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Twilight Shifters #1

The Dark of Twilight

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Aein always longed to be a member of Lord Arnkell's army, ever since she was a child working in the stronghold's kitchen. When that day finally comes and she is sent to patrol the border's swamp with fellow warrior, Lars, it seems like her dream has come true. But something has followed her home. When Lord Arnkell's wedding is interrupted by a werewolf attack, the dream shifts into a nightmare... and Aein is the only one awake.

Book One in the Twilight Shifters series.

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2014

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About the author

Kate Danley

55 books595 followers
Kate Danley began her writing career as an indie author in 2010. Since then, her books have been published by 47North, she spent five weeks on the USA Today bestseller list, and she has been honored with various awards, including the Garcia Award for Best Fiction Book of the Year (The Woodcutter), McDougall Previews Award for Best Fantasy Book of the Year (Queen Mab), Best of 2014 by Suspense Magazine (M&K Tracking), and the 2017 Utopia Award for Best Anthology of the Year (Once Upon A Kiss - "Galatea & Pygmalion"). Her play Building Madness won the prestigious Panowski Playwriting Award and her play Bureaucrazy was a semi-finalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Her works have been produced in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Canada, and the UK. She has over 300+ film, television, and theatre credits to her name, and specializes in sketch, improv, and Shakespeare. She wrote sketch for a weekly show in Hollywood and has performed her original stand-up at various clubs in LA. She learned on-camera puppetry from the man who played Mr. Snuffleupagus and performed the head of a 20-foot dinosaur on an NBC pilot. She lost on Hollywood Squares.

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5 stars
388 (31%)
4 stars
350 (28%)
3 stars
358 (28%)
2 stars
107 (8%)
1 star
36 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
April 20, 2020
Simplistic as fish, clichéd as shrimp, inconsistent as squid, with too much manufactured drama (even by my underwater llama's super extra low standards), a glorious array of wonderfully uncharismatic characters (who also happen to be flatter than my favorite herd of ironing boards, just so you know), and, shrimp on top of the paella, a Love Triangle of Doom and Oblivion (LToDaO™) in the making. Most delightful indeed. But hey, it's not ALL bad. I mean, at least the book was free and stuff.



Yeah, pretty much.
Profile Image for Kathy * Bookworm Nation.
2,115 reviews671 followers
January 20, 2016
I love the cover, totally drew me in. I also liked the idea of having a werewolf story in a high fantasy setting. Not quite what I was hoping for. I thought it was full of plot holes, underdeveloped characters and a weak storyline. Too many modern sayings or wording that took me out of the story. I could get nit-picky about it, but I'll just say this was just not a good fit for me. I won't be continuing the series.

Content: Clean, a little kissing, mild violence
Profile Image for Mak ♡.
971 reviews7 followers
July 14, 2021
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wonderful: 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Exciting: 💓💓💓💓

Não vou dar spoilers.... No spoiler!! 🤫🤫🤫
Porém somente posso dizer que eu "AMEIII" estou maluquinha para ler os dois últimos livros da trilogia... 🤣🤣🤣
É muito bom, eu não esperava que fosse tão bom assim,, fiquei super, mas super chocada com o e-book...
I like this book... 😍😍
Good Reading!! 🎀😘
Profile Image for Cary Morton.
891 reviews41 followers
April 25, 2015
Review originally posted to Author Unpublished.

First off: The cover is gorgeous. I tip my hat to the cover artist.

Technically speaking, this book is exceedingly well written. There were only two typos I found in the entire book (Pg 54, Line 7 & Pg 139, Line 28). The narrative was easy to read, flowed naturally, and had a quality of engagement that really attests to the author’s skill at writing. Despite the fact that this book geared to the YA/NA crowd, I never felt bored or talked down to, and none of the characters were overly whiney, dramatic, or angsty. I cannot emphasize how rare that is with a book of this age group these days.

The characters were equally well written. Aein was a strong female lead, even if she was relatively untested and a bit star-struck by the other characters around her. She stood up and fought when she needed to, and blended into the background when she didn’t. She wasn’t a fussy girl, and she wasn’t overly boy crazy despite the amount of eligible men running around the book. I couldn’t help but like her. Aein was a nice mix between a strong kick-ass heroine and a teen who was still trying to get her bearings in life. She made it easy to enjoy the story. Though there wasn’t a lot of depth to the characters other than Aein (who was always in the foreground, as she should be), the characters all had distinct personalities and blended well into the world building.

I only found two parts of this book hard to digest. The first, is the large amounts of time skips in the book. I’m not a fan of time skips. Don’t get me wrong… they weren’t that jarring. Despite the large chunks of time that went missing (particularly in the beginning of the book between Aein’s deployment to the swamp and her return), I didn’t feel like I was missing a huge chunk of her narrative. In fact, the only reason I mention it is because it would have been nice to have had a little more time with the character that early on in the story, and I think it would have helped to solidify Aein and Lars’ deep friendship.

The second problem I had, and this is somewhat dependent on those missing bits of time, is the lack of heart-felt romance. There are two clear love-interests (okay three, but I refuse to count HIM) but there is very little romance to back up their relationships with Aein. When the relationship parts popped up, it felt like they were showing up out of the blue. I didn’t feel like Aein was particularly attracted to the two love interests, so when they suddenly were interested in her.. it was like “Whoa there buddy! Hands off!”

Otherwise, this was a great book. The world building was clear and well-constructed. The writing was engaging. The character weren’t annoying…and the plot itself was both clever and imaginative. I can’t say I’ve ever run into a werewolf-driven story like this one before. It was a joy to read. Would I read it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Certainly. If you’re looking for a relatively quick read and you love stories filled with magic, werewolves and betrayal…. you’re probably going to really like this book. If you’re looking to purchase this book for a teen, there is some gore but it is not described in such a way that would offend anyone, and the romance is clean. There’s no foul language. I feel perfectly comfortable handing this book to my 11 year old. Give it a shot.
Profile Image for MichelleG.
407 reviews102 followers
April 3, 2019
Interesting twist

This book has an interesting twist on the age old shifter/ lycanthropy myth which is handled quite well. The character development could use some work but perhaps that will come in further books, whether I will continue to read them is another question and as yet I am undecided.
Profile Image for Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson.
652 reviews48 followers
April 17, 2019
Wanting more

I must say the first book in the series was a refreshing read. Short but well wrote. A great read. I do enjoyed this first book I n the book series. To bad it wasn't longer. Fast pace an over to quick. Looking forward to the next 2. An more books from Miss Kate. This is the 3rd book I have read from this Author an she gets better with every read. Refreshing work . Nice characters with feelings in there soul.
Profile Image for Amy.
354 reviews6 followers
July 27, 2018
Interesting premise but I felt the execution was lacking. Aein is a young girl, trained to be a warrior for her lord's forces, and is sent off on her first patrol duty. Hijinks ensue (trying to keep this unspoilery) and ultimately, the entire keep—aside from our heroine—is turned into werewolves, half of whom are wolfish at night, and the other half by day.

I was really intrigued by the plot, but overall disappointed with the book. The pacing was really all over the place. A two week journey took a whopping three pages. There's no sense of timing—everything feels like it takes maybe half an hour between scenes, yet the whole story is supposed to have taken place over weeks? Two months? No idea.

The characters are underdeveloped and their relationships between each other are rushed or nonexistent. A solid copy editing round is needed to avoid some simple grammatical/spelling errors (boarders is not the same as borders, heals vs heels, etc). This reads like a first draft of a potentially compelling story.
Profile Image for Anna Tea.
15 reviews2 followers
December 17, 2014
I am so in love with this book. There were so many twist and turns, it definitely kept me on my toes. Aein is such a strong willed character! I was routing for her the entire time. I would love to read more about her and what else happens to the other characters. Like did they ever find the protagonist, was the heroine ever able to fix the curse. Did Aein wind up with Lars or Finn!!! I know who I would like to see her with, but I am dying to find out what happens next. Kate Danley created an amazing world, that I would love to see more of. Kudos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Definite must read for anyone who loves werewolf stories. A whole new twist on how it could happen!!
Profile Image for Beth.
900 reviews16 followers
October 28, 2015
This could have been great, but ended up being just pretty good. I believe that it was copy edited but I still found some errors. My main objection was that there were many story inconsistencies. However, the story idea was intriguing and the mystery and action kept me reading. I did enjoy reading a story where apparently women held an equal role with men. I liked the main character a great deal. I was disappointed to find yet another love triangle that goes unresolved in this book. I don't plan to read on.
Profile Image for Rossana Peña Rivera.
1,028 reviews44 followers
March 25, 2016
Una historia que por momentos tomaba la forma de historia de terror y por otras la de una historia de magia sobre natural. Fue una linea sencilla y espero que puedan tener la bayas en verano para el próximo libro. Finn o Lars espero que entre los tres encuentren el balance. De todas maneras me parece que la princesa va a ser el remedio para resolver el dilema romántico. Altas probabilidades de leer el próximo libro. 4.5 estrellas
Profile Image for Jane Balke Andersen .
456 reviews15 followers
June 2, 2017
It has a lot of potential, but is held back by underdeveloped characters and a weak storyline. The author tends to tell us characters have become close instead of showing us through the story. The sudden onset of romantic feelings for Lars seems more like an attempt to have the cliched torn-between-two-men rather than any real feelings. I feel a really good editor could help the author flesh it out more. I found the ending rather abrupt also.

I won't be reading on further.
Profile Image for Barbara.
Author 6 books23 followers
January 6, 2019
I enjoyed the book, but it ended too easily. Also, I found it a bit short. Danley could have spent a little more time on development and proofreading. Still, it was an interesting if not fulfilling story.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,279 reviews26 followers
January 17, 2016
Yes!

I loved this story! I was up all night and now I can't see straight. I just bought the next one and don't have time to talk! Gotta go!
Profile Image for Tracy Kincaid.
Author 14 books258 followers
July 15, 2016
An interesting twist on shifters. I better watch what I eat! LOL Full of action and I look forward to what happens in book 2.
Profile Image for Marufa Hoque.
Author 3 books9 followers
January 8, 2020
I received this copy a while ago, but I put it off to the side until I decided to go through my TBR pile. I was really apprehensive since I saw the words "werewolf" and "twilight" and yeah, we don't wanna go back there again...Anyways, so sorry for the delayed review! This is my honest review:

Werewolves meets Stephen King's "The Mist" in a fantasy setting filled with unusual and unexpected horrors.

Pros:
-unique story that kept me reading to the end
-nightmarish setting like a horror movie

Cons:
-writing was not properly edited/revised (many mistakes such as spelling (even the Princess's name was misspelled a few time!), grammar, word choice, and punctuation problems - those dreaded straight quotes, argh! the excessive use of passive voice hurt my soul...plus, there shouldn't be any spaces after an ellipsis, like so...AND the UNNECESSARY caps when people are YELLING!!! You don't need to capitalize to show this! Show more and not tell, basic rules of narrative writing, people!)
-pacing was not good (two weeks in the beginning was gone within a few pages)
-worldbuilding needs work (this stronghold couldn't be pictured)
-characters need to be more "fleshed out" (MC needs to be more realistic, too!)
-modern jargon/slang ("look what the cat/dog dragged in" does not fit this setting among other colloquialisms)
-romance (the two main love interests and the MC immediately falling for their kisses and kind words makes her too naive and gullible when she's supposed to be a warrior, though good thing that it wasn't insta-lust, but it was on the border of it, or I would've knocked another star)
-One of the love interest (Finn) was so annoying (Like are you in love with the Princess or the MC? And half the time he was stalking the MC, but we never learn if he does like the Princess or not?)
-incomplete (the book is TOO short for a fantasy - only 162 pages! Fantasy of this caliber needs 400+ pages to be truly complete with proper world and character-building)

Overall, the story needs work, but the premise was good. If the author is reading this, please note that as a fellow author, these writing mistakes are jarring and take away from the reader's experience as mentioned by a few reviewers already.

I wouldn't recommend this book until that happens. But I am looking forward to the sequel.
Profile Image for PepperP0t .
4,859 reviews82 followers
April 20, 2019
As orphan Aein grew up in the kingdom of Arnkell as the cooks ward and catches the eye of the king, quickly becoming one of his favorite subjects. When Aein's of age, she pledges her life as a warrior to her kingdom. On her first assignment away from home, Aein and her partner run into trouble and she's ordered home to warn the stronghold.

But Aein's early and solo return is met with distrust and she's accused of abandoning her post. Out of favor with the king and separated from the camaraderie of her fellow warriors due to her suspected cowardice, Aein feels guilt as she wonders if she did the right thing following orders and leaving her partner alone.

During the pre-wedding feast for the nuptials of her king to the princess of a neighboring kingdom, Aein is sharply reminded why she left her partner and her post and seeks solitude. Meanwhile the stronghold is attacked by large ravening wolves! Once again, Aein is the lone voice to advise neighboring kingdoms but her journey is plagued by the wolf tracking her.

Kudos to the author on an original take of shifters! Also, I really enjoyed the mystery thread of this adventure tale. In this readers opinion, the story was intriguing, the characters good and the foundation interesting but I didn't care much for the writing style and wasn't completely invested in the read. However, in fairness, it could be my personal resistance to the younger adult genre.
Profile Image for Jennifer Lara.
958 reviews3 followers
May 1, 2020
The Dark of Twilight by Kate Danley is the first book in the Twilight Shifters series. The story opens as Aein, a young girl, begins her new position in Lord Arnkell’s guard. She is being sent on her new assignment to the eastern borders. Unfortunately, something strange happens when she arrives to the border and she is sent back to Lord Arnkell by her partner, Lars, to raise the alarm of a new threat. Lord Arnkell seems unconcerned but sends reinforcements to the eastern border. Some time later, at a great feast, something terrible happens. The people have fallen under a trouble curse and now it is up to Aein to find a cure before it is too late. Will she be able to find a cure? Is there someone or something behind this terrible curse?
The Dark of Twilight was an enjoyable yet simplistic story. It was an easy read as the story moved along quickly, moving from action to action without much downtime. Unfortunately, I doubt I will continue the trilogy. I did not care for the main character, Aein, as she acts more like a lovesick teenager than a warrior in a royal guard. As a villain, Lord Arnkell is weak. Aein has two potential love interests and the attempts at a love triangle is also weak. Maybe the love triangle will get more intense with the other books, but I have no interest to read further. However, I see teen readers enjoying it and those who enjoy fantasy stories.

The Dark of Twilight
is available in paperback and eBook
33 reviews27 followers
May 4, 2020
This book leaves readers wanting for more. The beginning of the book is quite intriguing and immediately hooks the reader into the world of magic and curses.

The book could have been made interesting if the pacing would not have been all over the place. There were instances where a journey which is supposed to take months, makes the reader feel as if the main character has reached the destination in a few days. The pacing often leaves the reader confused as to what is the time or the day where it is occurring.The writing is not edited properly. The character also appears to be underdeveloped. They are good but leave the reader expecting more from them.

However, the book had several plus points which make us overlook the cons. I especially appreciated the new and fresh content. YA novels often end up using the same concept. However, this one viewed the shift in a different manner. Instead of the werewolves being a creature of immortality by birth. These are actual humans who have turned into werewolves and are forced to be in this state. Also the fact that they turn into werewolves at different time intervals instead of in the presence of a full moon.They deeply resent this and try to find ways to overcome the same. The world supports gender equality. The main character, though a girl, is given the same importance and allowed to serve in the army as that of man. It can also be seen when there is a fight between Princess Gisla and Lord Arnkell, where the person who wins in the fight shall be the ruler of the kingdom, and other the consort.
206 reviews2 followers
December 21, 2017
It's actually hard to write a review of this book without giving away spoilers but I'll try.

The story begins with a young woman/girl in a typical medieval fantasy setting, where she's joined the ranks of the Guard of the Stronghold she's a household member of. I remember thinking, "This reminds me of one of the Tamora Pierce books." It doesn't stay like that for long though.

Things then get freaky and a strong paranormal element is introduced to the story. There are quite a few twists as the MC unravels exactly what is going on. And it is not pretty.

There are some occasional leaps of logic where plot says, "These are the only options", which leads the thinking until, coincidentally, that just happens to be right, and I sat there going, "Wait a minute. There were other possibilities that were never even considered that would have slowed our drawing of conclusions right down and kept the waters muddied for a lot longer", but the author chose not to go there and the book was probably long enough without having a thousand red herrings.

I liked it. I like when a genre takes a turn from what I'm used to. Well, I like it when it works! And this one worked for me.
Profile Image for Emma.
4,547 reviews9 followers
December 8, 2018
The idea for this book was brilliant and I loved the action. It was a fast read. However, I kept reading the book and thinking when is the actual plot going to start? For some reason, I thought the whole thing was a blip and wasn't the actual "problem" the main character had to solve. I am deeply saddened by the deaths and even more traumatized by the love triangle that I just know is going to happen because really, is there even a doubt that she will be with Finn? The fault of my...dissatisfaction lies with myself because if I had only read more on what the book was about I would not be feeling so unfulfilled. I am curious as to what is going to happen in the next two books as I cannot think of plot lines that would fit with the first book. I'm ready for fight scenes and the death of Lord Ankell and I definitely want more of the main character.
Profile Image for Shay VanAusdal.
266 reviews1 follower
July 17, 2018
Okay so the main reason I decide to read this book was because I had bought it about 2 years ago today n Kindle because it was free. Recently I decide to start reading some of the books I had on there and I decide to pick up this book one.
To be honest I didn't expect to give this book anything over a one star and I'm glad that I was wrong. I found this book to be so good.
The writing was really good and I really enjoyed the plot. The only problem I had was with the romance, we never really got to see the romance form it just seemed to come up out of the blue. Another problem I have is I DONT KNOW WHO I WANT HER TO BE WITH!! I really like her with Finn but I also really like her with leirs. I don't know.
I will be continuing with the series.
I will be posting a full review on my blog.
November 6, 2019
Was just not 'enthralled' with this story. In an age where there are so many paranormal romantic, a$$ kicking heriones who have 'special' powers, this just did not draw me in like so many have. I would not continue on with the other novels that continue this series because quite frankly, I could careless what happens with this story line. I could not connect with any of these characters and it has no appeal for me. The author is not bad here creating these scenes, but just over does some of them too. With this genre filling up with so many different stories out there, this one does not make the cut.
Profile Image for Destiny Unlocked.
153 reviews2 followers
November 26, 2017
Fun and very much an attention grabber!! I love how this story unfolds as it has great build up. The character development is really good also!! There are hints of romance in this but not a whole lot. Also, this is so full of adventure that you get lost in the pages. Loved how this book ends with this series. Great lead in for the other books to follow. While I love to leave the author with anything I think they may be able to work on or add next time. This book seemed to cover it all and still leave you wanting to go get the next book.
Profile Image for Haizle The Princess.
272 reviews19 followers
September 27, 2017
I enjoy Kate Danley's writing. I started reading her work with the Maggie McKay series, and expected a similar sort of story with this one. I was wrong.

This story is a lot more serious, a lot less lighthearted. However, it's so an easy read. The story kind of surprised me, and wasn't predictable as I thought it would be.

If you like a good paranormal story with a tiny bit of suspense, give this a read.
Profile Image for Mel (#JustALittleCrazy) Rutherford.
176 reviews27 followers
July 10, 2021
I gave this 4 stars instead of 3.5 because I found it to be a really interesting and unique twist on a shifter story. However, I found the story altogether lacking something and rushed. There can have been more detail and character development and I would have liked to see Aian and Finn’s relationship developed a little deeper. Overall it was a pretty good story, but it could have been so much better.
May 15, 2017
Interesting

The read was easy. The concept different, but still intriguing. Hopefully, the next book will clarify a few more things about the changes and Whatnots. I suggest you try the book out and not let negative opinions steer you away from trying this book. I liked it and will be getting the next one in the series. Like I said, interesting read and intriguing concept.
Profile Image for Eirlys.
1,620 reviews13 followers
May 18, 2017
Wolves Galore

Aein is special, very special. She is brave and faithful even though her life is torn apart. Lars and Finn both owe their lives to her and they give her their loyalty. This was an exciting and novel book with thrills and suspense aplenty. I look forward to reading more about their adventures in the next book.
2 reviews
May 29, 2017
O.K book...

This book was, by my standards, well written and has a nice, fast moving plot. However, it just wasn't my type of book. I like epic and high fantasy, and this is just my opinion - I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would enjoy this book. That being said, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick fantasy read that isn't too over the top.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews

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