Book Review – The Devil’s Metal by Karina Halle

The Devil’s Metal (Devils)
ROCK STAR BOOK!!!! The whole tour, groupies, backstage access and everything. Okay, but wait. This is not our “usual” rock star book. You know… the BIG romance and angst thing? But it is OH sooo good anyway. Y’all know I LOVE Karina Halle and her Experiment in Terror series, and of course there’s my little “Dex” obsession. Yep. Juuuust a little obsession. *pinches two fingers together* Okay… i’ll admit it. It’s actually much bigger than that. 😉

So when I heard that one of my favorite authors (Karina) was writing a rock star book, you KNOW I was in! And then I heard a few… things, and I realized this one was going to be somewhat different from what I normally look for in my rock stars. Because, these rock stars, this band, this tour, takes place in the 70’s. Now I’m not knocking the 70’s or nuthin’, ’cause we know that that era (or was it the 60’s? Ahhhh, you know, it’s all good… let’s call it “back then”) was a rock n’ roll hey day, a rock evolution and so many of the classics from back then influence our favorites, today. And then I heard that it had a paranormal angle to it. Demon groupies? Whaaaaaa? *scratches head* Heyyyy! Was there gonna be romance in this!? Maryse <—– rock star romance addict. *shrug* I can’t help it. I love the bad-boys and their journeys. Would there be one here? *happy smirk*

Still, I wasn’t worried. I love Karina’s writing style, I love the real-life feel of her heroine’s thought processes (Perry… and now, Dawn) and I love that she was going to use her own “music journalist” past to influence the story. Of course, maybe with some embellishments. But I could sort of tell when something… some scenes, moments, reactions, “might” have actually come from reality. And I LOVED that!

And honestly? I barely noticed the time frame difference. Aside from the occasional “70’s lingo” or clothing style references, I was fully immersed. Being a music fan in the 70’s to being a music fan of today’s rock and metal? Being a hugely famous rock star then, and being one today? Not much difference (at least, reading-wise). Rock stars were just as hot then as they are now. In fact, I’m wondering if the crazy backstage rock debauchery was even crazier back then, meaning… a whole lotta fun to read about!

So what’s it about? Dawn, a music enthusiast, and freelance writer regularly submits concert and album reviews to local magazines. Not many bites, but she doesn’t give up. And when she finally gets “that” call (Creem magazine) and they want to send her to document her favorite rock band’s tour, she is ecstatic! Uhhhh YAH! *nods* I would have squee’d!! Did they squee in the 70’s?

If I could eventually get over what was actually being asked of me, if I could pretend this was all real, I had to wonder if I was strong enough – good enough – to actually take this on. Writing for Creem Magazine? Going on the road with an actual f&$king rock bad? And a band I actually loved, …

Anyway, when she meets the band for the first time, she realizes this maybe harder then it looks.

I needed a mentor. Maybe I should have had one all along.

And now, I realized, I had been thrown right into the deep end.

Alone.

Thank god I knew how to swim.

The singer hottie and perpetual flirt has his eye on her…

He smiled. I was turning into a puddle of swoon.

… the drummer is creepy as all get out (and focusing all of his creep-factor on her, in full force), and the other band mates can’t stop sneering at her. They don’t want her there at all. Unfortunately, this includes her absolute idol, guitarist, “Sage”.

He was the man on my wall.

My musical hero.

My musical crush.

And he was on the bus, sitting there, right in front of me.

No, wait… he was leaving.

But she has bigger things to contend with. The relentless (and a few of them… ruthless) groupies, the grueling tour bus life, the back stage “indiscretions”, the feeling of loneliness, and worst of all… the creepy “glimpses”… almost hallucinations… that she keeps experiencing.

I felt horror, a terror so complete that I had one thought: I was going to die there on the stage. I was going to lose my soul.

I was going to Hell.

Yep, that’s right. This wasn’t necessarily a “fun” book. Despite some of it’s detailed debauchery, back stage antics, and band-member dynamics, it was intense and a bit scary. A thriller/horror/mystery that kept us guessing. Was she just “seeing things” or were they all a part of something much more sinister. And who was responsible? After all, the drummer was considered a “Satanist” … but was that simply tabloid fodder or was there something more to his “poser” persona? Who knew the truth? Did anyone else notice the creepy stuff, too? Who would believe her? It was a really great spin on an old legend. On one of those “superstitions” that we hear about every once in awhile and can’t help but wonder just how coincidental it all is.

And I fully enjoyed this book. BIG TIME!

Some of our fellow readers won arcs, and I got a review copy from the author, too! So it seems a few of us were reading it together last night (and there was a special surprise that I didn’t have a clue about! I swear!!!)

Tracie Smith I just finished ! I saw a “familiar” name somewhere in there Maryse……..;)

Maryse’s Book Blog: OMG I just did, too, and I came here to tell you guys!! Totally TOTALLY caught me off guard! Am I (hehe) I mean is SHE a voodoo priestess? Ok I’m gonna go read some more to see! Tee hee! I didn’t see that coming. I even stopped and re-read because I didnt understand and thought my 1:30am mind was playing tricks on me…

Kirsten: Maryse- When I saw your name in there I couldn’t help but smile. I loved that she worked you in.

Maryse’s Book Blog: It’s good you guys!!! I really enjoyed it and now even more as I backtrack…

Kirsten: Let me know if you figure anything else out Maryse.

Figure anything else out? Yep. This one has some interesting tid bits.. clues. Things that when you look back after you’re done you go… ooohhhhh!!! And then, Kirsten pointed something else out to me, (I had totally missed it!) and I *squee’d* when I realized it. I did!

Kirsten: I loved it and of course will be anxious for the next installment… Spring 2013. At least I will have Dex again soon. 🙂 One of my favorite quotes Chap 9… “There is no later. There never was. Later is something that’s used up with the lazy belief that there’s always a tomorrow. I do what I can now, while I can.” Isn’t that advice to live by? I liked the whole EIT tie in also. For the first time I felt compelled to put a review up on Goodreads….

Maryse: OMG that ending!!! And then I started thinking back to her *spoiler* …. oh oh. Eeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!!

Kirsten: Oh yes, I have to get back and re-read all that. I remembered most of it, but what did she *spoiler*? Did you like the *spoiler* tie in? Now we know *spoiler*.

Maryse: OMG YES!!!! I didn’t even clue in until you said it!!!!!!!!! OH WOW!!!!!!!!!! LOVE that, now I want to re-read, just to put together all of the clues.

Kirsten: … I have tons of questions now. Ugh… I have to start re-reading so I can piece it all together.

EIT tie in?? Whaaaaa? Didn’t the author say this was another series? ‘Cause while Karina may have said: “It has NOTHING to do with Experiment in Terror…”  she sort of backtracks a bit and says:” OK it kinda has something to do with EIT but you don’t have to know the series at all to understand it.”

That is true. But I’m just gonna tell you all… She. Is. Clever!! EIT fan? Read this. Just do it. I feel THAT much more complete (EIT-wise) now that I have. I’ve got to set up a spoiler chat forum for this one so we can… discuss in detail. 😉

What about the romantic angle? It’s there in it’s own way. Not traditional “romance book” there, but there is a definite crush or two going on, heart flutters, subtle moments of acute sexual tension. All in all? Romance and erotica may not be front, row and center, but as in her “EIT” series, it is all encompassing. It has it’s importance in the grand scheme of things, and if you like that romantic “tease” in a book… you know. Not getting what you want when you want it, you will enjoy being on the edge of your seat with this one…. wondering… if? When? How? *blush*

“Want to come up here?”

“What, on your shoulders?”

He grinned and shrugged. “Yeah, why not? Everyone else is doing it.”

The idea of a 5’9″ girl sitting on a 6’4″ guy made me want to laugh. We’d be the brontosaurus of the festival. The acid trippers would see us and freak the hell out.

But Sage was asking to to sit on him. There was no way I would turn that down.

*giggle*

This one was great. And I’m still wearing my “ohhh I get it, now” silly grin. Grinning after that kind of eerie creepiness? Hey I like that kind of stuff! But what I like even more is well… all of it. The writing, the story, the “angles”, the detail, and the cleverness. Okay, yes… I want and need more, but I like that feeling and I loved my own non-stop thinking and backtracking, and realizing, once I was done. It’s a big story. Lots of potential and I’m very excited for book #2!

4.5 stars! (I was thinking easily 4 stars, as I was reading it, but once I hit the end.. yeah. 4.5 stars for sure for me!)

Here is the spoiler/chat forum (beware – only enter once you have finished this book as it will be discussed in detail) —> http://talk.maryse.net/threads/the-devils-metal-by-karina-halle.293/