SPOILER ALERT if you haven't read Damnation Marked

So Elise died and came back to life as a black-haired, smooth-skinned, physically-perfect supernatural creature. Yes, she's now a demon. But she's no ordinary demon because she's now known as "Father". How did that come to be? Well that happened around the same time she humped the real father demon and they exchanged blood. Awesome, eh?

Title: Dire Blood (Descent #5)

Author: S.M. Reine

Publication Date: December 28, 2012

Genre: 

Source: Bought

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16209489-dire-blood

SYNOPSIS:

Elise Kavanagh died while killing the mother of all demons, and her fight should be over. But nothing is ever that easy where the Godslayer is concerned. Elise has been resurrected--and she came back as a demon.

Now the most powerful witch in the world, James Faulkner, has been dragged to Hell and accused of violating an ancient treaty. The punishment is eternity in Hellfire. Elise is the only one who can save him. But it means following him into Hell to face inhuman urges, the secrets in her past, and the horror in her future.

The Godslayer's fight isn't over yet. It's only just beginning...

PURCHASE LINKS: 

Amazon

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

Elise Kavanagh is now the very thing she's sworn to kill. However, other demons see her as something more--they see her as their "Father". But she doesn't care about that. All she's interested in doing is rescuing the love of her life and ending the reign of the current leader of one of the most powerful places in hell.

James Faulkner is sad, confused, and desperate. He lost the woman he has sworn to protect, and there's nothing he can do to fill the gaping hole in his heart. But he's taken on a very unwelcome ride and now he must fight... and do what he is destined to from the very beginning.

REVIEW:

I loved Elise in all the other books but I love her all the more now! She's stronger, fiercer, and frankly, more important. Dire Blood is told in different POVs but there's a lot of James time here. I liked that because we get to see the side of him that is madly in love with Elise. The part of him that feels empty without his "other half". 

There are also new characters introduced in this book--characters who are very important in the entirety of the story. We have Nathaniel, James' son and Belphegor, the... I'm not allowed to say just yet, to name a few. Elise's parents are also here, finally! Let me tell you though, you might not like them all that much. 

As usual, this part of the series offers lots of action and gore, just like all the others. We also begin to learn more about the truth behind Elise's story. A bit of a spoiler, we will get to see something that we've all been waiting for since book 1. I'm sure you already have an idea of what it is, but before you start rejoicing, the end will just. Break. Your. Heart.

What didn't I like? Well, it's more of who didn't I like. There are a lot of characters in this book I'd very much like to personally kill in a very brutal way. I won't name names but there are a lot.

SUMMARY:

I give Dire Blood 5 stars because, for me, this is where the real story begins. Trust me, people, you will not want to miss out on the next parts.

RATING: 

Book image from Goodreads

Have you read Dire Blood? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share it in the comment section below.

This is one of my favorite books in the entire series. To say that S.M. Reine came back from the small disappointment caused by Dark Union is a huge understatement. This...this...this...GAH! I just loved it! The confusion, heartache, loneliness, love, pain, and loss. It's just a roller coaster ride of horrible feels and I loved it!

SPOILER AHEAD!

Title: Damnation Marked (Descent #4)

Author: S.M. Reine

Publication Date: November 3, 2012

Published by: Red Iris Books

Source: Bought

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13007263-damnation-marked

SYNOPSIS:

There's something in the earth deep below Elise Kavanagh's territory. A shadow is falling upon local demons to devour their flesh and harvest their souls. And it's coming for Elise next.

The Union has an easy way out. They want to send Elise into hiding again with her former partner, James Faulkner. All she has to do is surrender the territory and trust that they can protect the ethereal ruins, the dark gate, and the city she's come to know as home.

Greater powers have other plans for Elise and her fabled power as Godslayer--plans that mean surrendering her life and blood to the most powerful demon alive. But if she descends, there's no turning back. Once she gazes into the abyss, it will gaze back into her... and Elise will be damned forever.

PURCHASE LINKS: 

Amazon

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

Elise Kavanagh now holds more responsibility than what she bargained for. Now in charge of keeping things on the up and up in Reno, she's always making sure that everyone is protected from "the shadow". She's also starting to get kind of tired from...everything. She might have many people helping her succeed now, but she still feels so alone and lost. But her need to save mankind wins over and gives her the strength she needs...even if it is for the last time. 

James Faulkner's past and present is starting to collide and he's not sure if that's a good or bad thing. What he does know is that he must convince Elise to leave Reno if they want a chance to survive. He's both very worried and frustrated with Elise now, especially since she's pushing him away. If only he can hold on to her...before it's too late. 

REVIEW:

Okay. First things first, Elise is DEFINITELY KICKASS HERE!! That's what I was talking about. The no b.s. and no-nonsense woman who is willing to go deep deep down the earth to protect the people of this world. But more of me gushing about her later. For now let me talk about the "people" (and I use that word lightly, considering...) I loved more in this book. 

Neuma, the ever so loyal nightmare who just wants to protect their territory and help Elise as much as she can. She's just such an awesome character, and the dynamic that she has with Elise is just fan---tastic! She's probably the only part-demon who can give Elise crap without losing her life. 

Nukhail. Ah. The confused angel who hates Elise just as much as he loves her. He would do anything she asks without even batting an eyelash, even give his life away...and all he asks for in return is to see her smile. 

Thom -- oh, Thom. Why art thou so devilishly irresistible? Oh wait...that's because you are grandpa demon. But seriously, there's a scene that he shares with Elise and it was just...*KABOOM!!

Going back to my Elise obssession; she really made up for the lack of kickassery in Dark Union. We get to really see her in action, fighting big bad demons and stuff. There were also moments where we see her soft side, which is totally loveable. She tries to save someone who she considers important in her life, but when she fails, she just decided to grant (secret) wish. We also see her as a woman with needs and loneliness that she tries so hard to fill. The dynamic between her and James have also shifted, but when push comes to shove, she shows her love for him without any reservation. 

"Still?" -- "Always."

Onto the story; we get to [officially] meet the father and mother demon. They're not married, no -- they're siblings. And they're really powerful. Elise is really no match if she were to fight the battle alone, which she prefers now, to be honest, because she doesn't want more people who mean something to her to die. Thom helps her out, but only because he has an agenda -- which is not at all hidden. I loved how dark and dangerous this book is. It has drawn me from the very first page and refused to let me go until I've finished it. I felt loads of sadness, heartbreak, pride, and fear. 

When this HUGE thing happened to Elise, I feel like people didn't exhibit the proper emotions. It hurts me to think they didn't give her the credit that she deserved especially since she did prevent the demon queen from killing everyone.

SUMMARY:

I absolutely loved Damnation Marked. I give it 5 stars, no questions asked. This book changes everything from this point on, and things won't ever be the same again. I can't wait to share my review of the remaining books with you guys.

RATING: 

Book image from Goodreads 

Have you read Damnation Marked? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share it in the comment section below.

James - 1 and Elise - 1. What am I counting? The number of times they've died. But in terms of who's saving who, James is obviously losing. A quick recap of some things that happened in The Darkest Gate: Elise and James, along with Anthony and Betty, had to fight two opponents; one a giant spider who rules Las Vegas and the other an aspis-kopis pair with a need for vengeance. On the process, Betty died, Anthony avenged him by killing her killer, Elise also dies because He almost got her, Thom brought her back to life, Elise and James suddenly shared this weird and intimate connection, and Elise is even more dedicated to protect the world.

So basically, nothing much happened, eh? So what of the Union? Let me introduce you to the group of people I hate the most. Oh, by the way, there is not a lot of James in here. Probably for the best though.

Title: Dark Union (Descent #3)

Author: S.M. Reine 

Publication Date: July 21, 2012

Published by: Red Iris Books

Source: Bought

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15776452-dark-union

SYNOPSIS: 

Every fifty years, the most powerful ethereal and infernal beings convene on Earth to resolve conflicts with mediation by kopides--humans born to police relations between Heaven and Hell. They're meeting in Elise Kavanagh's territory this year, and she used to be the greatest kopis in the world. But she's not invited. 

An old friend, Lucas McIntyre, asks her to attend the summit in his place. But when she arrives, she discovers that a human faction called The Union has taken charge of the summit, and they're not playing nice. Worse yet, someone has killed a prominent Union member, and now they're demanding blood.

 

Elise has to bring justice to the summit in DARK UNION, a 33,000-word (120 page) urban fantasy novella featuring a decrepit ghost town, angry men with guns, and even angrier angels.

PURCHASE LINK: 

Amazon

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

Elise Cavanagh is more emotionally distant than ever because she just can't process the pain that comes with them. She pushes people away, and quite frankly she doesn't care anymore if they leave or stay. She tries to shut down the connection he has with James because it pains her to see -- or rather feel -- that James is doing okay without her. 

 

Anthony Morales has just lost his cousin, and his girlfriend is acting like it doesn't even matter. He feels neglected and taken for granted because of the way Elise treats him. He's given everything up for her if only she can see that. 

REVIEW: 

We get to meet new people in Elise's life. We also learn about the Kopis-Aspis bond. 

"More permanent than marriage, more fatal than family, closer than the oldest friends."

For me, this sheds a whole new light on the relationship between the two. After the emotional turmoil Elise suffered from the loss of her best friend as well as the wall James built between them, it's nice to see Elise finally learning to shut James out. There were times -- namely when she's in pain -- wherein the connection strengthens and we "hear" the genuine concern James feels for Elise. I know it's very sadistic of me, but I like knowing that James gets all worked up and worried about Elise. Coz like dude, you sort of left her hanging first. We also get to see how much Elise actually values the people in her life. She's hell-bent on proving the innocence of Lucas, even if that means putting herself in so much trouble. 

I felt like Elise was weak in this book. We all know how kickass she truly is, but here, she seems to be of no importance to most people. Also, she seemed to be too cold, and it's kind of upsetting the way he treats Anthony like trash. I mean, I get that he's kind of annoying, but he does support her every step of the way. 

SUMMARY:

I found it okay, it's just that Elise seemed a bit weak here. Like she's not destined to kill Him or anything. The story also didn't progress well, and the strain between Elise and Anthony is really starting to get frustrating. But still, a good book. We get to meet more people. Some we'll love more in future books, while others...well, you'll just hate them and wish them death. Can't wait to continue to the next installment, Damnation Marked. Ooohhh, it's going to be awesome.

RATING: 

Book image from Goodreads

Have you read Dark Union? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share it in the comment section below.

How's it going fellow booksnakes? I've recently started a new "segment" here in The Booksnake Etc. titled S.M. Reine Rave. This has the same concept as Marian Tee Mania, only this time, I dedicate it to my Paranormal Romance hero, Sara or S.M. Reine. She created one of my favourite female characters ever, Elise Kavanagh, and on the first day of SMRR (S.M. Reine Rave) I started things off with Death's Hand Descent # 1. Continuing the series, I'm now going to be reviewing The Darkest Gate, the second instalment in this 7-part saga.

NOTE: Spoilers for Death's Hand up ahead.

Title: The Darkest Gate (Descent #2)

Author: S.M. Reine 

Publication Date: May 4, 2012 

Published by: Red Iris Books

Source: Bought Free on Amazon

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12979337-the-darkest-gate

 

SYNOPSIS:

When Elise Kavanagh retired from demon hunting, she swore it would be permanent. But an attack from a powerful necromancer forced her back into the business, and now she's trying to balance her normal boyfriend and normal job with everything supernatural.

Mr. Black is a demon hunter gone rogue. He's enslaving angels and stealing ethereal artifacts in pursuit of forbidden immortality. An old grudge drives him to make his final stand in Elise's territory. Destroying her life and killing her friends isn't the goal, but it's a definite perk.

A demonic overlord offers to join against Mr. Black and protect Elise's loved ones. All she needs to do is ally with the demons she's sworn to kill, at the cost of her morals--and maybe her immortal soul. But once she crosses that line, there's no turning back.

Nothing is sacred when Heaven and Hell collide on Earth...

PURCHASE LINK: 

Amazon

CHARACTER BACKGROUND: 

Elise Kavanagh is now back in the demon hunting game...for good. She also has a new ally, a boyfriend, and a bunch of enemies. Her fierceness has increased, but she also feels more fear and pain now -- both physically and emotionally. Her feelings for James only cause her pain, especially since he seemed to be moving on without her, Anthony's love is something she finds useless and bothersome, and her past that has caught up to them brings her nothing but complication. She's mad, sad, and afraid.

James Faulkner is worried. He notices Elise pulling away from him and not asking for his help even if she needs it. He's in a normal relationship with a normal woman, but he doesn't want to let his kopis roam around and be killed, especially since their enemies are apparently alive and more vengeful than ever. Mix in giant demonic spiders, and a gateway to the garden, they're pretty much busy.

REVIEW: 

Death's Hand ended on such an emotional note; with James dying and Elise about to go crazy before she attempted -- and succeeded -- to bring him back to life. Of course, something so powerful cannot possibly have no consequences. Again, let me break down the reasons why I found myself lost in this book: 

CHARACTERS: 

Elise, as always, is amazing. She fights hard and dirty and she won't apologize for it. She becomes a lackey for an overlord who is OVER-the-top annoying and bossy, only because she needs it to survive and protect the people she loves...namely, James. People think she's so cold and unfeeling, but they don't see just how much she FEELS; she's jealous of James' and Stephanie's relationship, hurt by how he can easily move on without her, afraid of the people she cares about being hurt, confused by how much she wants to help beings that she shouldn't care about, mad at the overlord who seems to be playing her, and resolute on not letting Him have her. See, she feels a lot, she's just really good at hiding it from the rest of the world.

Anthony is still rather interesting. He's only human, but he really wants to help Elise fight her battles and accomplish her missions. The feelings he has for Elise is powerful enough that he can't stay away even though she pushes and discards him like he's no loss at all, but for some reason, he wants her despite all of the roughness and goreness that surrounds them.

Thom is very mysterious, and there's this line that made me just...GAAHHH!! 

“No matter the why, she is the Godslayer. Watch her well, James Faulkner, because she is mine. I will be back for her."

His intentions are unclear and until now we still don't really know what he is. One thing is for sure though, he's powerful and he wants Elise for some reason. Did I mention how hot he was? 

STORY:

As usual, there were more twists in the plot than that of a...something that has lots of twists. There was pain, lots of it, and it was heartbreaking. You will be kept on the edge of your seat, and that is a guarantee.

ACTION:

As if I need to explain it further. The fight scenes were intense, and we see a couple of characters acting very heroically, fighting with everything they have even if it means risking their own lives. 

However, I was quite disappointed when James didn't even cry. It's like he didn't even feel...broken when this thing, that I'm not going to tell you about, happened. Like dude, really? I thought you're forever bound and stuff. Also, Stephanie? Still?! 

SUMMARY: 

It's intense, painful, and amusing. I really adore Elise. Watch out for my review of  Dark Union, book 3 in the Descent series.

RATING: 

Book image from Goodreads

Have you read The Darkest Gate? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Share it in the comment section below.

FINALLY!! I have been looking forward to reviewing the Descent series ever since I finished reading book 1, but I've been SO freaking swamped that I only got around it now. Doesn't matter, because I can now share with you guys how FANTASTIC this series is ... if you still don't know, that is. *smiles innocently*

I came across the boxed set of Death's Hand, Darkest Gate, and Dark Union one day while I was browsing through Amazon. I read the blurb, got interested, and the set was free. So I one-clicked that beyotch without even blinking. Did I read it immediately though? Nuh-uh. It sat, patiently waiting, in my Kindle reading app for about a month or so before I decided that I was in the mood for some kickass-ery. So I got to reading, and I just ... *sigh* 

NOTE: I've already finished the Descent series, but for the sake of being fair and not giving any spoilers, I will review each book as if I don't know what happens in the next one ... or the next one ... or the next one. 

Title: Death's Hand (Descent #1)

Author: S.M. Reine

Publication Date: October 21, 2011

Published by: Red Iris Books

Source: Bought Free on Amazon

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12614374-death-s-hand

SYNOPSIS:

Policing relations between Heaven, Hell, and Earth is messy and violent, but Elise Kavanagh and James Faulkner excelled at it-- until coming across a job so brutal that even they couldn't stand to see one more dead body.

Now they've been pretending to be normal for five years, leaving their horrific history a dark secret. Elise works in an office. James owns a business. None of their friends realize they used to be one of the world's best killing teams.

After years of hiding, something stirs. Bodies are vanishing. Demons scurry in the shadows of the night. A child has been possessed.

Some enemies aren't willing to let the secrets of the past stay dead... 

PURCHASE LINKS: 

Amazon

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

Elise Kavanagh is a demon and angel slayer turned exorcist turned dancer turned accountant. (Lots of turns there, sister). She's known all over the world as the greatest kopis alive, and she doesn't even give a flying f*** about it. Her life may not be the most normal, but she's content and happy with her best friend and aspis. She's been running and hiding for a long time, and so far she -- they -- have been successful until one fateful afternoon.

James Faulkner is a thoughtful, passionate, and complicated man. He is Elise's aspis, her shield, her protector. They've been fighting, running, and surviving together for the last decade, and all he really wants is a normal life -- one without demons or angels waiting for the chance to kill them. The thing is, we can't really have everything we want. 

REVIEW: 

Death's Hand is just ... I don't even know how ... I'm ... GAAAHHHH!!! I LOVE YOU ELISE KAVANAGH!! Whew! Now that I got that out of my chest, Death's Hand is an amazing beginning to a spectacular series. From the very first page I was already hooked. Shall I break down the reasons why I fell in love with it? Well, since you asked...

Technical Aspect:

The writing is very direct and descriptive, even the gore parts which most people might find a bit too much ... I'm not one of them of course. There were barely any grammatical errors, which made the book easier to read because you weren't trying to figure out what the heck the author wanted to say. I was also a fan of the changes in POVs, because it's nice to get in on other people's thoughts and emotions.

Characters:

Duuuu-uu-uude! Elise Kavanagh is definitely one of my favourite people. We should hangout sometime. Here's the thing, people say that she's stubborn and it's like she has no emotions, but she's very passionate and fights really hard to save as many people as she can. James is also quite dreamy. At this point, he acts like Elise is just his partner, as in kopis-aspis (sword & shield), but I think it will eventually evolve into something much more. Elise is obviously already there, James just needs to wake the freck up. Anthony, I really like him here. It's nice to have a guy panting over Elise, one who's willing to love her.

Action:

Totally AWESOME! Sure there were numerous occasion when Elise and James' asses were handed to them by their enemies. But this is just the beginning of a very action-packed road, and there's always room for improvement. And besides, they're still both human you know? The important thing is, at the end of the day, they come out the victor.

Story:

The plot runs very deep, and I don't think a person can simply guess where the story is heading or what's going to happen next. S.M. Reine managed to prove me wrong a number of times when I assumed I knew what's going to unfold. For that, I give you three big claps Ms. Reine.

I hated Stephanie and I found Betty annoying. Seriously, I don't understand what James found in the doctor aside from she's not bad to look at. Pfft. He could do so much better. One other thing, is James' eyes blue or brown? There are two different descriptions all the time and it's starting to bother me.  

SUMMARY:

I want to see this series turned into a TV series. Not a movie, because that will just be too short. Maybe this can fill in once the Vampire Diaries is over? Wishful thinking. By the way, I'm totally rooting for Brandon Routh to play James if this gets adapted. Just sayin'

Pick this up you guys, you WILL NOT regret it. I assure you and so do a hundreds, maybe thousands, more that you will enjoy every single page. 

RATING: 

Book image from Goodreads

Book review of Death's Hand by SM Reine, the first installment of the Descent series, here in The Booksnake Etc.