Paranormal Romance Review AND Giveaway "Eve of Darkness" by Sylvia Day

Title:  Eve of Darkness (Marked #1)
Author:  Sylvia Day
Publisher:  TOR Books
Publication Date:  January 8, 2013 (originally published 4/28/09)
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Format:  Kindle 500 KB   | Paperback 368 pages

Buy this book on Amazon:  Paperback  |  Kindle Edition
Author's Website:  http://www.sylviaday.com/
Author's Goodreads Profile:  Sylvia Day

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Years ago, Evangeline Hollis spent a blistering night with a darkly seductive man she can’t forget. But that evening of addictive pleasure has become a disaster of biblical proportions: She’s been branded with the Mark of Cain.

Thrust into a world where sinners are marked and drafted to kill demons, Eve’s former one-night stand, Cain, is now her mentor—and his equally sexy
brother Abel is her new boss.

Now Eve has become the latest point of contention in the oldest case of sibling rivalry in history...

Cursed by God, hunted by demons, desired by Cain and Abel... All in a day's work.

My Thoughts...

Ms. Day had me at Cain and Abel and while this may not be something that appeals to everyone, I loved it.  The world that she has created for this series pulled me in and held on to me throughout this book and the next 2 in the series.

Here is the skinny on Eve being "Marked"...Cain (Alec Cain) met Eve (Evangeline) when she was just 18, he fell in love with her.  She was young and innocent and she was drawn to him immediately, I mean seriously, who wouldn't be?  He couldn't stay away from her, she didn't want him too, and he ended up being her first.  After that one night he disappeared and she doesn't see him again for 10 years.  What she doesn't know is that her one night with Cain is why she ends up being marked.  Abel (Reed Abel) is the one who gives her the mark.  Once he does, Cain enters the picture again and gives her his own mark which says that he's her mentor.  Throughout this book Eve is pulled between the 2 brothers.  They each have feelings for her and she is torn by the feelings that she has for Abel when she knows that she loves Cain.

In this world, the Marked are sinners who are given The Mark.  This makes them essentially immortal, they are stronger, faster, etc...  They kill Infernals, demons who have crossed some line or other.  They are working for God in an effort to redeem themselves so that when they die they don't end up in hell.  Some don't fulfill that duty before they die, but some do.  This world is run very much like a business, there are 7 Archangels who run the Firms around the world.  The Hierarchy is this... Archangel > Handler > Mentor > Marked.  So in Eve's world Gadara is the Archangel, Abel is her Handler (he tells her where to go and what to kill) and Cain is her Mentor.  Cain is the one teaching her what she needs to know to survive, at least for now.

This story actually starts out with the first chapter being a sort of cliffhanger ending, then it goes back and tells the story of how they actually got to that point.  There is a lot of action and really a lot going on in this book that is set up for the next 2 books.  I didn't feel a particular connection to Eve for some reason, but that didn't make me like the book any less and it wasn't because she was a poorly written character.  Quite the opposite, I think that Ms. Day does an excellent job with her character development.  I think my problem with Eve is that while she is written as an Asian woman I don't see her that way when I read her, but in the back of my mind I know she is.  I know that makes NO sense at all!!

So, overall, I really loved this story and I am nearly done with the series and I am not ready for it to be the end quite yet!  I want to make it clear that this book is an adult book and if you have read any of Ms. Day's other books you know that she writes some really steamy love scenes and this book is no exception.  While some characters in this series are biblically based, that's where the similarities end.  There is plenty of profanity and sex in this book so be forewarned, if that's something you don't care for.

Now for a little GIVEAWAY!!

I received this book and the rest in the series from TOR and they have graciously offered to send  print copies of Eve of Destruction to TWO of my readers!!  So, I am going to make it super easy for you to enter to win...Just leave me a comment on this post and on Monday 3/11 I will plug the entries into Random Number Generator and pick 2 winners.  You need to make sure that you put your email address in the comment so that I can get a hold of you.  Once I pick the winners and send out the e-mails, you have 24 hours to reply or I will draw another winner.

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*