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The Fallen #2
Demon Tears
Bishop Robert Patrick had no sympathy at all for the gang of stupid boys who'd befriended the demon. They'd been enthralled, to be sure, but that didn't entirely excuse their complacency. It had taken him years to track down the demon, the skotos, but he'd finally cornered it in Los Angeles. The city, Robert discovered, was positively teeming with hedonists and homosexuals, tweakers and twits, deviants and demons. Despite the attractive, human form the skotos had assumed, Robert recognized it. The time to act had come. The demon would be put back where it belonged, contained among the treasures of the Church for the rest of time. True, matters were complicated by the crew of stupid, stupid boys. Maybe they were clueless, and therefore innocent, but it didn't matter. Robert had everything he needed: the ancient vessel of brass, the enthusiastic support of the Church, and through obvious signs and inspiration the unquestionable direction of the Divine. The final confrontation was inevitable, sweeping aside the sinful and the sacred alike. Unfortunate about the boys. Robert would pray for them. In this startling and deeply moving conclusion to The Fallen, Joshua Dagon takes his characters and his readers on an exhilarating ride generously filled with humor, excitement, personal exploration, and often surprising wisdom. For three months, Nick, Darren, and their friends have been living it up with the generosity of the fallen angel, Marbas. But another ancient and powerful demon has been chasing Marbas, with plans of her own... Without compromising his clear compassion for every one of his characters, Joshua Dagon takes an unflinching look at the perils of blind faith, prejudice, and arrogance. Demon Tears leaves us with the hope that even the most desperate of us can ultimately become more than what we are.
- GenresParanormalM M Romance
398 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2007
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 15, 2010
5+ Stars
In Joshua Dagon’s The Fallen, the anthropomorphic manifestation of fallen angel Marbas enters the lives of a small group of L.A. friends, revealing himself as “Scott”, the cousin of central character Nick Reynolds. Nick meets Scott in an alley one evening when Nick becomes ill, and the supernatural being saves Nick’s life. They form a bond, and Scott subsequently imparts enlightenment upon this otherwise unremarkable aspiring actor/model.
As Scott enters the lives of this social clique, he touches each of them. Nick’s boyfriend Darren Jacobsen is profoundly affected, as are the secondary characters Eddie, Theo, and Karen. At the end of The Fallen, many questions remain unanswered. What will become of this close-knit group of friends? What is the true nature of Marbas, and can he really be trusted? Is this demon capable of assisting these humans in dealing with their own personal demons? What is good, and what is evil?
Demon Tears leads the reader to the answers of all these questions and more. The sequel picks up right where book one leaves off, and a host of new characters is introduced—some are human and some supernatural. The history of Marbas is revealed, and finally the demonic form of his existence is presented. He is, of course, the black lion.
Dagon weaves together a tale which modernizes legendary and mythical demonic characters, adding his own interpretation, and he introduces some creatures of his own imagination. The child eating demon, Lamia, of Greek Mythology is Shehla the serpent-demon, in this modern tale. The incubus is revealed as Brathwidth the panther, and Lilith is the most powerful of all demons. Several subplots are introduced and all run parallel, leading up to a climactic convergence where this group of otherworldly creatures finally faces off.
Although the vivid depiction of these fantastical creatures is chilling, this—in my opinion—is not the strength of this novel. The characterization of the human characters and the connections they make with their supernatural guide Marbas are the truly remarkable elements of the story. Glimpses into each of their lives lead the reader into their hearts, and the emotional and ethical issues they each grapple with are so believable that the supernatural elements become practically inconsequential. As they identify their own self worth, each of them grow significantly, and their confidence is manifested in both natural and supernatural abilities.
Humorous bits and amusing asides pepper the story throughout, providing a tasteful and memorable seasoning which is unique and appetizing. The jargon is witty and crisp while avoiding the eye-roll-inducing cheesiness we often see in modernistic horror novels.
Not unlike book one, the sequel offers readers an edge-of-your-seat hopefulness as it becomes apparent that the anti-hero demon is sure to face ultimate destruction. Surely there must be a way to save him. This character Marbas possesses all the lovability and goodness of Aslan, the heroic Narnian character, while simultaneously representing the darkness and vulnerability of a less-than-perfect humanity.
Marbas is profoundly representative of many things, not the least of which are our own demons with which we struggle. As the character himself states, “I am but a shadow…I am yours. I live for you and will perish for you. I’ve always been yours, to allow, or to put aside.”
Joshua Dagon is a remarkable talent, and to pass on the opportunity to experience his magnificent prose would be a most unfortunate decision. Demon Tears is a beautifully written tale of triumph and hope, and it is head-and-shoulders above most other books within the genre. I highly recommend it as a must-read.
In Joshua Dagon’s The Fallen, the anthropomorphic manifestation of fallen angel Marbas enters the lives of a small group of L.A. friends, revealing himself as “Scott”, the cousin of central character Nick Reynolds. Nick meets Scott in an alley one evening when Nick becomes ill, and the supernatural being saves Nick’s life. They form a bond, and Scott subsequently imparts enlightenment upon this otherwise unremarkable aspiring actor/model.
As Scott enters the lives of this social clique, he touches each of them. Nick’s boyfriend Darren Jacobsen is profoundly affected, as are the secondary characters Eddie, Theo, and Karen. At the end of The Fallen, many questions remain unanswered. What will become of this close-knit group of friends? What is the true nature of Marbas, and can he really be trusted? Is this demon capable of assisting these humans in dealing with their own personal demons? What is good, and what is evil?
Demon Tears leads the reader to the answers of all these questions and more. The sequel picks up right where book one leaves off, and a host of new characters is introduced—some are human and some supernatural. The history of Marbas is revealed, and finally the demonic form of his existence is presented. He is, of course, the black lion.
Dagon weaves together a tale which modernizes legendary and mythical demonic characters, adding his own interpretation, and he introduces some creatures of his own imagination. The child eating demon, Lamia, of Greek Mythology is Shehla the serpent-demon, in this modern tale. The incubus is revealed as Brathwidth the panther, and Lilith is the most powerful of all demons. Several subplots are introduced and all run parallel, leading up to a climactic convergence where this group of otherworldly creatures finally faces off.
Although the vivid depiction of these fantastical creatures is chilling, this—in my opinion—is not the strength of this novel. The characterization of the human characters and the connections they make with their supernatural guide Marbas are the truly remarkable elements of the story. Glimpses into each of their lives lead the reader into their hearts, and the emotional and ethical issues they each grapple with are so believable that the supernatural elements become practically inconsequential. As they identify their own self worth, each of them grow significantly, and their confidence is manifested in both natural and supernatural abilities.
Humorous bits and amusing asides pepper the story throughout, providing a tasteful and memorable seasoning which is unique and appetizing. The jargon is witty and crisp while avoiding the eye-roll-inducing cheesiness we often see in modernistic horror novels.
Not unlike book one, the sequel offers readers an edge-of-your-seat hopefulness as it becomes apparent that the anti-hero demon is sure to face ultimate destruction. Surely there must be a way to save him. This character Marbas possesses all the lovability and goodness of Aslan, the heroic Narnian character, while simultaneously representing the darkness and vulnerability of a less-than-perfect humanity.
Marbas is profoundly representative of many things, not the least of which are our own demons with which we struggle. As the character himself states, “I am but a shadow…I am yours. I live for you and will perish for you. I’ve always been yours, to allow, or to put aside.”
Joshua Dagon is a remarkable talent, and to pass on the opportunity to experience his magnificent prose would be a most unfortunate decision. Demon Tears is a beautifully written tale of triumph and hope, and it is head-and-shoulders above most other books within the genre. I highly recommend it as a must-read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review