Customer Reviews

Demon's Delight (Berkley Sensation)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are some nights when I need something a bit lighter in content than say, history or philosophy or what have you. That's usually when I turn to fiction, and sometimes, a novella will do the trick for when I want my brain to settle down and go to sleep.

One of the big sub-genres in romance writing these days is the paranormal. To give it a loose description, a paranormal story will involve any of the following: time-travel, witches, ghosts, demons, angels, werewolves and vampires and other assorted critters. Sometimes you get a combination of any and sometimes all of these things. Most of the time, however, I can get pretty disappointed with these elements -- while the authors can come up with acceptable romantic elements, the end results are usually so choppy that I'm just fed up by the end of the story.

But I was pleasantly surprised by this collection by four different authors. The stories have a bit more going on than the usual 'boy-meets-girl' stereotype, and the more unusual elements are handled with some skill, making these feel better than the usual story of this type where the author is trying too hard to put in fantasical elements.

Witch Way by MaryJanice Davidson is an amusing blend of humor and an ancient curse that affects two families. The Goodmans and the Meres have been trying to kill each other off since the times of the Salem Witch hunts, when a Goodman arranged for Christopher de Mere to burn at the stake (yes, I know, there were never any witches burned at Salem). Mere curses the Goodmans to die by a descendant of his until both sides of the feud manage to reconcile. Then the story leaps ahead to the here-and-now to the current generation of Goodmans.

Rhea Goodman is more than a little sick and tired of her life, especially with her hippie parents, Power and Flower, what with the endless commando training and homeschooling. She'd much rather be a poet, but what with all of the stories of the murderous, evil de Meres waiting out there to wipe out her family, she knows that she doesn't have much of a choice. Then a tall, lanky fellow shows up in her driveway, bearing a very similar appearance to the old drawings of the first de Mere witch. Now the fight is on.

Chris Mere is weary of having to be watching his back all the time, waiting for some fanatical Goodman to gun him down. He's hoping that in this generation he can settle the feud once and for all, and get himself a real life. Of course, things aren't going to turn out quite that way, but it's certainly a fun read to see how they get there. The humor is a bit broad at times, and Davidson is certainly playing the story for laughs, but it's a relief to read a romance that doesn't take itself so seriously for once. Four stars for this one.

Street Corners and Halos by Catherine Spangler is a rather more serious stories in the collection. Rachel is a hooker, to put it bluntly, able to enchant her johns by tapping into their fantasies with a bit of mental trickery. In return she gets some of the cash she needs, and a chance to feed, for she is a vampire. It's a life that she's not too happy with, but she also has little choice in the matter. But one night, one of her marks turns out to be someone quite different, and Rachel finds out that life could be better than she could have ever hoped for -- if she can make the choice.

I found this one to be considerably different than most vampire stories, if only for the main character of Rachel and her backstory. Readers should be warned that the content in this one is very graphic and adult, but to balance that there are the secondary characters of Caitria, a fellow streetwalker and Gertie the cat. And of course, Gabriel, who is very unusual indeed. Overall, about three and a half stars.

The Demon's Angel by Emma Holly returns us to the alternate universe that she created in The Demon's Daughter and Prince of Ice. This one tells the story of Khira, an ambitious Yama scientist who is given the chance to conduct an experiment that may change the course of Yamish destiny. She gets herself a powerful backer, and the lab space she needs. All that is lacking is someone to ahem, practice on. And that turns out to be Harry, a human male from the Victorian world that Khira plucks him from... Of course, there's that sexual attraction problem that Yama have around humans, but surely Khira can handle that, right? Readers should be warned that the sexual fun and games in this one are very graphic and detailed, and may not be to the liking of everyone. To be honest, this isn't one of Holly's better works, it doesn't sizzle very much, and the characters are a bit flat. Pity. Maybe three stars, and I'm being nice about it.

Angel and the Hellraiser by Vicki Taylor is the poorest story of the lot. It's pretty much a retread of the second story, with pretty much the same characters and plot. The only thing that changes is that the genders are switched, with him a daredevil stuntman with a death wish, and she's masquerading as a reporter. Neither Zane nor Rosemary are very interesting, and the plot is nothing more than tissue paper. The writing style is simplistic, and I was fed up with the story about three pages into it. I doubt very much that I would pick up any more work by Vicki Taylor in the future. Two stars. Maybe.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. While you're not going to get some of the deeper emotional crisis that you'll see in a longer novel, these four do manage to hit upon some important themes and topics. A few of them even have humor and may give you a smile or two.

But while the first two stories of the anthology are enjoyable, the last two are somewhat disappointing. If paranormal romance is your thing, or you're a particular fan of these authors' work, it's good for an evening's entertainment, but it's not a book to be hunting out in a hurry either. Which is really too bad, as there's a lot of opportunities here to explore, but sadly, everyone has taken the easy way out.

Three stars overall, somewhat recommended.

Four talented authors offer up some unusual tales in DEMON'S DELIGHT!

MaryJanice Davidson opens up this anthology with Witch Way. For generations, the Goodmans and the de Meres have fought. Each generation ends in the death of a Goodman and a de Mere. Chris Mere is fed up with it and has no intention of dying nor does he intend to kill Rhea Goodman. Instead, he seeks a truce so that he can continue battling demons without the family legacy haunting him. Will Rhea agree with this rhyming magic user?

Now this is the type of MaryJanice Davidson story that I love! The sparks fly immediately between Rhea and Chris in the hilarious fashion I've come to expect and love from Ms. Davidson. The rhymes are absolutely adorable, and Rhea's reaction to them is so true to life. I had feared that MaryJanice Davidson's female heroines were starting to sound too similar but Rhea is a breath of fresh air. Yes, she is snarky as one would expect from any story by Ms. Davidson, but hearing the story from Chris' perspective really helped the storyline progress. What a fun story!

Street Corners and Halos by Catherine Spangler is a much darker story, perhaps the darkest one in the anthology. Rachel Stryker is barely going through the motions of life, getting the blood sustenance she needs as a vampire by posing as a prostitute. Can the angel Gabriel revive Rachel's zest for life?

Catherine Spangler took some chances with this one... and boy, did it ever work! Rachel's poignant story made this otherwise cold character seem heartbreakingly real. The scenes with the cat, Gertie, were an adorable touch and perhaps my favorite ones as they really humanized Rachel, despite all of her efforts to remain distant. Kudos to Catherine Spangler for turning such a bleak set of circumstances into an absolutely beautiful story!

Emma Holly takes readers into her demon world in The Demon's Angel. Dr. Khira Forette's genetic research has netted her an invitation to speak to one of the esteemed ministers, but she never expected to speak directly to the emperor's minister of science! Soon, this Yama finds herself kidnapping human Harry Wirth. But what happens when her experiment turns towards love?

Emma Holly's alternate Victorian universe featuring the Yama is splendidly developed! As with any story by Emma Holly, one can expect some very steamy scenes but Ms. Holly did not sacrifice the story in any way. Instead, each scene advances the plot along and there is a very satisfying twist at the end. My only reservation with this story is that the attraction seemed a bit too quick for my tastes but Ms. Holly does provide the reader with a very credible reason to explain the instant sparks.

Angel and the Hellraiser by Vickie Taylor focuses on daredevil Zane Halvorson. Zane performs outrageous aerial stunts with seemingly no regard for his life and angel Rosemary D'Amica is more than frustrated. Rosemary is horrified to find herself in human form, but will Zane win her over?

Vickie Taylor delivered quite the unexpected twist with Angel and the Hellraiser. While not quite what I expected from the author who made gargoyles sexy, Angel and the Hellraiser certainly took a new approach to the issue of angels! Rosemary and Zane were a bit difficult to like at first but as the story progressed, their attitudes made sense. Angel and the Hellraiser was perhaps the hardest story for me to sit down and read, but once I had finished it, I also felt it was the one of the most satisfying of the stories.

DEMON'S DELIGHT is a very well done anthology. Each author adds her own take to the theme with vastly different but awesome results. DEMON'S DELIGHT is without a doubt a keeper for this reviewer. Fans of paranormal romance who want something out of the ordinary and a bit dangerous and edgy will appreciate DEMON'S DELIGHT.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

This anthology gives four stories that are engaging.

1) Witch Way by MaryJanice Davidson **** - I'm giving this only four stars simply because this author's style doesn't appeal to me. Fan of Ms. Davidson will thouroughly enjoy it, though. It has her somewhat off-beat humor and a fun premise - Can two people fated to kill each other find love?

2)Street Corners and Halos by Catherine Spangler ***** - After the fun and somwhat snarky tone of th4e first story, the mood of this one is almost shockingly depressing. The heroine is a vampire hooker and the hero is the angel sent to save the soul she's sure is already lost. It's very emotional. The readers can truly feel how dirty and hopless Rachel feels inside and will find themselves urging her to listen and accept what Gabriel is telling her.

3)The Demon's Angel by Emma Holly ***** - I love Ms. Holly's "Demon" books and I admit that this story was why I bought this title... and why it's headed for my keeper shelf. In this return to Holly's alternate Victorian age, a female Yama scientist is asked to make a human into an angel. I loved the love story that built between the Yama, whose society values control over emotion, and the human male she kidnaps. This is a great installment to the "Demon books and I recomment checking out the other books in the series.

4) Angel and the Hellraiser **** - This was another tale that pulled at the heart. An angel sent to reform a daredevil finds there's more to the story than just his reckless ways. In this well built tale the reader can feel Rosie's growing affection for her human charge and her confusion over it. My one complaint is that the resolution felt like a bit of a cop-out to me; too easy, too cheesy. Still a good ready, though.

Overall, I highly recommend this collection and would look forward to reading more like these.

This is more something to read if you have some time to kill. I bought the book only for MJD and Emma Holly's contributions, which were good. The others didn't deliver, but then I didn't expect them to. They weren't horrible, but I've read better.

This is a decent anthology and Holly and Davidson do a decent job. I would buy this again. About half of the stories were pretty good, the other half were pretty pedestrian. More romantic erotica with a veneer of paranormal romance than paranormal or fantasy. Using 'demon' in the title is rather misleading.

Whether you like the wonderful light-hearted humor of MaryJanice Davidson, or the sensual Demon World of Emma Holly's Demon novels. This book has a unique take on the genre. I love anything be Emma Holly, and I am looking forward to her sequel to The Prince of Ice.

I found myself cheering for both the heroines and heroes each tugged at my heart because of their dilemnas.

Angels and Halo's is decidedly dark and sad,yet triumphant.

The Angel and the Hellraiser made me wonder who knew how to live? I could actually see this one becoming a larger story.

A well put together anthology with twist and turns nothin is what you think that has been done before.

I'm still not quite sure why they named this anthology "Demon's Delight," when there was more angels and vampires than demons. The cover illustration was fabulous and that's pretty much the best amount of praise I can give this book. It included four short stories. The first was the best of the lot. MaryJanice Davidson wrote a little diddy called Witch Way which I found amusing and lite. There was not alot of research or weight to the story and if it was a full length book I would want to poke holes in it with a stick, but for a short story with limited space, I thought the characters were witty and cute. As far as Catherine Spangler's short story, I felt as though I had to go to church after I finished reading it. The vampire hooker who thought she was evil and the angel come to life who couldn't stop picturing himself having sex with her was just way too far gone for me. Emma Holly brought me back to her Yama Demons. If you've read her two novels with the Yama Demons, you probably would enjoy this one, but if you have never read them, you would be totally confused. This is world with morals far different than our own. Vicki Taylor just bit. I thought it was awful and boring. I hope this helps.

Of the four stories in this collection, there's one that's completely worth it, one three-quarters worth reading, one half-worth, and one not worth bothering with, in my opinion. So, a total of 2 and a quarter stories out of 4, that's 56%, which is not a passing grade, most places.

The first story, "Witch Way," is by Mary Janice Davidson, and she's always funny. Even when the premise is lightweight and more than a little silly, her characters have such snappy dialogue that it's enjoyable. This story doesn't involve any of her regular series characters, no werewolves or vampires. It also doesn't have much to do with demons; the only demons are the ones Chris Mere, the witch, vanquishes. There is a cute little kid.

The second story, "Street Corners and Halos" by Catherine Spangler, has nothing at all to do with demons. It's vampire prostitute meets angel, and while the moral of the story is as subtle as a brick, the interesting twists to the usual vampire stuff make this worth reading, even if you can see the ending coming a mile away. The background of Jewish religion - which doesn't really have angels in the way that the Christian religions do - meeting up with a Christian-type angel, except that he refers to his Goddess, She, rather than a male god, makes for a nice contrast, and does offset the overly saccharin goodness of the angel. As a paranormal story in general, it's not bad at all, as a vampire story in particular, there's not enough of it to really characterize it. Oh, there is a cat, which is always a plus in a story.

The third story, "The Demon's Angel" by Emma Holly, is apparently based on a concept that the author has also put into a couple of novels, where the demons are some sort of mutant humans living in an alternate world, where they have genes and chromosomes and all, and are doing genetic research, for which they need human subjects. I found this premise to be so offputting that I didn't finish the story. My own preference is that people keep science fiction and fantasy separate; trying to put a science fiction veneer onto demons and a lot of sex winds up, to my mind, bringing out the worst aspects of both science fiction and of the paranormal. The romance was, as far as I could tell, nonexistent, unless by romance you mean plain lust. Other people who don't mind completely illogical squishing of science fiction over fantasy with neither making any sense, may like this story better than I did.

The fourth story, "Angel and the Hellraiser" by Vickie Taylor, was another angel one - again, no demons whatsoever. It was full of cliches, but it was not totally bad, and the ending was not quite as saccharin as the second story, the other angel one. So this is the half-okay one.

In short: a book with demons in the title has more stories with angels than with demons; one humorous, two that take their paranormal elements a little too seriously, and one that does a bad job of trying to turn paranormal into scientific. You decide whether it's worth it; if you already like one of the authors, then you probably want to read this book just so that your collection of that author is complete.

One story was okay but the rest were just blah. I was very anticipatory about this book and then was extremely disappointed when I got it.

I typically enjoy paranormal reads but I found this one utterly forgetable. I should have at least waited for a cheaper version of the book. MaryJanice Davidson's name especially drew me to the book but her story seemed like a rehash of many of her other stories. The rest of the stories didn't catch my attention or my imagination. Save your money for so many of the really good, orginal works out there!