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Demon Marked (The Guardians #7)

by Meljean Brook (Goodreads Author)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 492 ratings · 61 reviews

In this stunning and sexy addition to the world of the Guardians, a man seeks revenge against the half-demon he once loved...

Nicholas St. Croix is familiar with the evil of demons. After his father's death, he was raised by the demon who had taken over his mother's body. Six years ago, his "mother" was responsible for the disappearance of the woman he loved, and Nicholas s...more

Mass Market Paperback, 292 pages

Published September 6th 2011 by Berkley

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Sep 07, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, demons, paranormal-romance-demons, paranormal-romance

Icily controlled and focused solely on gaining vengeance against the demon who 'raised' him, Nicholas St Croix, is human but - having learned to think like a demon in order to survive - he is just a step way from being a demon himself. So when Ash, who has no memories from 'Before', comes looking for clues to her past wearing a familiar face, Nicholas is quick to strike a bargain - She'll help him find his 'Mother' and he'll help her find out 'who' she is - while planning on using Ash as bait.

I...more Icily controlled and focused solely on gaining vengeance against the demon who 'raised' him, Nicholas St Croix, is human but - having learned to think like a demon in order to survive - he is just a step way from being a demon himself. So when Ash, who has no memories from 'Before', comes looking for clues to her past wearing a familiar face, Nicholas is quick to strike a bargain - She'll help him find his 'Mother' and he'll help her find out 'who' she is - while planning on using Ash as bait.

It always amazes me how different each of the Guardian books are from each other, and though Demon Marked doesn't have the fiery sensuality of Demon Forged or the brilliant scheme in the background like Demon Blood, the development in the relationship between Ash and Nicholas, and Khavi's use of them to bring about a significant event in the series arc, are both really interesting.

Don't worry, there still is some steamy payoff in the romance, but it comes late in the book - with a decent amount of tension building coming before. But what I found fascinating is that from the start as the pair interact with each other, both characters are on the look out for nuances and clues into each other - knowing better than to take an 'enemy' at face value - and often the act of hiding a reaction is quite telling. And I really liked how both Ash and Nick actually go from being emotionally blank to being passionate over the course of the story. And I also really enjoyed that finally learning how to be a demon, makes it possible for Ash to win in the no win scenarios she and Nicholas will face along the way. I guess if I had a nit with the story, it would be that I could have lived without Ash having horns in her demon form, but that wasn't a deal breaker for me.

With Demon Marked being book seven or so of the Guardians series, and with only a novella in Angels of Darkness to go before the final book (Michael's), this story is remarkably friendly to those new to the series, as well as acting as a good for a refresher for fans. Since Ash starts out knowing nothing about the "world", there's a recap woven into the story while she's relearning - though, I will admit that I went back and reread the 'series so far guides' on Brook's website before reading this one to pick up on any details I might have forgotten.

So bottom line is that I enjoyed Demon Marked, and this series is still one of my favorites even if it isn't mindless head candy and requires a bit more focus than some of it's competition in the paranormal romance genre. But now I am mixed between being sad to see the Guardians coming to a close, and looking forward to seeing how author Meljean Brook finishes up the series. After I was done reading Demon Marked, I couldn't guess who the short would be about, I hadn't really noticed anyone popping up and saying 'me next' but after web-hunting for the description, one of the character does appears briefly and the other is at least mentioned.

So now the wait begins, the short will be a nice taste to hold me over until the finale, but after developments in this book, I am really wondering what Taylor and Michael's book is going to be like.
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Dec 29, 2012 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-guardians, bad-childhood, contemporary, demons, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, fiction-vixen-reviews, first-reads-arcs-won-a-copy, halfbreed, hellhound, manipulation-plot, read-2011, romance, series

* Originally Read 8/21/11*

I cannot believe I did this to myself again. I opened this book and didn’t stop until I had inhaled it. And it was so good to revisit this world, but now I’m horribly aware of the looooong wait for the final book. And it’s Michael’s book, so that just makes it even harder. I don’t want to say goodbye, but I want it so bad. I know I’m not going to be able to hold out a whole year. I’m going to crack and have to reread them all to torture myself some more.

I was really su...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Nath rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, read-2011, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4.5/5 (B+)

I've really been looking forward to this book, as you've probably figured out by my hunt for it LOL. Well, it's just been a loooong time since the last book, Demon Blood, was released in July 2010. That's more than a year folks! In any case, I'm glad to tell you that Demon Marked delivers and the wait was not for naught :P

Nicholas was introduced to us in Demon Blood and I really liked him in that book. Yes, yes, he was a jerk... but in his defense, he was an interesting jerk :P And ser...more 4.5/5 (B+)

I've really been looking forward to this book, as you've probably figured out by my hunt for it LOL. Well, it's just been a loooong time since the last book, Demon Blood, was released in July 2010. That's more than a year folks! In any case, I'm glad to tell you that Demon Marked delivers and the wait was not for naught :P

Nicholas was introduced to us in Demon Blood and I really liked him in that book. Yes, yes, he was a jerk... but in his defense, he was an interesting jerk :P And seriously, he had reasons for being a jerk :) Once I got to know him better in Demon Marked, I liked him even more. There's still this coldness on the surface and he can still be a major, self-serving jerk and really who can blame him given his background story? But there's also a lot more than meet the eyes. First and foremost, the guy is a survivor. He's also determined and focused... and he definitively feels a lot even though he doesn't show it. Guilt and loyalty - and that was surprising :) He's also smart and I liked how his mind worked and his plans. I liked that he wasn't too stubborn either and once he came to care for Ash, he really did. It took him a while to overlook the demon part, but again, can't blame him. But he overcame it and on its own!! Without anyone having to bang his head :) I think it says a lot, especially given everyone's perception of Nicholas as a cold bastard.

I also loved Ash in this book. I thought she was a great heroine. I love how in the beginning, she was not feeling anything and little by little, it came back to her. Actually, it's funny, but I think Ash is how most Psy from Nalini Singh's Psy-Changelings series should be. LOL. Another great aspect of Ash was her forwardness and it gave for some really good dialogues and LOL moments. She's also highly intelligent which is a good thing in a demon :) Loved the parts where she was trying to figure out Nicholas and was able to understand him by what he gave away and what he did not. I also think Ms Brook did a great job at distinguishing Rachel and Ash. The fact that Ash wasn't into pleasing everyone, that most of the time, she didn't care what others thought... it gave her more confidence, more charisma I think.

With two very interesting characters, you get a very nice couple. I thought that Ash and Nicholas really fit each other well and most importantly, understood each other. Ash and Nicholas definitively had chemistry, the attraction pretty much sizzling :) Especially Ash attempts at seeing Nicholas naked LOL. However, what makes the romance works so good is Ash. The way she understood Nicholas, the fact that she was aware of his motives for keeping her by his sides... Even when she followed the Guardians, yes she was hurt by the truth, but she let it go, focused on what was important - Nicholas current feelings for her, not what was. LOL, I guess it's Ash not being so emotional that made this romance works so well and stands out :)

As usual, the storyline of Demon Marked is complex but it works. I kept wanting to know what would come next :P Ms Brook does a good job at balancing the plot, the romance and the characters development. I like the fact that we knew Ash was a halfling and so we knew more about Ash then the characters themselves and were able to pick up clues here and there :) I was also really looking forward to Ash and Lilith meeting and that scene definitively did not disappoint!! Oh and I loved the role that Lilith had in Demon Marked. Ms Brook does a great job at not giving her past characters too much page-time. They only appear if necessary which, kudos to Ms Brook. In any case, Lilith being an ex-halfling, her appearance in Demon Marked was definitively justified :) And she's still as kick-ass as ever LOL. Okay, enough fangirl-ish moment :) Back to the storyline, the one involving Ash and Nicholas was interesting and there were a few interesting twist at the end. I definitively did not expect that. But the overall story-arc is also progressing well. I even read all the tidbits with Taylor and Michael!

My only disappointment with Demon Marked was that the book was a bit short. Ms Brook has accustomed us to thick books and quite frankly, it was kind of shock when I picked up Demon Marked. Oh, I'm not saying the storyline suffered because of the length, because it did not. However, I can't help but wish Demon Marked has been a bit longer and perhaps some parts could have been expanded a little bit. As it is, I would say the ending of Demon Marked was a bit rushed; however, as I said, it didn't take anything away from the storyline. It was still very exciting to read and very surprising :)

Demon Marked was definitively a great addition to the series. I simply devoured the book once I got my hands on it :) Loved Ash and Nicholas, loved seeing Lilith and Hugh again :) I'm a bit sad to see this series ending... and I don't know how I feel about Michael's book - he's not my favorite character. However, I'm still looking forward to it, because I'm sure Ms Brook has a lot of surprises in store for us :)(less)

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Sep 09, 2011 Tori smexys_sidekick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-will-beat-u-down-4-this-book, arc, review-for-smexybooks

Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/09/rev...

Demon Marked (Guardians #7) by Meljean Brook
September 6, 2011
Paranormal Romance
Paperback
Berkley

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “The Guardians are proof that the universe likes to reward those who sacrifice themselves for others-but I’ve never been interested in that martyr bullshit. So… we have to get that reward some other way. Me? I lied, cheated, and killed my way into it. I paid for it in blood…and I would have paid more if I h...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Dangermousie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aaangst, characters-with-superpowers, crushing-on-secondaries, fantasy, horrible-childhood-of-h-h, hurt-comfort, paranormal, perfect, romance, vampires

I loved this and I was obsessed with the OTP! This, with Demon Angel and Demon Moon, are by far my favorite in the series. Actually, it might be my most favorite.

It involves a human demon-hunter whose childhood has been wrecked once a demon took over his mother and did her best to destroy everything in his life and an amnesiac half-demon who has been made into one as a result of being a human who made a bad bargain. He loathes demons but can't help but care for her.

How could I not go for it? S...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, paranormal

Seventh in the Guardian paranormal romance series revolving around a group of Guardian "angels" and the vampires and humans who aid them. The couple focus is on Nicholas St. Croix and Ash.

My Take
Khavi and Ash are both so literal! Khavi is...sort of...a crack up. She's so literal in her understanding and in how she responds to that. It's rather cute how very clinical Ash is, how very honest in her bemoaning her inability to come up with a clever plot against Nicholas, not knowing how to be a good...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-twolipsrevies-com

Ash is a half demon and now she is beginning to feel emotions. Her memory is a mess with large blanks in it. She has vermillion symbols tattooed on the left side of her face and glowing red eyes which often frighten people. Ash had been in a private mental hospital for three years. Nicholas St. Croix had once been her lover. She wants to get her life back together and when she finds out her real name is tied to this man, she knows she has to find him.

Nicholas St. Croix’s mother’s body was posses...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Brie C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Meljean Brook is one of my favorite authors, not in the romance genre, or the paranormal genre, one of my favorite authors period. Not only that, but I’m pretty sure that the Guardian series is my all-time favorite book series. I don’t usually preorder books because I mostly only read on my Kindle, but I made an exception with this one just in case they ran out of e-copies (impossible right?) that’s how much I wanted to make sure that I was getting t...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Meljean Brook is one of my favorite authors, not in the romance genre, or the paranormal genre, one of my favorite authors period. Not only that, but I’m pretty sure that the Guardian series is my all-time favorite book series. I don’t usually preorder books because I mostly only read on my Kindle, but I made an exception with this one just in case they ran out of e-copies (impossible right?) that’s how much I wanted to make sure that I was getting this book as soon as I could.

Demon Marked is book seven in the series -not counting several novellas that are in between- and if you go to Brook’s webpage you will find an extensive guide to the series so you can have an overall idea of where the story is at should you decide to start with this book instead of the first one. But, to be honest, the reason why this series is so good is because the story is complex and full of twists and turns, if you don’t start with the first book (actually the first novella) then it won’t be the same experience, not to mention that if you read that guide then all the surprises will be spoiled for you. So what I’m trying to say is please read these books in order, besides, this is the second to last book in the series and why would you want to start here? Go back and read the Hot Spell anthology and Demon Angel and read the whole thing.

If you still want to start with this book the best thing I can say is that it is actually a good book for new readers because both leads are new to the story as well, and they learn things as the book progresses. If you are a fan some of the explanations might be a bit tiresome and I felt like they didn’t flow as flawlessly as in previous books. Brook tends to show things instead of telling them but in this case I did feel that there was a lot of info dump. However, it was actually refreshing to have two characters that don’t have much clue about what’s going on and have an outside look into the whole Guardians world, and an interesting take on their actions. The line between good and evil gets a bit blurry when you see it from a different perspective and makes you wonder if the end really justifies the means.

I won’t even try to explain what the series is about. I will say this though, the world-building is complex and the books are tightly plotted, each book has its own resolution but the ongoing story-arch is always present. You could read all seven books back to back and feel like it was just one huge story because they balance and complement each other perfectly. It’s obvious to the reader that the author has a clear idea of where the story is going. It’s possible that she added more books than she originally intended but they never feel like fillers, on the contrary, every book has a reason to be. However, this one felt a bit more disjoined from the overall story, in part it was because the leads were new (the hero has a small role in the previous book but nothing else) whereas before at least one of them was deeply involved in the main story, but also because for more than half the book the reader gets not a single clue as to how they relate to the guardians’ world (or maybe there are clues but I read so fast that I didn’t see them).

I usually explain the book’s plot, but I won’t do it now because the review is getting long. I do want to talk about the characters, the heroine in particular. You have no idea how fun and refreshing this woman was. When the book starts she has no memory and doesn’t even know who or what she is, she isn’t even sure if her name is really Ash because she gets a feeling that the name isn’t quite right. Most importantly, she has no feelings. Some things bring back memories and reactions that she interpret as maybe fear or longing, but not much else. Her story arch is very interesting because she needs to learn how to be human. She was very funny and stubborn and probably one of my favorite heroines in the series, which is a lot to say because I have loved every single one of the female leads in these books.

Nicholas, the hero, was a very interesting character. This guy was ruthless to the point of evil. The Guardians have a hard time believing he is human because at first sight they all assume he is a Demon based on his behavior. He was deeply scarred and just wanted revenge even if that meant sacrificing his humanity. He also has an interesting journey because once he meets Ash, his world turns upside down, and just like her, he needs to figure out how to be human again. Ash and Nicholas balanced each other perfectly and made a fantastic couple.

This book was a bit slower than the previous ones, and because I’m so invested in the series’ main story-arch at times I felt a bit impatient with how slow things were moving, but then the book’s last quarter comes along and the pace picks up a lot. And as usual, just when I thought I had figured out how the book was going to end, Brook manages to surprise you once again with a shocking ending that leaves you a bit dizzy and a lot curious.

Demon Marked is not the best book in the series but I think is a good second to last book, a bit like the calm before the storm. It sets the next book without giving much away and leaves you curious and excited. It also has a great love story, a bit of mystery and some action. The resolution is more clever and intellectual than action packed but you will still be on the edge of you seat.
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Sep 03, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

Demon Marked by Meljean Brook
Paranormal Romance – Sept. 6th, 2011
4 stars

Demon Marked is part of the Meljean Brook's Guardian series. Unlike many of the complex stories in this series, I found this book could easily be read by itself. In this story, a cold-heart businessman and a reincarnated demon find unexpected love.

Nicholas St. Croix had a nightmarish childhood when his mother was possessed by an evil demon. Through his formative years he could never understand why he felt so unworthy. That...more
Demon Marked by Meljean Brook
Paranormal Romance – Sept. 6th, 2011
4 stars

Demon Marked is part of the Meljean Brook's Guardian series. Unlike many of the complex stories in this series, I found this book could easily be read by itself. In this story, a cold-heart businessman and a reincarnated demon find unexpected love.

Nicholas St. Croix had a nightmarish childhood when his mother was possessed by an evil demon. Through his formative years he could never understand why he felt so unworthy. That is until he realized that his 'mother' fed on his misery and was responsible for the death of his poor father. As an adult, his single drive was to hurt his mother and kill her. He ruthlessly worked to attain wealth in hopes to take over her business and seduce her protégée named Rachel.

But Rachel fell in love with Nicholas and saved him from death. Now she has been reincarnated as a demon by his mother. But this woman who was once called Rachel has no memory of her past and now calls herself Ash. As she seeks to find answers, she stumbles on the ruthless Nicholas who actually feels some guilt at her human death. He immediately realizes that Ash is a demon and doesn't trust her but finds himself emotionally connected to her. For both of them have suffered at his mother’s hands. As he reluctantly tries to help Ash and plot against his mother, he must make a decision between revenge of saving the woman he has slowly come to love.

Nicholas is a hard man. He only lives for vengeance. And although Ash features prominently in this novel, the book is really about him. As he falls for Ash, he starts to become more human and must make some difficult decisions. Nicholas must change his hard core opinions, specifically his hatred for demons, and change his life if he wants to move forward. Ash does not have a memory and sometimes seems a bit childlike but has moments of wisdom that made me wish the author had includes a prologue where I had the chance to get to know about the human Rachel. Ash is a victim to the terrible feud between Nicholas and his mother but does not waste time to pity herself. I really felt bad for her plight. In a way, it was a blessing she couldn't remember her past. Although this is not my favorite in the series I liked the flashes of humor in the story and sympathized with the courageous heroine.

Those who love dark paranormals and urban fantasies with romance will enjoy this latest installment in the Guardians series.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club(less)

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Nov 09, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This series is still one of my favorites, but this was not my favorite installment. The beginning was strong, with Ash basically standing in for the new reader: she doesn't know what she is, doesn't know what she can do, and doesn't know anything about the universe of powerful beings around her. Nicholas is a dick, but he's supposed to be, and he's very believable. He goes through the "lying or not lying, endless twisty plots" thinking that is the hallmark of this series.

Ash being a half-demon,...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: demon, fantasy-romance, enhanced-human

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting: Nightingale House; Caelum; headquarters in San Francisco

Theme:
Revenge, power of love, sacrifice, good vs evil
Characters:
Aschenputtel ‘Ash’ – a Halfling – could have been a Guardian, but broke a bargain with a demon which sent her to hell… and after 3 years of the ice torture, Lucifer carves his runes in her, binding her to Madelyn for obedience and to open a portal between hell and the world – and Lucifer carves out her memories of herself. When back on earth (with tattoos/runes carved...more Setting: Nightingale House; Caelum; headquarters in San Francisco

Theme:
Revenge, power of love, sacrifice, good vs evil
Characters:
Aschenputtel ‘Ash’ – a Halfling – could have been a Guardian, but broke a bargain with a demon which sent her to hell… and after 3 years of the ice torture, Lucifer carves his runes in her, binding her to Madelyn for obedience and to open a portal between hell and the world – and Lucifer carves out her memories of herself. When back on earth (with tattoos/runes carved over half of her face/body), Madelyn places her in an asylum – and for 2 years she doesn’t speak… then one day, in therapy, she has a tiny memory of heat, pain, an ugly man, and someone calling her name, Ash…. (something)… and it signals some recovery… she is talking, she is studying the people around her, she is processing… her doctor writes ‘no affect’, and she asks what it means – (having no visible emotional response)… and she starts to have some strange things happening (her clothes disappear and then reappear, her eyes glow red)… and she decides it is time to leave the asylum… she breaks into the doctor’s office and reads everything he has written about her… she has a memory of Madelyn St.Croix dropping her off at the asylum – so for a month she studies the people she comes across, and she does research on Madelyn, her son, and her assistant…
Rachel Anne Boyle – Madelyn’s assistant… made a promise to help Madelyn with her son (not knowing it was a demon bargain)… a genius with growing money… she gets involved with Nicholas, loving him… and when Madelyn shoots Nicholas, Rachel jumps in front of the bullet and dies… then they both disappear.
Madelyn St. Croix – a demon, who killed Nicholas’ mother when Nicholas was young, drove his father to suicide after ruining his good name, and taunted Nicholas, making his life hell.. it took him awhile to figure out his mother wasn’t his mother… she took over the family business, and at 16, when Nicholas arranged to stay with his grandfather, she let him go…
Nicholas St. Croix – as an adult, Nicholas has decided for revenge… (for things like killing his dog (demons can’t kill people, but they can animals and trying to make him feel guilty for not good enough care of the dog) taking over his demon mother’s company… and he wines & dines Rachel as part of his strategy. He has spent 3 years trying to relocate his ‘mother’ and what happened to Rachel… He kept their apartments monitored in case… he was aware someone broke into Rachel’s apartment 3 weeks earlier, and is at Madelyn’s place. He is cold hearted, he had regard for Rachel, though did not love her they way she loved him – revenge is his life – his business only to finance his revenge.
Michael & Taylor – angel/Guardian & human, who sacrificed herself and was selected to be a Guardian, but somehow gets too tied to Michael, taking in his soul/power while he is trapped in hell with Lucifer… at first she could visit him, but no longer as he is protecting her from the evil Lucifer is perpetrating. Taylor doesn’t particularly like Michael (but is there more underlying?)… but she does want to help him…
Summary –
So… Nick snags Ash when she goes into Madelyn’s bedroom… at first he’s startled when she looks like Rachel, but Ash does not argue with him – and then he tazers her (one way to stop a demon temporarily) – she shifts into demon form, and he shackles her. And hence begins their partnering… he makes a bargain to help her find out who she is, if she’ll help him find Madelyn – he mistrusts everything she says but at the very least believes she’ll be bait to draw Madelyn out.
The more time they spend together, the more he questions his assumptions – she seems innocent, she doesn’t seem to know demon things (that she can fly, how to fly, controlling her eye color or fangs, to be fearful of the Guardians, etc.) that doesn’t reconcile with demonology.
They go to see Rachel’s parents, but when they get there, they have already been murdered – and though Ash has no memory of them specifically, she is thrown into grief – Nick soothes – a demon shows up, they are not too effective in fighting the demon – Guardians show up and take down the demon, and they escape… He takes her to his remote, paranoid grandfather’s mountain cabin…
They get closer… He teaches her some self defense… she asks many questions about demon’s bargains, and how to get around them… she doesn’t sleep, and keeps the cabin heated all night, as it staves off her memories of the cold (memories that she doesn’t quite grasp)… some things are familiar (like driving) and when exposed to them she can do them… other things she knows are brand new… and she is growing – in knowing herself, in understanding people, in understanding Nick… and when he scares her to get to her demon instinct, she applies that logic to flying… when Nick is busy cutting wood she climbs up to the top of the highest tree, and jumps – and her wings to appear, but she does not have knowledge of how to use them, and she falls to the ground (scaring Nicholas)… and she is hurt by his lack of trust (still believing, or at least wanting to believe that she is telling lies). And then a few days later, they hear one of the wolves that they’ve heard over their time there crying in pain. She tells him she’s going to check it out… he lets her go… and a few minutes later realizes that he trusts that she would not harm the animal, that she was going to see if she could help – that he not only trusts her but also loves her… she returns with a dog with an injured leg… they go into the cabin… he takes her to the bedroom and starts to make love to her… but then the dog is making noise, they go out to the other room, weapons are gone, there’s a knock at the door, and the dog is in fact a hell hound and Taylor and another Guardian are there…

The Guardians have figured out she is a halfing, and new part demon, and therefore has the capacity for good or evil – they go with them to the San Francisco headquarters, and begin her training and trying to figure out how to free Michael & get Madeyln… They read her tattoos, and realize that she is probably under Madelyn’s control – and then also see that there is the formula on how to release someone from the ice – that can be adapted to free Michael, but which would require her to sacrifice herself… they decline… but Madelyn calls (pretending to be Nicholas), and she must go to her… she leaves enough clues without going against what Madelyn has instructed her to do – so that they know she is in trouble… Nicholas is there with a grenade from a Guardian – and the Guardians leave him to handle things… Madelyn orders Ash to kill Nicholas… and somehow they manage to get Nick close to Madelyn (through word trickery) and he detonates the grenade, giving his life to save Ash… and allowing the Guardians to ask him to join their ranks… (he says yes)… and through a bit of manipulation, but also through their desire to get Madelyn and do good, they agree to help get Michael free… and they succeed, though Michael’s form is that of dragon – he’s still not quite there… hmmmm
And Nicholas and Ash marry and….
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Sep 16, 2011 Juli rated it 5 of 5 stars

This series just gets better; this is my favorite book, which is saying a lot. Ash is a terrific heroine. I enjoyed watching her figure out her abilities and learn to deal with emotions, but I also really liked how resourceful and determined she was when she didn't have help or much awareness of who she was/what she could do.

The romance arc in this book worked very well for me. There was logic and believability behind the obstacles keeping the main characters from trusting each other, and they...more

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Oct 18, 2011 Lisa - (Aussie Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy

This is a 4.5 star read.

Demon Marked is the story of Nicholas St Croix, started in Demon Blood while still progressing with the overall story arc of the Guardians and their attempt to free Michael from the frozen field. I really enjoyed this instalment, the building romance between Nicholas and Ash was well done and really emotionally captivating.

Meljean Brook has really refined her writing style with this seventh instalment of The Guardians as I found the world building and mythology a bit "den...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Jensownzoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, paranormal-romance, bookstore-online

Finished this one in the wee hours. Overall, I liked it. I really liked Ash's character and development. Nicholas was a bit generic, but not terrible. The overall pacing was good, but the pacing of the romance was rushed. Things were proceeding at a normal pace, then it was like the author suddenly realized that she was going to run out of pages if she kept up at that rate and threw everything into high gear. It was jarring and unbelievable, thus robbing the ending of authenticity and heart. Par...more

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May 24, 2012 Melinda VanLone rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was first introduced to this author when my book club picked The Iron Duke to read. I loved it so much, I decided to check out this paranormal romance. I’m so happy I did! I had such a good time reading it, and it was fascinating to me to watch the protagonist learn about emotions and how to handle them. See, she’s a demon, but she has no idea how she came to be one. And Nicholas? He might as well be a demon, because he’s learned to bottle his emotions to hide them from the demon who pretended...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Cynthia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another amazing book in the Guardian series! Meljean Brook never ceases to please and delight her readers. The story-line makes it difficult to put the book down. Full of intrigue, suspense and excitement. There is nothing I like more than a book that can hold your interest and keep you guessing till the end.

The plot is extremely clever and nothing is ever obvious about how issues and situations will be resolved. You have a halfling demon with no memory, who should be evil but shows none of the...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Estara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Estara by: auto-buy author and series

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the penultimate Guardian book, according to the author, and as the Guardian story has a developing plot behind the novels (and page number is limited) this is NOT a book to start the series with. Events large and small are starting to majorly accelerate and cameos from earlier books are increasing as the Guardians try to get their forces into order to release the doyen out of his sacrifice in Lucifer's frozen wastes - and the descriptions there are as horrid as they ever where - fortunat...more This is the penultimate Guardian book, according to the author, and as the Guardian story has a developing plot behind the novels (and page number is limited) this is NOT a book to start the series with. Events large and small are starting to majorly accelerate and cameos from earlier books are increasing as the Guardians try to get their forces into order to release the doyen out of his sacrifice in Lucifer's frozen wastes - and the descriptions there are as horrid as they ever where - fortunately we don't stay that long. This is one thread of the story (view spoiler).

Nicholas St. Croix the hero of this book is not guardian, but human - which is a major plot point - out to hunt one particular demon. This has been his focus since he was a teenager at the latest.

Ash, the heroine, can't be purely human as the things she can do have scared the people taking care of her for three years. She's reached a point of awareness and curiosity that makes her leave the care facility and search for answers.

It turns out Nicholas and Ash ought to be natural enemies, but because Ash has memory loss and only slowly growing acquaintance with emotions she doesn't act in expected ways. Curiosity and questioning herself come naturally to her and anything that helps her along will be accepted.

As the two main protagonists eventually realise, they were both frozen at a certain stage in their emotional development before they met and now they are catalysts for each other and turn into catalysts for the overarching plot, too, due to both their powers.

Other reviews have pointed out that you have to read carefully and without interruption if possible to get all the second guessing and internal manoeuvring. I enjoyed the fact that it also leads to some nice humor not based on sarcasm and the development of Ash's and Nicholas' fascination for each other was very believable.

I do heartily dislike Khavi's role as deus-ex-machina, ever since she has shown up - but considering the series is only seven books, I don't think we could have gotten a resolution with Michael being held where he is now otherwise.

I very much enjoyed Ash's exploration of herself and her empowerment and coming to terms with it ((view spoiler)). I adored the fact that Nicholas totally became a one-man-cheerleader for Ash and delighted in all her strengths after his understandable initial distrust. He has a lot of angst in his past to overcome and I think - as he is a very focussed being - the fact that he can now focus on love instead of revenge is a lovely bit of balancing the scales (view spoiler).

I enjoyed seeing more Lily and Hugh and Sir Pup than usual. The final twist of Michael's fate was quite unforeshadowed in the past books and I look forward to finding out what I may have overlooked in previous books to make that possible. My main problem lay with Khavi, I think.(less)

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Jun 02, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love Meljean Brook’s books. I was introduced to her series via book 3 (Demon Night – which is a good starting point for anyone interested in the series. Books 1 is actually insanely confusing, even to someone inducted into the series. And book 2, while being a great story, is a bit of a head-scratcher as well.) Her new steampunk series (book 1 is “The Iron Duke” and book 2, “Heart of Steel”) is magnificent, and I’m hard-pressed to figure out which series I like better.

That being said, while De...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Wendy Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, kick-ass-heroine, must-read-series, requested-review

For the last three years, Ash spent her life locked away in a mental institution with no idea as to who she was before she woke up there. For her, there is no sense of loss or sorrow, merely an intense curiosity of who she is, and why she can do things no one else can do. She cares for nothing or no one. Using her preternatural abilities and the internet, she discover a tenuous link to millionaire businessman, Nicholas St. Croix and his stepmother Madelyn. Nicholas has devoted the majority of hi...more For the last three years, Ash spent her life locked away in a mental institution with no idea as to who she was before she woke up there. For her, there is no sense of loss or sorrow, merely an intense curiosity of who she is, and why she can do things no one else can do. She cares for nothing or no one. Using her preternatural abilities and the internet, she discover a tenuous link to millionaire businessman, Nicholas St. Croix and his stepmother Madelyn. Nicholas has devoted the majority of his adult life to destroying his stepmother Madelyn, or rather the demon who has possessed her body since Nicholas was a child. When he discovers his very dead girlfriend breaking into his stepmothers home, he knows right away that Ash is an earthbound demon. Her pathetic ruse of amnesia doesn’t wash with him, he’s seen and lived through too much hell to be taken in by one of her kind. If not for the fact that Ash can lead him to Madelyn, her head would already be rolling on the floor.

Meljean Brooks has an unbelievable talent for bringing humor to unbelievably dark situations. This book absolutely cracked me up. As a die hard fan of this series and a Lilith wannabe, I patiently wait for the next book to hit the shelves. This is one of those exceedingly rare series where the next book is always better than the last. Ash has to be hands down the best heroine of the series (aside from my role model Lilith of course). Her stoicism and lack of mental filters lead to great dialogue and side splitting scenarios. It is the rapid shift from uproarious laughter to heartbreaking sadness that causes the reader to gasp for breath and to feel their own heartbreak at the character's pain. It is an emotional upheaval I live for time and time again.

The details on the world building in this series is without peer. I have to remind myself occasionally that this is a work of fiction, especially when I do a marathon re-read of the entire series. The characters are as diverse as they are compelling and this is definitely not a series where the reader has any "yawn" moments. Meljean Brook hits every element that it takes to create a blockbuster series, and there is not one paragraph that wasn't crafted with master precision. From the snarky dialogue, the dark humor, the mind blowing romance or the dramatic situations, Demon Marked carries the flag for the Guardian series without missing a beat. I would be sorely remiss if I didn't strongly encourage you to read this book.(less)

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Sep 09, 2011 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, demons-magic-weres

Some people are so talented that it’s weird. One of these people is Meljean Brook the author of the amazing Guardian series! “Demon Marked” is the seventh book in this series and it’s a great book! This time we learn the story of another two characters.

Nicholas (we know him from a previous book) is a human who is very familiar with the demon world. His life was filled with memories of a demon because one of them took over his mother’s body. He wants revenge and his only purpose in life is to des...more Some people are so talented that it’s weird. One of these people is Meljean Brook the author of the amazing Guardian series! “Demon Marked” is the seventh book in this series and it’s a great book! This time we learn the story of another two characters.

Nicholas (we know him from a previous book) is a human who is very familiar with the demon world. His life was filled with memories of a demon because one of them took over his mother’s body. He wants revenge and his only purpose in life is to destroy this demon. He’s a very hard and cold man at the beginning of the book and it’s not easy to like him. His need for revenge makes him cruel and he doesn’t trust anyone. When he starts having feelings for Ash, he has to change all his beliefs about demons and it’s not something easy for him.

Ash is a half-demon with no memory. She doesn’t know why she was in Hell or what she supposed to do now. The only thing she knows is that she has to find Nicholas so she can learn about her past. Ash has the body of Rachel the woman Nicholas once loved. Rachel went to Hell because she ends a bargain with the demon-mother of Nicholas’ and in Hell she has been reincarnated as a half-demon with no memory. Now, she is Ash and she wants to start over.

I felt bad about her when I was reading the book. She’s not Rachel anymore but she doesn’t know who she is either. She has feelings for Nicholas from the beginning and she suffers when he doesn’t respond. She’s strong but at the same time she’s vanurable. Nicholas doesn’t believe that she has feelings and he’s hurting her all the time.

As always the world-building is excellent and that proves how much talented is the author. One thing I notice while reading the book is that there are not many sex scenes. It’s a book more about feelings than actions. Some of the other characters in the series make an appearance, but the most important one is Taylor because of her special relationship with Michael! As always, at the end, we have a great scene and now I’m looking forward for the next of the series!
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Aug 31, 2011 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guardian-series, paranormal-romance

My Rating: 4.5 stars: Loved it - enthusiastically recommend(A)

Full review posted at my blog: http://www.twimom227.com/2011/08/revi...

I was immediately drawn into this story from the get go. Thanks to Meljean’s amazing ability to create engrossing, detailed worlds and plots, I became wrapped up with finding out about Ash’s past. Who is/was she and how did she become this way? The story unfolds at the perfect pace, mixing the mystery-solving with action and romance.

Ash is a great character. She ha...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, review-planned, _adult, paranormal-angels-demons-gods, paranormal-vampires

4-4.5

If you read my review of the 6th book you know that in my imagination Meljean Brook and I are bffs.

So, the other day we were talking (via Skype). And she said, "Well, bestie, what do you think about that?" and lay out what she planned in Demon Marked. And I was all: "WTF? No! I can barely handle Taylor's 'Fucker!' speaches, now you're actually.. NO. No. And what's the shit about Ash and.. no. No one will like that book." And I heard the smile in her voice when she said, "We'll see."

Back t...more

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Sep 19, 2011 VampFanGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

4.5 Stars Review

My Review:

The Plot:

Awakening in a psychiatric hospital from a three year catatonic haze, Ash has no memory of the past or who she is except for fleeting nightmares of ice and terror. Escaping with what little information she could find in her patient files, Ash heads to London, to Nicholas St. Croix and the possibility of discovering who and what she is for she's decidedly not human but something...other. While this otherness would undoubtedly cause fear in any normal person, lit...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Lin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, supernatural

Woops, finished this in a day. I do know it's gonna be a year before the last book comes out :-( but I couldn't stop reading anyway.

Meljean Brook is one of those writers that I just love, the way she constructs a story and the way she delves into her characters psyche is just brilliant. I find it very hard to put her books down, they're never boring, the characters are always interesting and the plot epic but personal.

Firstly I have to talk about Taylor, because once again she takes over the who...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Princessjay rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, sci-fi-fantasy

In light of previous novels, 2.5 STARS

Much ado about nothing. Bare-bones plot, two-dimensional characters. The romance possessed little of the zing abundant in previous novels, unfortunate in this addition which was romance-heavy and light on magic. The main villain was primarily written as excuse for the main couple to spend time together--for fugitive, they were amazingly cavalier about hiding their trail--long solitary drives in the night where they dropped sweet dribbles of their inmost tho...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Kalynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Meljean Brook's Guardian series keeps getting better and better. This ranks up there with Demon Bound as my favorites in the series so far. I cannot wait for Michael's book, which I think is next.

Random grammar issue- Either the author or editor has developed a love affair with the colon. Seriously, there were so many colons in this book that it became distracting.

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Sep 19, 2011 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy

When it comes to Meljean Brook books, I always take my time and read them slowly. This books is another entry into her Guardians series. The main characters are Nicholas St. Croix and Ash (a demon). Nicholas St. Croix was also in the previous book "Demon Blood". The side characters are primarily in Lilith, Taylor and Khavi in this book.

I really enjoyed this book and Ash had such an interesting personality. I liked her wicked/blunt sense of humor. I hope she appears in another book soon with som...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Michelle Cummings rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I really enjoyed this next installment in the Guardians series, but I wish I had gone on Meljean's website and read the primer first, because it's been awhile since I read the series, and I couldn't remember much about Nicholas St. Croix, and his backstory. It wasn't hard to piece together from the way the story was written, but it would still have helped me keep everyone straight!

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Oct 14, 2011 Darcy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, pnr

This book started out slow, most of that was the confusion with Ash. I had a hard time figuring her out. I do think that was on purpose as Ash wasn't sure who she was or what was going on with her. Her blank memory did bring some much needed levity as she seemed to take things literally and phrased things very bluntly causing all sorts of awkwardness with Nicholas.

Nicholas was a little overbearing to start with. It was only once his feelings for Ash got confused that he was more human. Lilith,...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Becca rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like this series by Meljean Brook. She really develops the characters and you keep seeing favorites in each new storyline which I love. That said, this one while very good it took me a bit to get into because of the way in which Ash's character was introduced. That whole before/after thing was a bit daunting. It made me tend to wander a bit and not get as involved in the story in the beginning as I would normally. Once you get past the first part and start into Nicholas's part then it b...more

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About Meljean Brook

Book info: I am the author of the Iron Seas steampunk romance series. I've written a guide to the world (including a map) on my website.

I also write a paranormal romance series, the Guardians. That series guide is also on my website, including a "The Story So Far" feature, which allows you to catch up on all of the books that previously released in the series if you start after the first installm...more

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Quotes from Demon Marked

“You came." His gaze held hers. "And I knew that you are not useful to me, Ash. Not anymore. Except as a reason to get up in the morning --"

"You don't sleep anymore," she reminded him, smiling.

"Except as a reason to keep breathing --"

"You don't need air."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm still new at this Guardian thing. So just shut up, and let me tell you that I love you.” — 6 people liked it

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Demon Marked (The Guardians #7)

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