Review: Warriors of Darkness
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 25, 2006
Colonel Alejandro Vargas is in charge of the team directed to secure for the government a new realm that seems very earthlike.  Besides the soldiers, there are many experts to examine and translate the ruins, and catalog the artifacts that were left behind by the Avatarians who first inhabited this realm.  His entire team are supernatural beings, with the exception of one doctor who was just brought in.  Alejandro is a shifter - a were-jaguar from Brazil.  Having a human on his team would normally not matter one way or another.  But there is an instant, overwhelming lust he feels for her - almost like what he would expect to feel for his mate.  A major complication is that he believes she is the girlfriend to one of his good friends who just happens to be a member of the team.Dr. Deryn Murray stands out in more ways than just being the only human in the group.  In fact she is not human at all but a slayer, the natural enemy of all supernaturals.  Deryn learned, after a serious attack which brought her powers to the front, how to disguise them so she could not be sensed.  She would feel out of place on the team, but for the fact that her two best, and oldest, friends are also part of the group.  There are many things that have Deryn on edge: because of her powers, she can see and talk with the spirit tomb guards, who are not happy the team is here, and the animals that reside in the realm.  One of her biggest worries is that the designs they are finding on the ruins match the tattoos she was born with.Deryn understands the danger all around them and sets herself up as protector.  This puts her at odds with Alejandro who feels a powerful need to protect her. They attempt to solve the riddle of who left the ruins, and why the spirit tomb guards want them all gone, especially, why they want Alejandro dead.  They also must bring the rest of the group around to the fact that danger is all around them, and that Deryn is the only one who can save them - not destroy them.  Alejandro and Deryn circle around each other, fighting the very natural feeling that they are part of one another.  Close cramped quarters, and Deryn forgetting who was sleeping where, takes the instant lust and closeness to heaving, teasing, and finally hot sex and mating.Deryn realizes that the government has a back up plan if she can't take care of the spirit tomb guards: to have the entire team disappear by sealing the portal connecting it to earth and leaving them there. While several members of the team go to earth to confront certain members of the government over this and arrange for their safety, Deryn and Alejandro learn that many secrets have been kept from not only them, but also other members of the team.  Determined to protect Deryn, Alejandro sees to it that she must stay on earth when he goes back to finish what was started.  This decision backfires on Alejandro, and only his determination and fury bring them back together again.With Warriors of the Darkness, Ms. Roth has another story that has a great mix of supernatural beings teaming together.  Alejandro and Deryn share many hot teasing sessions while trying to avoid their lust.  When they finally mate, the scene was extremely erotic and well written.  The storyline shows that gods, supernaturals, and even humans don't always know what's best and that sometimes something done to protect can make matters worse.  Warriors of the Darkness began sharply, and took me right along with it.  While I won't say this is a quick read, I found that by reading it a bit slower than normal, I was able to pick up on all the little things that added to the story that I might have otherwise missed. Once again Ms. Roth has written a paranormal story that will appeal to not only paranormal or fantasy lovers, but to romance readers of all kinds.  Grab a comfy seat and get ready for a wild ride and an awesome story.JoReviewed for Joyfully Reviewed