ARC Review Danann Frost Embraces the Darkness by Joanne Valiukas

Title: Danann Frost Embraces the Darkness (Danann Frost #2)
Author: Joanne Valiukas
Source: ARC Requested Review
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback, 380 pgs
Release Date: June 12, 2011
Author Website






To be with her love, Danann Frost, Archangel of the Light has chosen to Fall from Grace a second time. Returning to their lake in Western Ireland, Danann finds herself abandoned and alone. She is soon taken to the castle where all does not seem as it should be. Held captive by Seth’s Ancient enemy, the King of the Mayo vampires; Eamon Ahern himself vows to take Danann in marriage.

Running from the dangers of her beloved’s mother and sister, does Danann have any choice but to acquiesce to Ahern’s heated demands? Managing to defy every attempt by Seth to save her, Danann learns to cling to the bonds in which she is held captive.

Journey with Danann as she is forced into marriage, vowing a honeymoon full of vengeance as she travels to New York and eventually home to Melbourne. Who will win the battle of wills for her freedom?

In a fight that involves the ultimate battle with the darkness, can Danann come out of it with her spark intact or will she lose her soul and her life for all time?



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My Review:

A Fallen Archangel and shapeshifting vampires star in, and even Lucifer makes an appearance in, this second of the Danann Frost paranormal romance series.

Danann and Seth are back as the hero and heroine to continue their story from book one. Life on the earthly plane is proving to be a bit much for, and very hard on, the Fallen Archangel. In true Paranormal Romance fashion, every time things seem to be going well for Danann and Seth's relationship, something bad happens. Danann copes the only way she can - she shuts down emotionally and becomes an automaton. Seth does basically the same thing and takes being a controlling alpha male to an all new high (or would that be low?).

But they persevere and Danann very wisely takes the attitude of "...we can’t change what has gone before but we can make the present and the future all that we want it to be."

On the sexy scale, I rate this as a 3 out of 4. While reading this, and I read it immediately after reading the first book in the series, I laughed and I cried, which means that the characters and story came alive for me.

There is no cliffhanger at the end of this book like there was for book one. I know many don't like continuing sagas but read the first two books in this series in order and you'll be glad you did. Fans of the paranormal romance, urban fantasy, paranormal fallen angel and vampire genres should enjoy not only this book but the first one as well.

Up next from the author is the story of one of Danann's earlier lovers - Morgan Hathaway - and there is a sneak preview of it at the end this story. It will be interesting to see if Danann and Seth make an appearance in it.

Review Danann Frost Falls from Grace by Joanne Valiukas

Title: Danann Frost Falls from Grace (Danann Frost #1)
Author: Joanne Valiukas
Source: Requested Review
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback, 392 pgs
Release Date: January 21, 2010
Author Website






Danann Frost is thousands of years old, yet young for her kind. She is a creature of the Light, an Angel, one of the Seraphim; a race of beings that live beyond our world. She has been cast out of paradise and Fallen from Grace, all for the love of a Dark One - a vampire. The only problem is, Seth did not want her and told her to go and not come back. Danann has made a life for herself amongst the vampires of this world and they protect her fragile nature. She and the vampire Asher live on the fringes of the human world; love and loyalty cannot separate them but trouble and vengeance are on their way. After two hundred years of enduring the crippling punishments of her Fall, Seth walks back into her life but he is bitter and angry and out for revenge. Thank God he is after someone else...or is he? Can Danann escape the dark intentions of her once-beloved for whom she Fell from Grace, or has she put all those that she holds dear in danger? Journey with Danann as she takes the path to taking back her Light and ascending to be Angel once more. Will the Archangel Uriel surrender her Light or will Danann be doomed to walk in darkness forever?



Rating -

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My Review:

This is the first in the Danann Frost paranormal romance series. Valiukas has created a world within our world which includes shapeshifting vampires, living vampires, angels and archangels (who are both Seraphim), innocent all consuming love and devastating betrayal.

The female lead, a lovely young naive angel, mistaken for a Goddess swan lady, is discovered by Seth and named Danann. She later gives herself the last name of Frost.

Seth, the male lead, is a very rare born vampire who even though he is 839 years old is still treated as a child by his parents who are only about 200 years older than himself. Even though he is what the Seraphim call a Dark One, Danann can see his soul is full of light except for a very small dark spot.

Their forbidden relationship starts out in such a sweet funny manner. Danann is all "child-like in her innocence" while he is very experienced and perplexed at how to handle her and her continuous questions.

The first 17 chapters read like a fairy tale being told to the reader. In narrative form, we are told the story of Danann and Seth's meeting in Ireland and their young relationship. It is a sweet fairy tale that goes horribly wrong - a cautionary tale to remind us of what happens when we assume. Told this way, I found it hard to continue to read, unable to relate to the characters, but was rewarded when making myself read past page 80.

Chapter 18 skips forward 200 years to present day Australia and is now told in Danann's first person point of view and the story turns into a very good paranormal romance and the characters come alive for the reader. Danann's punishments for Falling are inventive and imaginative and the story has several twists before ending in a kind of a cliffhanger. There isn't a "happily ever after" yet at this point but the potential is there in the sequel, Danann Frost Embraces The Darkness, due out June 12, 2011.

On the sexy scale of 1-4, I rate this as a 3. I would have given this book a 5 star content rating if not for the first 17 chapters being told the way they were - as a sweet tale but in a dry manner like something from Grimm's Fairy Tales or Aesop's Fables. But I am very glad I continued because I would have missed out on a very compelling read. I think fans of the paranormal romance, paranormal angel and vampire genres will enjoy this book.