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Daemons: The Riddle of the Storm, Book 1
Seeking solice in a remote mountain cabin in northern Maine, haunted by the recent loss of a comrade during an operation in Afghanistan, Special Operations Operative Hal Bennet questions his sanity when awakened in the middle of the night by what appeared to be a medieval knight.
No sooner does the man introduce himself as Henry Lackland, son of King John, then he is whisked away by a strange and terrible storm.
For a year, Hal questions his sanity after Henry's sudden and unearthly disappearance. Was it all a dream? A product of what he had been through in the last year? A result of some form of PTSD?
But Henry left proof of the encounter, his chainmail and sword.
Hal decides to return to the cabin to seek answers. He is surprised to learn that the storm that had taken Henry still raged atop the mountain.
Uncertain of what lies ahead, Bennet ventures forth into the storm and similarly vanishes.
Upon waking, Hal learns that he is on the Isle of Glenlock. One populated by civilizations from Earth's ancient history.
A world of English knights, Roman legions, Vikings, and something else. Something that threatens them all.
Strange-looking men with elongated heads, bent on destruction and abduction, roam the land.
Daemons.
Can Hal overcome his past demons to rise to the fight ahead, or is Glenlock destined to fall into darkness?
No sooner does the man introduce himself as Henry Lackland, son of King John, then he is whisked away by a strange and terrible storm.
For a year, Hal questions his sanity after Henry's sudden and unearthly disappearance. Was it all a dream? A product of what he had been through in the last year? A result of some form of PTSD?
But Henry left proof of the encounter, his chainmail and sword.
Hal decides to return to the cabin to seek answers. He is surprised to learn that the storm that had taken Henry still raged atop the mountain.
Uncertain of what lies ahead, Bennet ventures forth into the storm and similarly vanishes.
Upon waking, Hal learns that he is on the Isle of Glenlock. One populated by civilizations from Earth's ancient history.
A world of English knights, Roman legions, Vikings, and something else. Something that threatens them all.
Strange-looking men with elongated heads, bent on destruction and abduction, roam the land.
Daemons.
Can Hal overcome his past demons to rise to the fight ahead, or is Glenlock destined to fall into darkness?
Audible Audio
First published March 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 16, 2025
Great book! Now I'm waiting for the next book to see what happens next! 5 stars!
February 18, 2026
This was very enjoyable, I felt it needed a better proof but over all a really good read, good idea, interesting storyline, likeable character. I will look for more by this writer.
May 13, 2026
R.L. Snyder has done something genuinely impressive with DAEMONS: The Riddle of the Storm, he has taken one of fantasy's oldest conceits, the portal to another world, and breathed fresh, urgent life into it by grounding it in a protagonist whose wounds feel achingly real before the magic ever begins. The result is a novel that works both as a pulse-pounding adventure and as a quiet meditation on grief, guilt, and the unexpected ways healing can find us.
Hal Bennet is exactly the right man to carry this story. A Special Operations veteran retreating to a remote Maine cabin to outrun the ghost of a fallen comrade, he arrives on the page already broken in ways that matter. Snyder is smart enough not to rush past that damage or use it merely as backstory decoration. Hal's trauma is the story's emotional foundation, and everything that follows, the impossible midnight apparition of a medieval knight, the chainmail and sword left behind as impossible proof, the obsessive return a year later, flows naturally from a man whose grip on ordinary reality has already been loosened by loss. When the storm takes him, we go willingly because we understand why he stepped into it.
The world of Glenlock is where Snyder's imagination truly opens up. The concept of an isle populated by civilizations drawn from Earth's ancient history is enormously appealing and executed with real creative confidence. It feels layered and lived-in rather than hastily constructed, a world with its own politics, its own history, and its own dangers that existed long before Hal arrived and will continue long after. Crown Prince Henry Lackland is a wonderfully conceived character whose brief appearance in the opening pages casts a long shadow over the entire novel, and their eventual reunion on Glenlock delivers the payoff that shadow promises.
The daemons themselves are a worthy threat, deformed, malevolent, and genuinely unsettling in a way that many fantasy antagonists fail to achieve. Snyder resists the temptation to over-explain them early, letting their strangeness and menace build naturally as Hal comes to understand the world he has fallen into.
What elevates DAEMONS above standard portal fantasy is the thematic coherence running beneath the adventure. The novel's title works on two levels simultaneously, the external daemons threatening Glenlock and the internal demons Hal carried with him through the storm. Watching him confront both in parallel, discovering that the skills and instincts forged in Afghanistan have unexpected value in a world of swords and kingdoms, gives the story a satisfying depth that lingers after the final page.
Hal Bennet is exactly the right man to carry this story. A Special Operations veteran retreating to a remote Maine cabin to outrun the ghost of a fallen comrade, he arrives on the page already broken in ways that matter. Snyder is smart enough not to rush past that damage or use it merely as backstory decoration. Hal's trauma is the story's emotional foundation, and everything that follows, the impossible midnight apparition of a medieval knight, the chainmail and sword left behind as impossible proof, the obsessive return a year later, flows naturally from a man whose grip on ordinary reality has already been loosened by loss. When the storm takes him, we go willingly because we understand why he stepped into it.
The world of Glenlock is where Snyder's imagination truly opens up. The concept of an isle populated by civilizations drawn from Earth's ancient history is enormously appealing and executed with real creative confidence. It feels layered and lived-in rather than hastily constructed, a world with its own politics, its own history, and its own dangers that existed long before Hal arrived and will continue long after. Crown Prince Henry Lackland is a wonderfully conceived character whose brief appearance in the opening pages casts a long shadow over the entire novel, and their eventual reunion on Glenlock delivers the payoff that shadow promises.
The daemons themselves are a worthy threat, deformed, malevolent, and genuinely unsettling in a way that many fantasy antagonists fail to achieve. Snyder resists the temptation to over-explain them early, letting their strangeness and menace build naturally as Hal comes to understand the world he has fallen into.
What elevates DAEMONS above standard portal fantasy is the thematic coherence running beneath the adventure. The novel's title works on two levels simultaneously, the external daemons threatening Glenlock and the internal demons Hal carried with him through the storm. Watching him confront both in parallel, discovering that the skills and instincts forged in Afghanistan have unexpected value in a world of swords and kingdoms, gives the story a satisfying depth that lingers after the final page.
May 27, 2025
Epic fantasy
I was completely pulled into this story. The idea of a Multiverse-type setting blending many cultures and time periods was amazing. The author did a wonderful job expanding the story showcasing different groups of characters at different points in time all converging on the same plot. The characters and situations were very real and the interactions between them were very relatable, seemingly suitable for the time period. It does make me smile though has so many characters simply “accept “unexplained people and events without question. As well, I found the detailed description blending details from history completely added to the realism of the story. The idea of good versus evil and the ultimate quest for power always serves two enhance a great plot. As I am left hanging with the way the story ended, I will be watching for the next novel in the series to emerge so I can scoop it up as quick as I can. From the 1 of 1 in series listing online, I really really really hope book 2 is in the works. 🤞🏼
I was completely pulled into this story. The idea of a Multiverse-type setting blending many cultures and time periods was amazing. The author did a wonderful job expanding the story showcasing different groups of characters at different points in time all converging on the same plot. The characters and situations were very real and the interactions between them were very relatable, seemingly suitable for the time period. It does make me smile though has so many characters simply “accept “unexplained people and events without question. As well, I found the detailed description blending details from history completely added to the realism of the story. The idea of good versus evil and the ultimate quest for power always serves two enhance a great plot. As I am left hanging with the way the story ended, I will be watching for the next novel in the series to emerge so I can scoop it up as quick as I can. From the 1 of 1 in series listing online, I really really really hope book 2 is in the works. 🤞🏼
September 10, 2025
Audiobook: I enjoyed this story a lot. At first, I was a little confused as it jumped from a scene with a character from one culture to a scene with a character from a different culture, but once I realized what was going on, I was very entertained by this tale. I liked all the twists and turns. I was amazed by the creativity and worldbuilding. I was swept up by the action. I'm looking forward to the next book. I appreciated Marc Glave's narration, and his performance enhanced the story's entertainment for me. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.
September 20, 2025
An impressive worldbuilding. A story I'll reread more than once.
November 28, 2025
This rivals Jerry Pournelle's Janissaries series, differing only in that this is a portal fantasy while that is an alien abduction series. There is the same gritty battlefield action, backstabbing political intrigue and forced character development, with more apparent supernatural influence. I am going to have to keep an eye on this author. If this book feels like Pournelle's work, what will his next book be like?
I received an ARC via Story Origin and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC via Story Origin and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews