Demon Thief by Darren Shan

Demon Thief by Darren Shan

Release Date : March 31, 2007

Publisher : Little Brown

Pages : 244

Series : Book Two in the Demonata Series

Rating : 4

"The voice says something crazy to me.  I want to argue, roar at it.  But, as scared and confused as I am, I can't disobey.  I find my legs tensing.  I know, with sick certainty, what's going to happen next.  I open my mouth to scream, but before I can, a force makes me step forward - after the monster, into the light."

First thing first, don’t read this review if you haven’t read Lord Loss by Darren Shan.  Lord Loss is a wonderful, horror filled novel and this book I’m reviewing is its sequel, so go read the first!

One thing I love about the Demonata series is how the books, at least the first two, don’t seem to be related at all!  When you start Demon Thief you have just finished Lord Loss and you’re expecting the story to continue but it doesn’t!  It takes you into a completely different story with characters you’ve never met before, although Dervish does make an appearance.

The main character of this book is Kernel Fleck.  For as long as Kernel can remember he has been surrounded by lighted shapes in the air.  They’ve never bothered him, but when he concentrates he can move them around into patterns.  One day, he discovers that if he moves the pulsating pieces together, they form a window.  Unfortunately there is a demon trying to come out of the window.  Kernel manages to push it back but feels compelled to follow it through the light.  When he wakes up, with his brother Art in his arms, several days have passed and he cannot remember what happened after he went through the window. One night his parents bundle Kernel and Art home and drive them to their new lazy town called Paskinston.  In Paskinston, no one knows that Kernel disappeared and he is able to live a normal life.  Until he must find out what happened to him and what the lights are.

The only thing that made this book not as interesting to me as the first was that I knew exactly what would happen.  I think this is because I read the book a couple years ago and was drawing off that.  I knew who the demon thief was from the very beginning.  Because of this I was hurrying to finish the book and move on.  But never the less I found it to still keep me enthralled.

Shan’s horror is still ever present in this installment of the Demonata Series.  If you have a queasy stomach or rather not read a description of a head being torn of a body, this book is not for you.  But if horror is your thing, don’t pass this book by.   Once the action starts you won’t be able to put down this book, it’s a fast entertaining read.