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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dark, Compelling and Emotional,
By
This review is from: Passion Unleashed (Mass Market Paperback)
I experienced every emotion possible while reading Wraith's story. The writing flows perfectly, 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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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (78 customer reviews) 35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dark, Emotional and Thrilling,
By LeaF - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Passion Unleashed (Mass Market Paperback)
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. 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wraith - Beautiful disaster,
By Nils - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Passion Unleashed (Mass Market Paperback)
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. 10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
5+ stars. Best of the demon brothers, passion sneaks its way past Wraith's wrath,
By melindeeloo - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Passion Unleashed (Mass Market Paperback)
I've mentally called half vampire/half demon brother Wraith 'Wrath' in the past two Demonica books, because that just seemed to fit with his aura of darkness, anger and death, but amazingly that all changes here. Oh *fans self* when bad boys go good, yum!On a mission to gain a reprieve from his impending death from a deadly poison for which there is no antedote, Wrath starts out pretending to be human and decent in order to facillitate the seduction that will save his life. But in acting that role - and for the first time in his life letting someone get close to him - Wraith is blindsided by the discovery that he actually does have a heart and a conscience. And by making Wraith's mate Serena the one woman he can't have without killing, Ione builds the tension between the pair to an incredible level. The result is smoking hot and poignant both. The the Demonica series starter, Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1), was my favorite new series release of last year and Passion Unleashed book 3 in the series is even better. I loved incubus demon Wraith's transition, from the bad boy of the first books who used sex and violence to help him hide from the torture of his past. In fact unlike his brother Eiodolan who feared the final incubus maturation, Wraith not only embraced it hoping for the mindlessness of the incubus extreme sexual need, but actually hastened it. And I loved the way that author Ione takes Wraith through his transition. Along with Wraith's story, Passion Unleashed finishes up the thread between former leader of the demon-hunter's, the 'heavenly' Kynan, and demoness Gem which has run through all the books in the series. I have to admit that after the first book I was really looking forward to this pairing, after the second book I was not too happy - Kynan's treatment of Gem didn't fit with his character in the first book and it was not pretty - and I was perhaps even a bit more disappointed with their story here when I read the book the first time. On the second read though it didn't strike me the same, their reunion was rough but they end up in the right place at the end with a painfully earned happily ever after. And on to the future... Ione introduces an intriguing new character, assassin Lore who able to kill with a touch - which is death to his bed partners. Lore will be the star of Demonica book 4 (not 'til 2010 though) and there is also a 5th book planned, possibly Gem and Kynan's spawn? Can't wait. If you don't mind a touch of darkness in your PNR I highly recommend Ione's Demonica series - Pleasure Unbound (#1) and Passion Unleashed are 5 star reads and Desire Unchained(#2) a respectable 4 stars. Oh, as P.S. - don't miss the bonus the short story The Reckoning - where Eiodolan and Shade find and save Wraith- it's hidden behind the Demonica Compendium at the end of the book. |
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