Review--Darkness Rising by Keri Arthur

The sexy, thrilling adventures continue in bestselling author Keri Arthur’s new Dark Angels series, starring half-werewolf/half-Aedh Risa Jones.

Risa will go to any lengths to avenge her mother’s murder—even if it means making a pact with the most evil vampire she’s ever met. Lethal and powerful, Madeline Hunter is leader of the vampire council, and will put her resources behind finding the killer—for a price. The venerable vampire requires the assistance of Risa’s psychic powers. Quid pro quo.

Someone—or something—is targeting the elders of the local council, cursing the immortal vampires to rapidly age, sink into madness, and die. Risa must track down the vengeful being responsible. But Risa’s father, a rogue Aedh priest, also enlists her in a dangerous mission. And not even the great Madeline Hunter may be able to protect her from the shadowy forces that desire nothing less than Risa’s destruction.

Keri Arthur's latest installment in her new Dark Angels series is Darkness Rising and oh my was it good!!

Two months have passed since Darkness Unbound, and Risa is still in the thick of things and they only get worse for her. Her mother's killer is on the loose, the keys are missing, Madeline Hunter is breathing down her neck...life just kinda sucks. The only good thing she has is her lover Lucien, but even that seems to be getting more complicated. Lucien is definitely getting higher and higher on my suspicious people list. He doesn't do anything overtly suspicious, but I still have a niggling feeling about that man!

So yeah, things just get complicated for Risa. I was happy that we get more of Azriel in this book! He's there a lot more for Risa in helping her out with this and that. And the tension riding between the two gets heavier! I mean, there's still nothing big happening yet, but like I said, the tension between them is getting thicker and it is of a romantic kind! 

Risa's other problems involve trying to find someone who is killing vampires, vampires with power. Madeline has basically forced Risa to solve the case, or else bad things will happen. Risa having no choice adds the problem to her already full plate. There is more development going on with Risa trying to find the 3 keys, yet that still comes with more problems.

The romance between Risa and Lucien doesn't fizzle due to his weird behavior. It stays the same, but now Risa is starting to wonder things occasionally about him. Everyone, including Azriel, seems to have a secret agenda of their own, leaving very few people for Risa to trust.

Definitely looking forward to the next one. There isn't any major cliffhangers or anything, but the ending does still leave you wanting to more. But alas we must wait til June 26, 2012 when Darkness Devours releases.

Overall rating 4.5/5 stars