Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

This is a romantasy without fae! Honestly it was pretty refreshing. It’s set in our world, but when that FMC goes to sleep she gets transported to a different world and fights with others like her to defeat these demons who possess people into doing bad things.

I enjoyed the romance in here even if it was instalove (because they are soulmates). Which isn’t a spoiler because it’s said in the first or second chapter. It was also an easy read (under 400 pages).

The only “downside” is the fact that the characters are a bit young. The FMC just turned 18, and the mmc is only a few years older than her, so it can come off as YA, but it isn’t.

It comes out on January 7th, and I recommend!

Release date is January 7th and I’m so glad I got to read this before then . The “touch her and ☠️” that Pax has for Aria is legit and makes you dream of it!! The love and protection he gives her, the battle to be with each other is what every one wants. I cannot wait to own this book in person! AL Jackson is one of my favorite authors and for her first romantasy it was awesome! She can definitely keep growing but man she had me hooked from the start!!! I cannot wait to read the next part of this story! I hope she doesn’t make us wait too long to read what happens next!!!

“Make no mistake, I would break every fucking rule in this world and in that one to keep you safe”

“I’m not. You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to kiss me. I’ve imagined it so many times, but this? This is something I will carry with me for my entire life.”

“The only place I want you is with me,” “Because that’s where we belong.” “That’s right. You belong right here, with me.”

“I will always find you”

“Forever”

I was so excited to read Visions of Darkness upon reading the blurb for this book. I found the premise to be so unique; the main character enters a war where she is fighting demons every night when she falls asleep. However, whenever she wakes, she will wake up with battle wounds. As a result, her family and friends had concerns that she was self-harming because she did not have an explanation as to why she sustained these wounds.

My main issue with the book was how slow the beginning was; so many times, I almost DNF it, but I pushed through. It just felt like so many details were unnecessary and drawn out, without giving us the "meat" of the story. I also struggled with the main love interest; I didn't feel any chemistry between them and found the switch to the "spicy scenes" to feel unnatural and unrealistic.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC.

This was a solid fantasy book, but I definitely needed more. I am a world-building person, and I don’t think there was enough world-building in this book to satisfy me. I felt a little lost in the world/magic system at times. I liked both of our MCs, but didn’t love them. It was a solid book and has a ton of potential.

I have previously read books by A.L. Jackson and loved them. I was super excited to see a Romantasy book was being created by her! The story follows the journey of two main characters, Kash and Everly. Kash is a brooding, tortured man who is battling inner demons from his past, while Everly is a woman who has experienced trauma and is haunted by visions of dark and mysterious events. The book is layered with themes of redemption, trust, and healing, with a strong focus on the emotional scars that both characters carry. You get a mix of romantic tension, danger, and psychological twists. I really enjoyed reading this book! Thank you Valentine PR and A.L. Jackson for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book!

Visions of Darkness is the first book in her first fantasy series written by AL Jackson. I am no stranger to AL Jackson’s romantic suspense books, so when she announced she was releasing a fantasy book, I was so intrigued! Visions of Darkness is honestly a unique take on fantasy that I haven’t quite seen before. I love the basic premise of this book already and am so interested in learning the deep secrets behind everything.

Pax and Aria are connected in a way neither of them really understand yet, but I love them. The chemistry and understanding between these two seems to be on another level and at the end of the day, they are ALWAYS there for each other. This book is dark and dramatic but it has its sweet moments that you wouldn’t expect. The action we read about played before my eyes like a movie, which just tells me this book was good.

I cannot wait to see what happens next with Aria, Pax, and their unconscious world. Visions of Darkness will have you on the edge of your seat, flipping from chapter to chapter, just hoping for some answers to reveal themselves! Now I will be patiently waiting for the next book and to see where the journey goes from here, because I feel like it’s just starting👀

This book had a new kind of fantasy world for me, i've never read a book similar to this, which was really fun because of that i couldn't always guess which way the story was going to. i was really interested in their story and how this was going to go. i was invested thoughout the entire book and would definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves a good fantasy book

i think that this book was extremely unique and very well done for being her first romantasy, it’s no secret AL is a phenomenal writer!

Visions of Darkness by A.L. Jackson is an enthralling romantasy that blends action, intrigue, and forbidden love in a unique dual-world setting. Aria Rialta’s life splits between reality and the mystical realms of Tearsith and Faydor, where she and her Sol, Pax, are bound to fight the sinister Kruen. Their bond, forbidden in the waking world, becomes their solace, but the lines between the two realities blur with devastating consequences.

The story's dual narrative flows seamlessly, balancing the intricacies of both worlds with relatable, emotionally charged characters. Aria and Pax's connection is powerful and deeply moving, though Pax’s single-minded devotion can occasionally feel repetitive. The pacing is tight, the world-building immersive yet accessible, and the found family theme adds depth to the battle between good and evil.

Perfect for both seasoned fantasy fans and newcomers, this addictive story ends with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, leaving readers eager for the sequel. If you love slow-burn romance, forced proximity, and a touch of real-world crossover, Visions of Darkness is a must-read!

For all the fantasy lovers out there, get ready for Visions of Darkness. The Lavens are a group of people who, when they go to sleep on Earth, jump to another world where they descend to yet another place to fight the evil spirits that infiltrate humans’ minds and cause them to do bad things. Aria and Pax are part of this family and have sworn to only be together in their other world, until Aria needs Pax in her daytime life.

First - wow! AL Jackson has an incredible imagination and a wonderful way with words. The story is engrossing from the start and was action packed throughout. Although I like a bit more romance, I enjoyed Pax’s protectiveness, Aria’s strength and their attempts to evade harm and figure out how to fight the ultimate evil. It was a great story if you love fantasy.

This book is romantasy. And it is absolutely phenomenal! This is a new type of writing for Amy. And she hid it out of the park. How she can write Aria and Pax in the human world and a world of fantasy. How she switched between the two worlds, flawlessly. How she made it feel like you were also going between the two worlds along with Pax and Aria. This book of twists and turns with lots of suspense is throughout the entirety of the story. The unknown when they were awake or asleep. How Pax knew he is here to protect Aria. How Aria knew she is here to love Pax. These two learn to navigate the two worlds together. How to dive into the feelings they have for one another. This book is everything! And the way it ended…gah! I highly recommend this book!

I think this would be great for our Dark Fantasy book club! It wasn't my preferred taste in books, but I could see others really enjoying it.

A huge congrats to AL Jackson and her new fantasy romance debut! I think what I really loved about this one is that the world building was very unique. I can’t quite say I’ve read anything similar, and I love the juxtaposition of the dreamscape of Feydor and the characters having to carry out their real life and deal with the consequences while awake. Aria is such a great FMC. She has so much goodness and integrity and light about her despite all the terrible things in the world that she helps fight against. Pax is definitely new book boyfriend material!! Their Nol bond really drew me into their relationship and his dedication to her safety and happiness was just swoon worthy. I wouldn’t call this an Insta love story but almost a childhood friend to lovers with a heavy dash of forbiddennes considering their calling. I freaking loved the slow burn nature of the story as they realize they were Fated to each other for way more than they realized. There’s a lot of tension as they fight the darkness of the world, and I thought the ending was really great. Don’t worry there is spice you get to it All in good time 😉😋I also don’t think I realize this was a series so I was crazy surprised by the cliffhanger. 😂😂 but I can already tell this is going to be an amazing series!!

Look, this was my first AL Jackson book, and I know romantasy is not her norm (I’ve seen allll her romance books) but she had me hooked the whole time and I can’t wait to continue this series after that cliffy! She made me a fan!!

What a great first installment of romantasy from AL Jackson! This story centers around Aria and Pax and blends between past and present as well as “visions” and reality. I really loved the way the pieces of the story were intertwined and feel like there is so much more to discover. Aria is a strong female lead in spite of the resistance of her parents. There is definitely more to the story with her father. I enjoyed how the suspense kept building as we progressed throughout the book. Can’t wait for the next one!

So I am not a fantasy reader okay? But A.L Jackson makes me consider becoming one. This is her very first Romantasy novel and it did not disappoint. This book was very unique and well written. Our characters alternate between the real world and an alternate universe when they sleep. I feel like it made it much easier for us readers stepping out of our “real world” settings to adjust to the fantasy world . I would also consider this book very suspenseful as they are on the run from both worlds so to speak, and there’s a lot of what I would consider demonic fighting between the worlds as well. It was almost too spooky for me 😅.

Our characters are fated mates, although it is considered forbidden for them to act out their love for each other. Our MMC is a morally grey hero, who protects our FMC (the chosen one) with every ounce of his being. While the plot for this book was reached, there is a twist at the end that would leave one assuming there would be a book 2 at some point.

Aria and Pax are two sweethearts that are truly meant to be. They knew being together was forbidden, but still found each other and defied all logic and sense. What is love if not defying everything else to be with the one you love?

The whole fantastical elements were mind blowing, but easy to understand for a first time romantasy reader.

And that cliffhanger, please can we have the next book in the series asap!!!

Totally did not expect this kind of book from Author A.L. Jackson.
The story kept me entertained and totally had me guessing on where it would go.
Great start to this new series.

A Vision Unfinished

So, I took a chance on reading a fantasy book, it's been almost 10 years since the last one I read. I have loved this author's writings for so long, I thought I would give it a chance.

The pictures painted of the scenery were vivid, but I felt like I was continuously trying to picture what I was seeing instead of falling in love with the characters and their journey. This has always been a problem for me when reading anything fantasy-related. It is a lot of world-building.

This story follows Aria and Pax and the double life they lead. During the day, they both have relatively normal lives, but when they sleep, they are transported to Faydor where they lead their chosen life as Laven. Their life's mission is to protect humans from Kruen. At the start of the story, Aria is about to be 16 (maturity age for the Laven), but she has struggled all her life with hiding who she is from her family on Earth. When Pax feels that Aria is in danger on Earth, he sets out to find her even though it's forbidden. I loved the connection that Pax and Aria had with one another, but I found keeping track of both worlds was a bit exhausting. And I kept thinking their brains must be severly overworked.

I will say I did not know there would be a cliffhanger, which was disappointing at the end. But I will definitely be picking up the next book because I need to know how their story ends.

This one was beyond amazing! I couldn’t put it down! From the start, it had me hooked! The characters were everything!

This is AL Jackson’s first fantasy novel and i think she did a really good job of setting up what is sure to be a great series! This is a an urban fantasy, so it’s perfect for new fantasy readers! Mostly set in our world, so there is no intense world building!! It was exciting and kept me engaged throughout. Aria is just coming into her powers and Pax’s unwavering need to protect her, along with their long time connection set up what is bound to be a scorching fantasy romance!!! I’m excited to see where this one goes, as it ended on a pretty good cliffy!