REVIEW ~ DEMONS OF THE SUN by CINDI MADSEN

Series: Stand-alone
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Format: ebook
Pages: 272
Source: Received from author for review.

Persephone didn’t ask to be the guardian of Hades Dagger, an artifact Hades forged to turn demons into daywalkers. She didn’t ask for the demon blood running through her veins that allows her to touch the thing, either. And she definitely didn’t ask for Jax, a cocky Warrior, to barge into her life and proclaim himself her bodyguard now that Hades wants his dagger back.

Forced to deal with this reality, along with an increase in demon attacks, and the fact members of the Order of Zeus keep turning up dead, Persephone finds her hands full. When demons tell Persephone that she’s one of them she’s appalled... And a little intoxicated by the power she feels when they call her their queen. Telling Jax about her demon side might turn him away from her forever... Something bad is brewing, and if Persephone doesn’t figure out a solution, and soon she’ll be responsible for unleashing Hell on Earth.

I feel the need to start by saying, Demons of the Sun is YA Urban Fantasy at it's best! I have so much I want to say about this story and I will try to contain myself, but I make no promises.

The world that author Cindi Madsen built in Demons of the Sun is detailed enough that it felt authentic, yet it was easy to understand. The world is built around demon slaying and Greek Mythology, which I found to be an interesting and extremely smart idea. The New Orleans setting gave the story an appropriately dark and gritty mood.

Demons of the Sun has two awesome main characters: Persephone and Jax. Persephone is the last member of her family, charged with guarding an artifact that could destroy the world if it gets in the wrong hands. I found her to be smart, tough, brave, and so funny, despite her circumstances. Persephone uses sarcasm as a weapon, which made me love love love her. And though she's consistently pushes ahead, her quiet vulnerability and her sadness made her more endearing to me. Persephone has a stubborn determination that sometimes puts her in bad situations, but instead of acting like a brat about it, she can admit when she needs help. Another big plus for me.

Persephone's help usually comes in the form of Jax. Oh, Jax. I want to start by talking about his physical attributes. I know this sounds completely superficial of me, but I'm okay with that. Jax is tall, well-built and gorgeous. Obviously. I mean, who among us wants to read about a "so-so" hero? Jax has wavy blond hair, which makes my heart skip. Okay, we've now that I've gotten talking about Jax's physical attributes out of my system, let's talk about the other reasons I loved him. Honorable? Check. Smart? Check. Badass fighter? Check. Funny and sarcastic? Check and check. Yes, I loved everything I just listed about Jax. But, here's what puts him above and beyond: Jax wants to protect and help Persephone, but he's willing to do it on her terms. He disagrees with Persephone, but doesn't put her down. He doesn't bully or condescend to Persephone, he respects and admires her. That is why Jax became a character I love.

Author Cindi Madsen has a true gift for storytelling. Her writing has a nice flow and energy and the perfect amount of wittiness. Her characters are fun, sincere, and engaging. At this moment, I'm not sure if another story is planned, but I sure hope so, and am not above annoying her into writing a sequel. I NEED MORE PERSEPHONE AND JAX.

Dark and dangerous, yet funny and filled with surprisingly light moments, Demons of the Sun is a great young adult urban fantasy that you don't want to miss!



Favorite Quotes:

  "His eyebrows drew together. 'You go to school still?'
  'I'm seventeen. Of course I go to school. The real question is why don't you?'
  'I already graduated. A year early.' He looked all pleased with himself about it. 'So I could start taking out demons as soon as possible.'
  'Sorry, I'm fresh out of gold stars. You'll have to settle for an uninterested stare.'" (pg. 16)

"A metallic thud drew her attention. 'What was that?' she asked.
Jax's eyebrows drew together. 'What was what?'
Persephone sat next to him. 'Did you take a knife to school?'
'Of course not. I took my sword.'
'You took a sword to school! Are you crazy?'
'It'd be crazy to not be prepared.' " (pg. 28)


You can purchase Demons of the Sun at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Connect with Cindi at her:
website  |  Goodreads  |  Facebook  |  Twitter