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Thank you NetGalley and Roc for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
There is more to our world than meets the eye–darker things, crueler things. Exorcist John Gogh and his wife, psychic medium Theodora Knight, know what lurks in the shadows. But even they’re not prepared for the worst Hell has to offer…
It was supposed to be a simple exorcism, a publicity stunt to firmly establish John and Theodora’s thriving paranormal investigation empire in the public eye. But something went wrong, leading to an on-air massacre that unleashed a malicious host of demons and left Theodora catatonic, possessed by countless spirits.
John sets out on a desperate quest to find a cure for his wife, but his obsession brings him face-to-face with an even more terrifying problem: Theodora’s possession is only one piece of a deadly plot that is threatening the entire world. Because an ancient evil is about to make Earth its battlefield–and without John and Theodora’s intervention, there is no chance for salvation…
I’m a huge fan of Thomas Sniegoski who I think is one of the best writers of urban fantasy/horror out there, so I’ve been anxiously anticipating this new series by him since I heard about it last year. The best way to describe this is to say it’s like The Exorcist with urban fantasy elements. While I love the premise of the story/series, there are a few issues with this book that made it a bit of a rocky beginning for me. My main problem was that I never quite connected with John and Theodora. The books begins when they first meet but immediately jumps to a few years later, with them married and the hosts of a successful tv show. I think Theodora is a little more developed than John but at the end of the story I still didn’t really have a sense of who they were as individuals, nor did I feel the full strength of their bond. There are also frequent point-of-view switches which I think contributed to my difficulty in becoming emotionally invested in the characters. Interestingly, some of the secondary characters were written extremely well, particularly Agent Brenna Isabel, whose backstory was heartbreaking and the antagonist Barrett Winfield who is as sick and twisted as you’d want a villain to be. His transformation into “The Teacher” is both revolting and riveting. The world-building is phenomenal and the story moves at a breakneck speed which on the one had ensures there are no boring moments, but on the other, it doesn’t allow enough time for the horror to build. The book is only 336 pages long, and I think if it had been a little longer there would have been more room for character development and the opportunity for those feelings of terror to take root.
If you like urban fantasy and horror I recommend The Demonists even with its flaws. Be warned though: it’s not for the faint of heart. Some of the scenes are gruesomely graphic, and even had me cringing a bit. Overall it’s an intriguing beginning to what looks to be an exciting new urban-horror series, and I’m looking forward to the next book.
lkeke35 said:
That lack of emotional investment was one of the reasons I stopped reading the Remy Chandler series. I just wasn’t able to keep up interest in the main character, although I loved the dog, though.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I’m still enjoying Remy, but I know what you mean.
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transhaan said:
Ouhh this seems like an interesting book :O I’ve always loved a nice dark twisted book! Sad you ddint like it as much and you were expecting something more D: Great review btw!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks! I’m addicted to his Remy Chandler series so I’m a bit spoiled.
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~REBECCA DAWN~ said:
ooh this sounds so intriguing! I love urban fantasy!!!
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
It’s not perfect Rebecca, but it’s still a pretty good start. Have you heard of his Remy Chandler series? Those are really good too.😊
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~REBECCA DAWN~ said:
No I haven’t. My bookstore doesn’t have a good selection of urban fantasies. I love patricia Briggs, C.E Murphy-House of Cards series. Karen Chance – Cassie palmer
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
That’s too bad. I love the authors you’ve listed though.
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Jordan Dodd said:
This sounds like a book I’d like. It sounds like it’d make for a horrible movie though haha! But books are a totally different world, and this world sounds interesting.
And I’ll have to check out this Thomas Sniegoski, you speak highly of him
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
If you can Jordan, check out his Remy Chandler series.
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Jordan Dodd said:
Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Anytime Jordan.🙋🏻
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emmakwall said:
Ooh I love the sound of these gruesomely graphic scenes mwahahaha! Sometimes books are worse than movies – my imagination goes riot!!
This definitely sounds like something I’d read Kims, it’s a shame the characters weren’t brought to life quite as much as they could. For me the characters really matter a lot in books, all my most favourite books have very clear characters who I really feel like I know. It’s important.
However, this book does sound exciting and very, very good 🙂
Awesome review sassy sister!!! 😉
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Thanks Sassy Sister! I’ll probably try the next one just because he’s one of my favorites.
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