REVIEW: Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark #1) by Gena Showalter

 

Author: Gena Showalter

Series: Angels of the Dark

Pages: 411

Publisher: HQN Books

Source: Katie @ Little Bird Publicity

Amazon: Wicked Nights

Release Date: 26^th June 2012

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless--and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation--or her ultimate damnation?

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

Wicked Nights is the first book in the Angels of the Dark series by Gena Showalter and was kindly provided to me by Little Bird Publicity.

22 year-old Annabelle Miller, a human, has been falsely accused of killing her parents, a crime she didn’t commit and has been imprisoned in an institution for the criminally insane as she claimed it was monsters who had committed the crime; this is where she has spent the past four years.

Warrior angel Zacharel as been ordered by the Deity to lead a group of problematic angels on a mission to the institute where Annabelle is being held, he has been deemed too cold-hearted and his wings are on the line if he doesn’t succeed in his mission, what he didn’t expect was to find a human who needed saving so offers to protect and help her to figure out why she has been targeted and marked by a demon and also find the one responsible for the deaths of her parents.

For one year, he would lead an army of angels, just like him. The ones no one else wanted under their command, the rebellious/tortured ones. His assignment: to teach them the respect that he himself had yet to demonstrate - for the Deity, for the sanctity of human life. He alone would bear the consequences of his warriors' actions - a whipping.

I adored the way Annabelle and Zacharel came to trust one another and were able to work together to solve the demon problem. Zacharel is emotionless, he has become cold, bitter and unfeeling since losing his twin brother, Hadrenial at the hands of demons and his sole purpose in life is revenge. Annabelle on the other hand was strong, snarky and determined yet still had hidden vulnerability, she was rightfully wary but they complimented each other well.

I liked the slow build-up to the romance and despite the attraction and the chemistry between them they took their time and the banter between them I found to be quite humorous.

I enjoyed reading about each of the other Dark angels - Thane, Bjorn, Xerxes, Koldo, and the small bits we saw of Axel and I am eager to read more about them in upcoming books. I liked how their respect for Zacharel grew as the book progressed, their insolence made for a hard task.

Although I found the pacing to be quite slow initially - it was more an introduction in to the complex world and the characters, it definitely picked up in the last third. The plot certainly kept me intrigued; I loved seeing Zacharel change his ways and begin to learn the value of human life as well as continue to fight for what he believed in.

There was a part towards the end (I wont reveal what it was to avoid a spoiler) that I thought was glossed over all too quickly and Zacharel’s decision didn’t match his earlier feelings, maybe I just expected a different outcome to this solution.

Overall, I have never been disappointed with anything I have read by Gena Showalter and Wicked Nights was certainly no exception, it is a story filled with action, sacrifice, humor and a sweet romance that kept me riveted throughout and I couldn’t help but cheer for a HEA for our H/H and a solution to the problems.