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Demon's Vow (2014)

by Jocelynn Drake(Favorite Author)

3.99 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

006235941X (ISBN13: 9780062359414)

languge

English

genre

Paranormal Fantasy

publisher

Harper Voyager Impulse

review 1: Favorite Quote: “I’d make this world safe for my love. Or I’d make it burn.”Fans of Drake’s Asylum Tales will rejoice in the fact Drake revisits Low Town and our favorite warlock slash tattoo artist-Gage Powell. Book two, Dead Man’s Deal, left readers with a few questions as to our hero’s future. Lucky for us, this three-part collection of novellas tells us what happened after book two and what’s in store for Gage now.I have decided to review all three parts at one time in order to facilitate a clearer understanding of the storyline and it’s ultimate goal.Reluctant heroes are my kryptonite and Drake more than delivers with Gage Powell. The sole proprietor of the Asylum Tattoo Parlor and magical tattoo artist, Gage is forced to live under very strict condi... moretions. A former apprentice warlock who didn’t agree with the cruelty of the warlock/witch community, he escaped that world only to find himself under a death sentence. His life is contingent upon his promise to never use his magic in any shape or form except for self defense. As Gage struggles to remain under their radar, his altruistic nature often places him on the path of no return. He has a strong moral compass. He will fight to his last breath to keep his friends and the world safe from injustice though his attempts to help often land him in more trouble than he can handle.At the end of Dead Man’s Deal Gage is blackmailed back into the very situation he spent years hiding from-as a guardian for the Tower-in order to save Low Town, his friends, and his brother’s life. Demon’s Fury (part one) picks up where Dead Man’s Deal left off. Gage and his former nemesis, Gideon, now work together and are charged with investigating a brutal murder steeped in magic. Gage is also contacted by a TAPPS agent to help investigate a separate series of murders that are sweeping the city.Gage is at his lowest point. He struggles to reconcile himself to being a pawn for the Tower again and decides to use his position to forewarn and forearm the residents of Low Town. He has resigned himself to being their shield should the Tower ever choose to come for them. He is also unsure of how his girlfriend, Trixie, will react when she discovers he is back with the Tower. Warlocks are forbidden to be in relationships and being with him is now even more dangerous than ever.Dark and gritty, Drake continues to build and expand her world of supernaturals who all live together; though not necessarily in harmony. Fast pacing keeps the story(s) moving at a brisk pace. Impacting action and mystery will keep you guessing as Drake introduces us to a new plot that is extremely darker than what we have seen before. Violent and unforgiving, our hero is poised to travel a path of pain, sorrow, and possible death. Dry humor continues to offset the foreshadowed bleakness. Old and new characters are brought into play, continuing to reiterate that Gage will always do what he feels is the right, regardless of the sometimes horrific consequences.Demon’s Vow (part two) eases the reader back into the story with nary a blip. Drake continues to ramp up the action and suspense as the bodies continue to pile up. The supernatural community is on edge and conducting their own investigations though no one is forthcoming with Gage. Gage is horrified to discover that the two murder investigations may be linked. He and Gideon race to stop the killer(s) before anyone else gets hurt-including his Trixie.The tension is incredible in this installment. Drake gives clues sparingly, choosing to focus on Gage and the consequences of his previous actions. His going back to work for the Towers was unavoidable but Trixie doesn’t see it that way and her actions leave me wishing that for once she would be there for Gage as he always is for her. A new character, TAPPS agent Serah Moynahan, has become a major player in a short span of time. More light is shed on Gideon and the reasons for his actions in the past concerning Gage. He is both jailor and mentor to Gage which is a difficult position for both of them. Gideon knows what Gage is capable of should he choose to continue his studies and this scares him; which it should. By the end of Demon’s Vow, readers are even less sure if Gage is capable of getting what he so richly deserves-his own happily ever after.In Inner Demon (part three) Gage pushes himself to the very edge and makes some choices that will change him though everyone is unsure exactly how fortuitous these changes will be. While searching for a way to stop the killer(s) who are cutting a bloody path through Low Town, Gage finds himself influenced by a demon whose own goals could give Gage what he’s always wanted-the destruction of the Towers. Hell is about to rain on earth and Gage is right in the middle of it.This installment left me at odds. On one hand, Drake wraps up the mystery in an action packed nail biting finale that explains everything perfectly. I found the killer(s) motivations plausible. On the other hand, while the ending resolves the main conflict, we are left with no answers towards Gage. In fact, Drake opens up a whole new storyline, gives some tantalizing clues, then walks away. Character wise, Drake continued to develop and humanize them all to an extent, often with some bittersweet results.Trixie and Gideon left me disappointed. For all the sacrifices Gage has made for them, I was dismayed to find they were not as willing for him. Especially Trixie. He was willing to give his life for hers and that if nothing else that should have proven his love and loyalty to her. Bronx is Bronx and his loyalty to Gage was as always commendable. Serah proved the biggest surprise and there is a small part of me that hopes to see her again and that she and Gage can find some common ground both professionally and romantically. I do hope Drake continues this series or at least writes an epilogue as too much is left up unanswered.Regardless of my misgivings, The Asylum Tales series as a whole is an engaging noir urban fantasy that brings to life a reluctant and imperfect hero whose need to do the right thing often leads to heartbreaking results.RATING: B-
review 2: I read these three parts of the same book back-to-back, so I have no sense of where each one ends and the next begins. Gage got himself sucked back into working for the towers at the end of book 2, and this story starts off with Gideon dragging Gage along to investigate a ritual murder site. Meanwhile, Gage has also been brought into an investigation of a murdered tattooist by the mundane authorities. Both killers are gruesome, and unfortunately, the ritual magic murderer seems to be headed in the direction of the tattooed wack job. It will not go well for anyone when they team up. The wack job happens to be in Gage's neighborhood and has been murdering pregnant women, and Trixie has just told Gage that she's pregnant with his child and has decided to go back to her people with her brother for the safety of the child. Gage is trying desperately to figure out how he can make the world safe for Trixie and their child, but he keeps coming back to the threat from the towers, and he vows to dismantle it by any means necessary. That little vow gets him in deep with a demon. By the end we've learned a lot about unicorns, dragons, demons, and death magic, and Gage has hit what looks like a very pissed off rock bottom. He takes a very drastic action at the end. less

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