The Demon King and I (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: powerful mage, Candace Havens, Aunt Juliet, King Arath (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

First in a terrific new series featuring wealthy paranormal party girls—from the author of the Charmed books.

The Caruthers sisters are heiresses with privilege, wealth, beauty, and brains. But these party girls have something extra. As the Guardian Keys, possessors of an ancient family secret, they hold the fate of the world in their hands.

Gillian, the eldest, is a sensation in the art world— this world, that is. In her other world she’s the Assassin, a knockout who snuffs out dimension-jumpers who foul up her personal space. She never expected to join forces with one. But when a plague of murderous demons plunges the earth in darkness, she has no choice but to get a little help from a being who knows his stuff.

About the Author

Candace Havens is a sixteen-year veteran of the entertainment industry. In addition to writing countless columns on everything Hollywood, she recently published a biography of Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425223639
• ISBN-13: 978-0425223635
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #234,172 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Caruthers Sisters Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, witty paranormal romance, November 4, 2008

By	Jennifer Ray "Reviewer for Wild on Books (www... (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Caruthers Sisters are the Guardians who protect Earth from the creatures of various other worlds who would do harm to humankind. It is their job to keep demons, dragons, Fey, and more on their side of the portals used to travel between those worlds. Or at least, keep them off of Earth.

Gillian Caruthers is known to the world as a lawyer and high-powered business woman, a jet-setting arts dealer and celebrity in her own right. What the world doesn't know is that she is the Guardian who stands between the Demon realm and mankind. When demon butt needs to be kicked it is her responsibility.

Then a new demon king comes to town. Arath isn't anything like his predecessors - in fact he looks disturbingly like the most exciting man Gillian has ever lain eyes on. But it could never work between a Demon King and a Demon Slayer, could it?

They'll have plenty of time to explore that possibility while trying to ferret out the mysterious threat that brings danger and death to both their worlds, not to mention the people Gillian cares most for.

When I saw the blurb for THE DEMON KING AND I by Candace Havens, I knew I had to read this book. Something about it just struck a chord about me. Maybe it resonated with me somewhat because of my love for the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series and its similarity to that show.

Having now read the story, I can say that comparing it to "Buffy" is a more than fair comparison - but only a comparison. While Gillian and her sisters share some qualities with that legendary heroine, this is very much a different world and they are very different characters. Of course, when you have any kick-butt female slayer there will always be some comparison to Buffy.

Although this is a paranormal romance complete with the requisite demons, mages, and similar creatures, what makes the world a mite surreal (in a good way) is the way it is set in a contemporary world, lending it a normalcy that makes the paranormal bits even easier to believe, even if just for the story's duration.

The story is told in first person, completely from Gillian's perspective, so we get to know this character intimately. We experience her pain, her longings, her dreams, her nightmares and more. We see her hero, Arath, through her eyes, and that isn't a bad thing at all. Truly, both Gillian and the reader would be hard pressed to find any fault with the Demon King. Bold, decisive, strong, caring, and even a little nurturing, he is everything a leader and a hero should be. I know I would fall for him in a heartbeat, so it never surprised me that the demon slayer would also.

I have to say that I am hooked on this new series. Having enjoyed every minute of THE DEMON KING AND I, this reviewer is very much looking forward to the next CARUTHERS SISTERS story!

**Courtesy of Wild on Books**

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars super romantic urban fantasy, November 4, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The four Caruthers sisters knew from birth that they were special Guardian Keys protecting humanity from select paranormal killers. Each of the siblings is a specialist with a unique power to fight a specific horde.

Gillian, owner of a Sao Paulo, Brazil art gallery and the CEO of the family owned Texas based Caruthers Corporation, caught her boyfriend in bed with one of her art gallery managers. Her talent being super strength she broke the sink. Her super strength comes in mighty handy when Gillian works her other job, the Assassin of dimension hopping demons. So even she is taken back when Arath, the new king of the demons, asks for a truce so they can team up to battle an unknown third force killing human and demon without regard. Even more shocking to the Guardian is her attraction to her temporary ally

The first of a new romantic urban fantasy is a piece of haven for sub-genre fans. The lead couple is a delightful pairing of beloved enemies fighting against a sly sinister unknown force killing both sides. The story line is fast-paced from the moment that Gillian kicks the butt of her sink and never slows down until the final confrontation; in between are several super twists. Readers will be whistling a happy tune with this superb paranormal romance.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Am I the only One???, March 3, 2009

By	The Princess "princessjen" (MI) - See all my reviews

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I am a Candance Havens fan, don't get me wrong but I found this book to a bit in the drab area. I felt no real connection to the romance the story was TOO full of 'I'm a part of this life, I'm a part of that life, I'm rich, I'm powerful, I save the world, I go to art Shows' for my taste. In worlds such as these its fine to have fantastic, unreal things but overloading a person makes them lose interest. It takes the realism away, which okay readers yearn to escape reality, sure, but not to the land of the absurd. I enjoyed her other series much more. I felt the connection, the romance, the world was much more grounded. This story was all very blah for me. I won't be taking a deeper look into this series. Sorry.