REVIEW: Visions of Darkness by A.L. Jackson

In Visions of Darkness by A.L. Jackson, Part of a chosen few who, while asleep, wake up every night in a realm to fight against the evil trying to infiltrate humans’ minds, Pax and Aria bore the weight of that responsibility at a very young age. It set them apart during their waking hours in the modern world. They appeared different physically from others their own age, wearing battle scars from their fights with the Kruen. But Aria and Pax are ‘Nols’, or soulmates in the Laven dreamworld. Though they are forbidden from meeting in real life. In Tearsith, the dream realm, they are each other’s best friend, confidant, and partner in the battles they must wage nightly. But there has always been another side to their bond. One that feels a lot like love.

“Remember your calling. Your purpose. You may seek pleasure awake, a family and love and a normal life. But here? Here, you were born to fight.”

The closer Aria gets to her eighteenth birthday, the more it seems her powers are changing. And somehow, she is able to use them to fight the Kruen even in the human realm, which puts a target directly on her scarred back. When Aria finds herself in harm’s way by those who thought they were keeping her safe, Pax comes to her rescue, breaking one of the biggest rules the Laven have, to never meet outside of Tearsith. But there really is no other option. It will take both of them in the human realm and their other Laven family in the dreamworld to tear down an evil so dark, so malicious, that it will be nearly impossible. Pax and Aria have faith in each other, though. And together, they’ll fight until the very end.

“Make no mistake, I would break every fucking rule in this world and in that one to keep you safe.”

A forbidden romance, the battle of good vs. evil, and a mix of the modern world with fantasy and paranormal elements, VISIONS OF DARKNESS was an intriguing novel that began an exciting new series by A.L. Jackson.

“You chase evil long enough and it becomes easy to recognize.”

CW: View Spoiler »Suicidal thoughts, self-harm & suicide attempt (secondary cast), child abuse, assault & attempted murder, forced institutionalization. « Hide Spoiler

VISIONS OF DARKNESS was a thrilling, deeply emotional story that definitely set off A.L. Jackson’s Darkness series on the right foot. While you can guess by the book *and* series title that it deals with some heavy subjects, the relationship between the main characters, Aria and Pax, was what brought light, heart, and hope to the forefront. But their lives were certainly not easy. Jackson wrote their POVs in a raw, unfiltered way that I think will have readers cheering the couple on while also worrying for their safety in a tumultuous world.

Once I got a grasp on what it was that Aria and Pax were faced with each night when they fell asleep and awoke in a different realm where they fought against the evil Kruen, I absolutely flew through the pages. My heart shattered for the weight of responsibility Pax and Aria bore at such a young age. (Aria was 18, Pax 22) But the bond they had, not just as fated soulmates, or Nols as the Laven call them, but as friends with the potential for more was everything. And as Aria’s powers changed to something she could wield in the human realm, she and Pax knew they were forbidden from meeting in real life. Although they had no choice when she was hunted down by the Kruen.

That’s where the romance came into play, when Pax and Aria finally met face to face. Their lives might have been harrowing in both realms, but they were just so perfect together. And they made a great team facing down their foes. The battles they waged won’t be easy for some readers to get through (see the CW list if you’re sensitive to certain subjects) yet Jackson was careful to not go too far with it all. It was just the right balance of dark and light, heartbreak and hopefulness to keep readers glued to the pages.

QOTD: Have you read any of A.L. Jackson’s work? Any favorites to recommend?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: January 7th, 2025 | Montlake | Darkness #1

Destined to be together, forbidden to love, two lost souls fight evil in an everyday world that belongs to the night. A dark romantasy by a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

Aria Rialta is a girl of two realities. One she was born to. The other she was chosen for. Both are a threat.

Every night when Aria falls asleep, she enters the nightmare world of Faydor to fight a war. It’s her calling to help destroy the Kruen, who feed sin and chaos to our everyday world of vulnerable humans. It would be a lonely realm in which to do battle if not for Pax, Aria’s dangerously irresistible soulmate whose mere touch can kill. It’s also a realm that’s getting harder to escape.

Aria’s hallucinations are seeping into her waking world. And the Kruen are coming for her. To help Aria, Pax must do what no one in Faydor has dared to do before—join his soulmate in the light of day. Giving in to their forbidden attraction could be the death of them, but they might not be able to stop themselves as they embark on a cross-country journey to fight the evils hunting them.

As their desire grows, so do Aria’s untapped powers, and a menacing new force far darker than the Kruen.