On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5)
by Karina Halle
Published May 2012
When the life you wanted has crumbled beneath your fingers, there’s nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and soldier on. You’ve done this before.
But what happens when you  no longer feel like yourself anymore? When fires spontaneously start-up around you, when you hear growling coming from underneath your bed, and you no longer recognize your face in the mirror. What happens then?
Ghost-hunter Perry Palomino doesn’t have much time to find out. Now, the evil she used to hunt is a lot closer to home. It’s inside of her, taking over her life bit-by-terrifying bit, and there’s only one person who can help her.
If part of her doesn’t kill him first.
My Thoughts:
Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series has quickly became one of my favorite New Adult series with its horror subplots while focusing on the romantic entanglements and the will they-won’t they between main characters Perry and Dex over the course of the first four books. Things happen to drastically change Perry and Dex’s relationship at the end of book four (Lying Season), and Perry finds herself back in Portland broken hearted, jobless, alone, and without hope on so many levels in her life.
Picking up six weeks after the end of book four, On Demon Wings starts off with Perry fighting to get her life back. Working in a coffee shop, she can barely keep up because she’s physically ill sometimes–barely able to drag herself out of her bedroom in her parents’ house. And then there’s the missing time episodes, the growling coming from underneath her bed, and the dark, heavy, malevolent presence that seems to color every corner of her house.
A good deal of Perry’s high school back story is revealed in this book, and it was great to see where her abilities started to cause her grief and how she coped with it. She’s currently having dreams and the demons of her past are starting to haunt her again just when she’s pulling her life back together. Poor Perry just can’t seem to catch a break no matter how hard she tries. Her parents never seem to approve of her career choices, and when she becomes unstable and starts to become dangerous to those around her, an old friend of Dex’s just happens to show up offering some help. But is Maximus really helping or hurting Perry?
Firmly on Perry’s side is her fifteen year old sister, Ada. She’s the only one who believes that Perry can see ghosts while their parents think that Perry needs to go back into therapy, but sadly Perry can’t protect Ada from the darkness residing inside the house and within herself. I really enjoyed Ada in this book because she’s growing up into a fiercely protective, loyal, and spitfire sister that won’t hesitate to call you on your bull no matter who you are if you’re messing with her family. Faced with no other options, Ada calls in the one person that she thinks can get Perry back: Dex. But can he hold it together long enough to save Perry and is it even possible, or is she too far gone?
On Demon Wings is a haunting and intense book that is full of an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness as Perry is slowing taken over and loses herself. Karina Halle’s writing is to the point, funny to break up the tension when necessary, and heart wrenching emotional at all the right times as I’ve come to expect. I’m giving this one a four out of five. While I enjoyed this book and I understand because this is Perry’s story and told from her point of view, with Dex being absent for a good chunk of the story I didn’t find it as engrossing as it could have been.
If you’re curious, my reviews of Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1) (free on Amazon), Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2), Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3), Lying Season (Experiment in Terror #4)
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That cover is amazing. Wow. I just want to stare at it. It’s all glowly and dynamic. Haven’t read any of this series, but it sounds like a good one.
Janeal Falor recently posted..Lazy Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese (With Bacon!)
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The cover is pretty and a bit mesmerizing, isn’t it? I love this series, and you can download the first book Darkhouse for free to check it out. The links at the end of my review or just go to amazon and search for it.
Heather recently posted..On Demon Wings by Karina Halle
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Growling from under the bed? Lost time? *shivers* I have a baseball bat under my bed but I don’t think I’d be reaching under there if there was growling…
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I think it’s safe to say that Perry’s baseball bat would be a goner in this book, Mary! This installment is more possession story than ghost story, and it’s super creepy. I have one more book in this series to review, and then are you finally going to dive into these books? Lol.
Heather recently posted..On Demon Wings by Karina Halle
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i really need to start this series, I even have the first book. Great review. I think Perry sounds awesome and the scarier the book, the more I want it.
Jenea @ Books Live Forever
Jenea @ Books Live Forever recently posted..Blog Tour Stop: Review, Trailer and Giveaway for Fraction of Stone (Fraction #1) by Kelley Lynn
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This one is just as scary since everything is happening to Perry and she can’t stop it, not the typical ghost story but more of a possession thing. There hasn’t been a bad book in this series yet.
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Gah i was going to start Darkhouse this month! *facepalm* This cover is wonderful and once again Heather your review has brought this series to my attention..i need more time!!! *bumps this series up tbr pile*
kimbacaffeinate recently posted..Release Day Review: The Wanderer by Robyn Carr
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Kimba! The month is almost over already, LOL! Seriously, I’m super busy and I flew through these books in a week and a half. You can do it!!!!
Heather recently posted..Sins & Needles by Karina Halle
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Wow, a series I’ve never heard of by an author I’ve never heard of that’s already on book 5. That’s hard to believe. I haven’t noticed many new adult paranormal series out there. That adds a new twist.
Alison (@AlisonCanRead) recently posted..The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
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Karina Halle is a great Indie author, and this is a great series. There are six books out with the seventh book due out in June. She also has an adult contemporary series out too.
Heather recently posted..Sins & Needles by Karina Halle
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I’m very hesitant to read horror cause I scare so easily, but this is an author I have been wanting to read!
Candace recently posted..Adult Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost
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These books are actually pretty light on the horror and the topics are varied book by book. There’s been ghosts, skin walkers, demon possession, big foot type creatures, amongst the six books that are out. It certainly keeps the series entertaining and fresh. The romance between Perry and Dex is more at the forefront than the horror aspects.
Heather recently posted..Sins & Needles by Karina Halle
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Good review. I’d love to read this one. The cover is inviting 🙂
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It is a great cover! This is a series where you get the best experience if you start with book one. You can download Darkhouse for free from Amazon!
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The cover is gorgeous. I haven’t read this series yet but I really want to now! It sounds so interesting. Great review, thanks for sharing 🙂
Kim @ YA Asylum recently posted..Wild Song: Good for Reluctant Reader
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I love the cover too! This is such a great series, it’s one of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by, Kim.
Heather recently posted..Sins & Needles by Karina Halle
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While I love the sound of Ada, I’m not sure I’d enjoy this series. I’m a wimp. I’m no fan of horror. Sound’s like poor Perry has a really bad time of it in this novel. I think you like to torture yourself with your reading Heather. I’ll leave that to you and live vicariously through you. Aren’t you waiting for the sequel to a novel where a duo are camping on a haunted island and one is love with the other and the other is oblivious and in love with someone else? That is torturous enough without being possessed!
Heather
hrose2931 recently posted..My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling Review
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That’s this series, Heather! The camping one was book number three. Perry really goes through the ringer and Dex is missing for most of the book, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the other installments. But luckily I had book six waiting for me on my Kindle as soon as I finished reading this one. 🙂
Heather recently posted..Sins & Needles by Karina Halle
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Oh, this is that series? I don’ t know how I missed all the reviews in between. Well can’t a girl get some love? Poor Perry!! This author loves to torture her characters. At least she loves to torture Perry. Maybe she’s living vicariously??? I can’t wait to read your review of book six!
Heather
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