The Devil's Metal by Karina Halle

The year is 1974 and Dawn Emerson, a huge music lover and an aspiring young music journalist, gets a chance to go on the road with her favourite metal band Hybrid and document their tour that will supposedly make history. After she meets the band members and is swept into their world of drinking, drugs and debauchery she realizes the life on the other side of the stage is nothing like she imagined in her wildest dream. Dawn is inexplicably drawn to the reserved and elusive guitarist, Sage Knightly, who clearly does not want her following the band's every move, listening to every word they say, sleeping on the same bus and making out with the singer. It's not long until she suspects something sinister and diabolic is going on as she starts seeing people's faces turning into gruesome images of horror and death and strange things begin to happen.

I received an e-book version of this book from the NetGalley, and for that I'm very thankful!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I think I finished it in a couple of hours! I read it in the car, while waiting at the mechanic, while eating, and I almost convinced a friend to read it to me while I was showering. It was that good! 

The plot was gripping, well-developed, everything was to my liking and I could easily relate to the heroine because we're the same age - which is rare since all the heroines in my favourite genres are teenagers with teenage minds and problems. Dawn was a solid lead and Sage was smokin'! 

“And then he laughed. It was short and brief, but genuine and made the dimples stand out on his scruffy cheeks. It was the best sound I’d heard all year.” 

Plus, the fact that the story was set in the 1974 was refreshing - I want to live there (then?) for some time, too! Where's The Doctor when you need him!?

If I think about it I actually don't have anything bad to say, or I just cant remember at the moment, because all the good things outshine the bad ones and therefore this review is going to be short. It's not really a review but a recommendation. If you like a strong heroine, a dark and mysterious hero, interesting second characters, a good twist, Led Zeppelin, 1970s, creepy elements and debauchery then you've hit a jackpot with this one. Also, in the very end Karina Halle throws us an unbelievably unexpected twist that literally left me with my jaw hanging to the floor. I can't wait to read the next installment, The Devil's Reprise, that comes out in fall 2013. Aaah, that's like bazillion eons away!

One little thing I do have a tiny issue with. The title. It gives too much away, don't you think? If I didn't know the devil had a part (or his minions) in the whole thing, it'd be a bigger  (and sweeter) twist to the story. But I don't want to put a damper on it, I still think it's a great read.