Book Shelf: Thrall (Daughters of Lilith #1) by Jennifer Quintenz

Braedyn is a normal girl just trying to survive high school with her two devoted friends, Royal and Cassie. Together they’re doing a pretty good job of shrugging off the slings and arrows cast their way by the popular crowd when a new boy, Lucas, moves into the house next door. Suddenly Braedyn finds herself falling in love for the first time.

But as her sixteenth birthday approaches, Braedyn discovers humankind is at war with the Lilitu, an ancient race of enticing demons that prey on human souls. Her father is a member of the Guard fighting against the Lilitu - and so are the new neighbors, including her crush, Lucas.

As her world starts to unravel at the seams, Braedyn learns the right answers aren’t always clear or easy. And as for “good” and “evil” – it all depends on how we choose to act.

Inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian myths of Lilith and her offspring, Thrall explores first love, strong friendships, and taking on adult responsibilities against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces and life-and-death stakes.

More info on Goodreads.....

Review:

Thrall by Jennifer Quintez is a fresh and exciting look at demons with personable characters and an intriguing storyline.

I was pleasantly surprised with Thrall. Thrall follows Braedyn Murphy, a sixteen year old girl who thinks she’s just like every other teenager until she learns that she’s actually a Lilitu- a demon that is descended from Lillith. As daughters of Lilith, Lilitu have the ability to control men and feed on their life essence to survive.

I was very impressed with this book. Thrall is well written and deeply enjoyable. Quintez's writing is solid and supports the book well; her main character's voice strong and easy to follow. Honestly, Thrall is just a good read and I found myself liking it a lot more than I expected.

Quintez jumps straight into the story once Braedyn learns what she is and picks up pace from then on. The story is well written and I was impressed with Quintez's mythology. I thought she did a good job building on the biblical tale of Lilith, and though demons decended from Lilith is something I'd seen before, I liked how she made it relevant to her story and weaved these demonic aspects into her tale.

I thought all the characters supported the story well; from main character Braedyn, to her father Murphy, to her friends Cassie, Royal and of course her love interest Lucas. The inclusion of demon hunters known as the Guard was fitting and the story wouldn't have been the same without them. Gretchen, Hale and especially Thane added some complexity to the story for Braedyn and helped shape her into the person she became by the end of the book.

Braedyn stars out as a very normal teenager, but when she learns of her true heritage Braedyn is quickly forced to adapt to face the consequences. Understandably Braedyn has some skepticism about what she has learnt and what she is being told, but must rapidly accept and come to terms with things once she witnesses the evil destruction caused by the Lilitu with her own eyes.

I liked Braedyn, I did. Her voice was smart and easy to follow. I'm anticipating a lot more growth from her throughout the series and expect to see her strengthen as a character even more in future books. Quintez has made it obvious that Braedyn walks a dangerous path and considering the abilities she expresses, but are yet to master, I don't doubt that Braedyn's journey is going to be a difficult one.

Over all I was really happy with this book. I liked the fast paced tone to it and thought Braedyn and her love interest had a good connection. I look forward to more from this series!

Rating:
Source: Sent for the review by the author (Thank you Jennifer!)
Format: Kindle ebook
Buy it: Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
My Recommendation: If you enjoy angels and demons you'll enjoy this twist :)
Cover: I think it's quite pretty.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: I look forward to more.