Review: Desire Unchained

Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Desire Unchained is the second book in Larissa Ione’s Demonica series, and it was a wonderful addition to the series. Although I did not enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed the first book, I found it to be a truly gripping read.

As soon as I finished Pleasure Unbound, I knew I needed to jump into the second Demonica book. The first book in the series was a fabulous read, leaving me desperate for more. The storyline had gripped me, and the characters had won me over; and I was positive the second book would give me even more of what I had come to adore. There were questions I wanted answering, and there was the promise of side characters getting their own stories – both containing the promise I would be devouring the series.

I will most certainly be devouring the series. Book one was enough to leave me excited for more, book two had confirmed I am a goner.

The second book in the series builds upon the things we found out about in the first book. I went into this book believing it would be a standalone story that would not deal with elements of the prior book, not in full at least, but I was mistaken. Although it is not necessary to read the prior book in the series, doing so will give you a greater appreciation for this book. The events in Desire Unchained tied in with the events of Pleasure Unbound in more ways than I could have ever imagined, creating a wonderful connection between the two books. Each time something more was added, I found myself grinning like a fool as the connections became apparent.

It’s not just the links to the prior book that had me smiling, though. I’m so excited for the possibilities that have been opened up for the rest of the series. There were many new elements introduced, a number of twists thrown in, and I cannot wait to see how everything comes together in the future books. There’s such promise, and I cannot wait to see how things come together.

Whilst I clearly adored this book, I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped. I had high expectations for Shade, after adoring his character in the first book. His story was interesting, yes, but it didn’t have the impact I had been hoping for. The curse element of his storyline in particular failed to hit me in the way I had hoped. I enjoyed the way the curse played out throughout the story, but the ending felt like a bit of a cheat. I found it hard to believe the ‘get out of jail free card’ wasn’t found by the brothers much sooner. Thus, whilst I enjoyed the couple in this one and the way their story played out, it wasn’t quite the high of book one.

I am crazy excited to dive into book three, though. I have such high hopes for book three, and plan to dive in soon.

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