Review: Untouchable Darkness by Rachel Van Dyken (The Dark Ones Saga #2)


"I love you more than I should...I love you in ways I shouldn't. I desire you in ways that are hard to comprehend. And the love I feel for you is the scariest thing I've ever admitted out loud, to anyone. Because once those words are released, you can't take them back. You could try, but love weaves a thread of its own and once you confess with your mouth, your soul has no choice but to follow."

Cassius is King, the Dark One that the rest of the immortals bow down to, whether they like it or not. But after the gift that Stephanie bestowed upon him, Cassius has now made a deal...with an Angel. He has thirty days to prove his love for Stephanie, and he has to do so as a human. Emotions are something that have become foreign to Cassius as a Dark One, but now they bombard him and he feels the very limitations that he used to loathe in humans, the aches and pains that never used to touch him before. Being human also means he isn't immortal, so how can the King of immortals lead them? His first order of business, however, is to show the woman he loves exactly how he feels. Not easy for someone who has refused to feel for eons. But he must also teach Stephanie how to control the darkness that calls to her, something that she cannot avoid now that she is a Dark One. Even as a human, Cassius has taken on a great deal, maybe more than he is prepared to handle. But he's prepared to do whatever is necessary for Stephanie, even if it means putting his life in her hands...and having her hands end it all.

Gah! I've been itching to read Cassius and Stephanie's story ever since that epilogue in The Dark Ones made it clear theirs was up next. After more than three months, I finally had Untouchable Darkness in my hands and the wait--albeit not an unnecessarily long one compared to other series out there--was so worth it! I loved the series starter, but this sequel not only gave readers Cassius's back story but it also provided for a great deal of glorious information regarding the Dark Ones, the immortals, and what may lie in store as the series progresses for our band of eclectic council members who make up a unique family of their own. Cassius's history may have seemed fated in one particular direction from the moment he was born, but destiny and free will and a heck of a lot more are going on than you would think. There are complexities to the story of the Dark Ones as a whole, and Cassius's role, not just as the King of the immortals, but the kind of Dark One that he is--and not just limited as one of the four remaining originals left--plays to the kind of future that they'll all have to face. After all, the future can change.

The Cassius in this second book in the series is markedly different from the one we met in the first novel. He was rediscovering his humanity, something that he had denied himself when the first woman he loved was taken from him. It was certainly a study in contrasts and a very fascinating one at that. I liked the deeper look we're also given in to the relationship Cassius has with his father Sariel, who himself has a storied history, one that surprised me and broke my heart in the process, showing that maybe he isn't as detached as he may appear to be and that it's possible he knows more about what Cassius has experienced and continues to experience than he lets on. Stephanie discovering more about Cassius--and just how much they've always seemed to love one another--and about herself was another of my favorite things about this book. She may be a Dark One but there's still a vulnerability to her that I liked. Rediscovering his humanity may seem like something that could weaken Cassius, but it's that very humanity that makes him a stronger immortal and King. Five-plus stars for Untouchable Darkness. ♥

Release Date: 29 December 2016

Date read: 29 December 2016

Learn more about Rachel Van Dyken.

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