I was most pleased to see that Lucas and Pagie were back in this book. The story was about Hope and her entering the world of the Cabal, so the telling of events was split between Hope and Lucas. It was very interesting to get and understanding and some of the history through his interpretations. There was even a quick check in on Elena and Clay. If you have liked the other books in this series, this one will not disappoint. There is plenty left at the end of the book for more to follow. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

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I thought this was the best one yet. With Armstrong's ability to flesh out her characters so well, I really felt like I knew who Hope was. Also, since I read dime store magic first, Lucas and Paige have always been my favorite characters and they were back in this book. There is a lot of foreshadowing for the next books and I can't wait to get them!

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Personal Demon is book 8 in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Underworld series. The narration switches first person point of view between Hope Adams and Lucas Cortez. Hope is a half chaos demon. She was raised by her human mother but discovered in her teens that she was not like everyone else. She would have gruesome visions of death or accidents. It turns out her biological father was a demon. She can sense chaos and it becomes almost like the equivalent of drugs to an addict.

Coming to terms with who she is, Hope takes a job as a tabloid writer. It is a guilt-free way for her to use her powers to detect unusual stories. She has been in a relationship with Karl, a member of the New England Werewolf pack. Their relationship has been going south. After having sex, Karl all but told her thanks for the good time and left her, telling her she was free to date other guys. He hurt her very badly and she wants nothing more than to put him out of her life and out of her heart.

Hope is approached by Benicio Cortez, the head of the Cortez Cabal. He calls in his favor from Hope. He needs help infiltrating a gang of sorcerers that are causing trouble in his jurisdiction. Hope, unable to resist the chance to prove herself, jumps at the opportunity. Soon though, Hope is in over her head and Lucas, with the help of his wife Paige come to her aid. Lucas and Paige have appeared in previous books in the series, Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic.

The first part of the book started out slow. Hope is infiltrating a gang of rogue sorcerers and the reader meets a new cast of characters. I kept wondering when Karl was going to put in an appearance and he actually doesn't show up until later on in the book. The second half of Personal Demon was super intense. I didn't want to put the book down. It was a little weird at first how the book switches back in forth between Hope and Lucas's point of view. Occasionally, I wouldn't realize that there had been a change in narration and would have to go and check the chapter to see who was narrating.

At first, I didn't like Karl. He seemed selfish and was basically described as a jerk through Hope's point of view. Then slowly a different, caring side of him is revealed as he takes care of Hope. I really liked Hope's character too. She struggles with her need for chaos and wants so badly to over come it. I like the fact that even though Hope is far from average, she still comes across as a normal woman, who wants to belong and be normal herself. I found it to be very touching how Karl knows this and does what he can to support her. He is able to give her a safe, guilt free outlet for her chaos cravings.

My initial impression after finishing this book is, "Wow". Kelley Armstrong has completely blown me away. I really like the direction this series is heading, especially the part involving the Cabal and Lucas. Lucas never ceases to amaze me and he plays a huge role in the second part of the book. More light is shed on the Cabal and Lucas has no choice but to become more involved in Cabal doings. I really enjoyed seeing this "take charge" side of Lucas.

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I liked the book. I didn't like the bouncing between Hope and Lucas in the first person. I kept getting confused, better to go with a third person view with multiple plots.

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Having read Armstrong's short story "Chaotic" in Dates From Hell, I liked the characters, especially Hope, and the intelligent and interesting plot shifts in it. Having read Armstrong's female werewolf novels (Bitten and Stolen), I liked this one more than Bitten and probably a little more than Stolen. To be fair I probably shouldn't judge the first book of this series (Bitten) so harshly--it usually takes at least one book before an author can really hit her stride since she has to initially introduce you to the world and its characters (and I enjoy a little more detailed setup). But the comparison is more a compliment to this book than a slight to the other two.

I enjoyed the mystery and could only guess a small part of the solution, although a few more clues would have been nice. It might have helped had I read the other two novels closer to reading this one (it has been a while) but what I like about this series is being able to just pick one independently of the others.

So far I really like the strong female protagonists (no sidekicks here!) who are believable and have concerns that "normal" women (as opposed to paranormal) can identify with. I believe most good fantasy writing is primarily good writing (characterization, plot, et al.) that happens to have characters who are paranormal or are in a paranormal/alternative setting.

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Half Demon Hope Adams has been asked to do a favor for Benicio Cortez, head of the Cortez Cabal. Benicio wants her to infiltrate a gang of supernaturals who may be causing trouble for the Cabal. Hope ends up liking the young gang members who run a nightclub and pull heists on the side. But soon two of the gang members are kidnapped and another is murdered. It's up to Hope, her former lover Karl, Sorcerer Lucas Cortez and his wife, Paige Winterbourne, to find out if the Cabal is behind these happenings.

This was a decent addition to Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. I thought this book started out a little slow, but it picked up when Hope started her undercover work. Hope is an interesting character, but I actually liked the other characters in the book better. Paige and Lucas have always been a favorite for me, so I was very glad to see them. I also like to see the inter-workings of the Cabal. My rating: 4 Stars.

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I really love Armstrong's writing style and this series, but this book was really hard to get through. I actually stopped reading it and moved to the next one in line.
This book is about Hope, Karl, and a friend of Hopes. im not sure what I didnt like about it, maybe it was a bit boring? I still have it in my collection and will attempt to finish it, but ugg, it was hard getting through.

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I wasn't quite sure if I were going to enjoy this book as much as the others in the series. I have done this every time, with every book in the series. And each and every time I am blown away. I get drawn into the stories and the characters.

The story is about Hope Adams and Karl Marsten, but it also furthers the storyline of Lucas Cortez and Paige Winterbourne-Cortez. You even get a snipet of Elena and Clay.

It's a definate page turner and a great addition to the series. Kelley Armstrong is one of the best paranormal mystery/romance writers out there for a reason. Check her website for Otherworld short stories.

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