Review Tour + #Giveaway: Dark Longing by Aja James @megami771 @GoddessFish

Dark Longing

by Aja James

GENRE: Paranormal, fantasy romance

BLURB:

“Every story has more than one side, like a crystal that captures and reflects different colors of light. Do not take for granted what you think you know… for until you hold the entire jewel in your palm, the temptation is to fall prey to illusion and deception.”

This is a story of the Dark Ones…

Inanna: the vampire warrior

Known as the Angel of Death among her Kind, she has lived millennia alone, one of the remaining True Bloods in existence, unconsciously longing for the one male she could never have…

Gabriel: the forbidden human

His soul recognizes hers from the first encounter. With the first touch, he is awakened… Though he does not know it, he has been searching for her across the ages…

But even as they are finally reunited, their love faces seemingly impossible odds. Would history repeat itself or will they break all the rules and chart a new course together?

Excerpt:

Vampire.

That is what I and my Kind are called.

Bloodsucker. Demon. Devil’s Spawn.  Fiend. Incubus. 

Monster.

I cannot say whether I am or am not these things. 

I suppose it depends on one’s point of view.

To the humans whose blood, and sometimes souls, I take for survival, I suppose I might appear somewhat… dangerous.  But it is all a matter of perspective. 

So allow me to give you mine.

I was born.  I was not made.

Nor am I a Pure One who chose the so-called Darkness over an excruciating death when they surrendered their love to the wrong person.

I am simply, and always have been, as I am.

There have been times, oh so many times in the millennia that I have lived, that I resented, raged, railed against my existence. 

To the Goddess.  To the Heavens.  To the Universe at large.

 

But it wasn’t always that way. 

I was born into privilege and luxury.  Royalty, even. 

There was a time, all those thousands of years ago, when vampires ruled the earth.  Pure Ones were inferior chattel and humans were our livestock. 

And then the Great War reversed the balance of power. 

History, as they say, is written by the victors.

And now I and my Kind are hunted like vermin by the very creatures who used to kneel at our feet.  There are also human factions who know of us (or at least think they know) and target us for extermination, torture, experimentation, even just for the sport of it.  What was once the most powerful civilization the world has ever seen is now in crumbled ruins, its noble citizens degenerating over time into renegades, thieves, lawless parasites.

Few of us True Bloods remain. 

Most have either perished in the Great War or in the Purge of the aftermath.  Over time, Pure Ones who have lost their faith joined our ranks. 

And in this new era, vampires can also be made.

It is this last type of predator that we should all guard ourselves against, for they have no compunction, no morals. 

Only thirst. 

Never-ending, unquenchable thirst for the blood and souls of others.

But this is no longer my concern—this galactic battle between Good and Evil.  I ceased to care which was good and which, evil, the day that he betrayed me.  I only live for my daughter and son. 

My beloved Dark Ones…

My Review:

Inanna is a vampire and is known among her kind as the Angel of Death which is how she met Oliva a young woman who is sick and dying. Oliva figures out from the beginning what Inanna is or the gist of it anyways. Olivia and Inanna become fast friends and Olivia asks Inanna if she will take care of her five-year-old son and her husband Gabriel. But of course with Inanna being who she is Olivia’s request does not come without a price that she must pay.

After her death, Benji tells his dad Gabriel that his mom, Olivia wanted Inanna to be his new mother and for all three of them to be a family. Benji wants to go to the park to see Nana so with Gabriel never meeting her before he is all for it. He wants to check out this woman that his wife and son have been such good friends with for so many years and he had no clue.

When Gabriel and Inanna meet they are drawn to each other instantly. Inanna has been attracted to Gabriel for a long time now as she has been watching over Gabriel and Benji as she promised. It doesn’t take them long to figure out they are made for each and they want to spend the rest of their lives together. But this could be a problem for them as Inanna is a vampire, a dark one and Gabriel is human. But Inanna is willing to sacrifice everything to have Gabriel and Benji in her life. Inanna may have to face more than her cove members and her queen when she is challenged by another vampire who wants Gabriel for her own.

I really enjoyed reading Pure Healing the first book in the Pure/ Dark Ones series and getting to know all the characters and then seeing some of them reappear in Dark Longing book two of the Pure/ Dark Ones series. Although I loved reading Pure Healing I did like Dark Longing so much better. I can’t wait to read the next book Dark Desires as Aja James’ writing just seems to get better and better and wanting more and more.

I think I liked Dark Longing better because of Benji I really liked seeing our characters interact with him and besides he is so smart for a five-year-old. I can’t wait to read more about Benji in future books. I also liked how Gabriel and Inanna hit it off so well and who Gabriel was in the past and them being soulmates.

I believe that anyone who loves reading about vampires and a lot of loving in their books then you will love Dark Longing but I do suggest that you read Pure Healing as well so you can get to know some of the characters and their wonderful stories better. Dark Longing is filled with lots of twist and turns, mystery, suspense, vampires and a whole lot of love with a high level of heat. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Aja has been writing stories since the age of six, and novels since the age of thirteen. While she'd be the first to admit that those early efforts weren't particularly good, she sure loved putting them down on paper!

The best part of writing, according to Aja, is that it’s completely organic, the way the stories develop. When the inspiration hits, she writes just so she herself can learn where the characters are headed because oftentimes, they take her by surprise! It is her ultimate dream to share her stories with as many readers as she possibly can.

Her other loves include art, cooking, old movies (anything with Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Clark Gable, and all the song and dance numbers because she can’t watch them and not be happy!)

She adores taking long walks with her husband and running after her two rambunctious kids. She has traveled extensively (all seven continents except Antarctica) and has a multi-cultural upbringing. She speaks two and a half languages and binge watch TV shows when the mood strikes.

Aja has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Comparative Literature and Economics and two Master’s degrees, one of which is in East Asian Studies.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog ~ Goodreads

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Giveaway:

$20 Amazon or B/N GC

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