Hades: A Demonica Novella (1001 Dark Nights)

by Larissa Ione

• ISBN10: 1940887550
• ISBN13: 9781940887555
• Publish Date: 22 May 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 154
• Language: English

Reviews

[Melanie]

Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.

I’ve been a big fan of the Demonica series since I picked book one back when there was only three books in the series. I’ve always wanted to learn more about the mohawked jailer of the underworld. He hasn’t had large parts in the previous books. There’s a reason for that. He pissed Azagoth off many, many years ago, so Azagoth keeps him limited to the Inner Sanctum of Sheol-gra. When Hades does appear in the stories, I always felt he made a big impact and was very rememberable.

Cataclysm is a fallen angel. She was kicked out of heaven for helping Gethel try to start the Apocalypse. She now works for Azagoth cleaning his office and what not. She really isn’t very good at it. She constantly breaking things. She has quite the history of making bad decisions, but as a general rule, she wanted to do good things. Even when helping Gethel, she didn’t know what Gethel had planned.

This was another great short story that gives a look into lives of some the secondary characters of a series that I enjoy considerably. You can read these stories whether you’ve read the series or not, though there are spoilers, but you wouldn’t realize it when you read these shorts. They are fun and sexy. There is insta-love in this book, which isn’t my favorite thing, but not didn’t bother me as much as I would’ve thought. My biggest complaint about this story, in the sex scene, Hades actually uses his mohawk on Cat’s different lady bits. This was just not sexy to me in any way. I still enjoyed the story. We are also given a glimpse of what we will be seeing in the next story. I’m glad that I get to keep visiting this world, even if it is only in short bursts.

[littleread1]

You don't need to read the rest of the books to understand what is going on, but since I had it certainly enhanced the experience for me. Hades isn't a character you get to see a lot of in the previous books, but the bits you do get are intriguing and pretty much NOT what you expect him to be. See, he is the Jailer for Sheoul, or Hell as we know it. Or at least I certainly don't expect the man in that position to sport a blue mohawk. Maybe that is my own misconceptions though. ;-)

The story starts with Cat, our heroine, making some poor decisions. She then tries to fix them, but OF COURSE makes them worse. And those bad decisions lead her right into the arms of Hades. WORTH IT. This is one of those easy stories, because if you read PNR AT ALL, you pretty much know how things are going to play out. But you know what? Sometimes I love that. I need that. No mind altering twists, no last minute "just kidding, I actually hate you" revelations ... just two people trying to figure out if and how they can be together with some seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

This story was just what I needed just when I needed it. When everything else I was reading was "stupid" or not keeping my attention, this just let me be. Let me enjoy the ride, the rush, the heat. Superbly done Ms Ione. Thank you.

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.



I was happy to see Hades was going to get a novella.  And let me say, Larissa Ione once again gives us a hero that you can't help but love.

As we step back into the Demonica world, we get a little insight into how the underworld works.  Hades may be the jailer of the things we don't like to think about, but we find out he's not in charge of his own destiny.  Instead, he's paying for not only the sins that caused him to fall but also for the poor choices that lead to him into the servitude of Arazgoth.  It's not until Cataclysm (or Cat) that Hades realizes what he wants is what every other male in the Demonica series has wanted...a woman to want him just as he is.

Cat is an angel who got pulled into something she really knew nothing about.  Being sent to the Sheoul-gra was a punishment Cat was going to take until she could redeem herself and return to Heaven.  But Hades and the friends she'd made there helped her realize that she had so much more with these group of people than she did with her heavenly family.  They accepted her inquisitive, sometimes messy, personality and made her feel like she belonged.

I'll admit, this novella was too short of a Demonica story for me.  I wanted more for both of these characters.  For their romance to build and expand over a couple hundred pages.  That being said, it was a typical Demonica book with wit, sarcasm, trouble brewing and a romance between a hero/heroine that seems unlikely but proves to be absolutely perfect in the end.  If you've followed the Demonica series, HADES is an absolute must-read.This book was reviewed by a member of the review staff at Cocktails and Books. The name of the reviewer can be found under the post categories.