Scan barcode
pewterwolf's review against another edition
4.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
Demon Eyes is the second book in the series, about a war on two witch families and Braden is caught in the middle of it. And while the war is on a tenderhook ceasefire, Braden is trying to get to grips over the events of the last book. Braden thought he destroyed a powerful demon. So why does Braden keep seeing him? Why does he keep seeing visions of him? Why is he hearing a cold winter voice inside his head? And when girls begin to disappear, Braden realise that the war between the two families is going to get suddenly worse, and only him and his powerful Witch Eyes can stop it from happening... but his Witch Eyes are dangerous. And he could be used as a weapon if he isn't careful...
Now, where to begin? I like this series. A lot. So my views on this is going to be a tad biased, but it is very much a continuation. You need to have read the first book, Witch Eyes, before you can read this as there's no real "This is what happened before". You have to no catch up. You're thrown into the story.
It's very magic driven. There was a lot of twist on magic, the feud and its history, and you have to be on the ball while reading this. It's going away from the normal world and the romantic element of the first story (which was fine with me as Trey, Braden's love interest, never gripped me and I got quite angry with him...), so if you were a fan of these sides of the story, you might feel a bit underwhelmed by it. But I like that it went away from it, though by the end, I was wondering if it was going too far away from it and was focusing solely on magic...
And character development with characters. That was good. Braden and Trey's character development was very good. We saw Braden go very dark and Trey no longer, to me, felt like a mindless robot-soldier. He asked questions and didn't always believe what his mother told him. This is a HUGE step as this was one of the flaws I had with Trey - he never questioned ANYTHING! And in Demon Eyes, he did! At last!
The plot - right, this is where I'm going to get a little unstuck. While the plot was good and we had magic and twists and moments where Scott Tracey pulled the rug from under you, there were times that I felt like this book was written to set up book 3, Phantom Eyes. Questions were asked, but answers... no where to be seen.
But saying that, I really enjoy this series and so, bring Phantom Eyes on! Only have to wait till next year. I can wait till then... though that ending... Not sure if I can get over that twist just yet. And I want answers! I need answers!
Demon Eyes is the second book in the series, about a war on two witch families and Braden is caught in the middle of it. And while the war is on a tenderhook ceasefire, Braden is trying to get to grips over the events of the last book. Braden thought he destroyed a powerful demon. So why does Braden keep seeing him? Why does he keep seeing visions of him? Why is he hearing a cold winter voice inside his head? And when girls begin to disappear, Braden realise that the war between the two families is going to get suddenly worse, and only him and his powerful Witch Eyes can stop it from happening... but his Witch Eyes are dangerous. And he could be used as a weapon if he isn't careful...
Now, where to begin? I like this series. A lot. So my views on this is going to be a tad biased, but it is very much a continuation. You need to have read the first book, Witch Eyes, before you can read this as there's no real "This is what happened before". You have to no catch up. You're thrown into the story.
It's very magic driven. There was a lot of twist on magic, the feud and its history, and you have to be on the ball while reading this. It's going away from the normal world and the romantic element of the first story (which was fine with me as Trey, Braden's love interest, never gripped me and I got quite angry with him...), so if you were a fan of these sides of the story, you might feel a bit underwhelmed by it. But I like that it went away from it, though by the end, I was wondering if it was going too far away from it and was focusing solely on magic...
And character development with characters. That was good. Braden and Trey's character development was very good. We saw Braden go very dark and Trey no longer, to me, felt like a mindless robot-soldier. He asked questions and didn't always believe what his mother told him. This is a HUGE step as this was one of the flaws I had with Trey - he never questioned ANYTHING! And in Demon Eyes, he did! At last!
The plot - right, this is where I'm going to get a little unstuck. While the plot was good and we had magic and twists and moments where Scott Tracey pulled the rug from under you, there were times that I felt like this book was written to set up book 3, Phantom Eyes. Questions were asked, but answers... no where to be seen.
But saying that, I really enjoy this series and so, bring Phantom Eyes on! Only have to wait till next year. I can wait till then... though that ending... Not sure if I can get over that twist just yet. And I want answers! I need answers!
elvenavari's review against another edition
3.0
I kept getting distracted while reading this one... I'm not sure why. I was finally getting into it around the last couple of chapters and then it lost me completely. I guess if there's another I'll have to read it just to figure it out.
daffz's review against another edition
4.0
Demon Eyes was even better than Witch Eyes, the first book felt more like an introduction and the action really got going in this one.
I loved Braden's struggle with the events of the first book and that killing someone (even a demon) had a big effect on him. I also really liked how the side character were more developed this book, especially Drew. I wish I could get more excited about Braden/Trey though because I love that the main pairing in this book is a gay couple but it's still hard for me to get really invested, I think Trey needs to grow more and accept that his mother isn't always right
There were a few times where I felt the plot got a little complicated but overall I really enjoyed it, the end of the book had a few really cool twists that make me very excited to read the third one.
I loved Braden's struggle with the events of the first book and that killing someone (even a demon) had a big effect on him. I also really liked how the side character were more developed this book, especially Drew. I wish I could get more excited about Braden/Trey though because I love that the main pairing in this book is a gay couple but it's still hard for me to get really invested, I think Trey needs to grow more and accept that his mother isn't always right
Spoiler
(though he thankfully starts to do that near the end)There were a few times where I felt the plot got a little complicated but overall I really enjoyed it, the end of the book had a few really cool twists that make me very excited to read the third one.
bookswithlukas's review against another edition
3.0
If Romeo and Juliet were gay....and witches.
This was a much better sequel to the original 'Witch Eyes'. My problems with that novel were that it showed potential and promise, yet never really capitalised on it. The lore felt interesting, but underdeveloped, the characters were interesting, but not interesting enough to stand out etc. Everything was very 'meh', and it left me wondering whether I should read the sequel.
After finishing the sequel though, I can say that I'm glad I stuck with it. It still has it's issues and it will never be one of the 'great' series, but overall this was a much more thought out and developed effort. A bigger novel than the first and the fact that it's already established the world leads this entry into being more or less one magical fight scene romp after another. The fight scenes themselves have also improved, with a bit more suspense thrown in, and more detail about Braden's actual powers, at least I wasn't confused as much this time around. The romance between Braden and Trey continues to be interesting, and non-sappy which is appreciated, especially considering the Romeo and Juliet theme the book is based upon.
There are still some faults however, the cast of characters could do with a bit of a culling. Riley's connection to the storyline for instance seemed stupid, and as if the author needed a hostage for later in the novel (or it could just be that I find her rather annoying).
Overall though, a decent follow up to a so-so debut, but this series has definitely avoided middle book-itus and is leaving me looking forward to Phantom Eyes. If you're looking for a gay themed YA novel, you could do far worse, trust me.
This was a much better sequel to the original 'Witch Eyes'. My problems with that novel were that it showed potential and promise, yet never really capitalised on it. The lore felt interesting, but underdeveloped, the characters were interesting, but not interesting enough to stand out etc. Everything was very 'meh', and it left me wondering whether I should read the sequel.
After finishing the sequel though, I can say that I'm glad I stuck with it. It still has it's issues and it will never be one of the 'great' series, but overall this was a much more thought out and developed effort. A bigger novel than the first and the fact that it's already established the world leads this entry into being more or less one magical fight scene romp after another. The fight scenes themselves have also improved, with a bit more suspense thrown in, and more detail about Braden's actual powers, at least I wasn't confused as much this time around. The romance between Braden and Trey continues to be interesting, and non-sappy which is appreciated, especially considering the Romeo and Juliet theme the book is based upon.
There are still some faults however, the cast of characters could do with a bit of a culling. Riley's connection to the storyline for instance seemed stupid, and as if the author needed a hostage for later in the novel (or it could just be that I find her rather annoying).
Overall though, a decent follow up to a so-so debut, but this series has definitely avoided middle book-itus and is leaving me looking forward to Phantom Eyes. If you're looking for a gay themed YA novel, you could do far worse, trust me.
hpstrangelove's review against another edition
4.0
The second book in this series didn't disappoint. There was a lot going on in it, plus I read it fast because I just had to know what was going to happen. I'm reading it a second time now, slower, to get all those little details I missed the first time around.
This book is darker in tone than the first (Witch Eyes); I wasn't expecting it to play out the way it did. I don't like spoilers so I won't say anything more, but I left the story with a deep feeling of sadness.
Looking forward to book 3 next year!
This book is darker in tone than the first (Witch Eyes); I wasn't expecting it to play out the way it did. I don't like spoilers so I won't say anything more, but I left the story with a deep feeling of sadness.
Looking forward to book 3 next year!
demonsreadtoo's review against another edition
2.0
This book drained me. I wanted to like it. I really, really did. It just didn’t click for me. I enjoyed Witch Eyes a great deal, but with this one, it just fell flat. I felt like I was reading one big epilogue for basically the first half of the book. Nothing happened. The characters avoided each other, or if they did interact, it was incredibly stilted. As for the ‘plot’ of the book, it seemed like it wasn’t going anywhere. Read a hundred pages of characters whining, throw in few lines about the creepy voice in the main character’s head and repeat. How I managed to finish this one is beyond me.
Read the full review at my blog, Demons Read Too
Read the full review at my blog, Demons Read Too
anova's review against another edition
3.0
3,5*
Demon Eyes je o něco lepší než předchozí díl. Brandon je poměrně sympatická postava, ale chování Treye mi přijde na hlavu. Už by si mohl rozmyslet co vlastně chce. Stejně si myslím, že se Brandon hodí spíš k Drewovi! :D
Demon Eyes je o něco lepší než předchozí díl. Brandon je poměrně sympatická postava, ale chování Treye mi přijde na hlavu. Už by si mohl rozmyslet co vlastně chce. Stejně si myslím, že se Brandon hodí spíš k Drewovi! :D
ktracey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aliensupersoldier's review against another edition
5.0
This is my review for Demon Eyes: the sequel that is better than its predecessor.
I read Witch Eyes in October 2015, and I've been wanting to return to this series ever since. I'm not going to lie: it took me some time and some brain power to remember all the stuff that happened in the first book, and to place all the characters in my mind. But once the catching up part was over, I could fully immerse myself in this fantastic and dark world, filled with magic, mysteries and great characters.
I'm so happy to have read this book. I love it.
Tracey takes everything that is good about his first book, and builds upon it, takes it further. Everything is better in the sequel - the story, the pacing, the characters and the language. Oh, boy, the language! The story is told from the first person perspective - Braden's - and he is a fantastic narrator. He's smart and sarcastic, but he's also deep and kind, and he has a way of expressing himself that is both mature and totally in line for someone his age.
I love the way his character is written. He's a young boy who becomes ostracized from society and is tormented by guilt as the result of something that he did in the first book, but he's still determined to find the missing girls and to get to the bottom of this infected family feud.
He's a strong protagonist, which is why I can't understand why he trails Trey like a love-sick puppy. Their on-and-off relationship is my least favourite part of this story. It's a dysfunctional, emotionally abusive, one way-street relationship that is exhausting just to read about. Luckily, romance is just one of the many subplots of Demon Eyes, and there are other relationships that are far more interesting and exciting that you can focus on.
The supporting characters are stronger and more interesting here than in the first book. In Witch Eyes, I felt like they served as catalysts to move the story forwards. Whereas in the sequel, they show more depth, and we get to know them better. Not everything in the story revolves around Braden, because we see that these characters have their own struggles, and their own shared history. The author teases about it, but just like Braden - who is still new in town - we have to try and figure out their relationships on our own.
As the second part of the trilogy, Demon Eyes follows the unwritten rule of second instalments: it's darker, it's more emotional, the stakes are higher and the ending is more open and a lot darker. But even though this book follows the formula, there is nothing about the story and the character's actions that feels forced. All the things that happen here are a natural progression of the events of the first book.
Another thing about Demon Eyes that is just praise-worthy is the pacing. It's the mystery that keeps the story going, that pushes the characters forward, makes them grow. And Tracey writes his mysteries masterfully. He keeps you guessing and asking questions until the very end. This story is the true definition of the word "puzzle". Nothing is being revealed prematurely, and yet the story doesn't drag.
Demon Eyes is a fantastic book, it's a great sequel, and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good mystery.