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msbookworm92's review against another edition
3.0
A long read
I started off not liking it and I had never read a.book.About demons but then came the constant shocking moments that I wasn't expecting.
I started off not liking it and I had never read a.book.About demons but then came the constant shocking moments that I wasn't expecting.
howarda's review against another edition
4.0
.
Can't wait to read more. But the minimum word requirement for this review is dumb. Five more words to go.
Can't wait to read more. But the minimum word requirement for this review is dumb. Five more words to go.
amanda_the_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Darkness Brutal by Rachel A. Marks is the first book in The Dark Cycle trilogy. This book has a supernatural theme with angles and demons running around ruining the main character’s life. Marks did a great job with the story line. I did hate the love triangle; however, I understand how it moves the plot along and sets the reader up for the next book in the series.
cbsears104's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. First half was very slow, pretty interesting story overall though.
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like the cliffhanger.
Darkness Brutal was an interesting introduction into The Dark Cycle series. In it, you will meet Aiden. When he was younger he saw something tragic happen: his mother's death. She died from a demon.. and for some reason he thinks it's back. Not for him, but for his little sister Ava. So they are on the run and he is constantly in protection mode when it comes to her.
Then there's Kara. She was an interesting romantic interest.. because there were hints about a love triangle in this one. I hate those but this one was just so confusing. I honestly didn't really care who he ended up with.. I just wanted to know more about this whole demon thing and it's interest with his family.
Other than that, it was a little hard to get into. I think it took me maybe a couple of chapters, or ten to get into it. I was just constantly confused or kept getting so many questions for what was happening in this book. I got little answers here and there and I'm interested enough to dive into the next book but I want some more answers! I also really want this to pick up a bit and be less confusing.
Darkness Brutal was an interesting introduction into The Dark Cycle series. In it, you will meet Aiden. When he was younger he saw something tragic happen: his mother's death. She died from a demon.. and for some reason he thinks it's back. Not for him, but for his little sister Ava. So they are on the run and he is constantly in protection mode when it comes to her.
Then there's Kara. She was an interesting romantic interest.. because there were hints about a love triangle in this one. I hate those but this one was just so confusing. I honestly didn't really care who he ended up with.. I just wanted to know more about this whole demon thing and it's interest with his family.
Other than that, it was a little hard to get into. I think it took me maybe a couple of chapters, or ten to get into it. I was just constantly confused or kept getting so many questions for what was happening in this book. I got little answers here and there and I'm interested enough to dive into the next book but I want some more answers! I also really want this to pick up a bit and be less confusing.
zoraidasolo's review against another edition
Trigger warning for rape threat in the first 60 pages.
Diverse cast. Fans of ANGEL will enjoy.
Diverse cast. Fans of ANGEL will enjoy.
celsius273's review against another edition
3.0
This 3 stars is a good three stars. It was good, but not blow away good.
Darkness Brutal was actually pretty well done. The best part was the paranormal/urban fantasy aspect, but the characters were pretty nice too!
The story starts with Aidan fighting off a demon - we’re literally thrown right into action - and it’s a nice introduction into what we’ll be dealing with in this book. It’s biblically rooted (with demons and angels and a heavenly battle going on) but in more of a Greek/Roman mythology way where the gods (well, God) are quite close to the main characters, or at least not like people treat God now. Aidan and his sister are orphans - their mom died, and both of their fathers are nowhere to be found - and Ava is being bounced around between foster homes while Aidan is living it out on the streets. He’s basically balancing caring for himself and trying to get Ava somewhere safe all the while fighting off Demons.
This kinda brings me to what I didn’t like about this book. Aidan and Ava’s past is just not explained well enough. We learn plenty about all the ways a Demon can be contained, banished, killed etc (sacred dirt, salt circle, Latin/Hebrew biblical chanting etc.) and that part’s great and all, but I want to know about how Aidan and Ava got to where they are. How did he learn how to do all that stuff? How did he get out of the foster system yet his sister isn’t? How did he actually survive on the streets!?
I think if the author were to write a novella prequel, something up to par with the quality of this book, it would be perfect because this book was really engaging. I think it comes down to all of the action and how the characters support each other, yet also bicker a lot. Aidan finds himself at the LA Paranormal house, run by a young guy named Sid, which is a safe house for kids like Aidan with the ability to sense and interact with the supernatural. It turns out that while their theoretical knowledge of demons and ghosts is pretty good on, Aidan finds their skills in sensing/dealing with them pretty lackluster.
But, and here’s the important thing, Aidan doesn’t spend time feeling superior. The other characters are pretty in awe of all that he can do (and there’s an explanation for why he’s so strong) but Aidan stays focused on keeping his sister safe, on holding back the darkness from invading Earth. And he even comes to be part of the LA Paranormal family. I mean they’re all living in the same house, spending the whole day together, and getting into near death experiences: of course they’d have all have a great bond.
So it turns out that ghosts and the occasional demons aren’t the only thing LA Paranormal has to deal with anymore (but to say they were effectively dealing before is a stretch.) It turns out that something (or multiple someones) are trying to force their way through “the veil” which divides Earth from hell (and the rest of the biblical paranormal world.) On top of that, his sister is a time bomb, he is weirdly bound to two different girls (yes there’s romance, but it’s not annoying though it does get a bit creepy at times), and his powers are starting to go weird. Yes, Aidan is certainly dealing with a lot.
I’ve started the second book already, and hopefully it does some more explaining of their past or perhaps why none of them seem to be in school. Still, I liked how the first book leaves off - it’s a nice balance between excitement and leaving things open for the rest of the series.
Darkness Brutal was actually pretty well done. The best part was the paranormal/urban fantasy aspect, but the characters were pretty nice too!
The story starts with Aidan fighting off a demon - we’re literally thrown right into action - and it’s a nice introduction into what we’ll be dealing with in this book. It’s biblically rooted (with demons and angels and a heavenly battle going on) but in more of a Greek/Roman mythology way where the gods (well, God) are quite close to the main characters, or at least not like people treat God now. Aidan and his sister are orphans - their mom died, and both of their fathers are nowhere to be found - and Ava is being bounced around between foster homes while Aidan is living it out on the streets. He’s basically balancing caring for himself and trying to get Ava somewhere safe all the while fighting off Demons.
This kinda brings me to what I didn’t like about this book. Aidan and Ava’s past is just not explained well enough. We learn plenty about all the ways a Demon can be contained, banished, killed etc (sacred dirt, salt circle, Latin/Hebrew biblical chanting etc.) and that part’s great and all, but I want to know about how Aidan and Ava got to where they are. How did
Spoiler
his momI think if the author were to write a novella prequel, something up to par with the quality of this book, it would be perfect because this book was really engaging. I think it comes down to all of the action and how the characters support each other, yet also bicker a lot. Aidan finds himself at the LA Paranormal house, run by a young guy named Sid, which is a safe house for kids like Aidan with the ability to sense and interact with the supernatural. It turns out that while their theoretical knowledge of demons and ghosts is pretty good on, Aidan finds their skills in sensing/dealing with them pretty lackluster.
But, and here’s the important thing, Aidan doesn’t spend time feeling superior. The other characters are pretty in awe of all that he can do (and there’s an explanation for why he’s so strong) but Aidan stays focused on keeping his sister safe, on holding back the darkness from invading Earth. And he even comes to be part of the LA Paranormal family. I mean they’re all living in the same house, spending the whole day together, and getting into near death experiences: of course they’d have all have a great bond.
So it turns out that ghosts and the occasional demons aren’t the only thing LA Paranormal has to deal with anymore (but to say they were effectively dealing before is a stretch.) It turns out that something (or multiple someones) are trying to force their way through “the veil” which divides Earth from hell (and the rest of the biblical paranormal world.) On top of that, his sister is a time bomb, he is weirdly bound to two different girls (yes there’s romance, but it’s not annoying though it does get a bit creepy at times), and his powers are starting to go weird. Yes, Aidan is certainly dealing with a lot.
I’ve started the second book already, and hopefully it does some more explaining of their past or perhaps why none of them seem to be in school. Still, I liked how the first book leaves off - it’s a nice balance between excitement and leaving things open for the rest of the series.
lattes_lipstick_literature's review against another edition
2.0
Actual Rating 2.5
I've had this book for a while now on my kindle, I honestly have no idea when I got it, how I got it, or if anyone gave it to me. I decided to read it though because that is the goal of #beatthebacklist. Reading this book took a lot out of me. Honestly, while I did like the main character everyone around him annoyed me. This is honestly because of the whole 'Everyone knows vital information but are going to lie and not share until the last minute but you still need to trust me' trope that most YA authors seem to be using. I know why authors use it because it's the easiest way to keep readers in the dark and have a huge twist at the end. I will admit I liked the twist, but I saw it coming a mile away which made the secrets even more annoying.
I don't mind love triangles if done right then it can really boost the story, but what happens if I like neither of the female love interests? One of them had serious mood swings, it was like riding a weird roller coaster that you can see the tracks of. Her backstory is pretty sad, and I would have sympathized with her had Marks not tried so hard to make her just the complete opposite of the other love interest, who was just so needy and bland that I honestly cannot remember her name (Jessica, Rebecca something that ended in A?).
The plot was pretty interesting despite all these flaws though. Marks did her research on Demon and Angel lore which made some parts really interesting. The beginning of the book was really interesting and if she had expanded upon Aidan's homelessness, his loneliness and his need to protect his sister without those group of paranormal investigators I may have liked the book more. This is a trilogy but I am extremely hesitant to continue. I'll have to think about it more.
I've had this book for a while now on my kindle, I honestly have no idea when I got it, how I got it, or if anyone gave it to me. I decided to read it though because that is the goal of #beatthebacklist. Reading this book took a lot out of me. Honestly, while I did like the main character everyone around him annoyed me. This is honestly because of the whole 'Everyone knows vital information but are going to lie and not share until the last minute but you still need to trust me' trope that most YA authors seem to be using. I know why authors use it because it's the easiest way to keep readers in the dark and have a huge twist at the end. I will admit I liked the twist, but I saw it coming a mile away which made the secrets even more annoying.
I don't mind love triangles if done right then it can really boost the story, but what happens if I like neither of the female love interests? One of them had serious mood swings, it was like riding a weird roller coaster that you can see the tracks of. Her backstory is pretty sad, and I would have sympathized with her had Marks not tried so hard to make her just the complete opposite of the other love interest, who was just so needy and bland that I honestly cannot remember her name (Jessica, Rebecca something that ended in A?).
The plot was pretty interesting despite all these flaws though. Marks did her research on Demon and Angel lore which made some parts really interesting. The beginning of the book was really interesting and if she had expanded upon Aidan's homelessness, his loneliness and his need to protect his sister without those group of paranormal investigators I may have liked the book more. This is a trilogy but I am extremely hesitant to continue. I'll have to think about it more.
megb2084's review against another edition
5.0
Epic story
This was a kindle first pick. Randomly selected. I'm so glad i did. The story sucked me in late last night and finally let me go tonight. Love, lust, deception, war and family. This book has all that and more.
This was a kindle first pick. Randomly selected. I'm so glad i did. The story sucked me in late last night and finally let me go tonight. Love, lust, deception, war and family. This book has all that and more.