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Book 16 of the Demon Accords. Tatiana Demidova - natural born vampire, Coven royalty, fighter, CEO, mate of the God Hammer, Fallen Angel... mother. She wears many hats, balances diverse duties, multi-tasks like any other woman, except most of those don't face demons from Hell, monsters from Fairie, alien invaders, or pissy world leaders. Follow Tanya through a week of her busy life as she works to save the her children, her mate, her friends, stockholders and the very world, in that order.

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2020

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About the author

John Conroe

34 books1,704 followers
I'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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5 stars
1,703 (62%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
Profile Image for Gavin.
1,075 reviews446 followers
July 24, 2023
This 15th Demon Accords boom was a pretty solid instrument of the series. This is pulpy UF with a bunch of flaws but that remains very readable and fairly enjoyable despite the flaws. Sort of like a fun B-movie!

We got Chris’s vampire girlfriend Tatiana Demidova as the lead POV character for this book. It was a fun twist. I think rotating the lead POV’s in the recent books has really fleshed out the supporting cast and benefited the series as a whole.

It was just a regular instalment of the series with the main characters dealing with all the usual stuff like attacks for Faire and from political issues with local governments.

It was a fairly fun instalment. I liked glimpsing things from Tanya’s perspective and we got some fun developments with Omega towards the end of this one that should keep things interesting in the coming books.

All in all I enjoyed this one.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Audio Note: I think James Patrick Cronin always does good when no Irish accents are needed! I can even tolerate the Russian and English accents we get lol!
Profile Image for Steve Naylor.
2,494 reviews127 followers
July 22, 2021
Rating 5.0 stars

Another great addition to the series. This one is told from the point-of-view of Tanya. For a while now I have become a little unsympathetic for Tanya. I really liked her early on in the series, then things started to change for me. She became a little too judgmental, a little too arrogant. She never thought she was wrong. I didn't like the way she treated Stacia, and while I understand her reasons it kind of showed her character a little. That is not something a nice person would do. She was always polite and friendly with everyone else which made me wonder if that was an act. She is supposed to be a fallen angel as well but doesn't ever act like one. I had to wonder if all the nice things she did was because Chris would want those things done. In the last 10 or so books she has been an uber competitive person who can't stand losing, who never thinks she is wrong and needs to have absolute control in almost every situation.

That is why it was refreshing to read a story from her point-of-view. It didn't answer all the questions from above but it did make me a little more sympathetic to her situation. Raised from birth by Darkin to be a leader. While Chris was learning how to walk, she was already training in combat and languages. The only person who really showed her love (at least human type love) was her Nanny who she accidentally killed when she was 8. There are things she will never understand about Chris, Stacia or Declan because she never was human.

The story progresses. Declan is still going all over the world trying to bring elementals to the earths defense. The world leaders continue to throw a conniption fit because they feel that the group has way to much power and are afraid of Omega taking over. There are secrets in the Darkin world that are revealed. There are artifacts that can help with recruiting elementals that are being sought. If the wrong people get their hands on those, it could spell disaster for the world. There are plots from the Fairy queens to try and destabilize the world. And there was also a little demon banishing. Everything from the previous books tied together pretty nicely in this one and the main story is pushed forward. There is also a death of an important character in this book which really hasn't happened since book 5 with Trenton. Overall a very good addition to the series. Really the last book CAECO was the only one that was just okay. Every other book has been great.
55 reviews2 followers
July 6, 2020
There comes a time for all good series to end

There's not much more to write. The characters behave as you'd expect. The bad guys are still bad. The circumstances and the plot are as you might imagine. The interpersonal relationships amongst the reigning few are...predictably interpersonal. Without starting a new character, like when the author introduced Declan, there just isn't anything interesting to write.

Of course, you could put them in unimagineable peril. They're almost defeated, almost the end of the team, almost overcome by their arch nemesis, the US government or...fill in the blank. Then, they miraculously overcome the forces of evil, have a moment of self reflection, grab a snack, and move onto the next fight.

One other thought, this book confirms what I have felt since the very first book, Tanya is an unlikeable character. She is not sympathetic, compassionate, or friendly in any way. I've never become attached to her. Reading this installment from her perspective did nothing to change my mind. Plus, and this is really the kicker, she is so hyper focused on her business and her vampiric origins, that she completely forgets why she is on earth in the first place. She's supposed to be an angel. She should act like it.

That said, I'm sure I'll just continue to read each new, bland, repetitive installment. I keep hoping for innovation. For the next Declan. For anything that makes me want to gear up and join them. Here's hoping.
111 reviews4 followers
May 31, 2020
Another great book

This book is told from Tanya's view point. Her voice is definitely different from Chris, Stacia, or Declan's. Tanya's viewpoint is a little more sterile than the other cast of characters because she is still learning the human experience. Declan, Stacia, and Chris are helping her see the world in a new light. Declan and Omega are both evolving. Declan is getting accustomed to his powers and people's reactions to them. The elders show up and are quite entertaining. Tanya understands her short comings and tried to mitigate the effects. Stacia is owning her role as a stabilizer and conscience of the group. Omega is growing and is struggling and is ready to be unleashed. Lydia is insightful, yet in full swing snark mode (so amazing as usual). The book had moments of humor, sadness, and moments that gave hope. I can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for John.
5 reviews
June 30, 2020
Miss

Nobody will read this but here goes. I've liked all the books in this series. Not this one though. I feel like it lacked substance and action. This basically felt like an episode of Friends as they sit in the coffee shop and talk about absolutely nothing.
Profile Image for Steph.
2,159 reviews305 followers
October 25, 2020
We finally wrapped this one up; life got in the way of finishing sooner. I always enjoy returning to this world with these characters, but we’re getting to the point where not much is surprising any more. Everything moves along as you’d expect. There was a loss, but not really one that bothered me much. Big battle on the horizon, but that doesn’t feel entirely new either. IStill, we’ll keep reading ‘um because we do really enjoy the world Conroe has built.

(Listened to audiobook w/hubby)
Profile Image for Suz.
2,293 reviews74 followers
October 3, 2020
Not the strongest in the series but consistent with the characters and story line anyway.

I found his use of Satanism as an explanation of how a person could get possessed to be low hanging fruit, and beneath his writing ability. Full disclosure, I'm a Satanist. What Conroe did in this book was essentially the same old Satanic Panic drivel that Americans have been indulging in for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It only appeals to the ignorant, and the folks who still have something to learn from fear.

Also, Patrick Cronen is an excellent narrator and he's always been the perfect voice for this series, but holding Tanya's accent for the entire book was an obvious strain for him, and he let the accent slip with some frequency. I don't think this was his best effort, either.

So, nice to be in the world and with the characters, but it was a lazy execution in several ways.

Profile Image for Dave Stone.
1,348 reviews97 followers
April 28, 2024
runs out of gas half way through
This book is from Tanya's point of view.
This novel felt like one of those transitional short stories that get published in anthologies that are meant to bridge one book to the next -but full length, and with the full cast of characters.
It's starts out pretty much where the last left off but then it wanders around and repeats itself like it's trying to fill up pages. Important things happen that you will need to know going forward, but it lacks the emotional impact that these events should elicit.

Update 4 years later
I guess I felt that way when I first read it but it seems pretty consistent with the rest of the series now. Other than the POV being mainly Tanya, and these books have been successfully juggling POV all along. One little point, usually when you read a book from that characters POV you feel more sympathetic towards them. That didn't happen for me here.
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,220 reviews2,340 followers
September 27, 2020
Darkkin Queen
The Demon Accords, Book 16
By: John Conroe
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
I never tire of these book! The great characters of a powerful witch, powerful vampires, werewolf, an angel, and more! So many terrific situations and great plots! Love this series!
Profile Image for Kristy Maitz.
2,752 reviews
June 6, 2020
Whenever the main character is female the story plot get's soon boring as it is now.
Profile Image for Sean.
9 reviews
June 1, 2020
Nice change of POV

Another outstanding chronicle for the Demon Accords. I love this story love this world. I like the POV changes in the last two installments. But I’m so ready for Declan and Chris again. It’s nice to see the world and characters from another POV. I absolutely love this series. Thank you. And as a side note to the authors note at the end Murder of Shadows was intriguing and I’m looking forward to the next one. But Demon Accords will always be my favorite. Can’t wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Jay Collins.
1,630 reviews15 followers
October 27, 2020
3.5 stars, I do like this series a lot, this book is not as good as some of the others and I did find it shorter as well. I do love this series and its characters but this book as not a strong as some of the others.
54 reviews
July 13, 2020
I’m a fan of this series, but honestly this episode had no forward progress. I’m really bored with all the mundane chit chat, and tireless relationship affirmations between the main characters. Get back to either Chris or Declan stories. Killing demons and witch were conspiracies much more interesting than aliens and never ending faerie attempts.
Profile Image for Bill.
9 reviews
June 1, 2020
Good read

Interesting continuation of the main story thread. I only gave it 4 stars because I think writing the novel from one perspective limited my personal enjoyment of the story. I also wanted more. I am not fond of the trend of shorter novels released more often MHO
Profile Image for Gareth Otton.
Author 5 books132 followers
January 4, 2025
Darkkin Queen is told from the viewpoint of Tanya and I have to admit that threw me off a few times in this book. I am so used to either Chris or Declan that in my head I just expected it to be them. However, Tanya's point of view provides a fresh perspective on this series and it is something that I have been looking forward to since she last had the spotlight in one of the compendium short stories.

Despite her role in the series, Tanya has always felt a little like a background character. Part of that is that Chris and Declan are such huge characters that they overshadow everyone else, and part of it is her personality. By her nature, she is more reserved and she plays things quite straight, which means that she doesn't always jump out in ways that even characters like Stacia and Lydia might. That's not to say that she is underdeveloped, but more that it's been nice to see inside her head for a bit and to get to know one of the biggest players in this universe. She might not be the God Hammer, but she is still a fallen angel after all.

Beyond that aspect, John Conroe delivers another great story yet again. He has more than proved himself over the years (he probably has more 5-star reviews from me than nearly any other author), but this one stands out to me as a big step. One of the major strengths of this series is that it has never stood still and it is always progressing, and this book is no different. There are some bold steps forward for this series in this book and I get a strong sense of the building tension and the series progresses nicely.

Overall, I loved this book and as always I can't wait to see what comes next.
Profile Image for Robin.
1,805 reviews12 followers
April 1, 2024
This was good, but I would rather the stories weren't from Tanya's perspective. I'm not sure but after all this time it's disconcerting for some reason. Still it was still a good story.
Profile Image for Dan.
87 reviews
March 31, 2025
This book as the cover implies tells the story from Tanya perspective, giving more insights into the silent predatory second half of Chris. I wasn’t exactly thrilled when I read the title, as Tanya developed to a hypocritical egocentric bitch over the last books. While my opinion didn’t really change in that regard it was more bearable than I originally assumed and a good read.

The plot and action in this book was first class. Ancient vampires, alien threats and fairy plots. Similarly a lot of old characters, especially vampires get a revival of sorts and join the team. Declan grows in power and character and Omega steps up his game for world protection. Demon Accords brought its a-game.

Even the humor was better than before. Funny banter and Tanya‘s snark was on point. Especially her mental comments about her husband failing to back her up in family banter or how weird he is had me laughing a few times. Nothing however beats Omega‘s brutal bluntness whenever he is displeased.

There was some good character development. Nika gets more limelight and becoming more active and it does her good. Likewise Galina, who first made a pretty negative impression, slowly bounced back throughout the series and shined in this one.
We get to see more about Tanya and her emotions, regrets, likes, dislikes and thoughts, making her slightly more sympathetic. But her treating Declan like a tool, despite him literally protecting and teaching her children is something I hate. Her need to be first at anything is fine and characteristic, but the author accommodating this need and giving her preferential treatment is not. It would have been more interesting to see her reaction to not getting everything she wants.

Arcady is back in russian mode, even in front of just Tanya, dah. I found his - I only mess with the newbies - reveal hilarious and its a pity it got forgotten.

Lydia is a character that was ruined for me in the last couple of books. Her jabs are becoming more nasty, she always needs to be the center of attention and she is actively actively throwing suspicion and paranoia against Declan, her so called „little brother“.

A Declan who once again proves to be the by far most controlled and reasonable person in the whole novel, with maybe the exception of the computer. In fact he is so reasonable and forgiving, especially to his friends that comments started calling him a doormat. Something Im not necessarily disagreeing with. So the „oh no, we need to manipulate Declan so he doesn’t snap“ feels like a direct insult towards the original level of the story and the reader’s intelligence. In fact I think its high time Declan put team Demidova in their place with a verbal beating. Something that will likely never happen. At least he now stands up to politicians and outsiders. I was a bit shocked that Declan argued against Omega in the end. That felt out of character, as he knew Omega was right and also knew the incompetence of earths political leaders. I find myself frowning at how the author makes Declan change from confident, logical badass to doormat however he sees fit for a situation. Good writing is forming situations and behavior that fit the established characters not the other way around. At same time I am impressed with Stacia for being the only one to see reason in the AI actions. It does fit her. Chris and Tanya being control freaks and hypocritically being bothered by someone else taking control, to get something done, is at this point nothing new sadly.

Barbiel broke all rules in this one - holding interviews and playing messenger for the deceased, ruining his holy and mysterious flair. Not that Im really convinced by the whole „the heavens won’t help you against the aliens“ rule, as that opens the box of: Why are there no alien-angels or alien demon attacks. Maybe something that should have been thought through before brazenly mixing mystery with science-fiction
Profile Image for Tammy Moldovan.
1,979 reviews26 followers
September 10, 2021
The dangers are increasing for our band of heroes

It is always fun and exciting to visit the world where Chris Gordon, Tanya Demidova, Declan O’Carroll and Stacia Reynolds live. Each book in the series continues to be engaging and the storylines continue to be fresh. This book is from Tanya’s point of view. There are more issues with attacks from Faerie, there’s an ancient vampire, and the public opinion about our heroes continues to vacillate. This is the 15th book in the urban fantasy Demon Accord series. I love that Tanya despite having overwhelming powers and being a vampire, still struggles with life and emotions like a normal human which makes her a more relatable and likeable hero. The minor story arcs continue - the twins, Omega, the Vorsook machinations - in addition to the main storyline. Many of the characters from the other books are present in this book as well. The story includes what you’d expect from this genre - fighting, dangerous situations, end of the world scenarios, paranormal creatures, evil masterminds, henchmen, loyal friends and family, tragic back stories, mystical coincidences, snark, and laughs. I will definitely keep reading the series to see what evil beings and plans are thwarted next by Chris, Tanya, Declan, Stacia and the rest of the crew.
1 review
October 11, 2020
I've read and re-read this series many times. The characters are interesting and now comfortable. Lot s of action, a good dose of humor, and the ensemble cast is so variety it works and the way Conroe explorer them make for one of the best reads out there. Now a couple of thoughts on this book. Delivered to me, and at first glance, thought "ok, about the same size of the rest". Opened it, and found a HUGE font size, and essentially double spaced. First red flag. After reading the book, in 1/2 a day, found it was somewhat boring in comparison to the previous books. I think the Tanya first person strayed from her character depiction in the other books, to the point where it was a different character and kind of jarring. Plot was good, but fairly uni-directional. It had a feel like it was put to market quickly. Still a decent read, and worth the price. It didn't seem to add anything to the storyline. And given how large the Tanya character is, I think there were more angles in her character that could have been explorered here. This is the first book that gave me the feeling that the series has run its course, though I continue to wait for the next.
Profile Image for Erika.
1,159 reviews18 followers
July 11, 2020
Now is Tanya's turn!

So we get a book from Tanya's perspective, and I like to see a glimpse of her mind.  She is a character that has been there from the very beginning and is a very important part of the team, one of the driving forces.
I really like the politica-filosophical stuff we see in the book, of how people can be so auto-destructive and how some people can be beyond selfish.  We also get to see the other side with how the team is willing to sacrifice themselves, even for the people that's out to destroy them.
Declan again plays a big part of the story, and I feel like in some ways he is becoming even bigger than Chris.  Chris is still the only one who can defeat demons, so he is very important, but Declan is taking on bigger and bigger responsibilities, also Omega is taking more control.  We keep getting little battles here and there, facing the different forces, but can't wait to see what happens when the big battle arrives. 
Profile Image for Kate Maeda.
9 reviews10 followers
July 28, 2020
Finished the first reading

And I may well read it again before the audio book comes out. I'd really like to see female readers for the books (and stories) which are told from a female character's POV. It was so much fun that I bought it before I even finished (I was reading under Kindle Unlimited) because it needs to be part of my permanent collection. Not much in the way of new characters but definitely surprising developments and stronger alliances. Made me wish we had an Omega of our own, with no allegiance except for a desire to keep the Earth and it's occupants (including four legged, feathered and finned) alive and well.

The twins get some advances, as do Barbiel and Omega. Characters develop and that's one of the things I like best about Conroe's books. His characters can change and grow even if they are hundreds of years old.

I'll probably think of more good things to say but I have to decide whether to read it again or lend it to my daughter.
Profile Image for Denise Belt.
314 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2020
Darkkin Queen is set in the perspective of Tanya which is something we haven’t seen a lot of in this series and it was refreshing to see things through her eyes. The most important thing in her life, next to her Chosen is her kids. When the powers of the world decide that threatening those closest to her will help them achieve their goals the aftermath could be world ending.

Declan and Stacia have become a vital part of saving the world from the Vorsook, if the governments of the world, Fairie, and their own team doesn’t alienate them from the mission than there might be a chance of saving most of the humans on the planet. As Declan’s powers have grown so has his concern on how they are used. Omega, however, has no qualms about taking over countries if they aren’t going to play nice with others which is somewhat concerning to the team.

The Demon Accords series has grown over the years and is still one of my ultimate favorites.
Profile Image for Rob Helbert.
9 reviews
June 9, 2020
Once again it did not disappoint

After 16 books in a series, you would expect the quality of the narrative to diminish. I remember the first time I read God Touched ( yes I have read it more than once, usually read the whole series about once a year) it was the freshest take on the genre I had ever encountered. Well 16 books further along, and The Demon Accords is still one of the best series in any genre O have ever read.

The characters continue to grow and evolve, the challenges continue to vary, and Lydia still has her snark, love the little vampire as I have been accused of having snark as my native tongue. Yes Mr. Conroe has ventured into other genres, but his dedication to his first series has never wavered. I look forward to many more novels of the Demon Accords, and I really wish I could give you more than 5 Stars.
189 reviews
April 28, 2025
amazing urban fantasy!!!

I read tons of Urban Fantasy, and one of my favorite elements is how the author decides on the interaction of modern people and technology with the supernatural. This series brings the relationship of supernaturals and modern tech to a whole new level! How deep the story goes with science, government, and real human emotions and interaction with the supernatural world. By far, John Conroe relates the most realistic approach of any author I've read! And, the plot lines are so superb, I can't put this book down! Amazingly real characters, nonstop unpredictable plot twists, emotional growth, superbly written dialogue, and a fallible MC you want to route for! In fact, the only negative of this series is how it has effected my sleep! I;m up all night reading these nonstop pager turners! Thank you John, you master word-smith!
28 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2020
Yet another solid entry in the Demon Accords series. I appreciate Conroe's ability to change POV and to make it feel like the story is indeed coming from a unique voice with a unique perspective. What makes this especially hard in this case is that Tanya and Chris as so closely connected that it would be easy to have to much space between the characters when there actually isn't any or to tell the story with the same voice he uses for Chris. John manages to avoid both these problems. This story furthers the overall plot of the series and we get to learn more about the universe. Can't wait for the next ride.

Thanks Mr. C
Profile Image for Doug Sundseth.
897 reviews9 followers
December 31, 2024
This book is largely a series of sidequests, cleaning up open storylines from previous volumes and preparing to meet the alien invasion.

There's good character progression for Declan and a bit for Chris and Tanya. The plot(s) are individually not bad, but they don't really hang together into a single story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Now, this is book 16 of a long series, so one could expect to see this kind of housekeeping entry, and for a housekeeping entry, it's handled as well as could be expected. if this were the first book in a series, it would be just OK, but for where we are in the overarching story, this is pretty good.
Profile Image for Pam Bales.
2,530 reviews12 followers
July 1, 2020
Always a great read, this series has vampires, weres of all types, Fairie, alien invasions, angels, and world powers (believe it or not) not getting along and not really working for the common good. I've been hooked on this series since February of 16 when I discovered it. But it was first published in 2010. I guess I was busy teaching and never ran across it until I retired. Great, great series. I bought it Monday and finished it early this morning. If you're a fan of this genre, give it a try!
Profile Image for Cole.
12 reviews
August 2, 2020
Hear me out.

I read the reviews first and came in with less than great expectations. But unsurprisingly this book held up to my own expectations. We got a great insight into who this Darkkin Queen is and how she is a political tony stark. I like this book much better tban caeco because..well f*** caeco. She tried my dog and i cant get past it lol oh well. #TeamWarlock also i appreciate the author dedication to his reader by getting us something to read during this shitty times.
Profile Image for Tony Hinde.
2,151 reviews78 followers
August 7, 2020
This one was a little disappointing. The big-bad threat in this book was introduced out of no-where and dispatched nearly as quickly with almost no repercussions on the plot. You could remove the entire thread without disturbing the pattern formed by the series as a whole.

My guess is Conroe had written three hundred pages of set-up for the next book and realized it wasn't actually a novel. He then went back and dropped the Darkkin Eldest into the story in hopes it would magically transform. It didn't.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews

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