Review ~ Dark Light of Day by Jill Archer, with a giveaway

Dark Light of Day

Noon Onyx Book 1

Jill Archer

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Ace

Date of Publication: September 25, 2012

ISBN-10: 0425257150

ISBN-13: 978-0425257159

ASIN: B007A9KSMY

Cover Artist: David Palumbo

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * Books-A-Million

Powell's Books * The Book Depository * IndieBound

Excerpt:

“I’ve been watching you, wondering, waiting to see where you’d end up. After all, there are other demon law schools,” Seknecus said, making a moue of distaste that made it clear exactly what he thought of them. “But I was happy to see that you chose St. Lucifer’s.”

Technically my mother chose St. Lucifer’s . . . But there seemed no reason to interrupt to clarify that bit of misinformation. Seknecus wandered around the room, picking through papers, flipping open and quickly shutting the front covers of various leather-bound books, never meeting my eye. I had no doubt, however, that his attention was fully focused on me.

“So, you see, seeing your name on my list wasn’t exactly a surprise, although it appeared much later than I would have liked.”

He did look at me then, with a frown of disapproval. I did my best to look expressionless because none seemed appropriate. It wouldn’t do to look amused, bored or, Luck forbid, rebellious. Seknecus stared at me with narrowed eyes and then went back to wandering.

“You’ve got some catching up to do,” he said, addressing a copy of Sin and Sanction: Codification & Case Law. “It doesn’t matter why or what excuses you’ve got for yourself. You will be held to the same standards as everyone else, regardless of whose daughter you are. And you’ve missed a lot of class already.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off with a wave.

“Manipulation class,” he clarified. “You’re going to have to work ten times as hard as everyone else just to pass. Quintus Rochester doesn’t go easy on students and he’s likely to see your absence during the early part of the semester as a challenge. You know, failing is not an option. Not if you want to live . . .”

PRAISE FOR DARK LIGHT OF DAY:

“A spectacular debut novel.”—USA Today bestselling author Faith Hunter

“There is a fresh new voice in urban fantasy, and she has a unique take on Armageddon…With her unusual heroine, Noon Onyx, Archer has created a brilliant character who struggles against fate to find her place in the world. Set against the backdrop of university life, there is an abundance of adventure, mystery and passion!”—RT Book Reviews

“[D]elightfully dark and unique.” Bitten By Books

“Archer is now down on my ‘never miss’ author list.”–Night Owl Reviews

“[A] fascinating story line… Jill Archer has created a dark world that will grab your attention from the very start.”—The Reading Cafe

Fiery Edge of Steel

Noon Onyx Book 2

Jill Archer

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Ace

Date of Publication: May 28, 2013

ISBN-10: 0425257169

ISBN-13: 978-0425257166

ASIN: B009NY48SO

Cover Artist: Jason Chan

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * Books-A-Million

Powell's Books * The Book Depository * IndieBound

Book Description:

Noon Onyx is the first woman in memory to wield waning magic. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.

When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…


PRAISE FOR FIERY EDGE OF STEEL:

“Archer delves deeper into the enticing and magical world of Dark Light of Day in this original and clever urban fantasy… Excitement and action leap from the pages as Archer’s skill with description pulls readers fully into her magical world.” Publishers Weekly

“The second Noon Onyx story is an astounding adventure tale. Archer’s unique world, where Lucifer’s army triumphed at Armageddon, is filled with adherence to strict laws that keep an uneasy peace between races. This is proving to be a really fresh and fascinating series!” RT Book Reviews

“[D]arkly disturbing in the very best of ways, with complex characters, extremely detailed scenes, and a believability that sucks you in like world-bending magic.” Bitten By Books

“[A] moving and fun story about choices and consequences and love… If you like your fantasy with a twist, blended with some evil, [and] an incredible mystery… grab this series and get ready for book three.” Cabin Goddess

“[Noon] is extremely brave and outspoken. She is passionate and strong and she doesn’t falter in her core beliefs… Archer has a great ability to keep the story moving along through character’s dialogue and through her imaginative and unique world… Fiery Edge of Steel is a great follow up second book in this series.” Rabid Reads

“[T]he themes are ethereal… leaving lots of space for subjective interpretation… The story moves with lots of action and little extraneous dialogue or other word waste… If you like a mix of medieval, modern and fantasy with a kick-ass heroine, this is the series for you!” Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust


About the Author:

Jill Archer writes dark, genre-bending fantasy from rural Maryland. Her novels include Dark Light of Day, Fiery Edge of Steel, and White Heart of Justice. She loves cats, coffee, books, movies, day tripping, and outdoor adventuring.

Website/Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads


Discussion Questions:     


a Rafflecopter giveaway


BONUS: FUN PROMO TWEETS AND TWITTER CONTEST! :-D

Anyone who tweets one of these will be entered to win ANY fantasy book of their choice from Book Depository (so long as Book Depository ships to your address) (up to $10.00). Contest ends on June 3, 2014. One tweet/entry per person.

“Lucem in tenebras ferimus. Into the darkness, we bring light.” @archer_jill #DARKLIGHTOFDAY

“When traveling into the unknown, sometimes the biggest danger is the one you bring with you…” @archer_jill #FIERYEDGEOFSTEEL

“One out of every two hunters who follow the Old Trail will not return.” @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Finally! I’m looking forward to seeing Noon embrace her fiery magic. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Ari Carmine is smokin’ hot. I wanna see if Noon can forgive him for that nasty surprise at the end of B2. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

I heard a rumor that Rafe Sinclair makes a wish and I wanna know if it’s granted. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Nocturo. Tall dark handsome. Heard his scalpel’s put to good use. Is he gonna threaten Brunus w it again? @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

I love the characters, but I’m really just in it for the monsters and magic. Bring on the ice demons! @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Armageddon is over. The demons won. But it’s not as dark as all that. Parts of it are romantic and sweet. @archer_jill #NOONONYXSERIES


My Thoughts:

I found Dark Light of Day to be a little overwhelming and tedious to a degree. It was almost like having to learn a new language. Having said that, it was also very interesting. Jill Archer obviously has a knack for creating new worlds from the ground up and she left no stone (in this case the language) unturned. I can not imagine the time and endless effort it must have taken for such a task!

The landscape and setting were described very well and it was easy to imagine being there. That said I shudder to think of being there. You see in the world that the author created, the devil prevailed in Armageddon. Demons are worshiped and in charge. Let me stop once again to say something. I am Catholic so it was not an easy feat to read this book. There were many times while reading it that I had a strong urge to abandon ship because what I was reading was so against my beliefs. I know however that this was make believe and therefore I continued on. I do not for a minute believe this could ever come to pass. Reading this book does not therefore put a black mark on my soul. You may ask why I agreed to read it in the first place or why I continued reading it after I started and had to struggle with my conscience? At first, I thought the blurb sounded interesting. It is different from anything else that I've read pertaining to demons. I do wonder if perhaps Jill Archer is a satanist or at the very least an atheist. That would make writing this much easier I'm sure. Any way, between the blurb and the cover, I wanted to at least attempt it. Why did I keep reading? I always strive to finish what I start. The setting was unique, the plot different and interesting, the characters were entertaining, other than the parts that clashed with my religious beliefs, I enjoyed it.

I didn't really connect with the heroine. :-( Many times I found her to be annoying rather than bad a**. She didn't act the age she was supposed to be. In other words she seemed quite immature in many instances. I am hoping that she will grow and become all that she can in the books to come. 

There was a school like setting for much of it and you know how much I love those! You should see some of the classes they take. Oh my! There was more than that, romance ;-), action, suspense, and drama also helped to make this book an enjoyable read.

If you are very religious or have a hard time being objective where religion is concerned than I'd advise skipping this series. If you like demon books, are not religious, or are looking for something different and entertaining, than I would advise you to give this a try.

I received paperback copies (Thank you!) of both books in exchange for my honest opinion but haven't read the second book yet. Honestly, I thought Dark Light of Day was entertaining and enjoyable. I can't say it will go on my favorites list but I also didn't hate it. I didn't use the fact that I had to battle with my conscience in order to read it, to rank this book. That would not be fair to the author and instead of being a solid 3 stars, that would have probably made it a one or two.

     

Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. It is a great chance to win a book you'd like to have! The link can be found at the top of the page.