Demon Forged

The Guardians #5

by Meljean Brook

Acclaimed author Meljean Brook returns to the darkly sensual world of the Guardians with the tale of a prophecy, a devilish bargain, and a doomed love...

Four centuries ago, Guardians Irena and Alejandro would have succumbed to the need burning between them -- if a demon and a monstrous bargain hadn't shattered the possibility of love. Torn apart by her shame, Irena avoided Alejandro for centuries -- until a vampire's call for help threw her into his arms again.

Alejandro can control fire, but he's never been able to control -- or quench -- the flames between him and Irena. And he knows that Irena, hardened by her hatred for demonkind, will never accept that he now works at a demon's behest. But even as he fights for a second chance, a shocking betrayal and a deadly prophecy shake the foundations of the Guardian universe, and all Hell threatens to break loose...

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

419 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 6, 2009

About the author

Book info: I am the author of the Iron Seas steampunk romance series. I've written a guide to the world (including a map) on my website.

I also write a paranormal romance series, the Guardians. That series guide is also on my website, including a "The Story So Far" feature, which allows you to catch up on all of the books that previously released in the series if you start after the first installment.

Goodreads info: I am slowly, slowly adding to my shelves and reviews. It's unlikely that I will join many book discussions (especially of my own work) simply because I don't want to stifle reader conversation.

Bio: Meljean was raised in the middle of the woods, and hid under her blankets at night with fairy tales, comic books, and romances. She left the forest and went on a misguided tour through the world of accounting before focusing on her first loves, reading and writing–and she realized that monsters, superheroes, and happily-ever-afters are easily found between the covers, as well as under them, so she set out to make her own.

Meljean lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[aarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 Fall Bingo (#FallInLoveBingo🍂): Tattoos

Me crying over Michael’s [VERY FUCKED UP AND SPOILERY ACTIONS] like the Guardians are my long lost family and not fictional characters that I discovered a week ago. I fear for the feral trash creature I will become when I finally read Michael’s book.

[Katie(babs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demon Forged will absolutely, positively blow your mind. Where as Demon Bound was a bit restrained, Demon Forged explodes with such rich dialogue, descriptions and remarkable characters we have all grown to love.

The two main characters here are Guardians Irena and Alejandro who I first met in Demon Night. They really didn’t make much of an impression on me at first. But after reading their story, they have become my second favorite couple behind Hugh and Lilith. Irena and Alejandro have a relationship much like the one Hugh and Lilith have. Alejandro loves Irena so much, but because of a very horrible event from their past, Irena keeps him at arms length. Alejandro will do whatever he can to have any type of relationship with Irena. She knows that she is his weakness and flaunts it to the point where he is at the breaking point. He thinks he knows why Irena can’t love him and be with him, but how so very wrong he is. When he finds out why, he is shocked to his core. I certainly was.

The other side of Demon Forged deals with the ongoing fight between the Guardians and those various creatures of pure evil. The prophecy that has been foretold since the beginning is about to come to a head and the Guardians, as well as their allies, need to take up arms because what is about to happen is quite the doozy.

Now this doozy, as I call it, is in regards to a certain character and his reaction to his future told by Khavi, who has the Gift of foresight. When Michael figures out some very important things in regards to the prophecy, his part in it, and the one he is meant to love and be with, will send a tidal wave of shock and awe like you wouldn’t believe. The way Meljan ends Demon Forged takes us in a direction no one would have expected. Meljean could have gone a different way with this book, an ending that would have been just as good, but perhaps not as profound. It’s a big chance she takes and it works in so many ways.

Everything in Demon Forged seems more intense. The action and suspense will have you clutching the pages. Your heart will race. There is a great deal of suffering and a few deaths you won’t see coming. (Meljean also made me care for Colin, that slick SOB vampire, as I call him. I am not a big fan of Colin, but that all changes because of one scene where he shows his deep love for Savi.)

There is also some freaky stuff Irena does with one of her statues she has created. This goes down as my favorite sex scene I have read in any book this year and it's very eye popping and so very naughty. If you were disappointed in the lack of sex scenes in Demon Bound, Meljean has delivered and more so. What Irena and Alejandro share starts out as a bit kinky and then transforms into something so very special. These scenes will not disappoint.

I can say hands down that Demon Forged is a well written near perfect read.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a lot of people, this is their favourite instalment in the series. I do like it but it's by no means my favourite.

There's a separation between the hero and heroine - during which they both take other lovers. It's described in admittedly, the most natural/understandable way I've read, and neither of them are jealous, but I still don't particularly like it. Especially because neither of them are jealous! It does happen because the heroine pushes the hero away after a traumatic incident she blames him for.

Actual plot - this book does feature some fairly important twists regarding overall plot development. And I gave it 4 stars so I must have enjoyed it. But that's more 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Renegade ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This book, with Irena and Alejandro (along with the rest of the fascinating cast and crew) was quite the ride.

And Michael's sacrifice brought tears to my eyes which I wasn't expecting. Adore and am fascinated by that character so this was some devastating, heartbreaking stuff. I absolutely hate the thought of him suffering so...

But I have faith.

I know Ms. Brook won't let me down.

A number of events in this book had me asking, "What the hell would I do?" Some incredibly hard decisions to be made and that is a serious understatement.



(When I go there, when I put myself in their shoes and honestly grapple with their 'demons', I know a story has got me - and got me good.)

The novella in Must Love Hellhounds (#5.5 in the Guardian series) is up next and then I'm looking forward to learning more about Rosalia and Deacon's dynamic (as well as being fully immersed in Ms. Brook's world) in Demon Blood.

[Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I am a big fan of many pnr series but Guardians series by Meljean brook is by far my favourite. The series has so many great books that I can't decide which is my favourite among those!
Like the rest of the books, "Demon Forged" has a great story and characters. First, we have Irena.
Irena is a very difficult but strong woman. She had a tough life as a human, she was raped and enslaved and had also a tough life as a guardian.Then, we have Alejandro, a strong guardian and a pride man. And then, we have those two as an item. Their relationship is like metal and fire,strong and hot. Of course,their tragic life means a lot of anger between them,but passion too.
This book has so many tragic scenes but the meaning is this: all we have to fight our demons and all we have to be sometimes alone,but there are times that we have to swallow our pride and let the love make things better because for the person who loves us it's not important if we are damaged but it's important to be there for us!
Thank you Meljean Brook for this great book!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Meljean Brook. It dragged a little in the middle, but the end took me totally by surprise. The characters were everything I expected of them, though I'll be curious to see where some newly introduced ones are headed.

Overall? It was amazing.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four centuries ago Irena's shame and Alejandro's pride destroyed a love that could have withstood an eternity. Now Irena's heart is as hard as steel and it only melts beneath Alejandro's dark and smoldering stares whenever they're forced to be in each other's presence.

Irena's sixteen centuries as a Guardian have sharpened her into a quick and blunt instrument delivering pointed comments with developed wisdom and at times, with unveiled anger. She is also often misinterpreted. Recently betrayed by Michael, leader of the Guardians, her mentor and the one she looked up to above all others, Irena's disappointment is known throughout the Corps but she'll not allow it to prevent her from protecting those who need it. She's a warrior, a hunter, quick to react and quick to judge every situation. Her hatred for demons is soul deep and the fact that the Guardians, in her mind, have become subservient to them only deepens her disappoint with Michael. As far as Irena's concerned, she's a being who lives for the hunt and the kill and her skills are not useful to the scheming minds of her fellow Guardians and their alignment with the hellspawn Lilith and the Demon Rael. Given the chance she'd slay them both.

Alejandro has loved Irena from the moment he laid eyes on her in Caelum four hundred years ago. He knew that it was she who made the beautiful weapons that the Guardians used with her Gift of manipulating metal. Her demon kills were and still are legendary and one would be wise to be worshipful and intimidated by her but instead Alejandro challenged her the moment their eyes locked. She kissed him that day after bringing him to the ground with merely a knife. Instead of humiliation he felt lust and determination to satisfy her wild soul.

No woman could be more Alejandro's opposite. He's well read while she could care less for words. He doesn't cultivate hated for demons while she burns with it. Irena was and still is warrior to the soul. A woman who detests politicians while Alejandro, a politician in his human life, has also played that role as a Guardian. And if called to do it again, he will even knowing that it will take him further and further from Irena's heart. It's only Alejandro's Gift of fire that meshes with Irena but it's also enough to fuel a combustible passion.

The world that the Guardians find themselves in DEMON FORGED is darker and more desperate then ever. Their numbers are devastatingly low while their threats have multiplied and converged into a power greater than they've ever faced. Emotions are taught while they all await the moment that their skills are tested and their lives may be forfeit. It's in this time that Irena's strength and natural ability to lead are needed. When the Demon Rael, a.k.a. Senator Stafford and political backer of the Guardians and their Homeland Security division of Special Investigations, is struck by the bullet that kills his wife during a political rally, the Guardians suspect foul play on the demon's part and launch an investigation. Because of the Rules, Rael could never directly kill his human wife but he could bargain with another being not bound by the Rules to commit the murder. If Rael is responsible, the Guardians will slay him and Alejandro will assume his position as Senator Stafford. Both Alejandro and Irena are assigned to the investigation.

For four hundred years, Irena has allowed Alejandro to think the worst of the catalyst that had ultimately drove them apart. Her shame forced distance between them but perhaps it's the recent doom that has settled over her and her fellow Guardians or perhaps she's just tired of fighting her desire for Alejandro but she feels that now is the time to tell him the truth. He's punished himself long enough. At the same time, Alejandro makes the decision to fight for Irena. He let her walk away four centuries ago and every day since then. Enough is enough. And when Alejandro and Irena finally come together, they collide like two fierce predators, each fighting for dominance, each stripped to their hot cores. They're rough with their strength, explosive with their emotions and blistering with their heat.

When the Guardian's worst fear becomes a reality, Alejandro and Irena are willing, determined even, to sacrifice their lives to destroy the evil intent on enslaving humanity despite the fact that they've have renewed their love and cemented their bond.

DEMON FORGED is by far the darkest novel in the Guardian Series and it's not just because of the events that occur but also because of Alejandro and Irena, their past, the dilemmas they face and the fact that they're more serious and seasoned Guardians. Alejandro is dark and sultry and embodies the deadly precision of a very skilled swordsman. Irena is solid in her stance, brutally direct with a temper that's like a constant lit fuse just waiting to burst into flames.

With Irena, you always know where you stand. She's not one to play games, she's lived too long. She's also a bit barbaric, a hunter of large game that eats the hearts of her kills. She's raw and simply fascinating. Although, having lived sixteen centuries, she's a bit set in her ways and a times, quick to judge without looking at all angles. But like the steel she works with, she will bend but not for just anyone. Her anger with Michael is justified and I felt deeply for her reasons. But even though she disagrees with her leader, she never abandons their cause.

Alejandro is achingly intense and a man who prides himself on his control. This is a common trait in Brook's heroes but to witness them when their rigid control snaps is like ambrosia for the hussy soul for it usually shatters during sex. But while each of Brook's heroes share this trait, they all break their control for different reasons. What was interesting about Alejandro was that although he was prideful, he wasn't necessarily arrogant. He's a silent man who rarely speaks unless the situation calls for it. He's dangerous and mysterious - a predator. Alejandro broke my heart on two specific occasions, both of which were incredibly heroic and are burned deeply within my reader heart. He and Irena were more than worthy for one another.

Obviously there is a lot more to DEMON FORGED than Alejandro and Irena, much of which are best experienced on ones own. I will mention though one new aspect to Brook's Guardian novels and that is the time she spends in POV's other than the lead hero and heroine. There are two other romances cultivating in DEMON FORGED in addition to Alejandro and Irena but all three snagged my undivided attention. Brook never fails to astound me. The world is evolving. Several plot arch's are converging and the novels are taking on a more Urban Fantasy feel but the romance is still very much center stage and the sex is still very integral to the growth of her characters. What Brook ends up delivering is my perfect romance novel.

DEMON FORGED took me on a journey through a miasma of emotions. I cried tears of indescribable awe. I laughed and cheered. I held the pages with white knuckled fingers and bated breath. I flung myself back into the couch with shock. I smiled and frowned. To encapsulate it all into one sentence: I loved.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth in the Guardians paranormal romance series revolving around a group of supernatural beings, guardians to the world against rogue vampires and demons of any level.


My Take
Oh brother, talk about miscommunication! I was a good chunk of the way through this story before I got interested in it. I hated Irena's character. I seemed as though her only concept of communication was by hitting everyone and anyone. You know, a good knock‒out punch to the jaw. Gimme a break...she's had lots of time to get over her early life and she really needs to learn to use her words…!

In spite of Irena, Brook has created an intriguing story that kept pulling me in—I was dying to know what the trauma was that had Irena so off﹘balance and Brook just kept letting it out in dribs and drabs. It was maddening. Then there's the worry about a demon being in control of the purse strings for the agency...and just what his nefarious plans are.

Oh, boy, that's a telling statement: "I do not like the man I become with you."

We get a lot of background history on Olek and Irena. It's enough to make me want to smack her around for days. Khavi cracks me up. Pay attention to what she says throughout the story---you'll understand better at the end.

Oh man, the battle at the end with the dragon and the airplane is TENSE with a good laugh provided by Khavi. And then things get really bad.


The Story
Irena and Alejandro are meeting Deacon in Rome...far from his home base of Prague. Beaten from his position by a nosferatu-born vampire. But Irena knows Deacon. Good in combat, loyal. It's worth taking the time to build him back up if only for his value to the Guardians and his friends.

When Khavi warns of an upcoming event, Olek and Irena are on the scene, but of no help. Too well-planned, the shooter has escaped, but has missed his target. At least, that's the initial thinking. For Congressman Stafford is under investigation. And the oh-so-rigid Irena is furious with Alejandro's plans.

Detective Taylor is also threatened and Michael is being quite proprietary about her safety.

As for Deacon, he's concerned about Rosalia's attentions. If she suspects what he has agreed to do for the demon…

Then there are the nephilim. Their mission is to take out misbehaving vampires, but now they are targeting Guardians. And Anaria is leading the pack, intent on pursuing her plans to take Lucifer's throne.


The Characters
Irena is over 1,600-years-old with half her childhood spent as a slave in Rome. Now she's a Guardian with a power for shaping metal. She also created the first vampire. Alejandro Sandoval de Córdoba y Hacén, a.k.a., Olek, is a Guardian with the Gift of fire who did not survive the Inquisition. He's been in love with Irena for centuries, apprenticed to her for years even though she will have none of him.

Michael is grigori and the Doyen. Not human as the tales have told. Instead he is a son of Belial and the leader of the Guardians with the power to "change any man or woman who sacrificed themselves to save another" into a Guardian, too. Lilith is a halfling demon, a daughter of Lucifer, who chose to become human and is now married to Hugh Castleford, a former Guardian who fell and became human, then fell again for Lilith. Lilith heads up Special Investigations (SI), a government-sponsored agency which polices the paranormal. She still has Sir Pup, her hellhound pet with her. Congressman Thomas Stafford is SI's "patron"; he's also Rael, a demon under Belial. Julia Stafford is his ambitious, wealthy wife. Margaret Wren is in charge of the congressman's personal security.

Other Guardians include Rosalia, a nun when she was alive, now a Guardian imprisoned for several years as a living pantry for a nest of nosferatu; Dru is a healer from whom Pim is learning; Drifter is based in Seattle where he's mated to Charlie; Jake Hawkins is still working on his teleportation Gift along with his newest Gift with Alice's help as they flit about the world exploring archeological sites; Selah is strong in teleportation; Mariko manipulates glass as Irena does metal; and, Radha can disorient her target with illusions and pierce the strongest psychic shields. Novice Guardians include Becca, Pim, Echo, Ben, and Randall.

Deacon is a vampire whom everyone believes is on the side of the Guardians partly because he was once a chaplain in the navy. His partners are Eva and Petra and he leads a nest of vampires in Prague. Caym is the one who beat Deacon. Lorenzo Acciaioli, nosferatu-born, led the vampire community in Rome. He's also Rosalia's brother. She was the "little brother" he fed from in Rome. Mr. Lukacs has cancer and has made a deal to live forever.

Anaria is a grigori, half-demon, half human, Michael's sister, and co-creator with Lucifer of the nephilim. Imprisoned by the Guardians over 2,000 years ago, she has escaped and "intends to take the throne in Hell and eliminate free will". The nephilim's purpose has been to destroy vampires who go bad, but now they're veering from this path and following their "mother". Khavi is another grigori, a Guardian, and Zakril's sister; her husband was Aaron, slain by Belial. Trapped in Hell for over 1,000 years, she also foresees the future.

Detectives Andy Taylor and Joe Preston are with the San Francisco PD; they know about the Guardians, have worked with them in the past. Now Taylor's at risk. Captain Jorgenson is their boss and a jerk. Special Agent in Charge Bradshaw is based in San Francisco and he also knows about demons and the congressman. Well, he should since he's also a Guardian, Luther. Colin Ames-Beaumont is the daywalking vampire, nosferatu-born. Powerful. And able to open the Chaos Realm. He's partnered with Savitri Murray, also nosferatu, the SI resident geek, and Hugh's little sister. Jason is Taylor's brother, in a coma from which he will never recover.

Caelum is the Guardian realm on another plane of existence. The Chaos Realm is where those who do not fulfill their bargains with demons go to scream eternity away and the dragons and nephilim live.


The Cover
The cover is aflame with a smudgy sky, a city in the background and the leather-aproned Irena in a fighting stance in the middle of it all. Daggers in both hands, her shoulder-length, blonde hair lifting in the wind of the flames, Irena is ready for Alejandro or the nephilim.

The title is too apt as Irena is indeed Demon Forged.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

`Forged' By Passion And Consummated In Fire - Great Book in an Awesome Series

Demon Forged is absolutely the best of Meljean Brook's Guardian series to date. Character rich and well crafted, Demon Forged is equal parts romance and a story which builds on and adds some surprising developments to the overall arc of this excellent series -- I thoroughly loved this book and I am only barely resisting the urge to gush and rave.

Guardians Irena and Alejandro - whom Irena calls Olek- have a history, in fact they have 400 years of history. Originally teacher and student, Irena and Alejandro had been stoking an attraction and headed toward an eventual consummation until a fluke and a bargain lead to hurt, shame and anger which causes them to separate for 200 years and which hangs between them for 200 years more. For the past 2 centuries Alejandro and Irena have been antagonistic `friends', dancing around the anger and need that still burns between them - both wanting more, both unsure of the other's feelings, and both too stubborn and proud to take a chance on breaching the distance and facing the truth of what happened to force them apart.

Demon Forged is probably the steamiest of the Guardian books. Somehow the sensuality level in Brook's books always seems to fit the leads - and both Alejandro and Irena are passionate and intense. And even though Brook makes us wait 400 years for the pair to finally come together, she builds the anticipation by giving us a glimpse from the past of the barely leashed attraction between Irena and Alejandro, so that we truly understand the depth of the need that both have suffered. So it is not surprising, that when the pair - who have spent hundreds of year verbal sparring as `foreplay' - finally connect, it is so hot that it is literally on fire.

Demon Forged is really hard to summarize, there is a lot going on here as Irena and Alejandro's story is woven tightly in with the Guardians' struggle to prevent pieces of the prophecy from falling into place, and that part the story was amazingly good too. I can't really talk about most of the things that I loved about the book without heading into spoiler territory, but with two more books to go Brook adds new characters, begins threads for future pairs, and continues the development of what now is a fairly large cast. Probably the most impressive was Brook's development of Irena who was not a sympathetic or particularly likeable character in [[ASIN:0425224538 Demon Bound (The Guardians, Book 7)]]. Irena is utterly fascinating here and she is so much more than what she first appears to be. At the start of Demon Forged, I couldn't have imagined Irene and Alejandro together - they seemed to be polar opposites, her brash directness to his subtle manipulations, her rough power to his grace and finesse - but as Brook delves into their histories and personalities and gives us a chance to watch how Irena and Alejandro interact with the rest of the Guardians, it is clear that they are just what the other needs. Brook also makes good use of the rest of her cast of Guardians, vampires, demons and Grigori. As one of the characters who clearly has an increasingly important part as the series moves forward, I found Khavi's expanded role in the book to be really interesting, as she appears, pull some threads to redirect the future, drops her often embarassing announcements of what she has (fore)'seen' and then vanishes. And, always a nice reward for fans of the series, many of the past and future leads have small but significant parts to play in the story - including sad, poignant and shocking parts.

Personally, I think that to appreciate Demon Forged readers should have at least read Demon Bound, but for readers new to the series - and for those of us fans who are a bit on the memory challenged side needing a refresher - Brook starts out Demon Forged with a dump of the history of the Guardians and if that is not enough, Brook also has collection of "if you are starting with this book..." summaries on her website which have only moderate spoilers for previous books, but have enough information to catch new readers up on the series arc. So if you want to start here and then go back and read the earlier books later - you're good to go.

[Vleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got confused in parts -- the writing wasn't always very clear to me. But it picked up steam by the end with several action-packed scenes and romance.

[Jen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book sure changes things, doesn’t it?

I thought this is one of the strongest (if not the best) installment in the Guardian series to date. Not only is the romance good, but there are major developments in the series arc. Plus, we get a really big dose of Michael here. We get to find out who will be his HEA. And our team takes on a more difficult fight than ever, with at least one surprising casualty. Not a drop of boring to be found.

We got a pretty good setup on the romance in the last book. Irena is the tough-as-nail Guardian who can manipulate metal. (She’s tight with Alice.) And Alejandro is the master swordsman who can wield fire. There is obviously a history between them, and rather quickly in the book, we learn what that is. Irena was once tapped to train Alejandro and attraction bloomed fast and hard between them. But before they ever really had a chance to be together, a demon nearly killed Alejandro. Irena made it in time and struck a bargain, giving herself to the demon in exchange for her love’s life.

Since the misery that followed her sacrifice, hundreds of years have passed. Alejandro has never forgiven himself for what he imagines Irena endured. And she has never gotten over the shame of it. They still yearn for each other, put they have never spoken of what happened and never truly healed. But now they are in each other’s orbit again and it’s all brewing right below the surface. So they have to face their past and find a way to move forward… to finally have what they have always wanted. (It’s a pretty tall order.)

In the meantime, Michael’s sister Anaria is trying to bust into the Chaos realm and snag herself a dragon. It’s all part of her bigger picture plan to usurp Hell from Lucifer and release all the human souls from Hell. So the Guardians are working against that threat, and trying to figure out who killed the wife of Rael, the demon posing as human congressman Thomas Stafford.

The book is action packed. It’s unpredictable. There is death and heartbreak, but there are also second chances and love. I adored Irena. She is so strong, both on the inside and out. And she has endured so much. I loved watching her finally succumb to her weakness for her Olek (Alejandro.) He is everything she needs. Their reunion is so satisfying, it was almost enough to cancel out the fact he didn’t fight for her all those years and had relationships in the interim. (Almost.)

Anyway, I thought this was really good. It got my blood pumping; it kept me turning the pages; and it even made me misty once or twice. Well done.

Rating: B+/A-

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that I can't put down even when I'm starving for dinner and desperate to pee, gets five stars.

If you know Meljean Brook's work already: everything you've heard about the ending of this book is TRUE. By which I mean it is awesome.

If you don't know Meljean Brook's work, here is why I like her:

1. She knows from strong heroines. I know that phrase, "strong heroines," gets tossed around a lot in certain genres (paranormal romance especially), often as code for "has a superpower" or "there was this one time she got really mad and yelled at some folks." Brook's heroines are complex, emotional, damaged, sometimes broken, always strong. There are no TSTL moments here. And Irena is my favorite Brook heroine since Lilith.

2. Brook always shows, never tells. Demon Night was almost too dense for me. Her massively complicated worldbuilding requires a certain amount of exposition, but it is bare minimum. Demon Forged gives us a bit of a clearer look into character motivation than earlier installments, but just barely.

3. As a reader, you never feel pandered to. There's a certain amount of work to do to read a Brook novel as it deserves to be read. Her supernatural creatures are more than just really strong or really fast; they're as different from regular people as they would have to be, in reality. Just keeping up with what the hell they're talking about is work, not that I minded a second of it.

4. The woman can write an action scene. The first fight scene in Demon Forged was exciting, and just when I thought it was over, Brook tacked on a sentence that was the perfect downbeat for all that frenetic action (the mirror hitting the floor). Not since the Bride have I been so psyched to watch a heroine kill people.

Demon Forged takes an already great series and ramps it up to unstoppable. Not every book in the series has moved the action this far forward, but I hope they all do from now on.

[Starfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't know what to say about this book, other than wax lyrical about how much I enjoyed it.

As with previous Guardian novel, I found myself getting at least a third of the way through the book before I had ANY idea where the plot was going - the thing is that I enjoy Meljean Brook's characters and dialogue so much - I enjoy *spending time with them* so much - that I didn't really miss it.

And then when it finally DID kick in... whoah. The stakes were raised, and *stuff* was suddenly happening - not just to our main leads (about whom more soon), but to the whole Guardian-verse - overarching-plot seeds that were sown back in books 1 and 2 started to bear fruit.

Characterwise, I *LOVE* Meljean Brooks's writing. Both the male and female leads in this were easy for me to identify with - Irena was almost the epitome of the "broken competence" archetype I so love (and a wonderfully straight-shooting, snarky bitch to boot), while Alejandro was all style, grace and panache, and I pretty much heard every line he uttered in Antonio Banderas's voice. This may not provide much of an endorsement for people who *aren't* me, but trust, me, it's pretty much Starfire heaven when it comes to fun characters. And yes, the characters are also flawed and three-dimensional, and yes they grow and change and develop over the course of the book... but it's their amazingly identifiable and styley nature from day 1 that has me loving them, and loving spending time with them.

So yes. I've now put the next book on hold at the library, and will absolutely be buying it as well. Because this series? This series is ABSOLUTELY a keeper in my book

[Anita · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on this paranormal romane after the first chapter (18 pages). I expected to like it more, because I liked the first 3 in this series, but I skipped book 4 (this is book 5), so maybe the series goes downhill. I disliked Irena, the protagonist. Maybe I'm just fed up with characters who feel a whole lot of guilt and shame, or maybe it was just too over-the-top in this particular book. Whatever it is, I set the book aside weeks ago and can't bear to go back to it.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really ought to write something up for these books other than slapping 5 star ratings up here, but they kind of get my speechless when I've finished them! If you're a fan of this series, I bet you know what I'm talking about! I need to think about this..

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is still interesting, but darker and more depressing. Romance between protagonists was missing something. The anger and fights between them were somewhat artificial and left me uninvolved

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irena is the awesomesauce, just so you know.
And this book has also firmly cemented (7 foot into the ground) my adoration of Brook's work.

[Tuti · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5, because Irena is extremely not likable for half of the book, and Alejandro is boring. Fortunately, the rest of the characters and the interesting storyline make up for these two protagonists.

The story starts with Irena and Alejandro meeting a vampire, Deacon, in Rome. They find a guardian who has been captured and used for blood for years. This book puts a lot of past characters back in the story. There is also a lot more of Michael than probably the rest of the previous books combined.

Irena is one of Brook's annoying heroines. She was tortured by a demon because of Alejandro, and she couldn't let go of it. She is unpleasant to be around, especially around Alejandro. She hates Lilith, she can barely tolerate that the SI is working with Rael, she doesn't even trust Michael. Her attitude toward Michael is the one that pushes me from tolerating her to actively disliking her. Somewhere in the middle of the book, she and Alejandro bury the hatchet, and then she magically changes to be at least tolerable.

Alejandro is just a meh character. He's more like Drifter, with a bit more ability to control normal Guardian powers (like shapeshifting or making clothes), but Drifter's care for his lady feels a lot more sincere, maybe because Charlie was human and Irena is the second oldest Guardian. At the end, I never feel much for Alejandro. His and Irena's relationship still feels artificial to me.

In this book, Michael is more than the detached figure popping in and out to help whenever the other Guardians are in trouble. He becomes a person who has his own conflicts and can be hurt. Taylor also has more personality than just a badass police detective. Khavi is an intriguing character as she manages to annoy just about everybody. Jake and Alice remind us how good they are as a couple. Jake's enthusiasms and intelligence make me really wish that he could be the protagonist again. The scene at the warehouse with Anaria reminds us how desperately Colin and Savi love each other. Deacon...I don't know why I would want to read about Deacon after this book. It would feel anticlimactic. But it may be needed if I don't want to be lost in the next books.

[Rosario · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: If you haven't read the previous books in the series, it's probably best if you don't read this review. I'll try to avoid spoilers for previous books, but this far into the series, I'm pretty sure some will slip in. And anyway, if you want to read this series, you really should be starting at the beginning. I mean, there's certainly enough information in each book to allow them to be read as standalones (it's useful for us who've been reading the other ones, too; this is a fabulously complex world, and my memory isn't perfect), but you'd get so much more out of them if you've read the previous entries.

---

Irena and Alejandro are among the oldest of the Guardians. Alejandro is old enough, having been one for four centuries, but next to Irena, he's a newbie. She was already an experienced Guardian when Alejandro became one, and he was actually assigned to her to be trained. There was as much heat and attraction as there was respect in that relationship, but before they could move from the very enjoyable and exciting foreplay to the action, a demon intervened and completely wrecked what was between them. Irena had to make a horrendous bargain to save Alejandro's life, and neither could get over the shame and guilt of the aftermath.

In the hundreds of years since, the two of them have done all they can to keep at a distance. But as we've seen in previous books, this is a pivotal time for the Guardians, what with the threat of the Nephilim rising and the small matter of a potentially disastrous prophecy to understand, not to mention increasing mistrust among the Guardians themselves, arising from the revelations about Michael's past. When Alejandro and Irena are required to work together, what had previously looked like an insurmountable chasm suddenly feels like it doesn't have to keep them apart.

Alejandro and Irena are two fantastic, very unique characters. Irena, especially, is amazing. I think she's a sort of character I'd never read before. She's fierce and wild, almost primitive in some ways, so much so that all the novices are a bit scared of her. From glimpses in earlier books, I thought I might find it hard to warm up to her, but I didn't. Brook is really good at getting you to completely understand her characters, and Irena was no exception. What was most brilliant about this careful characterisation was that I could completely get her and feel that what made her completely different to more modern characters (her "ancientness", for lack of another word) was still there.

Irena and Alejandro's romance must be one of my favourites in the whole series. What came between them was something that wasn't just awful, but designed to do as much damage as possible given the kind of persons they each were (exactly what you would expect from a demon, eh?). Getting over it is not just a matter of communicating and wanting to get over it; it takes true character growth and some hard decisions about what's most important, especially for Irena. It also takes a whole lot of trust and love and respect, and boy, do Irena and Alejandro have that! It made the romance incredibly satisfying.

To make things even more amazing in the relationship department, we finally, finally! get some clues about Michael and what's going to happen with him in this area. Big, gut-wrenching developments there, about which I'll say no more, other than you're going to want to read this. Like everyone, I've always been very intrigued by Michael, so it was really good to start to understand what he's like under the whole enigmatic Doyen role.

Ok, on to the plot. In Demon Forged the romance and the bigger storyline share pretty much equal billing. This is one series that really is going somewhere. It's not just a bunch of completely separate stories which happen to take place in the same universe, maybe with some recurring characters. Oh, no, while we do get plenty of closure in the main relationship developed in each book, there's something bigger that is going on, and it's something that progresses book by book.

I think, though, in previous books the plots have felt a bit more self-contained. I mean, they have always fit in with the larger picture and advanced it, but they still felt like single stories, with their own closure delivered in the book. In Demon Forged the link between the plot and the bigger story arc was clearer... in fact, there didn't seem to be much of a smaller plot at all. At one point, right before the denouement, I was actually feeling a bit anxious. The romance felt like we were almost there, and it wasn't clear where the plot was going. I was afraid the action was about to start to drag. And then... WOW!

I received an ARC quite a bit in advance, and was especially told by the author to be very careful not to let it out of my hands, because something huge happens. I hope Meljean doesn't get offended if I say I thought she was being a bit dramatic. Well, she wasn't. She really, really wasn't. That particular development was huge. In fact, even with the warning, I was surprised by just how huge it was. It was brilliant, too, and takes things in a direction I didn't expect at all. My god, that epilogue! I really and truly can't wait now to find out what's going to happen. And that, my friends, is all I'm going to say about that.

MY GRADE: An A. This keeps getting better and better.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was really fascinating, but I REALLY should’ve started with book 1 in this series🤦🏼‍♀️ picked up 4 bc it’s a friends favorite & there was just too much lore & too many characters to keep track of. I will return to this once I’ve read the previous books!

[Brenna]

I really shouldn't count this but whatever. I speedread it while I was sick from booster side effects and while I liked the writing, the world-building was veerrryyy opaque and dense. Soooo I'll just be tryin the other series

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Irena and Alejandro. They complimented beautifully one another. I am curious about Taylor.

[Amelia Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was really sad in places but also gave hope to the reader that everything will work out for the best later. Really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read review here on BookExhibitionism.de

Dear Patricia,

with all due respect, sometimes I am not sure why you like certain books and hate others, coming to the conclusion that you are insane. You are convinced that this book is made of awesome, but not because of the main couple, two folks you don't really care about, but because of the many Michael glimpses you got here. (Which is a shame, because the main couple is spectacular.)

Meljean's Guardians-series is about a group of people who once sacrificed themselves for others, would have died and were then asked if they wanted to join a group of people who protect mankind. They are no angels (despite a similar physique), but they have some cool powers. Nowadays there aren't that many Guardians left, and with the things happening, their lack of numbers is .. bad. In Demon Bound it was discovered that Michael, the leader of the Guardians, has an entirely different history than them. With this the reader also met Anaria and Khavi, who are crucial in the events of Demon Forged.

He's larger than life, and the lack of real information when it comes to him makes him surprisingly lovable. But that makes it hard to focus on Alejandro and Irena: The story itself is so interesting and left me guessing about Taylor, Michael, the Guardians and Nephilim, about freaking everything, that despite the obvious romance and my tendency to sometimes forget the actual plot (in case the romance elements are as strong and lovely as Meljean's usually are, and in case the protagonists are as intriguing as Meljean's are) I couldn't be bothered to really feel involved.

This statement alone wouldn't make me insane, though. But here is what does: Usually I need to feel a stronger emotional connection to the protagonists, and if is as lacking as it kinda was in Demon Forged, I'd give it maybe 2-3 stars. Thinking about it now I'm quite sure I know why I still loved it as much: I didn't feel no connection, but I focussed way more on other characters than I usually do. It is because I loved all the Michael scenes and glimpses so much, that there was no room anymore to relate more than I already did to the main characters. (Meaning that I probably would have felt something more for them if he hadn't been in the book, which thank God isn't the case.)

[Sidenote from the actual future Patricia: The best thing about Michael's book is that even though I obviously love the fuck out of him, I love the heroine, Taylor, even more. She is so fucking amazing, I can't.]

Not that they weren't relatable. Both Alejandro and Irena have a solid background-story, and as individuals I really digged them, but because I felt no sparks, their romantic relationship made me feel a little awkward and uncomfortable.

Meljean though did a hell of a job and I'm quite sure that most people will enjoy this book. She is a talented writer, who is able to execute the plot so well and subtly, combining the human nature of her characters with the paranormal elements and actual plot, that I don't even notice how she manipulates you as the reader into feeling certain emotions. She foreshadows, especially in this installment, and with all but one book published already, I constantly find myself re-reading these bookmarked scenes.

All of these things merge into one big picture. With her novel, it's always a journey and while I did not enjoy the first third of the story as much as I had expected, Demon Forged is one of the firstnovels where I really can't express -because I really don't know- what I liked so much.

Patricia, if there is one series that deserves better covers it would be the Guardians series. In any case, I hope you've already read the final installment by now. (Now not being the time when this review is posted, though that'd be awesome, but now as in.. whenever you are being narcissistic again and read your own reviews.)

All my best,

Patricia

First Thoughts:

4.5

Hush, I don't want anyone to talk me out of my love for this book, because although I didn't like the first 1/3 more than the other novels (actually even a little less), it abounds an awesomenes.. well, few books of the genre can compare to Demon Forged and Brook's brilliant execution.

Also.. I'm heartbroken.

This is a state that begs for at least a 4-stars rating.

But because I'm now also dying for the next books (especially those not yet published/written) and because this is one of the pnr series I can actually admit I'm reading (and there are many I'd never tell my friends or family about no matter how much I enjoyed reading them) I'll stick with the 4.5 rating and make out with Mister Kindle.

This will be a long night.. (And since I'll buy the books, it'll also be a horrible month. I hate when that happens. (Yes, I'll fast yet again so I can buy a new bookshelf and books to fill it.. whatever) *sigh*)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the past I had read the first four books in the Guardians series and then stopped - not lost interest so much as got distracted. Lately my personal and professional lives have been pretty demanding, so I picked up Demon Angel as a re-read. I remembered that I liked it, and vaguely remembered the plot, but my interest got totally captured! I found myself re-reading all the way through the four books I owned, and then continuing on to this book - book five.

And I found this to be one of the better books in the series! For a few reasons:
1) It moved the overall plotline of the Guardian/Demon series forward quite a bit more than previous books
2) Michael. Michael. oh - did I mention, Michael is featured heavily in this book?
3) It seemed to be more self-aware than previous books in setting up future books. I wonder if this book was the first after Ms Brook received a contract for the rest of the series?

I've seen others that were not as into the focus away from the H/H (Irena and Alejandro) but I found it to be a nice balance. For the first time with this book, I was interested in the "other" (non-romance) action and other characters, just as much as the main characters. It felt like a much more integrated novel. Speaking of Irena and Alejandro, I found their story to be very sweet and hot - it had its tortured deceptions, its lengthy miscommunications, its moments of pride and rigidity - but this made their eventual acceptance of each other and commitment that much more moving. And I feel like pulling focus away from them allowed them to have that level of intensity without it being grating. Constant intensity = melodrama.

So I liked the interludes with Taylor, Khavi, Rael, Drifter, Alice, Jake, Lilith, Hugh (though I can probably never get enough of Lilith and Hugh, honestly!), Savi, Colin. Ms Brook has created quite a cast of characters for this world, and everyone stayed true to how they had been written in their own novels, and continued to feel pretty well-developed as characters. I am like a little kid whenever Michael comes around, have been since about book 2, so the thought of him changing significantly like he does in this book AND possibly having a love interest that is being teased for a future book, has me anxious! I also am really interested in Taylor and how disillusioned she seems, and finding out how much more disillusioned she will be as she shoulders so much of Michael's burdens until he returns. I quickly went out and scanned the descriptions for the two remaining novels that have already been published in this series looking for Michael! (Alas, he is not there - but his book, promised as the final book in the series, is due out this summer!)

Back to Irena and Alejandro - not to discount this as a romance novel, but seriously there were only three sex scenes in this novel. I think it's a mark of how successful Brook is at ratcheting up tension that a book with three sex scenes (in a pretty impressive length, overall) is still a "romance" novel. There are considerably more fight scenes than sex scenes! But the ones that are there, count for a lot. Brook is awesome at making her characters earn their love, torturously and with much character development along the way. Irena in particular, because she was so inflexible and strong - and because she takes the lead so much in their relationship as in all things - had to grow and change a lot to be able to be with Alejandro. That was gratifying. She also of course had to begin accepting that life is not all black/white when she takes leadership of the Guardians from Michael. I love how Brook always puts the woman in the leadership role and has the man supporting her - with Irena/Alejandro as with Lilith/Hugh at SI.

The next book, about Rosalia and Deacon, is teased quite a bit in this one, which I think was a good move - as opposed to just tacking something on. So I am interested in reading it (and I will!). However, I'm just biding time until Michael's book comes out this summer. :)

[Jocelyn No · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those very rare books where I never totally warmed up to the main characters, but I loved the book anyway. Will re-read repeatedly, solid keeper shelf material. I'm only taking the one star off because of my lukewarm feelings for Irena and Alejandro.

This is the 8th installation in this series, the 5th full book, and it's where the series plot really starts to hit freeway speed. After the last book (my favorite of the series so far) I didn't think Brook would dole out the series plot information quite so quickly, quite so soon. I'm delighted that I was wrong, and I can see why I she didn't hold back - there's clearly going to be a lot of plot to move through. The developments with Taylor alone... oh man! Not to mention Michael. I loved the world development in this book, which is saying something, because keeping the world-building interesting over a multiple-book series is no small feat.

Nitpicking - The things I didn't like about this book are pretty small, and are probably not going to be problematic for most readers. I've said many times that I love crazy heroines, and I love strong heroines, and Irena is certainly strong, but she's not exactly crazy, she's just not self-aware. She's emotional and she doesn't really examine the details of how she's feeling or of her actions and reactions. She's never totally out of control, Alejandro at one point thinks that (paraphrase) "she's like a hammer and a sword at the same time" - she's blunt and honest and forthright like a hammer, but she understands maneuvering and politics and other people's motivations like sword. She just doesn't like them. And because her character is so forthright and earthy and forceful, she grows on a lot of readers, but she never grew on me. I'm not a big fan of those qualities, and I found her lacking in tact and self-awareness and empathy, all of which I value. Because I never really cared about her, I never really cared about Alejandro (whose personality I liked a lot) because most of what we see of him is through her POV. I respected both characters, but there was always a barrier there, which made it hard for me to lose myself in the story.

Despite that layer of removal, I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to the next installation in the series.

[Jill Dunlop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demon Forged is the fifth book in Meljean Brook's Guardian Series (that's if you don't count the anthologies). Irena and Alejandro are Guardians who have been protecting mankind from Demons. They have a past history together and can't seem to make their friendship/relationship work. Many centuries have passed and they still harbor feelings for one another but neither Irena nor Alejandro can seem to get past their pride to make things work. Now, Irena and Alejandro are being forced to work together to stop a deadly prophecy from becoming true.

I think that so far Demon Forged is the most well written book of this series. However, it was not my favorite and I'll tell you why. But, first let's talk about what I really enjoyed. First of all, the world building is just phenomenal. Brooks really blows me away with her attention to detail and the well planned out plotting. Where she is going with this series, I am not sure. It's perfectly clear that she knows and that is what's important. Things are really starting to heat up between the Guardians and the Demons. Both sides are taking hits and things are super tense. At certain moments, I found myself on the edge of my seat.

Also, I was very intrigued by some of the secondary plots. I was especially enamored with the goings on between Michael and Taylor. I can't wait to see where that ends up! This brings me to the main romance between Irena and Alejandro, I wasn't super crazy about these two. I hate that they went some 500 years unable to work through their problems because of pride. It just makes me question why it took them so long to let go of their issues and actually try and work things out. I will say 500 years of sexual tension sure does lead to some pretty steamy "make-up" sex. It was also obvious to me that these two were meant to be together. I just wanted to be like, "Get over it already!" But actually, this was pretty minor offence even though it doesn't sound like it. I did really enjoy reading this book and I can't wait to read more of this series.

[Emily S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update
4/18/23
Sigh. The chokehold this series has on my heart. And the way I keep going back to it.

Update
3/29/22
Sometimes I don't realize how much I love a book until I'm drawn to it again. And I only feel compelled to reread a book in full that has really resonated with me. This is definitely one of those books. I will go on forever about how much I love the vastly different characters meljean creates and fleshes out so so well and still makes me love. I fucking love Irena and Alejandro. This was also more enjoyable to me on the reread bc I knew what to expect. I did find detective taylor annoying this time around so that was new. This series is exceptional and I'm struggling not to blow through it again.

Original review
10/28/22
Oh my, so this book really sets things into motion. On one hand I thought I knew what would happen but on the other hand just...wow. There was certainly a lot of interesting things happening here, so much so, that I felt it detracted a little from Irena and Alejandro's story. I started off strongly disliking Irena and surprise surprise adored her by the end. She is so so so badass. The friendships and histories here arghhh 😭 and the couples from previous books extra 😭😭😭😭 This couple was 🔥🔥🔥 and I really just want to skip to the last book 😭 sorry I haven't slept in 24 hours so I can mostly convey my feels through emoji. My only thing is that this would be the first book that deals with some heavy TW though the author amazes me with her way of going about the violation (essentially rape but with consent to save the mc's life) anyways...damn...

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting at the beginning quarter of this book to watch Irena and Alejandro seemingly circle around each other whenever they were near, they had such a long and conflict ridden history. They were both super aware of each other but just couldn't face the things that happened in the past, being forced to work together on the lastest threat against the guardians.

Irena was a fun character to read as she is such a strong badass, that even the novice guardians are somewhat scared and in awe of her at the same time, and with reason it turns out. One of the funniest scenes was when she makes one of the novices cut off her finger so another could practice their healing skills. She did not see what was wrong with it or why they were all so horrified at the offer. In the end she got her point across to them leading up to another great scene where a group of people at SI were playing spin the bottle to see who would cut off their finger for healing, laughing while the game went on, causing a non-SI vamp to think they were truly demented and evil until the game was explained.

The battle the guardians faced really seemed to ramp up and the stakes higher than ever. The guardians were faced with some hard choices that will have repercussions in the coming years.

I also think that Khavi isn't always telling the truth when she tells of the future, or at least is telling things so that a certain outcome she wants comes out.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited for this one, but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. However, it did make me really flipping excited to read Michael's story. I can't wait for that book to come out sometime this fall. *crosses fingers that the release date doesn't get pushed back*

Guardians Irena and Alejandro have been at each others' throat ever since a bargain with a demon destroyed their relationship hundreds of years ago. Now circumstances are pushing them to work together and the guilt each carries from the bargain is getting forced out into the open.

I really loved both Alejandro and Irena. Watching as they slowly got over the trauma of what happened with the demon and re-patched their relationship was great. However, at different times in the story I got pretty annoyed at both of them since the only thing that was in the way of the reunion was the epic size of both their prides. My only other complaint is that the story lagged in a few parts for me. Otherwise, I seriously enjoyed this installment. Especially, with how big of a shocker the ending was! That was a huge game-changer for the series and I can't wait to what Brooks does with it. Because of the ending and the plot threads that run throughout this whole series I would definitely recommend reading these books in order.