Review: Demons at Deadnight by A&E Kirk

From Back Cover: Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti. The Hex Boys - mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction - have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move. The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

My Rating: 4 hearts

Thoughts on the Novel: Hilarious and engaging, Demons at Deadnight by A&E Kirk sucked me into the plot right away since I didn’t have to wait long for the action to start. With Aurora facing off against a demon and meeting two of the Hex Boys by page 15, A&E Kirk provide instant gratification, and then keep readers hooked with confrontations against demons, detailed characterization, witty dialogue and the possibility of a romance blooming between Aurora and one of the Hex Boys.

As a main character, Aurora was someone who I really liked because she was snarky, loyal and brave. Oh, and she was close with her family! Sure Aurora may not tell her parents and siblings everything, but it was nice to see the Laheys act like a normal family – having conversations at the dinner table, taking an interest in Aurora’s well-being, and yes, even embarrassing her.     

Aurora wasn’t without her faults however. For one thing, I thought she refused to let herself feel emotions too intensely and often used humour as a coping mechanism. When combined with the (sometimes too) fast pace of the novel, it made me feel as if I knew her – just not as deeply as I would have liked to. Another thing that annoyed me about Aurora was that she was incredibly stubborn, refusing to listen to the Hex Boys and/or trusting them even after being told to do so by her guardian angel, Gloria. (Then again, the Hex Boys’ abilities in keeping Aurora safe from demons didn’t inspire much confidence and made me question the credibility of Gloria’s advice.)

I was a little worried when I found out that there were six Hex Boys because I thought that was a bit much. I figured that I’d only get to know a couple and the rest would just remain gorgeous faces to be admired from afar. Or worse, Aurora wouldn’t be able to resist two of them and wreck the group’s dynamics. Kudos to A&E Kirk for letting neither of those things happen in Demons at Deadnight! Although I thought that it was strange to have five hot guys in a small town coincidentally be best friends before they became demon hunters, each one of the Hex Boys was developed solidly and felt like a distinct character by the end. (My favourites were Tristan and Jayden.) As well, I loved that A&E Kirk managed to create sizzling (hehe) chemistry between Aurora and one of the Hex Boys without resorting to a love triangle to create romantic tension.

A wonderful start to what promises to be a fun, action-filled series; Demons at Deadnight will leave you craving its sequel, especially because it ends kind of randomly with the appearance of another good-looking guy. Not that I mind, but seriously … where are all the normal guys?   

Demons at Deadnight was released in January 2012.

Comments About the Cover: Ooo, it’s creepy with all those demonic hands rising from the flames, trying to get a piece of Aurora as she falls. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the authors for free.

..................................................................................................

For those of you interested in reading Demons at Deadnight, A&E Kirk have generously offered to give away a paperback copy to US readers or an e-copy to international readers.

So, read the rules below and then fill out this FORM: 

1. You do not have to be a follower to enter.
2. You must be over the age of 13.
3. This giveaway will end on Monday, March 19 at 11:59 PM.
4. Make sure your entries are tallied correctly (or else you won't win).

To enter to win the Kindle Fire you need to know the secret phrase given out one word at a time by each blog tour host. Put the words together in sequential order and you'll eventually have the secret phrase! Right now you can Tweet and Follow on the AEKIRK Blog Tour Page to get points but starting March 9 (at the end of the tour) you can enter the complete phrase on the AEKIRK Blog Tour Page and earn BIG entry points! Your Kindle Fire will also include your choice of a DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT Skin. Either from the cover, or a Hex Boy group shot or individual "Team" skin of your favorite Hex Hunk!

My secret word is: SURPRISE