Visions of Darkness

Darkness, Book 1

De: A.L. Jackson

Narrado por: Victoria Mei, Teddy Hamilton

Destined to be together, forbidden to love, two lost souls fight evil in an everyday world that belongs to the night. A dark romantasy by a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

My life is a nightmare. I’m tormented by the evils I’ve seen, but still I hunt. Kill.

My only comfort is Aria, my forbidden soulmate, whom I meet each night to fight an unseen war. When that war spills over and endangers her, there is nothing that can stop me from finding my love.

Giving in to our blazing attraction could be the death of us, but with one brush of her hand, I’m willing to break every oath I’ve made.

I’d burn the world to protect her from the evils that hunt us.

Because for one moment of loving Aria? I would gladly give my life.

©2025 by A.L. Jackson Books Inc. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Swoony romantasy.”—Booklist

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Bold New Voice from AL Jackson – A Captivating Start to an Engaging Series!

AUDIOBOOK

The audiobook performance is a mixed bag. The male main character's narration is strong and perfectly suited to the tone of the story. However, the female narrator’s voice sounded way too mature and, at times, overly theatric for the 18-year-old main female character. Unfortunately, this frequently often pulled me out of the story because it was so distracting.

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STORY

AL Jackson delivers a refreshingly distinct narrative voice in this compelling series debut!

With her trademark emotional depth and immersive character/world-building, Jackson once again proves why she’s a powerhouse. What sets this novel apart is its striking tonal shift—much darker, grittier, and more visceral than her previous works—yet it’s a risk that pays off brilliantly.

Venturing into a mysterious new world with a cast of young adult (by age) characters, Jackson crafts a story that is both haunting and interesting. The dialogue is sharp and the character arcs thoughtfully developed. While stories with such young main characters aren’t typically my preference, the authenticity and nuance Jackson brings to these characters within the story made it work.

Overall, this is an exciting evolution in AL Jackson’s storytelling. I’m really forward to the next book in what’s shaping up to be a standout and exciting series.

5/5 for the story. Super fun story!!!

Epic Journey

Visions of Darkness is an enthralling romantasy novel that pulls you in right from the start. It's about Aria and Pax, soulmates who team up against evil in the nightmare realm of Faydor, though they've never actually met in real life. By day, they're just regular people dealing with their own issues, but by night, they become fierce warriors. Aria is the tough, empathetic type, and Pax is your classic morally grey hero who'll break any rule to keep her safe when their dream world dangers start leaking into reality.

The book is packed with action, a tantalizing forbidden romance, and sky-high stakes that kept me turning the pages. The world-building is rich and immersive, setting up a deep, complicated, and downright risky romance between Aria and Pax. Their connection is magnetic, and as they fight off dark forces, resisting their growing attraction gets tougher. If you love stories about fated mates and epic adventures, this book won't disappoint you. The cliffhanger ending will leave you eager to grab the next book and discover what happens. Overall, I enjoyed this read. I have some lingering questions, but I hope they will be answered in future books.

Narration:
Victoria Mei and Teddy Hamilton delivered amazing performances. They transported me right into Aria and Pax's world and really brought the characters to life. Their performances allowed me to feel the passion, tension, and emotions elicited by Aria and Pax's epic journey. I highly recommend reading and listening in tandem.

I don’t read romantasy but I did and it was great!

This is what I wanted in a dark romantasy! Also teddy Hamilton..:that is all.

Blew me away!!

AL Jackson brought her writing game up to a whole new level with Visions of Darkness. This book had all the angst and passion that you always get with her books but with the addition of a paranormal twist. I was so pulled into this story that I couldn’t put it down. Pax and Aria’s connection was like no other. I can’t wait for more!

Awesome romantasy story different than the others!

I loved this book! Finally something different and not the same old over-told romantasy story. A breath of fresh air. I enjoyed it so much I finished it in half a day! Definitely plan to purchase a copy.

I loved this romantasy!!

I love Pax and Aria so much!! This book had me hooked from the start. I haven’t read a fantasy book with this particular world, it was AMAZING! The world created in this book was fascinating. I have precisely read books from AL Jackson and I knew she would slay a fantasy romance book.

The narration was perfect. The narrators flowed perfectly together. Teddy and Victoria did a fantastic job.

And the end!? I can’t wait for the next one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️

I first read the physical copy of this book. It is filled with a lot of different emotions and knew I needed to listen on audio.

I would definitely recommend listening to this one as an audio!

Enjoyed it

Visions of Darkness was an engrossing, well-written tale that kept me captivated from start to finish. The plot was unique and we are taken on quite a journey with our main characters Pax and Aria.

The story takes place in parallel worlds, where the characters live in the regular world during the day and at night when they go to sleep, they are transported to another world, Faydor, where they battle with the Kruen - evil spirits that enter the minds of the people on Earth.

The bond between Aria and Pax was unlike any other. Their connection was intense and electric and although they are forbidden from being together in the real world, nothing will stop Pax from going to Aria when she is in danger.

The story is perfect for those now getting into fantasy as the world building is easy to understand. The romance was a slow burn at the start, but picked up in the second half of the book and I really enjoyed watching the love grow between these two.

This is the author's debut romantasy novel and I absolutely enjoyed it. We are kept on our toes throughout each chapter with all the twists and turns and the cliff-hanger ending left me wanting more. I can't wait for book 2 and would definitely recommend this novel.

🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Victoria Mei and Teddy Hamilton. They did an amazing job and really brought the story to life. Their voices were clear and understandable and they gave each character their own personality and portrayed the right emotions where needed, making the listening experience an absolute delight.

Holy Moly..it was intense,!

I loved it.it is intense and you really are taken into a new world. The scenes move along and one chapter flows into another. This is a new A L Jackson…new genre but the same amazing writing!

A Unique Romantasy That You Will Love!!

Holy guacamole!!! That ending!!!

This Romantasy was so AWESOME!! Jackson’s first one and she knocked it out of the park! This concept was so unique, so incredibly creative and VERY hard to put down!!

The characters were so multi layered and complex! I loved Aria and Pax so much! The world building was incredible! Yes it was party an urban setting, until they went to sleep and entered a different world. So cool!!

If you like Fantasy with Romance (Romantasy) you WILL LOVE THIS ONE!! Non-stop action, totally unpredictable and wrapping you up in Pax and Aria’s story!! Be prepared to find it almost impossible to put down!!

The narration was AMAZING!! With these narrators I knew it would be!!