BOOK REVIEW: Demon's Night (Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter) by Guido Henkel

Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter is a series of novellas with an intriguing premise. The main character, Jason Dark, is a paranormal detective who fights demons, ghosts, vampires and other supernatural beings. But the twist that sets it apart from other popular paranormal detective stories (such as Supernatural or The X-Files) is that it takes place in Victorian era London.

Demon's Night is the first volume in the series. In this novella Jason Dark investigates mysterious deaths where the victims' bodies are found shriveled like raisins. His detective work leads him to a dangerous demon who sucks the life out of its victims. With the help of Siu Lin (a woman he saves from the demon) and his special demon-slaying sword, he sets out to stop the demon before it kills again.

The plot leans more toward action/adventure than horror and it's very different compared to the usual gory stories I favour, but it still held my interest. There is a ton of action, suspense and mystery to make this an interesting - and quick - read. Normally I'm not a fan of historical fiction (it reminds me of boring history class), but I thought I would give this a shot since it involves the paranormal and I was pleasantly surprised. The time period actually makes it more interesting and unique than if it had a contemporary setting.

But the characters left a little to be desired. Jason Dark could have been fleshed out a bit more and given more of a back-story. I'm hoping that since this is the first in a series we will get to know him better in the other books. Although I guess that in a plot-driven story such as this one, it's not a big deal if the characters aren't deep as long as the story is entertaining - and it is.

There are nine volumes in the series, which you can read more about here.


Rating: 4/5