Amanda Bonilla - Against the Dawn

The fourth book in the Shaede Assassin series, published May 18, 2014.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: I really don't like her face



Six months can feel like a just couple of weeks when you've been away in another realm. Literally.
Now that Darian is back in Seattle, she's ready to face the life - and the man - she left behind. But it's not going to be easy when a ghost from her past shows up looking to wreak havoc on Seattle's supernatural crime scene.
Darian isn't as careless as she used to be, though. She and Tyler, her sexy Jinn protector, have come a long way in the trust department. And it's a good thing too - because when Ty contracts her to assassinate a wickedly powerful supernatural who goes by the name of Mithras, it will take all her faith in Ty, and herself, to get the job done.
While Darian does whatever it takes to get to her mark, Xander, the Shaede King is busy making plans of his own. With Darian's attention divided between Lorik's secrets and her mission she might not be able to stop Xander from doing anything in his power to separate Darian from her sworn protector and in the process, destroy his own kingdom...


I was given this book by the author in exchange for a review last year, and I forgot all about it, until I found it again in a hidden folder on my computer. With some other review requests … So, shame on me, especially as I really loved this book. Within pages, I was completely back in the story, and it has been a few years since I read book 3.

Darian has only been gone for two weeks, to recover from the ordeal she suffered in the third book, but in the mortal world, it has been six months. Everyone is glad that she is back, but none more than Xander, the Shaede King. He wants her back in his life, in his arms, in his bed, but Darian certainly does not want that. Yes, she cares for him, but she is so not ready to be touched again, and she is in love with Tyler, her Jinn, her friend and protector.
Xander refuses to back down though; he will have her back no matter what. He doesn't care that his kingdom is crumbling, that someone else will have his crown if he is not careful. His loyal brother can't talk him out of it, Xander is totally fixated on Darian.
Meanwhile, Darian tries to recover in her newly decorated apartment, where there are no reminders of all of her desperate times. Still, she doesn’t like being watched this closely by Xander, and she needs to work again. She can't hide on her couch mindlessly watching tv forever. She is an assassin by trade, and Ty is her handler. Certainly he will have a job for her.

When he reluctantly hands her a job, it coincides with an old acquaintance showing up in town, a man she has worked for before, when she was still with her old boyfriend. And he wants to hire her as his bodyguard. He also expects her to be at his call and to entertain him when he wants her to, go to clubs with him and such.

But that job might be more than she expects, especially when after it is done, she is betrayed. With Tyler out of the way, thanks to Xander, she is unprotected when she needs it the most …


I loved this book a lot, it was compelling to read, but there is a huge cliffhanger in the end.
So yes, I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.
I still dislike Xander, I do love his brother Raif and I do hope that Darian finds some quiet time for love with Tyler in the next book. But perhaps Xander will redeem himself in the next book, after all, it is his fault for Darian ending up where she is now.

9 stars.

© 2015 Reviews by Aurian