Early Review - Keri Arthur's Darkness Hunts

Risa Jones life hasn’t been her own since she agreed to work with Madeline Hunter, the vampire head of the Directorate of Other Races after her mother was brutally murdered. Risa, who is part werewolf, and part Aedh, can enter the realm between life and death and can speak to the dead while seeing the Reapers who act as collectors of the dead. Unlike other werewolves, she isn't called by the moon's pull, but still has a craving for the sexual gratification that comes from being a wolf.
 
Risa has been challenged, pushed to the limits and beyond, and has been left wondering how in the world she is ever going to survive to see her happy ending. Everyone from Risa’s father Hieu, to the Raziq, to the Reapers, to Madeline herself seem to realize that they need Risa’s help in finding the missing keys to heaven and hell, and they’re not about ready to let her go anywhere without a shadow. They're also not afraid to put her childhood friends Tao and Iliana in harm's way to get her cooperation.

Darkness Hunts is probably one of the better novels of the series, in my humble opinion. One of the reasons is that we finally get to the point of why Lucian has been hanging around and using Risa for sex and other things. I am happier than a clam at high tide that this storyline has been revealed and Risa stands up for herself so that readers can understand why from the beginning I hated the SOB. Now, we can move on to something else more important like the discovery of the keys and Risa’s HEA.
 
Darkness Hunts challenges Azriel, the Dark Angel (Miyai) who has been protecting Risa from nearly the beginning from being harmed. Risa really gives him absolutely no choice but to come clean about his feelings towards her, and thus she understandably wants more and gets more and more frustrated in the process. Even though there is a feeling of angst between the characters, I don’t have problems with this particular storyline. I like Azriel. I like the way he puts himself into harm’s way in order to protect her from the Raziq, and others. I also liked the fact that he directly challenges Madeline without blinking or thinking about the consequences of his actions. I will be devastated if Arthur decides to make him a villain when all is said and done and the series wraps up.

As for the story itself, Risa doesn’t do much towards ending her search for the missing keys to heaven and hell so that the Raziq can stop being linked to them. She once again gets challenged and changed by the Raziq and a new character named Malin is introduced. Risa does get a hint from her father as to where the next key is hidden, but, in the meantime she is brought in by the Directorate to find a killer of vampire women who is able to walk the astral plane. The killer wants to test the mettle of Risa against that of his own. As usual, the action is brief and to the point.

Darkness Hunts offers brief appearances by Riley and Rhoan Jenson, as well as Quinn and Jack Parnell. Rhoan plays more of a role since he is more than a little reluctant to allow Risa to put herself in harm’s way without offering some semblance of help.

Even though this book wasn't as action packed as previous installments, it was still enjoyable enough. The ending caused me some grief and I'm now anxious to pick up the next book called Darkness Unmasked when it releases June 2013.

Books in the Series so far:
1. Darkness Unbound
2. Darkness Rising
3. Darkness Devours
4. Darkness Hunts
5. Darkness Unmasked (June 4, 2013)

Expected publication: November 06, 2012

Author - Keri Arthur
Title - Darkness Hunts (Dark Angels # 4)
Published by Penguin Group
Releases November 6, 2012