Surrender the Dark by Tibby Armstrong (The Dark #1)
Released: May 23, 2017
Paranormal M/M Romance
Loveswept

Reviewed by Mandi

This blurb really drew me, as this is the first in a new paranormal series. It’s m/m and it set up an enemies to lovers story:

Benjamin Fuller is a hunter, born and bred. Blinded as a child by the vampire who slaughtered his family, he’s blessed with a second sight that allows him to catch and kill his quarry. What his gift can’t help him see coming is his fierce, almost carnal attraction to the mystery man who claims to be a fellow hunter and whose touch triggers both lust and revulsion. When he gains the upper hand, Benjamin vows to bring his enemy to his knees.

After many years spent in exile, the only one who can help restore Tzadkiel Dragoumanos to his rightful place as War King is a blind hunter with golden curls, a lithe dancer’s physique, and distinctive facial scars—scars Tzadkiel gave him two decades ago. The mere scent of Benjamin Fuller provokes an unwelcome rush of insatiable desire. Yet to win an all-out supernatural war, Tzadkiel must resist the ravenous hunger to possess his prey—for now.

This book starts with showing a very young Benjamin, being taught that vampires are the most evil and vile of creatures, and because of his lineage – being a hunter – Benjamin must learn the steps of torturing and killing his victims. As his parents are out hunting, his uncle hands him a knife and tells him to kill the chained vampire. But through a series of events, Benjamin loses hold of his knife and the vampire breaks free. During the scuffle, acid is splashed onto Benjamin’s face, leaving him scarred and blind.

It’s a pretty brutal set-up, especially since the vampire that fought Benjamin is Tzadkiel. I couldn’t wait to see how these two were going to go from ultimate enemies, to lovers. As an adult, Benjamin is blind, but has a second sight of sorts due to his hunter blood line. His two best friends, one a witch and one human, help him hunt vampires and keep people safe. When Tzadkiel approaches him one night in a bar, Benjamin doesn’t realize who it is.  Tzadkiel poses as another hunter….and things progress from here.

When the blurb mentions “his fierce, almost carnal attraction to the mystery man” there is no fierce, carnal attraction. There is a more “shrug of the shoulders” attraction. There is no “ravenous hunger.” What there is, is a lot of set-up and a story that fell too flat for me. I didn’t feel any danger or passion. And I wasn’t invested in either hero.  I DNF’d at 35%.