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Demon Rogue by D.N. Erikson
I’m Kalos Aeon. I’ve been around for longer than you could know – and most people don’t want to know me, being half-demon, and all – but right now I’ve got a big f’in problem.
Title: Demon Rogue
Author: D.N. Erikson
Series: The Half-Demon Rogue #1 AND Demons and Bounty Hunters #1
Publish Date: June 18, 2016
Source: purchased by reviewer
Publisher’s Description: I’m Kalos Aeon. I’ve been around for longer than you could know – and most people don’t want to know me, being half-demon, and all – but right now I’ve got a big f’in problem.
A woman just came into my office, and I gotta say, from the photo she slipped me, someone’s got a serious issue with the supernatural.
Life expectancy is looking kinda low if I don’t figure out who’s kidnapping magical creatures, selling their blood and trying to reveal magic’s existence to the mortal world. Last time that happened it didn’t end well. I’m not optimistic about this time, either.
Joke’s on me, anyway, for setting up a magical salvage and retrieval business. 50% of an item’s magical essence and a per diem can’t cover the damages this job is gonna inflict.
Money and magic aren’t of much use to a dead man. And If I didn’t have a code (yes, I’m a demon with a code), then I would jet out of Texas faster than a vamp at a sorority party (you don’t want to know).
But I agreed to the gig, she paid the cash, so I gotta see it through.
Did I mention the super-powerful wiccan – who I used to have, ahem, relations with – just returned from a long hiatus in a place worse than hell? And she’s still obsessed with finding a certain god’s spear that I may or may not have.
Seriously. This situation is code red. I’m almost willing to accept help from wizards. On second thought, no wizards. I hate you guys. I’d rather die.
So um, if I don’t make it through the next three days, anyone want a talking dog that’s read too much for his own good? Because the way things are going, Argos is gonna need a new home after the spells stop flying…*
*His only request is that you suck less than Odysseus. Apparently, the epic poems got that all wrong, and that guy was a major asshole. Or my dog might just be bitter. Tends to rub off when you live with a demon.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words …SPOILERS. *BEWARE*
Nervous Nellie says…
This was a good book. I almost read it in one sitting, it was that good. I can describe this story through other books I’ve read. It’s got a pinch of Harry Dresden, except instead of Bob, there is Argos. It’s got your standard villains that want to rule the world. It’s also got trolls, warlocks and other magical creatures.
The plot of the book was just as it’s title suggests. A Rogue Demon is the main character. He’s got a destiny that we just learn about in the first book and appears to be the tip of the iceberg regarding the trouble coming Kal’s way. The editing was good, the story was good and it was entertaining. So much so, like I said, I nearly read it in one sitting. There is no sex – it’s not a romance. It’s a true form urban fantasy. There isn’t any grisly death and dismemberment – it doesn’t fall anywhere near the horror genre. Kal doesn’t use magic unless he has no choice and then it always comes with a serious price tag.
I will pick up the next book. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.
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Craven Street by E.J. Stevens
In this spellbinding novella, E.J. Stevens weaves a tale of murder, necromancy, and demonic possession.
Title: Craven Street
Author: E.J. Stevens
Series: The Whitechapel Paranormal Society #.5
Publish Date:
Source: Purchased by reviewer
Publisher’s Description: In this spellbinding novella, E.J. Stevens weaves a tale of murder, necromancy, and demonic possession that brings together characters from her Whitechapel Paranormal Society Victorian horror series and award-winning Ivy Granger Psychic Detective urban fantasy series on the fog-shrouded cobblestones of Craven Street.
The discovery of bricked up skeletal remains at 36 Craven Street point to something more diabolical than an illegal anatomy school. The tool marks on the bones, arcane sigils of great power, indicate more than mere butchery, more than enlightened experimentation. The signs, omens, and portents support the crown’s greatest fears. A great evil is being unleashed upon the gaslit streets of London, a blood-drenched shadow reaching skeletal fingers beyond the slums of Whitechapel.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words …SPOILERS. *BEWARE*
Nervous Nellie says…
This story takes place in Victorian London. The “Society” as they affectionately call themselves, are women that investigate the paranormal happenings of the city. They have male counterparts, but those counterparts make light of their contribution to the point of butts of jokes. The concept of this book is awesome, the story itself, was just a teaser.
This book is a novella that introduces the horrifying elements that are terrorizing London. Each woman has a special gift to bring to the table, and while Cora (who can see the dead) and Flan (is a wiz with a knife) are starting their own romance, they have to figure out who is killing all the women they are dragging from the river. Then there is a demon that is involved. It is first and foremost a Demon Lord, but a Demon Lord with a conscience. It doesn’t like how the bad guy is treating the demon “puppies” of the realm, so it helps Cora, Flan, Edith, and Anna find and lock up the human power seeker. But that is just the beginning.
While this book doesn’t have a cliffhanger, it is definitely a lead into the series. There is no sex, but there is a F/F hot kiss. The story isn’t graphic in it’s description of the deceased and lets your mind do the work there. The one thing that detracted from the story (for me) was the use of $500,000 words that I had to look up in the dictionary to find the meaning. However, to be fair, that’s how those that lived in the Victorian era spoke, so it was my fault for not having the knowledge, not the book.
I’m not positive I will keep on with this series, but who knows? The first book releases in October 2022.
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The Seer’s Daughter by Athena Daniels
This seductive supernatural thriller is as sexy as it is captivating. The Seer’s Daughter is a perfect blend of suspense, paranormal and romance. A brutal murder brings together a young woman and a detective with two very different beliefs.
I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
Title: The Seer’s Daughter
Author: Athena Daniels
Series: Beyond the Grave 01
Publish Date: November 9, 2015, Sunset Coast Publishing
Genre: Thriller/Paranormal Romance
Source: From the publisher
Publisher’s Description: To save her, he must let go of everything he ever believed.
Upon returning to her hometown for her grandmother’s funeral, Sage Matthews is terrorized by a series of strange events. She dismisses each eerie occurrence as a by-product of her overwrought emotional state, until it becomes chillingly clear that something not of this world is desperate to get a message—or is it a warning?—through to her…
Detective Sergeant Ethan Blade comes to Cryton, South Australia, to catch a serial killer. When Ethan meets Sage—the latest victim’s beautiful granddaughter—his attraction to her is explosive and inconvenient. He knows she’s not crazy, but Sage’s theory about the murders is unbelievable.
With the handsome detective rejecting her ideas, Sage embarks on the supernatural journey that her grandmother started. What she discovers shatters everything Sage ever knew about herself—and who she really is.
Ethan’s routine case quickly turns personal when he discovers Sage is the killer’s next target. For her, he’ll break all the rules and cross every line. But how can he protect Sage from an evil he cannot even conceive of?
Possible spoilers beyond this point.
Luna Lovebooks says…
“Mother of all things holy, the man knew how to kiss! Every inch of her skin was on fire and aching for his touch. She ran her hands across his shoulders and down his chest, resenting the thin layer of fabric that kept her from the warmth of his skin. Tugging at the bottom of his T-shirt, she caressed his taut abdomen, then slid her fingers up and across the rippling muscles of his chest. The contact was electric, and she reveled in the low sound it elicited from him.”
This is the first book I have read by the author and to be honest it probably will not be the last (and not just because of the cliffhanger ending). The romance is steamy but it isn’t overpowering. The main focus is the investigation into Sage’s grandmother’s death. Sage begins to believe her Nan was killed by some supernatural force, while Detective Ethan Blade thinks more logically. The blending of these two beliefs from logical serial killer to demon possession is amazing.
There were two elements that bothered me a little. One was the fact that Sage spent a little too much time grieving over Nan. I understand that it was a sudden and tragic death and they were super close, but I felt like she should have gotten angrier and wanted to catch the killer far sooner than she did. The second element was the inconsistency of the family’s popularity. It is established that no one visits the shop or send cards and that Nan’s circle was small. But suddenly everyone loves Nan and her funeral is attended by a multitude of people? It was just a little hard to believe.
Despite these two shortcomings, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and they don’t take away from the novel, just makes you pause and question. I cannot wait to dive into the rest of the series over the next few months and see where the Beyond the Grave series takes us! I give this particular novel 4 pendants.
Other recommendations…
Check out these other great reads!
Scarred by Elizabeth Montgomery, Don’t Wake the Dead by C.C. Wood, Ironic Sacrifice by Brooklyn Ann
I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
Raw Power by Ambrose Isben
If you were dying, and you were asked if you wanted a risky experimental surgery to save your life, would you do it? What if the surgery involved a demon’s heart?
Title: Raw Power
Author: Ambrose Isben
Series: Demon Hearted #1
Publish Date: June 6, 2016 by Audible Studios
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Narrator: James Foster
Source: Purchased
Publisher’s Description: I’m one of those disgruntled millennials you’ve heard about on the evening news. I’ve got a master’s degree in Art History, a mountain of student loan debt and no job to show for it.
Wait, scratch that. I track down stolen pieces of art for wealthy clients and then beat whoever stole them to within an inch of their life. Say what you will, but it puts bread on the table.
Something went wrong with this last job of mine, though. I walked in on something I wasn’t supposed to see and got murdered by witches. Yeah, real, legit witches. Never saw that one coming, did you? Neither did I, and the only reason I’m writing this is because some doctor working for an ancient secret society decided it would be a good idea to use me as a science experiment.
See, he implanted a new heart in me and saved my life, but it wasn’t just any old heart. It was a demon’s heart. Nifty, eh?
Anyhow, I’m back and better than ever, except that, now and then, the demon takes over completely and I do awful things. Lose control. But enough about that. This is a story about how I (mostly) rein in the demon’s impulsive personality and seek revenge against the coven of witches that tried to kill me. Along the way, I learn a thing or two about this secret society I’m apparently now a member of and find out that there’s a lot of shit out there that goes “bump” in the night.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words…spoilers. *BEWARE*
Nervous Nellie says…
Wow. This was a great book. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I started this 
book, but it was non-stop action until the end. This story did not have any sex. There was plenty of violence but nothing too graphic. There was no cliffhanger.
Lucian is kind of a jerk. I won’t lie and say he’s super cool because he’s not. He’s basically a thug that “repossesses” items for the uber rich. He’s just looking for a fast buck and really doesn’t care much about the whys or wherefores. He just wants the payday.
Then the demon heart happened.
The next thing Lucian knew, he was thrown into an A-Team situation where he had the temperament of a spoiled prom queen and the power of… well… a demon.
Not sure that’s a good idea, but the witch coven that is super evil is sacrificing children to work their magic. It’s up to Lucian and his Scorpion-like team to stop their end game.
By the end of the book, I got to liking Lucian a little better. That’s good writing right there. The author took a character from slug to hero in two hundred pages. I am looking forward to the next book, Roaring Blood, as it is waiting for me in my TBR pile.
Quickly, I’d like to address the narrator. Sometimes you get really crappy narrators that can’t fit their character no matter what. Not this guy. His spin on Lucian Colt was awesome. He captured Lucian’s whiny, spoiled attitude and then helped him along his way to self-realization and becoming a better guy. Super narrator. I’ll listen to him again, no questions asked!
Tarnished Journey by Ann Gimpel
This is the final book in the Soul Dance Series. Shifters, Romani, and Celtic gods do battle with demons and vampires who have signed on with Hitler in order to save Earth.
I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
Title: Tarnished Journey
Author: Ann Gimpel
Series: Soul Dance 04
Publish Date: July 18, 2017, Ann Gimpel Books, LLC
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance
Source: Provided by Publisher
Publisher’s Description: Long before Germany rounded up Romani and sent them to prison camps, the Netherlands declared them undesirables. Yara’s caravan disbanded when she was fifteen to avoid being driven out of the country. Ten years have passed, and she’s been alone for most of that time hiding in caves and abandoned buildings. It’s been a lonely life, but at least she still has one.
Stewart conceals his true identity for the best of reasons. He’s not actually Romani, even though he’s been a caravan leader for many years. In a bold and desperate move, he joins a small band of shifters and Rom to fight the Reich’s chokehold on Europe. When they’re crossing the border into the Netherlands, vampires attack.
Yara senses Romani near her cave. The stench of vampire comes through loud and clear too, along with shifters. While not nearly as bad as vampires, her people have always steered clear of them. Another type of magic plucks at her. She can’t identify it, but it draws her from her hiding place. That decision tilts her world on its axis when she comes face to face with Stewart’s raw masculinity and savage presence. She could still turn tail and run. If she stays, it doesn’t require magical ability to recognize her life will change forever.
Luna Lovebooks says…
I am almost sad that this series is ending. I was not sure at first, but it became one I greatly enjoyed. For Tarnished Journey we leave behind the vampires and Nazis (for the most part) and get into another mythos, that of the Celts. I enjoyed that aspect a little more than I did the previous novels.
I love that the author features strong women in her stories. Yara is no exception. She has had to be tough and independent since her caravan disbanded and she has been alone since she was fifteen. Meeting Stewart changes everything for her. He introduces her to a new life and reveals many secrets that have been kept from her such as where her power really comes from. I really enjoyed the romance between them. Stewart is very honest with her and genuine in expressing his love. Even though Yara fights him at first, their love had me rooting for them.
There is a lot of action in the story and many twists. Readers never know what to expect next as the characters encounter all kinds of danger. Not only do they face vampires demons and the Nazis but now god and goddesses are thrown into the mix.Every chapter the characters face a new and exciting danger.
I liked this story better than the previous installments. I give it 4 talismans!
Our reviews in this series…
Other recommendations…
Check out the Dragon Lore series by Ann Gimpel, The Hathaways series by LisaKleypas, Gypsy Lord by Kat Martin
I received an ARC or review copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
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