Faute avouée

Morgan Kingsley #4

by Jenna Black

Morgane Kingsley, la meilleure exorciste d'Amérique, paie le prix d'une mission qui a mal tourné. La famille de sa " victime " la traîne devant les tribunaux, la Commission la suspend de ses fonctions. II s'agit d'un complot et quelqu'un semble déterminé à détruire la jeune femme. Une personne ou un démon qui n'hésite pas à lui envoyer de macabres présents, comme cette main coupée. Alors que son persécuteur devient plus violent et se met à semer les cadavres, Morgane n'a pas d'autre choix que de faire appel à son côté sombre pour échapper à ce fou qui a décidé de la supprimer.

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

381 pages, Poche

First published July 28, 2009

About the author

Jenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.

Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.

Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jennab...

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really felt like a transition novel, more filler than anything. The book before was pretty action-packed and all kinds of things happened. This one was just kind of blah. It really feels like things are getting stretched out and the main storyline was boring.

Here's what happens in a nutshell, practically spoiler-free:

Morgan gets in trouble with bad guys
Morgan has to ask for Adam's help reluctantly
Morgan gets mad at Adam because he tells her she needs help and a bodyguard
Dominic makes some fantastic food and coffee
Brian gets mad at Morgan because she has trust issues and they have a big fight
Lugh tries to seduce Morgan
Morgan stupidly tries to solve the mystery herself and gets herself into even more trouble

and throw in some light BDSM and you've got the bulk of the book.

Doesn't that sound like the last two in the series though, but without the compelling plot to flesh out the story? It's gotten to the point that I'm reading this series because I want to find out what happens with the characters and not because it's an engaging read.

Unfortunately I'm also finding it hard to like Morgan. She doesn't really get along with or trust anyone, and she's stubborn to a fault, practically stupidly so. She really needs to grow a bit more for me to like her again.

I'm really hoping the next book is better.

Here's my review of the last book in the series: The Devil's Playground.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.

This is the fourth, and second to last book, in the Morgan Kingsley, urban fantasy series. This is a series you must read in order. Each book builds on the previous story, so you would be pretty lost if you started the series here.

To give you a bit of background, if you’re not familiar with the series, this is about demons. It is a bit different from other demon books I normally read. These demons possess humans instead of being a different species of supernatural creature. Humans who are willing allow to have demons summoned into them. They become healthier, stronger and better able to heal. Many of these demon hosts take jobs that are dangerous to humans, firefighters and police just to name a few.

Our leading lady, Morgan, is an exorcist. She’s a contractor that expels demons who have been violent or are deemed illegal (don’t have the proper paperwork to show that the host willingly allowed the demon to take control of their bodies). In this story, she’s being sued by the father of a boy who is brain dead after she exorcised his demon. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence, so she has no idea why this father is coming after her. She’s also been getting death threats and vandalism to her property.

There’s an overall series arc plot. Lugh, the demon king, who is stuck on the Mortal Plain, is trying to keep his throne from his brother who wants to be king. I don’t want to go more into this, because there are a lot of spoilers.

There is also Morgan’s love life, which gives new meaning to difficult. Brian, her lawyer boyfriend, is a great guy. He’s such a great guy, Morgan often feels she doesn’t deserve him. Because of this, she thinks everything is going to send him packing, so she tends to be secretive (because that always works in relationships, right?) She has even more issues in this story, as she’s under even more stress than normal. Plus there is someone who is trying to make her life miserable. I will say that Morgan makes a huge leap in her relationship issues in this book. I just hope she doesn’t screw it up in the final book (I really can’t remember how this all plays out, so I’m excited to see how the series wraps up).

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan Kingsley is back in Jenna Black's latest release "Speak of the Devil". This series is one of the most original paranormals I've read. Black's demons are different from any other you'll read about and their interactions with humans will leave you wondering the next time you run into that certain someone at work (or maybe that's just me).

Exorcist extraordinairre Morgan Kingsley is back. This time Morgan is having either the worst run of bad luck...or someone is out to destroy her life. First she's suspended by the Board of Exorcists, next she's being sued for pretty much every penny she'll EVER earn, then doctored photos delivered to her significant other cause a harsh break, her car is pretty much destroyed, and now she's being framed for murder! Just who in the hell did she piss off so badly?

Morgan is a heroine that's sometimes hard to like. She's bad-tempered, untrusting, argumentative, and pretty much a total witch...most of the time. But then she exposes a tiny piece of her soul and the irritation seems to melt away. Morgan's also got a plethora of hot hunks in her life. From Lugh the Demon King to Brian her hot lawyer boyfriend; not to mention Adam, Dominic, Saul, and Raphael. Poor Morgan (yes, that was definitely in a catty voice).

With each of Jenna Black's new books in this series, I get caught up immediately in Morgan's life. With all the reading I do, sometimes it's hard for me to keep differing series straight, but this one is singular enough that I've never had that problem. The romance/sex in this series at times rides a fine line between romance and erotica, but never seems to actually tiptoe over. Do I want to be Morgan Kingsley? Heck NO. Do I want to read more about her life? Absolutely!

[Tim Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but not great. It is starting to repeat the the previous books with character types and places reappearing. However it was saved by some of the existing characters developing more depth and becoming interesting. I can actually empathise with some of the demons. 3.5 stars

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak of the Devil is the fourth installment in the Morgan Kingsly series. In Speak of the Devil we're back to the world of Morgan, a freelance exorcist, and semi-unwilling host to Lugh, who's the demon king.

The story starts shortly after the end of the previous book, The Devil's Due. She's paying the price for an exorcism gone wrong. The victim’s family is suing her, she's suspended from exorcising and her life as she knows it, is in chaos. Her relationship is Brian was already still shaky from the last breakup and things just keep getting worse. Brian thinks she cheated on him and Lugh keeps trying to seduce her, which keeps bringing the new meaning to 'sexual fantasy'.

Spotlighted as she feels, she not alone. Adam White is starting to get into so heat at work for helping Morgan and Saul is furious. But she's lucky in one way. She has a strong cast of supporting characters to love, or hate. But most of which, I love. There's Lugh the sexy Demon King to Brian her handsome lawyer boyfriend, can't forget Adam, Dominic, Saul, and Raphael. She can't complain.
But all in all, Morgan has to buck up and fix her relationship with Brian, save her professional rep and save the lives of herself and maybe even her friends.

I really liked this book. The whole series is worth the read, especially if your a Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance fan. I'm not sure exactly if it's labeled paranormal romance, but there seems to be some there, so I went ahead and labeled it. :P

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL is a great installment in the Morgan Kingsley series. Great, strong characters, a good plot, a bit of gore and a good amount of action! What's not to love?

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speak of the Devil, possessing a stronger mystery angle than its predecessors, continues the Urban Fantasy series with a stylish flourish.

Morgan’s life has always been fret with issues, but the past few years have made those former struggles seem like Disneyland trips by comparison. Things still haven’t settled with her personal relationship ties, a bit to my annoyance, and the end of The Devil’s Due crunched her professional standing so now she is saddled with unemployment and career woes.

I do agree the last two books have slowed down a bit pacing wise, but they were still fantastic in my mind since I enjoy the characters and larger storyline arc so much. Some of this slowdown was due to the group’s dynamics and their many talking and planning scenes. That theme continues here, but again doesn’t really bother me as I enjoy those adventures with them and find the group fun overall.

It was intriguing to see a more vulnerable side of Morgan and she’s clearly opened herself up to becoming more trusting (thank God!). I admit her uptight paranoia irritated me from the start of the first book, but she’s finally growing now as she slowly releases that tedious grip and things breathe easier for the reader too. Saul has some disappointing changes with his storyline and how that played out is not at all how I pictured it. A new character is likeable but not sure yet how I feel about her becoming a permanent fixture, although admittedly we needed more female flavor.

Black again knows how to make the most of scenes with her writing, but by this point the trust issues between Morgan and Brian have been hammered to death. They are so yesterday and I’m more than ready to move on.

The story was a good one as the battle continues, and again I loved the characters for the most part, but the growth spurts need to be sped up for this series to continue with as strong of an impact. Still, a great book again and can't wait to read the fifth, I love this series.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing seems to go smoothly for Morgan these days. She's on suspension, has money problems, and serious issues with Brian, her lawyer boyfriend. At night she must cope with seduction attempts from Lugh, the demon king she's illegally hosting. (Frankly, I wish Morgan would just move on, get over him and have sex with Lugh. Yeah, I'm a perv - and proud of it!) To top it off, she's now being set up for murder by an unknown demon who has it in for her. As an exorcist it's not exactly easy to narrow down the list of suspects...

While coping with the rogue demon, Lugh and Morgan have their hands full with Lugh's inner circle/royal council on the mortal plane. Many of whom hate/lust/love or have issues with each other, making the task of working together interesting, to say the least. But we're slowly learning more about each of the demons and Morgan finds the labels she originally assigned to them aren't necessarily holding true. Yes, we're talking about one demon in particular. He's still the same self-serving individual, but I've always had a fondness for the bastard. I knew there was more to him, and I was right;-) On that note, I enjoyed the 101 on demon procreation and the fact that demons have daddy issues too. (And apparently watch Star Wars, LOL) Another plus for me was Dominic's little note at the end. Though the whole "trust me" scene was far less kinky than I expected. (Somewhat of a letdown, but that just proves my point. Lugh's nightly version of the whole trust scenario was far hotter. Like I said, I'd have picked Lugh over Brian the dullard.)

My main problem with this book was the same shit different wrapping theme: It just seems to me that she could have worked through the same relationship issues while dealing with dangers from Dougal rather than from the random villian we are given here. For these reasons, Speak of the Devil is a good book, but not my favorite in the series.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 4... yes, Morgan and her issues. Morgan is suspended from her job, she is being sued, her insurance money is held up...what else can go wrong. Someone is leaving phone threats, sends her a severed hand and smashes her car. Throughout all of this she messes up her relationship with Brian... again.

Our heroine is as whiny, argumentative and bitchy as ever. Morgan has plenty of time on her hands now that she wallows in self-pity. I guess you can say this book is a continuation of in-depth character development. We see Morgan taking a step back to analyze the relationships around her. I am glad in this book we slowly see her growing up a bit.

Let just hope Jenna knows what she is doing and get back on track with Dougal and the Healing Center, and maybe we can stop hearing about Morgan and her relationship issues...moving forward, please.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 in a contemporary urban fantasy series set in Philly where demon possessions are commonplace, and often welcome. Morgan Kingsley, the heroine, is an exorcist who is possessed by king of the demons, but she has a genetic anomaly that allows her to stay in control of her body most of the time despite the possession. It's a really interesting twist on urban fantasy that I haven't found in any other series, and I read a lot in this genre.

Moving on, this particular book finds Morgan broke, on professional suspension, being sued by a very wealthy man, chased by a rogue demon intent on making her life a living hell, and in serious danger of losing Brian, the love of her life. Morgan also makes a new friend by the end. It was a good installment in this series.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Morgan tasered Saul so she could go alone to the lawyers office I was about ready to throw the book against the wall. I don't mind an unlikeable heroine, I don't mind a flawed heroine, but Morgan is just beyond bitchy and stupid. She treats everyone around her like crap. In this book I think she was doing stupid things because the author wouldn't have had a story without that behavior. So basically, the whole plot of this book revolved around Morgan acting like an idiot (or at least the plot wouldn't have worked at all if Morgan had showed even the slightest bit of sense and intelligence). That made Speak of the Devil a very frusterating read. A disappointing read, too, because I thought the series was picking up with the last book. This one felt like pointless filler.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still digging this series. Morgan's having a crappy week. She's been suspended by the Exorcism Board. She's fighting a lawsuit. And now someone is sending her severed body parts in the mail. Fun? Not so much. Good thing she knows a few good demons that don't mind kicking butt and taking names. You know, I'm not 100% behind the whole Morgan/Brian thing. Mostly because I really can't see why he puts up with so much shit from her. She lies to him constantly and keeps him out of the loop every other time she's in danger. I don't know. I'm just not feeling it. However, I love the dynamic that Raphael and Saul are bringing to the group, especially when they start going for the jugular. Demons, ftw!

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenna Black writes a good book. I've been with the Morgan Kingsley series since the beginning, and while I thought the first and the fourth were weaker than the second and third for various reasons, I do enjoy the world she's created and the characters in them. Well, most of the characters.

Well paced and with a nice blend of continuity and ingenuity, Speak of the Devil is a nice read. There's quite a bit going wrong in Morgan's life right now, and not all of it self-induced. She's got a murder charge, a suspension, a cash flow problem, and serious boyfriend issues. Oh. AND she's possessed by the Demon King, Lugh.

Sucks to be her - big time.

As Morgan struggles to deal with those large helpings of misery, she also discovers she's got the anti-admirer from hell, literally, who's not pulling any punches in stripping her of even her friends and loved ones. Much fun to be had by all as Morgan's world starts crumbling more and more.

Looking at Speak of the Devil on its own merits, it's a tense book with nice plotting, and poor Morgan just can't catch a break, but it's a step down in the overall series, because where previous books were firm in setting up the obvious upcoming struggles between Lugh and Dougal, Lugh's usurper brother, this book shied away from that almost in total, and I think has less impact because of it.

Unfortunately, my major complaint with the series in total hasn't gotten any better. No matter how much I try, I can't warm up to Morgan. As a character, I find her tediously self-interested, judgmental, emotionally immature, at turns prudish and coarse. This is entirely my own personal opinion, but I feel she clings so tightly to preconceptions and quick fire assumptions that she keeps herself from any true growth. Even when she's called to the carpet on this exact thing, she acknowledges the truth in it but does nothing to even attempt to change it. Very frustrating. Also, in this particular book, there were a few incidents in which she was just not too bright, and that's both new and unpleasant. Admittedly, I have a personal issue with and no tolerance for people who are so driven by emotional impulse that they can't seem to help themselves from doing or saying the wrong things, despite admitting that they KNOW what they're doing or saying is wrong ("I know I shouldn't feel this way, but..." or "I know I shouldn't do this, but..."). Morgan's propensity for doing exactly that through the whole series has prevented the books from garnering a higher rating from me.

Morgan is a very flawed character. Usually, I can totally appreciate a flawed character. I think it makes for more interesting reading and adds humanity and depth to character and story both. But there has to be some sign that the character is not only acknowledging their flaws, but doing the right thing to either triumph over them or work around them. Morgan acknowledges the hell out of her flaws - to a point of repetition (by the end of the book I was ready to scream if she mentioned she sucks at lying one more time, or that she can't keep her mouth shut even when she should), but then stops there. In fact, she's stubbornly adamant about NOT trying to change the ones that consistently cause her the most trouble.

I did see her make some strides in her trust issues, but I'm not entirely sure about how I feel about how she went about it, or even how much good it'll do by the next installment, so I'm holding off on giving too much credit for it at this point. On the plus side, there is a lot of room for character growth over the length of a series, and that IS promising. But the promise is balanced by the fact that we're four books in already and not much has been accomplished in that area so far.

I'm going to keep reading so see what happens, because there ARE characters in this book I really like and I also very much enjoy the world Black created with this series. It's a refreshing change from other paranormal series that are vampire- or wereanimal-heavy (don't get me wrong, I LOVE vamps and weres, but it's nice to have a change now and again).

In fact, the only problem I really have with the series at all is just that, simply put, I like the demons more.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth in the Morgan Kingsley urban fantasy romance series taking place in Philadelphia. The primary focus of the series is finding a way to keep Lugh, King of the Demons, safe from a coup attempt by his brother, Dougal.

The Story
In Speak of the Devil, Lugh's problem takes a backseat to Morgan's. In an engineered frame-up by the girlfriend of a demon/host, Morgan exorcises a demon from the young Maguire, which triggers a lawsuit against Morgan. That leads to her suspension by the U.S. Exorcism Board. Coupled with her insurance company not wanting to pay out on the burned-out pit of her house, Morgan is not happy.

It gets worse when Adam asks her to take the newly-returned demon, Saul, on as a roommate (Domenic's "old" demon whom Morgan exorcised in The Devil Inside)—as part of the plan to reinstate Lugh in the demon world, Saul has returned to the Mortal Plain. Unfortunately, having Saul as a third wheel in Adam and Domenic's love nest is proving difficult. They need him gone; they think Morgan needs a bodyguard...she has been getting death threats after all…

Just to keep life difficult, Brian is very unhappy with Morgan. Seems her trust issues are pissing him off big time. Then there's Barbara Paget. A private investigator for Maguire's father who is trailing Morgan all over town looking for dirt.

The Characters
Morgan Kingsley is an exorcist with a slight problem. She's possessed. Luckily, it's not your usual possession. Brian is Morgan's on-again/off-again boyfriend. They love each other but Morgan's trust issues are eroding Brian's interest in staying with her.

Lugh is the King of Demons and, through a dastardly plot on Dougal's part which Raphael (another brother) thwarted by preempting it, is now possessing Morgan. Luckily, Morgan's aura overwhelms Lugh's so she is able to pass any demon-possession test. Raphael has gone undercover in Dougal's coup, spying out and warning Lugh's Council as to what Dougal is planning. No one trusts him…for very good reason.

Adam, Domenic, and Saul used to be a couple—Saul was the demon possessing Domenic before Morgan had to exorcise him (Devil Inside). For help with Lugh's future, they brought Saul back although Dom refused to host him again. Oh, yeah, Saul is Raphael's son…absolutely no love lost on Saul's side.

Barbara Paget is a private investigator hired by Maguire's lawyer, Hillerman, to find all possible dirt on Morgan...even if she has to manufacture it.

My Take
Okay, I still can't stand Morgan. She's like a porcupine on speed—quick to take offence at anything, a mouth that never seems to engage her brain, and some of the stupidest ideas ever. With all that's going on and the danger she's in, Morgan just can't resist calling Maguire who's suing her, visiting Hillerman who is Maguire's lawyer and seems to be the driving force behind the lawsuit, and visiting people whom she's known to associate with when the police are looking for her. It feels as though Black took the best parts of female heroines in other urban fantasy romances and simply hasn't hooked everything up right.

That said, I do like this series. Her demon characters are absolutely engaging and Black has created an interesting scenario with the plots against Lugh, the demons' interactions, and their culture that has me salivating over the next in the series…I just gotta know what's gonna happen next!

Saul's blossoming relationship with Barbara will be interesting to watch as are the hidden facets to Raphael's character. Then there's the weakness Adam has revealed…ooh, baby…

The Cover
The cover certainly conveys the essence of the series. Lugh hovers behind a wall of flames in the upper right corner while Morgan is looking at us over her shoulder…quite seductively…holding her Taser. Wearing a non-Morgan-like itty-bitty miniskirt and a leather midriff-baring halter top. I'm struggling to figure out what the title means; it doesn't seem to draw from anything in this particular story.

[mlady_rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

We'll mark this spoilers, since the scene that most struck me came at the end of the book.

What Brian wants more than anything is Morgan's trust and just to know all her little secrets, what Lugh automatically has because he's possessing Morgan. Lugh sees no conflict between seducing Morgan in her sleep and encouraging Brian to seduce her when she's awake.

(Forgive me if I'm bringing up events from the last book; they've blended a bit in my head.)

Lugh once again brings Morgan to orgasm watching Dom and Adam together. He know she likes the D/s dynamic and tells Brian to up the D/s factor. While Morgan mentally fights off the idea, in both cases, her body melts into the dynamic.

During most of this book Morgan and Brian are at arm's length. Brian finally found out about Morgan's little BDSM scene with Adam. He wasn't so much upset about the intimacy or the fact that she tried to protect him, but the fact that Morgan lied and omitted such a significant event.

But at the end Morgan is so desperate to get back Brian she seeks out Dom's advice. Dom reveals what Lugh had already been showing her. She likes playing the submissive in a D/s dynamic. Maybe not all the extras, but she likes the power exchange. So she goes to Brian with Dom's little care package and she shows Brian she really trusts him.

Love Dom's little protective note to Brian.

On the mystery side of things, Morgan is fighting off a law suit for an exorcism where the host died. Only things aren't as straightforward as they seem. Who's actually pushing the lawsuit forward?

We also get to know Saul in this book. (He was re-summoned during the end of the previous book, to enhance Lugh's court.) We also learn the full depth of Saul's relationship to Raphael, and how his birth led to Lugh and Raphael being on the outs for a century. Once more a harsh gesture on Raphael's part that ends up having a hidden silver lining.

All and all, compelling series. Looking forward to the next book.

[Jackie (Literary Escapism) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, Speak of the Devil does some major development on a lot of the characters as Black gives us more glimpses into Morgan and her inner circle than ever before. Quite honestly, this isn’t going to be one of those novels that keeps your attention because of the insane action, but instead because you get to learn more about a favorite character and actually watch her grow emotionally. I know this cover tends to get a lot of flak for being “trampy”, but Speak of the Devil has such an incredible story behind it and anyone who enjoys urban fantasy will enjoy it as well.

To read my full review, click here.

[The TBR Pile *Book review site* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak of the Devil is a demonic, romantic suspense that you have to read! Full Review - http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...

[Maureen Hubert · Rating 4 out of 5]

On est repartie dans l'histoire accrocheuse. Comparé au tome 3, il se passe beaucoup plus de choses.

Morgane se retrouve mêlée à un procès, on l'accuse d'avoir fait un mauvais exorcisme qui aurait tué l'hôte du démon.

Tout s'acharne sur elle, comme si quelqu'un voulait détruire chaque aspect de sa vie.

Des secrets sont révélés. On rencontre de nouveaux personnages et on découvre certains aspects des personnages qu'on connaissait déjà.

On est pris par l'histoire, on veut savoir ce qui se passe, qui en a après Morgane et comment tout cela va finir.

Les choses vont devenir encore plus sérieuses encore plus dangereuses.

Plus qu'un tome pour finir l'histoire de Morgane l'exorciste et de Lugh le roi des démons.

Une des meilleures fantasy érotique que j'ai pu lire.

[Loraine Philliban · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for some steamy demon exorcist drama then this series is definitely the one to read.
Morgan Kingsley in the role of main character is a “powerful demon” host and Americas leading exorcist. She has a hardcore persona but can also at times be extremely vulnerable.
This series has so many edges and variables it will keep you enthralled and desperate to read more.
Highly recommended.

[Christine Kirchoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the addition of Saul, former lover to both Adam and Dom. That makes for an interesting love triangle, plus I just really, really love Adam. Anyway, the mystery of this book is really well done. Just when I thought I had it figured out, things change and twist. It makes for an excellent book. http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, didn't realize this was the fourth book, I do believe I missed something by not reading the first 3. That may have been why it too a while to read this one. I could pick it up, read a chapter or two, then leave it for months before I would pick it up again. Towards the end, I just wanted to finish it, but it got better.

[le reflet des livres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tome qui remonte le niveau et qui est centré sur Morgane que l'on voit évoluer pour notre plusbgrand plaisir. Elle se révèle plus complexe et sensible que ce qu'on a pu voir jusqu'à présent. Morgane est poursuivie par un démon qui veut faire de sa vie un enfer et donc ca occasionne beaucoup d'action et de rebondissements au sein de ce tome que j'ai dévoré avec plaisir

[Omi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun, quick, read. Nothing spectacular but entertaining.

I am getting a bit sick of the protagonist claiming she is a ‘tough bird’ based on little more than the fact she has a tattoo and a taser. The character of Brain is getting tedious too. But still not a bad series.

[Sombre Grimoire · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai trouvé ce tome moins divertissant, sur quelques points j'ai été déçu mais dans l'ensemble (et les 100 dernières pages) je suis plutôt contente.

[Guada Vilche]

En realidad no leí este, pero lo agrego para llevar la cuenta en la app

[78sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kurz-Meinung:
Dies ist der vierte Band einer meiner absoluten Lieblingsreihen. Ich muss gleich im Voraus sagen, dass man diese Reihe unbedingt in der richtigen Reihenfolge lesen sollte und wenn es geht in nur geringen Abständen. Leider wurden nur die ersten 3 Bände übersetzt, aber es lohnt sich wirklich die letzten beiden Bände in Englisch zu lesen. Leider war es bei mir schon einiges her, dass ich Band 3 gelesen habe. Daher hatte ich anfangs starke Schwierigkeiten in die Handlung zu kommen. Vieles wird als Vorwissen vorausgesetzt und die Handlung knüpft direkt an die Geschehnisse aus Band 3 an.
Ich liebe einfach die Welt die Jenna Black hier erschaffen hat. Es ist Urban Fantasy, also spielt sich das ganze in einer realitätsnahen Welt ab und wird nur mit den paranormalen Extras gespickt. Hier geht es hauptsächlich um Dämonen. Diese können sowohl illegal als auch legal einen menschlichen Wirt in Besitz nehmen. Ja, genau, es gibt hier wirklich Menschen die ihren Körper freiwillig als Wirt zur Verfügung stellen. Warum sie das machen und wie sich das ganze dann anfühlt bzw. in ihren Alltag integriert, müsst ihr unbedingt selbst lesen. Morgan, die Hauptprotagonistin ist Exorzistin und kümmert sich darum, dass illegale Dämonen ihren Wirt wieder verlassen. Im Laufe der Bände wird klar das etwas großes von bestimmten Dämonen geplant wird. Es ist alles sehr komplex, entwickelt sich aber in einem angenehmen Tempo. Daher würde es definitiv zu weit führen, dass hier zu erklären. Wer die Reihe nicht kennt, sollte sich vielleicht mal mein Rezi zu Band 1 ansehen.
Die Grundhandlung schreitet auf jeden Fall voran. Das Buch war sehr spannend und trumpfte auch mit einigen Überraschungen auf. Die Charaktere waren wieder der absolute Hammer. Ich liebe Lugh – der Dämon, der mit Morgan 'zusammenarbeitet'. Er ist super sexy aber auch sehr bedacht, beschützend und souverän. Er gehört zu meinen absoluten Lieblingscharakteren aus Büchern im allgemeinen. Aber auch die vielen Nebencharaktere dieser Reihe sind einfach genial und bekommen genug Tiefe, dass man sie sich als reale 'Menschen' vorstellen könnte. Allerdings ist immer klar, dass Dämonen anders Denken und Fühlen als Menschen und das führt zu einigen Konflikten. Gerade das macht diese Reihe aus. Es ist einfach so überzeugend und packend.
Morgan ist ein grandioser Charakter. Sie ist sehr taff und selbständig. Gegen Dämonen hat sie aber nur wenig in der Hand und so ist ihr Charakter nicht immer taff und sie muss mit einigen zusammenarbeiten. Das mag ich an ihr. Am Anfang der Reihe sträubt sie sich sehr gegen Lugh, aber im Laufe der Bände lernt sie ihm zu Vertrauen. In diesem Band merkte man dieses immer besser werdende Verhältnis. Sie übergibt Lugh sogar von sich aus die Führung und das hätte sie in den ersten Bänden niemals getan. Auch die Zusammenarbeit mit Adam, dem DämonenCop, ist deutlich besser geworden. Man hat schon fast das Gefühl die beiden werden so etwas wie Freunde. Ach, ich könnte hier noch ewig weiterschreiben und schwärmen.
Was ich aber unbedingt noch erwähnen muss ist der Humor. Der liegt mir total. Man erlebt alles aus Morgans Perspektive und sie ist herrlich sarkastisch. Man hat manchmal das Gefühl sie spricht direkt mit einem. Das verbindet den Leser sehr mit ihrer Figur.
Die erotischen Szenen sind nur gering obwohl es oft Anspielungen gibt. Am Ende gibt es eine etwas größere Szene, die für mich aber auch eher zum Handlungsfortschritt und zur Charakterentwicklung gehörte als zum puren Vergnügen. Es werden leichte SM Praktiken verwendet, aber nichts wirklich tiefgreifendes. Ich mag keine SM Bücher, aber diese Story finde ich einfach nur genial. Ich denke das sagt alles. Die Reihe ist schon etwas älter und ist mit den heutigen Paranormal Romance Reihen nicht zu vergleichen, was den erotischen Anteil angeht. Wie gesagt es gibt viele Anspielungen und ein bis zwei explizite Szenen, ansonsten wird sich auf die Handlung konzentriert. Urban Fantasy vom Feinsten. Es gibt hier zwar eine Liebesbeziehung, aber die ist eher nebensächlich.
So ich höre jetzt lieber auf. Ich habe das Gefühl, diese Kurz-Meinung artet aus und ist außerdem sehr unstrukturiert. Das tut mir leid, aber gerade bei Büchern die mich wirklich begeistern, gehen die Gäule mit mir durch.

Meine Wertung:
5 von 5 Sternen

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morgan is in trouble again, she is being sued by the family of a client she exorcised after he was left brain dead and she has been suspended from her job while the case is ongoing. She has no money and no income and doesn't know how she can afford to pay for a lawyer to defend her. To top it all off her stalker's behaviour has started to escalate, starting with a severed human hand in the mail, but what else are they capable of?

I love the premise of this series, Jenna Black has created an original world with a fab take on demons who possess human bodies. The ongoing war between Lugh (the demon king who just happens to be riding along in Morgan's body) and his brother Dougal is intriguing and I'm very curious about how things are going to turn out. Overall I feel like I should absolutely love this series but it always seems to miss just a little for me and while I still enjoy each installment none of the books so far have blown me away.

I find it hard to like Morgan at times, she can be very self-centred and her trust issues drive me crazy. She is like a bear with a sore head most of the time but then every so often she says or does something that make me really want to like her. I was pleased to see a lot of growth from her in Speak of the Devil, not as much as I was hoping for but still a significant amount that gives me hope for her in the next book in the series.

I actually like most of the secondary characters a lot more than I like Morgan. I found myself starting to really like Adam in the last book and this has continued as we get to see more of how much he cares for Dominic (and even Morgan) in this one. I love Adam and Dom as a couple and am glad to see that things are going well for them. It was Raphael's turn to surprise me in this book - I've never liked or trusted him but we get to see a nicer side to him which has made me start to see why he is in Lugh's council. It was nice to see Brian stick up for himself a bit more but I would have liked to have seen more of Lugh.

Overall in Speak of the Devil we get to see quite a lot of character growth and there is enough of a plot to keep the story moving along. If you're a fan of the series it is worth checking this one out and if you're looking for a new series to try then I would recommend this one. Be aware that each book does include some M/M and BDSM but in most cases these scenes are fairly mild so even if that isn't your usual reading material you shouldn't find it too heavy going. I'm looking forward to reading the next book (The Devil's Playground) but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more character development with Morgan and hopefully some more action from Lugh and Dougal.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 4 out of 5 in the Morgan Kingsley series.
Brian wants Morgan to get a lawer because on top of all of her problems, like hosting the Demon King and seemingly always the target of some crazy demon assassin, she is being sued by a father who lost his son (who became brain dead after Morgon exorcised his abusive illegal demon).
On e of the things I really liked about this book was that we got to learn a lot more about Saul. Adam asks Morgan to let Saul move in with her because Saul staying with him and Dom is not really working, what with them all being lovers in the past... unrequited sexual tension much? ;) Morgan doesn't know Saul at all so she refuses, but as usual Lugh interferes while she sleeps and Morgan wakes up with a new flat mate. I'm not really sure waht won me over with Saul but there was just something about him I warmed to. I hope to see more of him and his new love interest. I think he needs someone to love and let's not forget about his sexual preferences that need taking care of (now that's a scene I'd like to see).
I mentionioned that Lugh was back and as meddlesome as ever but we also got to learn a few little details from his past that unfortuantely include Saul's mother (Lugh's wife Delilah), and his brother Raphael's horrible decision to stop Lugh from making himself weak enough to be eliminated, landing the throne into Dougal's hands. It was a really sad story but I can see why Raphael acted the way he did, to save his brother even though he knew Lugh might never forgive him. I have said in a previous review that I don't think we will ever know Raphael's true motives, that is still the case even now. However know I believe that Raphael truly loves his brother Lugh and wants him back in his rightful place on the throne. We see tiny little hints that show he really is a good guy. I feel a bit sorry for him really, the only reason people hate him is because he is the one that makes those horrible decisions that no one else wants to make even though they all know it needed to be done. He takes the heat from them all even though they know he did the right thing. Will he always be a lying asshole? Yes probably, but I love him. He's a great character.
As usual this book had a great story running along-side the main plotline which had about as many twists and turns as Morgan has bitchy thoughts.
I can never put any of these books down once I get started and I am really sad that book 5 will be the last in the series. I am desperate to start reading The Devil's Playground but I don't want this series to be over yet :(

[keikii Eats Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

To read more reviews in this series and others, check out keikii eats books!

68 points/100 (3 ½ stars/5) [revised from 4].

Morgan Kingsley's life has gone to hell ever since she found she was possessed by the king of demons, Lugh. Now, after an unfortunate exorcism that left the victim dead, the family is suing her. This means that she can't even do her job anymore, and she is already hurting for cash after her place burned down. Someone is behind this, someone who seems to want to destroy everything left of Morgan's life. 

Unfortunately, Speak of the Devil feels like the second book in a row where we're just stalling for time. This is the penultimate novel in the series, and nothing happens to bring us to the final battle. This is just a side story. The only reason it kind of feels more connect to the story than the last is because of the personal impact it has on the main character.

Since the first book in this series, Morgan's life has been turned completely upside down. She has lost everything since her life before the first book started. Now she is losing even more. She cannot even work her job, the one thing she had left, because of a vendetta on the part of someone else. Morgan is depressed. She is trying hard to climb out and take control of her life again. She is so depressed that Lugh is able to take control when he wants, which for the mega-control freak Morgan is, this is pretty damn depressed. Life has taken its toll on her. I really love this part of the story. I love the fact that everything has taken over and ruined the life she had.

I don't like the fact there is so much conflict between every one of the side characters that it is no longer fun to read. Everyone is at someone else's throat for something. Sometimes for good reasons. Sometimes because they were annoying in the moment. Sometimes it is because everyone is stressed and looking for someone to yell at. Fact remains is that I'm no longer enjoying the group dynamic anymore. I'm just so over them all.

I'm also no longer looking forward to the last book. All my enthusiasm has kind of died during the last two books of nothing important going on except hints, except just enough to make it feel like they are part of the whole. I never really warmed up to Morgan as a character, but I did like all the side characters, and even that has worn away. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I strongly suggest you read the previous books (Devil Inside, The Devil You Know and The Devil's Due) in order before reading this installment.

In the cruel world that Jenna Black has built, humans can legally register and volunteer to host demons. Some great upsides for humans, when possessed they become nearly indestructible, and are able to achieve and contribute many great things to humanity. However, some downsides to human possession are they cease control of decision making and motor functions, are usually aware and helpless to control what is happening around them and are basically reduced to ride as passengers in their own body.

Morgan Kingsley is the strongest exorcist in her profession but since she's been possessed by Lugh, the King of the Demons involuntarily, her career has taken a nose dive. Unfortunately for Morgan, things are about to get a lot worse than her poor diet of Ramen noodles. She has a stalker who has been very good at making her life hell. This stalker is responsible for Morgan being personally sued for a exorcism gone wrong, has evilly vandalized her car, perversely sends her presents of severed body parts and successfully sets out to take everything she loves away from her, including Brian.

While I enjoyed this installment immensely, I had to deduct a star. Morgan Kingsley exhibits qualities that I hate in a heroine and after all this time has not grown much personally. She is still a tad bit whiny, over abundantly sassy with tendencies of being too-stupid-to-live and the worse of her atrocities, her mind is as thick and as impenetrable to common sense as a solid brick wall. She often overreacts and blows her gasket, still misses the obvious and is way too stubborn.

Despite these vastly annoying qualities, this was still a fabulous installment. The premise alone of demons being from another realm existing solely as incorporeal entities of energy is fascinating. The story was fast paced, exciting, interesting and creative. I highly recommend this book and series to dark urban fantasy readers and look forward to the next installment The Devil's Playground due out 2/23/2010.

I also recommend:
Three Days to Dead
Soul Catcher (The Outsider Series)
Darkness Calls
Servant: The Awakening
Street Magic (Black London Novels)

[Starry · Rating 5 out of 5]

things arnt going good for morgan...shes being sued by jordan, shes out of money, and her relationship with brian is getting more complicated.morgans life never got better when someone sent her a real cut off hand with adams return adress in it, and not to mention barbara(barbie) who turns out to be a private investigator hired by jordon or his lawyer(its his lawyer) to find clues to make morgans life more miserable or to use those evidence against her. so adam is now out to look for who sent the cut off hand to morgan, barbara ruined morgans relationship with brian by sending him a picture of "adam and morgan" making out(which isnt a real picture btw) infront of adams house, and evidence that adam whiped morgan once in morgans life(which is true, but brian doesnt know that morgan got whipped by adam because morgan wanted adams help to save brian, brian thinks that morgan is having an affair with adam). now torn,in rage, and furious..morgans planning to fix things.but of course,she will need adams help and others.
so now barbie is helping(sort-of) morgan by finding info for her, and brian is still mad at morgan even though he found out that the note and the picture is a fake.morgan and lugh and everyone else found out that the cause of death being blamed on morgan is all the work of a demon that is out on revenge on morgan.why?who the heck knows.saul has sort of a spark of interest when he saw barbara for the first time.and he probaly still will.
raphael finds out later on that the reason the demon is out on revenge on morgan is because 1) when morgan did an exorcrism on jordon's demon, she didnt kill the demon but sent it back to the mortal plain where jordons demon told everyone what the other demon tried to do to jordons demon(the demon was building revenge on jordons demon, but morgan got in the way and did an exorcrism, thus sending jordons demon a quick way of escaping to the demon relm and ruining the demons reputation).
so towards the end morgan begins to learn how to trust some people, morgan is free of all charges against her, and she got brian back.the demon thats out on revenge on morgan(abraham) is dead.
#56