The Demon Master's Wife: Forced to Serve, Book 2 (Unabridged‪)‬

AudioBook Review Stars Overall: 4 Narration 4 Story 4

Picking up right where the first book left off, I think that the novella was able to present much of the background information that is integral to this story, without dragging down the pace and flow with too much information. These books will not stand alone: you are well-served by reading them in order as only a nod is given to provide information from the first book.

Aria is dealing with her hosting of Malachi, yet Liam’s brother Conor is still a great threat. In a secondary thread, Dorian and Gwen are still struggling with their on again off again relationship and attraction, it’s quite funny to see Dorian: an enlightened being totally and completely flummoxed by Gwen’s independence, sharp tongue and guarded heart.

It is interesting to note that even though things are rather curiously jumbled in the relationships, and the men are really no more able to understand their women’s needs, that the underlying conflicts are all really about communication and honesty with the couples.

But, Conor is providing a serious threat to all: wanting to claim Malachi for himself, and not all is well in the universe: Dorian is in trouble, and an ambassador that should have been working for peace is tied to Conor and determined to cause upheaval in Liam’s life.

Each story is treated with respect and pacing that fits the action, even as all of the subplots do circle back to revolve around Aria and Liam. We also see a growth and development for Malachi, from demon with a very jaded approach and outlook toward the humans he encounters, he starts to see that he is also an integral cog in the works: and that there are those who will deal with him as a being worthy of acknowledgement, not just an unwanted tool. If you are looking for pure sexy talk and erotic moments, the use of some strange phrasing keeps the steam levels down, even as reactions are described in detail, although the emotional components are well detailed and explained.

Narration is again provided by Allyson Johnson: she again does a nice job of bringing the characters to light with her use of changes in pitch and tone. Unfortunately, there were several sections where it took a moment for her to get into the voice that I had come to associate with a particular character, as well as obvious moments of ‘cutting in’ phrases that perhaps didn’t make the editing cut. There were several of these fluctuations in the production, and sadly they did pull me from the story for the moment until resolved. Compared to the first book’s recording there were some misses here that I did not expect.

This has been a fun ride through these two stories: they are complex and rich with characters that are distinct and unique, even as they have traits that are all too human and familiar. I’m curious about the next step in the series.

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.