Radiant Darkness

Darkstar Mercenaries, Book 7

By: Anna Carven

Narrated by: Rich Miller

Arkan Kythelian is the last man standing. He's well aware of that fact. The rest of his First Division brothers have succumbed to the Mating Fever, falling for those gentle, alluring creatures—humans.

He should probably be more bothered by it, but he's a little preoccupied right now. See, he's just detected the presence of a group of terrified humans onboard a Kordolian slave-trader ship. He has to go after them. It's a matter of principle.

Earth is theirs now, and he and his battle-brothers have sworn to protect the vulnerable beings that inhabit it. Their enemies—Kordolians that yearn for the resurgence of the Old Empire—keep trying to steal human females for their infernal breeding programs. Not on his watch.

Amidst the darkness and chaos, a soft female voice invades his consciousness. Given the circumstances, she's impressively calm. There's something in her voice. Something he can't quite put his finger on. It calls to him.

Nothing is going to stand between him and the ones he has sworn to protect. His enemies won't know what hit them.

And sooner or later, he will take what is his.

Contains mature themes.

©2022 Anna Carven (P)2023 Tantor

Narrator

I found it difficult to listen to this book, but the story was so intriguing I powered through skipping many chapters to get to the end.

one of the best male leads

The series hit a bit of a slump on the last 2 books but the male lead was super unique in this one. He had a personality and approach all his own. And, while the narrator is not my favorite, he was better in this book than in the last.

Radiant Darkness

I love this series as much as I loved the Dark Star one and I was looking forward to The whole group of first division warriors getting mates

The narrator I’m sure he’s a nice guy is very deadpanned 

Again, I did not like the narrator on the last two books it feels like my grandpa is reading this to me 

good story

I love the story but the reader leaves a lot to be desired!! too monotone and I could never figure out which character he was...made it hard to get thru

A disappointing story and OK narrative

First I will say that I love this series and I especially love JF Harding's narrative voice. But I don't feel this narrator had the same polish and range of emotions required for this story.
This story was a big disappointment. The promise was initially there if you read the books in sequence but either Ms Carven lost the thread or someone else was writing this storyI It did not sound nor feel like her writing AT ALL. Nothing flowed like the earlier stories that melded seamlessly into each other. Enki and Layla, Nithian and Alexis, Ikriss and Sienna...those were such well written and enthralling stories. But this one felt choppy, the conversations too high school and it felt like each unfolding drama was simply tossed in to fill space and get to some kind of end.
The whole Darkstar Mercenary series has such potential for continuity such as the mysterious "emperor" coming back from the dead, or will we ever get a story of the twins due to be born from Prince Xalikian and Sera in book 2 of the original series? And although we all love Abby and Tarak, please bring in a few of the others! The Kordolian race isn't going to re-populate with just one child!
Because of the weirdness going on in this book with planet Meridian 7, those of us who have read and or listened to the series in order can spot the discrepancies about the suddenness of discovering half bred Kordolians scattered throughout this story.The ending was just plain ludicrous and such a cop out from all Ms Carven's other stories that I still believe she did not write this book, it is that different!

Boring and redundant

This is one of my favorite series and I have read every single book in the series. This book however, is the most boring and redundant out of all of the series. I feel like it was written just so you had another book in the series.

Frustrating

This book was better than the two before it, but still faaaaaaar inferior to the originals. IMO the author's goal for any future work should be 75% dialogue because she has a real problem (an addiction... get help) with internal monologue. Bullshit circular thinking, bullshit repetition, bullshit Kordolian supremacy propaganda. It felt like Carven had gotten indoctrinated by her own creation.

Anyway, this book is about Soraya and Arkan. They meet in space on a ship that has departed the illegal trading station Zarhab Groht. And surprise! (not) she has been abducted from earth by some evil relics of the old empire, along with two other women. Arkan hops a ride to rescue her (kinda like Torin did in Darkstar book 1). Along the way we encounter all the usual suspects: Xargek, evil low level Kordolians, evil medics, the dangers of the vacuum of space. The action eventually moves to the planet Miridian-8 (which kinda feels like DPW Book 8: Brilliant Starlight). My point is this book feels awfully familiar.

The ONLY thing new was the teamwork. Usually the members of the 1st division are rogue and solitary. Both Arkan and Soraya had backup. Also there’s a wtf last chapter plot twist.

The Whole Series 2nd Go Round

I liked everything, This is my second time around listening to this series.
The only thing I didn't like IT HAD TO END...

Series End is Close

Seems like this series maybe coming to an end. I’m not sure but this couple was kind of cute and kind of annoying. I still love the world building and all of the action but was that a different narrator?