Darkness Fair

Written by Rachel A. Marks

Narrated by Will Damron and Kate Rudd

Against the backdrop of an ancient battle between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness, Aidan struggles to control the newly awakened and enigmatic powers that seem to be his only hope for rescuing Ava, his little sister, trapped somewhere beyond the Veil. As he gravitates to Kara, the beguiling and dangerously unstable girl who helped him realize his abilities, a terrible mistake of fate is revealed that points him back toward Rebecca, whose role is becoming more critical to the battle. And no matter what his heart wants, it might be too late to stop the pieces already in motion.

Without knowing the sacrifices that will be required of them, Aidan and his motley crew of friends—each with their own role to play—must face the demon threat head-on. They’re the only ones keeping the growing army of Darkness at bay, and if they fail, the future of humanity could be lost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Feb 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781511318457

Rachel A. Marks

Rachel A. Marks is an award-winning writer, a professional artist, and a cancer survivor. She is the author of the Dark Cycle series, which includes Darkness Brutal, Darkness Fair, and Darkness Savage, and of the novella Winter Rose. Her art can be found on the covers of several New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. She lives in Southern California with her husband, four kids, three chickens, two precocious pups, and a cat. You can find out more about her weird life on her website at www.RachelAnneMarks.com.

Reviews for Darkness Fair

[crtsjffrsn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Aidan has come into his powers, though he's still learning more about what they mean and why. He's also struggling to find a way to help his sister, Ava, whose body is here while her spirit is somewhere he can't quite reach. Even though he's stopped the demon who was hunting for her, that hasn't stopped the demons from continuing to cross over. And he soon learns there may be others hunting for his sister's spirit. Further complicating thins is the fact that his connection to Kara, the young woman who helped awaken his powers, seems to be putting her in very real danger. And then there's Rebecca, to whom he feels an undeniably strong connection, who showed up once again on their doorstep. With Aidan's guardian angel vanished without a trace and his mentor seeming to be of poor health and degrading more and more every day, it looks like things are going to be more challenging than ever before.

The first book in this series ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I knew I couldn't wait to pick up the second installment. I was surprised by some of the twists that come right away in this one, and there are some unexpected revelations that crop up as the book rolls along. This isn't anything close to a typical "angels vs. demons" story, which is something really like about it. And reluctant heroes are sometimes the most interesting kind.

But this one ends with what be even more of a cliffhanger than the first book...meaning the third book can't come soon enough for me.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

[isisunit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would like to thank Skyscape & NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book to review. Though I received this e-book for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review. Goodreads Teaser: "Against the backdrop of an ancient battle between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness, Aidan struggles to control the newly awakened powers that seem to be his only hope for rescuing Ava, his little sister, trapped somewhere beyond the Veil. As he gravitates to Kara, the dangerously unstable girl who helped him realize his abilities, a terrible mistake of fate is revealed that points him back toward Rebecca, whose role is becoming more critical to the battle. And no matter what his heart wants, it might be too late to stop the pieces already in motion. Without knowing the sacrifices that will be required of them, Aidan and his motley crew of friends - each with their own role to play - must face the demon threat head-on. They're the only ones keeping the growing army of Darkness at bay, and if they fail, the future of humanity could be lost."Picking up right where the first book left off, things go from interesting to weird, confusing, and very, very interesting. Aidan continues to learn of his destiny, as well as his growing powers. Meanwhile his relationship with Kara has developed some serious side effects, things that impact not only Kara and Aidan, but also Rebecca. The three have ended up in a cosmically twisted love triangle, all thanks to the actions of one person. And while they're dealing with the ramifications of Sid's actions life continues to march ever forward, wether they're ready or not. Between the daily demons to be handled, the situation with Kara and Rebecca, Sid's declining health, and Eric's revelations, well Aidan is more than just a bit overwhelmed. And that's not counting his struggles to learn more about his powers, their limits, and how to master them. And against the advice of everyone he deals with, old and new, he persists in his quest to save Ava and somehow reunite her body with her soul. He refuses to heed all the warnings, and should he continue down that path and succeed in bringing her back he may well be dooming everyone on the planet to a living hell. Literally. As with the prior book the character development is well done, though in this book we get dual points of view as opposed to learning everything from Aidan's point of view as we did in book one. This time our narrators are Aidan and to a lesser extent Rebecca. While she played a much smaller role in the first book, in this one we really start learning just who she is, and it's almost impossible not to like her and feel badly for her. She certainly seems to have gotten the short end of the stick so to speak. Yet she seems to handle everything that's thrown at her with an intrinsic grace. While there is certainly no shortage of action in this book, for me the emotional experiences were more of the meat, and also what propelled this story ever forward. And though religion plays an important role, it almost seems to be much less emphasized than in the first book. Possibly because everything was being set up in that book, and now things have been explained and are moving forward from there. Either way it makes the tale stronger and more powerful for me. Just like the previous book, the combination of character development and plot are interwoven quite well, to the point where it feels as if one can't move forward without the other. They feel seamlessly interconnected, creating a story that flows smoothly at a level of high tension that never feels fake or forced. This is a strong sequel that's not only moved the story much farther ahead, but also done an excellent job of setting the stage for whatever's to come in the next book. I know I'm anxious to discover how everything unfolds and is possibly wrapped up at the same time.

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received an electronic copy of book from the author.I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Darkness Brutal, and Darkness Fair is a powerful sequel. Aidan's powers continue to evolve as the mourns the loss of his little sister and tries to find a way to reunite her body and soul. So many urban fantasy novels, whether for adults or YA, focus on strong women; I love that aspect, but it also has become a trope. It's actually refreshing to read about a young man struggling with his legacy and troubling future; things aren't easy when your dad is literally a figure out of the Bible. Aidan is a good guy, too. It shows in his adoration of his little sister, but I really loved the friendship he strikes with a street boy, Raul. The pacing is consistent, bouncing between revelations and battles with demons, and also follows the perspective of another character.That leads me to one of the particularly enjoyable aspects of Marks's books. I hate love triangles, but Marks handles the love triangle here with a deft hand. Each of the people involved is a good yet complicated person, and they really don't want to hurt anyone. Wow, is that nice. Rebecca is in a particularly tough spot as Aidan's soul mate; he's not in love with her, but Rebecca is strong and doesn't mope. I'm excited to see how she grows into her own in the next book.... which will be pretty intense overall, considering the big twist ending of Darkness Fair.