*Synopsis*
Once the night comes . . .
Will Thorne is living a nightmare, his sanity slowly being drained away by a force he can't control. His talents have made him the perfect assassin for hire. But as he loses his grip on reality, there is no calming him—until he finds his next target: the mysterious Holly Evernight.
Love must cast aside the shadows . . .
Holly cannot fathom who would put a contract on her life, yet the moment she touches Will, the connection between them is elemental, undeniable—and she's the only one who can tame his bouts of madness. But other assassins are coming for Holly. Will must transform from killer to protector and find the man who wants Holly dead . . . or his only chance for redemption will be lost.
*My Review*
Kristen Callihan once again travels to 19th century London where things do go bump in the night and characters of different backgrounds, and abilities, somehow manage to find their own brand of HEA. This is a world that is filled with demons, elementals, shifters, and a slew of other paranormals living in plain sight of humans.
Evernight (Darkest London #5) picks up a year after Shadowdance ended. The story features Holly Evernight and Sanguis Demon/Shadow-walker William Thorne, both of whom appeared in Shadowdance. Holly is the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals (SOS) Head inventor, while Thorne, formerly of Nex the nemesis to SOS, has his own deep routed secrets and story to tell.
Ever since Holly was freed from the Fallen Angel Amaros who held her in captivity and forced her into doing things that she had no control over, she's fallen into a deep, dark place with no desire to face her job, her co-workers, or leave the house. She's put up walls, and defenses, and hopes that whomever has been sent to kill her, will do it quickly.
Since having his heart ripped out, and replaced with a clockwork one by Holly, the year hasn't exactly been a pleasurable experience for Will either. He's faced his own unique brand of hell, while being infused with Platinum which leaves him a mindless beast that drives him towards one goal; the death of Holly Evernight.
The dynamics between Holly and Will are set up right from the very beginning when Will gets the drop on Holly, and Holly uses her magic to control him and brings him relief from his pain. From this point on, readers just know that it's going to be a rocky road, but eventually they will find a middle road to cross together which in this case is Will keeping Holly alive, since only her touch can control Will's beast.
Holly has gained traction as one of my favorite characters in this series with scenes throughout the book showing that she is no wilting flower and can handle herself thanks to her elemental abilities. Will went from an arrogant, over-bearing asshole, to a determined, lovable one who would toss himself in front of a runaway train to protect Holly. You can count on two things with Callihan's characters. They start out hating the sight of each other, and then they spend lots of time enjoying the company of each other.
The Darkest London series is a vividly crafted series, with remarkable world building, and features different characters who have seen their fair share of action and troubles. The characters never fully fade away into the woodwork. Poppy Lane, Jack Talent, and Mary Chase, who have had their own stories, once again appear in Evernight as friends to Holly and Will. I will be interested to see in what capacity Will and Holly end up playing in future installments.
We see more of the elusive Adam, the creator of the GIM, or Ghost in the Machine who has been trying to connect with his soul mate Eliza May. Mary Talent, and Daisy Ranulf belong to the GIM after agreeing to a specific term of service and a clockwork heart. Callihan has the tendency of foresight in that she tosses in tertiary characters who will step up and be featured in the next story. Thus, Adam and Eliza May will be the primary protagonists in Soulbound (Darkest London # 6) releasing February 2015.
The Darkest London, which has become a must buy and read, is recommended for those who enjoy Historical aka Victorian Paranormal mixed with steampunk, paranormal, action, mystery, and lots of snogging.
Author - Kristen Callihan
Title - Evernight (Darkest London # 5)
Published by Forever, August 26, 2014
Genre - Victorian Paranormal Adult
Format - E-Book 432 pages
I've got this one lined up next in my Kindle. I didn't realize Adam and Eliza are next up. Now I want their book too!
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