The Demon Trapper’s DaughterAuthor: Jana OliverPublisher: Martin’s Griffin, 2010
It’s the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities. Atlanta is no exception. Fortunately, humans are protected by Demon Trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night. Seventeen-year-old Riley, only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing attraction to fellow Trapper apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving citizens from Grade One Hellspawn. Business as usual, really, for a demon-trapping teen. When a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood, she realizes that she’s caught in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell.
My Review:
I loved this book from the start. The idea of a rundown world where there are marketplaces instead of malls, where most kids attend night school in abandoned buildings, the dead are raised to be rich people’s servants, and demons are running in the streets!... It seemed to me like our world could really get to that point eventually. So what can a girl do in such dire and apocalyptic times? Well, combat evil of course!
Meet Riley Blackthorne. She’s young, she’s fierce, she’s fluent in hellspeak (especially when cursing) and she is the only female demon trapper in town. Naturally when she screws up a job, the Trappers call an emergency meeting and grill her about it. But that’s not the worst thing that can happen when you screw up trapping job. Later that night Paul Blackthorne, Riley’s father, is killed during a job, leaving her an orphan with bills to pay and demons that have taken an abnormal notice of her.
Denver Beck is a handsome trouble maker, and a demon trapper. He was Paul Blackthorne’s pupil, and so he cares about what happens to Riley now. Maybe even likes her as more, but he won’t go there. She’s too young, and though he is not that old in years, after being in the military he feels old in life experience. So he plays the next best card, that of an over protective big brother which annoys Riley to no end. Add to that her resentment of him for having spent more time with her father than she ever did, and you’ve got a love/hate relationship that will have you pulling your hair out in frustration.
With her father dead, Riley needs to keep vigil at his tomb so that the necromancers or the debt collectors won’t steal his body. She also needs to attend school, and pay the bills if she wants to have a place to live. She tries to tackle the money issues by breaking a cardinal Trappers rule and hunting demons by herself. Great idea that was! And all to save herself the trouble of asking Beck for help. Sigh. Riley always misunderstands Becks actions, even when he is actually trying to be nice. I mean, he brings her brownies and gives her a freaking demon claw necklace! How cool is that!? Regardless, she continues to give him grief.
At least she has a new boyfriend now. Simon Adler, a really sweet apprentice trapper who is really religious. He is very good to Riley, but maybe just too good. I didn’t like how things between him and Riley moved way too fast. I just don’t trust him completely.
Deeper things are afoot though, and Riley might just be onto them. What if those screwed trapping jobs weren’t an accident. What if the holy water is not that strong anymore? Or is it that demons are getting stronger? Is Hell finally working together? So when her father’s killer reappears looking for her, will Riley be strong enough to confront him? Or will divine intervention will be needed?
Favorite Quotes:
“He acts like he knows everything.”
Carmela chuckled. “Honey, that’s what all guys are like. You should know that by now.”
~
Beck waved a bag in front of her face. It sported the logo of the Grounds Zero. “Brought ya one of their brownies. Thought ya liked them.”
“I do. Just don’t like the delivery guy.”
“Sucks, don’t it?” he said. “So do ya let me in or do I toss this in the dumpster on the way out?”
Riley gasped at the thought of such cruelty and waved him in.
~
“Higher-level demons can act like the lesser grades. Ya think yer trappin’ a Three and it turns out to be a Four, and if ya don’t have the right equipment, that’s an LLM.”
“Huh?”
“Life. Limiting. Mistake.”
