When the gods vanished, daemons took over protecting humans from the things that go bump in the night... until daemons decide they deserve more.
Orphaned young and raised by the military, Octavia only knows the world of duty and honor. When she discovers they’re sacrificing people to create the ultimate super soldier, men engineered specifically to rid the world of what they consider the supernatural plague, she rebels and vows to do everything in her power to stop them.
The last thing Octavia expects to find is daemons willing to help her survive. Or that she may be one of them. To make things worse, an ancient power has awakened inside her.
Sworn to protect her, the daemons decide to teach her how to use her new abilities. They never expected to fall in love with their infuriatingly vexing charge, who maddeningly risks everything to get justice for past wrongs. If they can’t find a way to remove the magic before the demigods discover the truth, Octavia will die when they rip it out of her, and the world will crumble into chaos.
Stacey Brutger lives in a small town in Minnesota with her husband and an assortment of animals.
When she's not reading (from the towering stack of books she can't resist buying), she enjoys creating stories about exotic worlds and grand adventures...then shoving in her characters to see how they'd survive. She enjoys writing anything paranormal from contemporary to historical.
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Where the fanged, furry and spell slingers fight the darkness inside their soul for a chance to claim the one they love.
I wanted to like it but I think it was just bad timing. I was bored and questioning some of the of heroes' decisions. I don't know, something just rubbed me the wrong way.
I don't get tired of Stacey Brutger. This is my second read, which I started because of the release of book two.
I read Academy of Assassins (mostly the first book) many times -I kid you not, I probably read it seven or eight times- and Daemon Grudge is definitely similar in many ways to its predecessor.
Warrick is Kincade, the hardened leader. Nikos is Draven, the flirty, somewhat psycho friend. Keagan is Atlas, the level-headed brain of the team. Atticus is Ryder, the possessive and protective beast. Octavia is definitely Morgan, the strong yet bad at making choices special snowflake. Only Ascher got kicked out of the OG team because while he was my favorite, he was low-key useless.
But while the core group stays the same, the world-building and plot differ and the level of heat rises a wee bit from Morgan's story. There isn't any smut but some steamy kisses, a lot of sexual tension, and a naked shower scene. If I were to dive into psychology with my non-existent degree, I would say that Stacey Brutger is growing more confident as an author and allowing herself to stray away from the rather clean older series.
Anyhoo. I love the author and I love her works. Even if some books are not as good as others, I think the way she writes relationships is the reason I am still reading RH and I cannot wait to read her future series. And if you're into action, good world-building, overhead Greek mythology, alpha-holes, and strong(er) heroine, this might be the book for you!
> Characters in their twenties > No MM > No FF > Four guys > Multiple POVs > Who falls first?
This was really good! A really good RH, whuch u find more impressive nowadays.
There was very little I didn't like about this. It's a good slow burn - no sex in the first book, in a RH, shocking, I know, but it's so refreshing. There's kisses with a couple of the guys and tension and relationship building, but the fact it doesn't just jump to the physical makes it feel more genuine.
While the world building is a mash up of Greek mythology and Demons, I thought it worked well and the world was pretty well fleshed out.
I liked Octavia and she was a good balance of tough and determined, but not all powerful. The guys were all distinctive and pretty well characterised and their relationship felt genuine.
Why not 5 stars then? There were a few cheesy tropey things that annoyed me every now and again, but nothing very massive. I did toy with 5 stars, but while this didn't quite get there, it is definitely one of the far superior RH reads of the year.
This was a boring read for me. Too repetitive where the heroine kept on talking about how she wants to sleep with the guys and how hot they looked about 60% of the book.. Rinse repeat over and over. The heroine was annoying and the guys didn't come off as being hot in my opinion. Slow development on the characters and the chemistry was pretty weak too. The part where the mc got her power for being stubborn says the goddess didn't make sense. DNF.
Oodles and oodles of action, daemons, demi gods, evil scientists, soldiers and paranormals galore. Mysteries, deception and layers of intrigue pave the way in this epic read! One fierce female dubbed Valkyrie at the heart of it all. Desperate to save the innocent, and make the guilty pay even when she has no clue of her origins or what she is. Thrust into a game she knew little about, the terms are about to change. Who will come out on top? What a great first book...leaves the reader wanting oh so much more!!! Also leaves you with an epic ending....no spoilers 😉. Be warned: start this when you have time as you'll want to read in one sitting! Highly addictive.
This is probably a good book for some people, but it wasn’t for me. DNF at 60%. I was too confused and didn’t care enough about any of it to keep reading. The world building was lacking IMO. I couldn’t understand if this was a post apocalyptic setting or just set in the slums of our regular world; are demons out or just a well known secret; certain plot points get huge emphasis while others seem to just be casually mentioned and not explained well. I couldn’t get into this. Add in the fact that the romance was a bit of a fated mates feeling (power attracts), and I wasn’t really feeling any romance, just “ohh look at his abs” lust. So, I’m bailing and moving on to something that’ll hold my attention better and stop me from opening TikTok every five pages.
Stacey Brutger is an author that I've read before and always fall deep within her storyline. This story wasn't any different. Though I did find it hard to follow at times. I feel like I was missing some information. Like a prequel that explains how Octavia ended up the way she was. However, that is just a personal opinion.
Octavia grew up an orphan and was raised by the military. Her only purpose in life was duty and honor. When that honor and duty are shattered by the reality of what she was brought into, she does everything in her power to set things right. Even if that means running and hiding within a desolate city. She never expects from those she had once been trained to kill to be the ones to help her. Or for an ancient power to be bestowed upon her. Falling in love is the last thing on her mind. Yet fate, or the power within her, has other plans in mind.
This story follows Octavia as she navigates a dystopian world ruled by demigods. Daemons who are on two different sides of the factions. And humans who are just trying to survive. Though some think they are gods themselves.
Told mainly from Octavia's point of view. We get a few scenes from her harem. Her harem is made up of four men. Warrick. Keegan. Nikos. Atticus. Each deadly in his own right, though they all fall hard for Octavia in their own time.
This is a slow-burn romance. No hanky-panky. But some serious flirting and innuendos. Her men try their hardest to let Octavia know that they want her.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm curious to see where it will lead next. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, which I'm thankful for. But we are left wondering where things will go from here.
Hooked from the start Clash of the Demigods is a reverse harem paranormal romance with a fantasy mythological base. I was hooked from the first chapter. However, Octavia's story is not an easy. She is an orphan who was forced into horrific experiments at the hands of a power hungry madman. She escaped and dedicated her life to protecting others. That resolve leads her to meet a quartet of demons who are sworn to protect and train her. Their brewing attraction and the battles that ensure are captivating... I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
I like world and story, quite unique. Also like the slow burn as it gives more emphasis on the story and action. I did struggle with writing style as I felt some details where missing (example: one guy racing ahead and suddenly the other guys are there talking to the first - left me confused). Took also very long for me to understand where this war they are trying to prevent is coming from, not sure I understand still.
Generously giving this 3 stars. I definitely felt this was a unique story, not like anything I've read before. The mysterious plot is the only reason I finished the book. But I think this was needing a whole lot more work, there's a lot of stuff going down that is so confusing as to not make sense. Basically a lack of world building. I wondered if this was split off an other series, but I didn't like it enough to check into it. It ended up feeling like it was a rough draft. There's also a lot of errors in the book, that took away from the reading experience. The main characters are all so static, that they don't seem realistic, most beings have a pattern of behavior they follow, but these 5 did not. Octavia just grated on my nerves, I never really got where I liked her. The guys in the RH are an odd bunch, and I really never felt the chemistry or love in the mix between them. I definitely am not interested in continuing with the series.
3.5 I enjoyed this book, but felt like something was missing.
Things I liked: 1. I always enjoy a hidden destiny book 2. Octavia was a strong female main lead, which I appreciate. 3. I also enjoyed the misdirection on the "bad guys"
Things I didn't love: 1. This felt like a prison book, which is not my favorite setting. 2. I'm not sure the chemistry was there between her and her mates. 3. There was almost a TSTL moment that had me take a 3 day break from reading the book, but it all turned out alright.
Sort of disappointed, this is one of my fav writers I’ve always found her to be really gritty with well balanced drama. If I read this without knowing who wrote it I’d rate higher, but this review is for me not anyone else and I hold her to a higher standard.
I really love this author, but this wasn't one of my favorites. It seems a bit similar to some of her other stuff. Other than that, I liked the heroine a lot, and I enjoyed the plot line, it was very interesting.
this was so confusing, whether it be the world building, the plot, literally any explanation that characters give, i found myself having trouble keeping up. not worth it in my opinion.
3.6 ish. About a 6.5 out of 10. So... It had a great plot, great writing, and the book had great flow. I wasn't bored or checking how many pages I had to go.. I like the idea of the book in general....
But... It was hard to distinguish between the 4 guys. I just don't think the author did a great job making them unique and identifiable. She didn't gloss over their names or descriptions or anything, they just weren't distinct enough for me in how she wrote them. One has glasses and another turns into a wolf is about it. There were other little details, but nothing that made them unique.. Their personalities, their looks.. It just kind of washed over me (if that makes sense) - no connection, kind of interchangeable. There also seemed to be more talk about their connection than I actually sensed their being a connection. It just seemed to be... lacking passion.
Then there's the fated mates thing... ok, I don't mind this - sometimes. But here it seemed sort of... thrown in as a plot device. If you've ever read Suzanne Wright's Feral Sins, that's how you do a Fated Mates book. (If you haven't read it, and you like PNR that's sexy and funny.. Go read it already!). Where the conflict or the plot happens due to fated mates in a way that makes it an integral part of the story. In comparison, Daemon Grudge it was kind of like, oh and by the way mates! Isn't that convenient? Yay for us.
I picked this up because I thought there would be humour. Nothing was funny. I'm really disappointed, because the storyline and heroine were so good. I really liked the plot, the writing in general and the heroine wasn't punchable at any point (total win, it's a rare feat!)... But the interchangeable semi cardboard cutout men and the lack of snark made this less fun than I wanted.
There also wasn't a fireworks ending or, ooooh I can't wait to see what happens. It was more like, oh that was nice. Do I really care about starting the next book in the series?
So, I would read the author again, she can definitely write. I don't really know if I would continue this series though. I mean, if I'm bored enough, sure, but it didn't excite me.
Stacey Brutger is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed this urban fantasy more than I thought I would.
I really liked the characters Stacey created. Our protagonist, Octavia exhibited all the personality traits that I love. She’s intelligent, resilient, self-reliant and has oodles of gumption. The supporting cast are a diverse group, showcasing lots of different characteristics. I loved reading about Octavia’s fight for survival and seeing how she dealt with the challenges that sprung to confront her.
Eva Wilhelm is a new-to-me narrator. I really enjoyed the pace at which Eva read this story. The emotions and inflections she used for the different scenes felt natural and brought them to life. Eva created different voices for the characters, seeming to match their personalities to a tee. This also helped during the dialogue, meaning that I never felt lost when during multiple character conversations.
Taking me out of my comfort zone. If Tantor Media hadn’t have sent me this audiobook, I never would have bought it myself. The world we’re introduced to in Daemon Grudge has a dystopian feel. Dystopian settings depress me and rub my sensibilities up the wrong way; I don’t like stories about brutality, survival of the fittest, injustices or prejudices. I also tend to stay clear of reverse harem and polyamorous tales, multiple partners (loves) at the same time are not my thing. However, Stacey dealt with both themes in a way that I could accept and actually ended up enjoying.
I liked this one overall. Parts of it felt quite repetitive (so much so I thought I had accidentally gone back in the book and was rereading pages), but still quickly moving story overall. I don't really buy the relationships at this point, but of course they are mates to make it easy. I also feel like I really don't know the characters too - it was so action-packed that there wasn't much time for character development. If I read correctly, the whole thing takes place in less than/about a week's time (minus the days spent unconscious), so that may be why that is the case. It still left me wanting to know what happens next in the story, though, so I call it a win.
This was absolutely fantastic!! The plot, her relationship with the guys, THE MEN OH MY DEAR GODS KEEGAN and the pace of the story was so beautifully made.
The only thing though is at the end, my head kept thinking 'okaaaaaay so are we just going to gloss over that someone said she's a baby goddess??? Did she just happen to forget or sweep that under the rug??'
I hope she didn't!! I'm super super excited to see how everything goes in the next book
For the romance, I would say it's more of a slow burn and this story had all the plot and very little (if any) steam. Hopefully that changes in the next book
The world is on fire a little bit , ( a lot a bit). So more and more i rely on these authors , the characters and these stories to be my little slice of dreaming to getaway from it all. Familiar elements that felt not only new but more vibrant, intense and gripping. Octavia is both brave and flawed enough right be a real hero that you can connect to . I hat when RH, essentially flesh out one guy and all of the other guys share one personality. Nope each guy is yummy on their own . This book was rallying and so so look forward to the next book.
Every time I read a book from Stacey, I get taken on a journey to a new world. I fall in love with a whole new set of characters that pull at my heartstrings and sets my anxiety off until I know they overcome the obstacles they face. This book is no different. I love the blend of Greek Gods and the paranormal. I don't know if I've ever read a book with that combo before. I like it though and can't wait for the next one!
OMMFG I'm in love with this book and am so glad it will be a series!! Our MC is amazing and not annoying at all. Her men are 😋😋😋😋!! So glad she claimed her home, a safe space for innocents and her people. I wonder if she will have more mate's, or if her 4 are it. Personally I can think of at least 2 more males. Cannot wait for the next book!!!!!! Please hurry, I need to see what happens next.
I really enjoyed this book. Strong female MC and story moved at a good pace. Halfway through I was worried it was turning into a smutty reverse harem and prepared to DNF. I really enjoyed the story though so I kept going and was pleasantly surprised. All she did with the men was brief kissing, no long drawn out explicit sex scenes. I definitely recommend giving this book a try!
Fantastically different look into the world of Gods and Daemons
I loved every second of this book, brilliantly written and taking us deep into the world of Gods, demi-gods, daemons and magic and those who wish to exploit it. Octavia and her guys are seriously badass, trained soldiers, and trying to save the people who need help the most. Wonderful characters, twists and turns, and a story that is as fascinating as it is exciting. I couldn't put it down!
Tavia is a fierce MC. The guys are interesting. Nikos is kinda crazy, Warrick is kind of an alphahole at times, Atticus is the protector, and Keegan is a ninja nerd :) I also love that this doesn’t end on a cliffhanger. There is an over-arching storyline, but the there was enough resolution for now. But I still want to see more. How will they handle the new bond and I want to see Tavia becoming more confident in her powers. I can’t wait for book 2!
Just wow. I'm constantly looking for reverse harem of choose romances. I adore these books and better with any kind of magic, paranormal, sci to whatever. If your the same then I suggest you read this. It has good character and world building. FMC has issues but no unending whining. The guys are all a little broken and different. And yes Alpha. No worries as this extremely slow burn. No sex in this book at all but it does not detract from this quick pace read.
I loved it! This was my second read through. I loved the multiple POV’s, although it was confusing at times. The fmc has tricks up her sleeve and it’s a delight reading about the surprised looks her trainers and enemies get when she gets the best of them. There’s always a bit of extra information revealed in every chapter that made me want to know what was next. I can’t wait to read the next book!
I picked this book from a random list and am so so glad I did. I am stuck at home by myself this thanksgiving and this book was a great way to pass the time. It is a fun unique world, I feel liken those have been hard to find lately. It is a slow burn but I like that it is plot driven as opposed to sex driven. I am very excited to get to continue the series and will add this to my reread list.
Loved the story line. It didn't feel overdone or like a repeat of some other story line like some books start to feel like if you read this genre a lot. Good story building. Only wish is that the author would have spent a bit more time getting to know the male leads. I found myself getting just a little confused who was who for a while. That's my only complaint though.
This was an action-packed first book. Right off the bat we have a mini battle, and it was a good way to learn the background while staying invested. The naturally suspicious nature of everyone meant that the relationships between them are very slow to develop but so much is happening in the wider story that you barely notice. Hopefully book 2 is just as action-packed with a bit more steam