I was so excited when I received the Advance Reader Copy from St. Martins Press that I started reading the book while walking up my driveway!!! I have had this book on my Amazon wish list since October 2010!!! Another positive from this book is that P.C. Cast gave it a thumbs-up and I just finished Awakened by PC and Kristin Cast. I saw in the forward that PC Cast whispered to her YOUNG ADULT and even though I am not young anymore, my heart and mind still loves the genre!!!!

This was a superb book! The storyline, the characters and the imagery was spectacular. The reader is projected into the future (2018 Atlanta to be exact) where demons roam the earth and the economic climate is bleak. There are two types of groups that secure safety in the world where demons threaten society. One are demon hunters set out to kill the demons and then there are demon trappers that imprison demons in Sippy cups or metal zip lock type bags and ship them off to the Vatican. Oliver introduces us also to Necromancers, deaders (zombie slaves) and 5 levels of demons. The story line is refreshing and different. Dont get me wrong my favorite type of paranormal novels involves vampires and ghosts, but this book showed me that even though it wasnt focused on vampires it was still captivating. And captivate me it did! I read the book in two days and I worked a 10 hour work day in-between.

Riley is our heroine and she lives in Atlanta with her father. She is the only daughter of the master demon trapper, Paul Blackthorne, who has another trapper apprentice named Beck. She is also an apprentice and one tragic night turns Rileys life upside down. The great thing about this book is that no matter what her duty as an apprentice entails she is still a seventeen year old girl who still has to go to school, face the mean girls, mounting boyfriend troubles, and of course has bad hair days.

Will Riley survive her apprenticeship, will she be able to find true love and will she survive her teen years. Enjoy the first book, because I did and now I am patiently waiting for the next book of the series.

January 20, 2011

Share/Like this Review?

I got this book as an ARC from Library thing.

I actually found myself really liking this book. I've read some mixed review on this one mostly about riley and the living conditions. I didn't see a problem with riley at all I actually loved her she was funny and interesting. I also didnt have a problem following the story you kind of get thrown in to what if felt was already a story. What I mean by that is there needed to be more backdrops into the world to let you know how the demons were on the earth or if they had been here the whole time but just started attacking people.

Overall I love this book there. I dont think there was cons this book had only pros!

Share/Like this Review?

WOWZA this book was Awesome!!! Its very hard to review a book like this one without giving away key plot points. So lets just say it was a real page turner and it kept me entertained from start to finish. 5 star review. It would make a really cool movie.

Having read Retro Demonlogy free on my kindle PC, I was super excited to read about Riley and her demon trapping world. Reading the prequel make it easier to jump right into the story.

The year is 2018. Riley is a 17 year old living with her father Paul, a Master Demon Trapper in Atlanta. Times are rough in this era. Cigaretts are $100 a carton, and high schools are taught in run down grocery stores, coffee shops, and daycare centers. The dead are reanimated and sold for slaves; Demons trive and cause chaos. The trappers catch and sell the demons to the churches.

After a tragic turn of events early on, Riley learns she must spend 12 nights in the cemetary to guard her loved one. Throw in school, 2 awesome love intrests, an angry new trainer, demons acting like little turds, and you have this fun, fast paced book. There was also a ton of action within the book, plenty of gore, and drinking references.

There were a few questions left unanswered, but thats OK because there are at least 2 more books planned for this series, of which I am eagerly awaiting. Right now Im not super happy with Rileys choice of love intrest, but we will see how that goes. The points of view are read from both Riley and Denver Beck, so its obvious their relationship will eventually light up.

The writing style reminds me of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, so if you enjoyed that book, you are sure to LOVE The Demon Trapper's Daughter.

Share/Like this Review?

I really enjoyed the characters and story. Will be awaiting the sequel.

Share/Like this Review?

Riley Blackthorne isn't your average teenager. The year is 2018 and the world is over-run by demons. Riley's father, Paul, is a demon trapper and Riley, his apprentice. Riley struggles to remember everything her dad has taught her when she performs her first trap, and with a bit of chaos, she eventually succeeds. However, her dad isn't so lucky on his on job, and the demon kills him.

Riley is now on her own, but her dad's partner, Denver Beck, tries to watch out for Riley. She used to have a big crush onDenver but now finds him annoying. She can use his help though. She has to watch over her dad's grave, so the necromancers don't turn him into a zombie. She also becomes apprenticed to a Master Demon Trapper and one of his apprentices is Simon, a boy who instantly steals Riley's heart.

Between the pressure of living now on her own with the responsibility of paying the bills, protecting her father's body and trying to learn her craft, Riley doesn't have time for play or rest. She wants revenge on the demon that killed her father and won't stop until she succeeds -- even if it means her own death.

THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER is an action-packed adventure with romance, demons and a young heroine who the reader can empathize with. Oliver has built an interesting and vivid world with diverse and riveting characters with different goals that kept this reader entranced. I can't wait for the next one, SOUL THIEF!

Share/Like this Review?

There is tons of stuff I liked about this book and quite a few mysterious things as well. Riley Blackthorne is a demon trapper. Trappers catch the demons and sell them to the church for purification instead of killing them like the hunter's do. There are five levels of demons - from minor biblio-fiends (hate books and piss on them, yuk) to major kick-ass ones, geo-fiends (usually 7 feet tall and have the ability to effect the weather). And a few in the middle like hypno-fiends with the ability to mesmerize humans and klepto-fiends who dress like ninjas and steal shiny things. I found some of the behaviors of the demons to be humorous but most of the bastards are vicious and dangerous. I liked the world building though there was no explanation as to why the city was infested with demons because that is one point that was never clarified. Sure the city had been affected by the economic downturn and everything was super expensive but that doesn't explain where the demons came from and doesn't tell you whether everyone knows about the demons or just the demon trappers. It seemed strange that when the demon trappers were doing their thing, humans never appeared even though they were in downtown Atlanta.

The one major issue I had with the book is master demon trapper Harper. He is a raging alcoholic, he physically abuses his apprentices, he absolutely despises Riley's father, and he has zero respect for women. How exactly does he become Riley's master? Why don't the other 40 or so trappers refute this decision? It is just not feasible that they are not aware of his actions as he is violent and uncontrollable at the meetings. This is really the only thing that didn't fit with the story. I guess maybe it goes with the adage "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Poor Riley has lost her father and must sit vigil at his grave nightly to keep the necromancers from stealing his body and selling him as a slave-like zombie. In between going to school (which was in a new location weekly) and dealing with typical bullying, dangerous demon trapping and her nightly vigil, Riley tries to have time for her best friend, Peter who isn't a demon trapper. However Peter's mother is extremely over-bearing and hates Riley so they really only see each other at school.

Riley is a seventeen year old who is fully invested in being a master demon trapper like her father. She is somewhat sheltered and as a youngster had a major crush on her father's apprentice, Denver Beck. Now she has nothing but contempt for him. I wonder what happened to destroy Riley and Beck's friendship. Now she is interested in another apprentice trapper, Simon Alder but their relationship develops too quickly is seems unrealistic. Oh and what's up with Ori? He's suddenly popping up left and right and he's so mysterious. Is he friend or foe? Riley is center stage of this love-triangle. Who will she choose? Beck, who is slightly older and more worldly. Simon, the religious fanatic with dreams of going to Rome and becoming a hunter not a trapper. Will it be Peter, who has finally given her an ultimatum. Or maybe the sexy and mysterious Ori? I will definitely be picking up book two and enjoying Riley's further adventures.

Share/Like this Review?

I got this book on loan from a friend. This is the first book in Oliver's new Demon Trapper series; right now Oliver is contracted for three books in this series. The book started off a bit shaky for me but I was quickly drawn into the story after that and ended up absolutely loving it.

Riley is a seventeen year old whose family life has been stricken by tragedy numerous times. Riley is training under her father, Paul, to become a Demon Trapper just like him. She is also trying to keep up with school three nights a week and deal with making ends meet in a world gone to Hell...literally. In the futuristic version of Atlanta Riley lives in people are constantly plagued by demons and Necromancers and survival is a struggle.

I pretty much loved all of the characters in this book. Riley is tough, smart, and sometimes takes on more than she can handle...but she does everything with a sort of honor behind it and I admired her. She had to deal with so many bad things in this book and she came out stronger because of it all. I love the boys who are her love interests; and there are many of them. She is friends with a hacker geek named Peter who helps her out with both social and techie problems. She has a strangely religious but handsome co-demon trapper apprentice named Simon to deal with. Then there is Denver Beck, her father's apprentice who used to treat Riley like his little sister but is suddently realizing she is all grown up. On top of this all there is a mysterious ninja-like man who pops in and out of fights constantly saves Riley's butt.

Then there are all the other Demon Trapper's; they are a diverse and interesting crew...I enjoyed them all.

The world is wonderful. I loved the gritty post-apocalyptic feel to it; the way the characters need their wits to survive. I enjoyed the different types of demons: the Biblios (book eating fiends), the Magpies (harmless hoaders), and the GeoFiends (elemental wielding towers of power). It has a big of a dungeon crawler feeler to it with all of the enemy encounters...but in a city. I also love the way the Demon Trappers wield magic against these fiends. The elemental globes and tricks they have are cleverly used and interesting to read about. Then there are the witches and the necromancers; this book barely touches the surface of those types of characters...and I soooo want to learn more about them too.

I just pretty much loved everything about this series. It has a bit of humor in it to keep things from getting too serious too. I would recommend for older young adults; a lot of the other Demon Trapper's say some pretty awful sexual things to Riley because she is the only girl demon trapper. It is also pretty grisly and violent at parts and there is some swearing.

The first couple chapters were a bit slow and had me feeling like "Oh, geez this is just another young adult paranormal novel where the heroine is stuck between a couple of guys." but then things really started moving and I was totally blown away. This book ends well, definitely open for some more books in this series and I hope there are more than two more (although right now Oliver only has two more on contract).

Overall just a fantastic young adult urban fantasy; definitely more urban fanasy than paranormal. There are kick-butt action scenes, wonderful characters, a fantastic world, and awesome fiends and magic. Just a wonderful, wonderful read. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in this series. Fans of urban fantasy (even adult fans) should check this series out. Fans of strong female leads fighting against horrible odds will love this. I really haven't read any young adult urban fantasies out there that hit this level of action and grittiness with a female heroine. Absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

Share/Like this Review?