This was such a wonderful book and I loved the forbidden desire vibe it had going on. A wonderful debut into the romantasy genre from this author and the chemistry between Aria and Pax was amazing. The whole other worldly vibe and the world building were so perfect and that cliffhanger left me so excited for the next book. Would highly recommend to anyone who loves romantasy and forbidden romance and soulmate romance vibes.

Visions of Darkness by A.L. Jackson
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Overall: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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🔎𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒🔎⁣ ⁣
Leads: Pax and Aria
Release Date: January 7, 2025
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📖 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 📖 ⁣⁣
Kindle Unlimited: ✅⁣
Audible: ✅⁣
Series: ✅ Darkness
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📝𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝗪📝⁣⁣
I jumped into this book blind and loved every minute of it! This book really kicks the series off with a bang and already makes me can’t wait for book 2. I don’t usually read many romantasy books but after this one it makes me excited to discover more.
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Aria is living in 2 different “worlds” and discovering exactly what is going on is an adventure. She is such a strong powerful character and I instantly really liked her. Pax is her other half and protector.
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I couldn’t get enough of Pax and Aria! You definitely need to jump in and start reading because there are so many amazing scenes!

Visions of Darkness was an engrossing, well-written tale that kept me captivated from start to finish. The plot was unique and we are taken on quite a journey with our main characters Pax and Aria.

The story takes place in parallel worlds, where the characters live in the regular world during the day and at night when they go to sleep, they are transported to another world, Faydor, where they battle with the Kruen - evil spirits that enter the minds of the people on Earth.

The bond between Aria and Pax was unlike any other. Their connection was intense and electric and although they are forbidden from being together in the real world, nothing will stop Pax from going to Aria when she is in danger.

The story is perfect for those now getting into fantasy as the world building is easy to understand. The romance was a slow burn at the start, but picked up in the second half of the book and I really enjoyed watching the love grow between these two.

This is the author's debut romantasy novel and I absolutely enjoyed it. We are kept on our toes throughout each chapter with all the twists and turns and the cliff-hanger ending left me wanting more. I can't wait for book 2 and would definitely recommend this novel.

As a pretty big fan of AL's work, this one just didn't check all the boxes for me but I love her writing and the story. I understand that a new series has to have some world building and I honestly don't mind a bit of a slow burn most of the time, but I just really struggled to stay in this story. Was it good, yes. It just took quite a while to get there. Will I read the next one? Also, yes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 STARS

Aria and Pax’s journey is both heartfelt and poignant, with their individual struggles adding depth to their story, whether they’re navigating life together or apart.

What stood out most to me was the vivid way A.L. Jackson captured the world through their eyes, particularly Aria’s perspective. Her portrayal of reality highlights the intricate interplay of light and dark within the human experience, illustrating that life is rarely black and white. The complexity of emotions, the simultaneous coexistence of conflicting feelings, and the blurred line between good and bad make the story deeply human. It’s a reminder that sympathy and empathy have the power to bridge understanding, allowing us to see beyond our own experiences.

Visions of Darkness is a MUST read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ELITE!!!

For as long as Aria can remember she’s always lived in two realities. There’s the real world she inhabits during the day and the alternate realm, Tearsith, at night. From there she goes to Faydor where she helps eliminate the evil with other half, called Nol, Pax. Their biggest rules are they can’t talk about their nights in the real world and that they cannot have contact with their Nol outside of Tearsith.

When Aria is in trouble, Pax has to make a decision about whether to follow their rules or his heart. And when they discover that Aria is able to use her abilities outside of Faydor it puts a target on her. Can they resist the temptation of each other while fighting the evil that seeks to eliminate Aria?

I’ve been dipping my toes into the romantasy pool and I started my year with this one. The world building wasn’t too complex and there weren’t too many confusing side characters to keep track of. Aria instantly had my heart. I love a strong fmc who isn’t afraid to fight for what’s right.

And then there’s Pax who has my entire heart and soul. You could feel that fated pull between them. There’s a lot of angst because of it and this one gets dark. It’s light on steam and a slow burn but don’t worry it’s worth it for the payoff.

I was hooked and my anxiety was through the roof while I anxiously flipped page after page deep into the night with that sense of doom that something big was coming. This does end in a cliffy but honestly it’s not a bad one! I am a known cliffhanger hater but I’m not even mad about this one. Maybe that’s my character growth?

If you want to be sucked on a new dark romantasy series with a fmc you’ll love and a new book boyfriend to steal your heart then you need to make this your next binge.

Aria is a 17 year old who is a beautiful girl with blonde hair and unique eyes. She's always been different from her family because of this. When she dreams, she dreams of another place where she meets others like her. Her soulmate is Pax who will do anything to protect her. Even things he's not supposed to.

Aria and Pax come up with a plan for the Kruen that are after her. Will it be enough though? They're going to need help though. Will they be able to fight them off? Will she ever be safe?

This book is such a SLOW BURN I was chanting you're killing me PAX!!! Aria and Pax make such a dynamic couple and loved reading about them. That ending!! For goodness sake, put a fork in me I'm done. The author is trying to give me heart palpitations I swear! Cannot wait for the next book in this series!!!

Visions of Darkness is the first book of the all new Darkness series. I’m not usually one to read fantasy but I loved this book! I was intrigued with the plot and it was easy to follow. I usually get overwhelmed with fantasy and all of the world building. I didn’t feel this way with this book. This story takes place in the real world during the day and in another realm at night when Aria and Pax fall asleep. My heart broke for Aria and her struggles with how her life was playing out. Pax is so protective of her and would risk everything to make sure she is safe. This story sucked me in from the very beginning and I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait for book two because that cliffhanger left me wanting more!

Definitely one of the most unique storylines i’ve ever read about!

This book is set in the real world where some kids are born with the ability to go to another world called Tearsmith, in their sleep. In Tearsmith, these people are at battle with the Kruden, who are essentially the offspring of Satan.

The overall magic system & fantasy world was so fun to be in. The paranormal aspect of the book was my favorite part. It was creepy, and spooky in the best way possible.
I loved that the book was duo POV, it allowed me to feel closer to both the FMC & MMC. The third person POV when we are in the fantasy world caught me off guard but I actually ended up really loving that!
The FMC was such a badass towards the end of the book & there was a lot of character development throughout.
The MMC was giving touch her & 💀
The romance between these two really picked up during the second half of the book & I ATE UPPPP the spice we were given. There was also a lot of beautiful quotes in this book & I found the authors writing style to be very poetic when talking abt their relationship.
The ending of this book has me itching for book 2 bc I can’t handle that cliff hanger😭

Overall, this made me want to pick up more paranormal romance books with this kinda vibe bc this was so fun!

"I think everything about you is magic, Aria. I think you radiate it."

Don't get me wrong, this is a good book. I love A.L. Jackson's books, and this ticks all the boxes - a spunky FMC and a brooding MMC, forbidden love, a unique fantasy plot, and an achingly long slow-burn for our two main characters. But I don't think this book really gripped me, and nothing really stuck out.

What I loved most about this book was that it felt really unique. Yes, there are other fantasy novels that feature the Dreamscape and the ethereal and shadow creatures etc, but this felt really refreshing. The Dreamscape being a conscious part of reality but not a conscious thing, the mirror wounds from the other world, the shadow creatures whispering into the minds of the fallible being the voices behind the cruel and evil misdeeds of society - it was so exciting to initially dive in but after around 50% I was shocked that there was still so much story left. It felt like this dragged on a little long, and it went on and on and on. The story is fantastic, truly, and the chemistry between the characters was full of life and tension, but the plot moves slowly, and it takes a while to get to the point.

The beginning and end - fantastic. I absolutely recommend pushing through. It's a great read by an amazing writer, and all of her usual romance elements really shine in this book.

Thank you so much for Valentine PR for the e-ARC of this book!

I went into this completely blind and I'm so glad I did. The plot is so unique and something I would love to see made into a movie. It pulled me in right from the start.

The plot/setting is a mix of urban fantasy, paranormal, fantasy, and romance. The main characters are magical beings called Laven who have been chosen by a Goddess and bestowed with magic that binds them to a lifetime of duty. While awake, they live a normal human life on Earth, with a family that doesn't know their kind exists, but when they go to sleep their soul awakens in an Earth-adjacent realm, where they live a second life with others like them. In this realm they train from a young age to hunt beings that are the equivalent of demons. Each Laven has a Nol, the equivalent of a soulmate. They hunt together and protect one another, but they are forbidden to meet their Nol in the human realm. When Aria's life is in danger in the human realm, Pax is torn between duty and Aria.

I loved the author's writing style. Aria is deeply empathetic, and the way the author describes how Aria feels and experiences others' feelings made you feel as if you knew exactly what she/they were experiencing right alongside her.

The forbidden romance here is *chef's kiss* and pairs perfectly with how fiercely protective Pax is. There's also the whole "she's in love with him but thinks he doesn't reciprocate, but he's actually obsessed with her" trope that is shown so well in the dual POV.

Speaking of POV - I love how it was 1st person when they were in the human realm, but when their souls were in the other realm, it was written in 3rd person. It made you not only visually but mentally separate the two realms and pulled you into the characters' POV more, almost as if the way they view their life is different depending on the realm they were in.

This is NA, almost leaning towards YA with the FMC being 18, but it rarely felt that way to me. Both her and Pax, who is 22, seem older, and I personally attributed this to them living two lives and having such a heavy burden that they trained for their whole lives for their chosen duty. Almost like a child that is forced to be an adult too soon, resulting in them presenting as more mature/older.

I devoured this in one sitting and I haven't stopped thinking about it.

Read this if you like:
Touch Her and ***
Morally Gray Protective MMC
Forbidden Romance
On the Run
Close Proximity
Lots of Pining..
Portal Fantasy / Secret Realms
Chosen Ones
Dual POV
Soul Bonds
Secretly in Love with Each Other
MMC with Tattoos

This book definitely gave me dark urban fantasy vibes as the book is in our world but with a magical element. This book definitely gave me a dark romance feel as our characters both hunt and are hunted by evil forces that try to feed dark and predatory thought to the general populace. I definitely recommend a trigger warning read if this worries you. Other wise be ready for a different ride through this story but beware the ending as there is more to come.

This was my first book from A.L Jackson, and it wont be my last.
I've been one for fantasy or romantasy books in the past, and although I'm currently in my cowboy era, this book hit the spot.
Aria and Pax, with their banter and connection.. was something else.
I enjoyed the progression of the story and thought this was a wonderful way to start the series, I'm looking forward to the next book when it comes out! *makes grabby hands*

Thank you for the arc, all thoughts are my own.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC*

Um hello, PAX?! New Book boyfriend for 2025? I cannot WAIT for the next book in this series to come out!!

This was so unique with the way fantastical and paranormal elements are woven in to an Urban setting.

I devoured this in one day!

Thank you to Valentine PR & Literary Management for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Instead of falling into a dream each night, Aria travels to a nightmarish world to fight the monsters that whisper evils into human minds. She battles beside her soulmate, Pax, who she is forbidden to meet in the waking world. But Pax breaks all the rules to save Aria when the evil that could only reach her during sleep breaks into the daylight. Aria and Pax race against time and fate to defeat monsters stronger than they've ever encountered, all while resisting their dangerous attraction to each other.

Wow! I devoured this book and got angry at people who interrupted my reading. It has all the best tropes plus a thrilling plotline: fated mates, forbidden romance, found family, and a unique magic system. I was rooting for Aria and Pax while on the edge of my seat the entire time. The book's premise is incredibly creative and I know there will be more to discover in book two. I can't wait for the next one!

Follow me @smorebooksplease on Instagram for more bookish fun!

⭐️: 3.25
🌶️: .5/5

Aaaaah. I wanted to love this one so badly you guys.
The plot was there, the fated mates, romance aspect, slow burn was there. BUT…I couldn’t get past the chapters being one in first person and the next in third.

I understood why it was necessary because when awake the characters were in the human world and obviously when you’re sleep you tend to dream in third person (at least I do) but I still couldn’t get past it.

ALSO, it was super repetitive and yeah. It also ends in a cliffhanger so I have to read the next one because I do want to know what happens because like I said the potential was there.

I just didn’t love how predictable it ended up being, or how there was little to no explanation of what the hell was actually happening or what the magic system was or literally anything. This one wasn’t for me but it could be for you!

Thank you to Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest review!

When AL Jackson announced that she was going to write a romantasy, I squealed. I knew with the way she writes romance and suspense that she could nail this genre as well and I am so happy to say that I was right!

Visions of Darkness is a captivating story of soulmates who are willing to defeat horrors and travel through worlds to get to one another.

Pax and Aria belong together in Faydor, their literal dream world. Here they are soulmates, there to protect one another and fight alongside each other. In the waking world, they are told they could never meet or be near one another without evil attacking. But when evil sets its sights on Aria, Pax will let nothing stop him from getting to her.

Pax is an amazing MMC and the definition of “if he wanted to her would”. Not only does he travel through worlds to find Aria, but he also recognizes her abilities and gifts. He balances protecting her with challenging and helping her use her gifts (basically, he knows his place).

We are left with a cliffhanger that makes me yearn for the next book. Overall, Jackson wrote an amazing story with a unique plot.

Visions of darkness

4.5 stars ⭐️

Supernatural
Dark Romance
Fated mates
Found family
Forced proximity
Good vs Evil

This is Al Jackson’s first book into the supernatural/paranormal and I fully jumped in loving it. I’ll do my best to not give too much away in explaining as it’s a crazy wild ride that you need to discover yourself.

Aria always felt different, like she doesn’t belong. What her family doesn’t know is that in dream time she is transported to another realm to fight evil with others who are like her. This is where she meets up with Pax her soul partner she fights beside. They are bonded, fighting together in their dream time never to meet while they are awake.
But when evil follows her into her waking days, she finds she’s in more danger than in her dreams. She soon discovers she has special powers in the human realm beyond those of her kind and that makes her a target.

Pax and Aria aren’t supposed to be together in the human world. It could jeopardize everything. But Pax has no choice but to find her to help her through this time.
AL Jackson does some wonderful angst and yearning. She’s a master at forbidden longing and the human equivalent of fated mates….souls that are destined to be together. You really feel how Pax and Aria yearn for each other but they don’t know what trouble their union will bring about if they give into those desires. There’re so many places this overall story could go in the future books that I’m excited to read more. Visions of Darkness is book 1 and ends in a cliffhanger.

Full disclosure, I’m normally not a paranormal/fantasy reader. I actually do love paranormal stories (in movies and TV), but as a visual learner fantasy books can be hard to visually imagine. Yet here, Jackson pulls it off, here. Maybe some full-on fantasy readers will say this is “light”, not to detailed but that’s why I loved it. Aria and Pax’s relationship is just as important as the plot.

I’ve read a book previously written by this author so was excited to read another book by her. I can see romantasy readers eating this book up! The first few chapters I was a little confused but I think that’s normal when you’re trying to understand the new world that the author has created. The book had action, fantasy, forbidden love and mystery. I was totally invested in the story and kept hoping that the main characters get together. I won’t spoil anything but I can’t believe what happened! This book is definitely a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This is the first book in the Darkness series and it’s a romance fantasy book.
I enjoyed this book. I loved the story so much and I was hooked from the very beginning.

I can’t wait to continue the series.

Do I recommend it? Yes, I do highly recommend.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars