The Demon's Daughter (Demon Outlaws # 1) by Paula Altenburg {REVIEW}

Book Title: The Demon's Daughter (Demon Outlaws # 1)
Author: Paula Altenburg
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Western
ISBN: 162061037X
Publication Date: March 26th 2013
                                by Entangled Select
Edition Language: English
  
*Received from NetGalley Giveaway.*

Blurb:

Hunter is the only man capable of killing the demons that left the world in ruins. But when he’s hired by a notorious priestess to bring
a thief to justice, the Demon Slayer gets more than he bargains for.
Airie was raised in an abandoned temple as a priestess’s daughter,having no idea of her true origins. In a time when any half-breedspawn of a demon is despised by mortal and immortal alike, not knowingthe truth is the only thing keeping her safe.
Forced to flee her home in the wake of disaster and discovery of whoshe is, Airie must place her trust in a man who believes she shouldnever have been born. And when a demon uprising threatens lives he hassworn to protect, Hunter has to make a choice: abandon Airie to anuncertain fate, or overcome his own personal demons and love her forwho she truly is.

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My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:

I just finished reading the book and I have..mixed feelings. The book is the first in Paula Altenburg's new series Demon Outlaws and is quite a page turner. The reason that I have mixed feelings is because although it's a very enjoyable book, there were certain things that didn't click for me.

Okay, at the beginning let's say what I didn't like. I didn't like the cover. I am not at all a fan of western stuff, western setting or outlook give me a feeling of sun and heat and I HATE heat! I do NOT like cowboy hat or apparel...and seriously I still have no idea that why on earth a 'slayer' would wear such skimpy clothes? Isn't he supposed to..like, kill demons? :o (Well it's not like I'm asking for a knight in a shining armor but a little more clothes would have been better!) And apart from the fact that I didn't like the name 'Desire' on a priestess (it could have wonderfully fit if she wasn't one) guess everything else is fine.

The opening of the story is really wonderful and interesting. It reminded me of the style Medias Res, where the story starts fro the middle of things. As I kept on reading I found out about goddesses and demons. Goddesses are for life, nourishment and prosperity whereas the demons are for mishaps, anarchy and chaos. In one word, goddesses are good and demons are evil (so stereotypical huh?)  

In this never ending war between the two parties, humans, specifically women  seem to be the biggest victims. Since the goddesses have abandoned the earth and it is inhabited by demons and humans only, the demons seem to act at their sweet will. They violently invade women, forces and ravishes them often leaving them pregnant with demon "spawns" that even kills their mothers at the very birth. These spawns are seen as harmful and dangerous and both humans and demons kill them at their very sight. 

The real twist is when it's seen that it's actually a goddess  who fell in love with a demon and got pregnant afterwards. It's her who we see delivering a baby while counting her last. This baby, Airie, secluded from the world and raised by a Priestess, have no idea about her origin. But there are some who knows there is a female "spawn" who needs to be killed for "peace and justice". Here comes the Hunter.

Like we see in some paranormal romances, the Hunter is assigned to kill the spawn as he is a demon slayer. Airie doesn't fit in the idea of a demon spawn for the Hunter but it's his job. He is all rough and tough, cold- hearted hot guy. He killed his first demon after his sister was made a victim and had died giving birth to a spawn. From that perspective, he hates Airie as she reminds him of what happened to his sister. But the rule of 'forbidden love' is applied here as well. No matter how much they detest each other at first, they are attracted and connected to each other with an undeniable link afterwards. They seem to challenge each other, and at times banish yet balance each other's qualities and powers. I loved the chemistry between them. Though the Hunter sound 'hot, I liked Airie more as a character because she is portrayed as a wonderful person, caring and understanding, who accepts the truth about her with dignity when she finds it out.

The Demon's Daughter is definitely one of the noteworthy paranormal romances I've read so far. The author creates a wonderful paranormal world where humans, goddesses and demons are beautifully juxtaposed. I'll be surely looking forward to reading the next book of the series.