DemonessTenebrae

The title of the book is absolutely appropriate. There is a lot of passion (amongst other things) being unleashed...

Wraith, the third wild and uncontrollable brother has been poisoned and he's dying. Shade and Eidolon have turned Heaven and Hell in search of a cure but they found nothing. The poison was delivered by the assassin hired by his lost brother, Roag. And another assassin was working on taking Shade and Eidolon down with Wraith. Oh, the sacred brotherly love (and I mean all brotherly because that second assassin has his own secret tucked away behind all that leather).

Serena is a human female that was blessed with the Charm and a necklace to protect her from all harm and evil while she remained a virgin. She was working with the Aegis on finding and retrieving valuable artifacts. She could willingly give her Charm to another but that would mean taking her own life because right before her mother passed this on to her she was infected by a demon disease and she was dying beyond hope of salvation. If she would give in to temptation and lose her Charm she would also forfeit her life.

Be warned... some spoilers...

Now, Wraith needs that Charm of hers, not just to save his life but the hospital and lives of his brothers as well. Even though he thought this would be a piece of cake because why would he possibly care for a human, he can't seem to make himself take that final step. He discovers his conscience and a whole lot of other emotions that he had bottled up inside. Not that things aren't complicated as it is but a fallen angel steps into the mix and tries to open the doors of Heaven with the necklace and the Charmed one's blood so he could let all the demons in to bring about the Armageddon.

And let's not forget about all the other side-stories, such as Gem and Kynlan that play hot and cold all the time, the presence of a new brother that also seems to have a soft spot for Gem, finding a traitor amongst the Aegi, discovery of a Wraith's child, Reaver, the beautiful fallen angel and many many more.

Can it get better than this? Unlikely.

Wraith, a tortured lost soul finding himself and his path. Not even the idea of dying and dooming the hospital and his brothers couldn't compel him to take Serena's life. Nothing could. He has fallen in love with her against all odds. In a human female and a virgin on top of that. The most unlikely scenario for Wraith. When he finally admitted his feelings, everything seemed to settle in its own place. He found the strength to fight against the fallen angel, kill his good friend, face the death of his beloved and her transition to a vampire and ultimately apologize to his brothers for his bad behavior over the course of many years. Even accepting his child, an innocent life into his hands.

Serena is a strong woman. A woman that will not back down even when she has no chance of winning. She is a perfect mate for Wraith. And on top of that she loves archeology, not to study it in college but to live it in real life treasure hunts. I think she handled everything just right. She was hurt because Wraith lied but she also tried to understand and she never gave up. That is my idea of a strong female. The one that feels the pain and the loss and the lies but doesn't run away, nope, she stands up and finds the reason why and takes her time to consider it. She has fought alongside Wraith, she has fought him as well as she fought for him. She believed in him and gave him a benefit of a doubt. I loved that. There is just so many young adult, paranormal romance and fantasy novels out there where heroines get slapped on their wrists a bit and they run screaming in terror and never once took the word of the man they love.

All of these elements together make up a wonderful, can't-put-down, dark, enticing read.

This story was special for me. First of all, I wanted Wraith from the beginning, his personality, looks, everything made him (to me) better than his brothers. He loves coffee and animals (cats especially, oh yeah). Serena loves archeology and traveling which makes her very similar to me. Last but not least, Wraith is a vampire (yep, I'm drooling) and he saves Serene from death by making her one. It all fits perfectly.

The author is very talented. The way she develops the storyline and the hero/heroine  connection and how she pulls us in to her story is amazing. You have to cheer for them and bite your fingernails when something's not right. You feel the heroine's pain as if it were your own and you most certainly imagine all the other benefits she enjoys with her mate. There is a certain awe inspiring feeling when such a strong capable man as Wraith shows his weaknesses. It's kind of breathtaking.

" Wraith paused at Serena's voice. She was right behind him. "I told you to stay where you are."
"Last time I looked, you weren't my boss."
So she was sassy and spirited. An admirable yet annoying combination. "

"He put his hand on her knee.
She picked it up and put it back in his lap.
Crash. And. Burn. "

"Even coffee didn't appeal to him anymore.
No coffee. He might as well be dead already. "