What drew me at first was the title--and all the implications attached. Rarely does a book say so much with just the title. Emblazoned on Jana Oliver's debut were four little words that completely capture the essence of the novel.
The Demon Trapper's Daughter
My first thought was: Okay, female lead defined by/living in the shadow of her parent(s). What I wanted to know next was, is this a good or bad shadow? Did her parent's rep give her something to live up to or something to live down? After reading the back cover, I got my answer and was fully convinced I had to get this book.
Paul Blackthorne is a heavy hitter among demon trappers, a full-on legend in his field. He's revered by his peers and feared by the demons he's so adept at capturing. Too bad his daughter, Riley, can't say the same.
She botches her very first job, a level one demon capture gone horribly--and embarrassingly--wrong. It's on youtube just minutes after the incident, and now Riley has to face The Guild and the possibility of losing her trapping license. Worse, the guy who once set her young pulse pounding, the one who broke her heart years ago with his indifference, witnesses her walk of shame. Covered in demon piss, sporting a limp, bad hair, and a bruised ego, Denver Beck is the last person Riley wants to see. Beck, her long-ago crush and father's apprentice, is a sarcastic Southern boy with down-home charm, killer looks, and a smart mouth. The Trappers Guild doesn't like him much more than they like Riley…but he's a male.
And in The Guild--a true blue, no-girls-allowed-all-boys club--that makes all the difference.
I love the fact that against all odds Riley goes for it. She wants to be a trapper, so she does it. No apologies, no feeling sorry for herself. She had great voice, believable sarcasm, humor and just the right dose of vulnerability. Plus, she was totally kick ass, which I love in a heroine--especially one as young as Riley. Demons, angels, trappers, a mounting conflict and a developed, enthralling world that is at one recognizable and fresh, this book had everything I look for in a good read. I dug the love triangle set-up…though, for me, it was no contest. Bad boy Beck vs. the saintly Simon? I'd choose Beck any day ;) For me, the sequel, Soul Thief, can't come out soon enough!
Happy reading,
Ninja Girl
