Review: The Demon Collector by Jon Mayhew

My edition: Hardback, published in 2011 by Bloomsbury, 432 pages.

Description: In the time before time, Satan ruled the molten Earth, worshiped by his demons. One demon turned against him and imprisoned Satan deep in the bowels of the earth. When Satan escaped, as punishment, the demon's heart was torn from his chest and his body hidden deep in the polar ice. Only Satan knows where he lies. The heart is hidden elsewhere. If the two are brought together, the demon will be reborn and darkness will reign.

Edgy Taylor sees demons when nobody else can. Edgy thinks he is insane and expects to be carried off any minute. He is a prime collector, wandering the streets of London collecting dog muck for the tannery. The only thing Edgy is good at is setting and solving riddles, and evading his brutal and abusive master.

One night, when his master seems genuinely intent on killing Edgy, Professor Envry Janus intervenes. Envry takes him to the Royal Society of Daemonology where Edgy will now live. It is here, though, that Edgy discovers chance had nothing to do with their meeting, and that he holds the key to a deadly demon prophecy.

Review:

This is a wonderfully original children's book set in a world where demons, arch demons and even Satan are more than just myths and legends.

Edgy Taylor thinks he's just an ordinary boy with a gift of solving riddles until he suddenly finds himself running for his life and ends up at the Society of Daemonology. Once there he discovers the most extraordinary things and tumbles head first into a dangerous world filled with demons (some good, some bad), imps and even a snake of knowledge in the library. For the first time in his life he finds himself surrounded by actual friends, but unfortunately also by enemies and it is sometimes hard to define which is which. However, Edgy has to make up his mind fast and be one step ahead of his enemies as making the wrong move can be not only fatal to himself, but to everyone on earth.

The characters in The Demon Collector are well written, the story is action-packed and fast paced and the book will leave you guessing to the very end about the true evil in this world.

7.5/10