Title: The Daemon Whisperer
Series: The Liminals, Book 1
Author: Candice Bundy
Published: October 2012, Lusios Publishing
Format: Ebook received for review
Meriwether Storm discovered the grisly remains of her parents when she was only fourteen—the result of a failed daemon summoning. Meri immediately swore vengeance on the daemon who'd killed her parents, but there was only one problem: she had no idea which one had committed the atrocity. Before their untimely deaths, her parents trained her intensively in the arts, which Meri used to follow in their footsteps, ever seeking the daemon's name. Now, despite her years of searching, she's no closer to the truth and her time is running out.
When a mysterious daemon named Azimuth offers Meri a deadly summoning in exchange for information about her parents’ murderer, she takes it immediately and without intimidation. What does worry her is her attraction to Azimuth: when he touches Meri, her pulse races and she breathlessly awaits the feel of his lips upon her skin. Meri knows she should keep him at arm's length, but her traitorous thoughts obsess over him night and day.
Blinded by her desperation for the truth and her desire for Azimuth, Meri places her trust in the creatures who are her sworn enemy, jeopardizing her need for vengeance. After Meri discovers there's more to the deal than the daemon cabal first promised, can she accept all they have to offer?
When retribution is the only thing that drives you, how much are you willing to sacrifice before you lose yourself to the cause?
There was a lot packed into this book, coming in at almost 400 pages – and I loved every page. I don’t think I have ever read a book like this, and as the first book in a series, I will be on the lookout for more.
Meriwether Storm, or Meri for short, takes badassery to a new and exciting level. Meri is a demon summoner in Colorado, which isn’t as uncommon as it sounds. She became an orphan as a teen when her parents were in a summoning gone bad. Now it’s just her and the demons. And every time you summon a demon to your bidding, you get a bit of ink on your skin that is particular to that demon. And Meri? Meri is covered in ink. I thought this was such a cool addition to the story, the way you get to see what everyone is up to but in this really cool way. She is the best around, she knows her shit. As for her as a character? I loved her. Every minute of every page, there was never an instance where I said, “Hey, that’s not cool” No way. Every moment was awesome. She has a good sense of morality. Meri doesn’t date much, her demon ink intimidates. And then one day a demon steps into her life who will change everything forever. And forever turns into a very long time when she meets Azimuth.
Az… platinum silver blonde hair, blue eyes, the ability to detect lies. There is a lot simmering below the surface of this gorgeous man. He is a fabulous character. I could totally see why Meri fell for him, even though she hates demons. The man is charismatic and sexy, and that is a lethal combination for anyone’s heart.
In this book, love motivates, even before you realize that’s the motivator. Whether it is familial love, or romantic love – or even just the love for your friends, it is what makes the world go ‘round. So when Az and some other demons call on Meri for a favor, and that favor promises to lead her to the knowledge she has been after for her entire adult life, she has to decide between turning away from the one thing she wants or joining up with the one thing she hates – demons. And her decision changes her destiny forever. But the cabal that Az and a couple other demons is a part of is about to become very integral to her survival.
This book had such a myriad of characters, it really made the story so interesting. Candice Bundy’s world-building is excellent. She made demon-infested Colorado a real experience for me. Magic and demonic abilities keep the story in a constantly fresh and exciting state. When there is a possible romantic connection between Az and Meri, I damn near jumped for joy. I love the two of them together.
There are some gory parts to this book, and I loved that. This author doesn’t gloss over the fact that these creatures are demons. DEMONS. They do bad things. This is shown, time and again. But nothing in this book is all white or all black, there are many shades of grey. The story in itself is pretty intricate. There are a ton of characters in this book, demons, witches, humans, liminals. Liminals are hybrids between demons and humans.
If you are into Urban Fantasy, and demon centered books in general, I can not recommend this book enough. I didn’t want to stop reading. It was nonstop entertainment and action. There were some romance aspects, but it really isn’t the focus of the story. And it was a nice change from the heavily romantic books I’ve been reading as of late. The Daemon Whisperer had me on the edge of my seat, and I am so glad I read this book!
Genre: Horror/Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Erotica. Contains graphic violence and explicit sexual situations. Recommended for readers 18+.
The Liminals series is set in a future dystopian Front-Range Colorado filled with daemons, god-touched, and other not quite human creatures. Liminal beings stand at the crossroads between our world and alternate dimensions and have the ability to set things back to rights, if they so choose.
You can read first chapter at
http://candicebundy.com/the-liminals-series/vengeance-is-tricky/
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Candice also has another book coming out August 15 - check it out!
When you awake without memories, without a past…can you recreate yourself through your dreams?
Barren and shamed, Rai has no memory when she's placed with an adoptive family, the Durmah Sept. Recurring nightmares pull her into another world--giving glimpses of a past she never recalls while awake. Rai fears for her new family's safety in light of her mysterious past and newfound, bizarre abilities. Driven by a curiosity Rai can't deny, she tempts fate--but at what price?
A distant human colony races to prove themselves before the powerful Hegemonic races declare their attempt a failure. Although they've been on Az'Unda for a little over 600 years and have used aggressive breeding practices, a horrible plague has reduced their life spans, left many women sterile, and saddled them with beasts known only as Terrors. Little do they know they are about to face their greatest threat from one of their own--causing attentions to focus on the unlikely Durmah Sept.
The Depths of Memory Trilogy is a sci-fi / dark fantasy series.
