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morganbrown2900's review
4.0
Darkest heart is the first book of this series also my first book read by this author. I enjoyed this book it was interesting and kept my attention until the very end. Can't wait to read more books by Juliette Cross.
karen720's review
4.0
Copy received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
It’s entertaining and exciting, I liked the characters, the romance and the world building and I’m looking forward to the next book.
I so love me an anti-hero, especially one that underneath it all there's still that inherent goodness. Dommiel had that in spades despite his living on the knife edge of good and evil.
A fabulous paranormal romance about redemption that had me glued to the page, recommended.
Release: August 20, 2018 | Genre: Fantasy/PNR | Dual POV - 1st person | Heat: 4 | Standalone - Dominion #1 | Publisher: Entangled Publishing LLC
It’s entertaining and exciting, I liked the characters, the romance and the world building and I’m looking forward to the next book.
I so love me an anti-hero, especially one that underneath it all there's still that inherent goodness. Dommiel had that in spades despite his living on the knife edge of good and evil.
A fabulous paranormal romance about redemption that had me glued to the page, recommended.
Release: August 20, 2018 | Genre: Fantasy/PNR | Dual POV - 1st person | Heat: 4 | Standalone - Dominion #1 | Publisher: Entangled Publishing LLC
cely212's review against another edition
5.0
When Ms. Juliette Cross stated she was going to write Dommiel’s story I was super excited. I was excited because we all know of a character in a story we all want to know more of. Well in this case it was Dommiel for me from the Vessel trilogy (which even though it is a separate series it is built in the same universe and is connected) do you have to read them; no, because it explains the background of who Dommiel was.) however, I do recommend it so you can fully understand the universe itself and fully see how Dommiel truly changed. If you believe he changed I knew he had some good in him and Anya was the person to fully pull it out of him. If you are a sucker for a person who tends to be on the crazy side but is loyal to those he care for, I suggest you read this book it isn’t a let down. Love how it showed the internal struggles he endured from his fall. The whole time he looked for ways to redeem himself, (even when he was on denial that he was and truly believed he was set for failure he ended up finding it through the love he had for an angel).
ames599's review
4.0
When first starting Darkest Heart I was confused. There is a lot of backstory you simply don't know. I actually stopped reading to check if this was a second work in a series to explain how much I felt I was missing. Once you get over the fact that you're thrown directly into a world where you have to figure out the backstory as you go, the book is extremely enjoyable. It's fast paced, and as you go along you get a much better sense of who these characters are, as well as, what exactly has happened to make the world the war torn way it is. It's got romance, fighting, a kick ass heroine, and a bad boy with a heart of gold. What more can you ask for?
**I received an copy of this work from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
**I received an copy of this work from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
befreckledreader's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bananatricky's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 44%. First off, let me just say, it's me not the book.
The angels and demons have started waging war on each other and the humans are caught in the cross-fire. Anya is an angel who has become disillusioned with the angels and their disregard for human life, she's been bitten by a demon prince and has very little time before she becomes his thrall.
Dommiel is a demon who has grown sick of the violence and the war, when a favour is called in he can't refuse, but soon the unthinkable happens, the demon and the angel have feelings for one another.
Let me be 100% honest, the reason I did not finish the book was because what I really wanted was an urban fantasy type arc where Anya and Dommiel love from afar but but do nothing for at least three or four books. When the plot veered towards instant resolution my interest waned. I wanted snark and unrequited love and angst but what I got was more instalove.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The angels and demons have started waging war on each other and the humans are caught in the cross-fire. Anya is an angel who has become disillusioned with the angels and their disregard for human life, she's been bitten by a demon prince and has very little time before she becomes his thrall.
Dommiel is a demon who has grown sick of the violence and the war, when a favour is called in he can't refuse, but soon the unthinkable happens, the demon and the angel have feelings for one another.
Let me be 100% honest, the reason I did not finish the book was because what I really wanted was an urban fantasy type arc where Anya and Dommiel love from afar but but do nothing for at least three or four books. When the plot veered towards instant resolution my interest waned. I wanted snark and unrequited love and angst but what I got was more instalove.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
glimpses_of_my_books's review against another edition
5.0
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cranberrytarts's review against another edition
4.0
I read and enjoyed another novel by Cross, and this one sounded intriguing so I decided to give it a go. I like that each book in this series features a different couple. I've been reading a lot of UF lately, so this was a nice change.
In this apocalyptic world, the war between Heaven and Hell waged quietly for millennium, until the gates opened and battles between angels and demons started raging on Earth. Humans - those who survived - are just trying to find a safe place to exist, while the lines between good and evil blur...
Anya is desperate to find the archangel Uriel. She is slowly being poisoned by the essence of a demon and Uriel is the only one who can remove it before it turns her into a mindless slave. With the help of a friend, she enlists the aid of High Demon Dommiel to help her locate and rescue Uriel. Anya has always fought on the side of Good, and has no love for demons, but Dommiel is different. From the beginning they have a deep connections, and he makes her want things she never even thought about before.
Dommiel was once the High Demon of New Orleans. He's committed a lot of sins since his Fall, and he's not done yet. He will have Anya, he can't help himself. Walking away may prove to be impossible, but how can a demon and an angel who fight on different sides of the war ever make it work?
Anya used to fight for the angels, but now she and Uriel, along with some others, are fighting for the humans - trying to save them before it's too late. Dom was betrayed by the one who was closest to him, and he was cast out of heaven, then branded a traitor to demonkind. Now he works as a mercenary, helping the human resistance and others ...for the right price. I really liked the world and the way Cross blurred the lines between good and evil. Nothing is black and white, and it's surprising what allies you find in the gray shadows. The romance was also well done. I liked watching Dom fall for Anya, and her open up to him. Her faith and trust were given so freely, I couldn't help but laugh at how he tried to resist..and couldn't.
All in all, a great start to a new series. I can't wait to read the next two books (which feature characters I fell in love with here).
Rating: 4/4.25
In this apocalyptic world, the war between Heaven and Hell waged quietly for millennium, until the gates opened and battles between angels and demons started raging on Earth. Humans - those who survived - are just trying to find a safe place to exist, while the lines between good and evil blur...
Anya is desperate to find the archangel Uriel. She is slowly being poisoned by the essence of a demon and Uriel is the only one who can remove it before it turns her into a mindless slave. With the help of a friend, she enlists the aid of High Demon Dommiel to help her locate and rescue Uriel. Anya has always fought on the side of Good, and has no love for demons, but Dommiel is different. From the beginning they have a deep connections, and he makes her want things she never even thought about before.
Dommiel was once the High Demon of New Orleans. He's committed a lot of sins since his Fall, and he's not done yet. He will have Anya, he can't help himself. Walking away may prove to be impossible, but how can a demon and an angel who fight on different sides of the war ever make it work?
“So that’s what it feels like,” he mumbled, his breath coming heavy as he tilted toward sleep.
“What, what feels like?” I asked into the dark, the moonlight painting the coverlet silver.
I thought he’d fallen asleep entirely, but then, “To fuck a woman I’d die for.”
Anya used to fight for the angels, but now she and Uriel, along with some others, are fighting for the humans - trying to save them before it's too late. Dom was betrayed by the one who was closest to him, and he was cast out of heaven, then branded a traitor to demonkind. Now he works as a mercenary, helping the human resistance and others ...for the right price. I really liked the world and the way Cross blurred the lines between good and evil. Nothing is black and white, and it's surprising what allies you find in the gray shadows. The romance was also well done. I liked watching Dom fall for Anya, and her open up to him. Her faith and trust were given so freely, I couldn't help but laugh at how he tried to resist..and couldn't.
All in all, a great start to a new series. I can't wait to read the next two books (which feature characters I fell in love with here).
Rating: 4/4.25
deannasworld's review
5.0
Darkest Heart is filled with Juliette Cross’s trademark intensity, blinding emotion, and heated passion. The sensual pull will draw you in and sink you deep into this world she has created.
When I first started this book, I was very anxious because I desperately wanted Ms Cross to do Dommiel justice. He was such a pivotal character in the Vessel trilogy and the dichotomy of personality versus his actions made me want to see him redeemed. I had wondered how Ms Cross was going to do it. Needless to say I was not disappointment. I fell more and more in love with Dommiel with every page I turned.
Dommiel burns with an intensity that will leave you gasping for air. His character is deep and complex as you uncover the layers that makes up his soul. The supposed evil of his being against his actions that brand him a traitor to his kind. The blood bond from acts of goodness that ties him to Genevieve and his loyalty to her despite the bond. Dommiel is complicated. But he's also sexy as all heck, dark, dominant, and commanding. And when he talks dirty, I'm ready to melt into a puddle. If there is one word I would choose to use to describe Dommiel, it is intense. He sets the pages on fire with it. As you read, you feel it deep within your heart. Dommiel will grab you in a choke-hold and not let go. And it's likely you want won't him to either. You'll gladly suffocate under his dominance.
I knew I was going to like Anya from the moment I met her in the Vessel trilogy. She carries with her such a sense of purity of purpose and innocence. It doesn't make her naive or oblivious to the world, she has seen too much and done too much for that, but her souls shines with a brightness that is almost blinding. She's fiercely loyal, caring, and protective. I enjoyed her conflict as she tried to understand Dommiel and her feelings for him. In a world filled with darkness, Anya is a bright light that shines through. She's so easy to fall in love with and care about. For her dedication and her sacrifice, she makes you want the very best for her.
Even though I had a rocky start with this book, which was entirely my own fault because I was not in a good reading space, Dommiel, Anya, and the story pulled me in. By the time I got to the end, I was fully invested in them, and utterly in love with Dommiel.
Ms Cross did a wonderful job of creating a bleak, post-apocalyptic world but also infusing it with hope, passion, and fire. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
See more from Deanna's World
When I first started this book, I was very anxious because I desperately wanted Ms Cross to do Dommiel justice. He was such a pivotal character in the Vessel trilogy and the dichotomy of personality versus his actions made me want to see him redeemed. I had wondered how Ms Cross was going to do it. Needless to say I was not disappointment. I fell more and more in love with Dommiel with every page I turned.
Dommiel burns with an intensity that will leave you gasping for air. His character is deep and complex as you uncover the layers that makes up his soul. The supposed evil of his being against his actions that brand him a traitor to his kind. The blood bond from acts of goodness that ties him to Genevieve and his loyalty to her despite the bond. Dommiel is complicated. But he's also sexy as all heck, dark, dominant, and commanding. And when he talks dirty, I'm ready to melt into a puddle. If there is one word I would choose to use to describe Dommiel, it is intense. He sets the pages on fire with it. As you read, you feel it deep within your heart. Dommiel will grab you in a choke-hold and not let go. And it's likely you want won't him to either. You'll gladly suffocate under his dominance.
I knew I was going to like Anya from the moment I met her in the Vessel trilogy. She carries with her such a sense of purity of purpose and innocence. It doesn't make her naive or oblivious to the world, she has seen too much and done too much for that, but her souls shines with a brightness that is almost blinding. She's fiercely loyal, caring, and protective. I enjoyed her conflict as she tried to understand Dommiel and her feelings for him. In a world filled with darkness, Anya is a bright light that shines through. She's so easy to fall in love with and care about. For her dedication and her sacrifice, she makes you want the very best for her.
Even though I had a rocky start with this book, which was entirely my own fault because I was not in a good reading space, Dommiel, Anya, and the story pulled me in. By the time I got to the end, I was fully invested in them, and utterly in love with Dommiel.
Ms Cross did a wonderful job of creating a bleak, post-apocalyptic world but also infusing it with hope, passion, and fire. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
See more from Deanna's World
literaryfeline's review
4.0
Review originally posted on my blog, Musings of a Bookish Kitty:
https://www.literaryfeline.com/2018/08/bookish-thoughts-darkest-heart-by.html
Darkest Heart (Dominion, #1) by Juliette Cross
Entanged/Amara, 2018
Romance/Fantasy; 348 pgs
Source: E-copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I can always count on Juliette Cross to write an addicting novel that has me craving more. Darkest Heart is an apocalyptic novel set during the war between angels and demons, where humans are surviving by a thread. Dommiel is a high demon on the outs with his own kind. He is both powerful and dangerous--not someone you would expect to have a blood vow with an archangel, one he would do anything for. When she asks him to assist an angel in her quest to find another archangel, Dommiel agrees. It has little to do with the beautiful stoic angel in front of him who stirs something deep inside him, although that does not hurt.
Anya has spent time on the battlefield as a warrior fighting for the angels, having long ago given up her post as a guardian angel. What Dommiel does not know is that she carries the deadly poison of a demon prince and her only hope is to find the Archangel Uriel. She must find him--and fast--or risk coming under the prince's control.
Anya feels the attraction to Dommiel too, but tries to fight it. She is innocent in her own way--at least when it comes to vice, although can definitely hold her own. Dommiel plays the role of the big bad guy, but he is more complex than that. Although Anya helps melt his dark heart, I got the impression his heart wasn't as dark to start as he would want everyone to believe. There is definite chemistry between the two characters, and they are well matched in personality and skill. Both of them struggle with whether a match like theirs could possibly work--and, of course, there is the little matter of Anya's secret.
The world the characters live in is indeed dark. The signs of the war are everywhere and a person (or angel or demon) can never be sure who to trust. The reader meets quite a few different types of characters throughout the novel, from human to witch to angel and demon. The author has crafted a world that is not necessarily one I would want to live in myself, but certainly would visit again.
Darkest Heart has plenty of action and romance, which is just what I was hoping for when I began reading. I will definitely be reading more in this series in the future.
On a side note, I once had a cat we called Anya, named after a demon in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. She was definitely more like an angel though.
https://www.literaryfeline.com/2018/08/bookish-thoughts-darkest-heart-by.html
Darkest Heart (Dominion, #1) by Juliette Cross
Entanged/Amara, 2018
Romance/Fantasy; 348 pgs
Source: E-copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I can always count on Juliette Cross to write an addicting novel that has me craving more. Darkest Heart is an apocalyptic novel set during the war between angels and demons, where humans are surviving by a thread. Dommiel is a high demon on the outs with his own kind. He is both powerful and dangerous--not someone you would expect to have a blood vow with an archangel, one he would do anything for. When she asks him to assist an angel in her quest to find another archangel, Dommiel agrees. It has little to do with the beautiful stoic angel in front of him who stirs something deep inside him, although that does not hurt.
Anya has spent time on the battlefield as a warrior fighting for the angels, having long ago given up her post as a guardian angel. What Dommiel does not know is that she carries the deadly poison of a demon prince and her only hope is to find the Archangel Uriel. She must find him--and fast--or risk coming under the prince's control.
Anya feels the attraction to Dommiel too, but tries to fight it. She is innocent in her own way--at least when it comes to vice, although can definitely hold her own. Dommiel plays the role of the big bad guy, but he is more complex than that. Although Anya helps melt his dark heart, I got the impression his heart wasn't as dark to start as he would want everyone to believe. There is definite chemistry between the two characters, and they are well matched in personality and skill. Both of them struggle with whether a match like theirs could possibly work--and, of course, there is the little matter of Anya's secret.
The world the characters live in is indeed dark. The signs of the war are everywhere and a person (or angel or demon) can never be sure who to trust. The reader meets quite a few different types of characters throughout the novel, from human to witch to angel and demon. The author has crafted a world that is not necessarily one I would want to live in myself, but certainly would visit again.
Darkest Heart has plenty of action and romance, which is just what I was hoping for when I began reading. I will definitely be reading more in this series in the future.
On a side note, I once had a cat we called Anya, named after a demon in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. She was definitely more like an angel though.