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onebookmore's review against another edition
4.0
The Demon’s Possession is the first book in the Shadow Quest series. This spicy sci-fi romance focuses on the relationship between Analia and Sebastian. Analia, captured when she was a young child, lived in captivity and was abused, used, and tortured. It wasn’t until she escaped onto Sebastian’s ship that she felt free. Unfortunately, her captor is relentless in his pursuit of Analia.
As Sebastian falls for the kind-hearted and trusting stowaway, he realizes he will not rest until Analia is safe. This includes protecting her as well as teaching her to protect herself. I love this! He is more concerned about her ability to protect herself than he is his own alpha-male tendencies.
Underneath his gruff, bad-ass exterior, Sebastian is strong, caring, gentle, and selfless. Analia uses her time on the ship, with Sebastian’s encouragement and guidance, learning how to defend and provide for herself. They both still see the good in others, and they both value friendship and love even as they fear it.
The other characters in the book are also well developed and dynamic. My favorites are Sebastian’s effervescent and sometimes snarky sister and his cook/best friend. Sonya is a tremendous support to her brothers and to Anya, and her selfless yet no-nonsense attitude is a delightfully amusing combination. Other crew members, the antagonists, and even the minor characters have defined and realistic personalities, despite the fact that they are from a variety of different planets.
Let’s talk about my favorite part – the romance! The chemistry between Sebastian and Analia is palpable. Initially, both characters seem reluctant to give themselves wholly to another. Their past experiences have wounded them deeply as Sebastian and his siblings were betrayed by their mother, and Analia is a victim of abuse. What I like is that they help each other heal. Their connection is much deeper than just simple attraction and has the potential to be a great and long-lasting love. Plus, their romance is steamy! It’s a sweet and spicy build-up of explosively sexy and sensual fantastic-ness!
In addition to the likable characters and sexy romance, the plot-line is intriguing. Sebastian is transporting a mysterious package to a ruthless pirate. His entire ship is protected, but no one can leave until the package is delivered. When the ship is under attack, Analia fears she must reveal a secret that could change everything. This aspect of the story, as well as Analia’s search to find the truth about her past is fascinating.
This is an engaging read with interesting characters and a well-paced plot. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
As Sebastian falls for the kind-hearted and trusting stowaway, he realizes he will not rest until Analia is safe. This includes protecting her as well as teaching her to protect herself. I love this! He is more concerned about her ability to protect herself than he is his own alpha-male tendencies.
Underneath his gruff, bad-ass exterior, Sebastian is strong, caring, gentle, and selfless. Analia uses her time on the ship, with Sebastian’s encouragement and guidance, learning how to defend and provide for herself. They both still see the good in others, and they both value friendship and love even as they fear it.
The other characters in the book are also well developed and dynamic. My favorites are Sebastian’s effervescent and sometimes snarky sister and his cook/best friend. Sonya is a tremendous support to her brothers and to Anya, and her selfless yet no-nonsense attitude is a delightfully amusing combination. Other crew members, the antagonists, and even the minor characters have defined and realistic personalities, despite the fact that they are from a variety of different planets.
Let’s talk about my favorite part – the romance! The chemistry between Sebastian and Analia is palpable. Initially, both characters seem reluctant to give themselves wholly to another. Their past experiences have wounded them deeply as Sebastian and his siblings were betrayed by their mother, and Analia is a victim of abuse. What I like is that they help each other heal. Their connection is much deeper than just simple attraction and has the potential to be a great and long-lasting love. Plus, their romance is steamy! It’s a sweet and spicy build-up of explosively sexy and sensual fantastic-ness!
In addition to the likable characters and sexy romance, the plot-line is intriguing. Sebastian is transporting a mysterious package to a ruthless pirate. His entire ship is protected, but no one can leave until the package is delivered. When the ship is under attack, Analia fears she must reveal a secret that could change everything. This aspect of the story, as well as Analia’s search to find the truth about her past is fascinating.
This is an engaging read with interesting characters and a well-paced plot. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
patrice00's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
cece_rants_raves_reviews's review against another edition
3.0
A totaly guilty pleasure of escaping romance full of sexy demons and a pretty decent plot to go with
Analia the shy wallflower who doesn't quite know her powers yet
“With that, he left, racing down the hall grumbling.
“Dammit Anya. How many times do I need to rush you to the doctor? This will be the last time. You hear me!”
Of course, she didn’t. Once more, she was unconscious in his arms. He promised to keep her safe but it seemed an impossible job.”
Sebastian the capable captain of a merchant ship
“Gripping the hilt of her sword, she froze. “Shouldn’t I practice on a dummy or something? I might …”
“If you can even touch me with the air from your swing, I'll eat my own hand. Now do it. Attack!”
Who is also a total cute sap *oohing and awwing*
“It made his heart swell with pride that he had such a room to offer her. He couldn’t wait to show her the sanctuary. If flowers and plants could make Anya smile like that he’d be sure she had access to all the flowers she could possibly want.”
These were two adorable dynamic characters. They had clear great chemistry in how their storylines were suddenly thrown together and Sebastian damn well decided they were going to stay together *squeals*
To be honest, I fully just wanted some hot demon sexy guilty pleasure. And the author absolutely delivered but also gave me a fun plot that worked to highlight the characters together I really enjoyed. So I’ll definitely be going to the series to meet the rest of the sisters especially after that build-up
“Hours ago Ethanule had rushed to tell them that he’d discovered the location of Anya’s eldest sister. A lowly planet called Earth, supposedly teeming with life, though unevolved.”
Analia the shy wallflower who doesn't quite know her powers yet
“With that, he left, racing down the hall grumbling.
“Dammit Anya. How many times do I need to rush you to the doctor? This will be the last time. You hear me!”
Of course, she didn’t. Once more, she was unconscious in his arms. He promised to keep her safe but it seemed an impossible job.”
Sebastian the capable captain of a merchant ship
“Gripping the hilt of her sword, she froze. “Shouldn’t I practice on a dummy or something? I might …”
“If you can even touch me with the air from your swing, I'll eat my own hand. Now do it. Attack!”
Who is also a total cute sap *oohing and awwing*
“It made his heart swell with pride that he had such a room to offer her. He couldn’t wait to show her the sanctuary. If flowers and plants could make Anya smile like that he’d be sure she had access to all the flowers she could possibly want.”
These were two adorable dynamic characters. They had clear great chemistry in how their storylines were suddenly thrown together and Sebastian damn well decided they were going to stay together *squeals*
To be honest, I fully just wanted some hot demon sexy guilty pleasure. And the author absolutely delivered but also gave me a fun plot that worked to highlight the characters together I really enjoyed. So I’ll definitely be going to the series to meet the rest of the sisters especially after that build-up
“Hours ago Ethanule had rushed to tell them that he’d discovered the location of Anya’s eldest sister. A lowly planet called Earth, supposedly teeming with life, though unevolved.”
thenaptimewriter's review against another edition
2.0
This was my first Kierstan Fay romance and though I enjoyed parts of it, I was left disappointed overall.
Analia has been a slave for hundreds of years, her body abused and exploited by her captor. She has no idea who her family is or what happened to them, or even what she is. Thanks to a little bit of help and her own gifts, she escapes onto a merchant ship captained by a demon named Sebastian. Sebastian isn’t happy to discover his stowaway—especially since he distrusts women to begin with—but his mission prohibits him from stopping to kick her off the ship. That and his unparalleled attraction to her.
Is Analia ready to enter into a serious relationship? And will she be able to learn the secrets of her past?
The world-building in The Demon’s Possession is interesting and I appreciated how Analia doesn’t just fall into a permanent relationship with Sebastian though their attraction toward each other is apparent. She’s a strong woman, and the way the main characters all care for one another is heartwarming. Get ready for some sexy scenes, too, because this book has them in spades.
But I felt like some of the dynamics between characters and some of their actions are predictable, and in at least one of those scenes the language gets really stilted. I definitely did not enjoy a couple of questionable jokes/comments made (for example, one of Sebastian’s thoughts comes across as homophobic). Finally, Sebastian doesn’t respect Analia’s privacy when she’s first rescued and that really bothered me, as did his confusion over how a “beautiful” woman could be a slave.
CW: abuse, off page sexual assault, attempted rape, victim of drugging, desire to commit suicide & suicide attempt (though the hero sets it up as a test of sorts and doesn’t intend for her to actually die).
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
Analia has been a slave for hundreds of years, her body abused and exploited by her captor. She has no idea who her family is or what happened to them, or even what she is. Thanks to a little bit of help and her own gifts, she escapes onto a merchant ship captained by a demon named Sebastian. Sebastian isn’t happy to discover his stowaway—especially since he distrusts women to begin with—but his mission prohibits him from stopping to kick her off the ship. That and his unparalleled attraction to her.
Is Analia ready to enter into a serious relationship? And will she be able to learn the secrets of her past?
The world-building in The Demon’s Possession is interesting and I appreciated how Analia doesn’t just fall into a permanent relationship with Sebastian though their attraction toward each other is apparent. She’s a strong woman, and the way the main characters all care for one another is heartwarming. Get ready for some sexy scenes, too, because this book has them in spades.
But I felt like some of the dynamics between characters and some of their actions are predictable, and in at least one of those scenes the language gets really stilted. I definitely did not enjoy a couple of questionable jokes/comments made (for example, one of Sebastian’s thoughts comes across as homophobic). Finally, Sebastian doesn’t respect Analia’s privacy when she’s first rescued and that really bothered me, as did his confusion over how a “beautiful” woman could be a slave.
CW: abuse, off page sexual assault, attempted rape, victim of drugging, desire to commit suicide & suicide attempt (though the hero sets it up as a test of sorts and doesn’t intend for her to actually die).
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
sexysciuridae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
alatedbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book of this author’s that I’ve read, but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. Up until about three months or so ago, I steered clear from anything that had “sci-fi” in the description because it wasn’t my “thing”–or at least, I thought it wasn’t–but I took a chance on a Ruby Dixon novel and I’ve been devouring any sci-fi romance I could find since. When the opportunity arose to get a copy of this book to read, I jumped on it. I’m so glad I did.
Analia has spent her entire life in captivity being abused and misused by her captor. She doesn’t remember being shown any kindness in all her life and when the opportunity arises to escape, she jumps at it. Little does she realize, her life is about to change tremendously.
She stows away on a merchant ship with the hopes of escaping her terrible life. Once on board, while she’s hiding pretty much in plain sight, she discovers that the Marada has no intention of stopping–not for several months, at least. Hungry, scared, feeling alone but determined, Analia decides she would rather face certain death than return to her evil captor. Once her decision has been firmly made, she lies in wait–either for freedom or for death. When she finds herself face to face with the captain of the ship she’s taken refuge on, she discovers feelings she’s never had before … but will he prove to be just as bad as the other men she’s come into contact with before?
Sebastian is a demon–and in this book, it’s meant literally. He’s one of just a few survivors of his race and he’s become bitter and jaded from past experience and the treatment he’s received throughout his lifetime. Demons are viewed as volatile, despicable, vile beings who are treated as the monsters others claim they are.
Sebastian also refuses to fall in love. He’s seen exactly what loving and being mated to someone has done to his brother, who is nothing but a shell of who he once was after being betrayed by his own mate. Sebastian has no desire to be hurt in the same way; it was bad enough feeling his own betrayal with someone he wasn’t in love with.
Everything changes when Sebastian first lays eyes on Analia. Though she’s dirty and smelly and can barely keep her eyes open, Sebastian is inexplicably drawn to her. The feeling is mutual and Analia doesn’t know what to do with these newfound emotions and physical stirrings. To say they drive each other crazy is quite the understatement–in more ways than one.
Without giving too much away, their relationship progresses and I greatly enjoyed the way Ms. Fay developed these characters and their emotions. They don’t fall for each other overnight and the tension that’s felt throughout the story is so beautifully written; I could feel the emotions these characters were dealing with as I read every page. I’m normally pretty strict about reading books that are the first person POV, but it honestly didn’t matter for me when reading this book because it was just that good.
This story was full of passion, romance, a determined and goal-oriented heroine, an alpha male, and it even had some humor thrown in for good measure. I enjoyed it and will more than likely be reading the rest of the series as I’m dying to know what happens with the other characters 🙂
I will say, though, if you have any triggers, be aware that there are some slightly graphic details about abuse in this story that could potentially be upsetting.
If this book sounds like your thing, I highly recommend it!
- Alated Bibliophile
Analia has spent her entire life in captivity being abused and misused by her captor. She doesn’t remember being shown any kindness in all her life and when the opportunity arises to escape, she jumps at it. Little does she realize, her life is about to change tremendously.
She stows away on a merchant ship with the hopes of escaping her terrible life. Once on board, while she’s hiding pretty much in plain sight, she discovers that the Marada has no intention of stopping–not for several months, at least. Hungry, scared, feeling alone but determined, Analia decides she would rather face certain death than return to her evil captor. Once her decision has been firmly made, she lies in wait–either for freedom or for death. When she finds herself face to face with the captain of the ship she’s taken refuge on, she discovers feelings she’s never had before … but will he prove to be just as bad as the other men she’s come into contact with before?
Sebastian is a demon–and in this book, it’s meant literally. He’s one of just a few survivors of his race and he’s become bitter and jaded from past experience and the treatment he’s received throughout his lifetime. Demons are viewed as volatile, despicable, vile beings who are treated as the monsters others claim they are.
Sebastian also refuses to fall in love. He’s seen exactly what loving and being mated to someone has done to his brother, who is nothing but a shell of who he once was after being betrayed by his own mate. Sebastian has no desire to be hurt in the same way; it was bad enough feeling his own betrayal with someone he wasn’t in love with.
Everything changes when Sebastian first lays eyes on Analia. Though she’s dirty and smelly and can barely keep her eyes open, Sebastian is inexplicably drawn to her. The feeling is mutual and Analia doesn’t know what to do with these newfound emotions and physical stirrings. To say they drive each other crazy is quite the understatement–in more ways than one.
Without giving too much away, their relationship progresses and I greatly enjoyed the way Ms. Fay developed these characters and their emotions. They don’t fall for each other overnight and the tension that’s felt throughout the story is so beautifully written; I could feel the emotions these characters were dealing with as I read every page. I’m normally pretty strict about reading books that are the first person POV, but it honestly didn’t matter for me when reading this book because it was just that good.
This story was full of passion, romance, a determined and goal-oriented heroine, an alpha male, and it even had some humor thrown in for good measure. I enjoyed it and will more than likely be reading the rest of the series as I’m dying to know what happens with the other characters 🙂
I will say, though, if you have any triggers, be aware that there are some slightly graphic details about abuse in this story that could potentially be upsetting.
If this book sounds like your thing, I highly recommend it!
- Alated Bibliophile
beckbot's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kims_book_korner's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was on point so I didn't feel as if the book was dragging or rushed. I really enjoyed the author's writing style. It was a great start to the series and or trilogy and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I may have just found a new author!
The plot and character development was also engaging. You start off the story with Anya a slave and attempting to escape on the first available ship. Sebastian is a Demon captain of the ship she stole away on. Watching him overcoming his past and accepting her on his ship and what she ends up meaning to him was wonderful to see and experience. I would say this novel was both character and plot driven.
The paranormal elements added to the story. What power or powers does Anya possess. Can she control them or will they control her? These were questions that I explored as the story progressed. The way the author ended the book, the reader is left guessing about the answers to these questions.
The plot and character development was also engaging. You start off the story with Anya a slave and attempting to escape on the first available ship. Sebastian is a Demon captain of the ship she stole away on. Watching him overcoming his past and accepting her on his ship and what she ends up meaning to him was wonderful to see and experience. I would say this novel was both character and plot driven.
The paranormal elements added to the story. What power or powers does Anya possess. Can she control them or will they control her? These were questions that I explored as the story progressed. The way the author ended the book, the reader is left guessing about the answers to these questions.
ricki_reads's review against another edition
2.0
The Demon's Possession by Kiersten Fay is a part romance, part science fiction, part paranormal story about Sebastian, the captain of a merchant ship and Analia, a slave. In a bid for freedom from slavery, Analia stows aboard Sebastian's ship, bring danger, and love, to the Marada.
The story is full of uniqueness that is often missing from romance particularity. The author is able to pull together elements from several different genre's and blend them in a way that not just works, but feels natural. However, the story lacks some key pieces that would have made it truly great. The largest oversight is the lack of sufficient world building. With a story as unique as this, the reader needs more atmosphere to really get a full picture of the setting. Without this, the reader feels on the fringes of the story, such as an outsider looking in, rather than a participant.
There are several moments throughout the story that should come with trigger warnings - slavery, rape, physical and mental abuse.
Lastly, I had issues with several of the events in the story lacking reasoning. Each character attempts to act in the way that they see best but on several occasions, the reasoning being those choices is so absurd that it takes away from the story.
The story is full of uniqueness that is often missing from romance particularity. The author is able to pull together elements from several different genre's and blend them in a way that not just works, but feels natural. However, the story lacks some key pieces that would have made it truly great. The largest oversight is the lack of sufficient world building. With a story as unique as this, the reader needs more atmosphere to really get a full picture of the setting. Without this, the reader feels on the fringes of the story, such as an outsider looking in, rather than a participant.
There are several moments throughout the story that should come with trigger warnings - slavery, rape, physical and mental abuse.
Lastly, I had issues with several of the events in the story lacking reasoning. Each character attempts to act in the way that they see best but on several occasions, the reasoning being those choices is so absurd that it takes away from the story.
storytellersbymarlou's review against another edition
2.0
This book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hmmm, I don't know what to think of this book. It definitely kept me curious, enough so that I finished the book. I didn't really feel like I should DNF it, but I also knew I wasn't going to give this book a high rating...
Writing style: I love Fay's writing. I wouldn't even have picked up this book if her name wasn't on the cover. This book was less wel written than her Creatures of Darkness series, but still very enjoyable.
Characters: I don't know what it is with Fay's characters, but I always love them. They're so complicated and different and aaah. Anya barely knows anything of the world because she's been isolated most of her life, but with the help of Bastian she becomes surer of herself. She's still fumbling about though, which is great because most of the time the main character becomes super powerful and talented within 300 pages... Anya is very realistic. I can't wait to see more of Cale and Sonya and Marik... Those demons are hella interesting.
Story: I was intrigued by Anya's backstory (or lack thereof) and that definitely kept me going. But eventually the story started to drag and it was only Bastian does this, Anya reacts, Anya does this, Bastian reacts, oh now they're having sex, and again, and again. Towards the end it started to get a little more interesting, but then all the exciting parts were rushed through and I didn't get to enjoy them.
So I'm not quite sure yet what to rate this book as I was somehow compelled to keep reading... I'll leave my rating at 2,5 stars, I have read better books which I've rated 3 stats and I've read much worse books that I've rated two stars so this is the proper balance.
Hmmm, I don't know what to think of this book. It definitely kept me curious, enough so that I finished the book. I didn't really feel like I should DNF it, but I also knew I wasn't going to give this book a high rating...
Writing style: I love Fay's writing. I wouldn't even have picked up this book if her name wasn't on the cover. This book was less wel written than her Creatures of Darkness series, but still very enjoyable.
Characters: I don't know what it is with Fay's characters, but I always love them. They're so complicated and different and aaah. Anya barely knows anything of the world because she's been isolated most of her life, but with the help of Bastian she becomes surer of herself. She's still fumbling about though, which is great because most of the time the main character becomes super powerful and talented within 300 pages... Anya is very realistic. I can't wait to see more of Cale and Sonya and Marik... Those demons are hella interesting.
Story: I was intrigued by Anya's backstory (or lack thereof) and that definitely kept me going. But eventually the story started to drag and it was only Bastian does this, Anya reacts, Anya does this, Bastian reacts, oh now they're having sex, and again, and again. Towards the end it started to get a little more interesting, but then all the exciting parts were rushed through and I didn't get to enjoy them.
So I'm not quite sure yet what to rate this book as I was somehow compelled to keep reading... I'll leave my rating at 2,5 stars, I have read better books which I've rated 3 stats and I've read much worse books that I've rated two stars so this is the proper balance.