Mark of the Demon

Kara Gillian, Book 1

By: Diana Rowland

Narrated by: Liv Anderson

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Cop and conjurer of demons, she's a woman in danger of losing control - to a power that could kill....

"Why me? Why now?" That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives - and souls - of 13 people? And should she?

The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he's back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore. Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head.

©2009 Diana Rowland (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Good But....

At first I had a hard time following the story. Seemed I needed more explanation to understand what was going on with the arcane side. As is happens, towards that end when things started getting good. The mystery takes over and I no longer needed to understand. I was to busy trying to figure out "who dune it". Rowland does try to recap at the end. But I am still a bit confused. I almost think this maybe done to have the reader learn with the main character. I will probably listen to this book again for clarification.

I enjoy romance with my supernatural reads. In my opinion this one could have had a lot more. I will probably read the next book as I found the mystery to be quite good. As this book is the first perhaps this will come as the series progresses.

Great narration as well.

Not sure if its worth a credit tho. I like my credits to be well spend with some great romance/paranormal. This book didn't have enough of both. I suggest a bogo or deal of the day.

Loved this book!

Where does Mark of the Demon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've only listen to about ten audiobooks so far but this one is definitely number one so far!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mark of the Demon?

Probably every scene with Rhyzkahl in it. I found him a very interesting character

What about Liv Anderson’s performance did you like?

I really enjoyed her vocal pacing and that I could understand her clearly.

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

It definitely was! I would have finished this whole book in a day but had to stop myself when I had an hour and a half left because I wanted to savour the story a bit more.

Any additional comments?

I have only been really interested in paranormal romance/ urban fantasy for the past few months but I definitely enjoyed that this book was about something other than the current cliché of vampires or werewolves.

I found the whole concept of demon summoning to be really interesting and enjoyed the detail and thought put into creating the rituals.

This book is definitely a must read/listen to for those who enjoy urban fantasy and I will definitely recommend this book to my friends and family.

Intriguing

I downloaded the whole series it keeps you wanting more! And the narrator voice is awsome keeps you listening

Little bit of a slow start, but a great ending

Any additional comments?

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
REVIEW: 
This book took me a little bit to get into.  I am not sure what I was expecting but after listening to Diana’s White Trash Zombie I guess I expected a little more snark and humor.  But Kara is very different then Angel.  As the story when on I started to like Kara.  I started enjoying her view on the world and how a summoner sees things.   I honestly took me until the end of the book to decided if I like the Demon Lord and the FBI agent in Kara’s life.  Let’s say that I really like one when we first met him, then I hated him, then I kinda liked him.  The other I didn’t like at all until the end of the book.  You will have to read/listen to and see if you can figure out which is which. 
The narrator was not my most favorite but she did a pretty good job.  I will say that Rhyzkahl’s voice was a little creepy, but he is a Demon Lord.  So I guess that is okay.  

Even though this was a slow start for me I am very much looking forward to Kara, Ryan & Rhyzkahl’s next adventure. 

Disclaimer: 
This review is my own opinion and not a paid review. Listened to via purchase on Audible

Excited about a great new series

One book into the series and I'm hooked! The characters leave you wanting more...can't wait to start the next book!

LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!

This is a must listen to. The story is fantastic as is the narrator. I didn't guess who the serial killer was until just a minute before the mystery was solved. That's good. I hate it when I guess who it is way before the mystery is solved. It's sexy, scary and funny. Kara is a great female character. I'm not going to give anything away but its really good. I just ordered the 2nd book.

Great new series!

Always looking for a great new urban fantasy. Have found it in Mark of the Demon! The heroine is likable, The plot is interesting and character development is good.

Excellent start to a new series

What did you love best about Mark of the Demon?

This title has been on my TBR list for an incredibly long time. The audiobook came up for sale and I was all over it. It’s an Urban Fantasy with a kick ass chick, I mean hello, she summons demons and she’s a cop! And there isn’t a vampire to be found in the entire book! Score! Definitely my type of book!

The one thing I really liked about this story was the mythology created. The Demons that Kara summons aren’t evil; they are from another plane of existence. They are neither good nor bad; they are just utterly self-serving, and rely on a strict honor system in their culture. Their honor is everything to them. So once a summoner; which is what Kara is, agree to terms with a demon, the demon will abide by those terms, simply because their honor holds them to it. It was a pretty interesting concept. Kara summons the demons in order to glean information, and basically uses them to better learn her craft. Again, she isn’t evil, and neither are the demons. It’s all in the summoner and what the terms agreed upon.

Kara has a summoning go disastrously wrong and winds up with a far deadlier creature she has to contend with, Rhyzkahl. Who instead of slaughtering her where she stands, decides seduction is the name of the game. This coincides with an old serial killer starting up again and Kara is given the case, her first murder case. She is in a race to track down the Symbol man before he kills again. On top of being saddled with a FBI agent who she is completely attracted to, while he thinks she is a compete idiot. Oh, and did I mention Rhyzkal is now visiting her dreams? Stress doesn’t even begin to cover Kara’s world.

I finished the audiobook in a 2-day period. I kept guessing this is the killer, then nope he would get killed. It was loaded with surprises all the way to the end. I was so thrilled I wasn’t able to guess! The stories are always blown when I can figure them out, so happy this wasn’t the case. I will note that this is a bit on the horror side for me with all those grizzly details, but not enough that I wasn’t able to enjoy the story.

Mark of the Demon is an excellent start to this series and I am so pleased that I finally jumped into it. I have been missing out! I can’t wait to dive into the next book, Blood of the Demon....Sara

Good mystery...

Where does Mark of the Demon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mark of the Demon?

I loved when she died.

Which scene was your favorite?

Anything with Rescal (sp)

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really...unless excessive cussing counts

Any additional comments?

This was my first official audiobook purchase.l I usually just listen to the books my family orders. I'm really glad I bought this, and will be buying the next book.

Give this one a try

This series has a different view of demons but was very well written and narrated. I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes the story.