Review: Witchfinder Dawn of the Demontide - William Hussey

An Ancient Evil Walks Again

Witches exist

The Demontide is coming

Jake Harker is the only one who can stop it...


Witchfinder Trilogy:
Dawn of the Demontide
Gallows at Twilight
The Last Nightfall (September 2011)

Visit the Witchfinder website for more information






Review:
Fifteen year old Jake Harker has been a fan of all things horror since he was given a box of old comics when he was nine years old.  Ever since then he has devoured horror stories in any format and has built up an impressive knowledge of things that go bump in the night.  He never for a minute suspected that any of the stories were real though - not until the night of his mother's murder when he finds himself thrust into a dark and dangerous world just as frightening as the scariest horror story.  As he investigates the cause of his mother's death he learns of the Demontide - something that occurs once in every generation and unless it is stopped the gates to hell will be opened allowing demons to overrun the world.  Jake has an important part to play in stopping the Demontide but will he have to give his life in order to save the world?

The first book in the Witchfinder trilogy Dawn of the Demontide is a dark and frightening tale that will appeal to fantasy and horror fans of all ages.  Jake is a likable and realistic character and one I'm sure most of us can relate to on some level.  He has been thrust into a world where nothing is as it seems and creatures from your worst nightmares actually exist.  Not sure who he can trust or where he can turn to for help Jake must rely on his instincts and his knowledge from horror books and films as he tries to find a way to stop the Demontide.

The story is well paced and has so many twists you can never be quite sure what will happen next.  The world William Hussey has created is both realistic and terrifying and I was completely sucked into the story right from the very beginning.  One of the things I enjoyed most about the story is the way that it shows how blurred the lines between good and evil can be.  Although some of the characters claim to be doing things for the greater good the lengths that they are prepared to go to leave you wondering how good they actually can be.  In the same vein not all of the bad guys are actually as evil as they first appear so you're never quite sure who can really be trusted.

Dawn of the Demontide is a story I'd highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good horror story, it may be one you want to start reading in daylight though and could be a little too gory for younger teens.  The story is a delight and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.

Source: Received from OUP in exchange for an honest review.

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