C2’s review of Sin Undone (Demonica Series, Book 5) by Larissa Ione
Paranormal Romance published by Grand Central 24 Aug 10
What happens when I succubus, who happens to be an assassin and capable of starting plagues, hooks up with a vampire/werewolf hybrid? Mayhem! Violence! Explosions! Battles! And some hot loves scenes, too. 😉 In the latest entry of her Demonica series, Larissa Ione pulls out all the stops.
Sin is the only female ever produced by a Seminus demon mating with a human, but somehow, when her twin brother was conceived, she was too. She and Lore didn’t even realize what they were until they were young adults. The transition was difficult for both of them and led Sin into life as an assassin. Now she is in charge of a den of assassins – not the safest of positions since, any time she leaves the den, the other assassins try to kill her so they can be in charge of the den.
Since she is a succubus, Sin requires sex on a regular basis…without it, she could die. Painfully. During a visit to Underground General – the demon hospital her brothers built – she hooked up with Conall, a dhampire (part vampire, part werewolf) and also, unbeknownst to her, set off a plague within the werewolf community. That is Sin’s secret gift – she can infect creatures with diseases, if she wants. And sometimes she can do it accidentally, apparently.
After her brother Eidolon becomes aware of the epidemic, he gets Sin back to UGH, in hopes that she can help stop the disease before it spreads further. While at the hospital, she meets up with Con again, and the attraction is still there on both sides. But Con is angry with her for causing the disease to start with and isn’t happy with her attitude about it either.
Sin’s relationship with her new-found half brothers is strained, to say the least – she and Lore didn’t know the brothers existed until Lore was hired to kill them. Still, she agrees to work with them to try to find a way to stop the epidemic from spreading.
Con doesn’t have time for an epidemic and he doesn’t have time for a relationship – he has promised his clan he will take his proper place with them. And that place does not include room for a woman of his own.
So the race is on – Sin must find a way to stop the epidemic while keeping herself alive, in spite of the many creatures out to kill her. And fight the connection with Con at the same time, since they both know they have no future together. Also, what’s up with the mysterious guys on horseback? Are they trying to kill Sin too? Or are they trying to save her?
Since this book bridges Ms. Ione’s Demonica series with her new Lords of Deliverance series, there is a lot of world building/expanding. Consequently, the romance between Sin and Con takes a backseat a good bit of the time. There is a LOT going on and getting all lovey-dovey would be silly. The progression of their relationship seems natural, given the circumstances they are dealing with. And whets the reader’s appetite for the new series too. 🙂
Does this book stand alone? No. I say you should read Lore’s book, at the very least, but the whole series is excellent, so why not read them all? I think Shade is still my favorite.
Grade: B-
Summary:
HER TOUCH IS DEADLY
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.HIS HUNGER CAN’T BE DENIED
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in the series (let us pause and enjoy the pretties):
