Book Review -- When Darkness Comes

One of the books I received in the box o' books was When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, Book 1) by Alexandra Ivy which is the first book in her Guardians of Eternity series. (Published January 2007 by Zebra - Paperback Edition - 380 pages) Genre is Romance (man-woman) with sub-genres of fantasy and suspense.

It's been a hell of a day for Abby Barlow. In just a few hours, she's survived an explosion, watched her employer die, had a startling dream, and now she finds herself in a seedy Chicago hotel with the sexy, unearthly Dante, a vampire she both desires and fears.

For 341 years, Dante has stood as guardian to The Chalice, a mortal woman chosen to hold back the darkness. A terrible twist of fate has now made Abby that woman. Three hours ago, Dante would have used all his charms to seduce her. Now she is his to protect. And he will do so until his very death.

A terrifying plan has been set in motion, one that will plunge Dante and Abby into an epic battle between good and evil -- and a desperate race to save their love...

Ivy has woven a very compelling story. The writing is well done and fast paced. The book starts with a bang. There is a bit of uneven pacing toward the middle of the book but it's not overly obvious. I polished this book off in a single day.

The characters are well written with an undeniable chemistry between Dante and Abby. Abby is very funny and Dante is sarcastic. The banter between the pair really brings them to life and is refreshing, more like two people on the first few dates rather than ancient warrior and unwilling heroine. Though I could have done without the constant reminders of Abby's terrible childhood. The secondary characters are well fleshed out, not two-dimensional, with motivations explained. Her setting descriptions are just the right amount to keep you in the story.

I'm looking forward to reading the next books in this series: #2 Embrace the Darkness, #3 Darkness Everlasting, and #4 Darkness Revealed.