Review: Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning

Book: Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning
Genre: Urban Fantasy  / Young Adult
Buy A Copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Available Formats: Ebook / Paperback
Publication Date: October 4th, 2011
First Sentence: "Lesson three of Seeker Training - always be prepared."
How Did I Get This Book: From Author, For Review
Description: For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning is an exciting, suspenseful and utterly addicting story. Folks, I simply could not put this one down.

I was just discussing with my friend how much I adore strong females. And Janie is practically the poster girl for the term. She’s determined, intelligent, feisty and all-around fierce. Janie doesn’t take crap from anyone and she doesn’t let people push her around; she makes up her own mind and follows her own heart.

Browning had me completely on edge in regards to Kai.  His storyline is full of mystery and I constantly found myself wondering about his heritage. I’ll tell you this – it certainly isn’t an answer you would suspect. I kept throwing around ideas in my head, but I never even got close. I just simply never suspected the true answer. She also keeps you guessing about the skeletons in his closet. I don’t want to spoil anything for you guys, but I will tell you this – I LOVED Kai. I have found myself a new book boyfriend. He’s endearing and sweet, yet tough at the same time. He’s got a backbone, but he has a conscience too. And Janie and Kai together? Magic, my dears. Pure magic.  The two are easily one of my favorite new young adult duos. 

I thought the plotline was absolutely inspired. I love when authors show some creativity in the paranormal/urban fantasy storylines; especially ones that involve vampires. Sometimes I feel like the vampire horse has been beaten to death. Browning is somehow able to inject excitement, mystery and intrigue into YA’s favorite species. Not only are the vampires in Dark Seeker unique, but the heroine, Janie is as well.

You see Janie is a seeker. She is sort of a Buffy type – it is her responsibility to kill the undead for good. What really caught my interest about Janie is her particular brand of morality. You see, she is technically mortal, but while she is acting as a seeker, she cannot age past 17. When her 18^th birthday roles around she reverts back to 14; the age in which she began her duties as a seeker. 

This presents a boat load of questions and storylines that I cannot wait to see Browning tackle. I have never run across something like this before. When we meet Janie, she has already gone through the cycle once and she is now 17 for the second time.  Isn’t that an interesting concept? It certainly adds an interesting dynamic to her character.

So, long story short, I adored Dark Seeker. Great storyline? check. Awesome heroine? Check. Swoon worthy love interest? Double check. Add a dose of excitement and intrigue and you’ve got yourself Dark Seeker. I cannot wait to get my mitts on the next book. There is going to be a next book right? Oh  goodness. There had better be or Taryn Browning might be getting some persuasive emails. 

Favorite Quotes

It kind of sucked when she had to take a break from fighting evil to use her inhaler.

You were like a tiny Bruce Lee.

She didn't get along with people, and she definitely did not get along with the undead.

Can we kick some vampire ass already?

He hoped Janie's mother would be more focused on helping Janie than killing him.

It wasn't like being face to face with a human. He didn't need air to breathe. She noticed sometimes he did, an instinct left over from his human years. Janie paused to feel his heartbeat under her chest. It sped quickly, in equal rhythm with hers. She counted the beats to make certain his heart really beat. It did.

There was something different about the way he regarded her. She wasn't the most intuitive when it came to the opposite sex, let alone the opposite species, but something had changed.

Janie - with you, life is always interesting.

He smiled, immediately making Janie forgive him for lurking like a stalker in her bedroom.

She wondered how long it had been since someone had really cared about him, and showed it.

His green eyes blazed with an impassioned craving to want and to be wanted.

It couldn't be true. She'd finally put her guard down, tried to trust in someone other than her mother and Abram. She'd finally found someone to love. It couldn't be. God couldn't be so cruel.

She radiated pure hatred; a hatred that could only develop when you love someone - the fine line between love and hate had been crossed.

Unfortunately for her, he was her weakness.

Going from love to loneliness was worse than not knowing love at all.