The Lurking Demon

by Sophie Haeder

Twenty years after The Falling, Dohva teeters on the edge of ruin.As the land begins to tilt, Sineth and Kima journey into the haunted depths of the Dark Kingdom, while Avala infiltrates the shadowy cult of The Eternal Prince. There, she discovers a terrifying the cult is controlled by the demon prince Agthod, and they seek to find Magnus—a mythical mage lost to history.

Dragged into the Abyss, Avala must face not only Agthod’s darkness but the storm within herself. Meanwhile, in the distant city of Undarath, the revered Golden Council of ancient dragons may hold the key to saving Dohva. As time runs out, Sineth and Kima race to uncover the truth of Magnus and the power he may still hold to save their world… and Avala.

The Lurking Demon is the second book in an epic high fantasy trilogy set in the Triarcane Isles universe. An epic return to a land where legends rise, darkness stirs, and the line between fate and choice begins to blur.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2026

About the author

Born in 1992, Sophie Haeder lives in the picturesque countryside of Bavaria, Germany, where she embraces her nerdy nature alongside her roles as a wife and a mother of a little girl.

With a lifelong passion for fantasy, encompassing everything from fairies to witches to trolls, she has found solace in imaginative play since childhood. Playing Dungeons & Dragons with her favourite group of nerds brings her immense joy.

This love of storytelling eventually led her to writing, a natural progression from her professional career as a marketing manager.

She loves fantasy and art, and her writing combines all of her interests into one. That’s why she did all the artwork for her books herself, including the cover, the map, and every other illustration.

Reviews

[Nicole Pichler · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10 ⭐

The author kindly provided me with ARC copy of this book for my honest review.

🗣️ 3rd person, multi POV
🏰 High stakes
🗝️ Ancient powers
🌀 Reincarnation/Rebirth
🔒 Secrets and mysteries
👩🏻‍🤝‍👩🏾 Sapphic romance sub-plot
🌶️ A bit of spice (1/5)


What it’s about:
20 years after the events of book one, the land is tilting. Dohva is in danger of falling into the dark abyss. There are rumors of the Eternal Prince gathering his forces in the Dark Kingdom. Avala sets out to infiltrate the Dark Kingdom, while Sineth and Kima travel to Undarath to seek the help of the Golden Council of ancient dragons.


What stood out to me most was how much the relationships and characters had changed over the course of those 20 years. Avala, once strong and confident, now appears fragile and full of self-doubt. Sineth repeatedly leaves her for weeks at a time in his search for himself, while Kima has grown noticeably stronger and more assertive, no longer afraid to voice what she wants. This shift in dynamics made me root for Kima more than ever in this installment.

I also enjoyed the writing more than in book one. The author trusts the reader and allows you to piece things together on your own, which made the story more engaging for me.

That said, I struggled with the pacing in the second half of the book. The storyline surrounding Avala, Agthod, and Izzmir resonated with me far more than the chapters focused on Kima, Sineth, and the Golden Council. Just when I was most invested in Avala’s arc, the narrative slowed down and shifted toward research and political discussions, which disrupted the momentum and dulled the tension.

Overall, The Lurking Demon delivers compelling character growth and stronger writing than book one, even if the pacing in the second half didn’t fully work for me.

[Laura The Busy Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set some time later after book one and so many things have changed including the characters. For me, book one was a blend of final fantasy with LOTR mixed in. This book is more psychological and character driven. The book explores the relationship between the three main characters and their traumas. 

The actions of all characters surprised me and I did find it hard to root for any of them, but I liked that they weren't perfect like other fantasy books. They had trauma and made bad decisions. 

I did prefer book one because I loved the plot and world building. This book was interesting because I could not have predicted each character's action and it went deeper into their feelings and past trauma. I liked both books for different reasons.

I can't wait to see where the plot leads. 

[Claressa Hallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lurking Demon | Sophie Haeder

The second in the Triarcane-Isles series picks up 20 years after The Falling. Sineth, Avala, and Kima have served Dovha as magisters - holding the world together after The Falling. However, a following of The Eternal Prince begins to take shape and political upheaval is on the horizon. Will the trio be able to quell the storm before chaos breaks loose, or will they fall to the Dark Kingdom?

I received this ARC as part of a PR package from Sophie Haeder. I did not read the first in the series, but Sophie does a great job summarizing the events all while progressing the story.

I enjoyed the trio of main characters. Avala was the most relatable and most developed in this installment of the series. Her struggle with accepting the actions of her past and finding herself again was well written. Torn between what she knows and what she desires - she must choose who she aligns with.

The status of each character ended in cliff hangers so I am anxiously awaiting the next book!

Read the series if you like...
🖤 Dragons
🖤 Political Intrigue
🖤 Fantastical Worlds
🖤 Love Triangles
🖤 Quests
🖤 Immersive World Building
🖤 Demons

[EdgesandEndpapers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of the ARC of this book in a PR Package directly from Sophie Haeder. At the time I had not read the first in the series, so I sought it out in order to do so. After having now read TLD I have realised that I didn’t fully need to as the events were retold and summarised within the second book, but I’m still very glad I did pick it up separately as I honestly felt the tone and writing between both books were very different and I thoroughly enjoyed them both for different reasons.

BIG ole’ D&D Vibes!!!

There is a large time gap between both of the books and you’re seeing how Dohva is on the verge of destruction - I enjoyed seeing how each of the three main characters were dealing with their situations and their internal struggles. Some characters were more likeable(?) for me than others, but I think that is perfect tbh as Sophie doesnt try to portray perfect people with perfect moral compasses that you may find in other fantasy books, which makes them more relatable when reading.

Absolutely read this book if you enjoy -
🔥Female Empowerment
🔥Political Intrigue
🔥Demons & Dragons
🔥Slow Burns
🔥Quests and Journeys

Thankyou Sophie for the opportunity to read and review this book, and I cannot WAIT to read the next one and see how the characters cliff hangers end!!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lurking Demon is a dark, atmospheric return to Dohva, and it absolutely delivers on tension. Twenty years after The Falling, the world is literally tilting toward ruin, and the story follows three characters trying to hold everything together in their own ways. Sineth and Kima’s journey into the haunted Dark Kingdom is full of eerie, creeping dread, while Avala’s infiltration of the Eternal Prince’s cult brings a sharp, claustrophobic kind of danger.

The reveal that the cult is controlled by the demon prince Agthod — and that they’re hunting the long‑lost mage Magnus — gives the whole book this rising sense of ancient magic waking up, and it works beautifully.

The pacing is strong, the world feels bigger and more fragile than ever, and the characters carry the emotional weight of it all. It’s gripping, shadowy, and full of that “the ground is shifting under your feet” energy.

A tense, immersive instalment with great character moments and a world on the edge.

Thanks very much to the author for a gifted copy of her book.

[acourtoftbrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to stop reading books with killer cliffhangers!! Fantastic epic fantasy with a really unique world. While set 20 years after The Land Within, you dived straight into a fast moving plot with great political intrigue.

You know me, I’m such a sucker for elemental magic, dragons and a slow burn and I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of it but what stood out for me was these characters were so chaotic and morally skewed it made it unpredictable which I loved. While they had developing plots, it left you not knowing which direction it would go in which left me wanting to not put this book down.

Thank you so much @sophiehaeder for sending me a copy with extra goodies and a very handy map! I’m looking forward to the final instalment!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lurking Demon by @sophiehaeder is a sweeping fantasy that had me obsessed!! This is the sequel to The Land Within but can definitely be read as a standalone (though, I read The Land Within first and devoured it!). This picks up 20 years after book one, and Sophie does an amazing job of summarising the events of The Land Within. The characters are not perfect by any means, and I love that about them - it makes them more relatable and feel more real. This was an easy 5 star read, and I look forward to reading more from Sophie in the future.

[PrettyBookish13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was quite a ride! I enjoyed seeing all the different perspectives and the reveals were interesting, I do feel like there was possibly too much going on for such a short book and it could benefit from being a bit longer so the ideas can be elaborated on somewhat and therefore feel less rushed and packed in. Overall I enjoyed the book, read it in a single day!