35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dark, Emotional and Thrilling, March 31, 2009
I experienced every emotion possible while reading Wraith's story. The writing flows beautifully, the plot and sub-plots are thrilling, heartwarming, frightening and suspenseful, and the dialogue is witty as well as brilliant. With each page I turned and read, I was kept on a razor's edge, not knowing how the intricate storyline was going to be resolved, let alone how Wraith and Serena Kelly were going to achieve their HEA.
Passion Unleashed
Wraith has been poisoned and is dying, slowly. Underworld General is literally crumbling and falling apart bit by bit. Staff is deserting the hospital. And, as war between human and demonkind looms, the apocalypse seems a tangible reality.
Eidolon and Shade try to find an antidote for Wraith and discover the only cure is for him to procure a charm from Serena, a beautiful, sweet archaeologist who has a zest for life. I loved this heroine, while she has lead a "charmed life" as it were, and you will understand my meaning if you read the book, she is independent and curious about all things historical. She goes to almost any lengths to recover a relic, almost like a Lara Croft type of character, except Serena is a virgin and must remain so or lose her health.
There is extraordinary irony in the love story between Wraith and Serena because he, as you know if you have read the series thus far, has always done what he wants, uncaring about the consequences of his actions on others. Wraith is a selfish, hedonist demon with a death wish, however I've always liked him. Why? He is funny, cocky, brutally honest (most of the time - lol), he is an amazing warrior and he does have a certain code that he lives by with respect to satisfying his sexual needs. Wraith never has sex with human or vampire women because of a horrific past that is really fleshed out in this story.
So, the irony you see is that the woman who holds the cure for Wraith's affliction is human and a virgin, and he must seduce her to take the charm that will save his life. Their romance is one of the more bittersweet stories I've read and while rest assured they do have their HEA, I wept for them on more than one occasion. As is the way with the seminus demons in Larissa's novels, Wraith falls hard and for the first time in his life he is forced to come to terms with deep feelings for another. The erotic scenes penned between Serena and Wraith are boiling hot, but also tender and sensuous, ladies, get ready!
The backdrop to their love story, as I mentioned above is complex, but the metamorphosis of Wraith's character is deeply embedded into an absolutely riveting story that will leave readers hyperventilating until the closing pages.
If you thought the antagonist of Shade's story was a malevolent scary creature, wait until you read the one written for Wraith's. This creature is an unequivocal hells spawn whose goal is the total destruction of earth. The graphic imagery and prose written surrounding the final battle between the Aegis army and demons took me right into the thick of the fray.
Gem and Kynan's story continues to be a roller coaster ride. Their angst and heartache also brought me to tears. I will say Kynan's future is tied to a prophecy referenced in the "Daemonica" tome that will surprise you.
Reaver's character is also fully developed and he plays an integral part in the plotline and final battle.
Larissa Ione has cleverly introduced a new and very interesting character to the storyline who is given a pivotal role in one of the subplots of Wraith's book. I'm sure this character will be the hero of the fourth Demonica novel, and we will again have the story of another tortured hero to look forward too.
I've given a great deal of thought to this series over the past couple of days. What makes it so special for me? What keeps me engaged? Why am I literally addicted? As with any series there is not a singular reason, but I think it is that the heroes are so tortured that when they find their HEA it is that much more satisfying. Secondly, these characters are so unique and well developed; you cannot help but become invested in them as a reader. Then there is the humor, OMG, the dialogue that comes out of Wraith's mouth especially had me cackling with laughter! And lastly, from my perspective, the Demonica world becomes more amazing with each story and Ms. Ione is expanding it with just the right amount of momentum. The other issue is that these books, at around 400 pages are good hearty reads, which allows for a wonderful in-depth storyline.
I have to comment that I think reading these stories in order is a must, because the plots do interconnect, each book builds on the previous.
Thankfully Larissa Ione has been contracted to write two more novels but it is going to be another long wait because they are due out in 2010.
The Demonica novels I'm sure will be my favorite series of 2009.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wraith - Beautiful disaster, March 31, 2009
In most paranormal series nowadays, there seems to be one character, usually one of a group of brothers, who is messed up. He's the one who doesn't care if he lives or dies because he was horribly abused. He can't feel love, only loyalty. And he gets the best lines, because he's usually a smart aleck.
Enter Wraith. From the moment he appeared in Pleasure Unbound, he was my favorite and I couldn't wait for his book. The book has finally arrived and it is awesome.
Wraith was everything I hoped for; witty, tough, determined, vulnerable when recalling his past, and a total goober in love when he found his lady. What I liked about that was the way they fell in love. He didn't meet Serena, growl "mine" and let fate roll right over him. No, he met her to take something from her, namely her life in exchange for his, and against his will, started liking her. As the stakes grew higher and things got more serious in regard to what he needed to do, he began to be unwilling to be as selfish as he'd always been. He began to put her needs first. And they started to fall in love.
This series is a winner. It is complex and interesting, with little in-jokes and characters that leap off the page. At several points through the book I found myself smiling. Who knew Shade would turn out to be the most whipped of the brothers? That Gem would grow a nice strong spine? But there was a great deal of sad stuff too, and moments where it just didn't seem things could possibly work out. But they do, of course, which is why I love this series. It's a romance. A lot goes on, but things work out. And smoking hot love scenes don't hurt, either, and there were plenty of those, and not just Wraith and Serena.
In the end, Wraith got his happy ending, and I was extremely satisfied with that. It's always great when the extra-damaged ones find love, and Serena is worthy of him. They accept each other at a fundamental level, and to me you can't get more romantic than that.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione, April 6, 2009
YES! YES! YES! Excuse me, I'm having a private moment ;) I finished "Passion Unleashed" by Larissa Ione and I must say that this is one series I'm so very glad I'm hooked on. Her Demonica novels take place in an intricately built world, with enough differences from the raft of paranormals available to distinguish themselves. The characters are NOT one-dimensional caricatures of one creature or another...oh no, Ione has a vast selection of characters with multi-layered personalities on top of the traits attributable to their species and these differences from the average urban fantasy or paranormal romance today are just a couple of the things that make her novels stand-outs, IMHO :)
In "Passion Unleashed" we finally get the story of Wraith, a sex demon who's 'gotta have it'! So 'have it' he does...often and with vigor. He's the 'bad boy' of the three brothers we've read about so far and Ione certainly puts him to the test in his love story. Wraith has been infected with a poison that has no antidote. He's only got one chance to save his life...find the 'Chosen' virgin and 'deflower' her. Hey! He's a sex demon--no problem.
Serena is one of the 'Chosen'--she holds a relic that would be pivotal in the event of Armageddon. This same relic is all that protects her from an incurable disease she contracted at a young age. So holding on to her virginity isn't really a choice...it's the only thing keeping her alive. Good thing Armageddon isn't on the calendar, huh? Ummm, hold that thought. There's a fallen Angel turned renegade and he's after Serena's relic. So the chase...I mean race, is on. Oh, just one more thing. The fallen Angel can TAKE the relic from Serena, but Wraith will have to seduce it from her. But really, sex demon, no problem, right?
I don't mean to make this book sound like a light-heated paranormal romance, because it's not. Although there is much more humor in this story than the previous two, it's still a nail-biter of a suspense/action novel. And Ione doesn't let the action/suspense overcome the love aspect either. Both Wraith and Serena face life and death decisions that will affect not just themselves, but their friends, loved ones, and heck...the whole world! No pressure.
Others have reviewed "Passion Unleashed" and gone into more detail so I won't take up your time with more words. What I will say is that if you like urban fantasy, spicy paranormal romance, action and suspense, drama, and hot supernatural creatures...RUN, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and pick up this whole series.
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