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A review by zmac808
Demon Bane by Jeff Sproul
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Demon Bane is a sci-fi fantasy adventure where you follow Mira Jacobs, a phoenix, as she attempts to hunt down a demon known as, The Thresher. The first time I read through the book, I had a few minor issues with it which, for the most part, were edited out in the revised edition that Jeff Sproul has posted now. Being as this book is a part of a series, there were some questions left unanswered by the end of the book which leaves you eagerly anticipating the next. However, this book also works well as a stand-alone read, having given much thought and explanation to the universe and the characters within it. Sproul’s development of the characters personalities throughout leaves you attached to them, no matter how brief your encounter is with them, which is a very powerful skill he takes full advantage of.
Although there are some pacing issues in the beginning of the story, if you can push through those you will have yourself an unforgettable universe to enjoy. The only issue that I had with the story itself is that Mira is awful at her job. The beginning of the book was a bit of a drag through as Sproul introduced his universe. Being placed immediately into the action, you would think that you will be getting a fast paced introduction. However, the whole beginning chapters slow down the pace as Mira is forced to backtrack, establishing my main issue, which would momentarily take me out of the universe in frustration; Mira sucks at her job. To an extent, it is understandable seeing her situation, but there were definitely parts where I was screaming at the text angrily wanting to shake Mira and tell her not to do this, or not to trust them so easily, etc. Not enough of an issue, by any means, to warrant less than a 5 star recommendation of the book and eagerly encourage anyone to pick it up. Demon Bane and the Sinphoria universe has me drawn in and I can’t wait to see what Sproul does with it next!
Although there are some pacing issues in the beginning of the story, if you can push through those you will have yourself an unforgettable universe to enjoy. The only issue that I had with the story itself is that Mira is awful at her job. The beginning of the book was a bit of a drag through as Sproul introduced his universe. Being placed immediately into the action, you would think that you will be getting a fast paced introduction. However, the whole beginning chapters slow down the pace as Mira is forced to backtrack, establishing my main issue, which would momentarily take me out of the universe in frustration; Mira sucks at her job. To an extent, it is understandable seeing her situation, but there were definitely parts where I was screaming at the text angrily wanting to shake Mira and tell her not to do this, or not to trust them so easily, etc. Not enough of an issue, by any means, to warrant less than a 5 star recommendation of the book and eagerly encourage anyone to pick it up. Demon Bane and the Sinphoria universe has me drawn in and I can’t wait to see what Sproul does with it next!