Deception

Dark Desires Origin, Book 2

By: Nina Croft

Narrated by: S. W. Salzman

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Brave new world or the same old crap?

Warlock Milo Velazquez has always dreamed of a day when “monsters” like him don’t have to hide in the shadows. Now, on a planet far from Earth, he’s hoping the old prejudices have been left behind. Though from what he’s seen so far - not a chance.

Their new leader could make life a living hell for Milo and the other immortals illegally transported across the galaxy. Under cover, he scopes out the threat, but he never expected to find a beautiful woman locked in a cell underground. He should ignore her and focus on his mission, but instead he sets her free.

Milo has met all kinds, paranormal creatures and humans, in his centuries of life, but Destiny is like nothing he’s ever encountered before. She’s flawless, and strangely naïve, though she can spout off facts like a walking encyclopedia. He isn’t sure who - or what - she is, or why someone so innocent would be a prisoner.

All he knows is Destiny is different...and finding out why could be their only hope for survival.

©2021 Nina Croft (P)2021 Spotify Audiobooks

Romance and adventure

I had not read any of this author’s books until the first book of this series. I was so pleased with that first book that I immediately purchased this one. And it did not disappoint. It’s full of action, adventure, magic and of course romance. I have to admit though, I figured out what Destiny’s mysterious purpose was pretty early in the story but that made me appreciate the story even more. I highly recommend the books of this series.

Sophomore funk- One step forward, ten steps back

Boo. So disappointed. The premise of vampires, were-animals and warlocks stowing away on space-arks fleeing an Earth apocalypse teased pulpy space camp gold or gritty space fantasy-horror, either of which would totally be my jam. Book 1 was clunky and lacked depth, but there were some neat concepts, a decent (if predictable) mystery, and a little humor, action and camp,

Unfortunately, the only thing moving forward in this sequel is the timeline… and even that takes only one small step, picking up right where book 1 left off. The remaining ark ships have arrived at their target galaxy after 500 years in cryo. Each ship gets a planet to settle and this story takes place entirely on one planet. The MCs from book 1 have mere bit parts as new MCs Milo and Destiny are introduced.
The mystery gets sillier, the romance gets skeezier… and as the story progressed I got more and more annoyed. In fact, I started making a list of things that bugged me.

Top Ten things that bugged me:
1. Half of the plot is the same as book 1: evil leader ensured his people replaced the original passengers on the ark, so they can rule in the new world.

2. What’s the point of sending supernatural beings into space if they barely do anything supernatural? The vampire does nothing vampiric (he’s just 1,000 years old), the werewolf only shifts twice and doesn’t do much more than run, and the warlock only unlocks doors and teleports (even though he’s apparently half demon and can set a room on fire…why couldn’t he have set stuff off?!).

3. Why have an alien planet if you’re not going to describe anything about the world that’s alien? Orange trees? Three eyed glorps? Extra moons? This planet may have just been called Earth, because there was nothing to distinguish it. An alien ship without any description of what makes it an alien ship. And, it has a red button… which the human presses… because why?

4. Unnecessary F bombs

5. Less humor. There was an attempt to launch an ongoing comedic tagline, like “I thought you’d be taller.” I was entertained by the “I’m adding him to my kill list” thought… but after three, it went nowhere.

6. Ugh, the robotic narration, the female voicing, the skipped words when narrating… like “he wanted to be (with) her” or “she’s been reading too much (about) sex.”

7. Destiny has been raised in complete isolation, making her childlike and making the romance cringey, particularly with the now-trademark insta-lust pattern. Each book has her feeling it in her core, him entering in one powerful thrust, and hair pulling when she goes down. I enjoy romance, but the 3-4 scenes felt very awkweird.

8. Ode to the Count of Monte Cristo: Every chapter starts with a Monte Cristo quote because that’s the only book she was given as she was raised. First, why would she be given only one book to read for her entire childhood aboard the ark-ship? Second, why have all these deep thoughts about betrayal, humanity, love and hate from the classic book when this is a pulpy space opera? The tone of the quotes was completely wrong for this book.


SPOILERS AHEAD



9. How does a gal go from being raised in complete isolation to storming castles on a one-woman rescue mission, handling grenades, piloting alien ships and disarming nukes? In a matter of days? Even with advanced engineering, she’d be book smart but not street smart.



BIG SPOILER AHEAD


10. Let me get this straight. A man with a bad ticker plans ahead and brings a scientist with him, through 500 years of cryosleep, and has her grow a clone to replace his bad ticker… and only makes a single clone? Really?! Why not grow 10 clones? Why bother raising a clone versus growing a clone in a cryogenic pod? Why the delay in organ harvesting? It’s like having a Bond villain who’s moronic machinations are his worst enemies. Only, if the eyeroll is that strong, it needs to come with more action, humor, and camp. And, this story did not bring it.