Guest Review: Rising Darkness – Thea Harrison

In the hospital ER where she works, Mary is used to chaos. But lately, every aspect of her life seems adrift. She’s feeling disconnected from herself. Voices appear in her head. And the vivid, disturbing dreams she’s had all her life are becoming more intense. Then she meets Michael. He’s handsome, enigmatic and knows more than he can say. In his company, she slowly remembers the truth about herself…

Thousands of years ago, there were eight of them. The one called the Deceiver came to destroy the world, and the other seven followed to stop him. Reincarnated over and over, they carry on—and Mary finds herself drawn into the battle once again. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that Michael will go to any lengths to destroy the Deceiver.

Then she remembers who killed her during her last life, nine hundred years ago…Michael.

Series:  Game of Shadows #1
Release Date:  April 2, 2013
Publisher:  Berkley Sensation
Source:  NetGalley
Buy the book at:

Reviewer’s Thoughts:

The first book, in what promises to be a great new series, is so intricately detailed that it’s impossible not to get lost in the incredible world the author has created.  I was absolutely blown away at her attention to detail.  She put so much into painting a unique setting for the series, and it’s done brilliantly.  The characters, while unique, are thoughtfully tied to historical/mythological legends, making them so much more exciting to read about.  They are developed wonderfully, adding yet another layer of depth to this fabulous story.

The two main characters, Mary and Michael, are centuries old companions, reincarnated over and over again to try and destroy the Deceiver, a former acquaintance of theirs who came to destroy the world.  The start of their journey together is poetic and meaningful; as Mary slowly begins rediscover herself through Michael.

Thea Harrison has always been a great writer, but she literally takes the cake with this one.  I can honestly say that it was an honor to have been able to read this first in her new series, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what else she has in store!  Dark and thrilling with a touch of romance – do yourselves a favor, and pick this one up!