Customer Reviews

Carnivale Diabolique

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There is a new bunch of mystical beings in town. They are warriors for God disguised as a circus act. Under the leadership of Delki, Mistress of the Beasts, the members of the Carnivale Diabolique will stop at nothing to save the lives of the humans. In "Mistress of the Beasts" by J.M. Jeffries, Delki has to use all that is within her to try to save the children in the small town of Barstow. The demon she is looking for draws attention to the circus and the sheriff of the town becomes leery of the real reason of the circus is in his town. Will Delki be able to fill him in on all that is really going on around him? Or, will he take the entire circus down in an attempt to get to the bottom of the disturbance?

Poor Cam has been running from the things she knows and the things she does not understand. When Anaru, a tall dark man with mysterious tattoos all over him, walks into her diner she tries to ignore the demon traveling with him. But that demon is the last thing she should be thinking about. Her future had been set in place, by the one person she trusted and cared about. It was not until Anaru walked into her life that light would be shed on what is really going on, and her role in it all. In Seressia Glass' "The Sharpest Edge" both Cam and Anaru have to make some decisions and they will not be easy.

In "The Good Side of Evil" by F.D. Davis, Vulcan is a demon fighting with the Carnivale Diabolique to keep demons where they belong. The love-hate relationship he has with Bodie, a demon hunter, leads him into more danger than he was aware of. She wanted to make him pay for who he was and what he had done to her. Because of that she was always having him sent on a suicide mission in the name of good. When demons start showing up in an unlikely place, Vulcan cannot help but be suspicious of what was really going on. Vulcan, never quite feeling as appreciated as he should, fights his natural urges to disintegrate Bodie. The mission she sends him on is dangerous, because he has to cross back over into the realm of evil. Would he make it out alive? Would the other members of the Carnivale Diabolique finally realize that not all demons are evil? Or will he die unappreciated?

These three stories are fresh and original works in the paranormal genre. The description of the characters was so vivid. I enjoyed each story either because of the character or the different scenario they were in; sometimes both. I hope to see more of these characters in future anthologies, because I would like to learn more about them and the battles they have trying to save the world as we humans know it. I read an uncorrected advanced reading copy, where I did see errors. I hope the proper edits are made so the book can be enjoyed as it should be. I recommend Carnivale Diabolique to readers who enjoy paranormal with a little sex and romance weaved into the storyline.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

CARNIVALE DIABOLIQUE is a collection of three love stories which delve into the dark and unimaginable world of demons and supernatural occurrences. Each story builds onto the focal point of the carnival and adds a little romance and steamy sex into the mix.

"Mistress of the Beasts" by J.M. Jeffries is about Delki, the newly appointed mistress of the beasts for Carnivale Diabolique. Her position is to be the guardian of the souls of people who are in danger of demons escaping through portals to corrupt the world. Her job becomes more difficult when she must protect children, although she may have to sacrifice a child one day. When the demon seems to be interested in the sheriff's child, she must make a choice. This choice can affect the recently developed romantic feelings between Delki and the Sheriff.

"The Sharpest Edge" by Seressia Glass is my favorite of the collection. Cam has a gift she isn't sure she wants, but it is one she must accept. When the carnival comes to town, Anaru and his demon friend walk into her café with this amazing story of knowing her dearly departed friend Miss Bessie. All the things Cam is running from are tested because with Anaru comes her destiny as a portal keeper, where she must keep the portal between here and hell sealed. As Cam begins to take on her role, she also develops feelings for Anaru. Will her feelings last longer than the length of the carnival?

"The Good Side of Evil" by F. D. Davis has the endearing character of Vulcan, a real demon who is on the side of the demon hunters. He believes demons have a place, but not to destroy the world. A few years ago, Vulcan found himself in love with demon hunter, Bodie, but when she found out he was a demon whatever feelings she had for him were marred by the deception. Bodie was appalled to learn Vulcan was a demon and her job is to kill demons. As the years go on, and although they work together as part of Carnivale Diabolique, they have a love-hate relationship. Bodie distrusts Vulcan and they seem to make each other's life miserable as part of a game. Problem is the demons have breached several portals and Vulcan and Bodie must work together to seal them. Will their past bring them together as they fight desperately to save the world?

CARNIVALE DIABOLIQUE is a quick and entertaining read. The way the authors mastered keeping the mission of the carnival intact in each of the stories was done very well. The romance was truly felt in two of the stories because there was heat and passion, but one of the stories really concentrated on the paranormal entities. These stories are never boring because of the action-packed scenes interspersed between the love stories.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers