Reviewed by: Kate Garrabrant
Grade: 4.75 stars
Publisher: Penguin

DEMON BOUND is the seventh book in Meljean Brook’s Guardian series, and again has cemented the fact that Meljean Brook is an author that every reader, romance enthusiast or otherwise should be reading. The world she has invented may be complex, and at times may make your head spin, but DEMON BOUND is the book that is taking the whole series in a different yet exciting direction. Not only has she written two extraordinary characters that have become one of my favorite couples in literature this year, but this story has exploded with so many twists and turns it will make you very anxious for the next release.

We first meet novice Guardian, Jake Hawkins, in DEMON NIGHT, the fifth book in the Guardian Series, where he made quite an impression. DEMON BOUND is were Jake shines as he is tries to come to grips with his abilities, and figure how important he is in the fight against the demons from Hell who want to rule.

Jake is unlike most of his Guardian counterparts, he is still very young and has only been a Guardian for less than a century. He is also a bit more carefree and not as tortured as the last few heroes from the Guardian books. He enjoys and takes pleasure in trying to control his Guardian abilities. Alice, our heroine, otherwise known as the Black Widow and keeper of the Guardian library, does not. In fact she is very much in need of her own savior.

, With only her spiders to keep her company and give her love, Alice has chosen to be an outcast. Over a hundred years ago, when Alice was still human, she made a bargain with the demon Teqon to save her husband.  A hundred years later, that deal is still binding. If she wants to be free, she must kill and bring the heart of the oldest and most powerful of all the Guardians, Michael, to Teqon. Whatever decision Alice comes to, whether to kill Michael or not, she will be damned for all eternity. Although she hides behind a demeanor of aloofness, Alice is scared and frightened. She sacrificed herself for the husband she loved, and because of it she suffers greatly. She has no one to turn to or ask for help, until Jake.

Jake thinks Alice is a freak. Her infatuation with spiders and the shocking things she can do with them send chills down his spine. Even though Alice treats Jake as less than worthy, he slowly begins to see through her and is able to break through the walls she has placed around herself. These two become partners in the continual fight over who will rule Heaven, Hell and Earth. Jake will not stand by and watch Alice destroy herself and he is determined to find a way to release her from her bargain with Teqon; and if it comes down to Jake sacrificing himself to save Alice, so be it.

When it comes to a book, I usually side more with one character over the other. In the case of Demon Bound, I found both Jake and Alice equally worthy of my admiration. Jake and Alice are as different as night and day. How these two became a couple is an amazing thing to read.

Jake may act immature and a bit goofy at times, but he is so endearing that Alice can’t ignore him. As for Alice, her own story is heartbreaking. I have read countless other stories where a character will sacrifice themselves for the good of others garnering great rewards. Not true for Alice. Not only was her life as a human tragic, her everlasting life, which should be nirvana, is even worse. The paradise she has found herself in is also her Hell. She finds no joy, she only feels damned. She is overcome with grief because there will be no salvation for her. When Jake comes along she tries very hard to push him away, yet he brings such light into her world. He won’t let her go without a fight.

The way Jake and Alice try to find a way to break her unholy bargain with Teqon will change the whole outcome of the prophecy that is finally unfolding before our eyes. The prophecy of the Guardian Series.  Not only will Alice be changed forever, we come to find out that Michael has a very interesting past that will shock and astound. I, for one, was gasping out loud as I found out that Michael is not the untouchable enigma he was thought to be. Meljean has set up an interesting journey with Michael that may lead to his own book in the very near future, or at least one that I am waiting with baited breath for.

DEMON BOUND should not be read as a stand alone novel, and I urge you to go and read the whole backlist of Meljean Brook’s books in this series. If you are caught up to DEMON BOUND, you will be in for another reading treat. I also found DEMON BOUND to be a much easier read for those who tend to get lost, and there are some wonderful one-liners and dialogue between Jake and Alice. Their relationship becomes one of great respect and finally love. Their courtship is a type of dance that builds up to one explosive moment of intense passion between the two.

I cannot reiterate enough how much Meljean Brook continues to astound me. Her world building, characters, and stories are the best the publishing industry has to offer. If you are not reading her Guardian series, you are seriously losing out.