Synopsis (Goodreads):
It’s the summer of 1974 and 21-year old Dawn Emerson has only three things she wants to do: compete one last time in the Ellensburg Rodeo, win back her ex-boyfriend Ryan, and become the best damn music journalist at Central Washington University. But all her plans are left in the dust when she’s contacted by Creem magazine to go on the road with one of her favorite groups, the up-and-coming metal band, Hybrid.My Thoughts: Guys, I routinely watch scary movies by myself. I love that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when things are about to turn bad and the heroes are about to be thrust into a situation that would probably kill me in real life. This book? It kept waking me up in the middle of the night with insidious whispers that there was something there with me. THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE WITH ME! *shivers in delighted terror*
At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell.
And Dawn has a backstage pass.
The beauty of this book is two-fold. First, Karina Halle's career as a music journalist lent Dawn's story an air of realism that sucked me in. The frantic pace of life on the road, the lack of privacy, Dawn's fears and insecurities as she's thrust into a world that she loves. In the middle of all this, the horror starts. The brief flashes Dawn sees of this otherness is jarring when she's already overwhelmed. That something is going on with the band isn't hard to figure out. Dawn's place in the grand scheme of things is a little more complex. Is she just a bit player? Is she part of what's happening?
I loved the slow burn of attraction between Sage and Dawn. He has his reasons for not wanting her on the road with them. He's prickly enough around her that she doesn't know all that much about him, but she admires him. Honestly, their chemistry was undeniable and the further Dawn was pulled into their world, the more sparks they gave off.
I really loved both the atmosphere and the tone of this book. The things that go bump in the night kept getting creepier and creepier as the story progressed. I'm a little in love with this world and I'm skurred for what the ending means for our intrepid heroine. *whimpers*
Books in this series
1. The Devil's Metal - Kindle
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Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Devil's Metal was provided for review.
*bounces around*
ReplyDeleteYAY! I really loved this book -- and we ALL know I love Karina Halle. I'm happy you liked it, too! I can't wait for the next one!
I was very, very impressed. The whole not seeing what's there in the dark thing really freaked me out. *shivers*
DeleteGreat review.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I make my way through the EIT series, I think I need to pick this one up.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be a series, too! #Excited This has some good creep. I liked it!
DeleteCreepier than EIT?
DeleteCreepy in a different way, I think. There's a lot of "What the hell is happening???" where you don't *know* what's coming after them and the not knowing makes your imagination go wild.
Delete