The Demon Trapper's Daughter

THE DEMON TRAPPER’S DAUGHTER, Jana Oliver, St Martin’s Griffin, $9.99, 352 Pages, ISBN: 9780312614782, reviewed by Barry Hunter.

If this is your first introduction to Jana Oliver, prepare to have your socks knocked off. If you are familiar with Jana’s previous work, prepare to have your socks knocked off. While this is marketed as a YA title, it is a great read for everyone. No matter what her topic is, Jana creates outstanding characters and makes them live and breathe. They become like friends and family and you really care for them.

This time out it’s Riley Blackthorne, a seventeen year old apprentice demon trapper living in the demon filled Atlanta of 2018. The economy has constantly gotten worse and Lucifer has increased his minions on Earth and it is up to Trappers Guild to eliminate them. Demons are ranked from one to five and come in all shapes, sizes and talents. Riley is apprenticed to her father and is dealing mostly with the small devils

As the book opens, Riley is after a biblio-demon in the library, when a problem arises and she goes before the Guild. Things go downhill from there. Her father is killed by a five and Beck, his other apprentice is injured.

Other problems come to pass as the demons appear to be working together, Holy Water is not working, and the demons all know Riley’s name. Riley must protect her father’s body from the Necros, go to school, fall in love and learn everything she can about her craft while facing obstacles at every turn.

This is a tremendous novel. It is also a memorable novel that should spawn a number of sequels. There are some books that stay with you and you always remember the first time you discovered them; THE DEMON TRAPPER’S DAUGHTER is one of those novels. It reminds me of the first time I read TWILIGHT and Jana Oliver should make demons the next big thing.


The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, Jana G. Oliver, St. Martin’s, Feb 1 2011, $9.99, ISBN: 9780312614782, reviewed by Harriet Klausner.

In 2018, Atlanta is like much of the country and the world in economic ruin. The residents follow the Golden Rule of do unto your neighbor before they do unto to you as survival is the only game in town. Adding to the misery index is Lucifer’s demonic minions are everywhere causing pain and suffering.

Seventeen year old Riley Blackthorne understands how miserable life has become. Her mother died from cancer while she and her dad Paul owe so much they have no chance of escaping their debts. However, like her father, Riley becomes a demon trapper joining the guild as an apprentice (while also attending school); as a way of bringing in income though from her hard childhood she always wanted to join her dad on the job. However, when a demon kills him, she has no choice but to keep working handling Grade One demons. However a Grade Five hellish killer attacks her as Lucifer targets Riley when she is most vulnerable while she grieves her loss.

This is a great opening urban fantasy as Jane G. Oliver deftly blends the creation of her mythos with non-stop action. The fast-paced story line starts at an incredible pace and never decelerates as the armchair audience needs to wear seatbelts. However, even with this faster than light speed, Atlanta and the heroine are fully developed while the support cast (a peer she romantically likes, her father, other trappers and demons) enhance the setting or the star. Readers will enjoy a joy ride around Atlanta escorted by The Demon Trapper’s Daughter.