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Demon Hunter #1-3
The Demon Hunter Saga
The acclaimed fantasy series comes together in one epic saga. Do you know what horrors lie beyond these pages? Costa Calabrese has just uncovered the truth about his past. Some truths should never be revealed. When you learn you’re the son of the worlds foremost and feared hunter of demons, life’s rules inevitably change. Now Costa has been chosen to walk in his famed father's footsteps and take up the role his bloodline demands of him...whether he wants to or not. He is a killer of killers, laying waste to the scourge of evil that threatens the existence of mankind. He is the chosen one. He is the DEMON HUNTER.
- GenresFantasyDemonsParanormal
518 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2005
1 person is currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Vespia
40 books113 followers"Original Cyn" Cynthia Vespia is a multi-award nominated author. She writes fantasy novels with bite including urban fantasy vigilantes and heroic adventure fantasy. Her books have featured a secret group of superhero renegades; the dark underbelly of Las Vegas; and a duo of demon hunters fighting supernatural beings. Cyn's latest is an exciting new fantasy adventure series about a slayer of dragons who has a change of heart.
Rayna the Dragonslayer was a Top 5 Finalist in The Next Generation Indie Book Awards and ranked #1 in Amazon’s fantasy adventure fiction category. She’s previously received a "Best Series" nomination for her fantasy trilogy Demon Hunter. Her novel Karma ranked #1 on Amazon twice in several distinct categories including superhero urban fantasy, science fiction adventure, paranormal & urban fantasy. She has been published in anthologies such as Skelos Press and Dark Eclipse.
Cyn's characters are outcasts and anti-heroes with depth and real vulnerabilities. The worlds Cyn creates are a gritty mix of fantasy, magic, and the supernatural while exploring the theme of “success through struggle. Every plot is designed to give heroes a challenge and villains a purpose. It's escapism entertainment at its best keeping pages turning and hearts pounding.
Cyn has also written content for Microsoft, UFC, WWE, HBO, Netflix, and more. As a former fitness competitor she still enjoys keep active through training but can also be found getting lost in a good story. Cynthia is available for conventions, interviews and workshops.
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Rayna the Dragonslayer was a Top 5 Finalist in The Next Generation Indie Book Awards and ranked #1 in Amazon’s fantasy adventure fiction category. She’s previously received a "Best Series" nomination for her fantasy trilogy Demon Hunter. Her novel Karma ranked #1 on Amazon twice in several distinct categories including superhero urban fantasy, science fiction adventure, paranormal & urban fantasy. She has been published in anthologies such as Skelos Press and Dark Eclipse.
Cyn's characters are outcasts and anti-heroes with depth and real vulnerabilities. The worlds Cyn creates are a gritty mix of fantasy, magic, and the supernatural while exploring the theme of “success through struggle. Every plot is designed to give heroes a challenge and villains a purpose. It's escapism entertainment at its best keeping pages turning and hearts pounding.
Cyn has also written content for Microsoft, UFC, WWE, HBO, Netflix, and more. As a former fitness competitor she still enjoys keep active through training but can also be found getting lost in a good story. Cynthia is available for conventions, interviews and workshops.
Sign up for the newsletter and receive a FREE e-book:
cynthiavespia.com/free-story
Follow on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cynth...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 8, 2020
My rating 3.5
The book series "The Demon Hunter Saga (Demon Hunter # 1-3)" by Cynthia Vespia is, in my opinion, a fantasy series that still needs a lot of work. Simply for the reason that I couldn’t fit into the world where the action takes place and the action somehow takes pace too fast. I think this series is missing at least two hundred more pages to make the book seem more fluid. This book has potential but should take advantage of an interesting idea and describe the world and characters a little better. I think the writer can do that because I read the sequel to this series and below everything is much better arranged and the main character is super characterized and the world in which the action takes place is much better described. This is my personal opinion, so take that as a reservation because some readers might like this book regardless of my views. I would recommend it to fantasy and demon lovers.
PS I bought the book five years ago on Amazon, so there is a possibility that the writer may have been doing something on the book, so take my review as a reserve because I rated the book I have on my Kindle.
The book series "The Demon Hunter Saga (Demon Hunter # 1-3)" by Cynthia Vespia is, in my opinion, a fantasy series that still needs a lot of work. Simply for the reason that I couldn’t fit into the world where the action takes place and the action somehow takes pace too fast. I think this series is missing at least two hundred more pages to make the book seem more fluid. This book has potential but should take advantage of an interesting idea and describe the world and characters a little better. I think the writer can do that because I read the sequel to this series and below everything is much better arranged and the main character is super characterized and the world in which the action takes place is much better described. This is my personal opinion, so take that as a reservation because some readers might like this book regardless of my views. I would recommend it to fantasy and demon lovers.
PS I bought the book five years ago on Amazon, so there is a possibility that the writer may have been doing something on the book, so take my review as a reserve because I rated the book I have on my Kindle.
June 20, 2012
Demon Hunter: Saga is a dark fantasy collection of the entire Demon Hunter Trilogy.
From the very beginning this story oozes with dark, creepy, gothic atmosphere. The feeling was a combination of old Universal Pictures monster movies and Robert E. Howard's pulp stories. The Demon Hunter, Cain Coleridge, reminded me of the classic hunter, Solomon Kane.
The main character, Costa Calabrese, has an interesting background, orphaned at a young age and sold into slavery. As the plot progresses, he is 'rented' out by his master to the Demon Hunter,Coleridge.
Book One was back story plus a coming-of-age/finding your destiny narrative. The story also points to Costa as the Chosen One to be the next Demon Hunter. I have gotten tired of the "Chosen" slayer/hunter/mate/savior stories because they are everywhere. This one, however, does not over-do the "chosen one" device.
As things move on through the rest of Book 1 and through Books 2 and 3, the author treats readers to mystery, action, horror, humor and even a little bit of romance. There is even room for lessons on what is really important in life. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of things packed into this trilogy.
With all of these positives, there just had to be a downside. Battles, confrontations, and quests were not well fleshed out. Everything came too easy and battles were over way too quickly. Just a little more detail, suspense, tension, struggle and the saga would have probably received that elusive 5th star!
From the very beginning this story oozes with dark, creepy, gothic atmosphere. The feeling was a combination of old Universal Pictures monster movies and Robert E. Howard's pulp stories. The Demon Hunter, Cain Coleridge, reminded me of the classic hunter, Solomon Kane.
The main character, Costa Calabrese, has an interesting background, orphaned at a young age and sold into slavery. As the plot progresses, he is 'rented' out by his master to the Demon Hunter,Coleridge.
Book One was back story plus a coming-of-age/finding your destiny narrative. The story also points to Costa as the Chosen One to be the next Demon Hunter. I have gotten tired of the "Chosen" slayer/hunter/mate/savior stories because they are everywhere. This one, however, does not over-do the "chosen one" device.
As things move on through the rest of Book 1 and through Books 2 and 3, the author treats readers to mystery, action, horror, humor and even a little bit of romance. There is even room for lessons on what is really important in life. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of things packed into this trilogy.
With all of these positives, there just had to be a downside. Battles, confrontations, and quests were not well fleshed out. Everything came too easy and battles were over way too quickly. Just a little more detail, suspense, tension, struggle and the saga would have probably received that elusive 5th star!
June 11, 2012
Today’s review is on Demon Hunter “Saga” by Cynthia Vespia
Demon Hunter “SAGA” is the culmination of three books following the life and adventures of Costa Calabrese Coleridge. Thrust into a life of poverty and servitude after the death of his mother, young Costa longs for a life of freedom and adventure with his best friend Tuck Goodall. Never did he think that his dreams would actually come true, but as the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.”
During one of Costa and Tuck’s outings into the woods surrounding their village, they happen upon a stranger’s body, along with another man shrouded in black. When the man in black kills the other, both Costa and Tuck flee, thinking the man in black to be a threat to their lives as well. They didn’t know that he was The Demon Hunter, and Costa’s father.
Being the son of The Demon Hunter, Costa’s fate was to follow in his father’s shoes. He too would become a Demon Hunter as well. But while Cain Coleridge remained alone, Costa would have friends beside him.
The first book, DEMON HUNTER: THE CHOSEN ONE, is a bit slow in the beginning but does pick up a bit after the first four chapters, then it keeps you turning page after page to see what happens next.
The second book; which is my favorite, SEEK & DESTROY, flows much better than the first, and kept me glued to my seat until I finished it. It was the third book, HEROES CALL, that left me feeling a bit ripped off. The adventure was a bit weak and the ending was a complete let down.
All in all, Demon Hunter “Saga” is a decent book. After all, who doesn’t like a book chock full of Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Shape Shifters, Dragon’s, and an amazing love story.
3.5 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon
Demon Hunter “SAGA” is the culmination of three books following the life and adventures of Costa Calabrese Coleridge. Thrust into a life of poverty and servitude after the death of his mother, young Costa longs for a life of freedom and adventure with his best friend Tuck Goodall. Never did he think that his dreams would actually come true, but as the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.”
During one of Costa and Tuck’s outings into the woods surrounding their village, they happen upon a stranger’s body, along with another man shrouded in black. When the man in black kills the other, both Costa and Tuck flee, thinking the man in black to be a threat to their lives as well. They didn’t know that he was The Demon Hunter, and Costa’s father.
Being the son of The Demon Hunter, Costa’s fate was to follow in his father’s shoes. He too would become a Demon Hunter as well. But while Cain Coleridge remained alone, Costa would have friends beside him.
The first book, DEMON HUNTER: THE CHOSEN ONE, is a bit slow in the beginning but does pick up a bit after the first four chapters, then it keeps you turning page after page to see what happens next.
The second book; which is my favorite, SEEK & DESTROY, flows much better than the first, and kept me glued to my seat until I finished it. It was the third book, HEROES CALL, that left me feeling a bit ripped off. The adventure was a bit weak and the ending was a complete let down.
All in all, Demon Hunter “Saga” is a decent book. After all, who doesn’t like a book chock full of Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Shape Shifters, Dragon’s, and an amazing love story.
3.5 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon
September 19, 2012
Costa Calabrese is an orphan, a slave to the local tavern master in Gryphant. Costa passes his days miserably cleaning the tavern and on his free time he explores the forest, looking for anything abnormal that would bring excitement to his dull miserable life. You see, Costa isn't a boy destined to live on a farm, this is a young man filled with adventure and excitement, a life as a slave would not allow him that freedom. Although one day, when young Calabrese ventures off into the forest, he bumps into a dark cloaked man. That my friends, is when Costa ends his life as a slave and begins one as a Demon Hunter!
The Demon Hunter is hands down, one of my favorite reads! This is mainly due to the built up relationships. Costa only had one friend as a slave and that made him an outcast. This brought out some lack of self confidence as well as some self conscious acts. I loved the way that Costa did make friends throughout the novel because of his stubbornness! It was also great to see the relationships between his masters and owners. Costa was a great character and the others just polished him up!
Another great attribute about this novel is that the plot is just so simple and pure... To Read the Rest of the Review Come by to Bookmark Reviews. http://bookmark-reviews.blogspot.ca/2...
The Demon Hunter is hands down, one of my favorite reads! This is mainly due to the built up relationships. Costa only had one friend as a slave and that made him an outcast. This brought out some lack of self confidence as well as some self conscious acts. I loved the way that Costa did make friends throughout the novel because of his stubbornness! It was also great to see the relationships between his masters and owners. Costa was a great character and the others just polished him up!
Another great attribute about this novel is that the plot is just so simple and pure... To Read the Rest of the Review Come by to Bookmark Reviews. http://bookmark-reviews.blogspot.ca/2...
July 14, 2013
I got this book from the author in return for a review on Goodreads.
Like most of us, I used to play Dungeons & Dragons a whiles back.
That's what I got from reading these stories... that the author was writting down the "stories" of her (three) favorite D&D characters. Problem is, the characters seem to be going up in level in way too quick a fashion.
I couldn't connect with the main character all that much as I found his mood swings and loyalties to be so shifting that I would often find myself groaning out loud. Too much teenage angst for my taste. And none of the villains seemed all that much of a menace, never have I seen or read of vampires so easily vanquished. (hey, at least they didn't glow, right?)
Also, these stories need a good editing as typos and inconsistancies in the texts are flagrant... is is Le Carde or LeCarde? there is a difference you know.
Yes I was a little reticent to start reading this as at 500 pages + it did seem to be a little intimidating at first. Add to that that it is printed on nice quality, but thick, paper and this gives the book a somewhat "big book" look. But have no fear, the type used is BIG (almost didn't even require my glasses to read) and the space alotted to the text on the page is small. I guess that would make this the biggest short-stories I've ever read.
Anyway, thank you Cynthia Vespia for the book, any book read is a goodread, sorry it didn't tickle my particular fancy all that much.
Like most of us, I used to play Dungeons & Dragons a whiles back.
That's what I got from reading these stories... that the author was writting down the "stories" of her (three) favorite D&D characters. Problem is, the characters seem to be going up in level in way too quick a fashion.
I couldn't connect with the main character all that much as I found his mood swings and loyalties to be so shifting that I would often find myself groaning out loud. Too much teenage angst for my taste. And none of the villains seemed all that much of a menace, never have I seen or read of vampires so easily vanquished. (hey, at least they didn't glow, right?)
Also, these stories need a good editing as typos and inconsistancies in the texts are flagrant... is is Le Carde or LeCarde? there is a difference you know.
Yes I was a little reticent to start reading this as at 500 pages + it did seem to be a little intimidating at first. Add to that that it is printed on nice quality, but thick, paper and this gives the book a somewhat "big book" look. But have no fear, the type used is BIG (almost didn't even require my glasses to read) and the space alotted to the text on the page is small. I guess that would make this the biggest short-stories I've ever read.
Anyway, thank you Cynthia Vespia for the book, any book read is a goodread, sorry it didn't tickle my particular fancy all that much.
September 28, 2012
I have not as yet received these books as they are coming in mail after a (give-away) on Goodread's,
this however will be my next read as I feel privileged to have been given a chance to read an authors next book, and winning a draw just makes me feel good . looking forward to the books and refusing to read any other reviews at the chance of a bias opinion before my own exploration into this new world, Perfect timing while I wait for a few new releases. Thanks Cynthia' looking forward to this opportunity!
this however will be my next read as I feel privileged to have been given a chance to read an authors next book, and winning a draw just makes me feel good . looking forward to the books and refusing to read any other reviews at the chance of a bias opinion before my own exploration into this new world, Perfect timing while I wait for a few new releases. Thanks Cynthia' looking forward to this opportunity!
March 10, 2012
See my review here: http://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/2...
November 17, 2022
Almost !!
This book was alright in the beginning but unfortunately the author had to many hiccups into the story.The main characters were stale but the story was predictable I just couldn't stomach all the silly situations the author put the characters through I didn't enjoy reading this book at all together with the world the author put around the main characters was slim to none . Hopefully you might like it but I could not recommend this book in good faith god bless !
This book was alright in the beginning but unfortunately the author had to many hiccups into the story.The main characters were stale but the story was predictable I just couldn't stomach all the silly situations the author put the characters through I didn't enjoy reading this book at all together with the world the author put around the main characters was slim to none . Hopefully you might like it but I could not recommend this book in good faith god bless !
October 18, 2017
i love it
April 18, 2014
Usually the best thing an Author can do, in my mind, is publish a trilogy they have written all together in one edition. Not only does this save space on my groaning bookcases, but it also means that, should I really get into the trilogy I’m not running all over trying to track down the remaining books; unfortunately this was not the case here.
To start with the entire book is only 393 pages long, to me that is not a trilogy in the true sense of the word, it is just three short stories containing the same characters published together. Those characters to me were very one dimensional and it seemed as if the Author were trying to breathe life into something they played when they were younger. The main protagonist was just unbearable and I couldn’t connect with him at, and because of the constant mood swings and changing of his loyalties, I actually began to wonder if maybe there was a long running typo of the leading ‘s’ not being printed in the book whenever he was mentioned. It was as if the Author intended him to be male, but then lost their way and gave him too many of the irritating traits we women have; add to that the teenage angst and he was the most unlikeable main character I have read in a while. Even the villains were really not villains; they were easily dispatched back to wherever they came from showing no real threat to anyone in particular.
The storylines in all of the books were predictable and, any reader who enjoys fantasy as their usual fare will be able to figure out what is going on way before the Author lets us in on the plot, I felt an element of surprise and a bit more care taken when drafting this storyline would have elevated it to a different level.
The main reason though that this trilogy received a 2 thumbs review rating is brought to you courtesy of bad editing. There were so many typos and inconsistencies throughout all three books, that in places they actually changed the meaning of the passage being read, or made that particular part of the plot laughable. A good proof-reader and editor could have pointed this out to the Author, which in turn would have resulted in a book that was more plausible.
I so wanted to really like this trilogy but, unfortunately, in the end it just wasn’t for me. If you’re at a lose end and want to take a look at this I’m not going to recommend otherwise, but be warned it may not be as good as you think. I may try reading something else by this Author to see if the errors in this one were just that their skills had not been honed yet, so I’m not entirely giving up on them.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/04/15...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
To start with the entire book is only 393 pages long, to me that is not a trilogy in the true sense of the word, it is just three short stories containing the same characters published together. Those characters to me were very one dimensional and it seemed as if the Author were trying to breathe life into something they played when they were younger. The main protagonist was just unbearable and I couldn’t connect with him at, and because of the constant mood swings and changing of his loyalties, I actually began to wonder if maybe there was a long running typo of the leading ‘s’ not being printed in the book whenever he was mentioned. It was as if the Author intended him to be male, but then lost their way and gave him too many of the irritating traits we women have; add to that the teenage angst and he was the most unlikeable main character I have read in a while. Even the villains were really not villains; they were easily dispatched back to wherever they came from showing no real threat to anyone in particular.
The storylines in all of the books were predictable and, any reader who enjoys fantasy as their usual fare will be able to figure out what is going on way before the Author lets us in on the plot, I felt an element of surprise and a bit more care taken when drafting this storyline would have elevated it to a different level.
The main reason though that this trilogy received a 2 thumbs review rating is brought to you courtesy of bad editing. There were so many typos and inconsistencies throughout all three books, that in places they actually changed the meaning of the passage being read, or made that particular part of the plot laughable. A good proof-reader and editor could have pointed this out to the Author, which in turn would have resulted in a book that was more plausible.
I so wanted to really like this trilogy but, unfortunately, in the end it just wasn’t for me. If you’re at a lose end and want to take a look at this I’m not going to recommend otherwise, but be warned it may not be as good as you think. I may try reading something else by this Author to see if the errors in this one were just that their skills had not been honed yet, so I’m not entirely giving up on them.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/04/15...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
February 11, 2013
This book pulls together all three novels of the Demon Hunter series in one volume producing a terrific read that is thoroughly engrossing from start to finish. We start with a young Costa Calabrese as he discovers he is more than his slave roots suggest and finds himself following in the footsteps of his father. The story continues with Costa training at Ravenwood, learning the skills and discovering the knowledge he needs to continue on his quest, making one or two friends (and the odd enemy) in the process. The final installment finds Costa finally accepting who and what he is, making peace with his past, enjoying the present and looking forward to the future. All three installments are superbly written with good descriptive prose that brings Costa's world to life. However I did find the characters a little bit of a let down with the three main characters of Costa, Talisa and Paralay playing fairly predictable roles. I would have for Vespia to give each of them a little something different or unexpected rather than following the same route that other fantasy writers have done before her. While this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the story it did leave me feeling a little flat as I figured out what was going to happen long before it did, which took away the element of surprise from the story. Overall though this is a good addition to the fantasy genre, just nothing ground-breaking.
September 7, 2013
The story in the first book was by far the best. The characters were engaging and fun. The editing was good in this e-edition. The character development as we progressed from book to book was a little inconsistent but not so bad as to detract from the overall stories. Definitely fast paced with minimal descriptive passages.
The last book in this edition felt rushed and somewhat forced. In fact, it is so rushed that I hesitate to call this a book it feels more like a novella. In general the timing feels all wrong with the third story. I wish that the author had spent more time with the third book and filled out the story.
The last book in this edition felt rushed and somewhat forced. In fact, it is so rushed that I hesitate to call this a book it feels more like a novella. In general the timing feels all wrong with the third story. I wish that the author had spent more time with the third book and filled out the story.
June 4, 2016
Hate to say it, but this book was too simplistic for my taste, plus the action and suspense felt flat. Mind-blowing revelations hardly did just that. I remember how a coworker told me that he preferred books that had "snappy" writing style; I'm sure he'd love this one. But me, I prefer books with plenty of detail and insightful, realistic dialogue.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews