| Title | : | Satan's Sword (Imp, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 376 |
| Publication | : | First published October 8, 2012 |
Samantha Martin is an imp, bound by an angel who allows her to live among the humans . . . as long as she follows his rules. It’s not easy for an imp to follow the rules, especially when Sam’s brother, Dar, finds himself in hot water. He needs her help to retrieve an artifact from the vampires, or the powerful demon he owes a favor to will enslave and torture him for centuries.
It should be a simple courier job, but with demons nothing is simple. Sam reluctantly attempts to help her brother, trying not antagonize the vampires or the demon gunning for him, all while chafing to comply with the restrictions her angel has placed on her as a bound demon.
Satan's Sword (Imp, #2) Reviews
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From time to time I need a break from serious books, literary fiction or not, and urban fantasy is my guilty pleasure. Satan's Sword is the 2nd volume from Imp series and it is a breath of fresh air in this overcrowded genre. Why? The main character is a demon who sometimes actually acts like one. There were some episodes in this book that made me uncomfortable (e.g. a sculpture made of bodies, a human hunt) but I also realized that it was what made this series different. The humor is great and it manages to make Sam's murderous temperament more palatable. I have some issues, obviously. My biggest problem is Wyatt's easy acceptance of his girlfriend's devilish behavior. I mean, a nice guy like him should run from Sam as fast as possible but he seems unfazed. Still, the series is fun and I plan to continue reading it.
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This is beginning to be the kind of series that's hard to put down
Yes, I know this gif has more than one meaning, but the series is hot!
I laughed a lot! And I'm falling for all these characters, from the Low demons to the despicable humans, they're all a great bunch. And well, happy to say that I also was a bit surprised by some certain turn of events, and you all know how much I adore surprises!
Only problem I found (why I couldn't give it the full 5 stars): the final battle was a bit rushed. It all ended so fast, I wanted more!
Still, can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series, really curious to see Sam evolve and become what I hope she'll become.
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3.5 stars
I should have loved this. Right now I should have been shouting from the rooftops about how much I love a badass heroine with zero filters and inhibitions. An imp that stirs shit up and watches it explode. But I am not. I don't really know why...
A book that has a demon dog and introduces a demon horse with an angel that has severe issues should have been one of my top reads of the year. I can't even find fault in the book. I can't say anything negative about it other than I was just plain uninterested in it.
And I can't figure out why. I should have been gripped. I should have been laughing at her antics and rooting for her underdog stature. I did none of that.
This is definitely a "it's me, not you" case so please don't let me stop you from giving this series a try. -
“Or you could take out your phone and we could play Words With Friends for your soul.”
The first was pure fun, unique and made me laugh aloud a few times, so I was happy to continue the series. The second isn’t as good for several reasons, but it’s still a fine follow-up that continues a strangely twisted, unique Urban Fantasy series world. It’s hard to put my finger on why I didn’t get into this one quite as much since the characters are the same (with growth) and the storyline is interesting, but I think a problem is that I saw some traits of the main character I found annoying and that the humor was weaker this time around.
The story is mainly Sam helping out her foster demon brother retrieve an artifact from vamps, and then having to do a mix-up with a few Elven races. There were some fun scenes in there that were hard to put down. Oh, and the demon brother is hilarious – the unique characters definitely keep me coming back to the story, that and how unique some of it is. Yes it’s twisted, but yes it’s fun!
The demon horse was epic, and with her dog the animals may as well steal the show.
Sam has a meaner side in this book – I knew it was around in the first book but it didn’t dominate the story as much. I’m confused on her being committed to Wyatt in her way, a character I actually like very much, but then turning around and doing so many others on the side suddenly. If I went by the first books rhythm and how she thinks about Wyatt when she’s with him, I find this interest in others surprising. The love triangle tangle with Gregory is just annoying. It’s a strong contender in this series that makes sure it stays as much in the mind of the reader as anything else going on in the story.
Wyatt is loyal and fun, so thankfully he’s around plenty even if I ended up feeling bad for him being paired with Sam. Sam being a different character was fun at first, but the mean and twisted side doesn’t work as well for me this time because I couldn’t relate to him. At least she doesn’t torment/kill one guy because he beats her at Angry Birds (yes, really!), but the ear eating scenes I could have done without.
I know a lot of people like Gregory and I do enjoy his scenes for the most part, but he mainly comes across as a dick that pisses me off. His superiority attitude doesn’t help me warm up to him, and if I were Sam I’d feel more like slapping him than the weird interdimensional sex thing.
Even if I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first, it was still a fun ride that made quick reading. Sam especially amused me with her music taste, tormenting Wyatt in the car with Journey and freeing herself by singing with the Elves. Ha.
But seriously, who doesn’t love Journey??? -
Satan's Sword (Imp Series Book 2) by Debra Dunbar is an awesome sequel to book one. Now our poor imp has to now deal with the angel trying to kill her, vamps and demons after her, trying to protect her territory, and get an artifact that has it's own ideas about things! Wow, she has one crazy story here and I loved every page! Humor, suspense, romance, action, fights, and giggles. My kind of book! On to book 3!
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4 bloodbath and asphyxia stars
I totally inhaled this one. I didn't even realise I had finished it until I hit the first page of the following book in my bundle. Ms Dunbar seems to be fond of closing a book in the middle of an action. Not exactly a cliffhanger, just something that you would expect to fully complete and bring you somewhere else, but she also starts the following book right on cue to this last action.
A very satisfying follow-up, considerably more violent, bloody and dark in mood. Many, many threads. There is mystery to solve, a possible serial killer to hunt down, a brother who's almost blackmailing Sam into a very dangerous object retrieval-and-drop and all sort of troubles casting off from these situations. We're introduced to the Vampires, more and more is shown and explained about the Elves' kingdoms and their practices and also about Sam's own Household responsabilities and routines, even two of her siblings are introduced. As if that wasn't enough, she adds a demon horse to her animal family and she finally unlocks her dog to his full, natural hellhound self.
Sam is still impulsive, reckless and antiestablishment with moments of wise cowardice, she spends more and more time practising with her powers, trying to learn control and gain new abilities, she breaks basically every single rule Gregory gave her, she even engages in a little killing spree and resulting piece of art made of bowels and bloody limbs. The Angry Birds challenge scene was a great touch, I filed it for whenver my kids will have to save their lives from an imp, they rock at Angry Birds. Another great scene was Sam totally trashing the Vampires' hot and trendy club and, just before that, the Halloween's customes try-outs, where we finally get to see Sam's first original demon form. All her interactions with the stubborn demon horse were also hilarious. Of course, she ended up making even more enemies and she's now become a target of a pretty pissed off demon of a higher category than she is. We get to see much more of her sadistic and pain loving preferences as well.
Even with all these funny bits, which were truly engaging and uplifting, I found there was something off with the pacing. Every time things were picking up, getting frantic and adrenalized the tension was somehow stopped, the action fractured and a lengthy, slower bit with explanations, internal monologues and/or slower dialogues was introduced instead. I love snarkiness, quick comebacks, absurd statements and actions, after all Sam is an imp, born for misschief, but sometimes she really doesn't say anything useful to the story and she tends to be too slow to see what's right on her face. For instance, the thread of the homeless people being kidnapped and killed was kind of a miss for me: it throws an interesting Ghost character in the mix, a child who manages to tug on Sam's sense of protection and it's the perfect excuse to free her dog Boomer from his restraints, but it took her way too long to take the killings seriously and to realise it's her duty to solve the problem, no matter by how many people and how many times before she had been asked to do something about it. The whole finding and ending the serial killer was anticlimatic, way too easy for a thread that dragged around for so long. All her dealings with the Vampires could have also been much more to the point. Less focus on her insolent attitude and observations and more focus instead on making these new characters somewhat deeper.
What I really liked though, and I think was the real theme of this instalment, was the emotional growth and the way all her relationships change and shift. She ends up with a title and a duty she would glady decline, I hope she will grow to fully own it. She takes great risks to help her brother. She keeps the werewolves close. She might be a demon, she might doubt demons are capable of love at all, but our imp experiences a lot of painful transitions this time. We see someone who has always felt deeply alone and empty, hence her need to devour and own, a hole that is seemingly still there no matter what, she feels terribly guilty and she's more and more possessive of Wyatt. More than that, she finally understands and admits that she does love Wyatt. She's sometimes still very condescending with him and doesn't fully understand him yet, nor he she, but he's so accepting of her and so supportive she can only bask in his warmth in all its glory. I loved the accumulation of all the intimate, tender bits between them that lead to that.
Of course that's not all. Her relationship with Gregory is also only getting deeper and more complicated, no matter how much in denial they both are. There's mentorship, attraction and doubt, a bond deeper than the actual tattoo, flagrant jealousy they won't aknowledge but, most of all, this call, this uncontrollable pull their energies have towards one another. The long scene were they end up having non-corporeal sex, a full fusion and a moment of true together-existance, was for me the best of the whole book. It was magical and hot like none of the alluded or desired sex going on in her life was. Gregory can be such an arrogant prick still, but this time we get to see also how infinitely seductive and burning he is when he is not all closed off behind century-old barriers and misconceptions. Trust and understanding are still an issue between these two, but Gregory is very willing to teach her and try to incite her to be more than what she thinks she is. I wonder how long it will take them to finally get THERE, I will love the ride. Her becoming the Iblis will force them to spend a lot of time together and I'm very excited to get to know more of the Angels at last. I'm sure she will mess with them all.
A final little remark on something that slightly bothered me: there's only one POC in her entourage and she happens to be from Haïti and of course she has an aunt who is a priestess? I hope this was not intentional, or maybe I'm too sensitive about these things. -
Stressful day? Need a bit of downtime? Check out this series.
It's fun, it's sexy, a little on the dark side (Sam strays into uncomfortable territory in this one), it's brilliant. Perfect escapism.
(No time for in-depth review, but you can see my review of the first book here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
Oh, almost forgot.
Gregory, the angel with issues. *sigh* I think Sam's rubbing off on him, literally and figuratively. -
This was even better than the first.
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4.5 Honestly, what I love about this series is Sam with Gregory. They have such chemistry that is difficult to ignore, though they both try. I secretly suspect they will become a couple at least as some point.
Sam is awesome too, she's a Demon who doesn't give a damn and I'm not entirely sure she is just a "lowly imp" like she claims, or thinks, I think she might be more.
This story revolves around Sam looking for an artifact, a sword, for Dar he foster brother. He seems to be in deep shit that basically Sam thumbs her nose at the guy forcing Dar to complete this by taking him and his household under hers, which also raises her status. It's funny to see her doing the things that were suggested or gossiped about such as going to lunch with the gate keeper lol too funny. So she goes on a merry chase for this sword while having to keep her nose clean so to speak lest Gregory comes down and kills her. There were some obvious clues in this one as to what we should expect Sam capable of. She is also showing more and more emotion and I'm not sure if it has to do with her tie to Gregory or her human body or what, but Sam is evolving.
Omg this is such a great series. I'm comparing it to Charley Davidson and all the mischief she gets into. Sam and Charley would get along famously... Sam is sarcastic, and has witty banter, but she is also violent, disruptive, and vulgar, but it's to be expected. Charley is sarcastic, has witty banter and gets herself into messes easily much like Sam. So in that respect you know it's going to be a good series.
As far as the romance goes, Wyatt is currently Sam's toy/boyfriend. But the relationship interactions I long to read are between Sam and Gregory, and no it's not a love triangle at least not in the you must chose me or him type of deal, at least not yet. But there is something there between Sam and Gregory and it's something that MUST BE EXPLORED lol. -
3.5 stars
This series has one of the best heroines ever - a demon who really is quite immoral generally but does have just enough morals to not completely turn off the reader. It's also quite funny. The only thing keeping me from rating this book higher is that the secondary characters are all kind of bland or unrealistic. I have a hard time believing that a human like Wyatt would be ok with his demon girlfriend killing people and having sex with other people. Also, I think an angel like Gregory would have a harder time with the same thing, yet he still is interested in Sam. But despite that, I'll keep reading because Sam is equally terrible and awesome. -
Rating 4.0 stars
I keep getting surprised at how much I like Sam. I started off reading this book thinking she was a interesting character and the more I read the more awesome she became. She is not just one thing. She is a very complex character. Yes, she is a demon and she still does some evil shit, but she doesn't do it like a normal demon. She is a practical joker, a friend, a lover. She is a bad-ass but at the same time overpowered by a lot of supernatural beings. She is learning how to deal with new emotions like love but she still wants to Own and kill.
The story starts off a few months after the end of the last book. Sam and Wyatt are together as boyfriend and girlfriend. They have sex all the time, but it is not front and center but behind closed doors. There was a lot of " we spent hours going over each others bodies" kind of talk or describing different weird types of sex they could have. Sam gets a message from her foster brother that he needs help. He needs Sam to help him get an artifact for another demon. The artifact is being held by vampires and they haven't been too helpful in turning over the item, despite saying that they didn't wan't it. The relationship between Sam and her foster brother was interesting. They liked each other and cared for each other, but they were both demons and always messed with each other and would stab each other in the back.
In the meantime there is Gregory. Sam is still having a hard time figuring out what he wants. Does he want to kill her? Tame her? Have sex with her? Gregory is a character I have a hard time understanding. I have read reviews from women who are just head over heals for Gregory (That's what I thought initially, but going back I only found 1 review that mentioned this. So I am just generalizing that many women would feel this way based off this one review.). I would think that women would be more interested in Wyatt. He will do anything for Sam and even thought she looked beautiful in her true form. He does feel inadequate at times and needs Sam to reassure him that he is important in her life which I know women hate. Gregory is the type of character that I feel most women fantasize about though. Someone that really isn't good for them and will cause them nothing but problems but they can't resist - like heroin. Feels awesome for a short time before it makes you feel like shit and isn't very good for you.
So which one is it ladies? Wyatt or Gregory? -
This series is wildly entertaining and the heroine is hilariously endearing for a demon. She's horrible, funny, loyal, demented, adorably mischievous, bloodthirsty and sometimes sweet. You tend to overlook her less than human qualities because she is, after all, unapologetically...a demon. Werewolves, ghosts, vampires, Angels, Demons, bloodhounds and demonic horses....oh my. None are written in a way we've come to expect. I am thoroughly enjoying this trope-less journey through demon town.
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★★★★★★ STARS
Book #2 confirms it. I have just found a new favourite series (along with Guild Hunter; Demonica w/spinoffs and stories from the Renegade Angels/Marked universe.)
Sam is a baby demon, a mere 1000 years old; bound (in some flawed way) by an old, powerful angel/demon slayer. She is not allowed to kill humans, or attract attention in the human realm, and certainly NOT accept breeding petitions powerful demons that would up her status in Hel. So what is an imp to do in Las Vegas alongside her most favoured human boyfriend? Certainly not turn humans into bloody, abstract art, or play Angry Birds for a human's soul, or deliver dog excrement at heaven's door. Unless she wants to end up in an angelic prison cell for eternity, that is. Then again, demons want a piece of her too, since she has managed to piss off several powerful entities high up in the hierarchy. Poor Sam is in quite a pickle.After all, sin is so very tempting to an imp. And then there is a certain powerful 'feather barrette' that all demons want, but will bring Sam a sh..load of trouble...
This book is such a fun read. I can't help but cheer her on as she shakes Gregory's angelic foundations. What started off as curiosity of her in-demonlike behaviour the first time they met is turning deliciously tempting for the both of them. (Although a certain exalted being is still in denial about that;-)) Can't wait to see her stir up more trouble in Aaru, Earth and Hel. And bondage sex would be fun too;-) Hey, don't blame me, blame Wyatt;-)
As for the new cover- perfection ♥ -
Awesome! It gets better and better!
The first character ever that kills without regrets and with a smile on her face. It reminds me of a Hollows series but with a twist.
I'm so glad I discovered it, yet I can't understand why it happened so late... This series is a non-stop action fun, why its not more popular?
I recommend with all my super-girl power!! :D
BEST QUOTES:
“Ewwww. I can’t believe you kissed her on the mouth. She just ate her finger, you know?” Candy choked out. Wyatt grinned. “Tastes like bacon.”
Candy was downright demonic when it came to planning, scheming, and working events to her advantage. She was also a werewolf. She had lied to me, manipulated and blackmailed me into helping her find and take out a rogue angel this past summer. I’d almost died. I liked her. Deviousness was a trait I valued in a friend.
“Okay, I would love to have sex in the tub.” “Sounds fun.” His hands moved slowly over my skin. I was encouraged by how he’d accepted my first form, by how quickly he’d accepted my assurances of what he meant to me. So I let it all out with uncharacteristic honesty. “A tub filled with blood. I can strangle you right before you orgasm. Not kill you, just suffocate you enough to give it that great edge. With a noose made of intestines. Maybe I’ll gnaw on the other end.” My voice trailed off as I imagined it all. I was so turned on. -
A good continuation of the story and improvement on the characters. I am really starting to like this series it has some really funny moments. I can't help but laugh at what this cheeky Demon is up to every now and then. I mean it's clear she doesn't really have a concept of a conscience. You have to be able to understand and deal wit the fact that this is Dark Fantasy Mixed with UF & PNR. It is just getting better and better. I have to be honest here, if I hadn't seen the title on some of the later books in the series,I may never have given this a chance. Or at least not in a long time. That would have been one hell of a mistake on my part. Because it really grows on you.
I am usually the type that goes and looks on reviews and opinions of others on GR before I read a book. I didn't do that with this one and I still haven't. I will do it after I've listened to all the available books. I want this experience to be just my own untainted by others opinions for once. Not saying I have never done this before. However as of late it feels like a few has been based on others reviews. That is not to say that I think doing so is always a bad thing. But sometimes it can make you dismiss a book out of hand.
So yeah you can all look forward to more reviews on the rest of the series as the days go by. -
This series extremely funny and the world building is original. The main character is entirely demonic, but it's impossible not to like her. She's violent, ridiculous, and unrepentant, the ultimate anti-heroine. This book is not a 'change of heart' book either, she a bad girl, but you can't help loving her. (After reading most of the series, I'd add that Sam has many changes of heart and moments of growth, but she stays consistently Sam throughout)
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4.5
This book had me lol'ing quite often. When Sam is trying to piss off the vamps, were some of my favorite parts. The vamp club scene was priceless. Not as much Gregory in this one, which was a good thing because it made Sam up her antics. Wyatt really proved his mettle in this book too. If you like a spunky, fun, and witty character you should give these a try! Can't wait to see what's in store for Sam now (especially after the "big event" in this one!). -
Re-read April 2017
Oooh Sam really shows that she does belong to the dark side in this one. I loved it.
Her impulsiveness and lack of any kind of moral is totally hilarious.
She is sometimes a bit like a teenager with their lack of a functioning "consequence calculator". -
I was on the fence about this series. I liked the first one well enough, but was unsure where they were going to go with it. I think the Sam is hilarious in a dark demonic way and her appreciation of Ted Bundy was very fitting. The only thing I was hesitant about is Wyatt. Iblike him as a character, but his moral compass, or lack of one is just a little strange to me. Sam's darkness is expected because it is her nature, but Wyatt's apathyjust feels off, for lack of a better word.
Now that the iblis is settled, I'm curious to see where this series goes. It has opened up a realm of new possibilities. -
Beware of spoilers ahead.
I gave this book 3 stars only because of Sams' interactions with Gregory and because I liked the idea of her becoming the Iblis. I was hoping for more Gregory/Sam time but considering that he and Sam had incorporeal sex together it was better then book 1.
The thing that really irritated me was Sam and her having sex with anything that moves despite her being in a committed relationship with Wyatt. In the begining of the book she has sex with Wyatt. Than her brother Dar visits her and they greet eachother by doing what... screwing of course and Wyatt fully knowing while thay're doing it. Later in the book Sam has incorporeal sex with Gregory... twice. Than she has to go to Atlantic City and while her boyfriend is in their room waiting for her, she goes to a bar in another hotel, finds a male that really resembles Wyatt in looks and guess what she does... have sex with him of course and than owning him even though owning is against Gregorys' rules.
Come on... I can understand a love triangle but this is too much. That is what ruined the book for me and why I didn't give it a higher rating. I don't know if I'll continue to read the series considering that I'll have to wait for Gregory and Sam to come to their senses for at least two more books :( -
I love this series! Samantha Martin is actually an Imp. A young (1000 year old) lower demon who, while not strictly evil, is not human and has a very different morality than humanity. She has been vacationing from Hel on earth for the last 40 years and after being bound by an angel has to at least pretend to toe the line. However her demon foster brother is in trouble with a seriously powerful demon and she has to recover an artifact from the Vampires. Easy courier job? What fun would that be?
Sam's powers are pretty amazing and as a devouring spirit she has the ability to store the energy of everything she kills, including other demons. She can hide her power from others but it is looking like she is a lot more powerful than just a lowly Imp. Smart and having no qualms about doing whatever it takes to protect herself and those she cares about makes for a fun romp. Immediately started book 3. -
Reread May 16th, 2020
This is my third time reading this book, and it doesn't get old! Sam is a riot as usual, off and generally wreaking havoc (not in that particular order). All in all, Satan's Sword is a damn fun time, and if you liked book one, I'd totally recommend it. Onto book three! -
I still have no idea who the target audience is for these series. Writing style is not amusing, tempo is fast but at the same time it seems like not enough stuff happens. Whenever the main character is anywhere close to dying or in any danger something miraculous happens no matter if it is highly improbable, you can be sure the imp will get out of it in one piece, happy and snarky. You would expect demons to be dark creatures, but turns out they are just a whiny, annoying bunch. Still have no idea if I dislike it so much because of the person reading it in audiobook.
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What I loved
Sam's take it or leave it attitude. She is a demon. She likes sex, brutal murder, and getting on people's nerves. And she has zero shame about any of it. How refreshing! :)
What could've been left out
I don't understand the hiccup with Wyatt. She is just pretending to be something she isn't with him. He is holding her back.
What I am hoping for in the next installment
Angel Sex. Wyatt goes bye bye. More demons and ass kicking. Less ear chewing. -
Great book!
Laughed throughout book as the characters are genuinely funny. You will definitely fall in love with them. Engaging story too. -
I am inhaling this series! Loving it to bits!
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Imp Series Books 1-3 Debra Dunbar
First, I’m not too fond of books, TV series, or movies that manipulate me into thinking a protagonist is justified in killing because his victim is a bad person. Now we’re not talking self-defense. We are talking stalking and killing.
So, having said that, I was reluctant to start a series where the protagonist is a demon. I have been conditioned through my addiction to fantasy to believe that Demons are most certainly the antagonist. But I clicked the Look Inside button, and after reading a few pages, I decided to take a chance.
Now, I’m not particularly eager to spoil the plot by regurgitating it in its entirety in a review. So I’m going to tiptoe around the plot subtleties.
Suffice it to say our protagonist does like to kill, gets great joy from it. She craves it. After all, she is a demon. And because of this lust for killing, I was very close to abandoning it several times.
But…and this is a very big but, I enjoyed this series for the most part. Well, except for those points mentioned above.
I found myself chuckling over Sam’s antics and, at times, even her alien morality. Did I like Sam? Not particularly. But I did find she could be entertaining at times.
Debra Dunbar is just plain funny. Not in a ridiculous or slapstick way, mind you, but her characters are well developed and have explicit attributes.
Thus, if you decide to take a chance and dive into this series, just be aware, if you’re anything like me, there will be times that you may find yourself both unsettled and perhaps tempted to abandon ship. However, I did finish all three, and I intend to move on to volume four.
Shelley Lee Riley - Author of Casual Lies - A Triple Crown Adventure and the debut fantasy novel - Into Madness. -
I really should dislike the main character and her boyfriend, but she's just hilarious. And kind of likable - reminding me, kind of, if Stephanie Plum was mixed with a sociopathic demon and her boyfriend was a bizarro version of "Diesel" (from the Stephanie Plum 'between the numbers'... )
That's the only comparison I have that most readers will understand what I mean.
So she's nuts, but really likeable. Good plot. Quick read. There are not a billion threads that you have to keep track of, so you can pick up the book halfway through weeks later and remember the gist of what's going on.
I'm still at a loss to describe why her boyfriend puts up with the insanity/horror of her and her life- I hope the rational is revealed at some point or else I'm going to be very annoyed.
5 stars for the laughter. Give me sexy and funny, and I'm yours. -
4.5 Stars
Satan's Sword is the sequel to A Demon Bound and begins eight weeks after the first book ended. Samantha Martin (Sam) remains bound to the head enforcing angel of the region, Gregory. He's still not sure why he's letting her live, considering he has killed every other demon he's ever met, but it probably has something to do with the annoying feelings he's having for her. To combat this, he's been avoiding her since their last confrontation in A Demon Bound. Sam knows he could change his mind at any time, so she's trying not to push her luck by following most of his strict rules. As an imp, though, she can't help but test him with minor infractions every once in awhile.
Now she has a new problem. Her brother, Dar, needs her to pick up an ancient artifact he has agreed to obtain for a high-level demon. The vampires are holding it and not making it easy to retrieve despite their supposed willingness. With no little amount of reluctance, Sam agrees to get it for him. With the way things go for Sam, though, it doesn't take long before she's into a much bigger mess than she anticipated. Keeping up with Gregory's rules (that allow her to stay alive) are going to be almost impossible if she wants to get the artifact and prevent her brother from ending up with a whole lot of pain and punishment for failure.
I loved this latest installment for the series. It was every bit as fun as the last one. As an imp, Sam can't help but do a lot of naughty things (toss chewed up gum on the sidewalk, make a bar full of people crave chicken wings, etc). I wouldn't call her cruel, but she is definitely a trouble maker. With the vampires not being very cooperative in handing the artifact she needs over, she certainly makes their lives difficult in the most humorous ways. While this might seem like her behavior makes the story a bit too light-hearted, this is amazingly not the case. I have been impressed by the depth included throughout it as well. The plot is strong and believable (for fantasy anyway) and has all the right elements to push it along. With what seems like little effort, the author portrays the characters in a way that makes you care and understand their motivations.
For those that have read the first book, you'd remember Sam began a relationship with Wyatt. He's the hunky guy who lived next door for years before the two finally hooked up. Their relationship grew into something serious in Demon Bound and continues to evolve in Satan's Sword. It isn't without its difficulties, though, because Wyatt has his own moral code (flimsy as it may be) and doesn't always agree with some of the things Sam does. Plus he doesn't like being left out of the action (never mind that he is human and much more vulnerable). To make matters more difficult, Sam has a very strong attraction to Gregory and Wyatt is rather jealous of it. You could call this a love triangle, but Wyatt and Gregory are so very different that it's almost impossible to say they are competing against each other. The attractions are totally different so it's not even really a competition. I'll admit I've gotten a bit tired of the standard triangle that pops up in almost all urban fantasy, but this one really works and with time I think it can be made into something natural. There's no easy way to explain this, but if you read the book you'll get what I mean.
Another strong element to the novel is seeing how Sam is evolving as a person. Back when she lived in Hel (yes, with one L), it was natural to fight, kill, and do horrible things to others. She probably didn't even know how to be good until coming to the human realm. After forty years of trying to stay off the radar with the angels, she's learned how to behave, but doing good and charitable acts has remained beyond her. Except now she's bound to an angel and a piece of him is inside of her. Not just that, but she has a human boyfriend and close friends (of the non-demon variety) who do their best to steer her toward being a better person. Sam might be fighting it, but it's clear to this reader that her new feelings of guilt are changing her in a good way. I don't think she'll ever stop being naughty, that's just a part of her nature, but I do believe her moral code is strengthening and will continue to do so.
There are many more great things I could say about this novel/series. The world building is unique and in depth (without being overly so). Pacing is excellent without any dull or slow moments. The humor is natural and never seems forced. The idea of having a main female character from hel who is also a slum lord is fun and original. I loved watching how Sam handles her role as one of the most powerful beings in the area (compared to other supernaturals) while also handling all her properties and human tenants. You can definitely see the author has an end game in mind as to where Sam's life is going between all this, but the ride to getting there is not going to be so predictable. The only complaint I really have is the occasional typo (they weren't too frequent) and a formatting issue that put over half the novel in italics (on my iPad). The writing was so good, though, that this was only a minor annoyance.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next novel due out sometime early next year and will be picking it up as soon as it is. For those wanting comparable titles, I'd say the closest would be the Georgina Kincaid Series. The main characters are quite different, especially since Sam is an imp and Georgina is a succubus, and the world building varies but readers who enjoy one series will probably enjoy the other as well.
