Crave the Darkness

January 21, 2013
Darian is powerful even for a Shaede, able to merge with light as well as shadow, but at the start of Bonilla’s third Seattle-centered urban fantasy title (after 2012’s Blood Before Sunrise), the departure of Tyler, Darian’s bonded Jinn and lover, has left her in a helpless funk. Shaede King Xander assigns her to protect a pregnant Shaede from Kade, a demon who can steal his victims’ supernatural powers and force them into sexual submission. Darian assembles an elite team of fighters, but Kade is protected by a Jinn, Adira, who has a mysterious connection with Tyler. Darian must free her from Kade’s thrall while struggling with her attraction to the Shaede king. As in previous books, the friendship between Darian and Xander’s lieutenant Raif anchors the story more than Darian’s complicated sexual relationships. Well-wrought action sequences and high-stakes suspense ensure the narrative doesn’t drag, but readers may be put off by scenes of sexual assault. Agent: Natanya Wheeler, Nancy Yost Literary Agency.