Customer Reviews

Blood of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 2)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beaulac, Louisiana's favorite homicide detective Kara Gillian is back in book two of the Kara Gillian series, and what a treat it is for readers! In this second book, which is perhaps even better than the first, Kara's just trying to be a good cop and a decent summoner of demons in the essence-absence of her aunt and mentor, Tessa, after dying...for a little while (courtesy of the demon Lord Rhyzkahl - the "little while" part, not the "dying") at the end of Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 1). When a fellow officer is found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after apparently confessing to the accidental murder of his wife, it takes one look from Kara's "other sight" to know that something is horribly wrong with the scene. The question is, could Kara's demon summoning possibly be the cause?

As the bodies pile up and the plot rockets along at breakneck pace, this exquisite blend of taut cop thriller and unique urban fantasy fleshes out Kara Gillian's world in rich, layered tones, and with a deft hand, Diana Rowland pens a thoughtful, realistic background of police procedural that blends so sweetly with imaginative otherworldly creatures and mythos that the culmination of both far exceeds the sum of either part.

At the core of all of this, of course, is Kara Gillian, and it is where both books truly shine. No leather-wearing, hog-riding, shotgun-toting badass heroine with a chip on her shoulder a mile wide here. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the absence of such makes Kara Gillian stand out for her very normalcy. She's short, loves chocolate donuts way too much, can't hold a man, hell, can't even FIND one, and is so stressed lately that she's lost TOO much weight. Even her closest friends (all two of them) are concerned she's all elbows and knees and looking hauntingly exhausted as she plods her way through life just trying to keep her head above water. Of course, if dreams of Lord Rhyzkahl in all manner of delicious situations would give it a rest for a night, she might actually be able to get some sleep!

She's sarcastic and tenacious, got an insecure streak a mile wide, and she definitely doesn't know it all. She makes bad choices, risky choices, and choices that she just has to make even if she'd rather not. And she's dedicated to her job, believes in right and wrong, and protects those she cares for in any way she can. She could be you. She could be me. She could be any of us, and that's what makes her so unique. She's flawed, and she's real, and she's fun to read. Kara is what makes Mark of the Demon and Blood of the Demon stand out head and shoulders above the plethora of urban fantasy series out there. She's memorable that way.

The rest of the cast is back, as well, most notably FBI agent Ryan Kristoff (who for some reason I keep thinking of as "Nick" - no clue why - but I've had to edit this review twice just to change it), and the mix of endearing friendship and potential romantic tension between them is ratcheted up a notch by questions of just what, exactly, Ryan is and what he can do. Lots of things go unsaid between them. More go unexplained. All of it was captivating and tantalizing and I can't wait to read more. So too, the bond between Kara and the deadly yet honorable (to a point) Lord Rhyzkahl, who requests an odd boon from Kara while keeping his motives strictly to himself. And then there's that animosity between demons and Ryan, and why Ryan seems to know so much about things he shouldn't. Ah, it's all so DELICIOUS!

I had pre-ordered Blood of the Demon as soon as I could, and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. I personally found it a lot less descriptively gruesome than the first book in the series, and perhaps, if I have to say anything critical, a bit less tense as well. There wasn't quite the same level of danger to Kara and friends. I don't think that makes it less a pleasure to read, though, and where I'd rated Mark of the Demon 4.5 stars, I have no need to qualify so with Blood of the Demon. This is a five star read, and even, surprisingly enough, well written enough that you don't HAVE to read the first (but you should, because it's great). Rowland managed to sufficiently explain the occurrences in book 1 without beating the reader to death with exposition OR dragging down the plot. Very well done, all around. I loved it.

Diana Rowland managed to outdo her debut novel in the Kara Gillian series. In Blood of the Demon, the story picks up about a month after the end of the first book. Once again, Kara is faced with the challenge of solving a series of murders that have an arcane signature while piecing together how the victims were all connected. At the same time, Kara is still an emotional reck (as Ryan puts it, needing to cry every other minute) from the results of the first book. One of which is that she is looking for a way to restore her Aunt Tessa to life. To assist in this Kara summons Rhyzkahl, the Demon lord who is very interested in Kara (whether for sex, some other reason, or both). Lord Rhyzkahl gives Kara the information she needs to help her aunt, but at the same time "asks" her to be become his summoner. To complicate matters even further, FBI agent Ryan Kristoff is back and although his intentions with Kara are unclear (friends, more than friends?), which also is causing Kara emotional grief, he makes it abundantly clear that he does not want her dealing with Lord Rhyzkahl. Interestingly, Kara finds out that all the demons seem to known Ryan, and they have a less than positive opinion of him. But in order to solve the murders that are occurring, put a stop to the murderer, and save her own life, Kara needs both help from Ryan and information from Rhyzkahl. Needless to say, this causes tension and sparks to fly between the three characters!!

All in all, even though Kara is a bit emotional, I think it was understandable and only added to the chemistry and sexual tension between her and Ryan. I think that Diana Rowland has created a protagonist that is smart and witty, but most of all real. This makes the whole story that much more enjoyable! I cannot wait for the next book in the series and to finally get some answers about who or what Ryan is!!

The real strengths of this series and this book in particular are the police procedural elements to it. Looking at the background of the author from her back jacket biography, it is no surprise that it reads a lot like a crime drama. Kara Gillian has a distinctive voice, as does Ryan and the other characters is the book. Much of the dialog between the characters reminds me of a rated R version of the show Castle. The chemistry and banter between them not only keeps you interested in them but also makes them feel like friends.

The arcane elements of the book feels less like a sore thumb that sticks out but a normal tool and element of the world. It seems very natural that the arcane is part of the world as does the concept of portals between this world and the one that the demons are summoned from. Definitions given throughout this book even open things up to the possibility of other arcane elements as potentially existing. It is rather subdued though, more of a flavor in the world and not really the focus of the story.

Blood of the Demon has a little bit for everybody. Mystery elements for the mystery lover, demon summoning for the urban fantasy lover and police procedural elements for the crime drama fan. It even revolves around a love triangle between three characters that is a subplot with similarities to the paranormal romance genre. Definitely a more adult book, it is an entrancing read and held my attention through the end.

I would definitely give this one a 4.5 stars out of 5. Being a fan of the police procedural and the urban fantasy that might have colored my opinion, but in those aspects it really shone.

My main problem with this book is the handling of the antagonist's reveal. Basically, Kara theorizes about the antagonist's motives and circumstances in her head. Then she simply asks the antagonist why they did it, and of course because "people want to tell you why they did it," I get to read the antagonist's motives... But wait! Those motives are an exact repetition of what Kara just theorized. And by exact I mean E X A C T.

I'm sorry, but seriously? Is that the best you can do, Diana Rowland? I was irked. I wanted to believe but, how realistic is it that a detective guesses, Verbatim, a criminal's motives and actions?

Additionally, the author's use of specific scientific descriptions of crime scene and police procedure drags for me. I find myself skimming over those parts. The plot of this book seemed weaker than that of the first book. It's disappointing. I like Kara's character, I like the play between her and Ryan, and I like the mystery about what Ryan really is. But I couldn't overlook the way Kara "catches the bad guy." Honestly, it was comical and not in a good way.

Kara Gillian a homicide detective for the Beaulac PD and a Demon summoner on her spare time found a fellow officer dead in an apparent suicide but with the help of her other sight knows that something is wrong with the body as with the note he left behind apologizing for the murder of his wife who is nowhere in the scene, after a while the bodies start piling up with the same characteristics, their essence is being ripped away and she has to deal with the fact that the arcane is involved once again, but could this be her doing?
What I really like about this book was the police procedural, every bit of information that came in and how is a nice piece of the puzzle that if you can't put it together right away at least give you some insight as where it is going, I feel like in the game board with all the detective work especially toward the end when the mystery is solved and all the pieces work collectively. The autopsy scene is just as good as in the previous book, so real. The demon lord Rhyzkahl is fantastic and the interaction with Kara is great. Kara with the exclusion of one thing (read further) is a star, I really like her wit, her strength and at some level her vulnerability, a really likable character, and I think every character has something really great about them. The take about the demons is original and interesting (not your typical demon from Sunday church).
However for me the second book wasn't as great as the first one, starting with the fact that Kara has a lot in her plate and it's difficult to get involved with one aspect when she goes right to next one, her worry levels are through the roof. First we have the murder investigation (great), second we have the fact that she could be partially guilty for it (worry), third we have a demon lord who is trying to get her to serve him (and not only in the wicked sense), fourth a best friend that she wants to be more than friends with but has a secret that he's not sharing with her (wrong), fifth her aunt's essence is still missing and her body is decaying (more worry). You put all these together and we have a much stressed, very thin, very tired Kara who has to jump from one thing to another without pause. Normally I'd say many interesting things happening but what really bugs me is Fed boy, he is not just a fed, he has an unusual ability and there is not only the question about what he can do but what is he, but what does our heroine do about it? Well she thinks, she worry and then jump to other thing and forget about it until we see Ryan again and the questions came back, but does she ask him? No she's to fearful of loosing her best friend (want to be more) that she pretends nothing happened and the cycle repeats itself and at the end of the book we didn't get any answer and here will be the part where I want to read the next book (and I do) but where is the fairness in the "friendship" he knows everything about her and she doesn't get to know anything about him, yeah he's really something but to put a blindfold willingly not my cup of tea in a female lead.
So a really enjoyable and compelling story and even when I like better Mark of a demon I believe Blood of a demon is a good addition to a great series.

Plot Summary: It's not easy coming back to work after being declared dead for two weeks, but Kara Gillian quickly lands two homicide cases that look like suicides. With her arcane abilities Kara is able to see that something has eaten the victims' essences, so she's treating it like a murder. Her FBI buddy Ryan Kristoff is back in town, and she can't help wishing that their friendship would grow into something more. Their relationship is strained because the demon lord Rhyzkahl wants something from Kara, and she just might say yes.

The Kara Gillian series is the perfect blend of crime fiction and urban fantasy. Diana Rowland paints a full portrait of the life of a police detective, including the mundane, everyday moments and that just gives her books even more authenticity. Kara gets bored sometimes, she eats way too much fast food (donuts too), and she's just getting by on her sad little salary. To steal a line from Blood of the Demon, "police work was ninety-five percent boredom and five percent sheer terror, but that five percent made it all worth it." It's no wonder that Ms. Rowland knows about life on the force so well, since she was a street cop and a detective herself. It really shows in her writing.

I enjoy detective novels, but these are even more special because the plot is spiced up with an exotic twist; Kara Gillian is a summoner, someone who can call demons from another dimension and barter with them for services. The demon angle is great, but surprisingly it's not the biggest pull for me in this series. I am a fan of Kara herself, and her utterly human responses. She's not above breaking down and having a good cry when things are going badly, she's insecure when it comes to her personal life - friends and boyfriends are rare - and she makes honest mistakes. I just wish she wasn't skin and bones while eating so much junk food. It's just not right.

My only disappointment with Blood of the Demon dealt with the mystery this time. In Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 1) the serial killer setup was compelling and thrilling. I can't say that the crimes grabbed me this time around, and no, it wasn't nearly as much of a page-turner. Still, I found Kara's personal life far more interesting, so that balanced things out for me. I learned on Ms. Rowland's blog that Secrets of the Demon will be out on January 4, 2011, and look out for a new cover design. I like the current ones myself, but she's switching publishers, so they've got some new ideas.

This story continues with the story of a young woman who is a demon summoner and after being saved and brought back to live two-weeks later by a demon lord, she's rejoined the police department and is continuing to serve as best she can. I won't go into great detail about this book, actually I won't go into hardly any details at all, but what I want to say is this book is just simply fantastic! If you are a fan of the first novel, then you have to read this addition. It starts slow in some parts, but trust me it is a good read. I can't wait for the third book to come out "Promise of the Demon" and as soon as it does I shall be getting it and adding it to my collection.
Blood of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 2)

I loved the first Kara Gillian book because the plot was solid and Ms. Rowland knows what she's talking about when it comes to police work, forensics and autopsies. She also writes about demon summoning as if she knew it just as well.
This new installment has a lot more romance than the first book, but it's a crucial part of the story and it's well handled. This book starts to flesh out Kara's personality more than the first one did.
She's a mess. She's a strong and capable woman when it comes to what she knows, but the things she doesn't have experience with, she's just a mess. It creates more dimension to the character because her flaws and insecurities aren't uncommon even if her calling is.
The mystery in the book wasn't the main focus, but again, Ms. Rowland is impressive in her knowledge of police procedures, the methods used in the morgue and what forensic science is capable of.
Highly enjoyable. I'm looking forward to her next book.

In my humble opinion, Blood of the Demon was a worthwhile read. Personally I love the premise of the Demons not really being demon's, but from an alternate plane of existence. Great analogy was how the author relates this to midwives who were proclaimed witches. The author captured my attention straight away and kept it for the most part throughout the book. I would however like to see Kara's character expanded upon to be stronger and her powers developed further which I felt was limited in this second novel of her journey. Ryan's background is still a mystery and I hope the next installment will explain his origins / background. The one thing that I struggled with in this novel was who all these people were. It was a chore to try and remember the relationships of all the people involved with the essence-eater. With an epic novel, that isn't a problem as the characters are more developed but in a short novel such as this, it becomes much more difficult. But all-in-all, I really enjoyed my time in Kara's world. I will most certainly have the next book on pre-order and look forward to knowing more about Kara, Ryan and the sex-god demon Rhyzkahl.

Blood of the Demon is the second novel in the Kara Gillian series by Diana Rowland and it's one that I've been anticipating since reading Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 1) last year.

Kara Gillian is a newly promoted detective for the Beaulac Police Department in Louisiana and she's just returned to her job after being presumed dead for several weeks. She's still emotionally distraught over the state and well being of her aunt's health plus the fact that the first two cases she lands aren't typical murders. With her "othersight," a unique ability to see the energy flow of the arcane, she sees the victims have had their essence ripped from them, violently. With each killing the brutality of the murders keep getting worse. Kara's is on her own and at a loss because she's clueless to what preternatural being could be stealing the victims' essence. Kara reaches out to the sensuous, sexy demonic Lord Rhyzkahl for the answers but he wants something in return, he wants her to be his personal summoner. You see, Kara has the ability to summon beings from another plane that have been called demons for centuries for want of a better name. Ryan, a ruggedly handsome, FBI agent and a close friend of Kara's, who she wishes more often than not was much more, is angered when he finds out Kara is summoning Rhyzkahl for answers. A tension develops between the two resulting in a strain friendship.

Ryan and Rhyzkahl are both enigmatic and Kara is drawn to them both. I find Ryan to be the dependable, make you feel safe and secure kind of guy, while I see Rhyzkahl as more of the elusive bad boy type. Kara is tough, strong, and independent but she also has a softer side, one that is lonely and wants to feel wanted as a desirable woman. The romantic tension between Kara and Ryan escalates while the relationship with Kara and Rhyzkahl is still sizzling. Kara has definitely landed herself in a complicated love triangle.

Blood of the Demon has met and surpassed all of my expectations for this novel. The world building is creative and ever growing to show more dimensions that captivates a reader's attention. The suspense and mystery surrounding the arcane murders ignited my curiosity to a higher level with every page I turned, while the intrigue of decadent politics and the seedy rich of Louisiana add a licentious feel to the story. The characters are flawed and believable with personalities that draw you to them. I find myself yet again eagerly awaiting the next book in this series. I highly recommend this series to any Urban Fantasy fan out there; I seriously doubt any of you will be disappointed.