A review by kimberlybea
Eve of Darkness by S.J. Day
3.0
This is a fun read, that really stands out from the rank and file of urban fantasy novels, although the premise does remind me a little of the television show Reaper. Eve is a Mark, a hunter of the supernatural and damned, who is torn between two brothers, the biblical Cain and Abel. As a recent recruit, she is busy learning the ropes while dealing with Infernal creatures such as the tengu and the Nix. When Infernals start appearing with no scent or sign of their identity, is Eve way over her head?
This book, the start of a new series, has a lot going for it, and most of my criticisms have to do with personal preference more than anything else. Eve is a strong character, and I like that, although receiving her Mark gives her superhuman abilities, it's often her intelligence that gets her out of trouble. I tend not to like books that use Bible stories, demons and angels as plot devices---a preference that the agnostic Eve herself might understand. However, the world here is multi-cultural, with the Infernals being creatures out of various world myths, and I like that, and I also like the notion of the archangels as Mafia kingpins----it's just amusing.
What I didn't like about the book: the first chapters of the book are very, very steamy, and I found myself wanting to skip over all the sex scenes. I'm not a romance reader, and I dislike both Alpha males and love triangles, particularly when they involve two men fighting over a woman. (Yeah, it may be flattering, but to me it always seems to rob the woman of choice.) So I really liked Eve better than Alec Cain and Reed Abel, who seemed both condescending and somewhat superficial; sure Eve was talented and intelligent, but the brothers were initially drawn to how hot she was. As the book moved on, however, the sexual content was a bit toned down, and I found myself being curious about how the brothers came to be rivals. (There are hints throughout the book, borne up by the brothers' personalities, that the Bible doesn't tell the whole story). So I do plan to read the next book (of which I also have an ARC, whee!), because I think the story has real potential and I'm eager to spend more time with Eve!
This book, the start of a new series, has a lot going for it, and most of my criticisms have to do with personal preference more than anything else. Eve is a strong character, and I like that, although receiving her Mark gives her superhuman abilities, it's often her intelligence that gets her out of trouble. I tend not to like books that use Bible stories, demons and angels as plot devices---a preference that the agnostic Eve herself might understand. However, the world here is multi-cultural, with the Infernals being creatures out of various world myths, and I like that, and I also like the notion of the archangels as Mafia kingpins----it's just amusing.
What I didn't like about the book: the first chapters of the book are very, very steamy, and I found myself wanting to skip over all the sex scenes. I'm not a romance reader, and I dislike both Alpha males and love triangles, particularly when they involve two men fighting over a woman. (Yeah, it may be flattering, but to me it always seems to rob the woman of choice.) So I really liked Eve better than Alec Cain and Reed Abel, who seemed both condescending and somewhat superficial; sure Eve was talented and intelligent, but the brothers were initially drawn to how hot she was. As the book moved on, however, the sexual content was a bit toned down, and I found myself being curious about how the brothers came to be rivals. (There are hints throughout the book, borne up by the brothers' personalities, that the Bible doesn't tell the whole story). So I do plan to read the next book (of which I also have an ARC, whee!), because I think the story has real potential and I'm eager to spend more time with Eve!