REVIEW - A BRUSH OF DARKNESS & A SLIVER OF SHADOW (WITH GIVEAWAY)

"Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister..."

Author: Allison Pang
Published: Pocket Publishing on January 2011
Pages: 343 Pages
Form: E-book (from a tour for an honest review)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Abby Sinclair #1
Amazon: Buy / $7.99 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see US price )
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $7.99 (Nook)
Excerpt: Chapter 1

"The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts.

Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her." ~From Goodreads

Rating :

Author: Allison Pang
Published: Pocket Publishing on February 2012
Pages: 384 Pages
Form: E-book (from a tour for an honest review)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Abby Sinclair #2
Amazon: Buy / $9.65 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see US price )
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $7.99 (Nook)
Excerpt: Chapter 1

"Just when her new life as a TouchStone — a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds — seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding elven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves." ~From Goodreads

Rating :

Witty, quirky and unique! From humping unicorns to paintings sucking the life out of you A Brush of Darkness is one wildly weird ride with tons of witty dialogue and fast pace action, and one deliciously hot incubus as sneaky as they get prowling around our heroine.

Abby comes out strong and brash, but the reader also gets a climbs into her mind where she wishes her bravado with creatures who could crush her like a bug, would just a little bit less snappy. A smart heroine with all the right tools to be awesome - cute, quirky and magically blessed Abby is a heroine worth praising!

Now Brystion, oh this is one hot incubus, all swagger, sex and innuendo, and it's all just bit too much for Abby. Tall, built, dark long hair, sexy golden eyes, mouth made for sin - and then a bad boy as hot as that gives all his focus on you, how is a girl not supposed to end up puddle of happy, girly, hot mess. Of course there is the fact he can kill you, and has more agendas that Bush - and you so cannot trust him. Oh, who am I kidding that's just the icing on the cake!

The romance is there but it's not the main focus, Abby and Brystion's relationship is seductive and budding, but it's not the love conquers all, but more a broken, half desperate love that is but shouldn’t be. Which is very hot in its own regard!

A Sliver of Shadow picks up where A Brush of Darkness left off, babysitter for fairy princess's baby boy with wings, guarded by a brooding fairy prince with a eye batch and having one snarky ex-incubus lover is the setting where this novel starts from. Keeping up with Pang's signature quirkiness and oddness A Sliver of Shadow is a yummy sequel to A Brush of Darkness, but Abby has much more responsibility on her plate now, and it suits her and makes the story both dangerous and hilarious!

This is for you if... you love quirky and unique Urban Fantasy with one sassy heroine and one brooding bad boy hero ( of sorts ) and lots of dreams.

( First image: Mel, Phin, Abby and Brystion - Second image: Moira, Nobu, Talivar and Brystion in human form )