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Demon Age Series #1
Tiger Born
Wanted by the Adepts of Te'Mea, protectors of humankind.
Condemned by the demonlords, rulers of the world.
Je'Rol is a cursed man in search of a dream—peace in his life.
On a world where most half-bloods are executed at birth, Je'Rol has survived. The son of a demonlord and a human, Je'Rol bears the stigma of the blood rage, a killing instinct unleashed when he loses control of his emotions, and each time carries him closer to the edge of losing his humanity forever. Only one object can free him of the killer inside; but it is an object only of legend and one said to reign over all demons. Because of its power, he is not the only one who seeks it.
With his life cut shorter by each blood rage, time is quickly running out for Je'Rol, but his search for freedom could mean the end of the world.
Condemned by the demonlords, rulers of the world.
Je'Rol is a cursed man in search of a dream—peace in his life.
On a world where most half-bloods are executed at birth, Je'Rol has survived. The son of a demonlord and a human, Je'Rol bears the stigma of the blood rage, a killing instinct unleashed when he loses control of his emotions, and each time carries him closer to the edge of losing his humanity forever. Only one object can free him of the killer inside; but it is an object only of legend and one said to reign over all demons. Because of its power, he is not the only one who seeks it.
With his life cut shorter by each blood rage, time is quickly running out for Je'Rol, but his search for freedom could mean the end of the world.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
M.A. Nilles
43 books9 followersM.A. Nilles is the more serious side of Melanie Nilles. She resides with her husband and kids, and a clowder of cats who take advantage of their human slaves for food and warm laps. An equestrian of over forty years, Melanie has ridden in various disciplines from cattle work to dressage and continues to pursue her equine interests in her free time. On the writing side of her life, she has published many works as Melanie Nilles, including the young adult Starfire Angels series, new adult Adronis novellas, the Luriel Cycle trilogy, and others. As M. A. Nilles, she publishes adult science fiction and fantasy, including Tiger Born and Spirit Blade and the Starfire Angels: Revelations and Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds series. For updates, visit her website at www.melanienilles.com.
Her primary (active) Goodreads profile is listed as Melanie Nilles.
Her primary (active) Goodreads profile is listed as Melanie Nilles.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 13, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Derandria is populated by Demonlords (the ultimate rulers ~ with each region ruled by different Demonlord clans) who are animalistic predators in their natural form but often also take on the appearance of humans (although their beauty marks them as different). Many Demonlords enjoy the taste of human flesh!
There are different types of humans. There are human leaders of various regions, ordinary humans, Adepts (who have the power of dispirit and many of whom are demon hunters & half blood killers) and sorcerers.
There are also half bloods ~ humans conceived by one Demonlord parent and one human parent. Their human bodies war with their demon side and when the blood rage (their demon side) takes them over, they become animalistic, dangerous and murderous. Each time they lose themselves to the blood rage, they become a little less human. Eventually they lose their humanity completely. Consequently half~bloods are considered dangerous and are hunted and killed by demon hunters ~ sometimes even killed at the point of their birth. Few live to adulthood.
Je'Rol is an exception. He has lived the life of a fugitive ~ avoiding both demon hunters and the people that he is afraid of hurting. He has survived to adulthood but now his time appears to be running out as he is caught in the middle of political manipulations and a realisation that greater things are at stake than his quest for freedom from the "beast within".
The book has some spelling mistakes which I always find distracting, as it jolts me from fantasy to reality. However, there weren't enough to annoy me, unlike some self~published books that I've read.
The book is a lot darker than I have grown to expect from Melanie Nilles. It is also quite gruesome in places. However, the violence is appropriate to the story line and is therefore not superfluous. Derandria is a whole new world, with fantastic inhabitants that are brought to life through Melanie Nilles skill with words. I could visualise the Demonlords completely as I read the story, despite their varied appearances. The story is easy to read, with a plot that flows nicely, is imaginative and creative. I enjoyed the story and look forward to a sequel!
There are different types of humans. There are human leaders of various regions, ordinary humans, Adepts (who have the power of dispirit and many of whom are demon hunters & half blood killers) and sorcerers.
There are also half bloods ~ humans conceived by one Demonlord parent and one human parent. Their human bodies war with their demon side and when the blood rage (their demon side) takes them over, they become animalistic, dangerous and murderous. Each time they lose themselves to the blood rage, they become a little less human. Eventually they lose their humanity completely. Consequently half~bloods are considered dangerous and are hunted and killed by demon hunters ~ sometimes even killed at the point of their birth. Few live to adulthood.
Je'Rol is an exception. He has lived the life of a fugitive ~ avoiding both demon hunters and the people that he is afraid of hurting. He has survived to adulthood but now his time appears to be running out as he is caught in the middle of political manipulations and a realisation that greater things are at stake than his quest for freedom from the "beast within".
The book has some spelling mistakes which I always find distracting, as it jolts me from fantasy to reality. However, there weren't enough to annoy me, unlike some self~published books that I've read.
The book is a lot darker than I have grown to expect from Melanie Nilles. It is also quite gruesome in places. However, the violence is appropriate to the story line and is therefore not superfluous. Derandria is a whole new world, with fantastic inhabitants that are brought to life through Melanie Nilles skill with words. I could visualise the Demonlords completely as I read the story, despite their varied appearances. The story is easy to read, with a plot that flows nicely, is imaginative and creative. I enjoyed the story and look forward to a sequel!
August 29, 2012
This book was really good. I didn't know what to expect at first. But, I was slowly dragged into the story and quickly became attached to the characters and their problems.
The society reminds me of feudal lords and serfs. However, this story also involves a different type of magic system that puts a twist on things. Though I'm not going to spoil anything. You'll just have to read it and see for yourself!
A definite referral to anyone remotely interested.
The society reminds me of feudal lords and serfs. However, this story also involves a different type of magic system that puts a twist on things. Though I'm not going to spoil anything. You'll just have to read it and see for yourself!
A definite referral to anyone remotely interested.
September 5, 2012
An interesting dark fantasy novel about a man who is half demon. M.A. Nilles does an excellent job of describing a world filled with complex characters without overcomplicating the plot. The novel leaves plenty of room for sequels and I look forward to reading them.
May 29, 2017
It took me a while to get into this book. The first...half of this book, I would say, was almost nothing but Je'Rol getting captured by someone, trying to murder them for daring to restrain him, and then growling in frustration because there was absolutely no way for him to escape. And then escaping, anyway.
After Nadia was introduced was when the plot really took off, and the story became a lot more interesting. She and a lot of the "rebellion" demonlords helped make the book readable - if it had *just* focused on Je'Rol, I don't know if I would have been able to finish it. He was a bit flat as a character. He had the whole internal struggle between control and rage going on, but that's pretty much ALL he had going on. When he wasn't mad about being locked up, he was mad about how half-bloods were treated.
Nadia was a bit more complex as a character. Not much more, as her character's entire motivation was, "J'Rol broke my heart, so now I must kill him". But, she got the ball rolling and led to the introduction of Je'Rol's father and...that other demonlord noble. I can't remember their names, but they were really fascinating characters. I loved every second they were the focus of the story.
The demon designs were pretty cool. While some of the demonlord tribes were just animals (like the tigers), there were several that were amalgamations of different animals, which is always neat to see authors throw together. There weren't nearly enough of these in the book, but the story's main focus was on the civil war in the tiger tribe, so I can forgive that.
Really, I'm most interested in seeing where the series plans on going from here. I mean...the ending. I know what a second book would most likely cover - after the ending, it'll just feel weird, though. The entire focus will have to shift. But maybe that's not such a bad thing.
After Nadia was introduced was when the plot really took off, and the story became a lot more interesting. She and a lot of the "rebellion" demonlords helped make the book readable - if it had *just* focused on Je'Rol, I don't know if I would have been able to finish it. He was a bit flat as a character. He had the whole internal struggle between control and rage going on, but that's pretty much ALL he had going on. When he wasn't mad about being locked up, he was mad about how half-bloods were treated.
Nadia was a bit more complex as a character. Not much more, as her character's entire motivation was, "J'Rol broke my heart, so now I must kill him". But, she got the ball rolling and led to the introduction of Je'Rol's father and...that other demonlord noble. I can't remember their names, but they were really fascinating characters. I loved every second they were the focus of the story.
The demon designs were pretty cool. While some of the demonlord tribes were just animals (like the tigers), there were several that were amalgamations of different animals, which is always neat to see authors throw together. There weren't nearly enough of these in the book, but the story's main focus was on the civil war in the tiger tribe, so I can forgive that.
Really, I'm most interested in seeing where the series plans on going from here. I mean...the ending. I know what a second book would most likely cover - after the ending, it'll just feel weird, though. The entire focus will have to shift. But maybe that's not such a bad thing.
June 30, 2012
I am so excited that I received Tiger Born as a Goodreads Firstread. Tiger Born is a compelling story of a demon halfblood Je'Rol and his journey to find the truth and a way to control his demon side. He has to fight his way from the hands of a soceress and the man she works for to escaping death at his tribes hand. M.A. Niles does a wonderful job writing this novel. The images she depicts are very well done and the story line is interesting as well. The way the novel ended makes me wonder if there will be another book to accompany it. I would very much like to see another novel.
I enjoyed reading the book a great deal. I found it hard to put down and when I did, I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I admit there were points where the story seemed to drag on, but now that I finished the book, those points were necessary to the story line. Not every story can be fast paced and move along quickly some need to take time, and Tiger Born is one that has a lot of information that is needed to understand the plot. All in all it was a book I enjoyed and would suggest to others.
I enjoyed reading the book a great deal. I found it hard to put down and when I did, I couldn't wait to pick it up again. I admit there were points where the story seemed to drag on, but now that I finished the book, those points were necessary to the story line. Not every story can be fast paced and move along quickly some need to take time, and Tiger Born is one that has a lot of information that is needed to understand the plot. All in all it was a book I enjoyed and would suggest to others.
March 9, 2013
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. This book is set in a very interesting and unique world, however, after keeping this book on the nightstand for two months, I found myself only halfway through the book and not staying interested enough to want to finish it. I think what kept me from getting drawn into the book was that I didn't feel a connection with the main character and ultimately found myself not really caring about his plight. The constantly shifting secondary characters made it very difficult to find a lot of depth in the story and I found myself thinking "this is the bad guy.. ok, now this is the bad guy.. ok, now we have a new bad guy... why do I care about the main character running from all these bad guys when he just runs into new ones"
Although the book "didn't do it for me", I still rated 3 stars because I enjoyed the uniqueness of the world, which is what kept me in the book for as long as it did.
Although the book "didn't do it for me", I still rated 3 stars because I enjoyed the uniqueness of the world, which is what kept me in the book for as long as it did.
April 2, 2013
This is a wonderfully creative fantasy. The world of demonlords, half-bloods, sorcerers, and goblins was refreshing. I liked the main character Je'Rol, and the supporting cast. There were a few points where things got confusing, and I would have enjoyed if more of Je'Rols and Nadia's inner dialogue had been externalized. It had a strong—and unexpected—ending. If you enjoy tigers, fantasies, or just something different, I recommend Tiger Born.
I wrote a little bit more about my experience reading Tiger Born here:
http://heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2013...
I wrote a little bit more about my experience reading Tiger Born here:
http://heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2013...
March 12, 2013
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I did enjoy the story and the characters, though I did feel that it was more of a slow moving story, but it was also outside of my regular reading genre so that probably added to it. I also found it very descriptive which I feel has been hard to find in many books. It made envisioning the world that much easier and more alive.
For me, I'd consider it a one time read, but for those who are more into just fantasy, I'd highly recommend it.
I did enjoy the story and the characters, though I did feel that it was more of a slow moving story, but it was also outside of my regular reading genre so that probably added to it. I also found it very descriptive which I feel has been hard to find in many books. It made envisioning the world that much easier and more alive.
For me, I'd consider it a one time read, but for those who are more into just fantasy, I'd highly recommend it.
October 12, 2016
This was a great start to what has the potential to be a great series. It has everything that a reader needs, an epic quest, a tortured hero/anti hero, immense odds against success, an unrelenting enemy, a little romance, and plenty of blood and Gore. A very good read.
Want to read
May 8, 2012Reading this book at the moment. So far I am finding it to be an unusual dark fantasy. Not very pacey but interesting enough to keep coming back to. I won this through 'first-reads', Thank you!
Want to read
May 4, 2012I was lucky enough to have won this book through the goodreads "First Reads" Giveaway! Thank you so much!! I can't wait to read it when it comes in! It sounds really interesting! :D
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews