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Devils #1
The Devil's Metal
It’s the summer of 1974 and 21-year old Dawn Emerson has only three things she wants to do: compete one last time in the Ellensburg Rodeo, win back her ex-boyfriend Ryan, and become the best damn music journalist at Central Washington University. But all her plans are left in the dust when she’s contacted by Creem magazine to go on the road with one of her favorite groups, the up-and-coming metal band, Hybrid.
At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell.
And Dawn has a backstage pass.
***
The Devil's Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author's exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.
At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell.
And Dawn has a backstage pass.
***
The Devil's Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author's exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2012
132 people are currently reading
4193 people want to read
About the author
Karina Halle
122 books19.6k followersKarina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Grave Matter, Blood Orange, & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it.
When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.
When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.
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December 31, 2012Can I review this? No? What do you mean some people look down on authors reviewing their own books? I reviewed Darkhouse and gave it four stars! Oh right. That was back in the day when I didn't know any better (I still stand by that review! It was honest, yo).
So I can't "rate" the book because I'm a bit biased and would give it five stars. I mean, I love this book, even though by the time I finished it I felt like I'd been on a dusty, sweaty tour bus with a bunch of drugged-out and oversexed rock stars. *wipes brow*
But I can leave a gif review. So I will.
Basically The Devil's Metal is a bunch of:
And then some:
With a heaping of:
I'll also point out that just like my character, Dawn Emerson, I am also a music journalist (for Consequence of Sound. Mxdwn, etc). Really. I've written hundreds of album and concert reviews, interviewed and photographed people such as Chris Cornell, Chromeo, Liz Phair. Some of the stuff you'll read in this book actually happened to me while on the job...but exactly what stuff happened to me? You're going to have to draw your own conclusions ;)
PS this book is new adult...which is a new term or genre that basically means it's centered around a college-aged kid. IT IS NOT YA. There is sex. Perhaps even graphic sex. And swearing. And it's kinda scary. So, NO. NOT YA. NO ONE UNDER 18 SHOULD READ IT...unless you're a really open-mined 16-year old...no wait, I can't even endorse that. ANYWAY - read at your own risk.
Check ya later!
So I can't "rate" the book because I'm a bit biased and would give it five stars. I mean, I love this book, even though by the time I finished it I felt like I'd been on a dusty, sweaty tour bus with a bunch of drugged-out and oversexed rock stars. *wipes brow*
But I can leave a gif review. So I will.
Basically The Devil's Metal is a bunch of:
And then some:
With a heaping of:
I'll also point out that just like my character, Dawn Emerson, I am also a music journalist (for Consequence of Sound. Mxdwn, etc). Really. I've written hundreds of album and concert reviews, interviewed and photographed people such as Chris Cornell, Chromeo, Liz Phair. Some of the stuff you'll read in this book actually happened to me while on the job...but exactly what stuff happened to me? You're going to have to draw your own conclusions ;)
PS this book is new adult...which is a new term or genre that basically means it's centered around a college-aged kid. IT IS NOT YA. There is sex. Perhaps even graphic sex. And swearing. And it's kinda scary. So, NO. NOT YA. NO ONE UNDER 18 SHOULD READ IT...unless you're a really open-mined 16-year old...no wait, I can't even endorse that. ANYWAY - read at your own risk.
Check ya later!
May 2, 2017
One heck of a book!
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
I knew about this book thanks to the enthusiastic review by a reader friend. She commented so highly about this book that it picked my curiosity and interest.
I checked the premise of the book and I found it so cool that I knew that I want to read the novel at some moment.
However, the second book in the now a series came out (back then in 2013) and I knew that if I really want to read it, it was better to hurry up.
I started to read the book without knowing if I'd like it or not, but soon enough I knew that I will enjoy a lot the reading experience with it.
First of all, I loved the idea of setting the story in 1974, since indeed the 70s was a strong decade for the metal music and it was even able to fit comments and references about iconic bands like Led Zepellin, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, etc... in a "contemporary" context inside the story. Also, there were priceless moments like the lead protagonist buying a book by a "new author", the novel: Carrie. Wonderful!
Since the plot was not only about metal music but also a horror story, I found this as a statement of the merging of the age of metal music with the rising age of contemporary horror novels. Having a female lead protagonist was also one of the key factor that it sold me the idea of reading the book, since I found thrilling the concept of a young woman trying to become a professional music journalist picking a golden opportunity of getting along in a country tour of a popular metal music band, where things aren't like they seem and demonic forces are involved.
Wow!
Sold!
ROCK ON!
I don't know if there are some novels with similar plots, but I thought that it was just a perfect combination of a metal rock band and demons, I mean, all the time, there has been all those stories, rumors, etc... involving rock bands with satanic stuff, so, there were a lot of potential here for a good book.
I loved how Karina Halle, the author, managed the narrative, since she put here and there some odd quick moments to get you remember that it was a horror story but also, she didn't rush herself on hitting you with the paranormal plot, she let you to enjoy the real feeling of being in a tour with a metal rock band. I enjoyed a lot that, since it was the decisive different angle for what I chose the book and I got what I was looking for.
The way that she conceived the band was interesting, I think that the name of the band, "Hybrid" was for things more that it's style of merging rock, blues and metal, since one of the members in the band is a female one. And while I know a lot about rock music, I don't think that it was even a single band on the 70s with a female member, and if so, it was because she did the vocals, but in this "Hybrid" band, the female member is the bassist, so I found it cool, making a revolutionary statement in the forming of this fictious band in the 70s.
SEX, DRUGS & ROCK N' ROLL
Also, I like that the romance stuff is managed in a very realistic way without making instantaneous love affairs, but taking the due time to establishing the relationships. However, you can bet that the slogan of "sex, drugs and rock n' roll", it's well exposed and developed here, without modesty but also without excess, just the right amount to make it real and believable.
The novel integrates quite well the thing about groupies that in metal rock bands is something expected, and in here, you can see all sides of the topic, and even used in very creative ways when the story kicks in.
An interesting fact is that Karina Halle is a music journalist herself, so I have no doubt that she put many of her passion in the development of the lead protagonist in the marvellous book. Definitely, this novel is entertaining, smart and a page-turner.
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
I knew about this book thanks to the enthusiastic review by a reader friend. She commented so highly about this book that it picked my curiosity and interest.
I checked the premise of the book and I found it so cool that I knew that I want to read the novel at some moment.
However, the second book in the now a series came out (back then in 2013) and I knew that if I really want to read it, it was better to hurry up.
I started to read the book without knowing if I'd like it or not, but soon enough I knew that I will enjoy a lot the reading experience with it.
First of all, I loved the idea of setting the story in 1974, since indeed the 70s was a strong decade for the metal music and it was even able to fit comments and references about iconic bands like Led Zepellin, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, etc... in a "contemporary" context inside the story. Also, there were priceless moments like the lead protagonist buying a book by a "new author", the novel: Carrie. Wonderful!
Since the plot was not only about metal music but also a horror story, I found this as a statement of the merging of the age of metal music with the rising age of contemporary horror novels. Having a female lead protagonist was also one of the key factor that it sold me the idea of reading the book, since I found thrilling the concept of a young woman trying to become a professional music journalist picking a golden opportunity of getting along in a country tour of a popular metal music band, where things aren't like they seem and demonic forces are involved.
Wow!
Sold!
ROCK ON!
I don't know if there are some novels with similar plots, but I thought that it was just a perfect combination of a metal rock band and demons, I mean, all the time, there has been all those stories, rumors, etc... involving rock bands with satanic stuff, so, there were a lot of potential here for a good book.
I loved how Karina Halle, the author, managed the narrative, since she put here and there some odd quick moments to get you remember that it was a horror story but also, she didn't rush herself on hitting you with the paranormal plot, she let you to enjoy the real feeling of being in a tour with a metal rock band. I enjoyed a lot that, since it was the decisive different angle for what I chose the book and I got what I was looking for.
The way that she conceived the band was interesting, I think that the name of the band, "Hybrid" was for things more that it's style of merging rock, blues and metal, since one of the members in the band is a female one. And while I know a lot about rock music, I don't think that it was even a single band on the 70s with a female member, and if so, it was because she did the vocals, but in this "Hybrid" band, the female member is the bassist, so I found it cool, making a revolutionary statement in the forming of this fictious band in the 70s.
SEX, DRUGS & ROCK N' ROLL
Also, I like that the romance stuff is managed in a very realistic way without making instantaneous love affairs, but taking the due time to establishing the relationships. However, you can bet that the slogan of "sex, drugs and rock n' roll", it's well exposed and developed here, without modesty but also without excess, just the right amount to make it real and believable.
The novel integrates quite well the thing about groupies that in metal rock bands is something expected, and in here, you can see all sides of the topic, and even used in very creative ways when the story kicks in.
An interesting fact is that Karina Halle is a music journalist herself, so I have no doubt that she put many of her passion in the development of the lead protagonist in the marvellous book. Definitely, this novel is entertaining, smart and a page-turner.
March 25, 2013
WHAT.A.BOOK.
Another novel by Karina Halle that I have devoured within a couple of hours and that I ended up loving to pieces.The Devil's Metal was again a roller coaster ride of events that kept me glued to the pages the entire time I was reading it.
In this book it's all about rock and roll (and everything that comes with; sex, drugs, moody musicians...you name it!)
The story takes you back to the 1970s rock scene where a young aspiring music journalist Dawn Emerson is offered the chance of a lifetime when the famous Creem Magazine offers her the job of going on tour with one of her favorite up-and-coming rock bands Hybrid.
"Hybrid won me over with their sound, the way they took a band like Led Zeppelin and made it look like a freigt train. They wanted to take on anything - anything - and to it louder. Harder. Better. I loved them for that."
Determined to write a killer cover story she decides to accept the offer and join the band on what is supposed to be their most epic tour ever.
"I was on the verge of something epic. It could go well, it could go all bad, but it was going to be epic in whichever way it went."
And Dawn, couldn't have been more right!
From being able to witness the band's amazing performances live on stage to drunken encounters with the band members back stage to freaking insane and clingy groupies following the band around; this epic journey slowly but surely turns out to be a whole lot more than what Dawn originally bargained for.
"And now, I realized, I had been thrown right into the deep end. Alone. Thank god I knew how to swim."
But when weird demon-like creatures start following her and the other band members around and things start to get more and more out of control...
"We all lost our souls when we joined this band."
My reactions to the events that followed where pretty much like this...
In the meantime, Dawn is also more and more attracted by the band's darkly handsome, very swoonworthy and mysterious lead guitar player Sage Knightley.
"Seeing this man on stage was like watching a lion prowl along the crest of his kingdom."
He's intriguing and constantly tries to keep as much distance from Dawn as possible but she's determined to crack the infamous Sage code and find out all the mysteries he's been hiding, which eventually lead to a lot of sexual tension between the two of them...
And then the ending... I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger, but based on the epilogue, it's pretty sure the story isn't over yet and that there are a lot more "demonic" encounters to follow...
"Be careful what you wish for..."
What I really loved about this book was the original plot, the whole 70's vibe including kick-ass music references and the unconventional yet extremely enthralling combination of life on tour with horror elements thrown in the mix. I think the story really painted a true and detailed picture of the fascinating 1970s rock scene and I'm already looking forward to the next part of this series as well!
All I have left to say is, this book is
And last but not least I would like to thank Joana, Airah, Kristalia and Georgia for the AWESOME buddy reading experience!!!!! It wouldn't have been the same without you, ladies!!! *hugs*
Check out their reviews:
Georgia's review
Kristalia's review
Joana's review
5+++ electrifying and soul wrenching stars
March 29, 2013
★★★★★SHOCK & AWE★★★★★
And fear.... This is a Karina Halle book. They are mindfucking awesome and sometimes even creepy and scary.
I felt horror, a terror so complete that I had one thought: I was going to die there on the stage. I was going to lose my soul. I was going to Hell. I was all fear and only fear, and that’s what I would be for all my existence.
It's the year of our Lord, 1974. America is in a time of turmoil and change. It's the time of liberation and hard-acquired equality and the youth has rebelled. They are taking off their frustrations and anger against the system, their parents and each other, coming up with the most notorious trifecta of all times...
Disappointment, recession and instability led to the birth of a new music movement. What Elvis started, it kept going with Led Zeppelin and all the others God of Rock.
And then metal emerges and music becomes an obsession.
This the time of concerts,
festivals,
road trips and groupies.
And Hybrid are in the middle of all these. The rock band that has gained fans and popularity. The new music phenomenon. But behind this band the brains, maestro and soul of all, the guitarist, Sage Knightly.
“I’m the most broken piece of the puzzle.”
Dawn Emerson aka Rusty dreams of becoming a music reporter.
She lives and breathes music and all she wants is to finish college and make it big. Rolling Stone & Creem Magazine, big. She knows that taking care of her alcoholic father and sick brother is holding her back, but this rodeo queen isn't scared of the ride... Paranormal stuff, though is a whole different kinda story.
“Have you wanted something so badly that you would have done anything to get it?”
All her dreams come true when she is hired to follow her favourite band Hybrid on its tour, documenting everything, interviewing them and write an article that she hopes to be her big break. She didn't count on being in the middle of the band's secrets and a debt about to get repaid.
"We all lost our souls when we joined this band."
And she certainly, didn't account for falling in love.
"I’ll tell you about how it all ends. In fire. With a man you’ll never be able to save.”"
Will she able to save the ones she came to care for? Or she just doomed herself? What exactly is coming after them?
Sweet mother of God.... What did we just read??? I swear this book is awesome...
Starting it, I was in the mood for something scary and weird and knowing Karina Halle’s writing style I was kinda prepared…
Things/entities started appearing quickly…
And by the end, all hell broke loose.
Reading a Karina Halle book is a unique and extraordinairy experience. They are dark and twisted, with fucked up individuals, bastards and criminals, idealistic and scarred people. Real characters, that you can’t help but root for, despair and get angry at.
This one is the same. Scary and addictive, unique and paranormal, but in the meantime so damn much realistic. It doesn't pull any punches. The heroes are going through hell.
I'm actually surprised at the consistency in her books mythology. Following the world-building of her EIT novels but delivering a whole different story, this book is great on its own in the same footsteps. Dare I hope, that Dex and Perry will come to meet an older Sage and Dawn in a future book? Will they have a story to share or a mystery to solve? OH MY GOD......... *happy sigh*
A rich writing style, paired with a hell of a storyline, complex characters and the best kind of terror, make this story irresistible. I highly recommend it to everyone. But especially to the ones who loves Karina Halle's books. YOU MUST READ IT!!
I really want to know how all this will end.... Are they really coming back??
Buddy Read this book with the awesomest of awesome: Airah, Debra, Joana and Kristalia!!!
You can check out their reviews, here:
►Debra's Review
►Kristalia's Review
►Joana's Review
WE HAD A BLAST!!!!
❤Girls you are amazing and I LOVE YOU!!!❤
More details, below:
**BUDDY READ with two of my bestest besties, Debra and Joana on March 23!**
Me & Jo & Debra LMAO!!!!
Breaking News: Airah, Karina Halle co-fangirl and so freaking great, is also joining us!
*AWESOMENESS ALERT*
Last minute's entry, her Majesty..... Kristalia my beautiful crystal ;) Queen of Blades!!!
It WAS legendary!!!!
♫♪Black shadow hangin' over your shoulder
Black mark up against your name
Your green eyes couldn't get any colder
There's bad poison runnin' through your veins
Evil walks behind you
Evil sleeps beside you
Evil talks arouse you
Evil walks behind you♪♫ ~ AC/DC "Evil Walks"
And fear.... This is a Karina Halle book. They are mindfucking awesome and sometimes even creepy and scary.
I felt horror, a terror so complete that I had one thought: I was going to die there on the stage. I was going to lose my soul. I was going to Hell. I was all fear and only fear, and that’s what I would be for all my existence.
It's the year of our Lord, 1974. America is in a time of turmoil and change. It's the time of liberation and hard-acquired equality and the youth has rebelled. They are taking off their frustrations and anger against the system, their parents and each other, coming up with the most notorious trifecta of all times...
Disappointment, recession and instability led to the birth of a new music movement. What Elvis started, it kept going with Led Zeppelin and all the others God of Rock.
And then metal emerges and music becomes an obsession.
This the time of concerts,
festivals,
road trips and groupies.
And Hybrid are in the middle of all these. The rock band that has gained fans and popularity. The new music phenomenon. But behind this band the brains, maestro and soul of all, the guitarist, Sage Knightly.
“I’m the most broken piece of the puzzle.”
Dawn Emerson aka Rusty dreams of becoming a music reporter.
She lives and breathes music and all she wants is to finish college and make it big. Rolling Stone & Creem Magazine, big. She knows that taking care of her alcoholic father and sick brother is holding her back, but this rodeo queen isn't scared of the ride... Paranormal stuff, though is a whole different kinda story.
“Have you wanted something so badly that you would have done anything to get it?”
All her dreams come true when she is hired to follow her favourite band Hybrid on its tour, documenting everything, interviewing them and write an article that she hopes to be her big break. She didn't count on being in the middle of the band's secrets and a debt about to get repaid.
"We all lost our souls when we joined this band."
And she certainly, didn't account for falling in love.
"I’ll tell you about how it all ends. In fire. With a man you’ll never be able to save.”"
Will she able to save the ones she came to care for? Or she just doomed herself? What exactly is coming after them?
Sweet mother of God.... What did we just read??? I swear this book is awesome...
Starting it, I was in the mood for something scary and weird and knowing Karina Halle’s writing style I was kinda prepared…
Things/entities started appearing quickly…
And by the end, all hell broke loose.
ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY FUCKING AMAZING
Reading a Karina Halle book is a unique and extraordinairy experience. They are dark and twisted, with fucked up individuals, bastards and criminals, idealistic and scarred people. Real characters, that you can’t help but root for, despair and get angry at.
This one is the same. Scary and addictive, unique and paranormal, but in the meantime so damn much realistic. It doesn't pull any punches. The heroes are going through hell.
I'm actually surprised at the consistency in her books mythology. Following the world-building of her EIT novels but delivering a whole different story, this book is great on its own in the same footsteps. Dare I hope, that Dex and Perry will come to meet an older Sage and Dawn in a future book? Will they have a story to share or a mystery to solve? OH MY GOD......... *happy sigh*
A rich writing style, paired with a hell of a storyline, complex characters and the best kind of terror, make this story irresistible. I highly recommend it to everyone. But especially to the ones who loves Karina Halle's books. YOU MUST READ IT!!
I really want to know how all this will end.... Are they really coming back??
Buddy Read this book with the awesomest of awesome: Airah, Debra, Joana and Kristalia!!!
You can check out their reviews, here:
►Debra's Review
►Kristalia's Review
►Joana's Review
WE HAD A BLAST!!!!
❤Girls you are amazing and I LOVE YOU!!!❤
More details, below:
**BUDDY READ with two of my bestest besties, Debra and Joana on March 23!**
Me & Jo & Debra LMAO!!!!
Breaking News: Airah, Karina Halle co-fangirl and so freaking great, is also joining us!
*AWESOMENESS ALERT*
Last minute's entry, her Majesty..... Kristalia my beautiful crystal ;) Queen of Blades!!!
It WAS legendary!!!!
September 23, 2012
“We all lost our souls when we joined this band...... "
This was soo me , when I finished reading this book !!! It took me a few minutes to register the last few closing lines of the book and the chapter and then all hell broke loose , in my head !!! Holy hell , Karina Halle does it again ! Can this woman get any better ?? Hell fucking yeah ! She has gotz talents and the skillz to write ! The world needs to know her , ASAP !! Right now , all I can do is this :
and this :
I'm usually like a 9 year old on crack when I finish a story by Karina , and this was no different . I ramble like an Idiot and talk aimlessly till I can settle my thoughts down .
Dawn Emerson is a music journalist who gets a 'once in a lifetime' chance to be on tour with one of her favorite bands The Hybrid . Dawn definitely has her own baggage's to carry in life , but she decides to give her dreams and aspirations in life a chance and makes up her mind to go onboard and experience the rockstar life . But what she doesn't count on is that this is no ordinary roadtrip . Its a journey to hell and she just happens to have a 'backstage' pass . What is in store for dawn and the band Hybrid , well read the book and find out for yourself . I'm sure as hell you wont be disappointed .
IT'S THAT 70'S SCENE !
The entire story is set in the 70's and you can actually see that Karina has put in a whole lot of research into this story . Right from the atmosphere to the clothing to the style sense , everything makes you feel that you are a part of the 70's . There were times I was wondering that she might have slipped up somewhere and mentioned something 2012-ish , but nooo . It was bang on perfect . The story quickly sucks you in like a black hole does and lands you up at this parallel dimension if I can call it that . I loved this whole time travel feel about it !!
ROCK&ROLL , SEX AND DRUGS !
Talk about reliving the rock scene from the 70's !! And not just the whole on-stage performance and stuff , but also the back stage action . Interaction with the groupies , the drinking , the drugs and the blow jobs and hand jobs that come with it , it's all there . Kudos to Karina's writing , she makes it seem so real that it actually feels like you are standing right there , probably in the corner somewhere and seeing everything !!! The kind of characters that she creates are intense and soo real . As a reader , you are sure to hate them , like them , adore them , love them but definitely not ignore them . Even if their presence is in tiny winy role , they still manage to make an impact on you . And the sex in this book ! Creepers , this is not a YA ! So the steam factor in this book is definitely hot !!! I mean seriously , you cant write a story about a bunch of rockstars with hot bods and hot voices and not write a sex scene amplifying theirsexiness hotness !!! Somehow , the idea of having sex on a tour bus sounds very very intriguing !!!
AND LETS NOT FORGET THE DEMONS ...
okay just so we are clear , this book is scary ! Like pee/shit in your pants scary !! Some scenes , if you imagine them in your head , can guarantee you nightmares for sure !! Especially the demons and their whole demonic aura . For those of you who have read Karina Halle's EIT series , you already know the woman does scary like no other female author in the horror genre !! Say what you will , I think I'm gonna name Karina the " QUEEN OF HORROR " . The dreams that haunt Dawn , the monster who follows them around at night , the groupies from hell and the whole spooky aura that flows out of this book is enough to give you goosebumps !!!
HUNG BY THE CLIFFHANGER ??
Would I call the ending a cliffhanger ?? Well , yeah sort of ! Not that I didn't see it coming , but sometimes you just wish that things will go back to normal right ? WRONG !!! If you are a Karina Halle fan , then you should know that the woman doesn't make anything easy ! And she manages to pull that trick here as well . Just when
you thought , ' Oh thank god , I'm soo happy for them !! ' she goes all ninja on your heart and makes you go , ' Damn it ! what in the world ...... !!! ' Now don't think I didn't like it , I loved it !!! It just means more of Sage * swoon * and Dawn * lets kick those demon asses * !
Karina Halle delivers another , rocking , chart topping , heart thumping , jaw dropping , cold sweating , rockstar induced orgasmic story that is sure to make you curse , crack a smile and make you fall in love with its characters !! At times I found me :
and then there were times I was all :
Too much to handle I tell ya people !!!
Before I go go , you need to pick yourself a copy of this book and read it like ASAP !!! I need my Sage , Dawn and Jacobs fix so I'm going to be on pins and needles till the next book in this series comes out !!!!
5+ energizing yet soul sucking stars !!!
This was soo me , when I finished reading this book !!! It took me a few minutes to register the last few closing lines of the book and the chapter and then all hell broke loose , in my head !!! Holy hell , Karina Halle does it again ! Can this woman get any better ?? Hell fucking yeah ! She has gotz talents and the skillz to write ! The world needs to know her , ASAP !! Right now , all I can do is this :
and this :
I'm usually like a 9 year old on crack when I finish a story by Karina , and this was no different . I ramble like an Idiot and talk aimlessly till I can settle my thoughts down .
Dawn Emerson is a music journalist who gets a 'once in a lifetime' chance to be on tour with one of her favorite bands The Hybrid . Dawn definitely has her own baggage's to carry in life , but she decides to give her dreams and aspirations in life a chance and makes up her mind to go onboard and experience the rockstar life . But what she doesn't count on is that this is no ordinary roadtrip . Its a journey to hell and she just happens to have a 'backstage' pass . What is in store for dawn and the band Hybrid , well read the book and find out for yourself . I'm sure as hell you wont be disappointed .
IT'S THAT 70'S SCENE !
The entire story is set in the 70's and you can actually see that Karina has put in a whole lot of research into this story . Right from the atmosphere to the clothing to the style sense , everything makes you feel that you are a part of the 70's . There were times I was wondering that she might have slipped up somewhere and mentioned something 2012-ish , but nooo . It was bang on perfect . The story quickly sucks you in like a black hole does and lands you up at this parallel dimension if I can call it that . I loved this whole time travel feel about it !!
ROCK&ROLL , SEX AND DRUGS !
Talk about reliving the rock scene from the 70's !! And not just the whole on-stage performance and stuff , but also the back stage action . Interaction with the groupies , the drinking , the drugs and the blow jobs and hand jobs that come with it , it's all there . Kudos to Karina's writing , she makes it seem so real that it actually feels like you are standing right there , probably in the corner somewhere and seeing everything !!! The kind of characters that she creates are intense and soo real . As a reader , you are sure to hate them , like them , adore them , love them but definitely not ignore them . Even if their presence is in tiny winy role , they still manage to make an impact on you . And the sex in this book ! Creepers , this is not a YA ! So the steam factor in this book is definitely hot !!! I mean seriously , you cant write a story about a bunch of rockstars with hot bods and hot voices and not write a sex scene amplifying their
AND LETS NOT FORGET THE DEMONS ...
okay just so we are clear , this book is scary ! Like pee/shit in your pants scary !! Some scenes , if you imagine them in your head , can guarantee you nightmares for sure !! Especially the demons and their whole demonic aura . For those of you who have read Karina Halle's EIT series , you already know the woman does scary like no other female author in the horror genre !! Say what you will , I think I'm gonna name Karina the " QUEEN OF HORROR " . The dreams that haunt Dawn , the monster who follows them around at night , the groupies from hell and the whole spooky aura that flows out of this book is enough to give you goosebumps !!!
HUNG BY THE CLIFFHANGER ??
Would I call the ending a cliffhanger ?? Well , yeah sort of ! Not that I didn't see it coming , but sometimes you just wish that things will go back to normal right ? WRONG !!! If you are a Karina Halle fan , then you should know that the woman doesn't make anything easy ! And she manages to pull that trick here as well . Just when
you thought , ' Oh thank god , I'm soo happy for them !! ' she goes all ninja on your heart and makes you go , ' Damn it ! what in the world ...... !!! ' Now don't think I didn't like it , I loved it !!! It just means more of Sage * swoon * and Dawn * lets kick those demon asses * !
Karina Halle delivers another , rocking , chart topping , heart thumping , jaw dropping , cold sweating , rockstar induced orgasmic story that is sure to make you curse , crack a smile and make you fall in love with its characters !! At times I found me :
and then there were times I was all :
Too much to handle I tell ya people !!!
Before I go go , you need to pick yourself a copy of this book and read it like ASAP !!! I need my Sage , Dawn and Jacobs fix so I'm going to be on pins and needles till the next book in this series comes out !!!!
5+ energizing yet soul sucking stars !!!
July 13, 2013
Buddy reading with the sweet girls Alex and La-lionne :)
Karina Halle is brilliant!!Not only are the characters so real and likable but the plot moves so well.It felt like a movie being played out in my mind!!
She has become one of my favorite authors not only for her writing style but her strong character developments and the fantastic plots!!
Let's start our trip back in the summer of 1974..
The main character Dawn is given the opportunity of a lifetime as both a fan and as someone who hopes to become a music journalist.She is asked to go on tour with her favorite band, Hybrid.
Dawn is a small town farm and rodeo girl who has been taking care of her father and brother since her mother’s death.
Dawn jumps at the chance to find out what goes on behind the scenes of the rock and roll world..
Dawn is thrust into the world of Hybrid and is seeing and experiencing things that she never has before.But she takes it all in her stride.
She try to handle to be near the man whose posters she has on her wall. The man who is her musical crush,Sage Knightly...
Sage is totally hot and drool worthy!!I want a Sage for myself..I loved the moments he was around and the sex scene..
But then not long into the tour she starts seeing and hearing strange things. At first she tries to write them off, but eventually they can't be ignored...
The demons in the story,they were seriously creepy. Definitely not your usual paranormal fair...
I look forward to the next in this series to see what demons Sage and Dawn must face together!!!
For more reviews you can check mine and Kristinas's blog. :D
my link text
Karina Halle is brilliant!!Not only are the characters so real and likable but the plot moves so well.It felt like a movie being played out in my mind!!
She has become one of my favorite authors not only for her writing style but her strong character developments and the fantastic plots!!
Let's start our trip back in the summer of 1974..
The main character Dawn is given the opportunity of a lifetime as both a fan and as someone who hopes to become a music journalist.She is asked to go on tour with her favorite band, Hybrid.
Dawn is a small town farm and rodeo girl who has been taking care of her father and brother since her mother’s death.
Dawn jumps at the chance to find out what goes on behind the scenes of the rock and roll world..
Dawn is thrust into the world of Hybrid and is seeing and experiencing things that she never has before.But she takes it all in her stride.
She try to handle to be near the man whose posters she has on her wall. The man who is her musical crush,Sage Knightly...
Sage is totally hot and drool worthy!!I want a Sage for myself..I loved the moments he was around and the sex scene..
But then not long into the tour she starts seeing and hearing strange things. At first she tries to write them off, but eventually they can't be ignored...
The demons in the story,they were seriously creepy. Definitely not your usual paranormal fair...
I look forward to the next in this series to see what demons Sage and Dawn must face together!!!
For more reviews you can check mine and Kristinas's blog. :D
my link text
April 15, 2013
1 part Almost Famous + 1 part sexually charged anticipation + 1 part campy horror movie = this shiznit.
3.5 stars. I'm going to call it a good day of reading, but I did wish for more creep-tastic happenings from the jump. I'm pretty sure that most of us guessed what was going on pretty early in the game based on the synopsis, so I'm not sure why we had to wait to find out until close to the end. Either that, or I just have a thing for dissecting book titles.
The first half of the book had me curious, even though it was a bit of a slow starter. However, the second half really brought everything home for me. I am super excited to see what comes next.
Dawn is a rock fan, picked to interview a band while on tour (hence the Almost Famous comparison). I'm not really sure what it was about her, but I never felt the draw to Dawn as a person. However, she did have one thing working for her - she was strong, even when she probably thought that she wasn't.
I dare anyone to argue with me that Sage was the star of this book in every way. Isn't this always the case with a man of mystery? We as the readers get sucked into wanting to know what's going on behind the wall.
And there's the GIMME. Immediately, you want to know what's going on with Sage.
Let's see...
~ Rock Band
~ Scary Stuff
~ Alright, and some sexy stuff too
Btw, Karina if you see this....loins? Really...loins? My eyes keep reading that as lions. That word messes with my head.
This book provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars. I'm going to call it a good day of reading, but I did wish for more creep-tastic happenings from the jump. I'm pretty sure that most of us guessed what was going on pretty early in the game based on the synopsis, so I'm not sure why we had to wait to find out until close to the end. Either that, or I just have a thing for dissecting book titles.
The first half of the book had me curious, even though it was a bit of a slow starter. However, the second half really brought everything home for me. I am super excited to see what comes next.
I was all fear and only fear, and that's what I would be for all my existence.
Dawn is a rock fan, picked to interview a band while on tour (hence the Almost Famous comparison). I'm not really sure what it was about her, but I never felt the draw to Dawn as a person. However, she did have one thing working for her - she was strong, even when she probably thought that she wasn't.
"You can't save him. You can't save any of them."
I dare anyone to argue with me that Sage was the star of this book in every way. Isn't this always the case with a man of mystery? We as the readers get sucked into wanting to know what's going on behind the wall.
"I haven't interviewed you," I pointed out. "And you're the most important piece of the puzzle."
"I'm the most broken piece of the puzzle."
And there's the GIMME. Immediately, you want to know what's going on with Sage.
Let's see...
~ Rock Band
~ Scary Stuff
~ Alright, and some sexy stuff too
Btw, Karina if you see this....loins? Really...loins? My eyes keep reading that as lions. That word messes with my head.
This book provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2014
…be careful what you wish for
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What an amazing , crazy, fucked up story!!!
I was totally unprepared for the wild ride I was about to take when I picked up this book. I had no idea what to expect, and even if I did, it wouldn’t have prepared me for this epic glimpse into the world of rock and roll, this world that is Hybrid….
It was an epic, flawless, tingling-deep-in-my-belly type of show..... It was a high unlike any other, a wave of perfection and human unity. It was all the purple prose in the world. It was magic.
The only way I can think to describe the story is that its like Almost Famous meets Ghost Rider. But if you’re not a movie buff, it was like having all of your teenage dreams of rock and roll come true, only to find yourself stuck in a nightmare. You are invited on a trip of a lifetime, following your favorite band on tour, and being asked to participate with them as a professional, writing a story, that will not only bring you respect and recognition, it will also tell the world the story of the music that gives your life meaning.
But what you weren’t expecting was that meeting your idols and getting a glimpse of their world behind the stage would open your eyes to the real life of the music world and the realization that success, fame, and fortune come with a price. And in the case of this band, Hybrid… the price was even much higher than anyone had bargained for.
It's 1974, Dawn Emerson is 21, living a small town life in the Pacific Northwest. She is living with her alcoholic father and her younger brother, having lost her mother several years earlier. Her life is pretty unexciting, other than her yearly participation in the town rodeo, as a barrel racing queen, and her occasional attendance to local rock concerts with her best friend Mel.
But Dawn has aspirations for more. She is in college, studying journalism and is aspiring to use her degree to become a music journalist. She has already written some killer articles for local papers, critiquing popular rock bands and their music. But she has yet to score any real recognition in the industry. So she is more than a little shocked when she gets a call from the editor of Creem Magazine asking her to join the tour of the hit band Hybrid, and write an article for their magazine that is likely going to gain cover status.
Hybrid is one of her favorite metal bands… and it doesn’t take her long to accept this offer of a lifetime. So she leaves her life behind and joins the band and their crew on the road for their upcoming tour. And that’s when the freaky shit starts happening. It starts from time she accepts the offer and boards the airplane and then it follows her everywhere. Is she suffering from nerves and stress, or is something else more sinister going on?
In the music world, Hybrid is a bastard combination of sexual prowess, chugging guitars, and swaggering bass with delicate hints of country blues and Latino flavor. It is a mess of a band, who, with their upcoming third album, are already pushing the envelope with their energetic live shows and intense fearlessness.
Dawn meets up with the band’s manager Jacob Edwards and is immediately thrust into this crazy fucked up world that is Hybrid. The band members are larger than life, and as flawed as the best of us!!! First there is Robbie Oliver…swoon, the lead singer and one of the band’s founders. He is gorgeous and charismatic, and flirts incessantly!! Then there is Mickey Brown, the band’s guitarist, and his moody, enigmatic girlfriend and the band’s bassist, Noelle Clark. The band’s amazing drummer is Graham Freed, and kind of a Satan worshipping freak.
Then last, but certainly not least is the legend that is Sage Knightly. Sage is the band’s main songwriter, and their lead guitarist. He is also the secret behind the band’s success according to Dawn… and she has no idea just how right she is about that!
“I wanted to be someone, someone important. I wanted to be revered, I wanted to be respected, I wanted to be loved. I wanted it all so much that I remember thinking I would do anything for it. I would give anything for it.”
Dawn is suddenly surrounded by a whirlwind of sex, drugs, and crazy, mercurial personalities. She soon realizes she is in way over her head, and she must struggle to keep up, and to keep from being sucked into their vortex. She has to stand her ground and remember her purpose or she just might fall victim to all that consumes them. She also must fight her attraction to these guys and their power over her. Especially the mysterious one. Sage. But his silence is what ignites her curiosity, and her inner fire as well. Dawn will soon find herself drowning if she doesn't watch herself.
This book was completely addicting. I was not prepared for the world that Dawn discovered on that tour bus. This book brought an even darker force into the mix. With the addition of the paranormal… this was the perfect melding of mystery, suspense, romance and even horror.
It seems that everyone is searching for success: fame and fortune, and also love. But for everything we wish for, there is a price. And the easier they come, the higher the price. And this was more than true for this band. And they would find that for them it was the ultimate price!!!
"Thank you Dawn. I really should be happy for the support I do get...it's the curse that comes with success, I suppose. At first you want anyone, just anyone, to listen to you. Then you get that anyone, you get mostly everybody, then you want the critics, but it's not good enough. You want more. You want to push the boundaries and damn if the world decides to not watch." -Sage
I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!!!
Brilliant story!!! 5 Stars!!! (waiting for the movie!!!)
my pics…
Dawn Emerson “Rusty”
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Sage Knightly
![]()
Robbie Oliver
![]()
Mickey Brown
![]()
Noelle Clark
![]()
Graham Freed
![]()
Jacob Edwards “The Cobb”
![]()
![]()
What an amazing , crazy, fucked up story!!!
I was totally unprepared for the wild ride I was about to take when I picked up this book. I had no idea what to expect, and even if I did, it wouldn’t have prepared me for this epic glimpse into the world of rock and roll, this world that is Hybrid….
It was an epic, flawless, tingling-deep-in-my-belly type of show..... It was a high unlike any other, a wave of perfection and human unity. It was all the purple prose in the world. It was magic.
The only way I can think to describe the story is that its like Almost Famous meets Ghost Rider. But if you’re not a movie buff, it was like having all of your teenage dreams of rock and roll come true, only to find yourself stuck in a nightmare. You are invited on a trip of a lifetime, following your favorite band on tour, and being asked to participate with them as a professional, writing a story, that will not only bring you respect and recognition, it will also tell the world the story of the music that gives your life meaning.
But what you weren’t expecting was that meeting your idols and getting a glimpse of their world behind the stage would open your eyes to the real life of the music world and the realization that success, fame, and fortune come with a price. And in the case of this band, Hybrid… the price was even much higher than anyone had bargained for.
It's 1974, Dawn Emerson is 21, living a small town life in the Pacific Northwest. She is living with her alcoholic father and her younger brother, having lost her mother several years earlier. Her life is pretty unexciting, other than her yearly participation in the town rodeo, as a barrel racing queen, and her occasional attendance to local rock concerts with her best friend Mel.
But Dawn has aspirations for more. She is in college, studying journalism and is aspiring to use her degree to become a music journalist. She has already written some killer articles for local papers, critiquing popular rock bands and their music. But she has yet to score any real recognition in the industry. So she is more than a little shocked when she gets a call from the editor of Creem Magazine asking her to join the tour of the hit band Hybrid, and write an article for their magazine that is likely going to gain cover status.
Hybrid is one of her favorite metal bands… and it doesn’t take her long to accept this offer of a lifetime. So she leaves her life behind and joins the band and their crew on the road for their upcoming tour. And that’s when the freaky shit starts happening. It starts from time she accepts the offer and boards the airplane and then it follows her everywhere. Is she suffering from nerves and stress, or is something else more sinister going on?
In the music world, Hybrid is a bastard combination of sexual prowess, chugging guitars, and swaggering bass with delicate hints of country blues and Latino flavor. It is a mess of a band, who, with their upcoming third album, are already pushing the envelope with their energetic live shows and intense fearlessness.
Dawn meets up with the band’s manager Jacob Edwards and is immediately thrust into this crazy fucked up world that is Hybrid. The band members are larger than life, and as flawed as the best of us!!! First there is Robbie Oliver…swoon, the lead singer and one of the band’s founders. He is gorgeous and charismatic, and flirts incessantly!! Then there is Mickey Brown, the band’s guitarist, and his moody, enigmatic girlfriend and the band’s bassist, Noelle Clark. The band’s amazing drummer is Graham Freed, and kind of a Satan worshipping freak.
Then last, but certainly not least is the legend that is Sage Knightly. Sage is the band’s main songwriter, and their lead guitarist. He is also the secret behind the band’s success according to Dawn… and she has no idea just how right she is about that!
“I wanted to be someone, someone important. I wanted to be revered, I wanted to be respected, I wanted to be loved. I wanted it all so much that I remember thinking I would do anything for it. I would give anything for it.”
Dawn is suddenly surrounded by a whirlwind of sex, drugs, and crazy, mercurial personalities. She soon realizes she is in way over her head, and she must struggle to keep up, and to keep from being sucked into their vortex. She has to stand her ground and remember her purpose or she just might fall victim to all that consumes them. She also must fight her attraction to these guys and their power over her. Especially the mysterious one. Sage. But his silence is what ignites her curiosity, and her inner fire as well. Dawn will soon find herself drowning if she doesn't watch herself.
This book was completely addicting. I was not prepared for the world that Dawn discovered on that tour bus. This book brought an even darker force into the mix. With the addition of the paranormal… this was the perfect melding of mystery, suspense, romance and even horror.
It seems that everyone is searching for success: fame and fortune, and also love. But for everything we wish for, there is a price. And the easier they come, the higher the price. And this was more than true for this band. And they would find that for them it was the ultimate price!!!
"Thank you Dawn. I really should be happy for the support I do get...it's the curse that comes with success, I suppose. At first you want anyone, just anyone, to listen to you. Then you get that anyone, you get mostly everybody, then you want the critics, but it's not good enough. You want more. You want to push the boundaries and damn if the world decides to not watch." -Sage
I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!!!
Brilliant story!!! 5 Stars!!! (waiting for the movie!!!)
my pics…
Dawn Emerson “Rusty”
Sage Knightly
Robbie Oliver
Mickey Brown
Noelle Clark
Graham Freed
Jacob Edwards “The Cobb”
May 28, 2013
4 Rock And Roll Stars!!!!
I really liked this book!! I've said this before and I'll say it again... You can never go wrong with a Karina Halle book. She is absolutely amazing. This book contains the basic four elements of the 70's: sex, drugs, alcohol and rock'n'roll mixed with a little bit of horror.
Dawn aka Rusty is a girl from a small town trying to make it big in the music business as a journalist. She gets this amazing offer to join one of her favorite bands on tour and to document her experience. This experience turns out to be life changing in so many ways for Dawn.
I really liked Dawn but I felt like I couldn’t connect with her character. I can’t figure out what it is about her that I couldn’t relate to but I just felt so bored when she wasn’t interacting with the other characters from the book.
Sage is the lead guitarist in Dawn’s favorite band Hybrid. He is this sexy, mysterious and intriguing character whose presence will leave you wanting more. I love love love Sage!!!! I couldn’t get enough of him!! He is just so sexy!! “sighs”
I loved the chemistry between Sage and Dawn. I thought they were really cute together. My only issue is I wish there was more of a build up with their relationship. They didn’t have a lot of alone time together in the book. So I felt like the progression of their relationship was kind of weird.
Overall I really liked this book!!! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!!
I really liked this book!! I've said this before and I'll say it again... You can never go wrong with a Karina Halle book. She is absolutely amazing. This book contains the basic four elements of the 70's: sex, drugs, alcohol and rock'n'roll mixed with a little bit of horror.
Dawn aka Rusty is a girl from a small town trying to make it big in the music business as a journalist. She gets this amazing offer to join one of her favorite bands on tour and to document her experience. This experience turns out to be life changing in so many ways for Dawn.
I really liked Dawn but I felt like I couldn’t connect with her character. I can’t figure out what it is about her that I couldn’t relate to but I just felt so bored when she wasn’t interacting with the other characters from the book.
Sage is the lead guitarist in Dawn’s favorite band Hybrid. He is this sexy, mysterious and intriguing character whose presence will leave you wanting more. I love love love Sage!!!! I couldn’t get enough of him!! He is just so sexy!! “sighs”
I loved the chemistry between Sage and Dawn. I thought they were really cute together. My only issue is I wish there was more of a build up with their relationship. They didn’t have a lot of alone time together in the book. So I felt like the progression of their relationship was kind of weird.
Overall I really liked this book!!! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!!
October 5, 2015
Final rating: 5/5 stars
Karina Halle has done it again! Awesome setting (1974 year + music tours + pure awesomeness) + story + characters + main characters + metal music + musicians = epic! While we are at it, who doesn’t love musicians(not to mention I am also metal girl)? Anyway, I really loved this book. It was interesting, it was attention gripper and it certainly didn’t disappoint me. I actually didn’t know what to expect at first, because I didn’t even read the summary, but then again, it proved to be wise decision, it made my guessing far more interesting.
Actually, it turned out that I guessed right and that it wasn’t much of a plot twist . And this story is scary, really scary, so if you are fan of horror, this is a book for you! Writing style is awesome as usual, and I have no complaints there.
And ending…that freaking ending! It was mostly “what the hell…” or “no freaking way that just happened” type for me, and I loved it. Thankfully, there is no cliffhanger, or I would go crazy with anticipation.
___________________________________________
Story :
____________________________________________
Dawn is a musician journalist, and she got an opportunity job – to write about the Metal Band “Hybrid”. She accepts, being a fan herself, but when she meets the band members, weird stuff starts happening. And what she didn't expect was that she will fall in love.
___________________________________________
Characters :
____________________________________________
Karina Halle is damn awesome about one thing especially: her characters! You care about every one of them, and they are usually well developed. You will fall in love in some of them. The whole book is from Dawn’s first person point of view, but I didn’t mind it, because Karina Halle is excellent in writing that way.
♦ Dawn:
She is strong heroine, capable, redhead (for me it’s important), she was never annoying. She is in a sort of dysfunctional family – her father is alcoholic, but he loves them, her mother committed suicide, her brother Eric has Tourette syndrome and he gets picked on at school. And Dawn is forced to be a mother now. She has a best friend Mel, who is crazy as hell and usually calls Dawn a “bitch”, but it is just how they poke each other. And then, she gets a dream job – and she wants to do it. But she never expected that job to be dangerous. Even when the weird stuff started happening, she didn’t truly believe in them, she thought she was hallucinating or that maybe she was drugged or something, Not to mention her sense of humor – it made me lol so many times!
♦ Sage:
I have a new book boyfriend. He is pretty, he is a guitarist of the band Hybrid(why are the main characters of music theme books always singers or guitarist), and he is a mystery. I actually thought for a while that he is a , but when I stroked that thought, it turned out that I guessed the other thing . We find out a little about him, and find that he has some things in common with Dawn too. He is also nice, and doesn’t seem like a cheater type of guy (thank god). Let’s leave it at that, he needs his mystery.
♦ Other characters:
From the members of the Hybrid, we have: Graham, who is way to creepy. Robbie, who is interesting, Noelle is a bad girl type and she has boyfriend Mickey who is cool too. And then we have Jacob, their manager; Bob, their driver; Chip, their sound editor (?), GTFO fanigrls (Sonja being the main groupie bitch) and Mel, Dawn’s friend. Mel made me laugh so many times. And ofc, some of them i wanted to slaughter...
___________________________________________
CONCERNING THE END: *spoilers - serious spoilers* :
____________________________________________
___________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
Karina Halle is awesome, I love all of her books, and I certainly love this one too. It will probably have everything you need – and will make you lust for more. I am lusting too. Do you see me lusting? Cause I am *p*
___________________________________________
Buddy read details <3 :
____________________________________________
BUDDY READ with Georgia (my Greek Goddess), Debra (i love you my woman) and Joana and Airah on March 23!
CHECK OUT THEIR REVIEWS:
♦ Georgia
♦ Debra
♦ Joana
♦ Airah
This review can be found on my blog: infinity-of-time.blogspot.com also known as...
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
― William Shakespeare, The Tempest
“Everyone has the chance to become dangerous. If the right weather patterns are created. If the right feelings are invoked…feelings of injustice. Jealousy. Feelings of being owed something they believe they have a right to have. To…collect. We all have it in us to become a danger, either to others or to ourselves. It’s only a matter if the right clouds are brewing. Certain clouds will create a storm.”
Karina Halle has done it again! Awesome setting (1974 year + music tours + pure awesomeness) + story + characters + main characters + metal music + musicians = epic! While we are at it, who doesn’t love musicians(not to mention I am also metal girl)? Anyway, I really loved this book. It was interesting, it was attention gripper and it certainly didn’t disappoint me. I actually didn’t know what to expect at first, because I didn’t even read the summary, but then again, it proved to be wise decision, it made my guessing far more interesting.
“Be careful what you wish for...”
Actually, it turned out that I guessed right and that it wasn’t much of a plot twist . And this story is scary, really scary, so if you are fan of horror, this is a book for you! Writing style is awesome as usual, and I have no complaints there.
And ending…that freaking ending! It was mostly “what the hell…” or “no freaking way that just happened” type for me, and I loved it. Thankfully, there is no cliffhanger, or I would go crazy with anticipation.
___________________________________________
Story :
____________________________________________
Dawn is a musician journalist, and she got an opportunity job – to write about the Metal Band “Hybrid”. She accepts, being a fan herself, but when she meets the band members, weird stuff starts happening. And what she didn't expect was that she will fall in love.
“Those bands, you plan your life around them. You plan vacations around concert dates. You save babysitting money for records. You live for those days when Creem magazine arrives in your dusty mailbox and you frantically flip through it for any information on your favorites. The bands, the musicians that you love, they love you back. And when they quit, when they fall apart, when they die—they ruin that future you thought they’d always be a part of.”
___________________________________________
Characters :
____________________________________________
Karina Halle is damn awesome about one thing especially: her characters! You care about every one of them, and they are usually well developed. You will fall in love in some of them. The whole book is from Dawn’s first person point of view, but I didn’t mind it, because Karina Halle is excellent in writing that way.
♦ Dawn:
She is strong heroine, capable, redhead (for me it’s important), she was never annoying. She is in a sort of dysfunctional family – her father is alcoholic, but he loves them, her mother committed suicide, her brother Eric has Tourette syndrome and he gets picked on at school. And Dawn is forced to be a mother now. She has a best friend Mel, who is crazy as hell and usually calls Dawn a “bitch”, but it is just how they poke each other. And then, she gets a dream job – and she wants to do it. But she never expected that job to be dangerous. Even when the weird stuff started happening, she didn’t truly believe in them, she thought she was hallucinating or that maybe she was drugged or something, Not to mention her sense of humor – it made me lol so many times!
Dawn: “You seemed a bit snappish at breakfast, last night too. Thought maybe you have an object lodged up your ass or something. Something a doctor should remove”
Sage: “Excuse me?”
Dawn: “Well, do you?”
♦ Sage:
I have a new book boyfriend. He is pretty, he is a guitarist of the band Hybrid(why are the main characters of music theme books always singers or guitarist), and he is a mystery. I actually thought for a while that he is a , but when I stroked that thought, it turned out that I guessed the other thing . We find out a little about him, and find that he has some things in common with Dawn too. He is also nice, and doesn’t seem like a cheater type of guy (thank god). Let’s leave it at that, he needs his mystery.
♦ Other characters:
From the members of the Hybrid, we have: Graham, who is way to creepy. Robbie, who is interesting, Noelle is a bad girl type and she has boyfriend Mickey who is cool too. And then we have Jacob, their manager; Bob, their driver; Chip, their sound editor (?), GTFO fanigrls (Sonja being the main groupie bitch) and Mel, Dawn’s friend. Mel made me laugh so many times. And ofc, some of them i wanted to slaughter...
___________________________________________
CONCERNING THE END: *spoilers - serious spoilers* :
____________________________________________
___________________________________________
OVERALL :
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Karina Halle is awesome, I love all of her books, and I certainly love this one too. It will probably have everything you need – and will make you lust for more. I am lusting too. Do you see me lusting? Cause I am *p*
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Buddy read details <3 :
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BUDDY READ with Georgia (my Greek Goddess), Debra (i love you my woman) and Joana and Airah on March 23!
CHECK OUT THEIR REVIEWS:
♦ Georgia
♦ Debra
♦ Joana
♦ Airah
This review can be found on my blog: infinity-of-time.blogspot.com also known as...
September 17, 2013
Wow, I feel like Karina Halle wrote this book exactly for me. There were interesting and never annoying characters, sarcastic remarks, original ideas and captivating (sometimes creepy) plotline. It was a perfection and I loved it!
Anyway, to sum this book up, The Devil's Metal is about 70s music...
about sex, drugs and rock&roll...
and about some serious demon stuff...
My Dawn and Sage:
Dawn is 21 years old student, dreaming of becoming respected female music journalist. Altough as a woman in 70s, it is going to be very difficult to achieve. Then she gets unexpected but amazing offer - to participate on tour with famous and one of her favourite metal bands Hybrid and write about it. Now things are going to change drastically for Dawn...
The whole Hybrid band and crew was fascinating. To read about backstage events of band tour in 70s was definitely very refreshing experience. But once Dawn sees band's true face and losts her ideals, everything starts to go downhill. Things become very creepy and dangerous. But I do not want to give anything away, you will just have to read it yourself. It is worth it!
When it comes to characters, Dawn was excellent narrator and interesting character - hard on the outside but fragile inside. Than there was Sage, lead guitarist in the band and lead male character overall. Sage was mesmerizing and one of the most intriguing characters ever. I just love hot, mysterious, talented and a little but messed up guys...
There are books and than there are THE books, the ones that you will never forget. And The Devil's Metal is exactly the type of the book that based on its originality and fascinating storyline, will stay with you forever. Flawless writing will immediately suck you into the story and intriguing plotline will keep you entertained through out whole book. Story in The Devil's Metal was wrapped up nicely, there is no cliffhanger but it set very interesting premise for sequel and I cannot wait to read it!
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
Anyway, to sum this book up, The Devil's Metal is about 70s music...
about sex, drugs and rock&roll...
and about some serious demon stuff...
My Dawn and Sage:
Dawn is 21 years old student, dreaming of becoming respected female music journalist. Altough as a woman in 70s, it is going to be very difficult to achieve. Then she gets unexpected but amazing offer - to participate on tour with famous and one of her favourite metal bands Hybrid and write about it. Now things are going to change drastically for Dawn...
The whole Hybrid band and crew was fascinating. To read about backstage events of band tour in 70s was definitely very refreshing experience. But once Dawn sees band's true face and losts her ideals, everything starts to go downhill. Things become very creepy and dangerous. But I do not want to give anything away, you will just have to read it yourself. It is worth it!
When it comes to characters, Dawn was excellent narrator and interesting character - hard on the outside but fragile inside. Than there was Sage, lead guitarist in the band and lead male character overall. Sage was mesmerizing and one of the most intriguing characters ever. I just love hot, mysterious, talented and a little but messed up guys...
"But try as I did, I could not keep my eyes off of Sage Knightly. I just couldn’t help myself. Seeing this man on stage was like watching a lion prowl along the crest of his kingdom. He commanded respect even when he was seated on his chair with only an acoustic guitar at his fingers, ..."
There are books and than there are THE books, the ones that you will never forget. And The Devil's Metal is exactly the type of the book that based on its originality and fascinating storyline, will stay with you forever. Flawless writing will immediately suck you into the story and intriguing plotline will keep you entertained through out whole book. Story in The Devil's Metal was wrapped up nicely, there is no cliffhanger but it set very interesting premise for sequel and I cannot wait to read it!
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
February 12, 2013
You Are Engaged!!!!
I have devoured everything Karina Halle has written. The EIT series is one of my favorites and I highly anticipated her first non EIT full length novel, The Devil’s Metal. Did I think it would be good, yes- I love Karina’s unique writing style: perfect detail, witty, engrossing, personal with a mind-blowing supernatural creepiness. Her characters are ones that you fall in love with, route for, hate, cry over and never ever forget. Did I think I would love this new book, first in a series- I was not sure, but after finishing TDM in the wee hours of the morning, I was on a Karina Crack Book high once again.
What I loved most:
• The depth of the characters
• The setting-seventies rock band on tour across the country in a funky old bus
• The musical references
• The suspense and eerie-factor –the demons scared the crap out of me
• The sexual tension between Dawn and Sage
• Sage- one beautifully sculpted, talented and dark soul
• And.. the fact that I have at least one, hopefully more *pretty please* books in this series to look forward to.
Favorite Quotes-
Dawn on a rival journalist:
“I really couldn’t stand his chauvinistic opinions, nor the fact that he always had one long nose hair sticking out of his right nostril”
Dawn on Sage:
“I briefly wondered if the body of a god was one of the things he had bargained for as well, then I decided he was just damn lucky with genetics”
Sage to Dawn:
“He put his face right up to mine, his eyes were blazing. “I am not going to let you die. You hear me? I won’t let that happen. No matter what.”
“God, you’re beautiful, Dawn”
October 20, 2013
Man… can Karina Halle write her ass off!
I knew after reading the EIT series, that I had to and will always read anything that Karina writes. Let me just say that this did not disappoint, not one freaking bit! The writing was descriptive and realistic and awesome!
And the characters, oh the characters! The development was perfection! There were so many of them and I felt for pretty much all of them – whether it was love or hate or something else, I felt. We aren’t just bombarded with tons of information right away, details are slowly revealed and everything is done with so much purpose. Dawn was everything I love in a heroine – smart, real, a little mouthy, witty, and strong. I won’t go into every character, but let me just say one word. SAGE. OMG! Love, love, love him!
I went into this knowing that it was about an aspiring music journalist, touring, and that it was set in the 70’s. Other than those few things, I was going in dark. I am SO glad I did! I had no idea where the story line was going until it was pretty much happening. That made the ride all the more fun and intriguing. And I like to think of myself as pretty tough when it comes to not getting spooked, but there was one part in this that had me thoroughly freaked. I mean getting up to make sure my doors were locked, closing the blinds, heart racing, look over my shoulder every 2 seconds freaked! And I loved it!
Highly, highly recommend! Cannot wait for more! I NEED MORE!
I knew after reading the EIT series, that I had to and will always read anything that Karina writes. Let me just say that this did not disappoint, not one freaking bit! The writing was descriptive and realistic and awesome!
And the characters, oh the characters! The development was perfection! There were so many of them and I felt for pretty much all of them – whether it was love or hate or something else, I felt. We aren’t just bombarded with tons of information right away, details are slowly revealed and everything is done with so much purpose. Dawn was everything I love in a heroine – smart, real, a little mouthy, witty, and strong. I won’t go into every character, but let me just say one word. SAGE. OMG! Love, love, love him!
I went into this knowing that it was about an aspiring music journalist, touring, and that it was set in the 70’s. Other than those few things, I was going in dark. I am SO glad I did! I had no idea where the story line was going until it was pretty much happening. That made the ride all the more fun and intriguing. And I like to think of myself as pretty tough when it comes to not getting spooked, but there was one part in this that had me thoroughly freaked. I mean getting up to make sure my doors were locked, closing the blinds, heart racing, look over my shoulder every 2 seconds freaked! And I loved it!
Highly, highly recommend! Cannot wait for more! I NEED MORE!
December 4, 2013
5 "It was an epic, flawless, tingling-deep-in-my-belly type of show" Stars!
Set in the 1970's... The Devil's Metal is about a small town, farm girl by the name of Dawn Emerson who has large aspirations to become a successful music journalist.
"Being a music journalist in Ellensburg, Washington, home of a big rodeo and miles of Timothy hay, was difficult. Being a female music journalist was almost impossible."
So when Creem magazine offers Dawn the job of a lifetime, she jumps at the chance to work with one of her all time favorite bands, Hybrid. This opportunity will not only get her the credibility she needs for her career but it will also give her insight into the band's mysterious guitarist, Sage Knightly.
But some things are just too good to be true: "I'll tell you how it all ends. In fire. With a man you'll never be able to save."
Her trip with Hybrid is full of egotistical rockstars, drugs, music, monsters, sex, and creepy & demonic groupies known as GTFO's.
My Thoughts
3 Words: SO DAMN GOOD! I pretty much loved everything about this book but will highlight a few of my favorite aspects for you:
♬ Sage Knightly *swoon* - He is such a passionate musician and is HOT! I loved how he cared more about his music and the people he is close to rather than losing himself and his career to women, drugs, and alcohol.
"Finding someone you truly love is much harder than finding someone to love you."
♬ The music! I loved all the references to all the classic rock bands and musicians that I enjoy listening to.
♬ This book definitely has an EIT vibe. Do demonic monsters and a certain redhead named Jacob sound familiar? ;)
♬ Dawn was a badass heroine. I loved the fact that she stayed true to herself and didn't let the sex, drugs, and sometimes asshole rockstars ruin who she is.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone! Especially those who have enjoyed any of Karina's other novels or her Experiment in Terror series <3 I can't wait to read the second book in the series, The Devil's Reprise which is out now!
So what are you waiting for? Go pick up this series and give it a chance! =)
Set in the 1970's... The Devil's Metal is about a small town, farm girl by the name of Dawn Emerson who has large aspirations to become a successful music journalist.
"Being a music journalist in Ellensburg, Washington, home of a big rodeo and miles of Timothy hay, was difficult. Being a female music journalist was almost impossible."
So when Creem magazine offers Dawn the job of a lifetime, she jumps at the chance to work with one of her all time favorite bands, Hybrid. This opportunity will not only get her the credibility she needs for her career but it will also give her insight into the band's mysterious guitarist, Sage Knightly.
But some things are just too good to be true: "I'll tell you how it all ends. In fire. With a man you'll never be able to save."
Her trip with Hybrid is full of egotistical rockstars, drugs, music, monsters, sex, and creepy & demonic groupies known as GTFO's.
My Thoughts
3 Words: SO DAMN GOOD! I pretty much loved everything about this book but will highlight a few of my favorite aspects for you:
♬ Sage Knightly *swoon* - He is such a passionate musician and is HOT! I loved how he cared more about his music and the people he is close to rather than losing himself and his career to women, drugs, and alcohol.
"Finding someone you truly love is much harder than finding someone to love you."
♬ The music! I loved all the references to all the classic rock bands and musicians that I enjoy listening to.
♬ This book definitely has an EIT vibe. Do demonic monsters and a certain redhead named Jacob sound familiar? ;)
♬ Dawn was a badass heroine. I loved the fact that she stayed true to herself and didn't let the sex, drugs, and sometimes asshole rockstars ruin who she is.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone! Especially those who have enjoyed any of Karina's other novels or her Experiment in Terror series <3 I can't wait to read the second book in the series, The Devil's Reprise which is out now!
So what are you waiting for? Go pick up this series and give it a chance! =)
August 8, 2024
BR with Her Majesty La-Lionne and the exquisite Pavlina on Wednesday 29th!!! :D
First of all, look at that cover!! Gorgeous, isn't it? Ok, moving on.
I'm sure everybody has at least heard of Supernatural - the excellent tv show about two brothers traveling the world and fighting monsters.
And I'm also sure you remember the episodes featuring the crossroads demon.
What is a crossroads demon, a newbie might ask? Well, it's a demon that can grant you whatever your heart most desires, for a price. A price / debt to be collected after a period of time.
In Dean's case, it was 5 years. In The Devil's Metal, apparently Satan was having a good day and decided to go old school by waiting 10 years to collect.
So we have a devil's bargain,
Hybrid - a brilliant rock group,
a whole lot of music and out of this world concerts,
and Dawn, a.k.a. Rusty, an innocent music journalist who's given the opportunity of a lifetime by being asked to go on tour with that brilliant rock group.
Add those up and you get
DEMONS
and
The characters
I love Dawn. She is a strong, intelligent, sensible heroine. She isn't perfect, doesn't have an ideal family, but the perfect chance falls into her lap. She takes advantage of it, believing she'll get to live her dream. Little does she know that everything comes with a price.
She is Sage's hope.
Sage... Sage is the trigger for all the chaos in Dawn's life. He's pretty, plays the guitar like an angel and fucks like a stallion.
He is Dawn's fall, he needs her to save him.
(I love Metallica :D)
As for the rest of the band members - Mickey, Noelle, Robbie and Graham = cheater/crackhead, alcoholic/crackhead, man-whore/crackhead and voodoo priest/weird satanist/demon-debt collector.
The writing and the story
Awesome, of course!
5 stars!!!
Rock on!
July 8, 2014
I been in love with Karina's writing since I read Love, in English. So, I decided to venture into paranormal.
Devil's Metal was light from the beginning, felt very normal.
What I missed was the connection between darling Sage and Dawn. From no connection, suddenly they were jumping bones. Wish there was more of Sage in the story too as he was missing much in first half.
The story was ok captivated as it had mystery that going over and action only took place last 20%.
The writing was nice to read.
Loved all the characters from the band, even that weird Graham!!
Happy reading
D xo
**BR with lovely Ami & Harriet**
Devil's Metal was light from the beginning, felt very normal.
What I missed was the connection between darling Sage and Dawn. From no connection, suddenly they were jumping bones. Wish there was more of Sage in the story too as he was missing much in first half.
The story was ok captivated as it had mystery that going over and action only took place last 20%.
The writing was nice to read.
Loved all the characters from the band, even that weird Graham!!
Happy reading
D xo
**BR with lovely Ami & Harriet**
October 21, 2013
Karina Halle managed to suck me into another story with this creepy, and captivating tale.
Dawn is a college student looking to make it in journalism, more specifically as a journalist covering and reviewing rock music bands. When an offer to tag along with Hybrid, one of her favorite rock bands, and chronicle their tour, Dawn is thrilled, because she’s passionate about Hybrid and their brand of rock. She’s a bit star-struck at first, but keeps a level head determined to be professional. Hybrid is on the cusp of all-out success, but things are unraveling behind the scenes quickly, whether it be from the relationships between band mates or from more sinister threats. It soon becomes apparent that something evil is a work and sabotaging them at every turn. Dawn’s dream opportunity is turning into a dangerous nightmare, one she’s not sure she’ll survive.
Right from the beginning of this seemingly “normal” story there is air of danger present. Sort of like a movie playing out with nothing really scary happening but the creepy, unsettling background music has you on edge over what may come. Strange occurrences and flashes of horror start to plague Dawn after she agrees to do the story, and let me tell you, some of them gave me goose bumps!
While the romance wasn’t a huge part of the story, Dawn is drawn to the mysterious and magnetic, Sage:
“a 6’3” powerhouse of pure talent, the driving force behind the band, and the one code the press couldn’t crack.”
Seeing the man on stage was like watching a lion prowl along the crest of his kingdom.
He’s not happy with her tagging along at first, but they soon become confidants with a simmering attraction boiling under the surface. Hot, broody rocker? I’m so there!
Without the supernatural aspect of this felt like a realistic peek behind the scenes of a rock ‘n roll tour. Set in the 70’s gave it an original and nostalgic feel, reminding us of a time before cell phones, and internet, and taking us back to bands that made rock ‘n roll what it is today. The Devil’s Metal does wrap up, but the story continues in The Devil's Reprise which comes out in just a couple of weeks. Can’t wait to see how things turn out!
You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.
Dawn is a college student looking to make it in journalism, more specifically as a journalist covering and reviewing rock music bands. When an offer to tag along with Hybrid, one of her favorite rock bands, and chronicle their tour, Dawn is thrilled, because she’s passionate about Hybrid and their brand of rock. She’s a bit star-struck at first, but keeps a level head determined to be professional. Hybrid is on the cusp of all-out success, but things are unraveling behind the scenes quickly, whether it be from the relationships between band mates or from more sinister threats. It soon becomes apparent that something evil is a work and sabotaging them at every turn. Dawn’s dream opportunity is turning into a dangerous nightmare, one she’s not sure she’ll survive.
Right from the beginning of this seemingly “normal” story there is air of danger present. Sort of like a movie playing out with nothing really scary happening but the creepy, unsettling background music has you on edge over what may come. Strange occurrences and flashes of horror start to plague Dawn after she agrees to do the story, and let me tell you, some of them gave me goose bumps!
While the romance wasn’t a huge part of the story, Dawn is drawn to the mysterious and magnetic, Sage:
“a 6’3” powerhouse of pure talent, the driving force behind the band, and the one code the press couldn’t crack.”
Seeing the man on stage was like watching a lion prowl along the crest of his kingdom.
He’s not happy with her tagging along at first, but they soon become confidants with a simmering attraction boiling under the surface. Hot, broody rocker? I’m so there!
Without the supernatural aspect of this felt like a realistic peek behind the scenes of a rock ‘n roll tour. Set in the 70’s gave it an original and nostalgic feel, reminding us of a time before cell phones, and internet, and taking us back to bands that made rock ‘n roll what it is today. The Devil’s Metal does wrap up, but the story continues in The Devil's Reprise which comes out in just a couple of weeks. Can’t wait to see how things turn out!
You can find this review and more at The Readers Den.
March 18, 2013
**4.5 stars**
Karina Halle how did you manage to make me simultaneously love and hate a book so much?!
Reasons why I should hate this book:
1) I don't like horror and avoid anything scary
2) I am not a big fan of books centered around rock stars or bands
3) I don't like books with cliff-hanger endings
Then please explain to me why I couldn't put this book down? What sort of twisted magic do you have Karina?! I was biting my lip to pieces while reading this book.
"The Devil's Metal" was one spooky ride. If it has gone just a little bit more towards the horror end of the spectrum I would have put this one down. But every time I thought, "this is going to be too much for me", the author pulled back and put in some more of the delicious sexual tension she is so good at creating or some humor to mix things up. It certainly walked a fine line between romance, horror, suspense, and even historical fiction. There were some cool 70s vibes going on just to make things even more interesting. This book had the potential to be a jumbled mess but it came came together so well, even I was surprised.
I am giving this book such a high rating because it takes serious talent to get me to read horror and not stop reading. I actually found myself loving this book, which is a small miracle in itself. Will I read the next book in the series? I don't know, I don't know if I'm that much of a masochist. One thing I do know, I wouldn't be able to put the book down if I did.
**This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Karina Halle how did you manage to make me simultaneously love and hate a book so much?!
Reasons why I should hate this book:
1) I don't like horror and avoid anything scary
2) I am not a big fan of books centered around rock stars or bands
3) I don't like books with cliff-hanger endings
Then please explain to me why I couldn't put this book down? What sort of twisted magic do you have Karina?! I was biting my lip to pieces while reading this book.
"The Devil's Metal" was one spooky ride. If it has gone just a little bit more towards the horror end of the spectrum I would have put this one down. But every time I thought, "this is going to be too much for me", the author pulled back and put in some more of the delicious sexual tension she is so good at creating or some humor to mix things up. It certainly walked a fine line between romance, horror, suspense, and even historical fiction. There were some cool 70s vibes going on just to make things even more interesting. This book had the potential to be a jumbled mess but it came came together so well, even I was surprised.
I am giving this book such a high rating because it takes serious talent to get me to read horror and not stop reading. I actually found myself loving this book, which is a small miracle in itself. Will I read the next book in the series? I don't know, I don't know if I'm that much of a masochist. One thing I do know, I wouldn't be able to put the book down if I did.
**This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
April 15, 2015
4.5 stars - I won The Devil's Metal ARC in a giveaway contest from the author.
Be careful what you wish for...
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll… oh my! When Karina Halle said that we were in for a wild ride with this book, she wasn’t kidding. As her first book outside of the Experiment in Terror series, I’d say she knocked it out of the park.
The Devil’s Metal is told from the perspective of our narrator, Dawn. She’s a sweet, but strong 21 year old red-head (I am too so I obviously love that detail) who is determined to complete her article and make a name for herself as a music journalist. Then there’s her best friend, Melanie, who is funny as hell with a whole lot of sass. She tells Dawn just how it is and doesn’t apologize for it. I absolutely love Mel! When we finally meet the band they are…well some of them are great. Others not so much. Then there are those that you won’t be able to form an opinion on for a while. Like Jacob. Good guy/bad guy, love ‘em/hate ‘em? I’ll tell you I could do without Graham, that’s for sure! I was excited by Robbie and his crazy flirtatious ways, torn by Noelle and Mickey’s relationship, and more than a little curious about the seemingly quiet (and sexy as hell) Sage... Sage who Dawn has had a crush on since she became a fan of Hybrid. The same Sage who does not want her covering their tour and apparently wants nothing to do with her.
"But try as I did, I could not keep my eyes off of Sage Knightly. I just couldn't help myself. Seeing this man on stage was like watching a lion prowl along the crest of his kingdom."
As the story progresses so does Dawn’s fascination with him…
"I don't get you."
"No one said you had to," he said casually. "I'm not some puzzle to be solved."
But you are, I thought.
You'll find yourself wanting to get closer to him just as Dawn does. At times he’s actually vulnerable, dare I say loveable, and always overwhelmingly sexy! Did I mention Sage was hot? I did? Ok. Because he is. WICKED!
What I respect most about Halle's writing is the thought she puts in to developing her characters and the relationships between them. Dawn's relationships with the different band mates were unique and grew slowly and realistically. There was no insta-love bullshit to contend with. Attraction? Definitely. Angst? Absolutely. Hot, mind-blowing sex? You betcha (and frankly, I wanted MORE of that). But everything the characters did made sense. Each had their own distinct voice and motivations. When she writes, nothing ever feels forced. Her characters are not perfect. All of them have flaws. All of them could be real. Let’s be honest, I wish some of them were real.
As is the case with all of her books, Halle uses a simple, yet descriptive writing style. The perfect pace and plot line of The Devil’s Metal will have you reading well into the night and all the musical references may have you running up your itunes bill. But be aware, this is not just a simple beach read. It is an experience. It will subtly wrap around you and pull you right on that tour bus with Dawn and Hybrid. You’ll be waiting in the shadowed wings watching the band from on stage; you’ll stand in the audience being jostled about, the smell of pot and sweat in the air; you’ll be freaking out because of creepy groupies with violet, dead eyes; you’ll be fighting a constant sense of foreboding and dread; you’ll be on the tour bus trying to convince yourself you didn’t see or hear what you just thought you did; you’ll be sitting in a bar with Sage getting blitzed… You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll feel like your heart is going to burst out of your chest, you'll feel pain and loss, but there's hope too.
In the end, you’ll have answers to some things and big questions about others. The conclusion is totally satisfying and perfectly sets up the sequel. It's not a cliffhanger, but you'll definitely be anxious wondering what's up next for Dawn. If you haven’t bought this book yet, do. Now. And make sure you move it right to the top of your to-be-read list. Thanks to Karina Halle for another awesome read!
Be careful what you wish for...
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll… oh my! When Karina Halle said that we were in for a wild ride with this book, she wasn’t kidding. As her first book outside of the Experiment in Terror series, I’d say she knocked it out of the park.
The Devil’s Metal is told from the perspective of our narrator, Dawn. She’s a sweet, but strong 21 year old red-head (I am too so I obviously love that detail) who is determined to complete her article and make a name for herself as a music journalist. Then there’s her best friend, Melanie, who is funny as hell with a whole lot of sass. She tells Dawn just how it is and doesn’t apologize for it. I absolutely love Mel! When we finally meet the band they are…well some of them are great. Others not so much. Then there are those that you won’t be able to form an opinion on for a while. Like Jacob. Good guy/bad guy, love ‘em/hate ‘em? I’ll tell you I could do without Graham, that’s for sure! I was excited by Robbie and his crazy flirtatious ways, torn by Noelle and Mickey’s relationship, and more than a little curious about the seemingly quiet (and sexy as hell) Sage... Sage who Dawn has had a crush on since she became a fan of Hybrid. The same Sage who does not want her covering their tour and apparently wants nothing to do with her.
"But try as I did, I could not keep my eyes off of Sage Knightly. I just couldn't help myself. Seeing this man on stage was like watching a lion prowl along the crest of his kingdom."
As the story progresses so does Dawn’s fascination with him…
"I don't get you."
"No one said you had to," he said casually. "I'm not some puzzle to be solved."
But you are, I thought.
You'll find yourself wanting to get closer to him just as Dawn does. At times he’s actually vulnerable, dare I say loveable, and always overwhelmingly sexy! Did I mention Sage was hot? I did? Ok. Because he is. WICKED!
What I respect most about Halle's writing is the thought she puts in to developing her characters and the relationships between them. Dawn's relationships with the different band mates were unique and grew slowly and realistically. There was no insta-love bullshit to contend with. Attraction? Definitely. Angst? Absolutely. Hot, mind-blowing sex? You betcha (and frankly, I wanted MORE of that). But everything the characters did made sense. Each had their own distinct voice and motivations. When she writes, nothing ever feels forced. Her characters are not perfect. All of them have flaws. All of them could be real. Let’s be honest, I wish some of them were real.
As is the case with all of her books, Halle uses a simple, yet descriptive writing style. The perfect pace and plot line of The Devil’s Metal will have you reading well into the night and all the musical references may have you running up your itunes bill. But be aware, this is not just a simple beach read. It is an experience. It will subtly wrap around you and pull you right on that tour bus with Dawn and Hybrid. You’ll be waiting in the shadowed wings watching the band from on stage; you’ll stand in the audience being jostled about, the smell of pot and sweat in the air; you’ll be freaking out because of creepy groupies with violet, dead eyes; you’ll be fighting a constant sense of foreboding and dread; you’ll be on the tour bus trying to convince yourself you didn’t see or hear what you just thought you did; you’ll be sitting in a bar with Sage getting blitzed… You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll feel like your heart is going to burst out of your chest, you'll feel pain and loss, but there's hope too.
In the end, you’ll have answers to some things and big questions about others. The conclusion is totally satisfying and perfectly sets up the sequel. It's not a cliffhanger, but you'll definitely be anxious wondering what's up next for Dawn. If you haven’t bought this book yet, do. Now. And make sure you move it right to the top of your to-be-read list. Thanks to Karina Halle for another awesome read!
October 1, 2012
...The road to hell is paved with good intentions...
(Unknown)
Review posted at Sinfully Delicious Book Reviews
Karina Halle has become one of my favorite authors not only for her writing style but her strong character developments and fantastically written plots. She's an auto buy for me and I'm so happy to read something new straight from the mind of this creative genius.
Ever wonder what it would be like to be on a tour bus with men of mass sex appeal, alcohol, drinking and demons at every stop? No? Well take a dive into The Devil's Metal and see what it's like through the eyes of a small town girl named Dawn as she goes on tour with Hybrid to write an article for Creem Magazine.
The characters... Dawn is a great lead character. She's authentic and deals with everything that is thrown at her with a strong spine. So much crazy stuff happens but she keeps her cool. Sage is a mystery but a great one at that. Sage is, well, something else entirely. Not paranormally speaking. He's just this sexy, dark and mysterious puzzle that slowly unravels. His page time with Dawn is fantastic and eagerly had me flipping pages to see what would happen next. But first how about a quick tease from the book to describe Sage...
I kept my eyes moving and settled on the last person on the bus. The person sitting at the end of the long couch.
Sage Knightly.
He was leaning against the wall with a book in hand, his long, black-jean clad legs sprawled in front of him. On his feet were his trademark flip-flops, his wide upper body in a wide-collared black shirt that was unbuttoned halfway, a peek of his scruffy firm chest popping through. Tattoos drifted out of the sleeves and onto his forearms. He was looking at me with all the intensity in the world, and in my numb state I couldn't read any expression on his face. His gray-green eyes were clear and piercing, framed dramatically by his low, strong brows. Black curly hair fell softly on his forehead and onto the sides. His dimpled chin was strong, his bottom lip was full with an upper lip that curved sweetly. His skin was bronzed and looked more exotic in person, alluding to his rumored Hispanic ancestry.
He was the man on my wall.
My musical hero.
My musical crush.
And he was on the bus, sitting there, right in front of me.
The cast of characters is varied and they all add different layers to this book. I enjoyed all of them immensely. Even the creepy ones. Those are the ones you have to watch out for. Well, Jacob too. I'm definitely keeping my eye on him. ;)
The plot... From the start the plot is set at a great pace. We aren't overwhelmed with too much information and are given just enough to give us clues for what is to come and keep us on the edge of our seats. The scenes flow from one to the other very smoothly and set up a wicked pace for the last half of the book. The horror elements are laced in with fantastic imagery and build-up to a terrifying speed.
Another highly enjoyable part of the book is all the music. Music is a passion of mine and I love how this is not only rich with decade inspired fashion and language, but how authentic all the music aspects are. The clubs, the tours, the fans... I was thrown into a decade long since passed and I loved every minute of it. Extra bonus was the insight on what it is to be a female music journalist. I'm sure it's not an easy road but one Dawn handles surprisingly well with her integrity intact.
I just have to finish by saying two things.
The last two chapters. HOLY CRAP! Seriously! Grab onto your seat 'cause it's a wild ride! Karina finished the story arc perfect in my opinion and left a few lingering questions as a great segue for the sequel. Fantastic. I couldn't have asked for a different conclusion.
Second thing I want to say? Holy hell Batman hot steamy sexy times! Whew! She knows how to write a sex scene without being too crude or having it be unbelievable. The scenes were perfect and complimented the story completely.
If you are in the market for something new and unique, this book is for you. It's sexy and terrifying all at the same time! Give it a try today!
(Unknown)
Review posted at Sinfully Delicious Book Reviews
Karina Halle has become one of my favorite authors not only for her writing style but her strong character developments and fantastically written plots. She's an auto buy for me and I'm so happy to read something new straight from the mind of this creative genius.
Ever wonder what it would be like to be on a tour bus with men of mass sex appeal, alcohol, drinking and demons at every stop? No? Well take a dive into The Devil's Metal and see what it's like through the eyes of a small town girl named Dawn as she goes on tour with Hybrid to write an article for Creem Magazine.
The characters... Dawn is a great lead character. She's authentic and deals with everything that is thrown at her with a strong spine. So much crazy stuff happens but she keeps her cool. Sage is a mystery but a great one at that. Sage is, well, something else entirely. Not paranormally speaking. He's just this sexy, dark and mysterious puzzle that slowly unravels. His page time with Dawn is fantastic and eagerly had me flipping pages to see what would happen next. But first how about a quick tease from the book to describe Sage...
I kept my eyes moving and settled on the last person on the bus. The person sitting at the end of the long couch.
Sage Knightly.
He was leaning against the wall with a book in hand, his long, black-jean clad legs sprawled in front of him. On his feet were his trademark flip-flops, his wide upper body in a wide-collared black shirt that was unbuttoned halfway, a peek of his scruffy firm chest popping through. Tattoos drifted out of the sleeves and onto his forearms. He was looking at me with all the intensity in the world, and in my numb state I couldn't read any expression on his face. His gray-green eyes were clear and piercing, framed dramatically by his low, strong brows. Black curly hair fell softly on his forehead and onto the sides. His dimpled chin was strong, his bottom lip was full with an upper lip that curved sweetly. His skin was bronzed and looked more exotic in person, alluding to his rumored Hispanic ancestry.
He was the man on my wall.
My musical hero.
My musical crush.
And he was on the bus, sitting there, right in front of me.
The cast of characters is varied and they all add different layers to this book. I enjoyed all of them immensely. Even the creepy ones. Those are the ones you have to watch out for. Well, Jacob too. I'm definitely keeping my eye on him. ;)
The plot... From the start the plot is set at a great pace. We aren't overwhelmed with too much information and are given just enough to give us clues for what is to come and keep us on the edge of our seats. The scenes flow from one to the other very smoothly and set up a wicked pace for the last half of the book. The horror elements are laced in with fantastic imagery and build-up to a terrifying speed.
Another highly enjoyable part of the book is all the music. Music is a passion of mine and I love how this is not only rich with decade inspired fashion and language, but how authentic all the music aspects are. The clubs, the tours, the fans... I was thrown into a decade long since passed and I loved every minute of it. Extra bonus was the insight on what it is to be a female music journalist. I'm sure it's not an easy road but one Dawn handles surprisingly well with her integrity intact.
I just have to finish by saying two things.
The last two chapters. HOLY CRAP! Seriously! Grab onto your seat 'cause it's a wild ride! Karina finished the story arc perfect in my opinion and left a few lingering questions as a great segue for the sequel. Fantastic. I couldn't have asked for a different conclusion.
Second thing I want to say? Holy hell Batman hot steamy sexy times! Whew! She knows how to write a sex scene without being too crude or having it be unbelievable. The scenes were perfect and complimented the story completely.
If you are in the market for something new and unique, this book is for you. It's sexy and terrifying all at the same time! Give it a try today!
July 14, 2013
3.5 STARS
“It’s rock and roll, Rusty. Anything that can happen, will happen. Even the impossible.”
This book had me at Summer of 1974 , because while the era had a most dubious contribution to pop culture and fashion, the lack of pervading musical genre back then, encourages eclectic inspirtation in fiction. And Karina Halle's style of writing has always felt like the story's being told with a thumping bass line with a raunchy guitar lick in the background anyway so this should easily be her quintessential book.
Dawn Emerson is a fledging rock music writer who have been hired by Creem magazine to interview heavy metal band on the rise, Hybrid, and document their "tour that would go down in history". It's easily Cameron Crowe with a stronger stance on feminism in the 70s, infused with paranormal myths which was refreshingly in tune with the era itself (ie. "The 27 Club" and Satanism).
I loved all that about this book. Giving some weight of personality to the icons of the time like Lester Bangs and Pamela des Barres beyond name drops served the story well in forging a connection with the rock history nut in me. And, holy crap, 70s Tom Waits!!! The turns of phrases earned quite a few giggles and I appreciate that the fountain of humor wasn't stereotypically the sassy best friend. Instead, this flowed organically in the scenes where they were warranted.
“The idea of a 5’9” girl sitting on a 6’4” guy made me want to laugh. We’d be the brontosaurus of the festival. The acid trippers would see us and freak the hell out.”
I also liked how this easily ties in continuity with the Experiment in Terror universe, with familiar themes and characters turning up in opportune scenes. Quite a treat for the EIT fanatics out there though the horror aspect on this one's a little more gory and less ambient.
Dawn is a bit different from the typical KH heroine. She's a shade lighter than the usual dark and edgy that was a common thread between Ellie and Perry. She has her own drama but she's holding it together well enough and hasn't gone over any particular edge. Yet. It took me a while to get to know and, eventually, like her but by the story's climax, my feelings towards her were still lukewarm at best.
Sage, on the other hand, reminds me so much of Cam from S&N. They're self-aware and have gone the distance to overcome their weaknesses and limitations . I really liked how his vanities shone through without making him a pretentious douche but still fitting perfectly with the rock star persona. The flip-flops did make me queasy, but hey it's the 70s, it could've gone worse.
The first half of the book felt a bit sluggish to me while the climactic end read a little more on the comical side rather than full on horror. Certain characters were also played up in the beginning but somewhat faded in the background as the story unfolded which is usually a good deceptive, plot device. Only here, I ended up really, REALLY liking that character and really, REALLY looking forward to seeing more of as the series moves along.
And this reminds me I really, REALLY need to finish reading I'm With the Band: Confessions of A Groupie because dude... Paul McCartney's 'fun parts' allegedly made an appearance. Allegedly. (which sounds disgusting now but that man was crazy hot back in the day).
November 12, 2013
5 Creepy but Absolutely Amazing Stars!!!
What are you ready to sacrifice in order to fulfil your dreams? Is achieving a goal worth the sacrifices? Are you ready to give up your soul or the people you love? The Devil’s Metal holds all the answers.
“Be careful what you wished for.”
What A ride!!! I couldn’t put this book down! I was hooked from the first chapter (no surprise here)! I love Karina Halle. She has such a unique writing style. Every book I have read from this author has the same characteristics - unique story, keeps your interest from the beginning until the end, amazing and different characters and perfect writing style. Well... The Devil's Metal is no exception!
This is the story of Dawn Emerson – a girl that dreams to become a music journalist, and Sage Knightly- guitarist of Dawn’s favourite metal band (Hybrid). Dawn agrees to go on tour with Hybrid and write an article about the band. It is believed that this tour will be something different, something that will go down in history. Well...let’s say that the tour IS as memorable as expected...but not exactly the way Dawn imagines it to be.
I loved the mystery. The tension toward the end was unbearable. I just needed answers and I needed them immediately. Another thing I really enjoyed was the way Karina Halle describe the concerts. It was like I was there. I could almost feel the passion, the music and the fans.
There are some seriously creepy parts!! Few times I just stopped reading and looked around my room (just in case :D)
I definitely recommend this book! Such a great read!!! Can’t wait to start the next one :)
What are you ready to sacrifice in order to fulfil your dreams? Is achieving a goal worth the sacrifices? Are you ready to give up your soul or the people you love? The Devil’s Metal holds all the answers.
“Be careful what you wished for.”
What A ride!!! I couldn’t put this book down! I was hooked from the first chapter (no surprise here)! I love Karina Halle. She has such a unique writing style. Every book I have read from this author has the same characteristics - unique story, keeps your interest from the beginning until the end, amazing and different characters and perfect writing style. Well... The Devil's Metal is no exception!
This is the story of Dawn Emerson – a girl that dreams to become a music journalist, and Sage Knightly- guitarist of Dawn’s favourite metal band (Hybrid). Dawn agrees to go on tour with Hybrid and write an article about the band. It is believed that this tour will be something different, something that will go down in history. Well...let’s say that the tour IS as memorable as expected...but not exactly the way Dawn imagines it to be.
I loved the mystery. The tension toward the end was unbearable. I just needed answers and I needed them immediately. Another thing I really enjoyed was the way Karina Halle describe the concerts. It was like I was there. I could almost feel the passion, the music and the fans.
There are some seriously creepy parts!! Few times I just stopped reading and looked around my room (just in case :D)
I definitely recommend this book! Such a great read!!! Can’t wait to start the next one :)
May 3, 2015
Holy, bloody fucking HELL!!
5 stars are not even close to enough for this book. Karina Halle you are a MASTER!
This book is scary shit! If you are a scaredy pants (like me) you will not want to read this book late at night ... or in the dark ... or alone in a room ... or in a room with freaky looking people ... or anywhere you consider even remotely scary. I was seriously terrified for almost the full second half of this book!
It is set in 1974 - with a very cool heavy rock vibe permeating throughout the whole book. Even though I wasn't born until '75 & I'm fairly confident that Ms. Halle doesn't have much first hand knowledge either - it all felt so very authentic. I truly enjoyed being swept back to the '70's.
Of course there is so much more to this book than scares alone.
The characters are interesting & intense - our main character Dawn is flawlessly written - I absolutely love her (as I do all of KH's strong female leads).
There is some romance to the story.
Did I mention the sexy rock stars?
Throw in a couple of fun & perfectly written EIT tie-ins and you've got yourself a fabulous start to what promises to be another amazing series!
Anxiously awaiting October & the next installment!
5 stars are not even close to enough for this book. Karina Halle you are a MASTER!
This book is scary shit! If you are a scaredy pants (like me) you will not want to read this book late at night ... or in the dark ... or alone in a room ... or in a room with freaky looking people ... or anywhere you consider even remotely scary. I was seriously terrified for almost the full second half of this book!
It is set in 1974 - with a very cool heavy rock vibe permeating throughout the whole book. Even though I wasn't born until '75 & I'm fairly confident that Ms. Halle doesn't have much first hand knowledge either - it all felt so very authentic. I truly enjoyed being swept back to the '70's.
Of course there is so much more to this book than scares alone.
The characters are interesting & intense - our main character Dawn is flawlessly written - I absolutely love her (as I do all of KH's strong female leads).
There is some romance to the story.
Did I mention the sexy rock stars?
Throw in a couple of fun & perfectly written EIT tie-ins and you've got yourself a fabulous start to what promises to be another amazing series!
Anxiously awaiting October & the next installment!
September 15, 2012
I was fortune enough to be a Beta reader for this book. And I am so glad I got to read it first because I can tell you all how amazing it is! If you are a fan of EIT you will love The Devil's Metal. I won't give away too many details because I don't want to spoil the awesomeness that is this story, but I will share some highlights.
First of all, holy fuck Karina Halle is brilliant. Not only are the characters so real and likable, especially Dawn, but the plot moves so well I forgot I was reading. It felt like a movie being played out in my mind. Vivid and detailed and totally intriguing.
Dawn is such a great character. Strong and determined but also a little young and impressionable. I like her dynamic with Sage and how their relationship grows and changes throughout the book. And the sex? Hoo boy! HOT! Dawn has her typical "rock band" experiences but still manages to keep her head and do her job amongst the young and sexy rock stars. A true feat in my opinion.
The 70's vibe came through loud and clear and there were great snippets of life back then, very authentic. The author definitely did her research. And the rock side of the story was fun! 70's rock is not really my favorite genre but the depth of knowledge about the music, the bands, the feelings of that time in history were so real I felt like I was experiencing the concerts and backstage antics for myself.
The horror aspect was really good and mixed in well with the story. There were parts when I was glad all the lights were on and I was safely inside my house. This book will most likely scare your socks off.
Overall, if you are a fan of EIT you will love this book. It has incredible depth and the characters come to life in such a way you have deep feelings for all of them, whether bad or good. The horror quotient is high and the plot has enough twists to keep you wondering what will happen next. I highly recommend it!
First of all, holy fuck Karina Halle is brilliant. Not only are the characters so real and likable, especially Dawn, but the plot moves so well I forgot I was reading. It felt like a movie being played out in my mind. Vivid and detailed and totally intriguing.
Dawn is such a great character. Strong and determined but also a little young and impressionable. I like her dynamic with Sage and how their relationship grows and changes throughout the book. And the sex? Hoo boy! HOT! Dawn has her typical "rock band" experiences but still manages to keep her head and do her job amongst the young and sexy rock stars. A true feat in my opinion.
The 70's vibe came through loud and clear and there were great snippets of life back then, very authentic. The author definitely did her research. And the rock side of the story was fun! 70's rock is not really my favorite genre but the depth of knowledge about the music, the bands, the feelings of that time in history were so real I felt like I was experiencing the concerts and backstage antics for myself.
The horror aspect was really good and mixed in well with the story. There were parts when I was glad all the lights were on and I was safely inside my house. This book will most likely scare your socks off.
Overall, if you are a fan of EIT you will love this book. It has incredible depth and the characters come to life in such a way you have deep feelings for all of them, whether bad or good. The horror quotient is high and the plot has enough twists to keep you wondering what will happen next. I highly recommend it!
April 28, 2016
I can only think of: What the actual fuck!!!!!???? Great writing, great story. Still, I'm fucking pissed. I'm pissed at the ending. I'm pissed at the romance. I'm pissed at these stupid ass characters. I'm so pissed, I'm speechless. Grrrrrrr....
February 22, 2013
Let me start by saying that this book scared the bejesus out of me! No, not all the time, but I did have to put it down for the night because it was not what I wanted to be reading at 1am while everything was dark and I was getting creeped out. LOL But I enjoyed every bit of it!
If you take ALMOST FAMOUS and you throw in a decent amount of QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, minus the vampires but keeping it paranormal, then you will get THE DEVIL’S METAL. And if there is one author out there that can pull that off and make me want to read it and like it, then that’s Karina Halle.
This is a unique story set in the 1970s of a young aspiring reporter and music reviewer who gets the chance of a lifetime… going on tour with her favorite band to write an article about them for Creem Magazine. It’s a tough world out there for a female journalist and this is the piece that will make her known. Of course, it helps she’s with the band.
Dawn is 21, her mother killed herself, her dad is an alcohol and her younger brother has Tourette Syndrome. To say she’s had a tough life is an understatement. She still has a great attitude and a lot of drive. The love interest in this story is the dark and brooding guitarist of Hybrid, Sage Knightly. I had an instant fascination with him but it wasn’t until closer to the end of the book that he started puling at the strings of my heart. And then there’s the band.
“We all lost our souls when we joined this band…… ”
The band has issues, and they don’t know it yet. I won’t tell you what the book is about because it was fun to be surprised and spooked along while reading it, but I will say this… Be careful what you wish you.
This book had a bit of everything. Crazy rockstar sex and drug antics, near death moments, creepy gross moments, and a whole lot of WTF?!?!? Karina Halle didn’t pull any punches and dug in. I’ve come to think of her books as MUST WATCH because, quite frankly, this would make a great horror movie!
The ending was not how I expected things to go down, and the twist (or would that be a cliffhanger) at the end was something I had seen coming for a little while. The clues were there, but it still doesn’t make sense to me. I just don’t think Dawn did the same as Sage, so how did she find herself in that position. But that’s a story for the next book to explain. :)
On a side note…
From the blurb…”The Devil’s Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author’s exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.”
What? Seriously!? I just have to know which parts are the “loosely” based on…teehee.
*Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley
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July 8, 2014
3 stars
Dawn goes on tour as a music journalist with the rock band, Hybrid. But strange things are happening on tour and how does Sage play a part in all the crazy going on?
I found it a bit slow moving, but the mystery part of the story kept me guessing how everything was going to connect. I liked the last 20%, it was shocking. But romance wise we didnt see enough Sage.
Overall, it didnt wow me but it was an okay read. I just prefer a bit more romance, a bit more hero time and a bit more fun banter in my books.
BR with Daisy and Harriet
October 8, 2015
3.5 creepy stars! This was a great book to start off October. My only complaint was I wanted more Sage, the real him, there's still so much about him I've yet to learn. And, I wasn't completely sold on the romance aspect, we were just at the cusp of their beginning but I LOVED everything else. I was thoroughly engrossed in their world of misfits and demons with a new version of the creepy clown lady (bat shit crazy stuff right there). I'm most def eager for more.
March 28, 2013
"I still pinch myself, you know? Like this might be taken away at any moment. Like my life has been leased to me."
It's 1974...a year marked by revolutions and resigned presidents.
Even in turmoils and recessions, this is the age of rock n' roll.
The time of epic concerts, festivals, rock gods and groupies!
IT'S TIME FOR...
Our heroine, Dawn Emerson, lives music and she wants to become a music journalist.
Music was always the one thing in my life I could count on, the drug that took me away from reality and made me feel whole.
We can feel her love for music, it gets us through the pages and makes us want to get or old records and listening to songs from this golden age...
Lying on my back, it was easy to get lost in Pink Floyd's rainbow or Elton John's yellow brick road. Jimmy Page stared down at me with a sleepy look in his eyes, while Ozzy made goofy faces. Jeff Beck, The Guess Who, Dust, Wings, The Doors, and Wishbone Ash, jockeyed position with Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, The Beatles, Ziggy Stardust, Queen, The Stooges, and The Allman Brothers Band.
And then, out of the blue, she is contacted by Creem Magazine to go on road with a band and get an exclusive of their tour. The thing is, the band is the Hybrid, just one of Dawn's favorite bands.
And who are Hybrid?
In the music world, Hybrid is a bastard combination of sexual prowess, chugging guitars, and swaggering bass with delicate hints of country blues and Latino flavor. It is a mess of a band,who, with their upcoming third album,are already pushing the envelope with their energetic live shows and intense fearlessness.
It all seems a dream came true. To be officially picked by the band manager to document the tour and the opportunity to watch live every concert and to meet in person the guys that cover her wall.
" I don't think I'll ever forget it that feeling of having a band that you loved, the faces you gazed at in magazines, the ones who created life-changing music, staring back at you, and only you.
It all just seems to good to be true,right?
Then we get monsters, crazy b*tches aka GTFO's , strange accidents...one deal was made and now it was the time for the debt to be collected. This tour was going to make history and Dawn was certain it would drive them all to Hell.
" I felt horror, a terror so complete that I had one thought : I was going to die there on the stage. I was going to lose my soul. I was going to Hell. I was all fear and only fear, and that's what I would be for all my existence.
Seriously, the whole scenes with demons and foretelling completely freaked me out.
I don't know how Dawn didn't freaked out sooner...many of the things she saw where just HORRIBLE and FRIGHTENING. I think if it was me, I'd lost my mind!!
And don't let me start on the GTFO'S, especially Sonja!!
Oh and the band...
I need to just say some words about Sage.... HOT DAMN!!!!
The mysterious and brooding rock god, talented and uber HOT...I want him <33
And for you guys that read the EIT series, we get some scenes i didn't expected, regarding the thin veil mythology. Which truth may be told, made me freaked out for all the possibilities.
This book was just FANTASTIC!! I shouldn't be surprise since it's a Karina Halle book, but gosh, she surprises every single time.
She made me connect with the characters, feel afraid for them and root for them. She made me fangirl about some certain rock gods and she made me scared. But most of all i felt I was in 1974 ...I was listening to the music, feeling all the concerts and traveling along with them.
Me reading Karina's Halle books:
I should warn about the ending...It's not a cliffhanger BUT it'll must certainly blow your mind!!!
5 ROCK N'ROLL STARS
**** This was an EPIC BUDDY READ with Debra, Georgia, Kris and Airah...I had loads of fun girls!! Looking forward for the next one ;)
March 8, 2021
In the blurb for EIT #9.5 Ghosted it suggested reading this duet and Veiled first as characters from these pop up in that, so since I usually do as I’m told I moved this up to the top of my TBR. I’m glad I did. This was so interesting. Not really the horror aspect but the rock and roll aspect. What’s not to love about having a front row seat on the tour bus of a top rock band, and having an all access pass for attending the shows and musical festivals right along side them. Being a classic rock lover myself increased my enjoyment of this book. As far as the horror aspect goes that was a little slow to develop. The lead singer of Hybrid ( Sage)made a deal with the devil and they showed up to collect at the same time Dawn a rookie journalism student was hired to write a story about the tour. I really liked those characters and was quite spooked when the demons made their appearances. The finale was freaky and since there is book two, we know the demons aren’t gone for good. I give this 5 stars for the sex drugs and rock and roll, 3 stars for the horror. On to book 2.
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