Torn Asunder: Not bad but not really that good either.

Torn Asunder (Protected by the Damned #1) by Michael Todd
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ out of 5 stars

Katie Maddison never wanted to learn how to kick a demon’s ass, all she was doing was helping a fellow university student with his Chem homework.

She just trusted people too much.

Now, she will be the new weapon in a war she had no idea existed with warriors wielding both weapons and supernatural abilities.

Demon Hunters, Demon Fighters … Known as The Damned.

People possessed by Demons, but still remaining in control of their bodies.

One of the most powerful Demon’s in Hell can’t defeat his sister, so he sets her up to be sacrificed and killed.

The only problem? The human she possesses retained her sanity and together they might be a catalyst to change the future of the war.

If they can stay alive and learn how to share one body, that is.

Now, a millennium old Demon who has no morals is stuck with a hard-headed young woman, who has her own ideas regarding what her future will be.

Together, they work out a truce, of sorts.

Until the Demon gets hooked on soap operas, game shows and changing Katie’s body without permission.

Then All Hell Breaks Loose.

I guess it would be far to say that this book is not really that bad. It would also be fair to say that it is not really that good as well. It is another of those books that is primarily written by some author but with Michael Anderle added as “co-author”. I really do not understand why he is putting his name on this many books by other authors? He is really diluting his own brand name. Needless to say this book is miles away from the ones Michael has been authoring himself.

As I said, it is not bad but it also never rises above being rather mediocre. It follows a pretty standard formula but it makes the mistake, from my point of view, of going to far into the sexy chick with romantic aspirations thirteen on a dozen type of story. Romantic aspiration of course meaning primarily exchange of bodily fluids.

Things like “In front of her were a dozen hand-stitched, expensive, and sexy-as-hell lingerie bras.” are things that I really do not need in my Urban fantasy books.

Apart from that the story is not all bad but the universe building is rather superficial. Actually most of the book is fairly … simple. Our heroin is pretty much thrown into this books version of the supernatural world, some quick training and wham, she is a super demon slayer.

Okay, okay she gets plenty of help from her “inner daemon” but still. The story could have been a bit more developed. The book earns a few points for originality though. I am sure there are plenty of possession stories out there but this one felt fairly fresh and both the daemon herself and Katie’s interaction with it added to the entertainment value of the book.

I think I will read at least one more book in the series before I decide whether to drop it or not.