Raising Cain

The Key Guardians #1

by Kelli Ireland

Hiding places are scarce when both Heaven and Hell intend to find you.

Dani Fayel’s backbreaking job as a stable hand at The Freaks’ Fair isn’t glamorous, but for someone looking to keep to the shadows? It’s perfect. Neither paranormal freaks nor human norms ever notice her. But when Dani is forced to either let a child die in order to maintain her anonymity or choose to save him and risk being discovered, she finds herself unwillingly thrust into the spotlight.

Cain, Hell’s premier assassin and a predatory incubus, is close to fulfilling his final contract and earning his freedom. Hired by the Archangel of Death to find his daughter, Cain follows her trail to the Fair. He works undercover, certain his mark is inside one of the portable canopies or traveling cages. Dead or alive, she equals his ticket to freedom.

When Cain’s objective is divulged, Dani realizes she can’t outrun her destiny. As the fabled Key—the one soul with absolute free will who is tied to the three realms of Heaven, Earth and Hell—only she is capable of opening the gates for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Whoever frees the Horsemen allegedly commands them. Now both Heaven and Hell are vying for her allegiance, and there are no limits as to how dirty they’ll fight to obtain it. With Hell raining indiscriminate chaos as Heaven maneuvers its players around her, Dani realizes her would-be assassin may be the only man capable of helping her survive.

Genres: Paranormal, Audiobook, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Angels, Demons, Paranormal Romance

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Kelli Ireland spent a decade as a name on a door in corporate America. Unexpectedly liberated by Fate's sense of humor, she chose to carpe the diem and pursue her passion for writing. A fan of happily-ever-afters, she found she loved being the Puppet Master for the most unlikely couples. Seeing them through the best and worst of each other while helping them survive the joys and disasters of falling in love? Best. Thing. Ever.

Visit Kelli’s website for more information: www.kelliireland.com

You can also catch up with her on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/kelliireland...

Reviews

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a rollercoaster ride. This book had me going along on a nice but semi curvy rail then it went up, up, up, whipped around smashed me into the side and plummeted into a dark tunnel where instead of having a calm moment it switched track and flipped my back around the other way. Honestly Ms. Ireland I think I got a few new grey hairs, and loved it.
I read this based on a recommendation from a friend SnoopDoo. I went in almost blind I knew it had all the basic elements I enjoy reading about, demons, succubuses, vampires, fallen angels, unicorns and more. When I saw the cover I expected a romance, I caught myself expecting the normal pattern found in so many books. You know what I mean, it's predictable. I couldn't figure out the next step in this one, overtime I thought I saw what was coming I was surprised by a completely different move. What brave move from this author and I'm sure she get some bad rubbings for her fresh writing. I liked it, I was a tab overwhelmed with all the story swirls and switches but they came together so well at the end where I caught myself doing the hand slap on the forehead muttering "Oh Shish-kabob" I never saw that coming. The end was tear-filled and once again shockingly unexpected, got me again !
I'm not going to tell you about the story, let it be a surprise. It is an urban fantasy, magical, otherworldly with threads of romantic smoke and mirrors. It is a world building, character building first in a series. Give it a chance to win you over.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was a good book I had a bit of trouble with the supernatural aspect. It felt a bit disjointed. Good vs Evil, Angels vs Devils, etc. The bad guy goes back and forth between good and evil enough to give you whiplash.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this unsure as to whether or not it would really grab my attention and happily can report that I was hooked right from the start. This new to be author has written a story that seems to have so many elements running through it that I was left reeling. A world peopled with paranormals (freaks) , humans ( norms) and even Angels and Demons so right from the outset a lot to take on. This Author had no reservations though and dives in taking this reader with her and it's sink or swim!
Dani is working in the Freaks Fair and it's fair to say her job as a stable hand is far from glamorous but that's fine with her because the last thing Dani wants is to be noticed. An unfortunate incident sees her using her own secret talent but it draws unwanted attention to her and now Dani is not sure just how safe she is any more. She ends up coerced by her boss into acting as the Fairs psychic but Dani is far from stupid and demands a bodyguard but what she gets is a whole lot of trouble !
Cain is a Demon and an Incubus to boot and he has been sent from Sheol to locate the fabled Key. It's is foretold that the prophecised Key can control the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse so the battle is on to locate it. Believing the Key to be the missing daughter of the Archangel of Death, Cain goes undercover searching but what he finds will change not just his but Dani's life forever. Those defending Sheol are not the only players in town and pretty soon Dani finds herself a pawn with a choice to make and the fate of the world within her hands!
Ok I have to start by saying I loved the first half of this book. Fast paced ,great world building and characters that although fantastical were capable of inciting strong feelings within me. Yes I liked Dani and I'm sure some readers will think "meh" but for me she may not be kick ass and seems to fall down a lot but I enjoy imperfect heroines. Now we come to that titular male Cain! Oh boy what a confused guy he is. He is an Incubus and yet there's no sex here,he is a hired Assasin and now he is so close to an almost perfect existence but there's just the teeny tiny matter of that Key to sort out first. I mentioned I really enjoyed the first half but will admit ( without spoilers if possible) that when the action moved to Montana it just seemed to stagnate a bit. What was previously a fast paced story just seemed to lose momentum and although we needed more information without a doubt it just felt a little like too much navel gazing for me. Characters are introduced and are they good or bad for Dani? I would have liked a few less words here and perhaps a different editor would have tightened it up a little . Do not misunderstand it's wasn't badly written and certain scenes are essential to the plot but everything just seemed to grind to a halt for a while as the heroine fully realised just what and who she was dealing with.
There is a lot of potential here and it seems to be more urban fantasy than paranormal romance in spite of having an Incubus in it. Far from over Dani's journey is just beginning and I hope we see a lot more of Cain in it because they really do spark off each other. Quite violent at times but a really interesting beginning and I'm looking forward to more from this author
This was gifted to be in exchange for an honest review

[Dino-Jess ✮ The Book Eating Dinosaur ✮ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I have ever been more relieved to get to the end of a book.

This book held such promise! It had all the elements that generally combine to make an interesting story that I should enjoy, but the execution of this, was sorely, sorely lacking.

After an interesting and promising start, things started to go down hill. I stand by my status update from 24%, this book seemed to have ADD. The story seemed stuttered and broken. There was far too much mindful witholding of facts, and then when things were revealed to the reader, it was done in such a confusing way, that perhaps it would have been better to be left in the dark. I lost count of the number of times I highlighted my e-reader and commented "wtf?"

Going through this, I felt it lacked beta reading, it lacked editing and overall, it was not a well told story. This is the first book I have read where I actually feel like the author just assumed you knew what she was trying to get across. A beta reader would have picked up on the holes in this story, the terribly written dialogue and the glaring character inconsistencies, and asked for more information, more clarification, and made the author do what she is supposed to do, which is tell a story in a way that makes us want to engage in it and root for these characters.

The characters in this. I have not had as much of an issue with a leading lady since reading Head Rush.

Dani. She was the epitome of TSTL. She was as hot and cold as a tap. I think the crux of the problem, is that she really had no idea who she was herself, so she ended up coming off as a wishy washy, whining bitch who couldn't make up her mind about anything.

Cain. Um. Apart from never telling Dani any important information that she might need to know, all he seemed to do was "vibrate with emotion" or "set his jaw." What emotion was he vibrating with? Why was he never open or honest about anything with Dani?

Khavien. What a throw away character. He was pointless, other than being something else Dani could whinge about.

The rest of the characters, I couldn't give a shit about. But basically they never tell Dani the truth about themselves, their motivations, or what they know about her. And of course this just makes Dani whine more. And the cycle continues.

Look, I have so much highlighted in my e-reader that I could bring up here, but to be honest, my heart really isn't in it. This book was exhausting and I can't even bring myself to rant properly.

I nearly gave up on this book many times. It makes me incredibly mad that such a great premise has been squandered with insufficient explanations and such infuriating characters.

What a sweet relief it is, to be finally finished with this book. I certainly will not be reading the rest of this series, I can't think of worse torture than having to endure Dani's ramblings for one more page.

1.5 Stars.

While I did not enjoy this, I am grateful for the opportunity to read an ARC thanks to Netgalley.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*s
Review posted here...
http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Raising Cain was a pretty good read once I got into it. It’s the first book in ‘the Key Guardians’ series and it definitely made an impression.
We meet Dani who is working in a sort of travelling fair for ‘freaks’, she has no one in her life and prefers to keep it that way, no one knowing anything about her, no ties + no attachments = no hurt. Dani also has a hidden gift – if you could call seeing a persons’ death as a gift – and she accidentally exposes it when a childs’ life is on the line. This brings her to the attention of firstly her boss Kavien who now decides she must become the resident fortune teller and the new guy on the scene – Cain – a mysterious man who is searching for the fable ‘Key’ that will bring about the apocalypse. Cain is actually an assassin and an Incubus but soon finds himself as Dani’s new bodyguard at the fair which comes in really handy when one of his associates tries to kill Dani claiming that she is in fact the key.
Dani is having none of it but when she is forced into revealing some things about herself that even she never knew, she decides now is the time to leave but she is betrayed in the worst way and runs for her life with hell on her heels. Life then becomes about staying ahead of her pursuers, staying alive and hoping that this has all been one big mistake….. but has it?
So, I did really enjoy this story and the content was actually not what I expected. The world is one that is inhabited by both humans and paranormals with humans knowing of their existence but they don’t live in harmony. I found Dani to be quite a lonely character, it’s clear from the beginning that she doesn’t let anyone in but considers those at the travelling fair as close to family as she can get but that’s not to say that anyone knows her. Her world is rocked when she saves a child because she has revealed her power and her boss makes her use it to his advantage but it also pushes Cain into her life. They share a sort of easy friendship and they feel pulled toward each other but no one really acts on that because who wants to be involved with an Incubus right? Cain is a complex character, in some respects he seems like a protector, others a predator, I was never sure if he was the love interest because the feelings he portrayed were so guarded. Even when he was trying to be tender with her, it wasn’t very believable – it was like he couldn’t show a feeling and it made it hard to buy into any romantic notions between the two. His demon side came across very well, he was scary, unforgiving and violent but I also wanted to see his weakness and willingness to be meek for her.
The storyline was good once it got started because the pacing was quite slow in the beginning but was more than made up for throughout the rest of the book. I liked the idea of the ‘key’ and what it was supposed to do, I liked it even better when we see how Dani fitted into the story aswell because she is the centre of it all. To send mercenary like assassins on the hunt for it was a great idea, they are the types that will stop at nothing to get what they came for so this shows exactly how brutal things could get but I also liked how later on we get to see the reasons that they have taken this mission on. Once some reveals have been made about Dani and her life, the pacing quickens up as the story takes on a run & chase scenario as Dani flees from more than one enemy. There are numerous attempts at capturing and killing her throughout that you actually felt the urgency in her to be safe and get hidden plus we get to see just what will happen when they get their hands on her. Through all of the danger and all of the action we get to know Dani & Cain that bit better, we also meet some more characters that will have an impact and it all heads towards a final confrontation where we get to see what everyone’s made of….. and it was gooood. I’m excited to see where it will all go next but I’m very impressed with this.

[Kahea · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ 3.5/4 stars ~

I’ve been trying for a few days to figure out how best to express my feelings about Raising Cain and have many drafts that I tossed because they just weren’t conveying what I wanted and finally came to the realization that what I liked about this book are the same things that drove me to wanting to toss my ereader into the freezer at times. Sound odd that something you really liked about someone can also drive you bat shit crazy? Possibly, but it’s the truth with this one and here’s why.
Dani. Her past and the things that were drilled into her head from a young age about never telling anyone what her parentage is, of which the Key isn’t apart of because she has no clue that she is even the mythical vessel, and it has made her self reliant, self sufficient, yet weary of getting close to anyone ~ and there are more reasons than just her lineage in this case. With this kind of upbringing she has become a strong and intelligent woman who just wants to be left alone but with all of this she has a difficult time bending metaphorically. Her need to stay in control and belief that she knows better tends to get her into a lot of trouble and some of it she could have avoided if she’d just listened.
Cain. He is an uber Alpha in every way. Sexy as sin (of course he is an incubus so it adds an extra layer of sexy to him), dominant and arrogant and while this was a draw it also grated on my nerves, especially in the beginning. But there is a tenderness to him that comes out at various times that makes you forget the arrogance and with the conflict he is facing you can’t help but want to hug him.
Cain and Dani budding relationship is best described as schizophrenic. No, really it is. They both do the merry go round dance of “I think I like you. I hate you. I think I love you. I hate.” so much that it made my head spin and I really wanted to grab some duct tape and slap it over their mouths to get them to stop baiting each other. Some of this does stem from the fact that they both have their secrets that neither is willing to give up, but most is because they both have strong personalities and neither could let up. But there were moments when their bantering was funny and had me laughing outloud.
Then there is the addition of Armen and Noah (Noah I loved instantly, Armen took awhile but in the end I liked him) Their arrival in the story brought about a little more drama and yet it also signaled the start of actually getting some answers to what the deal with the Key was and how Dani could be it.
This book was a roller coaster of a ride for me in many ways, from my feelings about the characters to the pacing of the story. It starts off at a good clip and you are definitely tossed right into the world then it speeds up to an almost frantic pace and then slows down quite a bit. I didn’t mind the pace changes and actually liked the slower pace since that’s where some of the pieces start to come together. There is a bit of romance, but it isn’t the meat of the story in anyway and there is no HEA to be had here. The ending does tie up certain threads, but this is a series (Not a serial or standalone) so there is definitely more to come.
Overall: I really liked it even though I did contemplate tossing my ereader into the freezer and can’t wait to see what else is in store for Dani.

~ I received an ARC from TKA Distribution via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

[Sandra D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read from this author. I read it as a favor for an honest review. And this is as honest of A review as I can possibly give. I more than loved this book. It took me a few days to read this book because I didn't want it to end. I would read it put it down pick it up read it put it down pick it up it had everything in it that I like. Angels. Fallen angels. demons. Dani is so lost in life. She doesn't belong anywhere. No family. No home. She's shoveling shit literally when her entire life changes. Cain is a demon. Not just any old demon. An incubus. A sexy hot demon that oozes sex and awakens a part of Dani she never knew existed. Cain comes into her life for reasons that she just doesn't understand. Until the worst happens. Betrayed by friends people that she thought she can almost "trust". This book took you through so many different emotions. Love. Hate. Fear. Anger. You meet a few characters that you don't like at first but towards the end cry for them. Dani is running for her life with people that are hired to kill her for reasons unknown to her. The ending will have you wanting more.
Trust me.
Game on.
I truly can't wait for the second book.
Well done Kelli. Well done.

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raising Cain by Kelli Ireland
Wow this book was great! Poor poor Dani. All she really wanted in her life was a family. Now that she has found one, well an unusual one, what will she do to keep it? Dani is hiding a secret and no one, I mean no one must find out about it. If they do they will haul her away for ever. Then one day a man comes around and changes her life. Well I haven’t decided if it is for the better or not yet. He will do anything to protect her even though that is not why he is there. This is some amazing writing by Kelli. She draws you into the characters life then she makes you want to strangle them for being so hard headed. DANG YOU! Then ending is something else though and I did not want it to end like that. Kelli left me wanting so much more and now I have to wait. Teaser! I received this book as a gift from the author for an honest review.

[pauliree · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the premise of this book was fascinating, it just didn't grab me. I liked both protagonists, I liked the world, I liked the idea of the freaks and the norms, and working in a freakshow to hide from the world, but there was just something about this that I couldn't relate to.

I found myself struggling to finish this, pushing myself to keep picking it up, and to be honest, if this hadn't been an ARC from the publisher and they expected my review, I would have classed this as a DNF. I have read a few of the other reviews and they say, push through the first 25% it gets better, but to me, for a book to be worthy of 4 or 5 stars, that first 25% is the part that needs to grab me. I can forgive a soggy middle if the beginning and the end live up to it, but in this case, it has a soggy start, middling middle, and great end, so I agree with the other reviewers, if you can get through the start, the rewards will pay off. For me, not so much

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't understand what happened here. I mean this book started off great, super engaging right out of the gate. This book was going places, and then somewhere in there maybe around 40ish % this book took off on a windy curvy road to freakin BFE dropped me off on crap creek with not even a spoon to propel me and left me there. By the end I'm not even going to lie I was rode hard, put up wet, and so happy to see that the journey was at an end. Even my OCD was so exhausted it didn't even care that we were left on a cliffhanger with nothing resolved. I'll be honest, I don't even really know where to start..

Dani, our FMC, is in hiding. Due to her parentage which is basically unheard of she must remain hidden or risk death. Everything is going fine, traveling with a carnival of "freaks" taking care of the supernatural animals until in a heroic rescue of a small human boy, Dani reveals some of her supernatural abilities and now her boss is on to her. Refusing to reveal her parentage, Dani agrees to act as a fortune teller for the carnival for a raise and some protection. Cain, incubus from hell and resident protection it seems gets assigned to be Dani's body gaurd. Cain is on a mission of his own from Sheol itself, and he must complete it because failure only brings the worst options. Dani and Cain have some awesome chemistry to start out and everything is going great and then all hell breaks loose as Cain can't control his underlings and Dani's boss is revealed to be the devil's biotch basically. Dani's cover is blown. It turns out Dani is a whole hell of a lot more that even what she knows and through some forcing Cain reveals Dani's true identity and abilities. All out war ensue's.. and the story started loosing me around about the time Cain beat Dani's arse about the 7th time because she tried to run from him.. again.

I could not even slightly get behind Cain in any shape or form no matter how "conflicted" he seemed about his "missions." Nope he was absolutely awful and most of the story is spent getting no information because no one will tell Dani anything its just back and forth back and forth insults and annoying banter, Dani escaping, Dani getting caught and beat up again and again. It totally lost me in there somewhere. I just don't understand how someone who is supposed to be "so powerful" is constantly getting her butt kicked over and over and then the book ends basically..

World building wise the author describes the scenes but basically leaves a lot for the reader to make the connections with out much backstory really. Honestly though I don't think it would have helped though through all that mess.. I just don't think this one was for me.

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[SnoopyDoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for a book tour and when I read the synopsis I thought it would be something I like. I’m happy to say that not only I liked the book but loved.
It had everything I like, Urban Fantasy world setting, paranormal creatures (including some centaurs, unicorns, damphirs) but mainly angels, fallen angles and demons , tons of action and suspense, some romance but it doesn’t take over the story.

You can find my full review here:
http://snoopydoosbookreviews.com/rais...

[Talking Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was entertaining, the characters equally so. Dani and Cain were a force in this story. Their combustible unconventional attraction and encounters were at times moving and hilarious and have this reader engrossed. The characters do grab readers attentions and the story has it's share of shocks, action and suspenseful moments. The disappointing aspect was that the book was such a long read and the finale didn't really answer questions. If anything it had this reader asking more questions.
3.5 stars
*ARC received from the author/publisher

[Emily Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, many thanks to Inkslinger PR, for providing me a copy of Raising Cain in exchange for an honest review.


Kelli Ireland has created an all new and unique world for this story to take place in. In this world paranormal people and creatures are out in the open, even if they are in the minority. You get the sense that they feel like a people apart, especially the people Dani lives with, the people in the Freak’s Fair. (I don’t love the name, but I get how the author is demonstrating how the “norms” see the paranormal) Is the author drawing comparisons with the paranormal people in this book and a real social group? Like the gypsies, or people who are in the circus in this world? You get the feeling that the paranormal people allow the norms to call them freaks for profit or out of a sense of there’s more of them than there is of us. You could draw the same comparisons many social groups within our own society.


Dani is hiding. She has been hiding for years, ever since a blood test came back with “significant abnormalities”. Her parents disappeared when she was a 8, but Dani has no idea why. Forced out of her foster home, Dani has been on the run from the government ever since. You see, Dani has a very unique heritage. People like her (that the government can’t identify or classify) often find themselves invited to visit a facility that they can’t get out of. With her blood, she should have some pretty potent powers, but Dani considers herself a null, not nearly as gifted as someone with her blood should be. She can see death when she touches someone with her hands; meaning, she can either see how that person will die, or how death will affect them in some way. She has made herself a home in The Freak’s Fair, a traveling circus of paranormal attractions. She’s been there for six years. She has isolated herself, even within the fair, even from her own people, because she cannot touch anyone without the curse of knowing their death. She works in the stables with the mythical creatures. As the blurb above tells us, one day she is forced to expose her powers when she rescues a child from certain death. Her boss Khavien (a dhampir) immediately tries to maximise her money making potential, telling her she has to become a fortuneteller for him if she wants to remain with the troupe. That sounds cold when I say it, but really her boss seems to care for her; he’s just miffed that she won’t tell him “what” she is.


He assigns Cain, a newcomer to the Fair, to be her bodyguard. (No, not the Cain. I thought that too.) They have a major reaction to each other right from the start, which causes Dani to want to cut and run for the hills. Cain picks up on all of the lust she is projecting and is curious about her, also trying to find out her secrets. They clash hilariously, their dynamic is funny to watch. He’s a predatory incubus, so he uses (or can use) sex as a weapon. I can just imagine Dani side-eyeing him in suspicion every time he opens his mouth. Her power is whacky around him, it’s like he’s triggered something inside of her to start up, or kick into overdrive. Not long after they start working together strange things start happening around Dani. She dreams of her parents, who are telling her it’s time to come to them. At first in the dream she only sees them, but then the scene pulls back and she realizes there are in Sheol (Hell). At this point Cain has told her that he is looking for the Key, which she and everyone else dismisses as a child’s fairy tale. Neither one of them suspect that she is the key at this point. If she is the only one who can control the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, then I’d say Hell just got in it’s first bid for her allegiance.


The night after the dream, her eyes start glowing. She is confused, since if she was going to develop a trait like this then it really should have happened years ago. The eyes show her father’s blood in her, which only makes Dani fear more, and she finds her strength has increased as well. Her heritage is revealed to Khavien when he feeds on her in an emergency, despite her warnings. Her angel blood causes burns on him -in him -I imagine that hurt like hell. So her secret’s out to her boss at least. she calls a blood donor for him, and heads back to her trailer, only to be jumped and beaten by a demon in the form of a man. They are interrupted by Cain - the demon backs off when he sees Cain. She and Cain have sparks flying between them, but neither one is willing to make a move at this point: she is too afraid, both of herself and him, he says she is a complication that he doesn’t need, because he’s here on a mission to find the Key.


Another demon shows up in her fortune telling tent the next night, mocking Cain, telling him that he is letting a nice piece of ass get in the way of his job. Cain dispatches the demon, then he takes Dani back to her trailer and demands to know who her parents are. She evades, and he gives her 24 hours to tell him before he says he will force it out of her. The next morning she is summoned - and is dragged - to a meeting with Khavien, who she hasn’t seen since the whole blood incident. He demands to know where she comes from too. He really does deserve to know, she she almost killed his ass with her hot lava angel blood. She finally does tell him that her mom was a banshee, and her dad is the Archangel of Death, named Samil. Khavien tells her a piece of news that almost knocks her out of her chair she is so suprised - her father was cast out of Malkuth (heaven) and is now royalty in Sheol. He tells her that she’s the legendary Key, and that Cain was sent to find her, and deliver her to her father. Dani pleads a case of mistaken identity - she can’t be the key, there’s nothing special about her! Nevertheless, Khavien tells her that the demon that attacked them last night was sure to report back to Samil of what he found. It’s just a matter of time before before all hell will literally break loose there at the Freak’s Fair. He tells her she’s got to run.


She escapes the Fair, only to be attacked again by the demon from the night before. Cain catches up to her in the nick of time and rescues her. He is dangerously pissed at her for not telling him everything. He’s not taking any more excuses from her anymore. He pulls into a parking garage, where they fight. She tries to run from him and he grabs her, tells her that she better hope he’s right about her and throws her off the top of the garage. She manages to save herself with a shocking transformation that is one of the best scenes in the book.



Dani and Cain are on the run after her transformation. They are attacked at every turn, beginning a harrowing cat and mouse game, with demons literally coming out of the woodwork trying to get to Dani. Cain tells her that her contract has been upgraded to an EOS - Execute on Sight. Hell is taking no chances: they want her soul in their possession, asap. Dani wants to know what Cain intends to do, but he’s not talking. He’s way too close to her to do what he’s supposed to do, that much is obvious. I have to notice though, for all of hell trying to kill her, I don’t really see any representatives of heaven trying to help her either. Cain is under pressure of his own: his own indecision over Dani has gotten the attention of his superiors. Cain is attacked by something unseen that slices him open and carves the word “traitor” into him. He yells to Dani to get out before he is teleported away. Now on her own, Dani drives out into a blizzard, running blind.



She is far from safe, and it’s just a matter of time until heaven and hell collide in a battle for her free will. With both sides playing to win, Dani must face the truth: she is the Key; and that heaven and hell are just differing shades of gray.


Ruin of Souls, the second book of this exciting series will come out in December.

[eevee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dani works at a freak-show fair cleaning up after the animals. She has always had to keep her identity of being half-angel and half-banshee hidden because it is an extremely rare combination. Unfortunately, we learn that Dani is a horrible liar and she never really learned how to hide information from others. An incubus named Cain comes to the fair and starts asking all sorts of questions about Dani’s pedigree and fairytales about keys.

Uh, okay, first of all, this isn’t a romance novel. That’s my bad because I thought it was, but it’s just paranormal fiction. It does seem like the author is trying to set up a potential romance plot, but there is none of that so far in this first book. So we sadly can’t grade sex scenes or smuttiness because there’s none. Boo. But anyway:

The characters are okay. I liked Dani mostly during her vulnerable moments, but she can be a bit dim-witted which other characters call her out on. She is the type of heroine who likes to stick her head in the sand and after awhile it becomes not only exasperating but downright illogical.

Cain is very mercurial and he gets really pissed about the dumbest things. If he asks Dani a question and she doesn’t immediately answer, his hand is at her throat. Literally. Somebody get him a stress ball. Other than that he’s all right.

My main problem with this book is that I felt the plot sequences were unclear. Something big would happen, usually an action scene, and it would be described in a way that would leave me wondering ‘Wait... is she dead? Is someone dead?’ And sometimes it felt like they jumped from Point A to Point C (where’s Point B?!) and suddenly they’re speeding down the highway.

Other than that, it was fine. The characters were fairly likable and the plot was engaging enough, but the writing confused me. I found myself skimming at times because there are some parts that are quite redundant, like Dani and Cain constantly fighting and then running from Tamarind-Tree or whatever his name was.

I wouldn’t reread this again or pursue the rest of the series even though it ended on a semi-cliffhanger. Not my taste, but I thought the paranormal lore was interesting.

[Blendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 “She Pissed Me Off” Stars

Talk about a love-hate-love-hate relationship! My feelings volleyed back and forth so much while reading this book, that I couldn’t decide whether to toss my iPad across the room or re-read the book all over again. In the end, I ended up doing neither and thank God for that, because that could have been a pretty costly little temper tantrum.

This book was not one that captured my interest quickly and after reading several chapters, I found myself thinking it was pretty ridiculous and I was laughing out loud at the sure absurdity of some of the content, but then something changed and about halfway through the book, I found that I could not put it down, because somewhere between the eye rolling and scoffing, the book managed to suck me in and thus the emotional volleying began.

In Raising Cain, we get a paranormal tale that is a little different from the others in the genre. The werewolves aren’t hunky men and the vampires or damphirs in this case aren’t on the top of the food chain. It is a world where the demons and angels run supreme and everything else is background noise. We have a likeable heroine in this story, if not a little wimpy and air-headed at times and our hero, well…I was throat punching him as often as I was hugging him throughout the story. He takes alpha male to the extreme and the feminist in me hated him, but the bad boy loving, bad-ass girl in me wanted to take him on. With this being the first in a brand new series, it falls to a few of the “first book” traps, but it does show a lot of promise and potential and overall, I was glad that I kept reading it.

Overall, yes, I would recommend this book to the readers of the Paranormal/Urban Fantasy genre, it has great potential and if you can make it past the first 25% of this book, I think you will find that you will really enjoy what this book has to offer. This book does have a lot of violence and most the characters tend to have a potty mouth, so fair warning, I myself LOVE all of that, so it didn’t bother me in the least, but more sensitive readers, please be warned. As for the second book in the series, it will definitely be on my to-read list and if Ms. Ireland can keep up the momentum, this could be a very fantastic series!

Happy reading, until next time…

I would like to thank NetGalley and TKA Distribution for the ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic!!!
I took this book with me while I was on a training course and read the entire book in three days.

For me, a book has to capture my full attention from the onslaught. If it does not, I tend to dally in my reading it to completion.

Ergo, this book caught me and kept me!

I found it to be very well written as well as quite descriptive. I was engrossed and found myself easily transported. Any novel that can take me away from my day to day is well worth the read.

I loved the characters. The main female character is strong and independent (isn't this what we want a female to be...including ourselves?)

The male characters are quite intriguing. A great blend of various characteristics.

The book is fast paced but does tend to slow down about half way. Unlike most who don't enjoy a book changing paces I found it was needed. A novel cannot be fast paced from page one to the last page. There has to be some build up and growth to the story, to the characters and to the plot. Without any build-up you lose a lot of the intricate depth of the characters and the situation they find themselves in. You will also lose out on any depth of feeling on your own part towards the characters, plot, story and relationships. If you want fast paced and no depth - read a comic book.

I am looking forward to the next installment. I am very curious with what direction the author will be taking with the story and the characters. I know what I am kind of hoping for but I can also see a secondary scenario. Like I said....it will be interesting.

Fantastic story line. What a great concept and I will definitely say it is a novel that is well worth your time to grab a drink and a corner and hide yourself away from the world...if only temporary.

Many thanks for allowing me the opportunity to provide the review by providing me with a copy in the give away. Loved it.

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting and unique story! I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about this book but I really liked it!! There's a fascinating world built and I'm hooked :) there's the normal humans, aka norms, and the non humans, aka freaks. Things like angels demons psychics etc. our leading lady, Dani, is a freak but she's hiding and and she's hiding in plain sight amongst other freaks. Until... And now, she can't trust anyone and she's in trouble. Her boss is making her work as a freak but she knows bigger and badder are going to come for her, so she gets protection.

I really liked Dani! She's struggling but she's trying to survive. She had a seriously hard working job that she did busting her booty. Then she's forced into a job she doesn't want. And then there's Cain. The demon incubus. He's supposed to find something that's a myth, the Key. This key is supposed to control the four horseman. You know death, apocalypse chaos etc. well this Key is also believed to be related to an archangel. Hence the severe measures taken to find it! And Dani is caught right in the middle!

This new world and fantastic action packed story kept me glued to the pages. And though there were some slower parts where Dani had to figure some things out, some of those parts were necessary. I know I like all the crazy all the time :) I definitely can't wait for the continuation in book two!! 4.5 freak PAWS!!

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kelli Ireland tells a tale of an orphan whose father has sent hit-men after her. Supernatural beings live out in the open and the normal’s call them freaks. Dani Fayel’s parents abandoned her at age 8 and she was raised in foster care. She hid that her father was the archangel of death, and her mother was a banshee, a forbidden union. Then she worked at a Freaks’ Fair as a stable hand hiding her ability to see people’s future interaction with death. Then an incubus from Hell, Cain, a demon who had been a gladiator when alive arrives. Soon Dani gets attacked. The problem may be solved by Raising Cain (ebook from TKA Distribution) but the real problem is that Dani’s father has fallen to Hell and his daughter, Dani, might be the key mentioned in prophecy to bring on the apocalypse. There’s sexual tension, but not actual sex. Cain even throws her off a parking garage to force her into her hidden power. Fun. I’m interested in the sequel.Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press

[Veda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was action packed & kept me interested but the story wasn't about Cain or a romance at all. I couldn't figure out why Danni wasn't a better liar if she was hiding. From the very beginning she did more mentally freaking out about what she assumed people were thinking about or how they were gonna treat her than I thought was necessary. The inconsistent level of her ability to defend herself was irritating. One second she's breaking jaws with one punch the next she's getting stomped to the ground & dragged by her hair cause she was simply smacked. It was also baffling how her father didn't recognize her and why Cain couldn't just explain to his friends the deal so they'll be better prepared. The cliffhanger ending with no follow up book is also a negative for me. The writer could've done a lot better.

[Kimchi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am rating the half of the book that I read. Although I loved Cain I couldn't get past dani. Her attitude to the way she complicated things for no reason... The beginning was so good. Then around 30 % it started to go down hill. The characters started to behave like children. I'm sorry if I wanted to read a ya book I would have looked in that section. Great story line just don't like the characters.

[Kimberly Cheeseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I was looking for book number 2 and I do not see it...
I really enjoyed this story and I was hoping to see how the key would be used in the future..:
I have NOTHING bad to say about the book-my only disappointment is that there is not a number 2...

Thank you Ms Ireland for not leaving us “hanging too bad” but I still would love a number 2....

Hope you-the author is well and I really appreciated this story and would love to have more ...

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Official Review To Come Soon

[Netta Overhulser · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I'll warn you there is a cliffhanger, as this is book one in a series. It's not an epic cliffhanger, just one that will leave you wanting more. The heroine in this story is Dani, she's been abandoned by all those whom she was close to and now has her guard up. She is extremely protective of her independence and her identity, which both ends up getting her into trouble. It took me awhile to really get into the story, and then the back and forth with Cain confused me at times. This is a book with Angels and Demons and not all angels are good and not all demons are bad. The story will keep you on your toes getting to figure out what's going on and there is plenty of action as well.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book so why the 2 star rating. It ends in a major cliff hanger and while I don't mind it usually and actually enjoy it in a lot of series that's not the case here. Why you might ask well its because I read it over six years after it was first published and the rest of the story still isn't available and at this point and probably never will be. While it was a good book I never would have started reading it if I had realized it was real series and not a series standalone. If the author ever decides to finish the story I would definitely read this book again and give it a much better rating but I just simply can not give it a better rating while being left hanging with no resolution in sight.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really, no stars. This is the worst book I’ve picked up in a long time. It sounded like such a great idea for a story and turns out it’s basically an endorsement of violence against women. But it’s ok if the guy who beats you is hot. And not in a “we sparred on equal terms and both got bruises” way. Rather in the “I’m so hot and so conflicted and angry so I beat you up” way. 🤮🤮 I kept reading thinking it had to get better, but no such luck. It shouldn’t be possible, but the book just kept getting worse as it went on. I am disgusted and upset about the whole thing.

[Kamie Blunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the ideas for the plot and the world the author was creating, which is why I gave it three stars. I really like the idea but I'm not a fan of the execution. I had a hard time enjoying this book until the cabin. The plot left a lot of things out and seemed to go nowhere for a long time. The manic relationship seemed to have missing dialogue at every turn. Not just the relationship between Cain and Dani but in all of the conversations. It was floored anger or sexual tension and then random lovey emotions near the end that had no context.

[Selenity Jade (Coffee Addicts Book Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just okay. I really started to get into the story and actually care about the characters, and then it ends! Supposedly, it's the first in a series and I didn't realize there were no more books published yet.

So if you like binge reading/listening, skip this one. It's the first book in a series and definitely not finished on its own. And who knows if the rest will be published. It's been like 6 years since this one was published.

[Ryan Mackay · Rating 1 out of 5]

that sucked. dani was so stupid it almost hurt, cain was rapey as hell. this world literally just sucked ass. not a single part of this book was redeeming and honestly i will never read the author again, that’s how shitty it was. which is annoying, because the author is a decent writer. she just doesn’t know how to write a character that’s actually worth rooting for or a romance that doesn’t feel like sexual assault (wtf is that).

[EJ MACK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure how the comment. Yes it was well written where i felt just as confused as the Heroine. but i also felt like she was not acting strong enough for me. I am going to wait for the next book to see if my suspicions are right.