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    Awaken Me Darkly
    Awaken Me Darkly
    Awaken Me Darkly
    Audiobook8 hours

    Awaken Me Darkly

    Written by Gena Showalter

    Narrated by Justine Eyre

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Ridding the world of evil, one alien at a time: that’s Mia Snow’s mission.

    In a time and place not too far away, Mia Snow is an alien huntress for the New Chicago Police Department. Heading up her expert team of Alien Investigation and Removal agents, Mia's unmatched at battling the elusive enemy among us, and she's the perfect girl for the job. She's seen her brother die at the hands of aliens. She's earned each of her scars. And she'll die before she cries. Now, a series of killings have Mia and her partner Dallas tracking alien suspects—but a sudden blast of violence leaves Dallas fighting for his life.

    The chance to save Dallas appears in the form of a tall, erotic stranger. An alien. A murder suspect. Kyrin en Arr, of the deadly Arcadian species, holds the power to heal the injured agent but not without a price. For Mia Snow, that price is surrendering to Kyrin's forbidden seduction...and embracing their electric attraction. She's walking a knife's edge, risking her badge and even her life. The closer she gets to Kyrin, the more Mia learns about her own heart, her human needs—and the shocking secret that will shatter everything she's ever believed.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 25, 2013
    ISBN9781442364868
    Author

    Gena Showalter

    Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs. Visit her at GenaShowalter.com.

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    Reviews for Awaken Me Darkly

    3.5/5

    221 ratings14 reviews

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    • 1/5
      not spicy they just kiss . plot was superficial eh
    • 1/5
      Awaken Me Darkly is a book that was part of my romanceopoly pick and so I can't believe that I had to do this, but I had to DNF this book at 60%. I really went into this blindly and I do wish I had read reviews as I could have avoided this book altoghether. I really struggled with this one. The heroine is NOT my type of heroine. I am not sure where the author was going with this one here. Now first off, one of my red limits is heroine abusing men or the hero. And its definitely the case in this one. I just couldn't find this heroine resonating at all. I did love the hero though, so he is the reason I kept with this one for as long as I did. What I really struggled with was seeing the heroine so hateful towards any men in the story, even her partner. And she was so bipolar in certain scenarios that just didn't make sense to me. But this heroine was practically a sociopath in how she viewed men, and honestly she was such a example of a toxic feminists heroine. And quite frankly the hero deserves better than being with someone so abusive. Now having said this, does this mean I am going to give up on this series? Nope. I will give this series another try but I will research the best book to try it out with.
    • 4/5
      Awaken Me Darkly
      4 Stars

      Mia Snow is an Alien Huntress tasked with pursuing, capturing and, if necessary, executing extraterrestrials responsible for harming humans. When an alien serial killer begins targeting young, dark-haired, dark-eyed men, Mia and her fellow hunters must track down the culprit, but the case takes a disturbing turn when an enigmatic and erotic stranger contacts Mia with an offer she can’t refuse …

      Science-fiction is not one of my preferred genres, however, the sci-fi elements in this book are secondary and contribute to rather than distract from the setting and the story. In fact, other than references to the arrival of aliens and descriptions of futuristic weapons and other technological advances, the story could very well be set in contemporary times.

      Anyone expecting feminine softness beneath Mia’s tough-as-nails facade is bound to be disappointed as she is the personification of a ball-busting, hard-nosed female cop. That said, there is an inner vulnerability and need to be loved that makes her very appealing and adds an extra layer of emotion and intensity to her relationship with Kyrin.

      Kyrin is an amalgamation of opposites. On the one hand, he is a typical alpha male - sexy, strong and secretive. Yet, he also accepts Mia’s need to be in control and even encourages her strength and independence. While it is difficult to classify his relationship with Mia as a romance given their intense battle of wills, there is definitely an emotional component that intensifies their underlying chemistry.

      The mystery surrounding the disappearances of several young men is intriguing although the revelations toward the end are not all that surprising and can be guessed early on. The final confrontation with the villain is rather anti-climactic given the build up, but the resolution is ultimately satisfying.

      In sum, the world building is detailed without focusing excessively on the sci-fi elements, the primary and secondary characters are compelling and the mystery is action packed. Justine Eyre’s narration is excellent and she is fast becoming a favorite. Looking forward to continuing with the series.
    • 4/5
      totally loved the strong heroine and action. Her romance didn't make her any less cool.
    • 3/5
      Awaken Me Darkly is set in the future when different species of aliens are openly living amongst humans. Mia is part of a law enforcement group that specifically deal with alien-related crime. She hunts down the criminals and if she finds them guilty, they are executed. There is no trial.

      Mia is a no-nonsense kick-ass alien hunter, she's had a tough life growing up. Her mother left after she was born, her two brothers were murdered and her father stopped loving her and turned abusive when her first brother died when she was just 5 years old. She has no room in her life for love but she cares deeply for her team of very loyal hunters. She is very physical with her emotions, if you upset her she lets you know right away with a punch or a slap to the face - as Kyrin notes “Can you not go one day without using your fists?” which lets you know just how often she gets upset!

      Mia encounters Kyrin when she begins investigating a serial killer who is murdering human men and displaying them in public. Kyrin is the obvious suspect he had contact with all of the victims before they died but it isn't as simple as that. Mia is drawn to him, she can sense him, his energy - she's human she shouldn't be able to do that. She fights her attraction to him in order to remain cold impartial but he shows her that he isn't responsible for the murders, that there is a whole lot more to the story than just these murders. He shines a light on her personal life, her very being and reveals that she has a connection to the real murderer.

      My only real complaint about this book is the lack of background. Being the first book I expected there to be more information about the different species of aliens, a little more on the supporting characters, even Kyrian and Lilla. I also wanted to follow Mia as she looked for the children, a loose end that was never addressed. I understand the next few books follow different couples so I guess that we will not find out what happened to the children.

      I never would have read this type of book if it hadn't been for a group challenge. I'm glad I did. I had read the authors first book in the Lords of the Underworld series which I enjoyed so I naturally picked this book to fit the alien category of the challenge. I'm not sure whether I'll continue reading the series now that I know this story will not be continued but it was an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Mia Snow is an alien hunter working for futuristic law enforcement agency A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal Agents) In her capacity, she is allowed to kill alien wrongdoers with impunity, which makes her job both easier and harder than for today’s law enforcement. She has been taught from a young age to hate other-worlders and has a difficult time giving them the benefit of the doubt. That changes when she becomes involved in a case revolving around some disappearing men and a fertility clinic. She meets Kyrin en Arr and desires him immediately, even though he’s Arcadian, a particularly powerful race of alien. Kyrin seems like suspect #1 in her case, but she’s hesitant to believe he’s a murderer. She risks her career to work with him and discover the real culprit behind the killings and learns some important secrets about herself along the way.Suspenseful, crackling with heat and chemistry, just enough mystery and twists to keep one entertained, this is a pretty decent urban fantasy novel. The world building is done well, without a lot of exposition and things are revealed to the reader at a good pace. Recommended for fans of the genre.
    • 3/5
      My Thoughts on the audio: Justin Eyre has a smokey, sexy, just woke up kinda voice. At times it seemed raspier than others. I'm guessing she did this to fit the character, Mia Snow. Overall I did like her narration. She was pleasant to listen to. My Thoughts on the story:I'm a fan of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series, so I decided to give the Alien Huntress series a try. This book takes place in a futuristic world where aliens live among us. Some are good, others-not so much. That's where Mia Snow comes in. She works for the New Chicago Police Department hunting down outlaw aliens. She's hunting down a serial killer when she meets the sexy, mysterious Kyrin. He gives her a lead and then disappears. However Mia soon learns that Kyrin is the key to stopping the serial killer. The closer she gets to him, the more she can lose herself.Awaken Me Darkly is the first book in this series. This didn't grab me the same way Lords of the Underworld did, but I still liked it. Mia is a good character. She's strong, but also she has a lot of doubts. Her team trusts her and would go out on a limb for her no matter the situation. The chemistry she has with Kyrin is really good. They have a undeniable attraction to each other, even when they are fighting. The story line is good as well. Showalter does a great job in laying out the mystery and romance. She does leave you wanting more. Overall this is a good book. I definitely want to continue with the series to see where Showalter takes it.
    • 3/5
      I was already a fan of Gena Showalter before I read this book. Reading this, though, made her one of my "buy without question" authors. I loved this book -- its tone, the characters, the sex appeal. I couldn't have been happier when I realized it was just the start of a great new series.
    • 4/5
      As a female on the A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal), Mia Snow had to constantly prove that she deserved to be there. With her instincts and talent that was not terribly difficult, but when men are being abducted by what turns out to be an Arcadian and a women, Mia had to find a way to work with one of the most powerful Arcadian men she had ever met. As Kyrin became more involved in the case as a suspect, he also became more personally involved in Mia’s life going as far as abducting her to prove a point. Would the information and the help that he could give her ever make up for some of his actions.Book 1 ….. An introduction into the Alien Huntress series. Getting to know the group of AIR agents was a handful but fun. There is so many agents and aliens species to get to know, but expected for a first book of a series. Being generous with a 4/5 star rating, I could not get into all of the characters as much as I wanted to, but I got Kyrin - liked him. Can’t wait to see who is part of the next installment in “Enslave Me Sweetly”.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in the Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter. I really liked her book "Playing with Fire". I was a bit leery about this book because...well...it's called "Awaken me Darkly" and it has a scantily clad woman in a black corset on the cover; it kind of screamed romance to me. Well, it is not a romance. It is a tightly packed paranormal crime novel, with back to back action scenes and a sex scene thrown in for good measure.Mia Snow is part of AIR, Alien Investigation and Removal Agency. Basically she is an Alien Hunter; that takes out any aliens that are walking on the wrong side of the law. When she gets drawn into a murder case where nude males are left dead in plain site, she finds that the politics involved are extraterrestrial. When her partner, Dallas, is fatally wounded she finds that the super hunky alien Kyrin en Arr is the only on who can help him. Too bad Kyrin is the prime murder suspect, also too bad that Kyrin is the one who can help Mia unfold her dark past.This book moved at a fast clip. The plot was tight and well-done. I really enjoy Showalter's writing style. The murder investigation and action scenes dominated the book. Anyone who picks this up thinking it's a romance will be deeply disappointed. There is some tension between Mia and Kyrin and one really hot sex scene, but that's pretty much it for romance. Overall I really liked the book. Mia's kick butt attitude reminded me of Anita Blake before she went all succubus on us. Although Mia's character could have had a bit more depth and been a bit more tempered with something other than anger; I still thought she was a pretty good lead.I was also a little disappointed that they didn't go into more about the different aliens and their culture. Kyrin does go into Arcadian culture somewhat; but not in great depth. I also thought most of the aliens were a bit too humanoid, but well, I guess that's the author's decision.Overall this was a very engaging and entertaining read. I liked that the story had a more sci-fi focus; it was interesting to read something paranormal-like in genre that took place in the future and with aliens. The book tied up all the main plot points but left some minor ones hanging. It doesn't look like Mia Snow is featured in the rest of the books in this series. Either way, I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series. I am hooked on Showalter's writing style.
    • 4/5
      Mia Snow is an alien huntress in the near-future working for the New Chicago Police Department. She has a grudge against aliens as at least one of her brothers died at their hands many years ago. She's starting to burn out a little though and her life seems to be one long shooting match with very little down-time.It's an interesting story that just doesn't quite thoroughly work for me, but wasn't a bad read.
    • 3/5
      This book seems to lend itself to high-concept pairings. I've seen "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Alien Nation" and "Eve Dallas meets Anita Blake." Personally, I'll go with Men in Black meets Romeo and Juliet... but without the tragic ending. It's about star-crossed lovers and finding an alien killer.Mia Snow is an Alien Huntress--she works for the Alien Investigation and Removal agency. It's a future Chicago where aliens live, for the most part peacefully. But due to their unearthly abilities, when aliens become a threat to humanity, it's not possible to simply throw them in jail. Which is where Mia comes in. (hence the Anita Blake comparisons, which, I admit, are apt--at least for the first several Anita Blake books)There's a murder that Mia determines was committed by a certain kind of alien, and the trail leads her to the Arcadians Kyrin and his sister Lilla. But the more she investigates, the more Mia finds herself falling in love with a man that duty says she should kill.It's a fun concept--add a star-crossed romance to Men in Black. The mystery is appropriately convoluted. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the emotional intensity of falling in love with the absolutely wrong person. And I very much enjoyed that Kyrin is written in shades of gray. So often in this kind of book, the alien (or werewolf or vampire or whathaveyou) is not only peaceful but altruistic, and is simply misunderstood. That's not Kyrin.However, it got a little too convoluted, and at times I was overwhelmed with the details. And there was that back-and-forth with the hero and heroine having the same fight over and over that always drives me nuts. Mia was also a little too willing to use asskicking as a first resort, and a little too undefeatable.I've been hearing that the second book in the series is a big improvement, and I did really enjoy the concept, but this book didn't wow me, and I have that monster TBR pile.... I haven't decided yet if I'll pick it up or not. Leave a comment and convince me.
    • 4/5
      Mia Snow is a kick butt, leather clad alien huntress with a disposition colder than her name. She has fought for her position in a male dominated profession and will not compromise in her morals. However, when Mia and her partner, Dallas, begin investigating a serial killer with a fondness for young men Mia finds she'll need all her brains and all her skills to discover who is responsible. Not the least of her problems is the fact that one of their prime suspects is a heart-stoppingly handsome alien named Kyrin whom she is developing an almost otherworldly attraction for. When her partner sustains a deadly injury it is Kyrin who holds the key to Dallas’ life, but the alien’s price for the saving may be higher than Mia is willing to pay.I'm not a real big fan of the uber-tough, killer chick heroine types which, unfortunately, is exactly what the main character here is. Fortunately, the story itself was enjoyable and interesting enough that I was able to get around that. This particular novel is the predecessor to two young adult books by Ms. Showalter, also set in this world, in which Mia is a side character. It was rather interesting to see how the whole story began, even though I rather liked the YA books a bit better than this one. Although this book did have a respectable conclusion, the entire mystery has not yet been solved and in that respect it is a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm certainly interested enough in this series to keep an eye out for the next book.
    • 5/5
      Mia Snow is an agent for A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal). She's been hunting aliens her entire life, and hated them ever since she was a little girl and they had killed at least one of her brothers, the other gone missing and never found. Now she's on the hunt for an Arcadian that's killing human men and leaving them to be found in compromising positions. But if she's to find who's behind these murders, and save her partner in the process, she must accept help from the most unlikely of sources: a tall, exotic Arcadian by the name of Kyrin en Arr. And as she gets closer to the truth, and closer to Kyrin, she discovers some shocking secrets about herself in the process.I went into this book not sure what to expect. I was thinking I might just be getting another romance in a paranormal wrapper, but I couldn't be further from the truth. :-) I totally enjoyed Gena's writing style, and Mia's kick ass character reminded me of the Anita Blake of old. This book would probably be considered more Paranormal Fantasy, or even Sci Fi because of the Aliens, though some of the powers they exhibit are very similar to what we see in Vampires in other stories: strength, quick moving, mind control, enhanced life, etc. After finishing this story, I immediately added the rest of the series to my wishlist. There's currently one other published, Enslave Me Sweetly, with the next two coming in June and July 2007 actually being YA, and a return the non-teen version in January 2008. I believe the YA books, going by the series title "Teen Alien Huntress", will take place in the same world but with different characters. (I added the forthcoming titles and release dates to the Ongoing Releases Dates thread at BookObsessed if you want all the details.)