Review: This first installment in the series packed a punch. I look forward to reading more!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 14, 2011
Demon's Night is the first volume in Guido Henkel's dime novel series based on a paranormal investigator in Victorian London. Guido contacted me to review a few installments of the series, and I was immediately interested due to the gothic setting and paranormal / horror plot.Jason Dark (great name, right?) is a Sherlock Holmes-like character. He's a ghost hunter that comes from a very long line of ghost hunters, aka Geisterjägers. He's a kind gentleman with manners and eloquent speech, but don't let his looks deceive you. Dark can hold his own in a dark alley, and he has a kick ass cane sword!The opening to the story was creepy! The demon in question begins the story in a gaseous state and needs to steal life essence in order to become corporeal. He manages to suck the life right out of three characters, and leaves behind withered, dried-up, husks, with bulging eyes.  Gruesome!I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of Victorian London, the gothic setting, the mannerisms, language and clothing of the time. Guido has great descriptive writing. One scene I particularly loved was when the demon possessed a carriage driver. We got a great picture of what this hellish creature looked like via a human shell, and it was frightening! Guido also did great with the fight scenes, which I enjoyed immensely.Under unfortunate circumstances, Dark meets Siu Lin, a young Chinese woman, early in the story. She was my favorite character, as I thoroughly enjoy Asian cultures and was happy to see that Guido incorporated some Chinese paranormal lore into the story. Siu Lin was also a serious Martial Artist, and her fight scenes were some of the best moments.This first installment in the series packed a punch. I look forward to reading more!