12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant concept, good execution, July 21, 2010
This review is from: Demon Blood (The Guardian Series) (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm always worried that I'll ruin the story for someone so...if you're reading reviews to decide whether to buy this book, my answer is yes. But even though the author has done her best to make it so new readers can jump in at any book, don't start with this one. My official position is...order all of them, lock yourself in an a/c'd bedroom for a week or two and read them in order. Why deprive yourself? You'll thank me later.
Ok, if you've read the book and you're here to see what fellow readers thought, read on.
I really enjoy the Guardian series and I was counting the days til I received my pre-ordered copy of Demon Blood. I devoured it within a day or so, and then went back to read it again to make sure my initial impressions still held. I found the book to be satisfying, although a little uneven. It's definitely not my fave book of the series, but I'd have trouble telling you which one is.
Lately my favorite parts of these books are actually the subplots. Taylor's struggle with Michael for control of her consciousness is both frightening and fascinating. And how can anyone help but love little Khavi with her yellow slicker (Demon Forged) and potatoes? She brings much needed comic relief to this particular book, but not enough. I was looking hard for Lilith (and Sir Pup!) in this one, and I was surprised to see they were left out. I would have appreciated some follow up describing how she was adjusting to demon-hating Irena leading the Guardians. I think there's potential for some real humor, conflict and growth there. I assumed Meljean gave Lilith the position she did so she can be worked into the majority of her books. Hopefully Demon Blood was just a fluke in that respect.
I'm not a huge Deacon fan. I can understand and sympathize as to why he is as angry and vengeful and miserable as he is, but realistically I dislike people who lack the self control to exhibit some poise or common decency towards others even while in pain. His treatment of Rosalia was crude and cruel at times, even as he hated himself for it. The story of him rescuing her way back in the day didnt do enough to balance his character; I could have used some additional evidence
to prove he was more than an emo jackass.
Maybe Rosalia's personality was too close to my own for me to adore her as much as I did Irena, Savi and Lilith. Although towards the end she came to the realization she deserved someone who would trust and respect her, I had a hard time watching her accept such callous treatment from Deacon and even the people in her life. That being said, her calculations and manipulations of others went beyond
what I was comfortable with. I really expected Deacon to have flipped out a little more upon discovering she was the driving force behind his vampire transformation - regardless of whether he ultimately made the decision or not.
I felt their romance was a bit frustrating and sometimes tedious. I really prefer when couples have to overcome "obstacles" rather than their own stupid selves to achieve their happily ever after. Because there wasn't really any looming, immediate threat on anyone (besides Michael gunning for Deacon through poor Taylor) the book revolved more around Deacon and Rosalia's tense interactions, making the subplots a welcome relief from the constant animosity and sexual tension.
The sex, as always, was great. And finally - the p-word! lol I will admit that when her inexperienced characters try to have sex, the awkwardness
is very real. Sometimes too real - but really, that's just good storytelling. It would have been interesting to play up Rosalia's virginity more. (I'm assuming she
was, although it was never said explicitly.) That could have been a much needed point of tenderness and revelation between the characters.
The editing needs improvement. I think Meljean is brilliant and creative and funny, but someone needs to let her know when she's written a 57 word sentence that's so convuluted the meaning is lost. (p106) Furthermore, it's easy to lose track of who's saying what during extensive dialogue. (Guys, I'm not a rocket scientist, but I swear I'm not a complete idiot...) I love these books and I read them meticulously. I highly doubt her proofreader is paying closer attention than I am.
I have a feeling so many people have complained about her "showing" rather than "telling" that the author made an extra effort to address this tendency and ended up with some obvious and unecessary statements that really ruin the mood and flow of the scene. Other times the complexity of what's occuring could really
use a few clarifying lines. As talented a storyteller as she is, her editor/publisher needs to step up their game to make sure her final product does her abilities justice. It's frustrating to have to re-read paragraphs to figure out what's going on.
All in all, I really did like the book though I know my review is a tad critical. The plot itself was fascinating and I'm so excited for the next installment.
* Also, if the author reads these: I'm sorry if referring to you as "Meljean" offends you. "Ms. Brook" just seems really stiff and formal. Also, I adore you. Never stop writing! Kthnxbai.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This World Gets Better And Better, July 7, 2010
This review is from: Demon Blood (The Guardian Series) (Mass Market Paperback)
Rosalia and Deacon play the lead in this book. If you've read the last book in the series, Demon Forged, you'll know the connection that Rosalia and Deacon have. If you haven't read Demon Forged I would not recommend you read this book. Too many things happened in the last book for you to skip it. The Guardians were fundamentally changed, and the back story for Deacon is played out in it.
I liked Rosalia and Deacon, but I think they had a hard time living up to my love of the characters in the last book. They're both great characters, but they're more subdued then the tempestuous relationship between Irena and Alejandro. This book is great, but it also has the feel of a set up book.
One of the best things about the characters this author creates is that they have real vulnerabilities and insecurities. They don't come off as flat characters, they feel real. Deacon is consumed by self loathing over his apparent failure to save his people. He made a deal with a demon and got burned for it. He wanted to die, but he pulled himself up and tried to find a purpose for himself. He cannot see the good in himself anymore. Because of the way he views himself he cannot believe that anyone would think he was worth anything. That's a major stumbling block in the path to relationship bliss for him and Rosalia.
Rosalia has a past consumed by what she considers her many failures. When she loves, she puts the wants and needs of that person ahead of her own. She'll take pain and heartache and never show it, she'll just move past it. Even with her horrible past she is still an optimist. She is optimistic that one day she'll be able to break that character flaw. :) Rosalia is not like many of the Guardians we have seen in the past. She does not have the history or connection with the other Guardians that most of them have. She has spent most of her time as a Guardian keeping her brother in line and watching over her vampires. She's always got a plan, and a back up plan.
In this book her plan is something so bold and daring that it will either be a huge victory for the Guardians or will be responsible for a lot of deaths. I liked the risks that Rosalia took with her role as a Guardian. She had to confront some hard truths about where the line really is between demons and Guardians. Is it just good intentions? Rosalia goes beyond the line most Guardians are willing to cross, all for the sake of the greater good.
I'm so glad that we got to see a lot of Taylor in this book. After what happened to her in the last book, I was dying to see what was happening with her. This book shows a rough time for Taylor. She's struggling with her new role of Guardian, and trying to keep control of her mind and body. What Michael did had a harsh consequence for Taylor. She's in a dominance struggle for her own body. I think that when Taylor and Michael get their book, they're going to have a lot of issues to work out before they get their HEA. Hell has stripped a lot of layers of Michael's humanity from him. He is down to instinctual emotion and reactions. Before the end, we find out why he's been struggling with Taylor, and we finally learn why Michael never wears shoes.
I can't wait for the next book. This world gets more and more interesting with every book. I can't wait until 2012, when we get Michael's book, but I dread saying goodbye to this series.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This amazing series gets better and better, July 14, 2010
This review is from: Demon Blood (The Guardian Series) (Mass Market Paperback)
Wow, this story has so very much going on to talk about. Brooks does a fabulous job in the first two chapters, from the "Once upon a time" fairy tale opening to the recapitulation of the First and Second Battles, and what each faction's motivation is in her amazing world that she has created. In other words, like Rosalia, she has very neatly set up the chess board and told you the motivations and possible moves of each piece on the board. The reader is firmly "on the same page" as the characters. Her voice was very clear and helpful for the reader! Each story has been building and building and after the bombshells that were dropped in Demon Forged I didn't think that Brook could ratchet the tension or raise the stakes too much higher. I stand corrected. The proportions are getting more epic without being melodramatic. And I felt the global nature of the story from Rome to Paris to San Francisco to Athens to Lisbon...It was a round the world trip!
Few heroes have had more to overcome than Deacon-and he has a long, hard road to travel to get himself back. Sometimes with the "tortured hero" you just want to scream, "get over yourself!" but if you've read the previous book you know what a huge task it is. Brook doesn't make light of this and for the first third of the book Deacon is very raw and angry, and you GET IT. I'm glad she didn't just gloss over the issues, but made Deacon and Rosie both work very hard for it, and it came off as very real. I love both of them. They are perfect.
Rosalia is a mad genius. I mean she is the "Bobby Fisher" of the Guardians. She has the endgame figured out before the first piece is moved on the board. And she IS love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,and self-control. But I'm glad that Gemma and even Deacon caution her about becoming a "doormat" and she gets mad often enough to save herself from that moniker.
Ms. Brook is starting a new steampunk series and I hope it does well, but NOT at the expense of this series. I literally dreamt about this world that she has created, its just so vivid. And Michael and Taylor....I sincerely hopes she doesn't leave him where he is much longer. I can't take it and I want him OUT of there!
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