Demon Hunter (Book)

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Written by by T. L. Gardener

Published by Q-Boro Books

299 pages


Elijah committed suicide, and then his problems really began. Angels, demons, white supremacists, and the FBI all make appearances in Demon Hunter, the latest offering from T. L. Gardener. Not even the combined efforts of the aforementioned characters can save this novel from its shortcomings.

The main story revolves around Elijah, a man in the grips of depression and with an active dream life. When the woman he believes is the love of his life dies in his arms, Elijah takes the only way out he can see. He shoots himself in the head. While, for most people, that would do the trick, Elijah awakens in the hospital, his wounds miraculously healed, and now possessing of a strange power that he’s only had before in his Dungeons-and-Dragons-style dreams. Taking special note of these events are Gabriel, the Archangel (whose characterization bares a striking resemblance to Christopher Walken’s character in The Prophecy), Lucifer, Michael, an FBI agent named Ebonee Lang, and Elijah’s sister, Kenyatta. Also aware of Elijah and his newfound role of super demon slayer is a white supremacist devil worshiping group lead by a demon-possessed high priest.

The shortcomings of this novel are numerous, and many stem from the author’s habit of incorporating other works, particularly movies, into his writing. To begin with, the opening few pages seem ripped right out of the script for The Prophecy with angels wandering around in trench coats, plotting out the war in heaven, burning bodies with a wave of the hand, and shushing folks into falling down. Moving on, readers get a glimpse of X-Files and Cobra with the FBI agents encountering the white supremacist group. When Elijah realizes his new powers, he dons a black suit of armor under a black trench complete with swords a la Blade. When the author used the Excalibur’s Charm of Making, I quit reading. There is a fine line between paying homage and blatantly ripping off, a line that is crossed repeatedly in this novel.

In addition, the characters play into every stereotype known to literature. From the truncated dialogue to the paper-thin “gangsta” lifestyle, it seems that the writer is bent on throwing as many clichés into one novel as is humanly possible. Plot holes also plague the story, breaking the reader away from the story and often insulting his intelligence.

Reading the bottom of the cover, readers find out that this is “Demon Hunter Series Book One.” With any luck, the sequels will be better than the original.

1 ½ out of 5

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