Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen #2) by Christina Dodd

Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen #2) Reviews

• 
  Jordan

  Christina Dodd has not accomplished very much with her effort in "Touch of Darkness". Yes Paranormal Romance books are very popular, but that does not mean you should just write one because you write regular Romance. In "Touch of Darkness" it become very obvious of the author the Dodd is trying to copy and she does a very poor job. I wouldn't recommended this book if you are looking for a good Paranormal Romance book to get lost in during the Holidays. There are so many more authors of there who write this genre that are so much better.
• 
  The Listmaker

  I will give Christina Dodd this much, she sure does have a penchant for writing "consensual" rape scenes.
  
  I gave this second book in the Darkness Chosen series a shot despite reservations after having read the first book, which also contained such sex scenes. Apparently I need to listen to myself more closely.
  
  There are ways to write scenes of sexual domination that don't rely on the woman saying no, not once, not twice but three times before she ultimately "succumbs" to the man because he's right and oh so wonderful at arousing her so that she can't refuse him.
  
  I don't care how well matched a couple may be, that they may be soul mates or how masterful the man may be at sexual technique, if a woman says no that means NO.
  
  What irritates me the most is the fact that this series has great promise. It's got a good storyline and some pretty good plots. There is no reason to have the sex scenes written the way they are other than to fulfill some sort of fantasy on the part of the writer. Give the female lead a backbone and the ability to not be ruled by her body, but by her head instead. Strong women are far more interesting to read about, and up until the sex scene Tasya was just that, interesting.
  
  As you can see I gave this book a rating of one, but only because they don't have 1/2 stars here on Goodreads. I stopped reading it as soon as I got to the sex scene. For me to stop reading a book it has to be either so awful I can't finish or so annoying that I refuse to continue. In this case it was annoying.
  
  I would suggest that if Ms. Dodd wishes to write such fiction that she consider writing a book of erotica regarding her apparent fantasies with sexual domination and rape, wherein the reader then knows what to expect.
  
  
  
• 
  valee

  There were some things I liked about this book but much more that I didn't. I know that many have told me that this book and the first were very similar, but for me they had almost nothing in common.
  
  I didn't like it that the story began when they had already met, because we lost all the details about how they met. And it wasn't like with the first book where we knew they knew each other for a long time. In this one they met but we have very little info about the the event. Also I didn't like it that she kept denying what she was feeling for him and that every time they were together it seemed forced, like she would prefer a 100 things than to be with him. She kept being a fool the whole book, only the last couple of chapters she realized she did love him and turns into this submissive, docile and obedient woman. I really hates Tasya. If it wasn't for Rurik I would have given this book even a lower rating.
  
  But what I hated the most of this book was that the terrifying and frightening image you had from the Varinski's from book 1 was transformed 100 degrees. They used to be professional Assassins who were feared by everybody and had so much power that no one dared to stop them. But in this book they turn into this lazy, bad trained and weak men. I believe that every book needs a well developed villain to be entertaining and that was missing in this story. Also the ending was bad for me.Don't wanna spoil it to anybody so I wont say any more.
  
  I still have faith in this series.
  I will definitely be reading the next book. I hope it's better than this one.
• 
  TheEuphoricZat

  i have never read a short story with so much work put in, the story is well developed and the characters are just amazing, the plot is beautiful, we are talking magical beauty here.
  I love this series so much, I finished it all in on week and I cant wait to read more book by this author.
  I fell in love with the charcters so much that it was sad to see the end of the series.
• 
  Mojca

  Rurik Wilder is determined to break the curse on his family and save his father's soul. He knows he's close to finding the missing piece of the holy icon that can accomplish all that. All clues point to a cave, an ancient warrior's grave, on a small Scottish island, but Rurik isn't the only one adamant on finding that icon.
  
  Photographer and writer Tasya Hunnicutt wants to find the icon to provide irrefutable proof on the Varinskis, the family that killed her parents. Unfortunately for her, Rurik, her lover, is also a Varinski.
  
  The two embark on a perilous journey across Europe in hopes of locating the icon, dodging the Varinski assassins along the way. They're a little too resilient, but Tasya refuses to believe the rumors of the family's supernatural abilities, until Rurik is forced to give her a demonstration in order to save her life.
  
  Now Tasya is forced to make a life-altering decision. Is it possible for a man of Varinski descent to feel any kind of tender emotion? And can she really trust him enough to place her life and heart in his hands?
  
  
  
  Yet another winner—and an improvement from the first installment in this wonderful series.
  
  Rurik is an easier character to relate to, compared to his brother Jasha. Rurik is scarred from a past accident when he was still an Air Force pilot. It was that accident that spurred him into denouncing somewhat his ability to change into a predator.
  He's also gentler than Jasha was in
  Scent of Darkness, yes, still using sex to bend his woman to his will, yet doing it with more "style and class". Rurik is also a lot quicker to admit his feelings, which is another plus.
  
  Tasya...What to say about Tasya. Two immature, emotionally-inept, bitchy heroines in a row is almost too much to take, but at least Tasya came around a little quicker than her predecessor Ann. Which has mostly had to do with Rurik's behavior toward her.
  Still, I found all that secret-keeping a little tedious, when everybody with half a brain could figure the part of the story about her origins just by examining her name. Duh!
  
  Ms. Dodd heightened the action and peril another notch in this one and expanded on the main story-arc, dealing another tidbit about the possible unraveling of the pact with the Evil One.
  The conflict between Tasya and Rurik was a beauty of behold. From the beginning they never were on the same page and as soon as a truth was told, another secret sprouted out, and the two constantly skirted on the edge of betrayal.
  
  There was also another great cliffy at the end, unfortunately I have the entire series, so it didn't create the desired effect, but still...Oh, boy. It made me itch to pick the next book immediately.
  As the series progresses the stories get more and more engaging and complex, so this series is definitely highly recommended by this satisfied reader.
• 
  Pennie Morgan

  Still binging and packing and grooving my way through this series. The brothers are supposed to find the relics and one is found and now Rurik is on the hunt for another. He thinks he may find it and Tasya, his love, is the one to find it. She has her own gifts. So good with so many twists.
• 
  Chantelle

  Good story but
  
  Good story but the random flipping back and forth between multiple charters is very confusing, especially with no indication of a change. Going from the female lead, to the male lead, to the bad guy, to the male lead again throws you off. There are also quite a few typing errors throughout the book. Otherwise a really good book.
• 
  Stephanie Williams

  Omg this book was so good. It had its sad moments were i just cried n laugh at the same time... i cant wait to read the next installment
• 
  Debrac2014

  3.5 stars!
• 
  Emily

  Touch of Darkness wasn't the most fantastic book I've ever read, but it definitely didn't need a Viking funeral in the kiddie pool, which is always a good thing.
  
  The situations is much the same for the Wilder family when we pick up their story. Rurik, after finding out his archaeological dig in Scotland is all over the news, which can alert his murderous relatives, the Varinksis, to the plan to recover the stolen icons of the Madonna and free their father Konstantine from the pact with the devil (wow that was a mouthful,) tears ass to Scotland to get the situation under control. When he arrives, he finds a former one night stand, Tasya Hunnicutt, there as a representative from the people funding the digg. He immediately begins to plan on how to pay Tasya back (read: sleep with her again) after she absconded like a thief in the night after their night together.
  
  Needless to say, things rapidly take a turn for the crappy after Rurik and Tasya open the tomb that's the focus of the dig, and they have to run for it once it becomes clear that the Varinskis are waaaaay to close for comfort. They take off over hill and dale, end up at a convent that's a serious blast from Tasya's past, and find out that they've each been lying like crazy to the other pretty much from the first moment they met. They both have the good sense to not be crazy upset about it, though, which was nice. There's a really great fight scene at the end of the book and a cliffhanger that's pretty enjoyable and, of course, a happily ever after.
  
  I have to say I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first in the series, and it definitely doesn't stand on its own within the series, so if you're interested in reading, make sure you start with Touch of Darkness. The interactions between the Wilder family members and the growing ranks of in-laws are funny and touching at the same time, and the relationship between Rurik and Tasya blossoms near the end and makes the clunkier parts in the middle worth skipping over. There were a few other story lines threaded through the book (why Rurik won't fly airplanes anymore and Tasya's mysterious heritage just to name a couple) that didn't really hold my interest, but skipping over them didn't detract from the story lines I do care about (the relationship between the lead characters, the search for the icons, the situation back at camp Wilder, etc.)
  
  Overall Grade: B+
  
  Read other reviews at
  What Book is That?
• 
  C Joy

  I have to give credit to Christina Dodd, she really redeemed herself as a great writer because I was a bit disappointed with her Fortune Hunters series. In her second work, she showed how versatile she could be with this hot second installment in the Darkness Chosen series. I liked this better than the first one, it had more adventure, suspense, action, humor, and the right amount of sex just the way I liked them.
  
  The story started where the first left off, with Rurik rushing to a Scotland site where a tomb was dug. Tasya Hunnicutt, a reporter and photographer worked alongside him during the dig and eventually they had an affair, things got complicated after that. I liked how piece by piece we see the whole picture of things between them, Ms Dodd wrote early on Rurik's intense feelings for Tasya, and not just on a sexual level.
  
  I immediately liked Tasya's character because I have a soft spot for writers and photographers. She's a strong and stubborn woman, her fears were warranted, having that kind of history and all. The story escalated to a shattering climax when everything came out in the open. The open chase was there, the denial, the lies, but everything boiled down to one great story with a cliffhanger.
  
  There are similarities with the first novel, like the heroines being orphaned at a young age and fending for herself to be the women they are now, how they blame themselves for every trouble, not knowing that they're just caught up in the root of the trouble. I liked how the conflict was presented, how the sexual tension rose until finally the characters just gave in to the heat of the moment.
  
  Now about the hero of the story, what can I say? He's really hot, especially about being a pilot. He didn't appeal to me at first because he's a hawk 'cause I'm more of a werewolf girl. His power was interesting though, changing a body part at will to any of a hawk's, that's original. What drew me to him was his air of authority, his dominating nature, and the times he gave in to Tasya's wishes. In the end, he implied that he'll let Tasya do as she wishes, and for a dominating man, that's something else. He respected her independence and lover her for it, there were a lot of touching moments between them. This is another story that showed how people value their lives after almost dying.
  
  I never expected to like this series because it's her first venture in paranormal romance, and I'm glad I read this, it's highly entertaining.
• 
  Özlem

  Serinin ilk kitabını üç sene önce Pegasus Yayınları'nın çevirisiyle okumuştum. Yayın evi reklam yapmayınca ve kitap da iyi olmayınca serinin devamı haliyle gelmedi. Paranormal romance pek okumam ama ilginçtir ki historicalden sonra en çok takip ettiğim 2. türdür. Sanırım ülkemizde okuyanı olmasına rağmen çıkış hızı olarak historical kitaplardan daha kötü durumda olduğu için bu türdeki kitapları inceliyorum. Anca young adult türü ile birleşmişse az biraz kıymeti oluyor türün. İş, yetişkinlere gelince yayın evleri türe boş gözlerle bakıyorlar.
  
  Konu biraz dağıldı ama fikrimi belirtmesem rahatlamayacaktım. Ben de seriyi -okuma şenlikleri sağ olsun- bu sene devam ettirmeye karar verdim.
  
  4 kitaplık seriden erkek karakter olarak en çok bu kitaptaki erkeği yani Rurik'i sevdim. Diğer kardeşlerine oranla gücünün getirdiği tehlikeyi en iyi çözümleyen kendisiydi. Mecbur kalmadıkça gücünü kullanmamasını, daha insanca yaşamaya çalışmasını sevdim. Ayrıca diğer kardeşlerine göre daha ılımlı ve sevimliydi.
  
  Tasha başta sert görünse de genel olarak huyu Rurik'e benzeyen tatlı bir hanımdı. Fakat şu anda nedense başka hangi özelliği onu öne çıkarıyordu hatırlamıyorum. Sanırım düşündüğüm kadar etkilememiş beni.
  
  Serinin en düzgün çifti kesinlikle bu ikiliydi. Beraber çalışmaya odaklı, sorunlarını düzgünce masaya yatırabilen, genel olarak kolay anlaşabilen bir ikiliydiler.
  
  Hikaye ise serinin ilk kitabına göre biraz daha iyiydi.
• 
  Tanya

  I got this book on Audible for super cheap and I've had it in my library for a while. I didn't realize it was a book 2 to a series, which I either applaud the author on or curse myself for, because I usually research books (a little) before I buy.
  
  The story line is good but the narrator was horrendous, hence the reason for the 3 stars. I also found some of the interactions between the 2 MC's a little strange at times.
  
  If you decide you want to read this book do it the old fashioned way and not on audio. I think I probably would have liked it better with my own inflections.
• 
  Shinyfox

  Review later - Unfortunately I can't rate as less than 1 star.
  
  This book disgusted me.
  
  'Consensual' rape scenes.
  (Over the course of 3 pages FMC said "No, don't & stop", even after she tried to run away while he was putting the first condom on, he still had sex with her).
  
  
  Creepy, over-controlling MMC (massages her and 'arouses' her when she's sleeping, threatening to impregnate her if she doesn't put the condom on him herself)
• 
  Em

  Of all the books in this series I felt the least connect with these two lovers. While the historical information peeked my interested for a time. The main reason in which I like this series is the link of the family.
• 
  Jess

  I'm not quite sure how this happened.. but I read this series pretty much backwards. I still enjoyed the books, but I was a little confused at times lol.
• 
  Coralee Hicks

  Christina Dodd is very talented. Her writing appears effortless as she relates a tale of paranormal romance. The series, Darkness Chosen, tells of the Varinski's 1000 year old pack with the Devil. The need to break the pack, and the prophecy that foretells doom that might fell the Wilders or the Varinskis.
  
  This is Rurik' story. He who transforms into a hawk, has vowed never to fly again. Then he falls suddenly totally under the spell of a sapphire eyed beuaty. She is Tasya burdened with anger, suppressed grief and a living desire to destroy the Varinski family. Unbeknownst to her, her lover is perhaps also an enemy. The European setting offers plenty of background for the heart stopping action moving from Scotland to the deep mountains in the Carpathian region.
  
  I did enjoy the story with one personal caveat that causes me to remove one star. Dodd's females follow the trope of one who is seduced by the Strong Viral Male who continues with dominant sex despite hearing the word "no". I am old enough to scoff at this, and I know others enjoy reading this type of romance. I enjoy the paranormal and caution other readers about the 'icky' in my opinion, sex scenes.
• 
  redmamameka

  X. While I loved the first book...I could not even stand Rurik! He was a cold and weird character. The sex scene where he lubes her up with oils in the hotel, while she was sleeping....made me sick to my stomach. Now for the record, I’m no prude by any means and I even enjoy some of the darker/harder sexual encounters in books. However, I felt Rurik lacked this one vital component to sex...her consent! She was not very willing in a lot of this book and that just didn’t sit well with me because he was NOT a villain in this story but a guy who loved her. In addition the plot just drug on and on and on....I felt like it was all travel and needed to just get.to.the.point already. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and I am eager to find out about Firebird.
• 
  Christine

  Wow! this book was really great. I didn't think the character as a hawk could have been successful after reading about a wolf & and panther but it worked for me. The fight scenes could have been a bit more dynamic but all others more than made up for some uninspired fighting by the hawk. A good read all around from Ms. Dodd.
  
  Now on to book 4.
• 
  Yessenia Andaverde

  This was a story where the H and h were traveling all over Europe looking for a holy picture. Not bad, lots of angst. The secrets they were keeping from each other really did not keep my attention, but the world building was great and the writing style perfect.
• 
  Ursala

  So Miss Dodd is clinging to the rapes then? This series has been a good read...aside from sleep molestation and clear rapes. I don't understand how the author can keep implying that rapes will win the heart of the woman you're obsessed with 🤦🏽‍♀️
• 
  Janet

  2.5 stars
• 
  Gem

  I enjoy Ruriks character. Tasya is a little shallow. Even after the big reveal I feel like she's not real enough to care about.