Review ~ ON DEMON WINGS (Experiment in Terror #5) by Karina Halle

When the life you wanted has crumbled beneath your fingers, there’s nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and soldier on. You’ve done this before. But what happens when you no longer feel like yourself anymore? When fires spontaneously start-up around you, when you hear growling coming from underneath your bed, and you no longer recognize your face in the mirror. What happens then? Ghost-hunter Perry Palomino doesn’t have much time to find out. Now, the evil she used to hunt is a lot closer to home. It’s inside of her, taking over her life bit-by-terrifying bit, and there’s only one person who can help her. If part of her doesn’t kill him first. ~From GoodReads

I must, must start this review by saying HOLY EFFING BLEEEEP!!! Whew. I feel better.

Seriously? Whoa. Author Karina Halle has always held the ability to creep me out. Each book in the Experiment in Terror series has gotten progressively freakier. And now, in ON DEMON WINGS, I feel nearly ready to piss myself with fright. I'm telling you, if you grew up in the 80s, with a parent who liked to scare the shizz out of you, then surely you've watched Poltergeist. That is the freaked out, crazy-scary vibe I had while reading this book. The day I read this, I was poolside in Atlanta, in June. I should have been hot, right?! Um...no. I had freaking chill bumps running along my arms and legs. I kept looking behind the potted plants, in the pool drains, and jumping when shadows crossed over. So if Karina was aiming to freak me the eff out, mission accomplished. Two thumbs up.

Alright. The big questions. Perry? Dex? Perry and Dex? What happened after LYING SEASON? I have to say, it hurt to see Perry without Dex. At first. But really, it was nice to see Perry make a new life for herself after the fallout. She proves her inner strength, her ability to deal with everything, even though it hurt. But then...Perry's life goes to south in a major way. This poor girl has handled more than most characters ever go through. I'm just waiting for Perry to completely crack.

The ever-infuriating, yet hopelessly sexy and intriguing, Dex Foray is largely absent in much of the story. I say largely and not completely because though he's not physically present, he's always near the front of Perry's consciousness. His past actions still play a tremendous and devastating part of Perry's life. But don't fear, Dex lovers. I am one of you and I will say that when Dex does make a return, it is PERFECTION. For once, Dex does and says the right thing. I have never loved that man as much as I did in this book.

I would be a total loser if I did not mention Perry's sister, Ada. How this girl has grown on me! She was a brat in the first few books in the series. But along the way, she has morphed into a ridiculously funny, surprising astute, and fiercely loyal sister. She was Perry's thread to sanity in much of this book. I can't tell you how many times this girl made me snarf. Especially when she's telling off the men in Perry's life. You can always count on Ada to dish out the truth, in her unique way. Here's her discussing the weird events happening with Perry:

"Look, I don't know, Perry. You've been through a lot. You just watched a whole bunch of Tyra Banks. Combined, those things can create nightmares." (ebook, 21%)


ON DEMON WINGS was all I had hoped for and more. It had the traits I've come to expect from Halle's books: quirky, fun, scary, exciting, tense, and full of "WTF?" moments. So many lingering questions were answered. But I have to say that the ending made me shriek and thrash, much like possessed-Perry. The story was utterly imaginative. I have truly been taking places I never dreamed possible when I began this series nearly a year ago. Karina Halle is a fearless author and I am anxiously (understatement) waiting for book six, INTO THE HOLLOW.


Favorite Quote:

"I pictured Dex, his deep eyes, his smirk, his stark determination that blew me over from time to time. He was a strong man and a weak man all at once. A friend once, a lover last. A father in another lifetime. Now nothing. But he was going to try to save me all the same." (eARC, 90%)

Published May 13th 2012 by Metal Blonde Books

You can purchase ON DEMON WINGS at:
Amazon Kindle  |  Smashwords  |  Paperback


Source: Received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.