Series Spotlight: The Demonata - books 1 & 2

I'm back!!!

It has seriously been killing me not being able to write any book reviews lately. Unfortunately, I've been having a bit of a hard time with health problems lately and haven't been able to do much of anything.

One thing I have been able to do though is to read. I have been doing a ton of that so stay tuned for some juicy reviews to get stuck into in the near future.

I've been reading a few books in particular over the last couple of months which I absolutely adore and get no way near enough of the attention they deserve so to acknowledge my love for the Demonata series by Darren Shan (picture shown above) I thought a great way to start back into blogging is to do a kind of series spotlight in which I review each of the 10 books of the series throughout the week.

To start off, here's a book review of the first two books of the series, Lord Loss and Demon Thief. But first, a bit of background information on the books: Lord Loss follows Grubbs Grady who, after becoming an orphan when his parents are horrifically murdered by lowly Lord Loss and his demon minions, goes to live with his uncle Dervish. Grubbs soon finds out his past confrontation with Lord Loss is by no means over if he wishes to save someone he loves from a horrible fate.

Title: Lord Loss

Publisher: HarperCollins
My rating: 10/10 - I did say I love this series!

Summary:

The door feels red hot, as though a fire is burning behind it. I press and ear to the wood - but there's no crackle. No smoke. Just deep, heavy breathing...and a curious dripping sound. My hand's on the door knob. Inside the room, somebody giggles - low, throaty, sadistic. There's a ripping sound, followed by snaps and crunches. My hand turns. The door opens. Hell is revealed.

When Grubbs Grady first encounters Lord Loss and his evil minions, he learns three things:

• the world is vicious,
• magic is possible,
• demons are real.

He thinks that he will never again witness such a terrible night of death and darkness.

...He is wrong.

My thoughts:

This is definitely one of my favourites. There's always a certain charm to the first book in any series given that the characters are just being introduced and the reader realises that their story is just beginning. From the first moment I started this book, I was so looking forward to going through this, what I knew was going to be epically horrific, journey with Grubbs and loving every terrifying minute of it.

I do seriously think that this book is not for anybody who is not a real fan of true guts and gore in a horror story. It has to be one of the most gory books of any I have read so far and that is saying something. It's definitely not for everybody.

Whilst reading this book any reader will realise that Darren Shan sure knows how to get the heart racing. It's chocked full of suspense and action that makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end. He is without any doubt a fantastic writer.

As for the characters, Grubbs definitely grabs your attention from the get go. He's what makes the book in my opinion since his personality is so unique. Grubbs' uncle Dervish is also great. From the start he had a 'no nonsense' feel about him and I loved it. He does open up more towards the end of the book in extreme circumstances. Bill-E who is introduced after Dervish is also a great character who plays such a great and seriously unexpected part that you can't help but love him.

Of course, I have to mention the demons. In Lord Loss, three demons are introduced who have a special relationship with the Grady family. Lord Loss, Vein and Artery. They are described with such detail that you can't help but picture them in your mind. I can't really do them any justice with mere words!

For the start of the series this is a brilliant read that nobody should read before going to sleep!

Title: Demon Thief
My rating: 10/10

Summary:

A huge, jagged patch of light forms at the foot of my bed. Then a shape passes through. I'm too horrified to scream. It's a monster from my very worst nightmare. Pale red skin. Dark red eyes. No nose. Sharp, grey teeth. As it leans further forward I see a hole in the left side of it's chest, and inside - dozens of tiny, hissing snakes. The monster frowns and stretches a hand towards me...

When Kernel Fleck's brother is stolen by demons, he must enter their universe in search of him. It is a place of magic, chaos and incredible danger. Kernel has three aims:

• learn to use magic,
• find his brother,
• stay alive.

But a heartless demon awaits him, and death has been foretold...

My thoughts:

This is another 10/10 purely because it's like another Lord Loss without all of the same characters. It has the same effect because it's another introduction to another set of characters. This series is incredibly character based and every one of them is brilliant.

Demon Thief introduces Kernel Kleck, a mysterious boy who has a unique gift that makes him valuable in the wold of the Demonata.

One of the great things about this book is that it finally takes the reader into the hellish world of the Demonata. It allows for some of the most horrible and yet, for a reader, wonderful demons imaginable. It turns out to be a place of great magic and a place where death is a common occurrence.

Quite a few more characters are introduced in Demon Thief, all of them play a great part and all are equally brilliant in personality. A little bit of the plot of the series as a whole is revealed which is always a plus and the plot of the individual book is a masterpiece. Really, really unexpected things happen in this book that would take anybody by surprise. It gives the book this huge edge that makes it a fantastic read instead of just 'another book in the series'.

This is another read I definitely recommend to anybody who is a fan of a good scare or two!