Review by Vicky London
I was sad to hear that Stay the Night is the seventh and last book in Lynn Viehl’s Darkyn series. I completely understand though, because I’m sure it’s hard as an author to keep writing a series and keep it fresh and interesting while maintaining a following. Lynn has managed to do a fabulous job telling the stories of the characters who populate her world but it’s time for her to move on now. On her blog, she has promised to continue to write short ebooks and novellas in the Darkyn world which is pretty great.
So, I was all set to savor this last morsel of a series that I really love and…well I have to warn you that spoilers are coming. Sorry, it’s unavoidable and I’m really excited to talk about them. If you haven’t read the book and don’t want to know what happens you probably want to stop reading now.
…Anway, I was beyond pleased with Stay the Night. It’s the story of Robin of Locksley. Yes, Robin Hood, that lovable rouge who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, or so the legend goes. This Robin has a much darker story, some of which we heard in Twilight Fall (Jayr and Byrne’s story). Not only is Robin the legendary thief but also an immortal blood drinker. Robin is a Darkyn lord who has never given up his larcenous habits and has gained the attention of the FBI, especially federal agent Chris Renshaw who blames the thief only known to them as “the magician” for her partner’s death.
Robin is quite used to women falling at his feet and is shocked when Chris waltzes away from him and their hot night of passion. Her only goal is to permanently snag the thief using a priceless book called the Maiden’s Book of Hours. When the book is stolen by a rival of Robin’s, she has no choice but to deal with him to save her career and the book. It’s inevitable that Robin and Chris will fall for each other but can a thief and a cop ever truly trust their hearts to the other?
Interwoven with the plot about Robin and Chis, Viehl seamlessly begins to tie up loose ends from previous books which involves a lot of Alexandra Keller (my favorite character). The links between the other human females who became Darkyn are explained and a cure for the Darkyn pathogen is discovered after a stunning act of sacrifice by Robin.
I was very satisfied with how the story was wrapped up and thrilled that there will be a new series about the Kyndred (the humans genetically altered by the Brethren). My prediction is that John, Alex’s brother will play a large role in that series in the same way that Alex and Michael did in the Darkyn one. I’m really excited about the new series as it seems like less of a “goodbye” and more of a “see you later” to a world that has been so lovingly crafted. Lynn Viehl is a rare and true storyteller and this journey through her imagination has been fun, scary, exciting and pretty wonderful.
Publisher: Onyx (January 6, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0451412664
ISBN-13: 978-0451412669
You can find the reading order for the Darkyn series here.
Popularity: 50% [?]
Reader Ratings - Click On A Star to Rate This Book:
(14 votes, average: 4.71 out of 5)
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January 14th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I loved the Darkyn series especially Alex and Michael. I hope that final closure comes in the form of reuniting them with the lost Kindred individuals. I mean, Alex has to know what happened to her brother John. So, I really hope Ms. Viehl can lope the Darkyn and Kyndred series together for a least a few books. Great work and I do look forward to the new series.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I don’t understand why she would just end the series like this. It makes reading the whole series a waist. I was getting into the series and was supprise to learn that this is the last of the Darkyn series. There are so many unanswer question. So did she just got bored with the series and didn’t want to finish it? Stay the night wasn’t as great as I hope it would be. Viehl needs to wright a better endding to the book. There are so many characters she left.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I know what you mean.I hate the fact that Robin is human now.I really hope she writes others and if not in aleast write some thing that has them in it.I don’t know if Kyndred will have them in it but I really do hope Robin tries to become a vampire again.I think I cried when I read he was no longer a vampire.
January 28th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I have been a huge fan of this series since the first book, and I was a little disappointed too. I think the romances finally got stale for me with this last book. I mean, Chris did come to Robin’s house the first night they met. How can the focus be on the fact that she supposedly resisted him? It just didn’t seem to be a strong love, especially like Alex and Michael’s. Alex must be a lot of people’s favorite character because she’s the most 3-dimensional.
Also, the whole thing where Alex dreams that she became human but wants to go back to kyn again – what was that? That did not work for me at all. I always liked the idea that she is a modern doctor trying to work on the age old mystery of vampires and how they came to be that way…but this “ending” was not enarly thorough enough for me. It felt very rushed and a bit stupid. Like poof! I found the cure or whatever.
Anyway, I sincerely hope that the new Kyndred series is fresh, with some great romances and sex scenes! This last book’s sex scenes were lame – is it just me?
February 18th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I, too, was disappointed to hear that this would be the final Darkyn book. However, I don’t think it’s actually the last book, but rather the last book for a while.
Anyway, as always, I adored the Darkyn story.
I was glad (almost crying) when it was revealed that Robin was human. It was obvious that Chris wouldn’t be any good at the whole vampire thing. I thought it was a great, and original for the series, way for them to stay together.
And unlike Alissa, I especially appreciated the ending where Alex chose to give the cure to Chris. I think that was the whole point; she chose; chose to give up the cure and finally CHOSE to be Darkyn on her own terms.
While I’m looking forward to reading the Kyndred books, I’m also a little aprehensive; John was my least favorite character (by far) in the Darkyn novels and I’m sure he’s going to play a big role in Kyndred. Except when he was relating directly to Alex, I always felt like his character was in the way.
And Alissa, after the sex scenes in Twilight Fall, especially the last one:), these would probably seem tame to everyone!
February 19th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Loved the whole series and felt very deflated when it finished. Although have visions of Chris and Robin’s babies running around the various Darkyn Mansions so I was not unhappy that this couple became human. WOuld be interesting to see them in a few years when they do age. There were plenty of other Darkyn couples to maintain my interest in Vampires. I think the dream with Phillipe at the end could have been to make you want to re-read the series. Made me want to check how Alex was turned.
Did find it a bit of a stretch that all these hundreds of Darkyn exist and no ordinary humans know about them. I know they have their l’attrait but seemed to me somebody should figure something was odd. Did find the plots very busy and lots going on. Stay the Night was my favourite book though of the series.
March 1st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I am seriously disappointed in stay the night. The whole book was rushed Chris was not fleshed out like the other characters. I especially hated the ending; she needs at least one more book to finish out her series.
I fell in love with her series, but this last book is so disappointing that I’m not going to buy any of her books ever again. Theirs no use if she just gets bored again and makes another Stay the Night.
Alex’s dream confused me. It was unnecessary, a waste of paper basically. I do like that she gave up her chance at being human to stay Darkyn. But I don’t like that Robin turned human again.
I can probably keep going on how sad I am that her Darkyn series ended so horribly. If I send my tears in a bottle to her do you think she’ll rewrite the book, or write another Darkyn book to finish the series?
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:33 am
I just wanted to say these series kept me enthralled the whole time. I cannot believe Lynn would leave us hanging with John making the transformation and Alexandra missing her vial. There is more to it than this. I am sure the Kyndred are going to be just as good, but for now I want to ask Lynn to keep her Darkyn stories coming, I absolutely love them and and look forward to them. I am not and have not been bored once, as a matter fact I can’t put them down. Lynn is a superb writer with a great imagination for drama, humor, romance, supsense and action all in one. Oh yeah, let’s not forget this mysterious ending. I need to know what happens next every character has a story and with Richard we need to know what he does next because he is not finished by any means, what happens to the other children that were used and changed. C’mon, continue this Darkyn series. I am waiting with anticipation. Move the Darkyn series and Kyndred series side by side. Thanks Lynn you are great and I love this series. Look forward to reading some more.
March 14th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I was unhappy to find out Lynn Viehl would not be continuing the Darkyn series. She left way to many unanswered questions in my opinion. I did like the character of John because there is more to John then what is being told outright. She has set John up to be a major character just like his sister. You get enough information about him to know he can be a really complex character. Seeing him continued in a Kyndred series would be great and apparently Luisa’s story is intertwined with his. What disappoints me about Stay the Night is that the romance between Chris and Robin was way to quick with way to little to it. The book just expanded on Richard vs. Alexandra and Robin vs. Guy. I really couldn’t follow the romance part of the story line. The main open end I didn’t like which, if she isn’t going to finish the story is about Guy going to Marian’s grave and it being empty. Why put that little tidbit in there if the series is going to end. Trying to figure it out that leaves me with an assumption and I don’t like making assumptions. If an author is going to end a series don’t end it with cliffhangers you want an actual end to it.
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I do not think this is really the end. I believe everything will be picked up in the Kynred series. Everyhting will be based around John and Loiusa like the Darkyn series was based around Alex and Micheal. Fear not people I don’t believe Viehl to be as sadistic as you all seem to think she is.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I’m very disappointed that Lynn will not be writing any more Darkyn books. The series was off the charts and I do agree with a lot of people Stay the Night felt rushed and they were too many unanswered questions.
But I do feel that the main People in the new Kynred series will be John and Loiusa……which I did not like at all.
I did understand the dream, even though it was confusing…. Alex had to chose on her own not what everyone wanted…
I hate that Robin is human to be with Chris…… The book could have been longer and have chris learn just like alex did……People remember that Alex was forced into being a Darkyn it was not her chose to make until now…….
I will have to wait and see what this new series is like…..but not going to over do The Darkyn series……
Lynn Viehl needs to combine both series and keep writing DARKYN NOVELS…
June 30th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I only want to know what are the other Darken Novel names ?This is was my first book in this series need other books in this series.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
The Darkyn series was fun, imaginative, and captivating in a way that few romance novels have the ability to be. Viehl kept me riveted through this book and all of the others. I have to disagree with the others in saying that leaving the unanswered questions in this book as she did, she makes readers anxious to read the continuation of the series in the kyndred novels. These books are amazing and I have to say that I reccomend them to anyone who wants a steamy romance book with a plot that never stops turning and characters that make you abandon the reality and join her in the Darkyn universe.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:19 am
I was also very disappointed that Robin became human and will wither and die in a short time. What will happen to his relationships with his friends? How can he continue to interact with the Darkyn without endangering them? Is Chris so shallow that she can’t embrace the challenge of being Darkyn? I also didn’t completely understand what Alex found that made Robin human. Can someone explain more fully what it was that made Robin human and what it was in Jema’s blood that was the key? Why in the dream did Alex say that only the blood that first changed her could change her back? Also there was the comment that only Phillipe and Michael had the original blood-what about all the others who were changed as Knights-Gabriel etc.?
August 7th, 2009 at 8:43 am
I have to say that I stumbled upon this series quite by accident but I don’t regret it for a second. I got so into it that I bought the whole series at once and it took me a week and a half to finish it. What really confuses me is to learn that Stay The Night is the last book of the Darkyn series because it leaves us with so many questions, mysteries unanswered, for example what’s going to happen with Cyprien and Alex? Will Richard ever stop conspiring and trying to take Alex away? What about the Bretheren? And what’s to happen with John and Luisa’s story? I thought that that story was next. And of course lets not forget Richard’s tresora will she ever win his heart? How about Richard’s senechal will he ever get over Alex? How is that story going to end? And finally what about Phillipe’s story? Will he ever find love with the man of his dreams? Or will his loyalty and love for Cyprien keep him from fulfilling his greates desires?
I really hope that this stories get written it will be a shame not to be able to know how this stories end. I have no knoledge on how to write books but I can honestly say that I really love to read them and this stories became one of my favorites really fast.
Best of luck!!!
May 14th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
So, help me out here. At one point in this book, Michael and Geoffrey are talking, and Geoffrey asks Michael if Alex knows who Michael really is. What historical figure is Michael Cyprien? Please help me so I can sleep at night!
May 18th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
I just started reading the series. I have only read “If Angels Burn” and was looking to purchase the rest of the series this week but now I am not sure it will be worth it to continue reading if the series is ending with the 2009 release the “Stay the Night.” In reading the first there was so much information I thought for sure that this would be a series similar to Christine Feehan’s series “Dark.” Now Became so caught up in Alex and Michael’s story, I was excited to have found a series to keep me going between Christine Feehan and J R Ward’s series. I hope Ms. Viehl will heed her readers request and keep the series going. I was surprised at how difficult it was to find a website for her as well.
Chances are that I will purchase the other 6 books because my curiosity has been peaked.
June 24th, 2010 at 6:58 am
WHAT HISTORICAL FIGURE IS MICHAEL CYPRIEN?
PLEASE ANYONE KNOW?