This left me absolutely breathless! Possibly because I read it from start to finish in under four hours because Wow, was I sucked in! Race Against the Dark by Jennifer Amriss is an amazing intro to a wonderful new fantasy world full of magic and elves. Characters are all well-defined, pacing quick and steady, world rich and developed, there was simply so much to love!
The very beginning is interesting, leading readers to believe the romance will go down one route before quickly changing paths. And you know what? It went down the right path! There’s never any sadness that things didn’t work out on the reader’s behalf because things just click so well. I mean, there is one other match I would have loved for Ka’lei, but it came too late and would have created too much drama (which I would have LIVED for) and been too tragic (which I still would have loved). Each of the characters are clearly complete and complex characters that stand up in their own light. From the brooding tough man Morough, almost as morose as his name, to my beloved Tovran that is quick witted and absolutely great in general, to Ka’lei who is naive, innocent, but strong and stubborn. All have their own traits and their own stories, their own purposes. Albeit, Ka’lei’s immaturity does get a bit annoying at times, from her constantly calling Morough his pet name Momo, to calling his father Papa because his name is “too long.” Still, it’s a breath of fresh air to have a protagonist worry about real life things (such as her beloved cat) when being whisked away to another life.
The pacing is steady, but quick. We go from a car accident, to a new world, to fighting, to romance. Still, it isn’t so fast that you get confused or are unable to keep up. Amriss does a tremendous job of staying the action with cute personal moments that still tie into the main trajectory of the plot. The world felt developed, but we don’t get to see too much of it due to the action. The bits we do get are interesting and definitely left me wanting to know more. Hopefully the next two books will touch more upon the world.
Also, the sex is hot. Yup, there’s sex so rated MA for mature.
Race Against the Dark by Jennifer Amriss is a fantastic fantasy novel with rich characters, steady pacing, and steamy, sexy romance. Definitely a great first look at a sultry new fantasy series.
