Stephanie Rowe - Darkness Unleashed

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Praise for Darkness Unleashed

"Once more, award winning author Stephanie Rowe pens a winner with DARKNESS UNLEASHED, the seventh book in her amazing ORDER OF THE BLADE series…[an] action-packed, sensual story that will keep you perched on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning pages to discover the outcome…one of the best paranormal books I have read this year."
~Dottie, Romancejunkies.com

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Praise for Forever in Darkness

“Stephanie Rowe has done it again. The Order Of The Blade series is one of the best urban fantasy/paranormal series I have read. Ian's story held me riveted from page one. It is sure to delight all her fans. Keep them coming!”
~ Alexx Mom Cat's Gateway Book Blog

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Praise for Darkness Awakened

“A fast-paced plot with strong characters, blazing sexual tension and sprinkled with witty banter,
Darkness Awakened
sucked me in and kept me hooked until the very last page.” ~
Literary Escapism

“Rarely do I find a book that so captivates my attention, that makes me laugh out loud, and cry when things look bad. And the sex, wow! It took my breath away... The pace kept me on the edge of my seat, and turning the pages. I did not want to put this book down...
[Darkness Awakened]
is a must read.” ~
D. Alexx Miller, Alexx Mom Cat’s Gateway Book Blog

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Praise for Darkness Seduced

“[D]ark, edgy, sexy … sizzles on the page…sex with soul shattering connections that leave the reader a little breathless!...
Darkness Seduced
delivers tight plot lines, well written, witty and lyrical - Rowe lays down some seriously dark and sexy tracks. There is no doubt that this series will have a cult following. ” ~
Guilty Indulgence Book Club

“I was absolutely enthralled by this book…heart stopping action fueled by dangerous passions and hunky, primal men…If you’re looking for a book that will grab hold of you and not let go until it has been totally devoured, look no further than
Darkness Seduced.”~When Pen Met Paper Reviews

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Praise for Darkness Surrendered

“Book three of the Order of the Blades series is…superbly original and excellent, yet the passion, struggle and the depth of emotion that Ana and Elijah face is so brutal, yet is also pretty awe inspiring. I was swept away by Stephanie’s depth of character detail and emotion. I absolutely loved the roller-coaster that Stephanie, Ana and Elijah took me on.” ~
Becky Johnson,
Bex ‘n’ Books!

“
Darkness Surrendered
drew me so deeply into the story that I felt Ana and Elijah’s emotions as if they were my own…they completely engulfed me in their story…Ingenious plot turns and edge of your seat suspense…make
Darkness Surrendered
one of the best novels I have read in years.” ~
Tamara Hoffa,
Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

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Praise for No Knight Needed

“No Knight Needed
is m-a-g-i-c-a-l! Hands down, it is one of the best romances I have read. I can’t wait till it comes out and I can tell the world about it.” ~
Sharon Stogner, Love Romance Passion

“
No Knight Needed
is contemporary romance at its best….There was not a moment that I wasn’t completely engrossed in the novel, the story, the characters. I very audibly cheered for them and did not shed just one tear, nope, rather bucket fulls. My heart at times broke for them. The narrative and dialogue surrounding these ‘tender’ moments in particular were so beautifully crafted, poetic even; it was this that had me blubbering. And of course on the flip side of the heart-wrenching events, was the amazing, witty humour….If it’s not obvious by now, then just to be clear, I love this book! I would most definitely and happily reread, which is an absolute first for me in this genre.”
Becky Johnson, Bex ‘N’ Books

“No Knight Needed
is an amazing story of love and life…I literally laughed out loud, cried and cheered....
No Knight Needed
is a must read and must re-read.”
Jeanne Stone-Hunter, My Book Addiction Reviews

Special thanks to my beta readers, who always work incredibly hard under tight deadlines to get my books read. I appreciate so much your willingness to tell me when something doesn't work! I treasure your help, and I couldn't do this without you. Hugs to you all!

There are so many to thank by name, more than I could count, but here are those who I want to called out specially for all they did to help this book come to life: Alencia Bates, Jean Bowden, Shell Bryce, Kelley Currey, Holly Collins, Ashley Cuesta, Christina
Hernandez, Denise Fluhr, Sandi Foss, Valerie Glass, Heidi Hoffman, Jeanne Hunter, Rebecca Johnson, Dottie Jones, Janet Juengling-Snell, Deb Julienne, Bridget Koan, Felicia Low, Phyllis Marshall, D. Alexx Miller, Jodi Moore, Evelyn Newman, Judi Pflughoeft,
Emily Recchia, Kasey Richardson, Karen Roma, Caryn Santee, Dana Simmons, Julie Simpson, Summer Steelman, Amanda Tamayo, Nicole Telhiard, Linda Watson, and Denise Whelan..

And lastly, thank you to Pete Davis at Los Zombios for another fantastic cover, and for all his hard work on the technical side to make this book come to life, and for the most amazing website. Mom, you're the best. It means so much that you believe in me. I love you. Special thanks also to my amazing, beautiful, special daughter, who I love more than words could ever express. You are my world, sweet girl, in all ways.

For my big brother, the very best brother anyone could ever have, on any level, in every single day.

Love you, dude!

The air was razor-thin. Oxygen was sparse. Vegetation had been cruelly stripped by the harsh winds that raked across the mountain, exposing raw rock, ice so thick it never melted, and earth that could not flourish in such brutal weather. What in hell's name was a woman doing traveling this mountain path alone? And what was her destination?

Grimly, Calydon warrior Ryland Samuels dropped to one knee. He traced his fingertips over the gritty surface of the rock. The cold numbed his fingers instantly, but it wasn't the biting wind that had tried to tear life from his hands. The damage had been caused by the residue of death that was coating the boulder.

The fragments of death indicated he was still on the trail of Catherine Taylor, the angel of death he'd been tracking for almost three weeks. "She’s nearby," he said to his two teammates, who had accompanied him on his trek. "The trail is fresh." Staying on one knee, he braced his forearm on his thigh and searched the horizon. The Northern Cascade Mountains of southern Washington stretched far ahead, a seemingly endless maze that could hide—or kill—a woman with ease.

Except she couldn't hide from him.

He wouldn't allow it.

As for the mountains killing her with their brutality? He doubted it would be very easy for a few towering hills of rock, snow, and cold to kill an angel of death. He just didn't see her getting knocked down by freezing temperatures and a little bit of frostbite. It was more likely that the earth itself would kneel to her, cease all adverse weather, and submit to her safe passage.

He grinned. Yeah, angels were powerful shit, and he was about to find the one he'd been hunting for seven hundred years.

"You see her?" Thano Savakis, one of Ryland's Order of the Blade teammates, rode up beside him on his new horse, a massive magical beast he'd named Apollo. His dark hair was even shorter than it used to be, and his heavy black jacket covered his thighs, hiding straps that Ryland knew were there, holding his jean-clad legs to the saddle.

Thano was the only one of the Order less than five hundred years old. Although he hadn't even hit his fortieth birthday yet, he was a kickass warrior, and the one Ryland had specifically chosen to accompany him on this mission. The rest of the team was covering the seaboard of Oregon and Washington, dealing with a sudden increase in rogue Calydons, a proliferation that didn't make sense.

The Order of the Blade was an elite group of Calydon warriors whose mission was to protect innocents when Calydons went rogue, descending irretrievably into the state of violent insanity that would result in a swath of death and destruction that would end only when they were destroyed. The Order members were the only beings powerful enough to cut down a Calydon who had crossed that deadly line. Formed over two thousand years ago, the Order was comprised of the few warriors capable of surviving battles that no one should survive, while plunging their weapons through the hearts of men who had once been their friends, sons, neighbors, or even fathers or other family.

There were nine of them left. Only nine. Not enough. But Ryland was going to make damn sure they didn't lose any more, and that the Order was protected enough that it could begin to grow again and become the force it had once been. With the recent murder of their leader, the team had started to fracture. No leader had stepped up to pull them together. Ryland didn't give a shit about being a leader, but he was damn well going to make sure the Order's protective triumvirate of guardian angels was safe.

Catherine was the only one of the trinity still at large. After the other two had almost been killed, he wasn't taking any chances. The Order had too many enemies, and as one of their guardian angels, Catherine would inherit those enemies.

"No, I can't see her yet," Ryland answered Thano. "But soon." He gestured with his hand to indicate they should continue forward. He began to work his way down the steep slope, to a lower altitude where snow and ice had succumbed to the warmer temperatures. "Let's go."

"Wait." The third member of their party, Zach Roderick, halted them. He was standing on the top of a jagged rock, his face raised to the wind, as if he couldn't feel the cold, which Ryland knew was true. His calf-length leather jacket was flapping around his legs, revealing a white T-shirt and baggy jeans. His only concession to their trek through the mountains was a pair of heavy hiking boots, but Ryland knew those were more for traction than protection from the cold. "There's heat coming from over the northern peaks. Massive amounts of heat."

Ryland turned to look where Zach was pointing. He frowned at the dark storm clouds that seemed to be dumping snow onto the distant mountains. It was summer, but the mountains were still caught in the thrall of winter brutality at their highest altitudes. They were at a lower altitude right now, so they were graced with patches of bare ground instead of snowdrifts, but Zach was pointing toward a higher elevation. Nothing hot should be coming from there. "Heat? You're sure?"