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phangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
C - 10
A - 10
W - 8
P - 9
I - 10
L - 9
E - 10
66/70
A - 10
W - 8
P - 9
I - 10
L - 9
E - 10
66/70
literary_valkyrie's review
4.0
A Deal with Darkness by Alexis L Menard
“People like me don’t get happy endings, Haal.”
~~~
Thank you Alexis for sending me an eARC of book 2 of the Eternal Night series.
It took me a hot minute to get into this second book. I thought it was going to be a continuation of the first book. But it was different; yet I did enjoy it. The couple was a different vibe and it fit perfect for the book. And the cliffhanger for this one; oh I’m excited for book 3 now. It put me on the edge.
“People like me don’t get happy endings, Haal.”
~~~
Thank you Alexis for sending me an eARC of book 2 of the Eternal Night series.
It took me a hot minute to get into this second book. I thought it was going to be a continuation of the first book. But it was different; yet I did enjoy it. The couple was a different vibe and it fit perfect for the book. And the cliffhanger for this one; oh I’m excited for book 3 now. It put me on the edge.
jillsbooknook's review
5.0
5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I wasn't a monster. I was a Hound. Though, the line between the two was starting to blur."
A Deal With Darkness is the second novel in the new adult high fantasy series, Eternal Night. It is also a prequel series set 200 years in the past so you do not need to have read the first one to understand what is going on - I have not read the first book but after finishing this one I am eager to pick it up.
The story follows the character Isoldra Maan, a woman who sold her herself the Lord of Lost Souls five years ago to protect her family. She only needs to collect 250 more souls for him but when dark powers invade the land and the divine need helping locating the heretic at the center of this, Isoldra has the opportunity finally wipe her debt clean - to rid herself of the infamous title of Hound. Yet she must work with a watcher, a divine figure who aggravates and draws her in almost as much as the man she is indebted to. As plagues rips across the nation, Isoldra must decide who she should follow for even in death there is still work to be done.
Isoldra is a fierce character with a deep sense of loyalty that I absolutely loved diving into. Her backstory is shared smoothly throughout the story and I liked seeing her as a character who knew herself. She is willing to whatever needs to be done but also recognizes and faces any truths. She's funny and sarcastic and every encounter she has was thrilling to navigate.
Now, Haal isn't mentioned much in the synopsis but he is the character I absolutely adored. His dedication to Isoldra despite their dynamic made me grin each time and I loved seeing their relationship develop further. Even though they are not together when the book starts he recognizes what she is to him and has no qualms letting other people know.
Evander is the watcher mentioned at the beginning and I do feel it was a little harder to connect to in the beginning. Once we start to see him with his friends and engaging with Isoldra outside of hostilities I ended up really liking him. His willingness to accept when he is wrong and to support, not overtake, each situation was great to see. The final moments of him and Isoldra were powerful!
"'You were my own personal plague, slowly destroying my sanity with the thought of never seeing your sinister smile and staring into your depthless gaze.'"
This book does have spice but it is a slow burn in all the best ways so you won't see anything until around the 70-80% mark but it was so good and the character development made it so worth the wait when we finally have them together. I will also note there is a small love triangle but more like Edward, Bella, and Jacob situation in the book Eclipse ... so while there is a choice the writing is on the wall.
The world building in the book is fascinating and I have no doubt you would have a lot more of an idea if you read the first book but for reading the second book I felt I had enoughh to really get invested in the world. I loved the mixing of gods, humans, and divine beings to really expand the world. That said, I did feel this book was more centered around plot and character than world building.
As for the plot, this is an excellent investigating plot that kept the characters moving throughout. I never felt any slow downs and there is a lot of tension and build up leading us through. I loved seeing the character's story mix well with the plot, rather than it just be an information dump while walking. It was actually a smoother read than The Last Daughter , which is another book by the author I absolutely loved. There are some good harrowing moments and moments to really bask in the feels that kept me reading throughout the night.
Overall, if you're looking for a new adult fantasy with gods, magic, soul mates, and heartstring-pulling slow burn love than this is an excellent choice. There is also a fun Hades and Persephone vibe going on here! I really connected with the characters and world as well appreciated the plot development and world being built here. I am definitely picking up the first book after this one and I encourage others, too!
This review is based on an ARC received from the author.
"I wasn't a monster. I was a Hound. Though, the line between the two was starting to blur."
A Deal With Darkness is the second novel in the new adult high fantasy series, Eternal Night. It is also a prequel series set 200 years in the past so you do not need to have read the first one to understand what is going on - I have not read the first book but after finishing this one I am eager to pick it up.
The story follows the character Isoldra Maan, a woman who sold her herself the Lord of Lost Souls five years ago to protect her family. She only needs to collect 250 more souls for him but when dark powers invade the land and the divine need helping locating the heretic at the center of this, Isoldra has the opportunity finally wipe her debt clean - to rid herself of the infamous title of Hound. Yet she must work with a watcher, a divine figure who aggravates and draws her in almost as much as the man she is indebted to. As plagues rips across the nation, Isoldra must decide who she should follow for even in death there is still work to be done.
Isoldra is a fierce character with a deep sense of loyalty that I absolutely loved diving into. Her backstory is shared smoothly throughout the story and I liked seeing her as a character who knew herself. She is willing to whatever needs to be done but also recognizes and faces any truths. She's funny and sarcastic and every encounter she has was thrilling to navigate.
Now, Haal isn't mentioned much in the synopsis but he is the character I absolutely adored. His dedication to Isoldra despite their dynamic made me grin each time and I loved seeing their relationship develop further. Even though they are not together when the book starts he recognizes what she is to him and has no qualms letting other people know.
Evander is the watcher mentioned at the beginning and I do feel it was a little harder to connect to in the beginning. Once we start to see him with his friends and engaging with Isoldra outside of hostilities I ended up really liking him. His willingness to accept when he is wrong and to support, not overtake, each situation was great to see. The final moments of him and Isoldra were powerful!
"'You were my own personal plague, slowly destroying my sanity with the thought of never seeing your sinister smile and staring into your depthless gaze.'"
This book does have spice but it is a slow burn in all the best ways so you won't see anything until around the 70-80% mark but it was so good and the character development made it so worth the wait when we finally have them together. I will also note there is a small love triangle but more like Edward, Bella, and Jacob situation in the book Eclipse ... so while there is a choice the writing is on the wall.
The world building in the book is fascinating and I have no doubt you would have a lot more of an idea if you read the first book but for reading the second book I felt I had enoughh to really get invested in the world. I loved the mixing of gods, humans, and divine beings to really expand the world. That said, I did feel this book was more centered around plot and character than world building.
As for the plot, this is an excellent investigating plot that kept the characters moving throughout. I never felt any slow downs and there is a lot of tension and build up leading us through. I loved seeing the character's story mix well with the plot, rather than it just be an information dump while walking. It was actually a smoother read than The Last Daughter , which is another book by the author I absolutely loved. There are some good harrowing moments and moments to really bask in the feels that kept me reading throughout the night.
Overall, if you're looking for a new adult fantasy with gods, magic, soul mates, and heartstring-pulling slow burn love than this is an excellent choice. There is also a fun Hades and Persephone vibe going on here! I really connected with the characters and world as well appreciated the plot development and world being built here. I am definitely picking up the first book after this one and I encourage others, too!
This review is based on an ARC received from the author.
bellebookcorner's review
3.0
“Soulmates aren’t found, they are made.”
This is the second book in this series, but you don’t have to read the first book because this one can be read as a standalone just fine.
It has a very strong start, with a strong badass heroine trying to gain her freedom by collecting souls for the Dark Lord.
The first few chapters are very interesting, I love the interaction between the female MC (Isoldra) and the Dark Lord (Haal) with their bantering and flirting.
The plot is quite simple with twists that quite surprised me. Although there are some twist that I guessed before the big reveal but it doesn’t lessen my enjoyment of reading this book.
However, I wish the pacing of the story was slowed down in order to give rooms for some things to be explored and more developed.
I also didn’t agree with the love triangle trope in the story, the attraction between Isoldra and the new character felt weird and too rushed.
Overall, I still got to enjoy the book although I really wish the pace was slower and the book is a bit longer which I hope we’ll get from the next book.
I hope there will be another book because that small cliff-hanger at the end really intrigued me. Things are far from over, another villain is still on the loose and I can’t wait for what the characters will do to defeat the villain.
Actual rating: 3.5⭐
I received an advanced review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the second book in this series, but you don’t have to read the first book because this one can be read as a standalone just fine.
It has a very strong start, with a strong badass heroine trying to gain her freedom by collecting souls for the Dark Lord.
The first few chapters are very interesting, I love the interaction between the female MC (Isoldra) and the Dark Lord (Haal) with their bantering and flirting.
The plot is quite simple with twists that quite surprised me. Although there are some twist that I guessed before the big reveal but it doesn’t lessen my enjoyment of reading this book.
However, I wish the pacing of the story was slowed down in order to give rooms for some things to be explored and more developed.
I also didn’t agree with the love triangle trope in the story, the attraction between Isoldra and the new character felt weird and too rushed.
Overall, I still got to enjoy the book although I really wish the pace was slower and the book is a bit longer which I hope we’ll get from the next book.
I hope there will be another book because that small cliff-hanger at the end really intrigued me. Things are far from over, another villain is still on the loose and I can’t wait for what the characters will do to defeat the villain.
Actual rating: 3.5⭐
I received an advanced review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
rtaylor0326's review
4.0
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A few spots left me wanting for more - more detail, more history, more plot - but those parts were fairly few between.
I’m hoping in the next book, we get more follow up on Evander - I loved his character but felt his parts were a bit glossed over, especially with the somewhat large role his character played in the tension/crossroads of the story.
Isoldra was a strong but broken MC who I found to be so relatable. She’s who I want to be when I finally find myself as a character in a fantasy book. Badass, found a way to channel her past into constructive energy, and with the Dark Lord wrapped around her finger, what else could a girl want?
One last part I should’ve clarified for myself before reading is the timeline of this book, which I believe takes place earlier in time than the previous book rather than after
Overall, I’m excited to read book three!
I’m hoping in the next book, we get more follow up on Evander - I loved his character but felt his parts were a bit glossed over, especially with the somewhat large role his character played in the tension/crossroads of the story.
Isoldra was a strong but broken MC who I found to be so relatable. She’s who I want to be when I finally find myself as a character in a fantasy book. Badass, found a way to channel her past into constructive energy, and with the Dark Lord wrapped around her finger, what else could a girl want?
One last part I should’ve clarified for myself before reading is the timeline of this book, which I believe takes place earlier in time than the previous book rather than after
Overall, I’m excited to read book three!
tifany's review
5.0
Owing 250 souls to be set free, Isoldra Maan has her work cut out for her. Answering to the Haalarcus, the Lord of Lost Souls, she works tirelessly to recover souls as the Hound. The usual order of things changes when the divines step in, asking for help to conquer the source of a scourge on the land. As she works closer with Haal, Issy finds she’s growing feelings for him, despite his hold on her soul.
I LOVED this book. Second in the Eternal Night series, this story takes place before the first book. You get a sense of the world’s history and why things are the way they are in book 1.
Isoldra is a driven FMC with uncanny tracking abilities. Haal is the Lord of Darkness but also a strong protective sort. Yet the divine Evander comes out with some unexpected compassion and surprises us all. There’s so much great character development that happens in this story.
This is a great read with slow burn romance. A highly recommended fantasy romance story!
Special thanks to the author for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.
I LOVED this book. Second in the Eternal Night series, this story takes place before the first book. You get a sense of the world’s history and why things are the way they are in book 1.
Isoldra is a driven FMC with uncanny tracking abilities. Haal is the Lord of Darkness but also a strong protective sort. Yet the divine Evander comes out with some unexpected compassion and surprises us all. There’s so much great character development that happens in this story.
This is a great read with slow burn romance. A highly recommended fantasy romance story!
Special thanks to the author for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.
bronteysbooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Another five star read from Alexis!
I love that this book offers some more insight into the world that was seen in a night of wings and starlight because I was desperate for more, but I also love that it is its own story and very different in vibes.
From the first chapter I was drawn in because I loved the concept, but better yet - the characters were instantly intriguing.
As always her writing is amazing and easy to read and I can’t recommend this enough to anyone wanting a fantasy romance with a dark and moody vibe, gods, powers, and deals and bargains.
Another five star read from Alexis!
I love that this book offers some more insight into the world that was seen in a night of wings and starlight because I was desperate for more, but I also love that it is its own story and very different in vibes.
From the first chapter I was drawn in because I loved the concept, but better yet - the characters were instantly intriguing.
As always her writing is amazing and easy to read and I can’t recommend this enough to anyone wanting a fantasy romance with a dark and moody vibe, gods, powers, and deals and bargains.
facebehindabook's review
adventurous
fast-paced
5.0
Heaven, Hell, and everything in between.
This was a fast paced, action filled read about a girl who starts as a Hound and ends up a Goddess.
•The character building was great - now I want to meet a man whose arm fits like a second skin.
•The world building was fantastic- Every place visited you got a glimpse of what it looked like and the people who lived there, to the point you want to slice some of ther heads off.
I honestly thought this was heading into RH territory with all the nice haired men who had wings OH MY but alas this book was not THAT spicy. It was an absolute pleasure though.
~Thank you booksirens for another wonderful ARC this was my honest review~
This was a fast paced, action filled read about a girl who starts as a Hound and ends up a Goddess.
•The character building was great - now I want to meet a man whose arm fits like a second skin.
•The world building was fantastic- Every place visited you got a glimpse of what it looked like and the people who lived there, to the point you want to slice some of ther heads off.
I honestly thought this was heading into RH territory with all the nice haired men who had wings OH MY but alas this book was not THAT spicy. It was an absolute pleasure though.
~Thank you booksirens for another wonderful ARC this was my honest review~
darling_book_mage's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
"Because there is no freedom without sacrifice, there is no reward without suffering."
"We are always a moment away from things we love being stripped away, but that doesn't mean we stop loving them."
A Deal with Darkness is a story about how Valdihr came to be in A Night of Wings and Starlight, or at least leading to it. The book was set 200 years ago and can be read without reading ANoWaS. As someone who has read ANoWas, it was nice to see some Azriel because I love him.
The book follows Isoldra’s POV, a total badass with all her fierceness and devotion. She will protect those she loves, even if it means dying. She is a character who knows herself; I love seeing her in action.
Haalarcus, Lord of Lost Souls, is also known as Haal or Issy’s favorite Dark Lord. Can I say that I adored Haal and his devotion to Issy ♡ I love the interaction between Haal and Issy.
As for Evander, I admit he was a total judgemental prick, but I started liking his little quirks, so I hope he gets his own story.
Thank you, Alexis, for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ♡
"We are always a moment away from things we love being stripped away, but that doesn't mean we stop loving them."
A Deal with Darkness is a story about how Valdihr came to be in A Night of Wings and Starlight, or at least leading to it. The book was set 200 years ago and can be read without reading ANoWaS. As someone who has read ANoWas, it was nice to see some Azriel because I love him.
The book follows Isoldra’s POV, a total badass with all her fierceness and devotion. She will protect those she loves, even if it means dying. She is a character who knows herself; I love seeing her in action.
Haalarcus, Lord of Lost Souls, is also known as Haal or Issy’s favorite Dark Lord. Can I say that I adored Haal and his devotion to Issy ♡ I love the interaction between Haal and Issy.
As for Evander, I admit he was a total judgemental prick, but I started liking his little quirks, so I hope he gets his own story.
Thank you, Alexis, for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ♡
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