This was a little bit out of my genre, which leans more to the paranormal romance and horror, but I totally enjoyed this & recommend it. I will be reading the other 2 books in the trilogy. This was more fantasy and included a mage, witches, vampires, gargoyles & such. It was a totally different take on vampires and I cant wait to read the rest of the trilogy to see what happens.

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Growing up, I read this book more times than I can count. Then it went missing from the library and I despaired of ever being able to enjoy it again. This is hands down one of the best vampire books ever written. The story puts more emphasis on the fantasy rather than horror and it is a beautiful 'personal growth' story as well!

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The first in the Darkangel trilogy. (2 & 3 are also available)

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Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

It was just a normal day for Aeriel, a servant, having to complete her chores. This time she was with her mistress, Eoduin, collecting flowers upon a mountain.

Both girls were told numerous times about the dangerous creatures that roam the earth, although neither ever took them seriously. But one story, the one Bomba had so urgently told them, about the Darkangel, the vampyre who takes the souls of innocent, beautiful women, became a reality for the girls.

While up high in the mountains, with very little capability to see or hear, the Darkangel swoops down to capture Eoduin.

This does not bode well with Eoduin's parents or Aeriel. Wanting to seek revenge, Aeriel goes back up the mountain to confront the Darkangel, only to discover that he captured Eoduin to become his thirteenth bride. Unable to complete her task, the Darkangel then captures Aeriel, not to become his bride but to be his servant.

Aeriel soon learns that once the Darkangel captures his fourteenth bride, his powers will be fully developed.

And so begins Aeriel's journey to not only save her life, but the lives and souls of the thirteen other girls -- and to prevent the Darkangel from seeking his last bride.

From the very beginning, readers will be enticed by the dark and mysterious world created by Pierce, where no one is safe. The author's great use of detail creates vivid images that will haunt the reader and leave them wanting more.

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This is definitely my favorite Sci/Fantasy YA series of all time. I first read this series 13 years ago and to this day I still go back and reread with the same gusto and excitement as when I first picked it up.

It's a riveting story of Aeriel a slave who's mistress is captured by a young vampire and her journey to recover her mistress' soul. In her journey she grows and discovers herself and overcomes her self image as a slave to one of a strong beautiful young woman that finds true love in the most unlikely of places.

The story takes place in an imaginary world and involves Vampires, Witches, Gods, and Guardians. It takes you from one end of the world to the next in a fantastic epic adventure complete with romance. What more could you possibly ask for?

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Unassuming slave Aeriels life changes forever when the feared vampiric darkangel takes her mistress to be his thirteenth bride. In an attempt to rescue her, Aeriel becomes the darkangels servant and finds herself drawn to his cruel yet vulnerable nature and his terrible history. When an opportunity arises for Aeriel to go on a quest that will stop the darkangels ascent to full power, she must choose between killing him or finding another way to save him.

THE DARKANGEL did YA vampire romance way before Twilight, and I have wanted to read it for a while. While it didnt blow me away (Im starting to suspect that classic YA paranormal romance is just never going to make it onto my favorites list), THE DARKANGEL was still a decent read that deserves to have an audience in todays YA paranormal scene.

Past the beginningin which I felt Aeriel was a bit too teary for me to likeTHE DARKANGEL quickly became an enjoyable read. There was always something going on, something new in Pierces world to discover, something new revealed about the darkangels past. Pierce does little obvious world-buildingas in, no paragraphs-long descriptions of what we need to know, no world-building heavy-handedly woven into dialogue or characterizations, as many world-building attempts are wont to gobut its not long before you get a lingering image of the unique world that Aeriel must navigate in order to defeat the darkangel: a place not of Earth yet tied to it, a place fraught with magical possibilities yet eerily hostile to them.

Some of the events that took place in the plot veered towards outrageousness, but then I compared this to other YA paranormal romances that have somehow achieved bestsellerdom and then I felt a lot better about Pierces authorial decisions. I dont have a strong urge to read about what the darkangel and Aeriel get up to nextthis series is a bit too paranormal romance-y to be my thing, despite its incorporation of mythology and magicbut then again, Im not averse to it. If I come back to that rare mood of mine where I want to read YA paranormal romance, I know where Im going.

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This reads like a lyric fairy tale, but a dark one. You fall into its depths, and don't want to quit reading until the very last page.

From facing page: THE DARKANGEL--- Aeriel remembered the first time she had seen the vampyre, a creature with wings as deep and dark as the sky. They drank the light and diminished it; they were wings of pure shadow. It was only when those wings unfolded that Aeriel discerned the figure of a man. Never before had she seen a living being so cold and evil...or so compellingly handsome. His magnificence, his splendor and sureness, took her breath away. When he looked at her, her strength failed her. She could put up no struggle as he folded her in his wings and carried her away...

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This is the first book in the Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. This was an excellent book, very fairy tale like in the telling and an interesting, somewhat traditional, take on vampirism.

Aeriel's friend is taken away by a vampire to become his bride. Aeriel is determined to find her friend and take her back home. When the vampire comes to take her she finds herself in a castle where only a gnome-like mage, gargoyles, and the wraiths of the vamp's wives are her company. Aeriel must find what she needs to do to free the wraiths from the vampire's clutches. Her quest will take her on a magical and fantastical journey.

The writing for this book is a bit dated but good. At times the writing is incredibly descriptive. The story is very fairy tale like, slow-moving at times with lots of deliberate description. There isn't a ton of action here. The pacing is variable; at times the story moves forward at a very deliberate pace then all of the sudden months have gone by. This story is not for people who are really into high action or fighting scenes. If you are into fairy tales then this is the story for you; that is the best description for this book....classic fairy tale style.

Overall this is a beautiful story and very gothic. It is also a fairly short book; takes maybe a couple hours to read. Appropriate for young adult readers or maybe even younger readers who don't scare easily. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series :-)

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