Rating: 4.5 rounded up to 5
This was quite an intriguing read. The opening introduced us to the butt kicking heroines, sisters Nicole and Brooke, and the unfolding events from there just kept me riveted to the pages. I stayed up all night to read this and finished in just over five hours. The world building was also quite interesting. I didn't have any difficulty picturing the surroundings the characters found themselves in. This story took place on both Earth and the demon realm, Torth, in equal measure.
It's not often I come across stories where the heroine is almost equal to a badass alpha male, but I did feel that Nicole could hold her own, at least with the less dangerous foes in this story. I think as the series goes on, she'll receive more fight training (love the sparing sessions with Gunnar), and develop her powers more.
I enjoyed Nicole and Gunnar as a couple. Something else that was new to me was that there wasn't a long preamble about who or what they were. Gunnar pretty much got to the point very quickly, while Nicole took a little longer to come clean about everything, but in her defense, she had more to lose and played it smart. As their relationship developed they were surprisingly open with one another, and I loved that they supported each other. Gunnar was quite a sexy hero, from his looks down to his other assets. He was powerful and very protective.
The Watchers, made up of Gunnar, Kai, Rhys, Brenin and Raniero, were Lash demons. We got brief glimpses of each Watcher throughout the story, Kai and Raniero in particular which makes me think the next two books will be their story. I also have a niggling suspicion about Raniero's lost love,and I'm dying to find out if I'm right. I won't get into the Solsti because I don't want to give too much away.
As far as rest of the story, I wouldn't go so far as to say there was a massive info dump, but when it came to all the different (demon) species in this story, I did feel a little overwhelmed with all the names, especially trying to remember individuals; not knowing if they'd be important later or not. Here's a list of all the other creatures/characters mentioned (mostly for my benefit for the second book):
Lash demons: Gunnar, Kai, Rhys, Brenin and Raniero aka The Watchers
Rilan: Lash demon Elder.
Arawn: Leader of the Lash demons
Rosa: Powerful witch who aides Gunnar and Nicole.
Cale and Ashina: Not sure what Cale is, but Raniero is his mercenary. Not by choice. Ashina is/was Cale's daughter and Raniero's love interest until her father separated them.
Skell demons: Baddies. Incompetent and rather pathetic creatures. Aka Nothing-But-Trouble, according to Rhys.
Gar demons: No particular information on them. They were supposed to be a myth. They haven't existed in a millennia and were killed in a fierce battle with the Domu demons.
Deserati demons: Allies. Miranda often hooked up with Kai.
Ghazsul demons: Baddies. Tied closely to Gunnar's history.
Nymphs of Rivkin: Allies. Extremely sexual creatures. Their leader: Taszim and his wife, Larissa.
Maeron, Domu demon: Villain.
Xarrek, Domu demon: He wanted to achieve the sorcery level of a mage to become invincible. He perished in the Rivkin Forest where the nymphs collected his ashes.
There was a decent amount of bloody battles throughout the story, a nice show of Nicole's powers and a lot of sex. Although the sex was very hot, I felt it was a little too much that they seemed to outweigh the action. Also, this story had multiple POVs. They didn't bother me or detract from the story.
Overall, I was very much entertained and look forward to reading the next book in the series. The sweetest thing was seeing him struggle between wanting to shield her completely from any danger and allowing her to do what she was essentially her calling. I think as the series goes on and we meet the other sisters, the fellas will all go through the same thing as Gunnar – having to accept that their females don't need to be coddled but encouraged and supported. Another plus is that this book didn't end on a cliffhanger. I'm guessing that each book will have a new danger or a new villain to overcome so you will get a wrapped up story.
Favorite Moments:
The primal need to protect her filled him, taking over his senses. He vowed to keep her safe, no matter the cost to him. His life, though immortal, was expendable. Her life was extraordinary, a rare light brought into the world for the purpose of saving it.
~*~
Suddenly the most naughty thought popped unbidden into her head. She sucked in a breath.
“What?” He ran a finger down her uninjured arm.
Her cheeks burned. “I just wondered...can you...I mean, would it be possible for you to...have sex while you're in that state?”
He stared at her, eyebrows raised, before flipping her to her back and grinned wickedly. […]
She covered her eyes with her hand. He must think she was a complete pervert. “I'm sorry. That was inappropriate.”
I for one wouldn't mind seeing that scene ;)
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author for the purpose of an honest review.