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mattdoylemedia's review against another edition
4.0
Background: JP Jackson is a Canadian author of LGBT fantasy and horror, and Daimonion (released 10th July 2017) is his first full length novel. Outside this, he also appears in NineStar Press’s ‘Into The Mystic’ anthology, due for release on 31st July 2017.
Daimonion tells the story of Dati Amon, a demon tasked with hunting down children that hold latent demon blood. After a botched job some years ago, Dati finds himself reunited with the man the child he failed to retrieve has now become, and things are about to get very complicated. Dati’s Master has plans in mind, and dark schemes have been set in motion. The question is, can a series of unlikely alliances gain Dati his freedom?
The Good: As this is a book about a demon, it seems logical to talk about the demons that appear in the book first. I cannot stress enough how much work has clearly been done in terms of this. In some instances, such as with Dati, the author has created whole new species. In other cases, he has taken more commonly recognised character types, such as witches and shapeshifters, and given them a new spin. This combination ensures that the book has an eminently fresh feel to it rather than simply treading familiar floorboards in terms of setting.
But how do the demons come across as characters? Well, Dati is a surprisingly sympathetic lead. The superb opening chapter really sets the tone for the character, and gives us a clear glimpse of the internal conflict that he feels when out on a job. As the book progresses, we also get to see him struggle with his nature, strive to set himself free of servitude, and forge friendships with a myriad of unlikely allies. Of all the characters in the novel, he is by far my favourite, and is certainly the one that is given the most time to develop. That’s not to say that the other characters are abandoned in this respect though, and the young witch Jenae in particular is an interesting addition to the series.
Praise also needs to be given to JP Jackson’s ability to create vivid images of the magical aspects of the world. Demonic transformations, magical conflicts and the different forms that the characters take are all described in such a way that it’s hard not to get a clear picture in your head.
The book breezes by as well, and you’re unlikely to find any moments where you’re bored or wanting to skip ahead. This is a definite positive for me, and one that made it very easy to read through quite quickly. Any book that lets you get that easily lost within has plenty going for it in my eyes.
The Bad: This is a tough one to broach as the only things that I could view as relatively negative with the book are such that they won’t be detractors for everyone. Case in point, the clear pictures that the writing throws up for you may be problematic for some during the more gore laden scenes. It is also worth noting that the theme of incest is raised, and though this is neither depicted nor shown as being in any way positive, the fact that it’s there will be off putting for some. By the same token, the fact that Dati first saw Alyx as a child and then found himself to be attracted to him as an adult has the potential to make readers uncomfortable. These are less criticisms and more content warnings though.
I did feel that Alyx perhaps came across as a little less developed than the other characters. This was a shame as the other POV characters were so well rounded. If I want to be picky, I’d say that I’m more of a fan of positive depictions of satyrs too, but I’m not going to deduct marks for something so trivial when the rest of the book was such a fun romp through a dark world.
Final View: Daimonion is a quick, easy read that pulls you along on an often times very dark story. Dati Amon is an excellent companion for this trip, and his plight is one that will draw you in and leave you wanting more. Providing none of the themes already mentioned put you off, this one is well worth a look in.
Final Score: 4 / 5
Daimonion tells the story of Dati Amon, a demon tasked with hunting down children that hold latent demon blood. After a botched job some years ago, Dati finds himself reunited with the man the child he failed to retrieve has now become, and things are about to get very complicated. Dati’s Master has plans in mind, and dark schemes have been set in motion. The question is, can a series of unlikely alliances gain Dati his freedom?
The Good: As this is a book about a demon, it seems logical to talk about the demons that appear in the book first. I cannot stress enough how much work has clearly been done in terms of this. In some instances, such as with Dati, the author has created whole new species. In other cases, he has taken more commonly recognised character types, such as witches and shapeshifters, and given them a new spin. This combination ensures that the book has an eminently fresh feel to it rather than simply treading familiar floorboards in terms of setting.
But how do the demons come across as characters? Well, Dati is a surprisingly sympathetic lead. The superb opening chapter really sets the tone for the character, and gives us a clear glimpse of the internal conflict that he feels when out on a job. As the book progresses, we also get to see him struggle with his nature, strive to set himself free of servitude, and forge friendships with a myriad of unlikely allies. Of all the characters in the novel, he is by far my favourite, and is certainly the one that is given the most time to develop. That’s not to say that the other characters are abandoned in this respect though, and the young witch Jenae in particular is an interesting addition to the series.
Praise also needs to be given to JP Jackson’s ability to create vivid images of the magical aspects of the world. Demonic transformations, magical conflicts and the different forms that the characters take are all described in such a way that it’s hard not to get a clear picture in your head.
The book breezes by as well, and you’re unlikely to find any moments where you’re bored or wanting to skip ahead. This is a definite positive for me, and one that made it very easy to read through quite quickly. Any book that lets you get that easily lost within has plenty going for it in my eyes.
The Bad: This is a tough one to broach as the only things that I could view as relatively negative with the book are such that they won’t be detractors for everyone. Case in point, the clear pictures that the writing throws up for you may be problematic for some during the more gore laden scenes. It is also worth noting that the theme of incest is raised, and though this is neither depicted nor shown as being in any way positive, the fact that it’s there will be off putting for some. By the same token, the fact that Dati first saw Alyx as a child and then found himself to be attracted to him as an adult has the potential to make readers uncomfortable. These are less criticisms and more content warnings though.
I did feel that Alyx perhaps came across as a little less developed than the other characters. This was a shame as the other POV characters were so well rounded. If I want to be picky, I’d say that I’m more of a fan of positive depictions of satyrs too, but I’m not going to deduct marks for something so trivial when the rest of the book was such a fun romp through a dark world.
Final View: Daimonion is a quick, easy read that pulls you along on an often times very dark story. Dati Amon is an excellent companion for this trip, and his plight is one that will draw you in and leave you wanting more. Providing none of the themes already mentioned put you off, this one is well worth a look in.
Final Score: 4 / 5
rebl's review against another edition
4.0
_____________________
"But this is what I am bid to do. I am Dati Amon, a D'Alae, and we gather back the children who belong to us."
_____________________
This is a well-executed story of conflict, horror, magic, and desire. Shape-shifters, witches, demons, creepy burrowing insects, elementals, satyrs and even a deliciously evil succubus make for a colourful cast of characters to guide readers through a beautifully described series of paranormal events, culminating in a satisfying end to Book I of the Apocalypse series.
I was most impressed by the skilful manner in which imaginative and unique magical goings-on were described. Certain paranormal tropes and clichés were explored in new and creative ways. Without giving too much away, I was particularly amazed by the wonderful descriptions of what happened to a certain character when encased in a demonic cocoon. Yes - the action and the magic are where words were extremely well spent in this novel! Bravo to the writer!
For me, the characters were solid but they didn't totally engross me. I didn't find myself emotionally invested in any one of them in particular. I enjoyed them well enough, but I didn't find a strong connection that had me dying to see what would happen to any of them in the future. The plot itself had me turning the page though, so this wasn't a major issue overall. I also think that as a reader who doesn't normally read this genre, I'm not quite the correct target audience for this cast of characters. I also suspect that most of the characters have a great deal of development ahead, so the author needed to save some of that for the next book, especially with Jenae.
The story feels well-planned. There's a strong sense that the author knows exactly where it will all lead in the future books, each thread weaved purposefully.
Overall, Daimonion is intriguing, confronting, action-packed, and intense.
__________________________________________________________
"Perception and assumption ruled the human thought processes, and in their minds, they saw what made them comfortable."
__________________________________________________________
As I said, I don't usually read horror, so I apologise if my review and rating were coloured by my own natural tastes/preferences.
A few warnings in case they're relevant to anyone: high level of gore and violence (really well written gore, I might add!) and some sexually confronting themes (they're not depictured, but referred to) such as incest.
I was provided with a free ARC in exchange for a review. The author was keen for me to be very honest in my comments.
"But this is what I am bid to do. I am Dati Amon, a D'Alae, and we gather back the children who belong to us."
_____________________
This is a well-executed story of conflict, horror, magic, and desire. Shape-shifters, witches, demons, creepy burrowing insects, elementals, satyrs and even a deliciously evil succubus make for a colourful cast of characters to guide readers through a beautifully described series of paranormal events, culminating in a satisfying end to Book I of the Apocalypse series.
I was most impressed by the skilful manner in which imaginative and unique magical goings-on were described. Certain paranormal tropes and clichés were explored in new and creative ways. Without giving too much away, I was particularly amazed by the wonderful descriptions of what happened to a certain character when encased in a demonic cocoon. Yes - the action and the magic are where words were extremely well spent in this novel! Bravo to the writer!
For me, the characters were solid but they didn't totally engross me. I didn't find myself emotionally invested in any one of them in particular. I enjoyed them well enough, but I didn't find a strong connection that had me dying to see what would happen to any of them in the future. The plot itself had me turning the page though, so this wasn't a major issue overall. I also think that as a reader who doesn't normally read this genre, I'm not quite the correct target audience for this cast of characters. I also suspect that most of the characters have a great deal of development ahead, so the author needed to save some of that for the next book, especially with Jenae.
The story feels well-planned. There's a strong sense that the author knows exactly where it will all lead in the future books, each thread weaved purposefully.
Overall, Daimonion is intriguing, confronting, action-packed, and intense.
__________________________________________________________
"Perception and assumption ruled the human thought processes, and in their minds, they saw what made them comfortable."
__________________________________________________________
As I said, I don't usually read horror, so I apologise if my review and rating were coloured by my own natural tastes/preferences.
A few warnings in case they're relevant to anyone: high level of gore and violence (really well written gore, I might add!) and some sexually confronting themes (they're not depictured, but referred to) such as incest.
I was provided with a free ARC in exchange for a review. The author was keen for me to be very honest in my comments.
ellelainey's review against another edition
2.0
Book – Daimonion (The Apocalypse #1)
Author – J.P. Jackson
Star rating - ★★☆☆☆
No. of Pages – 259
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 1st and 3rd, past tense
Would I read it again – No
Genre – LGBT, Horror, Thriller, Paranormal
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
Sorry, this one just wasn't for me. At all.
Let's start with the warnings, of which there were none when I picked it up. None of it was on-page in detail, but there are mentions of rape, bullying, abuse, and incest. This is on top of the warnings that come with the book – graphic violence, torture and gore. To be honest, none of the given warnings were as bad as I expected them to be. There was nothing truly graphic or gory in the book that turned my stomach, like some books I've read. But I did have an issue with the fact that one of the MC's was flirting, on page, with a guy he'd previous had sex with, only for both me and the MC to later discover that man was his father. That was obvious by the time the big reveal came, but it was also incest which I didn't sign up for. It makes no difference to me whether it's human incest or demon incest; it's all the same thing.
The demons were, I'm sorry to say, kind of lame. There wasn't really one baddie amongst them except for the Master himself. Which caused serious confusion, because 'the Master' is one of Satan's very well known titles, yet it wasn't used for him here. It took until 9% for us to discover that 'the Master' wasn't used for Satan but another character who wanted to bring Satan to Earth. It was very confusing to try to figure things out. Yet, in the end, even the evil Master proved to be less than what he'd been made out to be. He couldn't protect himself from a witch, he was led by his ego and ended up being a big diappointment.
There were various new terms that weren't always explained and expanded upon the world of demons – D'Alae, demon wolf, Nephalem, Darkening marks, witches using wands, Shishi statues that come to life, healers, witches, Satyr, Succubus, Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These were all linked into the story, but I found that though so many creatures/demonic influences were within the story, it fell flat for me in the 'evil' and 'demonic' aspect. It just felt a bit too tame.
I was intrigued by the start of the story, because there was a demon with a conscience, but it turned out to be that Dati wasn't so much a demon with a conscience but a demon without a backbone. He lives in the human world, with an apartment, money under the table (though we don't know what that means or where he gets it) and real belongings. It was a unique and interesting take on the demon genre, but it failed to really go anywhere after the Prologue, which had so much promise.
Unfortunately, there are some problems with the chapters – there are no chapter numbers, just chapter titles, and it doesn't tell us that Deal With a Demon is the Prologue and A Night's Harvest is actually Chapter 1. It would have been helpful to know that, considering years pass between one and another.
Similarly, there is an issue with the POV. The story is told in 1st person and there are headings under the Chapter heading, warning us which POV the chapter is in. However, this is usually done to show that there are multiple POV's, particularly in a 1st person story, but it took until 15% for Alyx to get his POV, after Dati had taken up all of that time previously. Then, there is a single paragraph at the end of his chapter, where the Satyr, Silenus, gets his 3rd person POV. This also happens with Alicia's POV. It switches between 1st and 3rd for these short, add-on POV at the end of chapters quite frequently. Following this, Jenae gets her POV at 33%, switches to 3rd person POV for Hemming at 52%, Silenus gets his first 1st person POV at 69%, and the Kasadya gets his first POV at 97% where it switches inexplicably to present tense for the first time. It became difficult to settle into the writing with the constant switch of POV and tense, never knowing what was going to appear next.
To be honest, I didn't find Alicia, Jenae or Silenus' POV particularly important, since we found out what had happened through other POV's or what we were told was really small and unnecessary to know. Jenae's POV seriously exaggerated her life to being something dark and brutal; with people calling her shit-face and telling us that she was forced to eat dog shit at her high school. I find her entire existence in the story a little pointless and frustrating. When she's not being an over-excited Goth teenager full of angst, she's whiny and constantly getting into trouble because she's not listening to people who know more about the world she's been thrown into. I particularly don't understand her insta-love story with Caleb. It makes zero sense. They literally look at each other, during someone else's POV, and they're inseparable.
There are a lot of convenient, predictable and quite unbelievable aspects of the plot that really got to me. Such as the way that Alyx wakes from his cocoon so conveniently after everyone leaves Dati alone with him; Dati knowing that Mira's real name is Mirabelle, when Jenae has only ever referred to her as Mira before; Dati being a badass demon (apparently) yet standing motionless while a little girl (Jenae) calls the shadows to attack him when he could have knocked her out at any point before it got dangerous for him; Dati being one of the Master's charges for centuries, having been in trouble and tortured by him before, yet unable to hold back his anger in front of him, to spare himself more pain. It really seems unbelievable, to me, that things like this would happen. Despite Dati having a conscience, he's still supposed to be strong, lethal and capable of brutal things, yet he never once lives up to his reputation. Most of these things are used as devices to introduce Alyx and Jenae's powers, but are just unlikely situations and proof that Dati is an incompetent demon. Though both Alyx and Jenae have big parts later in the story, there's really no need for the constant “proof” of their powers, when it's shown so frequently within multiple POV's.
I also have to question why, in two days, no one thought to warn Marta that her son was captured in a cocoon pod. No one thought that she could help, that she might want to know where her son was and that she could help heal them of their problems. Considering Dati has been to her throughout the years for help, it would seem obvious that she should be the first person they turn to for help, yet no one even thinks about it and when Dati finally goes to see her, well after he should, it's only so that they can be attacked. There are a whole lot of things that should never have happened, if they characters had made any logical choices.
The entire first 30-40% is just setting the scene for what follows. Which means that the story is really slow to evolve and nothing much happens before the first 'infection' that is the impetus for anything that follows. The entire plot is set up right from the start of the story and the only sub-plot is that of Dati and Alyx's potential romance.
I don't get why no one ever questions why Aradia wants to keep their bugs, with their demonic DNA inside of them, or what she intends to do with them. These people are smart enough to realise that the bugs can transform humans into what they are, with their powers, but no one ever panics that her price is the potential to make more of them. And quite honestly, the witches are more badass than any of the demons are, proven with this -
“After that display, no one dared defy her.”
For being demons, they have no strength, no evil, no real ability to fight against some manipulative witch whose best display of power is to throw Dati against the wall. I just don't get it.
Overall, half the story didn't make sense to me. The witches were more badass than the demons, the demons weren't evil or strong when faced with an attack, and the constant mish-mash of POV's and tenses had my head spinning. Sadly, though the plot had potential, with a great, original idea, it ended up giving me a headache and leaving me wanting more. I won't be reading the rest of the series and I doubt I'll read more from this author.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I was certain that Master had elicited a new form of revenge. My actual punishment for disobedience and tardiness at the summoning wasn't the broken wing; it was the perpetual headache in the form of a yappy and clueless witch.”
Author – J.P. Jackson
Star rating - ★★☆☆☆
No. of Pages – 259
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 1st and 3rd, past tense
Would I read it again – No
Genre – LGBT, Horror, Thriller, Paranormal
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
Sorry, this one just wasn't for me. At all.
Let's start with the warnings, of which there were none when I picked it up. None of it was on-page in detail, but there are mentions of rape, bullying, abuse, and incest. This is on top of the warnings that come with the book – graphic violence, torture and gore. To be honest, none of the given warnings were as bad as I expected them to be. There was nothing truly graphic or gory in the book that turned my stomach, like some books I've read. But I did have an issue with the fact that one of the MC's was flirting, on page, with a guy he'd previous had sex with, only for both me and the MC to later discover that man was his father. That was obvious by the time the big reveal came, but it was also incest which I didn't sign up for. It makes no difference to me whether it's human incest or demon incest; it's all the same thing.
The demons were, I'm sorry to say, kind of lame. There wasn't really one baddie amongst them except for the Master himself. Which caused serious confusion, because 'the Master' is one of Satan's very well known titles, yet it wasn't used for him here. It took until 9% for us to discover that 'the Master' wasn't used for Satan but another character who wanted to bring Satan to Earth. It was very confusing to try to figure things out. Yet, in the end, even the evil Master proved to be less than what he'd been made out to be. He couldn't protect himself from a witch, he was led by his ego and ended up being a big diappointment.
There were various new terms that weren't always explained and expanded upon the world of demons – D'Alae, demon wolf, Nephalem, Darkening marks, witches using wands, Shishi statues that come to life, healers, witches, Satyr, Succubus, Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These were all linked into the story, but I found that though so many creatures/demonic influences were within the story, it fell flat for me in the 'evil' and 'demonic' aspect. It just felt a bit too tame.
I was intrigued by the start of the story, because there was a demon with a conscience, but it turned out to be that Dati wasn't so much a demon with a conscience but a demon without a backbone. He lives in the human world, with an apartment, money under the table (though we don't know what that means or where he gets it) and real belongings. It was a unique and interesting take on the demon genre, but it failed to really go anywhere after the Prologue, which had so much promise.
Unfortunately, there are some problems with the chapters – there are no chapter numbers, just chapter titles, and it doesn't tell us that Deal With a Demon is the Prologue and A Night's Harvest is actually Chapter 1. It would have been helpful to know that, considering years pass between one and another.
Similarly, there is an issue with the POV. The story is told in 1st person and there are headings under the Chapter heading, warning us which POV the chapter is in. However, this is usually done to show that there are multiple POV's, particularly in a 1st person story, but it took until 15% for Alyx to get his POV, after Dati had taken up all of that time previously. Then, there is a single paragraph at the end of his chapter, where the Satyr, Silenus, gets his 3rd person POV. This also happens with Alicia's POV. It switches between 1st and 3rd for these short, add-on POV at the end of chapters quite frequently. Following this, Jenae gets her POV at 33%, switches to 3rd person POV for Hemming at 52%, Silenus gets his first 1st person POV at 69%, and the Kasadya gets his first POV at 97% where it switches inexplicably to present tense for the first time. It became difficult to settle into the writing with the constant switch of POV and tense, never knowing what was going to appear next.
To be honest, I didn't find Alicia, Jenae or Silenus' POV particularly important, since we found out what had happened through other POV's or what we were told was really small and unnecessary to know. Jenae's POV seriously exaggerated her life to being something dark and brutal; with people calling her shit-face and telling us that she was forced to eat dog shit at her high school. I find her entire existence in the story a little pointless and frustrating. When she's not being an over-excited Goth teenager full of angst, she's whiny and constantly getting into trouble because she's not listening to people who know more about the world she's been thrown into. I particularly don't understand her insta-love story with Caleb. It makes zero sense. They literally look at each other, during someone else's POV, and they're inseparable.
There are a lot of convenient, predictable and quite unbelievable aspects of the plot that really got to me. Such as the way that Alyx wakes from his cocoon so conveniently after everyone leaves Dati alone with him; Dati knowing that Mira's real name is Mirabelle, when Jenae has only ever referred to her as Mira before; Dati being a badass demon (apparently) yet standing motionless while a little girl (Jenae) calls the shadows to attack him when he could have knocked her out at any point before it got dangerous for him; Dati being one of the Master's charges for centuries, having been in trouble and tortured by him before, yet unable to hold back his anger in front of him, to spare himself more pain. It really seems unbelievable, to me, that things like this would happen. Despite Dati having a conscience, he's still supposed to be strong, lethal and capable of brutal things, yet he never once lives up to his reputation. Most of these things are used as devices to introduce Alyx and Jenae's powers, but are just unlikely situations and proof that Dati is an incompetent demon. Though both Alyx and Jenae have big parts later in the story, there's really no need for the constant “proof” of their powers, when it's shown so frequently within multiple POV's.
I also have to question why, in two days, no one thought to warn Marta that her son was captured in a cocoon pod. No one thought that she could help, that she might want to know where her son was and that she could help heal them of their problems. Considering Dati has been to her throughout the years for help, it would seem obvious that she should be the first person they turn to for help, yet no one even thinks about it and when Dati finally goes to see her, well after he should, it's only so that they can be attacked. There are a whole lot of things that should never have happened, if they characters had made any logical choices.
The entire first 30-40% is just setting the scene for what follows. Which means that the story is really slow to evolve and nothing much happens before the first 'infection' that is the impetus for anything that follows. The entire plot is set up right from the start of the story and the only sub-plot is that of Dati and Alyx's potential romance.
I don't get why no one ever questions why Aradia wants to keep their bugs, with their demonic DNA inside of them, or what she intends to do with them. These people are smart enough to realise that the bugs can transform humans into what they are, with their powers, but no one ever panics that her price is the potential to make more of them. And quite honestly, the witches are more badass than any of the demons are, proven with this -
“After that display, no one dared defy her.”
For being demons, they have no strength, no evil, no real ability to fight against some manipulative witch whose best display of power is to throw Dati against the wall. I just don't get it.
Overall, half the story didn't make sense to me. The witches were more badass than the demons, the demons weren't evil or strong when faced with an attack, and the constant mish-mash of POV's and tenses had my head spinning. Sadly, though the plot had potential, with a great, original idea, it ended up giving me a headache and leaving me wanting more. I won't be reading the rest of the series and I doubt I'll read more from this author.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I was certain that Master had elicited a new form of revenge. My actual punishment for disobedience and tardiness at the summoning wasn't the broken wing; it was the perpetual headache in the form of a yappy and clueless witch.”
dreamerfreak's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Incest, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
emhamill's review against another edition
5.0
**I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Horror is not usually my genre, but I had so much gleeful, dark fun reading DAIMONION that I didn't care. J. P Jackson has created a kind of neutral evil Scooby Gang that is an absolute blast to get to know.
I immediately developed a soft spot for Dati Amon, the D'Alae, a winged demon. He serves a mysterious, vile creature who holds part of his soul captive. Dati's mutual obsession with Alyx, a dark young man he should have harvested as a child for his Master, is doomed from the start, it seems, but Alyx has a larger destiny that neither he nor Dati can escape. They band together with a group of other creatures of shadow who bicker, bitch and reluctantly form a cadre of supernatural soldiers who might be able to bring down their Master, and regain their freedom. Can't wait to read the next one!
Horror is not usually my genre, but I had so much gleeful, dark fun reading DAIMONION that I didn't care. J. P Jackson has created a kind of neutral evil Scooby Gang that is an absolute blast to get to know.
I immediately developed a soft spot for Dati Amon, the D'Alae, a winged demon. He serves a mysterious, vile creature who holds part of his soul captive. Dati's mutual obsession with Alyx, a dark young man he should have harvested as a child for his Master, is doomed from the start, it seems, but Alyx has a larger destiny that neither he nor Dati can escape. They band together with a group of other creatures of shadow who bicker, bitch and reluctantly form a cadre of supernatural soldiers who might be able to bring down their Master, and regain their freedom. Can't wait to read the next one!
comicsandbookdragon's review
5.0
This book was provided by JP Jackson and read on behalf of Thorns & Ink.
This is a brilliant take on the “end times” theme. This story has a Clive Barker feel to it. A little gory and a little profound. Dark, grotesque, and horrific. I was riveted. The lovely twist in this book is the infatuation. Very slight of hand by Mr. Jackson. The ominous foreboding is weighty and well-handled throughout the book.
The entire plot is well done. I am not a fan of total gore. This has enough gore to keep it interesting, and enough suspense to keep you turning the page. You get perspectives from each of the leading characters, but the mystery is never spoiled. I was very impressed. The interesting thing: at times I was finding out what was happening as the same time as the characters, and at other times, I was guessing. I was wrong….. Mr. Jackson provides the big picture without overwhelming the reader with petty details.
I enjoyed Dati’s fascinations with humans. He has a little quirk that I found completely endearing. His intent to keep a very human promise goes against his nature and I like the dichotomy. The eternal struggle if you will. The balance of good and evil. Going completely against your nature to keep a promise to someone. Such a simple thing promises. We make them and we break them. I try not to promise things that are out of my realm. This is what Dati did. He was much more empathetic than I was expecting. Even writing this I am smiling thinking about his little quirk.
Alyx, such a nosey young man. He got much more than he bargained for, but ended up winning in some ways. His goodness. He is the opposite of Dati. His lust and curiosity got the better of him. Does curiosity kill the cat? No, but it sure can mess up your world.
I got sucked into this story and couldn’t let go until the last page. The ending. It leaves you wanting to beg the author for the next one. I am not kidding. I almost went against my rule of asking about the next one. Thankfully, I can just reread this one until book 2 comes out.
Dark and Light. Where will you be when the Horsemen come?
My theme songs for this book are Heathen by 21 Pilots and Medieval Warfare by Grimes
This is a brilliant take on the “end times” theme. This story has a Clive Barker feel to it. A little gory and a little profound. Dark, grotesque, and horrific. I was riveted. The lovely twist in this book is the infatuation. Very slight of hand by Mr. Jackson. The ominous foreboding is weighty and well-handled throughout the book.
The entire plot is well done. I am not a fan of total gore. This has enough gore to keep it interesting, and enough suspense to keep you turning the page. You get perspectives from each of the leading characters, but the mystery is never spoiled. I was very impressed. The interesting thing: at times I was finding out what was happening as the same time as the characters, and at other times, I was guessing. I was wrong….. Mr. Jackson provides the big picture without overwhelming the reader with petty details.
I enjoyed Dati’s fascinations with humans. He has a little quirk that I found completely endearing. His intent to keep a very human promise goes against his nature and I like the dichotomy. The eternal struggle if you will. The balance of good and evil. Going completely against your nature to keep a promise to someone. Such a simple thing promises. We make them and we break them. I try not to promise things that are out of my realm. This is what Dati did. He was much more empathetic than I was expecting. Even writing this I am smiling thinking about his little quirk.
Alyx, such a nosey young man. He got much more than he bargained for, but ended up winning in some ways. His goodness. He is the opposite of Dati. His lust and curiosity got the better of him. Does curiosity kill the cat? No, but it sure can mess up your world.
I got sucked into this story and couldn’t let go until the last page. The ending. It leaves you wanting to beg the author for the next one. I am not kidding. I almost went against my rule of asking about the next one. Thankfully, I can just reread this one until book 2 comes out.
Dark and Light. Where will you be when the Horsemen come?
My theme songs for this book are Heathen by 21 Pilots and Medieval Warfare by Grimes
explorebooks's review
4.0
Daimonion was overall such a vivid book that left me feeling completely immersed in the world J.P. Jackson created.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Daimonion is far more of a Horror novel than a Romance novel. It’s less of a romance and more of a dark and twisted story featuring a potential romance between two of the characters. While this won’t be for everyone, as I know plenty of people prefer the romance to take more of a front row seat in their books, I actually quite enjoy books like this that focus more on developing the story and world with just a bit of time spent on the characters’ feelings for each other and how that develops throughout everything taking place.
Daimonion is the first book in The Apocalypse series by J.P. Jackson that features all kinds of paranormal baddies such as demons, shifters, and witches. I find the lore behind the demons in this story fascinating as there’s so many different kinds of Demons. Then there’s the witches, who can’t use their magic without making a sacrifice and despite the witches seeing Demons as evil creatures, one can’t help but wonder what makes the witches think they’re somehow better than Demons despite their own gray-area actions that could be viewed as evil as well.
This was my first J.P. Jackson book and I can’t wait to read more of his work because dang, this book had so many unique concepts as well as creative plot developments and was just an overall crazy ride.
The Plot:
The story begins with Dati Amon, a Demon who is enslaved to his satyr master who keeps control of him by keeping ahold of a piece of his soul. Dati has next to no choice when it comes to following his master’s orders despite not always agreeing with actions he forces upon him. He does, however, try to twist and bend some orders he’s given in order to avoid following out certain tasks given to him.
“But this is what I am bid to do. I am Dati Amon, a D'Alae, and we gather back the children who belong to us.”
Daimonion, children of both a human parent and a Demon parent, have a darkness inside them that can be sort of ‘activated’ with the venom of a demon. Dati’s master often sends him to hunt down these children and bring them to the dark side. It’s while he’s on one of these hunts that he first meets Alyx as a young boy asleep in his bed. The problem is, Alyx’s human mother is not only a human but also a witch with great powers. She convinces Dati to make a deal to help her keep her son hidden. Dati and the witch keep him away from the dark side for many years before Dati and Alyx cross paths again in a less than ideal situation that leaves Dati unable to keep his promise to Alyx’s mother.
Thoughts:
I think this was quite possibly the most gory book I’ve read in awhile with it’s very vivid descriptions of rather bloody scenes. This book will not be for the faint of heart because it does not skip over or fade to black during the most twisted of moments. But, if you love horror like I do then you MUST give this book a chance.
There’s A LOT of characters introduced in this first book and it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Despite this, I found myself liking most of the characters I got to know. The only character I really didn’t care for at all would be Jenae, a teenage witch who seemed incredibly immature, even for her age. I can appreciate why the author wrote her the way he did, but that doesn’t mean I liked her very much as a character. I could, however, see her growing into a much different and more mature person as this series develops.
Alyx is a perfect example of curiosity getting the better of you. The poor kid found himself in way over his head over a simple crush he had on a mysterious guy that came into his mom’s shop. Despite these events, I can’t help believing that Alyx’s fate was already set and he would’ve ended up on the dark side regardless of whether he hunted down the mystery guy. But the kid, and let’s be honest he’s not much more than that, seriously never catches a break throughout this book as he experiences all kinds of transformations, both physical and mental, while dealing and adjusting to his new reality.
Will I be continuing this series?
I wish there was more of this series readily available. This first book was published back in 2017 and as far as I know, there haven’t been any official announcements for the next book yet. I’m hoping we hear of a release date for book two sometime this year because I would very much like to continue with this series. I’m hooked on the world that J.P. Jackson began developing in Daimonion and I would love to spend more time in it.
dan_ackerman's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book. The whole time I was reading I desperately told myself that it would get better. After all, based on the reviews, a lot of people found this book really appealing. In the end, I have to say, this book was just not for me. The writing had an unsettling mix of short, choppy narration paired with exposition-heavy dialogue between the characters. With the multiple POV shifts, between characters and between first and third person and sometimes even in the same chapter, it could be difficult to keep track of who, exactly, was doing the narrating, leading to an instance where I initially thought Dati, a monstrous demon with a need for living flesh, had “squealed a little girlish freak-out noise.”
The main character, Dati, is a unique creature; he’s morose and desperately lonely, but also frustratingly vague about himself. We don’t know very much about his backstory. He’s not human, currently, but it was never clear if at some point he had been. He claims to have a soft spot for humans but doesn’t ever seem particularly kind or caring towards the humans he encounters. Except for Alyx; when he encounters Alyx as an adult, Dati immediately takes to him. Even when they haven’t even exchanged more than two sentences, Dati is promising that he’ll be there for Alyx no matter what. I’m not sure if the author was trying to indicate that these two men are bonded on some deeper level, but it read like a physical infatuation more than anything. In fact, the other relationship that blooms in this, between a witch and a shapeshifter, also happens instantaneously and with little explanation.
The reader ends up with a lot of explanation of some things (and sometimes the same explanation twice), but other elements of the plot are frustratingly vague. In the end, the Big Bad from the whole novel is dispatched with astounding ease, only to be replaced by someone introduced at the very end of the story as the only hope preventing the apocalypse. Her betrayal is mildly foreshadowed, but she’s assisted by two characters whose only motivations seem to be ‘he’s angry his boyfriend died’ and ‘he can see the future.’
It wasn’t all bad. I think there was a lot of potential here, especially as someone’s first novel. While I was reading, I got the impression that this story might have worked a lot better as visual media, either a graphic novel or movie. I was frankly disappointed that this was billed as a horror novel; as a long-time horror junkie, maybe I’m numb to things that would turn the stomachs of a standard audience, but the horror in this seemed to come from long, blunt descriptions of violent acts paired with an unusual amount of incest subplots. But translated into images, that horror element might have been there and I think the characters would have shone through more; the author put a lot of effort and thought into this book and it shows.
The main character, Dati, is a unique creature; he’s morose and desperately lonely, but also frustratingly vague about himself. We don’t know very much about his backstory. He’s not human, currently, but it was never clear if at some point he had been. He claims to have a soft spot for humans but doesn’t ever seem particularly kind or caring towards the humans he encounters. Except for Alyx; when he encounters Alyx as an adult, Dati immediately takes to him. Even when they haven’t even exchanged more than two sentences, Dati is promising that he’ll be there for Alyx no matter what. I’m not sure if the author was trying to indicate that these two men are bonded on some deeper level, but it read like a physical infatuation more than anything. In fact, the other relationship that blooms in this, between a witch and a shapeshifter, also happens instantaneously and with little explanation.
The reader ends up with a lot of explanation of some things (and sometimes the same explanation twice), but other elements of the plot are frustratingly vague. In the end, the Big Bad from the whole novel is dispatched with astounding ease, only to be replaced by someone introduced at the very end of the story as the only hope preventing the apocalypse. Her betrayal is mildly foreshadowed, but she’s assisted by two characters whose only motivations seem to be ‘he’s angry his boyfriend died’ and ‘he can see the future.’
It wasn’t all bad. I think there was a lot of potential here, especially as someone’s first novel. While I was reading, I got the impression that this story might have worked a lot better as visual media, either a graphic novel or movie. I was frankly disappointed that this was billed as a horror novel; as a long-time horror junkie, maybe I’m numb to things that would turn the stomachs of a standard audience, but the horror in this seemed to come from long, blunt descriptions of violent acts paired with an unusual amount of incest subplots. But translated into images, that horror element might have been there and I think the characters would have shone through more; the author put a lot of effort and thought into this book and it shows.
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
Daimonion is a viscerally creepy with extra viscera (also insects, spiders... swarms in general). It backs up the body horror with interesting MCs and a horrific twist on several mythologies.
I’ve never been quite so grateful to be unbothered by horror related to insects and spiders, because there's a lot of it in here. The horror (arthropod-related or not) is well-handled and genuinely creepy. It felt like the author had a good sense of what traumatic events to show, and what was best left as backstory, especially in the context of horror. The rotating POV characters helped to keep the story moving even when someone was doing something potentially boring (like being in a coccoon unable to move for several days). The backstory involves a lot of bad stuff happening to people, including kids, for a very long time before the book starts and in the time jump between the introduction and the main story, so please take care of yourselves and check the CWs before starting this one.
The way the grander arc of the series is balanced with the needs of this particular volume was so great. I was very immersed in the story, began realizing that there was too much I needed to know and not enough book left, then was pleasantly surprised by how the last few chapters found that perfect stopping point. There's a lot of untapped stuff here for the series to expand on, but most of the main things driving the plot in this volume are settled, one way or another. In particular I like the way that the last part of the book contextualized the significance of things which we knew already, transforming them from their introduction as things the characters needed to deal with or work around just in this story, into bits of a much larger mythos that we don't have the full shape of yet, but I'm very intrigued. This particular blend of mythology and horror has a lot of different directions it could go, but all of them seem good from here.
Daimonion is a viscerally creepy with extra viscera (also insects, spiders... swarms in general). It backs up the body horror with interesting MCs and a horrific twist on several mythologies.
I’ve never been quite so grateful to be unbothered by horror related to insects and spiders, because there's a lot of it in here. The horror (arthropod-related or not) is well-handled and genuinely creepy. It felt like the author had a good sense of what traumatic events to show, and what was best left as backstory, especially in the context of horror. The rotating POV characters helped to keep the story moving even when someone was doing something potentially boring (like being in a coccoon unable to move for several days). The backstory involves a lot of bad stuff happening to people, including kids, for a very long time before the book starts and in the time jump between the introduction and the main story, so please take care of yourselves and check the CWs before starting this one.
The way the grander arc of the series is balanced with the needs of this particular volume was so great. I was very immersed in the story, began realizing that there was too much I needed to know and not enough book left, then was pleasantly surprised by how the last few chapters found that perfect stopping point. There's a lot of untapped stuff here for the series to expand on, but most of the main things driving the plot in this volume are settled, one way or another. In particular I like the way that the last part of the book contextualized the significance of things which we knew already, transforming them from their introduction as things the characters needed to deal with or work around just in this story, into bits of a much larger mythos that we don't have the full shape of yet, but I'm very intrigued. This particular blend of mythology and horror has a lot of different directions it could go, but all of them seem good from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Torture
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault
CW for gaslighting, body horror, sexual abuse (backstory), sexual assault (backstory), graphic violence, torture, gore, major character death, child death, death. Please note that some of the body horror and gore in this book is related to being swarmed by or forcibly ingesting creatures including but not limited to spiders, beetles, and undifferentiated masses of insects.
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