Review: Top2BottomReviews
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 7, 2012
When I began Tooth & Nail, I had no idea I was reading the second book in a series. I didn't go in search of this information because I was confused by the storyline or felt lost; I actively searched for this information because I knew instantly that this was a world and these were characters I wanted to know more about, and I wanted to know if I was going to have to wait months for a sequel before I could become immersed in their realm again. I would typically never recommend reading a series out of order, but I do feel safe in saying that if you read Tooth & Nail before His Hearth, you won't ruin your enjoyment of either book, nor will you be confused by the structure of the weird and wonderful world these characters inhabit.Malic and Dylan are an absolutely irresistible couple. Malic is the consummate hero, one who doesn't see himself in that light, and therefore, he is a man who it is impossible not to celebrate for once he sees himself through someone else's eyes. Malic is a warder, a demon hunter protecting the earthly realms and its humans from the evil those demons represent. It is, however, the human monsters from which he rescues Dylan, a gentle and innocent nineteen year old, who effectively knocks Malic's existence off kilter. After doing so, it is entirely symbolic, then, that Dylan would become Malic's hearth--the central point, the warmth, the gathering place in a home. For all his youth and inexperience, Dylan becomes the foundation on which Malic, somewhat grudgingly, begins to build his future. It is Dylan's confidence and sheer force of will that ultimately topple Malic's defenses, insinuating himself within the walls Malic has built around himself and becoming both the protected and the protector.The plot of Tooth & Nail flows briskly along, the action is fast paced, the romance simmers and swelters, the characters are each intriguing, and the creatures, demons, monsters, and things that hide in the dark corners of the closet are appropriately creepy. There is one rather significant plot line involving a kyrie demon that is left dangling that I would assume has been left so in order to be revisited in a sequel. I'm hoping that's the case, at any rate, because I will gladly accept as much Malic and Dylan as Mary Calmes is willing to offer.Reviewed By: Lisa