Book: Dark Awakening
Reviewed by Your_bookish_fantasy
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ฝ๏ธ๐
พ๏ธ ๐๏ธ๐
ฟ๏ธ๐
พ๏ธ๐
ธ๏ธ๐
ป๏ธ๐
ด๏ธ๐๏ธ๐๏ธ
๐ป๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐ ๐- Dark Awakenings by A.L. Hampton
โ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค-
๐ฃ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟs โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ (out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.75/ 5
๐ก๏ธ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ถ๐ถ๐ถ/ 5
โ๏ธ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น- >>>๐<<<
(๐: ๐ถ๐ข๐ก๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฆ โ๏ธ: แตแตแตสฐสฐสฐ หขแตแตแตแตสธ แตแตแตแตหกแตโขโขโข ๐: ๐
๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ MฬถEฬถNฬถUฬถ ๐ณ -๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ !! โ ๏ธ: PอIอTอCอHอ FอCอuอKอIอNอGอ BอLอAอCอKอ!)
๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐ :
โข๐572๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐
๐ง 15๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ 54๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ (I ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 1.45 ๐๐๐๐๐)
โข๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐? 2 days
โขMulti ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฉ / ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โข๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ-3 Dec 2025 on audio
โข๐ฃ๐น๐ผ๐ or ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ driven? Character
โข๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ & ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ป๐ผ- Crown of the seven realms
โข๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ on ๐๐จ? โ
โข๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ- really up and down
โข๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ? ๐ซ
๐จ๐ ฒ๏ธ๐ ท๏ธ๐ ด๏ธ๐ ฒ๏ธ๐ บ๏ธ ๐๏ธ๐ ท๏ธ๐ ด๏ธ ๐๏ธ๐๏ธ!๐จ thereโs a few doozies in this one.
โ๐โ๐โ๐ผ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ค & ๐น๐๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐๐ค
๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐ก ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฐ
โฏ๏ธโ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐/๐ป๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค
๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐จ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฆ๐๐ฏ แตโฟแต/แตสณ ๐๐ผ๐บ ๐๐๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
๐ก๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐, ๐ธ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ, ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐
๐ แทแฉแTแดแ
๐งจ๐๐๐ค๐ค๐ช ๐ฝ๐โ
โฐ๏ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฝ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐
โจ Tแผแดแฐแดี โจ
True blood vibes
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐น๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐, ๐ณ๐ฐ๐บ๐ป๐ฌ๐ต ๐๐ ๐๐?
(๐โ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก- ๐ต๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐ข๐๐๐?) definitely audio, the 3 narrators did an excellent job!
๐ธ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐น๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ:
The 3 narrators gave a duet style narration which was absolutely perfect. Very well cast and extremely well executed. The tone of voice used changed with the scene adding dramatic flairs and tonal inflections through the story. The female narrator did a particularly excellent job conveying terror, sass and spice. The strong emotions really came across like the narrator was living them herself. The men didnโt do too bad a job at this either, they had less to work with in the way of character growth and development but they brought the characters off the page and made them come alive. This is why I say the audio is better than the book!
๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐:
Ok so this is difficult to rate, I didnโt dnf but I also didnโt care how it ended, I kept thinking I was at the end of the book as things either wrapped up or a cliff hanger appeared and then it carried onโฆ if I had read it rather than listened to it I definitely would have put it down.
Itโs confused me because I love all things about this book, all the tropes, the triggers, the spice and the tension.. it was just not well executed.
Let me state the facts first so you can make your own mind up-
The world building was there, it wasnโt too heavy or packed in so that made it easy to settle into, the timeline was a little back to front with where the book started, then it jumped to another character, then back again, so the shifting between scenes had me confused a lot- now I know lots off books do this but in terms of this story, it wasnโt well written/ explained when it jumped around.
The pacing was steady at the start, then very up and down. The author does do a great job of creating tension and forboding in the story. The drama that is weaved throughout the characters lives jumps of the page, so when you get to these moments (of which there are quite a few) you will be excited and on the edge of your seat.
There were many perils for the characters to face coming from all directions, and the FMC is a regular human who knows little of the supernatural world. She fights with her own mind all the way through the plot, this becomes very tiresome as she starts to contradict herself while repeatedly doubting herself and others but then going along with it anyway.
The Spice was a ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ level because it was very explicit, very frequent and involved more than vanilla positions and standard actsโฆ ๐ fun was also included. The spicy scenes were very passionate, hot and teaming with tension. Some were dub con at the start and there was on page attempted sa scenes involving the FMC
The writing style is where I had a problem (along with many others it seems). The story really dragged on! There is a high use of over dramatic actions and reactions, lots of overused swearing and exclamation points. Now Iโve never said there is too much swearing or spice in a book before but this one just doesnโt pull either off well. Some of the language the author uses to add emotional or dramatic descriptions is not great and very repetitive; gooey saliva, scalding slit, slick stone, he forcibly pulls away then forcefully spreads my legs, my head is forcefully jerked back, jonesing to hit the clubโฆ
๐งโโ๏ธ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ค:
The FMC was very sassy and sarcastic. She was a strong, independent, feisty female with intelligence and curiosity which made for great character development as she questioned everything. I love that she is a highly rated scientist and inquisitive about everything around her.
The side characters were there but not overall strong. They had a place in the story but nothing impactful, anyone could have replaced them. The best friend however was a great character as she was written to be a moral compass, a bad ass, a moral booster and a therapist- perfect best friend!
The MMC is a vampire from Viking times. He was written in a rather confusing way though, he comes across as a stalker then shifts to nice guy, I loved the stalkฤr vibes but I didnโt like the way the sudden change in his tactics was written. I understand why he was sceptical and stalkฤry at first, and I also understand why he knocked that on the head eventually, I just didnโt gel with the way that part of the story was written. I think it was a too sudden flip/ change in mind, and the author told us about the flip rather than showing us and allowing us to feel it. The MMC does nail the protective side of things but the insecure inner monologue I could have done without- or again, it could have been written in a better way allowing for it to blend into his character rather than us being told that he is feeling emasculated and is being a pouting baby about it. His character is written as extremely bold, strong, fierce, very dramatic, very domineering and deeply morally grey! I like that the author wanted to give him a sensitive side and kindness /devotion but it seemed really at odds with how his character was written, so rather than this new side just blending into him- he was made out to be so dark and in control at the start so that when the vulnerability was just thrown in the mix it had me at war with myself because I just didnโt believe it/ buy into it being a true emotion that the character would have let alone be in a way that he would react.
โณ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐-๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐?
No and no
๐ชง๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค:
This was very up and down for me, it had lots of my fave tropes and great spice but i canโt put my finger on what was wrong with it. It just didnโt read well enough. Some parts were excellent and some parts I zoned out and lost interest Because they just didnโt feel believable that the characters would do or act a certain way.
๐น๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ;
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
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๐๐ช โ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐ค:
โญ๏ธ DNF
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!
๐ฅโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ๐ฅ
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
๐ถ๏ธโ segsual language and a little on-page action
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธโ a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธโ a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ โ super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ โ Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more dark / taboo fantasies and realities.