Eve of Darkness: A Marked Novel

Only read it if you can't sleep ever

At eighteen, Evangeline `Eve' Hollis had a crush on leather-clad bad boy Alec Cain, which resulted in the loss of her virginity in a one-night stand. Afterwards, he left her at the motel, and never returned. However, she can forget neither him nor their one-night stand, though she is angry at how he used her. Ten years later, Eve went for a job interview. While in the building, she saw someone who looked a lot like Alec, at least in the face. Before she knew it, she was forced into the stairwell, where the Alec look-a-like intimately assaulted her...with no protest from her. During this time, he pressed the red-hot Mark of Cain into her arm and suddenly he changed; his clothes fell away to reveal a muscular body with rich golden skin and huge white feathered wings, which embraced her. That was all she knew until she awoke on the floor of the building with her clothes in perfect order and people all around, some offering assistance. Going home, she looked up the Mark of Cain and found that it was the mark given by God to Cain as protection from harm while he wandered the Earth as punishment for killing his brother Abel. She has seen this mark before...on Alec Cain. After showering, Eve heard someone at her door. However, the one person she never expected was Alec Cain. He looked like her lover from earlier in the day. However, Cain always calls her Angel, unlike everyone else. He knew what happened to her and told her that she couldn't be alone since it was not safe. Alec also told her that she would need him. Though she argued with him and even held a gun on him, Alec was not fazed. Then the fever took her over. Thus began her, ironically, seven days of suffering. He had walked away the last time to keep this from happening. Alec was determined, this time he was not walking away. He would be there for the long haul; Alec was in love with Eve. Now if he could just get Eve to forgive him. He also has another problem; his brother Reed Abel is the one who gave Eve the mark and he is fascinated with her. Eve has become the newest bone of contention between Cain and Abel in the longest sibling rivalry ever. EVE OF DARKNESS, the first book in the MARKED series, is a steamy, action-packed urban fantasy. I absolutely loved it! Eve, a long time agnostic, has to deal with a celestial administrative system...a system that treats her rather poorly, even sending her off to fight for God without training. Despite this, she is valuable to them in keeping the brothers in line. She feels affection for both brothers, but Cain is the one she keeps close. Author S. J. Day does a terrific job of bringing her characters to life; you almost expect them to step right off the page. Brimming with sizzling love scenes, an apocalyptic theme, action-packed battles between good and evil, a spunky heroine, hunky heroes and plenty of imagination, this is one urban fantasy you will not soon forget. Run out and grab your own copy of EVE OF DARKNESS

I love the entire concept of this new series. It's totally believable and so well crafted you are sucked into the story line within the first chapter. Eve's character is amazing. She is temptation itself. She's been given the Mark of Cain and thrust into a world of biblical warriors and now she must slay evil demons as punishment for her sins. Eve's journey gives us tons of action and excitement but she is also very vulnerable as we learn in a devastatingly heartbreaking moment. Alec Cain and Reed Able are brothers and lifelong enemies who will have to work together to keep Eve alive long enough for her to finish her "Mark" training. They are both so hott I couldn't possibly choose between them. I say keep them both Eve! Their story is so well thought out and executed I question if S.J Day has the inside scoop on what the REAL story is with these two. LOL The mixture of biblical reference and lore make this an interesting read for believers and nonbelievers alike. I'm ready for book two now.......

Sproingg...thud. That was the sound of me jumping on the "Eve of Darkness" bandwagon. S.J.Day has penned a fascinating tale twined around the ultimate legend regarding good and evil--the story of Cain and Abel. Of course, in Day's version the Bible didn't quite get the whole story...and so far neither do we. But I got enough hot sex, mythological mystery, and rumbling action to keep me glued to the pages. Eve lost her virginity to a rock-star, handsome and sexy stud on a Harley. Then he disappeared. Although it's ten years later, she's never forgotten him. When she catches sight of a man that closely resembles him when leaving a job interview, she's stunned by the almost magical sexual pull. Though she knew better, she couldn't seem to help herself...and now she's been given the mark of Cain. Her new job will be to take out Infernals (demons, werewolves, and a multitude of other assorted evil critters) under the guidance of a kind of heavenly corporation run by angels. As if that's not enough to blow a girl's mind, Eve has become the bone (HAH HAH HAH) of contention between two brothers...rather famous brothers actually--Alec Cain and Reed Abel. I loved this story. I'm guessing the author has probably received a fair share of nasty-grams from the Moral Majority--unless they're too uptight to read paranormal romance! I personally found her twisted take on the age-old story riveting and very, very clever. Poor agnostic Eve, thrown into the middle of an ancient rivalry of Biblical proportions. She's attracted to, feels for, and is torn between the two brothers whose enmity is total and unending. It's very easy to identify with Eve. A normal woman with a normal childhood who gradually grew away from organized religion is now suddenly faced with a reality she can barely grasp. God and Satan exist, and so do Heaven and Hell, not to mention the factions of the heavenly host and satanic minions living here on Earth, trying to keep the eternal battle a secret from humans. "Eve of Darkness" begins with the ending in a way. The rest of the book smoothly unfolds the story so far and the action is mostly non-stop. While there IS an ending, readers should know that reading this first book will only make you drop whatever you're doing to rush out and buy the next to continue with Eve's story. That's what I plan to do first thing tomorrow. S.J. Day's entry onto the paranormal romance/urban fantasy scene gave me a thrill and a hunger for more.

Get ready for the next bestselling urban fantasy series, Marked, penned by S.J. Day for TOR debuting April 28, 2009 with Book #1, EVE OF DARKNESS. In present day Orange County, California, up and coming interior designer Evangeline Hollis is concentrating on landing her next big account when she gets sidetracked by a scorching encounter with a handsome stranger in a stairwell. After their brief encounter, she finds a triangular mark branded into her upper arm. Long-lost lover, Alec Cain, mysteriously reappears telling her that she's now a bounty hunter for God who must vanquish demons. He will mentor her now that his estranged brother, Reed Abel, Marked her. Eve is royally ticked at both brothers--Alec for abandoning her after taking her virginity ten years before, and Reed for changing her life forever. However, agnostic Eve is forced to work with both brothers to not only send the rogue Infernals back to Hell, but to insure her own survival. Oh, what an absolutely wicked, sexy triangle S. J. Day weaves between Cain, Eve, and Abel with fantastic verbal repartee and action-packed good vs. evil battles! Urban fantasy readers will be panting for the next installments: EVE OF DESTRUCTION (June 2 `09) and EVE OF CHAOS (June 30 `09).

I rarely branch out of the romance genre, so I was concerned with what this would be like. That said, I loved it. SJ immediately captured my attention and sucked me into the world and story. Eve kicks demon butt even as she's struggling with her new role in life. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough and when I reached the end I was sad to see it end, knowing that I would have to wait for book 2.