Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jenson)

I loved this series since the first installment. It's true that this book doesn't have the "heat" of some of the previous books. Here we see Riley starting to develop more as a character who isn't a complete prisoner to her hormones. Hopefully, Riley will have someone new come into her life. Quinn has his own issues, and can't accept her for herself. As for breaking off her relationship with Kellem, it was no great loss. His character always seemed a little flat to me. Ms. Arthur has a good imagination so hopefully she will surprise us all in the next book.Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 5)

This book is a real improvement over Keri Arthur's earlier stories in Riley Jenson, Guardian series - there is a greater focus on plotting and characterisation and less emphasis on sex to carry the story along. The book starts with Riley on holiday on an island to recover from all the events of the last year (and last four books). She is contacted there by a member of her former pack who demands that she looks into the disappearance of a pack member, Adrienne, and threatens to hurt Riley and Rhoan's mother if she doesn't comply. Shortly afterwards the Directorate ask her to look into the strange murder of a woman who appears to have been torn limb from limb by her fiancé and Riley discerns a supernatural element to the crime. She works on both investigations at the same time, also finding herself under attack from an unknown assailant, dealing with the memories that contact with her pack has dredged up, and trying to make sense of her relationship with Kellen who wants to 'go solo' with her. Riley's not sure if she can commit to that and clearly has some feelings still for vampire Quinn, although he doesn't appear in person in this story. The plotting in this book was excellent with good pacing and with the variety of two simultaneous investigations. The caustic relationship between Riley and Salliane, 'The Cow', is very amusing, and adds some light relief in a story with a fair amount of darkness. Riley's skills are growing and strengthening and she discovers a new aspect of her nature in this book following the drug treatment that she received in the first instalment. Her brother Rhoan features in this story as he helps Riley at the denouement at the end of the story when they uncover the evil behind a string of grisly deaths from the UK to Germany to Australia. This book relied far more on plot and characterisation, particularly Riley's workaholic nature and her complete absorption in being a Guardian and how that plays out with her personal relationships, rather than sex; for me, this made it a much stronger read and made Riley a more sympathetic character. It ended on a cliffhanger in Riley's personal life (although the major plot lines were all completed) and made me look forward to the next book. Although part of a series all the relevant backstory was given in a smooth and concise way and so this book would be easy to understand for a first-time reader despite the complex supernatural world and the varied skills that the non-humans have. "Embraced by Darkness" is a great addition to the series and a book that will probably win this author new readers. Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, [...]. © Helen Hancox 2007

Half werewolf, half vampire Riley Jenson is now a full fledged guardian in the Directorate of Other Races. She has no choice because her powers are growing and changing thanks to a drug she was forced to take. If she wasn't in the directorate she would be involved with the military like others were forced do. Right now Riley is taking a well deserved rest on Monitor Island when her alpha leader Blake tells her that that she is to find out what happened to his granddaughter Adrienne who disappeared just like other young women before her. All disappeared within weeks of leaving home and all knew bartender Jon D; Riley is forced to help because if she doesn't Blake will kill her mother. When she arrives home she is given another assignment. Females are being torn apart by something evil and preternatural although nobody knows what is actual doing the killing. Once Riley puts a stop to the murders she swings her attention to the club Mirror Image where shifter and humans are allowed to dance with the end game beings sex. Women connected to the club have disappeared and Riley believes that was the story Adrienne was working on. Now she has to retrace her footsteps and hope she and her twin brother Rhoan don't get killed by two human with supernatural powers. The latest Riley Jenson Guardian novel is a fantastic enthralling supernatural thriller that focuses on the need to solve the case quickly before more people die. In Riley's world, vampires, weres-shifters, and other supernatural entities are taken for granted and co-exist with humans. Riley's new powers are a shocker to her and she knows she will have to stay with the directorate so they can help her and so she can stay out of the military clutches. Keri Arthur is one of my top favorite supernatural writers with this strong work validating why. Harriet Klausner

Loved this book! Can't wait to see what happens in the next installment. This book kept you interested from the get go. If you want to read a series that is funky, fun, and keeps you in suspence then the Riley Jensen books are for you.

I just happened onto book 3 in the Guardian series one day and couldn't wait to get my hands on all of them. PLEASE tell me that it doesn't end with #5!! Riley can't possibly end here, not with Quinn still out there! Rather than giving away information about the series, I will just say READ IT! I couldn't stop until I read the whole series, and now I feel lost that it's over......even for the moment. Riley and Rhoan, Quinn, Kellen, Jack, The Cow: all of the characters in these books are interesting and Ms. Arthur makes you feel like you know them inside and out. While there are some predictable slow spots, when the perverbial stuff hits the fan you better hope your phone doesn't ring because you won't put the book down. I am anxiously awaiting book 6! Keep it up!!!