild card that he stuffed into a trunk.
Everyone’s main goal is to stay alive. Humans are changing in various ways. Some have become mutant animal like creatures. Jenna and Mason both have pasts that affect how they look at the world and the people in it. Mason planned to protect Jenna and him. He is not prepared when Jenna insists on helping a small group that is in the woods near his cabin. As the group comes together Jenna quickly realizes that it is just how her father predicted. Her father predicted this, he number of people and the roles that they will play in the coming events. She is watching it all unfold around her.
My only complaint about the book is that I have to wait until September and then December to get more of this incredible series.
Jenna Barclay has listened to the crazy prophecies of what her father Mitch believes will happen her entire life. She has grown up watching her father come in and out of her mother’s life with no care that his life in the woods with his cult is breaking her mother’s heart. Needless to say when she is stuffed into the trunk of her own car by someone who claims to be following her father’s orders, she is not shocked by the craziness of it. She just adjusts and immediately plans for escape. John Mason, who respected Mitch Barclay as a father figure has no problems about successfully carrying out the man’s dying wish, protect his daughter when the Dark Age comes. He has spent many years preparing for this event. What he did not plan for is the wild card that he stuffed into a trunk.
Everyone’s main goal is to stay alive. Humans are changing in various ways. Some have become mutant animal like creatures. Jenna and Mason both have pasts that affect how they look at the world and the people in it. Mason planned to protect Jenna and him. He is not prepared when Jenna insists on helping a small group that is in the woods near his cabin. As the group comes together Jenna quickly realizes that it is just how her father predicted. Her father predicted this, he number of people and the roles that they will play in the coming events. She is watching it all unfold around her.
My only complaint about the book is that I have to wait until September and then December to get more of this incredible series.
July 25, 2014
4 ½-5 stars – Post-Apocalyptic/Paranormal Romance
March 19, 2022
Not bad, not amazing.
November 24, 2011
4.25 stars Excellent mix of apocalyptic horror and paranormal romance. This book is like going to the movies. Adrenaline-packed action, fresh take on the werewolf genre, and great characters.
After the world falls into darkness, Jenna is kidnapped by a man who is sent by her late father Mitchell. Mason is a soldier, rescued from the streets by Jenna's father and trained to face the coming apocalypse. Mitchell only asked one thing of him, 'Save my daughter'. Mason takes her to the woods where they fight off bands of vicious mutant dogs while adding other survivors to their group.
I totally loved the horror elements in this book. Echoes of Stephen King, Ilona Andrews, and the movies 28 Days Later and Resident Evil . There aren't any zombies here but the slavering, mindless, dog-like beasts sure are similar.
The secondary characters are excellent. In fact calling them secondary is doing them a disservice because they achieve such growth through the course of the book. Tru (my favourite) is a goth teen misfit who comes into his own and shows his true mettle in the face of danger. Chris is a scientist whose intelligence helps the troupe survive. Ange is a mum who would do anything to save her daughter.
There were a couple of weaker points for me. One was in the history of the apocalypse. I had trouble believing that the rest of the world would pretty much just hunker down and ignore things when Europe, then Asia etc, then the east coast of the U.S. etc started disappearing off the grid.
Secondly when the two MC's are starting to feel their attraction I found Jenna's hot/cold actions and insistence on talking about their feelingsto be off-putting. However this settles down once they do the deed. By the end of the book I really felt their bond. The romance is solid but the story and the secondary characters are what really shine.
This book is the first in a trilogy by writing duo Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. The second book is about Chris and the third book due for release in early December is about Tru!
After the world falls into darkness, Jenna is kidnapped by a man who is sent by her late father Mitchell. Mason is a soldier, rescued from the streets by Jenna's father and trained to face the coming apocalypse. Mitchell only asked one thing of him, 'Save my daughter'. Mason takes her to the woods where they fight off bands of vicious mutant dogs while adding other survivors to their group.
I totally loved the horror elements in this book. Echoes of Stephen King, Ilona Andrews, and the movies 28 Days Later and Resident Evil . There aren't any zombies here but the slavering, mindless, dog-like beasts sure are similar.
The secondary characters are excellent. In fact calling them secondary is doing them a disservice because they achieve such growth through the course of the book. Tru (my favourite) is a goth teen misfit who comes into his own and shows his true mettle in the face of danger. Chris is a scientist whose intelligence helps the troupe survive. Ange is a mum who would do anything to save her daughter.
There were a couple of weaker points for me. One was in the history of the apocalypse. I had trouble believing that the rest of the world would pretty much just hunker down and ignore things when Europe, then Asia etc, then the east coast of the U.S. etc started disappearing off the grid.
Secondly when the two MC's are starting to feel their attraction I found Jenna's hot/cold actions and insistence on talking about their feelingsto be off-putting. However this settles down once they do the deed. By the end of the book I really felt their bond. The romance is solid but the story and the secondary characters are what really shine.
This book is the first in a trilogy by writing duo Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. The second book is about Chris and the third book due for release in early December is about Tru!
February 20, 2015
Forget the zombies, here's the werewolf apocalypse...
The Eastern United States and parts of the world have fallen to a failure of technology and the rise of some nasty magic, but in the West the people have lived in semi-blissful denial despite shortages in fuel and such. But that is about to change and a Warrior has a promise to keep, even though Mason's methods are going to seem extreme to Jenna, the woman he's pledged to save, and his motivation for kidnapping her are going to sound insane - as insane to Jenna as the father who abandoned her and who is the man to whom Mason made his pledge.
I liked the rough around the edges Mason who is a warrior to the core and needs the heroine Jenna because he's all about protection and battle but lacks the flexibility in a time when that may be the key to survival. Both the Jenna and Mason are damaged and seeking acceptance in the midst of the turmoil which surrounds the end of civilization, so they have a fair number of rough spots until they finally trust each other enough to get what they need (and to give the other what he/she needs). But when they do come together it is with a forever kind of intensity and they make a great team.
The final ending which had the survivors of our cast settling into a 'new' normality felt kind of anticlimactic after the action packed emotional roller coaster ride, but I can't imagine any type of happy ending that could have lived up to all that went before - and this was a romance, so a happy ending was a must. But that didn't dim my enjoyment of Nightfall as a whole. Really my only nit was a language one that will seem trivial to most people but jarred me out of the scene.
So I really liked Nightfall a great deal - which had great action, a fair amount of steamy stuff and some pretty intense emotional moments for our starring pair. Nightfall is the first in an 'apocalyptic romance' trilogy. Next up is Midnight starring Dr Chris Welch who goes through a rough time in this book and the final book Daybreak star the kids from this one: Penny and Tru later after they are all grown up.
I just discovered the Ellen Connor is a pseudonym for the author pair Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty - I've never read anything by Lofty, but I like Aguirre who also writes scifi and urban fantasy under her own name and romance as Ava Gray.
The Eastern United States and parts of the world have fallen to a failure of technology and the rise of some nasty magic, but in the West the people have lived in semi-blissful denial despite shortages in fuel and such. But that is about to change and a Warrior has a promise to keep, even though Mason's methods are going to seem extreme to Jenna, the woman he's pledged to save, and his motivation for kidnapping her are going to sound insane - as insane to Jenna as the father who abandoned her and who is the man to whom Mason made his pledge.
I liked the rough around the edges Mason who is a warrior to the core and needs the heroine Jenna because he's all about protection and battle but lacks the flexibility in a time when that may be the key to survival. Both the Jenna and Mason are damaged and seeking acceptance in the midst of the turmoil which surrounds the end of civilization, so they have a fair number of rough spots until they finally trust each other enough to get what they need (and to give the other what he/she needs). But when they do come together it is with a forever kind of intensity and they make a great team.
The final ending which had the survivors of our cast settling into a 'new' normality felt kind of anticlimactic after the action packed emotional roller coaster ride, but I can't imagine any type of happy ending that could have lived up to all that went before - and this was a romance, so a happy ending was a must. But that didn't dim my enjoyment of Nightfall as a whole. Really my only nit was a language one that will seem trivial to most people but jarred me out of the scene.
So I really liked Nightfall a great deal - which had great action, a fair amount of steamy stuff and some pretty intense emotional moments for our starring pair. Nightfall is the first in an 'apocalyptic romance' trilogy. Next up is Midnight starring Dr Chris Welch who goes through a rough time in this book and the final book Daybreak star the kids from this one: Penny and Tru later after they are all grown up.
I just discovered the Ellen Connor is a pseudonym for the author pair Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty - I've never read anything by Lofty, but I like Aguirre who also writes scifi and urban fantasy under her own name and romance as Ava Gray.
June 10, 2011
3.5
I really loved the premise of this book, most of it is action packed, intense and vivid.
Without giving spoilers, I had problems with the consistency of the world building that began with the prologue. Because of that I had a hard time immersing myself in this book.
If you can get beyond that and 'buy' the cause of the apocalypse and the re-emergence magic and the death of some science - you will find that this book does have a ton of action, vivid details (though sometimes over the top) and I love quite a bit of the characterization, though it was at times, inconsistent.
I really wanted to love this book, and I did love many parts of it.
The novel would have been stronger if the prologue and epilogue were left out and those details given during the journey.
I will still eagerly buy and read #2 and #3 in the series and have high hopes that they will be better because the set up will mostly be in place.
I really loved the premise of this book, most of it is action packed, intense and vivid.
Without giving spoilers, I had problems with the consistency of the world building that began with the prologue. Because of that I had a hard time immersing myself in this book.
If you can get beyond that and 'buy' the cause of the apocalypse and the re-emergence magic and the death of some science - you will find that this book does have a ton of action, vivid details (though sometimes over the top) and I love quite a bit of the characterization, though it was at times, inconsistent.
I really wanted to love this book, and I did love many parts of it.
The novel would have been stronger if the prologue and epilogue were left out and those details given during the journey.
I will still eagerly buy and read #2 and #3 in the series and have high hopes that they will be better because the set up will mostly be in place.
April 26, 2018
I went through phases with this book. At first I almost abandoned it, then got really into it, and then skimmed through the last part. So I wasn't sure how to rate this. I had been looking for something post-apocalyptic, with a Mad Max feel. This was more about the demon dogs and shifting so it wasn't quite what I had been looking for and definitely not my usual fare, but there were still some good parts, so I'm just going to rate this middle of the road.
October 31, 2011
Enjoyed this post-apocalyptic journey a lot! It very different than I thought it would be at the beginning, but it ended up exceeding my expectations. It felt very cinematic with tons of action and peril. I wish there had been a little more background given, and just a tad more character development. I am looking forward to the next books in the series!
July 20, 2019
3.5 stars
Not bad. A dystopian romance. Found it weird that the heroine got pissed at hero at times when they should have been thinking of survival but enjoyable.
Not bad. A dystopian romance. Found it weird that the heroine got pissed at hero at times when they should have been thinking of survival but enjoyable.
July 8, 2011
I know, I know. You are probably all looking at my rating and thinking “What the hell is wrong with that Julie?!” *sigh* I have come to the conclusion that Nightfall by Ellen Connor is going to be ‘that book’ to me. That one book that everyone adores but that I just couldn’t find that love for it. I think the writing was superb and the world was interesting, but… Well, let’s just start at the beginning.
Nightfall by Ellen Connor is book one in the new Dark Age Dawning trilogy. It’s a series about what happens during and after the apocalypse of sorts. I always find it interesting to see different people’s take on what could happen during the end of the world, and I found Ellen’s take to be very interesting and completely unique. The end of the world doesn’t happen everywhere and all at once. It started over in Europe and is spreading in pockets. At the beginning of the book, only a part of the U.S. is affected by it. They are in the dark. No technology of any sorts works and demon dog things eat and attack everything. And once you are bitten, you turn into one of these beings. If you are strong, you survive as one. If you are not, you die. A really graphic and horrific death.
Jenna lives in an unaffected part of the States. In fact, those who live there don’t completely believe that the trouble is all that bad because the government is really good at fluffing it. Her father always warned her and others of the upcoming danger, but he was seen as a bit of a kook. Mason made a promise to Jenna’s dad that he would keep her safe once things turned for the worst in her part of the country. So when he sees the signs that the “end of the world” is coming to where Jenna is, he sort of kidnaps her and takes her to a cabin that he set up to keep them both safe and alive.
I thought that was all fine and dandy. Two people, one man and one woman, secluded in a cabin for goodness knows how long. Throw in a huge stressful situation and their need to protect each other and you have the makings for a great romance story. But…suddenly other people show up, crash the party…and never leave.
I enjoyed the pacing of this book. It was filled with action scenes followed by ‘catch your breath’ scenes and over again. And the action was fun to read. Suspenseful – and downright creepy – but fun to read. And whoever originally came up with the idea of those demon dog things…I’m not sure if I should be in awe of their imagination or worried about their mental health. ;) Those are some sinister freakish nightmare worthy things. *shudder*
The part about this book that I had trouble with were the characters themselves. I didn’t feel much for any of them really. Jenna was just fine. Mason was just fine. Together they were…sort of meh. I didn’t have strong feelings about them nor did I connect with their supposed feelings for each other. There was barely a ‘dance’ between them. And even when they are thinking ‘inappropriate thoughts’ about one another, they think about it as though it’s just because they are a man and a woman facing such a dire situation. I just didn’t really believe their romance. And I can’t say I was drawn to any of the other characters either. Well, I was a little curious about Penny and Tru (who will be the hero and heroine of the third book), but even then, not as much as I was hoping I would be. And unfortunately for me, I need that connection to the characters and to their feelings for one another for a romantic story to truly work for me.
So here’s what I say: If you are looking for an explosive romance story, you may be a tinge disappointed. But if you are looking for an action-filled tale with crazy creepy elements and a strong survivor story, definitely check this one out. The story is interesting and the voice of the writers is great. It just wasn’t quite my cup of tea.
2.5 stars
Nightfall by Ellen Connor is book one in the new Dark Age Dawning trilogy. It’s a series about what happens during and after the apocalypse of sorts. I always find it interesting to see different people’s take on what could happen during the end of the world, and I found Ellen’s take to be very interesting and completely unique. The end of the world doesn’t happen everywhere and all at once. It started over in Europe and is spreading in pockets. At the beginning of the book, only a part of the U.S. is affected by it. They are in the dark. No technology of any sorts works and demon dog things eat and attack everything. And once you are bitten, you turn into one of these beings. If you are strong, you survive as one. If you are not, you die. A really graphic and horrific death.
Jenna lives in an unaffected part of the States. In fact, those who live there don’t completely believe that the trouble is all that bad because the government is really good at fluffing it. Her father always warned her and others of the upcoming danger, but he was seen as a bit of a kook. Mason made a promise to Jenna’s dad that he would keep her safe once things turned for the worst in her part of the country. So when he sees the signs that the “end of the world” is coming to where Jenna is, he sort of kidnaps her and takes her to a cabin that he set up to keep them both safe and alive.
I thought that was all fine and dandy. Two people, one man and one woman, secluded in a cabin for goodness knows how long. Throw in a huge stressful situation and their need to protect each other and you have the makings for a great romance story. But…suddenly other people show up, crash the party…and never leave.
I enjoyed the pacing of this book. It was filled with action scenes followed by ‘catch your breath’ scenes and over again. And the action was fun to read. Suspenseful – and downright creepy – but fun to read. And whoever originally came up with the idea of those demon dog things…I’m not sure if I should be in awe of their imagination or worried about their mental health. ;) Those are some sinister freakish nightmare worthy things. *shudder*
The part about this book that I had trouble with were the characters themselves. I didn’t feel much for any of them really. Jenna was just fine. Mason was just fine. Together they were…sort of meh. I didn’t have strong feelings about them nor did I connect with their supposed feelings for each other. There was barely a ‘dance’ between them. And even when they are thinking ‘inappropriate thoughts’ about one another, they think about it as though it’s just because they are a man and a woman facing such a dire situation. I just didn’t really believe their romance. And I can’t say I was drawn to any of the other characters either. Well, I was a little curious about Penny and Tru (who will be the hero and heroine of the third book), but even then, not as much as I was hoping I would be. And unfortunately for me, I need that connection to the characters and to their feelings for one another for a romantic story to truly work for me.
So here’s what I say: If you are looking for an explosive romance story, you may be a tinge disappointed. But if you are looking for an action-filled tale with crazy creepy elements and a strong survivor story, definitely check this one out. The story is interesting and the voice of the writers is great. It just wasn’t quite my cup of tea.
2.5 stars
May 27, 2011
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
NIGHTFALL is the first in a new Paranormal Romance trilogy from Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty (who combined Ellen Ripley from Alien and Sarah Connor from The Terminator to create their pen name Ellen Connor). Co-writers can be hit or miss for me. Ilona and Gordon Andrews, and also Clay and Susan Griffith combine the strengths of both writers to produce books that are better than one writer could pen by themselves. But others tend to be a clash of ideas that produce uneven stories. NIGHTFALL lands right in the middle of that spectrum.
The story grabbed me right away. The world is slowly changing, succumbing to a devastating ‘Change’ that defies explanation. The death of technology begins crawling across our country. People push further and further west to escape it. Rumors and speculations run rampant. Desperate new governments emerge, but the world as we know it still ends. Mason, one of the few who knows what’s coming, literally kidnaps Jenna and flees with her. He plans to hole up with her in a remote cabin while the first wave of devastation hits.
After that killer setup, the plot didn’t develop quite the way I expected for a paranormal romance. Just when things are about to explode between Jenna and Mason, a group of new characters got dumped into the mix. I resented them for their intrusion, specifically the sulky teen, Tru, and it took me a long time to adjust to everyone. If you’ve watched the first season of The Walking Dead, NIGHTFALL is very reminiscent the the last few episodes of the season. A ragtag group of survivors end up in a bunker with a doctor and try and survive the end of the world.
Overall, NIGHTFALL was a fun fast read, combining thrilling danger and steamy romance in a magical post-apocalyptic world. Some of the supporting characters grate at times and I do wish the sudden introduction of magic into our world had been explained more, but the two leads were perfectly matched and their love story was exciting from start to finish. I’m already looking forward to the next two Dark Age Dawning books which will both be released later this year and feature characters introduced in NIGHTFALL. MIDNIGHT in September, and then concluding with DAYBREAK in December.
Sexual Content:
A few graphic sex scenes.
NIGHTFALL is the first in a new Paranormal Romance trilogy from Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty (who combined Ellen Ripley from Alien and Sarah Connor from The Terminator to create their pen name Ellen Connor). Co-writers can be hit or miss for me. Ilona and Gordon Andrews, and also Clay and Susan Griffith combine the strengths of both writers to produce books that are better than one writer could pen by themselves. But others tend to be a clash of ideas that produce uneven stories. NIGHTFALL lands right in the middle of that spectrum.
The story grabbed me right away. The world is slowly changing, succumbing to a devastating ‘Change’ that defies explanation. The death of technology begins crawling across our country. People push further and further west to escape it. Rumors and speculations run rampant. Desperate new governments emerge, but the world as we know it still ends. Mason, one of the few who knows what’s coming, literally kidnaps Jenna and flees with her. He plans to hole up with her in a remote cabin while the first wave of devastation hits.
After that killer setup, the plot didn’t develop quite the way I expected for a paranormal romance. Just when things are about to explode between Jenna and Mason, a group of new characters got dumped into the mix. I resented them for their intrusion, specifically the sulky teen, Tru, and it took me a long time to adjust to everyone. If you’ve watched the first season of The Walking Dead, NIGHTFALL is very reminiscent the the last few episodes of the season. A ragtag group of survivors end up in a bunker with a doctor and try and survive the end of the world.
Overall, NIGHTFALL was a fun fast read, combining thrilling danger and steamy romance in a magical post-apocalyptic world. Some of the supporting characters grate at times and I do wish the sudden introduction of magic into our world had been explained more, but the two leads were perfectly matched and their love story was exciting from start to finish. I’m already looking forward to the next two Dark Age Dawning books which will both be released later this year and feature characters introduced in NIGHTFALL. MIDNIGHT in September, and then concluding with DAYBREAK in December.
Sexual Content:
A few graphic sex scenes.
September 29, 2011
It was an interesting read. I have read precious little books with an apocalypse/desaster theme. I'll limit myself to observations rather than a review. The initial setting is about technology failing globally and what asmall group of people will do to survive in this new Dark Age. Funny, the first thing that pops in my mind is the feel of a good zombie movie or series like the Walking Dead. Mind you there is no zombie in this book (well not the slow brain dead ones anyway) and all the evil creatures are far more intelligents. The clumsy comparison still stands, like good horror games you get a huge number of evil creatures, small group of survivers, little food and limitted amount of ammo.
Having this picture in you head, the story starts with Jenna how is as unprepared for the end of the world as we know it and Mason, the ex-military/cast away/feral individual who will see Jenna through this apocalypse. The survival mode they are on leaves little time to explore their attraction to each other and the build up is so much more satisfying for it.
There is empathy for the evil creatures that populate this universe and this added touch was refreshing, being able to relate and feel a degree of compation for them rather and kill kill kill the brainless zombies.
The only downside I could find is that the author seemed to have constructed her universe and ''lived'' it enough to be familiar and comfortable with it. The problem with that is the beginning of the book seemed added to the story with minimal but effective facts. It is lacking the lenghty descriptions as if they, tothe author, seemed too obvious to put on paper. Once the action starts it is no longer an issue because you are gripped with the story and how it unfolds. A very statisfying read for a debut novel.
Having this picture in you head, the story starts with Jenna how is as unprepared for the end of the world as we know it and Mason, the ex-military/cast away/feral individual who will see Jenna through this apocalypse. The survival mode they are on leaves little time to explore their attraction to each other and the build up is so much more satisfying for it.
There is empathy for the evil creatures that populate this universe and this added touch was refreshing, being able to relate and feel a degree of compation for them rather and kill kill kill the brainless zombies.
The only downside I could find is that the author seemed to have constructed her universe and ''lived'' it enough to be familiar and comfortable with it. The problem with that is the beginning of the book seemed added to the story with minimal but effective facts. It is lacking the lenghty descriptions as if they, tothe author, seemed too obvious to put on paper. Once the action starts it is no longer an issue because you are gripped with the story and how it unfolds. A very statisfying read for a debut novel.
September 16, 2012
When I think of this book, one word comes to mind “PRIMAL.” In this book, the world gets pared down to the most fundamental levels - finesse is out, luxury is out, technology is out. People and animals survive on instinct.
The premise and setting of this story is dark. Ellen Connor does amazing job building a world in which the characters survive by a thread. There are threats all around them - starvation, death due to freezing cold temperatures, transformation by being bitten by one of the rabid animals and turning into a monster. There is serious tension throughout this book. There are so many moments in which, if this were a movie, you’d be peeking between your fingers as you held your hands to your face.
Jenna and Mason’s relationship epitomizes the dual definitions of primal. First, their relationship meets their primitive needs. There is no wooing, no finessing, just hard-driven desire to be needed and loved. Secondly, they become each others primary - the first in importance, each others one and only. Watching this develop, especially watching Mason unfurl leave me so satisfied. It is the best part of watching an alpha develop his “sweet.”
As readers, we should not be surprise by the level of expertise. Ellen Connor is authors Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. You can see both their influences in the story. There is hard driven action, highly suspenseful moments and some of the hottest bedroom scenes (although it doesn’t really happen that much in a bedroom).
If you a fan of Ann Aguirre or Carrie Lofty, even if you are not, if you want to read a highly satisfying, suspenseful book set in a dark,dystopian world, you must read this book.
P.S. That cover is some kind of eye-candy.
For a fuller review: http://loveaffairwithanereader.blogsp...
The premise and setting of this story is dark. Ellen Connor does amazing job building a world in which the characters survive by a thread. There are threats all around them - starvation, death due to freezing cold temperatures, transformation by being bitten by one of the rabid animals and turning into a monster. There is serious tension throughout this book. There are so many moments in which, if this were a movie, you’d be peeking between your fingers as you held your hands to your face.
Jenna and Mason’s relationship epitomizes the dual definitions of primal. First, their relationship meets their primitive needs. There is no wooing, no finessing, just hard-driven desire to be needed and loved. Secondly, they become each others primary - the first in importance, each others one and only. Watching this develop, especially watching Mason unfurl leave me so satisfied. It is the best part of watching an alpha develop his “sweet.”
As readers, we should not be surprise by the level of expertise. Ellen Connor is authors Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. You can see both their influences in the story. There is hard driven action, highly suspenseful moments and some of the hottest bedroom scenes (although it doesn’t really happen that much in a bedroom).
If you a fan of Ann Aguirre or Carrie Lofty, even if you are not, if you want to read a highly satisfying, suspenseful book set in a dark,dystopian world, you must read this book.
P.S. That cover is some kind of eye-candy.
For a fuller review: http://loveaffairwithanereader.blogsp...
September 6, 2011
In this series, the world is being overrun slowly by a surge of magic that is neutralizing all electronic equipment. This black out started in Europe and made its way to the America's East Coast. Those on the East Coast are living a post-apocalyptic survival while Americans to the west are going along with their lives, pretending the fate of the East coast does not affect them. Jenna Barclay is one of these people living an idyllic existence and ignoring the troubles creeping closer.
Jenna is kidnapped by the mysterious ex-Marine, Mason, who claims he was trained by her father and promised her father that he would save her from the darkness creeping over the country. Jenna is a reluctant captive until she realizes that the danger is not the lack of amenities as the electricity goes out, but that the surge of magic is creating creatures of pure evil that are hunting the humans that are left.
Jenna and Mason must work together in order to survive because while Mason has the overt survival skills necessary, he does not have the heart and compassion that Jenna has in order to bring them, and their band of misfits, through the darkness.
I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated, not having read any recommendations from any Goodreads friends. I liked the book because of the story as well as the characters. There were some unexpected events in the book that I did not expect from a post-apocalyptic theme. i.e. there was more magic in the story than I anticipated. The next book, Midnight, came out today and I'm interested to read about more of the characters I met in the first book.
Jenna is kidnapped by the mysterious ex-Marine, Mason, who claims he was trained by her father and promised her father that he would save her from the darkness creeping over the country. Jenna is a reluctant captive until she realizes that the danger is not the lack of amenities as the electricity goes out, but that the surge of magic is creating creatures of pure evil that are hunting the humans that are left.
Jenna and Mason must work together in order to survive because while Mason has the overt survival skills necessary, he does not have the heart and compassion that Jenna has in order to bring them, and their band of misfits, through the darkness.
I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated, not having read any recommendations from any Goodreads friends. I liked the book because of the story as well as the characters. There were some unexpected events in the book that I did not expect from a post-apocalyptic theme. i.e. there was more magic in the story than I anticipated. The next book, Midnight, came out today and I'm interested to read about more of the characters I met in the first book.
September 21, 2014
WOW!!! I mean damn, seriously I didn't think that I would be into this book with all the end of the world , everyone dying stuff. I was so wrong. I fell in love with Mason right away and by the end of the book I just wanted to throw him down and have my wicked way with him! Is that bad?? lol Jenna was pretty good too. lol but Mason, Mmmmm... ok anyway this book was pretty serious and kinda creepy but no zombies so I was cool.
OMG one of my favorite parts was when Jenna was so fed up with Mason and his bad attitude ,(they were in the woods trying to get away from the demon wolves , which makes that part so great!), and she thinks the hell with this and that girl attacked him .She was so pissed at him and I mean she ran at him and attacked him! Oh man it was great!!! Loved it!!!
And the secondary characters I enjoyed a lot. At first when I was introduced to Chris , I wasn't really a fan. But by the end I liked him more. Still not as much as my super hot alpha Mason . Then there was Tru , oh you little pain in the a@@. Ok so the kid grew on me in a major way. I am kinda excited? to read book two which is about Chris. But book three is about Tru and Pen. Hello.. Talk about jumping ahead years. I mean I think I read that Tru and Pen its like 12 years later or something. Whatever ... I will read it happily anyway.
The ending to me was awesome. It had me holding my breath . I was thinking if she ends it this way I just don't know if I can continue with this series. But oh yeah she picked it and melted me right there. It was raw and emotional and I loved it! Loved the Epilogue, 20 months later part. Yumm. Loved seeing that new side of Mason. Mmmmm...
OMG one of my favorite parts was when Jenna was so fed up with Mason and his bad attitude ,(they were in the woods trying to get away from the demon wolves , which makes that part so great!), and she thinks the hell with this and that girl attacked him .She was so pissed at him and I mean she ran at him and attacked him! Oh man it was great!!! Loved it!!!
And the secondary characters I enjoyed a lot. At first when I was introduced to Chris , I wasn't really a fan. But by the end I liked him more. Still not as much as my super hot alpha Mason . Then there was Tru , oh you little pain in the a@@. Ok so the kid grew on me in a major way. I am kinda excited? to read book two which is about Chris. But book three is about Tru and Pen. Hello.. Talk about jumping ahead years. I mean I think I read that Tru and Pen its like 12 years later or something. Whatever ... I will read it happily anyway.
The ending to me was awesome. It had me holding my breath . I was thinking if she ends it this way I just don't know if I can continue with this series. But oh yeah she picked it and melted me right there. It was raw and emotional and I loved it! Loved the Epilogue, 20 months later part. Yumm. Loved seeing that new side of Mason. Mmmmm...
June 23, 2011
I will confess I expected this book to be all romance with a small side order of paranormal action, especially as it's classified as Paranormal Romance. But being an absolute sucker for post-apocalyptic settings and knowing one of the two authors behind the name Ellen Connor was Ann Aguirre (the other being Carrie Lofty), I was curious enough to want to give this book a try.
And I was proven wrong in my assumptions once again!
This book is a seriously awesome post apocalyptic adventure and totally blew me away.
Aguirre and Lofty create a thrilling, dangerous and exciting world, filled with monsters, horrors, heroes, hope and love. The writing is excellent and the story grabbed me from the start: I just couldn't put the book down until I finished it. The characters were all amazing and felt very lifelike. Next to the lead characters there are some really cool other characters and I'm already looking forward to reading the other books in this trilogy as my favourite character will be lead character in book 3.
The romance was both frustrating and satisfying. Jenna and Mason were seriously ruffling each others feathers in a way that made me want to kick them, but at the same time it fit with their personalities and their background, so I'd have been disappointed if they had acted otherwise.
All in all a read that has a big chance of ending up in my list of favourite books of 2011.
And I was proven wrong in my assumptions once again!
This book is a seriously awesome post apocalyptic adventure and totally blew me away.
Aguirre and Lofty create a thrilling, dangerous and exciting world, filled with monsters, horrors, heroes, hope and love. The writing is excellent and the story grabbed me from the start: I just couldn't put the book down until I finished it. The characters were all amazing and felt very lifelike. Next to the lead characters there are some really cool other characters and I'm already looking forward to reading the other books in this trilogy as my favourite character will be lead character in book 3.
The romance was both frustrating and satisfying. Jenna and Mason were seriously ruffling each others feathers in a way that made me want to kick them, but at the same time it fit with their personalities and their background, so I'd have been disappointed if they had acted otherwise.
All in all a read that has a big chance of ending up in my list of favourite books of 2011.
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