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The Dark World #1
The Dark World
Welcome To The Dark World.
A World kept from the eyes of humans where all manner of Dark Creature live, war, and thrive.
But certain Creatures are about to find that there is more to the dark than blood and bite…. The Dark World holds secrets…and the greatest of all are about to be revealed.
---
"Her name...is Alexandria Stone."
These are some of the last words Xavier Delacroix hears from his beloved Eleanor Black...just before she bursts into a Lycan Creature. And if this wasn't enough to rattle Xavier's brilliant mind, other Vampires - namely Dracula - are becoming elusive and speaking only in vague air about Xavier's supposedly brilliant blood.
But with a human to find, Lycans to kill, and a World to protect, Xavier is not so sure what to believe anymore...or who.
A World kept from the eyes of humans where all manner of Dark Creature live, war, and thrive.
But certain Creatures are about to find that there is more to the dark than blood and bite…. The Dark World holds secrets…and the greatest of all are about to be revealed.
---
"Her name...is Alexandria Stone."
These are some of the last words Xavier Delacroix hears from his beloved Eleanor Black...just before she bursts into a Lycan Creature. And if this wasn't enough to rattle Xavier's brilliant mind, other Vampires - namely Dracula - are becoming elusive and speaking only in vague air about Xavier's supposedly brilliant blood.
But with a human to find, Lycans to kill, and a World to protect, Xavier is not so sure what to believe anymore...or who.
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2016
14 people are currently reading
936 people want to read
About the author
S.C. Parris
10 books120 followersS.C. Parris is the author of The Dark World Series & horror short story, A Night of Frivolity.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 19, 2016
S.C. Parris is a such a lovely person and after recieivng this book for review I just had to get a signed paperback copy too.
Please see the ecopy version for my review (once I ahem post it live) I'll add a link here but just know I loved it enough to buy this and book 2 a few days later.
-----------------
This review was first posted on Northern Plunder, if you want to see more reviews please click here.
I was lucky enough to receive an ecopy of The Dark World for review way before release and lately I've had such a disinterest with ebooks it took me a while to get into it.
But once I got past that and got into the habit of reading daily I was truly hooked.
The world Parris creates is fully of suprises and depth, wonderful supernatural beings and many great characters.
& this is where I start to struggle. Writing reviews for books I love are always the hardest for me because I don't want to spoil anything but I want to praise it and shower it in love.
Its a fine line to walk.
But here I go.
One of the key things I enjoyed about The Dark World is that it starts off as what appears to be a pretty normal Vampire book, you get what you expect. Which for me, is perfect, I love vampires. And these are the dark and blood-hungry (kind of) vampires that I love, that feel very unhuman and aware of their power. That, whilst interwined with the human world at times, know they don't belong and don't try incredibly hard to be Exactly Like Us.
But as the book unravels it becomes clear this isn't just a vampire book, its very much more than that with every and all supernatural beings you'd love to read more about.
The mythology and magic within this book is one of the things I'm super excited to read more about, we learn about it as the story unfolds - particularly because a lot of secrets are being held from the Vampires so as they learn, we the reader learns too.
This book is everything I had hoped it'd be.
It filled this massive gap in what I'd been missing out of my read books. I read so little dark fantasy that this got to brush past everything else I've read this year and be like "Hi I'm going to make you want to keep reading on this bus and miss work" every day. It was brilliant.
The last 100 pages or so were my favourite because so much happens it made it even harder to put down and I left the update "THINGS ARE LIT OMG" on goodreads and I stand by that.
My favourite character, and sorry because this does go into spoiler territory, is Eleanor. She is the baddest and most brilliant woman to kick back and take what she thinks is rightfully hers. She is powerful and smart and no doubt this will put her in a lot of dangerous positions.
And lastly, what I think I need to make clear after my previous paragraph is that there is no single character that is strictly The Good Guy. Everyone has some darkness too them which makes it feel all the more real. Who wants every character to run away with your heart because they're Pure and Golden? Not me. I like mine with some mystery and darkness they're either fighting against or letting engulf them fully - whether by choice or manipluation of a stronger character ;)
Hyped to keep reading this series, and good luck to Parris in continuing writing them whilst working and studying! You got this girl.
Please see the ecopy version for my review (once I ahem post it live) I'll add a link here but just know I loved it enough to buy this and book 2 a few days later.
-----------------
This review was first posted on Northern Plunder, if you want to see more reviews please click here.
I was lucky enough to receive an ecopy of The Dark World for review way before release and lately I've had such a disinterest with ebooks it took me a while to get into it.
But once I got past that and got into the habit of reading daily I was truly hooked.
The world Parris creates is fully of suprises and depth, wonderful supernatural beings and many great characters.
& this is where I start to struggle. Writing reviews for books I love are always the hardest for me because I don't want to spoil anything but I want to praise it and shower it in love.
Its a fine line to walk.
But here I go.
One of the key things I enjoyed about The Dark World is that it starts off as what appears to be a pretty normal Vampire book, you get what you expect. Which for me, is perfect, I love vampires. And these are the dark and blood-hungry (kind of) vampires that I love, that feel very unhuman and aware of their power. That, whilst interwined with the human world at times, know they don't belong and don't try incredibly hard to be Exactly Like Us.
But as the book unravels it becomes clear this isn't just a vampire book, its very much more than that with every and all supernatural beings you'd love to read more about.
The mythology and magic within this book is one of the things I'm super excited to read more about, we learn about it as the story unfolds - particularly because a lot of secrets are being held from the Vampires so as they learn, we the reader learns too.
This book is everything I had hoped it'd be.
It filled this massive gap in what I'd been missing out of my read books. I read so little dark fantasy that this got to brush past everything else I've read this year and be like "Hi I'm going to make you want to keep reading on this bus and miss work" every day. It was brilliant.
The last 100 pages or so were my favourite because so much happens it made it even harder to put down and I left the update "THINGS ARE LIT OMG" on goodreads and I stand by that.
My favourite character, and sorry because this does go into spoiler territory, is Eleanor. She is the baddest and most brilliant woman to kick back and take what she thinks is rightfully hers. She is powerful and smart and no doubt this will put her in a lot of dangerous positions.
And lastly, what I think I need to make clear after my previous paragraph is that there is no single character that is strictly The Good Guy. Everyone has some darkness too them which makes it feel all the more real. Who wants every character to run away with your heart because they're Pure and Golden? Not me. I like mine with some mystery and darkness they're either fighting against or letting engulf them fully - whether by choice or manipluation of a stronger character ;)
Hyped to keep reading this series, and good luck to Parris in continuing writing them whilst working and studying! You got this girl.
September 29, 2017
My review was first posted on Northern Plunder, you can read more of my reviews there too.
I was lucky enough to receive an ecopy of The Dark World for review way before release and lately I've had such a disinterest with ebooks it took me a while to get into it.
But once I got past that and got into the habit of reading daily I was truly hooked.
The world Parris creates is fully of suprises and depth, wonderful supernatural beings and many great characters.
& this is where I start to struggle. Writing reviews for books I love are always the hardest for me because I don't want to spoil anything but I want to praise it and shower it in love.
Its a fine line to walk.
But here I go.
One of the key things I enjoyed about The Dark World is that it starts off as what appears to be a pretty normal Vampire book, you get what you expect. Which for me, is perfect, I love vampires. And these are the dark and blood-hungry (kind of) vampires that I love, that feel very unhuman and aware of their power. That, whilst interwined with the human world at times, know they don't belong and don't try incredibly hard to be Exactly Like Us.
But as the book unravels it becomes clear this isn't just a vampire book, its very much more than that with every and all supernatural beings you'd love to read more about.
The mythology and magic within this book is one of the things I'm super excited to read more about, we learn about it as the story unfolds - particularly because a lot of secrets are being held from the Vampires so as they learn, we the reader learns too.
This book is everything I had hoped it'd be.
It filled this massive gap in what I'd been missing out of my read books. I read so little dark fantasy that this got to brush past everything else I've read this year and be like "Hi I'm going to make you want to keep reading on this bus and miss work" every day. It was brilliant.
The last 100 pages or so were my favourite because so much happens it made it even harder to put down and I left the update "THINGS ARE LIT OMG" on goodreads and I stand by that.
My favourite character, and sorry because this does go into spoiler territory, is Eleanor. She is the baddest and most brilliant woman to kick back and take what she thinks is rightfully hers. She is powerful and smart and no doubt this will put her in a lot of dangerous positions.
And lastly, what I think I need to make clear after my previous paragraph is that there is no single character that is strictly The Good Guy. Everyone has some darkness too them which makes it feel all the more real. Who wants every character to run away with your heart because they're Pure and Golden? Not me. I like mine with some mystery and darkness they're either fighting against or letting engulf them fully - whether by choice or manipluation of a stronger character ;)
Hyped to keep reading this series, and good luck to Parris in continuing writing them whilst working and studying! You got this girl.
I was lucky enough to receive an ecopy of The Dark World for review way before release and lately I've had such a disinterest with ebooks it took me a while to get into it.
But once I got past that and got into the habit of reading daily I was truly hooked.
The world Parris creates is fully of suprises and depth, wonderful supernatural beings and many great characters.
& this is where I start to struggle. Writing reviews for books I love are always the hardest for me because I don't want to spoil anything but I want to praise it and shower it in love.
Its a fine line to walk.
But here I go.
One of the key things I enjoyed about The Dark World is that it starts off as what appears to be a pretty normal Vampire book, you get what you expect. Which for me, is perfect, I love vampires. And these are the dark and blood-hungry (kind of) vampires that I love, that feel very unhuman and aware of their power. That, whilst interwined with the human world at times, know they don't belong and don't try incredibly hard to be Exactly Like Us.
But as the book unravels it becomes clear this isn't just a vampire book, its very much more than that with every and all supernatural beings you'd love to read more about.
The mythology and magic within this book is one of the things I'm super excited to read more about, we learn about it as the story unfolds - particularly because a lot of secrets are being held from the Vampires so as they learn, we the reader learns too.
This book is everything I had hoped it'd be.
It filled this massive gap in what I'd been missing out of my read books. I read so little dark fantasy that this got to brush past everything else I've read this year and be like "Hi I'm going to make you want to keep reading on this bus and miss work" every day. It was brilliant.
The last 100 pages or so were my favourite because so much happens it made it even harder to put down and I left the update "THINGS ARE LIT OMG" on goodreads and I stand by that.
My favourite character, and sorry because this does go into spoiler territory, is Eleanor. She is the baddest and most brilliant woman to kick back and take what she thinks is rightfully hers. She is powerful and smart and no doubt this will put her in a lot of dangerous positions.
And lastly, what I think I need to make clear after my previous paragraph is that there is no single character that is strictly The Good Guy. Everyone has some darkness too them which makes it feel all the more real. Who wants every character to run away with your heart because they're Pure and Golden? Not me. I like mine with some mystery and darkness they're either fighting against or letting engulf them fully - whether by choice or manipluation of a stronger character ;)
Hyped to keep reading this series, and good luck to Parris in continuing writing them whilst working and studying! You got this girl.
October 6, 2016
5/5 stars!
S.C Parris takes everything we know about vampires and gives it a delightfully dark refresher, each of her characters is unique (and dangerous!) and a have a story they're dying to tell. From the first chapter I was hooked, I felt plunged into this dark world of Vampires, Lycans, and Dragons, and I loved it.
Now to wait for book two, cannot wait to sit down and plunge back into the dark world, if you ever find yourself in need for a good fantasy series look no further!
S.C Parris takes everything we know about vampires and gives it a delightfully dark refresher, each of her characters is unique (and dangerous!) and a have a story they're dying to tell. From the first chapter I was hooked, I felt plunged into this dark world of Vampires, Lycans, and Dragons, and I loved it.
Now to wait for book two, cannot wait to sit down and plunge back into the dark world, if you ever find yourself in need for a good fantasy series look no further!
February 7, 2017
Wicked good book. Looking forward to seeing where this world continues
February 1, 2021
Excellent for fans of Vampires & Fantasy in general
As someone who adores vampires, this book was a treat. You shouldn't enter expecting anything less than the fierce fang-bearing brutality of the Vampire. But, more than that, the fantasy elements in the story added to this, an excellent treat for someone who also is obsessed with fantasy in general.
This isn't indeed like some Underworld clone. There are a very many characters and plot threads to follow. Which is wonderful, it makes you pay attention and gets you to think.
The character development is something that I enjoyed. I do wish I got to see more of Damion, though I have a feeling his story is just starting. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I honestly understand Victor's reaction in the end. That's all I'll say.
I don't know how I feel about Xavier. He started off pretty high and mighty. I'm not sure he ever dropped that, but it was good to see him developed more in the end. I feel these things aren't his fault... But at the same time he has a lot handed to him.
I liked Lillith, she was rather fierce despite feeling a bit inexperienced at times.
I loved seeing the dragons show up in the story--that was very glorious.
Finally, the story of Dracula and Eleanor Black had so many twisting turns. The plots were like a writhing serpent, and I didn't expect the outcome. I was rather surprised and realized That there are many sides to the story here.
There's a lot of tragedy to be had with the backstory of certain Creatures that made my heart lurch a bit.
I definitely recommend this work to those who want a busy but powerful fantasy read focused on vampires. There's many characters to follow!
As someone who adores vampires, this book was a treat. You shouldn't enter expecting anything less than the fierce fang-bearing brutality of the Vampire. But, more than that, the fantasy elements in the story added to this, an excellent treat for someone who also is obsessed with fantasy in general.
This isn't indeed like some Underworld clone. There are a very many characters and plot threads to follow. Which is wonderful, it makes you pay attention and gets you to think.
The character development is something that I enjoyed. I do wish I got to see more of Damion, though I have a feeling his story is just starting. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I honestly understand Victor's reaction in the end. That's all I'll say.
I don't know how I feel about Xavier. He started off pretty high and mighty. I'm not sure he ever dropped that, but it was good to see him developed more in the end. I feel these things aren't his fault... But at the same time he has a lot handed to him.
I liked Lillith, she was rather fierce despite feeling a bit inexperienced at times.
I loved seeing the dragons show up in the story--that was very glorious.
Finally, the story of Dracula and Eleanor Black had so many twisting turns. The plots were like a writhing serpent, and I didn't expect the outcome. I was rather surprised and realized That there are many sides to the story here.
There's a lot of tragedy to be had with the backstory of certain Creatures that made my heart lurch a bit.
I definitely recommend this work to those who want a busy but powerful fantasy read focused on vampires. There's many characters to follow!
August 13, 2016
ARC copy kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: Story and world building 4.5*
Rating: Style and overall book 3.5*
Ok, having allowed the story to settle a bit I'm ready to dive in and review it. I know my rating system looks completely nuts so let me attempt to explain.
This is vampires with a difference. Not the sparkling, mythical creatures of Stephanie Meyer. Not the tortured souls questing for shreds of humanity while seeking to exploit it of Anne Rice. Not the rather wet predators of L J Smith's vampire diaries nor the strange malformed creatures of traditional folklore. There are nods to all of these sources and many more (Underworld and Vampire the Masquerade in particular) but this is still very much its own thing. And the first item to get your head wrapped round is that these creatures are OTHER. They will not act like humans because they are not human. In fact watching other Creatures strive for humanity gives this a rich context but such a questing is in vain (or vein hahaha..er ..ahem). So I loved that. I loved the fact that the Dark World was a shadow sister to our own. It was richly imagined and immersive, often feeling like you had been left at the edge of an ancient forest and you - the pitiful human - had no idea what the rules were. There's some tremendous beauty in that darkness.
The story was compelling. It wasn't so much the originality as the passion for the subject with which it was delivered. The characters were engaging. I can't say I have a particular favourite - although Eleanor Black comes close - but there is no definite good and bad. I enjoyed that emotional complexity. So for all those reasons yes 4.5*
However I came unstuck on several points. A lot of this is personal preference. Some of it is the author finding and claiming her voice. Some of it is clearly where this is the beginning of a series. None of it was wrong per say, it was just a little jarring for me.
The fabulous world building often sidelines the story. There's no info dump or anything, it's just that the plot gets eclipsed by the place. I imagine that now it is all set up this will not be the case in book two and I'd love to see where the series goes.
The characters are great, however I felt that we were introduced to too many of them in one go, right at the start. The POV also shifts freely rather than being restricted to two or three characters. This is fine - it's a dark fantasy epic afterall - I just would have preferred time to get to know three or four characters well, see through their eyes, before bringing more characters in. Again I think this won't be an issue in the next book.
All the characters have fascinating back stories that are fully explored. I loved this because I genuinely was interested. The downside was that I kept losing the thread of the main plot because of it.
But ultimately the big drawback for me was that it took me a while to fully integrate with the author's style. All the species of Dark World creature are considered proper nouns snd get capitalised for instance - Vampire, Lycan, Elves. There are slso odd sentence constructions such as ' the Vampire was caused to consider to stop.' This was partly a reader failing as I just didn't click that it was deliberate to start with. When I did, I found that the style was voice-y and re-enforced that sense of otherness running throughout the whole book. It did slow the pace down for me though.
Overal verdict - a worthy 4 * and I look forward to reading more. This book had its kinks and flaws but is still one of the most promising and original vampire/supernatural tales I've read. The ending in particular was great. Such deep schemes from Dracula all along.
If you are an Underworld fan you'll love this. Highly recommended.
Rating: Story and world building 4.5*
Rating: Style and overall book 3.5*
Ok, having allowed the story to settle a bit I'm ready to dive in and review it. I know my rating system looks completely nuts so let me attempt to explain.
This is vampires with a difference. Not the sparkling, mythical creatures of Stephanie Meyer. Not the tortured souls questing for shreds of humanity while seeking to exploit it of Anne Rice. Not the rather wet predators of L J Smith's vampire diaries nor the strange malformed creatures of traditional folklore. There are nods to all of these sources and many more (Underworld and Vampire the Masquerade in particular) but this is still very much its own thing. And the first item to get your head wrapped round is that these creatures are OTHER. They will not act like humans because they are not human. In fact watching other Creatures strive for humanity gives this a rich context but such a questing is in vain (or vein hahaha..er ..ahem). So I loved that. I loved the fact that the Dark World was a shadow sister to our own. It was richly imagined and immersive, often feeling like you had been left at the edge of an ancient forest and you - the pitiful human - had no idea what the rules were. There's some tremendous beauty in that darkness.
The story was compelling. It wasn't so much the originality as the passion for the subject with which it was delivered. The characters were engaging. I can't say I have a particular favourite - although Eleanor Black comes close - but there is no definite good and bad. I enjoyed that emotional complexity. So for all those reasons yes 4.5*
However I came unstuck on several points. A lot of this is personal preference. Some of it is the author finding and claiming her voice. Some of it is clearly where this is the beginning of a series. None of it was wrong per say, it was just a little jarring for me.
The fabulous world building often sidelines the story. There's no info dump or anything, it's just that the plot gets eclipsed by the place. I imagine that now it is all set up this will not be the case in book two and I'd love to see where the series goes.
The characters are great, however I felt that we were introduced to too many of them in one go, right at the start. The POV also shifts freely rather than being restricted to two or three characters. This is fine - it's a dark fantasy epic afterall - I just would have preferred time to get to know three or four characters well, see through their eyes, before bringing more characters in. Again I think this won't be an issue in the next book.
All the characters have fascinating back stories that are fully explored. I loved this because I genuinely was interested. The downside was that I kept losing the thread of the main plot because of it.
But ultimately the big drawback for me was that it took me a while to fully integrate with the author's style. All the species of Dark World creature are considered proper nouns snd get capitalised for instance - Vampire, Lycan, Elves. There are slso odd sentence constructions such as ' the Vampire was caused to consider to stop.' This was partly a reader failing as I just didn't click that it was deliberate to start with. When I did, I found that the style was voice-y and re-enforced that sense of otherness running throughout the whole book. It did slow the pace down for me though.
Overal verdict - a worthy 4 * and I look forward to reading more. This book had its kinks and flaws but is still one of the most promising and original vampire/supernatural tales I've read. The ending in particular was great. Such deep schemes from Dracula all along.
If you are an Underworld fan you'll love this. Highly recommended.
November 4, 2017
This was originally a post on my blog but I'm just gonna copypaste it here too since it's basically a review:
The Dark World is a fantasy with vampires as the main characters, and they're not the nice sexy sparkly kind which is always nice and refreshing. They're the type who will casually snack on their human servants if they happen to be hungry and probably won't even feel bad about it. Really nice guys basically. They're not the only creatures introduced in the book though. There are also Lycans (good old werewolves), elves, centaurs... Oh and dragons!
All the lore of the world is really well thought out and the characters are interesting. My personal favorites were the main character Xavier's brother Christian (the worst casual servant snacker) and the human girl Alexandria. I was actually kinda hoping she would get more page time because I was really curious about her and the fact that she kind of decided Christian was good company despite murders happening in his room was funny. The back cover and the first chapters gave the impression that she would be more important in the first book anyway. Everything Xavier was doing was interesting too though, especially once he actually started questioning why everyone was keeping secrets from him. Bless Eleanor Black for pretty much forcing all the secrets out. I expect Xavier is in for a lot of cool stuff in the next books.
My one issue with the book was that whenever the point of view changed to another character it felt like it often took really long for me to figure out which character is in the spotlight now. It was probably meant to keep up the air of mystery in the book but since there could be multiple different point of views in one chapter and I'm slow it got a little confusing sometimes.
If you're into darker fantasy and vampires you should definitely check The Dark World series out!
I just wanna high-five Parris a lot because she's the same age as me and already has four books out and fifth one coming out later this year.
The Dark World is a fantasy with vampires as the main characters, and they're not the nice sexy sparkly kind which is always nice and refreshing. They're the type who will casually snack on their human servants if they happen to be hungry and probably won't even feel bad about it. Really nice guys basically. They're not the only creatures introduced in the book though. There are also Lycans (good old werewolves), elves, centaurs... Oh and dragons!
All the lore of the world is really well thought out and the characters are interesting. My personal favorites were the main character Xavier's brother Christian (the worst casual servant snacker) and the human girl Alexandria. I was actually kinda hoping she would get more page time because I was really curious about her and the fact that she kind of decided Christian was good company despite murders happening in his room was funny. The back cover and the first chapters gave the impression that she would be more important in the first book anyway. Everything Xavier was doing was interesting too though, especially once he actually started questioning why everyone was keeping secrets from him. Bless Eleanor Black for pretty much forcing all the secrets out. I expect Xavier is in for a lot of cool stuff in the next books.
My one issue with the book was that whenever the point of view changed to another character it felt like it often took really long for me to figure out which character is in the spotlight now. It was probably meant to keep up the air of mystery in the book but since there could be multiple different point of views in one chapter and I'm slow it got a little confusing sometimes.
If you're into darker fantasy and vampires you should definitely check The Dark World series out!
I just wanna high-five Parris a lot because she's the same age as me and already has four books out and fifth one coming out later this year.
February 24, 2022
“Hunger, he knew, begets impatience.” S.C. Parris's "Dark World" is a book with a rich, intricate atmosphere of supernatural hungers and political intrigue. Indeed, like the popular cinematic Underworld series, this book would appeal not only to lovers of vampire/Gothic literature but to fans of dark fantasy with a strong vein of sinister, Machiavellian politics. The characters in The Dark World add to the atmosphere of intrigue: they are charismatic and mysterious, yet always seem to have some hidden secret or motive that keeps the reader guessing as to their next move. I enjoyed, too, the way in which Parris balances the political chess games with the visceral, hungering quality of vampirism. Her characters, particularly her vampires, always have an edgy quality of desire (for blood or power or both) that adds to their unpredictability and intrigue. I highly recommend this novel to fans of vampire Gothic literature and/or dark fantasy with a strong vein of supernatural intrigue.
March 10, 2013
S.C Parris is bringing vampires back to their roots in her Delacroix series, no sappy or shiny vampires here. They live in the dark (except where magic allows them to travel during the day), live off the blood of humans, and war with other Creatures.
The Dark World is full of memorable characters and rich back story. It is obvious that the author has been thinking of this story for a long time because every single character has a story to tell. S.C. Parris has taken classic vampires and given them a new mythology while maintaining their vampire-ness, as well as evolving them to find ways beyond their limitations through technology.
There were a few minor typos and grammatical errors, but being aware that it is a self-published book, it is remarkably well done and it did not distract from the story at all. The only other issue that I had with the book was Alexandria Stone. Because of the blurb and the prologue I assumed the she was the center of this story, and if not her, than the matter of finding her. While there are points in the story where it is clear people are looking for her, by the end of the book there is very little resolution on this matter. You are still left wondering what is going on with her and why is she so important. Being that there are more books in the series though, I am sure we will get to know soon.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads, but I am looking forward to purchasing and sinking my teeth into the next book in the series.
The Dark World is full of memorable characters and rich back story. It is obvious that the author has been thinking of this story for a long time because every single character has a story to tell. S.C. Parris has taken classic vampires and given them a new mythology while maintaining their vampire-ness, as well as evolving them to find ways beyond their limitations through technology.
There were a few minor typos and grammatical errors, but being aware that it is a self-published book, it is remarkably well done and it did not distract from the story at all. The only other issue that I had with the book was Alexandria Stone. Because of the blurb and the prologue I assumed the she was the center of this story, and if not her, than the matter of finding her. While there are points in the story where it is clear people are looking for her, by the end of the book there is very little resolution on this matter. You are still left wondering what is going on with her and why is she so important. Being that there are more books in the series though, I am sure we will get to know soon.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads, but I am looking forward to purchasing and sinking my teeth into the next book in the series.
October 5, 2012
I found the first entry in The Delacroix series to be such a breath taking and refreshing read. On it's surface you expect another story of Vampires glorified as have been lately in literature and entertainment; instead each page builds a wonderfully deep and rich world of fantasy and in-depth character personalities. For a story about undead creatures and fierce monsters the characters are very much alive with weight and history behind their dialogue that is only greatly enhanced by terrific moments tense fights with Lycans and heated debates that peel back the layers that make up this Dark World of creatures S.C. Parris has so well crafted for her characters to thrive or (often) fail in. The Dark World is certainly worth the attention of those looking for a fantasy story that is unique in it's own right among the typical fair of adventures. I certainly am greatly anticipating the second installment of Xavier Delacroix and the cast of the Delacroix Series novel as The Dark World has left me with white knuckles and on the edge of my seat.
November 24, 2012
Oh man, I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens. If you like fantasy creatures, (vampires and such) mystery and intrigue, you will love this book. The story follows each character and then brings them all together in a nail biting conclusion that will leave you wanting more. The imagery is so vivid I could see the dragon soaring in the sky and diving into the crystal clear lake. A story that makes you question things you thought you knew. This is one that I will read several times.
Merged review:
This was the first book of the series that I read. I found the characters, locations and the story line to be extremely fabulous. I'm a great fan of mystery novels and can usually figure things out for myself, however, the ending was a complete surprise. I must say that even though this is my kind of book, the author went above and beyond my expectations.
Merged review:
This was the first book of the series that I read. I found the characters, locations and the story line to be extremely fabulous. I'm a great fan of mystery novels and can usually figure things out for myself, however, the ending was a complete surprise. I must say that even though this is my kind of book, the author went above and beyond my expectations.
December 29, 2016
(copied over from my review on amazon)
SC Parris' debut novel has many Pros and Cons for me, which makes it hard for me to rate.
There are many different Points of View and a ton of characters which made it difficult to follow at times.
The story and worldbuilding and especially the characters are very interesting but in the end feels a bit like a Prologue to an entirely different story.
The writing style is elaborate and a bit flowery but fitting the setting. However the book does lack some editing work, with several missing or misplaced words and commas.
Overall I did enjoy the book, and will give the series the chance to get better with the next book, now that the actual conflict is established.
SC Parris' debut novel has many Pros and Cons for me, which makes it hard for me to rate.
There are many different Points of View and a ton of characters which made it difficult to follow at times.
The story and worldbuilding and especially the characters are very interesting but in the end feels a bit like a Prologue to an entirely different story.
The writing style is elaborate and a bit flowery but fitting the setting. However the book does lack some editing work, with several missing or misplaced words and commas.
Overall I did enjoy the book, and will give the series the chance to get better with the next book, now that the actual conflict is established.
January 14, 2021
I hate giving up on books, especially books by less well-known authors, people I'd like to see succeed and grow their readership. I left the book waiting next to my desk for months, wouldn't read anything else in the hopes that I'd force myself to continue. But I couldn't. I got to page 54 and I gave up. The book may very well improve after page 54, feel free to check it out and see for yourself.
Way back when I used to read Anti-Shur'tugal one of the posters described Christopher Paolini as "using the second cousin of the right word," and this is true for The Dark World too. For instance, there's a casual description of rolls of paper and parchment. Now, the setting's ambiguous but leans modern, certainly not the 15th century which is when the use of parchment and vellum started to decline. Either this is a very subtle commentary on vampires clinging to technology that is fragile, expensive and obsolete, or the writer got tired of writing the word "paper" over and over and decided to use what seemed like a nice synonym. As I said, though, this is a casual single-sentence description of a character fiddling with stuff on his desk. Close, but not the right word.
There's a lot of verbal roundabout going on, too. For instance, "She stood with swiftness from the old armchair and turned, stepping into the darker reaches of the cabin where the low fire's light could not reach." A bit of stylistic repetition can be a nice way to slow down the pace, emphasize a moment, but the whole book is like this, including the dialogue. I can't build up any reading momentum and just focus on the story and characters because I keep having to stop and untangle the prose.
But let's talk about those characters for a moment anyway, because I couldn't keep track of them. Once again, I was only 54 pages into the story, so it's entirely possible that the vampire guys with swords and a world-weary attitude distinguish themselves from each other more strongly later on, but if I can't get invested at the start then I have no reason to push through to that point.
If you love hoity-toity vampires versus savage werewolves and you're in withdrawal from a lack of new Underworld movies, you might like this book. I couldn't manage it.
Way back when I used to read Anti-Shur'tugal one of the posters described Christopher Paolini as "using the second cousin of the right word," and this is true for The Dark World too. For instance, there's a casual description of rolls of paper and parchment. Now, the setting's ambiguous but leans modern, certainly not the 15th century which is when the use of parchment and vellum started to decline. Either this is a very subtle commentary on vampires clinging to technology that is fragile, expensive and obsolete, or the writer got tired of writing the word "paper" over and over and decided to use what seemed like a nice synonym. As I said, though, this is a casual single-sentence description of a character fiddling with stuff on his desk. Close, but not the right word.
There's a lot of verbal roundabout going on, too. For instance, "She stood with swiftness from the old armchair and turned, stepping into the darker reaches of the cabin where the low fire's light could not reach." A bit of stylistic repetition can be a nice way to slow down the pace, emphasize a moment, but the whole book is like this, including the dialogue. I can't build up any reading momentum and just focus on the story and characters because I keep having to stop and untangle the prose.
But let's talk about those characters for a moment anyway, because I couldn't keep track of them. Once again, I was only 54 pages into the story, so it's entirely possible that the vampire guys with swords and a world-weary attitude distinguish themselves from each other more strongly later on, but if I can't get invested at the start then I have no reason to push through to that point.
If you love hoity-toity vampires versus savage werewolves and you're in withdrawal from a lack of new Underworld movies, you might like this book. I couldn't manage it.
October 25, 2023
This first book in a series of six serves well to set up the world as it is, the world as we know it (which aren't always the same thing) and big changes which are coming. SCP put a great deal of passion and flair into this work, and it shows in the reading. And I'm always down for Something New in vampire lore, and ooh, baby, this has got several. I'm not going to bring any of it to the review, because SpOiLeRs, hehHA. Take that.
I look forward to the rest of the series and to seeing where these paths twist and turn.
I look forward to the rest of the series and to seeing where these paths twist and turn.
February 3, 2023
The Dark World is an excellent, if slightly imperfect, debut for S.C. Parris. From the first chapter the reader is thrust into this dark world (pun intended) of vampires, lycans, and other fantastical - and often terrifying - creatures.
Steeped in mystery, with a touch of political intrigue, and just a pinch of vampire angst, The Dark World sets up the rest of the series wonderfully.
Steeped in mystery, with a touch of political intrigue, and just a pinch of vampire angst, The Dark World sets up the rest of the series wonderfully.
September 22, 2017
This book was very confusing. There were way too many characters and points of you, all of them not deeply analyzed, so it wasn't easy to remember them. Especially for this reason I found the story quite difficult to follow.
The world building and all the creature were promising, but again, not well analyzed.
The prose was very good, but the editing not so much.
The world building and all the creature were promising, but again, not well analyzed.
The prose was very good, but the editing not so much.
July 20, 2020
I'd give this a 2.5 if I could. The writing itself isnt bad, nor the world building. But there were far too many characters and changes of perspective that it felt confusing and irritating to try to follow/keep track of. Overall I didn't really enjoy this novel and I wouldn't be inclined to read the rest of this series.
June 2, 2018
I’m normally not a fan of Vampire novels, but this one got me hooked. The world is so unique and goes beyond the typical brooding teenage Vampire. It’s one of the few Vampire novels that I will ever read.
September 22, 2021
A world of vampires you NEED to discover. I've been so used to the same type of characters in Vampire books but this world was rich of character development, on going lore and so much more depth than you'd expect. Absolutely hands down my favorite vampire series!
May 22, 2018
It flunked the 50 page test for me. But then I didn’t care for the Underworld movies. If you liked those you might like this.
February 7, 2017
I began S.C. Parris’ debut novel as someone unfamiliar with the nuances of the vampire archetype specific to the context of literature, though she wonderfully painted the world her characters lurk within and made it easily understood to a newcomer.
Before picking up the book, I interviewed Parris and was told that Christian was intended to be a reader favorite and boy, that was true. Never before would I think I related to a vampire, but Christian was dynamic and sincere – truly an example of Parris’ storytelling and character-building skills. I found myself wishing that we had stood in his shoes for a little longer, though I think that is precisely what has me anxious to read the next installment, aside from finding out just why Alexandria Stone is so vital.
I’ll admit I was skeptical at first when Dracula was introduced. How could Parris inject such an iconic character into her own story and not have it overshadowed? But around the middle of the novel I found that he was one of my favorites and had slipped in so seamlessly with the vampires around him.
My biggest critique (which is not even that big) is possibly the language use in some places and its use of setting the groundwork for the story. Parris has used elegant and flowery language to tell the story of the Delacroix brothers, and in a few places it hiccups. To name a few examples: the adjective “bloody” is used by a character in many instances to describe something – leading to the phrase “bloody blood”; or minor phrases that made me question the setting, such as when Christian is questioned by a person referred to as an “officer” for a page and then is changed to “constable”. Am I being too picky? Perhaps, but I do not believe this should deter any future readers.
The highlight of this installment for me was perhaps Eleanor Black. Parris has created a villain beautifully terrifying that has even the great Xavier Delacroix shaking in his boots. Was it wrong to be rooting for her?
All things considered: I recommend this book for fans of fantasy, vampires of the non-sparkling variety, and all things dark and creepy.
Before picking up the book, I interviewed Parris and was told that Christian was intended to be a reader favorite and boy, that was true. Never before would I think I related to a vampire, but Christian was dynamic and sincere – truly an example of Parris’ storytelling and character-building skills. I found myself wishing that we had stood in his shoes for a little longer, though I think that is precisely what has me anxious to read the next installment, aside from finding out just why Alexandria Stone is so vital.
I’ll admit I was skeptical at first when Dracula was introduced. How could Parris inject such an iconic character into her own story and not have it overshadowed? But around the middle of the novel I found that he was one of my favorites and had slipped in so seamlessly with the vampires around him.
My biggest critique (which is not even that big) is possibly the language use in some places and its use of setting the groundwork for the story. Parris has used elegant and flowery language to tell the story of the Delacroix brothers, and in a few places it hiccups. To name a few examples: the adjective “bloody” is used by a character in many instances to describe something – leading to the phrase “bloody blood”; or minor phrases that made me question the setting, such as when Christian is questioned by a person referred to as an “officer” for a page and then is changed to “constable”. Am I being too picky? Perhaps, but I do not believe this should deter any future readers.
The highlight of this installment for me was perhaps Eleanor Black. Parris has created a villain beautifully terrifying that has even the great Xavier Delacroix shaking in his boots. Was it wrong to be rooting for her?
All things considered: I recommend this book for fans of fantasy, vampires of the non-sparkling variety, and all things dark and creepy.
September 30, 2023
4/5
Date Reviewed: 25 February 2017
This Review was first posted on It’s All Anthony. For more reviews, check out the blog here.
In the Dark World, secrets come out and everything Xavier thought to be true could have been a lie.
Ever since the first chapter, I knew something was drawing me in into this world that was created. When something specific happened in the first chapter, I had a thought trying to comprehend what was going on and Xavier ended up having the exact same thought. I knew there was something about this book. I knew something was going on in this world and I had to step into it to find out what it was. The gates to the Dark World opened up and I walked through.... hoping to come out alive.
This book reads Vampires, but it is not only vampires. There are a ton of dark creatures that are explored and gave the story a unique feeling and originality. The vampires were the main group in the story, but different creatures always came in at different point of times.
I loved everything in this book, and this was the first time I read a dark fantasy. I didn't know what to expect for it, but this book gave me everything. A surprising world, twists, characters, and just surprises.
What I loved the most was that each character and had something important to give to the character. No matter how good or evil they were, something significant was added to the story because of them. Two strong personalities colliding with each other was so interesting to read. One of the main personalities colliding here is Eleanor, a smart woman who knows a little to much. Let me tell you that was a force in the story, and a force to mess with. It's a battle, it's a war.
When everything you thought was true ended up being a possible lie, you don't know what to expect and this is really taking being advantaged of to play you around without knowing what could happen. It left with suspense at every scene.
It was a great story, and everyone should be able to enjoy this. I read something different for once, and ended up enjoying it.
Date Reviewed: 25 February 2017
This Review was first posted on It’s All Anthony. For more reviews, check out the blog here.
In the Dark World, secrets come out and everything Xavier thought to be true could have been a lie.
Ever since the first chapter, I knew something was drawing me in into this world that was created. When something specific happened in the first chapter, I had a thought trying to comprehend what was going on and Xavier ended up having the exact same thought. I knew there was something about this book. I knew something was going on in this world and I had to step into it to find out what it was. The gates to the Dark World opened up and I walked through.... hoping to come out alive.
This book reads Vampires, but it is not only vampires. There are a ton of dark creatures that are explored and gave the story a unique feeling and originality. The vampires were the main group in the story, but different creatures always came in at different point of times.
I loved everything in this book, and this was the first time I read a dark fantasy. I didn't know what to expect for it, but this book gave me everything. A surprising world, twists, characters, and just surprises.
What I loved the most was that each character and had something important to give to the character. No matter how good or evil they were, something significant was added to the story because of them. Two strong personalities colliding with each other was so interesting to read. One of the main personalities colliding here is Eleanor, a smart woman who knows a little to much. Let me tell you that was a force in the story, and a force to mess with. It's a battle, it's a war.
When everything you thought was true ended up being a possible lie, you don't know what to expect and this is really taking being advantaged of to play you around without knowing what could happen. It left with suspense at every scene.
It was a great story, and everyone should be able to enjoy this. I read something different for once, and ended up enjoying it.
September 2, 2016
Soooooo I'm in love with this! I don't remember the exact date I started and finished but I forgot to do a review! So here it is!: THE DARK WORLD by s.c. parris is an extrodinary book! I personally loveeeeee supernatural books so I had no problem reading this book! Even tho this book had some confusing parts, it was amazing! When I got bored reading in a small part, a huge part comes and got me all excited;) I totally recommend this book!
July 29, 2016
S.C. Parris tells a magnificent tale of Vampires and Werewolf unlike any other I've read. This story reminded me well of Underworld from the beginning, but with the introduction of a new Dark World creature, it became a tale all in its own. Absolutely riveting!!
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