The Demon Lover (Fairwick Chronicles, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Aug 10, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

In the UK, The Demon Lover is published under the author's real identity, Carol Goodman and the title Incubus while it has been published under a pseudonym and retitled in the US. The Demon Lover is not much of a departure from Goodman's usual themes combining paranormal and gothic elements with mystery and romance in a small college town setting. In fact if you read the synopsis of her works like The Seduction of Water and Arcadia Falls the only real difference is that the protagonist of The De In the UK, The Demon Lover is published under the author's real identity, Carol Goodman and the title Incubus while it has been published under a pseudonym and retitled in the US. The Demon Lover is not much of a departure from Goodman's usual themes combining paranormal and gothic elements with mystery and romance in a small college town setting. In fact if you read the synopsis of her works like The Seduction of Water and Arcadia Falls the only real difference is that the protagonist of The Demon Lover, Callie McFay, is slightly younger than her heroines typically are.
I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book and I discovered there is a lot to like about it. The prose is lyrical and atmospheric, the myths are an interesting blend of cultural folklore and legends and it is layered with side and sub plots that add depth to the story. The only issue was I almost missed out on discovering the appeal of The Demon Lover because it took at least a third of the book to find its momentum. Initially I was captivated as the author established the story and her protagonist amongst a slightly sinister, yet appealing, setting. I enjoyed the gothic tropes (the orphan, the old house that almost seems to breathe, the unsuitable sexual tension) but then it began to drag quite badly, I distinctly remember checking my progress and despairing at being almost half way through and nothing of any note had happened yet. I think partly because I didn't find Callie a particularly strong character and I thought her personality was largely quite cold and self involved. There were times when self denial was stretched a little too thin, particularly for a woman who had studied folklore for years... an active dream life can only explain away so much. To be honest I found many of the other characters more interesting than Callie.
Anyway, I willed myself to continue in the hope that when the story finally came into it's own, it wouldn't disappoint..and I was right but it shouldn't have been so difficult to get there. At 432 pages the loss of 100 pages in the first half would not have been missed. Moving into the story where secrets are uncovered and revealed and the characters finally take action, of one sort or another, I succumbed once again to the fantasy. There are one or two twists that are not really a surprise but tie some threads up neatly while leaving the author plenty of room to move forward into a second book.
For me, The Demon Lover inspires mixed feelings, there is so much about it that is compelling yet my concerns with the pacing and characterization were strong detractors from my enjoyment. I can't whole heartedly recommend it, yet I think I will be easily tempted to read the next book in the series and in the meantime I would like to read one of the author's other titles mentioned above. ...more

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Feb 13, 2012 PM rated it liked it

3.5 stars
My reaction to the opening pages of this book were certainly tainted by the fact I had just finished reading Jane Eyre. Page 1 reads like a poor knock-off. Fortunately, I didn't put the book down at that point, because it turns out, it was intended to be just that - a portion of a manuscript by a 1930's writer of bodice-ripping romance novels. I'm so glad I continued reading, because it is well written with an unique and unpredictable storyline. If this book lacked anything it was is in ...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Lisarenee rated it really liked it

"...I saw him. The fairytale prince from my teenaged dreams. With him came the scent of honeysuckle and salt air I remembered from those dreams and the longing I'd always felt. He stood on the threshold between shadow and moonlight, where he always hesitated...
He stepped forward into the moonlight."

"I could see the places the moonlight touched: the plane of one cheekbone as his head tilted sideways, a lock of his hair falling over his brow, the blade of his shoulder. Each piece of him took "...I saw him. The fairytale prince from my teenaged dreams. With him came the scent of honeysuckle and salt air I remembered from those dreams and the longing I'd always felt. He stood on the threshold between shadow and moonlight, where he always hesitated...
He stepped forward into the moonlight."

"I could see the places the moonlight touched: the plane of one cheekbone as his head tilted sideways, a lock of his hair falling over his brow, the blade of his shoulder. Each piece of him took shape and weight as the moonlight touched it. It was as if he were made of shadow and the moonlight was the knife sculpting him into being, each stroke of the knife giving him form...and weight."

She thought she'd dreamed him...
She thought things that go bump in the night weren't real...
Well, you know what they say--two wrongs don't make a right.

After graduating from college with a PHD, Cailleach (pronounced Kay - lex) McFay, was keeping her job options open. Unlike most new graduates, she had an ace up her sleeve. She'd written a book called 'Sex Lives of the Demon Lovers' and the book had caused her name to get out there. The book had been based off her thesis which had been entitled, 'The Demon Lover in Gothic Literature: Vampires, Beasts, and Incubi'. Fairwick College had a folklore department like no other, and that is what attracted Callie to it. When she went for the interview her plan was to hold off for an offer from her alma mater, New York University. Somehow, after one night in the tiny Catskill village of Fairwick, she'd made up her mind to stay. That was before she realized dreams can come true or should I say can be true???

This book wasn't at all what I expected--it was more. Juliet Dark did a great job of setting up the groundwork of the world which she is creating for the series. A small college, hidden away in the Catskills mountains has a big secret. It's populated not only by humans, but supernatural beings as well. Additionally, it contains the only doorway left to the world of Faerie. As this is the first book of the series, I'm hoping one of the next books will delve into the land of Faerie.

I loved the heat created between Callie and her demon lover. Some of those love scenes were extremely hot. I couldn't help but grin when Callie (aka Cailleach) tells him, "You've got a lot to learn about woman, pal. There's more to love than being good in the sack." His response equally had me grinning as she found the words 'What more?" written in salt. I found it interesting that while Callie would love to trust her dream lover, she finds it difficult to do so because of all the lies associated with incubi which exist in folklore. To get at the truth she'll have to cut through all the lies and will second guess herself. She'll have to figure out who to trust and what to believe.

While the relationship between Callie and her demon lover take center stage during a fair portion of the book, there is more to it than just a romance. There are many secondary characters in the book who are interesting as well. They range from a Faerie queen, to vampires, to a student from a cursed family. Callie's grandmother, who raised her after her parents died is also intriguing. It's seems nothing is as it appears, and the decision to work at the college will change Callie's life forever. She'll learn things about herself, her family, and the world she may never have known if she hadn't decided to go to the Fairwick.

I liked the secondary story which is about a fictitious author named Dahlia LaMotte. She lived in Honeysuckle House years before Callie did. One of the things that added to Callie's wish to live in Honeysuckle House was that fact she'd have access to all of Dahlia's papers, even those that were never published. Many of Dahlia's stories revolved around a demon lover. While going through Dahlia's papers she realizes her demon lover may have been around for a very long time.

Another thing included in the book that tickled my fancy were mentions of authors Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. I used to read their books when I was younger. Victoria Holt, incidentally has a book entitled 'The Demon Lover'. Hmmm... Could these be authors that inspired Juliet Dark's own writing?

The demon lover is not at all what I expected. I liked him more than I would have thought and found myself wishing Callie would/could trust him. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. It came too soon, and I had so many unanswered questions. Luckily, this is the first book in a series. Yay! I hope the second book will include more of the demon lover. He had a story for which I'd like to find out more about. He was once human but captured and kept in Fairie.

On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earns a SHOWER rating - a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 roses. I thoroughly enjoyed world Ms. Dark created and the story kept me enraptured from the moment I picked it up.

If you like this review, please visit my blog at: www.seducedbyabook.com ...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Kristina rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1st-in-series

My Thoughts: I wasn't as taken with the demon lover part of this book as I was with everything else. I became much more interested in the story once he was not the main focus. I found myself wanting more of the town and its people. From the Fey, Brownies, Nocturnals to the creepy forest with its doorway the Borderlands/Fairy, I was hooked.
While I want to know more about the different factions of witches and how Callie will get by living in both worlds I'm still not sold on the romance part of th ...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Lily E rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, arc

Fine book with an interesting And captivating storyline. Some twists And turns keep up the pace. The only thing I disliked was the ending, although it leaves me wondering if there isn't going to be a sequel. ...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Mafi rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, eng

O meu problema com o livro acabou por ser a densa informação que a autora colocou na obra. O livro acaba por ser páginas e páginas e páginas de texto corrido com a introdução de cenários místicos e personagens fora de série e chegou a uma certa altura que parecia que não saía dali: da introdução! Acabei por me fartar e ler o livro na diagonal, ficando a perceber muito pouco do que aconteceu mas também já nem me importava com nenhum plot.

Opinião completa: http://cronicasdeumaleitora.blogspot.... ...more

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