Review: Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) by Michelle Rowen

What do you get when Demons and Angels work together and try saving the world? Let Michelle Rowen tell you.

Title: Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) by Michelle Rowen
Pages: 348
Release Date: May 29th 2012
Published by: MIRA Ink
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

I don't do DANGEROUS.

Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha—that’s me. But I just couldn’t pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me...something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It’s like part of me is missing—and I don’t know if I can get it back.

Then there’s Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he’s keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he’s what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me....

Nightwatchers: When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...

I've always been drawn to the concept of the "Night watch" not just in this story but in other novels too, where supernatural beings protect unsuspecting humans from the dangers the dark might bring. And it was made a lot more interesting and entertaining with the quirky set of characters Michelle Rowen assembled for Dark Kiss.

One kiss was all it took to change Sam's life forever, and it cost Sam her soul. The next thing she knew she was helping a gorgeous, lost boy who becomes delusional unless she touches him, looking for Angels and Demons and hunting the supernatural menace running loose in her city. Sam is your typical YA female protagonist, and like some, she falls under the category of those easily likable. It takes strength to endure the ordeal she went through, and she had some spark in her enough to question how some things are done in Heaven and Hell. She's brave, caring and she's also very determined. She likes to ask a lot of questions and isn't really impulsive, and she loves pushing Bishop's buttons and irritating the Watchers unknowingly, which just makes her a lot more fun to read.

I've always thought that a book's strength lies not just in an author's ability to create a believable world, but in the way she wrote her characters as well. Aside from the conflict in the book, Dark Kiss has its own set of male characters, who may or may not be villains in their own right. The banter between Bishop (the angel) and Kraven (the demon) was so entertaining I had some good laughs. But the sarcastic jibes were just a tiny part of the dark past they both share. There's also Zach, the gentle, good-natured Angel. Roth, who hides his fears and insecurities underneath a brooding, scary exterior. And Connor, the only one who tries to make even the direst situation feel light by being optimistic and calm. These supernatural creatures possess enough allure and mystery to make the readers guess who among them can Sam trust and who will have her head after a wrong move. Readers will like at least one of these diverse mix of people. I personally liked Kraven, because his was the character that made me wonder how one can be a Demon and an Angel in the context of the story. He wasn't particularly evil or vengeful, but he was definitely rude and snarky most of the time which makes me want to slap him repeatedly and swoon over him at the same time. There was enough mystery and darkness in his tangled past with Bishop that makes me anticipate further developments in his character and story.

Michelle Rowen's engaging way of writing made me breeze through this book. The plot was predictable at times but I enjoyed reading Dark Kiss mostly because of the chemistry that Samantha had with the Watchers. Interacting with a set of different people brought out a lot of interesting reaction in Sam's part and though some of the conflict in the story were to be expected, it still made me anticipate what will happen. The steady pace of the story shifts once in a while to give way to some fast-paced action scenes which pushes readers to further dive into the story. Sam's secret reminds me a little of Maddy in Scott's Speer's Immortal City.

What makes a person evil or good? The story was complicated enough to create a dilemma about just what's considered bad and what is not. There was more than enough room for a blossoming romance with a potential of turning bittersweet in the story, and you'll think of nothing else but a kiss once you finish reading this novel. Given the choice, would you rather be an angel or a demon? Will you fight for something good when everyone else thinks you're evil? And will a soul stolen can ever be redeemed again? Overall, this is an exciting, extremely enjoyable read for readers who loves to read about swoon worthy supernatural characters and books with an engrossing storyline.

Content (plot, story flow, character):
Kraven, I like you very much!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Love? Yes, definitely.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.