Darkness of Light

Darkness, Book 1

By: Stacey Marie Brown

Narrated by: Michelle Sparks

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

Freak. Witch. Crazy. Schizo. Ember Brycin has been called them all. She's always known she's different. No one has ever called her normal, even under the best circumstances. Bizarre and inexplicable things continually happen to her, and having two different colored eyes, strange hair, and an unusual tattoo only contributes to the gossip about her. When the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for trouble teens, she meets Eli Dragen, who's hot as hell and darkly mysterious. Their connection is full of passion, danger, and secrets.

Secrets that will not only change her life, but what and who she is, leading her down a path she never imagined possible. Between Light and Dark, Ember finds a world where truth and knowledge are power and no one can be trusted. But her survival depends on finding out the truth about herself. In her pursuit, she is forced between love and destiny and good and evil, even when the differences between them aren't always clear. At worst, she will incite a war that could destroy both worlds. At best, she will not only lose her heart but her life and everyone she loves. Once the truth is out, however, there will be no going back. And she'll definitely wish she could.

©2013 Stacey Marie Brown (P)2014 Stacey Marie Brown

A welcomed surprise & enjoyment

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book but high ratings from others suggested the writing and story would be good. While the first chapters were a little slow for me, it picked up steam and it was a pleasant surprise to me how much I did enjoy the Audible version. Ember is an 18 yo young woman trying to finish HS but unusual things happen around her. She is sent to an 'alternative' school to finish the last couple of months of school and there she meets Eli. Everything that seems to happen to her revolves around him in one way or another. Added to that is her realistic dreams where she meets Toren but she's convinced that isn't real. It isn't until the end of the story that Ember learns the truth about who and what everyone around her are and what she is. So much story material can't be contained in one book. A cliffhanger ending but I will definitely be reading the next book. Don't be skeptical, this is a very enjoyable book.

Great Beginning to a Series!

This is my first Book by this author and after I was done, I devoured the rest of the series! I started this series because of a friends always raving about this author and went into it completely blind and spent most of this book wondering what the heck Ember was! This book is action-packed, a little YA, Quirky and is full of sexual tension! I really enjoyed the world building, the paranormal originality and the writing! The character are great too, they are all so completely different from each other. I was so excited to finally find out what was going on I knew I had to jump right into book two!

The narrator for this series is great too!

should be titled, "Darkness and Frustration"

Over half of the dialogue dedicated to how warm and lusty he made her feel. This was even after he treated her like crap. There were many eye rolls . There were so many things stated but unexplaineded. I still don't understand the purpose of the 2nd male darting in and out of her dreams leaving the same cryptic message. The author finally started getting to the point around chp 23. I thought, "finally". But the ending was disappointing.
The narrator did well with the exception of the husky, sensual voice which remained throughout. I won't be getting the second book. Sorry.

Douchey Hero

What would have made Darkness of Light better?

If Eli wasn't in it.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Michelle Sparks?

Maybe, but I wouldn't buy a book just because she was narrating it.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

There were some good moments. It's biggest failing is the hero is a complete douche-bag.

Intriguing and enjoyable

This book was fun and mysterious. Narration was good. I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward for the next book.

I couldn't get past the abusive relationships!

Any additional comments?

Main love interest was completely unlikable and abusive! I felt sick as I read how he treated Ember and all she could do was lust after him...it was disgusting. I did like the story and wanted to know how the series ended but stopped in the middle of book 3 because I could no longer take it. Bad language, abusive boyfriend, unlikable characters, explicit sex... I won't read another book by this author.

Wonderful!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would definitely recommend Darkness of Light. It's a very interesting and well written story. The characters are exceptionally believable and relatable. Stacey is an excellent storyteller with many twists and turns. Just when you think you have something figured out, you find out you don't!

What did you like best about this story?

The fun characters, especially the banter between Ember and Eli. Ember is a strong female character and I love that.

Which character – as performed by Michelle Sparks – was your favorite?

I enjoyed both Eli and Ember. I think Michelle did a wonderful job of bringing them to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were many times I felt sad, especially when hearing about Ember's background. But I also laughed a lot at Ember's one-liners and quick wit.

Any additional comments?

I don't think you'll be disappointed by listening to this first installment. I can't wait for the next ones to be out.

Stacey Marie Brown should have fired this narrator

I loved the Collector series which coincides with this series so I was excited to start it despite all the reviews saying Eli is a giant dick and the narrator sounds like a phone sex operator.

The story was good, a bit slow at the start, but I survived. However, the narrator was horrible. She does sound breathy like she's having sex over the phone. She did change her inflections from narration to a character speaking, but she didn't even try to change the tone of her voice. Despite everything, I hope the narrator reads these reviews and changes the way she narrates books because several people will never know the complete awesomeness that is Stacey Marie Brown all because of the performance. I'll be continuing the series regardless because I'm dying to see how this series and the Collector series ties together.

SOOOO bad!!!!

This is one of the worst books ever.

The story is slow, confusing and all over the place. One moment Eli is into her only to turn around and being a complet a.. After 15 chapters I still have no idea where the story is going and why this other man keeps showing up in her dreams. I just don’t get it.

The narrator was really awful. She constantly speaks in this low “I’m trying to be sexy” voice and it did not fit with the things happening in the book.

I’ve read so many of the books in this category and I’ve loved most of them but this time I’m really disappointed.

I would not waste my time on this book. Sorry.

great story

Loved the story line and the progression of characters in their development. The narrator sounds like she should be reading porn. With her reading it is hard to tell when a sentence ends. Her breathy voice through the entire book is obnoxious. The story itself is very good. I am getting the next book in the series hoping Miss Breathy gets a little better.

Good story, shame about the narrator

I've tried to listen to this but am finding it impossible due to the narration. If you are ok listening to a whiny girl trying to be sexy and thoughtful, this will be no problem. She has terrible voice drag, all her words seem dragged out at moments they are actually needed to be speeded up, and the tone is the same whether worried, upset or excited.
The actual story does intrigue me, though there's a lot of 'what is going on?' - I'm half way through and I'm still no nearer to finding out.
But I would still like to find out, which must be a good thing story-wise so I'm off to find a hard copy instead

Great!

Would you consider the audio edition of Darkness of Light to be better than the print version?

Didn't read in print.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Didn't have a favourite but as i continue i am sure I will.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

This narrator Has read another book I have listen to and tbh her voice doe's start to annoy me because at the end of a sentence she tends to hold on to the last word.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

At points in the story I did find myself getting pretty angry!

Any additional comments?

I would have liked to listen to book 2 but its not available so I ordered the kindle addition but i can't see myself reading it with all the other audible books on offer. Would defiantly recommend this book to someone who likes to be removed from reality....

Bit like Twilight

I thought I was mentally prepared for the quality of the debut novel, but a few things still bothered me.

The biggest disappointment is the slow burn and LI. He is a first-class jerk. I don't know how am I supposed to move from him being an idiot to liking him later. And I don't mean his alternative motives, which plotwise are the reason they even met.
No, I have a problem with how he:
- gaslighted her constantly
- not respected her physical boundaries
- ignored her saying NO 🤮🤮🤮
- was super condescending
- implied she is slow/stupid
- was super lame in every possible way.
Their interactions were super frustrating and unpleasant. It is a shame because I live for good banter.
At this point, her attraction to him just grosses me out.

The rest of the book is fine. Overall I had a good time 👍

Writing is less repeatable than in Savage Lands, and side characters are compelling. I am still waiting for some humor and squealability.
I will continue with hope for some drama and bearable new LI.