Review of Releasing the Demons by L.D. Rose

One of the things I love most about blogging and writing book reviews is I get to [digitally] meet new people -- fellow bloggers, other bookworms, and of course, authors. At this point, I'm still not used to the fact that authors personally reach out to me to get their work read and reviewed. It's such a humbling and flattering experience and one that I will never take for granted.

With that said, we are here for the review of Releasing the Demon, book one of The Order of the Senary by author L.D. Rose. She reached out to me a couple of weeks ago, asking me to read and write an honest review of Black Bullet, which is the second instalment in the same series. I, however, ended up falling in love with the first book and decided to share my thoughts on this paranormal romance novel.

So let's jump to it.

Title: Releasing the Demons (The Order of the Senary #1)
Author: L.D. Rose
Publication Date: August 19th, 2015
Published by: Soul Mate Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Copy Given by Author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26063603-releasing-the-demons

SYNOPSIS:

Blaze Knight has been through hell and back, but the nightmares aren't over yet.

Five years after Blaze was maimed by Cyrus Chimola, a powerful vampire with a penchant for torture, he's still trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. As a genetically engineered mercenary with the ability to bend fire to his will and to see in infrared, Blaze's mission is to protect what's left of humanity. When Chimola and his crew return to the Bronx gunning for Blaze's blood, Blaze is forced to face the demons of his past. Hell-bent on revenge, he seeks the help of Valerie Medeiros, an NYPD detective who manages to steal his heart and save his life in more ways than one.

Motivated by her sister's gruesome death, Valerie has made it her life's goal to bury every vampire in the ground where they belong. When she brings in Blaze Knight for suspected murder, she discovers he's not only innocent, he isn't a man at all-he's a half-vampire hybrid working with a band of brothers for the U.S. military. Valerie has a hard time trusting anything with fangs, yet she quickly falls headlong into Blaze's life, a life full of darkness and horror she can't even begin to fathom. The bodies are stacking up, but Valerie can't seem to let go of this hybrid, a beautiful monster filled with pain, rage, and passion unlike anything she's ever known.

In a world where the line between good and evil is blurred, Blaze and Valerie will find danger at every turn, risking everything they've come to know and love, including one another.

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

Blaze Knight is a good man with questionable methods. He's been "gifted" with a power that made him a target for years and even tortured for months, at one point. Ever since then, he's been hell-bent on ridding the world of vampires as much as he can, even if he loses himself in the process. That is until a brave detective brought him to his knees, literally, and his infrared world just got a whole lot brighter.

Valerie Madeiros is a brave, motivated, and honourable woman. Despite his lack of supernatural powers, she still aims to fight and kill vampires and to protect the human race as much as she can. Anyone who destroys bloodsuckers is on her side, as far as she's concerned. But when she discovers that her mysterious vigilante is more complicated than she thought, her brain and heart are thrown for a loop.

REVIEW:

Releasing the Demons is set at a time when the world is overpowered by vampires. Basically, the only thing keeping people safe is shutting themselves in when the sun sets, and not inviting bloodsuckers in your home. A reasonable strategy, but not good enough. That is where our protagonists come in.

Valerie works for the NYPD -- yes, the police force still exists and they are, as far as I can tell, on the good side. During the day, she's busting her ass off figuring out where the vamp dens are and reading up on her favourite vigilante, and at night, she tries to rid the city of as many monsters as possible. On the other hand, Blaze and his brothers hunt all over New York City to eliminate as many vampires as possible. With their abilities, strength, and dedication, killing a hundred of the beasts is the norm. But then an old foe of theirs, namely Blaze, made itself known again by killing people so freakin' brutally and sending our hulk friend a message.

This is where it gets really interesting for me. I've never been one to shy away from violence and gore, so I was elated because the author didn't hold anything back when she wrote graphic scenes. Yeah, I guess that's one thing you guys need to know: If you're squeamish, this book might not be for you. Anyway, L.D. Rose managed to balance the bloodiness by only adding gruesome scenes when they're essential to the story.

The writing style as a whole really appealed to me. There's a good amount of humour without going over-the-top, and the action scenes are intense but not overplayed. The romance between Blaze and Valerie isn't sickeningly sweet too, which is fantastic because again, there are bigger issues to focus on. I also like that the author created a strong female character who is willing to put her life on the line and fight monsters even though she only has her gun, guts, and determination. However, despite the lack of super strength or super speed, and with her newfound beau being a hybrid and all, she's not at all interested in being a vampire herself! No offense Bella Swan. She's good with what she's got and she manages just fine as a human.

Now the chemistry between Blaze and Valerie was slow burning. There was no love at first sight. No I-just-knew-he-was-the-one-when-I-first-laid-eyes-on-him crap. And I loved that! There was a sense of realism. I would be remiss if I don't mention though that the love scene was intense AF. It's short but oh so sweet. Doesn't take away from the heaviness of the story at all.

The plot of Releasing the Demons is actually quite interesting. I mean, what would happen to the world if supernatural beings do take over? How would we survive? How would the economy function? What will the government do? Those are some of the questions raised by this novel. Now, to be honest, the author didn't divulge much into the technicalities of things -- like what's happening to the rest of the world apart from New York, and how do people make a living -- and I would love for her to hint on that on future instalments. But that's not what the story is about, I think. At least not at this point. I believe, however, that as the series goes farther along, it would be interesting to see more realistic elements come into play. Again, like the government making themselves known, maybe seeing some regular people trying to fight back, something along those lines.

SUMMARY:

Overall, Releasing the Demons is a well-written book that seems to be a solid foundation for an excellent series. I look forward to reading more of the authors work and I do recommend this to bookworms who like a little action and fantasy alongside their romance.

RATING:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

L.D. Rose is a neurotic physician by day, crazed writer by night, and all around wannabe superhero. She writes dark paranormal romance and urban fantasy, but she’s been known to delve into horror, sci-fi, and medical suspense on occasion. L.D. Rose is a PAN member of the RWA, FF&P, NEC-RWA and CoLoNY. She currently lives in Rhode Island with her studly hubby, her hyperactive Boxer, and her two devious cats.

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