Friday, February 24, 2012

Review + Giveaway: Demons at Deadnight

DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT
(Divinicus Nex Chronicles #1)
A&E Kirk
Paranormal Young Adult
404 pages
Self-published
Available Now
Received from authors for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.

DEMONIC DESTINY
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.

CHARISMATIC KILLERS
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.

LETHAL ALLIES
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 THOUGHTS
Demons at Deadnight is a tale brimming with humor and wit, but underneath the smart mouths lies a bit of a sinister edge, the very real threat of death-by-demon preventing us from getting too caught up in the banter and the romance by keeping us cautiously turning each page to see what might pop out at us and make itself known next. The ladies Kirk exhibit a strong talent for characterization, Aurora and the six Hex Boys beautifully developed and more than a little intriguing, charming us with their various distinct personalities while proving to us as we progress that there's more to all of them than just pretty faces and penchants for sarcasm. The demon-populated world, while not entirely clear to us in this first installment, piques our curiosity, driving us to at times want to knock Aurora aside so that we might interrogate those who clearly are privy to information we aren’t so we can satisfy our overwhelming desire to know more.

Aurora is cute and often very funny, her snappy comebacks keeping one particular Hex Boy on his toes, however, as we move forward with her in the story some of her other behaviors begin to eclipse her rapier wit, leaving us a bit frustrated with her in general. Her continued refusal to be upfront with the Hex Boys is certainly understandable in the beginning as she’s used to dealing with her demon-related abilities all on her own, but when her unwillingness to disclose even the smallest detail of what she knows about herself and her link to the demons persists through nearly three hundred pages, we find ourselves with an exhausted reservoir of patience. She claims her refusal to trust the Hex Boys is a result of their refusal to trust her in kind, but at some point, someone needs to take those first hesitant steps and lay the foundation on which said trust can be built, and in this first book it takes just a touch too long for those initial bricks to be laid.

The Hex Boys themselves are an extremely entertaining bunch however, their brotherly interactions making us snort with laughter as they bait and taunt one another with such enthusiasm that we wish one (or possibly all six) of them could move in next door and proceed to darken our doorsteps at every possible opportunity. While being introduced to all of them very quickly in the beginning is slightly intimidating, once we settle into the story each takes on his own unique personality and sets himself apart from the others, causing our hearts to beat abnormally fast as we fall in love six times over. The romance between Aurora and Ayden is very well executed, their physical attraction instant but thankfully no all-consuming love immediately follows, instead theirs is a relationship of heated antagonism and passionate dislike that flares hot initially and then cools down before building again at a slow, deliciously tense pace.

There are a few flaws with Demons at Deadnight, namely Aurora’s innate stubbornness and her habit of running into danger when she’s told to stay put, but overall it’s a story that feels far shorter than its four hundred pages due to the fact that we can't devour the chapters fast enough to discover what happens. The ending is a touch abrupt, leaving us wondering just who this person is that’s introduced on the final page, however, it’s easy to overlook that small issue and take comfort in how much we enjoyed ourselves reading the 399 pages that came before it.

Rating: 3.5/5


GIVEAWAYS

As part of the promotional tour for Demons at Deadnight, A&E Kirk are generously offering up either a paperback copy or an ebook to one lucky winner! Woo hoo! To enter, just leave a comment on this post with a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and will run through midnight EST on March 2nd after which time a winner will be chosen and announced on the blog.

But wait! I have another giveaway opportunity for you:


A KINDLE FIRE WITH CUSTOM SKIN!

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!

WORD FOR THIS TOUR STOP:
"By"

Before you go, one last quick announcement! The oh-so sexy Hex Boys are planning a Twitter party on Wednesday, February 29th between 9pm and 10pm EST. I like to think they're all getting together in honor of my birthday which just happens to be the following day, but that's most likely not the case. A girl can dream though right? Right. Anyway, I will be online throwing questions their way and most likely hitting on them (it's also possible I will threaten bodily harm to all those who attempt to claim them for their own or lure them away from me. Just want to be upfront about that ;-), so it should be fun. I hope some of you will be able to join us!


63 comments:

  1. Demons at Deadnight sounds like a wonderful story and I'm looking forward to reading it.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

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  2. The book sounds awesome. Would love to win it so i'm in for the giveaway!

    borneanbookworm(at)gmail(dot)com

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  3. So I downloaded a sample for this book on B&N and I cant wait to read it. I already love Aurora she is so snarky. Thanks for the give away. :)
    Kariewhite6@hotmail.com

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  4. "it’s a story that feels far shorter than its four hundred pages due to the fact that we can't devour the chapters fast enough to discover what happens."

    DEFINITELY agree with this part. Once I hit the halfway point, I had to force myself to put the book down because I got so caught up in the action! Excited for book two!

    Also, no entry for me. I already have a copy. :)

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  5. Oh, awesome! this has been recommended to me a while back. It's about time that I read it. :)

    glavauoblacima@gmail.com

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  6. I love when you read a story that's that long and it feels shorter. I have my e-copy but I'd love to have it in book form. And if the Hex boys move in next door, could you give me your address? I'll be moving even though I said I'd never do it again!

    Heather
    hrose2931(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. The more and more I hear about the Hex Boys, the more and more I already fall in love with them! <3 "There's more to all of them than just pretty faces and penchants for sarcasm." <-- If that doesn't spell out perfect book boyfriends, I don't know what would! x) LOL and I love how you say it feels shorter than it is because it moves so fast -- better than the other way around, that's for sure! :)

    Really awesome review, Jenny! I can't wait to read what all the hype's about -- even if Aurora's really stubborn, I have a feeling that I'll connect with her because I'm really stubborn too! x)

    mimivalentine@hotmail.ca

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  8. Oh Jenny that sounds awesome!!! I just got it yesterday and I'm so excited to meet those boys and the snarky MC! I love when MC are snarky and not timid. I guess I can overlook that she might run to easy into dangerous situations as long as the romance is as sweet as you say! So excited for this one!

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  9. Thanks for the giveaway~
    *dying to read this book*

    my email add is serenekua AT gmail DOT com

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  10. I am in love with the book cover, it's so pretty. The Hex Boys sounds interesting, I wouldn't mind moving next door to them ;)
    Thanks for the giveaway
    thenerdinheels@gmail.com

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  11. Not an entry for me....:)I thought the book was fun.....I didn't get all crazy over the Hex boys, but it was a fun story...:D

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  12. No need to enter me. I'm glad that you enjoyed this one. Good luck everyone!

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  13. Thanks for the awesome review and giveaway! I'm dying to read this book! :))

    kristen10horses[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  14. exciting!

    bookrants(dot)reviews(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. Oh, awesome review, Jenny! I just read a really good review for this one. But looking at your review... I'm still not sure if this is for me.

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  16. I read it all ready and loved it! Such a fun read and those boys are swoon worthy!!

    natcleary(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. I felt the same frustrations with Aurora. She is a stubborn one! But yes, if those Sexy Hexys were my neighbors, I'd implement a Neighborhood Watch program and settle myself on their porch steps permanently. :)

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  18. This sounds fun!

    ihm19610 AT gmail DOT com

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  19. loved your review Jenny! I really want to get my hands on this book! If only to fall for one of those Hex boys ;) lol Thanks for the chance to win!

    andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com

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  20. Just got a sample of this one over at B&N and still not sure if it's for me. I would, however, be excited to see it if it was a movie. Those Hex Boys are highly entertaining just from their interviews!

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  21. I bought this book last week based on Jen's great review and post. Sounds like fun. I am looking forward to reading it. The twitter party sounds like fun too. Hope you have a fabulous weekend Jenny!

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  22. I love reads with snappy and snarky dialog. DAD sounds fun.

    acm05atjuno.com

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  23. Great review, Jenny! This sounds like the perfect mix of action and romance, and right up my alley...especially with the snarky dialogue. :) I'm looking forward to reading this one.

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  24. It sounds like fun, so please, enter me :D


    kasumigogo[at]gmail[dot]com

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  25. Ups, I don't know if I had to say it, but I'm in the international category ;D

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  26. I've been following the blog tour that i feel like i know so much about the book now! Lol thanks for the giveaway!
    shae_carcar@yahoo.com

    Shae @ Understanding Shae's Story

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  27. Sounds good! I really want to know more about those Hex Boys since I've seen the Team Hex banners around.

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  28. I've heard a lot of good things about those Hex boys!
    Awesome review as always.

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  29. "There are a few flaws with Demons at Deadnight, namely Aurora’s innate stubbornness and her habit of running into danger when she’s told to stay put, but overall it’s a story that feels far shorter than its four hundred pages due to the fact that we can't devour the chapters fast enough to discover what happens next." Exactly!

    I'm curious to know who the person at the end was too although I have a guess.

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  30. You know her stubbon ways didn't bother me. I think it is because they gave her plenty of reasons not to trust them. I was more frustrated with the hex boys keeping things from her. I think if they realized they had each other to lean on and learn from and she had no one than maybe they would have been a bit more forthcoming. But then... they are guys. ;)

    PS... The hex boys are MINE! ;D

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  31. Loved the review! I got this book from amazon and sill need to read it! AHHH! Hex boys sound fine!

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  32. Thanks for the great review.I can't wait to read this.
    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

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  33. Smart mouths with a sinister edge? I'm in. This one sounds really interesting. "Hex Boys"--hehe. I like that.

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  34. I must have this book. It sounds really good. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

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  35. DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT looks amazing. Thank you for your review. Always appreciated.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  36. I've been thinking about reading this one after seeing a few reviews. I do love this cover! I think Aurora might drive me a bit nuts but I'll have to give it a try and see.

    Candace_redinger at Yahoo dot com

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  37. I enjoyed your review. The book sounds very good.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  38. I absolutely LOVE the cover of this book. From what I've heard so far it sounds like a great book, I'd love to read it.

    Thanks for the giveaway and for making it international.

    s_l_a_s_c69(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  39. Wow, Jenny! There you go adding to my TBR again. I hadn't heard of this before but it sounds like a great read! I love that there is humour present - it's always fun to read some witty comments. ;) Brilliant review! I'm glad that you enjoyed it overall, despite it not being perfect. I can't wait to get round to this myself now.

    realmoffiction(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk

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  40. Thanks for the great giveaway!

    PuttPutt1198Eve@comcast.net

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  41. Oh wow! Demons at Deadnight sounds like such a fun read! Not one but a whole bunch of hunky guys..yes please :)I am happy to read that it has a darker side to it though!
    The covers really striking..i think the colour green always catches the eye as its not a colour we usually see.

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway :)

    holz_twilight@msn.com

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  42. Stubborness is so annoying. I always scream at them, TELL!!! And then they do not and end up almost killed

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  43. I think I'm seriously in love with this cover! And the book sounds so interesting, it had me at "Hex Boys". It's like the cooler new "Lost Boys". Thanks so much for the giveaway!!

    kmritchie02@gmail.com

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  44. There are so many stops in this tour so I'm really hopeful to win a copy. Thanks for the chance!

    spamscape [at] gmail [dot] com

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  45. Demons at Deadnight has very beautiful story and the cover is amazing! I just learned about this tour from your blog and it is great (Many many previous stops to read).
    Thank you for the giveaway!

    artgiote at gmail dot com

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  46. I downloaded this a few days ago. It sounds like a lot of fun. I must meet these Hex Boys you fawn over.

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  47. AWESOME review. Thanks for the heads up on the warning.
    (not an entry)

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  48. Sounds like a great read, I'd love to enter the giveaway please :) Preferably for the paperback copy not ebook as I don't have an ereader hehe.

    natalie@nataliewestgate.com

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  49. I'm starting this tomorrow!!! I can't wait!!! I hope Aurora isn't as frustrating to me as she was to you! I'm assuming I'm going to be much more focused on these Hex Boys!!! Lol

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  50. I can't even describe just how curious I am about this series by now! I've heard really great things about it and I love the sound of the characters. I'm really glad you enjoyed it too and that the flaws didn't affect the overall story too much! :)

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  51. I love reading books filled with witty lines and this seems to fit the bill. Definitely adding this to my must read list!

    lincalc at gmail dot com

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  52. Great review and awesome giveaway! Loving the cover and looking forward to reading it..:D

    Kelsey O.
    kopsahl48 AT gmail DOT com

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  53. This sounds very fun and kind of unique. Too bad you didn't enjoy it more, but it sounds promising. Sometimes I'll take books that I can't put down and are easy to get through than the other way around.

    midnytereader@gmail.com

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  54. Thanks for the great giveaway!
    GFC- audreyclair
    twigerina[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  55. Thanks for the giveaway! I've been interested in reading this for a while now. :)

    literaturelovely [at] gmail [dot] com

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  56. I am getting more and more interested in the book as the tour goes on!

    unabridgedbookshelf at gmail dot com

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  57. Sounds great. Thanks for the chance!

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  58. Enter me please!!!!

    bwithbite at gmail dot com

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  59. Please let me win! I want to read this book!

    mrbookwonder(at)gmail(dot)com

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  60. Do I need to remind you that they're MINE? :D

    Just thought I'd let you know!

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  61. I'd love to win this one :)

    youngreadersathomeATgmailDOTcom

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  62. Can't wait to read all about the Hex Boys, they sound like so much fun!! Great review =D
    Tristan @ Reads With Wreckless Abandon

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  63. Unless I hear differently about the next book in the series; I most likely won't be looking to buy it in paper form and take up room on my shelves.

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