Review of The Demon Equilibrium by Cathy Pegau
’Cor unum, et fortissimi!’
The Demon Equilibrium by Cathy Pegau, published by Bywater Books, brought the right atmosphere for this time of year. In this historical romance set in 1903, the Demonic Horde threatens to unleash Hell on Earth and the only duo who can put a stop to it is the combined magic of source Grace Carter and her catalyst Maggie Mulvaney.
But at the beginning of the story, we find out that Maggie has been missing for 9 months and Grace has been looking for her all this time. When she does find her partner, her joy is short-lived as Maggie has no memory of Grace, their love, or their former demon-slaying days. There is no time to dwell on this when they have to stay one step ahead of the Order of Saint Teresa. The order they both belonged to is now hunting them down. They have to piece together the missing parts and survive long enough to thwart the second coming of demon lord Ammemnion. Eep!
I liked it. Cathy Pegau was a new author for me and she did a good job keeping me entertained all through the book. We alternate between present and past (usually by chapter) to find out what happened. I think it was the right format to tell this story. There were clear heroes and villains but the real baddy of the story is a bit of a mystery. It put me on the wrong foot at least. Well done!
I liked both Grace and Maggie. Grace’s love was palpable where feisty Maggie was mostly oblivious due to her personality transplant, so I really felt bad for Grace. We didn’t dwell on the husband issue for long, in fact, it’s blink and you’ll miss him 😉 The trauma of what Maggie went through, plus the fact she had come to the order as a postulant kept their romance chaste for a big part of the book. But in the face of certain death, things will definitely heat up. Action, drama, demon-slaying, love and magic. What’s not to love?
f/f
Themes: destined to be together, oh no, Maggie is married?! That’s a bit of a shocker for a former postulant, Sister Thomasina is a character you love to hate, who stole my memories, that spicy demon smell, Maggie’s checkered past, The Awakening, I feel you.
4 Stars
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
