REVIEW: In Still Darkness by Dianne Duvall

In In Still Darkness (Immortal Guardians #3.5) by Dianne Duvall, Richart d’Alencon is an Immortal Guardian, a being who rids the world of vampires intent on harming humans. He has been doing so for two centuries, yet he has never taken time to follow his heart and fall in love. When he rescues Jenna from the clutches of several vampires, Richart feels instant chemistry with her which takes him completely by surprise. He knows that giving in to his desire for Jenna, who is a human, could put her in harm’s way, so Richart does everything in his power to keep her safe. But when her health becomes an issue, he must find a way to explain who he really is and that it could be a way for them to stay together forever.

‘He didn’t know how to do this. How to reveal all of his secrets. How to coax a human into accepting him without fear and loathing. A human whose scorn he couldn’t bear to face.’

Jenna McBride couldn’t help but take notice when Richart walked into the store she manages at night. Dressed in all black, he looks formidable but treats her with a respect she’s not known in years. As a single mom, her social life has admittedly gone by the wayside, but Richart charms her into a dinner date. Jenna doesn’t know why, but she can somehow sense she can trust him, that he will protect her. He’s also wonderful with her son John, who is going to medial school, and didn’t get freaked out by their age difference. Jenna begins to think Richart is too good to be true, when he suddenly appears out of nowhere in her living room, looking like he’s been through a huge battle, one the likes of which a supposed security specialist like himself should never see. As she finds out the truth behind Richart’s abrupt arrival, Jenna will have to decide if it is too dangerous to keep him in her life, or if she can bear to let him go.

“You…teleported into the living room.”

Alarm surged through him.

“Sporting fangs.”

He clamped his lips shut.

“Drenched in blood.”

Holy hell.

“With glowing eyes.”

Every curse word he knew in every language he had ever learned paraded through his mind.

In Still Darkness is a quick novella where we readers get to follow along as Richart and Jenna fight vampires, fall in love, and make decisions that will change the course of their lives.

If you haven’t read any of the Immortal Guardians series yet, there will be a lot of information thrown at you in this novella. But it is absolutely doable to begin here and understand the world author Dianne Duvall has created. And an interesting world it is. Although the idea of a virus being the cause of vampirism isn’t a new concept in paranormal romance, the formation of a breed of “gifted ones” called Immortal Guardians is new and rather enticing. Thanks to the guardians being at war with the vampires, keeping them from killing humans in their madness, there were several action scenes in which each guardian’s gift is highlighted.

I thought the dynamic between Richart (pronounced Ree-shart) and Jenna was fun and really pulled me into the story. He was protective of her from the start, and not just because he’s a guardian. They had an instant attraction that felt pretty realistic. And I thought it was rather cute that a two hundred year old man, albeit he looks to be in his twenties, was nervous to ask Jenna out, who is in her late thirties. To me, it was very endearing, showing that Richart would never dream of hurting her. Now, of course with this being a shorter story, their relationship moved along at a fast pace, but I think overall Ms. Duvall did a good job of keeping it on track and letting the plot fall into place as it should have.

I think In Still Darkness is an intriguing novella that paranormal fans will enjoy. I look forward to book five, Night Unbound, later this year when we get to know Richart’s sister Lisette better.

Book Info:

Published July 29th 2014 by Zebra Books | (Immortal Guardians #3.5)

Originally published in “Predatory”

“In Dianne Duvall s world of Immortal Guardians, the stakes for mortals are high, but the cost especially to the heart might be higher ”

It s not the first time Immortal Guardian Richart d Alencon has saved a human life from eternal damnation. Usually, he moves on, a nameless savior like a ghost in the night. But this time he can t seem to forget the woman who rewarded him with a sensuous kiss after he rescued her from a trio of vampires. While Richart knows that loving a human can only bring trouble, the taste of forbidden lust is too great to resist

Jenna never imagined she d end up a single mom working overtime to put her son through school. But she might have daydreamed once that a devastatingly gorgeous Frenchman would sweep her off her feet. Now that a package of tall, dark, and handsome seems intent on doing just that, doctors are telling her she may not have long to live. But Richart is telling her just the opposite. All she has to do is abandon her humanity

Includes a special sneak peek of Night Unbound