Darkness Descending

Table of Contents

 

 

 

“In
Darkness Descending
, Devyn Quinn has written a gritty paranormal romance that is as darkly seductive as it is fascinating. Jesse Burke is a gutsy heroine determined to obtain revenge against the demonic creatures that have destroyed her life. Immortal vampire slayer Maddox deValois becomes her sensuous mentor in both combat and passion. The result is an erotic thrill ride readers will adore.”

—Angela Knight,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Master of Smoke

 

“Darkness Descending
is a thrilling ride of nonstop action and emotion, with sexual tension that sizzles off the page. Maddox is the sexiest hero I’ve read, and the dark, gritty, apocalyptic world makes this a book you can’t put down. Devyn Quinn is a rising star!”

USA Today
bestselling author Sharon Page

 

“Packed with grit and urgency. A real page-turner.”

—Sharon Ashwood, award-winning author of
the Dark Forgotten series

 

“A fascinating urban fantasy with a gritty edge. Devyn Quinn rocks!”

—Sunny, national bestselling author of
Mona Lisa Eclipsing

 

“A genuinely unique tale of magical mermaids. The characters are people you can cheer for, and the story line really keeps the pages turning. Thought-provoking historical insights give a sense of realism to a fantastic, romantic story that will have readers hoping for a happy ending for all.”

—
Romantic Times
(4 stars)

 

“People, whether they have legs or tails, react in a variety of ways under pressure, and Quinn recognizes that in this fast-paced and exciting book.”

—Fresh Fiction

 

“A passionate, action-filled thriller.”

—Night Owl Reviews

 

“A wonderful second book [in] the Dark Tides series. It is full of adventure and romance.”

—Sizzling Hot Books (5 stars)

 

 

“Devyn Quinn writes her stories exactly the way I like to read them: rich, detailed, and a touch poetic. You can practically smell the wind, feel the passion, and taste the tears.”

—Morgan Hawke, author of
Insatiable

 

“More than a paranormal romance where the star-crossed lovers must battle huge obstacles,
Siren’s Call
quickly serves up a main course of interesting characters with a side dish of archaeological and historical intrigue. The novel does not delay the inevitable, nor does it retread the oft-trod predictable lines of many paranormal romances. Instead, as the story develops, so do intriguing questions about privacy, relationships, and what the world may have a right to know.”

—Fresh Fiction

“If you like a fast-paced read that draws you in quickly and leaves you begging for more, this is the book for you. . . . I found myself really absorbed in the plot and emotionally invested in the characters.... And I’m sure some are already screaming in Ms. Quinn’s head, begging her to tell their stories. All I can add is I’ll be waiting none too patiently for the next installment of the Dark Tides series. Ms. Quinn not only delivered, she went above and beyond.”

—Rites of Romance (recommended read)

 

“I enjoyed the story, especially the prickly Tessa. Paranormal fans with a penchant for mermaids are likely to enjoy this series.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

 

“A mystical tale of magick-wielding Mers, a lost civilization, and an evil queen hell-bent on destruction—escapism at its finest! If you haven’t read Devyn Quinn before, let me say this: Her descriptions are vivid. You’ll also enjoy the malevolent characters as much as her likable ones. I certainly do!”

—Love Romance Passion Reviews

 

“This first Dark Tides novel has a nicely inventive shape-shifting heroine. The hero is quite humanly flawed and yet satisfyingly honorable.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“The questions, feelings, and issues discussed made this unlikely story more real and believable.... I felt that the author fully pulled me into the world that she created.... I am definitely interested in reading the next book in this series.”

—Night Owl Reviews

ALSO BY DEVYN QUINN

SIGNET ECLIPSE

Published by New American Library, a division of

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, August 2011

Copyright © Devyn Quinn, 2011

All rights reserved

SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

ISBN : 978-1-101-51721-5

 

Oh, my goodness! It’s that time again, when I have to sit down and thank all those generous souls who contributed to the creation and writing of this book. I have to say right off that
Darkness Descending
would not have happened without the hard work of two very important ladies: my agent, Roberta Brown, and my editor, Jhanteigh Kupihea. Both of these gals busted their butts on my behalf, putting in long hours and going above and beyond the call of duty to take this first Vampire Armageddon book from the tiniest germ of an idea (a twinkle in my mind, really) and turn it into a full-fledged novel. Without them, there would be no Devyn Quinn. I would be lost without their guidance, generous spirits, and absolute support.

I must also mention Jane Steele, whose copyedit was spot-on. Her sharp eyes and sharper red pen made sure all the plot points lined up and made sense.

I can’t forget my support team, those ladies who listen to me moan when I’m going through the process of writing a new book. Kate Douglas and Darynda Jones always lend a generous ear, as well as share their advice and insights when I am confounded. Sarah Parr, Sara Reinke, Stef Kelsey, Vanessa Hawthorne, Jodi Lynn Copeland, and Anya Howard also chime in with their thoughts—and often kick my tail to get things back in gear. Never to be left out is Del Garrett, who’s been there since the beginning.

Much gratitude also goes to my beta readers, Lea Franczak, Rhonda Wilson, and Tracey Anderson, who always tell it like it is, especially if I’ve messed up a scene. Welcome aboard to Marissa Dobson, who has also signed on to beta read. Thank you. I need all the eyes I can get!

Last, to all the readers. I hope you enjoy the book! Please keep in mind that even though the story is set in New Orleans, it is a fictional version of that historic city my vampires are invading. Some places mentioned in the book are real. Other places are purely generated by my own imagination. I have tried to be as accurate as research over the Internet allows, so please don’t slap my hand if I got a detail wrong. If so, I will cop to that old fallback and pull out the license all writers of fiction carry: “I made it up. Really.”