Azazel is the king of the fallen angels, and he has been hunting the demon Lilith for thousands of years. He knows that killing her is the only way to prevent the prophecy that she will become his bride and together they will rule hell. When he finally catches up to her he discovers that she doesn't remember who she is, and in a moment of weakness he lets her live. Instead he tries to get information from her that will help the Fallen save earth. But the more time they spend together the harder it is to fight their overwhelming attraction, and he realizes that there may be no escape from the prophecy after all.

DEMON is the second installment in Kristina Douglas' The Fallen series. It focuses on Azazel, the king of the Fallen who gave up leadership when his human wife died seven years ago. This intriguing series deals with the mythology of archangels, fallen angels, and demons and their struggle for power over the human world. Douglas does a nice job explaining the history and current relationships so those who haven't read the first book in the series aren't at a disadvantage. The multidimensional and engaging plot loosely ties to the previous book but can certainly stand on its own. It is also darker, better- written, and has more character development than the first.

It is definitely the characters in DEMON that makes the book stand out. They are well-developed, complex and conflicted. Rachel's memory loss leaves her believing she is nothing but an average human. Her timid, naïve personality is a stark contrast to the sexual demon she supposedly is, but as the story progresses you can see glimpse into what she once might have been. She is appalled at her attraction to her aloof kidnapper Azazel and baffled as to why he is the only one she has ever truly desired. Azazel is even more conflicted in his feelings. He believes his attraction to Rachel is a betrayal of his dead wife and knows giving in to it will surely bring about the prophecy he has tried so hard to prevent. Some may not care for his cold and occasionally abusive treatment of Rachel, but I felt it was right for the storyline. Watching these two damaged souls hate, resist, desire, and love each other is a wonderful emotional journey.

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