Title: The Demon Trapper’s Daughter
Author: Jana Oliver [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin  [http://www.stmartins.com]
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Parental Advisory: language, drugs, alcohol, criminal activity, violence
Teachable Moments: coping with loss, decision-making, good vs. evil, spirituality

“Riley stepped over the line and hesitated.  This was only the second time she’d been in front of the Guild.  The first hadn’t been a blast, with lots of argument over whether to issue her an apprentice license.  Most of the trappers hadn’t cared either way, but a few clearly resented her.  Not because of her dad, but because she wasn’t male.  They’d be her foes tonight.”

Summary (from publisher):
In the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities.  Fortunately, humans are protected by trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night.

Riley has always dreamed of following in her father’s demon-trapper footsteps.  But when tragedy strikes and a top-level demon murders her dad, Riley finds herself in for a much more dangerous future than she ever could have imagined.

Opinion:
The Demon Trapper’s Daughter is one of those reads where while I was reading it I didn’t truly know how I felt about it.  Did I like it?  Did I dislike it?  I wasn’t particularly *meh* about it just indecisive about the was it good or was it bad factor.  Some of this stems from the fact that it was a bit of a darker read.  I’ve always struggled with demon focused stories (the non paranormal romance versions) because more times than not they also focus on more hostile and violent elements that have never been appealing to me. However, there were some areas of focus (characterizations, world-building) that were attractive to me.

Thus the uncertainty about how I felt.

Time was this book’s friend though.  Because when I first finished it up I was convinced I didn’t like it.  It was too dark, the plot was too leisurely and slightly repetitive, some of the characters a bit cliched.  But now that it’s been a few weeks and I’m getting around to writing this review I find that after reflection I liked it more than I originally thought I did.

So here is the gist….

This is a story that doesn’t carry with it a lot of sunshine and roses.  There is death and dismemberment, a fair share of evil and no shortage of despair.  Light-hearted moments (if there are any) are few and far between. BUT, interspersed amongst all of this is a great story about faith, family, and love.

Not short on emotion the reader follows along as Riley loses her father (heart-breaking!), is left to support herself (impossible!), and then strengthens her resolve to become the woman he was training her to be.  It’s this part that made me put a big ol’ check mark in the like column.  Riley is strong even when she’s at her weakest point.  Unafraid to stand up and be heard she rebels against those who question her ability to care for herself as well as those who not so secretly want to see her fail.

The plot here is basic, I won’t lie about that, but I also won’t say it’s entirely predictable because it’s not.  There are twists and turns and surprises here and there.  I will warn you, however, the bulk of the story is based on the premise outlined in the publisher blurb.  Riley is an apprentice demon trapper who’s father is killed in action.  Her life changes in ways that won’t be unexpected to the reader but the way she faces the challenges presented sometimes will.

The greatest strength of this book is by far the world built.  It’s a world where demons walk among us.  But more than that it is a world where the economy has collapsed and day-to-day life is significantly altered from what we know now.  People live hand to mouth thus making the demons less of an object of fear.  I pictured it as a dirty and desolate place, a modernized version of the Wild Wild West. I liked it!

The characters weren’t too shabby either. We all know I’m a sucker for a good father daughter relationship and though the glimpse we got into Riley’s time with her father was short it was apparent they were close. Their bond of trust and friendship superseded any of the typical notions of parental control.  Out of this relationship came another — the introduction of Beck, former bad boy, former soldier, current son her father never had.  With him came the typical school girl crush that also typically ended in resentment when it wasn’t returned.  But alas, Beck is a man of great action and though at times short on words when he does speak it’s with either humor or great depth. A trapper himself Beck is protective of Riley after her father’s death.  He’s careful with her, being sure to find ways to keep her as safe as possible.  It is through this effort that Simon is introduced.  A boy of great faith he is loyal and caring; always steadfast.  It comes as no surprise that Riley is instantly attracted to the stability he provides.

And that brings me to the hearts and flowers portion of the story.  There was very little feeling of romance in this book despite the effort to include it.  I can see the Simon/Riley/Beck triangle forming for the follow up but in this book the set up lacked passion.  Simon and Riley felt extremely platonic to me.  I couldn’t quite get why she was so into him outside of the feeling of safety he provided to her.  However, I did get a spark from she and Beck.  He pushes her buttons and vice versa.  It was slightly antagonistic and in the beginning also felt a bit more platonic than anything else.  It wasn’t until the end when the two shared some touching moments that their potential sprung out to me.  I can’t say that coupledom is in the cards for them though particularly given the way this book ended.

Speaking of which, I found the last several pages to be an interesting way to conclude the story and leave the door open for more.  Again, I can’t say how it played out was all that surprising to me but I was ok with that.  It made me want to see what happens next and that really is the point isn’t it?

So in the end I can’t say I loved, Loved, LOVED this book.  But I liked it well enough to be interested to see where it goes moving forward.  Filled with non-stop action, The Demon Trapper’s Daughter is perfect for the reader who doesn’t mind a little blood and guts with their emotional and romantical angst.