While investigating a series of occult murders across Greater London, Steen, a disillusioned demon hunter, becomes entangled in a deadly game of deceit and demonic cunning.
Together with his angel-capuchin partner, Raphael, the two race to identify the malevolent entity behind the killings, desperate to banish him back to Hell before more chaos and bloodshed ensue.
Steen’s attempts to stop the demon’s violent ‘disasterpieces’ only draw the two closer together, their connection deepening in unforeseen and obsessive ways as Steen and Raphael do all they can to stop the creature’s grand demonic plans before London falls…
Story: This a book I have found and read recently while skimming over the occult fiction genre on Amazon. It tells the story of Steen and his angel companion Raphael, and their fight with a demon king . I have to say it has been quite an enjoyable ride , the author has created an interesting world with interesting depiction of both angels and demons. I found myself quite enjoying mc explanation over the nature of both . In particular even the fact of gender , as someone who enjoys angels and demons , I have read quite a few stories myself. You'd be surprised how much times they are simply represented as dudes with wings . But that's not a mistake the author made. Raphael might sound like a man , look like one (if he wants), or even look like woman . But at the end of day "he" is neither . That's an interesting portrayal , that I believe emphasise their alieness (which I enjoy). Now as for Steen , I'm kinda of conflicted about him . He is a man down on his luck for both for his responsibility and his past. I would describe him as really "normal". Not exactly man crush material . To make a comparison it's like picking supernatural MC Jared or Jensen and substituting one of them with Kevin James. A good actor , but look and feels "soft"?? Sure as hell he doesn't seem a badass demon hunter like both Jared or Jensen. We will probably see him improve(evolve into a badass) and rebuild his life as the series go on ,through warning ahead the story is surprisingly and deliciously dark, i can't wait to see what the author as planned. Style: 3 person narrative, which I prefer to first person pov. Didn't find any error, and didn't seem in general the work of an amateur writer. Overall suggested read.
I received this as part of my Your Paper Quest book subscription, and the premise of it grabbed me straight away, giving me Constantine vibes in many ways, although far less morally grey, and for that matter charismatic.
I like the way the villain of the piece was portrayed, with the idea of what they were doing almost being akin to an art form.I really appreciated like the way this gradually built in terms of both scope and threat as more and more details were unraveled. I also appreciate the idea of despite having a literal angel on his shoulder throughout, that heaven would not step on simply because of bureaucracy. The final confrontation was well done and leaned into Steens personality well and was actually pretty smart. Raphes introduction was really well handled and actually swerved me slightly which I appreciated.
Where this fell down at times was in some of the dialogue, with it occasionally feeling off, and the relationship between Steen and Raphael did grate at times, whilst at other it really clicked well.
With all that said, I do think there's a great deal of potential for more stories involving these characters in future books, and I would be fascinated to see where they could potentially go in the future, or even a prequel showing how Steen/Raph ended up linked.
Overall, if you like demon inspired investigation/Urban fantasy, this is certainly one you should consider picking up.
A good read that I didn’t want to put down. This is a book about a demon hunter, his angel sidekick and some other supporting characters as they fight a demon who uses humans’ doubts and sadnesses to gain power. Considering some of the worst decisions we make ourselves come from these places, it made for a strong foundation for the book. The story could have been campy, but it was not. It was a combination of urban fantasy/thriller/horror and the author obviously did a lot of research which adds a level of realism to the world building.
Why four stars? I found some of the dialogue stilted and the main character occasionally got on my nerves. However, I watched an interview with the author - he acknowledged the maturity level of the MC and indicated this would be an avenue for character growth in future books. Taking this into account, I’m excited to read the next book in the series - I see so much potential and would recommend approaching this book as introduction to flawed hero and his world.
Received this book as part of my Your Paper Quest subscription - support indie authors!
This is the second book I’ve read from this author that I’ve throughly enjoyed.
It promised mystery, cunning & bloodshed and it didn’t disappoint! The demonic underworld was so well written you could tell a lot of research had been conducted which added to the story keeping you on the edge of your seat wanting more.
Twists and turns throughout. A real page turner. Highly recommend.
This was my first time reading a demon related book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I really liked the characters, Steen and his angel sidekick, Raph. There bickering was quite amusing, you might of thought they were a married couple at times. 🤣 The book was full of twists and turns which kept you guessing what was coming next. I would highly recommend this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish! The research into demonology is evident throughout and the character of Steen I found to be really relatable. Hopefully there will be more stories to come in this universe so I can get to know all the characters better!
An enjoyable read if a tad slow at the start. Once you get into it the story is very gripping and the last few chapters did mean I couldn't pit it down.