Short Book Reviews: Demons Never Lie

 The Long Game, by K. J. Parker (Subterranean)

Demons never lie. They just don’t tell the entire truth,especially when it involves a plot running for thousands of years to ultimatelyseduce humankind so that Evil can reign on Earth.

The unnamed narrator is an Ecclesiastical Adept, rather fullof himself and his abilities (including the knack for sliding through examswith the least possible amount of effort other than raw talent). He’s supposedto be carefully guarding the world against the forces of Evil in the form ofdemons, but actually he has—somehow, he’s not sure exactly how—formed afriendship with one of the Enemy’s minions. The demon is no match for the Adept’spowers and all too ready to exchange a few favors here and there for the rightto continued residence in the mortal realms. So when a young, beautiful, mysteriouswoman from a land formerly thought to be mythical murders a local prior, it’sup to the Adept and his ever-helpful demon to solve the case. But nothing is asit seems when it comes to demons. They are notorious for playing the Long Game,in this case, The Very, Very, Very Long Game. They do this by telling thetruth. Just not all of it.

The best thing about this short novel is the wonderful voiceof the narrator, snappy and sarcastic and oh-so-unreliable when it comes to hisown nature and motives. And the plot twists. And the mystery. It’s justdelicious!