The vampire nation, strong and sure, will reach an age of destruction. Food will be scarce and changelings will not survive. The vampire numbers will dwindle. With great magic a savior will take the good from the weres and give it to the vampires to stay their fall. It will make them strong and raise them from the dust. They will be called by a new name. As a phoenix rises from its own ashes, so shall the vampire.

The moment Damien met Wolfrik Usher, he knew he was the Keeper, the prophesied savior of the vampire nation. How do you tell someone they are meant to be bitten by a werewolf so they can develop a way to help vampirekind? Ten years later, and Damien’s still trying to figure out the best way to do just that. In his defense, Damien has been a bit distracted. The mere sight, smell, or thought of Rik makes him harder than a brick wall. Again, Damien is met with a difficult question: how do you tell your completely heterosexual best friend that he just plain does it for you? And do you tell him that before or after the proclamation that he’s meant to be a savior to Damien’s people? Does Hallmark make a card for such occasions?

The romance between Rik and Damien was both sweet and poignant, even though their banter occasionally reminded me of a ‘70s porn—specifically the initial scene in the lab with Petra. Their single-sex relationship and the effects it had on both the werewolves and vampires was handled with much more grace than expected, refusing to go completely After School Special and instead tackling the importance of love, in whatever form it may take.

By far, my favorite aspect of this story was the voice. The characters were multi-layered, the plot was well thought out, but it was the voice that lulled me in and captured my attention. The best example is found on the first page: “And the cycle would repeat. Throbbing music, soul-binding songs, swaying in a primal dance of barely concealed sexuality as one flitted from moment to moment, struggling to make his importance stick before that generation too was forgotten like mist under the blaze of morning sunlight.” The words flow like the music they describe, creating an emotion from touch and sound instead of relying on images, showing the author’s talent in just a few sentences.

Overall Claimed by Darkness by Mia Watts was a hilarious, sexually charged novella that deserves 4 tombstones.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
  
• Book Length: Short
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781419920325

To purchase an electronic copy of Claimed by Darkness click here.

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