Dark Flame by Alyson Noel

Here’s a bite from Ms. Noel’s website: In this eagerly awaited continuation of the bestselling Immortals series, Ever struggles to help her best friend Haven transition into life as an immortal—trying to keep her from doing anything that puts them at risk, while attempting to gain control over her enemy Roman, so she can finally obtain the antidote that will allow her and Damen to be together. But when the spell she casts backfires, resulting in a strange, foreign pulse that binds her to Roman instead, Ever turns to Jude and dark magick, desperately attempting to break free of the curse, and ultimately risking everything she knows and loves—including her beloved Damen.

My take on things

I’ve been a big fan of the Immortal series in the past. However, I did not read Shadowland, the book just before this one in the series. I have to say that my favoritism is waning. I’m just not that into it anymore. Sorry Ms. Noel. It may have something to do with the constant gazing going on. If the characters looked at each other at all, they were gazing or averting their gaze or avoiding another’s gaze. It was like a gaze craze. At one point, it was there four times in the two pages I was reading.

I’m also getting a little worn on Ever not feeling that she’s deserving of Damen’s love. I mean at some point, get a little self worth. If you don’t see yourself worthy of this guy, then he might start seeing you in that same light. I know this is fiction, but young women today have enough self esteem issues without fictional characters validating those feelings; it is okay to start out that way, but character growth is important too. I don’t particularly like Haven (Ever’s best friend) anymore either. She’s a brat, plain and simple.

I will say that I did like the overall message of you as an individual being in control of what you give power to in your life. If you concentrate on something negative, even if it’s eradicating it from your life, you are still concentrating on it and drawing its negative energy to you. The message is to live the best life you know how, to surround yourself with positive energy and a feeling of acceptance in your life. By concentrating on the positive, you draw more positive energy into you and thusly improve your life as a whole. Like I said, I’m all down with that message. Not that I’m great at putting it into practice, but I do try. I just think that positive message is cloaked in some negative self talk by the main character.

So, I would love to say that I’ll read the next in what now seems like a never-ending series. But, sadly I think my romance with the Immortal series has taken a final punch to my heart chakra. I will give this 2 ½ swaks.