REVIEW - The Dark Awakening - D.L. Blade

TITLE - The Dark Awakening

AUTHOR - D.L. Blade

Blurb:

East Greenwich may be a small town, but it is riddled with secrets. Mercy knows this more than most – she still suffers from the scars. The trauma from the ultimate betrayal has caused her to keep her distance from everyone she holds dear. A stranger who lingers in her subconscious seems to be the exception to the rule. His comfort is a refreshing distraction from her tormented fears.

Unbeknownst to her; the past is weaving its dark web, waiting to strike. Upon a startling car accident, Mercy is shocked to find that her enigmatic mystery man, Caleb, is real – and she belongs to him. He reveals that Mercy’s family is strongly linked to an ancient coven; the roots slowly dragging her back to Salem again. 

There may be a spark between Mercy and Caleb, but she is torn between wanting to kiss him – and running from him. Evil forces are awakening, growing bloodthirsty as the days and nights pass. Mercy must Awaken the dormant powers inside her, tackle the lies, betrayal, and blood-drenched past lives rotating around her in never-ending cycles. Can she bear the burden? Will she find it in herself to trust Caleb despite the shadowy past?

To slay a monster; you might need to become a monster.

Jennifer's Review:

What did I just read? Is this really a debut novel? I would have never known. The Dark Awakening is a paranormal romance novel with lots of action, secrets, betrayal, and scandal. There are many elements similar to other paranormal novels, but this author created her own world that cannot be recreated. This book took me by surprise and had me hooked until I could no longer flip pages.

The plot of this book is so wonderful. Mercy is a normal teenage girl. Well normal besides the heart wrenching betrayal by someone close to her whom she loved. She still bears the scars from her attack, but is slowly trying to move on. That is until a mysterious man saves her life. But he is just a figment of her imagination, isn’t he?

Mercy is such an amazing character. She has more strength in her than most people could even hope for. She has already gone through a trauma, but then her whole life is turned upside down. I loved reading her story. She is such an interesting character. Usually I would now talk about the other main character in this book. I don’t want to spoil anything though so I will keep quiet and let you read to find out more about them.

The heat in this book is there. Oh boy is it there. There isn’t any blatant outright dirty scenes, but there is definitely chemistry, flirting, and kissing. There is also desire and need. The author did a good job with showing the growing chemistry and feelings without having to actually go there. Especially since these characters are in their teens.

The writing style of this book is perfect. The pace is steady. The twists and turns plentiful. I can honestly say I didn’t expect what I got. Holy heck are there a ton of secrets. And that plot twist at the end. ?!?!? What? There was one point of the book that I felt it went a bit fast, but after reading the ending, I can see that wasn’t the climax, even though I thought it was. Great little switcharoo there author.

Overall, this book surprised me. The characters were refreshing and dynamic. The story kept me on my toes. I had no freaking clue where is was going next. I eventually stopped guessing. I would recommend this to others. This novel left me asking one thing and one thing only. When the heck will book two be out?

Star Ratings:

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Heat: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Overall: 5/5