Customer Reviews

Demon Bound (The Guardians, Book 4)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book just seemed to linger in my mind so I had to do a review. Besides, Jake is just so drool-worthy.
Meljean Brook's Guardian series just keeps getting better and better!
From the previous book I wouldn't have thought this couple would work, but boy, was I wrong. This was an excellent book and the story building including the romantic aspect of the characters was really well done.

Unlike the other tortured Guardians, Jake is carefree and a rather young novice who's completed just 60 of his 100 years training when he's hauled off into fighting demons. After killing his first demon, in jubilation, he kisses the woman fighting with him, not realizing who she is, until he lets her go and much to his horror sees a spider creeping out her mouth. (it was one entertaining scene:) That his how he meets the 'Black Widow' Alice, who, he's alway thought was rather creepy in the way she interacts with spiders. (unaware that was her gift).

Jake, of course is often impulsive, he cannot control his newly found gifts, and likewise, he simply cannot control anything that comes out his mouth either. This only makes things worse for him and makes Alice think him shallow. And watching how he tries to squirm out of these incidents with Alice, made for entertaining reading. But underneath his bumbling youthful eagerness, lurks a sharp and intelligent mind, with keen insight.
Alice is totally Victorian in her outlook and dressing. She's had a tragic mortal life and things aren't any better in her immortal life. She persist in calling Jake 'fledgeling' to keep her distance from him but that soon changes when Michael makes him a fully fledged Guardian.
Still, Jake's youthfulness and inane curiosity would not let him leave Alice alone. Thinking he's safe from her since he's not sexually attracted to her, Jake works with her searching for lost temples, since archeology is his passion. He becomes intrigued by her and makes it his duty to find out what makes her tick, and finds a very warm and frightened person behind that frigid and scary persona. And not even realizing it, he falls for her.

SPOILER ALERT.
Things are not easy for this mismatched couple.
Alice, despite herself, is drawn to the Jake who can be rather endearing. He is the light in her otherwise dark existence. But she knows it can never be. Because 120 years ago Alice made a deal with a demon to save the life of her husband by giving him the heart of Michael. At that time Alice had no idea who Michael was, only after she dies and Michael resurrect her does she find out he is the leader of the Guardians. A group of Angel-type beings who work together to protect mankind from evil. She knows there's no hope for her, for if she or the demon dies before she fulfills her bargain, she's damned to eternal purgatory and if she does kills Michael, its murder and she will still end up eternally damned. She can't turn to anyone and is alone and afraid. But Jake refuses to let her isolate herself. So she tries to push him away, but he's one stubborn guy who won't budge without a fight.

It was exciting finding out how they revoke the bargain made with the demon, and learning more about the prophesy surrounding the Demons and the Guardians.
Also we find out more about Michael. That disclosure caused a ripple amongst the Guardians and I have to admit was thrown for a loop.
Nice to know there's a bad guy lurking in him. I really like Michael and I hope Meljean Brooks writes his story soon.
A great series.

Demon Bound is the seventh book in Meljean Brook's Guardian series, and again has cemented the fact that Meljean Brook is an author that every reader, romance enthusiast or otherwise should be reading. The world she has invented may be complex, and at times may make your head spin, but Demon Bound is the book that is taking the whole series in a different yet exciting direction. Not only has she written two extraordinary characters that have become one of my favorite couples in literature this year, but this story has exploded with so many twists and turns it will make you very anxious for the next release.

We first meet novice Guardian, Jake Hawkins, in Demon Night, the fifth book in the Guardian Series, where he made quite an impression. Demon Bound is were Jake shines as he is tries to come to grips with his abilities, and figure how important he is in the fight against the demons from Hell who want to rule.

Jake is unlike most of his Guardian counterparts, he is still very young and has only been a Guardian for less than a century. He is also a bit more carefree and not as tortured as the last few heroes from the Guardian books. He enjoys and takes pleasure in trying to control his Guardian abilities. Alice, our heroine, otherwise known as the Black Widow and keeper of the Guardian library, does not. In fact she is very much in need of her own savior.

With only her spiders to keep her company and give her love, Alice has chosen to be an outcast. Over a hundred years ago, when Alice was still human, she made a bargain with the demon Teqon to save her husband. A hundred years later, that deal is still binding. If she wants to be free, she must kill and bring the heart of the oldest and most powerful of all the Guardians, Michael, to Teqon. Whatever decision Alice comes to, whether to kill Michael or not, she will be damned for all eternity. Although she hides behind a demeanor of aloofness, Alice is scared and frightened. She sacrificed herself for the husband she loved, and because of it she suffers greatly. She has no one to turn to or ask for help, until Jake.

Jake thinks Alice is a freak. Her infatuation with spiders and the shocking things she can do with them send chills down his spine. Even though Alice treats Jake as less than worthy, he slowly begins to see through her and is able to break through the walls she has placed around herself. These two become partners in the continual fight over who will rule Heaven, Hell and Earth. Jake will not stand by and watch Alice destroy herself and he is determined to find a way to release her from her bargain with Teqon; and if it comes down to Jake sacrificing himself to save Alice, so be it.

When it comes to a book, I usually side more with one character over the other. In the case of Demon Bound, I found both Jake and Alice equally worthy of my admiration. Jake and Alice are as different as night and day. How these two became a couple is an amazing thing to read.

Jake may act immature and a bit goofy at times, but he is so endearing that Alice can't ignore him. As for Alice, her own story is heartbreaking. I have read countless other stories where a character will sacrifice themselves for the good of others garnering great rewards. Not true for Alice. Not only was her life as a human tragic, her everlasting life, which should be nirvana, is even worse. The paradise she has found herself in is also her Hell. She finds no joy, she only feels damned. She is overcome with grief because there will be no salvation for her. When Jake comes along she tries very hard to push him away, yet he brings such light into her world. He won't let her go without a fight.

The way Jake and Alice try to find a way to break her unholy bargain with Teqon will change the whole outcome of the prophecy that is finally unfolding before our eyes. The prophecy of the Guardian Series. Not only will Alice be changed forever, we come to find out that Michael has a very interesting past that will shock and astound. I, for one, was gasping out loud as I found out that Michael is not the untouchable enigma he was thought to be. Meljean has set up an interesting journey with Michael that may lead to his own book in the very near future, or at least one that I am waiting with baited breath for.

Demon Bound should not be read as a stand alone novel, and I urge you to go and read the whole backlist of Meljean Brook's books in this series. If you are caught up to Demon Bound, you will be in for another reading treat. I also found Demon Bound to be a much easier read for those who tend to get lost, and there are some wonderful one-liners and dialogue between Jake and Alice. Their relationship becomes one of great respect and finally love. Their courtship is a type of dance that builds up to one explosive moment of intense passion between the two.

I cannot reiterate enough how much Meljean Brook continues to astound me. Her world building, characters, and stories are the best the publishing industry has to offer. If you are not reading her Guardian series, you are seriously losing out.

Katiebabs

Brook's latest entry in her Guardian series lands former soldier and novice Guardian Jake, who had a supporting role in both Demon Night (The Guardians, Book 5) and the short in First Blood, in the leading role and introduces the very odd `creepy sexy' Guardian Alice as the women who first repels and later fascinates Jake as he moves from the novice who failed his first assignment to a fulfledged Guardian not to be underestimated.

Alice made the sacrifice that qualified her for Guardian-hood during the Victorian period, but not before making a deal with a demon where she promised to deliver the heart of Guardian leader Michael. So now she lives with a Catch 22. If Alice doesn't fulfill her bargain before she or the demon dies, Alice will loose her soul and will suffer an eternity of torture in Hell, but if Alice does the unspeakable and honors her deal, her soul will be equally forfeit for premeditated murder - assuming that it is even possible to kill the powerful Michael. So Alice has lived her Guardian days in fear, and that along with the fact that her weird Gift has marked her - giving her the nickname of "Black Widow"- has helped to keep other Guardians at a distance. But Jake changes everything and when Jake's boundless optimism evolves into the determination to help Alice find a way out of the deal, Alice finds a glimmer of hope that they can win her free from the deal that has her demon bound.

Brook is a favorite author of mine. She tells a great story but it is really her characters that bring this tale to life. Jake and Alice are extremely well developed, from their unusual quirky personalities right on down to the distinctive speech patterns that show up in their dialog. On the surface Alice and Jake are a truly mismatched pair, but Alice's straight-laced Victorian exterior hides a sensuous woman and a wicked sense of humor and though Jake has an impulsive enthusiasm and optimism that lends him a youthfulness - and the lack of a social filter that leads truly inappropriate things to pop out of his mouth - he also hides a quick intelligence that makes him insightful and clever. Though Jake's lack of control initially rubs Alice the wrong way, and Jake initially finds Alice quite creepy, their intelligence and love of archaeology give them a common ground and they find themselves slowly developing a friendship as they both are surprised to find what lies beyond their initial perceptions of the other.

Though Alice and Jake's relationship and the development of the their odd ball pairing is central to the book, it is their search for a way to save Alice that serves to facilitate revelations which add a whole other unexpected layer to the overarching plot of the series. They uncover more details about the prophesy mentioned in the last book and their discoveries about Michael, Belial and the nephalim promise great things for the rest of the series.

There is a great deal to like about Demon Bound. I really loved the resolution to Alice's dilemma, it was clever and very satisfying. And Brook has done her leading man magic again, and I have to say that Jake is my favorite leading man so far in the series. Even though Drifter and Hugh were pretty hard to beat, there was just something about Jake. He was such an interesting mix of impetuous and thoughtful wrapped up in a self depreciating sense of humor, that I would love to meet him in real life. Because of my infatuation with Jake, I reread Demon Bound immediately after finishing the book and then scurried off to find a copy of Demon Night so that I can reread his part in that book too. I am already chomping at the bit for the next book.

If you haven't read any of the previous Guardian books, I don't really recommend starting here even though Brook has a primer to bring the new reader up to date on her website. Instead do yourself a favor and start at the beginning and then hopefully you'll enjoy this series as much as I do.

Demon Angel (The Guardians, Book 2)
Hot Spell (Brook has this 1st, but it made more sense after Demon Angel)
Demon Moon (The Guardians, Book 4) (Berkley Sensation)
Wild Thing
Demon Night (The Guardians, Book 5)
First Blood

I'm a huge fan girl of Meljean Brook. My love and respect for her has grown exponentially with each published novel/novella. And while 'Demon Bound' was not my favorite romantic pairing, I'm still in total awe of her world building and characters.

For starters, I would not recommend this book to anyone as an introduction to the Guardian Series. I'm afraid that if you never ventured into this world before that you may be utterly lost. First timers should either a) buy Ms. Brook's entire back list now because you should have done it a lllooonnnngggg time ago or b) check out Brook's website and visit the Guardian primer. Here Brook details everything from whose who, places of importance, glossary, timeline, and general plots of each subsequent book to 'Demon Bound'. The primer is also beneficial to readers who have visited Brook's world but need a little recap to get back into the major subplots or to freshen up on all the characters.

'Demon Bound' is the seventh novel in the Guardian Series and is as unique as every other series installment. At the beginning of the novel, Jake Hawkins, a former Vietnam Veteran and current Novice Guardian, is still trying to develop his Gift of teleportation. Suffice it to say, things in the Gift department aren't going well. As a 60 year old Guardian, Jake normally would have had another 40 years to perfect his skills before being noted as a full-fledged Guardian and called to duty. Yet due to the Ascension, whereby thousands of Guardians chose to move on to their respective places in Heaven or Hell, have left the remaining forty or so Guardians to protect mankind, thus requiring Jake's help. Currently, in order for Jake to teleport to a new destination, he first must be scared witless before his Gift will even work. This "technique" is unreliable at best.

Alice Gray is a 120 year old Guardian and keeper of the archives in Caelum. Her Gift gives her the power to communicate and draw upon the heightened awareness of spiders, thus her nickname of The Black Widow. Before Alice's transformation, she unwittingly entered into a Bargain with the Demon Teqon. Either bring the heart of Michael (Doyen and leader of all Guardians) to him, or spend eternity frozen in Hell.

For the last 120 years, Alice has sought endlessly for a way to get out of her Bargain and the only way she can do this is either have Teqon simply release her, which is never going to happen, or she must find him something that he wants more than Michael's heart. Alice believes that the temples and the female Guardian statue is the key.

It is the shared curiosity of the discovery of lost temples combined with their passion for archeology that draw Jake and Alice together. Although Jake was initially scared and creeped out over Alice spider Gift, he begins to learn who she truly is and with this knowledge he begins to fall in love. Jake makes the brave decision of helping Alice find a way out of her Bargain and for this Michael promotes him to a full-fledged Guardian.

As the two scavenge the world for the mysterious temples that disclose the Guardian's history, Jake and Alice begin to learn a bit more than they bargained for. The history and creation of the Nephilim is revealed and wow, what a revelation it was! Michael's past is somewhat disclosed especially his creation which was a shocker to say the least. The origin of the prophecy and Belial's rise to power that was first discussed in 'Demon Night', is revealed. We are also introduced to new Guardian's and have even been granted a glimpse into the future and what it holds in store for Jake and Alice.

Alice was an intriguing character. I don't believe I've ever read a heroine quite like her, although I can pretty much say that about all of Brook's heroines. Each one is different not only to the Guardian Series but to the Paranormal Romance genre as well. I never would have guessed that a woman that can draw upon the instincts of spiders to be heroine material but Brook pulls it off with ease. Alice, because of her Bargain to murder the leader everyone loves, is a self-prescribed loner. She guards herself from feeling...anything for anyone because her fate is to rest for eternity in the frozen wastelands of Hell. Even if she fulfills her Bargain, to take the heart of Michael would make her murderer. So really her choices are the Pit and an eternity of torture or her face will become part of a frozen landscape in Hell while her body is consumed, re-grown, only to be consumed again by the monsters of Chaos. I don't blame Alice one bit for being closed off and emotionally unavailable. Who wouldn't be with that type of fate hovering in the back of your mind.

Her Gift also secludes her from others. The fact that it took her years to overcome her own fears of spiders is a testament to how others feel. Plus, because Michael is aware of the Bargain, even he has kept his distance from her. It's no wonder that Alice feels considerable shame for having entered into the Bargain to begin with. Never mind that at the time she was mortal and knew nothing of Michael or what he represented, let alone that Teqon was a Demon from Hell. One can't help admiring her strength amidst all the tragedy that has befallen her. But there is one Guardian who may just be naive and cocksure enough to go after Alice's heart and that's Jake.

Jake provides considerable comic relief for our buttoned-up heroine. His youth and enthusiasm is infectious while his mind is nimble and strong. Alice can't help but be intrigued by his obvious smarts and I think this, in combination with his shear persistence, is what captivates her first. Of course his gorgeous body quickly follows. And while initially Jake is a very immature boy, his relationship with Alice soon evolves him quickly into a man of considerable strength and dependability. Looking back, I believe that amongst all of Brook's heroes, Jake truly made the most sacrifices for his heroine. Wow, did he ever.

There was only one thing that dragged this book down for me, unfortunately a biggie, and that being the lack of sexual chemistry, IMHO. Yes, Jake made incredible sacrifices for Alice and they were a true testament of his love for her. But I missed the sexual tension that Brook has delivered to pure satisfaction in the past. This lack is perhaps due to Alice's nature of not only embodying the creepy and inhuman characteristics of arachnids but also from her past and what ultimately caused her transformation to Guardian. Jake in turn still seemed too young for her, in my reading experience. The burden that Alice had carried for more than a century just seemed to put her in a league way out of Jake's reach.

Despite the above mentioned, I've still been struck dumb by Brook and her amazing world and wow, what a crazy and intricate plot. The woman is amazing. I had absolutely no idea how Alice was going to get out of her Bargain. It truly seemed utterly hopeless there for a while and man what a fabulous and shocking ending. I loved the action and all the new and exciting surprises that were delivered to us. `Demon Bound' was truly a fascinating addition to the Guardian Series and I'm once again on pins and needles to discover which characters will receive their HEA next.

Okay, so allow me to gush for just a minute about how much I love this series. I thoroughly enjoy the complex world, characters and plot. Each book has a unique feel, but they all flow together beautifully. In fact, I've not found too many authors that can multi-task as well as Ms. Brook. In each book we are given a real plot, with real characters that I can believe in.

This isn't your typical romance with an unbelievably gorgeous woman and incredibly strong man ready to save her at a moments notice. No, this is an up-tight, slightly strange, intelligent woman with some pretty intense issues. And she's willing to fight her own battles, even if it means dying in them.
Our guy is like any 20 something guy (Well, a Guardian version anyway) that can barely tell his butt from a hole in the ground, but he tries. And though, he is willing to save her at a moment's notice, he can't always get there.
Somehow they manage to overlook each other's flaws (and their own) work together for a common goal, and fall in love. Its a well crafted story that had me caring and rooting for both characters throughout the book.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I adore the entire series, actually. Book One, Demon Angel, was a little rushed, but the rest of the series was fantastic! Meljean Brook is a must-read author!

I won't give a synopsis on this book as others have done it far better than I could. I love this Guardian series and enjoy them very much. That being said, this one was not my favorite. I found this one a little difficult to follow. Therefore, if you haven't read the first books in this series, don't start with this one. I guess my main problem was with Alice's character. I never got a clear picture of her other than she wore long black dresses and had a gift with spiders. And the "aw shucks mam" attitude of the male character, Jacob Hawkins, becomes tedious at times. Overall, it is a intertaining book but has a tendency to "jump" and you lose what is happening within the story. Sometimes explanations of what you have just read is not revealed until pages later. But, all in all, worth reading.

I had a hard time with this book. I had a hard time getting into it and staying with it. I've loved all the books in the series up until now. Sometimes I have a really hard time putting a book down, not this one. I know one reviewer said don't start with this book if you haven't read the rest of the series or you'll be lost. I've read the whole series and felt lost at times. I couldn't get into Alice's character one way or another and Jake came across as juvenile, at least at first. Just wasn't a favorite of mine in the series. Hope the next one is better.

My first introduction to this author was about a year ago with her "steam punk" book "The Iron Duke". I enjoyed The Iron Duke immensley and have no excuse why it has taken me this long to explore her other writings. I was reminded of her when I noticed she had a new release this month form this series. I explored her website and went with her recommendation to start this series with #3 Demon Night and I was hooked! Demon Bound is a fine example of great talent. She had me laughing out loud so many times it amazed me. I have been an avid reader for over 30 years and it means a lot to me if an author can make me giggle and if they make me laugh, I am a very happy camper. The story line is great and moves quickly, you sympathize with the characters and you hate to put the book down. I loved the way she weaves the story and how she wraps it all up at the end. I love even more the simple way she makes us relate......"He let out a short laugh. "Go ahead."
"What?"
Jake stood, strode the length of the table, then crouched beside her chair. "Rub it." When her mouth fell open, he shrugged. "Women want to. I don't know why, and I don't think anyone asks Michael as often as they ask me. Maybe it's the puppy thing. Dunno. But feel free." And towards the end of the book, Michael greets someone he has not seen for years and the first thing she has him doing is bending over so she can feel his hair...

I mean c'mon...how many times have we resisted the urge to run our hands over a male's short short hair? Simple things like this, she incorporates through out the story. The interaction between Jake and Alice is a comedy and a parody. The way they finally connect is priceless.
Enough said. Read the book. You will glad that you did.
I am off to read the next in the series...and wont be coming up for air until I am through it! Well done and bravo, Ms. Brook!

the series is well written and the romance is just right in every book in the series! i would recommend this series to anyone.