Review: Unique worldbuilding
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 2, 2014
DEMON KING'S DESIRE surprised me because it wasn't really what I expected of a typical paranormal romance. The author engages in some thorough and complex world-building. Her takes on the different races and how they interact is really interesting and I loved the amount of consideration that went into the development of her mythology. I found the start of the book to be a bumpy ride because a little too much back story is doled out too quickly. The same with the fairly large cast of characters, which I felt could have been introduced more incrementally given the fact this is a full length novel. The story does settle down after the initial bout of bucking and flows more smoothly from there.I feel it's necessary to make my standard disclaimer--I don't like Fated Mates. For me, FM slays romantic tension before it's even out of the gate. I want love to be the product of free will, not preordained and inescapable. That said, I did appreciate the author's playfulness in forcing Lucas to court Jenna (who he believes is mortal and may reject him). The chemistry between the hero and heroine is good and love scenes are hot.Lucas, the hero, didn't really fit with my preconception of what a demon should be but that's more than okay. I love being surprised. His romantic quandary is amusing and it helped balance out the overly possessive side of his personality. I enjoyed his buddy relationship with his friend and fellow demon, Cain, who is played for some refreshing comic relief. Cain definitely made me laugh. I really disliked the fact that Lucas falls for the heroine hook, line and sinker before he even meets her, removing all of the mystery.Of all the characters, I felt Jenna had the most interesting character arc. The heroine demonstrates admirable resilience and courage throughout. Her search for her missing sisters and her growth from a mortal into something more (special) drove the plot. The bad guys (Malum)  who don't want her to achieve her genesis provided a menacing element of danger. Action sequences are fast paced and quickly resolved. The plot always carries forward momentum toward something greater.DEMON'S KING'S DESIRE is the first part in the Elemental Sisters, good news for readers who enjoy series, since the second book, BURDENED BY DESIRE, is already available. Happy reading!