The Demon Trapper's Daughter (The Demon Trappers #1)

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.ca/


Riley Blackthorne is training to become a professional demon trapper, just like her father. The job can be dangerous, and it soon becomes even more dangerous when the demons start to take an interest in her over the other demon trappers. She doesn't know why, and neither does anyone else, but she knows that she has her father to count on. That is, until tragedy strikes.

Now Riley has to make ends meet her own way, taking dangerous risks, both possibly costing her her life or her heart. As discoveries come to light, she doesn't know who she can trust.

First, I have to mention that I love the demons that the author included in this world. I was expecting sexy monsters and a paranormal love triangle, but that wasn't what I got at all. Instead, I got scary demons with seriously evil plans, along with a few smaller, harmless ones. I could only imagine the fear that Riley felt living in this world, where demons could wreak havoc in libraries, malls, schools, and in addition, having to be the one to trap them.

Aside from the great take on the demonic side, the romantic aspects were also well done. There were hints of a love triangle, but nothing concrete, although I do suspect that this will change in the next book. Simon, Riley's eventual boyfriend, was extremely sweet and I could understand why she would want to be with him. Besides the romantic aspects, her relationship with her friends, Beck and Peter got complicated at times, which was also interesting. She seems to have a love-hate relationship with Beck, one moment they were arguing, the next she was thankful to have him in her life. As for Peter, he was a loyal friend who cared a lot about her, and worried about her too. I thought that they were great characters to have within the book, and although they weren't main characters in the sense that Riley was, I think they were definitely fleshed out enough to seem as real as she did.

I've read many books where those in paranormal situations are rich or at least well off. When things get tough for Riley, she has to support herself in a horrible economy and a world plagued by demons, which is completely opposite what I'm used to. I liked this because it merges real life issues, like young people dealing with stress and low income, with fictional ones, such as demon trapping. I love when books do this because it gives me more to focus on, more problems that the characters have to face, and it makes the whole situation all the more believable. Jana Oliver succeeded in this book!

My only issue with this was the explanation, or lack thereof, of the world that Riley lived in. It seems like some kind of alternative world where people are just used to having demons around....there wasn't much explanation as to how the demon issue became so bad, or even came to be in the first place. If this world had been dealing with demons forever, the author still could have added a mention of some sort to convey this to the reader, but I feel like this wasn't effectively explained and I still find myself unsure as to whether there was some kind of event concerning the demons or if it is just a natural part of this world.

Overall this was a very enjoyable novel with an interesting take on demons and great characters. While the world-building had something missing, mixing up real life problems with paranormal problems made Riley's situation seem all the more believable.

I recommend this book to YA readers interesting in books about trapping or hunting paranormal creatures. If you want a book with great writing, interesting characters, and demons, this book is for you

Riley is the daughter of a well renowned demon trapper, and the only female trapper (besides the one on some reality TV show). When her father is killed on the job, Riley must cast a protective circle around his grave and sit vigil until the next full moon or else necromancers will raise his corpse to be a servant to the wealthy. While Riley needs the money to cover the rent, utilities, food and her mother’s hospital bills, she does not want her father returned to be a slave. Talk about a unique premise! I loved the premise of The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, and it’s nothing like anything I’ve read before.

I also found the set up to be really interesting. It’s Atlanta, Georgia in the near future which has been overrun by demons and is totally bankrupt. There’s potholes everywhere with demons lurking in their depths, and school is held in run down grocery stores, old Starbucks, and daycare centers. There’s also a black market demon trade. The demon trappers are responsible for responding to demon sightings, while the church provides Holy water for fighting them and healing wounds. I just wondered how the city got to this point, and what the rest of the country is like.

Another thing that I wish was made more clear was why there are no female demon trappers. Is there a historical reason? Old fashion sexism? Or the author’s way of having her female lead do something special? I just found it a little frustrating that Riley being the only girl among the trappers is constantly brought up, but with no explanation as to the why of the situation.

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter is also a bit more mature than the normal YA, but it’s nothing over the top. There’s some strong language (a lot more than I was expecting), talk of sex, and violence. But the main character is 17, and the other character that is sometimes followed is in his 20s, so it works.

Unlike many YA paranormal novels, the romance load is very light. Sure Riley gets a boyfriend, but there’s no claims of undying love or make-out sessions. This might be because Simon is a “good Catholic boy,” but either way, the romance is kind of in the background. However, there does seem to be some hints at a love triangle. In my opinion, Simon doesn’t even measure up. He’s actually quite a boring character, but he didn’t get enough page time to develop. Beck on the other hand is the second POV so we really get to know him. He comes across as a jerk, but underneath that he’s a good guy with some emotional demons (in addition to the real demons he fights everyday).

Overall, I really enjoyed The Demon Trapper’s Daughter. If you’re looking for something a little different in the paranormal genre, where action outweighs the romance, I’d definitely recommend this one.

Riley Blackthorne is one strong lady. She can take one heck of a beating and often gives back as good as she gets. She is no delicate flower. Her life is not glamorous and not one to be envied, even if there are a whole lot of really attractive guys in her vicinity expressing interest. I also like that there is no clear winner on the guy front, which is a bit rare to see in these teen paranormal series (it's more common for the heroine to have a number of choices and to not make a decision in the adult series). Not that Riley is playing them (another yay!), but I suspect her decision for now may not be her decision forever. It's also nice that, although Riley does think about boys (who wouldn't?), they are not her primary concern.

In addition to all the action and boy drama, there is a lot of religious stuff happening here. Thankfully, it all fits into the fantasy realm in such a way as to not come off too preachy. It's also really interesting that in this post-disaster of some sort world where demons and other paranormal nasties exist, the Vatican has a team of Demon Hunters that kills Lucifer's hordes. Funny how that is both very not how a church should be, but exactly what a church would do. I definitely look forward to finding out more about the way Oliver has set up this world in the sequel.

Recommended to YA, paranormal, fantasy and dystopia fans. A quick-paced exciting read with some thought-provoking themes.

http://foreverlostinbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/demon-trappers-daughter-book-review.html

Title : The Demon Trapper's Daughter
Series : The Demon Trappers #1
Pages : 340
Author : Jana Oliver
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
Format : Paperback
Source : Library - Borrowed for Free



My Opinion: Jana Oliver has delivered a new and fantastic series, in which you will get sucked into... BOO!


The Demon Trapper's Daughter is the first in the duology (I think it's a duology...), by author Jana Oliver.


The Demon Trapper's Daughter wasn't what I expected; it was BETTER. The plot held a good premise and the author was good enough to make the book better than I thought it would be! * Please note that this book can also be known as Forsaken.


The story evolves around Riley, a demon trapper daughter (hence the title) and she is training to be one. Of course, add some crushes, self-doubting then a dead father to the mix and there you have The Demon Trapper's Daughter.


My favorite character had to be Beck! He was just so funny, but I kinda hated that Riley wasn't treating him nicely. He did his best with her, and she was just plain mean to him! Also, Simon was kind of sweet, but I have to say that I am TEAM BECK! He just looks sounds hot *giggle*!!


The writing was pretty great; that's because the voice that told it was awesome and... to me... soft...


The second book, Soul Thief, is definitively in my to-read list!


4 roses!

Reader reviewed by Lia

Riley is an apprentice demon trapper under her legendary demon-trapping father. All Riley wants is to become a full fledged demon trapper, so she can trap with her dad and finally get rid of Beck, her dad's obnoxious partner. But things go horribly wrong when her dad is killed by a demon, and now all of them seem to be after Riley.

I absolutely loved The Demon Trapper's Daughter . It was full of witty banter, quirky characters and a whole lot of demons. This book was fast-paced and full of demon-fighting action, there was never a lag in the plot. The story was told in two different narrations: Riley's and Beck's which showed both of their perspectives. I loved Riley's character, it was portrayed so realistically, especially her grief over losing her father, and only family member. Now one thing that irked me was how Beck would say "ya" instead of "you". It just stood out awkwardly in the dialogue. Other than that I loved Beck's character also because just when you think you know him, he turns around and surprises you. I seriously need the sequel, Soul Thief , like right NOW!