Angels and demons - or should that be vampires
346102
Stunning!  An angel! Now how is she going to cope? Surely angels should not be attracted to vampires. Also her investigative skills are put to the test as she again has to solve the latest case. The characters are developing and growing well. Plus the hint of romance is well done.
2626373
17 year old Samantha and her best friend are out on a Friday night at the local teen club.  Soon she's approached by her long time crush and old neighbor Stephen.  He invites her to join him in the upstairs lounge where he offers her a dangerous and life altering kiss.  Samantha can't resist his lips.  Thinking he's just being arrogant, she kisses him.  Now she suffers from an incurable hunger.  Food doesn't satisfy her.  She's inexplicably drawn to other boys.  They smell so delicious.  She doesn't know what's happening to her, but she fights it.  She fights to stay in control of herself and not give in.

Meanwhile, on a rare occasion Angels and Demons are dispatched from Heaven and Hell to work together.  There is something dark taking over the town of Trinity, New York.  Something is feeding off the souls and transforming the people.  This must be stopped.  But they need help.  There is more to Samantha.  There is something special about her.  She's one of the infected now, but that's not all she is.

This was a good start to a new series.  Souls are needed to keep the balance between Heaven and Hell.  But, when souls are being devoured on Earth the balance tips.  They've seen this problem once before.  A team was dispatched once and the demon responsible was vanquished to the Hollow, a place worse than Hell where all super natural entities that die on Earth go and never return.  Unfortunately, somehow, that same demon is back with a new bag of tricks.  There's a connection between this demon and Samantha though.  She's torn between who to help.

We also see a love connection between Samantha and one of the angels, Bishop.  This might not be so bad.  Angels don't have souls, so there is no harm in kissing him.  However, someone in Heaven doesn't want this mission to succeed.  They sent Bishop to Earth with a soul, making it nearly impossible for him to return.  It makes it really impossible for Samantha and Bishop to act on their feelings.

I liked the overall storyline.  I did want to slap some sense into Samantha a time or two.  But, I had to remind myself she's only 17.  Of course she would be confused about some things and fail to see what was right in front of her.  The end of the story leaves you knowing that something bigger and badder is coming.  All is not perfect in the end.  There is still more evil to fight.  The angels and demons are stuck here till all is resolved.
1343383
Probability of Angels is not what I expected however I did enjoy the book. Although at times I found it somewhat confusing, it was mostly due to not knowing where Matthew really was or what was going on. I did find the characters interesting and they all have a little gift like the Fantastic 4 comic series. Epp reminds me of Samuel L. Jackson he is calm and cool even while things are crazy around him. Devon did good placing as much emphasis as he did on Epp and Matthew. You tend to look forward to their characters throughout the book and when Epp is in danger you really feel badly for him. Are their really angels in this adventure? Just as the title suggests it is a probability since the location seems to be some sort of level or plane and not heaven itself. I believe Devon could go far with this series if he adds a little more paranormal or afterlife juice to the mix. Since the 2nd book of the series is due to be released soon I am curious to see if he has picked it up a notch. The narrative of Probability of Angels itself is unique and I like the writing style of Devon. If you like your fiction with a mix of the unknown then you can truly enjoy this book and this series.
1749145
This is a very well-written book. I read it all in one day; couldn't put it down. I look forward to more in the series. The author makes some very interesting conjectures about angels and demons and ties it all into the story.
772154
This atmospheric thriller is a tale of two characters, one is an angel whose story spans pre-Christianity to the present day, and the other an ordinary young woman living in modern-day Boston who has the terrifying ability to see demonic creatures creeping around her.

From reading other novels in the Urban Fantasy genre, I half expected the woman to become a kick-ass crossbow-firing Amazon. Refreshingly, this is a more original story. The child Emily is terrified of the demonic creatures she encounters, and her parents turn to psychiatric treatment. Fast forward to her twenties, Emily is emotionally scarred from her visions which she controls with medication, and still clings to the one woman who believes her - her grandmother. The supporting characters of an exasperated sister and worried parents round out a psychological portrait of ordinary people literally coping with demons in their lives.

However, there is plenty of sword-swinging action scenes, delivered courtesy of Azrael, the powerful angel who battles demons for souls and eventually must raise his swords against his own kind. The author has a flair for atmospheric description, and Heaven is memorably drawn as a kind of pastoral training ground for a growing army of angelic soldiers preparing for war with Hell. This is a tale of the enemy within, of the sly treachery of an arch-villain amongst the Angels themselves, and whether Azrael can figure out who is the traitor before Heaven is destroyed.  Hell has its own eerie geography, as Azrael swoops in to save souls from it's treacherous landscape.

The lives of Emily and Azrael collide when she discovers him at his job - releasing the souls of the dead. Unfortunately, those she loves most are on the list. At this point, Emily begins her discovery of an inner strength she doubted she had. She decides to take on the Angel of Death and stop him taking her family. She does so without the knowledge that Azrael is fighting for the souls of the Good, and is in danger of losing the battle. With Azrael under threat from demons and angels, Emily may tip the ultimate battle towards the side of Evil.

Altogether, a good read: a suspense thriller with a fascinating version of heaven versus hell that lingers after closing the pages.
1835712
Yes.  I am a Christian.  I became semi addicted to Buffy and it took me a while to figure out why.

The show has all the elements of actual feelings/growing/exploration that normal kids go through.  Spirituality is all through the book.  What I liked best is that Good always wins over Evil. There is redemption, there is hope, and there is always a new dawn, with renewed hopes and dreams, just like in real life, sans the vamps and demons.(Although they are here, among us, but in human form - human monsters). We can hold on to our faith and pray that we would have the judgement and perserverence that Buffy shows, thanks to Joss Whedon.
3863297
I was given an ebook copy of this story, and wanted to share what I thought. The novel starts off with "An angel, a demon and a vampire walk into a bar..."  That hooked me right away, and set the tone for the whole book. No, it wasn't a bad joke but rather a fun  rollarcoaster ride of a mystery following a supernatural Charlie's Angels. The main character is a human with the special ability to manipulate memories, a gift she uses to help keep the supernatural world a secret from human society.  Together with her teammates,  a demon whose addicted to TV and gadgets, a 400-year old vampire, and a human liason,  they work to solve the enigma of a highly-unusual vampire killing in the middle of a popular Cleveland bar.

I loved the twists and turns of the case,  but I especially loved the characters. The main character, Kyle, has lots of anger and intimacy issues--especially with humans, while her two supernatural friends and her fellow human team member are somewhat protective of her,  despite the fact that she's tough as nails. I was a little annoyed there were a few sex scenes included, but I understand why they were there and were so steamy. The good guys were likable or lovable,  the bad guys deplorable, and there were plenty of characters inbetween.

 I really can't say more without giving things away, but I heartily endorse this read for anyone in the mood for a fast-paced,  action-packed,  and enjoyable paranormal mystery with a few sexy scenes thrown into the mix.
3676841
Get a response and tell your friends. The ultimate experience to expand your Multimedia Collection. Is it the ultimate score Demons and the like? If so I hope they never find it.
Demons and Angels are rumored to have a preordained purpose. I truthfully doubt evil is waiting around reading "People" hoping for the opportunity to scare you. If either entity needs something you'll know it.  Come to think of it where are all the Angel EVP's?

For me what came out of reading this book was how communicating with spirits could benefit both the living and deceased move on. I've seen seen orbs and heard EVP's. Great.. Finding new ways for both sides to deal with grief and move on is what it's about.  One day death will find us all. Wouldn't it be nice to be able give or get help from beyond?
2709430
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a blend of angels, vampires, and a reincarnation type love story.  It has a unique way of looking at heaven/hell, and all the dimensions in between.

Lailah begins the book as Francesca, a bartender living in an abandoned house.  She has very few memories of her past, and a whole bunch of scars.  The world she lives in is filled with memory flashes from her past lives and the firm knowledge that vampires are real (and evil).  Shes managed to fly under the radar and not die for quite a while until she makes a foolish decision to help a vampire out.  Jonah meets Cessie on the side of the road.  Hes wounded badly and on the run from some really evil vampires and trying to get back to his group of reformed vampires.  Against her better judgment (and my own opinion on the matter), she ends up throwing Jonah into a car and taking her back to her home.  Theres some sexy vampire tension, a little flirting, and then everything goes the hell.

Jonah sucks Cessie into his life pretty quickly from that point onward.  Suddenly the face shes been seeing in her dreams isn't just a fantasy anymore.  He has a name, Gabriel, and they are inexplicably drawn to one another.  Her past lives are even more of a mystery as she finds Gabriel might be the key to remembering everything.  This is where the name Lailah comes into play.  Theres a lot of clues, a YA level of drama (and oodles of misunderstandings coupled with jumping to conclusions), and ultimately an ending that left me with even more questions.
3078615
Hello, this is a very good and interesting read.  Are the Vampires the real monsters?  You will have to read it to find out.  Thanks.
1514573
Former governess Serena Lark wants to be like any other Englishwoman. She wants to find love, marry, start a family, and live happily ever after. She also wants to study to hunt vampires at the side of two England's most notorious vampire hunters, Lord Sommersby and Drake Swift. The problem, of course, is two-fold. Nice English ladies don't hunt vampires. And nice English ladies also don't secretly suspect that they might actually be the very creature they long to destroy. Yes, Serena Lark has a secret. She might be a vampiress... but that won't stop her from having a good time while she finds out.

Blood Rose was sensual, intriguing, and entertaining, but not the deepest plot I've ever read. It was good for a paranormal, particularly from such a small press. There's great potential with Sharon Page's vampire world: the women are the leaders in this vampire society, and men can only rule with a powerful vampiress at their side; there's a bit of magic that comes with the necessity of drinking blood; and a love between three is encouraged as a way to strengthen one's powers. But then, the story also has its faults, there's a twist at the end that I thought was only thrown in for shock effect and serves no real purpose to the story, Serena seems confused about whether she wants to be a wanton or a lady and I found her attempts to do both lacking, and the men in the story weren't as strong and Alpha as I usually like them. Still, Blood Rose was an intriguing paranormal romance with lots of potential. I'll be sure to check out Page's other work.
3921677
Christians. Vampires. Blood. Murder. Justice. Suspense.

I wasn't sure it could be done. Tracey Bateman proves it can. I'll be honest when I first picked up this book to read it, I had no idea that it contained vampires. The cover intrigued me and I thought I was sitting down to a good mystery.

Well, it was a good mystery, but it also contained vampires. Several of them, in fact.

The story follows a young woman, Lauryn McBride who is an auctioneer/realtor of old estates. She works full time in the family business and also juggles the care of her father who seems to be losing more and more of his memory every day.

When she uncovers some old letters, strange things start happening and before she even realizes what's happened she's sucked into a mystery so old and bizarre she can scarcely draw breath. Cross all of this with a cocky sheriff, a Bible believin' missionary, a wacky blogger, and a sophisticated guest and you've got something that borders on paranormal all on its own.

The story bounces back and forth from first person to third person. I had no trouble following it, but I think it deserves a mention.

I'm still on the fence with this book. Ms. Bateman does not in any way condone vampires and for that I like the book. However, in so many ways they are so unrealistic that I have a hard time buying into the hype that they have created the last several years.

I'm going to give it 3 stars. It wasn't the worst story I've ever read, the writing was good, but the content is so controversial. Perhaps I should give Ms. Bateman a big thumbs up for daring to write something as controversial as "Christian Vampires". :)

Many thanks to Blogging for Books for my review copy of this book. All opinions expressed here, as you can tell, are mine. :)
2060083
Review:

This is a short prequel for what should become a huge series. If you like this genre of more paranormal fantasy then it will be a "to read" for you! Grace the main character is an angel. Along with Seth they explore what happened inside the castle. Grace is not at all a typical angel, I will say that her character was a little plotting an conniving to me.

There are choices for Seth. Grace is sort of untouchable and Seth must realize this. He can't deal with being pulled in two directions. What is emotional is the love that Grace feels.

I really would like to see what happens next. Where the characters are leading and what their future hold. The interesting use of angels was a draw for me. My only complaint is it was a little too short and could have been more of an add on in the first book. If I had to wait for the first book I'd be mad. This is definitely a must read for fans of YA paranormal romance.
2379666
I started Megatherion for research purposes. We are working on the third book in our Cowboy and Vampire Thriller Series&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Blood-and-Whiskey-A-Cowboy-and-Vampire-Thriller/dp/0983820015/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Blood and Whiskey: A Cowboy and Vampire Thriller</a>&nbsp;and in that world, there is a usually inaccessible, hidden spiritual dimension called The Meta (short for Meta-consciousness) where human and vampire souls exist before and after death (our vampires die every dawn, so they get a lot of firsthand experience there). I wanted to read about someone who believed in worlds separate from our own.

Aleister Crowely, with his demons and ascended masters and misshapen gods and doorways into other realms seemed a logical choice.

Years ago, I went through a Crowley phase and purchased a tarot deck of his design, convinced I could unlock the secret mysteries. It didn't last long; apparently, I was not cut out to be an adept or an initiate. I once thought he was a dark, dangerous man with insight into other planes, but after reading Megatherion, I am more inclined to think of him as a damaged individual with much charisma and strong, strange beliefs, who attracted many other damaged individuals.

Regardless of your stance on magic, or magick, the books is  a fascinating look at a unique period of history when otherwise "normal" men and women dressed in robes, had ritual sex and killed a few cats (poor cats, they deserved better).

Here are a few things of note I learned:

-- So much sex. Crowley, and other Magicians of the Golden Dawn (and similar orders) had so much sex so often with men, with women, with themselves. Apparently, if you do it right, ritual sex can open the doors to astral planes and deeper knowledge about the other realms, etc.  It's almost like they created a magical construct as a cover for their sexual proclivities. In fact, it's exactly like that. Sex was a big deal then.

-- Sex is a big deal now. The author makes much of the many incidents of "buggery," going to great pains to point out when Crowley assumed the passive role versus the active role. That's wasted ink to me and speaks of our own present day hang ups. Sex with consenting adults is all just good clean fun, regardless of who is in front or behind, and regardless of how many goats are watching.

-- We were right, menstrual blood is magic! In our first book, the vampires are after some very special menstrual blood from the chosen one. Some readers were offput. The Crowleyean magicians made special magic cakes with a blood as the binding, magic ingredient. Guess which blood was the MOST magical? That's right, blood of the moon. Not so gross now, are we, easily offended readers?

-- Vampires were hot even in the 1930s. Apparently, Crowley once worked a big, elaborate magic spell involving a vampire and a werewolf. It appears Twilight owes a little something to the world's wickedest man.

If you are interested in learning more about a time in history when upstanding gentlemen and ladies found it perfectly acceptable to get naked and freaky, as long as they were thinking about alternative beings from other dimensions, check this book out.

As for me, I'll be reading Carlos Castaneda next. Don Juan had a thing for other worlds as well. And if you have any recommendations, please let me know by leaving a comment.
4137010
Instead of the normal type of supernatural theme this. Book focuses on a descendent of angels battling the forces of evil. As usual the heroine is headstrong and independent, making me wonder at times if I liked her or not. I enjoyed the story, and even though this was an origin type story it was detailed enough for you to believe in but not too long where nothing was happening. Recommended.
522587
(Possible spoiler alerts)

 Its as if the new age/metaphysical realm somehow felt stagnant and dormant for a while. So, why not add the Archangels into the mix as fresh blood? Its worked like a charm in this realm, hasn't it? Dont get me wrong; I do believe that because the Archangels are the messengers/intercessors between God and humankind, one does not necessarily have to be Christian to want to study them and/or interact with them. Sadly though, within this new age/metaphysical realm, there aren't nearly as many regulations that would discourage some swindling activity just to make a profit without any care to the importance many place on spirituality in general.

  As it is, Archangels have been a topic of study with me off and on for about ten years. Theres at least one of the research books on Angels this author uses in their biography that I also have a copy of and I question just how much of that book they bothered using. One example is their perspective of Lucifer. The way Lucifer is described by the author left me questioning whether or not they bothered to look up Lucifer or other Angels such as Sam(m)ael or even Satan.

 I also questionno I take that back, I disagree with their perception of Uriel. (This is a slight spoiler alert that goes back to the authors first book thats a running theme in all three books). It doesnt make any sense to me on how any Angel can have a disdain for humanity that cant wait for the end times where were all dragged by him (and another Angel) to be judged and (possibly) punished by God yet be the patron Archangel of social injustice. Does that make any sense to you or does it sound, at best, contradicting? I think the latter. (Another spoiler alert): The author also claims Uriel as owning a couple of Chinese dragons on page 146 of her first book, yet claims the Angel Cassiel as having dragons as one of his icons whereas Uriel does not. So which is it? Well, upon my further studies, nowhere else did I find Uriel owning or interacting with any dragons, only Cassiel.

 These are just a couple of examples of how riddled the authors books are regarding various contradictions, hypocrisies and potentially, straight up lies. Personally, I think it is very dangerous to misguide anybody concerning spirituality in general in how much extra, un-needed turmoil it can cause in any individuals life. It never ceases to amaze me how many of those out there can be this venomous just to make that extra dollar. This author is of no exception to that rule.
2379277
Can there be light without darkness?  It is an age old question, and one at the crux of the strange relationship between Hugh and Lilith.  Inexplicably drawn to one another, they both know they are forbidden to each other.  Love, sex, even friendship between a demon from Hell and a Guardian from Heaven can never be.

Lilith is a seducer, a temptress, a tormenter of humankind.  A Halfling demon, she finds her human half responding to Hugh's kindness, in spite of the promise of her Punishment at the hands of Lucifer for such weakness.

Protector of the innocent, Hugh wants nothing more than to save Lilith.  He'll do anything towards that end - even give up Heaven itself.

Demon Angel is the second book in Meljean Brook's series titled The Guardians (the first story is found in the anthology Hot Spell.)  I read this book not realizing that it was a continuation of a series, and I can happily report that understanding Demon Angel is not dependent on having already read the first story.  The author does an admirable job of detailing her universe, and teaching readers the tenets of the world she has created in this series.

I greatly enjoyed the plot of Demon Angel and found myself drawn to the compelling characters Brook created for this book - both the primary characters and the supporting characters.  Fans of this book will be happy to learn that the fourth book in this series stars two of the most intriguing supporting characters from the second book.

While I enjoyed this book, I did feel that the pacing was a bit slow at times.  This could be a byproduct of the need to teach the mythos of Brook's world to us alongside telling the story itself.  I think that subsequent books in this series could benefit from having a glossary in the front of the book, removing the need for so much of this sort of detail in the prose.

That said, if you enjoy a good paranormal romance, then Meljean Brook's The Guardian, Book 2:  Demon Angel is a perfect addition to your book wish list!

Series Order:
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Hot-Spell-The-Guardians-Book-1-The-Breed-Next-Door-The-Countess-s-Pleasure-The-Blood-Kiss-Falling-For-Anthony/dp/0425212882/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Hot Spell (The Guardians, Book 1) (The Breed Next Door) (The Countess's Pleasure) (The Blood Kiss)(Falling For Anthony)</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Demon-Angel-The-Guardians-Book-2/dp/0425213471/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Demon Angel (The Guardians, Book 2)</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wild-Thing/dp/0425215164/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wild Thing</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Demon-Moon-The-Guardians-Book-4-Berkley-Sensation/dp/0425215768/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Demon Moon (The Guardians, Book 4) (Berkley Sensation)</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Demon-Night/dp/0425219771/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Demon Night</a>