The Demon You Know

Third book in the Others series. Again - I like the world better than the stories - the sex is very explicit which I find less interesting, and the obstacles (some of them, the immovable ones) are either ignored or deus-ex-machina dealt with. A human marrying an immortal, especially when the immortal is explicitly said to mate 'for life' - there are problems there that can't be easily solved, but the author just skates over them (either the human's life is automatically extended, or the immortal says (to himself, not his mate) that he'll die along with her (gender distribution correct for these two books). Fluffy.). But the world is great - urban fantasy with hidden Others, the first book they decide to unveil, in the second they're in show more negotiations, in the third book they've just unveiled and humans are dealing (badly) with these facts. I'd really like to see some non-romance books set in this universe - honestly, there's some good stories in here somewhat obscured by two peoples' sudden obsession with each other. Oh yeah, and they definitely illustrate the First Law of Romance: if the sex is fantastic, it's true love which will overcome all obstacles. If it's not so good, it's with the wrong partner. Pffff. show less

I don't really know how to feel about this series. There's nothing blatantly awful about it, but at the same time there isn't much to make it stand out from the numerous other paranormal romance novels I've read. The word average sums up this book perfectly--a mindless, predictable, but not unpleasant read.

In the continuity of the series, the "Others"--that is, vampires, werewolves, fae, and all manner of supernatural beings have made the choice to reveal themselves to the human populations, and are still fighting for equal rights etc. Rule is a demon--but demons in this series are for the most part counted among the good guys. Rule in particular makes a living protecting his world and the human world from the dark, dangerous, and more show more or less evil fiends. Abby is an ordinary human who ends up possessed by a fiend, Lou. Lou is in hiding because he possesses knowledge of a spell that could give power into the hands of the most sinister of all fiends. Abby is quickly taken under the protection of rule and his friends--a band that includes many Others introduced in previous books.

What made this book passable was the fact that with the possible exception of Abby, the characters are pretty likable. Problematically, I found myself focusing on and wondering more about the other couples--Graham and Missy, Tess and Rafe, etc, then the main couple. But at least they kept me reading. The central conflict and premise was really good--I liked the concept of the possession and the fiend hiding out in a human host.

The problems begin with Abby. She's incredibly frustrating--selfish, whiny, childish, kind of helpless. I thought on more than one occasion that the story would have been twice as entertaining with a more well rounded and/or more appealing heroine. For Abby, the logical choice would be to accept protection where its offered, seek out information, and cooperate with the obviously stronger and more knowledgeable characters to come up with solutions. But Abby decides to defy at every turn, whine about what has happened to her, ask all the wrong questions, and generally cause more problems for everyone. This slows the plot to a crawl as we wait for her to quit complaining and get her act together. Her terrible personality is further demonstrated in her relationship with Rule. She knows she should accept his help, respect him, and appreciate him, but she repeatedly acts against him. She drags the book down and is just plain too stupid to live.

I do actually plan on continuing with this series, despite my complaints, because I liked the other two books well enough. With this book thrown in I feel that the series is just average, but I'd recommend trying it anyway. Wolf at the Door and She's No Fairy Princess are very decent reads. show less

After being possessed by a Fiend (aka a bad demon) the heroine is kidnapped by the hero and the Others to both protect her as well as the Fiend within from falling into the enemies hands. The hero is calm, sensible yet animalist with his relationship with the heroine. He lusts after her but his kind doesn't immediately recognize a mate like wolves do. Only after sleeping with her does he realize she's his. The heroine, once mousy and shy, is argumentative and outspoken as a result of her possession. She fights her imprisonment on every chance and though everyone is pissed she's so stubborn and selfish, honestly I would have done the same thing. She feels bad for putting the Others in danger but refuses to apologize for something they show more would have done if they were in her place. It was a very nice book, but I felt the romance between the characters could have been a little bit more spicier. show less

For a paranormal romance, pretty good. Not too mushy or melodramatic and a good plot to boot. Also, sex scenes did not overwhelm and were spicy when they happened.

I know that it looks like I may have struggled with this book but that is not the case. I have been working on Christmas presents so I have been reading much. I love this world and its many inhabitants. If there is a myth then there seems to be a representative in Ms. Warren's world. I also loved that Demon's are not all bad and can in some instants be good. I have a real weak spot for a growly alpha male and Rule is all that and more. The sex is hot, hot and the suspense is just enough to keep you looking over your shoulder for the bad guy. This is a good series of books and I recommend them to all paranormal lovers.

When I first tried reading this a few months ago I couldn't get in to it and set the book aside. Picked it up the other day and ended up gobbling it up. Nice fast read. Transformation of the good little Catholic girl into one that isn't so timid and willing to fade into the background.

Although somewhat disjointed, this story is still a light, quick read. Expanding the realm of the "Others", it does touch on some racial issues now that the "Others" are out of the closet, so to speak. The instant and deep attraction between the hero and heroine does seem to get in the way and the ending glosses over the racial differences between them.