Book Review: Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee

Title: Demon's Fall
Author: Karalynn Lee
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: 10/25/2010
ISBN: 9781426890680








One thing I will have to warn people about is that this is a very short story, only taking up about 70 pages. For some the events in this story will happen a little too quickly & they'll long for just a little bit more detail, mostly because this is a rich world that Lee has spun & they want just a little more depth to everything.

Kenan is an incubus, a demon who seduces human women out of their souls, forgetting about them once the challenge is done & over with. When he comes across the angel Jahel in the marketplace at Hellsgate he has the unbearable urge to touch her. Sure that her soul would make an intriguing addition to his collection of souls, Kenan promptly purchases the angel with the intent on slowly seducing her our of her soul. He's sure that a little kindness, as well as helping Jahel find the soul she came almost all this way to find, will help his natural incubus seduction skills. What he didn't plan on was losing his heart.

As a short story this tale both works & doesn't work at times. What works in this story is that Lee has created an intriguing world full of possibilities. The idea of a stolen soul turning into a coin (leaving the former owner alive) & using it as currency in the demon world is something that many readers will find a nice touch. What also works is the heat that Lee has made between our two main characters- it's very tangible, very erotic, & for the most part comes across rather naturally (as natural as it can be for a demon & an angel).

What doesn't work is mostly due to the short length of the story. Jahel & Kenan have an almost instant attraction to each other & don't seem to fight it, something that might irk some readers. The plot for this story moves along at an almost lightening speed & while this is a good story, many will just wish that Lee had stretched the story out a little longer just so she could have explored more of the potential of this world & its inhabitants. Some parts of it just felt a little underdeveloped.

Overall though, this is a pretty decent story & one that will thrill many readers. I hope that this story is merely a setup for more stories to come, as developing all of this for one 70-ish page story would sort of be a bit of a waste. This was a fun story to read (especially with the Snow White references), so I would recommend this for most romance readers out there.

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Book Review: Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield

Title: Shadow of the Vampire
Author: Meagan Hatfield
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 07/01/2010
ISBN: 0373775008







Are you a fan of steamy sex? Do you like vampires but are a little tired of some of the "stereotypical" types of vampires out there? Do you want something that's a little bit different? Even if you don't, you should still check out Hatfield's first entry into the paranormal romance field.

Alexia is not your average princess. For starters, she's not only a vampire but she's also a warrior who has been at battle with the dragons for more years than she can remember. Her days are filled not bloodshed she wishes she could avoid- along with her mother's creepy fiancee Lotharus. It isn't until she has a run in with the handsome dragon lord Declan that she feels true desire for the first time in her long life. Despite her vows to defend her country,eradicate the dragons, & kill their king, Alexia finds herself drawn to Declan even as she knows that she should torture him for the location of a magical crystal that could give her people the advantage in the war. Her desire is more than met by this fierce warrior king as he finds himself equally drawn to her. Is their desire an abomination destined to ruin their kingdoms... or destiny itself?

Despite being a newcomer to the field, Hatfield proves that she has the talent to not only write an enticing romance but to draw in readers who might not normally read paranormal romance. Readers will be seduced by the sizzling hot scenes between Declan & Alexia as well as enticed by the much of the world that Hatfield brings us. People who want a little action to their stories will also enjoy that Alexia is no shrinking violet- she knows how to defend herself as well as kick a good sized piece of butt. And the villain? Readers will enjoy seeing a villain that is evil for the sole purpose of being evil.

The only shortcomings to this book was that some readers might want a little more explanation about the world that these supernatural beings live in as well as have more development of the secondary characters & the social structure of the dragon world. There's signs of both races interacting with the human world (technology, guns), yet no explanation of how they can go undetected by humans- especially if they're having large battles like in the book. There's no human interaction with dragons or vampires in this book & as such the modern technology just felt a little out of place. (With today's modern technology you'd think that humans would have detected the dragons or the vampires.) As for the secondary characters & the dragon culture, we do get glimpses of them but not as much as we do the vampire characters & their world.

Overall though, the shortcomings don't really draw away from how incredibly fun this book was to read & with Hatfield bringing out more books set in this world, I'm certain that we'll get more explanation about the world & cultures of these people. I'm looking forward to seeing Hatfield flesh out the series as well as reading about the future adventures of Declan's sister Tallon. (Can't specify without revealing spoilers!)

(ARC provided by Netgalley)