Tag Archives: Demons

The Steeple People by John Alfred Taylor

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: The Steeple People
Author: John Alfred Taylor
In: Blood Lite III (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Demons, Easy reading
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: People should have noticed if all the angels on patrol everywhere had been doing the buzzard act that long.

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Synopsis

Even demons need to run a business… or at least, it’s a great way to pull of a new kind of steeple…

Thoughts

I’m a little hinky about Christianity. Just bad experiences with some not nice people who hid behind their religion. But, it always makes me entertained to read any story that features a Christian spin or tale. The fact that this one focused on a demon’s point of view and his attempts at corrupting the church goers kind of made it all the more entertaining.

I loved the amount of thought and work that went into creating this world, and the way it overlapped so neatly with our own reality. Placing demons within churches as a vessel of temptation, and then the flaming swords of retribution… it all worked really cutely and I was actually a little disappointed when they all dissolved back into their hell dimensions…

 <- Bayou Brawl Review For Sale Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Last Demon by Don D’Amassa

Book Review, , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: The Last Demon
Author: Don D’Amassa
In: Blood Lite III: Aftertaste (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Demons, Easy reading
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: The years passed as a steady stream of minor torments and when the time finally approached that they would be able to return to hell, Ogerak felt that he had survived the worst that the human world could possibly throw at him.

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Synopsis

On his 666th birthday, the youngest demon escapes into our world. And finds his own world of pain and torment.

Thoughts

At the beginning of this story, the youngest demon escapes hell. And that was pretty much were my expectations were halted. Nothing went as I thought it would, and it was all such a bizarre adventure that I was left with a very perplexed feeling. Not that that is a bad thing, this story certainly made me think… but it was just a little weird.

One of the aspects of this story that I loved was the idea of a demon’s perspective on our world. The confusion surrounding money, food and jobs was kind of fun. And, I really, really loved the punchline at the very end of the story. It’s the kind of thing that a good short story should end with – surprising, off-kilter and memorable.

 <- The Man Who Could Not Be Bothered to Die Review A Misadventure to Call Your Own Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Tribute to Hell by Ian Irvine

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Tribute to HellTitle: Tribute to Hell
Author: Ian Irvine
Series: The Tainted Realm #0.5
In: Legends of Australian Fantasy (Jack Dann & Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Demons, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘I’m dead either way.’

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Synopsis

“Tribute to Hell” is set in the Elder Days of a new fantasy world explored in detail in the trilogy, The Tainted Realm. To ensure Greave pays for his crime and redeems himself, his god, K′nacka, holds hostage Greave′s little sister. And Greave has to steal the Graven Casket for the god. Greave knew he had to do it, but he was not going to survive, and neither was his little sister …

Thoughts

There’s one problem with reading collections of novellas and short stories – I always want to buy the greater series and read it… and A Tribute to Hell definitely made me want to do this!

I love a story that goes nowhere near where I expected. Starting with Greave’s sins, I thought that this would be a story about one man finding redemption and escaping the God’s wrath. The addition of a nun was a great (if not typical) distraction, and the best friend a fantastic way to keep the sinner on track. Seems fairly typical, right? Nope. The nun was actually a sinner, the sinner a saviour and the best friend a great way to keep the story on track. Like I said, this story went nothing like I expected, and it was so captivating that I am waiting for the next payday to buy The Tainted Realm series.

There’s not much I can say about the storyline that won’t completely give away all of the fantastic twists and turns. But, ultimately, the battle between good and evil is far more complex than it initially seems. I love when stories investigate the grey areas of life – after all, nothing is purely evil or purely good in reality, so why should it be in the stories?

 <- The Corsers’ Hinge Review A Captain of the Gate Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Australia

Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Cherry KissesTitle: Cherry Kisses
Author: Erica Hayes
Series: The Shadowfae Chronicles #4.5
In: Hex Appeal (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Dark fantasy, Demons
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: And opened the door.

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Synopsis

Sexy con-artist Lena Falco isn’t a witch, not technically. She uses her cache of stolen magic tricks to seduce and bedazzle her marks. When she’s hired by a demon to steal a cursed magical amulet from a monstrous tower in Hell, it must be her lucky day.

The prize? A single wish—whatever she wants.

The catch? There’s competition: Ethan Benford, swordsman and enchanter, arrogant, maddeningly sexy and the only incorruptible man in town.

Lena’s been burnt before by Ethan’s easy charm, and she vows he’ll meet his match this time. But is ultimate power worth betraying the only man who truly believes in her?

Thoughts

There is something so tantalising about a main character that is so obviously not good. Whether it’s someone like Cherry Kisses’ Lena Falco, or a morally ambiguous hero like Batman, the blurred line in morality makes these characters both more relatable and scandalous. Especially when the tale ends in a truly moral dilemma and the choice made really isn’t what the truly good heroes would make.

I have a tendency to very quickly fall for any tale that mentions an Australian city, or is written by an Australian author. Since it’s where I’m from, it makes it that much easier to relate to the characters and settings of the tale. Lena’s recognition that she is nothing special within such a familiar setting helped to further endear a potentially unlikable character to me.

<- There Will Be Demons Review The Arcane Art of Misdirection Review ->
Image source: Amazon