Lenka S. reviewed Passion Unleashed: A Demonica Novel (The Demonica Series) on + 819 more book reviews
After watching Wraith stalk through the first two Demonica novels, just about the most damaged, unrepentant bad boy one could imagine meeting in a romance novel, I was really curious to see how Ione would turn him around in PASSION UNLEASHED. I was even more curious because the blurb explains that the heroine, Serena, is a virgin - not just a virgin-by-choice, but a virgin-by-necessity. For reasons the book explains in detail but I'll skip here, she'll die if she has sex. Meanwhile, Wraith will die if he doesn't have sex with her. That is quite a conundrum.
Wraith is truly my favorite of the brothers. His tragic life had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The book picks up about a year after Desire Unchained. Wraith has really stepped in it this time. Wraith has been poisoned with a toxin that has no known cure. His only hope is to get his hands on a powerful, ancient artifact that can save his life. Sadly the person currently in possession of it, Serena, needs it dearly to save her life. How do you convince someone to sacrifice themselves for you? Wraith really has a sudden attack of art imitates life; when the role he plays to seduce Serena metamorphose into reality. His bad boy exterior is cracking with each moment he deceives Serena by pretending to be human. Little does Wraith know that robbing Serena of her artifact could be the spark that ignites Armageddon. Meanwhile Wraith's life isn't the only one in jeopardy. The hospital is collapsing and the brothers have fallen ill. Demons are bum-rushing topside from Sheoul and chaos is rampant. Kenan and Gem got their much deserved attention in the spot light. I've always like them together but their relationship never seemed to get a chance to lift off the ground. I was always glad that Roag was dead but the prospect of a new brother, Lore, is appealing; especially one that can kill with his touch.
We've gotten to know Wraith (in earlier books) as a pretty selfish guy who acts without thinking and doesn't do well with responsibility. Turning him into a hero we'll root for means putting him through the wringer, making him see the error of his ways. At the same time, reforming a bad boy doesn't mean giving him a personality transplant. I think this is a pretty delicate line for an author to walk, and Ione succeeds brilliantly here. She develops Wraith's feelings toward Serena slowly and naturally, and because of the virgin/dying problem, he can only act on his feelings through selfless behavior. It's kind of the opposite of how most romance novels go, where the more the H/H love one another the more likely they are to have sex. In PASSION UNLEASHED, the more Wraith loves Serena the *less* likely he is to have sex with her. And the final solution to Wraith and Serena's seemingly insoluble problem is pretty simple, something that should have been obvious from the get-go but wasn't, and was particularly appropriate to Wraith's character and challenges.
My opinion hasn't changed from my review of the previous book Desire Unchained; to me, this series is a hybrid between dark paranormal romance and dark urban fantasy. I'm a dark urban fantasy reader and enjoy this series immensely. Urban fantasy readers need not be afraid. Don't miss the short story of when the brothers all meet for the first time during their rescue of Wraith at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book and also the entire series.
Wraith is truly my favorite of the brothers. His tragic life had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The book picks up about a year after Desire Unchained. Wraith has really stepped in it this time. Wraith has been poisoned with a toxin that has no known cure. His only hope is to get his hands on a powerful, ancient artifact that can save his life. Sadly the person currently in possession of it, Serena, needs it dearly to save her life. How do you convince someone to sacrifice themselves for you? Wraith really has a sudden attack of art imitates life; when the role he plays to seduce Serena metamorphose into reality. His bad boy exterior is cracking with each moment he deceives Serena by pretending to be human. Little does Wraith know that robbing Serena of her artifact could be the spark that ignites Armageddon. Meanwhile Wraith's life isn't the only one in jeopardy. The hospital is collapsing and the brothers have fallen ill. Demons are bum-rushing topside from Sheoul and chaos is rampant. Kenan and Gem got their much deserved attention in the spot light. I've always like them together but their relationship never seemed to get a chance to lift off the ground. I was always glad that Roag was dead but the prospect of a new brother, Lore, is appealing; especially one that can kill with his touch.
We've gotten to know Wraith (in earlier books) as a pretty selfish guy who acts without thinking and doesn't do well with responsibility. Turning him into a hero we'll root for means putting him through the wringer, making him see the error of his ways. At the same time, reforming a bad boy doesn't mean giving him a personality transplant. I think this is a pretty delicate line for an author to walk, and Ione succeeds brilliantly here. She develops Wraith's feelings toward Serena slowly and naturally, and because of the virgin/dying problem, he can only act on his feelings through selfless behavior. It's kind of the opposite of how most romance novels go, where the more the H/H love one another the more likely they are to have sex. In PASSION UNLEASHED, the more Wraith loves Serena the *less* likely he is to have sex with her. And the final solution to Wraith and Serena's seemingly insoluble problem is pretty simple, something that should have been obvious from the get-go but wasn't, and was particularly appropriate to Wraith's character and challenges.
My opinion hasn't changed from my review of the previous book Desire Unchained; to me, this series is a hybrid between dark paranormal romance and dark urban fantasy. I'm a dark urban fantasy reader and enjoy this series immensely. Urban fantasy readers need not be afraid. Don't miss the short story of when the brothers all meet for the first time during their rescue of Wraith at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book and also the entire series.
