Demon Marked

The Guardians #7

by Meljean Brook

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 swore he'd find her--even if he had to go to Hell and back. Except she finds him first--and with one tormented kiss, he knows that she, too, is a demon. Now he is determined to take his revenge.

Ash is a half-demon with no memory of her past or how she got to Hell. All she knows is that Nicholas St. Croix holds the key to her identity. And though he's clearly drawn to her, Nicholas makes no secret of his distrust of her. Yet one kiss at a time, he breaks down her defenses as they battle an array of demons and Guardians. But is Ash's greatest enemy the man at her side?

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Angels, Demons, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy

292 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 6, 2011

About the author

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 installment.

Goodreads info: I am slowly, slowly adding to my shelves and reviews. It's unlikely that I will join many book discussions (especially of my own work) simply because I don't want to stifle reader conversation.

Bio: Meljean was raised in the middle of the woods, and hid under her blankets at night with fairy tales, comic books, and romances. She left the forest and went on a misguided tour through the world of accounting before focusing on her first loves, reading and writing–and she realized that monsters, superheroes, and happily-ever-afters are easily found between the covers, as well as under them, so she set out to make her own.

Meljean lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[aarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is “cold, ruthless hero seeks to destroy the object of his vengeance, aka a chaotic heroine who makes him love again.” Only the heroine is a demon who can shape-shift into a form with red skin, horns, and leathery wings. 😭 Meljean found a loophole to the whole “billionaires are never ethical” thing, because this billionaire spends all his money hunting down evil demons and later funding the Guardians in their quest to protect humanity.

Obligatory Michael Update: what he’s doing to Taylor is still super fucked up and I care not one whit. I AM TRASH. Their book is next and I will likely spontaneously combust in the process of reading it.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one's really quite unusual. Brook pivots to brand-new characters for the penultimate instalment of the series, and for once it actually works.

Ash is a demon with no memory of her human life. All she knows is that she's the spitting image of Rachel, dead ex of businessman Nicholas. He happens to be a demon hunter, but they strike a bargain that will help him get the revenge he wants and help her recover her past.

The relationship growth between the pair is slow and believable. I'm a big fan. Also a fan of the hero being the human and the heroine being the supernatural creature.

To top things off: this book has the second best resolution of the 'dead ex' trope I've ever seen.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

* 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 surprised to discover how different this entry felt from the earlier books in this series. That’s not a bad thing, I actually liked seeing things from another perspective, but it was unexpected. I think if you were completely new to the series you could jump into this book without a lot of the same issues you would experience by jumping into one of the other ones. The third book, Demon Night, also seems like an easy place to jump in. I DO NOT recommend it, however, because I think this series is best experienced from the beginning, so you can watch each twist and turn develop in the story arc. And I seriously cringe in horror over the thought of someone starting with this book and spoiling themselves for the intense events in Demon Forged.

One of the most surprising things about this book was how removed it was from the Guardians. The hero tried his hardest to steer clear of them so he could fulfill his own mission, so we spent most of the story solely focused on Ash and Nicholas. We occasionally cut away to spend some time in Taylor’s POV (squee!) and eventually get some time with the Guardians, but for the most part it’s just them. Luckily, they were great together. Ash was especially hilarious, owing to her problem feeling emotion, and watching Nicholas become frustrated by her lack of memory was fun.

Ash is the worst demon ever, but that’s what makes her so fun. She cannot remember anything, so we get a crash course on the ins and outs of demons right alongside her. I really enjoyed getting a deeper look at the Rules and what was and was not allowed and how that could be twisted. Nicholas finds her a little frustrating at first, and is very suspicious of her—big surprise. Who isn’t he suspicious of? I loved watching him be bothered by her staring—she’s isn’t worried about making people uncomfortable—and I laughed to myself as he tried to figure out whether or not she really was that clueless and actually did want him. I can’t blame him for being suspicious, especially because what he knew about demons was pretty concrete, but I wish he had let it go earlier. Luckily, neither of them were unreasonable and both were willing to own when they screwed up.

I loved watching Ash and Nicholas grow into themselves together. They both started the book in a kind of childlike state. They inadvertently helped each other discover themselves, but it wasn’t without bruised feelings along the way. I also really, really liked how the author played with what makes a person who they are. I, personally, agree with the decision that Ash made, and the reason she did. I would have been very unhappy if it had gone any other way. I am firmly of the belief that the person you are is what life and experience has made you. Change one thing and it might change everything. You might never had ended up the person you are today.

In addition to a lovely romance, we are also treated to an ever deepening story arc. Each book has layered onto this storyline, which is why I really think people cheat themselves if they skip around. I am constantly impressed by the depth and intensity we get in each book and am amazed at how well balanced they are. Not only do we get a great romance, we also get an intricate story full of well developed characters and plots galore. I am really excited to see how this will all resolve in the end.

Favorite Quote:

"And I wasn't thinking of a plane." When she looked at him blankly, Nicholas clenched his teeth and counted to three. "I know you can fly."

Her eyes widened and she looked down at her hands. "I can shape-shift into a bird? How?"

Jesus H. Christ. The next time he made a bargain, Nicholas would damn well make certain the demon knew more than a bag of bricks.

Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.

[Nath · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 :)

[Vleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a vast improvement over the previous books in this series! This is more like the author I loved from the Iron Duke. Story line was great and I never got confused about details or the speaker in conversations. Looking forward to the next.

[Mandapanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 7 in the very detailed and epic world of Meljean Brook's Guardians. This felt really light in comparison to the other books in the series. Not to say it's bad at all but I expected something more. If this was another author's book I wouldn't be disappointed but I usually end one of these books shaking and tearful with relief that the hero and heroine overcame the massive obstacles against them. The major theme of the Guardian series is the war between Heaven and Hell and this was more like a skirmish than a battle. Ash and Nicholas are a great couple but the way they grew during the story was too quick and easy considering their respective histories.

One thing I am excited about is that Michael is now a destructive mindless dragon. Ever since the dragon was first mentioned I was hopeful one would appear in the story. OTOH Taylor?? I haven't been drawn to her from the very first time she appeared in the novels. Now she is full of blame for Michael for things that are totally out of his control and for doing the things that he has to do. She's so self absorbed and annoying. I'm hoping the author can make me like her in the final book in the series.

[Hbeebti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was so good! Just when I thought the drama was over, it wasn't. Oh man what about Michael? Wow I did not see that one coming. I cant wait for his book but at the same time, it sucks. Michael's book is suppose to be the last of the series . I don't want it to end. Love MB's books.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

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, little affects Ash. The blistering cold winter weather in London, while uncomfortable, doesn't slow her down. She needs no nourishment and no sleep. And while people and their thoughts fascinate her, Ash can't manage to produce any emotion of her own. That is until something, someone or some action sparks a moment of familiarity, not exactly a memory, but rather a sense of déjà vu. Upon finding Nicholas, Ash doesn't sense the familiarity she seeks until he captures her mouth in a ravenous kiss.

Concluding what must be a demon wearing the guise of his long dead girlfriend, Rachel Boyle, Nicholas St. Croix feels a rushing gush of hatred and malevolent glee as the opportunity to finally slay the demon that ruined his life now stands before him, snared in his trap. Wanting answers and expecting the demon executing Rachel's mannerisms with perfect ease to lie just as easily, Nicholas enters into a bargain that completely benefits his cause. The demon will tell him everything she knows, never lie, and if she's not the one he seeks, then she'll help him find her; her being Madelyn, his mother. In exchange, Nicholas will help the demon discover who she is. Momentarily leaden with disappointment when the demon confirms under the bargain that she's not Madelyn, Nicholas does however discover that his demon is the perfect bait and he'll use her to draw Madelyn in then slay her just as he'll slay Madelyn. Until then, he'll continue to believe that everything the demon says is a lie or some manipulative effort to discover his weaknesses and divert him from his goal of revenge.

Ash can easily discern Nicholas's distrust but that's about it. The first human she's come across that can completely shield their emotions from her, Ash finds herself forced to analyse other aspects of Nicholas's behavior in order to figure out what he's thinking. An amusing game to be sure but it also draws her focus to his body arousing her mentally and physically. She wants him badly and she tells him as much only to meet his vocal refusal but his body says differently. However, sex falls to the back burner when Ash has a telling run-in with another demon. Equipped with no fighting skills and no ability to fly, Ash is tossed around like a rag doll and nearly killed begging the question: what is Ash?

Nicholas, experiencing a rush of unfamiliar protective instincts, re-organizes his priorities. Determined to train Ash to the best of his capable abilities, they hide out at Nicholas's hunting cabin in rural middle America. It's there that Nicholas discovers, and more importantly, that he believes Ash is the exception to the rule. But just when he accepts that he's fallen in love with a demon, the Guardians descend upon their hideaway and flay open the tenuous trust between him and Ash while unveiling a plot that will send her straight back to Hell. For years, Nicholas has derived relentless propulsion from his obsessive need for revenge against the demon that crushed his father, killed his mother, and verbally stripped him of his innocence. Now, having found Ash, having reawakened his heart to life and love, Nicholas will turn all that obsessive, single-minded focus on saving her from a fate he'd sooner die from himself rather than endure.

The Heroine:

Embodying an empty but malleable shell of a soul, Ash, a halfling demon, molds herself from her immediate experiences, her mind like a sponge soaking up everything she comes into contact with. Despite her early inability to convey emotion of her own, there's a gentle caring and hollow sadness to her that quickly and effectively captures your heart. You believe in Ash and you want her to have her Happily Ever After for you know instinctively that she deserves it.

Truthfully, Ash's hollowness is the perfect shield to Nicholas's scathing and unveiled opinion of her. Any other woman would shrink beneath the coldness of his unrelenting gaze and blade of a tongue. But while most are immediately rebuffed, Ash has the patience to look beyond Nicholas's ruthlessly composed exterior, hunting effectively for cracks that lead to his true self. She thinks like the demon she is to unravel the mystery that is Nicholas but she talks and touches him with all her growing humanity. Seriously, the guy stood no chance.

The Hero:

Nearly stone cold to the depths of his marrow, Nicholas St. Croix isn't the easiest hero to fall in love with. His distrust for all but himself shines lethally from his icy blue eyes and coats every word that slips bitterly off his tongue. While Nicholas doesn't think himself damaged, it's clear to the reader that he is and fundamentally so. But when Nicholas falls, he falls exceptionally hard. Suddenly wielding a fierce brand of love, Nicholas becomes an unstoppable, self-sacrificing force that launches him straight to Herodom!

A beguiling character to be sure and one that effectively draws you in like a moth to a flame, Nicholas is a hero I won't be forgetting any time soon. With his entire motivation stemming from revenge, Nicholas eschews life to pursue a demon who couldn't care less if he lives or dies. All that he is and all that he does culminates from this deep-seeded and greedy drive. But this revenge of his defines him in such a unique way. While it could for all intents and purposes, debilitate him in the end, Nicholas has the means and the intelligence to recognize the real meaning in life and that meaning is Ash. But seriously, to meet the guy in reality would be terrifying but oh to be the center of that intense focus. Wow.

My Final Thoughts:

A tight, well plotted, and fantastic addition to the Guardian series, DEMON MARKED ushers fans into the red zone of Michael's long awaited story with a gutsy romance and a most terrifying trip to Hell.

Meljean Brook, fearless as ever, tackles two incredibly difficult characters, breaking them open oh so very slowly, page by page, to unveil an interesting and incredibly unique hero/heroine pairing. An alternate name suggestion for DEMON MARKED is Demon Awakened for both Nicholas and Ash go through an awakening; a rebirth. Nicholas, dead to all but what directly influences his means of revenge, awakens gloriously when he finally accepts his love for Ash. Similarly, Ash is numb, an emotionless being stripped of all that she once was seeking now the answer to her unknown identity. It's Nicholas that awakens her heart. He forces her to re-experience the emotions brutally taken from her and helps her reshape and claim herself as Ash. Standing back and absorbing the novel as a whole, the character growth is fierce and merciless but stunningly beautiful.

In addition, DEMON MARKED offers a new unfettered view of the Guardian world. It offers a new test on what makes a character worthy of this dangerous but rewarding world while also re-examining the Rules that govern it with such cutting brutality. For a steady number of installments, characters have known and understood the land upon which they fight but Ash and Nicholas, theirs is one of new learning. Perhaps a revisit of the building blocks is necessary to go on but whatever its reason, the closer look at the basic elements - basic but no less important - was welcomed by this reader. I had forgotten the power of these simple yet deeply layered rules.

Finally, I must draw attention to the rather excellent pacing of this book. These are no easy reads by any stretch and each one is packed to the brim with important and specific information heralding a clear indication that considerable time is spent on their creation and subsequent choreography. It's clear that Meljean Brook has honed her craft and wields now it with incredible daring. I will always look forward to what she delivers for it will undoubtedly be a new addicting flavor for this particularly ravenous appetite.

Topping a very short list of unparalleled paranormal romance authors, Meljean Brook has built a stunning work of collective art with her Guardian Series and has only managed to strengthen it that much more with DEMON MARKED. A novel forged from the icy numbness of its hero and heroine and ultimately shaped by their inevitable and spectacular melting destiny, DEMON MARKED is an absolute must read. Enjoy!

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 had to. But I’d be damned before I let that price be our lives or my soul on that field.”

Demon Marked is the 7th installment in Meljean Brooks dark and captivating Guardians series. We met our hero, Nicholas St. Croix in Demon Blood . Not a primary character then, in here we find out more about Nick and what his interest is in the Guardian/Demon war.

Nicholas is a volatile tortured man. He has waited six long years for revenge against his “mother. Psychologically hurt as a child by a demon, Madeline, inhabited his mother’s body, he trusts no one and keeps his emotions buried deep never allowing anyone to get close to him. When he grew to adulthood, he set in motion his plans to destroy his “mother” but she was always one step ahead of him. When Madeline attempts to kill him and his lover Rachel dies as the result, Nicholas’s plans for revenge reach a new level and he vows nothing will stop him until he or she is dead. When a woman appears at his lover’s old apartment, Nicholas is elated, thinking Rachael is back. Ash is the exact replica of his lover, Rachel, only when Nicholas kisses her, he realizes that she is a demon.

Ash wakes up in a hospital not knowing who or what she is. She spends three years in the psychiatric facility trying to remember anything that may explain why she is there. When she breaks into her Doctor’s office and reads his notes, she realizes that he has been keeping her there and he’s known all along. Ash escapes and uses what feels familiar to guide her to Rachel’s apartment. There she comes across Nicholas St. Croix. When Nick realizes she is not Rachel but actually a demon he decides to use her to find Madeline. He forces a bargain on Ash. If she helps him find Madeline he will help her with her memories. Nick and Ash start out rocky. He refuses to trust her as she is a demon but Ash is the strangest demon he has ever met. She exhibits no known demon tricks and seems to genuinely want to help him. The more time they spend together results in some interesting changes. Nick realizes that she is as much a victim in this as he is and his feelings slowly begin to change towards her. He goes from wanting her dead to just plain wanting her.

I absolutely love Ash. Her mannerisms crack me up. She has no memories but also no emotions. She is like a glass that has been emptied. She has no filters and no idea how to act ‘human’. Witnessing her developing a personality is hilarious. She tries very hard to make Nick laugh and like her and presents it all in a package of charming innocence and naiveté.

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t be effective. It’s just not original. And if I think it’s cliché, when my only experience with demons is what seems familiar from books and movies, then the whole ‘killing a boy’s dog’ thing must really be tired.

An odd way to come around to it, but she wasn’t wrong. “So it is,” he agreed.

“I’d rather be a clever demon. Perhaps that’s why it is taking so long to come up with a plot against you. My standards are too high.”


When she gets it in her head that she has to see Nick naked, I found myself choking with laughter.

“What is your plot, then?”

“To tell you about all the dried semen in this room. I’m hoping it makes you feel skeevy enough to take another shower, and that gives me another chance to see you naked.”

“Why do you want to see me naked?”

“Because you don’t want me to see you naked. I want to know why. I also think that I’d like looking at your ass, and I want to see whether you lied about your not-monstrous genitals. For all I know, the truth is that you really only have one leg, but prop yourself up with a dragon-sized penis.”

“I don’t.”

“So you say, but it’s difficult to trust humans who aren’t bound by a demonic bargain to tell the truth.”


Nicholas has had it rough and you can not blame him for his prejudices. I really like that even though he hates demons with a passion, he doesn’t see the Guardians as the automatic good guys. A conversation with Taylor about Rosalia that sums up the whole situation:

“How is Rosalia?”

“Concerned about you.”

“ Ah yes. The mother to everyone.”

“Better then your mother.”

“Is she? She lies, she manipulates. I don’t see the difference personally.”

That is the beginning where we begin to see that while the much older Guardians believe the means will always justify the end, the younger Guardians have a problem with that. They don’t believe that automatic sacrifice is an acceptable price to pay in this war. The younger Guardians are dragging the older Guardians in to the present; questioning and demanding answers, whether they want it or not. That’s what I love about this series. Good and evil are not clearly defined. They all walk a fine line. There are rules that must be followed (interesting rules that are further explained in here) in every interaction and the Guardians bend and manipulate those rules just as much as the demons.

In Demon Blood,book 6, Rosalia goes to her friend, a priest, and tries to gain absolution for what she has done and will do.

"I’ve forced a good man onto a path with me. I cannot win without his help. But he has not offered it. I am using him."

"So you are no better then the demons."

"I’d like to think I have better intentions…"

"I imagine you do like to think that. But if the suffering of even one good man is needed to gain victory, it is not a true victory."

Right there is the gist of this book. No matter what the prophecy has foretold or what the Guardians have foreseen, everything comes down to free will. No matter what side of the war you stand on-good or bad-how you choose to conduit yourself is what actually determines the purity of your soul. Frankly, I find the older Guardians to be almost as bad as the demons-in fact worse-because they use duplicity to achieve their goals all while hiding behind their self righteousness. With Lucifer and the demons you know they’ll lie, cheat, and steal and that makes them more honest.

I am enamored with this whole series and it continues to enchant me with each new storyline. Ms. Brooks world is dark and violent; filled with deception, betrayal, and death, but it’s the characters that really draws me into this series. Three dimensional with viable personalities that all have the ability to support their own storylines. Fast pacing and a steady storyline keeps Ash and Nick rolling along in a believable timeline and allows their romance to bloom naturally and realistically. It isn’t easy for them-each carrying some heavy baggage. Not a lot of visible sexy time in here but the dialog between them makes for some heavy, emotional scenes.

The continuing misdirection on Ms. Brooks part keeps you on your toes as you try and often fail, in figuring out who to trust and who not to. We see many old face in here; Lillith, Khavi (who needs a serious take down) , and Taylor. Especially Taylor. I cannot wait for her and Michael’s book, which I hear is the next in the series. We’ve all been waiting and I have no fear that it will disappoint.

All in all, Ms. Brook’s Guardians series is an action packed PNR that uses taunt suspense and intrigue to keep you hooked till the last page. As long as Ms. Brook keeps writing-I’ll keep reading.

RATING: B+

[Brie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll say this for the Guardian series: as much as these books are woven together, Meljean Brook does an amazing job of giving them all their own identity. Each romance is vastly different from the one before. Each hero and heroine is extremely well defined, with unique histories, motivations, and hang-ups. There is no cookie cutter anything. And yet, they remain cohesive and engaging…. building to a coming crescendo that promises to be fan-freaking-tastic.

Brook shakes things up with a halfling demon herione here. You might think that she’d be reminiscent of Lillith, but she’s not. Ash doesn’t have centuries of manipulation and subterfuge under her belt. In fact, as the book opens, she has no idea who she is –or what she is, for that matter. She is a patient in a psychiatric hospital, and it takes three years there before she even cares enough to seek out her identity.

She quickly finds out she bears a striking resemblance to a woman named Rachel who went missing several years back. Her research leads her to Nicolas St Croix (who we met in the last book.) Nicolas was raised by a demon mother and is on a mission to find her and kill her. Rachel was his girlfriend, and he she died saving his life from his “mom.” So when Ash shows up wearing Rachel’s face, he figures out she is a demon pretty fast. Given his history, he expects the worst of her, but they end up striking a bargain: Ash will help Nicolas track down his mother and he’ll help her figure out who she is.

The romance here is slow in coming. Nicolas is incapable of seeing anything but the worst in Ash. It’s understandable, given his history. But she is so fresh and charming. She has absolutely no ulterior motives or hidden, well, anything. When she became a demon, she became essentially a blank slate. She says what she means and she means what she says. Her emotions take time to form, but once they do, they are pure. She is funny and blunt, sincere and likable. Then there is Nicolas. He is all about creating an impenetrable exterior; about getting his revenge at all costs. But the best part of the romance was in watching his humanity poke out, despite his best efforts to suppress it. He wanted to so much to hate Ash, yet she wins him over so utterly! It’s great.

As much as I rooted for the romance and the fantastic sexual tension, I wasn’t sure that I believed in the love 100%. It felt like it happened really quickly and these two were apart more than they were together. The pacing was also a bit slower this time around (especially when compared to the last installment.) Those issues notwithstanding, I still really enjoyed the book. This was thanks largely to Ash, but also because of the peeks at Taylor and Michael… and a big finish to set up the final book.

I’m really excited to see how this is going to flesh out. But I am very sad that the series is drawing to a close.

Rating: B/B+

[Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was a fun and engaging read! I could barely put it down. Definitely one of my favorites of the tail end of this series (Demon Angel and Demon Moon are really hard to beat!). I loved everything about this book from beginning to end, starting with the book's premise of a young woman who has no idea who or what she is and sets out on a mission to solve the mystery of her identity. She becomes entangled with Nicolas St. Croix, a powerful business man who behaves more like a demon than a human and is on a mission of his own to avenge the death of his human lover at the hands of the demon who took possession of his human mother many years ago. The characters and their growth are so much fun to read about. It's full of conflict, romance and plenty of drama and laugh out loud humor as Ash and Nicholas try to solve their mysteries and stay alive while crossing paths with humans, demons and even Guardians. Such a fun read!

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 "dense" in previous books. With that aspect of the series well outlined, it frees her up to concentrate on the core romance while skillfully moving the overall story arc along.

With only a novella in Angels of Darkness and the finale in Michael's book next year, it promises to be an awesome finish.

[KindleJo Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this whole series

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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….

[Tuti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicholas St. Croix was raised by a demon who took over his mother's body. His goal is to exact revenge on that demon. Ash appears with the face of the woman who was killed to protect him, and he immediately uses her to get to his "mother."

This book feels like a filler. Most of it can be just a side story, except the end where they advance the series plot a little bit. This could've just been incorporated into Rosalia's plot somehow.

Both Ash and Nicholas start off as interesting characters. Ash starts with no memory and no emotion. Nicholas starts as a paranoid, vengeful demon-like jerk that the Guardians dislike. They both develop as characters, until they go too far, especially Nicholas. Nicholas is at his most interesting when he is conflicted between his desire for revenge and his attraction to Ash. At the end his love for her gets a bit cringey, with him calling her amazing all the time and suddenly becoming good.

Unlike in the previous book, Taylor is mainly just there. Khavi is a lot more cruel and a lot less interesting than in any previous stories. There is a small section with Hugh and Lilith that is fairly interesting. The few mentions of Rosalia make her seem matronly instead of the stunningly beautiful and kind woman she is.

[Emily S · Rating 4 out of 5]

How is it that I love every heroine Meljean throws our way?it feels impossible to love fictional characters like this. I did think the couple went from hatred/indifference to love rather quickly but it worked

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like Nicholas evasion of the Guardians in the first half of the book. I felt it dragging.

[K.A. Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent addition to this series that seamlessly blends action, mystery and romance. Loved it and want even more of Nicholas and Ash.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 demon. It's also one of the craziest romantic developments I've read in a long, long while. And surprisingly believable.

Oh, wow, it is so twisted what happened to Rachel when she died. She sacrificed herself to save Nicholas. She should have become a Guardian...so why didn't she?

Nick is pretty conflicted about Ash. Demons lie. That's a fact. Yet, Ash is just not behaving as a demon. She certainly is pretty clueless about how to use her wings.

The Guardians have a pretty good argument to force Ash to leave Nicholas. Unfortunately, Madelyn has a better one. But Ash is a smart girl and finds ways to indicate the problem. Then Ash continues to draw it out, creating problems by being a very obedient little demon. It just about killed me to have to wait and read my way to the resolve!

I did love it when Khavi crashed Nicholas' therapy session! Leslie is gonna need her own disbelieving therapist! Then again, Khavi can be a real pain in the butt with her damned pronouncements of "no, no, I've seen it...blah, blah, blah…"

Oh man, no, that's just wrong. Betrayal. We can only hope that Khavi truly is on the side of the Guardians.


The Story
Somehow Ash has escaped from Nightingale House and she's blindly following memories she's doesn't remember. A house she knows but has never been inside. A man she's never met, but feels familiar. Unfortunately for Ash, Nicholas St. Croix has no compunctions. He knows she's a demon and deserves to die.

Only it is just possible he may be able to use her to find the demon who destroyed his family. He will endure anything to find it, kill it. Events, however, are happening faster than they can move. From the murder of Rachel's parents to the demon who feels her pain and attacks.

Lucifer has found Michael in the frozen fields and knows how best to torture him. Knowing this spurs the Guardians on even more to find the spell to release him.


The Characters
Ashmodei "Ash" has been an inmate of this expensive asylum for three years. She has no idea who she is and she does as she pleases even if it does terrify those around her. She also looks exactly like Rachel, minus the tattoos.

Nicholas "Stone Cold" St. Croix is a man with a mission. To destroy the demon who murdered his family. He has built his company, Reticle, up enough that he has enough money to pursue his vendetta and has left it in capable hands. Reginald Cooper is the London private investigator he hired to look into Ash's story. Leslie Sinclair is his skeptical therapist whom he's been seeing for twenty years.

Madelyn St. Croix built her husband's accounting business up into a powerhouse; Rachel Boyle was Madelyn St. Croix's personal assistant and in love with Nicholas. Both disappeared when Madelyn and her son argued over business matters. Dr. Ian Cawthorne is a disgrace. Blackmailed to keep Ash a patient.

Taylor is the Doyen, charged by Michael to create new Guardians while he is trapped in the ice fields for his deeds. She was a police detective with the San Francisco PD before she sacrificed herself to save another. Other Guardians include Rosalia, Marc Revoire in the Midwest, Jake with his two Gifts, Alice, Selah, Radha is a master of illusion and pretending to be Rachel in London, and Pim is their healer now. Khavi is grigori with the ability to see the future. Lyta is her hellhound. And Sir Pup is very interested. Lilith and Hugh Castleford are both human now---Lilith when she won a bet from Lucifer and was stripped of her demon powers. Hugh when he Fell for her although he retains his Gift to see lies. Sir Pup is Lilith's hellhound.

Steve Johnson was a willing victim when the "ghost" of Rachel Boyle encouraged him to destroy her parents.


The Cover
The cover is blue, green, and black. The cool fires of hell surround the blonde-haired, tattooed figure who is supposed to represent Ash (the real Ash is tattooed on half her face). This one is wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket open to reveal the cropped, scoop-neck white top she's wearing with that Wonder bra.

The title is all about Ash. She is, after all, Demon Marked.

[Paranormal Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not knowing who she is or why she's different from everyone around her, the heroine is eager to discover her past. In fact, eager is the only emotion she's truly able to comprehend as she doesn't feel anything. Not angry or happiness or sadness. It's all a blank slate. And 2 years of living in the hospital, having everyone fear her because of her unnerving oddities and heavily tattooed skin, she's finally struck out on her own. Wondering the streets of London, she discovers she greatly resembles a woman who died protecting her boyfriend. Reading everything she can on this man, this woman and her family, she's finds herself in the house that's meant to be her destiny.

The hero has been waiting for the demon who possessed his mother to make her return and not it has. Growing up with a demon as a mother was horrible and traumatizing and has made the hero bitter, vengeful and distrusting of everything. But for a brief moment, when she sees the face of his dead girlfriend, he has hope that her sacrifice has granted her immortal life as a Guardian. But the tattoos and the fangs proclaim her to be a demon instead and he knows he must kill it. However, this demon is either thee best liar and gifted actor or she's the worst demon he's ever met because she willingly enters into a bargain with him where he's helps her find out who she is and she'll help him find and kill his demon mother. The bargain doesn't entirely work out in his favor however when it turns out...she really is the worst demon and, quite frankly, a shame to her species. She's naïve. She apparently has no idea how to be a demon, is useless in a fight and doesn't appear to have any alterative motives.

The heroine feels her first emotion upon realizing she's a demon- happiness. Finally, she can begin to understand. And with the hero as her teacher, she can work to uncover more secrets of her past. Though he quite plainly hates her and doesn't trust a word she says, she begins to wear him down bit by bit. She wants to explore why this human makes her FEEL. She's attracted to him, she's never been attracted to anybody. He makes her laugh and even when he makes her sad, it's better than being dead inside. Soon the hero begins to feel the same for the demon whom he no longer thinks of with disgust but rather with a bit of possessiveness. He tries to remember what she is and why he should hate her but her innocence and her unintentional dry humor makes him feel like he too has been living as a zombie. He tries to keep that wall between them, to keep the ice around his heart but every smile and every kiss makes his heart race. And every time she's hurt or in danger, it makes him insane with the need to make it better, to keep her safe. But their time together was destined to end. He could never truly teacher the way the Guardians can and he's in constant danger whenever she's near.

So, she leaves and it was the hardest thing she's ever done. Even though the confession comes out that he at first intended to kill her after their bargain was met, that doesn't matter to the heroine, his safety and wellbeing does. And even though he understands why he doesn't contact her in the 4 weeks she's training with the Guardians, it still hurts. But the demon who was responsible for creating her has come at last and takes her away. The tattoos on her body is meant as a spell to open a gateway to hell but she's forbidden to stop it. She needs the hero and without a second thought, he throws himself into the fight. The consequences are steep but somehow it feels that no matter what comes their way, they can handle it together.

This was a marvelous book...for the majority. It was a surprising touch of humor that I wasn't expecting. The heroine could do or say things that actually had me laughing. She truly was the worst demon when it came to evil because she was soooo not evil. She wasn't planning to kill the hero in his sleep or steal his soul. And she got her ass kicked by a proper demon because she didn't even know how to fight. But she was charming in a lost kid sort of way, not knowing what to do. The hero was also funny too but in a darker way. His obsession with revenge was everything he thought about until the heroine came along and I enjoyed that progression she made in him to turn from that cold ruthless man to someone who could laugh. I thought their relationship was well developed and honest. However, I didn't much like the ending. It turned into something odd and felt rushed as suddenly the focus switched from their relationship to saving the world. Regardless, it was a nice book and the characters really excelled it into 4-star territory because I simply adored both of them.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 to reality- I read the book and I loved the couple. Where the other heroes and heroines in the last two or three books didn't make me feel all involved and connected, Ash and Nick did. - And I didn't expect that. Seriously, I was even a little wary about the novel, because the blurb didn't sound that nice at all.

But daaamn, I loved it. Naturally I again bookmarked every scene that includes the words Michael, Taylor, Doyen or grigori, but where these scenes were the reason for my tendency to rate the other books higher, in Demon Marked they were the cherry on top, not outshining the actual plot.

The book starts with Ash being very.. cold. She doesn't really feel. I don't know if anyone here ever took medicine that influences humans to be like that.. I think if you take Tavor for a long, long time. Or, no. Maybe an Antidepressant. Maybe Bupropion? People with ADD or people who want to stop smoking.. and people with major depressions take them, but the influence differs, so.. that's probably not a good comparison, either. Maybe illegal drugs or alcohol have the same effect, but I don't think so, because Ash felt neither sad nor amused. The world was dimmed, her emotions were barely existent and faded as quickly as they reached her.

But when she meets Nick and he makes a bargain (Ash has to always speak the truth and help him find Madelyn. Nick has to help Ash find out who she really is.) with her she slowly begins to develop deeper emotions. Feelings that don't slip away as soon as she turns her head and he, too, starts to change from the cold SOB that he is to someone who might care, who could see more than the need to take revenge on Madelyn, a demon that destroyed his family and his childhood by impersonating his mother.

Figures that with Madelyn's influence on Nick's personality he distrusts Ash heavily and without the knowledge of the nature of halflings.. without knowing that they even exist, you can't really blame him.

So, while they travel - from the UK to the United States and then there to the house of Rachel's parents (Rachel being the woman, who looks exactly like Ash but died saving Nick from his mother) to a little cabin in whoknowswhere, hell, Caelum, San Francisco.. They start caring for eachother.

Ash has this amazing personality and while Nick struggles with his feelings she simply accepts them and has an honesty to her (.. okay, admittedly, there is the bargain..) that makes her not only amusing but very likeable. She's a bit like a child, but not as torn. She is very vulnerable, but she does not seem weak in it. But unlike I expected, these charactertraits make their journey very .. comfortable to read. There is no real awkwardness, thank God.

In about the middle of the book they have to face the Guardians. Not knowing that Ash is an halfling, just like Lilith was, Nick assumes the Guardians'd kill her on sight. But they have another agenda.

Still searching for a way to get Michael out of hell, Taylor, Lilith and Hugh are quite desperate and when Khavi has some visions, including Ash as one way to free him without the Gate breaking, they cling to it, at the same time trying to not sacrifice their ethics.

Where Lilith and Hugh already knew eachother and the rules, Ash and Nick are young - compared to 800 years or two milennia - and show the reader what it means to be a demon (or halfling) and a human in a world full of the supernatural crap.

Damn, If I Die. Okay, I'll stop, rewrite this review later and read If I Die now. *happy sigh* I'm soo excited!!

And if there weren't so many other great books to fill the gap between this novel and the one to come I might contemplate suicide.. Or at least something that'd put me in a coma until the book's release-date.. Okay.. No, I wouldn't. But it sounds very appealing.

- - -

[Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 whole thing. Michael's locked himself away from her, she can barely feel him any more - why? Because things must be worse than ever in the ice field. He still comes forward to protect her when she's in danger but he's sealed away and the field is certainly taking it toll big bloody dragon! Oh Michael, I'm so glad you're out of there but please come back to us Khavi is also front and centre with her crazy prophetic manipulation - I love every scene she's in. She still maintains Taylor will never love Michael - cannot wait to see how that one ends up
There's big changes in Caelum too!!

The core of the story though is Ash and Nicholas.

Ash has lost her memories. An inmate of the Nightingale Institute she's lost all emotion and knows she has to follow the rules that chain all demons. Escaping because she's curious about who she is she runs into Nicholas St Croix, the millionaire whose mother was killed and her place taken by a demon and is now as cold and supposedly emotionless as Ash is. He's now hellbent on revenge and Ash looks exactly like Rachel, a girl who sacrificed herself to save his life but never became a Guardian (big hints there).

They enter into a bargain, to find out who Ash really is and to track down the demon.

He soon discovers Ash acts nothing like a demon, she hates the word games and lies demons normally tell and has no desire to hurt him, in fact she is nothing by curious about his shadowed past. He keeps telling himself she's a demon but he believes it less and less.

As a couple they're no Hugh and Lilith with their 800 year epic, or Jake and Alice with their charm and twists, but they were interesting as they worked their way to emotions and had a nice big conclusion involving the ice fields!!!

Overall, not the best in the series but still 5 stars and massive anticipation for Michael's book

(Ooo one thing this book could have used though is Hugh having more than a two word vocab - I need more Hugh in my life (and Jake!))


"She just hoped to God that if he laugh had healed them, that it had helped Michael a little too"

"Was that a laugh? She hoped he hadn't hurt himself"

"We just want to quietly turn an asston of money into a fuckload"

"Mouth open in shock, Khavi shook her head. "I didn't see anything in it's future at all.""

"God. "He won't east a terrier puppy?"
"I asked Lilith, She said we should bring the puppy in during training, that it would do Sir Pup good to learn restraint.""

""And why wouldn't we? 2000 years, that's a lot of people who must have died around her. So what's one more person? It wouldn't mean anything, right? But I think that's where we went wrong. Because when you see all those people die - or just a few like the Boyles, like Rachel or your parents - then one more person isn't nothing."
"It's everything.""

[Estara · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 (the fact that Taylor had arranged herself with the situation but is driven beyond her limits of endurance in this novel is the evolution of this secondary plot and makes the last book quite worrisome to contemplate).

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 (I wish her parents could have been left alone, though). 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 - as is the fact that there is now a functioning love story between a real halfling and a guardian, not like Lily and Hugh who had to become human again to work out.

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.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! It really hit the spot! I went through a re-read of books 1-4 in this series earlier this year, and then continued on to books 5 and 6 after that. I purposefully delayed reading this one because I wanted to save it until closer to the release of Guardian Demon - only weeks away - YES!

After learning a bit about Nicholas St. Croix in the last book, I was not too terribly excited to read more about him. A cold, calculating, bitter man completely obsessed with revenge upon the demon who killed his parents, then took his mother's place and raised him, he did not seem as if he would make a good hero for a romance novel. Well, I shouldn't have doubted. His icy control just makes it all the more gratifying when cracks do begin to show. And that's all I'll say about that.

As for Ash, the other main character of this book, I just loved her. As always, Brook draws a stronger female than male protagonist, a trait I take very little issue with. Ash has spent the last three years in a mental institution, in a relatively catatonic state. She gradually begins speaking, but continues to be utterly lacking in emotional response, and in memory of her life before the institution. She eventually leaves, and begins pursuing clues of her identity... which lead her to St. Croix, and to the gradual rediscovery of memories and emotions.

I found the very fact of Ash to be just awesome, what a great tie-in to Demon Angel, where it all began, as well as to Lilith of course since she was also a halfling ! I also found Brook's use of both these characters and existing characters to be masterful. It's something that authors do at times, switching from one storyline to another (all in 3rd person), to both deepen the story and to heighten anticipation. Often, I find it frustrating, a little too cliffhanger-y. Well I think Brook does it exceptionally well. At no point did I think, geez I don't want to go read about her now... every time, I was excited to get back to each individual plot line, whether it was Nicholas and Ash, Lilith and Hugh (only morsels of them, but I love them so!), or Taylor, who honestly had the most page time other than the leads (because the next book is Taylor's, and Michael's). So anyway, superb editing, in the sense of page time between the different plotlines and building it all up to the points where everyone interacts together.

Overall, this series has just been so enjoyable and... smart. I really enjoy Brook very much, she is a very detail-oriented, meticulous writer who doesn't patronize her readers, and who doesn't re-state herself a million times, or get old and boring by rehashing her own stories over and over. This is smart, fun PNR. I CAN'T WAIT FOR Guardian Demon !!

[Bookaholics · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Wendy *Sebella Blue* Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Melinda VanLone · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 to be his mother. You can see how twisty this gets already, right?

The fun thing about this read was the male lead wasn’t completely Alpha, and the female lead was strong but with a lot of very real, human issues. There’s a few steamy moments but they do come later in the book. If you are looking for lots of sex scenes, this isn’t your book. If you are looking for an interesting story, check this out.

First Line: “Ash hadn’t meant to frighten the girl. She hadn’t even noticed the little blonde until after the subway train pulled away. The disembarking crowd quickly dispersed, leaving the underground platform empty but for Ash and a few other waiting passengers.”

I liked the first line. I immediately wondered who Ash was, and how she’d frightened a little girl. That kept me turning the page until I figured out that what scared the girl was Ash’s eyes, which had started to glow. Glowing eyes…cool! I read on, and was hooked.

This is not the first book in the series. Far from it, it’s the latest. So if you like to read a series from the beginning, start with Demon Angel. I haven’t read it, but it’s on my To Be Read pile as we speak.