Review: Dark Time {Mortal Path, #1} by Dakota Banks

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“What if a woman sold her soul to a demon
and 300 years later wanted it back?
In the 17th century, a woman is ripped from her husband's arms, thrown in jail, and then set afire as a witch. Saved from the flames by an ancient Sumerian demon, she becomes the Black Ghost, his Ageless assassin gifted with otherworldly skills and superbly trained in martial arts.
Centuries pass before Maliha Crayne finds a way out of the life she hates.
If she saves as many lives as she's taken, she'll break the demon's hold on her.
If she fails, she will suffer the demon's torment ... forever.”

From Goodreads.
ParentalAdvisory (1) orange button trans

Publisher: Eos
Release Date: August 1st, 2009
My Copy: eBook version, personally bought.
Pages: 320
Series: Mortal Path
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Author's Website
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Dark Time: Mortal Path Book 1

I remember seeing Dark Time on an eBook online store near its release date and being instantly drawn to it. I bought it and devoured it in only a few hours. I remember that it was one of the rare occasions where I was so excited about the story that I actually had to tell my dad about it right after I finished it.

Maliha Crayne was born in the 17th century and had a perfect life as her village’s healer, wife to Nathan and expecting her first child. A woman with her sights on her husband accused her of witchcraft and from that moment on our Heroine’s life changed forever. She was burned at the stake, but instead of dying she was taken to the middleworld where she was offered a contract by the Demon, Rabishu.

She then became Ageless and worked as an assassin for the Demon for the following couple of centuries. Maliha had doubts about the job she was doing but everything changed when Rabishu gave her an assignment that came to close for comfort and she just could not do it. She then broke her contract with the Demon, now she has to balance the scale and save enough people to account for all of those she killed when under Rabishu’s orders. If she doesn’t she will spend her afterlife being tortured in the Demon’s hands.

Maliha also has taken upon herself to hunt a tablet and the lens to read it, which are known to be the the only way to the world of the Demons from the Underworld. Her quest for the 7 shards that make up the lens is a huge force that drive our heroine, just as much as balancing out the scale.

I loved Dark Time and it’s characters. Dakota Banks has created such a compelling world, Heroine and side cast of characters, that it is simply impossible not be drawn to it. Maliha is not an easy heroine to love, she can be selfish, hard headed and fickle at times, however her plea is one that I couldn’t help but get behind.

To help her on her journey, Maliha has friends and a network of men and women that she has saved throughout her quest. They are a great addition to the story and definitely help with making Maliha more human and lovable. Her devotion to her closest friends is admirable and it makes for a great read.

I also really enjoyed Dakota’s world building, the mythology she has created behind the Ageless and the Demons, based on ancient Gods. It can be a little confusing at times, but it makes for very rich storytelling.

Maliha’s view on sex can be a bit fickle, but for a woman that has been Ageless for centuries and to whom a regular relationship is out of reach, it can definitely be understandable. I did enjoy her romantic interest, Jake and the cliffhanger left me gasping and whishing I could get my hands of the sequel right away.

All in all, Dark Time is a terrific Urban Fantasy read that I Thoroughly enjoy and couldn’t get enough of. Dakota’s writing is wonderful and I could actually picture the whole novel as an amazing action movie, that I would absolutely LOVE to watch. One of my favorite reads of 2009, Dark Time is a book that couldn’t recommend more to any Urban Fantasy lover out there!

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