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SCENT OF DARKNESS – Christina
Dodd  Darkness Chosen, Book 1 A Perfect 10 Signet Eclipse ISBN: 978-0-451-22173-5 July 2007 Paranormal Romance Washington State – Present Day A thousand years ago a deal was struck between a man and the devil. The man, Konstantine Varinski, was already evil -- the deal just ensured is viciousness would live on in his heirs. In exchange for his soul, the first Varinski gained the power to change form to that of a predator, and from that day on, the name Varinski struck terror in the hearts of all who knew of them. In all the years a Varinski never fell in love, they took women without care or remorse and bred sons on them. From the day the deal with hell was struck, no female children were born of the Varinskis. Then one Varinski defied the devil. Konstantine Wilder fell in love with his Romany lover and fled his homeland and the evil that is the Varinskis. To Konstantine and his beloved Zoranna, three sons were born, and then ten years later...a daughter. Present Day The Wilder family is a close and loving family, ruled by the stern but softhearted Konstantine. At the annual family Fourth of July celebration, tragedy strikes. Zoranna has a vision that tells of Konstantine’s eternal damnation if the pact with the devil is not broken before he dies. Konstantine is struck down by a mysterious ailment and it seems that the Wilders have not escaped the evil that runs in their very blood. In order to save Konstantine’s soul, the Wilders must find the four family Icon’s destroyed by the first Konstantine and spread to the four corners of the world. In the prophecy, Zoranna claimed that her four sons must return the icons to the family, and that only their loves would bring the icons home. Jasha Wilder is a highly successful businessman, but his mother’s prophecy, his father’s illness, and the darkness he carries within has him seeking sanctuary away from his family. There he can run as a wolf and try to find a way to save his father’s soul. The last thing Jasha expects is for his ever-efficient assistant, Ann Smith, to arrive unannounced with seduction on her mind. If he had known she was coming, he would never have risked being found in his wolf form. Ann Smith has loved her boss Jasha since the day she started working for him four years ago. However, quiet, efficient Ann would never have the courage to approach him, or would she? Deciding that she has nothing to lose, Ann drives to Jasha’s home in the Washington Mountains determined to let him know how she feels. Unfortunately, her plans for seduction turn into a terror filled adventure of trying to escape the wolf who is also her boss. When Jasha catches Ann, the passion between them is explosive. But despite the fact that Ann still loves Jasha, she fears him as well. Additionally, it soon becomes apparent that the Varinskis have found Jasha and are determined to destroy the entire Wilder clan, for it seems Konstantine’s break with his family has put a strain on the pact with the devil, and now both heaven and hell are battling for the souls of Konstantine and his children. Jasha will do anything to protect his family, but now he must find a way to protect his mate Ann as well. As the two flee into the wilderness, danger is just one step behind, and while Jasha reluctantly shares all the secrets of his family, Ann has a secret of her own that could be his salvation or his eternal damnation. As passion and danger weave a seductive spell around Ann, she will have to decide what is real and whom she can really trust. Whew! SCENT OF DARKNESS, the first book in Christina Dodd’s new series, Darkness Chosen is chock full of danger, excitement, passion and romance. Jasha Wilder is a man torn between the darkness inside him and the good man he was raised to be. When his passion for Ann breaks his control, he is sure he’s as damned as his ancestors, but he cannot let her go. Not only is Ann his mate, she holds the key to helping him return one of the Icons to the family. Ann has lived her entire life alone and, until Jasha, fully expected to remain alone. But there is something about Jasha that forces her out of her shell and makes her risk everything for a chance at love. While she is sure that she loves Jasha, she is afraid to let him know all her secrets, and fears that if he learns the truth about her he will turn away. Secondary characters consist primarily of Jasha’s family, and are well developed, and add much to the story. The synopsis above is long, and yet barely touches on all the things happening in SCENT OF DARKNESS. The plot is unique and gripping (the trailer for this novel on the author's website is just as chilling and engrossing as the novel itself), the characterization exemplary, and the dialogue witty, emotional and realistic. While the premise of SCENT OF DARKNESS is darker than one might except from a Dodd novel, the author lightens the tone with well-placed moments of humor and characters who engage the reader on many levels. Jasha and Ann make a perfect couple, even if their relationship is fraught with moments of fear, mistrust and deceit. The reader will understand all of their omissions and know that some things are meant to be revealed as they are revealed. Too much information from either Jasha or Ann to the other would have sent one or both of them running in opposite directions. The attraction between them needed to solidify into a passion born of the heart and soul before each could be completely honest with the other. For a novel that will entertain, delight, and completely captivate you, I highly recommend SCENT OF DARKNESS, a novel well deserving or RRT’s Perfect 10. The next book in the series, TOUCH OF DARKNESS, is schedule to for release in August 2007, and I cannot wait to read it. Terrie Figueroa |
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