I have been privileged to read several of Brooklyn Ray's works in their various writing incarnations, and I am enamored by all the characters created by this author. Darkling is a work of fiendishly tasty paranormal goodness and is no exception to the seemingly inexhaustible supply of excellent talespinning.

This short fiction packs a full-length novel punch and is just fantastic. It's a dark little fantasy that touches on all the tropes I love about witches and paranormal romance with enough new stuff to keep it fascinating. Ryder and Liam are compelling characters. We get an idea of how dangerous their journey will be with the harbinger of a tarot reading that prophesies a disastrous magical partnership, but it doesn't stop them from giving in to their mutual attraction and courting the very thing that frightens them. Ryder must embrace his own darkness in order to survive. The author's prose is magic in itself in many places. Highly enjoyable, very fast read that leaves you satisfied and ready for the next installment of the series.

Author: Brooklyn Ray Publisher: NineStar Press Series: Port Lewis Witches Release Date: January 8, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-947904-81-1 Format: ePub, Mobi Cover Artist: Natasha Snow Category: Romance Genre: Paranormal Word Count: 33200 Sex Content: Explicit Pairing: MM Orientation: Gay Identity: Cisgender, Trans Warning: Scenes of bloodletting and death (and resurrection) of an MC. Port Lewis, a coastal town perched on the Washington cliffs, is surrounded by dense woods, and is home to quaint coffee shops, a movie theater, a few bars, two churches, the local college, and witches, of course. Ryder is a witch with two secrets—one about his blood and the other about his heart. Keeping the secrets hasn’t been a problem, until a tarot reading with his best friend, Liam Montgomery, who happens to be one of his secrets, starts a chain of events that can’t be undone. Dark magic runs through Ryder’s veins. The cards have prophesized a magical catastrophe that could shake the foundation of Ryder’s life, and a vicious partnership with the one person he doesn’t want to risk. Magic and secrets both come at a cost, and Ryder must figure out what he’s willing to pay to become who he truly is.