There Be Demons by M.K. Theodoratus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great read about opposites. Gillen is a gargoyle warrior trying to protect the world from demons from another world invading and hurting people. Stretched thin, he and his team try their best as imps attack the docklands with more ferocity than ever before. When the Angeli Commanders finally send their hosen warriors, Gillen thinks all their problems will be resolved. But he is in more than he expected and is tested to his limits. Can he rise to the challenge or is he stuck in his old ways?
A great read. Well developed plot with twists and turns that I just simply couldn’t put down. Well developed characters like Britt standing up for herself but caring underneath or Cahal sarcastic but kind and supportive underneath. Great cast of supporting characters like the kind and supportive father figure Uzeel or the strong minded Treasa.
I loved the visual detail throughout the novel in the sense of overcrowding with the small spaces and the city full of life and people all jostling for space in the flats. Or the authors wonderful sense of imagination with the vivid colours of purples and reds and greens of the monsters with horns and fangs terrible but beautiful or absurd but still believable with creatures like Abraxas. Or the use of smell throughout with the horrible odors so strong and pungent it is as if you were actually there. Or the gargoyles themselves as something new in the fantasy genre as a wonderful mixture of wings and tails and ears for a creature that is magical but still believable and beautifully written. I loved the authors fun sense of exploration, with new creatures and powers with their own rules and societies and hierarchies and laws existing side by side with humans.
A wonderful addition to the fantasy genre. This was made more compelling by giving the gargoyles more humanity with Gillen’s worries and anxieties or Uzeel’s kind supportive nature or with the instead of just being cold superior beings angels usually are in literature. this made them more realistic and sympathise more with their problems for a great read.
I also loved the way the chapters alternated between the realism of high school life and the fantasy of the demons combined perfectly for a great read. The use of thoughts as part of the narrative was a brilliant addition and worked well to display the different characters struggles and worries
Fast paced action and high stakes in a fantasy world made for a highly captivating read. Overall, a great read and I would give it five stars.

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