Demon Slayer

Dragon's Gift: The Sorceress #1

by Linsey Hall, Laurel Schroeder (Narrator)

Got a demon that needs killing? I’m your girl.

On paper, I’m a Blood Sorceress. I can whip up the spells of your dreams. It’s a legal occupation--barely--but mostly a cover.

My real job is protecting my city from the monsters of the Dark Realms. I’m the resident demon slayer, and occasionally those suckers escape. Then it’s up to me. I’ve even got a side hustle using their blood for my sorcery biz. It’s gruesome, but that’s life.

Things get complicated when I start clashing with a sexy AF bounty hunter. His name's Declan, and we're after the same necromancer. Bounty hunters are my enemy, and his stupidly hot body keeps getting in my way.

The only way to save the city is to team up with Declan. I have two goals: don’t kill him & don’t screw him. Both easier said than done, since self control isn’t really my thing. But it’s a race against time to catch the demon, and there’s no way in hell I’ll fail at that.

Demon Slayer is a fast-paced urban fantasy adventure starring a kick butt heroine, a powerful hero, and magic that will blow your socks off.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Romance, Demons, Angels

Audible Audio

First published March 15, 2019

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Before becoming a writer, Linsey was an archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). After a decade of tromping around in search of old bits of stuff, she settled down to start penning her own adventure novels and is freaking delighted that people seem to like them. Since life is better with a little (or a lot of) magic, she writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Reviews

[Ashley S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆

This was an action-packed, humor-filled, yummy piece of 🎂 dessert. (It was definitely not a main - don't read this expecting deep, introspective characters who conquer internal turmoil and evolve maturely.) If you're in the mood for a light, quick, fun, action-packed series, this might be the one. ♥️


“What do you want?”

“Your soul.”

“Sorry, don’t have one,” I said. “How about cash?”

The old woman frowned. “Fine. A thousand dollars.”

I looked at Declan. “Well, pay the lady.”

He grinned and reached into his pocket. “Is this our first date, then?”

---

Aeri and her sister Mari have been living in hiding, using their cover as blood sorceresses ever since they escaped their violent pasts.

They're practical and have a strong sense of self-preservation and know when to hold back, unlike many h's who thoughtlessly throw themselves into the fire to save the world. (Yay, finally! 😜)

That's not to say she's scared of facing her opponents, however, because Aeri and Mari are quite a powerful duo that can annihilate more than a few types of demons. 🗡💣

And although their characters haven't been completely fleshed out yet, I enjoyed their relationship and occasional banter.

“I’m not going to.” She glanced at me, her dark eye makeup sweeping across her eyes. “But I’d like to note that we face down death so much that I don’t think it’s going to be a cigarette that gets me.”

Declan and Aeri's interactions were entertaining too, but not engaging enough (yet). It's also refreshing that Aeri doesn't melt into a pile of hormones every time she sees Declan, and that this book doesn't have an enemies-to-lovers trope either. In the past x years it seems like those are the only two options in this genre, so I'd like to commend the author for avoiding both (tbh I still absolutely love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but something different is still refreshing!).

My word was only good when given to Mari. And maybe to a few of my friends, who were relatively new additions to my life. But with this guy? Nah.

“Sure, you’ve got my word.”

I glanced back to see if Declan believed me, but it was impossible to read his expression.

He reached up to support the roof.

I grinned. “Thanks.”

“Thank me by keeping your end of the bargain.”

I nodded and lowered my hands, bracing myself as I turned and raced away. The light at the end of the tunnel grew nearer, and my heart beat faster.

I was so going to ditch his ass.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so happy that the author has decided to take what up to date has been supporting characters and give each sister her own series. First up is Aerdeca and boy has that girl been hiding things ! To the outside world she's a blood sorceress who skirts the boundaries of dark magic but here we find out she's also a demon hunter and has dragon magic to boot.
These sisters are so full of magic that they have needed to hide it but their past has meant they know how to play craftily. Arei's latest assignment sees her tracking down a necromancer demon but whilst Aeri is set on ending it once and for all there's a bounty hunter chasing him and he needs the demon alive. Aeri knows what she needs to do but Declan is surprisingly cute and annoying. Time to put her double life into effect.
What can I say ? Magic, a new furry friend plus of course the ever so intriguing Declan who just happens to be Fallen ! There's enough action to keep this reader engaged but even more exciting is the dark past the sisters have escaped from. It was glorious finding out about Aeri's secret life and I for one cannot wait for more action, adventure and of course romance.
This voluntary take is of an advance copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair.

[Andrea]

DNF at 88%

“I like risking a lot. Just like I like my pretty apartment and clothes. I’m an enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a riddle, just like I told you, and you’re never going to figure me out.”

I put this down a while back and never picked it up again. Not terrible, but don't feel compelled to finish and I need room on my KU.

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm thinking 3.5 stars for me. I am forever reading these books out of order.. I think that I've started in the middle Twice now. I really need to go back to the beginning. I mean the series can stand alone but there are things mentioned and places that aren't really explained that could have made the story richer if I had read them in the order they were supposed to be read. Yea I'm failing at life.. *shrugs* Short super entertaining read with action packed into every nook and cranny. Really it was non stop from word one on. I thought it was really enjoyable and of course there was never a dull moment, however, the story did seem a little superficial not really delving too deeply. I still feel like really we barely know the characters even though we have their stories already. We just kind of skimmed over it all. I mean I liked the characters just fine, just felt a little disconnected to them.. Maybe they are just a little too Bad A for me lol. I'm sure we will get more in depth though as the story progresses.

If you love a strong, Ass taking, name kicking heroine then look no freaking farther. FMC, Aerdaca, not only comes with a warrior queen like name but is so BAD A she will leave a reader with a complex lol. Of course, I loved her! Really though she doesn't have a vulnerable bone in her body which does make for a little bit of a unrealistic read but its fantasy.. I just roll with it. Nothing like a little unbelievably bad A heroine to get your day rolling. Aerdaca and her sister are the protectors of Magic Bend, demon slayers, with a secret past and some hellacious magical abilities. Taking out Demons one day at a time routine tag and bag until bounty hunter Declan, fallen angel, turns up on the scene and makes life that much harder for Aerdaca. Bounty hunters were notorious for wanting their prey live, slayers on the other hand not so much. Now its a race between Aerdaca and Declan to get to the Demon first. Their competition is quite adorable really, up until the dead start raising and the world is at risk now they must put their differences aside and team up to take out the demon and Aerdaca must somehow keep her secrets safe as well..

Really fast enjoyable read. I'm definitely not moving forward till I hunt down the beginning of this world though... pretty sure I told my self the same thing the last time I picked up one of these middle series... Going to stick to it this time.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little too YA romance for my liking..

Demon Slayer is a quick read and packs a punch! Literally! The action starts from page one and doesn't let up throughout the book. We get a lot of adventure as Declan and Aerdeca race to hunt down a evil demon up to no good.

Even though I did enjoy the action and adventurous parts of this book, it was too much a YA Romance for me. I like more mature MC's (main characters) and a little more steaminess mixed in with all the action & adventure.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has started a new series with a minor character in a couple of her other series. I didn’t think I would like this series opener as well as I liked the others. Boy, was I wrong! Aeri and Mari, as they call themselves, are wonderful, interesting characters. They are so different than what I expected with the glimpses I had of them in the other books. Aeri, the MC in this series, is cold as ice and yet can be fiery. She has to be because her and her sister’s past (read this to find out more!). I’m intrigued to find out more details of their past, and I can’t wait to see how all the stuff from this book unfolds in the next…and I can’t wait for Aeri and Declan to get closer. Great action/adventure book with a little romance thrown in. I do highly recommend this book; I was provided a complimentary e-copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragon's Gift

Again, I think Aerdaca's are a little bit over the top. I simply don't understand why I don't feel connected to her at the end of this book, because I don't. Declan seems interesting and want to know more. I love Linsey Hall but I don't think she fleshed Aerdaca's character well. 2.75 stars, Happy reading!

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters!

Remember those suave and talented, but immensely dangerous sisters over in the dark area of the city? Well, this one is the start of their stories! The sister in white, the ice queen Arie is much more than she seems... but we already kinda knew that considering her appearance in other books in this universe. If you haven’t read them, that’s ok - not required, just helps set the background and fill in some blanks.

Pros:
- Fast paced.
- I adore these sisters.
- The world building just keeps growing.
- Declan is annoyingly awesome.

Cons:
- Mystery, lol

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't particularly good either. Like the rating would indicate, it was okay. Nothing special or sexy happens to help carry it along either, and the ending was rather abrupt.

[Linda Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

She does it again

I've been waiting to find out more about Aerdaca, and Linsey never disappoints. Don't miss the bonus chapter, its great! And I'm on to the next book!

[Nate Brightman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will acknowledge up front that I unintentionally began reading Mordaca’s Dark Fae mini-series before I began this her sister Aredeca’s The Sorceress mini-series. I wasn’t aware of the order and just decided to start reading the Dark Fae series not even realizing it was about Mordaca, one of the two sister blood sorceresses that have been frequent secondary characters in all the other mini-series. A big part of the reason I decided to go back and now read this Sorceress series is as much because I wanted to see the transition from the cooler, more business like relationship the two sister blood sorceresses had with the Firesouls and their friends Clair and Connor in the Firesoul and Dragongod mini-series to the more friendly one that existed by the start of the Dark Fae series. Mordaca and Aredeca had always shown up to help out the other characters when ever a big fight against a world threatening evil arose but they had also maintained a certain level of emotional distance from them. They weren’t enemies but they weren’t exactly friends either. By the Dark Fae series they are referred to as their friends and I really wanted to see how their relationships changed. It’s apparent early on in this book that the sisters who have had to hide who and what they are since they escaped Grimrealm and have always only had each other to care about and count on have serious trust issues which prevents them from forming close friendships. Aredeca acknowledges this issue to herself and muses that perhaps she and her sister could use some therapy.
We were told in the Dragongod series that the two sisters had at some point escaped from the dark magic world of Grimrealm. In this book we learn more about them and their tortured childhoods. In fact all the heroines in the Dragon’s Gift series share very sad childhoods in common. Also, many of them possess magical powers they must hide from the Council of Magica that governs the magic world for fear of being imprisoned just for the powers they have. As it turns out Aredeca and Mordaca are more than blood sorceresses. They are Demon Slayers who have the power to not only send demons back to hell but to end their lives. They work for the Demon Slayer Council and are assigned to protect Magic Bend from the worst, deadliest demons. Their big secret is they are Dragon Bloods capable of creating any kind of magic with their blood which means they potentially have so much power that the Council of Magica fears them and would toss them in prison if they were discovered as Dragon bloods.
Right away I had two problems with the story lines. The first is the fear Mari and Ari have of being discovered by their family members that held them captive and abused them in Grimrealm. They’re not frightened children any longer. They are extremely powerful Dragon Bloods and blood sorceresses who aren't afraid of anything. It didn’t make sense to me that they’d be in such fear of being discovered and captured by their Aunt and Uncle. The other is that they apparently are the only two demon slayers assigned to protect Magic Bend the largest magical city in the world that sits above Grimrealm a spawning ground for evil. To me that seemed akin to assigning two cops to protect all of New York City or L.A. from murderers. Wouldn’t the world’s largest magical city require more than two demon slayers to protect it? Well Metropolis only had one Superman and Gotham City only had one Batman so I guess it sort of makes sense in a fantasy world?
This book has a grittier, more R-rated feel to it than the previous mini-series do. I’m sure this is because the two blood sorceresses are supposed to be a little darker, a little nastier than either the Firesouls or Dragongods were. Casual use of swear words and even the occasional F-bomb were present in the other mini-series but they seemed more prevalent in Ari’s dialogue. When Ari walks into a bar in Darklane and says half the other patrons would want her to suck their cocks, I went woo. Also Ari spends more time expressing her sexual desire for Declan O’Shea a fallen angel, the male hero in this story than the Firesouls or Dragongods did for their male leads in their books. Her sister Mari even tells her she needs to get laid since it’s been awhile for her. So be forewarned the profanity and sexual innuendo get taken up a notch in this series. I do find it ironic that the author makes liberal use of profanity and graphic violence in her books along with plenty of implied sexual tension but shies away from the graphic sex found in other authors of both fantasy and contemporary romance.
So the story is the Dragon Slayer Council that Ari and Mari work for assigns them the task of killing a powerful demon necromancer. Declan O’Shea the fallen angel is a bounty hunter who wants to capture the demon alive for the reward. We’re never told who is paying the reward and honestly as powerful and deadly as this demon turns out to be, the idea that he still wants to take him alive seems a bit ludicrous to me. There’s an instant attraction between Ari and Declan. Declan is all about pursuing it but Ari, afraid to reveal too much about herself isn’t. After first competing to capture the demon, Ari finally agrees to partner up with Declan. Unaware she’s a demon slayer he thinks Ari just wants some of the demon’s blood for her blood sorcery. Ari is under orders to kill the demon and has no intention of keeping her promise to let Declan capture him and just draw some of his blood. She readily admits she has no qualms about breaking her promises to anyone but her sister. I hadn’t thought about it before but it seems odd to me that I don’t remember there ever being any female demons in these series? Freudian slip by Ms. Hall perhaps? Anyway Ari and Declan work together to track down and take down the demon often enlisting the help of Clair, Connor and the Firesouls who are more than willing to help. I suspect this willingness is what eventually wears down the sisters defenses and allows their friendships to blossom. There’s plenty of action as our unlikely duo try to track down the demon necromancer and the beginnings of a romance. You know, it pretty much follows the same script as all the other series. Not that it’s a bad thing. Good book. Lots of fun and it was interesting to get to know the Ice Queen sorceress that is Aredeca.

[Swalsk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Their way of 'hiding' seems weird. In the time between having just escaped to their new home to now, wouldn't their neighbors or someone have noticed two underfed girls who grew into their 'alter egos'. Secondly, it honestly doesn't even sound very alter ego like, more like they just grew up and like to be eccentric. It was hard to ignore because it kept being brought up. I get that they're in hiding, but they seem to be doing a really bad job of it. They don't seem to have very good reasons for not telling their friends. Anyways, it was an interesting story, as Linsey Hall is wont to do. Interesting magic system, and I'm already familiar with this universe and side characters. I'll try out the next one.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linsey Hall’s Demon Slayer (Dragon’s Gift: The Sorceress) is book one of “The Sorceress,” but past book 30 of her “Dragon’s Gift” universe. I highly recommend that you read the rest of the series first; it’s quick reading and they’re all available as ebooks, so you can get to them quickly. I think the world is just complicated enough at this point that it would be hard to start here.

If you’ve read the series, some things are highly predictable and formulaic. The main characters will have wildly powerful abilities. The stacked and handsome guy who immediately captures the main character’s attention will become the love interest, he’ll be muscular, wildly powerful, and able to produce large amounts of cash at will. The characters will have to pass various creative and somewhat arbitrary tests. An endearing and silly familiar of a sort will present itself–this time, a hellcat named Wally. The characters will have to elude traps like Indiana Jones, in a format that even Aerdeca refers to as a “living video game from hell.” However, the predictability also yields some good things. Each book has plenty of creative action scenes; the fight scenes are a lot of fun to read. There’s enjoyable snark and banter and some romantic sparks. The books are solidly fun to read, and having a series that reliable can be really nice. On the other hand, after this many volumes Hall is stretching so much to find new and interesting trials to put our heroes through that even her characters have started acknowledging how ridiculous some of them are getting.

I took issue with just how powerful Aerdeca and Mordaca really are. Sometimes Hall gives her characters abilities that she can’t entirely account for. In this case, they can supposedly use their dragon blood to create new powers for themselves–temporary and permanent. Their powers are pretty much limited only by their energy level and imaginations. Give me a D&D rules lawyer and ten minutes and pretty much every obstacle in this book would be meaningless. At one point Aeri explicitly says, “If only my dragon blood could give me the FireSoul’s ability to find things.” Well? Why can’t it?

I’m definitely enjoying getting a closer look at Aerdeca and Mordaca, especially since it seems they’ve been keeping up quite a front. I just wish that in the rush to make her characters super-powerful Hall wouldn’t back herself into these corners. A little variety in the cookie-cutter love interests would also be nice.


Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/04/r...

[Kell Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing special in this book, it was the exact same plot and characters as the previous one, except for the different background. What was annoying was how the Aerdeca kept on repeating the same statement over and over like she had some kind of identity crisis.

Recap:
Aerdeca (or Aeri, as called by her sister, Mari/Mordaca) was actually a demon slayer, who could kill demon and they wouldn't return back to hell. She was hunting a demon when she saw (prepared to a cliche) a hot, massively powerful guy (who all was six and a half feet, they were like clones). He couldn't she her though because she wore some ghost outfit, special for demon-hunting. He might also hunt the demon but she beat him to it, killed the demon, looted it, and took some of his blood. Mari called her, saying Ae thelred warned them about an incoming trouble, and it came in the shape of that hot dude who came from Grimrealm, but she just returned back home, leaving the hot dude behind. She got a nightmare of her past, trying to escape from their uncle and aunty (who might not even be their family) in Grimrealm. The Council of Demon Slayer smuggled them out of Grimrealm in exchange for their service hunting demons.

She woke up when she heard a red code alarm, she and Mari immediately went to the well of power underneath their home and met with Agatha, a ghost messenger, who told them there was a necromencer demon on the loose, and they needed to haunt it. It was somewhere in assassin's den and its portal is somewhere in the business district so Aeri would hunt the demon while Mari would go to the portal. After they went out of the well, a knock came, and it was the hot dude, asking for a tracking charm.

She refused of course, and he went away. Then she off to Assassin's Den and asked his contact, Simon. He said he saw the demon and it went to Snakerton for some ingredients when the hot dude came. Simon said his name was Dechlan and he was a fallen angel. She went there and he immediately attacked her because she stole his ingredient in the past. He turned her hand into a fish but she got ahold of him and forced him to return her hand. Then, she forced him to drink truth serum and he told her of a demon who bought some ingredients and left to the dock to go to Supernalito. Then she used her blood to wipe his memory and paid him for the memory charm (her dragon blood allowed her to create new magic, that was why her 'uncle and aunt' enslaved the sisters, but they had to 'die' in order to get it).

She arrived to a dock and ask a captain, did she saw a demon went to Supernalito, and she said the demon might boarded the previous boat, so she paid the ticket and they just left when Dechlan came and he flew to the boat. He guessed that she was also hunting the necromancy demon and offered a partnership, she could get the blood while he would arrested it and keep it alive, but Aeri'a main goal is to kill it, so she refused.

She was sleeping when an alarm woke her up. Their boat was being attacked by a giant squid, but with Aerdeca's magic and her sword skill, she managed to kill it. They arrived and Dechlan immediately took off, while the captain suggested she went to a seer named Florence. However, Florence refused to tell her anything unless she could see Aerdeca's future. But she also stole some of her magic and she looked younger. She said she needed to hunt the demon with Dechlan or her secret would be revealed to the world. She said the demon went to a voodoo priestess named Marie and told her how to reach there, then Aerdeca lunged at her and removed her memory.

She went to Marie's and after she faced some protection charm, Marie allowed her in. She would tell her where the demon went to if Aerdeca made a protection charm for her because she was hunted by an ex-boyfriend and he could simply track her if she made it herself. She said the fallen angel already went to her and she also told him where to go, to a mountain, where there was a sacred pool where people said it could granted wishes. She immediately raced up the mountain and saw Dechlan fighting with some birds demon. When he landed, the birds stopped attacking him so they both raced together to the top.

Of course there was challenges, incoming boulders, falling rocks on inside tunnels, some demons that could teleport, and some illusions. They arrived to the pool and saw the demon was swimming up from the bottom. They immediately went in, saw the demon held some ceremony knife and Dechlan tried to intercept it, but the demon hit him and he went limp. She rescued him but and of course he was still alive, but the demon almost got away so she hurriedly chased him and they both fought him. Dechlan managed to cut off his arm (instead of his head) but the demon managed to use his transport charm and got away after he took the bag from his decapitated arm.

Aerdeca found half the medal that fell off the demon's neck but before she look for the other half, a swarm of monster vampire bat attacked them and Aerdeca escaped using her own transport charm, leaving Dechlan behind. She returned back to home, and Mari said she managed to close the portal. They tried to track the demon using the medal but couldn't find him because they needed the other half of the medal to find it, so they met with Cass the next morning in P&P, but she also needed the other half. At that same time, Dechlan came, bringing the other half of the medal. Cass said the next clue was in the Grimrealm and Claire, who often hunt there, offered to help.

So the tree of them went there, Claire left after she got them in and told them to find the Librarian. They did and after some test and a payment, she told them to find The Weed in a fighting ring, who usually summoned demons when get paid. They found him and after some balls treats, he told them he was paid to find necromancy demon who could enter a church called Exeter. The guards found them at that time and they escaped back to Aerdeca's place. Dechlan said he had a friend around that church and his friend would contact him when he felt the demon so they rested for the night.

They woke up, immediately went there, and met with the demon, but it seemed that now the demon was also immuned from any kind of attacks because of the medal (for no apparent reason, she just knew that). The demon left them some zombies to fight while he entered the church. They finished the zombies, found the demon tried to memorize some kind of star chart, chased him to the crypt, and the demon resurrected some of the dead while he worked on the most powerful one. The demon managed to resurrected his target only to behead him and got away. They reconciled back to Aerdeca's place and she found out that the demon was trying to use Reanimate spell that could wake up the dead permanently, causing zombie apocalypse, even though the demon already left, and Aethelred told them that the demon did it in a cemetery somewhere in the Darklane, for no apparent reason.

They called for the firesouls, Claire, and Connor's help and fought some of the zombies. Both aerdeca and mordaca bombarded the demons with lightning and when it was weak, Aerdeca buried him under boulders, but it still managed to hit Dechlan hard enough, he was supposed to be dead. She managed to took off the medal and then beheaded him. The next day, Dechlan came, questioning her about what she was but she kissed him instead and tried to apply some forgetful spell to him, but it didn't work.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linsey Hall has done it again with “Demon Slayer,” the first book in the Dragon’s Gift series. This time we have two sisters Aerdeca and Mordaca who live in Magi’s Bend, Oregon. The sisters hunt demons and run a magical supply store. Although they have some close friends they do not share their origins with anyone and no one knows of their dragon blood.

As Aeri is out tracking down a demon she runs into a very frustrating and attractive fallen angel, Declan O’Shea. He is a hunter. A very good hunter. Although she tries to avoid him but their paths cross again when a necromancy demon is on the prowl. It soon becomes clear that if they are going to take him down they will have to work together.

As Declan and Aeri work together, Aeri’s attraction to Declan grows stronger; yet she attempts to fight it every step of the way. She and her sister’s safety is paramount and Declan may put that at risk.

I enjoyed this read because the world building was good and the characters were colorful. The relationship between Declan and Aeri is promising but my biggest interest lies in the background of the sisters. This first book gives the reader enough information to spark your interest but not enough to satisfy your curiosity. I can’t wait to find out more about their background and how it affects their future. Clearly I will be going on to the next read in this series.

[Shayay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrator did an awesome job. The quality of the performance is top notch, and her voice was great for the characters.

These books are fun; I love the adventure and magical elements involved in the stories. I wasn’t a big fan of Aerdeca and Mordeca in the previous books; too crass and rude, but I still wanted to read their books because I knew they’d be entertaining. They were treated horribly in the past, but they escaped. They are still in hiding, so they need to be careful who they trust. They have a hard shell on the outside, but there’s more to them than most expect. This book didn’t disappoint! There’s a necromancer demon on the loose, so there’s some zombie fun. Love that Declan has fallen angel roots; I could’ve done without the innuendos about him being a ladies man, but I’m excited to learn more about him. There’s tons of magic; I love that the characters have different magical specialities, and a Hell cat. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series and learning more about Aerdeca’s and Mordeca’s past, and reading about them learning to trust. And of course, reading about the growth of the romance between Declan and Aerdeca.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m gleefully fan-girling. I love Linsey Hall’s novels so it’s no surprise that I was delighted (major understatement there) to get my hands on Demon Slayer, book 1 of her new Dragon's Gift: The Sorceress series. This book was, quite simply, as awesomely imaginative and superbly written as I anticipated. It had just what I wanted including a great plot. I frankly adore Aerdeca (Aeri; a favorite character, along with her sister, in other books). She’s just perfect as the sort of kick-a** and tshe no prisoners gal that is my favorite sort of character. I loved watching her take on all comers and following along as her relationship with Declan developed. The rest of the cast of characters is pretty amazing as well. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2.

[Felicitia · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I need to say. Major page-turner. Boy, does Linsey Hall knows how to capture your attention and sucks you right into the story!

I very much enjoy the fast paced, action-packed plot. All characters were well rounded and likeable and I just can't get enough. Perhaps the fact that almost all protagonists got the chance of telling their own story in their own mini series may have played a role in the character development, but as the first book in the Dragon's Gift universe that I picked up, Demon Slayer was a great and well-written one. The world building was also very well done and I had no complaints about confusion or frustration along the way.

Overall, I would definitely pick up the rest of Aeri's story, and maybe the others in Dragon's Gift universe. The only fact that pushes me to give it a 4 instead of 5 is just the matter of the romance aspect being way to YA for me, who would rather prefer something more mature. I mean, after that much romantic development and teasing, you gotta give a girl something *wink*

[Nancy Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aria is introduced to Declan who is a fallen Angel. They both have to work together to find a demon in order to be successful

Aria kills the demon but a man follows her and she doesn't know who he is. When the man comes across the demon after she kills it he is bummed because the demon is dead. Thus she assumes he is a bounty hunter and she doesn't like bounty hunters. In hunting another demon that's even more dangerous she finds that this man is a fallen angel Declan. He followed Aria throughout town as she gathers clues to find where the dangerous evil demon has gone. She hops on a ferry to go to the supernatural Island where he's gone and she thinks she's ditched the bounty Hunter but all of sudden she sees him running up the dock and he opens his wings and flies to the fairy even though it is left the dock. That starts their competition as they seek to corral and kill or bring in this demon. The demon turns out to be more powerful than either one of them so they have to start working together to try to find him and to curtail his evil plan.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is now my new favorite Linsey Hall book.

I have been not so patiently awaiting stories for our gorgeous Blood Sorceress's and Demon Slayer starts with Aerdeca, who is an ice queen on the outside, a totally badass demon slayer on the side and a real sweetheart underneath it all, which basically only her sister ever see's but I do know there is one stunningly gorgeous fallen angel who will do anything and I mean anything to get to know the real Aerdeca and I get the feeling nothing will stop him.

Aerdeca has her hands full but with the help of her sister and Declan by her side she should be okay but in times of trouble Aerdeca knows she can also call on her friends Cass, Del, Nix, Claire, and Connor and yes Aerdeca finds it very strange she now has 'friends' to call on as she generally works alone except for her sister, but hard times and super strong demons call for a little back-up.

This was the first exciting adventure in Aerdeca's story and I can't wait for more.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who dreams of cheetos is my type of heroine

This book, like others in the prior series, is so action packed, well written and just plain fun, I can't contain my gushing. She has developed such a fun group of heroes who are so awesome in a way I would personally love to emulate. I plan to return to review the prior series (dragon gifts and dragon gods) but have been so furiously reading (30 down!), I've not wanted to stop even to do that. However, the cheetos line made me pause long enough to write this semi - incoherent rambling. Thank you thank you Linsey Hall for being so talented and quick to publish. Yeah, I get the formula, her divine way of fleshing out the stories make these special. READ IN ORDER: 1st Gifts: Cass, Del, Nix. 2nd Gods: Bree, Ana, Rowan 3rd Blood: Aerdica, dare I hope Mordeca after??. If you enjoy even a quarter as much as I, you will still be blown away. Enjoy the ride!

[Jennasis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, quick read with a good amount of banter. Though the second half of the book was pretty light on the banter that pulled me in in the first place.

Everything is fast paced, and though it works for the story and the action it made the romance/attraction feel fake. Hall does a great job with their dialog, keeping it flirty and interesting, but its their inner thoughts about each other (I say each other because there's a version with one chapter from Declan's POV) that were just too insta love/insta awareness, an example that's fresh in my mind that made me HARD eye roll was from the Declan chapter, they are in a fight, and he picks her up to fly them away and thinks "God she feels so good" wat? and ALSO he is willing to die for her? already? They kissed once and then she tried to erase his memories, all he likes about he is that shes strong, he knows nothing about her and she hasn't trusted him with ANYTHING about her.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Not bad, but not good. There is a lot of action, but it’s lacking that “umph” that’ll keep me captivated. Most of the time, I feel MC is so full of herself. She talks about how great she is and how scared everyone is of her. Then a few pages into the book and she gets knocked on her ass by her prey....ok. It was hard finishing this book. I mean I just wanted to skip to the end a few times. I get, it’s supposed to be adventurous and mysterious, but seriously...I lost count of how many ppl they had to meet or negotiate with just to get a tiny bit of information about the demon they were chasing. You think the Demon Slayers would have a better network. Ugh, and how incompetent to not only lose said demon once, but twice! Yeah, ok...the first time might be understandable...but when the same shit keeps repeating itself...yeah, can we just get to the part when they aren’t incompetent badasses. 2 Angels and 2 dragons....you’d think it was Lucifer they were after.

[Mischa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, probably the weakest of the Dragon's Gift books to me. I didn't dislike it, but also wasn't as excited reading it as I always was with these books. Maybe I am just a bit tired of the series as a whole, because the stories are just way too similar to each other, even if I space the books out - or maybe this particular story just didn't grab my attention enough. I suppose I will see after reading more of this series, which is it.

But thinking about it, part of my problem is probably that I really liked Aerdeca and Mordaca as these mysterious figures - so my problem isn't as much in the story as the fact that I would have preferred to keep them that way, especially since everyone around them is already super powerful + paired with super powerful partners too. It feels a bit redundant in that friend group at this point. Plus, I really liked that they were these mysterious blood sorceress figures no one knew much about lol.

[E.A. Turley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aerdeca and her sister, Mordaca are blood sorceressses, but that's not all they are. They have a secret that no one else knows, They come from Grimrealm, the darkest of black magic places. But its what they are now that is the real secret. They are officially sanctioned demon slayers by the council. What they kill doesn't just return to hell, it stays dead. Forever.
Its on one of their missions that Aerdeca mets a fallen angel that is also after the same demon as her. She doesn't want to work with him, but it's soon apparent that they need each other to catch him. And woah, what an angel he is! Declan is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome in every way. There's something about him that she just cant forget,he's always on her mind.
But can they ignore the sparks long enough to catch the demon together and save the world?

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a side of the blood witch we have never seen. We get to know more about her and her strange powers as the series goes along and she's a fierce piece of work. This is her story and it's one that will take more than she realizes she has to give to win. She will meet her mate and it will take everyone she knows to bring it all together. Each book is a step further into chaos. Each book she will use more do more. Each book she will get closer to Declan and he will figure out who she is. He will go against the Angels. He will go against everything he holds dear to help her. They will work together and keep each other safe but they wont be enough. She will do what she has sworn not to and he will hold her secret close. They will protect Magic Bend and everyone they love no matter what the cost. Along the way she will gain more power, gain more enemies and find friends and family she never knew she had. Magic Bend will never be the same.

[Tiffany Dover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oops! I accidentally started with the 7th series set in this world and got hooked! I tore through books 1 & 2 and now I'm jonesing for the 3rd. I can't wait! Thankfully, there are a ton of books for me to get swept away by in this world to keep me occupied until next month.

I thought the characters were interesting, the world was nicely defined, if not completely original, and the dialog was great. Bad dialog can be a real bummer for me.

When I say the world wasn't original, I think there are some things you come to expect in paranormal/urban fantasy - a bit of natural segregation, as is human (and paranormal) nature in neighborhoods or socially. It was present in these books as well and it was perfectly fine.

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first book in a 4 book series and the author hit this out of the park. I was grabbed from the first few pages until the end. Plenty of action with humor and snark all the way through. Every time I set this book down, I was thinking about when I would be able to pick it back up. The well-developed main characters have perfect chemistry and the secondary characters complement the main duo. This time you also have a woman character that is on equal footing with her male counterpart. Magic abounds in this book and some of the action scenes will remind you of Indiana Jones. I love that the author tosses in some real architectural history to not only educate us, but to throw some realism into a book about supernatural beings, clever and smart. Already downloaded book two.

[mellymoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fab read

Really enjoyed beginning to get to know more about the blood sorcerers and their magic, Declan is a new character and is still wrapped in mystery by the end of the book, eager to learn more about him and his relationship with Aeria, I was confused by the cover as the character is always dressed in white, however the book is a journey of trying to stop a particular demon who is always one step ahead
Having been to Exeter cathedral many times ( actually my favourite ) it was lovely to have it in the book, it's a beautiful place with some really famous people laid to rest ......Well worth a visit, as a side note.
Genuinely a good book, bold in magic and in physical fighting. Thank you for your hard work Linsey

[Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously enjoy the series' that this author puts out. I've read a couple now and am starting on this one. If you're familiar with this author (this world) then you are familiar with the Blood Sorceress sisters. This is party one of the Blood Sorceress Aeri who leans towards the color white. She, her sister, and a bounty hunter (fallen angel) Declan are in search of a necromancer demon who is out to do some bad stuff. The spin is that the Blood Sorceress sisters are more than they seem and Declan's interest in Aeri can lead to the release of secrets that are better left hidden. A light-hearted read -- if one can say such a thing about sorcery, necromancy, death, and evil plots. I'm already in the works to start book 2.