REVIEW: Brighter Than the Sun by Darynda Jones

In Brighter Than the Sun (Charley Davidson #8.5) by Darynda Jones, From the moment Reyes Alexander Farrow went into his dreamworld and saw Charley ‘Dutch’ Davidson, he knew they were connected in a way that couldn’t be explained. Over the years, Reyes would use the realistic daydreams where he visited Dutch to overcome some of the physical and emotional torment dealt out by his father Earl.

‘I’ve died a hundred deaths, but I’m alive. Because of her. Because of her light. Because of her smile.’

But as Reyes realizes how different he is from others, possessing knowledge of Hell and who was marked for that destination, he wonders if there could be any truth to the vivid dreams of Dutch. Could she be real? In his attempt to get his sister Kim out of Earl’s house and into a safer place, Reyes will find out exactly what he is capable of and if Dutch does exist after all.

‘I wish she were real. She’s getting older and more beautiful with each passing day, and even though she’s a figment of my fucked up imagination, I love her. To the very depths of my soul.’

Charley Davidson fans are sure to be rejoicing with the release of Brighter Than the Sun. (I know I am!) We finally, finally, get the inside scoop on the troubled, dark life Reyes Farrow led before making Charley his own.

‘He’s going to kill me someday. I just have to hold on long enough to get Kim to a safe place.’

Poor Reyes. You would think being the son of Satan would be bad enough. But as we learned in this novella written from his POV, growing up with Earl as his earthly ‘father’ was probably eons worse. Reyes’s tale is definitely not for the fainthearted. It goes into detail about the atrocities forced upon him and his ‘sister’ Kim while they were under Earl’s control, as well as Reyes’s stint in prison. I would definitely suggest reading this only if you’ve read at least some of the series where this skips around to particular events that changed or shaped Reyes’s life and his connection with Charley.

Now, this is not the quirky, snarky, comical type of Charley Davidson story we are used to where it isn’t from Charley’s quirky, snarky, comical POV. Instead, this was a powerful look at how Reyes grew up on earth and how Charley, or as he calls her, Dutch, became his salvation. I loved that her light and essence helped heal him physically, mentally and emotionally. And that he loved her as completely as anyone could love another. Dutch and Reyes were destined to be together and it was interesting to see how that changed from one outcome to a totally different one through Reyes’s determination.

Brighter Than the Sun will prove what we readers already knew about mysterious Reyes: he is brave, smokin’ hot, selfless, utterly devoted to his Dutch, smokin’ hot (did I already mention that?), and completely badass for all he’s endured.

Book Info:

Publication: Published October 6th 2015 by St. Martin’s Press | Charley Davidson #8.5

All his life, Reyes Alexander Farrow has suffered the torments of the damned. Only one thing has given him hope: the woman who radiates a light that no mortals can see; a light that only the departed can see…

Told from his point of view, BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN chronicles the first time Reyes ever encountered Charley, and how their relationship has been the one thing that can either save him or doom him.