Drew Price works in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and has a wife and eight-year-old son. On the surface, he seems to be an average guy in his late thirties. In reality, he is cursed with Demon Sight. He had hoped to leave this part of his life behind him after one of the most powerful demons killed his mentor, Lincoln, 25 years ago. But on a hunt to avenge his mentor’s killer, Drew and his family become the prey. Demon Dagger by Russell James is a dark, horror thriller about Drew’s journey as a reluctant demon hunter who must hunt down and kill one of the most powerful demons to ever live in order to save the people that he cares the most about. 

To the rest of the population, bodies inhabited by demons look like the person. But Drew sees the horrific and unnatural figure that possesses it. He also knows how to identify people who have no souls – having traded them with a demon for whatever their heart most desires, but then becoming a lifelong servant. Drew follows the soulless trails and uses his connections as law enforcement to find a demon whom he thought had killed Lincoln. He successfully kills the demon, but finds out that he got the wrong one. He learns that the demon Nicobar was the killer, who isn’t at all happy about Drew killing one of his “children.” 

Lincoln’s partner, Greg, was with Lincoln during the fight that killed him. He was also the one that sent Nicobar back to Hell. So when Nicobar escapes, he is quite thirsty for revenge against demon hunters. The worst part is that it’s almost always one step ahead of everyone. Nicobar makes it personal by hitting Drew where it hurts the most – his son. More specifically, his son’s soul. These parts in Demon Dagger chilled me to my core. As a mother of two small boys, I don’t know what I would do if one of them didn’t have a soul and was destined to become a psychopath as a result. 

I like most of the characters in Demon Dagger, and the story was quite the ride. Russell James delivers a story so heart wrenching and creepy, but his writing style keeps you turning the pages no matter how dark it gets. Nicobar is probably the most dreadful villain I’ve ever encountered in a book. He goes for the jugular every time – whether it’s keeping Drew alive to watch him suffer, or laughing at breaking Greg’s spine, rendering him unable to walk. James managed to capture something so sinister and vile that you can’t help but root for Drew and his family. And during the final showdown, just when you think the Price family is on the verge of victory, James shows readers why we shouldn’t let our guard down with a book about demons. 

As much as I liked this book, I do have a few gripes. Drew’s wife, Anna, was not likable. She seemed to be permanently annoyed by her husband and there was no context as to why she was so cold all the time. Her sister Cassandra also felt like a plot device to move the story along, having no more than a few appearances. Anna’s Rheumatoid Arthritis – or what she calls the Red Dragon, was mentioned often but nothing came of it in the end. If her condition and mood are connected, it was never made very clear. 

Russell James joins us for a Cantina Conversation where we talk about his research process, what draws him to the horror genre, and plans for the future. Keep an ear out for the interview on an upcoming episode of The Nerd Cantina Show podcast and pre-order Demon Dagger, available August 16.