Review: Demon's Gate (Protectors Saga #4) by P.M. Dooling

TITLE: Demon's Gate SERIES: Protectors Saga #4 AUTHOR: P.M. Dooling PUB DATE: 9/22/12 FORMAT: eARC SOURCE: from author in exchange for honest review

It's been three months since the Protectors defeated the Emperor, and they're still no closer to finding the evil entity the Emperor warned them about. Only intensifying matters is the arrival of the mysterious Five, who somehow seem to share the Protectors powers, and a dangerous woman from Draven's past, who threatens to open a gateway to the Underworld and release a Demon even more dangerous than the Emperor. Meanwhile, as Avery struggles to control her feelings for Draven, Jade and Eryk continue on with their not so secret affair, until Eryk makes a shocking confession that could tear them apart forever. 

THREE-ish WORDS: A New Chapter Begins

MY REVIEW: Last year, P.M. Dooling's The Protectors Saga was one of my absolute favorite series and I'm so thrilled that Dooling has decided to continue her epic saga! Demon's Gate, book four, is another fantastic, kick-butt installment in this awesome saga.

After the final showdown with the Emperor in book three, the five Protectors, Avery; Jade; Sasha; Bunny; and Skylar, continue to fight fuglies on their home planet of Orcatia, but the girls have become restless. The Emperor warned that another evil is out there and Avery wants to go in search of this foe, but Gumptin and the other girls disagree. And when five new girls show up with the same powers and agenda as the five Protectors, things get complicated. Throw in some seriously angsty romance woes between Jade and Eryk, and Avery and Draven, and a dangerous woman from Draven's past, and our five heroines have a lot to handle.

The ending of book three felt like the closing of one chapter in the Protectors Saga, while Demon's Gate feels like an exciting and fresh new chapter in this ever captivating series. A new chapter that moves seamlessly from book three to book four. Dooling returns with heart-stopping action, swoon-worthy romance, superb world-building, and five fabulously developed heroines.

Like its predecessors, Demon's Gate paces fast enough to never be boring, but with a great build-up of suspense and twists and turns. The world of Orcatia continues to be a wondrous mix of fantastical and sci-fi, whimsical and dark, enchanting and chilling, and Dooling's brilliant storytelling and world-building continue to impress and awe. Full of imagination and innovation, the creatures; magic; and people of this world and story provide an endless amount of fun and thrills.

While there's a great amount of action and fighting in Demon's Gate, I love that the plot is very character and emotion driven. After the events in the last three books, Dooling does an excellent job of exploring where her five main characters are emotionally and mentally, and showing just how much they've grown and continue to grow. Yet, she does this while still moving the story along and keeping it engaging and interesting.

And the five main characters- Avery, Jade, Sasha, Bunny, and Skylar- continue to be some of my favorite YA heroines. I love that these girls are such phenomenal and powerful heroines, yet they still feel accessible, authentic, and very real, and I love that each girl is so unique and likable in her own way, and, of course, I love the dynamic between all five girls. Even after many months, every time I read one of these books these five girls still feel like old friends to me. Like I said above, we find each girl in their own very emotional place and mindset in this book, and whether these emotions are driven by heartache, grief, loneliness, pain, love, fear, etc, they are all palpable and believable.

I was instantly intrigued by the storyline in this book, especially by the five mysterious, powerful girls that show up and all the twists and turns they throw into the story. But the romantic elements also continue to enthrall and delight. I was so glad that the relationship between Jade and Eryk is further explored and developed, while the romance between Avery and Draven continues to be electric, intense, and deliciously frustrating.

The butt kicking and badassery are in no short supply in this book and the whole plot builds up to a very action packed, climactic cliffhanger ending that left me desperate for more!

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: The action is plentiful, the romance is swoon-worthy, and the characters are delightful. Demon's Gate proves to be another stellar new installment in an already awesome and affordable series that I can't recommend enough!

MY RATING

Read my review of books one, two, and three.

Book one is currently FREE on Smashwords

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