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Morgan Kingsley #5

by Jenna Black

Morgan Kingsley, a kick-ass exorcist, can deal with Lugh, the supersexy demon living inside her, but does he have to moan softly during her intimate moments with her mortal lover? Understandably, Brian is reluctant to share the pleasures of Morgan’s flesh with a gorgeous rogue from the Demon Realm.

But personal matters will have to wait when the opportunistic owner of the Seven Deadlies demon club in Philadelphia enlists Morgan’s help in heading off a crisis: It seems that demons have started showing up at the hot spot in alarming numbers and in the unwilling bodies of rough trade club-goers. Morgan is sure that Dougal, Lugh’s sworn enemy, is behind this, but why? To find out, Morgan must summon every ounce of power at her command—or risk becoming just another casualty in an all-out demon war.

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

384 pages, Poche

First published March 23, 2010

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 1 out of 5]

I wanted to add that I do still read Black's books; I haven't given up on her. In fact, here newest series (my review of the first book, Dark Descendant) is actually really, really good. I also liked her YA series as well (I have a review for the second book only though) and these are both really good examples of why I don't give up on an author completely because of one or two bad books. I think over time she's only gotten better, so if you disliked this one as much as I did, maybe give another one of her series a chance, especially if you may have liked parts of this series but not the whole. I think she's worth giving a second chance, definitely.

Now, on to the review of this book!

Sigh ... where to start? Let's just say I was very disappointed with this book. I was hoping things would improve from the previous one but it seems I was wrong to even think that. I'm frustrated with this series now like I'm frustrated with Laurell K. Hamilton's two series and there isn't even a lot of sex in Black's books to distract me from the poorly developed plot. Let me see if I can explain myself.

Morgan Kingsley is a demon executioner, and we find out in the beginning of this book that her life has returned to some semblance of normalcy. She's still hosting the Demon King Lugh but she's come to terms with a lot of what's happened in the previous books. She's building a better relationship with Brian and her friends, and trying hard not to be a stubborn bitch all the time. But then the owner of the Seven Deadlies demon club, Shae, comes to Morgan with some information. She tells her that increasing amounts of demons have been showing up at the club in less than perfect bodies and she thinks it might have something to do with Dougal and his plan to kill Lugh. So Morgan decides to investigate and once again gets caught up in demon politics.

Now, where did this book go wrong? This series has such an interesting premise and it's the main reason I keep coming back to read more even though the quality seems to go downhill with each additional book. This book should have been called The Devil's Meeting in Morgan's Apartment. I should have tried to keep track of the amount of times Lugh's counsel was called to convene and drink copious amounts of coffee in Morgan's living room. It honestly got ridiculous and if I had to guess I'd say they met at least six times to discuss what action to take. About 75% of this book was them sitting around talking about what they should do! And good lord, WE GET IT, YOU LIKE COFFEE! I'm surprised the other 25% of this book didn't take place in Morgan's bathroom.

Another thing I had a problem with was the repetitive feel of almost all of Morgan's thoughts and conversations. She has a hard time letting people in, she's stubborn, Lugh taking control makes her sick, she's gets cranky when she gets a headache, people can't change, blah blah blah. It's the same thing over and over and over again. Thankfully, she's FINALLY starting to trust people, but now we have Brian to take up the whiny bitch throne. He doesn't like the fact that Lugh is there when he and Morgan have sex and he throws a hissy fit because Lugh happens to have feelings for him. Lugh is inside her head and has no body! There's no chance for any wiener-wackin' so get over your homophobic self! (I might be being a little unfair but his whining is super annoying. He spent four books pissed that Morgan was stubborn and wouldn't let him in and now he pulls this crap when Lugh has been there the whole time!)

And now this kind of gets me back to the whole LKH comparison. Hamilton's Anita Blake raises the dead as a job in the beginning of her series. As the plot gets more convoluted with vampire and werewolf stuff the zombie raising is left behind. Now though it seems like LKH is trying to get back to Anita's roots and I saw a glimmer of hope in Flirt that the series might take a turn for the better. I think this is what the Morgan Kingsley series needs to do too. Morgan hardly does exorcisms anymore. She's been so caught up in the demon politics that she's lost her identity, and also her charm. At this point she's just an annoying human that happens to host the Demon King. And sometimes I question her intelligence too; on two separate occasions, her only weapon-her taser-was at the bottom of her gigantic purse. How is that the smart thing to do? It's her only weapon! I just thought that was beyond stupid. At least Anita doesn't root around in her purse looking for her gun.

Apparently, this is the end of the series for the time being. See Jenna's goodbye to the series here. I can understand an author not wanting to drag something out if she's run out of ideas, and I can very well see that being the case here, but if this turns out to be the end of Morgan Kingsley then I'll be left forever feeling frustrated and disappointed. It will also make me question if I want to read Jenna Black's books in the future, or at the very least it'll keep me from blind-buying them.

One more thing I wanted to add: I hate the cover! It doesn't match the previous books and the model is weird looking. I don't know if it's the angle at which the photograph was taken or if the designer made it that way but I just don't like it. See below. This was just one more thing that left me dissatisfied. : (



My Speak of the Devil review.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

~*~*~*~*~* Full of Sound And Fury...Signifying Nothing *~*~*~*~*~

I hate to butcher old Willy S. here, but that's the feeling I was left with upon the conclusion of The Devil's Playground, fifth book of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist series. I've been reading this series since the first (The Devil Inside) and have suffered the peaks and valleys along with Morgan and crew ever since. Up through Speak of the Devil (Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist, Book 4) my biggest problem with the series was, in fact, Morgan herself. Rarely have I read a more self-involved, hypocritical, judgmental, bigoted, unsympathetic 'heroine' in an urban fantasy series. Where a reader would expect some growth over the arc of a series, there just wasn't any of a measurable amount, though the glimmers were there at the end of the last book. The good news about The Devil's Playground is that Morgan didn't annoy me nearly as much as she has in the past, and did, in fact, make both conscious and unconscious strides towards being an all around a better person. She wasn't great, by any means, but she was better. It made for a much easier read. Unfortunately, Morgan isn't the only problem in The Devil's Playground.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Jenna Black as an author. Her narrative is smooth, the mechanics of her writing are excellent, and her imagination is impressive, but there are so many very perplexing things about this book in particular and the series in general. Where I criticized Speak of the Devil for containing nothing of any consequence concerning the overall series arc of the Lugh/Dougal conflict, I'm still left feeling slightly agog that the pendulum swept so far in the other direction here. The Devil's Playground is almost exclusively about the Lugh/Dougal conflict. Heck, maybe that's why Morgan didn't annoy me as much, because with everything going on about the impending Lugh/Dougal showdown, there just wasn't time for Morgan to focus on Morgan to the degree she's done in the past. To put it bluntly, this book just wasn't about her (though the parts that were...especially the Morgan/Brian/Lugh troubles...I found to be a bit unsettling).

The published book description for The Devil's Playground is misleading. Yes, Lugh moans while Brian and Morgan are commencing an intimate moment - but not because he wants to share Morgan...in fact, it's because he's enjoying sharing Brian with Morgan. And in classic Lugh style, he's decided it's time Morgan tells Brian that. Lugh's sort of like a twisted Dr. Phil sometimes. Not surprisingly, Brian is a little disturbed by the knowledge that Lugh wants him, and he can't immediately reconcile that when he's with Morgan, he's also with Lugh, and that will always be the case. Relationship drama ensues due to that.

Also in the book description, it mentions that Shae, illegal demon and owner of the Seven Deadlies demon sex club, enlists Morgan's help heading off a crisis. No. Actually, Shae, annoyed at being ordered around by some big bad demon, goes to Morgan to sell some information about an unusual influx of demons in her club. Demons in bodies that look a little too hard-ridden and used up. Like perhaps demons were taking over the bodies of the fringe of society - junkies, prostitutes, and homeless. And if that's the case, Morgan knows Dougal has got to be somehow involved.

The majority of the book from that point on is about Lugh's council trying to find out what's going on. There's a lot of talking. A lot of talking. The council talks (and argues) to each other, the council talks with suspects (but that's not all they do with them), the council talks with potential allies...

There's a lot of talking. By the middle of the book all that talking had dragged down the flow of the story to such a degree I was quite painfully bored and almost completely apathetic about the whole thing. And there was still more talking. What little action that was peppered through the book didn't alleviate my boredom, though I will say, there were several scenes in there that I did like (one in particular between Morgan and Lugh). And that's one of the things that is so frustrating about Jenna Black and this series. There are moments that just flat out work for me, that I think are valuable plot progression and interesting development...and a lot of stuff that doesn't. That very inconsistency has been one of the few consistent aspects about the series as a whole.

Looking back on the last two books in the series, I would have preferred the plots to have been more intertwined - giving a far more balanced story for each book that included Morgan's life going to hell as well as the progression of the Lugh/Dougal arc. Also, Black's penchant for repetition is back in this book. In the last book it was Morgan saying over an over again just how bad a liar she was, in this one it was the 'hate/don't trust/don't believe Raphael' banner that got the most waves. All through the book that's mentioned over and over again. I know Raphael's been a bad boy in the past, but after awhile, I felt the pointed and repetitive smears to be pitiable.

Black's book isn't consistent and neither is the series. That's not to say some parts weren't awesome, because I admit, some were. The reason I didn't rate this book two stars, in fact, was the last twenty percent of the story. Not to give away any spoilers, but when the time came that all the talking was done, the story progressed rapidly and it was well written from that point through to the end (not including the epilogue). That final 20% or so is what prompted me to liking it just enough for the three stars.

Now, about that epilogue... I don't know if the series is over. Is this the final installment of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist series? When I finished The Devil's Playground I went to the author's website to see if I could find that answer, because it was very much written like it was, but I couldn't find anything. There are unresolved issues, but it appears that the overall arc between Lugh and his usurper brother Dougal is finally concluded. The anemic and slightly odd wrap up in the epilogue, along with those unresolved issues and some not even addressed, though, made what closure there was feel more than hollow.

Honestly, I don't know if I would continue with Morgan and crew if there are more books in the works. I just haven't been satisfied with the world or the characters enough to enjoy hanging out with them any longer. I've never felt like the demons were all that well conceived, as it's always squigged me out that humans have willfully (sometimes against their will) subverted their lives to give a demon a body. Black never quite gave her demons enough soul and heart to really make me okay with that. In that, I felt much like Morgan herself did. Demons take people's...lives - even if they're given voluntarily. And the demons of Lugh's council just aren't really all that nice, either. Lugh, perhaps, was the most honorable of them all and even he wasn't someone I'd want to spend any significant time with. Adam and Raphael were just flat out scary individuals, and no matter how much I liked them, they were never not scary individuals. Ultimately, that's the core of why this series as a whole isn't a favorite of mine. If you don't necessarily like the good guys...and you surely loathe the bad guys...what's left?

A series full of sound and fury...signifying nothing.

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

[Starry · Rating 5 out of 5]

shae came into morgans office and told morgan about new demons arriving from the demon relm...morgan knows that in order for demons to come to the human world, a host has to say that the demon can posess them.morgan also knows that there are more demons that want to go to the human world than the # of hosts that would willingly accept the posession from the demon.shae thinks that dougal is up to something so she wanted lugh to know the info.morgans life is normal as it can get so far, noones trying to kill her and make her life miserable and she has a relationship with the love of her life brian...but why must lugh moan in morgans head when morgan and brian make love.turns out lugh lusts more brian, which makes brian and morgan uncomfortable with their relationship when they find out.adam payed for a restraunt and dom is the owner of it.saul and barbara are either in a relationship or fuck buddies. raphael is not really likeable by anyone still..especially saul.andy is still living with guilt that he let raphael go into an unwillingly host to save himself from staying with raphael.when everyone has a council meeting about what shae said, they think that dougal is up to something and its not good.so after having a chat with an illegal demon, they found out that the illegal demons coming to the mortal plain/human world are prisoners, and were forced to after released to go to the mortal plain.raphael thinks dougal wants to try to become king of not only the demon relm but also the mortal plain.and dougal might also want lugh to go out of hiding to protect the humans.things go wrong when shae is later heard of as dead...and they mean that both the demon shae and her host is dead.things are also.....suspicious that are happening with the secret society.lugh does some more seduction to morgan in this book, but while doing that lugh says that morgan can love brian and want lugh, and lugh can want brian and LOVE morgan.
conflict goes on between brian and morgan because brian comes up with this idea that he wants morgan to give lugh to another host, and morgan will never do that for the protection of lugh.brian and morgan eventually fight over the situation, and lugh cant take it and takes over morgan and confronts brian...and brian in the end relizes that what hes saying is a mistake and yeah morgan and brian are back together!lughs council finds out later on that the reason illegal demons were coming to the mortal plain is because dougal promised alot of people things that he would do for them if they side with them, but things go wrong and now dougals council and allys are either sick or betrayed him because he lied to them, so all dougal has now thats power to help him is his "Fans" and so he letted alot of demons go to the mortal plain illegally so they would think siding with him is a great idea.raphael now knows that the dougal is deserate to be on the throne, so desperate that he might acturally show up on the mortal plain to find lugh and deal with him once and for all.raphael plans to pretend to be lugh.morgan comes up with the idea that in order to make dougal come to the mortal plain/human world, the council(lughs council) has to tell a demon secret that will make dougal mad enough to come to the mortal plain.so they tell the secret about exorcrisms not killing demons.lugh also plans to challenge dougal to a duel if it has to go down to that.later on when lugh was about to go to the duel and risk his life to try and kill dugal, raphael shot lugh with a taser and told lugh raphaels plan that raphael made.raphael plans on going as lugh to the duel and killing himself in the process and killing dougal with raphael also. later on when lugh and morgan can move from the shock of the taser lugh ran all the way to where the duel was taking place but was too late and raphael burned himself along with dougal.later on did morgan and lugh found out from saul that saul shot raphael and that means that raphael might still be alive.morgan and lugh also found out that andy knows raphaels true name because raphael gave it to him.and so andy summoned raphael and turns out raphael is still alive.lugh and raphael have their brother moments after that and morgan learns that people can change and she can et used to her new life.#86

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stepping into territory outside of my comfort zone at times, I am still sad to see this series end. But Black does a bang up job with the big finish to the struggle for the demon throne.

I've come to really like all of the characters in the series (well, Brian irked me at times) even the ones who are a bit on the morally challenged side and most all of them have grown (or grown on me) to some extent over the course of the series.

Next up for Black Glimmerglass which looks to be Fae centric (and maybe YA?)

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.

This is the fifth, and 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.

If you’re not familiar with this series, which is set in Philadelphia, demons exist and possess people to walk the Mortal Plain. By human law, demons are only allowed to possess willing humans. If that demon is found to possess someone against their will or injure a human in an act of violence of any kind, they are exorcised (which humans believe kill the demon, but actually, only being burned alive in a human can kill them. Exorcism just sends them back to the Demon Plain). Morgan is one of those exorcists. She comes in when the government orders an exorcism. If she performs an exorcism without a court order, she would be up for murder.

Throughout the series, Morgan, who has never been a fan of demons, finds herself working with demons as she tries to protect Lugh, the demon king trapped on the Mortal Plain. Lugh’s brother Dugal wants to take over the throne. Morgan finds herself with many death threats throughout the series. We see how she struggles with many different things, from her relationship with her boyfriend, Brian to dealing with her estranged family.

This has been a really fun series with action, adventure, drama, and romance. I love the characters in this story. They are widely diverse in the personalities. Ms. Black really kept me on my toes with these characters. You never really knew what what going to happen next.

Now, I know I didn’t say much about The Devil’s Playground in particular. That is because I can’t say much without spoiling the entire series for you. I’ll just say that this book does wrap up the series really well, though the first time I read the series, I really hoped we would get more. If you’re looking for a gritty urban fantasy series, this is a good one. And, with only five books, it is one you can get through fairly quickly (when compared to some of those double digit series out there. I know those can be daunting, even though I love them too.)

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth and end of the Morgan Kingsley urban-fantasy series set in an alternate Philadelphia.

The Story
Shae, the illegal demon who owns the Seven Deadlies, comes to Morgan with some disturbing news. Seems she's seeing a lot of new demons coming into her club who aren't the usual gorgeous beauties. Instead they seem to be addicts and beggars. Since no demon wants to be in anything less than a gorgeous body, the news is disturbing enough that Lugh's Council realizes they'll have to push Dougal into a confrontation.

The Characters
Morgan Kingsley is a pain-in-the-ass albeit extremely strong exorcist although she's only doing one to two exorcisms a month these days compared to the four or more per week she used to do. Seems she can't leave Philly until Lugh's problems are solved, after all, Lugh is possessing her body. Brian is a corporate lawyer and Morgan's boyfriend. He's also incredibly patient in putting up with Morgan's issues although he's not too happy to find out that Lugh is "listening in" when they make love nor that Lugh is attracted to him! Eeek!!

Lugh is the Demon King fighting against a coup attempt by his brother, Dougal. The brothers have a conflict of opinion as to the proper method of possession. He's also rather intent on seducing Morgan…and, if he can get away with it, Brian.

Adam White is demon-possessed and the head of the Special Forces branch of the police force which, ahem, polices demons while Domenic, his lover, finally gets to open his Italian restaurant. Seems Adam may be in some trouble as he's been caught one too many times covering up for Lugh/Morgan.

Andrew is Morgan's brother and used to be Raphael's host. He's the reason we now know why some hosts are damaged after a demon is exorcised. Yet, even though his demon-hosting experience was traumatic, Andrew steps up when it's needed.

Raphael is Lugh's youngest brother. From being part of Dougal's conspiracy to fully supporting Lugh, Raphael seems to have learned some new ways of thinking…who knew!!?

Saul is Raphael's son with absolutely no love lost on his side; he's also Lugh's heir. Barbara Paget is a private investigator who has fallen in love with Saul. All the above characters—except Dougal—are on Lugh's Royal Council.

My Take
Bummer! I am so going to miss Adam and Lugh! Domenic's meals are going to be missed even more—he takes such delight in creating incredible food! Even Morgan seems to have learned something during Lugh's residence even if she is merely boring now instead of incredibly irritating.

Black does a lovely ending even as she leaves us in some suspense for Adam's job.

My reason for the 3 is that this was rather tame and a touch boring. There was some tension in the lead up to the duel between Lugh and Dougal with a bit of the snarkiness I do love from Adam but I think Black was more interested in tidying everything up before she shut the door on the series.

The Cover
The cover is rather odd. I like the black fanciful scroll that borders the bottom with its green and blue feathery smoke that rises up around the intense woman glaring out at us whom I assume is Morgan.

The title, The Devil's Playground, refers [I'm guessing] to the Mortal Realm where the demons like to come and play in and amongst the humans.

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Crap this book was good. (I got this as an ARC in a contest so I thought I'd do a brief review) Morgan Kingsley our heroine is an exorcist who kicks ass and takes names and in her latest adventures Morgan is forced to deal with coups, jealous boyfriends, a brooding brother, tension between demon relatives, not to mention murder, mayhem and my favorite; a yummylicious Demon King who knows Morgan from the inside out making amorous advances. Black ups the ante and comes to some startling conclusions to her story arc. This book is demonly delicious and with Lugh, King of the Demons making some serious headway into Morgan's trust issues this story is sure to have people clamoring for more. Personally, seeing Morgan being forced into maturity had my jaw drop. From the first book Morgan had some serious demon hatin' going on. Seeing that transform from resentment to a mature and even dare I say trusting person, over the course of the series, who realizes that demons have their assholes (ahem Raphael) as well as their good guys (ahem Lugh)and is able to have relationships with them without a bonfire present really warms me (pun intended)Furthermore seeing Morgan's relationship with her boyfriend transform and evolve was rather grand. It, of course, isn't smooth sailing but great strides have been made in their relationship despite a rather large bump in the road (studmuffin demons, oh my!). As for Douglas, Lugh's asshat brother and would-be usurper, all I have to say on that front is this; tee-hee! Raphael seems to have mutated into a person (er demon) who actually understands sacrifice (actually that is a rather large understatement but I'll leave it at that)and is someone I think is actually redeemable, not completely mind you, this is of course RAPHAEL we're talkin' about here. There is of course a lot more to the story than what I've listed and all I can do is say READ THIS BOOK!

[Kelly *oh boyeee* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am disappointed in the ending of this series. Some things end a bit too easily, other things don't seem to have any resolution at all.

I read this book not knowing that it was the end of the series, and I think had I known-I might of stopped reading this series a lot sooner than this last book.

I think that I will always be holding a part of myself back while reading Jenna's books in the future, because (at least right now) getting vested in the characters of her books and taking the chance that the series is going to end because she's too comfortable with them, is not a chance I'm willing to take again.

[Adrian Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Morgan Kingsley series and was sorry to see it end. I'll read anything Jenna Black writes.

[Jessica Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
Welcome to the world of Morgan Kingsley, exorcist extraordinaire. It's not much different from our modern world, really, except for one specific thing: in Morgan's world, you can be possessed by demons.

In fact, demon possession is a way of life. It's fought over by people and the government much like gay rights (with religious groups on either side to boot) and the whole of society is learning to live with their new 'reality'. On this stage, Morgan is an exorcist, brought in to exorcise demons when they've overstayed their welcome in their human hosts. You can imagine she has very specific feelings about whose side she's on.

The problem is that Morgan now has a demon inside of her, and not just any demon: he's the king of them all. She doesn't want him, but she can't get rid of him, not when there's a war going on over leadership in the Demon Realm and her world will be affected by the outcome. Her life just got a lot more complicated.

Review:
I have been a lover of urban fantasy for a long time and I'll admit that when I'm not sure what to read next, this is the genre I immediately look to. It's not the sex with other worldly creatures, really, it's the world and the creativity that's scattered about. It takes a lot to make these stories believable in our world and I love it when authors can manage this.

With Morgan Kingsley's world, Jenna Black has done just that. She's created a believable world and very interesting characters that I loved coming back to. Specifically her side characters caught me in the first book and I found myself wishing they were the main focus. Not that Morgan herself is bad, but the side characters are also more interesting then usual.

The concept of the demons in the world is also super interesting. With demons, you would expect quite a few religious undertones to fill the book, however the author took another route, and treated it more like the social issues we see in our world, with religious groups taking part, but there's also laws and realistic reactions. For example, there are people who actually want to be demon hosts, because it gives them the ability to heal and strength, so they can be better at fighting fires, being police and other such service jobs. And Morgan's religious beliefs are not tied to her ability to exorcise. It's a route that I wouldn't have immediately thought of and it presented an interesting challenge in that you couldn't assume that all 'demons' were evil, because some genuinely weren't.

I was also a fan of the very distinct culture created for her demons. As an anthropology major in college, I appreciate the time authors take to build cultures and here is no exception. There's the standard 'we don't understand humans' but there's also the mention of how our sexuality and gender thoughts don't quite apply when you're not used to having a physical body. So demons have no issues with homosexuality and monogamy is another sticky issue, especially if someone loves a demon and not the host, or vice versa. That along with the BDSM threads because demons aren't used to feeling the sensation of pain and therefore some delight in it a bit too much, creates a culture and a world that I would seriously pick up textbooks about in my free time, if that were an option.

While I do love all the things above, I did run into an issue, especially toward the end of the series, that the character of Morgan started to grate on me. She is very steadfast in her 'I hate demons' attitude and this doesn't change throughout the books, even when she's possessed by one and gets to know him very personally. As the books moved on she struck me as very childish in how she refused to grow as a character. It wasn't that I wanted her to completely step forward and accept demons all the way, but I did expect her to grow at least a little. Instead she greets each opportunity at growth with clenched teeth and only in the end of the series does she start to admit that maybe she could change her views. I like characters who are consistent, but this seemed a bit much and it made it hard to empathize with her at the end because I just wanted to smack her upside the head. Though, I will admit, it's a great portrayal of those in our world who really will never change their view, no matter what realities they are confronted with.

My only other issue with the series is specific to the last book: The Devil's Playground. Unfortunately the series set up a giant demon war and a fight for the throne, and when it came time to play those cards it sputtered and failed. There was no war, there was no epic battle, instead it all ended with a whimper that, I swear, only lasted five pages. And the wrap up afterwards didn't end a series, it was a rushed summary that left too many open ends for me to be satisfied. In the last book specifically Morgan feels more like a looking glass to view the situation and doesn't really act, in fact, she's not even allowed to be Lugh's host for the main parts and it almost left me feeling cheated out of what should have been a much better thought out ending to an otherwise impressive series.

Overall Rating:
Even with my gripes about the ending and how carelessly it was brought to a halt, I would still recommend this series. Overall it's worth the read, specifically for the world building and the amazing characters and all the concepts that the author put forward. And I even added Jenna Black's other series to my wishlist, eager to pick up the next. I wish more care had been taken with the end, but I can't fault the entire series for it when the trip to that ending was well worth it. Oh well, that's what fanfiction and my own writer mind are for, and the pile of books sitting near my bed, waiting to be read. I'm slightly disappointed, but still very much a fan.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please be aware that this is the 5th & final book in the Morgan Kingsley series so although my review won't contain spoilers for The Devil's Playground it may contain spoilers for previous books. If you're new to the series its one I'd recommend reading in order starting with book 1 The Devil Inside.

Things have been going far too well for Morgan and the other members of Lugh's council over the last couple of months - they should have known it was too good to be true. When Shae (the owner of The Seven Deadlies nightclub) approaches Morgan to warn her about an unusual increase in demons crossing over into the human world the council immediately suspect Dougal is up to something. Dougal has been trying to take over Lugh's throne but why does he feel the need to increase demon presence on earth? They need to find out what he is up to and try to figure out a way to stop him before he can do any more damage.

I have to say that this series has been one that I've had mixed feelings about from the start, it's always felt like a series I should love but there has always been something that kept it from becoming a favorite. Morgan has always been quite an annoying character but I was pleased to see that the changes in her that started in Speak of the Devil have continued in The Devil's Playground. She still isn't perfect but she has come a long way from the first book and I'm liking her a lot more now than I ever did before.

I still love Lugh and was pleased with the amount of time we got to spend with him in this book although I have to confess I'd have liked to have seen things develop further with him & Morgan. I've been routing for him since near the beginning of the series! I've never been Brian's biggest fan and I have to say his attitude this time around didn't help any. Morgan has finally started letting him in and now he is starting to feel jealous of Lugh and pushing her away. While I can see why he is bothered by the fact that Lugh is always there it isn't like this is something new - he has been aware of Lugh's presence for quite a long time now & I found it strange that it suddenly started bothering him quite so much.

We get to see quite a lot of the other main characters so it felt like we know how the future will turn out for each of them which is something I really liked. I'm still a massive fan of Adam and Dominic - Adam really grew on me in the last couple of books & I've liked Dom from the start. Raphael surprised me in the last book but I have to say I was downright shocked by him this time, I'm not going to say what he did for fear of spoilers but my opinion of him is now completely different to what it was at the beginning of the series. It was nice to see Morgan's brother Andy have an attitude adjustment too, he was starting to really irritate me so I'm pleased he has started to turn his life back around.

Although I would have liked more action I do think that this was probably my favorite book in the series and ended things well answering all of the questions I had. I do think it has been left at a point where Jenna Black could re-visit the series again in the future and I find myself hoping that she will do. I'm going to miss Morgan and her group of friends - Lugh, Dom & Adam in particular. While I think this is a series that never quite lived up to it's full potential for me I still think it is worth reading & if you liked the rest of the series then I'm sure you will enjoy this final installment.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fifth and final book in the Morgan Kingsely series.
I was so sad when I realised that this was the last book in the series and I did as always enjoy this book. However I will be honest and say that it was my least favourite out of them all. Books one and two were amazing, we were being introduced into this exciting dangerous new world. I loved getting to know all the characters and my face lit up in every book when I would get to read about them all again. With the third and fourth books it was just wonderfully comfortable to read about them. I loved the darkness and the sexual situations we were seeing with Adam and Dom and also Lugh's interest in Morgan.
I had become so invested in them all and I couldn't wait to see where this final book would take them. But I have to say I was a little dissapointed. I had excpected some major showdown between Lugh and Dougal (that had been building up since book one) but it just didn't happen. There wasn't really any of the great storylines that always come with this series. It was just all of them sitting around talking and drinking enough coffee to sink a battle-ship. For the very first time I was actually bored on more than one occassion.
I felt like the pages in this book were wasted. I was desperate to see more of Lugh and Morgan. He so sweetly confessed his love for her and we all know he only wants to stay in the human realm for her but it was swept under the rug like it never even happened. I just didn't get it!
Brian who I used to love just seemed a little whiney. I would have preferred for him to just to accept Lugh's roll in her life now, hell I would have preferred for him to embrace it, use it to his advantage. What really happened just kind of got on my nerves.
I will say though that finally, after five books I have made up my mind about Raphael. Ok I will admit that I was a little wrong before, Raphael is definately one of the good guys. I have really enjoyed watching him make slow but steady progress into being a better man.
I wished we had got to see more of Saul and Barbie, I was gutted that all we got was "we're separating them so that Lugh can stay here with Morgan. Saul can come back and see Barbie once a month. Oh and by the way, whilst Saul is in the Demon Realm, you are responsible for looking after his host. A whiney little man who has the mind of a child" What the hell was that about. Poor Barbie. I really had a soft spot for Saul and I can't believe that when he finally finds someone to be with he is ripped off by his friends so they can do what they want.
I know I gave this book a very rant like review but overall I absolutely loved this series, I just wished that The Devil's Playground had been a lot different. I will really miss Adam and Dom. I have never read about a relationship quite like theirs and I don't think I will forget them any time soon.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this episode of how the world according to Morgan Kingsley turns, Shae, the opportunistic and illegal demon that runs the Seven Deadlies demon club in Philadelphia, contacts Morgan and tries to sell her information about the events that are happening in her club. She tells Morgan that there are new demons showing up at her club, but she can't tell her anymore that that for fear of being killed by those leading the invasion. Of course, Shae gets killed anyway, so what was the point of keeping this information secret? Lugh's council knows this is just another maneuver by Dougal, and the time may finally have come for the final showdown between brothers. They spend the first 200 pages talking, and talking, and talking some more...until finally they go to the house of the Spirit Society guru Bradley Cooper, who has been chosen to become a demon vessel. Which leads to William, who is supposed to be some sort of Demon cousin.

Here's what Morgan does throughout the book.....1. Make coffee. 2. Sleep and dream about having nasty sex with Lugh. 3. make coffee and talk....did I say make coffee and talk? There was so much talking in this book, that it nearly put me asleep! Morgan is still an annoyingly irritating character and I'm still not impressed with her.

Dougal, finally, yes, FINALLY, shows up in this book once Adam announces that Demons aren't killed during an exorcism. He comes across as regretful at having to hurt his brother, but won't back down in his attempts at taking Lugh's crown from him. He has made so many promises to demons, that they are all catching up to him now. He has had demons, including royal family members, abandon him for the Mortal Plain. Now, he needs to kill Lugh or face an outright revolt.

Brian learns via Morgan (after Lugh groans), that Lugh has feelings for him as well as Morgan, and gets off when Morgan and Brian have sex. Put off, Brian shuts down since he hates sharing Morgan with anyone. Of course, this particular way of thinking leads to a confrontation with Lugh who basically tells him to get over himself. Brian plays very little in the part of being useful in this book.

The hero of the hour, and this book, is none other than Raphael who sacrifices himself in order to kill Dougal. Andy also comes out ahead in the end, which I'm glad of. He has been nothing but a bump on the log since Raphael entered a new body.

In my humble opinion, this was the best book of the lot and that's not saying much. Of course, there were still parts that I could do without, like the first 200 pages and all the conversational annoyance But the ending action was nicely done. I hear that this is the last book of the series? If so, it's not a bad way to exit, but it still left alot of unanswered questions.

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review
I realized that lately, I have been reading an overabundance of series books. And, I have been loving every single one. The latest is THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND by Jenna Black. She introduced Morgan Kingsley in THE DEVIL INSIDE, and I have followed the series with growing admiration for the author.

She tackles the urban fantasy genre with a new take on demons. (They inhabit the bodies of humans and 'drive them around', with the human consciousness being suppressed.) Morgan Kingsley is an exorcist, who sends the demons from the Mortal Plain, back to the Demon Realm. But, what only a few know is that Morgan herself, houses a demon. In fact, he is the Demon ruler, and he needs Morgan to stop his brother from bringing chaos to the Mortal Plain.

Black has created a mixed menagerie of characters that make up the demon Lugh's Mortal Plain council. Included in the group, as one of the only non-demon possessed humans, is Morgan's boyfriend, Brian. In, THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND, along with fighting for humanity, Black further explores how Morgan and Lugh co-exist. She has Lugh push the boundaries of Morgan's and Brian's relationship. Morgan knows that none of her thoughts, feelings or desires are protected from Lugh, but in this book, that comes to the fore when Lugh makes it known that he desires both Morgan and Brian.
4.5/5 for plot

Morgan is a very strong woman, and Lugh is a fantastic counterpart. I really think that Black has created the ultimate intimate relationship with them, and she has continued to write their story well throughout the series. Brian, who could have been relegated to a secondary character holds his own, in this book. I also like Dom and Adam. Black writes about a male/male relationship, and throws in the D/s aspect without making it the only aspect of their relationship.
4.5/5 for characters

THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND is an intriguing read. I was caught up from beginning to end, and it's the type of novel that will keep you up late into the night- because you just can't put it down. The language is in keeping with the rest of the series. It's good read that doesn't confuse or alienate the reader.
4.5/5 for language

Bonus Cover Points: 3.5/5
I would have to say that the other covers of the MORGAN KINGSLEY series were typical urban fantasy covers. Morgan, with her back turned, her impressive tattoos on display. But, this cover was a bit of a departure from that. I liked that. The cover was not so different that I wouldn't connect it to the series, but it showed a little more ingenuity and originality.

Final Call: 13.5/15 Must Read

[Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm, so that wasn't too bad, but of all of the books, it was the least exciting. Mostly because the characters sat around talking and drinking coffee a lot. Don't get me wrong, I was happy they were finally on the offensive with getting Dougal out of the way and the way it worked out wasn't too bad. Still, I'm not sure exactly how I feel. Especially since the author seems to have run out of steam with the series. There are open ends for her to come back to. There are still plenty of issues that Morgan needs to resolve. Such as her anger issues. Admittedly, she has improved, but she still has serious problems with lashing out. Plus, her relationship with Brian could still use more work since the two of them absolutely refuse to leave each other. And her relationship with Lugh could certainly progress. I had my hopes up during that one scene. It was hot, but disappointing.

The character that had that most growth in the series is obviously Raphael. I've been steadily noticing it through each book, but he really proved himself this time around.

Reading some of the other reviews showed me that a lot of people also noticed the similarities between Morgan and Anita Blake. Glad I'm not the only one that noticed that. Really, Morgan had the worst parts of Anita's personality. Plus, she always had her weapon somewhere she couldn't get to it right away. Not smart.

As others also pointed out, there were a lot of repeated themes. We know Morgan is grumpy about every thing. She didn't need to still be pointing it out in pretty much every chapter. And I hate that we never got to find out why switching control of her body with Lugh makes her so violently ill. I suspected maybe it had something to do with her resistance to demon possession. Since we never got to find out why, I don't really understand why it was included in the series so much. Especially since it never stopped her from giving Lugh control when it was necessary.

So, Dougal is dead and Lugh is still in the mortal realm. He has work to do there, but I doubt he'd be gung-ho to leave Morgan and Brian as Morgan suspects. When it comes down to it, they got rid of the threat, but nothing is still solved. I feel bad for Saul. He sort of got a raw deal in the end because of this situation. I got rather addicted to this series, so I would love to see at least one more book, but even I have no clue as to where things could go from here. So I'm guessing things will simply have to remain open ended.

Oh yeah, I really dislike this cover. It's pretty hideous, really.

[Lokki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devil's Playground is the fifth and final book in the Morgan Kingsley series by Black. And, while I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and it's unique story concept, if this last book is anything to judge by, it's probably a good thing that the series has come to a close. Not that I didn't enjoy this book. I did. It's just that it felt like the story was getting a bit stale, like things were beginning to get repetitive.

Morgan Kingsley is a demon executioner with a dirty little secret - she's actually also playing host to Lugh, the Demon King. A strange quirk of Morgan's genetic makeup and supernatural powers prevent Lugh from completely taking over control. Instead, the two live together in her body, at first in kind of an uneasy truce and now, four books later, in more of a symbiotic relationship. At the beginning of Devil's Playground, Morgan's life has returned to some semblance of normalcy after the craziness of the last four books. She's been able to come to terms with a lot of what's happened in the past and has begun building a better relationship with Brian and her friends. But then the owner of the Seven Deadlies demon club, Shae, comes to Morgan with some information about the increasing numbers of demons that have been showing up at the club in less than perfect bodies. Could this have something to do with Dougal and his plan to kill Lugh and usurp the Demon throne?. It's up to Morgan and Lugh's council to investigate.

This book was not as action filled as the others. In fact, I began to think that all they were going to do was drink coffee and have meetings at Morgan's apartment. And if they aren't drinking coffee, then Morgan is thinking about coffee or in the kitchen making coffee. I'm surprised the other half of the book wasn't spent with Morgan and crew running to the bathroom.

The other issue I have with this installment is that I was beginning to feel like everything had been seen and done before. Morgan has trust issues, Brian is jealous, Lugh taking control makes Morgan toss her cookies, Morgan gets cranky, Raphael can't be trusted, Andy is depressed....it was the same thing over and over again. Luckily, Black does a good job of wrapping everything up. She maybe left a couple things a bit open ended, but I feel satisfied if this truly ends up being the last book, which is how it stands right now (although there is supposed to be a short story coming out in the future). This is definitely still a series worth checking out if you are looking for something a bit different than the usual fang and fur fare.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The time has come for the demon king and his exorcist host to make a final stand as the plot moves forward to the anticipated war of the demon brothers. Meanwhile; the fate of humankind and the mortal realm hangs in the balance as Dougal's rule would herald a deluge of new and illegal human possessions.

Lugh, Morgan and his Royal council on the mortal plane have evidence that Lugh's traitorous brother Dougal has set in motion in Philadelphia at the Seven Deadlies demonic nightclub the openings salvo of another fratricide assassination attempt in order to take over as the ruler of all demons. Lugh knows he has no choice but to kill his brother or be killed while his host's body jumps head first into the fray. With betrayal everywhere, now more than ever it is important that former demon hater Morgan, and Lugh learn to work together, for the common good.

Trust, loyalty, reconciliation and love play key roles in the final installment of the series: Have Morgan finally learned that not all demons are evil, will Brian finally come to terms with the fact that he will always have to share Morgan with Lugh, and will Lugh's other brother, Raphael finally be able to put someone else ahead his own interests...

All in all, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the series. I particularly enjoyed Lugh's and Morgan's dream love scene. Unholy hell, that was HOT! (Now, if only Lugh had been able to make a trip into Brian's mind as well, I would have been super excited;-)) Not to mention, I would have absolutely LOVED to read about the final outcome of the Lugh/Brian/Morgan love triangle. Sure, Lugh promised to be patient, but that he WOULD resume his seduction attempts of Brian. Had THAT particular scene been included, well... Let's just say I'm pretty sure I would have awarded at least six start. LOL!)

Raphael was another highlight. other members of the council may hate him, but I think he is a lovable asshole. I'm also glad there were small signs of reconciliation between certain royal family members and the bad-boy prince. Sure, Rapahel may have been an ass to Saul when he created him, but he also did it for the greater good of his big bro. Time to stop sulking, Saul! And the brother bonding at the end: How sweet was that?

What else: I must admit I would have loved to learn more about the demon realm, possibly even visit it somehow, but it's not a major complaint.

I give this book 4.5 stars.

[Ailsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

(originally posted by me to The Book Bundle )

5th book in the series, so contains references to earlier plot points.

I've put off buying this book because I didn't want the series to be over - I enjoyed it too much to want to let it go. When I eventually opened it, despite intentions of making it last, savouring this last of the series, I read it the same way I've read all Jenna's books - very fast.
The story starts when Shae, owner of the Seven Deadlies, pays Morgan a visit to tell her about the growing number of hosts visiting the club. Morgan gets Lugh's council involved, and they start investigating. There's also the conflict in her love life to deal with, though. Lugh expressing his interest in Morgan's long suffering boyfriend, Brian, puts more strain on that particular relationship. I felt like the pacing was a little different in this book to the others. It still picked me up and sucked me in just as much, but the characters have to spend a lot more time waiting for events to unfold than they have in previous books. I think I liked this - it sometimes annoys me when the events of a book take place over just a couple of days.

One of the great things about this book was that you could really see how far the characters have come over the series. The relationship between Morgan & Brian is much steadier than it has been. I've had mixed feeling about Brian in previous books - a lot of the time I felt like, if he couldn't put up with the involvement of the demons, and the way Morgan was, then he should shut up and leave. He is much more willing to accept things now, if still a little reluctantly.

This book is where things finally come to a head with Dougal, and the characters really have to come together and use all their alliances to protect the human and demon worlds from Dougal's plans, and deal with him once and for all.

As a final book in the series, I think it works. It ties up the important plot points, although I still have several questions about where things were going in the personal lives of some of the characters. I think my biggest disappointment with this book is that there aren't enough hot Morgan/Lugh times!

I love this book, and am definitely looking forward to whatever Ms Black produces next. 10 out of 10!

[Susi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so how to start reviewing the fifth and last book in a series with spoiling it? I have to admit I have no idea so I will just go with the flow.

I had high expectations for this book. So many things were left in the dark and I wanted everything to work out the way I planned it in my head. Okay as it seems that were not the same things Ms. Black had planned for her story but this doesn't has to be something bad.

The Devil's Playground is a great ending for this series but I expected a bigger bang as the big showdown. After all this struggling and planning over the last few books I was a bit letdown with the way it worked out. But when I think about it now I have to admit it was a nice ending. I enjoyed the book from the first to the last page so perhaps I'm only sad that it's over.

Morgan as a character matured through all the books and I have to say she is a different person now. In book one she was such an explosive and untrusting girl. Now she can really make decisions and she knows how important it is to have someone to trust who has you back no matter what. I really like that the development was slow because it would have been wrong any other way. She was a bit damaged good at the start and it needs time to fix that.
Relationship-wise I was a bit disappointed. I expected something more. I wanted…not sure if I should say that now. But let it be said that I didn't get it. Me sad again. Okay so now I hope I will get my will in the short story Ms. Black will publish in an Anthology. At least something.

All in all the Morgan Kingsley series is a great urban fantasy with durty demon action and a faced paced story arc. Highly recommended to all lovers of this genre.

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

It’s difficult to be completely fair and non-biased when reviewing a series sequel when you love the world created and the characters so much. You may miss tiny nuances or weakened plot points because you’re so thrilled to finally see everyone again.

This is the fifth book, the last book, the wrap-up of all ties novel. It was a good one too, even though I felt more needed to be said about certain situations and I wish more had been explored with Lugh.

The whole Lugh reveal to Morgan about Brian, and Brian’s reaction to that, is suitably hilarious. Lugh is yummy as always but again, so much unexplored potential. Adam was the major problem for me as he’s been one of my favorites from the start, but he feels off this edition. Just not the same. Almost like a former shadow of himself, he was in the background a lot, it’s difficult to put my finger on.

Morgan has grown as much as she’s going to and it’s come to an acceptable enough conclusion. I do think the repetitiveness with trusting Raphael grew old and obnoxious. Some of the bigger changes erupt from some of the badder characters, such as Raphael.

It took a bit of time for the action to really kick in but once it did, pacing remained pretty consistent. At times there seemed to be too much talking and not enough action, but the ending was a grand finale battle and left me wanting more books and further adventures with the group, although sadly that won’t be coming since the series is complete.

I think Black focused on tying everything up as well as she possibly could to say goodbye to the series and its characters, but in doing so some of the sparks and spunk was lost.

Even if I enjoy this less than the others, it’s still an enjoyable book and I wish there could be more of them.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final battle has come. A lot more illegal demons are going through the Mortal Realm. It seems Dougal has been getting impatient and is deep trouble. The council needs to put a stop to the demon outbreak before it gets out of hand. However, the people who could give them information are turning up dead. They need to find a way to lure out Dougal to the Mortal Realm to kill him and stop his plans.

Other than the demons, Brian, Morgan and Lugh need to get used to each other if they are going to be with each other. However, it seems that Brian is having a hard time with this.

This is a great book for the finale. I seriously love it. The events were seriously intriguing. This is the final stage of Morgan's development. She is not shitty anymore.

I love the revelation about Lugh's feelings. I love how he stood up to Brian for Morgan's sake. I used to just ignore Lugh in the past books but here, I fell in love with him. He's such a great influence and friend to Morgan. It's so sad that I just realized that. I also love Dom & Adam. I think they are just so cute together.

The bond between the council is great. Even Raphael is getting into the spirit of it. They got each other's back no matter what. I'm actually shock that I'm sad to finish this book. I'll really miss Brian, Lugh, Adam & Dom.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romance triangle is the least of Morgan’s worries when a demon wants to kill her and the demon she possesses.

Morgan Kingsley is an exorcist, probably the best in the world. Therefore, it is ironic that she is possessed by the demon King Lugh. Morgan and her boyfriend have been through a lot together, but Brian may have reached his limit.

Lugh reveals to Morgan that not only does he desire her, but he desires Brian as well. Brian doesn't take well to the news that he has to accept Lugh with Morgan as a package deal, so he pushes Morgan away. Morgan realizes it will take some time for Brian to come to terms with it, and she grants him that space, even though it hurts.

When Shae, the owner of the Seven Deadly Sins Club, comes to Morgan with information about a sudden influx of demons showing up lately, in unwilling human hosts, Morgan and Lugh believe Dougal is behind it. Dougal is Lugh’s brother and he will do anything to get the throne, even kill Lugh. But to get to Lugh, he’ll have to go through Morgan first, and she hopes that Lugh’s Royal Council has a good enough plan that they can all live through.

THE DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND is a sensational addition to the Morgan Kingsley series. There is a lot of character growth for Morgan and Brian, as well as real progress with the problem of Dougal trying to take over Lugh’s throne. Romance, turmoil, character conflict, and a page-turning plot mesh together admirably. Paranormal and urban fantasy fans will love this!

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is probably not a great idea to read the last book in a series never having read any of the previous books but although this book wasn’t exactly standalone I didn’t seem to be missing a lot.
The story was pretty average fare with super powers (demons in this case) duking it out with a possible side effect being ‘the end of the world as we know it’ or rather ‘as they know it’ because this is an alternate reality in which Humans are regularly, and for the most willingly, possessed by Demons.
The main protagonist was whiny, self-involved and generally unsympathetic.She was so constantly moaning about how horrible Demons were it made me wonder why she spent most of her time hanging out with them. Her boyfriend was irritating and little pathetic and Lugh, supposedly King of the Demons spent most of his time snuggled at the back of Morgan’s mind admiring her boyfriend’s butt rather than displaying any true leadership qualities.
And although she kept telling me dreadful and cruel these Demons were in the actual story their behaviour was more or less acceptable. To make the concept even less believable I found Raphael, supposedly the most warped and vicious Demon of all, to be the most appealing.

I will not be reading the other books in this series.

[mlady_rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I've gotten too many books with cliffhangers lately, because the ending of this one had me looking to see if the series was ending prematurely. I mean it doesn't feel like the series should be over, but there was a resolution of sorts. Better than I hoped for, to tell you the truth.

(Oh, and I have no idea if this is the last book. I didn't see mention of book 6, but I didn't see a mention that this was the final book either.)

Mystery wise, there are a lot of illegal demons showing up in Philly, and their hosts are way below the normal legal demon host standards.

In the romance department, Lugh pushes his role in Morgan and Brian's relationship. In other non-emergency news, Dom is opening his own restaurant, backed by Adam's money.

I can't recall if this was one of those series specifically recommended based on the fact that I enjoyed Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita Blake" series, but I was seeing shades of Anita in Morgan in this book. Specifically, the way both heroines gather more friends, get more relaxed with their own sexuality, and generally chill out more as the series progress.

Anyway, hope there is a book 6 coming, because I want to know what happens next.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book in the series. When I finished it, I still wanted more, but I've wanted more after every Morgan Kingsley book, and each time I've read the next, I haven't quite been satisfied.

I love the world and Black's take on demon possession. I love the characters, especially Lugh, but plot-wise, these books aren't doing anything for me anymore. I was really looking forward to this one because, at the end of book #4, it sounded like the council was going to stop sitting around and actually do something about Dougal, but from the first few pages of DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND it's abundantly clear all the characters have STILL been sitting around on their asses. Morgan comments MANY times about how complacent she's become, and the vast majority of this book is Morgan and the others sitting around and talking. There was little tension, little danger.

I read an interview with Jenna Black somewhere that stated she might return to this world in the future. I kind of hope she does, but IF she does, I hope she has more plot, less talk.

So, yeah, I'm disappointed. If I didn't love the characters and worldbuilding so much, I would have given this two stars.

[Hali · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth (and final?) book in the series has so many things going on, not all of them good but they do move the story along. This book really focuses on the fight between Dougal and Lugh and much less on Morgan and Morgan's Issues. That's the good thing because she's very whiny and self centered. She may be the best exorcist in the US but it doesn't mean she's got anything of her act together, not her relationship with Brian nor her friendships. There is also something missing from this book that was present in all the others and that is the kinkiness that was the undercurrent of the demon community and even to some extent Morgans relationship with Brian. The only thing that even hints of it are references and the realization by Brian that when he makes love to Morgan Lugh is there too and enjoys it as well. Not the best book in the series, but not so bad either, it wraps up most of the main points well and if there is another to come maybe it will take Morgan on a different road.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 4.25 Rating

I strongly recommend you read the previous books in this series (Devil Inside, The Devil You Know, The Devil's Due and Speak of the Devil) prior to reading this book.

The basis for my review is pure entertainment factor alone. At last the Morgan Kingsley's journey has come to an end. IMO this was the best of book in the series. Morgan had such a huge transformation in this installment. She's gone from pig headed and irritating to only marginally annoying. I'm really going to miss Lou, he was a class act unlike Brian who was just as annoying as Morgan. I've always loved the creativity and originality of this series and overall, I am very pleased that the series ended on a high-note, instead of going on forever. If Jenna black were to release more Morgan Kingsley books in the future, I would definitely read them.

I also recommend:
The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1)
Witch Craft (Nocturne City, Book 4)
Personal Demons
The Scent of Shadows (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 1)
Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan, Book 8) Comment | Permalink

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I'm happy with the way the series has ended. I still don't really like the relationship between Brian and Morgan, they fought too much and Brian just ended up being really whiny. He kept complaining she wasn't open with him and then when she did tell him the truth about things she had been hiding he just got mad at her.

The battles in this book were pretty awesome, there was a lot of conflict and anticipation. I think this really is what made the book really great. I loved the interactions between Morgan and Lugh, I've always liked him from the beginning. I also was surprised by the twists and turns that the book had. I didn't really guess what was going to happen, I had ideas but they ended up being wrong.

I'm satisfied with the end of the series, and I'm happy with the series as a whole. Again, I could have done without some of the annoying relationship issues that Morgan and Brian experienced in EVERY book but other than that I really enjoyed the ride.

[Ghadeer A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really hate when the love story already started and we are in the middle of it..Morgan was already in love with Brian so what are we supposed to do? It's like we are supposed to love him or like him based on her feeling for him ,like we dont get to decide for ourselves..wWe dont even know him or know their love story or the begining of it ..It was annoying am sorry but thats the truth..

And I am talking about the whole series here not just the last book

And i feel the author wanted this series to be about guys (gay guys) but felt shy or whatever because god help me there was more sex scenes between the men than Morgan and her whiny little boyfriend..I felt lost i mean there is kinky and there is i-like-to-watch-gay-sex-but-am-not-gay-or-at least-i don't-think-so and there is also this( this-guy-turns -me-on-but-i want-to-have-sex-with-my-boyfriend-who-does-not-turn-me-on-as much as-watching-2 guys-having-kinky-sex.Just pick already and give us a real story .

[Bookworms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the stories of Morgan because the author write it in an easy and nice way. You can read this book very fast, without any problems and without a lot of thinking about it after you have finished it. Some books you have to think about a long time but this books from Morgan are very good "entertainment".
In this book a lot happen. "People" are murdered and the council of the demon king Lugh have a lot to do. Morgan and Brian have their problems and topics again because of Lugh, who don't hide that he like the situation regarding their love triangle. But Morgan and Brian have other opinions and so there are some interesting discussiongs in this book.

Raphael plays a bigger role in this book. Adam and Dom are there, too but haven't that big role. Other well known character like "Barbie", Saul and Morgan's brother have their place in the story. Shae too but not for long. Why? Well, you will find out ;-)

All in all it was a nice book and a good ending of the series.