Book Review: Speak of the Demon By Stacia Stark

Speak of the Demon

(Deals with Demons #1)

By Stacia Stark 

I hunt demons.

I don’t work for them.

And I promised my mom one thing before she was murdered: Under no circumstances, would I ever go near the high demons.

But I’ll break that promise over and over again if it helps me avenge her death.

When my only lead winds up dead in the middle of demon territory, I’m suddenly in deep shit. Violence in Samael’s club is a death sentence… unless he can use you.

And it turns out that the scariest demon in the Triangle has a use for little ol’ me.

Demons are being slaughtered. His demons. And as a bounty hunter, it’s up to me to find out who would dare hurt his people.

I’ve got two weeks to find the killer, and if I fail, I’m bonded to Samael. Forever.

Samael’s certain that I’ll be his, but I’m not the kinda girl who risks her freedom for a demon.

I’m the kinda girl who won’t let anyone get in the way of her vengeance— not even the Machiavellian control freak who thinks he can run my life.

The problem? I’ve pissed the wrong people off.

Now I’m the one being hunted, and someone’s coming for me with everything they have.

But I’m never more dangerous than when my back is up against the wall.

And I’m ready to come out swinging.

Available At:| Amazon |

Check Out The Other Books In This Series:

(Linked to my review!)

My Review:

I had a rocky start with this novel. Though I realized that the issue was me not being in the right mood for this book when I initially picked it up (Hi! I'm your friendly neighborhood Mood Reader™ nice to meet you!). Overall, this book was very good! The universe the author set out to create was interesting and complex. The characters were three-dimensional and fascinating. You couldn't help but root for a few even though they had their sketchy moments and motivations.

Danica was a bad*ss! She was holding down a job even though her circumstances were rough while still doing everything possible to figure out what happened to her mother. Of course things went from bad to worse and that's where to story really kicks off. I enjoyed her journey but it didn't end with just this one book.

Samael was one of those characters that you started to like and then he gave you 5 different horrible reasons to not like him but you still kinda-sorta like him anyway? Yeah, I'll just leave it at that. He's charming in all the right ways and scary when need be.

I really enjoyed Ag and Vas throughout the story. The dynamic they and Danica had together was quite refreshing and provided great comic relief from a heavy storyline when needed.

The ending. I really thought for a second there that Danica was going to accomplish all her goals and be free. I'm interested in how she's going to deal with her current situation and Samael moving forward. There are already quite a few books in this series so it's looking like it'll be a long journey.

My Rating:

Book Review: Shadow's Lyric By C. A. Worley

Shadow's Lyric

(Crossing Daggers #1)

By C. A. Worley

It began with a blood oath.

It ended in bloodshed.

When twenty-one-year-old Lyric is told by her father, Gabrian, she will be crossing into the Otherland as payment for a favor he owes the Shadow Lord, she thinks her life is over. In truth, it is just beginning. Years of training as a soldier and an uncanny ability to learn pretty much anything give Lyric the tools she needs to survive her new reality — and it totally helps that her new lord and master is sex incarnate.

Draven has long awaited Lyric’s arrival, and not just because he needs her to track a powerful weapon stolen by an unknown adversary. He believes he has everything firmly in hand, despite the subterfuge he foolishly agreed to some twenty years back. When Draven’s enemies and lies of omission both threaten the fragile bond he and Lyric are forming, he refuses to allow anything to stand in the way, not even the razor-sharp blade of Lyric’s favorite sword.

WARNING: This novel contains tons of bad language, the occasional smackdown, and a good deal of inappropriate humor — sometimes all at once.

Available At:| Amazon | B&N | Kobo |

My Review:

* Everything in red is a spoiler.

This book had so many good things going for it but all the slut-shaming (towards other women and the main character bad-mouthing herself constantly) really took away from everything. I liked the world the author started building in this series. I enjoyed all the new concepts that were introduced (speaking of a glossary of terms would have really done this book some good). The secondary characters were memorable and made the story that much better.

Lyric was something alright. She started off as a bad*ss and violent to an interesting degree kind of character but like I mentioned at the beginning of this review all the internalized slut-shaming both towards herself and other women almost made me DNF this novel multiple times. It wasn't because she was a prude either. She was half-demon (and it's said that they are normally very sexual creatures) living in a household of full blooded male demons. Things like that weren't a secret to her. As soon as she starts feeling something towards a guy she calls herself all the names in the book and so much more. I don't know about you but what she was feeling is completely normal. I wish Draven called her out on it at some point. Mental illnesses are also loosely mentioned in this book by means of insulting another character. It wasn't graphic but it rubbed me the wrong way nonetheless.

Draven was such a good character! He was charming and respectful of Lyric and his people but would rain h*ll upon anyone or anything that messed with him. I liked that even though he was protective of Lyric he wanted her to get to know his fighters and prove herself as capable in battle in their eyes. He has his secrets but it wasn't something he could help considering the extenuating circumstances.

The end was good, the epilogue was meh. If you've read enough of my reviews I don't usually like epilogues that end in pregnancy because I don't believe pregnancy is the end-all-be-all some people seem to think it is for a couple to be happy and lead a fulfilling life. Daven and Lyric have it hard enough why would you choose to have a baby in the middle of all this is still beyond me. That being said good on them, I just don't think that was necessary for the story.

My Rating:

Audio Book Review: The War Of Two Queens By Jennifer L. Armentrout

The War Of Two Queens

(Blood And Ash #4)

By Jennifer L. Armentrout

Narrator: Stina Nielsen & Tim Campbell

Length: 26 hours and 38 minutes

War is only the beginning…

From the desperation of golden crowns…

Casteel Da’Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not even him, could’ve prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost unthinkable.

And born of mortal flesh…

Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of the Primal of Life’s guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make war her way—because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms can reside in peace.

A great primal power rises…

Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear—to protect those who cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been prophesied to be—what she fears the most.

As the Harbinger of Death and Destruction.

Available At:| Amazon | B&N | Audible | Kobo | iBooks |

Check Out The Other Books In This Series:

(Linked to my review)

My Review:

This book made my anxiety skyrocket. It was so bad that I had to politely beg *ahem* ask for spoilers from a very kind soul on Twitter. I bet this will make a fantastic reread but the first time around was H*LL. By this point I don't even know where the story is going I'm just hanging on for dear life hoping the author ends everything on a happy note. In terms of world-building, this was fantastic! It gives much more insight into other cities and their people. It also confirms how prominent the resistance is and how entrenched they are in the cities ready to accomplish their goals.

Poppy was just as bad*ss as ever. She was putting disrespectful people in their places left and right. She stood up and laid down what was going to happen in the most respectful of ways. All the while making clear that it was going to go her way period. 

I loved the spotlight this particular book cast on Kieran. He's come such a long way from when we first met him. It's been made clear that he's slowly (over the last 3 books) warmed up to and has come to enjoy Poppy's company and her never-ending questions. He's a really nice guy who will stand beside Poppy regardless of if it puts his life in jeopardy. I like how he still teases her about her questions even though she's The Queen. Their banter is so adorable!

Cas has been put through the wringer with this one! I hope the author is done torturing him. This book was so hard to get through because I didn't know what would happen to him. I was making myself sick with worry. It was not fun. However, I loved that he was still just as fiercely in love and adoring with Poppy as he's been in past books. I really appreciate how Cas treats Poppy. I really like them together because they complement each other so well!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

(Highlight with mouse to read!)

Now to talk about the elephant in the room: The Joining. I was never particularly against or for The Joining. As long as the author didn't obviously force it or create a plotline that obviously had nothing to do with anything in the story to push this I knew I was going to be okay with it.

The way it happened flowed well with the story. It wasn't something completely out of left field. It was obvious that the event was planned ahead of time and had a lot of thought and intention put into it. It was also consistent with Kieran's evolution toward Poppy in past books. I can say that with certainty because I just got done with a reread of the series so everything is still fresh in my mind. At the same time though, it's weird/out-of-character because of how possessive Cas is of Poppy. I understand that in their society it's a normal tradition that people grow up knowing about (even though it's fallen out of "fashion" for some time) and it's an honor. How can Cas be okay with sharing his wife with his best friend in that way? Food for thought I guess.

My question going forward then becomes will Cas, Poppy, and Kieran become more than they already are (AKA will they enter into a poly relationship)? Or will it be like it never happened and it'll be Cas and Poppy with Kieran being the loyal BFF/advisor?

What I wouldn't do to sneak a peek at the storyboard the author probably has outlined for this series and the other series planned in this universe!

END OF SPOILERS.

The end was not as painful or as heartwrenching as the past cliffhangers in this series have been so far. It was actually a great reprieve considering how anxiety-inducing the first 16 or so hours of this audio book were for me. The very end had a lot of big revelations and will definitely need a reread before the next book gets released. Though I will say I dislike how murder happy the author has been with the characters in this series. I'd really prefer that to stop and for everyone to be happy. It's impossible. I know. But a girl can dream.

The Audio Book:

I've gotten so used to how Stina Nielsen narrates/vocies the characters that I kinda sorta disliked Tim Campbell's narration from the very beginning. I tried my best to give him a fair shot but if I'm being honest I would have preferred Stina Nielsen to have narrated this whole book as well. OR if from the beginning this whole series had been dual narrated with both their dialogues interspersed between each other. Considering how big this authors books are and how well they sell that should have been a conversation that was had with the publisher from the beginning. 

Let me be clear that there wasn't anything necessarily wrong with Tim Campbell's narration. This is a personal issue I have. I usually dislike male narrated books because I find that their voices grate in the long term due to not having as wide of a range in voices as I would like/am used to with female narrators. There have been exceptions and I've listened to many MUCH worse narrations. This one was one of the almost pleasant ones but still not a favorite.  

My Rating:

Monthly Recap: March 2022

March!

The War Of Two Queens completely destroyed me!

I can't wait for the next book!

My review will be live this coming Monday!

Now on a completely different note, I just really need to rant. My timeline on Twitter showed me a post about someone who had gotten DMed by a guy she had never met and since she didn't reply right away he got combative. After she replied with something like "oh I'm not on as much on here sorry for not replying" he changed his tune. I went ahead and posted about a similar experience and all of a sudden I get quote tweeted as "paranoid" and had a guy ask "how am I supposed to meet someone if not by messaging them". How about they don't get super aggressive when they don't get a reply?

For the sake of venting, I'd like to put two stories on "paper" to maybe help people understand why so many of us are so scared of what could possibly happen if we're not careful.

Story #1: I was in college and a few months in a got a message on FB from a guy I had never met or seen before. The first red flag was that he messaged me in English. I never replied. For context, I live in Brazil in a small city. I had nothing on my profile specifying to speak to me in English. I didn't know how he knew to speak to me in English. That made my blood run cold. I was lucky in this first instance that even when he saw me out on campus alone he didn't approach. When I tell you I was scared of what this guy could possibly do given the chance is an understatement. I'm glad nothing ever happened.

Story #2: I was in high school and there was this guy around my age that lived in my building. I saw him every day for years. Eventually, he ended up talking to me. A few months later he seemed okay enough and asked for my number and FB. Even though I wasn't interested I didn't know how to say no. He messaged me on FB and (I'm not proud of this) I never replied. That situation made me so anxious that I was making myself physically sick. So I did what any 17-year-old kid who's running away from her problems would do: I blocked him on everything. Fast forward 2 or 3 years and I see him a few times on campus in college. The one time I was alone he struck. As I was coming out of the bathroom and turned my head there he was. I saw him run in my direction as I'm turning to head back to class. A few seconds later I feel someone clamp their hand around my arm and pull me toward them. I try and pull free while turning to look and come face to face with him. He then proceeds to repeat loudly with a very angry and aggressive tone "do you know me now?". I froze like a dear in the headlights and ended up nodding rapidly without speaking a word. I think I was still trying to pull my arm out of his grasp while all this was happening. He eventually lets me go and turns around and walks away. It was so quick that I don't think the people around me even noticed what happened. I raced to class and didn't sleep that night. This was what I was so afraid would've happened with the guy in the first story. Granted it could have been so much worse but that guy had just proved to me that all my fears could become a reality if I wasn't careful next time.

Now tell me how I'm supposed to be flattered and not scared when a guy DMs me out of nowhere when this has been my experience (and so many other people's experience) with men who like to call themselves "the good guys". These stories happened sometime in the last 10 years and I'm still affected by them even while just writing them out. 

Sorry for the heavy topic guys!

I'll try and make it light next month 😅

Until next month!

Happy reading!

Books I Read & Listened

To In March

| eBook | eBook | eBook |

• Dance With The Demon By Stacia Stark - This series is a drug because I'm very much addicted! I love, love, love the universe the author is fleshing out with these books! The characters are complex and painted in shades of grey. I don't know whether or not I can trust them but in the best way. It sounds odd, I know. (My review coming soon!)

• Inner Demon By Stacia Stark - This series has turned into my favorite so far this year! The characters are complex! The story is interesting! I love how the author manages to intertwine 3 different plots into one while still making it possible for me to keep everything organized in my head about them. If that's not talent then I don't know what is! (My review coming soon!)

• Luck Of The Demon By Stacia Stark - This book felt like one big very obvious connect the dots but in a good way. I could see the pieces falling into place long before they happened. There are quite a few interesting twists along the way and a lot about possible future spin-offs were hinted at. That was actually one of the most interesting aspects of this book in particular. (My review coming soon!)

| Audio Book | Audio Book | Audio Book |

• The War Of Two Queens By Jennifer L. Armentrout - The lengths I had to go to to not be spoiled from Day 1 was not fun. People seem to feel VERY strongly about certain aspects of this story. I understand now why I ended up reading a spoiler on my timeline on the day this book was released with no spoiler tag. (My review is live here!)


• Becoming Alpha By Aileen Erin - If you had told me I would be rereading this book almost 9 years later I would have looked at you funny and moved on. BUT alas here we are! If I'm being honest I jumped at the opportunity to read this book because this was one of my one-that-got-away series. I absolutely loved it but after 3 books the main character changed and it was jarring enough that it turned me off the series as a whole. (My original review is live here & the GR update is here!)

• The Crown Of Gilded Bones By Jennifer L. Armentrout - THAT ENDING WAS JUST AS BAD THE SECOND TIME AROUND! The Blood Queen deserves everything she's going to get and more by the time this series is done. (My review is live here!) 

Books I Can't Wait To Get

My Hands On In April

* Book titles are linked to Goodreads.

5th

| Lover Arisen | Claimed By The Barbarian Dragon |

26th

| Other Half Of The Grave |

(Audio Book)

28th

| Wolf Hunter |

29th

| Demon's Advocate |

Here's What Happened On

This Blog In February

I reviewed the following books & audiobooks:

• Winter Wolf By Rachel M. Raithby  ★★★☆☆
• The Quarterback Alpha By Emma Wolfe ★★☆☆☆
• Dragon Mate By Jen L. Grey ★★★☆☆
• The Last Vampire By R. A. Steffan & Jaelynn Woolf ★★★☆☆

What books are you looking forward to reading this month?

Let me know in the comments below!

Audio Book Review: The Last Vampire By R. A. Steffan & Jaelynn Woolf

The Last Vampire
(The Last Vampire #1)
By R. A. Steffan & Jaelynn Woolf

Length: 6 hours and 21 minutes
Narrator: Gwendolyn Druyor

There’s a smokin’ hot dead guy locked in my garden shed.

That part’s bad enough. But now, he’s trying to get out.

Growing up, my father always told me that I’d come to a bad end, just like my mom did when I was a kid. Hearing that kind of shit when you’re little eventually gets to a girl, but I can’t say I ever expected my ‘bad end’ to involve an angry vampire with a severe case of iron deficiency and a panty-melting English accent.

Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. Ever since my mother was assassinated, I’ve felt like there was something vast and frightening hidden beneath the fabric of the world. Something none of us are supposed to know about.

So far, finding out I was right hasn’t been nearly as satisfying as I’d hoped. I guess the trick will be staying alive long enough to shout ‘I told you so’ from the rooftops.

But before I can do that, I really need to figure out if the vampire who just bit me is one of the good guys or not.

Available At:
| Amazon | Audible |
My Review:

This book built a fantastic universe to be continued in the following books in this series. I loved the number of different creatures that were included or alluded to in this book that could possibly make an appearance in future books.

With all that being said Zorah was such a clueless main character that it ended up dragging the story down for me. She also has very special and, for what she is, impossible/never-before-seen magical powers that didn't add much to the story unless it was to put her on the pedestal she apparently deserves as an extra special half human half paranormal creature thing. She was also rather whiny and repetitive with her inner monologue which only got worse with time.

Rans was an interesting character that I wanted to know more about. To be honest there were quite a few moments where I would have preferred to be in his head rather than Zorah's and that's coming from someone who doesn't really enjoy/go-after male pov novels. His secretive nature was what held me on until the end.

I don't know how to feel about this book. The world the authors built is fantastic but the characters don't do it justice. I may or may not pick up the next book eventually in the future.

The Audio Book:

The narrator's voice for Zorah was on the shrill side and ended up grating in the long run. There were quite a few moments where Ran's British accent simply disappeared. This audio book would have been better had they had at least two narrators at the same time reading their lines (I think it's called dual narration or something of that like). It would have done more to pull me into the story.

My Rating: