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Night Prowler #4

Edge of Darkness

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Six years after a shocking tragedy left her emotionally and physically scarred, Ember Jones lives a life of quiet isolation in Barcelona. Determined to keep her troubled past a secret, she keeps her head down and her heart locked up tight. Until the day a beautiful, mysterious stranger walks into her life, and her carefully controlled world is shattered forever.

Christian McLoughlin is unlike anyone Ember has ever met. Wealthy, cultured, and utterly charismatic, he also has dark secrets of his own. They succumb to the undeniable pull between them and embark on a passionate affair, but things turn explosive when the truth about Christian and the reason he came to Barcelona is exposed. As their dark pasts collide, the two unlikely lovers find themselves caught in a web of danger and deceit that neither of them might survive.

The Edge of Darkness, where hunter becomes hunted, no one can be trusted, and love is the most dangerous game of them all.

444 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2013

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About the author

J.T. Geissinger

35 books15.7k followers
J.T. Geissinger is a #1 international and Amazon Charts bestselling author of thirty-one novels. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense erotic thrillers, her books have sold over fifteen million copies and been translated into more than twenty languages.

She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
Profile Image for Mindy Lou's Book Review.
2,762 reviews710 followers
October 27, 2022
I liked that this one focused more on the couple. No one knew Christian was falling in love with Amber in the beginning and they didn't have to hide at first. You really get to focus on the couple in the beginning. Amber is pretty broken so much that it caused the relationship to go very slow. In this case, I really didn't mind that...I liked their story. However, I don't like the evil in this series. Especially Ceasar. He's pure evil and I don't necessarily like listening to him torture others. I can't wait for him to get obliterated.
Profile Image for La-Lionne.
482 reviews806 followers
December 28, 2013
***4 tiny stars***

Some thought before the review:

I had a huge problem with the first 30% of the book.
Loved Christian.
Sort of liked his 'firecracker'.
Wasn't expecting for these two to be the main characters of this installment.
Really, REALLY, disliked her best friend.
Was left confused by some of the secondary characters.
Some of the point of views were unnecessary.
Ending saved the book.
Profile Image for Melindeeloo.
3,148 reviews161 followers
February 20, 2015
Christian is on a mission for his people to find the rogue colony led by the twisted Caesar who outed their secret shapeshifting race in such a bloody way. Christian's quest takes him to Spain and a personal quest for a rare book puts the owner of a rare book store, Ember, in his sights. Ember takes an immediate dislike to the polished perfect obviously rich and obviously dangerous Christian, but he is intrigued by the sarcastic (and forbidden) human and can't stay away.

I really was only going to take a peak at the sample for this one, but I was quickly hooked - I forget how much I like flavor Geissinger's writing. In this forth Night Prowler Novel, the inhumanly gorgeous Christian finally (finally!) gets his turn in the spotlight. I have been waiting for Christian since book one. Well, it was worth the wait. The romance in this is slow to burn, occasionally agonizing but exceedingly steamy - there is so much working against this pair, with the fact that they both have secrets and that Ember is truly a mess because of hers.

There were some things that I really liked in the framework of this story: I liked the deeper meaning when the Christian and Ember trade quotes from Animal Farm and I liked the catalyst that a child provides to spur Ember to take a chance on living. I also really liked Ember's best friend -despite the cliche gayness- his discussion of the different types of men (alpha, beta and a-hole) and his tough love were good. My only issues with the story, are with the background plot - the villain is just too perverted and evil, and if one twisted bad guy wasn't enough, another is introduced.

So, I really liked Edge of Darkness and I will be watching for the next book in the series even though there wasn't a clear candidate for leading man/woman for a sequel here - but the epilog definitely leaves the series open for more.
Profile Image for Maria11.
1,906 reviews39 followers
December 8, 2017
Way boring at first then not

Had a hard time getting into this one. It just seemed to drag like no ones business. Then in the last 20-15% it was nonstop. The author sure knows how to make the bad guys way bad and truly evil.

Have to read the next. Again was listening and then just had to read the end
Profile Image for Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb".
1,401 reviews17 followers
February 11, 2016
BUYER BEWARE!!

Edge of Darkness starts out really good. This is Christian McLoughlin's story we met Christian in bk. 1 Shadow's Edge his brothers book The Earl Of McLoughlin story and the Queen Jenna of the Ikarti. I was really looking forward to Christian's story and at first it doesn't disappoint. However this author has written one of the most depraved descriptive torture story I think I have ever read. The torture done to the heroine Ember/September Jones actually made me sick to my stomach. Thus the one star rating. This was just overkill and it really ruined the story for me. Sorry, but I can't recommend Edge of Darkness!! However let me say that the villain Caesar Cardinalis from bk3 Rapture's Edge is continued in this story. Plus a new enemies are introduced.
Profile Image for The Nauti Vixen.
68 reviews2 followers
December 10, 2013
Title: Edge of Darkness
Series: Night Prowler Book #4
Author: J.T Geissinger
Rating: A
Six years after a shocking tragedy left her emotionally and physically scarred, Ember Jones lives a life of quiet isolation in Barcelona. Determined to keep her troubled past a secret, she keeps her head down and her heart locked up tight. Until the day a beautiful, mysterious stranger walks into her life, and her carefully controlled world is shattered forever.
Christian McLoughlin is unlike anyone Ember has ever met. Wealthy, cultured, and utterly charismatic, he also has dark secrets of his own. They succumb to the undeniable pull between them and embark on a passionate affair, but things turn explosive when the truth about Christian and the reason he came to Barcelona is exposed. As their dark pasts collide, the two unlikely lovers find themselves caught in a web of danger and deceit that neither of them might survive.
The Edge of Darkness, where hunter becomes hunted, no one can be trusted, and love is the most dangerous game of them all.
Review: "I've waited so long for you. I've been waiting my entire life. I can't believe I finally found you. I can't believe something so perfect can actually be real."
Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a race of beautiful, savage shape-shifters lives hidden from the everyday world. The Ikati are bound together by ancient bloodlines and a ruthless code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death.
And they have learned their lesson when it comes to revealing themselves to humans. Edge of Darkness is another great addition to Geissinger's Night Prowler series, and features Leander's younger brother, Christian. Christian has willingly offered himself up as a sacrifice on a suicide mission in order to protect his Ikati and their secrets. In an odd twist of fate, he ends up finding his perfect mate in the meantime - a beautiful woman who hides herself behind plain looks and baggy clothes. Will the secrets they both carry drive them apart - or end up bringing them closer together?
Edge of Darkness was an interesting read compared to others in the series, I think because a large part of it was so ...normal. Ember is a bookstore owner - which is how they meet - and Christian is, of course, hiding who and what he is. Most of their interactions through the first half of the book are held within the "human" world, and even though the air is rife with secrets - on both sides - things are far less "paranormal" through the first half than in previous books. It tends to add a little something to the story, as well as to the whole "world" that Geissinger has created for us. Even though it is a fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal romance, that almost seems to add a little bit more to the believability of the story. And there is nothing I like more than when an author can create a whole new world and/or reality - and be convincing enough in the telling of the story to have me thinking of the immense possibility of it. And Geissinger is certainly one of those authors.
Of course, the whole normalcy of it also made the beginning of the book a bit slow compared to the rest of the book. Once the other shape-shifters enter the picture, and Christian's big secret is revealed, things quickly kick into high gear. By far, the best part of the book was the ending though. I don't want to give too much away, but the sacrifices that people make for those they love always wrenches my heart. And some of the tender moments between this couple really yank at those heart-strings. The writing talent, and the exceptional characters that Geissinger brings to her books definitely make them memorable - and in a category all on their own!
The bottom line: exceptional series, exceptional book, exceptional author. Enough said....:)
Profile Image for KathyAnne.
570 reviews90 followers
September 7, 2016
First of all, this is a GREAT series but I just didn't like this installment as much as I did the previous three. The main reason why it fell a little short for me was simply because I did not like the love match that was created for Christian. I had envisioned him with a kick butt Ikati female that could be his equal or even match him in strength... challenge him. I just didn't like him with the ordinary and humble book loving human chick. As individual characters I like them both... but just not as a couple. This story is well written and there were moments that were touching and the characters were well developed. But, there were times when it didn't feel like a paranormal romance at all due to the focus on the very human Ember and her past. There was also lot of focus on the neighbors in her apartment building and her evil stepmother and her two spoiled daughters. (Cinderella anyone??) LOL
I was personally more interested in the on-going plot of the chaos that is going on in the Ikati world and would've liked to have spent more time with the assassins and gifted Ikati that we met in previous books. There are some very cool and gifted characters in this series and that is why I loved the first three books better because they reflected a more paranormal/action feel.
The best character in this book was Asher... the Gay, ex-marine who has an eye for fashion and words of wisdom that warm your heart. I loved Ember's relationship with him and the conversations they had with each other throughout the book. I felt his character was outstanding and even though I loved their relationship I just didn't feel that these characters belonged in this series. They felt more suited to a human focused romance.
Because I wasn't really able to buy into the romance that pretty much sealed the deal for a lower rating than the previous books because the romance entailed about 70% of the book. The action that we did get occurred mostly at the end.
After the ending of the last book, I truly had gone into this one expecting lots of action and chaos between the humans and the Ikati. I also expected to see more Ikati characters stepping up to battle against Caeser and his plan to take over the world. I really couldn't wrap my head around why Christian was sent alone to handle this important task. Even after the King sort of explained the why of it... I still wasn't satisfied.
The inclusion of the albino character was odd to me. He was icky... but, I guess that's what we're supposed to feel so I'll toss that up to a successfully written bad guy. He really did creep me out.
This book was high on the romance, low on the action and low on the progression of the overall plot. But, that doesn't mean I won't pick up the next book... I still really love this world of panther shifters. The first three books were really, really good... and, I still would recommend this series for those who are fans of shifter series in general. And, I think it is fair to say that I would expect others to like this installment more than I did... especially if they are ok with the love match. It's a very subjective thing... some will like it... some won't.
Book two and three were the BEST in the series IMHO... so do yourself a favor and go back and start from the beginning. This is overall a great series and one I'm looking forward to continuing.

ARC provided by Montlake Romance via netgalley...

www.ktbookreviews.com

Profile Image for Rachel V..
212 reviews13 followers
December 14, 2013
Just to give a little background on me I found paranormal romance when I was around 18-20 years old before that it was mainly contemporary romance, horror or mysteries. Ever since I read my first book in that genre I have been hooked and always come back to it. It is my comfort food or my cold winter night or rainy day type of book that I always run to. This book and the whole series is paranormal romance at its best and this author among others is why paranormal romance is still my favorite to read.

What I didn’t love about this story, well I honestly don’t have anything to say on this. If only the author could write faster?

What I loved is basically everything. There is plenty of action, suspense and emotion in all of J.T. Geissinger’s books. The characters in these stories are all well fleshed out whether they are the good guys or the bad guys. The world building is exceptional also. I feel like I live there while reading it and can picture everything in my head just like I was watching a movie.

I love the society that the Ikati live in because it is different than most of the other shifter stories. Most shifters choose to live outside of society but they can live in it. In this series because of Caesar and his televised assassinations of high ranking figures the Ikati can’t even attempt to integrate fully into society. They live more as outcast and hide out of self-preservation. I also like how the author is able to come up with different scenarios for each book so that you don’t have the same old story with just a few things changed.

In my opinion when writing a book (even though I have never written a book) I would think the ending would be the hardest part. You can make or break your book with a crappy ending that just really didn’t do the book justice or too much of a cliffhanger that angers or frustrates your fans or an awesome ending that leaves the reader feeling closure for the book or series or be left in anticipation for the next book. J.T. Geissinger manages to always write a great ending for me. There is usually a cliffhanger, but you’re not left pulling your hair out in frustration because it was to dramatic, while also still giving closure to the main point of the story. She has managed to hit the nail on the head every time for me.

There really are not any words to describe the awesomeness of this series but I am done singing my praises. Seriously though if you have not read this series or this book you need to and if you have never read paranormal romance and want to try it out then I recommend starting with this series. I really enjoyed this book as with all of the others in this series and can’t wait to see what the next book is going to bring.

*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
Profile Image for Roseanna.
338 reviews3 followers
December 6, 2013
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. The blurb as nice as it is does not do the book justice. I was expecting a good book, but what I read was fantastic. I think it had it all: mystery, suspense, romance, action, a wild adventure all mixed with a touch of humor. I got to say I loved her BFF, a gay ex-marine with guard dog tendencies and too funny but true three categories for males. Oh and don’t get me started on Mr. Bedroom Eyes Assassin with all his yummy alpha-ness. This is the fourth book in the series, but does standalone fantastically. I have not read the first three in the series, yet. There was a blend of backstory along with current events, without being tedious with a large info dump. The flow was good, and the characters were developed well. I can’t recommend this book enough. Get it, and enjoy!
Profile Image for Tammy.
913 reviews158 followers
January 5, 2014
In a word: A sexy paranormal with a hot and charismatic male MC, an adorable female MC that stole my heart, full of unexpected humor, and as usual, a perfectly paced story with loads of danger.

“Jesus Christ, honey, what’s going on? Are you hurt? I’ve never heard you cry! And I’ve never heard anyone cry like that. It sounds like someone’s skinning a cat! Tell me what’s happening, I’m about to blow an O ring!”

Obscure car engine references from a hysterical gay man who’d broken into her house in the middle of the night after she’d discovered her sort-of boyfriend was something right out of a Stephen King novel; the world had officially ended.


It’s always nice to dive into a book written by an author you know is going to deliver the goods. That’s how I feel every time I read a J.T. Geissinger story, and Edge of Darkness was no different. The fourth book in her Night Prowler series, Edge of Darkness can be read as a stand-alone, but if this is your first time reading J.T.’s books, you’ll drop everything you’re doing to catch up on the first three books, trust me. This time around the feel of the book is different, but in a good way. Rather than immerse the reader in the paranormal world of the Ikati, shapeshifters who can shift into panthers, Geissinger focuses on a very human character for most of the story, which I found to be a nice change of pace. Ember seems normal on the outside, but she's hiding a terrible secret from her past and keeping everyone at arm’s length to avoid human interaction. I loved her character, and after reading this book I think it’s safe to say that Geissinger creates human characters that are just as well drawn as the mysterious Ikati that she’s brought to life in the rest of her series.

Edge of Darkness takes place in Barcelona, Spain, where Ember Jones has lived for the past six years. She lives alone and works at an antiquarian bookstore, guarding herself from human interaction as much as possible, still fragile after a tragic event that changed her life forever. Ember isn’t looking to make new friends in Barcelona, and she certainly isn’t looking for a romantic entanglement. But one day an enigmatic man named Christian comes into the bookstore to buy a mint condition copy of Casino Royale, and Ember’s quiet life is turned upside down. Christian’s magnetism draws her in, but Ember is determined not to fall for him, even though he is obviously intrigued by her and won’t leave her alone. When an evil Ikati from Christian’s past shows up in the city, Christian and Ember find themselves in the middle of an Ikati war and must join together to keep each other safe. But safety is just an illusion, as Ember is about to find out, when she discovers that Christian is not at all who he seems to be.

I was pleased to see several characters from past books make an appearance in Edge of Darkness. Christian’s brother Leander, who is the main character in the first book, Shadow’s Edge, appears briefly and not only moves the story forward but fills us in on several important plot points that are going on off-stage. I was less thrilled (yet excited!) to see the return of the evil Caesar, the Ikati who caused so much sorrow at the end of Rapture’s Edge. And even if you haven’t read the other Night Prowler books, Geissinger adds just enough information to bring newbie readers up to speed without spoiling the story.

Even though I adore the lore of Geissinger’s Ikati, I loved the human characters that stole the show in this installment. Ember is a very human girl, one who makes mistakes, says the wrong things at the wrong time, and has trouble making up her mind, especially when it comes to Christian. Her dialog and endearingly clumsy actions keep her rooted in the present day, and make her a wonderful foil for the mysterious and dangerous Christian. Ember doesn’t take shit from anyone, especially Christian, and I loved that even though you know the two are going to hook up eventually, it’s a rocky road to bliss, which makes it all the more thrilling when the clothes finally start coming off. Oh, did I forget to mention the sexiness of Geissinger’s stories? It’s one of the reasons I keep coming back for more! But awesome sex scenes aside, I also appreciated the sweetly romantic moments between the two, like the way Ember keeps showing up at Christian’s house dripping wet, having walked there in the rain.

I also fell in love with Ember’s close friend Asher, a gay man who lives in her apartment building and acts as the comic relief from the angst and menace of the situation with the Ikati. Asher is a slightly over-the-top character, but despite that I loved how loyal and protective he is toward Ember. And his reaction to seeing Christian for the first time? Priceless. Geissinger also introduces us to Clare, a young girl with cystic fibrosis who has the most positive outlook on life that I’ve ever seen. And while she doesn’t add much to the plot, Clare’s presence is a reminder to Ember that life is short and should be lived to its fullest.

Several factions of Ikati enter the picture, just as Christian and Ember start to let their guards down, and the last half of the book is an exciting race for survival as the different groups meet and clash in unexpected ways. Once again Geissinger proves to be a master at pacing, inserting comedic and romantic moments just where they’re needed, and leaving the reader breathless as the action (both in the bedroom and out) heats up. Some surprises at the end made me wonder if we might get to see more of Ember and Christian in future books, but knowing how the author structures her series, I’m not sure this will happen.

In any case, Geissinger plants some clues at the end that will hopefully lead into the fifth book of her series, Darkness Bound, which comes out next summer. June can’t come soon enough for me, since the Night Prowler series seems to get better and better with each new book. Romance, sex, danger, humor and secrets—Edge of Darkness has it all.

Big thanks to J.T. for supplying a review copy. This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
72 reviews9 followers
December 10, 2013
This is the first book I've picked up by J.T. Geissinger and I can promise you it wont be the last. I absolutely loved the paranormal world J.T. created. Instead of just regular old cat shifters you have Ikati and as with any species you have good apples and bad apples. I loved the fact that I was able to pick up this book and follow right along with the series, even without having read the previous books. Authors who can pull that off are few and far between.

We have September Jones, who goes by Ember. She runs a little book shop that specializes in rare/unique/collectors books. Her father passed along the shop to her, which is also partially owned by a horrendous stepmother (who has two daughters) and yes those three definitely reminded me of Cinderella, except Ember luckily owns half the bookstore too, as well as living on her own so she's not dependent on this evil stepmother (whom I felt bad for near the end, but can't say more as I don't want to spoil it for anyone).
We also have a lot of side characters in the story, and I loved each and every one of them....good or bad...it had a variety of different people, which sprinkles the book with authenticity and makes it more believable. My favorite side characters are Asher (her gay best friend who lives across the hall), her landlord Dante, whom she helps teach English too and Dante's granddaughter Clare-whom is sick and I think teaches all the characters in the book about how precious time really is in life, whether its 5 minutes or a month that you have left to live.

Ember is a great character. Her emotions, thoughts just felt real to me. Don't get me wrong, she's not a perfect character (but then again who is?) but her emotional scares, her average looks, her quick mind against the hero Christian all made her a better character in my opinion. She's got secrets in the past, and we don't find out those secrets till much later in the book but it all came together beautifully. Honestly there is definitely some mystery, along with suspense in this series because you're sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what's going to happen...you expect one thing but it never turns out the way you expect it.

Then we have Christian, who's not all he seems to be... He's rich, exceedingly gorgeous, and after an extremely rare book which Ember does have. For some reason though Christian gets under her skin....his good looks, leaving women swooning all over her shop, and just this dangerous vibe about him that Ember does not understand at all. He's not good for her, in fact he should be steering way clear of her according to the laws of his people, the Ikati. He is in Spain for one reason, one mission only...but he can't help himself, his shifter side and his man side want/need Ember and after trying to stay away, he stops fighting the attraction and brings Ember into his dark and very dangerous world.

Both characters are great for each other. Ember is emotionally broken, she won't open up to anyone (not even her gay best friend Asher, so you know that's some major baggage). Christian doesn't expect to get out of Spain alive, so he has no business falling for anyone, much less a human woman. But Fate has a funny way of stepping in and slowly using her hammer to crack away at our defenses when we least expect it. And if she knocks hard enough, eventually that bubble of protection we place around ourselves is going to crack, and then shatter.

I love books that can keep and hold my attention. Good editing, great story telling will keep me turning a books pages well into the night (when I should be sleeping!) and that's how I can always tell a great author from just an OK or Good author. Miss J.T. definitely falls into the great author if the clock on my computer is anything to go by.

If you like shifter books, some action/suspense/mystery and like different legends for shifters (instead of the usual) you should give this book a try. Though I'd recommend starting with book one (which I'll also be doing) because I want to know more about this world and Ikati's.



This book was given to me in turn for an honest review. It did not affect my opinions or ratings.

Rated by Chelsea Author Promotions
Profile Image for Melanie.
219 reviews8 followers
November 13, 2013
Read the review here: http://qwillery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/1...

If I could get away with a one word review then my review for Edge of Darkness would be simply 'wow'. But no, I need to say more about this fantastic instalment of the Night Prowler series. Geissinger, pulls out all the stops in the story of Christian, who we first meet in book 1, Shadow's Edge. Edge of Darkness has something for everyone and then some. Its has tension, suspense, great new characters, a sassy heroine with a deep, dark secret and development of not 1 but 2 plot arcs. It stays true to its PNR roots but not to the detriment of the plot.

The first book of this series starts with a love letter and this fourth installment starts with a letter as well but of a different kind. This time it's a note from the super, evil baddy Caesar whose true character was revealed in book 3. Caesar's letter is addressed to all of humanity informing them of his supremacy, the power of the Ikati and their imminent demise. This sets the tone for the whole novel with the heartless cruelty of this antagonist at the forefront of the plot yet again.

The story takes place in Barcelona and Geissinger has selected another beautiful, historic city for the setting of her love story. Our heroine, Ember moved to the city with her father after her mother and brother died in a tragic car accident. This is where Ember's deep dark secret comes in and Geissinger teases the reader throughout the plot as to what it could be and leaves us hanging until the final chapters to reveal it all. Ember is one of my favourite types of heroine. She is strong, flawed and best of all plain! Nothing is better in PNR, in my view, then when one of the love interests is amazingly gorgeous and the other is described as plain. It's very Pride and Prejudice, with Eliza Bennett's not living up to the beauty of her sister Jane but for her 'fine eyes'. Ember reminded me of a modern day Eliza Bennett. She was smart, sticks up for herself and of course, had rather than 'fine' eyes had piercingly intelligent ones.

Fulfilling the role of the gorgeous hero is Christian who readers will remember from Shadow's Edge. Christian has been sent to Barcelona to track down the evil Caesar and encounters Ember at the bookshop that she owns with her evil stepmother. Qwill asked me about my use of the word 'evil' to describe Ember's stepmother as it sounded a bit 'Cinderella-esque'. She wasn't evil in the traditional meaning of the word but was very unpleasant to Ember and had two equally unpleasant daughters making Ember seem quite a bit like Cinderella. Christian slowly starts to woo the reluctant Ember knowing the dangers of courting a human. Christian has his own secrets to keep and runs the risk of them being exposed if he gets any closer to her. Opposites attract is the theme of this story with the gorgeous, wealthy and shapeshifting Christian falling in love with the plain, poor and very, very human Ember. This is a relationship that's hard not to like.

Caesar isn't the only antagonist we are encounter in Edge of Darkness. Geissinger brings back a baddy we met in one of the earlier books in the series. I'm not going to say who is back to cause mischief and mayhem so you will have to read the book to find out. Multiple antagonists with their own motivations can make a plot confusing but in this case Geissinger cleverly ties these threads together and we are left again wondering how and when the plot arc will be resolved. There is another big cliff hanger in store for the reader so prepare yourself.

Well what can I say? This is a great book. Hats off to Geissinger as she managed take me from 'I like this series' to 'I love this series'. I have already started to bite my nails in anticipation for what may be in store in final few books of the Night Prowler series.
Profile Image for Tanya.
202 reviews16 followers
December 27, 2023
Edge of darkness review
Book 3.5
narration 2

Another great story in the series with the exception of a few annoying hiccups.

Of all the books so far this one's a little more predictable. Or maybe I'm just now familiar with the repeating style of the author.

It is in fact, a predictable line that the entire series flows through. Either you're going to love it or you going to find it irritating.

Backstory of the ancient Ikati cat shifting people trying to save their way of life and themselves. Both from their internal community structure breaking down and battling Ceasar - an ego maniacal madman who is one of their own from a recently discovered settlement in Rome. And Caesar is unfortunately following in his recently dead, evil maniacal fathers footstep. Meaning he has decided to annihilate the human race from the face of the earth and create as much chaos and mayhem possible along the way.

Then as usual we're going to have a young beautiful heroine who has mental health/trauma challenges and somehow is fated to meet one of these secretive and beautiful cat people. Of course they are mates and don't know it until they go through all the struggles to figure that out. They're going to get to the point where they're just about to admit to each other that there is something real when one of them will be captured or put in harm's way by a 3rd party who swoops in. Then all the danger, evil, torture and sexual abuse starts a Kimbo

Add to that even more backstory with a secret society / corporation that is trying to find the cat people so they can experiment on them - likely humans we don't know yet. Plus the regular humans who want to put them in zoos and experiment them. Plus the cadre of traditional settlement factions who want to hold to their misogynistic and rigid old rules.

In this book, enter our crazy anti-hero Caesar who wants to expose them all and create as much carnage as possible before he kills all the humans and takes over the world.

Oh yeah and don't forget there is also the underlying internal evil society which is basically controlling the Catholic Church and is run by - you guessed it! The evil cat people.

And if that wasn't clear - we have the traditionalists and then the rebels and then the secret society within the cat people who are the evil cat people.

So basically it's a race to see which of these groups can expose, use and kill the so-called good guys before the others.

Eventually someone's going to be an idiot and think that they're being a self-sacrificing hero for the other mate and there will be some sort of rescue. Cool that it's equal opportunity and sometimes the woman, but still it's so predictable.


But the most frustrating thing Im finding in this series is that there is this actually great character development. But in this book it suddenly dissolves into confusion when there is what I call "going stupid for plot advancement".

Case in point, Christian, our Ikati male mc has all the knowledge and senses of thousands of years, but still somehow can't figure out that someone's psychiatrist doesn't just randomly call them up. And that that psychiatrist just happens to have his unlisted phone number because his love interest who only trusts her best friend suddenly decides to give out her most valuable information to her totally new psychiatrist. And more so, did this when her love interest wasnt much more than an acquaintance.

Confused yet? Eye rolling yet? Me too!

JT Geissinger
is so much better than this. It's really disappointing that she's basically phoning it in in this book.

And then to make things really stupid, at about the 85% point there is the introduction of a character who is literally pulled from The DaVinci code. Seriously JT?!

You're going to have an OCD Catholic religious sect devote giant albino mercenary (only he's getting paid by his faith in his God and church) who's into self flagellation and doing things with goats we really don't want to know about. Really? That's literally the same character except maybe the goat bit.


But back to some of the good things here.

One is the things are really like about these books is that JTG does a hard pass on something that many dark fantasy books fall back on. And that is taking a very simple scenario which the reader already understands and knows but stringing it out for the entire book. instead there's a couple instances where questions were answered right off the bat which is awesome because then it creates the space for more of the story to develop. And it doesn't keep the readers bored and annoyed with predictability.

Also the inevitaable in any series which always makes me wonder if the authors are under contract with their publishing houses to have to do this s*** - and that would be rehashing the entire story up to now on the very very rare case that somebody picks up a book in the middle of a series and needs to know what's going on. Does anybody actually do that? I'm going to go with nope.

Instead, the back history is actually built into the next story in a way that's interesting as opposed to a manual in the prologue



Which circling around, is why is so frustrating when MC go stupid for plot advancement happens.

I guess it had to happen eventually, but the story kind of went into the breeder zone and the feral parent aspect of that. I just thought it was boring but you know I guess there's going to be more to come in the next book that revolves around next generations and baby so ...yeah

And just to end the book with a high point and a little bit of fromage from this winey read it's time to "drop the hammer"

See you in the next one


PS - if you are able to get this as a book versus the audiobook, do that. This is one of the most high-pitched and annoying narrators I've ever heard. It feels like someone is yelling at you throughout the entire book.

PPS - wouldn't it be nice if the outdated cover was redone and actually reflected the beauty and mystery and Majesty of these characters as described in the book? Because quite frankly I have no idea who that guy is supposed to be. Even the villains aren't as average looking as this guy
Profile Image for Wendy.
Author 5 books74 followers
November 14, 2013
Simply could not put this one down. Geissinger has done it again.
There are so many things I love about this series: the characters, the world-traveling ambiance, the heat, the oh-so-gray nature of the good guys, and the utter black of the bad. Did I mention the heat? This has the feel of being the shapeshifter equivalent of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. One thing I like better here is how the bad guys are clear and evil and absolutely critical to the plot but they never take up so much space that I'm tempted to skim the parts in their POV. Geissinger gives us just enough to work story magic and then gets them out of the way to let the story focus on the romance. (It's paranormal romance 1st and urban fantasy 2nd folks.)

In this story, I particularly loved how the author doesn't shy away from Ember's mental health issues. The mind is a very powerful thing, for good or bad. Thanks for giving Ember's pain a very genuine feel, a knowing that it takes time to heal, and a hero that loves her anyway.

If you love well-written paranormal romance, you won't want to miss these.
Profile Image for Stacie.
2,175 reviews247 followers
August 3, 2014
I'm so frustrated right now. I really don't even know what to say. Spoiler ahead. Beware!! This book was the absolute best by far in this series as far as the romance and love story goes. Christian and Ember's story is beautiful. I am so happy for them. If I could rate this book base on that only, it would be 5+ stars. However. The villains in this book are all so vile and disgusting, I don't know if I will continue reading this series. For me they are disturbing and at this point I don't know if they will ever be stopped. If they survived this book, I don't know how they will be stoped. Their evil is outrageous. It ruins the book. Caesar is not a villain you love to hate, you just hate him. And the other two are just as horrible. The terrible things they do and actually get off on doing are disgusting and unnecessary to get the point across that they are bad. I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get it. It makes me kind of sad because I liked this series. But I think it's just too much for me. I don't do disturbing. Happy reading?
Profile Image for Michelle Willms.
539 reviews42 followers
December 8, 2013
Complete review to follow: If you haven't read this series, you are missing out on something wonderful. JT Geissinger is an outstanding writer with amazing world building skills. She has the ability to create characters that are believable and a story that stays with you long after the last page has been turned. Even though this is a series, you can pick up any book (you don't have to start with the first book in the series) and begin reading without being horribly lost due to Geissinger's wonderful style.

I read this book in ONE sitting. The action is consistent, the images powerful, and the story line is compelling. Few books are written well enough to earn five stars. In my opinion, it must be so good, I want to read it again as soon as I've finished it. Edge of Darkness is that good.
Profile Image for Rebekah.
33 reviews
November 18, 2013
Oh My God where do i begin this was an amazing read....after three chapters i was hooked couldnt put it down. The story line was amazing and i love how it captured me and made me not be able to put it down. i would say one more chapter and still once that was read i wanted to read more.

J.T. Geissinger is an amazing author and thanks to her i was able to read this book early and i was so happy. The way she writes her books gets you hooked and this series is amazing i would recommend this book to anyone.
Profile Image for Kathryn.
2,621 reviews86 followers
March 11, 2014
Amazing. Even starting this series with the 4th book, I was never lost nor did I feel like I was missing anything from the previous in the series. I have since started book one.

The attraction Ember feels when the mysterious book buyer walks into her rare books store is instant. It's something she's never felt. When Christian looks at her with his vibrant green eyes she knows ... she just knows. Christian does too. To say he "stalked" her would be wrong... he hunted her. In a good way :)
Profile Image for Navessa.
Author 13 books8,138 followers
Want to read
July 10, 2013


Buddy read with Sarah!
Profile Image for Megan Riverina Romantics.
1,213 reviews70 followers
September 23, 2017
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
Rating: 4/5
Heat Rating: 3/5
Narrator Performance 3.5/5


This is such a great series! I've enjoyed every book in it so far. Although enjoyable, the whole Ikati world had seemed limited and sheltered in the first book. However each book is set in a different location which is awesome since the idea of freedom and joining human society is a main one in the overall series story arc. And dude, Geissinger can really build a setting for her readers. It's fabulous that she includes snippets of the local languages in the stories too. It lends an authenticity to the books. EDGE OF DARKNESS takes place in Spain.

Can I just say how much Christian surprised me? We've known him since book one of the series, SHADOW'S EDGE, but when we get to really learn his story he's so much better. He's hidden something about himself and I was surprised when it showed up in the plot. When I read it I was all like "But it was specifically stated this way in SHADOW'S EDGE!" His reason for keeping the secret shows the depth of his character. He's an amazing guy but his secret brought up a question which will hopefully be answered in some form or other in the final two books in the series. The detail was a great way to set up the expansion of the world of the Ikati and their culture and abilities.

There was an emotionally damaged side to Ember and IMO the author handled it well. She didn't over play the negative aspects yet it was clearly evident in the text. And while there was a psychiatric issue the story wasn't bogged down with over analytical explanations. Ember was real. Does that make sense? I found myself identifying with her on a few different levels.

As far as crazy antagonists go Caesar is pretty high up on the insanity scale. He did some evil things in RAPTURE'S EDGE and it was no different in EDGE OF DARKNESS. It was laid out there in all it's blunt gory glory. He's one seriously sick male. He was biggest bad in the book but John Doe/13 was in the book too. He's just as determined as he was when we first met him. That man is scary in a different way than Caesar although he's no less committed to his mission.

In EDGE OF DARKNESS a new villain, Jahad, is introduced and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him in the future. He's the newest face of the Expurgari and he too is scary. Here's what Christian though about him:
"Wonderful. A bald albino bodybuilding religious zealot with a near-genius IQ and a predilection for sadomasochism, pyromania, and bestiality. He felt a twinge of nostalgia for the old leader of the Expurgari, who was just your garden-variety nut job with a God complex."
Geissinger does an amazing job at creating bad guys for us to hate.

With characters to love, villains to hate, great settings and a solid storyline EDGE OF DARKNESS is book you'll surely want to read.

About the narrator:
I have mixed feelings about the narrator, Angela Dawe. She's narrated books 2-4 in the series and I absolutely love that she does different voices for her characters. The bits of foreign languages in the books seem to fall off her tongue easily. Unfortunately her pace is jacked up. There were times where there were long pauses between her words and then there was no pause when the POVs changed. It was maddening.
Profile Image for CVZ.
232 reviews3 followers
November 23, 2020
Another Masterfully Crafted Installment In The Night Prowlers Series

Oh Ms. Geissinger you really dug deep in the recesses of your creative mind to pen this amazing story. I was so looking forward to Christian’s story ever since Book One. He was my favorite character and couldn’t wait to get to know him better. His ability to care for, love, and protect the woman he cherishes is swoon worthy! He is truly a man with a big heart.

His love interest, Ember, is plagued by a tragic accident that took the life of her mother and younger brother years past. We learn how the human mind can distort tragic events in order to allow oneself to wallow in guilt and deprive oneself of undeserved happiness. Christian and Ember’s relationship involves passionate lovemaking, humorous bantering, and a push and pull of commitment.

Ms. Geissinger has a way of including sinister characters that are capable of engaging in unfathomable cruelty and have a predilection for hideous sexual practices. She does not spare readers from the raw, gruesome details which is truly cringe-worthy.

As in my reviews of the previous installments in this series, I am in awe of this author’s ability to use language, translated with such skill into the written words that evolve into her stories. We, as readers, ‘feel’ the story to our very core. The happiness, passion, pain and anguish become us!

Despite the fact that the sinister characters play a major role in the book, we cannot forget Ember’s loyal, quirky gay friend Asher, her landlord Dante and his charming and spiritual granddaughter Clare. They add so much tenderness and warmth to the story to create a much needed balance.

The climax and conclusion set the stage for the continuation of this series and I look forward to reading installment five in this six part series. All of the installments were well written and did not disappoint. There is an advantage to reading a completed series. You don’t have to wait for the next book to be released! I highly recommend this series and for that matter, anything written by JT Geissinger! She’s THAT GOOD!

461 reviews
April 25, 2023
Listened to the audiobook. Same narrator as the other books with a shrill voice that seems to shout everything. Her accents and characters are fine, but when she's just doing straight narration of the story, she doesn't deviate from this plodding, repetitive rhythm (regardless of what's happening in the text). When I try to listen while falling to sleep, her high-pitched voice makes it impossible to relax. It keeps jarring me awake with each crescendo. Still, I didn't score the story low because of the voice talent. I scored it low because I didn't think this plot was very compelling and I REALLY didn't care for Ember. I've loved Christian's character since his introduction in book #1, so I was excited to hear his tale. Unfortunately, this book focuses almost entirely on September "Ember" Jones, a human who is not that compelling and actually comes across as quite dim witted in my opinion. Because we don't get much of Christian's POV in the novel, I couldn't grasp why he was instantly so attracted to her. I mean, we're told over and over again how average she is. Other than a few snarky comments she comes up with, she seems extremely unimpressive in every way. I wanted Geissinger to give me SOMETHING to grasp onto--something to make me believe in this insta-love she dishes us in this book. Nope. Nothing. And then the self-loathing trope got thrown in and I starting thinking the story couldn't be over soon enough. Then, about 2/3 of the way through, we meet Jahad, who Geissinger must have copied from The DaVinci Code's Silas (a name she gave to another character), and we're off on another tangent. I feel like the whole "Caesar takes over the world" plot line was just background noise and a flimsy reason to get Christian to Spain. Then it erupts again in the last few chapters along with this new character in order to infuse the otherwise drab story with some sort of climax. Whatever. The whole story is somewhat flimsy, which is why I wasn't a fan. Better luck next book!
Profile Image for K. Lincoln.
Author 16 books92 followers
October 19, 2017
4.5 stars actually.

I took away .5 a star because I just couldn't give 5 stars to a mid-series paranormal shifter romance that ends with such obvious threads hanging loose and contains some really cliched romance tropes...

Gah, but I enjoyed this one. Cliched tropes and all. And I credit Geissinger's mesmerizing ways with characters as the reason I didn't get bored despite all the tropes. There's a nerdy antiquarian book dealer who thinks of herself as plain and has a tragic past she blames herself for. There's a mysterious, beautiful, bed-room eyed rich guy after a first edition rare book. Not to mention the gay friend who pushes the heroine out of her self-pity. And there's an enemy who is albino and scarred and a bit fanantic. And it's set in Barcelona!

The heroine ends up walking to the hero's mansion in the rain, shivering...twice. That should have irked me, instead, I hung on every word, every alpha male reining in of the tension and attraction like a hungry teenager with a double order of fries.

And somehow I got through the book in two nights and didn't care at all that the heroine never resolves her "I used to be a cello virtuoso until the accident" issue, or that three different confusing villains are introduced and set into motion at the end. Or even the fact that Ember, a human woman, decided to "save" her powerful love interest by going in his place to confront a villain ('cause that makes sense).

I just was busy devouring Ember and her tragic brokeness as she melted over Christian and his bedroom eyes.

So this entire review is a listing of things usually I would be complaining about, but somehow none of it mattered. Which just goes to show you, me, and other readers, will entirely ignore a boatload of tired tropes and uneven plotting if you make us fall in love with your characters. And I did.
Profile Image for Book Catharsis.
376 reviews26 followers
November 18, 2018
Christian finally gets a chance at love

I have adored Christian since the beginning of the series and although I was happy for Leander and Jenna, I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of heartache for Christian. I was so happy when I started this book and Christian finally got his chance at love. I can’t wait for Jenna to meet Ember!

I immediately felt a kinship with Ember. Not only did she love books as much as I do, we also share a love for cozy sweaters, music and art, as well as exquisite taste in men and a sarcastic wit. Watching her self loathing and constant torture was as hard for me as it was for her friend Archer and new love interest Christian.

Poor Christian has lived a life full of silent sacrifices and now he’s willing to make the biggest sacrifice of all to save the world from Caesar. Suffering from homesickness and the heaviness of his burden, he discovers love in the most unlikely of places and now his sacrifice seems even greater. Now he has everything to lose.

Not only will you love the main characters, their romance and the mystery unraveling throughout the series, but this book by far has the best supporting characters of them all so far. I was delighted by Ember’s friendship with Asher, the opinionated and worldly gay neighbor, her caring and understanding on site landlord and his wise beyond her years granddaughter who teaches us lessons we can all stand to learn. When left with no family and feeling utterly alone in the world, as she thought she deserved, Ember was actually surrounded by a family that chose her and provided the support system she didn’t know she needed.
Profile Image for Merry One Maria.
1,587 reviews5 followers
October 13, 2021
It’s a good series with a running storyline

I am enjoying the series with these unique shifters and their quest to come out of hiding. The storyline lends itself a bit to current struggles in the world, the irony is blatant as you read these books. Their communities are being hunted by more than one enemy which is revealed in this book. It’s disturbing these enemies because they are bent on not just getting rid of these people, but they want to experiment on them in horrible ways. Now about the romance between Christian and Ember, I was disappointed. Ember has a lot of heartbreak from her past and I understand her survivor’s guilt. However I did not feel like Ember was a good romantic match for Christian. The whole volleying back and forth was tiresome to read. Ember is nice and all but Christian deserved a strong mate one that would be able to be strong beside him. Ember is on a healing journey, and not by her own choice. Ember is broken and is in desperate need of support and real love. It is Christian, Asher, Clare, and Dante, who are responsible for Ember’s better mental status. Luckily her BFF Asher, after forcing Ember to reveal her past got her help and seeing a psychologist. For me, it’s a no to their romance and pairing. It’s a yes to the series. Read On!
Profile Image for Jaycee.
501 reviews
March 15, 2021
Another excellent installation, at times quite gritty.

Ember was a sympathetic character whose battle with what life handed her evoked every emotion a normal human could (should) have.

Christian's path in the story was tantalizingly unclear, until it wasn't. At which point, as Leander said, he became a "pr!ck". The reveal did clear up his vacillation about his relationship with Ember but his reticence then presented as angst, and I hate angst! Not to mention, how dare he equate his circumstances to that which Ember endured! This hero lost his capital "H"(ero) with that, for me anyway...

That said, the story line outside the relationship progressed well enough and ended, not so much in a cliffy, but lets just say a reader knows the edge is nearby, and the fall is a long way down!
1,495 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2020
Fabulous

Wow another great book in this series and the plot just gets thicker. Christian the hot beautiful sexy brother of the leader of the alphas sets himself up on a suicide mission to destroy Caesar and his follows but finds himself in love with a complicated damaged human Ember and boy do things happen. The chemistry between them is off the charts but so are the reasons they should not be together but fate shows its hand and throws them together forever. They believe Caesar is dead and the other people after the shifters gone how wrong can they be. Can't wait to read the next book there is much more yet to come. What a great series congratulations to the author for some awesome books.
Profile Image for Mickey.
595 reviews38 followers
June 26, 2017
WOW!

Just wow! Not sure how it is possible, but this series seems to get better (and more addictive) with each novel. The world - building is phenomenal. Finally an original series with a theme that has been successfully maintained over four books so far, each with completely different storylines and characters. The fact that main character for the next book is typically introduced in one of the preceeding books, only makes the reader that much more vested in reading further. Good job Ms. Geissinger!
Profile Image for NL Clarke.
204 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2020
Really good, but...

...one of the villains in this novel bore more than a striking resemblance to "Silas" from Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," right down to the albinism and self-flagellation.

This author is way too good to have appropriated someone else's work the way it appeared she had done. I could be wrong, but it didn't feel that way to me.

It's still worth a read - as are all of her novels - but I couldn't give this book a 5-star rating because of this apparent major flaw.
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