Under Darkness is the fifth installment in Savannah Russe’s Darkwing Chronicles, a series told from the first person perspective of Daphne Urban, a vampire with a burning desire to be loved who just happens to be part of a secret team of vampire spies for the American government. This time out, her team of vampires is out to stop terrorists.

The book is very much par for the course - a fairly predictable plot, villains who do little to strike fear in the reader’s heart, and the perpetually unsympathetic love interest in Darius della Chiesa. That being said, her books are nice, fluffy reads and her characterization is very detailed. The supporting characters have been well fleshed out and Daphne has a very clear, if at times shallow, personality. She sometimes feels a little two-dimensional but the author has created an interesting past for Daphne. I wish that Ms. Russe would devote the same development to the baddies in her books since they tend to come off pretty bland.

One of Ms. Russe’s more original conceits is that, in her world, vampires actually turn into giant, bipedal bats. The author has clearly done her research on the subject, as illustrated in her descriptions of the main cast’s alternate forms. This is the only series I can think of that plays off of the standard mythology with this type of a twist and I really like it.

That being said, if you’re looking for a book with a gripping plot, this is not the one for you. But if you’re looking for something that’s an easy read for a lazy day, Savannah Russe might be just the ticket. Her books don’t have a lot of re-reading potential for me but I will see the series through to its conclusion, which is reportedly the next installment.

Originally posted at http://ireadgood.wordpress.com ( )

While the mystery they are investigating in this book is terribly boring, I found that some of the characters are getting a bit more interesting. J is becoming more intriguing. However, the way she finished the book leaves me questioning whether she plans on either finishing the series soon or if she will ultimately end up joining forces with Darius' team. I find that she has lost all respect for her Mother, does not trust her, and believes J and his team will leave her and the Darkwings out to dry in the event of conflict. With the interrogation, having her ex in hiding, I can't see many more "last straws" for Daphne. However, her mother is very well connected and it will require her to go into hiding as well.

An interesting development is her brotherhood with the other Darkwings. This book really developed the bond, even with Rogue, which was a suprise. I did enjoy that. There was nothing sexual about it. It was a kinship. And it was a unique, no secrets type of brotherhood, rare for Daphne. Something she does not get from her own mother.

So while the relationships grew, the plot and the terrorist action in the book was a snore fest. The mystery had little development and wrapped up literaly in the last chapter with a neat little bow. Very quickly, little explanation, little leads, just a quick finale. It was highly anti-clamatic for the series in general. I did enjoy the mysteries in this series in the beginning. The author does seem to have a great amount of knowledge behind the middle-eastern cultures, which I do give her merit for, but this particular one was not well done. So I give it a 3.5 star rating simply because the characters are getting better but the book was not well layed out. ( )