King Of The Damned: A League Of Guardians Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Thanks to a bad decision made centuries ago by a James witch, the entire family has been marked by a demon lord that consumes the women that bare his mark. Rowan is unlike any witch that came before her. The power residing in her is immense and if the demon lord gets his claws on her, it will irreversibly tip the scales in favor of evil.

Rowan is fierce and although she's terrified, she's determined to face her demons head on. She tried to get away from it all but the brutal murder of her beloved grandmother has her back home and ready to give all she has to end the family curse. Rowan's not perfect but she's honest and refuses to hide while others fight. What I found most appealing is that she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. She doesn't play games and I couldn't have been more thankful for that.

A member of the League of Guardians, a secret supernatural organization that keeps the balance between good and evil, Azaiel is sent along with 2 others to keep Rowan away from the demon lord at all costs. Azaiel is a fallen angel who spent countless years in hell after a fateful decision. Now, he's back on earth and given a chance to right his past wrongs. The attraction he feels for Rowan is unexpected and he feels undeserving of someone like Rowan. I can't point to anything specific I didn't like about Azaiel but he didn't have that extra something that made me swoon. He was a good hero that's in need of redemption, he just wasn't great.

Rowan took the lead in their relationship. She was the aggressor and Azaiel had to turn her down because nothing could come of their relationship. I liked this role reversal and that Rowan wasn't willing to take no for an answer. I didn't really feel a deep connection but the attraction was there and when the smex finally happened, which wasn't until the last 20% of the book, it was pretty explosive.

The pace was a bit uneven. A battle would ensue against demons, and then there would be James family drama. There would be intense moments where Guardians were discussing Rowan's fate without her knowledge, and then more family drama. There would be a trip to hell with no promise of success, and then, you guessed it, more James family drama. There's also a lot of lead up to the show down against the big bad demon lord who plans to use Rowan in every despicable way but then the finale was over too quickly. It wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked it to be.

This is a spinoff of another series and the previous book featured characters from the original books so it all felt familiar. In King of the Damned, you recognize some faces and places but for the most part, it's new so it took me a while to get into. Even with its pacing issues, once I got into the book and started investing in the characters, I was entertained until the end. Most of that was due to Rowan. She's a mix of powerful, sexy, intelligent, and vulnerable and the shining star of this book. I don't think it's necessary to go back and read the original series but I'd suggest reading Wicked Road to Hell, League of Guardians book 1, before tackling this book so you better understand what the League is about and why they're interested in the James family.

I was very disappointed in this one.
I usually love all her stories and they really kick some butt!
But this one fell very far from what her stories usually turn out to be.
For one thing I was under the impression that this would be Azaiel's story, and his fall and about his job in the league.
Turns out that this was all about Rowan and her family, and Azaiel was just along for the ride and to help her thru everything.
So instead of the main story being about him, she turned it into the witch's story.
So yeah I was very un-satisfied with the way this turned out.
Not to mention some of the editing.
So yeah I can only hope that the next one she comes out with, will be better than this one, otherwise I may have to veer from reading anymore of her work.

Rowan James returns to her childhood home to discover evil is afoot and her grandmother is dead. Rowan is a witch and her family is cursed. She thought that she could leave this life behind and start anew half way across the country but fate has reared its ugly head and taken from her the one person that was always there for her. Rowan is now determined to do whatever is necessary to end the curse once and for all and she will have help from a very unlikely source.

Azaiel is among the fallen. He has powers unlike any other supernatural creature but what's hunting Rowan James may be something he cannot defeat. Azaiel is a member of the League of Guardians and as a member he atones for his sins the only way he knows how by hunting those that spread evil. His trip to Salem was supposed to be about finding the leak among the Guardian ranks but Rowan James changes all that. She makes him want more and he's going to try his best to save her from the horrible fate that awaits her.

What happens when a witch and a fallen angel team up? Will they find love or the end of everything they know?

Juliana Stone's King of the Damned is the perfect paranormal treat. Rowan and Azaiel pull some powerful punches - the physical and emotional kind. I don't know when I've read about a couple that packed as much magical power as these two. I was mesmerized by Rowan's witchy ways and Azaiel's fallen strength. Ms. Stone throws her readers into the action at page one. Rowan and Azaiel meet each other and the enemy simultaneously and it makes for one spine-tingling fight. I was afraid to blink thinking I might actually miss some of this powerful meeting. There are a lot of cool characters featured in King of the Damned. I cannot wait to meet some of them in future books. King of the Damned has laughter, love and lots of awesome action. Demons, Gods, Ghouls and Goblins are no match for the King of the Damned and his witch! Don't miss out on this paranormal adventure.

Miranda for Joyfully Reviewed