Ratings: V4, S4, H3
Publisher and Titles: Berkley:
Demon Bound (2008)
Demon Forged (2009)
Protagonists in this series are primarily Guardians (i.e., Guardian Angels), who are responsible for protecting humankind from demons. Set primarily in San Francisco, this series is best enjoyed if the reader has some knowledge of demonic mythology (e.g., myths about hellhounds, Nosferatu, Nephilim, guardian angels, and various types of demons). The mythology in book 1 is particularly complex. Each book tells the soul-mate story of one couple as they battle the bad guys and come to terms with their own relationship. In general, the soul-mate pair has so many second (and third and fourth) thoughts about their relationship that sexual tension is at peak levels throughout each book.
The seventh book in the series—Demon Marked—has two main plots. The first focuses on the development of a romance between a halfling demon and a human: Ash and Nicholas. As the story begins, Ash has just escaped from three years of imprisonment in a psychiatric hospital in London. She can remember events from just prior to her imprisonment through the present, but before that, everything is a blank. We get our first clues to Ash's real nature with the description of some of her extremely odd traits, which frighten the hospital staff to the point that some of them quit their jobs: eyes that sometimes turn red, clothing that disappears and reappears, and a complete lack of emotion. After her escape from the hospital, Ash is determined to discover who (and what) she really is. When she breaks into the house in London that she remembers living in, she is caught by the owner, Nicholas St. Croix, who is searching for Madelyn, the demon who possessed his mother's body and ruined his life. When Nicholas shocks Ash with a Taser, she shifts into a partial demonic form (horns, red skin), so we that gives us are final clue that she is some kind of demon. Nicholas, of course, hates all demons with a passion. We met him in a previous book when he had some interactions with the Guardian, Rosalia, in a demon dungeon in Italy where he was also searching for Madelyn. As the plot proceeds, Nicholas takes Ash to America, hoping to use her as bait to attract Madelyn so that he can kill his demon-possessed mother once and for all.
Eventually, the Guardians enter the picture with some information about Ash. They know who she really is and the extent of the powers in the red tattoos that cover her face and chest. Up until now, you could read this book as a stand alone, but from this point on, the plot reaches back for the Michael/Taylor plot line from previous books. To sum it up, Taylor is a Guardian who is possessed by Michael, a Grigori (half-demon, half-human) who is the powerful First Guardian and who was imprisoned in the frozen field of hell in Demon Forged. This is where the second plot line kicks in: the attempt to free Michael from the frozen field. Leading the rush to rescue Michael is the Grigori, Khavi, who has the gift of foresight and "sees" the events that will lead to Michael's rescue. Unfortunately, Khavi has a tendency to manipulate events to make them fit her visions, and since her primary goal is to free Michael, she doesn't really care if others (i.e., Nicholas and Ash) get hurt in the process.
Meljean Brook is one of the strongest of the paranormal romance writers now on the market. In the GUARDIAN series, she has built an intricately designed world that consistently follows the rules set up from the beginning. Her heroes and heroines are more complex than the usual paranormal soul mates, and their romances build and shape their characters. The plot in each book fits neatly into the overall story arc of the series: the Guardians' ongoing battle against the demons and their diabolical leader, Lucifer.
My recommendation is to start reading this series from the beginning, but if you insist on starting in the middle, you should click HERE to go to to Brook's online Primer for some "story-so-far" clues. The Primer also includes a time line, a section that explains the characteristics of the mythos of the various supernatural characters, a biography for each character, a description of each setting and organization, and a glossary of terms. The Primer is extremely helpful, but you should be aware that it does contain lots of SPOILERS.
Here is a list of the loving couples:
> “Falling for Anthony” in Hot Spell: Anthony & Emily
> Demon Angel: Hugh & Lilith
> “Paradise” in Wild Thing: Lucas & Selah
> Demon Moon: Colin & Savi
> Demon Night: Ethan ("Drifter") & Charlie
> “Thicker Than Blood” in First Blood : Jack & Annie
> Demon Bound: Jake & Alice
> Demon Forged: Alejandro & Irena
> “Blind Spot” in Must Love Hellhounds: Geoffrey & Maggie
> Demon Blood: Deacon & Rosalia
> "Ascension" in Angels of Darkness: Marc ("Icarus") & Radha
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