The Demon Trappers Daughter (Demon Trappers, NO. 1 OF 4)

by Jana Oliver

• ISBN10: 0312614780
• ISBN13: 9780312614782
• Publish Date: 1 February 2011
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 14 September 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Riley is the daughter of a well renowned demon trapper, and the only female trapper (besides the one on some reality TV show). When her father is killed on the job, Riley must cast a protective circle around his grave and sit vigil until the next full moon or else necromancers will raise his corpse to be a servant to the wealthy. While Riley needs the money to cover the rent, utilities, food and her mother's hospital bills, she does not want her father returned to be a slave. Talk about a unique premise! I loved the premise of this book, and it's nothing like anything I've read before.

I also found the set up to be really interesting. It's Atlanta, Georgia in the near future which has been overrun by demons and is totally bankrupt. There's potholes everywhere with demons lurking in their depths, and school is held in run down grocery stores, old Starbucks, and daycare centers. There's also a black market demon trade. The demon trappers are responsible for responding to demon sightings, while the church provides Holy water for fighting them and healing wounds. I just wondered how the city got to this point, and what the rest of the country is like.

Another thing that I wish was made more clear was why there are no female demon trappers. Is there a historical reason? Old fashion sexism? Or the author's way of having her female lead do something special? I just found it a little frustrating that Riley being the only girl among the trappers is constantly brought up, but with no explanation as to the why of the situation.

The Demon Trapper's Daughter is also a bit more mature than the normal YA, but it's nothing over the top. There's some strong language (a lot more than I was expecting), talk of sex, and violence. But the main character is 17, and the other character that is sometimes followed is in his 20s, so it works.

Unlike many YA paranormal novels, the romance load is very light. Sure Riley gets a boyfriend, but there's no claims of undying love or make-out sessions. This might be because Simon is a "good Catholic boy," but either way, the romance is kind of in the background. However, there does seem to be some hints at a love triangle. In my opinion, Simon doesn't even measure up. He's actually quite a boring character, but he didn't get enough page time to develop. Beck on the other hand is the second POV so we really get to know him. He comes across as a jerk, but underneath that he's a good guy with some emotional demons (in addition to the real demons he fights everyday).

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. If you're looking for something a little different in the paranormal genre, where action outweighs the romance, I'd definitely recommend this one.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Quirky Cat]

I read the free short story of this series, and was hooked, so it didn't really come as a surprise that I liked this book too. Unlike other ebooks in this price range, it was really a nice length (not too short). It had a very well thought out plot, and a unique perspective. I'm definitely going to have to read the next one!

[lizarodz]

I had The Demon Trapper’s Daughter in my TBR list for a while and I actually own copies of this book and book #2 in the series. This book was an enjoyable and a little surprising to me.

Our kick-ass heroine is Riley, daughter of renowned demon Trapper Paul Blackthorne. Riley is tries to be a good person and wants to be a good trapper. She has gone through a lot and it seems like trouble follows her around, or maybe she is a little impulsive and doesn’t think things through. Riley is relatively new and inexperienced trapper, but she is willing to learn.

Simon is Riley’s love interest, but for some reason I cannot like him. He is the type of person that sees the world as black or white, good or bad. He is handsome, good, and responsible and he really cares about Riley, but it seems to be like the relationship develops way to fast. Now, I love Beck! He is much less likable, but with more layers and more depth than Simon. He has his own set of rules and it works for him. I would love to see more of Beck in the next book (if only Riley will see that and stop being so tough on him!) There are many other characters in the book, both good (Peter, Ari) and bad (Harper) that makes this "alternate world” believable.

The plot and the story are very original. It takes place in Atlanta (love the setting) in a world were demons exist and are very common. The demons are very different and range from three inches to over seven feet in height and have diverse powers and classifications. The writing is straight forward and easy to read. I will definitely read the second book in the series.

About the cover – I really like the US cover better than the UK (on the left). I like the red color (and its significance), the wings, the city at the background and Riley looking over it with a sphere in hand.

[Amanda]

Actual rating: 3.5

Original review: http://onabookbender.com/2011/12/07/review-demon-trappers-daughter-by-jana-oliver/

With the economy the way it is currently, the Atlanta of 2018 is not really that difficult to believe (minus the paranormal aspect, of course). I enjoyed the world Jana Oliver created, with demons, demon trappers (and hunters), witches, and who knows what else. Riley may know a little about how to be a demon trapper, but she clearly has a lot left to learn, and we learn along side of her — at least what we get to learn in this book. There is still a lot left up in the air, especially with the way Demon Trapper’s Daughter ended. I would like to see a lot more demon trapping and what that all entails. Demon Trapper’s Daughter also felt pretty upper-YA to me. Even though Riley is 17, she interacts with a lot of adults.

On a character front, I liked Riley. She is already pretty grown up considering her circumstances, but she tries to take on more than she can handle, making it seem like she has big shoes to adjust to. And I wasn’t overly fond of her boy choices. Because yes, as everyone knows, I am not a fan of love triangles, and it definitely felt like there was one here. It’s all about Beck, even though the way he speaks is so incredibly annoying. I am sure that the “ya” and “yer” used when Beck was speaking was a way to drive home the “Backwoods Boy” idea, but it grated on my nerves. If I wasn’t cheering for a Riley/Beck pairing (because really, it’s the only choice), I’d probably smack him. No one else spoke in such a manner, so it was a trifle confusing and out of place. There were more boys, but, eh. I’ll leave that up to you to figure out.

The ending leaves a lot of the plot left hanging in the air. It’s not the kind of cliffhanger that barrels into you like a freight train, but is instead the kind of cliffhanger that teases mercilessly of what has been left without closure. It didn’t leave me cursing, but I was not a fan either. There were also a few spots where we got the “thoughts” of the characters — direct thoughts, not “Riley thought…” — which I felt was out of place only because everything was narrated in third person. Overall, I did enjoy Demon Trapper’s Daughter and the demon trapper world, though there were a few minor flaws.