Author: Larissa IoneSeries: Demonica Underworld #9, Demonica #19
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: October 15th 2019
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Social Butterfly OR
Blurb (from Goodreads):
THE DEMONICA SERIES RETURNS...*Disclaimer: I received an eARC from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
He is the Keeper of Souls. Judge, jury, and executioner. He is death personified.
He is the Grim Reaper.
A fallen angel who commands the respect of both Heaven and Hell, Azagoth has presided over his own underworld realm for thousands of years. As the overlord of evil souls, he maintains balance crucial to the existence of life on Earth and beyond. But as all the realms gear up for the prophesied End of Days, the ties that bind him to Sheoul-gra have begun to chafe.
Now, with his beloved mate and unborn child the target of an ancient enemy, Azagoth will stop at nothing to save them, even if it means breaking blood oaths and shattering age-old alliances.
Even if it means destroying himself and setting the world on fire…
**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.
***Disclaimer: My review won't contain spoilers about Reaper, but it probably will include spoilers for previous books. With this being book 19 in the Demonica series, spoilers cannot be avoided.
Finally, a full length novel for Azagoth! It's what I've been hoping to get for years now and the time is finally here. I've been reading this series since I was in college, over 9 years ago, and I can honestly say that it's always a pleasure to come back to it and read new stories and see the world get bigger and bigger and see the characters evolve. Reaper changes things in a way I didn't anticipate, and let me tell you guys, it was a roller-coaster.
In all the years of me reading this series, this is the first time when I couldn't possibly tell you what I was feeling. I was actually live reacting with Clo and Jamsu and at one point I told them that I was so stunned by something that had happened, that I was numb. I honestly think the last time that happened was when Sirius Black died. So I was completely stunned and shocked. Kudos to Larissa Ione for bringing me there, because like I said it's been YEARS since that has happened.
I remember meeting Azagoth for the first time and wanting to know more about his story, how he came to rule Sheoul-gra. I can tell you that I loved the fact that we got to read about how how he got assigned this job of Keeper of Souls again. I also loved how his story concludes the Demonica Underworld portion of the series, just as it was his story that started it. We get to see how Azagoth is still struggling a bit with feeling all of the emotions he's been keeping bottled up for so many centuries and I liked how it was him thinking of Lilliana that allowed him to resist certain elements within his realm that would potentially destroy his good side. The thing I loved most is that we get to see Azagoth in his full power. He is pushed to the limit in this book and when he snaps, it's a beautiful and scary thing.
Lilliana is pregnant, as we already know. It was a shock for Azagoth, but we get to see them move past that initial shock and be excited to be parents. I was so sad for Azagoth when he had to let Lilliana go to the doctor's by herself. I was sad for them this entire book actually, but hopefully their future will be a bit brighter. Lilliana also grows stronger in this book, I feel. I think she showed her strength here more than in any other of the previous books.
We finally learn who the person that betrayed Azagoth from within Sheoul-Gra is, and it was a big surprise. I had my eye on someone else to be honest, but a part of me is glad it didn't go that way. We also get to see Revenant and Reaver be their badass selves and that made me insanely happy. We get to see a lot of our favorite Seminus demons and horsemen and horsewoman.
I think Ione pushed the bar to where she will let a story go. It is worth repeating, she really took the story somewhere I did not see coming. It showed just how much evil can corrupt and I had a lot of fun seeing how it all unfolded. I'm also very excited about the future of this series. As we know there's going to be a Demonica Heritage series at some point in the future, and I'm excited for it. Because the way Reaper ended... all I can say is that I don't think our favorite heroes and heroines and their kids will have it easy. I just hope Ione doesn't break my heart again like she did with Reaper.
All in all this was a fantastic story and I can't wait to see what comes next.
***Disclaimer: My review won't contain spoilers about Reaper, but it probably will include spoilers for previous books. With this being book 19 in the Demonica series, spoilers cannot be avoided.
Finally, a full length novel for Azagoth! It's what I've been hoping to get for years now and the time is finally here. I've been reading this series since I was in college, over 9 years ago, and I can honestly say that it's always a pleasure to come back to it and read new stories and see the world get bigger and bigger and see the characters evolve. Reaper changes things in a way I didn't anticipate, and let me tell you guys, it was a roller-coaster.
In all the years of me reading this series, this is the first time when I couldn't possibly tell you what I was feeling. I was actually live reacting with Clo and Jamsu and at one point I told them that I was so stunned by something that had happened, that I was numb. I honestly think the last time that happened was when Sirius Black died. So I was completely stunned and shocked. Kudos to Larissa Ione for bringing me there, because like I said it's been YEARS since that has happened.
I remember meeting Azagoth for the first time and wanting to know more about his story, how he came to rule Sheoul-gra. I can tell you that I loved the fact that we got to read about how how he got assigned this job of Keeper of Souls again. I also loved how his story concludes the Demonica Underworld portion of the series, just as it was his story that started it. We get to see how Azagoth is still struggling a bit with feeling all of the emotions he's been keeping bottled up for so many centuries and I liked how it was him thinking of Lilliana that allowed him to resist certain elements within his realm that would potentially destroy his good side. The thing I loved most is that we get to see Azagoth in his full power. He is pushed to the limit in this book and when he snaps, it's a beautiful and scary thing.
Lilliana is pregnant, as we already know. It was a shock for Azagoth, but we get to see them move past that initial shock and be excited to be parents. I was so sad for Azagoth when he had to let Lilliana go to the doctor's by herself. I was sad for them this entire book actually, but hopefully their future will be a bit brighter. Lilliana also grows stronger in this book, I feel. I think she showed her strength here more than in any other of the previous books.
We finally learn who the person that betrayed Azagoth from within Sheoul-Gra is, and it was a big surprise. I had my eye on someone else to be honest, but a part of me is glad it didn't go that way. We also get to see Revenant and Reaver be their badass selves and that made me insanely happy. We get to see a lot of our favorite Seminus demons and horsemen and horsewoman.
I think Ione pushed the bar to where she will let a story go. It is worth repeating, she really took the story somewhere I did not see coming. It showed just how much evil can corrupt and I had a lot of fun seeing how it all unfolded. I'm also very excited about the future of this series. As we know there's going to be a Demonica Heritage series at some point in the future, and I'm excited for it. Because the way Reaper ended... all I can say is that I don't think our favorite heroes and heroines and their kids will have it easy. I just hope Ione doesn't break my heart again like she did with Reaper.
All in all this was a fantastic story and I can't wait to see what comes next.
Excerpt
Lilliana woke to someone tap dancing on her bladder.
Groaning, she rolled over and bumped into Azagoth. Pleasantly surprised that he was still in bed, she ignored her need to pee and curled up against him.
She’d missed this so much while she was gone.
“Good morning,” he murmured, his husky voice even more gravelly than usual.
“Morning.” She snuggled into his shoulder. “I’m surprised you’re not working.”
He yawned. “You wore me out last night.”
Smiling against his skin, she trailed her fingers along the hard ridges and deep valleys of his abs.
“I wanted to show you how grateful I was that you threw me a baby shower.” And she’d done it without getting too active. Eidolon couldn’t begrudge her one orgasm, right?
“Mmm.” He pressed a kiss into her hair. “You must have been very grateful.”
She slid her hand under the sheet and meandered her way to the curve of his hip. She might be a million months into her pregnancy, but her sex drive didn’t care in the least.
“I’m still grateful.”
He hissed as her knuckles brushed his shaft. “Not complaining.”
It truly had been sweet of him to gather together the denizens of Sheoul-gra for a big celebration of food, drink, and games in the traditions of people from the human, demon, and angelic cultures. She’d suffered two more bouts of intense nausea and some cramps, but they’d passed quickly. What hadn’t passed was Azagoth’s concern.
Which was probably why he was still in bed with her.
It was cute the way he hovered. Annoying at times, but cute.
“I just want you to know that you’re my life,” he said. “Without you, I’m a monster.”
“And what are you with me?”
He gave her a rare, boyish grin, made even more playful by his mop of bedhead. “A happy monster.”
“I’m very happy about the happy.” She rubbed her eyes and yawned.
“Things are good, Lil,” he said. “I never thought much about being a partner, let alone a parent, but I want to do these things with you.” He settled his hand on her belly and smiled with wonder. “This will be my first child born without a predetermined future. He or she can be anything. Do anything.”
“Incredible, isn’t it?” She pushed up on one elbow and leaned in to kiss his chest. She’d kissed every inch of him last night. Maybe she’d lick every inch of him this morning. “And our baby will be born to parents who love each other.”
Determined to show him how much she loved him, she kissed her way lower. Her lips whispered over his nipple, but before she could taste him, a cramp wrenched her insides. She sucked in a harsh breath, her hand going to her belly.
“What is it?” Azagoth jackknifed up, his expression dark with worry. “Is it the baby?”
Fierce heat swelled beneath the surface of her skin as her abdomen tightened. “I think it might be Braxton Hicks,” she said between panting breaths.
“What?”
“Cara had them.” Closing her eyes to stop the room from spinning, she eased back onto her pillow. “They’re like practice contractions.”
She didn’t remember Cara complaining about being hot and sweating buckets, though. Another cramp streaked through her, and she moaned. Cara had said they were painful, as if someone were squeezing her intestines.
This was more like someone was driving a red-hot blade through them.
“You’re white as a ghost, Lilli.”
Something’s wrong.
No, nothing was wrong. She was being paranoid.
Azagoth rested his palm on her forehead, testing her temperature. “Are these Hicks things supposed to be like this?”
She heard the panic in his voice but not the words. Her ears were buzzing. Her head was pounding. And, suddenly, a wave of agony wrapped around her and squeezed so hard she screamed. Vaguely, she heard Azagoth call out her name as a warm gush spread between her thighs.
“Lilliana? Lilliana!” His voice droned in and out as the room began to tilt. There was shouting. More pain. Her thoughts fragmented.
And then, finally…nothing.
