The first few pages of this novel are a very good taste of what you're going to get. The beginning was so abrupt that I thought for a moment that I was reading a second novel in a cycle. I loved it.
There are no goodies in this book, just characters who are grey to varying degrees. And a Demon who has managed to escape from the influence of his summoner who is the darkest pitch of black. Readers should also be warned that it is incredibly violent.
The basic plot is a simple one, a daemon has been summoned, manages to escape, and we follow a group of shady characters, who, for various reasons, have been coerced by an organised crime boss into the attempt to eliminate him. This is no small task given his extreme powers and his ability to possess human minds and thus wreck havoc.
The characters are hit and miss, our protagonist has her memorable moments, curiously it is the second time in a few months that in a modern fantasy book I have found an ethnic minority female protagonist called Amanda... Guys, yes we have to love "Amanda", but please find some more original names! On the other hand I really did like that the name given to the Demon's not fancy nor Greek nor Hebrew nor Latinate.
The story lags somewhat towards the end, cycling back and forth between the same group of characters in the same confined area does get somewhat tedious. And the resolution struck me as rather contrived, but for all this, this novel has strength, the power to shock and an almost daemonic energy... One scene in particular sticks in the mind.
I'm hoping for second helpings!
#TheEndOfTheLine #NetGalley
