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"Azagoth"
by
Larissa Ione
paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Evil Eye Concepts Incorporated on June 10, 2014 and has 159 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Desire Unchained, Pleasure Unbound, Passion Unleashed, Ecstasy Unveiled, Sin Undone, Eternal Rider, Immortal Rider, Lethal Rider, Supernatural, Rogue Rider, Bound by Night, Reaver, Revenant, Snowbound, "Bond of Destiny", "Z", "Revenant's Epilogue", "Hades", "Razr", "Hawkyn", "Cipher", Reaper, Bond of Passion, Legacy of Temptation
A novella that is first in the Demonica Underworld, a continuation of the Demonica Universe (#11) dark paranormal romance. (It’s also 5.5 in the Lords of Deliverance and sixth in 1001 Dark Nights.) This Underworld revolves around Azagoth, the Grim Reaper and lord of Sheoul-gra.
My Take
It’s all about good and evil with both appearing in all races. Good and evil demons, angels, and more. Sex. Freedom.
Yep, we learn all about the sex — wanting, craving, having — through third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Lilliana’s and Azagoth’s perspectives. nor is that all we learn from their thoughts and feelings.
It’s certainly an interesting turnabout with some of the gruesome demons portrayed as the “good guys” while the angels are portrayed as jerks, angels with their own agendas, politicking. They certainly do appear to be hypocrites, willing to twist events to suit their plans. I mean, you expect blackmail from demons
Turns out there’s a past history about Azagoth that most angels refuse to acknowledge these days. Figures. It is sad that Sheoul-gra is so tied to Azagoth’s mood, and how it affects the place’s appearance. Ione is amazingly complex in her depiction of Azagoth’s character, and finally begins to reveal the real horror for Azagoth.
Ione’s descriptions of Sheoul-gra’s rooms and the clothing they wear are an interesting mix of our world and BDSM. More is revealed when Lilliana and Cat explore Sheoul-gra, discovering so many abandoned buildings. A bit of forethought and back history!
Lilliana’s interest in Sheoul-gra is historical, how the buildings tie in to the real-world Athens. Interest that expands to include the sexy Azagoth.
It’s a lot of melodrama but nicely done with Lilliana not knowing Azagoth and her character arc believing the worst of him even as she fantasizes about sex with him . . . and how great it’d be, lol. She certainly does fantasize enough, *more laughter*.
Azagoth has his own injuries and conflicts between events that found him in charge of Sheoul-gra, the females sent to him and their feelings that Azagoth experienced, and his own frustrations and anger.
Those trips Lilliana takes Azagoth on using the chronoglass are such a twist on how Azagoth normally acts. It’ll make ya smile.
Oh, boy, some of the place names in Sheoul-gra are not appetizing.
There’s danger everywhere. Lilliana is battling her own feelings over the choice Raphael gave her and how she’s coming to see Azagoth. The Unfallen are being kidnapped and taken to Hell where they’ll lose any chance of redemption.
It meanders a bit as the two experience their assorted angst, although there is plenty of action and language.
Hmmm, that ending with Reaver’s “gifts” is a little too happy-happy. Yeah, it’s sweet, but . . .
The Story
Azagoth is tired of the deal he made with Heaven. He simply won’t do it anymore.
And Heaven is not pleased. They’ve chosen to punish Azagoth in their own “special” way.
The Characters
Lilliana, of the order of Thrones, is an angel who works in the Time Travel Operations department. Her father, Chaniel, doesn’t care about her. Her mother died in a Time Travel incident.
Azagoth, a.k.a. Azrael when he’d been in Heaven, is a fallen angel who had been one of Heaven’s best interrogators with the Internal Corruption Investigation unit and an empath. Now he’s the Grim Reaper, collector of souls, and lord of Sheoul-gra, who’s forced to create Heaven’s army of hybrid angels, the Memitim. The pregnant Idess is one of his daughters (Ecstasy Unveiled, 4), and she works at Underworld General. Lore is her mate.
Sheoul-gra is . . .
. . . designed to look like Athens and is where souls are gathered. Zhubaal, a fallen angel, is Azagoth’s second-in-command. Hades, a fallen angel, is in charge of the Inner Sanctum where demon souls are kept. Cataclysm “Cat” is Unfallen and Azagoth’s assistant assigned to Lilliana.
Methicore is Azagoth’s vile son. Lilith was the virgin succubus. Rhona is a former lover of Azagoth’s and Methicore’s.
Harvester, an angel and the Heavenly Watcher of the Horsemen, is the daughter of Satan, recently restored and married to Reaver who is now a Radiant Angel (Reaver, 5 (10)). Revenant is Reaver’s twin brother and a Shadow Angel (Revenant, LoD 6 & Dem 11).
Heaven
Mariella is a snooty Heavenly messenger. Raphael is an archangel. “Egghead” is Raphael’s personal assistant. Gabriel, another archangel, had given Azagoth a “choice” thousands of years ago. Hutriel, a high-ranking member of the Eradicator Force, is Lilliana’s ex who despises sex. Dreshone, a battle angel, had had too much empathy. Stamtiel, an angel, kidnapped and tortured Lilliana.
Jim Bob is Azagoth’s spy in Heaven.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Limos is Famine and Thanatos is Death. Cara is the mate of Ares (Eternal Rider, 1 (6)); she’s offered the loan of a hellhound.
Gethel is the Four Horsemen’s ex-Heavenly Watcher who is pregnant with Satan’s baby.
Underworld General Hospital is . . .
. . . a demon hospital. Conall, a dhampire (a vampire-werewolf) is an EMT.
A chronoglass is a time travel object. Griminions were created from a base of imps. Time travelers wear a shrowd, a bubble that renders the wearer invisible. Emin are the non-winged but powerful offspring of two fallen angels.
The Cover and Title
The cover is primarily browns and golden yellow with that deep dark brown background and the golden yellow trefoil and star filigrees. The name of the novella collection is at the top in golden yellow. In the first “0” is a grim red sunset of part of the ruins in Sheoul-gra. The second “0” holds a bowed figure with his wings held high above him. Below this is the title with the series info in golden yellow. At the bottom is the author’s name in red with the middle “I” acting as a demon caduceus.
The title is all about “Azagoth”, the lord of Sheoul-gra.
