So I stumbled upon this book again and thought now that I do audiobook re-reads I might give it another try. Maybe even listen to the whole series. As I thought, the younger me definitely enjoyed it more back then (gave it 3 stars).

It is a very typical I-am-not-like-the-other-girls heroine and the bad boy love interest. Some stupid parts. It does have some interesting different aspects to it, though. Also manages to be funny at times. But what is making me want to continue is definitely the ending which could really make this series into something deeper.

Right now I give 2,5 but it feels closer to 2, so I rounded it down. ( )

Rating - 3.75 as a free download and good enough to get the second ( )

4.5 "What Am I?" Stars for the story and 4 stars for the narration.

Lovers of young adult/new adult fantasy/paranormal romances will want to take note of the Darkness Series. Darkness of Light, the debut book in the series, commences laying the groundwork for this intricate, creative world. Much of the book is dedicated to the heroine discovering just what she is and what powers she wields. We also get a glimpse at her potential star-crossed romantic love interest and what his place is in this super natural world. Moreover, the adept narration by Michelle Sparks makes this a good title to experience in audio format.

Ember Brycin knows that she is different--a difference that goes beyond her physical characteristics which includes two different colored eyes that change in color and hair that contains natural red streaks. A fact that has not escaped the notice of her classmates and school administrators who have labeled her a troublemaker given her proximity to certain unexplainable events at her school. With the death of her mother, and having never known her father, her step-father is the one who assumes responsibility for raising her. Try though he might though, Ember continues to court trouble and build her troublemaker reputation.

Then she is sent to a "special" school for students like her where she meets a boy, Eli Dragen, that she considers her nemesis, even if she is equally attracted and affected by his touch. Thus begins the wild journey that ultimately leads to her self-discovery and awareness of how she stands in the middle of a potential war between good and evil and which has the potential to completely end both the fantasy world that she never previously knew existed and the world as we know it.

Will Ember be the key to destruction or salvation? Moreover, will Ember find her HEA?

Michelle Sparks has a youthful voice that works well for this title. This is especially the case given that the book is written from Ember's perspective. Ms. Sparks also infuses her delivery with scene appropriate emotion to heighten the effect of the story penned by Ms. Brown, and reads the story in a deliberate and slow-paced fashion to allow listeners to fully understand and enjoy it.

Ms. Sparks also slightly modulates her voice to deliver a slightly distinguishable voice for the male dialogues in the story. While not a huge difference, the deepening of her voice is sufficient to differentiate Ember from the male speakers, though it is a little more difficult to differentiate between the male characters based on the narration alone. Therefore, some reliance on dialogue tags is needed.

All in all Darkness of Light is mostly focused on the set-up of the Darkness Series with a big emphasis on the slow reveal of what Ember is and her significance to the fantasy world that is also slowly revealed. Now that I've gotten a glimpse of this new, creative world, I can't wait to continue on to Book 2, Fire in the Darkness, to see how both the fantasy world and romantic arc continue to develop.

Source: Give-away copy. ( )

ABR's original Darkness Of Light audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Darkness of Light is the first book in a paranormal romance series which is classified as New Adult. The series consists of four books in total.

The main character, Ember Brycin, is a bit of an outsider due to her unusual appearance (she has two different colored eyes) and due to the fact that things tend to explode around her. She also has hallucinations, or that is what she assumes they are. After the latest explosion at her school, Ember is sent to a juvenile facility where she meets the mystifying Eli Dragen, whom she feels instantly attracted to.

Ember and Eli have this love/hate relationship going on which was quite entertaining. Eli was totally unpredictable and could change from bad ass, cocky biker boy to really quite charming, protective and helpful in seconds. The banter between Ember and Eli was fun. Dry humor, sarcastic comments and a heroine who can’t help but say what she thinks.

The romance was clean and in my opinion, would have been suitable even for a younger age group. But there is the hint of a potential love triangle to be developed in the series, so who knows where this will go. In book one, there is nothing more than a few kisses.

For the majority of this book, Ember is trying to work out who and what she is. There were lots of clues to an otherworldly existence around her, but Ember was very slow on the uptake, a bit too naive, really. Therefore, the main action does not really start until about three quarters through the book, when things are finally revealed to her and Ember starts on a dangerous quest where she has no idea whom she can really trust.

Ember has two good friends at school and lives with her stepdad Michael. Her Mum was killed some years ago. Then there is Torin, who initially appears in Ember’s dreams, the other candidate for the potential love triangle. All these characters were well developed and interesting. There was a good balance of romance, action and mystery.

The writing was flawless. It flowed well, was nicely paced and interlaced with lots of humor. It definitely held my attention throughout. It was a really good introduction to the fantasy world created by Stacey Marie Brown, and I am certainly interested enough in the plot and feel invested in the characters to want to get book two to find out how the story continues. Considering that I don’t usually read any fantasy books that is saying a lot.

Michelle Sparks did an excellent job narrating. I hope she will continue as narrator for book 2 in the series. She really made Ember sound like an eighteen-year-old girl. Michelle Sparks was very good at expressing emotions. I would certainly listen to other audiobooks narrated by her. There were no issues with the production.

A definite recommendation for paranormal romance fans, maybe enjoyed more by YA/NA readers at the lower end of the age spectrum. Saying that, I am a very “mature” adult and I definitely enjoyed it.

Audiobook provided for review by the author. ( )

Ember is an eighteen year old senior who doesn’t fit in with anyone except for two friends who are also outcasts. She keeps finding herself in the middle of weird events, like the electric sparking at a dance and since she’s at each event where something happens, both the principal and the sheriff believe she’s at fault; they just can’t prove it. So she’s sent to a school for troubled teens where she feels more at home.

Having gone through therapy a number of times and not liking to be drugged, she doesn’t want her stepdad to know that she’s still hallucinating. And it takes her a long time to figure out that she’s the one making weird things happen. There’s also a guy at the school that’s definite trouble and she never knows from one minute to the next how he’s going to act around her with both his attraction and stay-away-I-hate-you actions.

Definitely written for a YA audience, this story is about Ember learning what she is. It will seem obvious to the reader, although you’ll find it’s not quite what you thought. I have to be honest here, the story dragged and I’d set the book aside at one point to read something else. It’s not until about the 90% mark that Ember starts learning what she is.

Ember is somewhat amusing with his snarky comments, but she’s rather slow on the uptake. The secondary characters are interesting, although there is still a great deal we don’t know about them.

But I didn’t enjoy the story enough to want to continue reading the series. ( )