"Aubrey Law has an amazing, imaginative, and comprehensive grasp of the otherworldly." - Amazon reviewer
"Loaded with amazing creatures" - Amazon reviewer
Betrayed by her only friend and gravely wounded, Annis continues her quest for revenge on her demon enemies and their dangerous allies. Can she survive the deadly streets of Los Angeles alone?
An unexpected ally will arrive to help Annis. But are his intentions pure, or something sinister? Annis will also encounter exotic swamp creatures, an angel of Heaven, and a mysterious female shapeshifter named Skye.
Aubrey Law is a #1 best-selling Dark and Urban Fantasy author from Los Angeles, California who shares a house with two adopted dogs: a Siberian Husky named Maximus and a German Shepherd named Logan. Aubrey's writing is inspired by books/movies/games such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Jane Yellowrock, Underworld, Blade, and Everquest 2.
Future releases by Aubrey Law: Revenge of the Witch 8: Dark Goddess Revenge of the Witch 9: Demon Assassin Revenge of the Witch 10: Demon Conqueror
BLACK ANNIS: DEMON SLAYER opens with our heroine robbing a goblin store owner of everything he has because it's more conveinant than paying, then putting him inside a wall safe with no possible way of him getting out. It's a delightful establishing character moment and let's us know that our heroine is a truly antihero-esque one and the biggest advantage she has over her enemies is she's not QUITE as bad. Annis reminds me a bit of video game heroine Bayonetta in that she's sexy, hilarious, brutal, and ruthless all in one. I very much enjoyed the book and think readers of urban fantasy will as well. There's demons, witches, religious fanatics, and every other kind of monster under the sun in this book. I think a lot of urban fantasy lacks edge and this is very very good.
This is the second installment in the Revenge of the Witch series, and I jumped right in to this after finishing up #1, not even moving from my spot on the couch between books. This is novella length so I tore through it in less than an hour.
This book is just as exciting as #1, even more so as Aubrey Law adds yet more fantastical creatures to the story (who would’ve thought frogs could be so deceitful?). Annis is somewhat in hiding due to the events that unfolded a the close of the first book and she finds herself in constant danger from one magical being or another. As I said in my review of book one, it’s so much fun being on this adventure with Annis. Her dark powers range from being able to explode hearts with the snap of a finger to imploding a body or causing all the blood in someone’s veins to drain from their orifices. She is an extremely powerful ancient Black Witch, but how long can her power and kill spells save her from the demons, Arch Demons, necromancers and vampires that are after her?
Short review here but this was a very short book, and ends on another giant cliffhanger. I’m dying to find out what happens and continue with the series, the but I don’t think #3, Demon Destroyer, available yet although #4 already has a title (Demon Punisher). THIS IS VITAL INFORMATION so if anyone knows more about the release date of #3 PLEASE LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY. =) In the meantime I will check out Aubrey Law’s other series as I have become an instant fan!
Wow just wow, I followed this straight from the first book because it was really good, and I must say the second did not disappoint, it was fast pace and a complete page turner, but I do have to say this though, sometimes it read like a LitRPG it made me started wondering when were the levels and achievements were going to pop out.
"This is your lucky day. I've decided I'm not going to kill you."
Los Angeles author Aubrey Law is best known for her collection of stories – The Pumpkintown Perils –for the adult reader despite the witch’s stories and fol de rol that have a hefty dose of fantasy, imagination, some clever mystery solving, and a bit of naughty. Now she steps away from the pure entertainment aspect to continue her initial ‘serious sci-fi dark fantasy novel. It is a pleasure to report that she succeeds as handsomely in this new series as she captured imagination and hearts with her humorous Pumpkintown ladies.
Aubrey knows how to mix historic fiction/fantasy with contemporary consequences – and that is a trick that usually takes practice in time travel and mythology writing. She set the new series with a Prologue that bears repeating as a gate for Book 2 - ‘There was a time when Black Witches ruled the night and their eternal Vampire enemies kept themselves hidden or suffered certain death. The Werewolves also feared the wrath of a Witch's Black Magic and not even the fullest moon would bring the monsters out of hiding. In those ancient and terrible days the immortal Witch Queen Amelia was the most dreaded woman alive. She married herself to a foreign prince to acquire a glorious castle and together they had a single child. Annis was her given name and she was not born immortal like Amelia. The Witch Queen's only daughter inherited her mother's dark soul but she remained a mortal human like her father. Annis was a shameful disappointment to Amelia and the lone daughter was harshly disowned by her heartless mother. The Witch Queen desired an immortal child but she was never able to become pregnant again. In her rage Amelia eventually killed her husband and she disappeared into the shadows. Annis was consumed with hatred for her mother and gave herself completely over to the powerful darkness of Black Magic. She will never be a true immortal but Black Annis can still walk the world forever by using her rare gift of Possession to snatch a new body away from anyone she desires.’ So we know the powers of our main character Annis.
Once again Aubrey captures our attention with her opening chapter: ‘The eating and drinking of blood disgusted me. The way the vampires proudly fed on the life-giving fluid of humans was one of the reasons why I despised the fanged fuckers so much. Zombies and Blood-eaters were essentially the same type of creature and all of them were considered members of the Undead family. But I didn't feel a searing hatred toward their species. At least not in the same way I was sickened by the sight and smell of vampires. Each and every kind of the 'blood-feeders' always reminded me of those fat insects stuck on the backs of dogs. Like the bloated apple-sized ticks that commonly drank from the poisonous flesh of Hellhounds and were impossible to remove until they finished gorging. I realized in a way I was a parasite myself since I'd taken another human's body without her permission. The real difference being that it wasn't messy. Not a single drop of blood was spilled when my Black Witch spirit gracefully entered into the beautiful skin I'd stolen from Ashley. My power of Possession was a rare and wonderful gift and the only good thing ever given to me from my immortal mother Amelia.’
Off and running in this rather short novel, well distilled in the outline – ‘Betrayed by her only friend and badly wounded, Annis continues her quest for revenge on her demon enemies and their dangerous allies. Can she survive the deadly streets of Los Angeles alone? For a split second I'd seen through her true eyes. Not the seductive brown eyes I'd taken from her but the spiritual eyes of her soul. Ashley saw Sonja, and the world, through the beautiful window of love. She didn't see the dark side of everyone and everything as I did. With Ashley's ghost I'd witnessed the bright colors of compassion and felt the soothing warmth of emotion. For a moment I'd wanted to freeze time and live inside her world forever. A world without bitter hatred for my countless enemies and eternal scorn for my own wretched mother. I imagined a life of love and it didn't repulse me. Then I remembered how Amelia, Regina, and now Sonja had all inserted their sharp knives into my back and twisted the blade. The warm light within my heart died and the cold bottomless darkness returned. No more dreams of a life that could never be. I was Black Annis and nothing could change my fate.’
Aubrey Law steps solidly into the court of dark fantasy with the usual humor we all have grown to love. This is a strong, if short, novel and a fine continuation of a fascinating series.
Poor Black Annis ! Does anyone ever give this poor witch a break ?
The novel is definitely entertaining with plenty of non-stop action and I do mean non-stop. It's almost like "The Peril's of Pauline " only with a black witch constantly going from one catastrophe to the next until the end of the book where she receives a break long enough for the author to continue to plot another series of misadventures for the continuation of the story. It's a little difficult to come to terms with Annis being a 400yr old witch inhabiting the body of a young, physically attractive female. I would imagine most male readers would have a little trouble fantasizing about her real appearance at being her true age. Annis has definitely had her share of numerous adversaries to date ranging from both sides of of the same coin be it good or evil she manages to create enemies of them all. I like all the characters that were incorporated this far in telling this tale, and the wonderful assortment of weapon's ,artificats, and talisman's she has come across at times to assist in her escape from imminent death ,or peril. I was pleased with her newfound companion Skye - "The werebear " having recognized this character from a sort of spin off series of her own available in the Amazon Bookstore. I am wondering if Annis will put in an appearance in this series of books as there is only three books in her series. Like I mentioned at the beginning this novel is well worth reading. I have enjoyed all elements of the story from witches, archdemons, corrupt angels, goblins. You name it and the author has managed to incorporate it into the storyline somehow! Definitely everything I like !
This book continues the journey of the newly ‘reawakened’ Black Annis (I’m not sure if this is the correct word since she was always ‘awake’ but simply stole the body of an innocent woman, Ashley, in her opportunistic escape from the Lake of Fire). Aubrey Law has created a fantasy world that’s ‘peopled’ (again the word seems inappropriate) by every manner of unworldly creature or mix thereof (a dhampir, e.g., is born of a vampire and a human). Annis encounters enemies at every turn and through ingenuity, magic, street smarts, and luck, she stays alive. The book reminds me of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, intentionally written horror stories to drive home a moral message. In this case, Annis – like so many humans – was born into and bred in a life that expected no mercy nor gave any. She’s fine with that except for Ashley’s ghostly voice that prods her to feelings of empathy and regret – very much against her will. Between her inner battles and outer ones, Annis is not quite enjoying freedom as much as she’d like. The book, which targets New Adult/Adult readers, is complete in itself. It should, however, be interesting to see the Annis at the end, versus the beginning.
I highly recommend this book as a continuation from the first. It definitely didn't let me down. There are so many twists and turns hidden within this one. I definitely didn't want to put it down, to the point that I stayed up some nights fighting the sleep just so that I could find out what was going to happen within their adventure and within the book.
I bought the first book through Apple Books which isn’t connected to Good Reads so I wasn’t able to review. However, after reading the first book, I immediately needed to buy the rest. The story is interesting, historical and entertaining. My ONlY complaint is that the books are way too short. I could go on reading this series, and will read it over and over again.
Aubrey Law makes you fall in love with a character such as Sonja and then purely hate it. The writing technique he uses is very clear and really puts you in the set where the action takes place. Definitely worth reading if you're into witches and monsters.
Black Annis Demon Slayer continues from where book 1 left us yet again Aubrey Laws brings us a solid story and brings us a main character that we atcually care about. This book is fantasticly writen and i look forward to the rest of the series
The first book in this series was fantastic. I’d call this one pretty good. This one had a few very dark humor moments that weren’t in the first book. Can’t wait for the third book!
If Annie didn't have bad luck you would think she has no luck at all... Her story is a constant jump out of the fire and in to the frying pan ....all until she meets Skye
Still not completely sold on the series, but this book does do a bit better on a plot. Annis is alone and trying to seek retribution from her enemies. She is also in need of a hiding place, money, and a plan. With Ashley's voice still living in her head, she also has a conscience. Whether this leads to anything good is the main question. Once again we find Annis making unbelievable escapes with too much serendipity for my tastes. It can be a fun read if you don't need anything but non-stop run and gun, but I wish I was less ambivalent about Annis. She is a Black Witch who wants us to believe she only kills monsters and yet she kills almost everyone in her way. Is she really black hearted or is this to be a redemption story? Let's suffice it to say this book, or chapter, in the story of Black Annis finds herself trying to decide whether to save Sonja while being chased by the Vampire family survivors. We once again visit the Market and see how entwined angels, demons and the church are in this world. We meet the leader of the church, Cain, get some new spells and magic trinkets, and run like crazy. Once again the ending leaves Annis in a place where you feel the urge to read more, I'm just not sure my time is worth it.
Wow. This was much better than I thought it would be. Annis is becoming deadlier, although a bit clumsy for a witch with her reputation, Skye is a great character as well with a promising development, and the writing style has improved a lot compared with the first book. Filled with action and lots of magic, this novel definitely won me as a fan of the series!
Guau. Esto fue mucho mejor de lo que pensé que sería. Annis se está volviendo más mortífera, aunque un poco torpe para ser una bruja con su reputación, Skye es un gran personaje también con un desarrollo espectacular, y el estilo de escritura ha mejorado mucho en comparación con el primer libro. Llena de acción y mucha magia, ¡esta novela definitivamente me ganó como un fan de la serie!
I'm going to be honest. Annis reminds me of Bruce Willis in the Die Hard movies. Like, this girl just gets beat......a lot. And then she gets up and proceeds to just annihilate the hell out of everything. Not gon lie. That whole heart exploding thingy...OP. It's like being OPM, but you can do it to anyone you can see. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what's gonna happen in book 3. If you liked book 1, you'll like this book too. If you didn't like book one, you might wanna invest in something else.
I found this particular book in the series to be quite captivating, and was very hard to put down. I got a copy in exchange for an honest review. Edit (09/05/18): I enjoyed reading about the new character of Skye, who is a werebear - for some reason she comes across as a mostly good character, that might at times have some grey areas to her. I was also sad that Annis had to go and make a hard choice in the end - I would have really liked to have gotten to know the character she ended up having to destroy more.
For a split second, I'd seen through her true eyes. Not the seductive brown eyes I'd taken from her but the spiritual eyes of her soul. Ashley saw Sonja, and the world, through the beautiful window of love. She didn't see the dark side of everyone and everything as I did. With Ashley's ghost, I'd witnessed the bright colors of compassion and felt the soothing warmth of emotion. For a moment I'd wanted to freeze time and live inside her world forever. A world without bitter hatred for my countless enemies and eternal scorn for my own wretched mother. I imagined a life of love and it didn't repulse me. Then I remembered how Amelia, Regina, and now Sonja had all inserted their sharp knives into my back and twisted the blade. The warm light within my heart died and the cold bottomless darkness returned. No more dreams of a life that could never be. I was Black Annis and nothing could change my fate. The second in this series was better than the first,with the addition of characters, the loss of another though anyone close to Annis seems to last very shortly. Will see what the 3rd brings.
I came across this through one of the E-recommendation lists that I’m on. So didnt have a lot of info or or the author. The short caption was enough to prompt to pick it up and glad I did.
I have to say I enjoying it so far I ended up readjng the first 3! One after other. it’s a fresh take on a character that isn’t perfect, who Is both powerful yet week, coming into her own with previous misconceptions of the world yet now seeing it through a lens that’s both forgiving and changed. I love the fact that the characters are introduced and then transition in a way that catches you by surprise (trying not to give any thing away) t’s a nice great read over chilly weekend, rainy day or at the beach. Well suited for those of us that like a little bit of “spice” in characters. Glad its bucking the trend in some recent on science fiction and fantasy reads That try to tie everything all nice and neat, and leave their main characters without flaws and faults but full of angst and drama. I have enough of that in my day life already.
The second book of this series is absolutely amazing in terms of writing and plot.
I was not expecting it to go this way for the last book, but I'm really glad it did. Black Annis and Sonja didn't have the future I'd expect, but I think deep down I knew it would never happen, after all its Black Annis we are talking about, her life is all about the unexpected and revenge of course.
Black Annis went through a lot in this book and the author was able to capture our attention from adventure to adventure, never tiring us.
Werebear Sky was a character I really enjoyed and want to see how it is going to fit into Annis' life.
Thank you Aubrey Law for writing this book, and I'm excited for the rest of the series!
I have so far read all of the Revenge of the Witch books. I am eagerly waiting for the next installment.
Black Annis is one of my favorite main characters of all the books I have read, She is feisty, self confident, and well put together for a witch that spent a lot of time in a fiery place.
I would definitely recommend these books to anyone looking to read a story with a very strong and likable main character.
Demon Slayer is Book #2 in the Black Annis: Revenge of the Witch series. More Dark Fantasy than actual horror, I keep the horror label because horror elements prevail with an abundance of blood and gore, and although there are many fantasy monsters included, they ARE monsters and demons involved.
Our protagonist, Black Annis, is really meant to be a chaotic neutral character, but she really skirts that label to its outer perimeter. She goes to a market kiosk to sell items (we are all familiar with that part of the quest) and when she is treated warily, she does exactly what is expected of her. Then, just as she is about to put the vender in a precarious situation, she attempts to ameliorate her own bad acts with good ones that protect the dude she just stole from. (This all happens in the beginning of Book 2.)
The first book ends on a cliff hanger, but clearly Annis escapes the situation and attempts to find confederates. She finds a shape changer that she finds attractive. There's an angel that eventually becomes involved, and that can't be good because Black Annis is a witch. Still, Black Annis is seeking her mother to revenge herself for the death of her father.
I'm enjoying the series, albeit that I was expecting more of a horror theme and less of a fantasy theme. I'm still interested as to where this thing goes. I do have one complaint. I can't stand the idea of a s/hero who can't control herself, when she believes that she MUST behave in a self-destructive manner simply because. As if the character has no real agency. All adults recognize that this idea is untrue. We are all responsible for the things that happen to us.