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Demonslayer: Book One
There was nothing Spirit Clayborn wouldn't do for the sister who raised him. But after she is diagnosed with a fatal disease, even brawling with cannibals in underground fight clubs within an impoverished sector of his home city isn't enough to pay for her expensive treatment. After discovering his newfound ability to harness a rare and powerful magic, Spirit must earn membership into an elite military group that may pay him enough to save his sister Emily. And if he does survive the deadly trials of initiation, he will not only face the truth of who he is but also the monstrosities that rest just outside the city walls.
- GenresFantasy
629 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2019
30 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 22, 2023
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reading DEMONSLAYER felt like entering a Marvel world, except these superheroes had magic, the enemies were demons and the lines between good and evil weren’t as defined as one would expect. If you like your fantasy with multiple PoVs, no romance, lots of action, awesome magic and a great found family element, this is definitely one to read!
I was very impressed with the world building. It’s massive, with complex history between humans and demons, mythology, nuanced elemental magic and a mystery that weaves with the protagonist’s family history. Despite the amount of lore, the information was spread out naturally without info dumps, and that made the learning experience very seamless. Another element I enjoyed was that we didn’t just get the perspective of the heroes, but also a glimpse into a couple of demons. I particularly enjoyed the Astaroth chapters, which added so much “humanity” to the demons and layers to the characterization overall.
Following the heroes, however, was the highlight of the book. Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and it’s done so well in this book! Spirit was a fantastic protagonist, and I loved that he wasn’t the textbook hero. He was very “selfish” in his prioritizing his sister, Emily, over everyone else, and that actually made me love and respect him so much more.
My only issue was the amount of POVs. While I do love following multiple characters, I feel like there were too many, which caused some POV slips, and a difficulty to keep everyone in order overall. I think the flow would have benefitted from following only a handful of characters—perhaps just Spirit and a few of his friends and Astaroth for the demon faction—but this is a very personal opinion.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
Reading DEMONSLAYER felt like entering a Marvel world, except these superheroes had magic, the enemies were demons and the lines between good and evil weren’t as defined as one would expect. If you like your fantasy with multiple PoVs, no romance, lots of action, awesome magic and a great found family element, this is definitely one to read!
I was very impressed with the world building. It’s massive, with complex history between humans and demons, mythology, nuanced elemental magic and a mystery that weaves with the protagonist’s family history. Despite the amount of lore, the information was spread out naturally without info dumps, and that made the learning experience very seamless. Another element I enjoyed was that we didn’t just get the perspective of the heroes, but also a glimpse into a couple of demons. I particularly enjoyed the Astaroth chapters, which added so much “humanity” to the demons and layers to the characterization overall.
Following the heroes, however, was the highlight of the book. Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and it’s done so well in this book! Spirit was a fantastic protagonist, and I loved that he wasn’t the textbook hero. He was very “selfish” in his prioritizing his sister, Emily, over everyone else, and that actually made me love and respect him so much more.
My only issue was the amount of POVs. While I do love following multiple characters, I feel like there were too many, which caused some POV slips, and a difficulty to keep everyone in order overall. I think the flow would have benefitted from following only a handful of characters—perhaps just Spirit and a few of his friends and Astaroth for the demon faction—but this is a very personal opinion.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
April 23, 2023
I enjoyed this one! It is a multi-POV fantasy filled with action, a great magic system, interesting world building, and a fantastic found family. If that sounds like your cup of tea, I def recommend giving this book a try!
I do think limiting the POVs would’ve been beneficial as I did find myself confused at times and there were some POV slips, but otherwise this book was really enjoyable.
Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts are my own.
I do think limiting the POVs would’ve been beneficial as I did find myself confused at times and there were some POV slips, but otherwise this book was really enjoyable.
Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts are my own.
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June 8, 2024
This will clearly be an Epic Series
This book starts quite gritty with our characters struggling and fighting to survive.
The universe is quite different from a standard paranormal book. Here all " magic" is controlled and parceled out at birth.
We are introduced to many characters all with different dimensions of magic.
It's a tale, at its heart, of a boy devoted to his sister. Going above and beyond everything to keep her alive.
He has companions on his quest who become mostly , friends.
His direction and commitment changes as he matures and fights Evil - actual Demons.
The book ended with me needing more! I was ready to settle down with the next book in the series.
Fans of Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin will be happily pleased with this entry and look forward to more as I do.
This book starts quite gritty with our characters struggling and fighting to survive.
The universe is quite different from a standard paranormal book. Here all " magic" is controlled and parceled out at birth.
We are introduced to many characters all with different dimensions of magic.
It's a tale, at its heart, of a boy devoted to his sister. Going above and beyond everything to keep her alive.
He has companions on his quest who become mostly , friends.
His direction and commitment changes as he matures and fights Evil - actual Demons.
The book ended with me needing more! I was ready to settle down with the next book in the series.
Fans of Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin will be happily pleased with this entry and look forward to more as I do.
June 16, 2023
My immediate reaction to the book was how much I loved Emily— in awe of her strength despite all odds and her heart for her younger brother Spirit was so special to read about. Spirit is an extremely relatable protagonist as well and I am so interested to see what’s in store in the next installment. This book is absolutely perfect for fans of fantasy with a high stakes plotline, unique premise, and plenty of action and adventure!!
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed above are entirely my own.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed above are entirely my own.
March 19, 2024
Book 1 of the Vanguard Chronicles is full of edge of your seat moments. With the start of a formidably fun group of hero hopefuls and morally conflicted "bad guys", Demonslayer: Book One made me feel a sense of earnest support for Spirit and his new friends, what/who they believe they are fighting for, while building anxiety for everyone involved over the deceptions that will change the trajectory of their world. I also gasped aloud during *that* moment when all h*ll breaks loose for the other side. This was a very exciting read. Getting started on Book 2 now.
January 29, 2024
Part one of the 'must read' series.
A wonderful tale of good against evil, it is beautifully written. "Just another chapter" turned into a three o'clock session with snacks to help the tiredness.
I would recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy stories, unfortunately 18+, for some of the inappropriate language.
A wonderful tale of good against evil, it is beautifully written. "Just another chapter" turned into a three o'clock session with snacks to help the tiredness.
I would recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy stories, unfortunately 18+, for some of the inappropriate language.
November 9, 2023
Very great at world building and has depth to both individual characters and relationships between them. Interesting and descriptive yet easy to ready. Wanted to try out a new fantasty novel and now i’m happy i found this trilogy.
September 27, 2024
Damn good read!
I love the mix of sci-fi and familiar items. Magic that makes even the mundane seem fantastic. You'll feel fear and victory with the main characters. It is an epic read and I can't wait for the next book.
I love the mix of sci-fi and familiar items. Magic that makes even the mundane seem fantastic. You'll feel fear and victory with the main characters. It is an epic read and I can't wait for the next book.
June 13, 2023
You guys know I love demons. And this fantasy is a thick one.
But so good. I def recommend. Found family. Dual pov. Little to no romance. Tons of action. And magic. I loved the diff magic abilities.
But so good. I def recommend. Found family. Dual pov. Little to no romance. Tons of action. And magic. I loved the diff magic abilities.
June 7, 2024
See my official review at onelinebookclub.org/reviews/by-Stepha...
February 20, 2023
I loved reading Demonslayer. It was a fun read with a lot of action and adventure. The author does a beautiful job of world building and describing their magical abilities. He does a wonderful job incorporating the lore into the MC’s everyday life. With a unique cast of characters, fight scenes exploring their spectrum of abilities, and the journey, this is exactly the type of fantasy book I’d fall in love with.
Though in the end, my favorite part was how the author “humanized” the demons and provided their point of view throughout the story.
Though in the end, my favorite part was how the author “humanized” the demons and provided their point of view throughout the story.
January 24, 2023
There was nothing Spirit Clayborn wouldn't do for the
sister who raised him.
But after she is diagnosed with a fatal disease, even
brawling with cannibals in underground fight clubs isn't
enough to pay for her expensive treatment.
After discovering his newfound ability to harness a rare
and powerful magic, Spirit must earn membership into
an elite military group that may pay him enough to save
his sister Emily.
I loved that this book was fast-paced and kept you on
your toes at every turn. The world-building is so
creative and descriptive, I felt like I had escaped into
this fantasy world. Even the battle scenes are so
detailed, which I personally love as I couldn't put my
finger on where we were gunna cut to next.
All the characters are so distinctive and the
development of each character is top-class. I am so
excited to start the next book to see where this journey
takes us.
If you love fantasy, action, plot twists & a book you
cannot put down this one is for you.
Sunchaser is next up for me & hopefully not too long of
a wait for the third book!
sister who raised him.
But after she is diagnosed with a fatal disease, even
brawling with cannibals in underground fight clubs isn't
enough to pay for her expensive treatment.
After discovering his newfound ability to harness a rare
and powerful magic, Spirit must earn membership into
an elite military group that may pay him enough to save
his sister Emily.
I loved that this book was fast-paced and kept you on
your toes at every turn. The world-building is so
creative and descriptive, I felt like I had escaped into
this fantasy world. Even the battle scenes are so
detailed, which I personally love as I couldn't put my
finger on where we were gunna cut to next.
All the characters are so distinctive and the
development of each character is top-class. I am so
excited to start the next book to see where this journey
takes us.
If you love fantasy, action, plot twists & a book you
cannot put down this one is for you.
Sunchaser is next up for me & hopefully not too long of
a wait for the third book!
September 7, 2023
I don't often read Fantasy, much less enjoy reading this particular genre, but I really enjoyed this.
As a debut novel in a 5-book series, it's well-written and easy to read. I was traveling all day and managed to smash it in one day from planes to airport layovers.
The world is set up nicely, with emphasis on not only the humans' territories but also the demons' territory. The best part of this is that you don't have clear-cut good vs evil; rather it goes into how both sides of the conflict brewing over the course of the book are struggling to get by.
The found family aspect is great. You get to see a lot of growth in the main characters. Personally I think these relationships grow deeper very organically.
You should definitely read it and decide for yourself. I remember feeling proud when I found and read Hunger Games in my local library before it became popular, and I get a similar feeling here - IP Eviston is one to watch for sure!
As a debut novel in a 5-book series, it's well-written and easy to read. I was traveling all day and managed to smash it in one day from planes to airport layovers.
The world is set up nicely, with emphasis on not only the humans' territories but also the demons' territory. The best part of this is that you don't have clear-cut good vs evil; rather it goes into how both sides of the conflict brewing over the course of the book are struggling to get by.
The found family aspect is great. You get to see a lot of growth in the main characters. Personally I think these relationships grow deeper very organically.
You should definitely read it and decide for yourself. I remember feeling proud when I found and read Hunger Games in my local library before it became popular, and I get a similar feeling here - IP Eviston is one to watch for sure!
December 29, 2025
What a rich world built by Eviston with Demonslayer. This alternating perspective book led me across the battle in between magical humans and demons. A dark fantasy for sure, the fights and war ran rampant throughout the book. Eviston writes action description and gory. I found these areas the strongest in the book.
The lore could have used a little more buffing at times. As much as I appreciated the demon perspectives, I almost wished we didn't have that in the first book to really solidify the "bad guys". I always appreciate pulling at the empathy chords, but for a series it would have been nice to view them as bad before giving their perspective and motives.
Overall, this was a fun book! I would recommend it to fans of dark fantasy. For others, just be away of some trigger warnings, including some mental health areas.
The lore could have used a little more buffing at times. As much as I appreciated the demon perspectives, I almost wished we didn't have that in the first book to really solidify the "bad guys". I always appreciate pulling at the empathy chords, but for a series it would have been nice to view them as bad before giving their perspective and motives.
Overall, this was a fun book! I would recommend it to fans of dark fantasy. For others, just be away of some trigger warnings, including some mental health areas.
Read
August 8, 2019Read it yourself, I don't want to spoil a thing.
As someone that loves fantasy and despises reading I can say this was an incredible stoey filled with incredible characters in an enchanting world filled with adventure. I can not wait to read the sequel when it is finished.
As someone that loves fantasy and despises reading I can say this was an incredible stoey filled with incredible characters in an enchanting world filled with adventure. I can not wait to read the sequel when it is finished.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews