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Just a month or so ago, Lizzie Brown was a sweet Southern belle who taught preschool. But then she found out who (and what) she really is. Since then, the amateur demon slayer has been traveling to hell and back (literally!) with her talking dog, her shape-shifting griffin boyfriend, and her grandmother’s coven of biker witches.
On the road to Vegas, Lizzie discovers that she’s been slaying without a license. After she fails the licensing exam, the Department of Intramagical Procedures (DIP) restricts her to a learner’s permit, warning her of the dangers that await her in Vegas. You see, Las Vegas is plagued by an ever-increasing number of succubi—and one of them has her soul-sucking claws in Lizzie’s uncle (and fairy godfather), Phil. There are more of them than Lizzie can handle on her own, but the local demon hunter seems just as dangerous as the demons themselves. To make things even worse, Lizzie discovers that succubi can feed off the energy of a griffin—so although Dimitri is supposed to protect her, he could be doing more harm than good.
Part paranormal thriller, part romance, and part screwball comedy, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers is a wild and crazy ride, filled with ghostly bellhops, talking terriers, and elderly witches in tight leather pants. Author Angie Fox writes with an irresistibly imaginative style, seasoning the suspenseful paranormal story with wacky characters and comically clever details—from magical bureaucracy to strange spells. Though the laughs do taper off toward the end, as the final battle approaches, it’s still an entertaining read.
Really, though, it’s the characters that make The Dangerous Book so much fun. Lizzie is a lot like Stephanie Plum’s supernatural, Southern cousin—right down to her spunky, spritely grandma. She’s ready, eager, and absolutely determined to do whatever it takes to beat the bad guys and get the job done—yet she rarely knows what she’s doing. After all, she’s pretty new to the whole demon-slaying thing—so things don’t always go the way she plans. Still, she rarely backs down—and that makes her a character that readers will root for.
Lizzie’s definitely a unique character—with plenty of quirky contradictions that are sure to keep readers laughing. On one hand, she’s a tough, leather-clad, Harley-riding demon slayer. But, on the other hand, she’s still a prim and proper preschool teacher who loves her dog—and who couldn’t swear if she tried. She’s sweet and often naïve—but her grit and determination (not to mention her demon-slaying powers) keep her from turning into just another fluffy chick lit heroine. Throw in a group of biker witches, a couple of fairies, and some French fry-stealing ghosts, and you’ve got yourself a high-speed, death-defying paranormal adventure that’s wildly and hilariously entertaining.
