Carpe Demon

I loved this book!!! It's a beautifully depicted modern world with paranormal beings, but it's not just the standard werewolf and vampire stereotypes, everything has unique twists and additions that hook your curiosity! The plot of this book was incredibly well thought out, with excellent foreshadowing and plot twists, as well as the fascinating and much more complex storyline that connects the entire series!
The only drawback is this was the third book in the series, and while the story was freaking amazing, there were still many plot points that referred to the previous stories and I wouldn't recommend this as a stand-alone story.

 
 
Carpe Demon, A Carus Novel: Book 3, J. C. McKenzie 
 
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  fantasy paranormal. Romance

Well, onto book three and of course when I got to the end I feel like I need book four now – luckily for me the author had given me an ARC, and for all of you who are just as impatient it’s out soon, next month in fact, so not too long to wait. Once again the story plunges straight into the dramas. Its a series that full of action, with poor Andy right in the centre. She’s still with the SRD but as an Ambassador rather than an agent, though Booth is gone and the obnoxious Agent Tucker is out to get rid of Andy. He’d better join the list, as it seems to be an ever growing number  after her.

She’s still trying to find out more about her role as Carus and her family. Without much success, but who knows what’s round the corner. There’s still the Wick/Tristan triangle. They’re both great guys but for me Wick has the edge. Whether that’s because she met him first I don’t know – I just feel they fit together so well,  and he was so patient with her when she was really being difficult. He understood her reactions and allowed for them and that’s where he scores for me. Tristan is patient too, but he hasn’t had to go through so much with her, to let her work through issues in the same way. Still....we’ll see ;-) 
Its another story of murder and mayhem with an old enemy coming back. The demon Bola, the one who took control over the pack she was with years ago, until finally her Beast had enough and decimated them. She tries hard to keep her mind away from that time – it took her many years to get past it and thoughts still have the power to render her helpless. Who wouldn’t be, we know some of what she went through, but I suspect its just the tip of the iceberg. Wick can’t help her much tied as he is to Lucien, but where he can he does. Tristan doesn’t have those ties though but she doesn’t want to bring anyone she loves into danger so she’s off once more putting herself head first into trouble, with Lucien demanding she and Wick get rid of the demon yesterday, the SRD not being helpful, her witch neighbours...well, as usual they’re in the mix. I do like them, they make me smile with their odd ways, the karaoke nights and such.

There’s so much to puzzle out. How did Bola get here, what does he want ( other than a killing spree) and how can she get rid of him? He’s incredibly strong and she’d really like to kill him for good, not just banish him so he can get loose in the future. No-one seems to have any answers though, and Lucien is champing at the bit, threatening to gut Wick so as to hurt Andy, just to hurry her up. He doesn’t seem to realise she’s doing her best, he only cares how things look in the eyes of other vampires, and to stop any threats to him by them if they think he’s weak. Andy would love him to die, to finish the endless threats to Wick and his pack, but she’s tied to his life and she’d die too so she needs to do what she can to aid him.

Once more its a mix of multi-layered plots, of the love triangle and the need for her to make a choice, of her search for her roots and what lies in her future, and of course she feels a strong need as always to protect everyone, humans, Supes, Andy feels protective of all for different reasons. The end – that made me sooo sad, and yet I understood why. Just didn’t like it :-( but in stories like this changes come thick and fast so I’m still hoping.

 I love the chapter headings, make me smile and then I found a quote on one from another favourite series of mine, Darynda Jones Charley Davison novels. they have chapter headings that make me smile too and it was great to see a link between the two books. One of my all time favourites is the hospital sign On a scale from 1 to standing on a LEGO  brick how bad is your pain?  Anyone who’s been in contact with kids knows that pain!! My daughter told me LEGO are bringing out LEGO proof slippers....true or not I don’t know but as its usually in the early morning hours when we’re not wearing slippers that the worst attacks hit I don’t see them helping....
anyway, back to the book, its another great read and one for the keepers files.  
 
Stars: Five, cracking read, fast paced and full of emotion.
 
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Andy McNeilly is responsible for acting as the Liaison for the Vancouver Vampire horde which is a problem because she detests the Vampire Master and has to keep her beast locked inside in this thrilling Carus novel.

There’s a menacing Demon on a rampage and Andy’s been tasked to deal with the Demon by the Master Vampire and the reader can’t help but get caught up in the thrills as what Andy discovers chills her bones. The excitement grabs readers by the seat their pants from the very first chapter as the Demon interrupts a very important Vampire event and the story keeps the adrenaline pumping and spine tingling tension building throughout the story with well written scenes full of vivid details that capture the imagination and make it easy for the reader to become engrossed in lots of action scenes, unexpected twists and a heroine with a major decision to make while she tries to stop the rampaging demon and keep the Master Vampire off her back.

Andy tries her best to keep her loved ones safe but with demons on the loose and a Master Vampire that uses people for manipulation that not easy to do which adds to the emotional turbulence in Andy’s romance life. She’s still has a decision to make, one that will break her heart which grips readers by their heart as that turmoil flows from the pages along with the sizzling chemistry that burns between Andy and each of her two men in this fast paced and smooth flowing plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seat.

Andy’s turbulent life has once again held me spellbound from beginning to end and the more Andy’s learns about herself, the more intrigued I become so needless to say I am quite looking forward to finding out what happens next in Andy’s world.

DNF - while I enjoyed (mostly) what I read, there was just too many names, faces, and relationships thrown at me to come in on the 3rd book. I'd probably thoroughly enjoy it if I had read the first two books in the series. My loss.

3.5
I almost feel that if I'd read the previous books this one would've been better than it ended up being. Andy running around with all of her animal feras and love interests. After only a few pages in I knew Andy was the kick ass type of female I'd love. Being able to change into so many animals sounds so cool! I really need to get my hands on the first two books so I can fully get to know my new friends.
I received a copy for review for an honest review.

I really had trouble getting into the book initially and getting caught up in the emotions of the characters. The storyline was good, but it just didn’t stand out in my mind amongst other books in the genre. The blurb was great, but overall the book just fell flat for me.