Dark Child | Adina West

“I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about Kat and her journey of self discovery and really love the world and the strong characters Adina West has created. In my eyes, the storyline is strong enough to create a good length series around (read: I want to read a lot more about these fascinating creatures) so I really hope that we at least get a sequel and that it will be in the form of a full length novel. Adina, I will beg if I have to!”
Linsey – My Books and Things

“A fantastic read full of deep twists and turns and lovely emotional hooks. I read the 5 episodes in the serialised approach and was totally hooked. I can’t wait to rediscover the story as one fluid work – and to read about what comes NEXT!”
Wai Chim – Goodreads

Now available:

Dark Child (the Awakening) Omnibus (Dark Child Book 1)

Dark Child (Covens Rising) Omnibus (Dark Child Book 2)

Dark Child (Bloodsworn) Omnibus (Dark Child Book 3)

Each of these titles was originally serialised in five episodes, and they are still available in this form. See below for covers and descriptions for each Dark Child title including the individual episodes.

It is anticipated that Book 4 in the Dark Child series will be available late in 2017. Adina thanks you for your patience; there have been delays with this title that were beyond her control.

Dark Child (the Awakening) Omnibus

Book 1 in the Dark Child series

Perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa, this intriguing urban fantasy follows the story of Kat Chanter, who discovers that the world she knows is controlled by ancient creatures who feed on blood. And she might just be one of them …

Lately things have been getting weird for pathology technician Kat Chanter. She’s been craving raw meat, and having dreams so realistic they’re scary. When she accepts a job offer from the prestigious Hema Castus Research Institute, she hopes she’ll have the chance to discover what’s wrong with her, but instead, her move to New York thrusts her headlong into a treacherous hidden world, where the wrong move could be fatal . . .

Tarot, witchcraft and astrology all take on a frightening resonance in Dark Child’s richly imagined alternative reality where vampiric beings live among us, hidden by magic. Dark romance tangles with paranormal fantasy and page-turning suspense in this enthralling tale of ‘dark child’ Kat Chanter, half human and half vampire, who has woken an ancient prophecy and must face a formidable destiny.

Dark Child (Covens Rising) Omnibus

Book 2 in the Dark Child series

Kat Chanter is no ordinary girl. And she’s no ordinary vampire, either. The ruthless Directorate will go to any lengths to curb her growing power, including murder. And when that leads to a war between races, Kat’s fate becomes the ultimate prize…

Kat is done with being on the run, or so she hopes. A new pathology job in Paris is her big chance to start afresh, far from the Tabérin Directorate who want her dead. Sure, adjusting to life as a half-vampire, half-human hybrid poses its own challenges, but it’s nothing Kat can’t handle … until the past starts to catch up with her.

Teenage loner Ben is also hiding his hybrid bloodlines and a troubled history with the Directorate. His growing involvement with Yara, the most popular girl in the senior class at his school, exposes secrets that place them both in mortal danger.

Because the Vodas, the all-powerful leader of the Directorate, has made eradicating hybrids like Kat and Ben his obsession. And as his methods grow more extreme, it’s not just his own people, the vampiric Tabérin, who plot to overthrow him. Another ancient and arcane power stirs. One that could threaten them all …

The covens are rising.

Dark Child (Bloodsworn) Omnibus

Book 3 in the Dark Child series

It’s open war between the Families of Power and the Tabérin. Two ancient races, witch and vampire, are locked in a deadly battle, and Kat Chanter, descendant of both warring bloodlines, is the only hope for peace …

With the fate of two races resting on her shoulders, Kat is determined to make the best of her forced visit to her grandmother Imara’s Napa compound, and learn all she can about the Families of Power and her newly discovered witch heritage. But she quickly learns that Imara’s word can’t be trusted. Prejudice runs deep in the old coven leader, and her grandmother remains committed to a war with the Tabérin that Kat would do anything to stop.

But Imara’s war isn’t the only threat to the fragile balance between the races that has endured for centuries. Fanatical factions within the European covens plot to resurrect an ancient power best left sleeping, and the new Vodas is building his dynasty on the backs of a personal guard willing to fight to the death to give him what he wants.

With the unsolved murder of a young witch boy raising as many questions as answers, Kat is discovering blood is the key to everything, including the new Vodas’s subjection of his sworn elite.

In this world, blood is power. But blood can betray you.

(the Awakening) Episode One

Kat can run a marathon without breaking a sweat. Catch anything you throw at her. Differentiate blood types by smell alone. And she’s spent years hiding the fact. But secrets from the past have a way of slipping out when least expected … and a simple blood test is enough to turn her quiet life in the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains upside down forever …

Pathology technician Kat Chanter isn’t looking for trouble. On a good day, the most exciting thing in her life is the iridescent violet nail varnish on her housemate Tiffany’s manicured fingers. But lately, Kat’s been craving raw meat, and her dreams – always weird – are getting so realistic it’s scary. When she visits a psychic she’s told her life is about to change forever. Kat isn’t so sure change is a part of her plan, but a blood test at work raises more questions about her unique heritage she has no idea how to answer, so when a fabulous job offer comes her way – one that will give her the chance to research others just like her – she’s tempted to say yes and make the move to New York.

Will her dream job bring answers to all her questions or will it lead her into more trouble than she could ever imagine?

(the Awakening) Episode Two

A crawling unease stirred deep within her. She shifted a little further away from Char. Finally she spoke, her voice fracturing the tense silence.
“Who are you, Char?”

Kat doesn’t want to question her luck too closely when she lands a fabulous Manhattan apartment only blocks from her new job, even if cab drivers do have a funny habit of driving right past her antiquated apartment building without seeing it.

But the quiet building hides a deadly secret, and when Kat meets Char from down the hall, she’s drawn into a hidden world where humans aren’t welcome, populated by beings as dangerous as they are beautiful. Soon Kat’s neck-deep in trouble and on the run, and discovering the truth about her own unique heritage might just make things worse…

(the Awakening) Episode Three

Dead? Kat clenched her fists, her stomach a writhing tangle of knots. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
Had this all been an elaborate ruse to trap her? The platelet study; the offer to come and work at the Hema Castus Research Institute; the special attention from Director Norris and the other man who’d recruited her – Ionescu? Surely they’d have had no way of knowing who she was. Still, if the Directorate controlled Hema Castus, and the Directorate wanted her imprisoned, even dead, everything took on a much more sinister light. And anyway, why did the Directorate want her dead?

Kat has always known she’s special. Different. But finding out why is still a shock, especially when she discovers the malevolent Directorate, a clandestine organization of untold power, have put a price on her head.

Forced into hiding in the remote White Mountains, Kat’s life is suddenly in the hands of the wild and dangerous unalil. But trusting her new protectors isn’t easy, since they seem almost as terrifying as the killers who pursue her . . .

(the Awakening) Episode Four

Despite all the people surrounding them she still couldn’t help feeling Alek was . . . dangerous. There was so much pent-up savagery in him. She let out a shaky breath as his dark blue eyes caught hers and held.
Then his hands slid around her wrists, alive with energy, and she forgot to be afraid. It wasn’t just a touch, but a caress that left melting warmth in its wake.
She’d heard the words before, but not spoken like this. His voice was liquid honey, lingering where others like Miklós had hurried, and imbuing each word with textured layers of additional meaning, as what had been stock phrases took on erotic promise.
“Whatever you desire, you need only ask,” he added softly at the end, as he lifted her wrist and brushed it with his lips. When her breath caught, he gave a slow smile, displaying sharp white teeth.

Kat’s unalil protectors are on high alert in their mountain stronghold. The remote location has delayed the Directorate finding Kat, but now an attack seems imminent.

Kat’s finding her 24/7 guard frustrating, especially since Alek, most predatory of the unalil, seems determined to take his role as protector to the next level . . .

(the Awakening) Episode Five

Then she heard it; faintly at first, but quickly becoming louder. Her faint prickle of unease became a crawling apprehension that made every hair on her body stand on end. Because there was no mistaking the sound that was drawing ever closer. The excited baying, the mournful howls of wild creatures as they grouped and closed in for the kill.
Cold dread swept through her, chilling her to the bone. The pack was here.

The future seems hopeless, and Kat’s life is in the balance. Is it possible that she holds the key to their survival? Because if she can’t find a way to unlock the knowledge within herself, it won’t just be her life that’s forfeit, but also the lives of the unalil, and of their captive sister . . .

(Covens Rising) Episode One

Kat is done with being on the run, or so she hopes. A new pathology job in Paris is her big chance to start afresh, far from the Tabérin Directorate who want her dead. Sure, adjusting to life as a half-vampire, half-human hybrid in transition poses its own challenges, but it’s nothing Kat can’t handle … until the past starts to catch up with her.

When she’s approached by one Tabérin male from her past, she can explain it away. But add in another territorial Tabérin with a newfound conscience and it’s starting to get crowded on Kat’s Montmartre window ledge. Past experience tells Kat to be cautious, especially in her vulnerable state. But how can she tell friend from foe?

(Covens Rising) Episode Two

In her dreams, she craved fresh blood. Warm human blood. And her incisors were long, sharp – able to bite through a fragile layer of skin with ease. What sort of monster does that make me?

Kat discovers that her presence in Paris isn’t such a secret anymore. But if she has to battle the Directorate again, it seems she’ll have much more support this time. Some of it from the most unlikely sources.

Meanwhile, teenage loner Ben discovers that he has much more in common with Yara Fortes, the girl of his dreams, than he ever hoped. But in a cruel twist of fate, the shared secret that links them together could also get them killed …

(Covens Rising) Episode Three

The hunger was worse every day, and now there was only a whisper-thin line holding her back from a dark red sea.

“You would feed me?” Her voice came out so husky and low that it was a wonder he heard her.

In Paris, Kat hears of horrifying events back in the States. The leader of the Directorate is openly attacking those with mixed Tabérin and human blood. Hybrids like her. And chances are he’ll be turning his attention to Europe next.

Kat knows she needs to go into hiding again. But then her Tabérin aunt, Akilina, reveals something about Kat’s heritage that changes everything. If Akilina is right, the Directorate will stop at nothing until they have eradicated Kat and the threat she represents. No matter how many they have to kill to get to her …

As the threat from the Directorate intensifies, Ben and Yara barely escape the US with their lives. But being trapped together on a boat bound for Europe could prove much more dangerous than anticipated. Because one of them is in transition, and needs to feed …

(Covens Rising) Episode Four

Kat brought her eyes back to Amber. “Am I still in danger?” she blurted.

“Of course you are.”

An unexpected visit from Kat’s grandmother adds a shocking twist to the unfolding mystery of her hybrid heritage. Add to this a romantic tangle of epic proportions and Kat’s visit to Akilina’s chateau in the idyllic Loire Valley is shaping up to be anything but relaxing.

Kat’s powers are growing, and with war between the races looming new alliances are being forged. And everyone, it seems, wants Kat on their side…

(Covens Rising) Episode Five

“We are a proud people, from an ancient lineage. We may be lovers of peace, but we know when to fight for it!” Imara raised her fist. “You wondered if the people who hurt you will pay for it? Hear me now. They will pay.”

Kat’s grandmother seems determined to wrest Kat away from her Tabérin friends and allies and bring her back into the family fold – a family of untold power stretching back centuries. Kat refuses…but her grandmother isn’t someone who takes no for an answer.

As the hybrid refugees flee the attacks by the Directorate and converge en masse in Paris, and the Families of Power gather their forces across the western world, Kat is fighting her own battle. Her grandmother’s disclosure of her true family heritage has changed everything, and now Kat finds herself heir to not one, but two warring dynasties…

(Bloodsworn) Episode One

Kat’s barely settled in Napa before she wakes to broken promises. Her grandmother Imara has left at dawn for her San Francisco headquarters, where the real decisions on coven politics are being made, and Kat wasn’t invited.

Then Kat discovers the entire Napa compound is riddled with silver – making it a Tabérin no-go zone, and her grandmother the worst kind of liar.

Clearly Imara still believes the only good Tabérin is a dead one. That leaves Kat’s Tabérin family – and Ben with them – in deadly danger from the coven’s witch militia. And Kat’s utterly powerless to warn them …

(Bloodsworn) Episode Two

Kat and her grandmother had a deal. A deal that Imara has definitively broken. Frustrated by Imara’s security team watching every move she makes, Kat escapes the compound, and finds Alek waiting for her outside.

But their reunion goes anything but smoothly. Though passion flares between them, anger follows as swiftly and burns as brightly. As Kat’s powers of witchcraft grow, she knows it’s vital she keeps her emotions restrained, but if there’s one thing Alek excels at, it’s making her lose control.

Meanwhile, Ben and his newfound Tabérin family find sanctuary with a coven sympathetic to their plight, under the protection of Samuel, the European coven leader. Samuel’s hidden valley settlement seems the perfect place to recuperate and lay low. But not everyone here is a friend …

(Bloodsworn) Episode Three

When Kat’s offered the opportunity to escape her grandmother, continue her training in Europe under Samuel’s supervision, and be reunited with her Tabérin family, she jumps at the chance. But in Samuel’s company she learns more about the secrets and intrigues of coven politics than Imara has ever shared. It seems that Imara’s war with the Tabérin Directorate isn’t the only thing threatening the Families of Power, and that Kat’s own position as heir to the coven leadership is far from assured.

Char has her own problems at her new nightclub in York. She’s always had a sixth sense for danger, but even she could never have predicted the catastrophic fallout from agreeing to John Falcon’s request to hide Yara Fortes. The traumatised teen’s connections go all the way to the very top of the Tabérin Directorate. It seems the new Vodas will stop at nothing, and spare no one, to get Yara back.

(Bloodsworn) Episode Four

Trouble darkens Kat’s arrival in Europe; the murder of a young man from Samuel’s settlement, in their most sacred Gathering Place. The runes that adorn his naked body speak of attempts to raise a fearsome and ancient power, one that countless witches have worked for centuries to keep safely buried.

As Kat comes to terms with this new threat, Alek tells her he’s leaving, but won’t share any of the details of why, or for how long. All she knows is that he’s heading into danger … and that he’s hiding something from her. He wants her trust, yet remains reluctant to give her his.

(Bloodsworn) Episode Five

An imprudent daytrip to the Italian city of Trieste goes badly wrong when Kat and her witch companions linger past dusk. They’re discovered by Directorate agents, and barely escape with their lives.

Kat’s grandmother is not so lucky. Kat receives word her Napa compound has been attacked by the Vodas’s forces, and Imara is only just clinging to life.

There’s mounting evidence that the Vodas has revived a barbaric feudal practice, and is building an elite force of bloodsworn soldiers, loyal till death, fuelled by a seemingly endless supply of the Directorate’s prized “old blood”. He seems unbeatable … unless, of course, they can find a way to cut off his blood supply at its source.