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REVIEW: "Demons at Deadnight" by A&E Kirk Demons at Deadnight by A&E Kirk

(Divinicus Nex Chronicles #1)

Young Adult--Paranormal--Fantasy
A&E Kirk--January 2012

Goodreads -- Amazon


Demons at Deadnight is the debut for mother/daughter duo, A&E Kirk.  And what a debut it is!  This book is such a refreshing take on the current young adult paranormal/fantasy trend.  The authors provide readers with a strong-willed heroine, plenty of guys to swoon over, lots of action, and enough humor to balance the darker aspects of the plot.

The protagonist of this series is Aurora, a teen who is dealing with some dangerous and unwanted powers.  I loved the characterization of Aurora.  She is a very realistic depiction of a teenage girl with her sarcasm, strength, and vulnerabilities.  Her personality is three-dimensional and just draws a reader into her story.  I really appreciated the lack of whining and groveling which happens to much for my liking in YA paranormals.  Aurora is definitely not passive and is willing to do whatever she has to in order to protect her family.

Speaking of family, I absolutely adored the fact that the Lahey parents and siblings are so prominent in this book.  It always seems like characters in young adult fiction don't have parents or have little to do with their family.  Aurora's parents and siblings are a major reason for her strength and determination so it makes sense that the authors would give them detailed backgrounds.  I'm really hoping to learn more about their family dynamics in later books.

And then we have the Hex Boys.  In her attempts to escape the scary demons that seem hellbent on chasing her around town, Aurora meets up with a group of teenage demon slayers.  I don't have enough space to provide detailed profiles of each of the guys, but I can say that they are all wonderfully written and meet almost every type of teenage girl fantasy.  They strongly remind me of characters in Japanese reverse harem animes like Ouran High School Host Club and Fruits Basket.  I also liked the friendship that the Hex Boys have with each other and how  the authors depict them working together to achieve their mission while still not forgetting the fact that they are teenagers.

There is a hint of romance in this first book, but not enough to overshadow the bigger plot.  A&E Kirk make a conscious effort to avoid the dreaded YA love triangle though in this case it would be a love hexagon.  The main love interest is fairly obvious from the beginning, but, like I said, isn't really the focus.  I do look forward to seeing more of this couple in future installments.

In terms of plot, Demons at Deadnight does not shy away from an action and suspense-filled plot.  Some of the demons that Aurora and the Hex Boys encounter are nightmare-worthy.  The plot moves along at a very steady pace from beginning to end.  I will warn readers that there are alot of unanswered questions floating around that don't get resolved at the end.  Thankfully, this is the first in a series so I'm hoping we will get those inquires answered soon.  All in all, a highly entertaining paranormal fantasy that I hope will be the start of a great new series.

Rating: 4 Stars

Divinicus Nex Chronicles
1. Demons at Deadnight Posted by Jennifer at 11:36 AM Labels: 4 stars, kirk, review, young adult paranormal


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