Darkness Descending by Devyn Quinn (Vampire Armageddon #1)
Paranormal Romance
August 2, 2011
Paperback
Signet

Reviewed by May

Favorite Quote:
“The man looked mean – and mad. Not crazy mad, but bone-snapping, flesh-tearing mad. There was no doubt that he was one badass dude, either. He was totally hard-core in his looks. The sides of his head were shaved and tattooed. A thick strip of black hair ran down the center of his head, commencing in a long, thick braid that snaked down his back. His eyes were black and looked as empty as bullet holes.
Jesse had no doubt he was very, very mean.”

Jesse, our heroine is clearly suffering due to lack of food or shelter over the last year. At least, I hope she claims the demon inside her is what is causing her to leap to ridiculous conclusions, and cause this book to be the train wreck that it is. This is the first book in a new series from Devyn Quinn, about a woman who is to help restore balance to the world where vampires are taking over and winning the battle of good vs evil. Before I get going on the review, I need to explain a bit:

The Telave is the name of the demon race that feed off of humans, that infect humans with vampirism and then take over their bodies. Essentially in this story a vampire is a soulless demon using a dead human host/body.

The Palindrome are descended from angels who came down and made babies with select human women to create a race that would be both immune to vampirism and be able to live extra long (as in, hundreds of years?!) and battle against the evil forces that are taking over the world.

It is prophesized that one will come, a marked savior, that can turn the balance for good… or tip the scales for evil. That this person alone holds the fate of the world in her hands…

Jesse Burke was attacked by vampires and infected with a demon one year ago. Her sister died, but she lives on. Her body is lined with spider web-like markings just under the skin showing how the demon is there, just waiting for her to drink human blood and free it. She is the only human outside of the Palindrome ever to have survived with her soul and her life. She has returned to a post-Katrina New Orleans and is determined to be a vampire slayer to avenge her sister and kill off the demons who ruined her life.

Of course, when she goes to the cemetery to kill her first rising vampire she is armed with garlic, a wooden stake, and a cross. You see she went to the library and maybe watched some movies to figure out what would kill these demons. Know what? It doesn’t work. In fact only the fact that Maddox deValois (a Palindrome) shows up and blows holes in the vampire with his silver tipped bullets is what keeps her from being killed.

“Just in case you didn’t know, we’re not fighting Hollywood’s version of vampires.”
Jesse gulped. His very masculine presence sent a thrill of sexual awareness straight down her spine. That alone made him ten times more lethal than the gun he carried. “We’re not?”
Her savior shook his head. “We’re fighting demons, and they have a whole different set of rules to play by.”

I really had hopes for this book. I liked the idea of this book, unfortunately it’s a nightmare and a total fail. Not only is it filled with unlikeable characters, but it is confusing, filled with holes, and difficult to read. Frequently I had to re-read passages because they made no sense, and not enough information was given for me to really get a good visual image on most places and scenes.

The Palindromes mentioned the enlightened one, and there is talk of the ‘theory’ of why they are immune and live so long but none of them know for sure. They have no internal structure, no support, they don’t even know who is a Palindrome until attacked (and they survive) and attempted turning by vampires. But then they speak of training, a brotherhood, they have a mark/tattoo? Well, which is it?

Jesse  is described as being child-like, being exceptionally thin and very weak. Yet pages later the smoking Maddox (literally – he’s a smoker despite the expense because it can’t kill him) has his hand down her pants and finds her very sexy. Jesse says that she has exceptional blood lust as the demon inside her demands she feed it, but she seems to do just fine out and about with other people. She is starving, but she won’t eat her food.

As these characters stumble around New Orleans, no real plan or plot in sight I found myself saying “WTF” more and more often. The Palindrome fighters are trained – but by who? And how do they know so much about the good vs evil battle without leaders or resources?

Without getting into spoilers about the second half of the book, I will say that the author managed to hit a lot of my personal deal breakers in a romance genre book. The characters themselves are not saviors from a demon/vampire apocalypse, nor are they people I’d want to read about or ever have near me. Maddox is an asshat, and Jesse is an idiot. They have no knowledge, support, nor do I see any way that they can suddenly figure out how to fight the evil forces.

Grade: F

Recent Reviews:
The Good, the Bad and The Unread – B
Fiction Vixen – DNF
Book Lovers Inc – 5/5
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