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katelin00's review
3.0
Originally posted to A Bookworm's Confessions
3.5 stars
This book was difficult to rate. I liked it but it took me a little longer to get through than most books. I was able to put it down and move on to other books in my to-read pile. I'm pretty good at focusing on one book but I kept getting bored while reading. It's also a difficult book to review. I've rewritten this thing 10 times already.
The plot of the book is interesting. We have the daughter of Eve and Lucifer. We have demons and fallen angels. Shape shifting and magic and people who are at the brink of choosing right and wrong. Lucinda runs a pawn shop full of dark objects that hold dark souls of the past. When a mortal purchases an object they are drawn to, it wreaks havoc in their lives. Lucifer has Lucinda sell these objects so he can further his plot to end the world.
Lucinda is interesting. She has the inner turmoil of being the daughter of Eve and Lucifer. She has a human side that she can't show to anyone because it is her weakness. Of course, this comes crashing down when she meets a mortal man who wandered into the pawnshop accidently. She actually starts to feel things she's never felt before. She has to be careful with this part of her life as well. Basically she had to tread a fine line and keep everything hidden from those around her.
While Lucinda is the main character,we have several points of view. Some of them were interesting. Others were boring. There were a little too many jumps between characters. Most of these characters aren't really fleshed out. It's definitely a plot driven book.
I wanted there to be more world building. There are aspects that aren't explained. What is the Between? Why was Lucinda taken from Eve at such a young age? There are many unanswered questions. Some of them are legitimate and are there to be explored in the upcoming novel(s). But some of them should have been more fleshed out.
I might read the sequel just to see what's coming next. I can only hope that there will be character and plot growth along with it.
3.5 stars
This book was difficult to rate. I liked it but it took me a little longer to get through than most books. I was able to put it down and move on to other books in my to-read pile. I'm pretty good at focusing on one book but I kept getting bored while reading. It's also a difficult book to review. I've rewritten this thing 10 times already.
The plot of the book is interesting. We have the daughter of Eve and Lucifer. We have demons and fallen angels. Shape shifting and magic and people who are at the brink of choosing right and wrong. Lucinda runs a pawn shop full of dark objects that hold dark souls of the past. When a mortal purchases an object they are drawn to, it wreaks havoc in their lives. Lucifer has Lucinda sell these objects so he can further his plot to end the world.
Lucinda is interesting. She has the inner turmoil of being the daughter of Eve and Lucifer. She has a human side that she can't show to anyone because it is her weakness. Of course, this comes crashing down when she meets a mortal man who wandered into the pawnshop accidently. She actually starts to feel things she's never felt before. She has to be careful with this part of her life as well. Basically she had to tread a fine line and keep everything hidden from those around her.
While Lucinda is the main character,we have several points of view. Some of them were interesting. Others were boring. There were a little too many jumps between characters. Most of these characters aren't really fleshed out. It's definitely a plot driven book.
I wanted there to be more world building. There are aspects that aren't explained. What is the Between? Why was Lucinda taken from Eve at such a young age? There are many unanswered questions. Some of them are legitimate and are there to be explored in the upcoming novel(s). But some of them should have been more fleshed out.
I might read the sequel just to see what's coming next. I can only hope that there will be character and plot growth along with it.
stacylmoll's review
5.0
I loved this book, at first I was not too sure, but the twist for how Lucinda came to be was impressive. The web that is being woven is interesting to read. I am very concerned for Nick and any future kids they have. This book is due out this month and ought to be on you reading list. I love that she is trying to undermine the Devil.
thecanary's review
3.0
If there’s one thing you need to know to decide whether to get the book, it’s this: Devil’s Daughter reads closer to Christian fiction than Urban Fantasy. While the story takes some liberties with the religious mythology, it stays true to its themes of redemption and love. What it means to be a good person. The danger of good intentions and shortcuts. The power of choice.
After reading that blurb, you’ll be forgiven for thinking this story is all about Lucinda’s struggle against Lucifer and quest to figure out where she stands, all culminating in a grand standoff during which she singlehandedly saved the world.
That’s what I thought too, so let me stop you right there.
This story isn’t really about Lucinda at all. Yes, she’s the main character (sorta), but not much happens where she’s concerned. Thing is, Lucinda’s story has already happened – when the book starts, the ~6,000-year-old immortal has already lost her mother, questioned her upbringing, been betrayed, decided who she can trust, rebelled, taken risks, grown into her own, and now, is more than a match for her father. All the questions asked later on in the book blurb?
Not a single one is a real source of conflict.
As befitting an ancient immortal, Lucinda’s powers are immeasurable, her self-composure and convictions unwavering, her appearance gorgeous. She’s our guide through other people’s journeys. The book follows Lucinda as she visits with her father, Lucifer, and his plotting flunkies, and as she tracks the lives of the humans touched by Lucifer’s dark artifacts. Through her aloof observations and subtle interventions in the lives of humans, Lucinda shows the reader how easily it is to fall on the wrong side when teetering on the high wire between good and bad choices. She is a framing device with a subplot.
The most thoughtful and well-built parts of the novel were the ones that followed the human characters – the wife struggling with a resentful husband, the lawyer set up to take the fall for her firm’s misdeeds, the loyal marine who is pressured to sell his convictions so he’d have enough money to take care of his mother, a group of teens playing with witchcraft in the forest and a young religious man who gets caught in the fallout…These compelling parallel storylines provided much needed eventfulness amid Lucinda’s placid story arc. In fact, in this 277-page book, when Lucinda’s plotline kicked into high gear around page 220, I still cared more about finding out more about her aloof guard(ian), Nathaniel, than I did about her.
If you’re looking at the dramatic cover and the blurb and expecting over-the-top romantic angst and sword-wielding angel battles, you’re going to be confused and a little disappointed. As an urban fantasy, this delivers a two-star. As a more general (and more complex) piece of fiction about the subtle cosmic struggle between the forces of good and evil, this one hits closer to maybe four-stars for its storytelling.
I’ll split the difference and give it a three.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher.
After reading that blurb, you’ll be forgiven for thinking this story is all about Lucinda’s struggle against Lucifer and quest to figure out where she stands, all culminating in a grand standoff during which she singlehandedly saved the world.
That’s what I thought too, so let me stop you right there.
This story isn’t really about Lucinda at all. Yes, she’s the main character (sorta), but not much happens where she’s concerned. Thing is, Lucinda’s story has already happened – when the book starts, the ~6,000-year-old immortal has already lost her mother, questioned her upbringing, been betrayed, decided who she can trust, rebelled, taken risks, grown into her own, and now, is more than a match for her father. All the questions asked later on in the book blurb?
“How deep does Lucinda’s humanity go? Where do her true loyalties lie? Is she her father’s ally, or her mother’s child? And if the Devil’s daughter will not love a man he can control, can Lucifer control the man she loves?”
Not a single one is a real source of conflict.
As befitting an ancient immortal, Lucinda’s powers are immeasurable, her self-composure and convictions unwavering, her appearance gorgeous. She’s our guide through other people’s journeys. The book follows Lucinda as she visits with her father, Lucifer, and his plotting flunkies, and as she tracks the lives of the humans touched by Lucifer’s dark artifacts. Through her aloof observations and subtle interventions in the lives of humans, Lucinda shows the reader how easily it is to fall on the wrong side when teetering on the high wire between good and bad choices. She is a framing device with a subplot.
The most thoughtful and well-built parts of the novel were the ones that followed the human characters – the wife struggling with a resentful husband, the lawyer set up to take the fall for her firm’s misdeeds, the loyal marine who is pressured to sell his convictions so he’d have enough money to take care of his mother, a group of teens playing with witchcraft in the forest and a young religious man who gets caught in the fallout…These compelling parallel storylines provided much needed eventfulness amid Lucinda’s placid story arc. In fact, in this 277-page book, when Lucinda’s plotline kicked into high gear around page 220, I still cared more about finding out more about her aloof guard(ian), Nathaniel, than I did about her.
If you’re looking at the dramatic cover and the blurb and expecting over-the-top romantic angst and sword-wielding angel battles, you’re going to be confused and a little disappointed. As an urban fantasy, this delivers a two-star. As a more general (and more complex) piece of fiction about the subtle cosmic struggle between the forces of good and evil, this one hits closer to maybe four-stars for its storytelling.
I’ll split the difference and give it a three.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher.
maddyd51's review
4.0
Just released in paperback today, Devil's Daughter by Hope Schenk-de Michele and Paul Marquez is the first in the Lucinda's Pawn Shop series. The premise here is that Lucinda is the daughter of Satan. She runs a pawnshop that flits through space and time to deliver artifacts imbued with evil in an effort to promote the Devil's work.
The publisher categorizes this book as a contemporary, urban fantasy, but I'd call it a supernatural fantasy due to the focus on the battle between God and the Devil through the vehicle of the human race. Specifically, the vehicle is Lucinda's Pawnshop and Lucinda herself, who struggles with balancing her mortal and immortal selves.
With a cast of demons and fallen angels, along with mere mortals, Devil's Daughter imagines a world where scheming and backstabbing isn't done just by Satan, but among his own followers in a battle for power. The story develops with just enough background and explanation sprinkled in to provide context, but not bog down the storytelling.
On a personal note, I was a bit put off by the first chapter, where a lawyer two years out of law school is promoted to junior party at a fancy Manhattan law firm (as a lawyer myself, this struck me as implausible, so was a credibility issue!) However, the plot gave some explanation for this oddity, so I got over it (eventually).
While I'll read anything with a spaceship or dragon on the cover, this isn't a sub-genre that I usually read, but I found the characters and plot engrossing and will definitely pick up the next book in this series.
{Netgalley provided me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - all opinions are my own! See more reviews and what I'm reading at www.plantohappy.com}
The publisher categorizes this book as a contemporary, urban fantasy, but I'd call it a supernatural fantasy due to the focus on the battle between God and the Devil through the vehicle of the human race. Specifically, the vehicle is Lucinda's Pawnshop and Lucinda herself, who struggles with balancing her mortal and immortal selves.
With a cast of demons and fallen angels, along with mere mortals, Devil's Daughter imagines a world where scheming and backstabbing isn't done just by Satan, but among his own followers in a battle for power. The story develops with just enough background and explanation sprinkled in to provide context, but not bog down the storytelling.
On a personal note, I was a bit put off by the first chapter, where a lawyer two years out of law school is promoted to junior party at a fancy Manhattan law firm (as a lawyer myself, this struck me as implausible, so was a credibility issue!) However, the plot gave some explanation for this oddity, so I got over it (eventually).
While I'll read anything with a spaceship or dragon on the cover, this isn't a sub-genre that I usually read, but I found the characters and plot engrossing and will definitely pick up the next book in this series.
{Netgalley provided me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - all opinions are my own! See more reviews and what I'm reading at www.plantohappy.com}
marie_thereadingotter's review
I received this eBook from NetGalley for review
DNF'd at 22%
I tried to stay invested in this book, but I just wasn't able to. The plot isn't really all that clear, and the first character we are introduced to doesn't really seem all that key to the plot as she kind of disappears from the story pretty early on, and I'm not sure how much of a role she plays in the book since I gave up on it since the plot itself is really vague, or maybe I am just clueless and just didn't catch on.
DNF'd at 22%
I tried to stay invested in this book, but I just wasn't able to. The plot isn't really all that clear, and the first character we are introduced to doesn't really seem all that key to the plot as she kind of disappears from the story pretty early on, and I'm not sure how much of a role she plays in the book since I gave up on it since the plot itself is really vague, or maybe I am just clueless and just didn't catch on.
magdalynann's review
3.0
Read full review at magdalynann.com!
I picked up Devil's Daughter: Lucinda's Pawnshop by 22980192Hope Schenk-de Michele, Paul Marquez with Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff from NetGalley earlier in the year and finished it back in August. It took me quite a long time to power through this one. There were many times when I wanted to just call it a DNF and go onto another book. But I was intrigued and curious enough to overpower my boredom.
Maybe it's the fact that I was anticipating a young adult book and received instead an adult contemporary urban fantasy, which is my fault for not reading the NetGalley entry well enough.
I picked up Devil's Daughter: Lucinda's Pawnshop by 22980192Hope Schenk-de Michele, Paul Marquez with Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff from NetGalley earlier in the year and finished it back in August. It took me quite a long time to power through this one. There were many times when I wanted to just call it a DNF and go onto another book. But I was intrigued and curious enough to overpower my boredom.
Maybe it's the fact that I was anticipating a young adult book and received instead an adult contemporary urban fantasy, which is my fault for not reading the NetGalley entry well enough.
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