4 Wine Glass #Review for Darkness Rising by Lisa Carlisle

Title: DARKNESS RISING
Series: Chateau Seductions #0.5
Author: Lisa Carlisle
Format: Kindle, 75 Pages
Published: July 7, 2015 (Amazon Digital Services)
ISBN: ASIN: B0116M1Y8C
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Author
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Antoine Chevalier harbors a secret. Born a gargoyle shifter, he wants nothing more than to cultivate his art. His hard work pays off the night he completes his greatest sculpture. But the excitement of his accomplishment doesn’t last.

He’s drawn the eye of the wrong group—a coven of vampires. Antoine wakes into darkness, changed. Shattered. His dream of becoming a renowned sculptor is destroyed.

One question remains—how will he ever survive an eternity of darkness alone?

Darkness Rising is part 0.5 of the Chateau Seductions series by USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Carlisle. Readers have requested more on the dark and mysterious Antoine. In this short story, Antoine tells his tale, which continues in the series with Dark Velvet. Dark Velvet is written from Savannah’s perspective as a newcomer to an art colony who is intrigued by the proprietor.

Linda's Thoughts:
They’d stolen his life.
And rebirthed him as a monster.

DARKNESS RISING by Lisa Carlisle is an intriguing, highly emotional introduction to her Chateau Seductions series. I’m already a fan of Lisa’s Knights of Stone series which features gargoyles along with witches and shifters.  When I saw that her Chateau Seductions series also involved gargoyles with the addition of vampires in conjunction with an artful theme, I knew I had to read it! I’m happy to report that I’m glad I did!

This prequel primarily focuses on Antoine, a gargoyle who was heartrendingly turned into a vampire against his will in Paris in the late 1800s. Antoine’s story is told from his own perspective and takes place in assorted locations including Paris, Montreal and a remote island off the northeast coast of the US.

We first catch up with Antoine as he’s studying under Auguste Rodin, the great French sculptor. As a side note, when I visited Paris, one of the highlights of my trip was a visit to Musée Rodin which is located there – so the Rodin element immediately drew me in. This book ends as Antoine establishes the “Les Beaux Arts at the Chateau DeRoche,” which will become a renowned artists’ colony.

This prequel also introduces two characters, Savannah and Cameron, who will play major parts in the ensuing books. It allows the reader to know how each of them came to be in Antoine’s life. Savannah is a poet and Antoine’s love interest. The story of how Cameron’s life became entwined with Antoine’s was particularly engrossing.

I will warn you that this installment ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. But… there is good news in that the next book, DARK VELVET, is already available and it will pick up right where DARKNESS RISING leaves off.  In my mind, DARKNESS RISING and DARK VELVET are part one and two of the same story. Actually, at this time, the author is offering a bargain box set which contains DARKNESS RISING, DARK VELVET and DARK MUSE for under five dollars.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from this read:

Walk away. Leave her be.
And let this opportunity pass?
Relinquish the chance to be alone with her while she admired his art?
The temptation was too much to resist.
---

It was time to take what he wanted. And what he wanted was her.
---

What treasures he would give for one night with her. To watch her strip off one of her vintage dresses, revealing her satin skin inch by inch just for him.

Antoine is the epitome of a dark and mysterious tortured hero. DARKNESS RISING was actually written at the request of fans of this series who wanted more stories set in the Chateau, especially those featuring the panty-melting Antoine. I cannot imagine reading the series without reading DARKNESS RISING first. It’s passionate and highly entertaining. If you enjoy paranormal urban fantasies - especially those featuring sexy vampires – I highly recommend that you pick up DARKNESS RISING and become intimately acquainted with Antoine.


Suggested Reading Order: 
Darkness Rising (Book # 0.5)
Dark Velvet (Book #1)
Dark Muse (Book #2)
Dark Stranger (Book #3)
Dark Pursuit (Book # 4) – a holiday romance!