That's What I'm Talking About

My Rating: 3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend (B+)
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

On a case, Grace finds herself driving through the dark, dirt roads in the middle of nowhere, Iowa, instead of on her much needed vacation to Hawaii. Grace has an innate ability to find missing children, and her police buddy Mike often sends those in need of help her way. Suddenly, Grace begins to see and sense things around her that aren’t normal - to include a giant beast that runs her car off the road.

After Aiden comes to rescue Grace, he realizes that she is special - like him, like the entire town. Hoping that Grace will help Aiden find his own missing daughter, he slowly brings her into his world which includes demons, gods and other fun things from Norse mythology. Unable to let go of her need to help children, Grace reluctantly agrees to stay and suddenly, her life is changed.

Demon Crossings is an exciting paranormal adventure, with a unique mythology that completely hooked me. Ms. Stone creates a world that is full of everyday people who are much more than they appear. Her distinct and fascinating take on Norse mythology keeps some of the traditional ideas such as the nine worlds tied together with Asgard as the home. However, the Asgardians are not gods, and after the fire demons destroyed their home, they took refuge on Midgard, aka Earth.

I loved the opening few chapters - the story unfolds through the point-of-view of Grace, and the manner in which it is written makes it feel like Grace had entered the Twilight Zone, adding to the overall mystique of the setting. And you know that Grace must have been REALLY spooked if she's focusing on the unknown creature and NOT the two complete strangers that are taking her into an unknown house. I loved that even as I was thinking that, Aiden picked up on the fact that it was odd that Grace wasn't too worried about staying with a stranger. It was like the author could read my mind!

Overall the story is extremely gripping. I'm was nervous for Grace. and the decisions she makes regarding the missing/kidnapped girl she was hired to find, the choice to stay and find Aiden’s daughter, and her reluctance to open up to Aiden. Add to that the mysterious fire demons and the need to cross dimensions to another world... I was captivated.

One of the things I appreciated about the story of Aiden and Grace was the honest and raw emotions Ms. Stone puts into her characters. They are both hurting. They both have isolated themselves and their emotions, building much needed walls of protection around their hearts. Sometimes a person cannot just let down those walls and let someone new inside, and both Aiden and Grace were very open about their concerns. Yet at the same time, they both were good about hiding what was at the center of their hearts. Their individual histories, coupled with Aiden’s duties to his people and daughter, make for an emotional journey that I enjoyed reading.

In addition, Aiden’s friends and the citizens of the town are similar when it comes to the truth. They can be brutally honest with their opinions; however, the bonds created over the years are evident in their actions to help one another. I also enjoy how they bring Grace into the fold, forming fun and meaningful friendships.

Towards the end of the book, something significant happens to Grace, and I felt the tempo and feel of the book changed. Her new “situation” was interesting to read about, but I felt that much of what happened may be a setup for future installments of the series. Overall it didn’t spoil the read for me, but it did change the tempo enough that it was a bit disruptive to my enjoyment because I felt the story was going in one direction, and then it took a slight detour.

Overall, I enjoyed Demon Crossings and look forward to reading more in the Twilight of the Gods series. Ms. Stone’s series has a lot of potential with its unique mythology and motley crew of companions. The story is exciting and gripping, with an ending you come to expect and appreciate in a romance.