Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie – That’s What I’m Talking About…

Audiobook review: Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie

Taming Demons is the sixth book in the Guild Codex universe. For the read-along, we are following the author’s recommended reading order, found HERE. 

Taming Demons for Beginners is the start of a new sub-series in the Guild Codex Universe. The story focuses on Robin Page, a Demon Contractor who helped save Tori and the guys in the previous book, Demon Magic and a Martini. The book begins a few months before the encounter in the previous book, giving us the backstory and origins of how Robin became a powerful Contractor, and carries on until it concludes in the same place as Demon Magic and a Martini. 

At 20, Robin is living with her dubious Uncle Jack after her parents died. She doesn’t have to live with him, but he is the executer of her parents’ will and isn’t forthcoming with her inheritance. She’s timid and he’s a bully. Her parents always warned her away from magic, but she’s aware of its existence, and that her uncle is illegally summoning demons. 

Since readers know she ends up a Contractor, it’s not really a spoiler to share that Robin ends up tied to a demon while living at her uncle’s home. However, this demon is different and Robin is untrained, which leads to some interesting situations, sometimes funny, sometimes dangerous, but always exciting. I like that Robin is straightforward. She has a very good heart and moral compass, which allows her to connect with her demon, Zylas. She’s frightened and she continues to act in character even after she bonds with Zylas. I liked their partnership and the unknowns of what it means. I look forward to seeing her interact with the Crow and Hammer gang as well as her own journey.

The plot is pretty tightly written, and I really enjoyed how it interconnected with the previous book, and giving readers a few touch points to place them in the entire universe. I also like the bond that’s forming between Robin and her cousin, Amalia. 

Narration: the story is shared via the first person POV of Robin. Dukehart, who does a great job narrating the Spellbound series featuring Tori, uses the same upbeat feminine voice for Robin that she does for Tori, which caused me to confuse the characters for a few chapters until I got into the story. However, after a while, I found that despite sounding similar, Dukehart captures the timid and unsure personality of Robin. Dukehart alters character dialogue based on gender and age with moderate success, making each character fairly distinguishable. Dukehart keeps the story moving forward in a lively manner. 

Overall, I really liked this one a lot and think Taming Demons for Beginners is my favorite yet! 

My Ratings
Story: A-
Narration: B+

Jen

About the Book:

Rule one: Don’t look at the demon. 

When I arrived at my uncle’s house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don’t practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else. 

Rule two: Don’t listen to the demon. 

My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I’m supposed to act like I don’t know how illegal and dangerous it is. 

Rule three: Don’t talk to the demon. 

All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn’t find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn’t notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn’t break the rules. 

But I did, and now it’s too late.

Author: Annette Marie
Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Series: The Guild Codex: Demonized #1; Guild Codex Universe #6
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audiobook Release Date: December 31, 2019
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 7 hours and 52 minutes
Source: Library
Audio Speed: 1.25x