*Book Blurb*
The past is Darker than they thought…
Between helping her mother with the Darker Agency and laying the smack down on monster baddies, Jessie Darker puts the “normal” in paranormal. But lately, things have gotten a little crazy…even for a smart-assed half-demon teenage girl.
For starters, Jessie’s been contracted into fifty-five years of annoying servitude. To a demon. Then there’s Lukas Scott, her sexy new boyfriend. Once the former incarnation of Wrath, he’s been going through some…uh, changes. Like residual anger. And trading chaste hangouts for lusty make-out sessions.
But it’s when Lukas and Jessie accidentally release a Very Nasty Demon that things get really bad, setting into motion a chain of death and mayhem that threatens both Earth and the Shadow Realm. Jessie has exactly four days to fix it…before all of Hell breaks loose.
*My Review*
A Darker Past is the sequel to Darker Days and picks up several months after the conclusion of said novel. 17-year old Jessie Darker and her mother Klaire, operate the Darker Agency. They pursue the darker aspects of living in Penance, New York like demon possession, zombies, out of control witches, and the Seven Deadly sins.
But, Jessie also has another job. She agreed to bind herself to Valefar for 55 years for his help in Darker Days. This includes running errands anywhere he demands, and bringing back those who have failed to live up to their agreements. If you haven't read Darker Days, then I suggest you do so in order to understand why she made the agreement in the first place.
Jessie is one of the most snarky, attitude driven characters that you will ever meet. I find myself rolling my eyes at her continued mistakes and dumb actions, while hoping that she doesn't end up getting anyone hurt or killed. The only growth Jessie experiences is with her Shadow abilities that have become more pronounced and allows her to go anywhere Valefar sends her.
I really do wish she would cut the attitude and just focus on things at hand. Perhaps this is why I can only rate this story what I have. I do appreciate the mother/daughter relationship though. It's nice to see them working together even though sometimes Jessie drives Klaire up the walls. There is a particular scene that actually shows how connected the women are. Perhaps there is hope for Jessie after-all.
Things have definitely changed for the Darker Agency as well. Jessie's father Damien (Shadow Demon) is spending more time in Penance with Klaire, and Lukas Scott has joined the agency. Lukas is expected to watch over and protect Jessie from her own actions, as well as others. But, Lukas is also changing and his struggles are really causing problems. In the end, one can pretty much guess where Accardo is taking Lukas, and I can wonder if the relationship between him and Jessie is going to last.
I really, really liked Kendra Belfair. Kendra is a fledgling witch, Jessie's best friend, and the daughter of Cassidy Belfair the leader of the witches coven. Kendra helps save the day after Jessie and Lukas accidentally release a powerful demon from his prison. I think Kendra is the one character, along with Klaire, that I would read the next novel to see what happens next. Kendra finds her mojo folks, and I love her new attitude as well! While I loved Kendra, I had absolutely nothing nice to say about her mother. Cassidy is just plain awful.
I do think that there is a whole lot of information that needs to be revealed about Valefar and his desire for Jessie. Why is Jessie so important to his goals? Why did he make such a surprising decision when it came to her? There is more to the Darker family that hasn't been revealed and has only been released piece meal. There is a curious revelation when it comes to Jessie and Klaire's descendants, and what that means for them in the future.
Author - Jus Accardo
Title - A Darker Past
Series - The Darker Agency # 2
Published by Entangled Teen
Released - November 11, 2014
Genre - Young Adult, Paranormal
Format - E-Book, 320 pages
Looks like you'll be reading the next one. THe progression of the story sounds good, there's enough revelations and secrets to keep you reading.
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