The Demon of Renaissance Drive
By: Elizabeth Reuter
ISBN: 9781936564255
Published November 18, 2011 by JournalStone
Available Format: Hardcover, Paperback, ebook
My Rating: ★★★★★
The Demon of Renaissance Drive secured fourth place in JournalStone’s 2011 Horror contest.
So, maybe hell really isn’t all that bad…if you are a demon king or succubus! The Demon of Renaissance Drive tells the tale of Annabelle, a succubus that is thoroughly fed up with her life in hell. She is tired of being used to populate her world with more and more demon spawn. She is tired of the politics. She is tired of it all. One day, on her way back from a trip to Earth with her friend Samantha, Annabelle sees a glimmer of hope in one of the tortured souls of the underworld. She makes an impulsive decision to snatch the soul and take him back to her home. Naming her new pet ‘Harry,’ she begins working to rehabilitate his tortured mind. She knows she can’t keep him locked away in her bedroom forever, so she begins making deals with other demons to secure passage for her and Harry to have a ‘normal’ life on Earth. Life on the surface cannot possibly be easy for a royal succubus and her stolen poltergeist. Will they be able to rehabilitate Harry? What dangerous secrets will they uncover about his previous life? How far will Annabelle go to keep him safe?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
This novel is comfortably paced, charming and funny, and peppered with a little Dante. The imagination and creativity that went into creating this story is fantastic. Who would have thought I would be reading about hell and actually enjoy it? The different characters of both hell and earth are all humanly flawed yet highly entertaining, and Reuter does a great job writing each and every one of them. Annabelle is one kickass chick, and you know I always love a strong heroine in the story. Harry undergoes a dramatic transformation, and I think Jimmy is probably one of the most relatable and funny characters I have read in a while.
The last chapter was my absolute favorite. I won’t give away the ending, but this last chapter absolutely pulled the entire book together, the way it should have. Of course, we’re left hanging a bit, which hopefully means Reuter will give us a sequel. I can’t wait to read more about Annabelle and Harry!
You simply must get yourself a copy of The Demon of Renaissance Drive and check it out for yourself…
