Hex Hall, the first book in Rachel Hawkins' YA paranormal series was an entertaining read that I thought held the promise of developing into an excellent series. And, with Book Two, Demonglass, it most definitely has. Hawkins has bumped up her game with this book and I'm already anxious to have Book Three in my hands.
The author knows her stuff. Well-written and wonderfully paced, Demonglass has a good mix of action, dialogue and humor, three elements Hawkins has chosen to top off with just the right touch of angsty romance. Best of all, many of the plot intricacies are filled with those oh-so-intriguing shades of grey I tend to love. Who's good? Who's evil? Who's a bit of both? Readers will be trying to determine just that right along with the heroine.
The Setup: After watching her demon grandmother murder her classmate toward the end of Book One and learning that she herself had demon blood, Sophie Mercer makes the decision to undergo the "Removal", a dangerous procedure that - if she lives through it - will take away her powers. As Demonglass begins, Sophie's father arrives at Hecate Hall and informs her that he wants her to delay the Removal until he has had a chance to work with her in controlling her powers. He's confident that, with training, Sophie will never be a danger to those she loves. Reluctantly, Sophie agrees, and the two of them fly to Thorne Abbey in England, a huge manor home that is serving as temporary headquarters of the Prodigium (supernatural beings) Council. Traveling with them are Sophie's best friend Jenna (a vampire) and Cal, the Hecate Hall groundskeeper, an interesting and attractive young man with the power to heal others. He is also, Sophie is surprised to discover, her fiancé! (Arranged marriages, it turns out, are routine in the Prodigium world.)
Learning to bring her wild powers under control while trying to come to terms with the whole fiancé thing, Sophie feels she has plenty on her plate. But much more is coming her way. She soon learns that someone is creating demons, that the L'Occhio di Dio hunters have stepped up their attacks on the Prodigium and that the ghost of the girl her grandmother murdered has followed her across the Atlantic. Life is definitely complicated. And that was before she ran into L'Occhio di Dio member Archer Cross again - a boy who should be her mortal enemy. Luckily, she's totally over him.
Unless, of course, she's not.
Although Demonglass shares similarities with other YA paranormals, it still manages to come across as fresh. Much of this is due, IMO, to Hawkins' wonderful characterization of Sophie. In her heroine, Hawkins has given us a strong female character that we can relate to and cheer for. Flawed, as all of us are, Sophie nevertheless continues to try to do the right thing. She is brave, smart and determined. She is also likeable and pretty flippin' funny. Her actions, her emotions and her quippy, Buffy-esque dialogue all ring true. I CARE about Sophie and, once an author has succeeded in making me care about her characters, I'm sucked right in to the story. I care about many of the other characters as well, including Jenna, Archer and Cal. I want to learn their thoughts and hear their backstories. Hints dropped in the book also have me hoping we'll learn more about Sophie's mom - and perhaps about her relationship with Sophie's dad? - in the next book.
Speaking of the next book, can we all say cliffhanger? Demonglass ends, almost abruptly, in the midst of the climactic scene. Some might consider authors who do this sadistic, but in this case, I'm willing to give Hawkins the benefit of the doubt. She is, I've decided, simply trying to fuel our imaginations. :)
For me, Demonglass was a fun, almost-impossible-to-put-down read and I'm am eagerly anticipating the release of Book Three in 2012.
Happily recommended.
Note: Demonglass has been graced with a striking cover. I found myself flipping it over frequently while reading just to look at it again. Photos by Ali Smith; design by Tanya Rose Hughes. My compliments to them both.
Note 2: If you're unfamiliar with the series, I definitely recommend starting with Book One,
Hex Hall. If you'd like a taste of Hawkins' writing style before committing your hard-earned cash, the first chapter of Demonglass is available online. Just google the author.
