Ecstasy in Darkness

By: Gena Showalter

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York Times best-selling sensation Gena Showalter enthralls with a dark, tantalizing world of humans, otherworlders, powers beyond imagining, and a seductive vampire undone by his insatiable hunger for one woman...

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: Be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all - a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction - vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose...

©2010 Gena Showalter (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

I LOVED EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER

We all know just how good Gena Showalter's world-building skills are and how she can deliver a fantastical multi-layered plot with various weird and wonderful species and humans all sharing the same world. But what she REALLY excels at is giving us handsome, ripped Alpha Heroes who need to be tamed and claimed and, in the end, we can't help but fall hopelessly in love with each and every one of them.... and McKell in one such Hero.

He is a ruthless, arrogant, vicious, intense and a dangerous Alpha Vampire Warrior who can literally stop time and does so with ease. A.I.R. has previously sent their best Agents to get him but they have all lost fingers trying and he happily wears their bones as a necklace. This time they send a couple of Agents in training best friends Noelle (rich) and Ava (poor but street smart) who are a hilarious comedy duo and they start teasing and taunting McKell but the laughs on them when he stops time and strips them.

There's instant sexual tension between feisty kick-ass Ava who breaks all the rules and McKell and when they agree to help each other's quests then they're constantly verbally sparring with each other. But when they realise she's his mate there's also friendship, companionship, tenderness, playful arguments and bitter-sweet quips as he tries to claim her in his own special superior way. But when events get serious he's loyal, passionate, possessive, volatile, gets jealous easily and is very very sexy and when everything go wrong with a plan to capture the Schon Queen he makes the ultimate heartbreaking sacrifice for Ava and ends up doing the impossible.

Worth a credit? Loveable H/H whose character development enabled them to love each other, an enjoyable action-packed plot, a full cast of secondary characters, a quirky romance, passion, sex, humor and plenty of lol moments but there's also painful, heartbreaking and tense drama filled chapters when things don't go to plan. If you're a fan of this awesome series then you know how funny, dramatic and sexy they are and you've probably already downloaded it but if not then it's definitely credit-worthy but, for under $10, I just bought it and saved my credit for a more costly listen. The funny antics, the humorous banter and the loveable characters will stay with you long after the book's finished.

8 of 12 people found this review helpful

Dawn's Review: Ecstacy in Darkness: Alien Huntress

I love this series! Love the characters and how they interact. Love the way that they learn that humans are just as important as they are. The way that their characters develop through the story is a pleasure to watch. The author writes the characters so that they feel like they come to life.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Not as good of a story as the others in this series.

I know that in a lot romances the lovers feel drawn to each other very quickly and love at first sight is somewhat a norm in this genre but... I find Mckells attitude and thinking about humans as an insulting thing. I don't see his world view change until near the end and there is no real reason for him to have all these remarkable epiphanies. All of a sudden she's the most awesome thing ever. Also, Ava's response to some of the superiority thinking o Mckells is positive in her mind. She may disagree the first time then she thinks it's flattering or sweet or made her feel safe. ?? I just found myself rolling my eyes and telling my phone "Ava! That isn't love! " however in many books, they move forward likes it's the forever most amazing love ever. Sorry, I'm 43 and I just can't even suspend reality enough to feel this book.
I am able to let Gena wisk me away in most of the other couples in this series.

Love the strong characters!

The H/H are wonderful! Great banter between them and Gena does an incredible job creating chemistry between them that is both believable and electric. The story line is intriguing, action packed and sexy! The only complaint I have is that the narrator makes all the characters come across as whiny which wasn't how the story is written. Great listen, well worth the credit or money.

Wanted more

Ending left you hanging, seemed like there should have been more. What about Dallas's visions?

Great fun!

Fun story, fun characters, great sex - what more could you ask from escape fiction? Thank you again, Gina! Keep on writing!