To the rest of the world, Angela Benson is dead. She died fighting a vampire infestation in New York City (or in a building collapse if you’re not in the know). But in reality, she’s joined Daxxe the gargoyle in his eternal quest to rid the Earth of vampires. She’s growing in her skills by leaps and bounds, and her grasp of magic astounds even Daxxe. But if they’re going to stop Trokar’s latest plans, they’ll need every advantage they can get, including both old and new allies. Find out what happens next in Rodney W. McWilliams’ Demons for the next phase of the Triskellion adventure.
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Rodney W. McWilliams for this review. Warning: My review of Demons contains some spoilers!]
A faked death, a gargoyle and a vampire hunt in Demons
Being dead is never easy. There’s the new routines, new places, and missing your old friends. Of course, Angela Benson isn’t really dead. She faked her death so that she could join a gargoyle on his mission to eradicate vampires from Earth. Angela thought she knew what she signed up for, but the adjustment has been harder than she thought. The fighting and magic has actually been the easy part. Both come naturally to her, and she’s advancing faster than Daxxe ever imagined she would.
But the emotional side of her “death” is proving harder to adjust to. Angela misses the people she left behind. She feels especially guilty about her partner Joe, who’s already lost so much. But Daxxe promises that Joe will be okay, so she tries to move on.
At first, Angela and Daxxe hope that Trokar, the leader of the vampires that terrorized New York City, is dead and gone (really dead and gone, not just vampire dead). But it quickly becomes clear that not only is he still alive, he has a new plan for taking over Earth. In Scourge, Trokar was looking for five magical books that would give him the power to enslave Earth. Daxxe and Angela foiled that plan, but books can be very dangerous things, and there’s another one out there that Trokar wants.
His new aim is the journal of Kalanak. Kalanak was the guardian of Talamhan and responsible for the spell that separated Talamhan and Earth. Centuries ago he imbued his journal with his magical essence, which means that anyone who finds the journal will have access to his immense power. If Trokar gets his hands on it, it’ll be game over for Earth. So now Angela and Daxxe must put all their efforts into stopping Trokar.
New and old allies on both sides prepare for a battle between good and evil
A battle this important needs reinforcements. Trokar calls on an old rival to try and keep Angela and Daxxe busy. And others are working against the pair that neither side is aware of at first. But Daxxe and Angela aren’t alone either. There are some new friends on the way to help them. And some old allies that are ready to fight for the people of Earth. There are a lot of moving parts in Demons that come together for an epic battle of good and evil that will decide the fate of Earth.
McWilliams loves characters. In his first book, Scourge, he had many characters and everyone had a backstory, even just incidental side characters. And most of the characters in Scourge were just that, unimportant side characters. Demons has just as many, but more of them play a larger role in the actual story.
The three women, Angela, Tara, and Sierra are very important and, looking ahead to the third book, are set up to be even more essential to the narrative. Father Samuels plays a far larger role than you would expect after the first book, and of course, Joe returns for Angela.
On the baddie side of things, Trokar calls on his frenemy, Rokna, to help achieve his plans. Rokna was one of Trokar’s first changelings, from human to vampire, but he was too strong and independent. Trokar wasn’t sure he’d survive a direct conflict, so he let Rokna quietly leave. The two have stayed on different continents ever since, until now.
Trokar promises Rokna Talamhan in exchange for his help. Rokna agrees, but he’s known Trokar long enough not to trust him and looks hard for a chance to double-cross him. Then there’s the mysterious wraith that’s hunting Tara and enlists a broken Viktor to do her bidding. Trokar is unaware of these two. The wraith poses a threat to our heroes, but she’s no friend of Trokar’s either. At times their goals align, but will they ultimately work together or work against each other? And will it help or hurt our heroes in the end? You’ll have to read it to find out!
Demons is a solid second installment
Demons is on the same level as Scourge. Unsurprisingly, the writing follows the same strengths and weaknesses. But I liked Demons better because the character relationships are stronger. The sisterhood that Tara, Sierra, and eventually Angela, share is strong and fun. I loved Tara’s energy. Her bubbly teenage personality helps to balance the darkness of Demons’ story.
If you enjoyed Scourge, then you will definitely enjoy Demons. And the teasing ending will keep you hooked for the Triskellion conclusion in book three.
My Rating: 7/10
Demons by Rodney W. McWilliams is available now! Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or in the Cosmic Circus Discord if you plan on checking out this book!
Book Review: Scourge by Rodney W. McWilliams
Book Review: The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
