The Demon Of Synar

Forced To Serve Series, Book 1

By: Donna McDonald

Narrated by: Allyson Johnson

Length: 5 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Being captain of his own rescue ship is the life Liam Synar has always dreamed of living. Being master of a hereditary demon is not. Coveting Malachi's power, his exiled evil brother hunts him to capture the demon that Liam's life mate unknowingly hosts. Putting Malachi inside Ania two years ago had been an act to save her when she almost died saving him. If only the demon hadn't killed again.

©2012 Donna McDonald (P)2013 Donna McDonald

The demon of synar

I really hate cliffhanger endings! It is a good story but it ended so fast.

Ends with no real resolution

This book starts off feeling like you missed another book or short story detailing events that are discussed in the prologue. I had to go back and read the book blurb to get up to speed on what was going on, although that also only recapped the first hour or so of the book. I really think some sort of prequel is in order to clarify relationships and events.

The overall story is really interesting once you get into things, if a touch complex at moments. The world is well thought out and intriguing. The way that information is handed out is a bit jarring. There are often times when you feel details are missing and they are not supplied until much later in the story.

The characters are really interesting and draw you into the action. I can see how things are going to develop for the lead characters and hints of relationships for the supporting cast. While Liam Synar is stiff most of the book he started to loosen up towards the end. Same goes for his mate Ania Looren.

While this has romantic elements it is sadly lacking in the smexy. One steamy kiss at the end is about as hot as things get.

I listened to the audiobook read by Allyson Johnson. She does a very nice job with the voices and pacing of the read. She is a touch inconsistent with the pronunciation of the lead character Ania's name. She has a very soothing tone to her voice that worked for calm characters but did not lend energy to action scenes.

The book has varied POV's, mostly from the two leads but other supporting characters lend to the narration as well. This is a great device for getting into the heads of everybody and understanding their motivations. It is one of my favorite styles to read.

The book leaves off with no real resolution. This is clearly a must read in order series. I am definitely interested in what is to come next but it is not a burning need to know right now. It was an entertaining read but it felt like much was missing from the beginning and this book is set-up for the next books in the series.

My suggestion is snag it for free on Amazon and then get the Audible for $1.99. If you love it you will be in the perfect place to pick up with the second book that is already out on audio.

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

A Series Introduction

I read the other (very positive) reviews and decided to give this book a try. However, I feel it necessary to say that it's more of a series introduction than a story in and of itself. While it introduces you to the five main characters, and lays out past events that have brought our characters to the point where they are "today", it doesn't have a resolution in the end.

This 5 hour audio book quite thoroughly introduces each character and gives you some time in each ones head. It is very character driven, and the characters do make real mistakes, but when trying to think of a synopsis of this book, I realize that I could pretty much reveal the whole book in a brief synopsis, so I will decline from doing that. Instead, I will merely reiterate that while this is a good "set up" novella for a future series, it's not in and of itself a satisfying romantic read with a tidy HEA.

I did enjoy Allyson Johnson's narration. There were some odd pauses at the beginning, though that's probably more an editing issue. Her narrating voice was pleasant, her character voices, particularly that of Malachai (the demon), were excellent, and her inflection and pacing fit the events going on in the story.

No HEA

Well narrated, but this is just an introduction of the world, characters and history. This seems to just set the stage for the rest of the series with no HEA and TBC ending instead.

Shades of Kellnor!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Wasn't sure what to expect from a romance novel with the word 'demon' in the title, but I listened to it anyway.I was pleasantly surprised. The story line is interesting and I love that the listener get a glimpse inside the minds of the main characters. I felt completely drawn into the story. The characters are well rounded and easily relatable. I laughed out loud several times. I also fell in love with Dorian Zade. Currently reading the 4th installment in the Series - that's how much I love it! :)

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Demon Of Synar?

Dorian and Gwen's mating madness

Which character – as performed by Allyson Johnson – was your favorite?

Ania Looren and Malachi

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Great scifi romance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would if they like romantic scifi

What did you like best about this story?

Love how different the story was from others I have read/listend to

What about Allyson Johnson’s performance did you like?

Love how she does the different characters

Fantastic book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would as it is a good story

What did you like best about this story?

I love the story line and it kept me entertained throughout.

Have you listened to any of Allyson Johnson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I enjoyed the whole book

no lack of characters to enjoy.

Starting out with a scene that turns out to be completely necessary for the background information, we are quickly introduced to Liam Synar, his best friend Dorian, his chosen mate Aria and the central character for conflict Malachi the demon in servitude to the Synar family.

Incorporating multiple races of beings, the story is consistently informed by the behavioral customs and approaches particular to the different races, some even creating moments of levity to break up the overwhelming tension emanating from Liam Synar.

There are many different elements coming to play in this story: good versus evil, knowing your partner, being honest about your history and background and being careful to listen, not just speak. Both Aria’ and Liam’s sides of the story are clearly laid out: nether was 100% honest: partly trust, partly selfishness on both parts, the story is really all about consequences, rebuilding trust and learning to be honest with one another.

Toss in several beings that are intuitive to precognitive, a smart-mouthed and cocky female human-mix and some flirtatious male crew members and there is no lack of characters to enjoy.

Narration in this story is provided by Allyson Johnson and she manages quite competently to present the voices of the characters with slight distinct changes in tone, pitch and delivery. Particular favorite of mine was her use of a whispery growl for Malachi, even in his conversation with Aria as she was demanding answers. Polished without great distracting moments, she kept the flow of the story without overdramatizing the author’s words.

As a start of a new series this is one that is full of characters to give everyone a favorite. Stopping with plenty yet to be sorted and solved, I am looking forward to the next installment.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title via AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Paranormal Romance - This 1st Book Sets the Scene!

Where does The Demon Of Synar rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have just started listening to Audible books… this is my second book and I must admit I am thoroughly addicted! I had to make the time to sit down and read before..….. but with Audible, I plug my earphones into my iphone and off I go doing my housework, gardening, walking or driving to work!

I’m just disappointed I never tried this before now!

The narrator’s voice captures the characters personalities well, especially the sarcasm and humour between Malachi and Ania – I feel I have a good visualisation of how these characters look. The narrators voice is exceptionally clear and easy to listen too - making it easy to differentiate between the characters.

What did you like best about this story?

This book is fast paced, has multiple planets, species whom have various amazing abilities of a spaceship transporting ambassadors for the peace into the depths of space – The book is very well written and keeps you engaged due to the strong storyline which really builds up and sets the scene for the other books which follow (I have read the other follow on books and I can truly say that all the follow on stories are brilliant) The characters all have wildly different abilities and characteristics which makes a truly good fictional read/listen. Other members of the crew are engaged in their own romantic predicaments making the book both humorous and emotive at the same time. The next books really get into the depths of the story.

Which character – as performed by Allyson Johnson – was your favorite?

Defiantly Ania, she is cool, calm, wise, strong (Physically and emotionally) and collected and I like the relationship which forms Malachi and Ania together – through no choice of their own. Their story becomes interesting and it’s great to see what they achieve together.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

From the breathtaking beauty of the various unusual Planets & Characters from across the various galaxies, the spectacular world of Donna McDonald Demon of Synar comes to life as never seen before. Soar among the spaceships into galaxy never visited and seen before – Imagine yourself as Ania who is a wise warrior woman century’s old and immerse yourself in the greatest adventure of all time, as Captain Liam Synar quest for reclamation leads him on an epic journey beyond your imagination!

Any additional comments?

Fantasy science fiction is not my usual genre but I am glad I listened to this book as it has opened up my imagination and I thoroughly enjoyed the book/s. I have subsequently started reading other similar authors who write in the same genre. Donna McDonald is now one of my favourite authors, all her books are well writen, fun characters and a joy to read/relax.

Excellent reading of an already great book!

I had already read this book -- and loved it -- when I found out that the author had released an audio version. I tend to be a bit skittish about audiobooks for two reasons: 1) a bad reader can really destroy an otherwise wonderful story and 2) I get my own idea of the characters voices in my head and it's not always easy to jibe those voices with an audio version. But I decided to give it a shot -- after all, the book was already a great read.

I'm really thrilled to announce that the audio version of The Demon of Synar is so worth the download and the listen that I've been recommending it all over.

The Demon of Synar brings together the worlds of Science Fiction/Space Opera, Paranormal, and Romance into a brilliant story. Dark and action packed, this story is a tight, character driven story of Liam Synar on the day of his "wedding" to Ambassador Ania Looren. But an assassination plot thwarts the wedding and leaves several killed and Ania fatally wounded. Liam, unknown to any but the reader, is a Demon Master who has the power of the family demon, Malachi. Without her knowing, Liam commands Malachi into Ania to heal her and keep her alive -- and then disappears, leaving his new mate to deal with her feelings of rejection. There are reasons why, but she is not to know them. And thus begins the story.

There's a lot of action as Liam has to rescue his mate, dodge the assassination attempts, and hopefully get his crew together. And what a varied crew it is. McDonald excels in creating very real characters from other worlds and making you believe that they really exist. They're full of flaws, shining moments, bravery, and just being who they are. Each character has his or her own personality and you get caught up in the story and in their lives.

Right from the first chapter, this story takes off and it doesn't stop. The action is amazing, the plot draws you in and doesn't let go -- and the cliffhangers make you want to read the next book. And then the next. And then the next. And darn it, the woman doesn't write fast enough for me; I'm so hooked, I want more and I want it now.

And now, the icing on the cake is having an audio version. Allyson Johnson's reading is spot on! She has such a great take on each of the characters -- especially Malachi, the titled Demon of Synar -- and she gives voice to a complex character that is much more than he originally seems. She keeps things moving with her reading, which is a plus. I really hope she's reading the rest of the books in this series, because I don't think anyone else could do as well as she does with them.

Bottom line, if you love romances and science fiction, this is the book and series for you. If you don't have time during your busy day but want to enjoy a good book, this is the book for you. This is a must have that even if you don't like SF and/or romance, you'll still love it, it's that well written and that well read.

Five out of five stars across the board.