By: Lauren Dane
Published By: Berkley
Released : Available Now
Details: Paperback From Library, 276 Pages
RATING: 4.25 ALPHA DOMINIC STARS!!
Blurb: Goodreads
Meriel Owen, next in line to control the largest organization of witches in the country, is asked to investigate the owner of a notorious club reportedly siphoning magic from the font of the Clan. It’s a direct violation of the Clan Code of Conduct, but one look at Dominic Bright and Meriel’s willing to make a deal. One taste of the sexually feral outlaw witch, and she’s eager to go further: he’s her bond mate, a legal conduit into the world of Clan witches and their magic.
Playing by the rules isn’t Dominic’s style, but bonding with Meriel—night after explosive night—is. However, Meriel has unwittingly invited someone else into her world: Dominic’s mother, a dangerous and poisonously influential magic addict whose lust for death and power corrupts all she touches. Now her shadow is closing in on Meriel, her Clan, and the man Meriel loves, and it’s casting them all into the inescapable heart of darkness.
I liked this witch vs mages book quite a lot. Heart of Darkness is a quick read, in saying that, I did have to grab on to my concentration handles tightly with the first few chapters and the world building. We are given a lot of info and I had to slow it down to absorb the ‘what’ of everything.
In a nutshell, Meriel Owen is next in line to Clan Owen. They are the witches who are keeping their territory well policed and hidden from humans.
There are Hunters, who track down and ‘sort out’ the wannabe baddies. Nell and Gage are great sub characters, this is their role. Nell is also an awesome friend to Meriel. She brings out Meriel’s more girlier side.
There are other clans of witches, but Clan Owen is the topic of this story. Edwina is head witch and she is Meriel’s mother. I was not sure how to take Edwina at first as Meriel seemed to like to stay out of her way, but I dig Edwina. She has a big job , a serious job that needs a serious attitude.
There are bond mates. You don’t have to have a sexual relationship with a bond mate. You will know when you and your bond mate cross paths.
Dominic Bright happens to be being a naughty boy and getting himself some free Owen magick for his club. Meriel decides to go and sort out Mr Bright for his wrongs and finds herself a bond mate.
Dominic is ALL ALPHA male. I love this guy. He is smart and street wise, he also has a gorgeous buddy named Simon Leviathan who happens to be a Lycion, a Were. Simon is a great character. He knows how to talk to Dominic.
“You’re being a grumpy fuck, who is going to have my fist in his eye in about five seconds.” Simon growled at Dominic from across the table.
Dominic slumped , looking around for the eighth-millionth time, hoping to see Muriel and then remembering she was gone. And then he’d start missing her again. Even more than he had an hour before.
His friend looked around and then shook his head. “Get your head out of your ass. Damn it, Dominic. You are one of the smartest guys I know. Street smarts, business smarts. You are a survivor for a reason and that’s because you are fearless when it comes to the truth.”
Now we come to the villains of the story, the mages who are human gain their energies through rites witches condemn. They steal the magick. Mages need blood magick to survive. Mages are killing witches and this is seriously pissing off Clan Owen.
Stuck witches are turned witches. A witch who has become addicted to stolen magick. Their own magick becomes severed from the rituals they used to gain the stolen magick. To be stripped of your own magick eventually starves a witch and they will die.
Meriel is a character that grew on me. She is bold and sassy and is well matched for Dominic Bright. I love her attitude towards Dominic. She wants to pounce , but she holds herself at a distance which only intensifies what they feel between them. Dominic was raised differently. He doesn’t like to play by the rules so she has to show him that there is nothing to fear from being accepted into a Clan. There is only much to gain.
I loved watching Dom work his feelings out for Meriel. He knows she can handle herself and that doesn’t sit well with him. He wants to be her hero, her protector.
By the time he hit the sidewalk outside she was already making her way up the block.
She waved to him like it was totally normal to scare the shit out of him on a daily basis.
“Why are you smiling?”Annoyed, he turned away and escorted her home.
“Because you’re ridiculously hot when you get protective.”
Dominic has some tough decisions to make. His foster father Tom, is a brilliant character. Love him to bits. Tough but fair. It would have been fun growing up with him, in a guy way. All the outdoors activities and firm hand that only later in life did Dominic appreciate. It helped shape the man he became.
He wanted to show her off, he could admit it, at least in his head. He wanted to present her to Tom and have Tom see what an amazing woman he’d fallen for. Wanted Tom to approve of how he’d made his life better.
A quick sexy read with sub characters you want to get to know more. Simon is next in his book, Chaos Burning. I am looking forward to it.
Rawrrrr.
His friend looked around and then shook his head. “Get your head out of your ass. Damn it, Dominic. You are one of the smartest guys I know. Street smarts, business smarts. You are a survivor for a reason and that’s because you are fearless when it comes to the truth.”
Now we come to the villains of the story, the mages who are human gain their energies through rites witches condemn. They steal the magick. Mages need blood magick to survive. Mages are killing witches and this is seriously pissing off Clan Owen.
Stuck witches are turned witches. A witch who has become addicted to stolen magick. Their own magick becomes severed from the rituals they used to gain the stolen magick. To be stripped of your own magick eventually starves a witch and they will die.
Meriel is a character that grew on me. She is bold and sassy and is well matched for Dominic Bright. I love her attitude towards Dominic. She wants to pounce , but she holds herself at a distance which only intensifies what they feel between them. Dominic was raised differently. He doesn’t like to play by the rules so she has to show him that there is nothing to fear from being accepted into a Clan. There is only much to gain.
I loved watching Dom work his feelings out for Meriel. He knows she can handle herself and that doesn’t sit well with him. He wants to be her hero, her protector.
By the time he hit the sidewalk outside she was already making her way up the block.
She waved to him like it was totally normal to scare the shit out of him on a daily basis.
“Why are you smiling?”Annoyed, he turned away and escorted her home.
“Because you’re ridiculously hot when you get protective.”
Dominic has some tough decisions to make. His foster father Tom, is a brilliant character. Love him to bits. Tough but fair. It would have been fun growing up with him, in a guy way. All the outdoors activities and firm hand that only later in life did Dominic appreciate. It helped shape the man he became.
He wanted to show her off, he could admit it, at least in his head. He wanted to present her to Tom and have Tom see what an amazing woman he’d fallen for. Wanted Tom to approve of how he’d made his life better.
A quick sexy read with sub characters you want to get to know more. Simon is next in his book, Chaos Burning. I am looking forward to it.
Rawrrrr.
Michelle
