Book Review: Demon Dance

You can run all you want, but the game’s in your blood. And blood never forgets…

Nick St. James was born different. His extraordinary gifts have saved him time and time again, but they couldn’t save the one thing he loved most: his wife.

Now he just wants to forget his old life, but more importantly, he wants to forget the magical underworld that lives beneath the “real” world. A place where a man’s faith can determine the very fabric of reality. Where ancient forgotten gods walk hidden among us, and angels and demons fight for our very souls.

But nothing stays hidden forever. Nick’s peaceful world is ripped apart when a demon slaughters his ex-partner and marks him for death. Now he must use all his gifts to find the one who summoned the nightmarish creature, but more importantly, he needs to find the one thing he lost long ago.

Himself.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Urban Fantasy as a genre. I’ve fallen in love with the blend of the real world and mythological one. Being able to have one foot in reality, and another on an entirely different plane, makes for a read that I can’t get enough of. Needless to say, I was eager to meet Nick St. James and see what wild events his story would drag me into. I wasn’t disappointed my friends. Oh no, not at all.

First off let me gush about Nick St. James. Before I even knew anything about his pain filled past, I knew I adored him. He’s just vulnerable enough, just kind enough, to make you feel the human part of him. Put someone he wants to protect in danger though, and all hell breaks loose. Nick is a character who channels into the deepest parts of himself, past the darkness, past the pain, to whatever it takes to keep the people he cares about safe. In my book, that absolutely makes him worth following. I ate it up, and went back for seconds.

Lucky for Nick, he’s not alone. The cast of characters who come along with him are all just as strong and as vivid as he is. From his vampire sister-in-law, to his possible fling (who has her own secrets hidden away), each of them keeps him, and the story, moving right along. Not to worry, I won’t spoil anything for you. I’ll just say that there are some big players in this book. Some you’ll recognize right away, others you might learn about while reading, but Nick is playing with the big leagues. The amount of action packed into Demon Dance is staggering, and wholly immersing.

The absolute only reason I gave this a four-star rating, rather than a five, is that it did take me a while to catch up with Nick. For the first few chapters, this book reads a bit like a second novel.  It unapologetically throws you right into the action. Keep reading on though, trust me. Nick’s life is slowly unraveled throughout the story, and by the end you’ll have a lot better insight into the man who kicks so much ass on these pages. I still have questions, but I’m hoping they’ll be answered in the next book.

Long story short, this is a read that you need to get your hands on! If you’re a fan of Urban Fantasy, Demon Dance is sure to easily soar to the top of your favorites list. I know I’m a fan. Bring it on.

Brian Freyermuth, an 18 year veteran in the gaming industry, started his career at Interplay Entertainment, serving as designer and writer on a number of titles including the award-winning post-apocalyptic role playing game Fallout, where he helped craft the story and create some of its most recognizable settings.

Brian was also granted the pleasure of writing the missions and dialog for the best-selling game, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Working alongside William Shatner, George Takai and Walter Koenig gave Brian a new perspective on voice acting and dialog that influences his renowned style to this day.

In 2004, Brian ventured to the Pacific Northwest where he spent two years honing his design skills at Midway Games in Seattle. He then returned to Southern California, where he spent five years working on various influential brands under the THQ umbrella such as SpongeBob: SquarePants and WWE.

Brian’s passion for storytelling would eventually lead to a wonderful opportunity to get back to his writing roots by joining Disney and Junction Point in 2011. During his time there, he co-wrote the story and dialog for the WGA Award Nominee Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, where he worked with comic book writer Marv Wolfman and industry legend Warren Spector to give Oswald the Lucky Rabbit a voice at Disney for the first time in 80 years.

Born in the quaint town of Manitou Spring, Colorado, where he grew up in the shadow of Pikes Peak, Brian moved to California as a teenager, eventually graduating from UC Irvine with a major in Comparative Literature and a minor in Computer Science, both of which he uses in his professional and personal careers. Brian is also a member of the Horror Writer’s Association, and loves to write and play video games in his free time. He currently lives in Atlanta with his wife, Juliet, and their son, Kyle.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.