Demonosity by Amanda Ashby

Demonosity by Amanda Ashby
"An ancient myth + a mean girl + a reluctant warrior = a lively take on good vs. evil

The Black Rose--a powerful ancient force--has been let loose and has taken up residence in Celeste Gibson, popular girl at Cassidy Carter-Lewis' high school. Thomas Delacroix is the spirit of a fourteenth-century knight who is devoted to protecting the Black Rose, but he needs a contemporary living being to take on the challenge. That's where Cassidy comes in. She's a quirky high school junior who just wants to dress in her vintage clothes, hang out with her best friend, and take care of her father, who is recovering from surgery. She's the last person who would ever volunteer for such a task, but no one actually asked her. Now, like it or not, she finds herself training before dawn and battling demons at parties, the mall, and even at school. But hey, no one ever said high school was going to be easy. . ."- summary from Amazon

I love reading a new Amanda Ashby book. I know to expect a fun, quirky paranormal read and it's always what I get. It's a nice break from all the serious paranormal reads, always focused on the battle between good and evil. Ashby's books do deal with that battle, but she infuses them with humor and a fun-loving protagonist. It's also nice to see something new each time I read one of her books; she never sticks with the same creature (aside from the Sophie trilogy, which focused on a djinn). It's exciting to see how she'll deal with the mythology of each one.

In this case, she's focusing on demons who are trying to get at something very powerful. Cassidy has to learn how to fight demons and keep the mean girl from being ripped to shreds. I loved reading her journey- coming to terms with this whole crazy thing, and then following through on it by becoming a warrior. Ashby also throws in a really neat twist at the ending that I really liked.

One thing I was proud of Ashby for including was an asexual friend who stayed asexual throughout the book. I may have hoped/worried that he was only pretending because he was in love with Cassidy and didn't want anyone else- thankfully not the case. I also liked the two romantic leads, though of course one more than the other; Ashby also managed to throw in a twist there too, which may have made me gasp.

Overall, such a good read to end your summer with. Go out and get it, and read her other books while you're at it too!

FTC: Received ARC from author (signed!). Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.