Review: Night Unbound

Night Unbound (Immortal Guardians #5)

by Dianne Duvall

Blurb:

For centuries, Lisette d'Alencon has been a warrior against the dark. She fights alongside her brothers and comrades. But when the dreams start coming, she can't bear to confess them to the Immortal Guardians' command. Dreams of a dark-haired man with soft eyes and brutal wounds, a man her heart aches for--and a man she knows has been declared a traitor.

Zach is an exile, a loner. He won't defend himself against false accusations or grovel to those who should have faith in him. But he'll damn sure defend the woman who kept him sane against a plague of super-vamps that seems to have appeared from nowhere. The Guardians will blame him, and that will make Lisette suspect, too. With life, death and eternity on the line, who can they really trust?

Themes: Paranormal, Vampires, Immortals

Rating: 4.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Wow almost a perfect 5 stars. Even I didn’t think that this one would find a happy ending.  But thankfully Dianne remains my hero.  Through all the betrayals, torture, battles, and discoveries the single thread that carries the story is the chance for love and the hope of two people finally finding their true heart mate. Duvall’s world is one that has so many interesting takes on the classic vampire myth, and yet still there are many mysteries still to uncover.  With each new story in this series I find myself more and more fascinated with the characters, the stories and the relationships that interweave these heroes and the battle they are fighting to protect humanity. Zach and Lisette have their work cut out for them from the very beginning of their relationship, but the obvious pull between them keeps the story from becoming boring and reminds us that sometimes circumstances are not what dictates who we love, but just the simple fact of destiny, and so few are lucky enough to find their destined mates like Zach and Lisette did, much less overcome the odds and keep them. As long as Dianne keeps pulling out all the stops and fascinating me with each book, I will not be missing a single book in the series.

Zach and Lisette’s story begins when Seth attacks Zach and accuses Zach of betraying him and the Immortals, and in doing so he curses Zach to a torture unlike any he has ever experienced. For months his torture is unbearable, but his one escape is his thoughts of and mental connections to Lisette, and as he stretches his powers, that connection is his saving grace.  When he manages to get free, even in the intense pain he’s under, he finds his way to Lisette’s home, where she is able to keep him safe and allow him time to heal.   Lisette never imagined that a bleeding and near death Zach would pop right out of the ether and fall –well not at her feet, but off her roof.  Once she nurses him back to health, the attraction and desire they have each been fighting becomes irresistible, but she feels she is betraying Seth by being with Zach and that strain is keeping a certain distance between them.  When their relationship, and the truth about Zach’s “betrayal” comes out, Lisette’s relationship with her leader and her entire world will never be the same.  But can they uncover the true dangers around them while keeping all their friends and family safe and whole through the dangers?

Lisette is a bad ass woman, one that I would certainly be terrified to cross, but her soft heart for her friends and family is evident in all her choices.  Lisette carries the world on her shoulders and finds giving up control in any circumstances, much less in her personal life, almost impossible.  Her love for her brothers and their new wives is her driving force, until she finally gets to embrace a relationship with Zach.  She handles the changes in her life with great dignity.  I loved seeing her fall in love with Zach and bring him into the fold as she shows him that he can fit into her life and family, if he just allows himself the chance to adapt.  Zach on the other hand has no real idea how to interact with his new love or the people that are in her life; he has always kept himself separate, living as a watcher instead of a participator.  From the minute he sees Lisette, he will do just about anything to have a chance to be with her, even facing his enemy and turning him into a friend again. As his amazing power grows, his connection to Lisette if what really makes him a great character.  He is strong, sexy, and willing to give up just about anything so that he can be with Lisette, even his past grudges and safety.  As he grows closer with the other Immortals, truly becoming one of the family, he becomes more human and finds that his past life was nowhere near as wonderful as his chance at a future with Lisette and her large family.  I must also mention that his sharp wit, sexy intensity, and extremely dry humor gives him many and unending layers of greatness.

Night Unbound is one of those stories that grabs your attention from the first word and refuses to let you free until you reach the end.  With intensity, sensuality, drama, and emotional depth, Lisette and Zach’s story of overcoming adversity to find love, is enough to keep any reader on the edge of their seat and fighting tears as they express their love.  Lisette’s skill and intensity in a fight is almost as important as her determination to keep all her family safe and still she finds a way to have the love of her life and build a new relationship amidst all the drama.  Zach is the type of guy that you just can’t see being able to let go of the long years of his life that have kept him distant from everyone else in the world.  But he makes himself into the man he was always meant to be, the man Lisette can love and make a life with.   When they come together the heat is more than off the charts, it actually blows the charts to smithereens.  I couldn’t have found a better match for Lisette, Zach’s true strength is his willingness to do whatever it takes to keep her safe and make her happy and really there’s nothing more important in a relationship.  The overall ARC of the story has continued to progress as well and we are learning more and more about Seth, which is awesome, because I can already tell that when his secrets are revealed and he finds the walls around his heart knocked down, the woman that becomes his will be awesome.  Looking forward to what’s next in the series and meeting more Immortals as well. 

*eARC provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.