Review: Demonspawn by Glenn Bullion

Demonspawn
Author: Glenn Bullion
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*Novel provided by the author for a honest review

For more information please visit Glenn Bullion's website.

Alex Teague tried to live a normal life. He was a normal high school senior . . . until he talked to his first ghost, exorcised his first demon, and cleansed his first haunted house.

If only it ended there.
Now a young man in his twenties, Alex makes a horrifying discovery.

He is part demon. And the supernatural world won't leave him alone.

Demonspawn by Glenn Bullion is a wonderful mix of horror, urban fantasy with just a twist of sexual tension to strum you along late in to the night. Thrilling, suspenseful, action packed and above all else utterly engaging, this novel kept me up far past my bedtime eager to know more about these wonderful characters and the intricate and mysterious world they live in.

First off, let me just say the scope of this novel was amazing. We literally follow these characters from childhood in to adulthood, learning pretty much everything that there is to know about them. This was beyond unusual, but I must say that the insight in to the childhood of Alex and his deep friendship with  Cindy and his connection to his sister Alicia was amazing. I don't think I've ever enjoyed the journey of a character more. The emotions and fears of Alex as he tries to understand what is happening to him came across perfectly making him a sympathetic characters, but he is still very much in control and accepts these oddities making him a strong and likable character that doesn't mope or whine about the lot he was given. In fact, I found him to be rather impressive allowing his friends and family to help him cope with the question of what he is and the unpalatable answers that he comes to find. And likewise, the other characters are wonderfully developed as well, from Cindy, his lifetime friend and the crush of his life, to his sister Leese and a rather varied assortment of other friends that come and go. The group dynamic was wonderful and very fluid creating a ensemble cast that was very devoted and loyal to one another. I really loved that aspect, the loyalty and love between characters. It pretty much went without explanation that any one of the characters would do anything to help the others as well as accept Alex no matter what he was or what he could do. And overlying it all was a heaping helping of sexual tension between Alex and Cindy, yet another aspect that was wonderfully created, extremely organic and utterly intriguing. It really helped to keep the pace of the story while melding perfectly with all of the chaos that Alex is experiencing and only serves to heighten all the emotions running rampant.

The world building was also quite impressive. With not only ghosts and demons in the forefront, we come to find a world where pretty much anything can and does exists, including vampires. But, what I loved was the ever expanding depth in which we become immersed. And from the beginning Bullion does a wonderful job of bringing to life the horrific atmosphere of the ghostly demonic presences that Alex comes in to contact with. Truly, the air horror was chilling and the visceral details really add to this aspect. There is some vivid imagery involved, so reader be warned. However, I feel that it was perfectly placed to get across the true nature of both the demons and the inhuman feats that they are capable of. But, there was also a healthy dose of urban fantasy that I really loved with lots of action and some great suspense. And the culmination? Wow. Just wow. I was so pleased with how this novel ended and only hope to see future ones take place within this world and with these wonderful characters.

The story was highly developed and extremely well thought out taking the reader on a journey. While most novels have a very quick insight in to what the plot will actually be, this novel is fifty miles of hard road. We literally live from moment to moment, problem to problem, and I utterly enjoyed ever single moment! I never once wished for anything else instead relishing in the wonderful evolution of the characters and the ever changing situations that they find themselves in.

What kept this novel from being a 5 from me? Seriously, not much. Literally, it was some editing issues with quite a few missing or wrongly placed or chosen words. Seriously, it isn't much, but given the high quality of everything else, it was a bit bothersome to be so engrossed in the moment only to have to stop and puzzle out an oddly written sentence. But, like I said, this is minor and really didn't detract too highly from the novel as a whole because frankly, I want more.

In the end, I highly recommend this. Unique, original and above all else, I couldn't get enough. These characters are beyond endearing and the world is intriguing. As I said before, I can only hope that this turns in to a series because there is so much greatness left to explore with an ending that certainly left a great opening. So definitely, if you love demons, horror or urban fantasy, then be sure to check out this novel! You won't be disappointed.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Scars

Advisory: Graphic horror related violence some sexual content