REVIEW: Demon Moon by Meljean Brook

Series: The Guardians

Author Website

Summary:

Book 3 in the Series

Savitri Murray finds herself in the airplane with a nosferatu, which is hell bent on blowing itself up and taking down all the passengers with it. Hatching a dangerous rescue plan, Savi succeeds in saving everyone and incapacitating the nosferatu until the proper authorities arrived, however, in the process, she discovers herself developing powers above that of humans. And then there is Colin Ames-Beaumont, a vampire who was more than a vampire, a vampire whose beauty and vanity are his only consolation against the terror that he sees in the mirror and who draws her like no other man.

Review:

Fascinating. Ms. Brook's worldbuilding is rich with details, fully fleshed-out and believable. I don't believe I've read a vampire story quite like hers.

Right from the start, I was sucked in into the story with the action in the plane. There was no boring moment, what with nosferatu and wyrmwolves and demons, along with a motorcycle-riding Guardian and halfling demon, and the ever-sizzling chemistry and denial between Colin and Savitri. These two screamed lust and sex every time they met, and the ensuing dance they engaged in builds the sexual tension until I felt like screaming. Both Colin and Savitri are complex characters with lots of baggage, and this made their coming together and their desperation to stay together all the sweeter and more poignant.

And did I mention I love the cover? Gorgeous! Savitri is absolutely sexy, and that costume! Wow! I don't usually drool over a woman. And Colin...*sigh* Need I say more? Never could you find a vampire--or a man--more vain or more beautiful, yet, he remains charming and likeable. The way he obsesses over Savi and loves her...*sigh* I think someone mentioned this before, wherein, as a vampire, he needs to feed from different humans, usually women, which would usually include the bloodlust and sex. Savi asked him if he was capable of being faithful, and his answer was, "If I could, Savi, it would be you."

Sigh. (I seem to be sighing a lot in this review.)

I know some have complained about the cover not being accurate, because Savi was described by Colin as having caramel skin, and well, you'd think her coloring in the cover would be darker than Colin's, as she is after all, half-Indian. But, I don't have a gripe with the cover, as in my experience, most covers don't accurately depict the main characters anyway.

Colin is portrayed as a vain man, but he is by no means shallow, for beneath his vanity lies a great fear. In my opinion, his and Savi's romance is one of the best I've read. I love the angst, and the desperation with which they find ways to stay together is enough to make me weep.

I have to say though, that while I love--absolutely looooove--the concept and the story, I have a hard time keeping up with the way Ms. Brook wrote the story. I find myself getting lost at places in the book, wondering what was happening and what the hell are they talking about, and rereading pages just to understand. I can't seem to be in tune with the characters who jumped to conclusions or thoughts I have difficulty following. There are also scenes in the book that I don't understand, but I just passed it over, as I was eager to read on. It's either the author or me, but I picked up this book because bloggers have gushed over her books, so I guess it's me.

Also, I haven't read the novella Falling For Anthony, or the book after that Demon Angel, so I don't know if the lack of background knowledge contributed to my slow understanding, or Colin and Savitri are really just smarter than me.

(Update: I've gone to read some more reviews, and I'm happy to note it's not just me. Other reviewers have found the same problems in reading this book, as I've listed in the past two paragraphs, and apparently, in the previous book as well, i.e. Demon Angel.)

Despite my complaints, I still enjoyed this book, and would recommend it, if you don't mind the author's writing style, because it's a hell of a lot meatier than other vamp books out there. Now, I'm thinking whether I should stop here or go on reading, you know, get the first two books, read Demon Moon again and get the next one after that.

Book Rating: 4.0