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I’m impressed by authors who do a lot of research on a subject and are able incorporate the information into a fantastic piece of fiction without making it sound like a dry documentary. Tony-Paul De Vissage has done just that with Dark God Descending, bringing the Mayan cultural and the gods they worshipped to brilliant life—in his own distinctive interpretation.
While on an expedition seeking the lost Mayan city Nikte-Uaxac, James Tucker Upchurch is appalled when his professor, Lane Westcott, captures a bird-like creature that looks suspiciously like a man. In reality, they’ve kidnapped the Demon Lord and Emperor of Nikte-Uaxac.
For five thousand years after the earth spat them out of a huge volcano, the winged demons of Nikte-Uaxac have lived in peace—but then the strangers appear and carry off Semris II. The dark lord is taken on a perilous journey back to the States, and his only friend seems to be Upchurch. The other one just wants to study him, and Semris doesn’t believe that Westcott will let him live beyond his worth as a study subject.
After escaping, Semris ends up at the home of a woman named Shannon who lives with her brother, David, and a friend, Chanua. Shannon turns out to be the fiancé of James Upchurch—which is a very bad thing, because, for the first time ever, Semris finds himself experiencing mortal love. Shannon may not be able to accept that he’s an actual blood-drinking demon, and he might just lose the only friend he has outside Nikte-Uaxac.
The first vampire lore rises from the ashes of this fascinating tale about demons that were forged from the flowing lava of an angry volcano. Though demons they may be, they can still feel mortal love, which results in a hard-edged romance that’s filled with suspense and thrills.
Author Tony-Paul De Vissage brings out all sides of Semris II’s well-rounded character—from his dark demon depths to the emotions of fear and love that he experiences when he’s forced from his homeland. Even though he’s a demon, he’s not really cruel, which makes him extremely likable. He also has a touch of vulnerability, giving his character an endearing quality that you can’t help but respond to.
James Upchurch is a strong character who’s thrown into the middle of something that could ruin his life, yet he handles it with grace and dignity. With his compassion, sense of humor, and enthusiasm for research, he adds life to Dark God Descending, and he’s one of my favorite fictional characters to date.
With a different twist on vampire lore—a mixture of Mayan history and mythological gods—Dark God Descending is a unique, stay-up-all-night read. It simply fascinates from beginning to end, and, when it ends, it’ll leave you hungry for more.
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