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Book Review of The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Bk 6)

The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Bk 6)
The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Bk 6)
Author: Keri Arthur
Genre: Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
PengQueen avatar reviewed on + 114 more book reviews


So this is book six in a nine book series about Riley Jenson, werewolf/vampire and bad guy hunter. I really feel that these should be read in order if at all possible--there is something of an overarching plot as well as a lot of character developement.

In this book Riley is again tackling two seperate bad guys. One, and intestine eating vampire out for revenge against the people that tormented him when he was a teen. The other, a cat shifter who is swallowing the souls of her human prey and taking on their form. First of all, the two villain thing has become something of a formula for these books. I get that the author is trying to show how caotic Riley's life is and at the same time, involve all the main characters as much as possible. Even if I suspend the disbelief that two separate and apparently rare evil doers could fall under one gaurdian's radar at the same time, I'd still be bothered by how disjointed the plot becomes as a result. Yes, I was happey to see Rhoan and Liander, and watch their relationship evolve. Yes, I was pleased that Quinn returned. The author did a good job of showing Riley's developement and shifting world view, even in the midst of the rushing plot. But I would have appreciated a few more quiet moments, maybe just one less villain.

My other comment is that while the plot of the individual book is fast paced, if I at the series wide plot I'm forced to call it slow. If you break it down and look only at what actually changes in Riley's life and how the continuity is altered, you will see changes from book one to this point but they're pretty small. Yes, her character has developed and the way she sees things has altered. And she has a few extra powers. But it's nowhere near the changes I would expect over a six book period.

Overall, I liked this book. I like this series. I will, of course, go on to read the rest. If you're an urban fantasy fan, I think you'll enjoy it too. The series has it's good points and bad points, but it's worth checking out.