Author: Tibby Armstrong
Publisher: Loveswept
Length: 251 Pages
Category: Paranormal, Fantasy
At a Glance: Though similar in some ways to books which revolve around the hunter/vampire, enemies-to-lovers trope, this one definitely had a very unique world building which kept me on the edge of my seat.
Reviewed By: Lindsey
Blurb: As a provocative series of paranormal temptation begins, a vampire king seduces the supernaturally gifted man hunting him. But when the stakes are literally life or death, their struggle for control is no game.
Benjamin Fuller is a hunter, born and bred. Blinded as a child by the vampire who slaughtered his family, he’s blessed with a second sight that allows him to catch and kill his quarry. What his gift can’t help him see coming is his fierce, almost carnal attraction to the mystery man who claims to be a fellow hunter and whose touch triggers both lust and revulsion. When he gains the upper hand, Benjamin vows to bring his enemy to his knees.
After many years spent in exile, the only one who can help restore Tzadkiel Dragoumanos to his rightful place as War King is a blind hunter with golden curls, a lithe dancer’s physique, and distinctive facial scars—scars Tzadkiel gave him two decades ago. The mere scent of Benjamin Fuller provokes an unwelcome rush of insatiable desire. Yet to win an all-out supernatural war, Tzadkiel must resist the ravenous hunger to possess his prey—for now.
Review: General feel? Surrender the Dark was highly enjoyable as far as the world building. Bravo to the author for finding a new spin to what sometimes can become a bit of a predictable plot. I also really applaud the way the enemies-to-lovers storyline was portrayed. Oftentimes when I read books with that specific premise, I find it lacking in the true hatred and anger that makes them enemies, and instead, find protagonists who are merely annoyed with each other with a underlying attraction that has keep the “feud” going. In this case, the hatred is there in neon lights, and understandably so, thanks to the prologue. I was a little meh about the romance aspect. That’s not to say it wasn’t there, the focus was just elsewhere, and so, when the “romance” portion came into play, it felt a little flat and maybe even a little rushed. Honestly, I was so involved in everything else happening it wasn’t a super big deal for me, though readers who like a lot of steamy on page scenes might be more let down.
Though blind, Benjamin is not completely in the dark, so to speak. Having the ability to read magical auras, he is able pinpoint mystical creatures. Still a hunter “born and bred”, despite his loss of sight, he has his own little rag-tag group that help him out with his fight against the Vampires. His desire to rid the world of the evil creatures that feed on blood and have no honor is strong and keeps him moving forward.
There is one Vampire, Tzadkiel, who has his sights set on taking out Benjamin to settle the score from twenty years prior, and exact his revenge. But, then things change. They are going sideways in the paranormal community, and unfortunately for Tzadkiel, Benjamin is the key to fixing it all. The two foes must pause their own personal vendettas to stop an unforeseen adversary, and actually spend time in each other presence, to figure out what the heck is going on, and how to fix it all. Thus, the beginning of a very complicated plot involving multiple magical factions, old feuds, new enemies, unanticipated allies and so much more. And…this is where my explanation of the rest of the book will stop. There are too many possible ways to accidently give up a spoiler due to the intricacies woven into this complex plot.
This was definitely a book I was not expecting, and am really glad I took the opportunity to snatch it up. It was heavy on the complex plot, filled with suspense and twists and turns, keeping me turning the page. Though similar in some ways to books which revolve around the hunter/vampire, enemies-to-lovers trope, this one definitely had a very unique world building which kept me on the edge of my seat. The epilogue sort of ties up some aspects of the plot, leaving a ton of possibility to continue on into the series. I look forward to finding out what happens next, because I have plenty of questions that I can’t ask here—it would give too much away!
You can buy Surrender the Dark here:
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The Novel Approach Reviews 
Glad to see you enjoyed this one. I really enjoyed the world building, as well.
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