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The Shadowfae Chronicles #5
Demon Chained
Jewel is a djinni of the lamp, an enchanted slave, bound to her owner by dark magical cravings she can't resist. She burns for freedom, and when her lamp is stolen—by Tam, a hot and dirty bad-boy thief—she vows to be rid of her new master at any cost. Even as she plots Tam's demise, the lamp's dark fascination makes her long to claim him as her own.
But the last thing Tam wants is a spellbound djinni who can't say 'no'. Cursed by a demon to suffer living death, he's tormented by undead longing for pain, pleasure, any sensation he can get. To have this exquisite, besotted Jewel at his bidding is pure torture… because Tam refuses to succumb to her magical allure.
Not when he knows she can't truly be attracted to an ever-dying freak. And not when he’s already on a mission from his cruel demon master: capture and deliver one djinni...
Warning: this novel contains a feisty magical heroine, a besotted fairy best friend and the hottest wise-ass dead-guy hero in town.
But the last thing Tam wants is a spellbound djinni who can't say 'no'. Cursed by a demon to suffer living death, he's tormented by undead longing for pain, pleasure, any sensation he can get. To have this exquisite, besotted Jewel at his bidding is pure torture… because Tam refuses to succumb to her magical allure.
Not when he knows she can't truly be attracted to an ever-dying freak. And not when he’s already on a mission from his cruel demon master: capture and deliver one djinni...
Warning: this novel contains a feisty magical heroine, a besotted fairy best friend and the hottest wise-ass dead-guy hero in town.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2013
2 people are currently reading
286 people want to read
About the author
Erica Hayes
39 books274 followersErica Hayes was a law student, an air force officer, an editorial assistant and a musician, before finally landing her dream job: fantasy writer. She writes dark paranormal romance, urban fantasy and romantic science fiction, and her books feature tough, smart heroines and colorful heroes with dark secrets.
She hails from Australia, where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. Currently, she’s terrorizing the wilds of Northern Virginia, USA.
She hails from Australia, where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. Currently, she’s terrorizing the wilds of Northern Virginia, USA.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 10, 2015
I've seen this book several times and absolutely loved the cover but kept getting put off by one or two negative reviews and I'm so pleased that I finally bit the bullet so to speak and got it for myself! It's a new author to me but one that I will definitely try again and such an interesting and thoroughly unique story.
There has been a plethora of zombie fiction recently from page to screen and I was quite curious about what Ms Hayes would do that would bring something new to the table. This is not a paranormal romance but more an urban fantasy piece with erotic notes thrown in. I wouldn't
say I feel it's hard core erotica but I do feel that not everyone will enjoy the more adult aspects of this book as it does feature a reanimated corpse having sex and yes that means bodily fluids! Written really well by an author who doesn't shy away from the more grisly aspects I found that this story really engaged my emotions. These characters are tortured individuals and it's a very interesting story. Great world building and although this is my first by the author it definitely won't be my last.
Great value for money as so many books tend to be quite short recently.
There has been a plethora of zombie fiction recently from page to screen and I was quite curious about what Ms Hayes would do that would bring something new to the table. This is not a paranormal romance but more an urban fantasy piece with erotic notes thrown in. I wouldn't
say I feel it's hard core erotica but I do feel that not everyone will enjoy the more adult aspects of this book as it does feature a reanimated corpse having sex and yes that means bodily fluids! Written really well by an author who doesn't shy away from the more grisly aspects I found that this story really engaged my emotions. These characters are tortured individuals and it's a very interesting story. Great world building and although this is my first by the author it definitely won't be my last.
Great value for money as so many books tend to be quite short recently.
February 14, 2014
Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 3 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewers: Heather and Ariel
Ariel
Demon Chained is the fifth book in the Shadowfae Chronicles series by Erica Hayes. While it is the fifth in the series, it can be read as a standalone novel as well. Jewel is a djinni of the lamp, one who has been recently freed since the last owner of her lamp has died. Now Jewel is her own djinni, able to use her magic for her own wants instead of the wants of others. Until her lamp gets stolen, that is.
Tam is a man on a mission, out to get Joey DiLuca, the man who murdered him, his wife, and his daughter. How can he get Joey if he’s dead? He made a deal with a demon named Kane, who brought him back from the dead in order to exact his revenge. Now Kane has asked for Tam to retrieve a lamp for him.
I have a few problems with this novel. For starters, Jewel irritated me throughout almost the entire thing. In the very beginning of the novel, she is ecstatic that she is finally free and able to do whatever she wants, without having someone to wish for things and control her. However, as soon as she realizes Tam has her lamp, she gets depressed and upset that he doesn’t actually want her to do anything. Jewel is used to being wanted and desired, and when a man finally doesn’t want her, essentially letting her have her freedom, she gets upset about it. Since she is bound to a master her powers aren’t under her own control anymore, but other than that, she could have a normal life and instead she whines about not being wanted.
Another thing that bothered me, mostly because it wasn’t really explained, is that early on in the novel, the lamp gets taken from Tam but he still remains Jewel’s master. Now, to get Jewel to do what you say you have to say her name so I understand that if the owner doesn’t know her name, they can’t really do anything. But shouldn’t whoever has possession of the lamp still technically be her master? It confused me throughout the whole novel and it never really got explained.
Plot wise, the story was great. I’m not entirely sure about the zombie/djinni pairing in general, but I did like Jewel and Tam together. They brought out the best in each other and they helped each other get over their own issues, between Jewel’s lack of ownership of herself to Tam’s guilt over what happened to his wife and daughter.
There were a few weird sections where the novel switched from first person to third person which really bothered me. And the thing that bothered me the most was the ending, and I can’t even tell you why because it would spoil the whole book for everyone. If you read the book, you’ll understand.
I’m giving Demon Chained 3 out of 5 controllers. It had an interesting premise, and the plot was pretty interesting, but the main character bothered me, the fact that I didn’t understand how Tam was still the owner of her lamp even though he didn’t have her lamp, and how angry I got over the ending ruined it for me. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t one of my favorites.
My Rating
3 out of 5 Controllers
Heather
I didn’t have a chance to read the first four books and I’m not entirely sure if I would after reading Demon Chained. Now I’ll point out that this just wasn’t my cup of tea, but this is one of the most unique spins I have read on zombies/reanimated corpses.
The good rests in the world building and character development. Erica Hayes has always caught my eyes with these skills and created hellish worlds that resemble much of our own world … just with some badass supernatural beings. I loved her take on the Jinn (Jewel) and the struggles she faced with her newfound freedom. Lots of shmexiness there.
The bad and for another reader it may not be bad at all, but it became really distracting for me to keep up on what body part was broken versus what fluids were leaking from where on poor Tam. During the erotic scenes it became too much for me and I found myself focusing on the gross factor more than the sexual connection. If you’ve read the Shadowfae then maybe this isn’t a shock, but for me, I just couldn’t get into it.
As always Erica delivers her unique voice and the in your face writing I’ve come to love. I’m a huge fan of her Seven Signs series. I want to try reading this again, but I want to start at the beginning of the series, and maybe knowing more will help to soften poor Tam’s bodily fluids.
Not for me, but in the right hands I’d call this a diamond in the pale oozing green stomach acid.
My Rating
3 out of 5 Controllers
Rating: 3 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: NetGalley
Reviewers: Heather and Ariel
Ariel
Demon Chained is the fifth book in the Shadowfae Chronicles series by Erica Hayes. While it is the fifth in the series, it can be read as a standalone novel as well. Jewel is a djinni of the lamp, one who has been recently freed since the last owner of her lamp has died. Now Jewel is her own djinni, able to use her magic for her own wants instead of the wants of others. Until her lamp gets stolen, that is.
Tam is a man on a mission, out to get Joey DiLuca, the man who murdered him, his wife, and his daughter. How can he get Joey if he’s dead? He made a deal with a demon named Kane, who brought him back from the dead in order to exact his revenge. Now Kane has asked for Tam to retrieve a lamp for him.
I have a few problems with this novel. For starters, Jewel irritated me throughout almost the entire thing. In the very beginning of the novel, she is ecstatic that she is finally free and able to do whatever she wants, without having someone to wish for things and control her. However, as soon as she realizes Tam has her lamp, she gets depressed and upset that he doesn’t actually want her to do anything. Jewel is used to being wanted and desired, and when a man finally doesn’t want her, essentially letting her have her freedom, she gets upset about it. Since she is bound to a master her powers aren’t under her own control anymore, but other than that, she could have a normal life and instead she whines about not being wanted.
Another thing that bothered me, mostly because it wasn’t really explained, is that early on in the novel, the lamp gets taken from Tam but he still remains Jewel’s master. Now, to get Jewel to do what you say you have to say her name so I understand that if the owner doesn’t know her name, they can’t really do anything. But shouldn’t whoever has possession of the lamp still technically be her master? It confused me throughout the whole novel and it never really got explained.
Plot wise, the story was great. I’m not entirely sure about the zombie/djinni pairing in general, but I did like Jewel and Tam together. They brought out the best in each other and they helped each other get over their own issues, between Jewel’s lack of ownership of herself to Tam’s guilt over what happened to his wife and daughter.
There were a few weird sections where the novel switched from first person to third person which really bothered me. And the thing that bothered me the most was the ending, and I can’t even tell you why because it would spoil the whole book for everyone. If you read the book, you’ll understand.
I’m giving Demon Chained 3 out of 5 controllers. It had an interesting premise, and the plot was pretty interesting, but the main character bothered me, the fact that I didn’t understand how Tam was still the owner of her lamp even though he didn’t have her lamp, and how angry I got over the ending ruined it for me. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t one of my favorites.
My Rating
3 out of 5 Controllers
Heather
I didn’t have a chance to read the first four books and I’m not entirely sure if I would after reading Demon Chained. Now I’ll point out that this just wasn’t my cup of tea, but this is one of the most unique spins I have read on zombies/reanimated corpses.
The good rests in the world building and character development. Erica Hayes has always caught my eyes with these skills and created hellish worlds that resemble much of our own world … just with some badass supernatural beings. I loved her take on the Jinn (Jewel) and the struggles she faced with her newfound freedom. Lots of shmexiness there.
The bad and for another reader it may not be bad at all, but it became really distracting for me to keep up on what body part was broken versus what fluids were leaking from where on poor Tam. During the erotic scenes it became too much for me and I found myself focusing on the gross factor more than the sexual connection. If you’ve read the Shadowfae then maybe this isn’t a shock, but for me, I just couldn’t get into it.
As always Erica delivers her unique voice and the in your face writing I’ve come to love. I’m a huge fan of her Seven Signs series. I want to try reading this again, but I want to start at the beginning of the series, and maybe knowing more will help to soften poor Tam’s bodily fluids.
Not for me, but in the right hands I’d call this a diamond in the pale oozing green stomach acid.
My Rating
3 out of 5 Controllers
November 3, 2013
Erica Hayes - Demon Chained (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #5)
“[The hero] is dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that...[He] is as dead as a door-nail.” No, the hero of this book is not named Marley or Scrooge. He is also not a sparkling vampire, drifting ghost, or even the polished up output of a mortuary. He is, in his own words, a re-animated psycho bent of revenge.
The book is gritty, frequently painfully, even disgustingly so. For example, when Tam is discussing his murder: “Vertebrae pop as I twist my neck to show him the hole, black and sticky with rot beneath my long hair.” The fact that the author writes well, even extremely well, brings the fetid sights and smells into vivid living [or would that be dying?] color. And that didn’t work for me – I’m touch squeamish about the whole zombie thing. Although the author does warn readers about the ‘erotic horror’ element up front.
The storyline was interesting enough – can a zombie and a djinni find love amidst the ruins? All while gaining revenge, escaping from demons, and dealing with various personal crises and inter-personal issues? And that’s without the further complications of half-mad Gaivin who’s obsessed with our hero Tam…
Jewel is both tough and feisty, she has the Xena in a brass lamp vibe. She knows what she wants [freedom and Tam, our zombie hero] and is ticked when he resists. Not the he WANTS to resist, really, but figures she can’t be honestly interested in him what with the whole rotting bits issue. Plus he’s trying to save her, most especially from himself and his demon master who has ordered him to fetch her.
Sexwise this contains some male/male contact [although not as much as one of the characters would like] plus the sexual antics of the hero and heroine.
This is book 5 in the Shadowfae series. I have not read any of the previous ones and Demon Chained didn’t produce any urges to do so. On the other hand, it was really well-written so I might try something by the author outside of this series.
I’m not sure I get the whole concept of ‘erotic horror’ although lots of people do. If you’re one of them, go for it. If not, try another book.
The Shadowfae Chronicles series:
Shadowfae (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #1)
Shadowglass (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #2)
Poison Kissed (Shadowfae Chronicles, #3)
Blood Cursed (Shadowfae Chronicles, #4)
Demon Chained (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #5)
I received this ARC from NetGalley…
“[The hero] is dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that...[He] is as dead as a door-nail.” No, the hero of this book is not named Marley or Scrooge. He is also not a sparkling vampire, drifting ghost, or even the polished up output of a mortuary. He is, in his own words, a re-animated psycho bent of revenge.
The book is gritty, frequently painfully, even disgustingly so. For example, when Tam is discussing his murder: “Vertebrae pop as I twist my neck to show him the hole, black and sticky with rot beneath my long hair.” The fact that the author writes well, even extremely well, brings the fetid sights and smells into vivid living [or would that be dying?] color. And that didn’t work for me – I’m touch squeamish about the whole zombie thing. Although the author does warn readers about the ‘erotic horror’ element up front.
The storyline was interesting enough – can a zombie and a djinni find love amidst the ruins? All while gaining revenge, escaping from demons, and dealing with various personal crises and inter-personal issues? And that’s without the further complications of half-mad Gaivin who’s obsessed with our hero Tam…
Jewel is both tough and feisty, she has the Xena in a brass lamp vibe. She knows what she wants [freedom and Tam, our zombie hero] and is ticked when he resists. Not the he WANTS to resist, really, but figures she can’t be honestly interested in him what with the whole rotting bits issue. Plus he’s trying to save her, most especially from himself and his demon master who has ordered him to fetch her.
Sexwise this contains some male/male contact [although not as much as one of the characters would like] plus the sexual antics of the hero and heroine.
This is book 5 in the Shadowfae series. I have not read any of the previous ones and Demon Chained didn’t produce any urges to do so. On the other hand, it was really well-written so I might try something by the author outside of this series.
I’m not sure I get the whole concept of ‘erotic horror’ although lots of people do. If you’re one of them, go for it. If not, try another book.
The Shadowfae Chronicles series:
Shadowfae (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #1)
Shadowglass (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #2)
Poison Kissed (Shadowfae Chronicles, #3)
Blood Cursed (Shadowfae Chronicles, #4)
Demon Chained (The Shadowfae Chronicles, #5)
I received this ARC from NetGalley…
September 26, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story was definitely one I’ve never read before. The writing was totally unique, throwing the reader into a world that was probably further explained in the other books from the series that I’ve yet to read. There are all sorts of paranormals around, seemingly free to show themselves whenever they choose. There is also a pretty big sex/drug/fairy market that all the characters float in and out of.
Jewel is a firecracker of a djinni, grasping at the freedom and life she has only newly acquired, when her lamp ends up in the hands of a zombie/reanimated corpse/sexual energy vampire by the name of Tam. Tam’s got his plate full already with hunting down the men who killed his family, making out with a hot, submissive wingless fairy boy, and trying to stay out of Hell. Through some demon related drama, the aforementioned fairy boy also gets sucked into the demon drama, which results in them all fighting over an itty bitty brass lamp.
I really liked Jewel’s character a lot. She’s tough when she needs to be and knows what she wants. There’s very little indecision in her choices, which is refreshing. Tam, on the other hand, is Mr. Indecision. He’s guilty and tortured and cannot seem to make up his mind. He wants Jewel, but doesn’t want to sully her with his gross zombie bits, but he flip flops enough to drive Jewel and me insane. Tam was probably the thing that I liked least about this book. I love a sexy paranormal romance, but the talk of rotting flesh and spit really turned me off. It was a big mood killer, but it didn’t seem to bother Jewel at all, which only proceeded to disturb me further. To be fair, I’m not a fan of zombie books, so I may be overly harsh.
The rest of the book was filled with a truly unique love story that involved some good action. The world was interesting and I’d be curious to see how the rest of the series reads.
This story was definitely one I’ve never read before. The writing was totally unique, throwing the reader into a world that was probably further explained in the other books from the series that I’ve yet to read. There are all sorts of paranormals around, seemingly free to show themselves whenever they choose. There is also a pretty big sex/drug/fairy market that all the characters float in and out of.
Jewel is a firecracker of a djinni, grasping at the freedom and life she has only newly acquired, when her lamp ends up in the hands of a zombie/reanimated corpse/sexual energy vampire by the name of Tam. Tam’s got his plate full already with hunting down the men who killed his family, making out with a hot, submissive wingless fairy boy, and trying to stay out of Hell. Through some demon related drama, the aforementioned fairy boy also gets sucked into the demon drama, which results in them all fighting over an itty bitty brass lamp.
I really liked Jewel’s character a lot. She’s tough when she needs to be and knows what she wants. There’s very little indecision in her choices, which is refreshing. Tam, on the other hand, is Mr. Indecision. He’s guilty and tortured and cannot seem to make up his mind. He wants Jewel, but doesn’t want to sully her with his gross zombie bits, but he flip flops enough to drive Jewel and me insane. Tam was probably the thing that I liked least about this book. I love a sexy paranormal romance, but the talk of rotting flesh and spit really turned me off. It was a big mood killer, but it didn’t seem to bother Jewel at all, which only proceeded to disturb me further. To be fair, I’m not a fan of zombie books, so I may be overly harsh.
The rest of the book was filled with a truly unique love story that involved some good action. The world was interesting and I’d be curious to see how the rest of the series reads.
September 14, 2013
The fifth book in the Shadowfae Chronicles is a story full of emotional angst, action, betrayals, vengeance, and romance.
Tam is a zombie that wants revenge on the people that murdered him and his family. Jewel is a djinni that just wants to keep her newfound freedom. All their plans go out the window when the two meet. The chemistry between the two is strong, but Tam doesn’t want to give in. He has secrets that Jewel’s not going to like. Tam and his friend are being used against each other by two demons competing over territory and the demon that comes out on top gets Jewel.
The plot of the story is a good one, with lots of interesting characters and an engaging world. Unfortunately for me, this book didn’t work out for me. The author has a great imagination and she describes her world and her characters very vividly, which is a good thing. She makes a disclaimer at the beginning that if you are grossed out about getting up close and personal with corpses, this may not be the book for you. I would have been fine with it, but to me she repeatedly over described Tam’s condition. Also, the way the dialogue see-sawed between the characters seemed like I was flipping through other peoples diaries and reading journal entries. That is not to say that another reader won’t like the book. The author has created a unique paranormal world with great characters.
I was provided this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tam is a zombie that wants revenge on the people that murdered him and his family. Jewel is a djinni that just wants to keep her newfound freedom. All their plans go out the window when the two meet. The chemistry between the two is strong, but Tam doesn’t want to give in. He has secrets that Jewel’s not going to like. Tam and his friend are being used against each other by two demons competing over territory and the demon that comes out on top gets Jewel.
The plot of the story is a good one, with lots of interesting characters and an engaging world. Unfortunately for me, this book didn’t work out for me. The author has a great imagination and she describes her world and her characters very vividly, which is a good thing. She makes a disclaimer at the beginning that if you are grossed out about getting up close and personal with corpses, this may not be the book for you. I would have been fine with it, but to me she repeatedly over described Tam’s condition. Also, the way the dialogue see-sawed between the characters seemed like I was flipping through other peoples diaries and reading journal entries. That is not to say that another reader won’t like the book. The author has created a unique paranormal world with great characters.
I was provided this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2013
Tam is a dead thief, brought back to life to have his vengeance on those who killed him by Kane, the Master Demon in the area. Jewel is a djinni who comes back to life with her freedom and is reveling in it when things take a turn. Gavain is a love-sick half-mad half-fairy who would give anything for Tam. Kane instructs Tam to steal Jewel's lamp and bring it to him. Delilah is an upstart Demon who wants anything that Kane has. She finds a way to pit Gavain against the one he covets. Tam gets his hands on the lamp when Jewel isn't quite paying attention, and things get very interesting from there. My favorite scene in this book is the one in the park; when you get to it, slow down and savor it. It's bloody fantastic.
I can't wait to read more of Erica's work. She has created such a unique world. The more you read, the more fascinating it is. Erica has great descriptive writing, pulling you into a magical world where things are so beautifully written. The characters in this book all make you feel different things; love, hate, wanton abandon, and they are sexy characters as well. Who would have thought the dead guy would be the most sexy. And it's not just because he's described that way, it's his character - who he is and what he does.
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I can't wait to read more of Erica's work. She has created such a unique world. The more you read, the more fascinating it is. Erica has great descriptive writing, pulling you into a magical world where things are so beautifully written. The characters in this book all make you feel different things; love, hate, wanton abandon, and they are sexy characters as well. Who would have thought the dead guy would be the most sexy. And it's not just because he's described that way, it's his character - who he is and what he does.
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
September 18, 2013
Ok, so I have not read the first four books in the Shadowfae Chronicles but the cover was amazing and the blurb drew me in like mmmm.... so I jumped at the chance to read this book!!! the characters in this story are pretty good and there were some really smecksi parts in this book... however, I feel like something was missing for me.. I would probably have gotten more out of this book had I read the first four books in the series I will admit, but from what I did get... I loved the romance between Tam(a zombie set out for reprisal for the deaths of himself and his family) and Jewel(a djinni that just gained her freedom and is trying like hell to keep it that way..). The author wrote me a very vivid world and the characters were even believable, there just.... was something that I couldn't pick up on... I was a bit perturbed with the repetition on Tam's issues on being a zombie. The author did warn the readers about the corpse thing but I felt it unnecessary to repeat like updates on every little thing... Now while this was not a book for me in a complete way... The story was alright and the characters and their interaction were very compelling... but as I stated before, I would probably have gotten more out of this book if I had read the first four books in the series.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 Shields
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 Shields
December 26, 2013
Jewel is a djinn (aka genie) that’s been locked up in her lamp for 57 years. Freed by Tam, a man who has plenty of problems already, she becomes part of war between rival demon factions. Tam doesn’t want the perks of djinn mastery; he just wants to be alive again, really alive. You see Tam suffers the misfortune of having already died but is tied to his rotting body as part of a bargain made with a demon. He can regenerate for a brief while if he can feel enough sensation to get his nerve endings tingling, but, well, when you’re dead, that’s not as easy as it may sound. He doesn’t want to be responsible for Jewel, but he can’t fight his growing attraction for her. Throw in a half-human/half-fae Gavain who is in love with Tam and will do anything to win him and things are bound to get complicated.
While the story line was overall ok, the steamy parts with a guy who is literally falling apart/decaying in the process were pretty gross. I understand the “not judging a book by its cover” and “seeing the person inside” stuff, got it, but this was a bit much. I made my way through those scenes very quickly trying to skip over the very disturbing parts. The end was pretty anticlimactic.
While the story line was overall ok, the steamy parts with a guy who is literally falling apart/decaying in the process were pretty gross. I understand the “not judging a book by its cover” and “seeing the person inside” stuff, got it, but this was a bit much. I made my way through those scenes very quickly trying to skip over the very disturbing parts. The end was pretty anticlimactic.
October 28, 2013
The hero is a dead guy. Since he's rotting I'd call him a zombie, but the book's summary mentions something about being demon-cursed. Still sounds like a zombie, though. So if you're okay with fleshy bits and blood in your erotica, this one's for you.
It's been a long time since I've read a full-length Shadowfae novel...since Book 2, Shadowglass. (Books 3 and 4 are waiting patiently on my shelf.) I love the world-building, writing, effed-up characters, colour, and gross bits... (Okay, delete that last one; it makes me sound creepy.)
Gloriously colourful, textural, and more than a little messed up, the Shadowfae world is always a delight to read. The characters are screwy, which makes them believable, and the situations they get themselves into are less than ideal. Never boring, Demon Chained is jolly good fun, and has me desperate for another full-length novel set in this bizarro Melbourne. Erica Hayes is a champion.
It's been a long time since I've read a full-length Shadowfae novel...since Book 2, Shadowglass. (Books 3 and 4 are waiting patiently on my shelf.) I love the world-building, writing, effed-up characters, colour, and gross bits... (Okay, delete that last one; it makes me sound creepy.)
Gloriously colourful, textural, and more than a little messed up, the Shadowfae world is always a delight to read. The characters are screwy, which makes them believable, and the situations they get themselves into are less than ideal. Never boring, Demon Chained is jolly good fun, and has me desperate for another full-length novel set in this bizarro Melbourne. Erica Hayes is a champion.
September 13, 2013
Provided with a copy of this for my review.
Not real sure what to think about this after reading it. A story of a romance between a corpse and a djinni. The author makes a disclaimer at the beginning that if you might be grossed out by romancing a corpse this might not be the book for you. I think she was right. I can handle some corpse things, ghouls, zombies, etc. However, the imagery was quite graphic and frankly gross sometimes. I think that it may say a lot (in a good way) about the author's way with words, imagination and writing style that the imagery was so clear to my mind that I could barely read on in a few parts. I appreciated that imagination during some of the steamier scenes though!
That being said, the story was okay. The romance felt kind of scattered and forced sometimes. It was not a quick read for me, but not a waste of time to read the book. I may read another book of hers to see if other characters don't freak me out so much!
Not real sure what to think about this after reading it. A story of a romance between a corpse and a djinni. The author makes a disclaimer at the beginning that if you might be grossed out by romancing a corpse this might not be the book for you. I think she was right. I can handle some corpse things, ghouls, zombies, etc. However, the imagery was quite graphic and frankly gross sometimes. I think that it may say a lot (in a good way) about the author's way with words, imagination and writing style that the imagery was so clear to my mind that I could barely read on in a few parts. I appreciated that imagination during some of the steamier scenes though!
That being said, the story was okay. The romance felt kind of scattered and forced sometimes. It was not a quick read for me, but not a waste of time to read the book. I may read another book of hers to see if other characters don't freak me out so much!
February 12, 2014
I have long been a fan of Erica Hayes' Shadowfae series. She has created a world that is very much her own and writes with a style that is truly unique.
It reads like glitter and sugar but the tales are dark. You like the characters despite of who they are....morally immoral.
Demon Chained has a dead guy, and we are not talking my favourite dead guy - the ones with fangs and penchant for blood. Is Tam a zombie? Not sure. But he is decomposing. Yes sounds awful. And yet I swooned.
It has a mentally unbalanced fairy, that imagines bugs crawling on his skin and has stalker tendencies for the dead guy. He makes my heart ache, I find him beautiful.
And it has a girl, a genie in a bottle, who is probably the victim in the story but not quite victim-less herself. Still I'm a fan.
Last but not least there is a bad guy (one of many), a demon named Kane but I was on team Kane from the first book.
And that's because of how Ms. Hayes writes her stories...do read.
It reads like glitter and sugar but the tales are dark. You like the characters despite of who they are....morally immoral.
Demon Chained has a dead guy, and we are not talking my favourite dead guy - the ones with fangs and penchant for blood. Is Tam a zombie? Not sure. But he is decomposing. Yes sounds awful. And yet I swooned.
It has a mentally unbalanced fairy, that imagines bugs crawling on his skin and has stalker tendencies for the dead guy. He makes my heart ache, I find him beautiful.
And it has a girl, a genie in a bottle, who is probably the victim in the story but not quite victim-less herself. Still I'm a fan.
Last but not least there is a bad guy (one of many), a demon named Kane but I was on team Kane from the first book.
And that's because of how Ms. Hayes writes her stories...do read.
November 24, 2013
I had a difficult time summing up my feelings over this book. At first I was balls deep in lust with this book. It was so gritty and decadent starting out. Then is kinda just fizzled out and became very monotonous. And then it just got icky. I had a really hard time with a rotting animated corpse as the male lead. I generally love me some zombies, but the way this author wrote just lead me down some pathways I NEVER wanted to go. Namely the sex scenes just did me in. Thanks to the author being very descriptive in regards to Tam's decomposition, I made some very unfortunate logical suppositions that total killed the written sex scenes. The book also just kinda went... Action, action, sex, action, sex, sex, action aaaannnddd we're done! It was ok, but I feel like I need a shower and to say away from zombie books for a bit.
September 19, 2013
3.5 Stars
I loved the concept for Demon Chained--the whole genie in a bottle and dead guy story-line. Very interesting. The writing was incredibly descriptive. Actually too descriptive for my taste as it seemed like 90 percent of the story was description and there was very little dialogue, but it was very well written description. There was quite a bit of gory and downright gross imagery and the author convinced me that being dead is totally disgusting. Ha. Whereas the writing style wasn't for me, the writing itself was good, the story-line very creative and the author definitely has a talent for vivid description.
I loved the concept for Demon Chained--the whole genie in a bottle and dead guy story-line. Very interesting. The writing was incredibly descriptive. Actually too descriptive for my taste as it seemed like 90 percent of the story was description and there was very little dialogue, but it was very well written description. There was quite a bit of gory and downright gross imagery and the author convinced me that being dead is totally disgusting. Ha. Whereas the writing style wasn't for me, the writing itself was good, the story-line very creative and the author definitely has a talent for vivid description.
September 18, 2013
A good read
I give it a 3.5 rating
Jewel is a Djinni and when her master dies, she finally has her freedom, but not for long. Tam is living dead that was cursed by a demon and tormented by undead feelings. Tam is seeking revenge for his family that was murdered and Jewel happens to stumble into Tam seeking revenge. Jewel was having conflicted feelings for Tam, Tam was trying to avoid anything to do with Jewel. The demon master orders Tam to get Jewel and bring her to him. Tam try's to resist Jewel but their chemistry can't be avoided.
I give it a 3.5 rating
Jewel is a Djinni and when her master dies, she finally has her freedom, but not for long. Tam is living dead that was cursed by a demon and tormented by undead feelings. Tam is seeking revenge for his family that was murdered and Jewel happens to stumble into Tam seeking revenge. Jewel was having conflicted feelings for Tam, Tam was trying to avoid anything to do with Jewel. The demon master orders Tam to get Jewel and bring her to him. Tam try's to resist Jewel but their chemistry can't be avoided.
didnt-finish
January 14, 2014It isn't even fair of me to rate this, so I'm not going to. I really wanted to read this, it sounded really interesting and like it might be kinda hot. But once a character knew he would be getting raped during his voluntary trip to Hell and "might as well get so wasted you enjoy it" ... I literally could not read any more.
I know this is the distorted, fucked up view of the character. But that sort of thing needs to come with a trigger warning. My nightmares and flashbacks still haven't stopped.
I know this is the distorted, fucked up view of the character. But that sort of thing needs to come with a trigger warning. My nightmares and flashbacks still haven't stopped.
September 9, 2013
I haven't read the first part of the series so I was hesitant to pick this book up but the cover looked absolutely delicious and the blurb was enough to hook me.
Hot and steamy but there were some things in this book that bothered me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it at this point and perhaps another read would be able to offer up what it was. Otherwise this was definitely a delicious read for me. I was quite pleased with the plotline and the characters.
Hot and steamy but there were some things in this book that bothered me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it at this point and perhaps another read would be able to offer up what it was. Otherwise this was definitely a delicious read for me. I was quite pleased with the plotline and the characters.
September 6, 2016
Katharine is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
February 11, 2014
review soon
July 9, 2014
Loved it. Can't wait to read the next one
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