Demorn: City of Innocents

by David Finn

Dimensional Exiles. Demon Gods. A mad Tyrant!

Every exile longs for their home. Two long years in the Grave Dimension have left Demorn's ruby heart cold, the holy blade of Xalos unable to spawn for her. Her girlfriend remains lost, the mad plan to resurrect her has failed.

Fleeing the doomed Grave Dimension, Demorn and Alex travel deep into heart of the Serpent Dungeon, straining against the cracks of splintering reality to escape the Grave, bargaining with demons to prevent obliteration and return to Babelzon.

But things have changed in the City of the Innocents. Demorn is a myth that only some believe in. Old friends have fallen or are trapped. Demorn can see the horrible bones of Ultimate Fate in the sky, and the Tyrant oversees all.

Poisoned by the cursed locket of a death god and surrounded by traitors, every bad and desperate deal Demorn has ever made will be called to account. She must save the Innocents from the clutches of the Tyrant. She must save her brother from gazing too deep in the ruins of Asanti. She must relight the fire of the Goddess.

She must face the Tyrant.

No Mercy!

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2016

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author David Finn.)

“I’ve died too many times to dream, honey. Too many times.”

This is the second book in the Asanti series, and is very similar to the first in terms of pace and style. There was lots of action, and not so much explanation, and although I felt there was an improvement in terms of the writing compared to the first book, I did still find myself quite confused. Several times I felt like I had come into a movie in the middle with little idea of the background story, and I struggled a bit because of it. It was good to see some old faces from the previous book, and I did think that the book flowed nicely, but this was once again only an okay story for me because of the lack of explanation.



6 out of 10

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot can happen in two years. Demorn and Alex have escaped the Grave Dimension, but she finds she may have escaped the frying pan only to fall into the fire. Babelzon is under the vile clutches of the Tyrant and Demorn will stop at nothing to save the Innocents.

David Finn has upped the intrigue, upped the danger and upped the development of his characters while maintaining the atmosphere of a dark and chaotic world. Demorn becomes “more” as a heroine and strong character. The drama stills come at the readers in spades, but like Demorn, there is just a feeling of “more” as characters are developed further, and alliances are tested because of the crime lords and the vile government. Still filled with action, reactions and high tension, the in-depth details bring everything solidly together.

This time out, the pacing is still rapid, but somehow the story seems more alive! David Finn has done a wonderful job that science fiction and epic fantasy readers will love.

I received this copy from David Finn in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Asanti - Book 2
Publisher: Firethorn Publishing (January 14, 2016)
Publication Date: January 14, 2016
Genre: Fantasy | Scifi
Print Length: 299 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating: 3.15

Thank you David Finn for the opportunity to read your book. This was an okay read. This was a improvement from the first book. The characters were better in this one. The story flowed a bit better. I want to understand the world more, but I was still not able to. Hence, I found some parts confusing and boring. I thought the action sequences were the best part. I wonder what book 3 will have in store. Overall, a good sequel.

[Chris Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-popping action, a little sex, and also some time to smell the flowers while you breathe.

After the fast high-octane pace of the first book, I found this one to be a better pace as we could take the time to know the characters more. I learned more about Demorn in this, as well as other characters such as Alex and even Guard Dot. Characters make a story more interesting and David took the time to let the readers see into what makes them tick.But don't think this is an easy walk in the park with lots of flowers to smell as there is still plenty of kick-ass action to remind you what this series is about!

A part of me thinks that Book 3 will be back to the faster pace of Book 1 after this fresh breather.

I loved it.

[Cameron Kobes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book of this series impressed me enough to continue to the second, and when the third in the series comes out later this year I intend to buy, read, and review it as well. The label I gave the first book seems true of the whole series, a cross-dimensional dark modern fantasy adventure. The first book was both manically entertaining and manically confusing, and this second book toned down the manic quality of the first to create a work that was a little slower-paced but much easier to follow.

To review, Demorn is a powerful fighter who’s been engaged in wild adventures across time and multiple versions of reality for several years. Her paths have crossed with various gods, monsters, aliens, cultists, historical figures (she was all buddy-buddy with Frank Sinatra for as long as that lasted), magical objects, and so forth. She’s seen the end of the universe and witnessed the destruction of her own homeworld, which makes her a bit of a nihilist. As a priestess of the Asanti religious order she is privy to a wide variety of spells and arcane information, and as the royal-blooded Princess of Swords she’s nearly impervious to physical harm. She’s also a huge fan of 1960s music, superhero comic books, and romantic trysts with other dimension-hopping women. Demorn spent a good chunk of the last book trapped in a dimension she calls The Graveyard, and in this book she is trying to put the pieces of her life together after escaping from The Graveyard. There are a wide variety of characters (though not nearly as many as in the first book), but most of the story centers on Demorn and a godlike man she calls the Tyrant, who is alternately her close confidant and her bitter enemy as she works to avert a semi-inevitable cross-dimensional cosmic apocalypse.

The vivid storytelling and highly texture detail of the first book, its strongest points, carried over into the second. Every punch and burn and shock is felt by the character and the reader. With the story slowed down and given a tighter focus, this book was much easier to understand than the first. The complexity of the universe Demorn inhabits was still a little over my head, but it felt less overwhelming than before. The important parts weren’t so hard to follow this time around. It also helped that Demorn didn’t spend nearly as much time jumping around between worlds in this book, so I had more time to get accustomed to her locations.

For its followability, I would say that I liked this one better than the first book and I have very little bad to say about it. There were a handful of typos in the last fifteen percent of the book, which was a little unusual considering that I didn’t spot any at all in the rest of the book, but that’s not so bad. As I said before, fans of fantasy, science fiction, sword-and-sorcery, and fast-paced action stories will most likely take pleasure from this book.

[K.J. Simmill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has very much the same pace, and fantastic visual descriptions found in the first. The story picks up shortly after the first finishes, leaving Demorn with Alex and Guard Dog as they make their escape and attempt to return home. Throughout this book you gain yet more insight into the characters, and you will not be left wanting for action, imagery, or an imaginative involving story.
This book is a fast paced, engrossing fantasy that reminds me of a cross between butterfly effect and memento in place. If you’ve read the first you will know exactly why I draw this comparison and the theme continues in book two.
I must say this was another enjoyable read

[Khola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author, David Finn for an honest review.

Demorn: City of Innocents was fast-paced and thrilling like the first book of the series with lots of things happening quickly. At times, I was a little confused but overall the book was quite an entertaining read; the sort of story that tantalizes the reader , that fascinates one and make your blood pound with the thrill and action as depicted by words. The characters were mature and showed development. Overall, a gripping fantasy and an interesting read!

[Joe N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic, dark fantasy that raises the stakes on every page. Demorn is a fierce, unforgettable heroine, and the worldbuilding is rich, dangerous, and immersive. Finn delivers relentless tension, emotional depth, and jaw dropping twists an absolute must-read for fantasy fans.

[Aaron C.Kronse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demorn: City of Innocents is brutal, bold, and beautifully imagined. The story blends cosmic danger, raw emotion, and high fantasy action with masterful pacing. Every choice carries weight, every battle matters. A powerful sequel that exceeds expectations.

[Annatasia Meehleder · Rating 5 out of 5]

******I got this book as a gift for an honest review and it DID NOT sway me in anyway possible.*******

I absolutely loved the first book and I feel the same about Demorn: City of Innocents. When I got the books I did not know that they would be written so well, but BAM they were. The book starts right where the first book left off and kept going. I felt like I was running right along with Demorn when her situation would change quickly but she handled it very well. She is very adaptable and interesting. And quite funny with her sarcastic remarks. There are plenty of plot twists that are awesome!

Demorn 2 showed how the fall of Demorn's home affected her in every aspect. Her emotional side was shown more and you got to see her grow and see part of the reasons why she is so fierce. Alex was shown in more depth as well. Many of the characters had more of a back story and was perfect to be shown in the second book. Even though there was more information divulged about the characters, there was plenty of action and it was spectacular. All the questions I typed in my review of the first book were answered. I even had questions answered that I didn't know I had until I started reading book 2. I like that in both books I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. I stayed up late reading the book not wanting to put it down even when I had things to do the next day. Being more tired than my usual was well worth it and I firmly stick to that.

I laughed so hard throughout the book because the things theses characters do and say are hysterical. ****Spoiler Alert Guys**** Especially when Guard Dog was telling the ogre that he killed his lackeys and the ogre is so furious he says " Lackeys are lackeys, you cocky *********." One of the best quotes in the book. I laughed for a good 10 minutes afterwards. I could just picture the ogre ticked off with a red face because he had to fight Guard Dog. Like seriously dude don't get angry for having to fight, if you had better lackeys there wouldn't be a problem. hahaha . The other funny quote I love was when Demorn saw skeletons gyrating and dancing. That was the best because I ended up laughing so hard I cried. I could just picture it in my head so perfectly and Demorn was watching them like what the heck? Priceless. ****End Of Spoilers****

Thanks David for the book I really appreciate the gem that it is. It's going on my favorite shelf for life. :) I really enjoyed reading this book and I know others will too.

I honestly don't know how you wrote down these incredible characters with strange and incredible situations without laughing, David. How did you do it? I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard, so many times in a series except for Harry Potter. You know it's a good book when it's engaging and dark but funny and leaves you wanting more, because believe me I want more. Every time I think about Demorn I always grin widely because I know that she will be up to something again at any moment. I don't know what I am going to do with myself now that I finished this book. Demorn 3 isn't out yet and I feel anticipation to see what her next journey is about. Please read this series! If you want fantasy that has imagination out of this world with awesome, unique characters then pick this series. For crying out loud, what else is more important than reading this in your free time?! Nothing I tell you, nothing.

[A.P. Sia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A copy was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book is more of a fantasy than science fiction. The book is both fun to read and there are some parts confusing and boring. There are many foul language used in this book. Author have mention many names in this book like Jesus, John Lennon, Sinatra, X-Men. The story is a continuation of the first book and was a little slower pace than the first book. There were some typos in the last part of the book. The Author must introduce characters and discuss a brief story line at the beginning. I felt there was improvement from the first book.
The author has vivid imagination of post-apocalyptic theme. The story was great, the writing and descriptions is vivid. The world building was unique and creative. I was only able to connect all at the end of the book which has brief introduction.
Here are some parts of book Two:

Guard dog saw the face of the ogre sudden waver and flash to that of a young and scarred, evil-looking human. The ogre was holding a massive two-handed ax to the throat of a crippled guard.
Ja-Duluth is a dimensional legend, the prison of the gods. Important people want to know where it is and they pay me a lot of money to find out.
The Repeater wore a grey, weather-stained cloak. The repeater monster haunted dreams. The repeater monster looked at her, with a face far more weary and human than she wished it was. His scythe swung, hooking Gareth in the neck, wrenching him to the ground.
To Demorn, Ki was a dense river packed with information. Boys and girls lost deep inside the labyrinth.
'I have a price on my head in a thousand cities across many worlds. Nothing is safe. But we have a clubhouse, somewhere to stay. We have got a force-shield, telepaths, sorcerers, assassins. If the monsters want to attack us, they will face a house of swords. I'd face those odds over hustling at the portal.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to the author David Finn.

This was an improvement to the first book, as some of the questions get answered, but I still found it a lot confusing. Just like in the first one, this book also had too much time travel, visions and dreams for me to make sense of it all, and had trouble figuring out the actual present.

Though the amazing writing with vivid descriptions and strong emotions can not be ignored, the world just seemed a bit too cluttered and so the descriptions almost painting a movie - like picture just felt heavy.

There's a lot going on in this book, with great action the strong, badass protagonist just adds the cherry on top. The characters were nice (like Alex, Guard Dog), but not with enough depth . . . or background. I liked the Tyrant's characterization though. And I appreciated the love Demorn showed her brother. (Especially when the scene where she'd come to rescue him from the scientists). And I liked Jason. Oh, and the last battle scene was epic.

There's also this thing where you can't trust every character in this book, so it just keeps you on edge. I recommend City of Innocents if that's your cup of tea, and also if you like strong female characters, an action packed story in a futuristic world inhibited with mythological beings.

[Koolaid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

I am all into demons and the like, but this one through me a little. Since not reading the first in the series, I really had a hard time trying to figure out what was going on. I am ashamed to say I could not finish it because I was so lost. It looked to me she was trying too much and too many things in a row without any explanation. Guess I will try the first and give this another shot. Then again, maybe not.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I just couldn't get in to this book. I don't know why so I'll try to read it again in a few years.

I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author David Finn

[Danessa Violette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful!

A must read gripping story! This book has it all. I enjoyed reading it so much that I actually dreamt about this book! Excellent quality writing.