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Damned and Cursed #1
Demonspawn
My name's Alex. I used to think I was normal. I have a job, an apartment, good friends. I have a sister I adore, and the most beautiful woman in the world happens to be my best friend. I see ghosts. So what, right? It's on television all the time. All kinds of people see ghosts. But seeing ghosts turns into seeing demons. Seeing demons turns into walking through walls. It only keeps getting better. It just so happens I'm half demon, the only one of my kind. I met a woman and made a new friend, Victoria. She is a four-hundred-year-old vampire, and she needs my help. It turns out vampires are popping up everywhere. Some kind of new breed, more animal than vampire. They feed on anything, and can't be reasoned with. Can a half demon do anything to stop them?
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 9, 2023
Rating 5.0 stars
Re-read January 2020 - Still think this is an excellent book. I like the relationships and the emotions the author is able to elicit from the reader. Then to add on top of that the supernatural world. Cindy and Alex are definitely couple goals. Original review below.
I was surprised at how much I like this book. I have gotten a little burned out with urban fantasy, werewolves, vampires and then I recently read the Demon Accords series which I really liked. This book was recommended based on that series so I thought I would give it a chance. I am glad I did. First off, I feel this was more of a story about a young boy and his best friend and family with a supernatural component then a supernatural story. What I mean by that is that the supernatural part was slow to be introduced.
I like the way this author writes. It flowed very well. I appreciate how he made me care for Alex and everyone around him. I also appreciate that he made Cindy black. Not to many stories deal with interracial friends or even love interests. Some people might still see this as controversial but the author wrote it in such a way that it didn't really matter. He never ignored the fact that he was white and she was black, but he wrote it in a way that made it not a big deal.
Re-read January 2020 - Still think this is an excellent book. I like the relationships and the emotions the author is able to elicit from the reader. Then to add on top of that the supernatural world. Cindy and Alex are definitely couple goals. Original review below.
I was surprised at how much I like this book. I have gotten a little burned out with urban fantasy, werewolves, vampires and then I recently read the Demon Accords series which I really liked. This book was recommended based on that series so I thought I would give it a chance. I am glad I did. First off, I feel this was more of a story about a young boy and his best friend and family with a supernatural component then a supernatural story. What I mean by that is that the supernatural part was slow to be introduced.
I like the way this author writes. It flowed very well. I appreciate how he made me care for Alex and everyone around him. I also appreciate that he made Cindy black. Not to many stories deal with interracial friends or even love interests. Some people might still see this as controversial but the author wrote it in such a way that it didn't really matter. He never ignored the fact that he was white and she was black, but he wrote it in a way that made it not a big deal.
December 13, 2014
Loved it just as much the second time reading as the first!
May 12, 2011
Storyline: Glenn-tastic? Glen-tactular? Splen-Glenn-did? Ok, I tried to come up with a play on Glenn Bullion’s name, but I just couldn’t. But, that doesn’t mean that Demonspawn was any less amazing!
Alex Teague is a sweet guy, a little on the shy side and definitely lacking in self-confidence. What Alex doesn’t know is that he has a lot more to offer the world than just his inability to dance. Alex is going through some changes and isn’t quite sure how to handle them. Luckily, he has his best friend Cindy and his sister Alicia to help him adjust. Now, if only he could adjust as easily to the feelings he has for Cindy.
Demonspawn is an easy and delightful read that could just as easily translate into a movie that I would be more than happy to stand in line for, pay outrageous amounts for popcorn, candy and sodas and even deal with annoying crowds to see.
Grammar/Spelling: There were some minor grammatical errors throughout the story. I would suggest another read through by a beta. I noticed some issues when reading some of the dialogue. It was a bit choppy and used a bit too much vernacular for my tastes when for example saying “I got that” instead of “I have that”. Also, there were a few instances of incorrect usage such as “baron” versus “barren.” Honestly, these are just fine tuning things and in no way detract from the story.
Character Development: Mr. Bullion’s story follows the main characters from their formative years up through early adulthood helping the reader truly become attached to Alex, his sister and best friend Cindy. The sibling relationship is very believable and understandable. Alex is always on the look out for his little sister and in turn, she’s also looking out for his best interests. Especially those relating to matters of the heart.
Since the main character is…ahem…different than most (if not all) people, it would almost be difficult to really relate to Alex, but surprisingly, it’s not. Alex is truly a stand up guy and his journey to self-discovery is both entertaining and thoughtful. Like most young people, even with his life being full of the paranormal and occult, his main concern is his more-than-just-friends feelings he’s developed for Cindy. What should a part demon, total sweetheart kind of guy do?!
Writing Style: I don’t know if it’s because of my own personal experiences with the supernatural (cue creepy music, please) or it’s due to Mr. Bullion’s ability to create a creepy mood, get your heart rate up and make you lean forward, anticipating the next moment, but the story has some absolutely scary and terrifying parts in it. His descriptions of the demonic world are fantastically horrific. I’m not one who scares easily, but even some of MY neck hairs stood on end at times.
There were some pretty detailed graphic scenes, adult language and occasional adult situations. So, it’s not for the faint of heart or very young readers.
Continuity: As to be expected with great writing, I noticed no issues with continuity.
Overall Rating: 4
Demonspawn by Glenn Bullion is just plain great. But, not plain. Just great. I really enjoyed the ease and flow of the story from start to finish. I would encourage everyone who has ever been in love with their best friend and never realized it to read this. Also, anyone who has ever had to deal with their demonic powers should give this a read over as well. Great job, Glenn! I hope you put out more books soon!
Alex Teague is a sweet guy, a little on the shy side and definitely lacking in self-confidence. What Alex doesn’t know is that he has a lot more to offer the world than just his inability to dance. Alex is going through some changes and isn’t quite sure how to handle them. Luckily, he has his best friend Cindy and his sister Alicia to help him adjust. Now, if only he could adjust as easily to the feelings he has for Cindy.
Demonspawn is an easy and delightful read that could just as easily translate into a movie that I would be more than happy to stand in line for, pay outrageous amounts for popcorn, candy and sodas and even deal with annoying crowds to see.
Grammar/Spelling: There were some minor grammatical errors throughout the story. I would suggest another read through by a beta. I noticed some issues when reading some of the dialogue. It was a bit choppy and used a bit too much vernacular for my tastes when for example saying “I got that” instead of “I have that”. Also, there were a few instances of incorrect usage such as “baron” versus “barren.” Honestly, these are just fine tuning things and in no way detract from the story.
Character Development: Mr. Bullion’s story follows the main characters from their formative years up through early adulthood helping the reader truly become attached to Alex, his sister and best friend Cindy. The sibling relationship is very believable and understandable. Alex is always on the look out for his little sister and in turn, she’s also looking out for his best interests. Especially those relating to matters of the heart.
Since the main character is…ahem…different than most (if not all) people, it would almost be difficult to really relate to Alex, but surprisingly, it’s not. Alex is truly a stand up guy and his journey to self-discovery is both entertaining and thoughtful. Like most young people, even with his life being full of the paranormal and occult, his main concern is his more-than-just-friends feelings he’s developed for Cindy. What should a part demon, total sweetheart kind of guy do?!
Writing Style: I don’t know if it’s because of my own personal experiences with the supernatural (cue creepy music, please) or it’s due to Mr. Bullion’s ability to create a creepy mood, get your heart rate up and make you lean forward, anticipating the next moment, but the story has some absolutely scary and terrifying parts in it. His descriptions of the demonic world are fantastically horrific. I’m not one who scares easily, but even some of MY neck hairs stood on end at times.
There were some pretty detailed graphic scenes, adult language and occasional adult situations. So, it’s not for the faint of heart or very young readers.
Continuity: As to be expected with great writing, I noticed no issues with continuity.
Overall Rating: 4
Demonspawn by Glenn Bullion is just plain great. But, not plain. Just great. I really enjoyed the ease and flow of the story from start to finish. I would encourage everyone who has ever been in love with their best friend and never realized it to read this. Also, anyone who has ever had to deal with their demonic powers should give this a read over as well. Great job, Glenn! I hope you put out more books soon!
February 24, 2015
If this book had an honest title, it would be Friend Zone. The entire book is centered on the protagonist's quest to get out of the friend zone and the outcome is transparent and predictable. There is a superficial side plot where some stuff happens, but it's mostly an excuse for the protagonist's stumbling progression through various stages of the friend zone. Also, the bad guys were such a caricature, especially in the final confrontation, that I felt offended. And the ending was a shameless deus ex machina. In this case, daemon ex machina. I'm giving it two stars because I managed to finish it and it's not as bad as some of the really crappy fantasy books I've struggled with recently.
April 14, 2017
2.75 stars.
Here's the thing: It wasn't necessarily a bad story. It was actually pretty interesting, and the pacing moved along nicely. My issue, like others', is that it feels like a first draft. I'd be surprised if a professional editor actually looked this over before it was published. Dear authors and publishers of the world: Just because a book is only being released in e-book form, does not mean that you can skimp on, to name a few things: grammar, typos, spelling, sentence structure, consistent verb tensing, and pretty much everything else that is the editor's job to fix when the author screws up. Another issue I had, was the impression that each character had the same 'voice'. The four hundred year old vampire and brilliant college graduate should not speak the same way as the high school student, or the unmotivated, less-educated fork lift driver who slept through all of his high school classes. Characters should each have a distinctive voice and speaking pattern. Most times, it felt like the author just put conversations/banter into the story, and just tacked on a character's name to it. They were all pretty interchangeable, which is unfortunate. I believe that they had some potential.
Don't get me wrong, there were quite a few parts that made this story worth finishing. Unfortunately, they're not the parts that were fleshed out or elaborated on. For instance, Alex's heritage. I didn't pay much attention to the lack, because I thought this was a continuing series. Now that I know it's a standalone, I feel somewhat cheated. I'd much rather have had that story line developed than read, for the thousandth time, about how omgsuperfoxyhot Cindy is. Alex loves her and wants to jump her bones; we get it. Now please continue the story line.
Like I said, the pacing was good. Things moved along at a readable pace, and I finished this one in a couple of hours. It's pretty much the polar opposite of the last series I read ("Daughter of Smoke & Bone"), where I spent ages rereading and perseverating on phrases or paragraphs, and even whole sentences, because the writing was practically poetic. Whereas this book was basically prosaic. Now, I may be extra picky, because I was less than 24 hours off of that series, which was easily five stars, but this one just didn't do much for me. Maybe if he had continued it into an actual series, and hired a decent editor, it could have reached its potential. I liked the story line itself, and I saw sparks of intrigue in various characters, including the main ones, but as it is now, it reads a lot like the first draft, which is never even remotely ready for publication.
I don't read the majority of UF because I want deep, mysterious story lines and writing that will haunt me and make me furious and petulant as I fall to my knees and cry out to the universe, "Why can't I write like that?!" However, I do expect a certain level of writing and editing skill, which I did not experience with this story. It's better than some UF I've read, but it falls short of my expectations.
Here's the thing: It wasn't necessarily a bad story. It was actually pretty interesting, and the pacing moved along nicely. My issue, like others', is that it feels like a first draft. I'd be surprised if a professional editor actually looked this over before it was published. Dear authors and publishers of the world: Just because a book is only being released in e-book form, does not mean that you can skimp on, to name a few things: grammar, typos, spelling, sentence structure, consistent verb tensing, and pretty much everything else that is the editor's job to fix when the author screws up. Another issue I had, was the impression that each character had the same 'voice'. The four hundred year old vampire and brilliant college graduate should not speak the same way as the high school student, or the unmotivated, less-educated fork lift driver who slept through all of his high school classes. Characters should each have a distinctive voice and speaking pattern. Most times, it felt like the author just put conversations/banter into the story, and just tacked on a character's name to it. They were all pretty interchangeable, which is unfortunate. I believe that they had some potential.
Don't get me wrong, there were quite a few parts that made this story worth finishing. Unfortunately, they're not the parts that were fleshed out or elaborated on. For instance, Alex's heritage. I didn't pay much attention to the lack, because I thought this was a continuing series. Now that I know it's a standalone, I feel somewhat cheated. I'd much rather have had that story line developed than read, for the thousandth time, about how omgsuperfoxyhot Cindy is. Alex loves her and wants to jump her bones; we get it. Now please continue the story line.
Like I said, the pacing was good. Things moved along at a readable pace, and I finished this one in a couple of hours. It's pretty much the polar opposite of the last series I read ("Daughter of Smoke & Bone"), where I spent ages rereading and perseverating on phrases or paragraphs, and even whole sentences, because the writing was practically poetic. Whereas this book was basically prosaic. Now, I may be extra picky, because I was less than 24 hours off of that series, which was easily five stars, but this one just didn't do much for me. Maybe if he had continued it into an actual series, and hired a decent editor, it could have reached its potential. I liked the story line itself, and I saw sparks of intrigue in various characters, including the main ones, but as it is now, it reads a lot like the first draft, which is never even remotely ready for publication.
I don't read the majority of UF because I want deep, mysterious story lines and writing that will haunt me and make me furious and petulant as I fall to my knees and cry out to the universe, "Why can't I write like that?!" However, I do expect a certain level of writing and editing skill, which I did not experience with this story. It's better than some UF I've read, but it falls short of my expectations.
May 21, 2014
This book came to me by way of recommendations. I actually purchased it last year but hadn't gotten the will to read it. Until this month, when my personal reading challenge theme for May was "Urban Fantasy With Male Protagonist". Thought the story fit...
It was a fun read -- Alex, the narrator was one of those nice boy. Even if we got he glimpse of how far he would WILLING to do, especially if bad people became truly dangerous for the people he loved, I couldn't help to think that Alex was still a 'goodie goodie' guy at heart. Nothing wrong with that, I loved his relationship with his best friend (turned love interest) Cindy and his sister, Alicia. Hey, good guys are fun too, okay?
As for the story, I could actually thought of it as rather mundane episodic kind. While it did have this huge action near the end, but it wasn't the main plot from the beginning. The story actually started with Alex in kindergarten, then fast forwarded to him in senior year, then after he graduated. Along the way we got more development of Alex and his power, Alex and his background, with a dash of current events, like Alex's pondering of his feeling for Cindy, and so on. We later had a plot involving vampire killers -- the part which driven the big action near the end.
Even so, the easy writing and the characters being truly likeable made this story very enjoyable. I had good time with them. I found out that book #2 actually featured different characters rather than going back to Alex as the main narrator. Didn't stop me from purchasing book #2 right away though :)
PS: I loved that Alex and Cindy's relationship was interracial. Needed more of that in stories
Personal Urban Fantasy With Male Protagonist Challenge May 2014: story #6
It was a fun read -- Alex, the narrator was one of those nice boy. Even if we got he glimpse of how far he would WILLING to do, especially if bad people became truly dangerous for the people he loved, I couldn't help to think that Alex was still a 'goodie goodie' guy at heart. Nothing wrong with that, I loved his relationship with his best friend (turned love interest) Cindy and his sister, Alicia. Hey, good guys are fun too, okay?
As for the story, I could actually thought of it as rather mundane episodic kind. While it did have this huge action near the end, but it wasn't the main plot from the beginning. The story actually started with Alex in kindergarten, then fast forwarded to him in senior year, then after he graduated. Along the way we got more development of Alex and his power, Alex and his background, with a dash of current events, like Alex's pondering of his feeling for Cindy, and so on. We later had a plot involving vampire killers -- the part which driven the big action near the end.
Even so, the easy writing and the characters being truly likeable made this story very enjoyable. I had good time with them. I found out that book #2 actually featured different characters rather than going back to Alex as the main narrator. Didn't stop me from purchasing book #2 right away though :)
PS: I loved that Alex and Cindy's relationship was interracial. Needed more of that in stories
Personal Urban Fantasy With Male Protagonist Challenge May 2014: story #6
March 23, 2012
A really enjoyable read. The plot was engaging, and the characters were complex and well drawn (even the side characters). I love the different take on paranormal elements, and love how well grounded the mundane events were. Well written, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
April 1, 2024
I wasn't expecting much from this one, as the premise seemed a little too familiar to the other demon books I have read before, but in the end, it really blew me away. Despite the premise sounding really familiar to other urban fantasy novels I have read, there was actually a lot about this book that was unique.
This is the story of Alex Teague, his best friend Cindy and his sister Alicia. They've been friends with each other since they were little more than toddlers. They've survived school together, along with all the challenges that have been thrown their way, and their friendship is still going strong in their early teens. However, with the trials of childhood and their teenage years out of the way, they find themselves having to face a new type of problem; the issue of one of them developing magic powers.
This book's strength lies in the characters. The author does a great job of creating characters that are interesting to read about and relationships that the reader can't help but root for. These strong relationships and characters lay great foundations for the fantasy/horror elements as they develop, and when things really start to kick up a notch on the paranormal scale, it all feels natural and fascinating because the characters we are attached to are leading us through these events.
Another element this book gets right is being creative with the main character's supernatural power set. I've seen stories with part demons before, but never quite like this. Alex's powers are very specific, which forces the author to be creative with how they are used. This led to many story elements that I either hadn't come across or hadn't seen developed in quite this way before, and I really enjoyed that.
This was a book I couldn't put down until I finished it, and it has left me very hungry for the next book in the series. Like many self-published books, this one could do with an editor's touch, but when you look past a few minor errors, you are left with a story that is a lot of fun.
Demonspawn is a great read that I highly recommend.
This is the story of Alex Teague, his best friend Cindy and his sister Alicia. They've been friends with each other since they were little more than toddlers. They've survived school together, along with all the challenges that have been thrown their way, and their friendship is still going strong in their early teens. However, with the trials of childhood and their teenage years out of the way, they find themselves having to face a new type of problem; the issue of one of them developing magic powers.
This book's strength lies in the characters. The author does a great job of creating characters that are interesting to read about and relationships that the reader can't help but root for. These strong relationships and characters lay great foundations for the fantasy/horror elements as they develop, and when things really start to kick up a notch on the paranormal scale, it all feels natural and fascinating because the characters we are attached to are leading us through these events.
Another element this book gets right is being creative with the main character's supernatural power set. I've seen stories with part demons before, but never quite like this. Alex's powers are very specific, which forces the author to be creative with how they are used. This led to many story elements that I either hadn't come across or hadn't seen developed in quite this way before, and I really enjoyed that.
This was a book I couldn't put down until I finished it, and it has left me very hungry for the next book in the series. Like many self-published books, this one could do with an editor's touch, but when you look past a few minor errors, you are left with a story that is a lot of fun.
Demonspawn is a great read that I highly recommend.
September 11, 2020
"I was afraid. I was afraid of what I was gonna find out about myself next."
4.0/5.0 Demonspawn, the fist in the series, was a surprisingly fun read that kicked me out of a reading slump I have been in. While the story and characters were not revolutionary, I found myself enjoying this little by little. There were plenty of nit picks here and there but overall I thought the pace was good and it had just enough surprises to keep me reading. I loved the dynamic between Alex, Cindy and Alicia, and thought their dialogue was well written. I look forward to see what else the series has to offer.
4.0/5.0 Demonspawn, the fist in the series, was a surprisingly fun read that kicked me out of a reading slump I have been in. While the story and characters were not revolutionary, I found myself enjoying this little by little. There were plenty of nit picks here and there but overall I thought the pace was good and it had just enough surprises to keep me reading. I loved the dynamic between Alex, Cindy and Alicia, and thought their dialogue was well written. I look forward to see what else the series has to offer.
July 18, 2011
I was pleasantly surprised by Demonspawn. It's about a guy named Alex who, after many years, realizes that he is part demon. Not only does he have to deal with all these changes that keep happening to him, he also tries to deal with his feelings for his best friend Cindy. The story starts out with Alex and Cindy meeting in elementary school, and takes them throughout high school to adulthood. I liked seeing these two grow up together, and the many instances that resulted in sexual tension. I also liked the fact that Alex's younger sister Alicia grew up with them and they had a close friendship. This trio was fun to read about, and these characters were all very likeable.
I haven't read many books from a male's point of view, so that was one of the things that made this book interesting to me. I'll have to admit, that I had the wrong impression of this book. After seeing the cover, and knowing that it was written by a male – about a male – I was expecting a “man” book. I know that is awful of me to say, but I was expecting lots of blood, gore, violence, etc... I will admit that I was completely wrong. There was a large amount of female interaction in this book, including a nice romance.
The plot was unique and intriguing, the characters were well developed, and the pacing was great. I would recommend this book to a variety of adult audiences. It has a lot of different elements to it, including paranormal, romance, friendship, horror, and mystery. The book had a well rounded ending, but it sounds like another book could follow.
I haven't read many books from a male's point of view, so that was one of the things that made this book interesting to me. I'll have to admit, that I had the wrong impression of this book. After seeing the cover, and knowing that it was written by a male – about a male – I was expecting a “man” book. I know that is awful of me to say, but I was expecting lots of blood, gore, violence, etc... I will admit that I was completely wrong. There was a large amount of female interaction in this book, including a nice romance.
The plot was unique and intriguing, the characters were well developed, and the pacing was great. I would recommend this book to a variety of adult audiences. It has a lot of different elements to it, including paranormal, romance, friendship, horror, and mystery. The book had a well rounded ending, but it sounds like another book could follow.
January 25, 2011
Ghosts, demons, and vampires all intertwined with sexual tension...what more can you ask for in a book? Demonspawn by Glenn Bullion has all of those things and so much more. Once I started reading, I literally could not stop until I had finished it. With just the right amounts of action, suspense, and intrigue, the reader is taken on a wild ride with Alex who is seemingly an ordinary guy just trying to find his place in the world. Until he discovers that he can see and talk to ghosts and that demons fear and bow down to him. Alex struggles on his journey of self discovery and finding out just who he is and what he is capable of. If you like supernatural books that have just the right amounts of horror mixed with love and friendship, then I'm certain you will love Demonspawn. I can not wait to read more from Mr. Bullion.
August 12, 2018
Frustrating. Also all over the place.
You start with some mix of horror book and mystery. Alex can see ghosts, and that puts him into some complicated situations. He starts to wonder why he can see ghosts and starts looking into his past. Ok, that looks like an interesting plot, let's follow that! But no! The author has other ideas. And then it all gets jumbled and incoherent. It feels like every step Alex makes has him stumbling upon one supernatural or another. Eventually he discovers who he really is, and it's not a shocker as you can see from the cover (hint: he is totally a demon). Which only raises the frustration. He has all these cool powers, but he keeps getting jumped.
The romance is even more frustrating and can be summed up like this: just fuck already!
You start with some mix of horror book and mystery. Alex can see ghosts, and that puts him into some complicated situations. He starts to wonder why he can see ghosts and starts looking into his past. Ok, that looks like an interesting plot, let's follow that! But no! The author has other ideas. And then it all gets jumbled and incoherent. It feels like every step Alex makes has him stumbling upon one supernatural or another. Eventually he discovers who he really is, and it's not a shocker as you can see from the cover (hint: he is totally a demon). Which only raises the frustration. He has all these cool powers, but he keeps getting jumped.
The romance is even more frustrating and can be summed up like this: just fuck already!
April 3, 2015
Gave it a shot and liked it. The only annoying thing was the way to long wait for the main to get with the girl. I liked the cosmology(3 realms that we know of at least) he has come up with and the way the different powers work. There is still room for a lot of stories in the world and I will be checking them out...
September 15, 2020
This turned into a disappointing exercise. I've read (and still read) a lot of self-published books that don't have strong writing on display, but I can often see past it as long as the sentence structure is clear and there are few misspellings. If you can't see past poor grammar, then you will struggle with this book. The tense changes within paragraphs, sentence structure falls into See Spot. See Spot run. Run, Spot, run! at times.
The biggest obstacle for me was how plain and basic the characters were. There was negligible difference between a 20-year-old and a 400-year-old as far as depth of character. A lot of the supporting cast were one-dimensional.
The other problem was that this book covers a lot of the same ground as the first book in Demon Accords. It isn't a comparison that goes well for this book since it just doesn't measure up in any category for me.
The pacing kept me involved for the first 50% of the book, but I steadily lost enthusiasm over the second half. I don't think I really recommend this book for anyone. I'd go for the Sookie Stackhouse or Demon Accords instead, even as a reread.
The biggest obstacle for me was how plain and basic the characters were. There was negligible difference between a 20-year-old and a 400-year-old as far as depth of character. A lot of the supporting cast were one-dimensional.
The other problem was that this book covers a lot of the same ground as the first book in Demon Accords. It isn't a comparison that goes well for this book since it just doesn't measure up in any category for me.
The pacing kept me involved for the first 50% of the book, but I steadily lost enthusiasm over the second half. I don't think I really recommend this book for anyone. I'd go for the Sookie Stackhouse or Demon Accords instead, even as a reread.
February 8, 2018
There was alot of telling and not enough showing. Things like "Before jumping in the shower I called Alicia. It was short, but not really sweet", why not just show us based on the conversation rather than tell it? Then the thing between Alex and Cindy, 'twas nice for the most part but all that "guilt about having a crush on your best friend" was just too much, I mean, come on, relax on the self depreciation. The writing was okay-ish, didn't really enjoy all the supernatural stuff in there, and I love supernatural stuff. Sometimes I enjoyed it, sometimes it was just "meh". 2.5 for me, the writing needs to get better.
May 19, 2011
4.5 STARS
Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:
Demonspawn by Glenn Bullion is a wonderful mix of horror, urban fantasy with just a twist of sexual tension to strum you along late in to the night. Thrilling, suspenseful, action packed and above all else utterly engaging, this novel kept me up far past my bedtime eager to know more about these wonderful characters and the intricate and mysterious world they live in.
First off, let me just say the scope of this novel was amazing. We literally follow these characters from childhood in to adulthood, learning pretty much everything that there is to know about them. This was beyond unusual, but I must say that the insight in to the childhood of Alex and his deep friendship with Cindy and his connection to his sister Alicia was amazing. I don't think I've ever enjoyed the journey of a character more. The emotions and fears of Alex as he tries to understand what is happening to him came across perfectly making him a sympathetic characters, but he is still very much in control and accepts these oddities making him a strong and likable character that doesn't mope or whine about the lot he was given. In fact, I found him to be rather impressive allowing his friends and family to help him cope with the question of what he is and the unpalatable answers that he comes to find. And likewise, the other characters are wonderfully developed as well, from Cindy, his lifetime friend and the crush of his life, to his sister Leese and a rather varied assortment of other friends that come and go. The group dynamic was wonderful and very fluid creating a ensemble cast that was very devoted and loyal to one another. I really loved that aspect, the loyalty and love between characters. It pretty much went without explanation that any one of the characters would do anything to help the others as well as accept Alex no matter what he was or what he could do. And overlying it all was a heaping helping of sexual tension between Alex and Cindy, yet another aspect that was wonderfully created, extremely organic and utterly intriguing. It really helped to keep the pace of the story while melding perfectly with all of the chaos that Alex is experiencing and only serves to heighten all the emotions running rampant.
The world building was also quite impressive. With not only ghosts and demons in the forefront, we come to find a world where pretty much anything can and does exists, including vampires. But, what I loved was the ever expanding depth in which we become immersed. And from the beginning Bullion does a wonderful job of bringing to life the horrific atmosphere of the ghostly demonic presences that Alex comes in to contact with. Truly, the air horror was chilling and the visceral details really add to this aspect. There is some vivid imagery involved, so reader be warned. However, I feel that it was perfectly placed to get across the true nature of both the demons and the inhuman feats that they are capable of. But, there was also a healthy dose of urban fantasy that I really loved with lots of action and some great suspense. And the culmination? Wow. Just wow. I was so pleased with how this novel ended and only hope to see future ones take place within this world and with these wonderful characters.
The story was highly developed and extremely well thought out taking the reader on a journey. While most novels have a very quick insight in to what the plot will actually be, this novel is fifty miles of hard road. We literally live from moment to moment, problem to problem, and I utterly enjoyed ever single moment! I never once wished for anything else instead relishing in the wonderful evolution of the characters and the ever changing situations that they find themselves in.
What kept this novel from being a 5 from me? Seriously, not much. Literally, it was some editing issues with quite a few missing or wrongly placed or chosen words. Seriously, it isn't much, but given the high quality of everything else, it was a bit bothersome to be so engrossed in the moment only to have to stop and puzzle out an oddly written sentence. But, like I said, this is minor and really didn't detract too highly from the novel as a whole because frankly, I want more.
In the end, I highly recommend this. Unique, original and above all else, I couldn't get enough. These characters are beyond endearing and the world is intriguing. As I said before, I can only hope that this turns in to a series because there is so much greatness left to explore with an ending that certainly left a great opening. So definitely, if you love demons, horror or urban fantasy, then be sure to check out this novel! You won't be disappointed.
Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:
Demonspawn by Glenn Bullion is a wonderful mix of horror, urban fantasy with just a twist of sexual tension to strum you along late in to the night. Thrilling, suspenseful, action packed and above all else utterly engaging, this novel kept me up far past my bedtime eager to know more about these wonderful characters and the intricate and mysterious world they live in.
First off, let me just say the scope of this novel was amazing. We literally follow these characters from childhood in to adulthood, learning pretty much everything that there is to know about them. This was beyond unusual, but I must say that the insight in to the childhood of Alex and his deep friendship with Cindy and his connection to his sister Alicia was amazing. I don't think I've ever enjoyed the journey of a character more. The emotions and fears of Alex as he tries to understand what is happening to him came across perfectly making him a sympathetic characters, but he is still very much in control and accepts these oddities making him a strong and likable character that doesn't mope or whine about the lot he was given. In fact, I found him to be rather impressive allowing his friends and family to help him cope with the question of what he is and the unpalatable answers that he comes to find. And likewise, the other characters are wonderfully developed as well, from Cindy, his lifetime friend and the crush of his life, to his sister Leese and a rather varied assortment of other friends that come and go. The group dynamic was wonderful and very fluid creating a ensemble cast that was very devoted and loyal to one another. I really loved that aspect, the loyalty and love between characters. It pretty much went without explanation that any one of the characters would do anything to help the others as well as accept Alex no matter what he was or what he could do. And overlying it all was a heaping helping of sexual tension between Alex and Cindy, yet another aspect that was wonderfully created, extremely organic and utterly intriguing. It really helped to keep the pace of the story while melding perfectly with all of the chaos that Alex is experiencing and only serves to heighten all the emotions running rampant.
The world building was also quite impressive. With not only ghosts and demons in the forefront, we come to find a world where pretty much anything can and does exists, including vampires. But, what I loved was the ever expanding depth in which we become immersed. And from the beginning Bullion does a wonderful job of bringing to life the horrific atmosphere of the ghostly demonic presences that Alex comes in to contact with. Truly, the air horror was chilling and the visceral details really add to this aspect. There is some vivid imagery involved, so reader be warned. However, I feel that it was perfectly placed to get across the true nature of both the demons and the inhuman feats that they are capable of. But, there was also a healthy dose of urban fantasy that I really loved with lots of action and some great suspense. And the culmination? Wow. Just wow. I was so pleased with how this novel ended and only hope to see future ones take place within this world and with these wonderful characters.
The story was highly developed and extremely well thought out taking the reader on a journey. While most novels have a very quick insight in to what the plot will actually be, this novel is fifty miles of hard road. We literally live from moment to moment, problem to problem, and I utterly enjoyed ever single moment! I never once wished for anything else instead relishing in the wonderful evolution of the characters and the ever changing situations that they find themselves in.
What kept this novel from being a 5 from me? Seriously, not much. Literally, it was some editing issues with quite a few missing or wrongly placed or chosen words. Seriously, it isn't much, but given the high quality of everything else, it was a bit bothersome to be so engrossed in the moment only to have to stop and puzzle out an oddly written sentence. But, like I said, this is minor and really didn't detract too highly from the novel as a whole because frankly, I want more.
In the end, I highly recommend this. Unique, original and above all else, I couldn't get enough. These characters are beyond endearing and the world is intriguing. As I said before, I can only hope that this turns in to a series because there is so much greatness left to explore with an ending that certainly left a great opening. So definitely, if you love demons, horror or urban fantasy, then be sure to check out this novel! You won't be disappointed.
July 26, 2011
My Blurb:
Alex is a normal guy working at a loading dock, a great big brother and an awesome best friend to Cindy, the girl he's known since kindergarten and also has the worlds biggest crush on. Who knew that normal could become some weird?
Alex stumbles into a world he didn't know existed and quickly becomes mixed up in Vampire politics, the leader of the Demon world and savior of all man kind.
He's had a busy couple of weeks. Being a Demon ain't easy.
Lets Talk About It:
This was a great book.
Had it all: Vampires, Demons, Ghosts, Vampire Hunters, Love Drama, Kidnapping, Cults.. I could go on and on but you get the idea. The book was jammed pack with everything supernatural and I loved it.
Alex is just this normal guy until he goes into a friend of his sisters haunted house and all of a sudden he's seeing ghosts and exorcising demons. Then he learns he's actually adopted and while searching for his birth parents learns that he himself is part demon. This all goes on while he's pining away for his best friend Cindy.
The book takes you from his kindergarten meeting with Cindy all the way up to his learning how to control all of his awesome powers to saving the world with his Vampire friend and uniting Vampire and Vampire Hunter.
At points I thought it was a little too lengthy in certain parts and the 'should I tell her? I should tell her!' internal debate over his love for Cindy was a little too much but neither took away from the fact that the book rocked and leaves you wanting more.
And there was Bonus material. I thought it was going to be an intro to book two. It wasn't. It was a complete different story about Zombies that was good enough to earn an honorable mention.
I can't wait to see what Glenn Bullion has coming out next!
Melissa
Reviewer for 1000 + Books to Read
Alex is a normal guy working at a loading dock, a great big brother and an awesome best friend to Cindy, the girl he's known since kindergarten and also has the worlds biggest crush on. Who knew that normal could become some weird?
Alex stumbles into a world he didn't know existed and quickly becomes mixed up in Vampire politics, the leader of the Demon world and savior of all man kind.
He's had a busy couple of weeks. Being a Demon ain't easy.
Lets Talk About It:
This was a great book.
Had it all: Vampires, Demons, Ghosts, Vampire Hunters, Love Drama, Kidnapping, Cults.. I could go on and on but you get the idea. The book was jammed pack with everything supernatural and I loved it.
Alex is just this normal guy until he goes into a friend of his sisters haunted house and all of a sudden he's seeing ghosts and exorcising demons. Then he learns he's actually adopted and while searching for his birth parents learns that he himself is part demon. This all goes on while he's pining away for his best friend Cindy.
The book takes you from his kindergarten meeting with Cindy all the way up to his learning how to control all of his awesome powers to saving the world with his Vampire friend and uniting Vampire and Vampire Hunter.
At points I thought it was a little too lengthy in certain parts and the 'should I tell her? I should tell her!' internal debate over his love for Cindy was a little too much but neither took away from the fact that the book rocked and leaves you wanting more.
And there was Bonus material. I thought it was going to be an intro to book two. It wasn't. It was a complete different story about Zombies that was good enough to earn an honorable mention.
I can't wait to see what Glenn Bullion has coming out next!
Melissa
Reviewer for 1000 + Books to Read
Read
March 8, 2011As the plot summary suggests, the novel is essentially about a guy named Alex who finds out that he has demonic powers and that he’s actually part demon himself (when you find out how, it’s more interesting that it initially sounds). Alex’s BFF is a Black girl named Cindy who he’s known since kindergarten when he stood up to a bully for her and got a lighter to the arm for his trouble. But instead of his flesh burning, nothing happened to him. This sets up what’s to come, and as Alex enters high school, he experiences more paranormal phenomena and finds himself embroiled in the world of ghosts and demons. He meets his first supernatural creature, a ghost possessed by a demonic entity, in the house of one of his classmates, Tammy, and finds that not only can he hurt demons with a touch, but also he can banish them.
Soon after, Alex and Cindy meet the woman who used to be his legal guardian, Beth, to find out more about his origins. Although he gets more than he bargained for, Beth also takes him to help a family with a haunted house. Once again, I won’t ruin the origins of Alex’s demonic powers, but suffice it to say, it could give “End of Days” a run for its money.
Also within his abilities is the power to go into the demon world, which, needless to say, isn’t pleasant. Although I would have preferred something more along the lines of “Infernal Angel” by Edward Lee, and more time spent in this world, I thought the author handled the descriptions decently.
Overall, this is an enjoyable novel with sequel potential and a good ending.
Soon after, Alex and Cindy meet the woman who used to be his legal guardian, Beth, to find out more about his origins. Although he gets more than he bargained for, Beth also takes him to help a family with a haunted house. Once again, I won’t ruin the origins of Alex’s demonic powers, but suffice it to say, it could give “End of Days” a run for its money.
Also within his abilities is the power to go into the demon world, which, needless to say, isn’t pleasant. Although I would have preferred something more along the lines of “Infernal Angel” by Edward Lee, and more time spent in this world, I thought the author handled the descriptions decently.
Overall, this is an enjoyable novel with sequel potential and a good ending.
March 11, 2011
A very interesting paranormal ride. Alex is forced to come to grips with the fact that he's not quite human. The characters in the book are very vivid and real, and the storyline is nearly perfect, taking you from mundane teen life through so much more (I don't want to spoil it for anyone). Some people have mentioned that there are typos in the book. I only noticed three, and I've seen more than that from "best-seller" books. There may have been more, but I was too engrossed by the story to notice.
The language used and subject matter lead me to suggest that this NOT be given to your teen kids. This isn't young-adult-harry-potter fiction, people. As the name implies, there are some disturbing things in the book, and the author doesn't hold any punches. He really is what the name implies, and the issues he deals with require some maturity to understand and deal with. But if you're of consenting age, wanting a good, dark, paranormal book... this one is a great read.
I would rate it a 5+ out of 5. I rarely read a book a second time. After all, I know the ending, so why read it again? This is one of those books I'll probably read again. It's not the ending that makes this book great (although, there's nothing wrong with it), it's the ride getting there.
Pros: Dark & twisted (in a way that I really enjoy), fast-paced, amazingly-defined characters.
Cons: A couple of typos, but nothing that takes you out of the plot. Not for the young reader.
The language used and subject matter lead me to suggest that this NOT be given to your teen kids. This isn't young-adult-harry-potter fiction, people. As the name implies, there are some disturbing things in the book, and the author doesn't hold any punches. He really is what the name implies, and the issues he deals with require some maturity to understand and deal with. But if you're of consenting age, wanting a good, dark, paranormal book... this one is a great read.
I would rate it a 5+ out of 5. I rarely read a book a second time. After all, I know the ending, so why read it again? This is one of those books I'll probably read again. It's not the ending that makes this book great (although, there's nothing wrong with it), it's the ride getting there.
Pros: Dark & twisted (in a way that I really enjoy), fast-paced, amazingly-defined characters.
Cons: A couple of typos, but nothing that takes you out of the plot. Not for the young reader.
February 18, 2012
Wow, I mean wow. This is one really great story.
The characters are amazing, the setting is amazing, the plot and the story - everything about this one is just amazing. I can't believe nobody's read it yet but then I'm the first to read and comment on it.
At first I thought that Alex's powers would develop rapidly and he would have trouble with them but that's not how it happened. I liked how he got them and how he handles his problems.
I adored Cindy - she's so great in how she handles her life and everything aroundher, and I found the relationship between Cindy and Alex realistic.
Glenn Bullion has written this so well and phrased everything just so, makes this story believable, as if it could happen in real life.
You know you've read a great story when you're sorry to see it end, which I am, but it ends with a hope of a sequel.
The characters are amazing, the setting is amazing, the plot and the story - everything about this one is just amazing. I can't believe nobody's read it yet but then I'm the first to read and comment on it.
At first I thought that Alex's powers would develop rapidly and he would have trouble with them but that's not how it happened. I liked how he got them and how he handles his problems.
I adored Cindy - she's so great in how she handles her life and everything aroundher, and I found the relationship between Cindy and Alex realistic.
Glenn Bullion has written this so well and phrased everything just so, makes this story believable, as if it could happen in real life.
You know you've read a great story when you're sorry to see it end, which I am, but it ends with a hope of a sequel.
January 26, 2015
While this sounded good, in theory, I'm afraid the execution felt flat. Alex had such an interesting background, but his story felt fragmented, anechdotal. There were too many time jumps to fully connect with Alex, his friends and his gradual understanding of who he was.
I would have liked it a whole lot better if the author had explored his demon heritage in a little more detail. Not to mention, "played" with them a little more often;-)
Still, the demonic puppy thingie was cute... in a disturbing way.
2.5★
I would have liked it a whole lot better if the author had explored his demon heritage in a little more detail. Not to mention, "played" with them a little more often;-)
Still, the demonic puppy thingie was cute... in a disturbing way.
2.5★
June 12, 2015
This was a cheap e-book to buy, but it's one I've really enjoyed and am sorry that it isn't available in a print edition. Alex Teague grows up thinking he is ordinary. He has a few strange episodes that don't really lead him to believe that he's truly strange. That doesn't happen till his early 20s when he finds he has a unique heritage that will lead him to find a world around him that he never suspected. I'd love to read sequel to this novel if it comes out.
December 26, 2011
My brother loaned this book to me via Kindle... along with about a bajillion other books I didn't have time to read over Christmas. Ah well, sleep is overrated.
Things I loved: the voice, the brother/sister bond, the value of friendship, great humor balancing surprisingly pleasant self-deprecation, and the MC's discovering his heritage/powers.
A definite "recommend."
Things I loved: the voice, the brother/sister bond, the value of friendship, great humor balancing surprisingly pleasant self-deprecation, and the MC's discovering his heritage/powers.
A definite "recommend."
August 23, 2015
2.75 stars. Most of this book is about a dull guy who is secretly in love with his best friend. She is secretly in love with him too and it's screamingly obvious but of course neither of them can see it. Oh and there's a few pages of UF plot too. I struggled to keep reading this due to boredom. Fanfic quality.
July 27, 2011
Demonspawn is a great summer beach read , adventure, romance, vampires and demons . All that was missing was my beloved zombies-nice added touch , that the author is from my hometown of Baltimore. Look forward to future books from Glenn Bullion
February 7, 2014
I can't believe I finished this.
Let's just do a list....
° Poor, poor writing and formating.
° Omnipotent main character.
° Plot is allllllll over the place.
° Unrealistic characters and character interactions.
° Zero development of, well, anything.
° And so on....
Let's just do a list....
° Poor, poor writing and formating.
° Omnipotent main character.
° Plot is allllllll over the place.
° Unrealistic characters and character interactions.
° Zero development of, well, anything.
° And so on....
November 15, 2011
Great story. This is the 2nd book I've read by this author and so far my favorite. Hope to see a sequel. I can see this cast of characters having more adventures.
March 7, 2012
Well written, entertaining good urban fantasy. Some good new twists to the genre, lots of the regular good stuff and easy to read (not full of grammatical errors as else often is seen).
October 2, 2022
Alex’s intro to the demon world (several typos found in story)
What a crock of a fantasy! But, man I was glued to it from start to finish.
Me, afraid of my own shadow and can’t watch anything scary, a diehard romance reader reading this type of book is like…wow!
My beloved “thought” I ought to try something different. Challenge on! Nightmares first night!! But man, first thing the next morning, here I am with my head in the book reading again!
I loved Cindy’s character as well as Alicia’s. They were both well developed and supported Alex’s character.
The friendship and closeness between these three characters was created through a strong bond that is rarely found in life.
Victoria was an unexpected gem in her own right as well. At first, I wasn’t sure what her role was but ended up pleasantly surprised.
Now, Alex! Alex is/was an odd character from beginning to ending. He began as a standoffish little kid who was bullied, but he also stood up to the bully when the bully went after a little girl, Cindy, in their kindergarten class.
As the years passed by, he begins to notice strange “things” about himself. He doesn’t get burned like others by fire, hears voices, and sees what others do not.
He does good for others at night mostly while maintaining a day job.
Now….
On to book two in the series. Have I lost my marbles😳!
What a crock of a fantasy! But, man I was glued to it from start to finish.
Me, afraid of my own shadow and can’t watch anything scary, a diehard romance reader reading this type of book is like…wow!
My beloved “thought” I ought to try something different. Challenge on! Nightmares first night!! But man, first thing the next morning, here I am with my head in the book reading again!
I loved Cindy’s character as well as Alicia’s. They were both well developed and supported Alex’s character.
The friendship and closeness between these three characters was created through a strong bond that is rarely found in life.
Victoria was an unexpected gem in her own right as well. At first, I wasn’t sure what her role was but ended up pleasantly surprised.
Now, Alex! Alex is/was an odd character from beginning to ending. He began as a standoffish little kid who was bullied, but he also stood up to the bully when the bully went after a little girl, Cindy, in their kindergarten class.
As the years passed by, he begins to notice strange “things” about himself. He doesn’t get burned like others by fire, hears voices, and sees what others do not.
He does good for others at night mostly while maintaining a day job.
Now….
On to book two in the series. Have I lost my marbles😳!
September 26, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alex as he discovers his true identity. Alex and his best friend Cindy have been friends since he came to her aid when she was being bullied in kindergarten. His mother is a single parent and works long hours and goes to school. Alex takes care of his sister; and, when he and Cindy drop her off at her friend's house, they notice how nervous her friend is. Cindy and Alex agree to keep the girls company and then the friend is attacked by something unseen. Except, Alex can see it and helps the ghosts in the house to rest. As he discovers what he is, Alex realizes that his feelings for Cindy might not stay in the friend zone. Add in a vampire, vampire-hunters, ghosts, and demons, and Alex has his hands full. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to reading more of Bullion's world. Fans of Kim Harrison's The Hollows series will love these books.
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