Review: Demon Unbound by Jenn Stark (Demon Enforcers #1)

Demon Unbound (Demon Enforcers #1)
Jenn Stark
Published: May 15, 2018 (Elewyn Publishing)
Purchase: Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Note: While this book will be spoiler free, it will reference events from its prequel series. If you haven’t started that series yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1, Getting Wilde.

The Syx are a group of warrior demons tasked with laying down the law while trying to earn penance for their own sins a millennia ago. After the veil between worlds tore, unleashing a horde of demons upon the world, the Syx have been dispatched to deal with the fallout, inching ever closer to their own possible redemption and probably none more so than their leader Warrick.

Maria Santos has been working for fifteen years towards avenging her cousin’s murder at the hands of members of a gang known as La Noche. First, by becoming a police officer, and now, by going undercover to bring down the gang’s leader known as Takio. When Maria gets caught in a sticky situation, she calls for help (a la divine intervention). What she gets is Warrick.

When Warrick answers Maria’s call he unintentionally binds himself to her cause and needs to follow it through to its conclusion. It turns out, however, that Warrick and Maria’s goals kind of intersect as it becomes apparent that Warrick also has a score to settle with Takio.

I loved that Jenn Stark decided to do a spin-off series from her Sara Wilde series, and focus on the Syx who we were first introduced to in Born to be Wilde. I especially liked the way this spin-off is unavoidably linked with its predecessor yet it stands strongly on its own.

As Jenn Stark did for her depictions of Hell in Wicked and Wilde, she now brings an interesting spin to angelology and demonology. Demon Unbound offers some thoughtful perspectives on faith and religion—as it’s Maria’s subconscious convictions in her beliefs that bring Warrick into her orbit—without being too preachy. Ultimately I love the distinction this book offers as opposed to the highly magical stylings of the Sara Wilde books, yet also acknowledging that sometimes that faith and magic might go hand-in-hand.

For those who wished for more sexytimes in Sara Wilde’s series, you’ll be happy to hear that Demon Unbound is a straight up paranormal romance. I liked the twist that Maria is given most of the reins when it comes to deciding whether or not to start things up with Warrick. This is due to the fact that since he’s duty-bound to aid her in her cause, he’s pretty much at her mercy. It brings a little spice to their connection, yet also speaks a lot about women being able to voice what they want, or maybe don’t want, in their relationships.

While the other members of the Syx are all briefly mentioned or appear in the background, Warrick is the main star of this story, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t very interested to learn more about the rest of these mysterious demons and see their own roads to redemption.

Sexual content: sex