Sunday, May 24, 2020

When Darkness Begins by Tine O'Hailey - Book Tour & Review



When Darkness Begins
If you could change time to save your first love—even if it meant turning your back on the universe—would you?


It is time for the Vechey youth to earn their place as time-guardians. The near-immortal Vechey protect the universe from the devastating Manipulators—devourers of souls, mindless seekers of chaos. First, the youth must survive a mysterious and deadly ritual created by the all-powerful clan leader Eterili. Having regenerated thousands of times with the birth of each universe, Eterili is taking this one as hers and bending all in it to her grand designs.

Catha’s time-slipping skills are underdeveloped. She is time-blind—unable to see through time, unable to protect herself from the ritual. The Vechey shun her for being different. Her parents ignore her as if she were already dead.

Aithagg loves Catha unconditionally and will do anything to save her. He tries desperately to unlock the ritual’s mysteries and find a way to help Catha survive with him. Or will saving Catha enable the Manipulators to destroy the universe?


Purchase Links

UK Paperback:    https://tinyurl.com/y9yjgx8b

My Review
When Darkness Begins is a fascinating read. It's a sci-fi/fantasy prequel (can be read as a standalone), but it's also more than that. It's an emotional (at times) coming of age story . It's YA with "vampires", if you will, but it's also a well-written, engaging read that will draw you in and leave you breathless. 
Romance, time-travel, and immersive world-building blend together to create a story that will thrill readers who enjoy a vivid, imaginative imagery, and a complex storyline. 
While it did take me a little bit to get into, I did enjoy it, and I found myself drawn in to a unique world where "vampires" are tasked with protecting time from those who seek to destroy it. There are multiple timelines, and the story follows a few different characters, but it's relatively easy to keep track of and follow along with.
Fans of YA sci-fi/fantasy stories will like this one.
4 stars!


Author Bio –
Tina O’Hailey is a professor in animation and game programming, caver and occasional mapper of grim, wet, twisty caves (if she owes a friend a favor or loses a bet), whose passion is to be secluded on a mountain and to write whilst surrounded by small, furry dogs and hot coffee. Tina was once struck by lightning.

She has served as an artistic trainer for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Dreamworks and Electronic Arts. Any movie credit she has is minimal and usually found in the special thanks section. The meager credits do not account for the great honor it was to teach talented artists who worked on numerous feature films and games.

She has authored animation textbooks “Rig it Right” and “Hybrid Animation” published by Focal Press and the Darkness Universe novels “Absolute Darkness” and “When Darkness Begins” published by Black Rose Writing.

Social Media Links –


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