BOOK REVIEW - FORGIVEN by JANA OLIVER - THE DEMON TRAPPERS # 3 - PAN MACMILLAN - URBAN FANTASY

By: Jana Oliver
Published By: Pan Macmillan
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback, 408 Pages

RATING: 5 BEAUTIFUL BACKWOODS BOY BECK STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

Jana Oliver's third spellbinding Demon Trappers novel - following The Demon Trapper's Daughter and Soul Thief - brings all new thrills, as Riley Blackthorne takes on demons, love... and the future of the human race.

The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list.

But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta… or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm’s way. Riley thinks she might know who’s behind it all, but who’s going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming – and it may be closer than anyone thinks…


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

Holy mac and cheese the shiz really hits the fan in Forgiven.

In more ways than one.

Jana has upped the stakes and everybody is playing for keeps.

There is a war brewing , there can only be one winner.

Will it be Lucifer?

Armaggedon is coming and it looks like Riley, the seventeen year old apprentice trapper is carrying humanity’s existence on her shoulders.

Pressure. Much.

Riley is back in another exciting page turning installment. She is getting served a rather epic proportions sized to-do list she must sort through and favors she must come good on.

There are demons running about all epic-action-movie style, keeping the Vatican’s Demon Hunters and the Demon Trappers on their toes. Not to mention putting Riley in a little over her head.

Her feelings are getting stomped on and I want to lock Riley and Beck in a room and throw the key in the bushes.


‘That was her, wasn’t it?’

‘What?’ he asked, confused.

‘Justine. She missing her bed buddy?’

He eyed her. ‘Yer jealous.’ She shook her head. ‘Yer lyin’. I can see it in yer eyes.’

‘OK, maybe I am. I don’t trust her.’

Beck looked away, his jaw tense. ‘Yet ya’d trust that winged bastard?’

‘Oh, now who’s jealous, huh?’ she taunted. ‘Ori treated me like I was worth something, not some stupid kid.’

Ori had placed a stick of dynamite inside her heart and detonated it, and now there were pieces of her spread all over. Beck wasn’t helping her pick them up. If anything , he was grinding them under the heel of his boot.

Every time Beck tried to help her, she just pushed back, creating an increasingly unbreakable wall between them. Her way of paying him back for dissing her. Now she just felt like a stupid little kid. 

I’m sorry. For all of it.

Maybe someday she’d get the chance to tell him that in person.


Denver Beck is not making it easy for Riley. He has a lot of things he must think  through where Riley is concerned. He is allowed to get it on with Justine, but he doesn’t much like knowing Riley had her first with Ori.

‘What’s so special about that winged bastard?’ he demanded of the empty room. ‘Why couldn’t ya have waited another year or so and then we ...’The hand holding the beer bottle began to quake. ‘My God, ya never gave us a chance.’

He still won’t admit that she isn’t a little girl. He carries a lot of guilt from Paul’s death around with him. He has his own family problems in the back ground and a world to help save.

Beck...oooo...I love this backwoods Georgia boy. He is such a treat to read. He is trying so hard to do the right thing, carrying as much of the load as he can.

Team Beck !! 


‘Oh God don’t do this!’ she cried.

Beck must have seen how frightened she was because his expression softened. He leaned close and whispered. ‘Do ya trust me, Riley?’

‘Yes,’ she whispered, trembling with fear. Always.

Beck gently placed a kiss on her forehead. ‘Then it’ll be all right,’ he replied.Then he tossed her over the side of the five-storey building.

Beck and Riley are being separated due to circumstance. Justine is still sniffing about and Jana absolutely kills me with Justine. The woman knows how to woo Beck with her feminine wiles. 

I say, back off. I have my stinky dead fish ready Justine.

‘Hope to see you later,’ Justine replied. ‘I am missing you.’ Then Beck was listening to a dial tone.

Missin’ ya too, honey girl. Even if Stewart thinks yer not on the level.

I do get my knickers in a knot with Justine. I want Beck to leave it zipped up where she is concerned.

Sporting a set of brilliant emerald-green eyes, Justine was a stunningly petite woman with shocking red hair that tumbled over her shoulders in wide curls. Her accent was hard to pin down, but it flowed like verbal honey no matter the subject.

Beck’s attention moved to the hunters. ‘Any way ya can give us some space?’

Ori the Fallen Angel, is he bad or is there a shred of good in there? 

Jana will keep you guessing.

Poor ol’ Paul Blackthorne , Jana is putting him through the wringer. The things a parent will do for their loved ones. It’s rather a powerful thing.

Love, Master Stewart. My hubs dad is a Scotsman, so I can hear him very well when he is talking. I like seeing Riley with some stability and an adult there for her. I like seeing his influence on Beck.


To his astonishment, Stewart clapped him on the shoulder. ‘We’ll make it out of this yet, lad. Now get sober. Stop tryin’ ta drink away yer problems. I been there and it doesn’t work.’

‘Then why do ya carry that flask of whisky all the time?’ Beck asked before he could catch himself.

The Scotsman smirked. ‘Because it’s better than drinkin’ the whole damned bottle.’

Peter is a stand up guy. I love how he will just step up to the plate whenever Riley needs a friend.

Simon, Simon, Simon!!!

Instead of unloading her heartbreak, Riley shook her head, too weary to go there. ‘Simon’s changed. He was so nice and kind and now suddenly he’s seeing Hellish conspiracies everywhere.

Simi is the floating character who pops in and out of each book, but I love knowing Riley has a female friend she can have a coffee with and be normal, for five minutes. Have some down time and talk boys.

‘So name your poison - you want to talk about this Ori guy or about the hunky trapper?’

Her friend was blunt to a fault. ‘Neither.’

‘Choose one or I will,’ Simi shot back.

Ah crap. ‘Beck.’

‘Good choice,’ her friend replied, nodding her approval. ‘Why are you two dancing around each other?’

She’s like an overactive Chihuahua. But underneath that flakiness was a working brain, one of the reasons Riley liked her so much.


It was not that simple. ‘Beck is ...’

‘A total pain in the butt,’ Simi retorted. ‘But I know the signs: there’s a really cool guy under that skin, who’ll be totally worth all the hassles. You’re an idiot if you let this one slide, girlfriend.’

The more I find out about Denver Beck , the more I love. Rennie was rather unexpected.


‘Don’t start,’ he warned.

‘What?’ she said, grinning. I’m sure all the big, bad trappers have a .... in their house.’

Harper is still being Harper, but we learn more.

Then he needs to learn his limits,’ Harper replied. His eyes moved to Riley. ‘You’ll go with him, Brat.’

The little Ninja, I love this little guy. I always look out for him in each book in this series. Riley and the little guy have this odd little friendship/thing going on. I kind of want one of these crafty little guys. I mean I know he is a demon and working essentially for the wrong team. But ya can’t help liking him.

‘Hey, guy.’ The wee fiend observed her for a moment, then leaped on tho the table, his bag in hand.

My little Ninja, is it the last we will see of you?

The demon smiled, revealing pointed teeth, then gave her a nod. She didn’t have to tell him twice: the earring was back inside the bag in an instant. Then he zipped out of sight.

Riley sighed. ‘I’ll miss you. Even if you work for ...him.’

With an epic battle, a hero and a girl who has some hefty decisions to weigh-in for humanities sake, this was another awesome installment in The Demon Trappers series.

Will I have to lock Riley and Beck in a room to sort out their smexual tension or will these two get their love mojo rockin’ the kazbah?

‘Woman?’ He wasn’t calling her girl any longer.

If that wasn’t a sign the world was ending, what other proof did she need? 

So close, yet so far.

Two steps forward, one step back.

Michelle