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The Demon Accords #7
Forced Ascent
Chris Gordon has never had an easy relationship with the White House. Now, after rescuing his goddaughter from a secret base in New Hampshire, it’s reached a new low. You drop one little asteroid onto the continental United States and the entire government goes crazy. On top of that Halloween is fast approaching and demons are popping through into our world every which way. Forced into the world of high level politics, Chris and Tanya and their merry crew will have to stay two steps ahead of just about everyone if they’re going to have a chance in hell of preventing all Hell from breaking loose.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 22, 2014
307 people are currently reading
584 people want to read
About the author
John Conroe
35 books1,702 followersI'm the Urban Fantasy author of the Demon Accords series. For more information, check out my website or follow me on Facebook at the Demon Accords page.
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May 24, 2018
Forced Ascent
The Demon Accords, Book 7
By: John Conroe
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
It is Halloween and not only is Chris fighting the demons but the corrupt government! What? We have a corrupt government? Say it isn't so! They want to control Chris and use him. They think is smart to take his god-daughter or his woman....(evil laugh)...sure, true that, see how that works! I love this series!
Love the narrator too. Good all the way around!
The Demon Accords, Book 7
By: John Conroe
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
It is Halloween and not only is Chris fighting the demons but the corrupt government! What? We have a corrupt government? Say it isn't so! They want to control Chris and use him. They think is smart to take his god-daughter or his woman....(evil laugh)...sure, true that, see how that works! I love this series!
Love the narrator too. Good all the way around!
June 10, 2020
This series is a fast paced and fun pulp UF. The world-building is a bit simplistic and the plot and story are full of tropes and flaws but none of them really hurt the series all that much as the characters are (usually) a likeable bunch who are easy enough to root for and the story itself is engaging and fun. It all has the feel of a fun action movie and tends to hold my attention from start to finish.
It has been nearly a year since I read the sixth Demon Accords book but despite that I had no trouble getting sucked back into this world or remembering who all the major characters were and what was going on story-wise. That could be due to the fact that Conroe keeps his world and stories pretty simple or it could be a sign that this series has managed to stick in my mind better than most.
The plot of this seventh Demon Accords book was entertaining enough. Chris and his team had to suffer more run ins and issues with the US government while still trying to keep people safe from demonic attacks and an impending demonic invasion that was gearing to launch on Halloween. The plot was fast moving and packed full of plenty of action and twists and turns and I definitely found most of what we got to be fairly engaging. The odd bit of demon bashing went on a bit long for my liking but I'll not complain too much as one the whole this was quite a fun instalment of the series.
This series has a ton of flaws but despite them it remains weirdly readable and enjoyable. If you have reached the seventh book then chances are you are already aware of the negatives. The big flaws in these books are the presentation of female characters and the general conservative right wing views of John Conroe which slip into the story. The other main flaw is that this series is male wish-fulfilment power fantasy. I do not think overpowered lead characters is necessarily a negative for a series as if done well it can still be a lot of fun but it does tend to be something that becomes more and more of a problem for a series the deeper one gets into it as eventually the lead gets too powerful on all levels and often times tends towards abusing that power. Chris is definitely at the super overpowered stage but luckily he is not yet at the stage where he is overly abusing that power so he is still easy enough to root for in his battles against both the demons and the overzealous US government.
If this book had new flaws beyond the usual ones it was the further rise to prominence of the harem elements of the tale and the rise in prominence of the religious undertones of the story. I'm not a fan of either but so far Conroe has not managed to annoy me beyond eye-rolling on both topics. That said, I'm a little worried going forward that the stuff we got in this book that helped mitigate those issues and made them tolerable will disappear in some of the coming sequels. I'm just never going to be a fan of any story that pushes religion as a positive thing. Religion played a big part in this one as the general public finally learned of the existence of supernatural creatures. The only thing that made the preaching of religion tolerable was the fact that Chris was pushing people towards all religions rather than any specific one. The harem elements have been hinted at in the story for a while but this was the first instalment where I felt like Conroe was actively indulging the idea rather than just using it to present a bunch of the secondary female characters as sex objects for the reader to leer at. I'm a Stacia fan but I'm not particularly keen on the idea of Chris eventually taking her on as a second lover. Tania has proved to be fairly useless, despite all her power and authority, and the ultimate damsel in distress over the course of the series but despite that she is still likeable enough and I did enjoy her romance with Chris while reading the early books in the series so it will feel a bit harsh is she gets relegated to just being another member of an ever expanding Chris harem. Lets be honest, if Conroe pulls the trigger on Stacia then it is only a matter of time before Lydia and Nika are added as well since both spend plenty of time drooling over Chris as it is! The adoration everyone views Chris with (especially the female characters) gets to feel a bit much at times. It was not as bad as this in the early books and I think this is the big negative of Chris becoming more and more powerful as the series progresses. Plus I just have to admit I'm getting so sick of wish-fulfilment harem tales of late as they seem to be in every other self-published series I pick up so it is extra annoying to see it creep into this series as well! I should mention that nothing has actually happened between Chris and Stacia just yet but this book definitely felt like it was setting that up as a near future development. Even poor Tania seemed to be getting used to the idea in this instalment.
I was expecting more to come from Chris's amnesia but the way things played out it was like it never even happened. That was a little disappointing as a fun switch up of dynamics in the group could have been fun for a bit. As it was it sort of felt like Conroe decided to quietly scrap the story arc.
It feels like I've done a lot of complaining in my review for this book but the truth was I actually enjoyed the story despite the flaws. It was engaging pulp and the banter between the characters can be quite fun.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Audio Note: I think James Patrick Cronin did a decent enough job with the audio.
It has been nearly a year since I read the sixth Demon Accords book but despite that I had no trouble getting sucked back into this world or remembering who all the major characters were and what was going on story-wise. That could be due to the fact that Conroe keeps his world and stories pretty simple or it could be a sign that this series has managed to stick in my mind better than most.
The plot of this seventh Demon Accords book was entertaining enough. Chris and his team had to suffer more run ins and issues with the US government while still trying to keep people safe from demonic attacks and an impending demonic invasion that was gearing to launch on Halloween. The plot was fast moving and packed full of plenty of action and twists and turns and I definitely found most of what we got to be fairly engaging. The odd bit of demon bashing went on a bit long for my liking but I'll not complain too much as one the whole this was quite a fun instalment of the series.
This series has a ton of flaws but despite them it remains weirdly readable and enjoyable. If you have reached the seventh book then chances are you are already aware of the negatives. The big flaws in these books are the presentation of female characters and the general conservative right wing views of John Conroe which slip into the story. The other main flaw is that this series is male wish-fulfilment power fantasy. I do not think overpowered lead characters is necessarily a negative for a series as if done well it can still be a lot of fun but it does tend to be something that becomes more and more of a problem for a series the deeper one gets into it as eventually the lead gets too powerful on all levels and often times tends towards abusing that power. Chris is definitely at the super overpowered stage but luckily he is not yet at the stage where he is overly abusing that power so he is still easy enough to root for in his battles against both the demons and the overzealous US government.
If this book had new flaws beyond the usual ones it was the further rise to prominence of the harem elements of the tale and the rise in prominence of the religious undertones of the story. I'm not a fan of either but so far Conroe has not managed to annoy me beyond eye-rolling on both topics. That said, I'm a little worried going forward that the stuff we got in this book that helped mitigate those issues and made them tolerable will disappear in some of the coming sequels. I'm just never going to be a fan of any story that pushes religion as a positive thing. Religion played a big part in this one as the general public finally learned of the existence of supernatural creatures. The only thing that made the preaching of religion tolerable was the fact that Chris was pushing people towards all religions rather than any specific one. The harem elements have been hinted at in the story for a while but this was the first instalment where I felt like Conroe was actively indulging the idea rather than just using it to present a bunch of the secondary female characters as sex objects for the reader to leer at. I'm a Stacia fan but I'm not particularly keen on the idea of Chris eventually taking her on as a second lover. Tania has proved to be fairly useless, despite all her power and authority, and the ultimate damsel in distress over the course of the series but despite that she is still likeable enough and I did enjoy her romance with Chris while reading the early books in the series so it will feel a bit harsh is she gets relegated to just being another member of an ever expanding Chris harem. Lets be honest, if Conroe pulls the trigger on Stacia then it is only a matter of time before Lydia and Nika are added as well since both spend plenty of time drooling over Chris as it is! The adoration everyone views Chris with (especially the female characters) gets to feel a bit much at times. It was not as bad as this in the early books and I think this is the big negative of Chris becoming more and more powerful as the series progresses. Plus I just have to admit I'm getting so sick of wish-fulfilment harem tales of late as they seem to be in every other self-published series I pick up so it is extra annoying to see it creep into this series as well! I should mention that nothing has actually happened between Chris and Stacia just yet but this book definitely felt like it was setting that up as a near future development. Even poor Tania seemed to be getting used to the idea in this instalment.
I was expecting more to come from Chris's amnesia but the way things played out it was like it never even happened. That was a little disappointing as a fun switch up of dynamics in the group could have been fun for a bit. As it was it sort of felt like Conroe decided to quietly scrap the story arc.
It feels like I've done a lot of complaining in my review for this book but the truth was I actually enjoyed the story despite the flaws. It was engaging pulp and the banter between the characters can be quite fun.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Audio Note: I think James Patrick Cronin did a decent enough job with the audio.
September 19, 2023
Rating 5.0 stars
Re-Read for the 3rd time this year October 2019.
Re-read May 2019. Original review below:
Well things really change in this book. The one thing that didn't is that the government is still trying to get Chris under their power and if they can't they will try and kill him. You drop one little 10 ton asteroid on the a secret government base and everyone just freaks out!?!? The big question though, is just exactly who in the government is trying to kill Chris? Do the orders come from the President? The Military? Is AIR still a player? How many other secret government agencies are there?
I think the next book deals with Declin and his new school, but I am really interested to find out what happens with Chris and his team next; does he stay in America or go overseas?
Re-Read for the 3rd time this year October 2019.
Re-read May 2019. Original review below:
Well things really change in this book. The one thing that didn't is that the government is still trying to get Chris under their power and if they can't they will try and kill him. You drop one little 10 ton asteroid on the a secret government base and everyone just freaks out!?!? The big question though, is just exactly who in the government is trying to kill Chris? Do the orders come from the President? The Military? Is AIR still a player? How many other secret government agencies are there?
I think the next book deals with Declin and his new school, but I am really interested to find out what happens with Chris and his team next; does he stay in America or go overseas?
October 20, 2014
Sorry but the ending just did not make any sense.
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
Why did he let is friends go one by one against armed men when we already know he can disable weapons? why did he allow the same government that tried to kill him and his loved ones scan him when not even himself knows what he really is? why didn't the mind reader detect the guards intentions to attack? How come the mega ninja gf lets herself get handcuffed, not to mention the semi god main char? And again why did he let armed people near is friends?
And how the hell did the government invent portal closing devices ? It would have been easier to believe they had found a cure to aids...
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
SPOILERS!
Why did he let is friends go one by one against armed men when we already know he can disable weapons? why did he allow the same government that tried to kill him and his loved ones scan him when not even himself knows what he really is? why didn't the mind reader detect the guards intentions to attack? How come the mega ninja gf lets herself get handcuffed, not to mention the semi god main char? And again why did he let armed people near is friends?
And how the hell did the government invent portal closing devices ? It would have been easier to believe they had found a cure to aids...
January 15, 2018
It's a shame that one of Mr. Conroe's best books, Executable, has to be followed up by this tin foil hat festival.
What I liked..
- Stacia's interaction with the vampires was good.
What I didn't like..
- The government stuff doesn't make sense from their perspective.
- Made little time for character dynamics.
- The pro-Gordan blogosphere thing was waaaaay over the top.
If your even looking at this then you've probably read the previous books and know what your getting into to some degree. This is the story of Christian Gordon. A man/angel whose power set is so over the top it would make superman roll his eyes, whom every girl swoons over, and every straw man villain wants to antagonize for no reason; and whose chest hair is probably the cure for cancer.
Normally the offsetting factor for that silliness is how Mr Conroe writes pretty interesting characters to surround his psuedo-god being with and works in fun character dynamics. Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and such all with a wealth of personality. Which, more than anything else, is what typically makes these books worth reading.
This book is a little different in that regard however. Forced Ascent opts out of spending time on character dynamics and instead chooses to focus on a government conspiracy that makes little sense and trying to establish Chris Gordan as "the people's champion" in a way that makes even less sense.
Suspension of disbelief is a big part of enjoying Urban Fantasy but this book asked too much of me. The worst was the fake news stuff that seemed like it was 1/4th of the book. The self serving nature of it all made my eyes hurt from all the rolling they were doing.
What I liked..
- Stacia's interaction with the vampires was good.
What I didn't like..
- The government stuff doesn't make sense from their perspective.
- Made little time for character dynamics.
- The pro-Gordan blogosphere thing was waaaaay over the top.
If your even looking at this then you've probably read the previous books and know what your getting into to some degree. This is the story of Christian Gordon. A man/angel whose power set is so over the top it would make superman roll his eyes, whom every girl swoons over, and every straw man villain wants to antagonize for no reason; and whose chest hair is probably the cure for cancer.
Normally the offsetting factor for that silliness is how Mr Conroe writes pretty interesting characters to surround his psuedo-god being with and works in fun character dynamics. Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, and such all with a wealth of personality. Which, more than anything else, is what typically makes these books worth reading.
This book is a little different in that regard however. Forced Ascent opts out of spending time on character dynamics and instead chooses to focus on a government conspiracy that makes little sense and trying to establish Chris Gordan as "the people's champion" in a way that makes even less sense.
Suspension of disbelief is a big part of enjoying Urban Fantasy but this book asked too much of me. The worst was the fake news stuff that seemed like it was 1/4th of the book. The self serving nature of it all made my eyes hurt from all the rolling they were doing.
November 2, 2014
Spoilers on previous books (my review is on the general series overall)
I have read the series twice in a matter of two months and sadly I can only give it three stars. I say sadly because I loved the book, I like the way the author developed the world, the characters inside and most of all, the direction the story is going.
BUT, and it's a big but, there are some contradictions in the book that I simply cannot ignore and have to take off two stars in my rating. I know this is urban fantasy and therefore I cannot expect everything to be scientifically correct. However, even in an urban fantasy story there is an IRON RULE which is THE AUTHOR MUST NOT BREAK RULES AND LAWS HE HIMSELF SETS UP. It's one thing to be creative but a whole different thing to contradict your own rules.
Now that I'm done with all my ranting it's time to get to the fun part which I name "contradictions in The Overworld Chronicles"! Please understand that my list of contradictions will obviously contain some spoilers on the last five books
1. My first WTF moment was when I found out that Director Stewart was bitten in the leg by a were but neither died from the virus injected in him (the green aura Chris sees in his leg) nor turned into a were himself while Stacia who was also bitten in the leg once turned into a full were. My question is how the hell does that work? Earlier on in the series we learned that victims of weres either died or turned. I would understand his situation if it was a vampire who bit him, since a small dose of vampire blood gives you a longer life span and strengthen, but takes multiple blood exchanges to turn a human into a vampire. But no, it was a were who bit him...
2. Next up on my list is Chris's actions contradicting his logic. Throughout the series we are repeatedly told Chris avoids all relationships and lives a life of solitude because he fears demons will attack his friends as revenge. Then how the hell do you explain Toni? Stacia? Chet? Gina? I mean sure Tanya was already a target but what about everyone else? And please don't try to justify his action by saying "well he gave them the fetishes so they should totally be protected". The reason I cannot accept this explanation is because remember how he refused to befriend those two nice ladies that invite him out to eat in book one? Well he sure as hell had the fetishes back then but he still feared demon attacks on the ladies so he pushed them away. That event right there proves the fetishes are not all powerful. Another thing, I don't wanna see this happen but wouldn't he normally leave Tanya now that she is no longer a target?
3. The entire government DHS department is useless...they have literally done nothing...proof? Here's a quote “Currently my unit has approximately one hundred kills, but those were for one individual.” By General Creek in Brutal Asset. Dude literally said DHS has killed a hundred weres...but they were done by 1 guy, aka Chris. Protect the American citizens my ass...they haven't kill a single were since they were established.
4. One of the vampire laws is not to kill humans...or they'll be executed. Then how come Frimunt kills that little girl without thinking he might be executed? Doesn't seem like something you would forget. Especially when you trying to win an election, best behavior baby. (This was trivial but struck me as odd).
5. I just have to add number five...it isn't a contradiction but just total bull. In Brutal Asset we learn that Chris often fall asleep with his girl but wakes up in a pile of other women. Here's a quote “As I woke, I realized that we weren’t alone. Several others were snuggled around us, all female". My question is why all female? I mean there is zero reason for there to be no males in that bed other than the author's wishful thinking...illogically wishful thinking. It's not like the males don't like the way he smells. Fear of death? I think not since the females snuggle just fine. Come on John! I don't mind a wishful story but not to the point where the story no longer makes sense.
Wow I was gonna continue listing off inconsistencies but damn this review is getting kinda long so I'm going to cut it short. Again, even with all these issues I still love the series very much. I just think the author shouldn't try and force anything and think things through before writing them out.
I have read the series twice in a matter of two months and sadly I can only give it three stars. I say sadly because I loved the book, I like the way the author developed the world, the characters inside and most of all, the direction the story is going.
BUT, and it's a big but, there are some contradictions in the book that I simply cannot ignore and have to take off two stars in my rating. I know this is urban fantasy and therefore I cannot expect everything to be scientifically correct. However, even in an urban fantasy story there is an IRON RULE which is THE AUTHOR MUST NOT BREAK RULES AND LAWS HE HIMSELF SETS UP. It's one thing to be creative but a whole different thing to contradict your own rules.
Now that I'm done with all my ranting it's time to get to the fun part which I name "contradictions in The Overworld Chronicles"! Please understand that my list of contradictions will obviously contain some spoilers on the last five books
1. My first WTF moment was when I found out that Director Stewart was bitten in the leg by a were but neither died from the virus injected in him (the green aura Chris sees in his leg) nor turned into a were himself while Stacia who was also bitten in the leg once turned into a full were. My question is how the hell does that work? Earlier on in the series we learned that victims of weres either died or turned. I would understand his situation if it was a vampire who bit him, since a small dose of vampire blood gives you a longer life span and strengthen, but takes multiple blood exchanges to turn a human into a vampire. But no, it was a were who bit him...
2. Next up on my list is Chris's actions contradicting his logic. Throughout the series we are repeatedly told Chris avoids all relationships and lives a life of solitude because he fears demons will attack his friends as revenge. Then how the hell do you explain Toni? Stacia? Chet? Gina? I mean sure Tanya was already a target but what about everyone else? And please don't try to justify his action by saying "well he gave them the fetishes so they should totally be protected". The reason I cannot accept this explanation is because remember how he refused to befriend those two nice ladies that invite him out to eat in book one? Well he sure as hell had the fetishes back then but he still feared demon attacks on the ladies so he pushed them away. That event right there proves the fetishes are not all powerful. Another thing, I don't wanna see this happen but wouldn't he normally leave Tanya now that she is no longer a target?
3. The entire government DHS department is useless...they have literally done nothing...proof? Here's a quote “Currently my unit has approximately one hundred kills, but those were for one individual.” By General Creek in Brutal Asset. Dude literally said DHS has killed a hundred weres...but they were done by 1 guy, aka Chris. Protect the American citizens my ass...they haven't kill a single were since they were established.
4. One of the vampire laws is not to kill humans...or they'll be executed. Then how come Frimunt kills that little girl without thinking he might be executed? Doesn't seem like something you would forget. Especially when you trying to win an election, best behavior baby. (This was trivial but struck me as odd).
5. I just have to add number five...it isn't a contradiction but just total bull. In Brutal Asset we learn that Chris often fall asleep with his girl but wakes up in a pile of other women. Here's a quote “As I woke, I realized that we weren’t alone. Several others were snuggled around us, all female". My question is why all female? I mean there is zero reason for there to be no males in that bed other than the author's wishful thinking...illogically wishful thinking. It's not like the males don't like the way he smells. Fear of death? I think not since the females snuggle just fine. Come on John! I don't mind a wishful story but not to the point where the story no longer makes sense.
Wow I was gonna continue listing off inconsistencies but damn this review is getting kinda long so I'm going to cut it short. Again, even with all these issues I still love the series very much. I just think the author shouldn't try and force anything and think things through before writing them out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2025
"Forced Ascent," the 7th book in John Conroe’s "Demon Accords" series, published in 2015 and narrated by James Patrick Cronin, is a thrilling return to the series’ core protagonist, Chris Gordon, after the detour of Executable. This audiobook delivers a high-octane blend of urban fantasy, supernatural action, and emotional depth, cementing Conroe’s knack for escalating stakes. Cronin’s narration elevates the experience, with the story’s dense mythology and rapid pacing.
The narrative thrust centers on Chris Gordon, the supernaturally gifted demon hunter, as he faces a cosmic threat that pushes his abilities to the limit. After the events of "Fallen Stars," Chris grapples with his evolving powers and strained relationships, particularly with his vampire girlfriend, Tanya Demidova. A new extraterrestrial menace emerges, forcing Chris to team up with familiar allies like the werewolf Stacia and the witch Declan O’Carroll, introduced in Executable. Conroe masterfully blends science fiction elements with the series’ established supernatural lore, creating a gripping conflict that feels both fresh and cohesive. The interplay between Chris’s internal struggles - balancing his humanity with his divine-like abilities - and the external threat is a highlight, adding emotional weight to the relentless action. Stacia’s growing role and Declan’s magical prowess inject new energy, while Tanya’s presence, though limited, underscores the personal stakes.
James Patrick Cronin’s narration is a standout, delivering a performance that captures the story’s intensity and emotional nuance. His portrayal of Chris conveys both vulnerability and resolve, while his distinct voicing for Stacia’s confidence and Declan’s youthful bravado keeps the ensemble cast vivid. Cronin’s pacing matches the book’s breakneck tempo, particularly during battle scenes, though his handling of otherworldly entities occasionally feels less distinct. His consistent delivery ensures the audiobook remains immersive, enhancing Conroe’s vivid prose.
The book’s strengths lie in its ambitious scope and character development. Conroe deftly expands the "Demon Accords" universe, introducing inter-dimensional elements that broaden the mythology without losing the series’ gritty charm. Chris’s growth as a reluctant hero is compelling, and the supporting cast, particularly Stacia, adds depth. However, the dense lore and rapid introduction of new concepts can feel overwhelming, especially for those new to the series.
"Forced Ascent" by John Conroe is a must-listen for "Demon Accords" fans craving epic stakes and Chris’s return, though newcomers may need prior series context to fully engage.
The narrative thrust centers on Chris Gordon, the supernaturally gifted demon hunter, as he faces a cosmic threat that pushes his abilities to the limit. After the events of "Fallen Stars," Chris grapples with his evolving powers and strained relationships, particularly with his vampire girlfriend, Tanya Demidova. A new extraterrestrial menace emerges, forcing Chris to team up with familiar allies like the werewolf Stacia and the witch Declan O’Carroll, introduced in Executable. Conroe masterfully blends science fiction elements with the series’ established supernatural lore, creating a gripping conflict that feels both fresh and cohesive. The interplay between Chris’s internal struggles - balancing his humanity with his divine-like abilities - and the external threat is a highlight, adding emotional weight to the relentless action. Stacia’s growing role and Declan’s magical prowess inject new energy, while Tanya’s presence, though limited, underscores the personal stakes.
James Patrick Cronin’s narration is a standout, delivering a performance that captures the story’s intensity and emotional nuance. His portrayal of Chris conveys both vulnerability and resolve, while his distinct voicing for Stacia’s confidence and Declan’s youthful bravado keeps the ensemble cast vivid. Cronin’s pacing matches the book’s breakneck tempo, particularly during battle scenes, though his handling of otherworldly entities occasionally feels less distinct. His consistent delivery ensures the audiobook remains immersive, enhancing Conroe’s vivid prose.
The book’s strengths lie in its ambitious scope and character development. Conroe deftly expands the "Demon Accords" universe, introducing inter-dimensional elements that broaden the mythology without losing the series’ gritty charm. Chris’s growth as a reluctant hero is compelling, and the supporting cast, particularly Stacia, adds depth. However, the dense lore and rapid introduction of new concepts can feel overwhelming, especially for those new to the series.
"Forced Ascent" by John Conroe is a must-listen for "Demon Accords" fans craving epic stakes and Chris’s return, though newcomers may need prior series context to fully engage.
February 23, 2020
Another 5 star series; I own books and/or audio .
I’m laughing at myself as this is really a YA series in theory; it’s just so damn fun that I love to revisit. Vampires, God-hammer, magic galore. Total fantasy free- for- all. Conroe is blessedly not too repetitive, but maintains this world and my interest in it throughout the series.
I’m laughing at myself as this is really a YA series in theory; it’s just so damn fun that I love to revisit. Vampires, God-hammer, magic galore. Total fantasy free- for- all. Conroe is blessedly not too repetitive, but maintains this world and my interest in it throughout the series.
September 25, 2014
Awesome book! The best one yet!
I know it's a little strange but I will start with what dissatisfied me in the book first, which is character interaction. This book is very fast paced, and we end up with less character interaction because of this. I love the characters in this series and seeing them interacting with each other, so that was a detriment for me. For example, in the beginning of the book Chris has an interaciton with Lydia in which he unknowingly touches a sore spot of hers, I would have liked to see a follow up showing why that was a sore spot for her, but that interaction ends up being forgotten in the fast pace of the book. Another thing I would like to see more of is Chris and Tanya talking more about their feelings with each other. I liked seeing Chris asking Tanya how she felt about Stacia, and there were some other issues in the book that felt like they were only skimmed over that I wish they could have talked more about as well.
Now for what I liked. First, the action of course. In my reading experience John Conroe writes the best action scenes that I have ever read. I also like how both Stacia and Tanya's relationship with Chris is developing. Mr. Conroe doesn't make excuses for Tanya or the vampires in this world. We were shown more clearly some aspects of Tanya that seemed a little elusive in previous books, and I like the direction her character growth is taking. Then we have Stacia. I didn't like her much in the beginning books, but her actions in Fallen Stars won me over. She continues to be a great friend to Chris, someone who is always there to support and help him, without forgetting to stop him when he is doing something wrong. Something else that happened to their relationship that I had wished for but hadn't really expected to happen is that she becomes a kind of counter-balance to Tanya in her relationship with Chris. She relates more to his human side, while Tanya relates more to his supernatural side. Although if she is really going to counter-balance Tanya she may be in need of an upgrade to her supernatural mojo. The supernatural bond she has with Chris also grows in this book. It's also interesting to see Stacia's relationship with Tanya and Lydia changing from outright hostility to a mutual grudging respect. Anyway, seeing how Stacia's relationship with both Chris and Tanya is changing gives me hope that Chris may end up with both of them yet.
I know it's a little strange but I will start with what dissatisfied me in the book first, which is character interaction. This book is very fast paced, and we end up with less character interaction because of this. I love the characters in this series and seeing them interacting with each other, so that was a detriment for me. For example, in the beginning of the book Chris has an interaciton with Lydia in which he unknowingly touches a sore spot of hers, I would have liked to see a follow up showing why that was a sore spot for her, but that interaction ends up being forgotten in the fast pace of the book. Another thing I would like to see more of is Chris and Tanya talking more about their feelings with each other. I liked seeing Chris asking Tanya how she felt about Stacia, and there were some other issues in the book that felt like they were only skimmed over that I wish they could have talked more about as well.
Now for what I liked. First, the action of course. In my reading experience John Conroe writes the best action scenes that I have ever read. I also like how both Stacia and Tanya's relationship with Chris is developing. Mr. Conroe doesn't make excuses for Tanya or the vampires in this world. We were shown more clearly some aspects of Tanya that seemed a little elusive in previous books, and I like the direction her character growth is taking. Then we have Stacia. I didn't like her much in the beginning books, but her actions in Fallen Stars won me over. She continues to be a great friend to Chris, someone who is always there to support and help him, without forgetting to stop him when he is doing something wrong. Something else that happened to their relationship that I had wished for but hadn't really expected to happen is that she becomes a kind of counter-balance to Tanya in her relationship with Chris. She relates more to his human side, while Tanya relates more to his supernatural side. Although if she is really going to counter-balance Tanya she may be in need of an upgrade to her supernatural mojo. The supernatural bond she has with Chris also grows in this book. It's also interesting to see Stacia's relationship with Tanya and Lydia changing from outright hostility to a mutual grudging respect. Anyway, seeing how Stacia's relationship with both Chris and Tanya is changing gives me hope that Chris may end up with both of them yet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2016
Chris Gordon has to stop portals from opening and letting demons into this world. The portals are becoming a bigger problem when it gets closer to Halloween. There is one major portal that will be opened in the Pentagon by a demon Prince. Chris has to stop the portal from opening and not make the government too mad at him in the process.
This was an alright book. One of the problems I am having with this book series is, that last book and the books after this are about a different character. It is annoying that in this book series Chris has become involved in politics so they are trying to start with a new character. I don't really think that is a good idea.
This was an alright book. One of the problems I am having with this book series is, that last book and the books after this are about a different character. It is annoying that in this book series Chris has become involved in politics so they are trying to start with a new character. I don't really think that is a good idea.
April 14, 2023
I've already written a review on the entire series, it's one of my favorites. This book wasn't my favorite, but it was still really entertaining and had some of the most badass fight scenes of the entire series. My main problems for this book were that once again we see Lydia as the most useless character in the entire series, who has far too much screen time. All she really brings is some pretty crappy comic relief, annoying paranoia and getting people either killed or in bad situations because she's in the middle of fights she shouldn't be in. In the later stories her obnoxious paranoia was set on Declan and really was the instigator for a lot of his internal problems within the group, but before Declan her paranoia was set on Chris and his "Grim" personality, even after seeing that Grim is really just a combat persona at this point and is even more protective of the group than his main personality, but right when they get pulled into hell she once again looks at Chris like he's some unstable snake which makes the rest of the vampires freak out, even Tanya his "chosen", until Stacia basically slaps them upside the head and says even if that was possible she wouldn't let it happen. Re-reading these books sometimes puts me in a bind on who I think the main characters should be with, Stacia when she was pining over Chris was a much more interesting character and really showed that she'd always have his back even though they aren't a couple, later on when she's with Declan she becomes just a boring jealous trope and loses her fun and sassy personality, I will always give Conroe the side eye for doing that to a great character. It isn't until book 18 that we truly see that Stacia has similar feelings for Declan as she does for Chris in this book, which makes me wish that Declan got with Ryanne from book 8 instead, and just have her keep waiting for Chris for a few more books before she makes an exit as a main character since her power can't keep up. A big thing that bothered me is that because Conroe made Chris and Tanya be this power couple from in their past life and be their "chosens" in this life we know that he'll never really leave Tanya, even when he really had a much better option with Stacia, we especially see that in this book with how Tanya and him really just aren't very compatible personality wise, other than he's a good doormat for her dominant and unfeeling side and I dare say they really haven't had chemistry since book 1. But even with having a useless character like Lydia take precious screen time and also having weird feelings seeing how smitten Stacia was with Chris compared to how she is with Declan, this is a great book and its a definite must read if you're into anything John Conroe. Rant out
November 6, 2020
For my older self to remember:
I've skipped book 6, and felt no problems understanding this book (just some things that you need to catch up when the book progresses)
This could be an awesome book, this book could reset things and have a different path altogether. More ruthless, more calm, less over powered, more overpowered... But nothing changed.
I've skipped book 6, and felt no problems understanding this book (just some things that you need to catch up when the book progresses)
This could be an awesome book, this book could reset things and have a different path altogether. More ruthless, more calm, less over powered, more overpowered... But nothing changed.
April 4, 2018
This book was good. I haven't reviewed the previous installments much because they continued to deliver the fun and quick-paced action promised from the very first book, along with the dramatic and enjoyable interactions between characters.
This book on the other hand is a bit of a decline for me. VERY MUCH OF THE BOOK WAS FUN AND ENJOYABLE, and delivered much of what we've come to expect. But, the characters aren't really developing in this book. We're told that certain characters that had been in conflict begin to get along, but ultimately see little development ourselves.
*MILD SPOILERS*
The memory loss for Gordon, while having the potential to create a bunch of interesting plot-arcs, never went anywhere. It barely even mattered in the grand scheme of things. Gordon and Stacia could've created some *real* relationship drama at the very least, instead of this awkward dynamic that ended up occurring. If you have this love triangle, do something with it. Otherwise, its just an interesting itch that never gets scratched.
The relationship between Tanya/Gordon and the Coven could've been a crazy interesting political struggle, but that just died as well. It's the perfect set up for countless scenarios of intrigue, betrayal, side-taking, confrontations, etc.
Same with the government. I really like the angle of our MC's being treated unfairly by the government, but this incessant drive for the to capture Gordon or take his loved ones hostage without any retaliation is really unsatisfying, especially since they just keep doing it over and over again without any changes. General Creek is an ass regardless of how reasonable Gordon is, President Garth is a power hungry dick with no remorse, his assistant seems willing to do anything to make the government look good, no matter how blatant the lie, with barely a single hint of conscience. There just doesn't seem to be enough rationale behind some of the character's actions in this book.
All the Gov't characters just go with the "USA must hold all the power or kill it" or "I follow orders no matter how dumb or inhumane" approaches. (The scenes with Gordon saving the police/bystanders from the Gov't tomahawk missle was nice, showed that at least some of the people observing Gordon have brains. Same with the news reporter.)
TLDR; The story has gotten to look at such a large scale of events in this book's world that very little detail or tension can be involved when compared to the first few books.
*There aren't really any key 'bad guys' that we can get to know and worry about right now, just a few Gov't figureheads.
*There isn't an obvious overarching goal for our MCs, something for them to strive towards that keeps the author from rambling into random directions with the plot (I like side-trips and character development, but I like there to be some form of focus at times...)
*The romance side of things isn't really changing in any interesting ways, good or bad. All the characters are a bit too level-headed in that area, come up with boring displays of self-restraint, and ultimately make the love-triangle(?) distracting instead of interesting.
Looking forward to seeing where the story goes, but I know I have to read about that Declan kid again... at least he'll probably have a more focused story, even though I'm not nearly as invested in his.
I STILL REALLY LIKE THIS SERIES, I'M JUST WHINING!
This book on the other hand is a bit of a decline for me. VERY MUCH OF THE BOOK WAS FUN AND ENJOYABLE, and delivered much of what we've come to expect. But, the characters aren't really developing in this book. We're told that certain characters that had been in conflict begin to get along, but ultimately see little development ourselves.
*MILD SPOILERS*
The memory loss for Gordon, while having the potential to create a bunch of interesting plot-arcs, never went anywhere. It barely even mattered in the grand scheme of things. Gordon and Stacia could've created some *real* relationship drama at the very least, instead of this awkward dynamic that ended up occurring. If you have this love triangle, do something with it. Otherwise, its just an interesting itch that never gets scratched.
The relationship between Tanya/Gordon and the Coven could've been a crazy interesting political struggle, but that just died as well. It's the perfect set up for countless scenarios of intrigue, betrayal, side-taking, confrontations, etc.
Same with the government. I really like the angle of our MC's being treated unfairly by the government, but this incessant drive for the to capture Gordon or take his loved ones hostage without any retaliation is really unsatisfying, especially since they just keep doing it over and over again without any changes. General Creek is an ass regardless of how reasonable Gordon is, President Garth is a power hungry dick with no remorse, his assistant seems willing to do anything to make the government look good, no matter how blatant the lie, with barely a single hint of conscience. There just doesn't seem to be enough rationale behind some of the character's actions in this book.
All the Gov't characters just go with the "USA must hold all the power or kill it" or "I follow orders no matter how dumb or inhumane" approaches. (The scenes with Gordon saving the police/bystanders from the Gov't tomahawk missle was nice, showed that at least some of the people observing Gordon have brains. Same with the news reporter.)
TLDR; The story has gotten to look at such a large scale of events in this book's world that very little detail or tension can be involved when compared to the first few books.
*There aren't really any key 'bad guys' that we can get to know and worry about right now, just a few Gov't figureheads.
*There isn't an obvious overarching goal for our MCs, something for them to strive towards that keeps the author from rambling into random directions with the plot (I like side-trips and character development, but I like there to be some form of focus at times...)
*The romance side of things isn't really changing in any interesting ways, good or bad. All the characters are a bit too level-headed in that area, come up with boring displays of self-restraint, and ultimately make the love-triangle(?) distracting instead of interesting.
Looking forward to seeing where the story goes, but I know I have to read about that Declan kid again... at least he'll probably have a more focused story, even though I'm not nearly as invested in his.
I STILL REALLY LIKE THIS SERIES, I'M JUST WHINING!
May 23, 2017
Well uhh
Is was awesome as always so to complete the minimum words required I'll just add food, music, and I'm hungry 😉
Is was awesome as always so to complete the minimum words required I'll just add food, music, and I'm hungry 😉
October 10, 2014
Demon Accords series by John Conroe is utterly fantastic and I found each and every single book in the series as brilliant as the last. Without doubt Demon Accords is one of my - if not the - favourite urban fantasy books I've read.
I'm not going to go too much into the plot as it's the 7th book in the series and if you haven't read the others then you'll be lost. What I will say is that John Conroe doesn't drop the ball with this one and if anything raised it. Storyline was gripping and expands significantly, action scenes were adrenaline fuelled and such was the pace of the book that I finished it within a day.
I can't think of anything I disliked but perhaps that's my biased view clouding my judgement.
Conclusion
If you haven't read the Demon Accords series and you claim to be a urban fantasy fan then you seriously need to have a good hard look in the mirror. For those of you who have, then you won't be disappointed.
I'm not going to go too much into the plot as it's the 7th book in the series and if you haven't read the others then you'll be lost. What I will say is that John Conroe doesn't drop the ball with this one and if anything raised it. Storyline was gripping and expands significantly, action scenes were adrenaline fuelled and such was the pace of the book that I finished it within a day.
I can't think of anything I disliked but perhaps that's my biased view clouding my judgement.
Conclusion
If you haven't read the Demon Accords series and you claim to be a urban fantasy fan then you seriously need to have a good hard look in the mirror. For those of you who have, then you won't be disappointed.
January 22, 2022
Up to this point I found these books a fun, if slightly redundantly written power fantasy.
Sometimes with political or religious views that I don't quite agree with, as well as a healthy dose of women-are-so-strong-but-men-are-stronger, which I somehow got past. (Like the badass Were-Girl that's so proficient at gunplay - because of course her brother and her uncle taught her.)
And then, what was teased multiple times gets realized with a vengeance, full missionary style, and the message just doesn't let up. The president is a weak idiot for being a liberal, everyone has souls and believes in God now, and the ones with differing religions? Oh, it's ok, every religion works, because the christian God is a benevolent one and can overlook if you're not perfect.
Sadly, it becomes a neverending self-righteous christianity leaflet, long enough that I had to stop reading at like three quarters, which would normally stop me from writing a review, but this just annoyed me too much.
Sometimes with political or religious views that I don't quite agree with, as well as a healthy dose of women-are-so-strong-but-men-are-stronger, which I somehow got past. (Like the badass Were-Girl that's so proficient at gunplay - because of course her brother and her uncle taught her.)
And then, what was teased multiple times gets realized with a vengeance, full missionary style, and the message just doesn't let up. The president is a weak idiot for being a liberal, everyone has souls and believes in God now, and the ones with differing religions? Oh, it's ok, every religion works, because the christian God is a benevolent one and can overlook if you're not perfect.
Sadly, it becomes a neverending self-righteous christianity leaflet, long enough that I had to stop reading at like three quarters, which would normally stop me from writing a review, but this just annoyed me too much.
February 17, 2021
I don't understand how, in book 7, the author is still writing Chris as barely able to control his hormones around beautiful women, despite having made such a big point of Chris being bonded to Tanya. Are men really like that? No matter the seriousness of the situation men always respond with their penises first? Also, how is the editor consistently missing such huge inconsistencies? 'Sos is lying snugly between the beds, but then the next page he is suddenly outside because there wasn't enough space for him in the room? And that's just one. These books are riddles with insane inconsistencies. Which is really sad, because I think the story isn't half bad.
March 23, 2019
Wow!!! This installment in the Demon Accords series has really changed the rules, and truly opens the door to new problems for our stalwart heroes! And seriously, will people ever learn that annoying any of the gang (most especially Chris) is never, and I mean NEVER, a good idea!?!? There’s more evil in this book than previously seen, but what do you expect when you’re dealing with politicians.
Awesome book!!! Bring on the next!!! Oh, and once again, the fabulous James Patrick Cronin brings the story and characters truly to life!
Originally read 11 March 2018; re-read 22 March 2019
Awesome book!!! Bring on the next!!! Oh, and once again, the fabulous James Patrick Cronin brings the story and characters truly to life!
Originally read 11 March 2018; re-read 22 March 2019
August 1, 2020
"Normally I would offer her my chair, but I could tell through our link that standing was a strategically dominant position and I was pretty sure she was ready to dominate the bejebbers out of them."
4.0/5.0 One of the better books the series has produced in a little while. Fun and fast paced. Enjoyed coming back to the old POV but the memory side plot is still unwanted in my opinion. Interplay between characters continue to entertain, I do wish we would get more development with some of said relationships though.
4.0/5.0 One of the better books the series has produced in a little while. Fun and fast paced. Enjoyed coming back to the old POV but the memory side plot is still unwanted in my opinion. Interplay between characters continue to entertain, I do wish we would get more development with some of said relationships though.
September 12, 2021
This would have been a 4 star book had the author not pussied out. They spent 5 books (I don't count the bait and switch book 6 as part of the series) establishing the sheer badassery of Chris Gordon, and then had him roll on his belly for the president at the end of this book. It doesn't make thematic sense, nor does it make sense storywise. It ruined the whole book. I'm done with the series, especially since book 8 appears to be another of those bait and switch books, covering a character no one gives a rats ass about.
November 16, 2019
Well is more of an 3.5 really but good none the less, The series is still going strong and well enough, the book was nice but could seriously do better without all the 'silly' internal jokes here and there, they felt kind of juvenile to have that just pop. As other complained the plot is taking quite the strange change in direction and it doesn't feel as comfortable as it was before. Either way it is a wonderfull series, and will keep me as an fan for a good while.
July 31, 2015
I enjoyed this book but it felt a bit rushed in places so much happens that less time was spent just with the core characters chatting and spending time together generally so I felt a bit less connected with them than in previous books.
I did enjoy it just not quite as much as the previous books.
I did enjoy it just not quite as much as the previous books.
February 21, 2015
No spoilers
I gave this book, in fact the entire series, four stars for the simple reason that it tells a good story, and drags you along hoping for more and wanting to jump right into the next book as soon as you can. If you enjoyed Kevin Hearne's 'Iron Druid' series, then you'll enjoy this one as well.
I gave this book, in fact the entire series, four stars for the simple reason that it tells a good story, and drags you along hoping for more and wanting to jump right into the next book as soon as you can. If you enjoyed Kevin Hearne's 'Iron Druid' series, then you'll enjoy this one as well.
March 10, 2022
Well I'm done with this series. The story itself is floundering and aimless. I don't get the ending at all. He had to force the MC into uncharacteristic behavior in order to finish the book in such a terrible way. This was a big goose egg and looking briefly at the other books it seems like they are spinoffs and not about the MC. So I'm moving on.
August 17, 2016
Good! I meant to read the elf book before this one, but I bounced off the first few paragraphs, try again later? The epic gets wearisome after a while or maybe I'm just tired now... I was definitely entertained at several points... Now I sleep!
July 20, 2025
All Hell literally breaks loose in a storyline that irrevocably changes everything for not only our heroes, but for the world at large.
Chris has been running around the country closing portals all while he and his group try to avoid the government. No good deed goes unpunished as they say.
Chris has been running around the country closing portals all while he and his group try to avoid the government. No good deed goes unpunished as they say.
November 6, 2014
an excellent read as usual but moving a bit too far in to the Republican political propaganda feel towards the middle and continuing from there onward
October 31, 2023
Another one down in my re-read
May 20, 2016
It is great story plot and also very pulling, but still I can not give the story more than 4 stars because I don't like the way which way story plot is going.
January 13, 2017
Characters are weakly written
I love this series. But the characters are now basically all the same. It can be annoying at times. They all behave in exactly the same manner.
I love this series. But the characters are now basically all the same. It can be annoying at times. They all behave in exactly the same manner.
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