The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber
April 27, 2010
Historical Paranormal Romance
Paperback, 320 Pages
Leisure Books


Why I read: Author submitted for review, and I adored the first book in this series.


Favorite Quote: “Hello, my north star.”

Percy Parker has not only become Prophecy, but she has fallen in love. At the end of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker we discover the meek, almost ghostly Percy Parker fulfilled a destiny to become Prophecy, the seventh member of an elite Guard that keeps the evil spirits and demons in London at bay. Led by their fearless leader, Alexi Rychman, they battled great evil, and it was during the battle, Percy was revealed to have even greater powers.

Her powers are not the only thing making her life more interesting these days. She is in love, engaged and about to get married to Alexi, her former professor. Percy is not only shy and mild mannered, but merely nineteen in age, quite a contrast to the older, and aggressive Alexi. But age does not matter for these two who are quite desperately in love.

Percy is reintroduced to the other five that make up the Guard – Rebecca, second in command who is the intuition in the Guard. Josephine, the artist, and one that always has a pleasant smile. The very rakish Elijah, the memory of the group, and the one that always has a witty comeback. Jane the Healer and finally, Michael the Heart. Percy looks at this group, people that have given their life for a greater cause and can’t help but feel a drop of sadness that she is so very lucky to have found Alexi. Percy has not known family, and now she has a very generous fiancé, and a family of people who understand her.

The job of the Guard waits for no one however, and as they dine one evening, the spirit of Beatrice Tipton, a former Guard member appears. Percy is able to communicate with ghosts and translates for the rest of the group. Beatrice brings troubling news from Whisper-world. The Darkness wants vengeance, and Beatrice has a call to arm. As Beatrice starts to warn Percy of the dangers ahead and her duty to one day enter Whisper-world as she only can, Alexi fears for his beloved.


The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker is truly a wonderful book. Now that Alexi and Percy have found each other and are madly in love, the angst of the future war brings many dark clouds. The ever fearless leader Alexi, is truly terrified of placing Percy in harms way. But because she is Prophecy, that may be her only course of action. He not only fears danger, but that she truly may not be human, and one day she may belong to a different place, rather than at his side. His fierce protectiveness refuses to allow her into the other side. The meeker Percy loves her dear husband, but knows this is what she is destined to do. She looks at her new family, and knows to keep them safe, she must be brave and face Darkness by herself.

The romance in this book is just swoon worthy. There is not a sex scene, but pages of beautifully written words between these two lovers. Really, Alexi stole my heart. They are absolutely adorable together – in the midst of new love. They are so cute going back to Alexi’s professor office where their flirtations began. Alexi, the ever strict professor, now with his cravat messed up and buttons undone. We also see them married and on their wedding night:

“Do you require further aid?” Alexi rasped, staring at the line of her collarbone.
“I won’t be but a moment,” she replied, biting her lip.
Shifting her skirts and closing the washroom door, she learned a sumptuous lace gown awaited her upon the back of the door, with ribbon closures from neck to toe. Percy blushed. It was nearly transparent light blue lace without lining. The note attached to the first ribbon said, Tie every bow. I have waited all my life for this night, and it must not go quickly.

This book also focuses on the relationships of the other Guard members whom have all given up much in their life to follow their purpose. Rebecca, who has pined for Alexi for so long, must now truly admit, he is not hers to have. Her despair, her fight for wanting to be strong and follow purpose as second in command, and her despair for wanting to give up on her lonely life, is heartbreaking. But for as many soul-filled glances she has thrown to Alexi, another has been doing the same to her.

Elijah, one of my favorite characters, must decide if his love for Josephine is worthy of public knowledge. And Jane has a long lost love of her own – in another world and time.

While there was a time or two when I thought knowledge of future events could have been communicated better between the spirits and the Guard to warn off of impending danger, overall the build up to the conflict is well done.


The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker is a book not to be missed. It is adorable, utterly romantic and while the first book in the series, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker made my favorites list of 2009, Leanna Renee Hieber wrote a second book that I enjoyed even more.


Rating: 4.5/5

Recent Reviews:
Darkly Reading – 4.5/5
Gossamer Obsessions – C+
Lurv a la Mode – 4.5/5
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