I loved the first half as much as anything I've read in the last year - it was fascinating and well-written.

The second half... I got very confused. Characters moving in and out, things aren't explained, past events (that weren't shown) are half-referenced to, you're supposed to fill in the blanks yourself somehow. I got tired of trying to follow it. For supposed enemies, the guardians and demons spend a lot of time just sitting around talking. Why didn't Michael kill Lilith 500 years ago, or Lilith kill Michael? Why are they all discussing good and evil together? The tension just drops out of the story due to all the confusion and the lack of danger and the book became very easy to put down. ( )

Wow... this is not your usual paranormal romance. It spans centuries. My head is still spinning. Others have done a much better job of reviewing this, so maybe I should just say "What they said" and let it go at that.

Nah, I'll try to explain my own reactions to this book.

Lilith is a demon, Lucifer's daughter. Hugh was a young knight escorting his lord's equally young wife home, when he discovers Lilith engaged in a bit of BDSM with said lord, who's, fortunately, blindfolded. Lilith is startled into giving Hugh her real name, and agrees not to reveal that he witnessed the man's humiliation in exchange for Hugh owing her a favor later on.

That doesn't save Hugh for long, though, because she tricks him into appearing to betray his lord with the young wife (she's a demon--it's what she does), and the lord kills him.

Lilith realizes too late that she has feelings for Hugh, so she begins the process of turning him into a demon, but stops and instead allows archangel Michael to do the honors, turning Hugh into a Guardian, and basically her enemy.

We follow the two of them through the centuries, and it's an intense, complicated relationship the two of them have, with nothing nearly as simple as good and evil, heaven and hell between them. The dark complexity of their relationship has a feel not unlike Kinsale's For My Lady's Heart or Shadowheart. There's love and pain and sacrifice and despair and longing and betrayal and redemption.

My only complaint, and it's not a very big one, is that Demon Angel was confusing in spots. That might change on a re-read, and this is definitely a book that I'll re-read. Not too soon, though--it's too intense for that. I think I'll go back instead and re-read "Falling for Anthony" in Hot Spell. I'd found that too confusing to enjoy very thoroughly at the time--I'll bet it'll make more sense now. ( )

http://totally2aymless.blogspot.com/2... ( )

**Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques**

Can there be light without darkness? It is an age old question, and one at the crux of the strange relationship between Hugh and Lilith. Inexplicably drawn to one another, they both know they are forbidden to each other. Love, sex, even friendship between a demon from Hell and a Guardian from Heaven can never be.

Lilith is a seducer, a temptress, a tormenter of humankind. A Halfling demon, she finds her human half responding to Hugh’s kindness, in spite of the promise of her Punishment at the hands of Lucifer for such weakness.

Protector of the innocent, Hugh wants nothing more than to save Lilith. He’ll do anything towards that end – even give up Heaven itself.

Demon Angel is the second book in Meljean Brook’s series titled The Guardians (the first story is found in the anthology Hot Spell.) I read this book not realizing that it was a continuation of a series, and I can happily report that understanding Demon Angel is not dependent on having already read the first story. The author does an admirable job of detailing her universe, and teaching readers the tenets of the world she has created in this series.

I greatly enjoyed the plot of Demon Angel and found myself drawn to the compelling characters Brook created for this book – both the primary characters and the supporting characters. Fans of this book will be happy to learn that the fourth book in this series stars two of the most intriguing supporting characters from the second book.

While I enjoyed this book, I did feel that the pacing was a bit slow at times. This could be a byproduct of the need to teach the mythos of Brook’s world to us alongside telling the story itself. I think that subsequent books in this series could benefit from having a glossary in the front of the book, removing the need for so much of this sort of detail in the prose.

That said, if you enjoy a good paranormal romance, then Meljean Brook’s The Guardian, Book 2: Demon Angel is a perfect addition to your book wish list!

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Right off the bat, I want to point out that it's very possible that I have Adult ADD. I really need a book to grab me and keep my attention until the end, or else I find I have a hard time finishing.

While surfing around on one of my favorite book sites, I read a really long but very positive review of this book that prompted me to buy it. I don't know if it's maybe just me or what, but I was never able to finish this. I liked the first half of the book...the part where we see Hugh and Lilith's lives in different time periods leading up to the current day.

The second half just kind of dragged. I found it way too confusing. Too much happening. I kind of got tired of Hugh's Martyrdom. I just generally couldn't get interested in the rest of it. I kept putting it down, picking it up, putting it down until I eventually never picked it up again. I really WANTED to like it. Really. I tried. But, I just couldn't make myself finish it.

Again, could be my Adult ADD kicking in, but I think the too much information aspect of this ruined it for me. Now, that's not to say that I don't think this could be a good book for those who love the really intricate plots. If you're one of those people, you'll probably love this. If you like your books more simple as I do, you might find this a bit too much to handle. ( )