Dark Alpha's Command

I'm so happy to get Balladyn's story. He's had such a major roll in all the connecting series, in so many different capacities. Personally, I think he's been one of the most important side characters through everything, and this book has proved it. It was nothing I was expecting, and yet greater than I could have hoped. I'm hoping we get Aisling and Xaneth's story next. They had some great development in this and I'm anxious to find out what power Xaneth has to be able to do what he's been doing.

<b>This was such a good book!</b><br /><br />The reason why I rated this 4 instead of 5 is because I felt like I was missing out on something, like I was lacking information. I know this was labeled as a stand-alone but I felt like I had to read a couple of the previous books to help immerse myself into this world. Also, I don’t know if it was because of my ARC copy, but more than 70% of the book was italicized which did make it quite hard in the eyes after a while. <br /><br />Now everything else? LOVED. There was so much world building I can’t help but be impressed. I absolutely adored the characters and was so invested in them all. <br /><br />I for sure will be checking out the previous- and future- books in this series.

ARC received from author<br /><br />Even though I was expecting Aisling and Xaneth story, I was in no way disappointed that it was Balladyn's story. He has been in all the series and played such an important role with the Kings and Rhi.I loved the action and love. Especially loved seeing all the reapers again. <br /><br />Here's hoping Aisling and Xaneth don't have to wait too much longer for their HEA.

At long last, Balladyn gets his own story and a chance at love. <i>Dark Alpha’s Command</i> is a fast-paced novel that entails love, conflict, and an epic battle that’s reminiscent of the ones against Bran and against Usaeil. This novel brings together all of Donna Grant’s Dark World inhabitants: Reapers, Druids, the Fae, Dragon Kings, and the Warriors. But will all of them together be enough to defeat the powerful Lena, leader of the Fae Others? <br /><br />Of note, there is still one Reaper who has yet to find love. We’ll have to wait until March 2023 to read that tale. Looking forward to reading <i>Dark Alpha’s Fury</i>, the novel that concludes the Reaper series.<br /><br />Donna Grant has once again displayed her unique ability to create characters and situations that keep you eager for more. I enthusiastically and impatiently await each of her novels.<br /><br />Thank you to NetGalley and DL Grant, LLC for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DARK ALPHA’S COMMAND is the fifteenth instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult REAPER paranormal, fantasy romance series -a spin off from the author’s Dark Kings series, which is a spinoff from Donna Grant’s DARK WARRIOR series which in turn is a spin off from the author’s DARK SWORD series- all set in the Highlands of Scotland. This is the new head of the Skye Druids Rhona, and Reaper Balladyn’s story line. DARK ALPHA’S COMMAND can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is a continuing premise throughout. Balladyn’s story begins in the Dark Kings series.<br /><br />SOME BACKGROUND: The Reapers (believed to be a folk lore amongst the Fae) are a group of Dark and Light Fae, selected by Death (aka Erith), on their own deathbed, to do her bidding-Death is the judge and jury; the Reapers are the executioners. The Reapers are not harbingers of death, but are tasked with destroying the Light and Dark Fae who have crossed a line from which there is no return. All Reapers must follow two rules: never to fall in love; and never to reveal their existence to anyone but a group known as the Others, have declared themselves the rulers of the Fae, and their next ‘mission’ is to take down the Reapers, having failed to destroy the Dark Kings.<br /><br /><br /><br />Told from several third person perspectives including Rhona and Balladyn DARK ALPHA’S COMMAND sees former Light turned Dark Fae turned Reaper Balladyn get his own happily ever after. Someone or something is calling Balladyn to the Isle of Skye, and upon his arrival he finds Rhona, a mortally wounded Druid, and with his own magic begins the healing process for the woman with whom he will fall in love. Rhona is the new head of the Skye Druids, and as such is facing a potential back lash from those who do not want to see her succeed but the attack against Rhona may have come from another direction, the Fae Others, a group of six Fae lead by Lena, a Dark Fae hoping to rid the world of the Reapers, The Dragon Kings, and most especially, the humans. With the arrival of the Druids from the MacLeod Castle (Dark Sword), and the help of the Reapers, Rhona and Balladyn begin to ferret out who may be responsible for the attack on Rhona but quickly discover there may be a dark mole hidden amongst one of their own. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Rhona and Balladyn, and the potential fall-out as The Others take aim, beginning with our story line couple.<br /><br />Meanwhile Reaper Aisling continues to search for the illusive and tortured Xaneth. For years former Queen of the Light/Dark Usaeil imprisoned and tortured her nephew Xaneth, and upon his escape became something else, hunting the evil taking aim at the people he once loved.<br /><br />The relationship between Rhona and Balladyn is one of immediate attraction, pulled together by an unknown force but an attraction Balladyn struggles to accept. As a Reaper, Balladyn must obey the command of Death aka Erith but the woman with whom he is falling in love cannot leave the Isle of Skye, for it is the home of the Skye Druid and our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.<br /><br />There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters from all of the author’s interconnected series including Dark Warrior, Dark Sword, Dark Kings, and Dragon Kings. As the introductory story line to the author’s new SKYE DRUIDS spin off, DARK ALPHA’S COMMAND sets up the background and conflict facing the Druids of the Isle of Skye. <br /><br />DARK ALPHA’S COMMAND is a story of betrayal, obsession and vengeance, power and control, magic, partnerships and love. The premise is captivating and intriguing; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic, powerful and charismatic.<br /><br /><br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.thereadingcafe.com">www.thereadingcafe.com</a>

The story we have all been waiting on tenterhooks for has finally arrived and to be honest I was surprised from beginning to end. I have followed this world of Donna Grant’s since the very beginning, back when it was set in medieval Scotland and the plot was so different. I’ve experienced the world of Warriors, Druids, Fae, Dragon Kings and Reapers and through it all I have never been truly disappointed in the love and action that Donna brings to her characters and the magic she brings to my life through her writing. DAC is the story of a former villain finding his way out of the dark and to a love that he doesn’t truly believe he deserves but that we have been rooting for him to find for years now. Balladyn was introduced initially as a Dark Fae villain that was set to bring down the Dragon Kings and ultimately did a lot of damage in his quest, even going so far as becoming the King of the Dark, but ultimately he found his true family and what we thought was his place in the Reapers after being betrayed (again) to his death. Rhona is the leader of the Skye Druids, a position she truly doubts she is equipped for but she is determined to live up to mentor’s expectations now that he is gone from this world. When she is betrayed to her death, Balladyn’s surprising and timely rescue brings them close together and there is no denying the connection or the attraction they have both been fighting. But their foes as numerous and very well hidden, so only with the help of all of their allies (and even some unexpected ones) will they be able to root out all the evil trying to eternally separate them before they ever have a chance to build a future together. I was obsessed with this story and there was no way that I was going to accept anything less that Balladyn finding his ultimate happiness with his mate (thank you Donna!). His past has certainly been dark and twisted, but in my mind the best heroes have gone through these types of traumas and this growth in order to truly know the beauty of living in the light and finding the love of a woman that will give them their whole hearts. I loved seeing the vulnerabilities he shared with Rhona and how he fought beside her even though he wanted to stand in front of her when enemies approached. His strength of character might have been in question to himself as he made difficult and sometimes corrupt choices in the past, but once he accepted that everything led him exactly where he was meant to be, he was the best man and lover he could have possibly been for Rhona. Rhona has some serious issues with self-confidence for sure, but as she works with Balladyn she comes to accept that she is stronger, smarter, and greater than she ever imagined. The love and passion between them lead her to new heights, giving her a true reason to excel in her every endeavor not only to prove herself his equal but to protect those they both love and defeat an evil greater than any that has existed. She was sweet, gentle, and kind to those that she cared for, but when those she loves are being threatened she steps up and becomes the warrior to match Balladyn in every way. The fire these two inspire is irrefutable and from the first time they connect we experience it right along with them, leaving the readers just as on fire as the lovers. I loved seeing Balladyn and Rhona embrace their destiny and find a way to their HEA and into one another’s hearts forever. I cannot wait for more in this series and of course the coming Skye Druids series will be intriguing as well. These multi-connecting series keep things fresh and allow us to see so many points of view and get new sides of stories, as we experience the world from so many different angles. I just love the imagination of Donna Grant’s Dark World that continues to grow and expand and I am dying for what comes next.

So obviously I'm in the overwhelming minority here with my rating. My issue is that when a character annoys me, it really drags the book down for me. And at some point Rhona became that annoyance. Her dependency on Balladyn after knowing him for less than two days was extremely off putting. Only made worse when she would glare at and make demands of the Reapers because she couldn't function without him. I also get bored very easily when the main characters are always telling the other how perfect they are, and how good they are, and how beautiful they are. Of which we get pages and pages and pages and pages here.<br /><br />Like most everyone else, I had been waiting for Balladyn's book. Now, don't get me wrong. His book was definitely good. It just seemed off to me that he had spent centuries pining for Rhi, but now all of a sudden he meets this druid and he immediately realizes that he loves her and what he felt for Rhi was just him believing they should be together because that's how they grew up? Kind of a stretch for me.<br /><br />So anyway. Balladyn is abruptly awoken one night with this feeling that must find something. Immediately. He has no idea where it is, or even what it is, but this pull to act is so strong that it's only a command from Erith that even gives him pause. But it's a painful pause. When she lets him go, he follows this feeling and it leads him to a dying Rhona. Fortunately, Balladyn remembers reading an ancient spell that is the only hope to keep her alive until she can be healed by her Druids. Thankfully they make it in time, but it's obvious that someone has betrayed her. And that's what a good chunk of this book is about. Trying to figure out who it was. But we do get more good stuff aside from their obsessions with each other and lots and lots of meetings. We get a visit to the Warriors who offer their assistance in this war, another attempt on Rhona's life, and even some Dragon Kings. <br /><br />I don't think it's spoiler to say that Lena is obviously behind everything in this book too. Her power is growing to a frightening strength and she is devious enough to use the Druids to get at the Reapers. Eventually it becomes clear why she wanted Rhona dead and what it all had to do with Balladyn. I'm not such a huge fan of prophecies though, so that whole thing was kind of 'meh' to me. I also didn't really like Erith's decision regarding Balladyn at the end, but I also get that that's just how it has to be with this kind of book.<br /><br />The ending was again frustrating like the last book was. This series is now starting to remind me of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/179243-stone-warriors" rel="nofollow noopener">this one</a> because the bad guy flees Every.Single.Time. <br /><br />Of course we get more of Xaneth here. Aisling has kept up her search for him, but is no longer having any luck. But that's because she doesn't realize that Xaneth is now following her. Now she feels like it's time for her to give up. He clearly won't talk to her, and obviously is purposely making it impossible for her to find him, so she decides to go back to the Reapers. The outcome that Xaneth has been telling himself he has wanted this whole time. Too bad he can't stop thinking about her more now that she's gone. He considers going to help the Reapers directly too, they have the same enemy after all, but he's too afraid of what they will think of him and the monster he thinks he has become. So he stays in the shadows killing all of the evil that draws him to it. Until the big battle at the end. Of course he joins, but Lena has figured out his weakness as well and delights in being correct. I'm really looking forward to Xaneth's book because I'm really expecting it to be good considering all that's going on with him. And maybe with a little luck, he might actually be free once the new Others are destroyed.<br /><br /><br /><i>ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley</i>

Okay... I have been waiting for Balladyn's story for quite some time, as his character was not something I saw coming in a book, especially as a good guy, but Erith chose him as a Reaper so let it be. He has a lot of secrets and right now it will be time to spill them - trust me he's on the complex side here! His match - Rhona, is a leader of Skye Druids, relatively new to this position. She aims to embrace this poison, but after being attacked and rescued by Balladyn, nothing will be the same... I like her - how he was so strong, open, and let herself feel when it was most needed.<br />Both characters are complex and will need some time to discover their feelings. As well as new settings - I love how it was smoothly provided here!<br />DAC is a well-written installment in a Raper series and an amazing introduction to the new series! Let Ms. Grant take you on an amazing journey with her series!

The redemption of Ulrik and now Balladyn was one of the reasons why I kept reading these sagas. What a great story for Balladyn, I loved the development of his character and that alliance where all the magical beings united was so epic, I loved seeing together all the characters that I've been reading about 8 years and still missing the final battle.

Most of us fans have been waiting for Balladyn's story for a while now and yes I have been one of those people. I am so glad to finally have it.<br /><br />I found this one very well written and yes I loved this story very much.