22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
One very good story, two averages, and one almost there., April 22, 2007
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.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More like 4 1/2 stars...., April 26, 2007
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
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Four great reads, August 21, 2008
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.
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