REVIEW: Demon Night by Meljean Brook
By Jane • Jan 31st, 2008 • Category: B Reviews Category, B+ Reviews • •Dear Ms. Brook:
Thank you for sharing your book with me. As you know, I’ve always thought you were a tremendous writer and I appreciate that you bring to the genre an unusual pairing of individuals. In Demon Angel, it was the halfling demon, Lilith, and the honorable knight, Hugh. In Demon Moon, it was the unworldly gorgeous Colin and the tech genius, Savitri. Demon Night brings us still another unusual hero and heroine.
Charlie Newcombe was an opera singer whose voice rivaled the angels (real ones who know what angelic voices sound like). Her love for the bottle was greater than her love for music. A car accident that she caused while drunk stole her voice. She picked up the broken pieces and decided to make a new life for herself. She’s in the midst of studying for a degree that will enable her to get a job besides serving up drinks. Just when it seems like Charlie is on the verge of making something good of herself, she becomes a pawn in the fight between vampires, nosferatu, demons and guardians. Long lived beings view humans with some disdain and while demons and Guardians cannot affect a human’s free will, someone like Charlie is easy prey for the vampires and when one human could tip the scales in an overall battle, her value is nothing.
Ethan McCabe sacrificed his life to save his brother’s and lived over a century without knowing that his sacrifice was for nothing. The evil that haunted him years ago took his brother’s life and challenges his position as a Guardian. When Ethan meets Charlie, he thinks he knows who she is and because of his loss, says she cannot rely on him and worse, that he does not want her to rely on him because she is just too danged needy. Ethan’s own view of himself, his weaknesses magnified decade after decade, only served to provide a barrier between the one person that existed who could be his equal.
My major problem or complaint with this book is the time it took to bring the story to a close. After the penultimate event and big fight scene, Charlie lingered too long awaiting something from Ethan. It was the one point in the story that I felt was contrived and given that the book was already so long, I didn’t understand the drawing out of the relationship tension.
The beginning was a little confusing for me, but overall, the plot of the story was less complicated than the previous two books. It was more accessible either because I am learning your world or because the vampire/Guardian theme took place more on the corporeal realm than the spiritual realm. I really enjoyed the texture of the characters. Ethan and Charlie both had very flawed pasts and to some extent, I think that they both thought they had moved on when in reality their respective pasts were predetermining their future.
Even the secondary characters were multi dimensional. Jane, Charlie’s sister, appeared to be the stronger one. She was Charlie’s bailiwick but eventually the roles reversed and you saw that Charlie had more backbone than Jane would ever find in herself. The storyline between Jane and her lover, Sammael, added a very poignant touch and that with Charlie’s loss of her voice made the love story between Charlie and Ethan more touching. B+
Best regards,
Jane
This book can be purchased in mass market or ebook format beginning February 5, 2008.
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Disclosure: A quote from a review by Janet at Dear Author is on the front cover of the book.
Jane is a long time romance reader whose passion is, you guessed it, reading. Jane also does not like to talk about herself in the third person, but apparently this is the way that this biography thing works (although in a true biography, someone else would be writing this blurb). Anyway, currently Jane loves urban fantasy authors Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. She's really excited about this year's crop of historicals including Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady and Sherry Thomas' Private Arrangements and the upcoming Loretta Chase Her Scandalous Ways.
She's looking for a good contemporary author. Email her with a recommendation!
Email this author | All posts by Jane
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I’m supposed to be in lurk-mode for all reviews, but I’m already popping out of it to say, Yay! And that my goal in life has now become to cross the DA B+ mark *g*
Now I’ll go back into lurk mode.
Congrats, Meljean!!!
I’m impatiently waiting for this book and I’m so glad to see it earned a high grade here. Meljean — congratulations and one quick question — do we get to see Hugh and Lilith in this book at all?
Is it gauche to point out there’s a 4 chapter preview at The Good, the Bad and the Unread? Because your question is answered there, des.
The time it took to conclude the story didn’t bother me. My big complaint with the book is something completely different. But my overall grade would be the same and I agree about the strengths, particularly Charlie. Ethan, well, {shrug} he was all right. But Charlie is what really made the book for me. I loved that she was flawed and strong.
Not gauche at all, Estara, thanks. Trisha - I did like Ethan particularly because of his past and what he was now but Charlie was definitely a non traditional romance heroine and I just loved her.
I loved this book…devoured it like my favorite pizza. I fell in love with both Ethan and Charlie and I think it’s Meljean’s best so far!
Congrats on an awesome review, Meljean!
I heart Meljean and adore this book and Charlie. And well, Ethan… drool.
Great review!
Meljean has a wonderful talent for writing incredibly real, perfectly flawed characters and action packed, emotionally intense stories. Charlie is amazing–she and Ethan totally stole my heart.
Thrilled to read the review, helpful as always. CANNOT WAIT to acquire and devour this book!!!
Estara– thank you so much for the heads up on the excerpt. Oh, now I am so anxious for this book — I’m stopping by B & N after work 2/5 to get it.
You’re very welcome ^^. I’ve got it on preorder from Amazon.de, whenever they get to send their US books to Germany.
I really loved this book. My favorite thing about Brook’s books are the fabulous, flawed, fascinating heroes and heroines. I also like how the couples/characters are all so distinct from one another. No old standbys or cardboard characters here.
I’m glad you mentioned Jane and Sammael. I was feeling weird for liking him and the storyline so much.
Demon Night by Meljean Brook…
Berkley Sensation, Feb. 2008, 448 pages, ISBN:0425219771
Beautiful Charlie Newcomb is being hunted by vampires, for she is the link to a medical miracle that could be invaluable to the night stalkers. Her only protection is her guardian, Ethan. But wil…