• Darkness Brutal

  • The Dark Cycle, Book 1
  • By: Rachel A. Marks
  • Narrated by: Will Damron
  • Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (527 ratings)

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Darkness Brutal  By  cover art

Darkness Brutal

By: Rachel A. Marks
Narrated by: Will Damron
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Publisher's summary

Aidan O'Linn's childhood ended the night he saw a demon kill his mother and mark his sister, Ava, with Darkness. Since then, every three years the demons have returned to try to claim her. Living in the gritty, forgotten corners of Los Angeles, Aidan has managed to protect his sister, but he knows that even his powers to fight demons and speak dead languages won't keep her safe for much longer.

In desperation, Aidan seeks out the help of Sid, the enigmatic leader of a group of teens who run LA Paranormal, an Internet reality show that fights demons and ghosts. In their company, Aidan believes he's finally found a haven for Ava. But when he meets Kara, a broken girl who can spin a hypnotic web of passionate energy, he awakens powers he didn't know he had - and unleashes a new era of war between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness.

With the fate of humanity in his hands, can Aidan keep the Darkness at bay and accept his brilliant, terrifying destiny?

©2015 Rachel A. Marks (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

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What listeners say about Darkness Brutal

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Unique!!

What an incredible unique and entertaining read.

All Aidan wants to do is keep his half sister Ava safe, and keep the demons from knowing that he sees them. Ava has been passed from foster home to foster home and Aidan is waiting till he is of age and has a safe place before he can take her. But Ava has been marked and is reaching the age when her powers will come and the demons are intent on claiming her. Aidan needs help and fast, so he goes to some people calling themselves the LA Paranormal. These people claim to help with the strange and upon seeing Aidan, they explain that they aren't all they seem and Aidan may be the one they have been waiting for.

That's all I'm going to say about the synopsis because I don't want to spoil it. The only other thing I'm going to say about the plot is that it's fast paced and gripping and the world the author created is amazing. There were some unique parts which really impressed me!!

Character wise, Aidan is a flawed hero, which is always a good thing. He has powers that he tries to hide since he saw his mum murdered by a demon. He knows that if the demons know he can see them, his life will be over. I admired the way he was so protective of Ava and how much of a normal boy he is. So often the heroes of books are all ones with big egos but not Aidan!!

Kara is the love interest (well one of them anyway). She is one of the LA Paranormal gang. She is such a broken character but you know that there's more than meets the eye. She is one tough cookie and whilst I liked her, I didn't think much of the romance between them. It felt like they would of been better off as friends. There is also another love interest for Aidan, whom I really liked, though I loathe a love triangle!!! It really and truly puts me off a book!

Anyway, in all this is an engaging and entertaining read. The audio is over 13hrs long but felt shorter. There is much to like about this and I'm sure the rest in the series is going to be just as good. I'm looking forward to more from this world and author.

Will Damron did a great job with the narration. His tones for the demons was really creepy!! He was able to make each character distinguishable and gave a good performance.

*I received a copy of this for review. This in no way affects my thoughts.*

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Dark and brutal, but not enjoyable

I was really disappointed with this one. This novel featured two orphans, young man Aidan O’Linn who can see demons from other realms and his little sister Ava. They didn’t know much about their family lineage, but they knew they came from magic users. In fact, Aidan understands 5-6 languages despite never took any languages in high school including demon languages. His sister Ava can read people’s thoughts and also see bits of the future. Ava is being hunted by demons and Aidan is trying to keep his little sister safe.

There was a lot of biblical references in this book but it was just boring and too much stuff going on. I couldn’t connect to the storyline or the characters. By the time the author chose to reveal stuff about Ava, Kara or even Aidan, I didn’t care anymore because I just couldn’t get with the plot at this point.It looked interesting on the blurb but I wish I had avoided this one.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Completely original and intelligent series!

I don't, normally, write reviews. But this series is so outstanding it deserves praise.

If you're looking for a fun, original, series that hasn't been done a hundred times. This is your series. I will admit it is YA, but more mature than 90% of YA out there. There is a "teenage sex fantasy" vibe to it as another reviewer put it. But its fine. And, lots, of mature language. Which even I use, so its nothing. But if you're a person who is too good for that, I'd pass.

The narrator did a wonderful job! He did each character justice. Even the female ones.

So, in conclusion, this series has become my favorite YA series I've ever read. The Kindle book companion is on Kindle Unlimited. But after reading it. I bought both books. And preordered the third.

I warn you, you'll be missing out if you pass this up!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story!

We listened to this book as a family and loved every minute of it. It was engaging and we didn't want it to stop. It was a great YA book to listen to with our 15 year old during our vacation. Great job Rachel!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding !

I was pleasantly surprised by the story and narration. Great job guys. Can't wait to read the next one!!!!!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

loved it, highly recommend!

I'm always nervous about purchasing, they're not cheap and I've had enough bad ones to be wary. The performance is great and the story is awesome. I cannot for the life of me understand why some crappie ones at $20 and this is so cheap!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed the story :)

Wasn't sure what to expect when I got this book and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next one and hope that see the same narrator on it as well. Wish there was more of a break in between the chapters for a smoother narration.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • RO
  • 03-07-17

A cut above the average apocalypse story

Would you listen to Darkness Brutal again? Why?

No but that's just because I prefer to move on than revisit. Also It's written such that there is little obscurity or ambiguity to make retakes necessary to follow the plot. I am looking forward to the rest of the series. Author has opened some interesting possibilities & I hope that I am not disappointed.

What did you like best about this story?

Blends mythos, religion, and folklore without committing to any. Any subscriber to any of the belief systems could find a common ground within. (well maybe not a raging religious fanatic of any faith, but I doubt they'd start the book to begin with)

What does Will Damron bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings me the story. My eyes don't tolerate the strain of reading much any more. Audible books have returned the pleasure of painting the "movie" in my head as opposed to watching it on the screen. I would say that I avoid narrators that grate on my nerves, prescreening all audios & avoiding any I find irritating .On a par with John Lee,Tim Reynolds,Ralph Lister, or Ray Chase.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Couldn't say without spoilers

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

first book completed in a while

entertaining. love the magic , the relationships , going back into the past , damn good fantast and understanding of youngsters imo

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

No regrets

I enjoyed this book well enough

it seems to me that the author realized about midway through that this could be a larger story and there's a very noticeable shift IMO.

great things were set up but the payoffs felt unearned and slim on Aden and Ava development

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