Demons of the Sun - Cindi Madsen

Demons of the Sun - Cindi Madsen
Grade: YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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. (Description from Goodreads)
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I’d been looking forward to reading ‘Demons of the Sun’ for so long. Unlike the rest of the YA world, I haven’t jumped on too many Greek Myth stories, so I went into it with a mostly clear head; but I was really interested to see what Cindi Madsen came up with. I was not disappointed.

Persephone is the last remaining Sentry; guardian of the Hades Dagger, a dagger that would cause the world to be overrun by demons if it got into the wrong hands. The problem is, the dagger calls to her – tempting her with its power and history. If she’s not careful, it could consume her. Persephone is a tough chick. Strong willed, skilled with a weapon or two, and independent in her thinking and actions. She’s one you just can’t help loving. I adored the opening scenes of ‘Demons of the Sun’ because we got to see Persephone in action straight away. A break-in at your house, late at night? No problem, the many weapons hidden in the rooms and the handy flipping coffee table make for good objects for defence! Persephone keeps this up throughout the whole book. She’s an action girl – despite the need to sometimes fall back and stay protected.

‘Demons of the Sun’ has a heavy focus on mythology and the paranormal, especially when it comes to Persephone’s task in life, protecting the Hades Dagger. As the name suggests, the dagger belongs to Hades himself; ruler of the underworld and master of the demons (creatures of the underworld that come out at night) If Hades has control of the dagger, demons will be able to walk the human world in the daytime. The destruction that would come from this would be impossible to stop. When this information popped up, I couldn’t help thinking of the Persephone myth and wondering whether Cindi would draw on it completely or deviate into her own world more. The connection between Persephone and Hades is well known and I was interested to see if it would be a major part of this story too. I loved the inclusion of Myths and Gods. Even though she grew up and lives in the United States, Persephone defaults to the Greek Gods and myths when praying for miracles. The legends and beliefs have been taught to her so strongly, that nothing – not time or space – pulls her apart from the world she’s been brought up in.

The romance in this story almost killed me. Hard to avoid the heart wrenching when you've got such an intense love triangle. Persephone is torn between the man of her dreams – literally – and the strong, handsome Warrior who is trying to protect her. Adrastos has always been on Persephone’s mind, and she lives for the moments he turns up in her dreams and professes his love for her. But then there’s Jax, who rarely sees the kind side of Persephone because she’s determined to do everything her way or no way at all; Persephone struggles to decider what she feels for him. I fell for Jax instantly, and not just because I’d heard amazing things about him. The fact that he was someone solid and caring, who didn’t just promise to be there for Persephone but was there for her, made my heart melt. He was cheeky, dangerous and there was a moment where I was so close to tears I didn’t think I could love him, and his relationship with Persephone, any more than I already did. Adrastos’s influence does make the battle for Persephone’s heart interesting though.

The ending wraps everything up perfectly, but leaves you with enough questions and possibilities that it’s open for more adventures in the future. The danger Persephone and Jax face is more than they’ve come across before and there were times when I thought it might be too much for Persephone to handle – but she’s stronger than she looks.

I really enjoyed 'Demons of the Sun' and I hope for more books from this world in the future, because I’m certain there are more exciting stories to be told.

4.5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)