Lord of Eternal Night (Darkmourn Universe) Paperback – September 1, 2021

First, let me say it's a perfect 10/10!From the engaging plot to the well-developed characters and the overall story building, I am completely hooked. I sincerely hope to see more of these two protagonists in future installments of the series. However, I must admit that I'm also filled with excitement for the next book. I took my time reading this, and it was truly a page turner. It took us on a thrilling adventure with a unique retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast,' far from the Disney version we all know and love.Furthermore, the author's skill in crafting the narrative is commendable. The plot unfolds with suspense and intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The story building is masterfully done, drawing us into a world that is both familiar and refreshingly different. The characters, too, are captivating. Each one is layered, with their own complexities and motivations, making them relatable and compelling.One of the standout aspects of this book is the beauty and the beast retelling. It takes a beloved tale and adds its own unique twist, offering a fresh perspective that keeps readers engrossed. The dark and gritty atmosphere enhances the tension and adds depth to the story, distinguishing it from the lighter and more whimsical Disney adaptation.The pacing of the book is excellent, allowing for moments of quiet introspection as well as heart-pounding action. The author's prose flows smoothly, making it easy to immerse oneself in the story. The attention to detail in the world-building is also worth mentioning, as it adds richness and authenticity to the setting.In conclusion, this book is a true gem. With its gripping plot, well-developed characters, and a captivating retelling, it delivers a reading experience that is both satisfying and memorable. I eagerly await the continuation of this series and can't recommend this book enough to fellow readers who enjoy immersive and engaging fantasy tales.

This book could have easily been 5 stars of not for a few distracting pitfalls.First, the formal language used in the beginning was hard to get through. I can see the author was trying to emulate the flowery way people talked in the past, but at certain points I was hanging to reread sentences multiple times to make sense of them. The good news is that it got much better later on.The second issue is that the start of the story dragged a bit. I was having a hard time staying engaged, but things really picked up in the second half of the book.The last thing is that I really wish the book had explored more of Jak’s emotional state. His upbringing was pretty awful but he never gets the chance in this book to process it. There’s just a sudden acceptance shift in thinking from him deciding to do his duty no matter what to him deciding to die for Marius’s sake. (I also think this is missing the comfort aspect. Marius gets a ton of comfort and emotional support while Jak gets almost none).Despite that though, it truly is a good story. The main characters are flawed but you root for them implicitly. Jak and Marius are the types that really need each other and the comfort they bring. Do I wish Jak had been comforted more, yes, but his relationship with Marius was loaded with a tension and chemistry that sucks you in later on. (The very end scene was just a tiny bit cringy, though).I’m curious to read Alderson’s other books because with some slight changes this book cops have been perfect. I just hope he can improve so one character isn’t taking on the brunt of the emotional labor (and I hope he can tone down the flowery formal language a bit).

I’m not a fan of vampires, if a book looks or sounds interesting from the reviews then I’ll try it. This wasn’t disappointing for the most part, some weird cliché things that most MM romance books have. The magic was a nice touch, it wasn’t overly convoluted or boring. I’m also a fan of elemental magic, that’s more instinctual and not reliant on complex magical circles or incantations. The vampire shadow magic was interesting, was it because of the curse? Or was it because of what he was? And the teleporting through shadows, I would’ve liked to have some flashback of Marius learning how to do all that after being freshly cursed. I also found the “Yearly” feeding interesting and new, a vampire that didn’t need to feed daily/weekly is something I haven’t come across before. Which was a new and nice touch to a vampire that made the story feel new and different, I didn’t like how they described the “beasts” face. Like what was actually happening? Lines all over his face doesn’t really describe much, lines from his face contorting? Did his face actually change?

This story wasn't for me, that is to say it wasn't bad, but not what I thought it would be. When I heard beauty and the beast retelling with vampires I thought I would love it. But I found it hard to get into the story and took forever for me to get threw it. That being said the last 25% of it was very exciting and enjoyable.

I fell inlove with the characters so easily. Specially Marius, it was great. I highly recommend, especially if your into MM fantasy.

I enjoyed this universe a lot. It was a great start to the series and I’m excited to read more. I definitely enjoyed that little plot twist.

Right off the bat, I got Dracula meets Beauty and the Beast vibes and I loved it. I love Jak and Marius dearly. They are so well written. I devoured this story. Once I started it, I literally just couldn't stop. I highly recommend it if you like vampires, magic, or just really well written characters with a decent amount of emotional depth.

No soy mucho de leer libros de vampiros pero este me encantó, la historia se va desenvolviendo lentamente tan perfectamente que deja deseando más, el final fue una maravilla, corto pero lo disfrutas mucho.

This was the first of Ben's books I read and as a fan of both Beauty & The Beast and Vampires I absolutely adored this. The plot was great and watching Jak slowly fall for Marius and realize how much of what he'd been taught was different than reality was incredible.Jak was a lovely boy and his turbulent relationship with his mom was all too familiar. I loved watching him grow and learn and become more himself away from his coven.Marius was lovely, tortured character, I wish we'd gotten more of his POV in this book but learning about him as Jak did was a treat.The way their relationship built was lovely, their dynamic was great and the spicy scenes were incredible. I loved the drama that the deadline looming over them gave and the way it ratchetted up the tension between them, especially with the secrets between them.So glad I picked up this book and found Darkmourn!

Once again Ben impressed me and rocked my world with another amazing story! This new world that the story is set was intricate and so interesting, can't wait to go deeper into it with more that's is set to come in the future for this universe.Marius is the softness ever, I adored his writer side and how classy and cute he was. And Jax...oh boy, he was so strong and so determined, he had so much love inside of him that had been suffocated by his awful upbring! Protect them at all costs!

I’ve read it in three hours after it arrived because I could not take my eyes from it. Absolutely amazing work!! And after I finished i ordered the other three books from the series - while I was waiting for them to arrive I re-read this one! Characters are so charming and the story is very well written. 11/10!!

“Let me listen to your story for you count yourself to be a storyteller.”BEN.ALDERSON!I HAVE BEEN IN A READING SLUMP FOR SO LONG I THOUGHT I’D CRY EVENTUALLY! BUT THEN I DECIDED, “WHY NOT PICK LORD OF ETERNAL NIGHT?”OOOOOOH BOY, WAS IT THE BEST DECISION EVER!!!:Ben’s book is incredible because it is completely inclusive and normalises LGBTQ+ relationships. The main characters, Jak and Marius, are both SO GAY, it WARMS MY HEART! LITERALLY—throughout the whole book I was vouching for them SOOOOO hard. Jak is my little crazy psycho and Marius is… well, NOT WHAT I EXPECTED, BUT IN AN AMAZING WAY AND LETS JUST SAY HE HAS A HOLD OVER MY HEART. HE MAKES ME SAY “PLEASEEEE HE DESERVES SO MUCH BETTERRRRRRRRR!!!”It’s true.I do want to talk about the characters more because they were all infused with their own goals and reasons that to me they’re real people.And Ben—your writing is phenomenal, ok? I had to re-read certain sections back because it seems to me you put everything you have into this book. I was taken back many times. The dialogue, the tone, the mood… Every. Chapter. SERVED. It served so hard I went in and bought the entire of A Betrayal of Storms (Realm of Fey) series.Basically, this is book is gothicism WELL DONE in the 21st century. I mean, I came for a Beauty and the Beast x Dracula retelling and that’s what I was served on a silver platter warm and nicely.The romance was slow burned JUST RIGHT, and the spicy scenes are on point. Thanks, Ben! xD Jak and Marius are so cute together. Help.Ending, middle-point, begging of the story… everything felt so intriguing and at the most perfect pace, not too slow, but not too fast.Thanks, Ben!