Gabriel had everything to live for, a job he enjoyed, a woman he loved, and the most 
recent news had him over the moon. He had never expected his life to end so suddenly, or to be asked to make another sacrifice in death. He had been chosen to be Beloved. A being who could take the power from demons in the hope of rebalancing the world. He would be returned to life in order to protect others who would fall to dark hands if not for his intervention. The catch is, he can live, but he cannot reveal himself to those who knew him. Before him lies countless challenges in an ancient war of good vs evil. Can he do all that is asked from him and stem the tide of the rising evil?
Encounters with Demons is P.A. Minyard’s addition to the urban, paranormal romance genre. It follows the lives of two people, Michel, the first Beloved and Gabriel, a modern-day Beloved. The two men lived centuries apart but they had more than one thing in common. Both tales follow the linear path of their own lives and actions and each is diverse enough that whilst they undertake the same missions, their journey is very different. The premise is good, and the narrative ensures that it is clear whose story you are exploring. The characters are interesting and diverse, and each faces their own trials, struggles, dilemmas. This is a tale of good vs evil, and yet it is so much more, it is about love, balance, and understanding, as well as the realisation that good and evil by human definitions is, in itself, incomplete. Whilst they were returned by the Father, and this could be also classed as Christian Fiction, I found the religious aspects well present, few. The book is not centred around religion and beliefs, but rather around the actions and choices of individuals. Action, romance, and temptation meld wonderfully in the different settings to present an enjoyable tale of a struggle which will continue for as long as sides can be chosen.
K.J's Athenaeum 