EDGE OF DARKNESS by J.T. Geissinger – Review

Edge of Darkness 3D

Edge of Darkness (Night Prowler #4) by J.T. Geissinger
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Release date: December 10 2013
Source: Finished copy from author
Pages: 432

five stars

In a word: A sexy paranormal with a hot and charismatic male MC, an adorable female MC that stole my heart, full of unexpected humor, and as usual, a perfectly paced story with loads of danger.

“Jesus Christ, honey, what’s going on? Are you hurt? I’ve never heard you cry! And I’ve never heard anyone cry like that. It sounds like someone’s skinning a cat! Tell me what’s happening, I’m about to blow an O ring!”

Obscure car engine references from a hysterical gay man who’d broken into her house in the middle of the night after she’d discovered her sort-of boyfriend was something right out of a Stephen King novel; the world had officially ended.

It’s always nice to dive into a book written by an author you know is going to deliver the goods. That’s how I feel every time I read a J.T. Geissinger story, and Edge of Darkness was no different. The fourth book in her Night Prowler series, Edge of Darkness can be read as a stand-alone, but if this is your first time reading J.T.’s books, you’ll drop everything you’re doing to catch up on the first three books, trust me. This time around the feel of the book is different, but in a good way. Rather than immerse the reader in the paranormal world of the Ikati, shapeshifters who can shift into panthers, Geissinger focuses on a very human character for most of the story, which I found to be a nice change of pace. Ember seems normal on the outside, but she’s hiding a terrible secret from her past and keeping everyone at arm’s length to avoid human interaction. I loved her character, and after reading this book I think it’s safe to say that Geissinger creates human characters that are just as well drawn as the mysterious Ikati that she’s brought to life in the rest of her series.

Edge of Darkness takes place in Barcelona, Spain, where Ember Jones has lived for the past six years. She lives alone and works at an antiquarian bookstore, guarding herself from human interaction as much as possible, still fragile after a tragic event that changed her life forever. Ember isn’t looking to make new friends in Barcelona, and she certainly isn’t looking for a romantic entanglement. But one day an enigmatic man named Christian comes into the bookstore to buy a mint condition copy of Casino Royale, and Ember’s quiet life is turned upside down. Christian’s magnetism draws her in, but Ember is determined not to fall for him, even though he is obviously intrigued by her and won’t leave her alone. When an evil Ikati from Christian’s past shows up in the city, Christian and Ember find themselves in the middle of an Ikati war and must join together to keep each other safe. But safety is just an illusion, as Ember is about to find out, when she discovers that Christian is not at all who he seems to be.

I was pleased to see several characters from past books make an appearance in Edge of Darkness. Christian’s brother Leander, who is the main character in the first book, Shadow’s Edge, appears briefly and not only moves the story forward but fills us in on several important plot points that are going on off-stage. I was less thrilled (yet excited!) to see the return of the evil Caesar, the Ikati who caused so much sorrow at the end of Rapture’s Edge. And even if you haven’t read the other Night Prowler books, Geissinger adds just enough information to bring newbie readers up to speed without spoiling the story.

Even though I adore the lore of Geissinger’s Ikati, I loved the human characters that stole the show in this installment. Ember is a very human girl, one who makes mistakes, says the wrong things at the wrong time, and has trouble making up her mind, especially when it comes to Christian. Her dialog and endearingly clumsy actions keep her rooted in the present day, and make her a wonderful foil for the mysterious and dangerous Christian. Ember doesn’t take shit from anyone, especially Christian, and I loved that even though you know the two are going to hook up eventually, it’s a rocky road to bliss, which makes it all the more thrilling when the clothes finally start coming off. Oh, did I forget to mention the sexiness of Geissinger’s stories? It’s one of the reasons I keep coming back for more! But awesome sex scenes aside, I also appreciated the sweetly romantic moments between the two, like the way Ember keeps showing up at Christian’s house dripping wet, having walked there in the rain.

I also fell in love with Ember’s close friend Asher, a gay man who lives in her apartment building and acts as the comic relief from the angst and menace of the situation with the Ikati. Asher is a slightly over-the-top character, but despite that I loved how loyal and protective he is toward Ember. And his reaction to seeing Christian for the first time? Priceless. Geissinger also introduces us to Clare, a young girl with cystic fibrosis who has the most positive outlook on life that I’ve ever seen. And while she doesn’t add much to the plot, Clare’s presence is a reminder to Ember that life is short and should be lived to its fullest.

Several factions of Ikati enter the picture, just as Christian and Ember start to let their guards down, and the last half of the book is an exciting race for survival as the different groups meet and clash in unexpected ways. Once again Geissinger proves to be a master at pacing, inserting comedic and romantic moments just where they’re needed, and leaving the reader breathless as the action (both in the bedroom and out) heats up. Some surprises at the end made me wonder if we might get to see more of Ember and Christian in future books, but knowing how the author structures her series, I’m not sure this will happen.

In any case, Geissinger plants some clues at the end that will hopefully lead into the fifth book of her series, Darkness Bound, which comes out next summer. June can’t come soon enough for me, since the Night Prowler series seems to get better and better with each new book. Romance, sex, danger, humor and secrets—Edge of Darkness has it all.

Big thanks to the author for supplying a review copy!

You can find Edge of Darkness here:

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Connect with the author: * Website * Twitter * Goodreads * Facebook *

And don’t miss these Night Prowler books!

Book One: Shadow’s Edge

Book Two: Edge of Oblivion

Book Three: Rapture’s Edge

Posted December 11, 2013 by Tammy in Reviews / 2 Comments

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