Gigi's Company discussion

Please post comments and discussion here for the March '09 Book of the Month:

Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1)

I'm really surprised to say that I loved this book! I've never really been interested in the paranormal genre, and I especially was never interested in reading anything with demons in the synopsis. Any time I read that word I put the book down and think that it's too "fantasy" for me. I usually like my books to be the on real and probable side, with just humans as the main characters.

This book had everything I wanted and then some. I enjoyed the characters, especially Tayla and Eidolon. I loved their love/hate relationship right from the beginning and the sex didn't take away from the plot at all (which seems to happen a lot). In fact, I feel that it enhanced the story.

I also liked the descriptions of the different demon races- they just seemed more real to me than I ever could have expected.

Wow! Yep.. that just about sums it up. Wow!

Rachel,

The second book is already out. It is called Desire Unchained and is Shade's story. I loved the first book, but found the second book even better. The third book, Wraith's story, is called Passion Unleashed and is to be released this Wednesday, April 1, 2009.

I also loved Pleasure Unbound. If the second book is even better, I need to hurry up and read it! I have it on my Kindle to read soon.

Amanda, You have a Kindle! Please see the thread Book Lovers Alert under the General Section and tell us about it.

Kathleen
Assist Moderator

Here's my review!

Pleasure abound!

Tayla Mancuso is an Aegi Guardian; in other words, a demon slayer. She believes all demons are bad, especially after witnessing her mother’s murder by a demon.

While in the midst of slaying demons, her partner is killed and she’s hurt. She’s brought into the ER of Underworld General, where Doctor Eidolon patches her up. But as he’s repairing the damage, he notices something else… Tayla isn’t completely human.

They are unbelievably attracted to each other; the sparks hard to miss. Knowing she would have to betray him hurts like crazy - for demons are abominations to be killed. But at the last few second, complete catastrophy is averted when Tayla throws her exploding cell phone out into the parking lot. While two demons are killed and a few more injured, it could have been worse. And now Eidolon isn’t sure what to do with her, for obviously the second time she arrived at the hospital, it had been with ulterior motives. Even though she should be questioned thoroughly and disposed of, he can’t make himself or allow anyone else to do that to Tayla. For he’s sure Tayla is his mate. But first, he must explain to her why she’s been having weird symptoms, what’s been happening to her body, and that he can heal her just as much as she can help him divert turning into a monster.

But not everything is as cut and dried as Tayla believes. And now that the Guardian cell in New York is trying to kill her as well, someone out there is trapping demons and harvesting organs to sell on the magic black market. But she’s sure the head of the cell doesn’t know what’s going on. The question is, who is? And under what authority?

**Oh, did I enjoy this book, I could count the ways. Tayla is stronger than she appears, even after the rough childhood she lived. After witnessing the murder of her mother, she’s determined to take out as many demons as possible before she dies.

Eidolon is attracted to Tayla immediately, even when she’s hurt bad the first time he meets her. Once she’s no longer out of it, the sparks fly and you’re feeling the static even as you’re reading it!

What I liked was her inner battles. While she enjoys sex, she refuses to let go. She witnessed her mother’s rape and murder - so while she can find release when she’s ’self-servicing’, she can’t with a man. But I loved watching Eidolon bring her past that hang-up, and it was beautiful! The sex between the two is just as hot as the sparks between them when they’re not having sex, and it made this reader wish her husband wasn’t working nights, LOL! Whew!

There’s lots of action, a mystery, twists that have you wondering. And even though you get some of the answers, you don’t get them all, but the way it’s written, you’re not left feeling frustrated. In fact, you’re left feeling excited and anticipating the next novel in the series. My only mistake: not having Desire Unchained on-hand to read next, LOL! I liked the descriptions of the different demon races, from those that love to kill to those that wouldn’t harm a fly. Definitely a novel, a series, worth reading!

Rating: 5 Stars!

The fourth Demonica book, Ecstasy Unveiled, Lore's story, is to be released February 2010. Lore is a Seminus demon employed as an assassin introduced in Passion Unleashed, the third Demonica book.

I really enjoyed this book. Tayla is so cool. I liked the way that Tayla and Eidolon just could not get over the fact that they were life mates. The sex was hot and steamy but Rachael is right it does not take away from the story, it adds to it.

The part that I liked best is that Eidolon and Tayla found out that they were more alike then they were different. I think that is a lesson we all need to reaffirm evey so often.

I would really like to read more about Kynan and Gem, if any of the rest of the serise mentions them please let me know.

I gave it 4 stars.

Kynan and Gem's story is a big part of the second book,

Desire Unchained

and is finally resolved (I won't tell you how--hee, hee, hee!) in the third book,

Passion Unleashed

I will have to get these 2 soon. Thank you Kathleen

Larissa Ione has posted an excerpt from Ecstasy Unveiled, Lore's story, Book 4 in the Demonica series, on her web site. See http://larissaione.com/blog/books/ecs...

Ecstasy Unveiled will be released January 26, 2010.

Larissa Ione has posted multiple deleted scenes from Pleasure Unbound, and a deleted scene from Passion Unleashed on her web site. See http://larissaione.com/blog/books/dem...

Ooooh, thanks, Kathleen!

From the moment that we met Loren Donnelly (Lore) in the third Demonica book I knew that his book would be a great read and I was not disappointed in Ecstasy Unveiled (Demonica, Book 4). Lore, a half-human Sem assassin, and Idess, an earthbound angel (referred to as memitim) sworn to protect primori, alternately clash and are attracted to each other. (Primori are humans who are fated to have a special role, for either good or evil purposes, that shapes human destiny.) Lore has been ordered to kill Kynan by his demon master or his sister, Sinead Donnelly (Sin), will be destroyed. This order puts him at odds with Eidolon, Shade, Wraith, Tayla, Gem (who he has mostly gotten over since the last book), and as well as Idess (Kynan is one of her primori). Sin is also an assassin for the same demon master and she kills by creating a unique disease for each of her victims. During the course of the novel she inadvertantly creates a plague that is killing turned wargs (werewolves). Lastly, there is a malevolent presence in Underworld General Hospital that has inexplicably set the three Sem brothers against each other.

All of these subplots are related and Lore and Idess undercover the perpetuator, set most things right (some are left for the next book), trounce enemies, and find that a demon and an angel can have a happily ever after. Suspenseful, abounding with action and mysteries, and a wonderful romantic relationship between hero and heroine. Loved this one on multiple levels.

I am giving this book five stars.

The next book, Sin Undone, and is the story of Sin and dhampire (half-warg/half vamp) Conall Dearghul (Con), paramedic at UGH and member of the Werewolf Council. Ooooh!! Will that be a good one???

Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 1) is a new series by Larissa Ione about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse set in the same universe as her Demonica series. Eternal Rider is to be released March 1, 2011. There is an excerpt for Eternal Rider in the back of Sin Undone (Demonica, Book 5).

Thanks for the heads-up, Kathleen!

Sin Undone, (Demonica, Book 5) was a fantastic conclusion to the Demonica series and a great transition to Ione's new series, the Lords of Deliverance about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War, one of the Four Horsemen, is a former paramour of Sin's; that is, master assassin Sinead Donnelly, the only female Seminus demon ever born, but that's end of the book stuff.

In the conclusion of Ecstasy Unveiled, Sin had inadvertantly created a virus that was killing werewolves. In this book, the virus, called Sin Fever, or SF, is raging out of control. There is concern among the medical staff of Underworld General, the Aegis, and the X-RX, that the virus could jump supernatural species, and could possibly even spread to humans.

Sin, in the meantime, is being hunted by enraged werewolves, her own assassins (who see an opportunity to take over the Assassins Guild), Carceris Guards, and assorted others. She is sent on the lamb by her brothers with Con, paramedic and dhampire--half werewolf, half vampire--Conall Dearghul, for protection. There is a great subplot involving Luc, the paramedic werewolf, and Kar, the Aegis warrior that he was involved with in Passion Unleashed.

Well-written with numerous subplots, but all coming together to create an engaging, masterful tale about the supernatural. Action, powerful emotions, family, alpha heroine, alpha hero, a 5-star treat!!!

Okay, I soooo have to get the rest of this series. No more procrastinating, LOL!

Eternity Embraced (Demonica, 3.5) is a great short story about Kaden, a former Aegis agent turned vampire, and Andrea, still an Aegis agent and human. Tayla and Eidolon make an appearance. I gave this one five stars. This story is available as an ebook.