Book Review: Deliver Me From Darkness by Tes Hilaire

Deliver Me From Darkness
Author:  Tes Hilaire
Series:  Paladin Warriors, book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN-10: 1402264348
ISBN-13: 978-1402264344
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For more information, visit Tes Hilaire's website


Since the night he was forcefully turned into the very thing his fellow Paladin's hunt, Roland spends each day fighting the bloodlust that threatens to consume him. Unlike most other vampires, Roland has no desire to hurt the innocent and wonders what his best friend Logan is thinking by bringing a scared woman into his home. But Roland soon learns there's more to the beautiful Karissa than her torn clothes and vampire hating attitude.

Karissa was told that if anything terrible happens, she could trust Logan but she isn't sure she can believe that after he takes her to the home of a vampire. Her mind says that she should hate Roland for what he is but her body as has a different reaction and when she learns she's the prize the Paladins and vampires are after, Karissa's only hope may be the man that both terrifies and excites her.

Roland, once a Paladin, was lured into a situation with vampires that resulted in death and his turning. After being abandoned and even hunted by the men he considered his brothers, Roland now lives a solitary life and Karissa is a temporary disruption in his routine. Karissa is the first female Paladin in decades and after her existence is revealed, she is wanted by the Paladin's for mating purposes and vampires for even darker reasons. At first she despises Roland for what he is because vampires just killed what she thought was the last of her family. I wasn't all that blown away by Roland or Karissa. Roland's the tortured hero I've read dozens of times before and Karissa is a stubborn heroine with a cool power but that's about it and I wasn't all that thrilled with how her character ends up. It all happens quickly and her reaction didn't feel right.

Part of what kept me going in this book was the Paladins. Yes, they are God's chosen warriors but they receive no points for being good when it came to Karissa. They were ready to keep her locked away and mate bond her without ever asking if that's what she wanted. I don't agree with forcing anything on Karissa but this added a twist that made them less righteous and more interesting. No new was ground broken with the vampire characters but there were a few cool demons and not to mention the king of darkness himself, Lucifer, makes an appearance and you get a peek at plans involving Karissa and the destruction of the Paladins.

I have mixed feelings about Deliver Me From Darkness. I didn't really care for Karissa and Roland and while there was a lot happening action wise, it didn't always lead anywhere. What I did like, aside from a few cool demons, was the supporting cast. Logan, Roland's best friend, doesn't see everything in black and white like so many other Paladins. He's sort of a rebel in his own way and who doesn't like a rebel? Valin is also a Paladin and seems to be toeing the line between good and bad. You can see something developing between him and Gabrielle, a vampire who doesn't want to hurt anyone. I'm not sure if I'll read book 2 in this series but there's a good chance I'd come back for more if it was Valin and Gabrielle's story. I couldn't decide between giving this a rating of 2.5 or 3 but after thinking about how much I enjoyed Logan, Valin and Gabriella, I decided to go with the higher rating.
My Rating: