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A review by vernavenisa
The Demon King and I by Candace Havens
1.0
Picked up this book on a whim, just needed a quick something that I could knock out in a few hours.
While Havens had a lot of good ideas with her first book in this series, her execution wasn't quite up to snuff. Random plot lines thrown together does not a book make, and in her case she didn't even have likable enough characters to keep me happy. Gillian's alright as female leads go (at the very least she doesn't complain too much) but I didn't get a good sense of what kind of a person she is. She battles/negotiates with an entire demonic universe... is a lawyer... an art collector/curator... and an international celebrity? As well as somehow finding time to become a master in twenty-whatever martial arts styles. I mean, come on now, this seems like a bit much, doesn't it?
Arath was also so moody there were times in the book that I didn't want him to come back whenever he ran off to deal with some conflict he psychically knew about.
In addition, so many details and subplots were thrown into the mix that I found myself skimming over huge blocks of text to finish it faster. Long-lost family members, red-carpet worthy fashion ramblings, random murders of supposed "close" friend and family members, it's all just too much for me to even begin to take in, let alone appreciate.
A good first try but I think simplicity is the key with this. Give it a shot if you like, but I'm going to forgo the rest of this series. I have other books I'd rather be reading
While Havens had a lot of good ideas with her first book in this series, her execution wasn't quite up to snuff. Random plot lines thrown together does not a book make, and in her case she didn't even have likable enough characters to keep me happy. Gillian's alright as female leads go (at the very least she doesn't complain too much) but I didn't get a good sense of what kind of a person she is. She battles/negotiates with an entire demonic universe... is a lawyer... an art collector/curator... and an international celebrity? As well as somehow finding time to become a master in twenty-whatever martial arts styles. I mean, come on now, this seems like a bit much, doesn't it?
Arath was also so moody there were times in the book that I didn't want him to come back whenever he ran off to deal with some conflict he psychically knew about.
In addition, so many details and subplots were thrown into the mix that I found myself skimming over huge blocks of text to finish it faster. Long-lost family members, red-carpet worthy fashion ramblings, random murders of supposed "close" friend and family members, it's all just too much for me to even begin to take in, let alone appreciate.
A good first try but I think simplicity is the key with this. Give it a shot if you like, but I'm going to forgo the rest of this series. I have other books I'd rather be reading