I am not a big romantasy fan, but I am a HUGE Amy fan! I will read basically anything AL Jackson writes. Including a romantasy. This romantasy, to be exact.

Pax and Aria are gripping characters right from the beginning. Even the prologue had me excited for the book. While I still struggle with made up and alternate worlds, Visions of Darkness had enough reality to grip me into reading it. I am ready for Darkness #2 and will recommend this to all romantasy and AL Jackson lovers out there!

Thank you for the copy, this is my honest opinion. Please be aware of any trigger warnings, as your mental health is most important.

With it’s good vs. evil, dark romantasy vibes, I had a feeling this would be intriguing!

Aria Rialta has always been a bit different. From a young age, as she slept, she’s entered another world, Faydor, where her birthright has her fighting the Kruen, an entity that invades the human mind and infuses it with negativity, evil, and corruption. Upon waking, she is thrust back into the real world as a “typical” eighteen year old girl. That is until her two worlds start coming together and the evil seeks her when she is awake. While Aria isn’t the only one of her kind, they are forbidden to meet in their waking hours: however, as the danger pursues Aria more and more, her soulmate from Faydor, Pax, can’t keep himself away. Now, they are an even greater target for the evils that are hunting them.

What a tension filled slow-burn! With the forbidden nature of their relationship in the real world and the dangers it can bring, the push and pull of the “should we or shouldn’t we” was palpable between Pax and Aria! I really liked Pax’s morally grey character in the real world and the contrast between his almost superhero like persona in Faydor. His protective nature and slightly menacing description made him an intriguingly swoony character. The inevitable, yet unpredictable dangers throughout the book kept me on the edge of my seat and the cliffy at the end has my wheels turning on what lies next for these two characters.

Ms Jackson is someone on my favorite author list, so when she decided to try her hand at a new genre, so I was all for giving it a try. I’m so glad I did!
There is a lot of world building in Vision of Darkness, but this is well balanced with letting us get to know Aria and Pax as people.
One of the things I appreciated about this story is that the physical intimacy which is usually such a big part of Ms Jackson’s stories shifted to be more in line with Aria’s age. The tangible presentation of their budding relationship was more subtle and felt more realistic.
There is a lot going on here and Ms Jackson does an excellent job of blending the fantasy, romantic relationship, and family dynamic into everything so it doesn’t feel like the details are lost.
My one complaint - if you can call it that - was the ending. I get that this is probably the first book of a series, but the story had a truly good stopping place and we went past that to get the “hook” for the next book. I understand why and it worked well based on the story told here, but it felt a little unnecessary.
Overall, if you enjoy a good paranormal read then this is one I can definitely recommend in terms of interesting characters and good storytelling.

✨✨✨ ARC Review ✨✨✨

Well, I didn’t think AL Jackson could get any better. Then she said “hold my beer while I write this romantasy” 😍

Tropes:
▪️Fated Mates ⁠
▪️Forbidden ⁠
▪️The Chosen One⁠
▪️On the Run⁠
▪️Morally Gray Hero ⁠
▪️Two Worlds Collide⁠
▪️Only One Bed⁠
▪️Ultimate Touch Her and 🔪Protector

🎧 Narrator:
Victoria Mei and Teddy Hamilton

A.L. Jackson has once again proven why she’s an auto-buy author for me with Visions of Darkness. In her bold foray into romantasy, Jackson masterfully blends urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and her signature poetic prose into a story that’s both thrilling and unputdownable.

Aria Rialta and Pax are soulmates bound in an alternate realm where they battle darkness each night to protect humanity. But when the dangers of Faydor begin spilling into the waking world, Pax breaks the ultimate rule and finds Aria in real life to keep her safe. Their connection is forbidden, their love perilous, and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they navigate a world of danger and desire.

I want to start this review by saying I went into this completely blind. As someone who doesn’t typically read fantasy or romantasy, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Dark romance and contemporary romance are my comfort zone. The opening of this story immediately drew me in as I voraciously flipped pages on my Kindle. That said, I did find myself adjusting to the slower build of the romance and the intricacies of the world-building. To be fair, this is completely normal for a multi-book series, and it’s not a flaw of the story but rather an adjustment for me as a reader. If you’re new to this genre, I encourage you to stick with it—you’ll soon find yourself hooked.

The pacing kept me invested, balancing action-packed moments with a slow-burn romance that builds beautifully. The forbidden nature of Aria and Pax’s love adds an irresistible tension, and their bond—equal parts tender and powerful—left me swooning. Pax’s relentless determination to protect Aria, despite the rules and risks, made him an unforgettable, morally grey hero who stole my heart.

The world-building was a new experience for me, blending contemporary settings with hauntingly vivid glimpses of Faydor. While I craved a bit more depth into its lore, the mix of action and mystery kept me thoroughly engaged. The slow-burn spice was minimal, but perfectly timed and tastefully done, enhancing the emotional connection between Aria and Pax in a way that felt organic and meaningful.

This is a fantastic choice for fans of urban fantasy or PNR looking for a unique, addictive read with high stakes and more story than spice to get lost in. A.L. Jackson has set the stage for an incredible series, and I’m already counting down the days until book two. Highly recommended!

Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Spice: 1 🌶️

Genre:
🖤Dark(ish) Romantasy

Tropes:
🖤Soul mates
🖤Touch her & ☠️ Vibes
🖤Morally grey MMC
🖤Two different worlds/Secret world
🖤Forbidden love
🖤Heroine coming into her powers
🖤On the run
🖤Close Proximity
🖤Paranormal romance
🖤Slow burn
🖤No Third Act Break-Up
🖤Found family

(ARC Provided via NetGalley and A.L. Jackson, the review is my own.)

When I found out @aljacksonauthor was writing a fantasy?! I screamed. Immediately jumped on the train to support and scream about my love for Aria and Pax, because quite literally you all need them and this book in your life. I’m not joking, okay?! This was such a unique fantasy honestly, I feel like we get the usually fae, werewolves, dragons, etc but the take Amy took with this, and the Laven’s was so captivating I needed to know more!! The whole they fight the evils of Faydor in their dreams basically and live in the real world amongst the humans during the day?! Shook. The forbidden they can’t be together in the real world but are quite literally fated mates in Faydor had me grasping the edge of my seat screaming for them to love each other 😩😩😩😩 Pax coming for Aria really did me in and I fell right then and there.

It does end in a bit of a cliffy, so buckle up folks 😂✌🏼 but I absolutely cannot wait to see where this world takes us!! And for more of Aria and Pax pls.

What to expect:
💘 Fated Mates
😈 On The Run
☝🏼 The Chosen One
🩶 Morally Grey Hero
🌎 Two Worlds Collide
🛏️ Only One Bed
💀 Ultimate Touch Her and D!3 Protector
❤️‍🩹 Forbidden

This was such a unique concept for a fantasy romance! I honestly didn't look at what it was about going in, just saw A.L. Jackson and romantasy and knew I needed to read haha and it didn't disappoint!

I loved the setup of this being an urban fantasy but still having a fantasy realm in their dreams. And having elements of the dream world leak in to the real world was perfect and helped bring everything together. I felt like the fantasy elements were easy to understand and I enjoyed the overall arc of the story!

I will say I didn't expect our FMC to be just turning 18, but I think it made sense with her story. My heart hurt for her and her situation with her family and I thought the mental health aspects were handled really well. And of course, I loved her relationship with Pax!

They are the definition of soulmates but yet, it's completely forbidden for them to be together! I have some theories about this...so I am definitely curious to see where the series goes and if I'm right haha but you could feel the love and chemistry between them and also I just loved how protective Pax was of her. This was definitely slow burn and was not as spicy as a typical A.L. Jackson romance, but I think it made sense with the plot.

I will say that some things seemed a little too flowery/cheesy for me and there were a few predictable things. They didn't really take away from my enjoyment necessarily, but this felt more like a solid four star read to me versus something higher. But the audio, especially with Teddy Hamilton, was great and I am excited to see where the series goes!

Thank you so much to A.L. Jackson, Valentine PR, Brilliance Publishing, and Netgalley for the eARC and ALC!

This is A.L. Jackson’s first romantasy book, and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this intriguing world!! She leaves us on quite the cliffhanger! I thought the premise and the characters were so unique and interesting. I haven’t read a lot of urban fantasy, and I liked how it took place in our real world and another realm. I also loved the powerful connection between Pax and Aria. But that’s all I’m going to say because I think this one is best to go into blind and I don’t want to give anything away!

Read/listen if you like ⇣
•Romantasy
•Morally Gray Hero
•Forbidden
•Only One Bed
•Fated Mates
•On The Run
•Two Worlds Collide
•Slow Burn
•Touch Her & ☠️
•Dual POV
•Spice

Thank you so much A.L. Jackson, Montlake, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Not gonna lie, I wasn't sure how this would go, fantasy isn't really my jam but A.L. Jackson did the thing. From the first page of Visions of Darkness I was invested and couldn't seem to put it down.

I was all in on team Aria. She was smart and kind. Brave and just good. Even if those close to her couldn't see the truth, she did her best to live it. But when her reality became worse than the world of Faydor, it was all she could do to fight.

Thankfully Pax found her in this reality and helped her find a way out. Of one nightmare anyway.  It was a race against time to try and put a stop to the danger that was hunting her both asleep and awake. As that war waged, so did the one against Aria and Pax's undeniable bond. Though it was forbidden, they just couldn't stop the force that was pulling them together.

Thrumming with forbidden magic, Aria and Pax's romantasy was so much more than I ever expected. My heart was in my throat as the stakes grew and time was running out. My pulse was pounding as it all played out in seemingly slow motion. Talk about intense. I felt winded after finishing...and that ending...WHAT THE WHAT?!!? I need the next installment yesterday!

Visions of Darkness is book one in the new series Darkness by A.L. Jackson.
A spellbinding story that hooked me and held me captive till the very end.
The world building, the characters, and the story telling draw you in. If life hadn't gotten in the way, I could have finished this in a day. It's that good, you don't want to put it down.
A fantastic dark romantasy.
I can’t wait for book two.

Thank You NetGalley and Montlake for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~⁣⁣
Overall: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~⁣⁣
🔎𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒🔎⁣ ⁣
Leads: Pax and Aria
Release Date: January 7, 2025
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~⁣⁣
📖 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 📖 ⁣⁣
Kindle Unlimited: ✅⁣
Audible: ✅⁣
Series: ✅ Darkness
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~⁣⁣
📝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.
🔹
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.
🔹
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!