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The Dark Forgotten #2
Scorched
Welcome to the Castle. The price of admission is your soul.
Ex-detective Macmillan always had a taste for bad girls, but his last lover really took the cake-and his humanity. Now half-demon, Mac's lost his friends, his family and his job.
Constance, a vampire trapped in the supernatural Castle prison, needs his help. Her son has been kidnapped, so suddenly Mac has a case to work-one that embroils him with a mad sorcerer, an even madder city council, and a winged love god. The trail leads deep into the supernatural prison, and Mac soon learns that cracking the case will cost him his last scrap of humanity.Fiery, vulnerable Constance will do anything for those she loves, including Mac. He'll be damned if he turns his back on her... and a demon forever if he doesn't. Second edition. Previously published in 2009 by Signet Eclipse.
Ex-detective Macmillan always had a taste for bad girls, but his last lover really took the cake-and his humanity. Now half-demon, Mac's lost his friends, his family and his job.
Constance, a vampire trapped in the supernatural Castle prison, needs his help. Her son has been kidnapped, so suddenly Mac has a case to work-one that embroils him with a mad sorcerer, an even madder city council, and a winged love god. The trail leads deep into the supernatural prison, and Mac soon learns that cracking the case will cost him his last scrap of humanity.Fiery, vulnerable Constance will do anything for those she loves, including Mac. He'll be damned if he turns his back on her... and a demon forever if he doesn't. Second edition. Previously published in 2009 by Signet Eclipse.
400 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2009
32 people are currently reading
788 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Ashwood
55 books462 followersSharon Ashwood is a free-lance journalist, novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle fantasy would never work out, so she writes paranormal romances instead.
Sharon lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness.
Sharon lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
January 7, 2016
just couldn't finish this one, I was so into the first that I just dived right into the second, but it was very disappointing and boring, I kept reading in the pretense that it might pick up and be ok but it never happened for me.
June 27, 2019
3.5 stars
Less compelling than the first book but still enjoyable. Mac is caught between worlds after the demon infected him, the heroine has been a captive in the Castle for centuries. Once again the plot is awesome and the romance is just okay. I am enjoying this series.
Less compelling than the first book but still enjoyable. Mac is caught between worlds after the demon infected him, the heroine has been a captive in the Castle for centuries. Once again the plot is awesome and the romance is just okay. I am enjoying this series.
November 19, 2009
I recently read Ravenous, the first in The Dark Forgotten series and fell in love with the world Sharon Ashwood created and the delicious vampire, Alessandro and his mate and witch, Holly. During Ravenous, Mac is turned into a demon, and the repercussions of that carry over to Scorched, although this can be read as a stand alone.
Scorched starts off a year later – Mac, although not a full force demon, still has lingering side effects and is definitely not human. Alessandro, a vampire who patrols the town they live in, finally finds Mac. He sees him as a threat, and wants him dead. Mac pleads his case – his creator is now dead and all Mac wants is his life back, but Alessandro won’t hear of it. He captures Mac and listening to the pleas of Holly (who has Alessandro wrapped around her finger) he spares Mac’s life and throws him into The Castle – a prison of sorts for the supernatural.The Castle has been around for thousands of years, some of its occupants in there for that long as well. It is a maze of corridors. No one knows how big it is and it has a magic of its own. It is also failing, sections of it disappearing. Mac was in there a year ago and pure dread encompasses him when he finds himself in there again. Soon after he enters, he meets Constance, a vampire who was thrown in the castle the moment she was turned. She has never drank blood, so her turning process is not complete. Her adopted son, a demon incubus, was recently kidnapped by the guardsmen, thinking he is too dangerous to be out. She is desperate to get him back. Mac was a police officer in his former life and knows something about finding missing people. That, coupled with an attraction to Constance has him finding a purpose in his life once again. Many surprises await both Constance and Mac, and Alessandro and Holly find themselves involved in another fight for their lives.
I have a hard time rating Scorched. When I finished reading and logged it into Goodreads, I gave it three stars but I really need to break up my rating. My biggest complaint is that I didn’t buy the romance between Mac and Constance. If I could pluck the romance out of this book, it would be hard for me to find anything else I didn’t like! I loved the paranormal action throughout and thought the continuation of Alessandro and Holly was great. I even loved Mac in his demon form. I just didn’t like how Mac and Constance start up and I didn’t feel a spark as they continued.
When they first meet, Constance’s son has been kidnapped by Castle guards and she is desperate to get him back. Mac has been thrown back into the castle by Alessandro and is panicked to find a way out. He is still reeling from the effects of being a demon for a year, even though his craving of eating people has subsided. Within in moments of being introduced, they are embracing. In Ravenous, Mac turned into a demon because he was tricked into kissing a girl. Yes, it has been a year since he was turned and I am sure he has – needs – but I would think he would be more cautious with his kisses.
Constance on the other hand – she needs to finish turning into a vampire so she can be strong enough to rescue her son. She picks Mac for her first “meal.” So instead of biting him and getting it over with, she ends up kissing him and having lustful feelings. So, their first encounter to me didn’t flow. And then they had this attraction that I just didn’t see stemming from anything and throughout the book it just fell flat for me.
The Castle is the main attraction in this book and it is amazing! I love that in the world Sharon Ashwood has created, supernaturals are known to the public. Yet there is this Castle or epic proportions hidden from the world. It is accessed only from a portal, and most don’t know about it. Their are guardsmen, those brutal, ruthless men that have been forced into service, hellhounds, and many other magical creatures all in this weird, dimensional place that has portals and maze after maze. Here we meet Reynard, a guardsman with a conscience, and Lore, a hellhound that is the occasional ally of both Alessandro and Mac. The Castle is such a unique entity and I really love how it has taken on a life of its own.
Another great character is Ashe, Holly’s sister. She is a vampire hunter, and guess who she hates with a passion? Alessandro. Let me tell you, she doesn’t give up. Even when Holly pleads with her to give Alessandro a chance, she can’t. The fighting between them is really something great.
I also love the one-liners coming out of all the characters mouths. Some of the best sarcastic humor to be found in both Ravenous and Scorched.
Scorched delivers in all of the paranormal aspects. The romance didn’t do it for me, but the uniqueness of the world, and the vibrant characters were enough to carry the story.
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Scorched starts off a year later – Mac, although not a full force demon, still has lingering side effects and is definitely not human. Alessandro, a vampire who patrols the town they live in, finally finds Mac. He sees him as a threat, and wants him dead. Mac pleads his case – his creator is now dead and all Mac wants is his life back, but Alessandro won’t hear of it. He captures Mac and listening to the pleas of Holly (who has Alessandro wrapped around her finger) he spares Mac’s life and throws him into The Castle – a prison of sorts for the supernatural.The Castle has been around for thousands of years, some of its occupants in there for that long as well. It is a maze of corridors. No one knows how big it is and it has a magic of its own. It is also failing, sections of it disappearing. Mac was in there a year ago and pure dread encompasses him when he finds himself in there again. Soon after he enters, he meets Constance, a vampire who was thrown in the castle the moment she was turned. She has never drank blood, so her turning process is not complete. Her adopted son, a demon incubus, was recently kidnapped by the guardsmen, thinking he is too dangerous to be out. She is desperate to get him back. Mac was a police officer in his former life and knows something about finding missing people. That, coupled with an attraction to Constance has him finding a purpose in his life once again. Many surprises await both Constance and Mac, and Alessandro and Holly find themselves involved in another fight for their lives.
I have a hard time rating Scorched. When I finished reading and logged it into Goodreads, I gave it three stars but I really need to break up my rating. My biggest complaint is that I didn’t buy the romance between Mac and Constance. If I could pluck the romance out of this book, it would be hard for me to find anything else I didn’t like! I loved the paranormal action throughout and thought the continuation of Alessandro and Holly was great. I even loved Mac in his demon form. I just didn’t like how Mac and Constance start up and I didn’t feel a spark as they continued.
When they first meet, Constance’s son has been kidnapped by Castle guards and she is desperate to get him back. Mac has been thrown back into the castle by Alessandro and is panicked to find a way out. He is still reeling from the effects of being a demon for a year, even though his craving of eating people has subsided. Within in moments of being introduced, they are embracing. In Ravenous, Mac turned into a demon because he was tricked into kissing a girl. Yes, it has been a year since he was turned and I am sure he has – needs – but I would think he would be more cautious with his kisses.
Constance on the other hand – she needs to finish turning into a vampire so she can be strong enough to rescue her son. She picks Mac for her first “meal.” So instead of biting him and getting it over with, she ends up kissing him and having lustful feelings. So, their first encounter to me didn’t flow. And then they had this attraction that I just didn’t see stemming from anything and throughout the book it just fell flat for me.
The Castle is the main attraction in this book and it is amazing! I love that in the world Sharon Ashwood has created, supernaturals are known to the public. Yet there is this Castle or epic proportions hidden from the world. It is accessed only from a portal, and most don’t know about it. Their are guardsmen, those brutal, ruthless men that have been forced into service, hellhounds, and many other magical creatures all in this weird, dimensional place that has portals and maze after maze. Here we meet Reynard, a guardsman with a conscience, and Lore, a hellhound that is the occasional ally of both Alessandro and Mac. The Castle is such a unique entity and I really love how it has taken on a life of its own.
Another great character is Ashe, Holly’s sister. She is a vampire hunter, and guess who she hates with a passion? Alessandro. Let me tell you, she doesn’t give up. Even when Holly pleads with her to give Alessandro a chance, she can’t. The fighting between them is really something great.
I also love the one-liners coming out of all the characters mouths. Some of the best sarcastic humor to be found in both Ravenous and Scorched.
Scorched delivers in all of the paranormal aspects. The romance didn’t do it for me, but the uniqueness of the world, and the vibrant characters were enough to carry the story.
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
February 20, 2015
I didn't really remember the first book, Ravenous, too well when I picked this up, which was a bit of a disadvantage since the leading man in this one appeared in the last book - Mac was the cop who had been turned into a flesh craving demon but who was saved to some extent by a spell cast by Holly which leashed his demon.
Mac is really quite appealing in this book, he's lost everything but is very heroic, and despite his demon he is still by nature a protector. Which is fortunate for his heroine, since Constance, a partially turned vamp who thinks she needs blood to gain her full powers in order to save her imprisoned foster son, and who wants him for his blood initially, instead gets Mac for a champion.
Scorched was interesting, but unexpected for two reasons. First, since a great deal of the story takes place in the Castle, a prison for supernaturals which lies outside of our world most of the book had a more fantasy feel. And second, for some reason I thought this series was urban fantasy, not paranormal romance, so I was surprise that Alessandro and Holly weren't the main focus of the story.
Despite my expectations, I still liked Scorched though and I probably would have like the book even more if I had read the first book more recently, because it took me a bit to come back up to speed on the characters and the world. Still, once I read enough to jog my memory, I enjoyed seeing Holly and Alessandro and watching their struggle to deal with Holly's vampire hunting sister who shows up and plans to stake Alessandro.
But there is one upside to having waited so long to read Scorched, I already have Unchained in hand and I am totally up to speed and ready to see Holly's sister take the lead.
Mac is really quite appealing in this book, he's lost everything but is very heroic, and despite his demon he is still by nature a protector. Which is fortunate for his heroine, since Constance, a partially turned vamp who thinks she needs blood to gain her full powers in order to save her imprisoned foster son, and who wants him for his blood initially, instead gets Mac for a champion.
Scorched was interesting, but unexpected for two reasons. First, since a great deal of the story takes place in the Castle, a prison for supernaturals which lies outside of our world most of the book had a more fantasy feel. And second, for some reason I thought this series was urban fantasy, not paranormal romance, so I was surprise that Alessandro and Holly weren't the main focus of the story.
Despite my expectations, I still liked Scorched though and I probably would have like the book even more if I had read the first book more recently, because it took me a bit to come back up to speed on the characters and the world. Still, once I read enough to jog my memory, I enjoyed seeing Holly and Alessandro and watching their struggle to deal with Holly's vampire hunting sister who shows up and plans to stake Alessandro.
But there is one upside to having waited so long to read Scorched, I already have Unchained in hand and I am totally up to speed and ready to see Holly's sister take the lead.
Read
April 25, 2020DNF
October 27, 2011
Having a bit more romance than the its predecessor this book is a nice and enjoyable dose of paranormal romance. And still manages to have a decent plot.
Overall I enjoyed this book, actually I'd rate it a bit higher than Ravenous, which suffered from a rushed ending. This one doesn't. It is slow at times, but that has its own charm.
Overall I enjoyed this book, actually I'd rate it a bit higher than Ravenous, which suffered from a rushed ending. This one doesn't. It is slow at times, but that has its own charm.
December 2, 2019
Noch bevor die junge Vampirin Constance das erste Mal Blut kostete, wurde sie in ein magisches Gefängnis gebracht, das jeden Hunger unterdrückt. So ist sie zwar unsterblich, hat aber kaum mehr Macht als ein normaler Mensch. Doch nun wurde ihr Adoptivsohn entführt, und Constance ist bereit, alles zu tun, um ihn zurückzuholen – selbst ihre Verwandlung in ein Monster zu vollenden. Dazu muss sie ein menschliches Opfer in den weitläufigen Höhlen des Gefängnisses finden. Der verführerische Mac scheint im ersten Moment perfekt. Er ist jedoch alles andere als ein Mensch …
Dies ist der zweite Band der vierteiligen Dark Magic Reihe. Im Mittelpunkt stehen die junge Vampirin Constance und Mac, der früher Polizist war, bevor ihn ein Dämon infiziert hat. Faszinierend fand ich in diesem Band vor allem das Setting. Im ersten Teil nur angedeutet, wird nun »die Burg« näher beschrieben. Es handelt sich hierbei um ein Gefängnis für übernatürliche Wesen, erschaffen vor ewigen Zeiten von den neun mächtigsten Hexern. Bewacht wird die Burg von Männern, die einmal Menschen gewesen sind, bevor sie den Schwur geleistet haben. Die Burg und einige ihrer unangenehmen Bewohner werden dabei so anschaulich beschrieben, dass ich alles direkt vor mir sah. Normalerweise würde ich deshalb fünf Sterne vergeben, leider fand ich in diesem Band eine der Hauptcharaktere, eben Constance, nicht so überzeugend. War Holly, die Hexe im ersten Band, tough, selbstständig und trotzdem verletzlich. So schien Constance nur in ihrer seelischen Zwickmühle gefangen, aus der sie sich lange nicht selbst befreien konnte. Trotzdem habe ich es genossen, den Roman zu lesen – allein Mac ist des Lesens wert – und spreche eine Leseempfehlung für alle Fans von Urban und Romantic Fantasy aus.
Dies ist der zweite Band der vierteiligen Dark Magic Reihe. Im Mittelpunkt stehen die junge Vampirin Constance und Mac, der früher Polizist war, bevor ihn ein Dämon infiziert hat. Faszinierend fand ich in diesem Band vor allem das Setting. Im ersten Teil nur angedeutet, wird nun »die Burg« näher beschrieben. Es handelt sich hierbei um ein Gefängnis für übernatürliche Wesen, erschaffen vor ewigen Zeiten von den neun mächtigsten Hexern. Bewacht wird die Burg von Männern, die einmal Menschen gewesen sind, bevor sie den Schwur geleistet haben. Die Burg und einige ihrer unangenehmen Bewohner werden dabei so anschaulich beschrieben, dass ich alles direkt vor mir sah. Normalerweise würde ich deshalb fünf Sterne vergeben, leider fand ich in diesem Band eine der Hauptcharaktere, eben Constance, nicht so überzeugend. War Holly, die Hexe im ersten Band, tough, selbstständig und trotzdem verletzlich. So schien Constance nur in ihrer seelischen Zwickmühle gefangen, aus der sie sich lange nicht selbst befreien konnte. Trotzdem habe ich es genossen, den Roman zu lesen – allein Mac ist des Lesens wert – und spreche eine Leseempfehlung für alle Fans von Urban und Romantic Fantasy aus.
October 16, 2018
This is my 1st read and review for this author and even though I hadn’t read book 1 of this series I still enjoyed this book immensely. MAC was human he loved bad girls unfortunately for him he picked a very bad girl and he ended up being a demon, but that doesn’t help him one bit when he is thrown into prison. The Castle holds all kinds of supernatural prisoners and there he meets Constance, Constance was thrown into prison as soon as she was turned but the change wasn’t complete because she has never had blood, but when she meets Mac she needs his help a demon boy that she took under her wing was taken out by the guards and never brought back. Mac was a detective when he was human and he has dealt with missing people now he can use those skills to help Constance get her boy back but first they need to get out of there. I loved this story but I do need to read book 1 it would answer some of my questions but that didn’t take anything away from the story. A fantastic story a 5 plus ⭐️ read and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.
May 16, 2021
This book, is number two of the series of the dark forgotten and it continues the story, but it about another love story of a vampire, named Constance, in this case, is locked away in prison because she is a vampire and she has been there for a long time and she has to fight for her life, and when ex-detective Macmillian gets but in there because of his demon side, he finds constance and has to fight to get her out and save the castle prison from falling apart and letting the bad ones out, it is a story that makes you cheer for the ones that are in the prison that should not be there, and the hope that Macmillion can find happiness and win against his demon side.
June 29, 2019
Skewed a little more towards romance than I usually like, but not so much that it was annoying.
All in all a good urban fantasy read. Been forever since I read the first, and I only have up to the 3rd (dunno if there's more past 4) so we'll see. But the books seem to stand on their own. Slight carryover from the previous one but not enough that having long since forgotten it was a problem.
Great idea of the Castle and how things got worse and then better
All in all a good urban fantasy read. Been forever since I read the first, and I only have up to the 3rd (dunno if there's more past 4) so we'll see. But the books seem to stand on their own. Slight carryover from the previous one but not enough that having long since forgotten it was a problem.
Great idea of the Castle and how things got worse and then better
dnf
May 31, 2020I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for this, which is really my fault. I read the first book in the series probably a decade ago and I don't remember it. I bought this one shortly after that but never felt like picking it up. I only tried it now because I put it on an A-Z challenge list that I was partially using to force me through some of my long lived TBR pile. And it's just been too long and I don't read these type of books as much anymore.
February 4, 2022
Been too long since I read the first one, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. Great read! Mac and Constance are a wonderful romantic pairing, and characters from the first book had more than cameo appearances. Big fun, in spite of being UF (not my favorite genre, but not first-person like most in this genre, which helped a lot).
June 30, 2020
A compelling book
There are many good authors, some excellent authors, and the rare gifted author. Ms. Ashwood is the rare gifted author; her writing is the gold standard. I have just purchased the rest of this series because this is paranormal romance at it’s best.
There are many good authors, some excellent authors, and the rare gifted author. Ms. Ashwood is the rare gifted author; her writing is the gold standard. I have just purchased the rest of this series because this is paranormal romance at it’s best.
January 20, 2019
I am glad Mac got his HEA .
August 24, 2019
Unique cast of characters. Good story.
December 29, 2016
Fantastic! I love it!
March 29, 2016
We first met Mac in Holly and Alessandro's adventure, Ravenous, when he was just a simple detective who picked up the wrong (the very wrong) dame at the bar. He wasn't a bad guy, and until he decided to do some pretty bad things, I liked him a lot. At the end of the book however he ended up in the Castle, a sort of...purgatory I suppose for supernaturals.
And this shouldn't be necessary, but spoilers for the first book.
A year has passed since the events of Ravenous and Mac is back out in the bright world looking for a purpose and redemption. The spell that had been the death of his demon-mistress Geneva (long may she rot) had drained most of his demonic needs for souls. Sadly it didn't make him completely human so he's struggling much like a former alcoholic or junkie does. Except former alcoholics and junkies don't have to worry about a vampire law enforcer hunting them down in case they fall off the wagon. Thrown back into the Castle, Mac runs into Constance and from there his whole world shifts.
Much like the first book this isn't strictly about Mac and Constance's relationship, but interweaves their budding relationship with the trials of Alessandro and Holly's continued relationship, Holly's elder sister Ashe's return and crazy crazy shenanigans in the Castle. Someone is creating havoc in the Castle, more then usual that is, and that in turn is creating havoc for everyone else involved.
Mac of this book is the Mac I loved in Ravenous--he's witty, he's charming and he's got that Detective Noir vibe radiating off him. Constance was very intriguing. Technically a vampire, she was tossed into the supernatural infested Castle before she drew blood so she's got the fangs, but not the powers. Her first meeting with Mac had to be one of the funniest things ever. Basically it went from a heavy make out session to Constance: 'Just let me bite you' Mac: 'No!' Constance: 'Come on!' Mac: 'No means no!'
Despite his hating to perpetuate the vampire stereotype of the brooding undead in the night, Alessandro does a lot of that this book. Mostly because Holly's sister Ashe--the vampire slayer--does her level best to make him doubt that he's making Holly happy. She'd rather be cutting off his head or staking him, but she settles for extreme emotional abuse.
Ashe was so...something. If Jane Lynch was a little younger I could see her playing Ashe in a movie/tv version of Scorched. Tough, conflicted and this side of mentally unhinged Ashe can't fathom why Holly has forgiven her for what happened if she can't forgive herself. Really her and Alessandro should have had plenty in common--they both really like to dwell in brooding self-pityland filled with regrets for past injuries and mistakes.
The plot is a little more complex this time, involving a larger variety of players and consequences. I will say that Mac gets to redeem himself, Alessandro stops brooding long enough to take a good hard look at things, Ashe...stops trying to kill Alessandro every time his back is turned and Holly manages to surprise Alessandro. I mean completely surprise him.
Book 3, due out in July 2010 at the moment, is titled Unchained and the excerpt reveals it to be centering around Ashe and Reynard (a Guardsmen Captain from the Castle). I sincerely hope that a future book revolves around Constance's 'son' Sylvius since I grew rather fond of him.
And this shouldn't be necessary, but spoilers for the first book.
A year has passed since the events of Ravenous and Mac is back out in the bright world looking for a purpose and redemption. The spell that had been the death of his demon-mistress Geneva (long may she rot) had drained most of his demonic needs for souls. Sadly it didn't make him completely human so he's struggling much like a former alcoholic or junkie does. Except former alcoholics and junkies don't have to worry about a vampire law enforcer hunting them down in case they fall off the wagon. Thrown back into the Castle, Mac runs into Constance and from there his whole world shifts.
Much like the first book this isn't strictly about Mac and Constance's relationship, but interweaves their budding relationship with the trials of Alessandro and Holly's continued relationship, Holly's elder sister Ashe's return and crazy crazy shenanigans in the Castle. Someone is creating havoc in the Castle, more then usual that is, and that in turn is creating havoc for everyone else involved.
Mac of this book is the Mac I loved in Ravenous--he's witty, he's charming and he's got that Detective Noir vibe radiating off him. Constance was very intriguing. Technically a vampire, she was tossed into the supernatural infested Castle before she drew blood so she's got the fangs, but not the powers. Her first meeting with Mac had to be one of the funniest things ever. Basically it went from a heavy make out session to Constance: 'Just let me bite you' Mac: 'No!' Constance: 'Come on!' Mac: 'No means no!'
Despite his hating to perpetuate the vampire stereotype of the brooding undead in the night, Alessandro does a lot of that this book. Mostly because Holly's sister Ashe--the vampire slayer--does her level best to make him doubt that he's making Holly happy. She'd rather be cutting off his head or staking him, but she settles for extreme emotional abuse.
Ashe was so...something. If Jane Lynch was a little younger I could see her playing Ashe in a movie/tv version of Scorched. Tough, conflicted and this side of mentally unhinged Ashe can't fathom why Holly has forgiven her for what happened if she can't forgive herself. Really her and Alessandro should have had plenty in common--they both really like to dwell in brooding self-pityland filled with regrets for past injuries and mistakes.
The plot is a little more complex this time, involving a larger variety of players and consequences. I will say that Mac gets to redeem himself, Alessandro stops brooding long enough to take a good hard look at things, Ashe...stops trying to kill Alessandro every time his back is turned and Holly manages to surprise Alessandro. I mean completely surprise him.
Book 3, due out in July 2010 at the moment, is titled Unchained and the excerpt reveals it to be centering around Ashe and Reynard (a Guardsmen Captain from the Castle). I sincerely hope that a future book revolves around Constance's 'son' Sylvius since I grew rather fond of him.
October 5, 2011
My review is posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-r...
It’s a difficult thing for a cop to find himself on the wrong side of a prison door. That’s what happened (in a way) to former detective Connall Macmillan. A year ago, he picked up the wrong girl at a bar and – Bam! – next thing Mac knew he was a soul-sucking demon with a ravenous appetite. Now that he’s been thrown in the Castle, a crumbling paranormal prison, Mac is determined to get out. Then he meets the beautiful, not-fully-Turned vampire Constance, and everything changes. Constance’s adopted son has been kidnapped and Mac, while a demon, hasn’t truly left the “protect and serve” motto behind. But recovering the kidnapped incubus has bigger repercussions than either Mac or Constance could ever have imagined. Constance and Mac will be in for the fight of their lives to save not only her son, but all those who are trapped in the Castle.
Just like its predecessor, Ravenous, Scorched has supernatural snark to spare. The second installment in Sharon Ashwood’s Dark Forgotten series is all attitude, which wouldn’t have been a bad thing if it didn’t overpower the world. Ms. Ashwood has a talent for world building that shines through parts of Scorched, but unfortunately, I found myself wishing that I could leave the characters behind to explore the world. Mac, who intrigued me in Ravenous, seems to have lost his unique voice in Scorched – a bad thing to happen for a hero. Constance, in turn, is surprisingly bland and seems to lose her identity over the course of the book. As for the romance between Constance and Mac…sadly, I felt like the story was simply going through the motions to bring about their falling in love, which still ended up being a case of “tell” over “show.”
The bright spots in terms of characters are Holly and Alessandro of Ravenous. Surprisingly, I liked this pair even better in Scorched than in their own book. Both they and their romance felt more fleshed out in Scorched, which was a wonderful discovery for me. The dark spot? Holly’s sister Ashe, the heroine of the next Dark Forgotten book, Unchained. Ashe is 95% attitude and it didn’t work for me. For most of Scorched, Ashe left such a bad taste in my mouth that I had to walk away from the book after reading a scene with her in it. As you might have guessed with her being the heroine of the next book, she has a bit of a turnaround, but it was too little too late; she soured any interest I had in reading Unchained.
While Scorched is the second book in The Dark Forgotten series, you don’t have to read Ravenous to be able to follow along. For those who have already enjoyed Ravenous, be forewarned that Scorched doesn’t move at as quick a pace. I loved the world of the Castle and Ms. Ashwood definitely kept me intrigued with its dangerous corridors and plethora of supernatural species. Unfortunately for me, the good parts of Scorched were outweighed by the not-so-great elements. As much as I wanted to like Scorched (and I really did try to enjoy it), it simply wasn’t the book for me.
It’s a difficult thing for a cop to find himself on the wrong side of a prison door. That’s what happened (in a way) to former detective Connall Macmillan. A year ago, he picked up the wrong girl at a bar and – Bam! – next thing Mac knew he was a soul-sucking demon with a ravenous appetite. Now that he’s been thrown in the Castle, a crumbling paranormal prison, Mac is determined to get out. Then he meets the beautiful, not-fully-Turned vampire Constance, and everything changes. Constance’s adopted son has been kidnapped and Mac, while a demon, hasn’t truly left the “protect and serve” motto behind. But recovering the kidnapped incubus has bigger repercussions than either Mac or Constance could ever have imagined. Constance and Mac will be in for the fight of their lives to save not only her son, but all those who are trapped in the Castle.
Just like its predecessor, Ravenous, Scorched has supernatural snark to spare. The second installment in Sharon Ashwood’s Dark Forgotten series is all attitude, which wouldn’t have been a bad thing if it didn’t overpower the world. Ms. Ashwood has a talent for world building that shines through parts of Scorched, but unfortunately, I found myself wishing that I could leave the characters behind to explore the world. Mac, who intrigued me in Ravenous, seems to have lost his unique voice in Scorched – a bad thing to happen for a hero. Constance, in turn, is surprisingly bland and seems to lose her identity over the course of the book. As for the romance between Constance and Mac…sadly, I felt like the story was simply going through the motions to bring about their falling in love, which still ended up being a case of “tell” over “show.”
The bright spots in terms of characters are Holly and Alessandro of Ravenous. Surprisingly, I liked this pair even better in Scorched than in their own book. Both they and their romance felt more fleshed out in Scorched, which was a wonderful discovery for me. The dark spot? Holly’s sister Ashe, the heroine of the next Dark Forgotten book, Unchained. Ashe is 95% attitude and it didn’t work for me. For most of Scorched, Ashe left such a bad taste in my mouth that I had to walk away from the book after reading a scene with her in it. As you might have guessed with her being the heroine of the next book, she has a bit of a turnaround, but it was too little too late; she soured any interest I had in reading Unchained.
While Scorched is the second book in The Dark Forgotten series, you don’t have to read Ravenous to be able to follow along. For those who have already enjoyed Ravenous, be forewarned that Scorched doesn’t move at as quick a pace. I loved the world of the Castle and Ms. Ashwood definitely kept me intrigued with its dangerous corridors and plethora of supernatural species. Unfortunately for me, the good parts of Scorched were outweighed by the not-so-great elements. As much as I wanted to like Scorched (and I really did try to enjoy it), it simply wasn’t the book for me.
May 31, 2010
Scorched
follows Mac as he learns to deal with his "inner demon". One year later (after the events of Ravenous) he's returned home to try to pick up the pieces and the first person he runs into is Alessandro Caravelli, Holly's Chosen mate.
Alessandro is the "bad-assed sheriff-to-the-undead" enforcing the peace among the supernatural community and he's ready to kill Mac, the demon. However, he realizes that Mac's not entirely demon any longer. No matter, he still feels he's a threat, so he puts him in the Castle.
The Castle is the supernatural prison that houses all sorts of supes, many of which don't belong there (ie: they spooked villagers back in the day, so ... off to the Castle) and/or have been forgotten about in the lower depths.
While in the Castle, Mac runs into a beautiful, young (appearing) vampire, Constance. She was put in the Castle as soon as she'd been Turned but before her first feeding as a vampire. She was barely seventeen, that was hundreds of years ago. The Castle takes away hunger, thirst and lust in order to keep control of the inmates. So she's never fed, never become a full vamp. She has survived this long with the help of a, now crazy, sorcerer Atreus.
Connie asks for Mac's help rescuing her son, Sylvius, a sixteen year old incubus, whom she's raised since he was a baby. He's just coming into his powers and the guards fear his blood is a danger, since it will (for short periods) give back the hungers the Castle dampens normally.
Of course, Mac to the rescue!
Outside the Castle, Holly's sister, Ashe, shows up unexpectedly. Since losing her witchy powers, she's taken up a new job --- vampire slayer. She's come to "rescue" her sister from Alessandro. Of course Holly is in no need of rescue and tries to reassure her long-lost sister that she's safe, happy and in love.
When parts of the Castle begin to vanish those inside and outside the Castle join forces to help solve the mystery behind the problem.
I liked Ravenous, but this one was even better for me. Mac cracked me up with his internal banter. Connie was an interesting character, trapped between human and vampire. It was so nice not having all the 'should I/shouldn't I ... but, he doesn't really love me ... I'm not good enough for her' BS. That can sometimes drive a reader (me, on many occasions) crazy when two characters want to be together and take their sweet time either admitting it or just doin' it already. LOL! Not these two, but it also felt right, not rushed just for the sake of it.
I am looking forward to the release of book 3, Unchained, in July, and Ashe & Reynard's story.
[Format Read: eBook]
Alessandro is the "bad-assed sheriff-to-the-undead" enforcing the peace among the supernatural community and he's ready to kill Mac, the demon. However, he realizes that Mac's not entirely demon any longer. No matter, he still feels he's a threat, so he puts him in the Castle.
The Castle is the supernatural prison that houses all sorts of supes, many of which don't belong there (ie: they spooked villagers back in the day, so ... off to the Castle) and/or have been forgotten about in the lower depths.
While in the Castle, Mac runs into a beautiful, young (appearing) vampire, Constance. She was put in the Castle as soon as she'd been Turned but before her first feeding as a vampire. She was barely seventeen, that was hundreds of years ago. The Castle takes away hunger, thirst and lust in order to keep control of the inmates. So she's never fed, never become a full vamp. She has survived this long with the help of a, now crazy, sorcerer Atreus.
Connie asks for Mac's help rescuing her son, Sylvius, a sixteen year old incubus, whom she's raised since he was a baby. He's just coming into his powers and the guards fear his blood is a danger, since it will (for short periods) give back the hungers the Castle dampens normally.
Of course, Mac to the rescue!
Outside the Castle, Holly's sister, Ashe, shows up unexpectedly. Since losing her witchy powers, she's taken up a new job --- vampire slayer. She's come to "rescue" her sister from Alessandro. Of course Holly is in no need of rescue and tries to reassure her long-lost sister that she's safe, happy and in love.
When parts of the Castle begin to vanish those inside and outside the Castle join forces to help solve the mystery behind the problem.
I liked Ravenous, but this one was even better for me. Mac cracked me up with his internal banter. Connie was an interesting character, trapped between human and vampire. It was so nice not having all the 'should I/shouldn't I ... but, he doesn't really love me ... I'm not good enough for her' BS. That can sometimes drive a reader (me, on many occasions) crazy when two characters want to be together and take their sweet time either admitting it or just doin' it already. LOL! Not these two, but it also felt right, not rushed just for the sake of it.
I am looking forward to the release of book 3, Unchained, in July, and Ashe & Reynard's story.
[Format Read: eBook]
February 24, 2010
I read Ravenous before I started reviewing, so I didn't do a review for it. Do you need to read it before this book? No, I don't think you do. You could if you would like to get just a little bit more idea of the background but I don't think it is needed to get into this story.
Mac returns to Fairview a year after the big show-down, which killed the female demon who made him the demon he is now - or what is left after Holly Carvers' spell that left him strong as his demon and very hungry but not able to eat human souls. Alessandro Caravelli has been waiting Macs return... to kill him, as punishment for his involvement with the demons against all other supernatural creatures trying to live peacefully with the humans and against the humans as well.
Alessandro seems to have softened some with living off his love with Holly now as apposed to feeding on blood, and puts Mac in the Castle - a supernatural prison. In the Castle Mac learns more of the Castle and its inhabitants along with finding a case that calls to his human nature. The Castle itself is in danger of failing. I start to feel for Mac in this book. He is just an innocent man who got mixed up with the wrong girl in the last book and now has to suffer as an unwanted demon. But Mac starts to find his way.
There is not as much in this book with Holly and Alessandro. These two are a wonderful couple (witch and vampire) and I really started loving them in Ravenous. You do get to meet Ashe, Hollys' sister. Now, you thought you had it bad with the in-laws? Try being Alessandro, living with probably the most powerful witch to live from a family of witches and her sister... being a vampire slayer.
I really enjoyed the tremendous amount of possible angles to the storyline here in the beginning. There was a good bit thought to happen with five great characters storylines. I really enjoyed getting all the different views in the beginning. Then, getting into the book it seemed to slow down in the storyline for me. It seemed that Holly, Alessandro, and Ashe got put on the back burner with Mac and Constance being the front line of the story. Which I loved learning about this couple, but I would have liked more from the others.
It was also given that the Castle is a very dangerous place, but I was expecting more from the Castle than I got. Then I got to the last seventy to eighty pages and the story picked up wonderfully again. I got here what I wanted from the Castle and got to have my favorite characters in the action as well.
The couple Mac and Constance was hard for me to accept at first with the way they got together. It seemed a little rushed or pushed, but by the end of the book they were perfect together.
In the end of the book I loved all the characters and all seems great... for a time. There is an opening to go into a book three. I will pick up book three because I have liked these characters again and the author has left me with hope for book three to have great possibilities.
Mac returns to Fairview a year after the big show-down, which killed the female demon who made him the demon he is now - or what is left after Holly Carvers' spell that left him strong as his demon and very hungry but not able to eat human souls. Alessandro Caravelli has been waiting Macs return... to kill him, as punishment for his involvement with the demons against all other supernatural creatures trying to live peacefully with the humans and against the humans as well.
Alessandro seems to have softened some with living off his love with Holly now as apposed to feeding on blood, and puts Mac in the Castle - a supernatural prison. In the Castle Mac learns more of the Castle and its inhabitants along with finding a case that calls to his human nature. The Castle itself is in danger of failing. I start to feel for Mac in this book. He is just an innocent man who got mixed up with the wrong girl in the last book and now has to suffer as an unwanted demon. But Mac starts to find his way.
There is not as much in this book with Holly and Alessandro. These two are a wonderful couple (witch and vampire) and I really started loving them in Ravenous. You do get to meet Ashe, Hollys' sister. Now, you thought you had it bad with the in-laws? Try being Alessandro, living with probably the most powerful witch to live from a family of witches and her sister... being a vampire slayer.
I really enjoyed the tremendous amount of possible angles to the storyline here in the beginning. There was a good bit thought to happen with five great characters storylines. I really enjoyed getting all the different views in the beginning. Then, getting into the book it seemed to slow down in the storyline for me. It seemed that Holly, Alessandro, and Ashe got put on the back burner with Mac and Constance being the front line of the story. Which I loved learning about this couple, but I would have liked more from the others.
It was also given that the Castle is a very dangerous place, but I was expecting more from the Castle than I got. Then I got to the last seventy to eighty pages and the story picked up wonderfully again. I got here what I wanted from the Castle and got to have my favorite characters in the action as well.
The couple Mac and Constance was hard for me to accept at first with the way they got together. It seemed a little rushed or pushed, but by the end of the book they were perfect together.
In the end of the book I loved all the characters and all seems great... for a time. There is an opening to go into a book three. I will pick up book three because I have liked these characters again and the author has left me with hope for book three to have great possibilities.
May 14, 2012
I recommend your read the previous book Ravenous, before reading this book. I categorize this book and series as a romantic urban fantasy. At first I thought this installment was going the way of romance but I couldn't have been more wrong.
While this installment does mirror romance on the level that it has certain main characters and they each get their own turn during each installment for love. Also, as with most romances, the story was pretty predictable and in addition, the person in place to be Mac's love interest was obvious as well. That being said, the author did a great job of hybridizing the different formats and elements from both urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
The story picks up a year from where Ravenous leaves off. Detective Connall Macmillian has been struggling to recover from his date and mistress from hell! No one likes to contract an infection on their first date; however, one year ago, Mac's date intentionally infected him with the essence of a soul-eating demon. Suddenly his life went from being on the job and being of service to the community and enjoying life, to suddenly getting the craving for sucking out human life. Fast forward one year later, Mac is a wanted demon possessed criminal on the lam. Unfortunately for Mac, Alessandro Caravelli, the sheriff of the supernatural community has finally caught up with him and dumps him in the Castle. The Castle is a prison for the supernatural community. It houses/incarcerates the world's worst supernatural beings and over time has become the worlds dark forgotten. To Mac the Castle is a death sentence, until he realizes his luck has finally changed, because he meets and falls in love with Constance. Constance is a vampire who is also incarcerated at the Castle, whose incubus son has been kidnapped by the guards of the castle for their own nefarious reasons. Seeing Constance in such distress gives Mac a reason to be needed again. He finally sees that being half demon isn't a curse but can be a blessing if he uses his new talents to service others.
In this dark world that Sharon has created, magic exist and loads of supernaturals have come out of the closet to the public. As with all things different, human beings in all their predictable glory allow the supernatural community to attempt to assimilate into human society but only as second class citizens.
I judged this book solely on its entertainment factor alone. I completely enjoyed it and it kept me thoroughly engrossed from beginning to end. There were plenty of parts in this book that were just laugh-out-loud funny! I highly recommend this book to fellow dark urban readers and look forward to the next book Unchained due out 7/6/2010.
I also recommend:
Tainted (THE BLOOD LILY CHRONICLES)
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)
Bad Blood (Crimson Moon, Book 1)
They Call Me Death
A Rush of Wings: Book One of The Maker's Song
While this installment does mirror romance on the level that it has certain main characters and they each get their own turn during each installment for love. Also, as with most romances, the story was pretty predictable and in addition, the person in place to be Mac's love interest was obvious as well. That being said, the author did a great job of hybridizing the different formats and elements from both urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
The story picks up a year from where Ravenous leaves off. Detective Connall Macmillian has been struggling to recover from his date and mistress from hell! No one likes to contract an infection on their first date; however, one year ago, Mac's date intentionally infected him with the essence of a soul-eating demon. Suddenly his life went from being on the job and being of service to the community and enjoying life, to suddenly getting the craving for sucking out human life. Fast forward one year later, Mac is a wanted demon possessed criminal on the lam. Unfortunately for Mac, Alessandro Caravelli, the sheriff of the supernatural community has finally caught up with him and dumps him in the Castle. The Castle is a prison for the supernatural community. It houses/incarcerates the world's worst supernatural beings and over time has become the worlds dark forgotten. To Mac the Castle is a death sentence, until he realizes his luck has finally changed, because he meets and falls in love with Constance. Constance is a vampire who is also incarcerated at the Castle, whose incubus son has been kidnapped by the guards of the castle for their own nefarious reasons. Seeing Constance in such distress gives Mac a reason to be needed again. He finally sees that being half demon isn't a curse but can be a blessing if he uses his new talents to service others.
In this dark world that Sharon has created, magic exist and loads of supernaturals have come out of the closet to the public. As with all things different, human beings in all their predictable glory allow the supernatural community to attempt to assimilate into human society but only as second class citizens.
I judged this book solely on its entertainment factor alone. I completely enjoyed it and it kept me thoroughly engrossed from beginning to end. There were plenty of parts in this book that were just laugh-out-loud funny! I highly recommend this book to fellow dark urban readers and look forward to the next book Unchained due out 7/6/2010.
I also recommend:
Tainted (THE BLOOD LILY CHRONICLES)
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)
Bad Blood (Crimson Moon, Book 1)
They Call Me Death
A Rush of Wings: Book One of The Maker's Song
June 17, 2011
The most intriguing thing about this book is that at the centre of everything is a sentient building....called the Castle
Created by strong magic to house the supernatural villians - hidden away from human eyes. It looks like a building called the Empire Hotel
and it repels normal humans
but something is wrong
the castle used to be light and filled with gardens and sunshine but it is dark and crumbling and the lower levels are collapsing
the catle has existed for many centuries
Everyone who stays in the castle never has to eat
There is plenty of aggression though
people get killed all the time
guards are the worst
everyone living in the house is afraid of them
obvious that the vampire slayer Ashe and the captain of the guard are going to be the focus of book 3
should try to find book 1 (the witch and the vampire)
Lots to take in and half way through the book I was a little overwelmed by the amount of information and story lines, but I 'soldiered on' :)
Created by strong magic to house the supernatural villians - hidden away from human eyes. It looks like a building called the Empire Hotel
and it repels normal humans
but something is wrong
the castle used to be light and filled with gardens and sunshine but it is dark and crumbling and the lower levels are collapsing
the catle has existed for many centuries
Everyone who stays in the castle never has to eat
There is plenty of aggression though
people get killed all the time
guards are the worst
everyone living in the house is afraid of them
obvious that the vampire slayer Ashe and the captain of the guard are going to be the focus of book 3
should try to find book 1 (the witch and the vampire)
Lots to take in and half way through the book I was a little overwelmed by the amount of information and story lines, but I 'soldiered on' :)
March 26, 2025
Conall’s whole life was flipped upside down when, against his will, he was turned into a demon after just one kiss. Now that his mistress is dead and buried, Conall’s demonic nature is suppressed and he aims to take his life back. Too bad it’s not as simple as that. To be a demon is to feed off the souls of humans which is a crime punishable by death. Chased by a hard ass, no bullshit vampire police, Conall finds himself imprisoned in the famed Castle. A prison for supernatural creatures. Suppose that’s an improvement to decapitation. None-the-less, Conall found his way out before and he’ll escape again.
Constance is a lost soul. Imprisoned in the Castle the night of her vampiric turning, she never had the chance to drink blood. This is unfair yes, as she’s not committed a crime yet is still in a cage, but that’s the least of her concerns. Weakened by the fact that she’s never fed, she lacks the strength to protect her adoptive incubus son from the guards who want to imprison him in a box. She finds a very unlikely ally with the demonic hero. He shows her kindness and keeps returning to the Castle despite each return lessoning his grip on his newly found humanity.
With the Castle’s magic on the fritz, Conall’s control over his demon at risk and Constance fighting for control over her own life for the first time in a long time, when the dusk settles, thing will never be the same.
I was excited to read this installment of the series because I so enjoyed the last book I read. I can’t say that I was pleased with this story unfortunately. I didn’t feel any true connection between the main characters which was sad because I didn’t mind them separately.
Conall was a cheerful man despite how very un-joyous the circumstances of his life have been and continue to be. He was turned into a monster among even the supernatural world. He got control of that demon and wanted desperately to just return to his life before. No luck. Especially because he’s sacrificing his humanity to help Constance find her son. Partly because he loves her, partly because he’s just a good dude.
Constance was also a tragic figure who, like Conall, has her life taking from her. First when she was turned vampire and second when they took her son from her. But throughout the book you could really see her begin to find that fighting Irish spirit inside. Which was nice.
The concept of the Castle is also a pretty cool one. Can’t say I don’t enjoy the gothic atmosphere. I just didn’t feel the romantic connection.
Constance is a lost soul. Imprisoned in the Castle the night of her vampiric turning, she never had the chance to drink blood. This is unfair yes, as she’s not committed a crime yet is still in a cage, but that’s the least of her concerns. Weakened by the fact that she’s never fed, she lacks the strength to protect her adoptive incubus son from the guards who want to imprison him in a box. She finds a very unlikely ally with the demonic hero. He shows her kindness and keeps returning to the Castle despite each return lessoning his grip on his newly found humanity.
With the Castle’s magic on the fritz, Conall’s control over his demon at risk and Constance fighting for control over her own life for the first time in a long time, when the dusk settles, thing will never be the same.
I was excited to read this installment of the series because I so enjoyed the last book I read. I can’t say that I was pleased with this story unfortunately. I didn’t feel any true connection between the main characters which was sad because I didn’t mind them separately.
Conall was a cheerful man despite how very un-joyous the circumstances of his life have been and continue to be. He was turned into a monster among even the supernatural world. He got control of that demon and wanted desperately to just return to his life before. No luck. Especially because he’s sacrificing his humanity to help Constance find her son. Partly because he loves her, partly because he’s just a good dude.
Constance was also a tragic figure who, like Conall, has her life taking from her. First when she was turned vampire and second when they took her son from her. But throughout the book you could really see her begin to find that fighting Irish spirit inside. Which was nice.
The concept of the Castle is also a pretty cool one. Can’t say I don’t enjoy the gothic atmosphere. I just didn’t feel the romantic connection.
January 8, 2024
I’ve felt sorry for Conall “Mac” Macmillan since that fateful kiss from a damnably beautiful woman. It didn’t look like his luck had gotten any better at the beginning of Scorched.
Alessandro Caravelli, the vampire boyfriend of Mac’s previous flame, Holly Carver, tosses him into a place where corridors disappear and men with tusks and bad breath want to spear him to the wall. The only light at the end of the tunnel is Constance, a petite woman with a taste for blood and a maternal streak wider than the Atlantic. Mac easily falls for her charms and agrees to help free her son from the men sworn to protect the Castle, the prison of the supernatural world.
Of course, nothing is ever as easy as we’d like it. Before he can help Constance, Mac must overcome a few obstacles, like his shiny new demon body, the Guardsmen created to guard the Castle, and a creature that makes even Caravelli quake in his boots—Holly’s slayer sister. The only chance Mac has of saving the day and getting the girl is to succumb to his demon side, but it may cost him his last bit of humanity.
Even though Mac and Constance were the main players in the book, I enjoyed the snippets of Alessandro and Holly the most. Their connection is so deep and pure that every interaction put a smile on my face. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the feisty demon and his vampire. Mac is a born comedian and can’t help but say and even think thoughts of pure comedic gold, like his musings about werebacon that sent me rolling on the floor.
Sharon Ashwood has a way of making inanimate objects into fully-functioning characters. In Ravenous, it was a house with a taste for trapping humans. In Scorched, it was the Castle.
The beasts and beings that make the Castle—both in name and deed—brought a fantastical element to the story. It was as if the scenes were being played out in front of you and all you had to do was reach forward and you could touch the mythological beasts trying to survive in their ever diminishing world.
Alessandro Caravelli, the vampire boyfriend of Mac’s previous flame, Holly Carver, tosses him into a place where corridors disappear and men with tusks and bad breath want to spear him to the wall. The only light at the end of the tunnel is Constance, a petite woman with a taste for blood and a maternal streak wider than the Atlantic. Mac easily falls for her charms and agrees to help free her son from the men sworn to protect the Castle, the prison of the supernatural world.
Of course, nothing is ever as easy as we’d like it. Before he can help Constance, Mac must overcome a few obstacles, like his shiny new demon body, the Guardsmen created to guard the Castle, and a creature that makes even Caravelli quake in his boots—Holly’s slayer sister. The only chance Mac has of saving the day and getting the girl is to succumb to his demon side, but it may cost him his last bit of humanity.
Even though Mac and Constance were the main players in the book, I enjoyed the snippets of Alessandro and Holly the most. Their connection is so deep and pure that every interaction put a smile on my face. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the feisty demon and his vampire. Mac is a born comedian and can’t help but say and even think thoughts of pure comedic gold, like his musings about werebacon that sent me rolling on the floor.
Sharon Ashwood has a way of making inanimate objects into fully-functioning characters. In Ravenous, it was a house with a taste for trapping humans. In Scorched, it was the Castle.
The beasts and beings that make the Castle—both in name and deed—brought a fantastical element to the story. It was as if the scenes were being played out in front of you and all you had to do was reach forward and you could touch the mythological beasts trying to survive in their ever diminishing world.
March 27, 2012
Review brought to you by OBS staff member Heidi
Beware of spoilers
Scorched is the second installment in the Dark Forgotten series that focuses on all of the supernatural creatures in the town of Fairview.
Holly worked her magic on Mac to make the demon inside him dormant and he has escaped the Castle, making his way back to Fairview. But Alessandro doesn’t trust him and throws him back into the Castle. While there, he finds a young female vampire, Constance, that was thrown in the Castle before she was fully turned.
Constance’s son, Sylvius, has been kidnapped by the guardsmen of the Castle and she’s making it her mission to get him back and Mac promises to help.
Mac has discovered a return of some of his demon traits, including being able to turn to dust at will, which gives him the ability to come and go from the Castle at will. But every time he comes to the Castle he finds his demon is becoming stronger and stronger. And now he has fallen for Constance and can’t stay away.
The Castle has been falling apart for the last sixteen years and it’s believed that if Sylvius is sacrificed, the Castle will be restored.
Mac does manage to save Sylvius, only for him to be taken again. The ritual has started and Mac and Constance are in a race to save him. Meanwhile, Alessandro, Holly, Ashe and Lore lead the other local supernaturals to save the remaining hellhounds that are in the Castle.
I loved seeing more of Mac and understanding his inner struggle between him and his demon. It was also interesting to get a better understanding of how the Castle works.
I was glad that we still had a decent amount of Holly and Alessandro as well. It will be fun to see how the new development in their life turns out. Not to mention, to see if Ashe and Alessandro will be able to stay on friendly terms.
I thought this was a decent read and that it kept my interest more than the previous book, Ravenous, did. Although I think, I did like Ravenous slightly better.
http://openbooksociety.com/article/sh...
Beware of spoilers
Scorched is the second installment in the Dark Forgotten series that focuses on all of the supernatural creatures in the town of Fairview.
Holly worked her magic on Mac to make the demon inside him dormant and he has escaped the Castle, making his way back to Fairview. But Alessandro doesn’t trust him and throws him back into the Castle. While there, he finds a young female vampire, Constance, that was thrown in the Castle before she was fully turned.
Constance’s son, Sylvius, has been kidnapped by the guardsmen of the Castle and she’s making it her mission to get him back and Mac promises to help.
Mac has discovered a return of some of his demon traits, including being able to turn to dust at will, which gives him the ability to come and go from the Castle at will. But every time he comes to the Castle he finds his demon is becoming stronger and stronger. And now he has fallen for Constance and can’t stay away.
The Castle has been falling apart for the last sixteen years and it’s believed that if Sylvius is sacrificed, the Castle will be restored.
Mac does manage to save Sylvius, only for him to be taken again. The ritual has started and Mac and Constance are in a race to save him. Meanwhile, Alessandro, Holly, Ashe and Lore lead the other local supernaturals to save the remaining hellhounds that are in the Castle.
I loved seeing more of Mac and understanding his inner struggle between him and his demon. It was also interesting to get a better understanding of how the Castle works.
I was glad that we still had a decent amount of Holly and Alessandro as well. It will be fun to see how the new development in their life turns out. Not to mention, to see if Ashe and Alessandro will be able to stay on friendly terms.
I thought this was a decent read and that it kept my interest more than the previous book, Ravenous, did. Although I think, I did like Ravenous slightly better.
http://openbooksociety.com/article/sh...
September 9, 2010
Scorched by Sharon Ashwood is the second book in the Dark Forgotten series. While this book seems like a stand alone I would recommend reading Ravenous first because a lot of the back story is assumed.
In Ravenous Mac is first turned into a soul eating demon all because he kissed a girl. This book picks up a year later. Mac is still coping with the loss of his humanity and trying to find some purpose in his new demon life. He is thrown back into the Castle (see Ravenous) by the lovely vampire, Alessandro. The second time around we meet Constance, who is a vampire who has never been fully turned. She has also lost her son, a demon incubus, to the guards in the Castle. Mac was a cop in Ravenous, so he gets to play a good guy when he agrees to help find out what has happened to the demon incubus, however his entering and exiting the Castle has a price.
What I liked about the book was the mystery. In this book we learn a little bit about the Castle, this prison or home for the supernatural, the maze of never ending corridors, not to mention it seems to be falling apart and no one know why. I also liked seeing Holly and Alessandro back from the first book it is was interesting to see how they are coping with domestic life.
What I did not like about this book was the pace. It is far slower than Ravenous and not as interesting. I am not sure if there were too many sub plots or points of view but it seemed to just move slow. It also did not feel dramatic. Mac wanted to date Constance and while it was nice that there was no huge obstacle to overcome for love it was a rather blah relationship. I almost think it would have been more interesting if they were just besties (best friends).
I do not think it was a bad book just a slow one and by the end I just want it to be over.
In Ravenous Mac is first turned into a soul eating demon all because he kissed a girl. This book picks up a year later. Mac is still coping with the loss of his humanity and trying to find some purpose in his new demon life. He is thrown back into the Castle (see Ravenous) by the lovely vampire, Alessandro. The second time around we meet Constance, who is a vampire who has never been fully turned. She has also lost her son, a demon incubus, to the guards in the Castle. Mac was a cop in Ravenous, so he gets to play a good guy when he agrees to help find out what has happened to the demon incubus, however his entering and exiting the Castle has a price.
What I liked about the book was the mystery. In this book we learn a little bit about the Castle, this prison or home for the supernatural, the maze of never ending corridors, not to mention it seems to be falling apart and no one know why. I also liked seeing Holly and Alessandro back from the first book it is was interesting to see how they are coping with domestic life.
What I did not like about this book was the pace. It is far slower than Ravenous and not as interesting. I am not sure if there were too many sub plots or points of view but it seemed to just move slow. It also did not feel dramatic. Mac wanted to date Constance and while it was nice that there was no huge obstacle to overcome for love it was a rather blah relationship. I almost think it would have been more interesting if they were just besties (best friends).
I do not think it was a bad book just a slow one and by the end I just want it to be over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2013
He wants to help her; it's in his blood. But if he succeeds, he won't be human anymore. Does he dare to weigh the consequences?
Conall Macmillan is an ex-detective whom is half-demon. His demon qualities earn him a trip to the Castle, a doorway to a labyrinth of supernatural beings who have been there for centuries. The Castle won't hold him though, as one of his demonic qualities is turning to dust, which can easily be maneuvered through the door cracks.
Constance has been living in the Castle almost for as long as she can remember. The guards brought her there when she was rising from her grave. She has never truly Turned into a Vampire because she has never tasted human blood. But when the guards kidnap her son, she'll do anything to get him back, even find away out so she can fully realize her powers.
When Conall accidentally stumbles into Constance in one of the dark corridors of the Castle, he is instantly captivated with her beauty. He's never wanted a relationship before, but Constance makes him begin to hope. He agrees to help retrieve her son, and the two are soon looking forward to each other's visits while he comes up with a plan. What he doesn't tell Constance is that each time he leaves the Castle, and returns, he loses more of his humanity. He will soon be completely demon and afraid he will be no good for her, but if he doesn't, Constance will her lose her son.
SCORCHED, THE DARK FORGOTTEN is a dark labyrinth of mystery, romance, deceit and paranormal entities with a shining bright light at the end of the corridor. The hope is what will have you cheering for Mac and Constance even if their outlook appears dim. SCORCHED, THE DARK FORGOTTEN is a fast-paced urban fantasy that will keep you up long into the night. Hanging with the supernatural never felt so good!
Conall Macmillan is an ex-detective whom is half-demon. His demon qualities earn him a trip to the Castle, a doorway to a labyrinth of supernatural beings who have been there for centuries. The Castle won't hold him though, as one of his demonic qualities is turning to dust, which can easily be maneuvered through the door cracks.
Constance has been living in the Castle almost for as long as she can remember. The guards brought her there when she was rising from her grave. She has never truly Turned into a Vampire because she has never tasted human blood. But when the guards kidnap her son, she'll do anything to get him back, even find away out so she can fully realize her powers.
When Conall accidentally stumbles into Constance in one of the dark corridors of the Castle, he is instantly captivated with her beauty. He's never wanted a relationship before, but Constance makes him begin to hope. He agrees to help retrieve her son, and the two are soon looking forward to each other's visits while he comes up with a plan. What he doesn't tell Constance is that each time he leaves the Castle, and returns, he loses more of his humanity. He will soon be completely demon and afraid he will be no good for her, but if he doesn't, Constance will her lose her son.
SCORCHED, THE DARK FORGOTTEN is a dark labyrinth of mystery, romance, deceit and paranormal entities with a shining bright light at the end of the corridor. The hope is what will have you cheering for Mac and Constance even if their outlook appears dim. SCORCHED, THE DARK FORGOTTEN is a fast-paced urban fantasy that will keep you up long into the night. Hanging with the supernatural never felt so good!
June 4, 2012
I was rather disappointed in this one. I enjoyed the series starter but this was bland and boring. I thought the plot with the secondary characters (the h/h from the first book) was more interesting and exciting than the woe-is-me h/h of this one. I surely hope Unchained is better.
The story starts with Alessandro, the hero of Ravenous, capturing half-demon Conall "Mac" Macmillan and locking him inside the Castle, a supernatural prison, where he meets Constance Moore, a newbie vampire (and by this I mean a 250 year old vampire who never got the chance to drink of the elixir of life as she was kidnapped and remanded to the Castle on the day she rose from the grave.) Unfortunately the Castle is magically falling apart and Constance and Mac are trying to figure out how to fix the problem. The plot just plods along with very little action until the end. I had no sympathy for Mac nor did I like his character. Constance was a whiny female (if only I had a sip of human blood, I would be stronger and able to fight. wah wah wah) I lived for moments when Alessandro, Holly and her sister Ashe entered the story for at least they were exciting.
The story starts with Alessandro, the hero of Ravenous, capturing half-demon Conall "Mac" Macmillan and locking him inside the Castle, a supernatural prison, where he meets Constance Moore, a newbie vampire (and by this I mean a 250 year old vampire who never got the chance to drink of the elixir of life as she was kidnapped and remanded to the Castle on the day she rose from the grave.) Unfortunately the Castle is magically falling apart and Constance and Mac are trying to figure out how to fix the problem. The plot just plods along with very little action until the end. I had no sympathy for Mac nor did I like his character. Constance was a whiny female (if only I had a sip of human blood, I would be stronger and able to fight. wah wah wah) I lived for moments when Alessandro, Holly and her sister Ashe entered the story for at least they were exciting.
July 30, 2011
The summer of romance reading continues. Picked up this book because another by the author had been nominated for a RITA.
I'm not much of a paranormal fan, but it's not horrible so far(high praise from me). In fact I'm enjoying aspects of it. After the first sex scene though I felt compelled to comment, however.
I found the initial sex scene a bit depressing. It was very confusing about whether the heroine really wanted to allow the mighty wang to take out the maidenhood - and it appears she went along with it because she wanted the hero to rescue her kidnapped son. Even though she enjoyed it, afterward she was still wondering whether she did the wrong thing because she (Constance) was not sure if he (Mac) would really follow through on his promise. This notion of giving up the "maidenhood" in exchange for him helping her - umm . . seems pretty close to prostituting herself. Not as bad as rape, but pretty damn old school. Thought we'd moved away from that in modern romance books - and it wasn't necessary to the story. Also, the author may want to do a little more research on where the "maidenhood" is actually located - hint, it don't take that long to reach it. It's at the opening.
After finishing the book, I'm still cynical about the Connie as a virgin vampire thing. I enjoyed other aspects of the book though.
I'm not much of a paranormal fan, but it's not horrible so far(high praise from me). In fact I'm enjoying aspects of it. After the first sex scene though I felt compelled to comment, however.
I found the initial sex scene a bit depressing. It was very confusing about whether the heroine really wanted to allow the mighty wang to take out the maidenhood - and it appears she went along with it because she wanted the hero to rescue her kidnapped son. Even though she enjoyed it, afterward she was still wondering whether she did the wrong thing because she (Constance) was not sure if he (Mac) would really follow through on his promise. This notion of giving up the "maidenhood" in exchange for him helping her - umm . . seems pretty close to prostituting herself. Not as bad as rape, but pretty damn old school. Thought we'd moved away from that in modern romance books - and it wasn't necessary to the story. Also, the author may want to do a little more research on where the "maidenhood" is actually located - hint, it don't take that long to reach it. It's at the opening.
After finishing the book, I'm still cynical about the Connie as a virgin vampire thing. I enjoyed other aspects of the book though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2010
Sharon Ashwood 's book “Scorched” will warm heart. This book delivers love, promises, guilt, forgiveness, passion and even sacrifice. Mac has lost his family, friends, and job after being cursed as a demon. He learns that nothing matters in life unless he has happiness, and most of all, love. Mac starts to realize what love and happiness means when he meets a beautiful half human half vampire named Constance. Constance wishes she could have the life she always dreamed of. She has always lived in the castle as a servant and milk maid. Never has she experienced life outside of the castle. Never has she had any possessions of her own. Never has she ever experienced love until she meets Mac. Mac and Constance realize that having nothing is ok, if you have each other, and have great friends. I'm happy that I read this book, good Job Sharon.
Reviewed by: Raven Kelly- ParanormalRomance.ca
Click Here to Visit ParanormalRomance.ca
Reviewed by: Raven Kelly- ParanormalRomance.ca
Click Here to Visit ParanormalRomance.ca
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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