Burning Dawn is the third and final installment of Gena Showalter’s Angels of the Dark series. I just completed a reread of it and still have it as one of my top favorite books from Gena Showalter, and not only because it’s Thane’s book.
Some people say that Gena has lost her sexy touch to her books lately, but Burning Dawn will prove everyone wrong. Oh, it definitely will because, hello, it’s Thane’s book. Thane is not your typical Sent One because he is what you would call a sex addict. He’s not your average sex addict, though; he needs pain during sex on himself or the women he uses. He has his reasons behind the pain.
When Thane walks into a room, silence falls, immortal women start drooling, and immortal men try not to make eye contact because well, he’s one dangerous, scary, intimidating, sexy assassin. Just thinking about him the way Gena describes him…*sigh* Yup, Thane just became a top favorite book boyfriend for 2014.
Oh, and ladies, he has a huge surprise about him. Elin is the lucky gal who wins the heart of Thane in Burning Dawn, and she’s perfect for him. The way she meets Thane is during her time at the Phoenix camp. She has been through a lot, and she needs the help of Thane to rescue her from her fate with the Phoenixes and for her to maybe even get revenge for what was done to her family. Thane, though, is trapped as well by another Phoenix who is using him, and he’s under her spell. Elin will have to get the courage to help get him out of that spell, and hopefully, he will help her and protect her for what is to come. Thane becomes intrigued by Elin after he helps her, and he has no idea why. He has never felt this way about any woman before, especially one like Elin. Elin, though, has to keep a major secret from him; otherwise, she’ll end up like the Phoenixes that had Thane.
Elin’s spunky, feisty, funny personality is the complete opposite of Thane, but these two were meant to be. Thane is confused with Elin several times in the book, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this Sent One be confused. If you’ve read the previous books in the series, you already know how Thane is, and he shows another side of himself in his book. I didn’t think anyone but Lucien from Darkest Kiss would win over my heart, but Thane did. He has a traumatic past, and so does Elin. Poor Elin! For someone like her who went through so much, she is handling it well, but she has the help of Thane, Bjorn, and Xerxes now and Thane’s workers at his club. Elin meets friends that help make her open up more, and these immortal gals, I hope to see more of them in later books. (They were hilarious together)
Gena gives us the LOTU, too, in Burning Dawn, and she ends up continuing what happened in The Darkest Craving with William in this book. The Sent Ones want to help, and LOTU ends up helping Thane during something that occurs with Bjorn in this book.
I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. Let’s say this book will keep you turning the pages. The smexy times between Thane and Elin are SCORCHING!!! Oh my! Be prepared to have a cold shower after reading their scenes together.
Gena’s writing style is addicting to read because of how she can keep up with all her characters, manage a dramatic, action-packed storyline, and pull together two characters with some very HOT moments together. I have no idea how she does it because she has so many characters to keep up with, and she manages to pull in other characters from another series into the mix. Let’s say she is friggin’ amazing with it all. I adore everything about her Angels of the Dark series.
One last thing: the ending of this book was EPIC! Gena put these characters through bloodshed, tears, torture, and a lot more than throughout the book, but that ending. Yeah, be prepared to go through a lot with the characters due to your emotions going haywire for them. Poor Bjorn has his drama in this book that you will want to pay attention to in this book.
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Steam/Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Angels of the Dark series and I recommend reading in order.
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I highly recommend it to paranormal romance readers out there.
Burning Dawn is the last book in the Angels of the Dark trilogy although this trilogy is connected to the Lords of the Underworld series. Gena Showalter is a queen when it comes to writing intense paranormal worlds and I have loved reading this trilogy with these warrior angels (which are some of my favorite type of heroe's) and this BOOK ....whew it will blow your expectations away because I know it did mine. The previous books were pretty intense but this one really kicks off with a bang.
Burning Dawn begins with two people that are being enslaved by a Phoenix clan group. Elin is mixed, her father human and her mother a phoenix (a secret she keeps for herself for her own safety) and when she witnesses her family and her husband murdered, she just survives until Thane. Thane is being sexually forced and has no real memory of who he really is as he is being drugged with lust for Kendra who is in charge. When Elin and Thane come together and she helps free Thane from his imprisonment and enslavement from Kendra, Thane sees something in Elin and will fight for her. Now she is working for him in his bar, and there is an intense connection. Elin wants to have a bakery, but she is captivated by Thane. But being in a relationship with Thane is packed with drama, misunderstandings, and danger but also beautiful sensuality and a deep abiding love she never imagined she would ever find.
“I believe something good can come from something bad. You, Elin are my good
Burning Dawn was such a great book and I had such fun immersing myself into another great book by Gena Showalter. I can never seem to get enough of her style and how she just pulls you so quickly into her stories. I really gravitated toward this couple and this author knows what she is doing because the first chapter is what really captivates your attention. I loved seeing the intensity of emotion that builds between Thane and Elin. Thane has always been someone that has lived for pain and sex. He has never known anything else until Elin. Elin makes him dream of something more with someone .....something deeper than meaningless sex that gives him nothing except temporary satisfaction that doesn't last. Elin has him believing in something more powerful and worth fighting for. But Thane is far from perfect and doesn't react perfectly well with Elin's secrets. Secrets that she has kept from Thane because she knows he will reject her. But what Thane feels for Elin is more powerful than any secret she holds.
A perfect example of finding beauty from ashes. The world could be a conniving harlot, as evil as a demon, but love would defeat her every single time. Love never failed.
This story was so beautiful in so many ways because we see the way these two really grow within their relationship and despite some drama and misunderstandings we see them learn to fight for each other and let go of expectations and their own pride and selfishness. Such beauty in finding two people fighting for each other equally.
I told you. You own me. I'm yours. All that I have been. All that I am. All that I will ever be. Your happiness is mine. Your fury is mine. And your needs will be met before mine. I love you, and to me, that means placing you first and giving to you what I will never give to another. Power over me.
Overall I found Burning Dawn to be an epic breathtakingly story that had me addicted to this love story.....a romance that is addictive, thrilling and mind blowing in every way!
[b:Burning Dawn|17838913|Burning Dawn (Angels of the Dark, #3)|Gena Showalter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382989108l/17838913._SY75_.jpg|24962594] by [a:Gena Showalter|48192|Gena Showalter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1581848751p2/48192.jpg] Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance 5 Stars
Warning! There are parts in this story that will make you laugh hysterically! I have read a lot of Gena's books & this one is some of her best work.
This book was... Exhausting. I had to labor through it, and it was not unlike trying to sprint through 3 feet of tar. There were just too many things pumped into the book that I didn't understand, and the experience of reading it left me confused and unsatisfied. There were sooo many repetitive lines, like Thane or Elin observing the other's "kiss-swollen lips" and her "smoked-glass eyes". I found myself rolling my eyes during a lot of scenes instead of swooning or cheering.
THE GOOD: Thane. Poor, tortured Thane. You deserved better than Elin my friend, so much better. I got everything I expected from Thane based on the information from the last two books and was left wanting more, especially about his childhood and his life before the dungeon. It's referenced here and there but I wanted more than just pepperings. But no, I got Elin instead...
THE BAD Elin. I was not impressed with her character in the least. I was supposed to find her flaws endearing, like the whole baking thing, but instead it made me find her, in all honesty, a little stupid. Her vocabulary grated on my nerves. How could I take seriously someone who said "Cray-cray" and "I'm going to go to first base with you so hard."
Showalter tried to redeem her near the end with the whole Spoiler badass Phoenix thing, but it was too little to late. I already found her childish and profoundly immature. The number of times she misinterprets Thane's word and actions and then storms off like a scolded 3-year-old made me want to slap her. It seriously happened at least 10 times. And each time, Thane grew tortured and worried that she would leave him, and I just wanted to scream. Elin knew about his past--for the most part--and still put him through that. I couldn't stand it.
OVERALL It wasn't a horrible book by any means, but hearing that it was about Thane filled me with a lot of promises that weren't kept. That isn't really Showalter's fault, I know, but I couldn't help being disappointed. Thane's newfound ability to love was wasted on such an immature, disconnected girl. Ugh.
ARC RECEIVED FROM HARLEQUIN AUSTRALIA FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
I keep saying that I am not a big reader of paranormal books, but having a look through my past reading history, I think I need to change that to "I am picky bout the paranormal books I read", because gees, there are quite a few of them!!
I have loved Gena Showalter's books since the day I stumbled across the first in the Lords of the Underworld series, and I have kept on reading them ever since.
Burning Dawn is the 3rd book in the Angels of The Dark series, and although I have not read the first 2 books I did not feel like I was missing on anything major that took away from Thane's book. Though I am intrigued by a few things, so I definitely will be headed back to
catch up on the.
Thane is a Sent One, an angel warrior. After being held as a slave by Kendra, a phoenix, he escapes with the help of human Elin.
Elin is not all she seems. Also a slave at K endra's camp, she helps Thane escape - for totally selfish reasons of course!
Thane is so tortured by what has happened to him, and he takes it out on his enemies, and his women. He is sex on legs (or on wings?). Heck, the first line of the book says it all
"He lived sex. Breathes Sex. Ate sex. He was sex."
Damn!!! Where could things possibly go from there??? Oh wait, then there is this description of him:
"
It’s like I ordered you from a catalogue. Like I said, I’ll take that gorgeous face and that sexy body, now add a dash of sweetness, and a smidgeon of protectiveness, and, okay, yeah, just go ahead and dip him in raging lust" - Elin
I gotta say, I thin Elin rocks! She is so out of her league with the "people" she is surrounded by, but she never lets that stop her. She kicks some immortal ass! She funny, she has a smart mouth that gets her into more trouble than you can imagine.
Thane and Elin together - just love them. So many ways that they are wrong for each other, making them perfect for each other.
It is not just this pair that makes this story so fantastic. Thane's best friends Bjorn and Xerces, partners in crime. The trio are hilarious together. There is a great bromance between the three, and they had me laughing so many times
"Do we need to settle this the old fashioned way, boys?" Thane asked, one brow arched as he shook a fist in the air.
"You mean break dance fighting?" Bjorn asked
Burning Dawn is a story within an extraordinary world. Love and hate. Passion and vengeance. Forgiveness and redemption. Complex relationships between feuding factions.
Add into that a bit of a crossover with the Lords of the Underworld series and Janeane is a happy camper!
Ms Showalter creates worlds so believable that even though the characters are immortal or paranormal, they don't seem to be. She has not disappointed me yet.
Now, I need to get to the first books and learn more about these Angels of The Dark
Sebagai fans Gena Showalter aku merasa ini merupakan salah satu karyanya yang terbaik. Aku tahu bakalan cinta buku Thane jauh sebelum aku membacanya. Jatuh cinta pada kemunculan pertamanya di buku Zacharel dan terus penasaran menunggu sampai buku ke tiga dari seri ini. Dan setelah membacanya, secara resmi aku cinta mati pada Thane si Malaikat Hore-Hore. Sebagai One Sent (semacam malaikat perang) terkuat no 2 di pasukannya, harga diri Thane jatuh luluh lantak saat dia terkena guna-guna untuk menjadi budak cinta sang putri Phoenix. Elin adl seorang budak di kamp Phoenik yang selalu diperlakukan lebih rendah daripada binatang. Saat melihat Thane, gadis ini melihat kesempatan untuk kebebasannya. Elin berhasil menyelamatkan Thane, tapi itu membuat mereka jadi buruan seisi kamp Phoenix yang haus darah.
Thane termasuk standar hero novel. Tampan, masa lalu suram,susah diprediksi, playboy kaya (pemilik Bar Downfall), prajurit tangguh, alpha male, posessif, dan kinky (ihik ihik..). Dan disepanjang buku ini semua tindak tanduknya didasari pada ketertarikannya pada Elin dan kesetiaannya pada 2 saudara angkatnya Bjorn dan Xerxes. Elin sepenakut tikus, ulet dalam meraih cita-cita, mata duitan, dan pede abis. Apa yang membuat buku ini menarik dari karakter yang sebenarnya standar? Transformasi dalam hubungan antar karakternya.
Aku takjub melihat metamorphosis Elin dari bukan siapa-siapa menjadi seseorang yang lebih pemberani dan bisa diandalkan. Bisa dibilang Elin akan banyak berperan besar untuk "Save the Day" disaat Thane tak berdaya. Dan Thane, kamu pasti luluh pada setiap usaha immortal yang satu ini untuk melumerkan hati gadis pujaannya. Rela dipalak Eline dengan gaji tinggi, berusaha memakan habis kue produksi Elin yang rasanya bak kardus, rela mencabuti rumput dihalaman berjam-jam cuma supaya bisa ngobrol berdua, jangan lupakan never ending parcel semua benda kesukaan Elin. Usahanya membuatku meneriaki Elin disetiap chapternya, "kalau kau tak mau Thane, bole untukku pleaseeee.." Konflik antar pasangan cukup seru, steamy dan penuh rollercoaster, belum ditambah dengan problem yang dihadapi Bjorn dan Xerxes, diluar konflik utama dengan klan Phoenik dan kemunculan para figuran dari karakter series Lord of Underworld ikut memeriahkan suasana.
Ada beberapa hal yang sedikit mengganggu saat membaca buku ini. Entah kenapa beberapa karakter dalam seri ini dan latarbelakangnya mengingatkanku pada serial BDB dari JR Ward. Beberapa percakapan juga memakai beberapa quote andalan Barney Stinson dari sitcom How I met your mother, dan yang paling mengganggu adalah scene saat Thane sedang menyiksa para Phoenik dipenjara kemudian Elin memohon supaya dia berhenti. Aku merasa sangat dejavu dengan adegan serupa di bukuVlad Tepes dari Jeaniene Frost. Selain hal-hal itu, ini adalah buku yang menyenangkan untuk dibaca. So far buku ini paling menggambarkan style pnr Gena yang biasa.
Quote Favorite : Love is more than an emotion. It's choice. Feeling love is one thing. Showing love iq quite another.
I'm sad to say that I skimmed almost two entire chapters on this book. The story between Elin and Thane was good. There was passion,betrayal, clarity, and warm fuzzies. But the storyline of the Elite Seven fighting the good fight was lame. I'm tired of Gena making using the frailest most skittish females to destroy powers stronger than three levels of heaven and an army of immortal soilders. But whatever.
I loved the friendships formed and strengthened in this book. As always she gave us confident, loving, protective, funny, sarcastic women and strong, anguished filled men, who are carved by the hand of beauty and lust and dipped in chocolate.
AmaZeballs.....didn't think she could wow me and she did!!! Loved this damn book I feel in love with than when he was first introduce and let me tell you he does not disappoint!!! I think him and Elin were well matched!
Loved the cameos from the lords and the ladies!!!
Can not wait for Torin's book and I'm curious who's the next in the angels serious?
