GUARDIAN DEMON - Meljean Brook
A Guardian Novel , Book 8
Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-25098-3
August 2013
Fantasy Romance

Present Day

In trying to save Michael from Hell, Special Agent Andromeda Taylor is shown a side to the Guardian she hadn't even known existed – and it's changed her view of him completely.  After everything she's been through since learning of the existence of Guardians, including becoming one herself, Taylor is no longer certain she wants to be a part of this anymore.  She's willing to Fall, go back to being a normal human, and hopefully start a new life far from everything she knows.  Except, with Lucifer trying to break out of Hell, the demon Baliel challenging Lucifer for the right to rule Hell, and Anaria (Baliel's daughter) equally determined to take over the realm, now isn't really the right time for Taylor to be leaving. Unfortunately, when danger comes to her friends, two of whom are now missing, she'll have to work with Michael to figure out what Lucifer is up to before he destroys the world.

GUARDIAN DEMON, the much anticipated story of Michael, the leader of the Guardians, has arrived and will keep readers riveted.  Over eight thousand years old, Michael is grigori born (created by Lucifer to destroy humans), and the son of Baliel.  He's spent millennia protecting humans and the other Guardians, but Andromeda Taylor is something new for him.  When she stepped in front of a bullet meant for her partner, Michael saved her life by turning her into a Guardian, but moments later he was in Hell.

This book starts as Taylor, after a year of living with Michael in her head, is in Hell as bait, assured by Khavi that even though Michael has lost all humanity and become a dragon, his nature will bring him to Andromeda, and the Guardians will be able to save him.  She hadn't anticipated what she'd find when she meets up with this Michael, and what Taylor goes through in Hell will change how she feels about the man who has been a mentor and friend.

Michael's feelings for Andromeda are stronger than anything he's felt for anyone in all the years of his life.  He'll go to any lengths to keep her safe, and wants nothing more than to earn her forgiveness.  The things that happened in Hell and what needed to be done to bring him back have had consequences, and Michael is determined to make things right with Andromeda before it's too late.  As they spend time working together, his feelings for her grow in ways he hadn't expected, giving him even stronger incentive to fix his relationship with her and earn not just forgiveness, but also her trust.

While this is Taylor and Michael's story, it also brings an end to the series, so the focus isn't just on the relationship between them, but also the final showdown between the realms.  We also get to see quite a bit of the couples from earlier stories, as it will take everyone to defeat Lucifer.  Though it would probably be best to read the series in order, enough of the background is given for those unfamiliar with the Guardians to understand and even enjoy the book.  GUARDIAN DEMON has a little bit of everything: humor, heartbreak, suspense and adventure, and is a book I highly recommend.

Jennifer Bishop