DARKNESS RISING – Keri Arthur
A Dark Angels Novel, Book 2
Dell
ISBN: 978-0-440-24573-5
November 2011
Urban Fantasy

Melbourne, Australia – Present Day

Risa Jones still hasn't gotten her life back to its normal routine. Instead of spending time with her friends and running the restaurant she, Tao, and Ilianna own together, Risa is stuck in the middle of a huge battle between supernatural forces. Everyone wants her to find the keys to the portals between the Light and Dark paths, easier thought of as heaven and hell, and they all have their own agendas for the keys. Unfortunately, Risa is the only person alive who can locate the keys, so as much as she wishes she could leave all the searching and fighting behind, no one will let her.

Risa's only way out of this mess is to find the keys and destroy them so no one can operate the portals. The only problem is, she doesn't know where they are, no one does. Risa does have the advantage of being able to sense the keys, it's just finding them that's the problem. And on top of her key-finding mission, the head of the Directorate has a special assignment for Risa, and if she ever wants to find out who killed her mother, Risa has no choice but to solve the problem.

Another action packed novel in the Dark Angels series, DARKNESS RISING is as good, if not even better, than the first. Poor Risa just can't catch a break, but the suspenseful journey is a literary goldmine for readers. Risa's reaper shadow, Azriel, plays an even bigger role in this novel than the last, and his connection to Risa is changing him, as well as making for some fascinating reading to watch the two characters interact.

This is one of those series where you just can't wait to see what happens next. Risa's task is a difficult one, and she had some clues to the whereabouts of the first key, but for the rest she's on her own. Readers will be eagerly anticipating the next novel after finishing DARKNESS RISING!

While reading book one in the series, DARKNESS UNBOUND (OCT 2011), is not required, it is recommended for full understanding of the plot and Risa's task. And those who have read Ms. Arthur's previous novels in the Riley Jensen series will see a few returning characters in DARKNESS RISING, but that series is not necessary to fully comprehend the Dark Angels series. Be on the lookout for the third Dark Angels book, DARKNESS DEVOURS, coming July 2012.

Amanda Toth