DEMON’S MERCY (Dark Protector #9) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 22, 2019
Duty meets desire . . .
Mercy O’Malley hates killing people. So when she’s assigned to take out Vampire-Demon Logan Kyllwood, she lures him to a seedy bar in Scotland, then decides to kidnap him instead. How can she cold-bloodedly end all that heat, those green eyes, that ripped body?
Unfortunately for Mercy, attempted murder and kidnapping are just foreplay for the Kyllwood brothers. Logan may be the youngest of the bunch, but death and violence are already a way of life. Now he’s ready to complete a painful, terrifying ritual to become one of the Seven, dedicated to protecting this world from the most dangerous evil it’s ever known. But first he has to deal with a blackmailing Fey, a ransom demand and his own pounding need for the last female he ever should have fallen for . . .
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REVIEW: DEMON’S MERCY is the ninth instalment in Rebecca Zanetti’s contemporary, adult DARK PROTECTOR paranormal, fantasy romance series. This is vampire/demon hybrid Logan Kyllwood, and fae Mercy O’Malley’s story line. DEMON’S MERCY can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout.
SOME BACKGROUND: A thousand years earlier, a number of immortal warriors went through a ritual that, if they survived, hardened their bodies against attack, a ritual meant to create a group of Seven known as The Shield. The Shield was created to protect the world from an evil race of vampires known as the Kurjans, their sect group known as the Cysts, and ultimately a rogue warrior once considered a friend- Ulric-a male of immense power. To protect the human race, Ulric was captured, and along with two of the Seven, was encapsulated in one of three spheres for all eternity. As the warriors search for the ‘Keys’ to perform the ritual, the Lock must be protected in order to take down the evil that is hoping to take over the world.
Told from several third person perspectives including Mercy and Logan DEMON’S MERCY focuses on Logan’s search for one of the Keys, a supernatural or enhanced female who, together with two other Keys, will open the lock to save the Realm but all does not go according to plan when Logan finds himself the prisoner of a female Fae, Mercy O’Malley, the woman who would one day be his fated mate. What ensues is the back and forth, escape and recapture between Mercy and Logan, and the potential fall-out as the Fae have sided with the Kurjans and the Cysts, against the Realm.
Mercy O’Malley has known all of her life that she is destined to help save her Fae world. As one of only a few remaining Fae of mating age, our heroine finds herself promised to someone else as she slowly falls in love with our leading man. Logan Kyllwood knows Mercy is his fated mate, the mating wrong is never wrong, but Logan struggles to convince Mercy that trust is earned, even though neither one is willing to accept the other at face value.
Meanwhile Sam Kyllwood is taken hostage and thrown into a hell dimension where the portals open for a revealing surprise.
The relationship between Mercy and Logan is acrimonious at best. Mercy and her fellow Fae females have been assigned to take down and destroy our leading hero in the belief the Seven are a threat to the world. The palpable sexual attraction between Mercy and Logan is immediate; the $ex scenes are passionate and seductive.
There is a large ensemble cast of familiar and colorful secondary and supporting characters including Logan’s brother Sam Kyllwood, Garrett Kayrs, and seven year old Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood, and her bestie Paxton; Zane and Janie Belle, Ronan and Faith Karys, Quade Kayrs, Benjamin Reese, demon-vampire and Viking Ivar Kjeidsen, and Scotsman Adare O’Cearbhaill. We are introduced to Mercy’s fellow Fae warriors Sandy and Trina, self- proclaimed King Niall, and president Alyssa Dawn.
The world building continues to focus of the search for the Keys: the fight against the Kurjans and the Cysts; the protection of the Realm; and Hope’s foray into the dreamworld. The seven members of the Shield prepare for war one battle at a time, knowing one or two of their own may be lost forever, encapsulated in an effort to keep Ulric behind proverbial bars.
DEMON’S MERCY is a story of family, friendship, survival and blood. The fast paced premise is engaging and intriguing; the characters are strong, sassy and inspiring; the romance is spirited and moving. DEMON’S MERCY is a sexy, spicy and startling story line sure to please the supernatural lover in all of us.
Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Fated
Claimed
Tempted
Hunted
Consumed
Provoked
Twisted
Shadowed
Tamed
Marked
Teased
Tricked
Tangled
Talen
Vampire’s Faith
Demon’s Mercy
Copy supplied by Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner – only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She writes contemporary romances, dark paranormal romances, and romantic suspense novels.
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day—or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.