Lord Loss

The Demonata #1

by Darren Shan

When Grubbs Grady first encounters Lord Loss and his evil minions, he thinks that he will never again witness such a terrible night of death and darkness.

HE IS WRONG...

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal, Demons, Supernatural

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian's note: Also writes books for adults under the name Darren Dash. And in the past he has released books for adults under the names D.B. Shan and Darren O'Shaughnessy.

Darren Shan (born July 2, 1972 in London, England) is the pen name of the Irish author Darren O'Shaughnessy, as well as the name of the protagonist of his book series The Saga of Darren Shan, also known as The Cirque Du Freak Series in the United States. He is the author of the series The Demonata, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, and Zom-B. He has also released the stand-alone novel, The Thin Executioner, and the stand-alone short novels, Koyasan, and Hagurosan. Plus, for adults, he released The City Trilogy (originally under the name of D.B. Shan), and Lady of the Shades..

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD. This book scared the crap out of me, but I couldn't put it down. It's so vivid, it's like reading a really good comic book. There's never any doubt as to what's going on or what it looks like, which is both good and bad, as the first event in the book is the grisly deaths of the main character's entire family. There's one point at which a demon is using the main character's sister's skin as a puppet... ICK!ICK!ICK! But you definitely want the kid to win, and you want the bad guys to lose. If you don't like the ideas of demons, magic, and walking, talking embodiments of evil, you shouldn't read this book. On the other hand, if you like magic and have a slightly weird turn of the soul, you'll really get into this. I found it a lot scarier and more riveting than Stephen King, and much better-written, too!

[Hosein · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب چند برابر از اونی که یادمه بهتره. یه داستان چارچوب داره که نه از اون فضای کودکانه خارج میشه، نه میذاره اشتباهات متداول کارهای کودک/وحشت پیش بیاد. کلا عالیه.

برام جالبه که توی این مدتی که از چاپش گذشته، چه قدر نوع زبان ما تغییر کرده. خیلی از چیزهایی که تو پانویس‌ها اومدن دیگه به حدی متداول شدن که توضیح نخوان. یا یکسری تکه کلام مشخصا مال اون زمان ایران بوده و توی کتاب اوردن (که اشتباه نیستن) و الان خوندنشون یکم عجیبه.

پ.ن: من مطمئنم لرد لاس هیچ شانسی جلوی هوش مصنوعی شطرنجِ مک نداره. یعنی کافی بود یه جایی این خانواده بزنن زیر یکسری از بخشای قرارداد و یه مک بوک بیارن سر معامله، همه چیز درست میشد.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

In writing this review, I shall have to be very careful not to spoil this book. In a word, this was fantastic. I truly enjoyed reading it. I had no idea what to expect and that's part of the fun, so I won't enlighten you about what this book is about.

Go into reading this book as an adventure. The beginning is shocking, to say the least. But don't give up. Keep reading. Accompany Grubbs on his journey. Watch the mundane slide into the nightmare dimensions that we hope not to encounter in this life. Have fun doing it. You certainly will.

Darren Shan is one heck of a writer. There is a beauty in how he takes such a grim subject and makes it interesting, and in some moments, laugh out loud funny. I'm in awe. I have not read very many books that are written in the present tense, so it was a little different at first. But I must say that doing so really kept me in the moment and part of the action. You really are right there with Grubbs when his life implodes, for lack of a better word. In my opinion, Mr. Shan has taken a little bit of that Lovecraft and Barker vibe and made it more fun, accessible and palatable for this reader. Yet there is no doubt that he has established his own voice that will keep me coming back for more of his books.

The storyline is such that you wonder how things will connect together. Be patient. All will be revealed. And I was very impressed with the result. I think I should take up chess. Just in case it comes in handy.

I will say no more. Read this book, if you're brave enough. I would advise against reading at night and while you're alone. I read it during the day and I was by myself, and I did okay (no nightmares/trouble sleeping). And I don't think I'd let a child under a mature for his/her age 12 (and that's being generous) read this book. It contains some, not too many, gruesome scenes and violence, and dark subject matter.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Darren Shan's Cirque Du Freak series (I mean, seriously, almost literally drooled over waiting for each edition of those books...) so set myself the goal of reading his other series as well. This sounded the more interesting, so this is the one I've started with.

Definitely dark, definitely morbid, it's a young adult for older teens, despite how it's marketed. Just as enjoyable for adults, at least this one. The main character encounters a tragic, violent loss as he finds his family destroyed and faces the villains who did it (brutal stuff). When he mentally heals enough to cope, he finds himself sheltered by his long-lost uncle, a man who knows more than he's telling, but who is willing to tell it as soon as Grubbs wants to listen.

I can tell there are complicated intricacies waiting in further sequels. This one kept it a little simple for effect and establishing structure. There were twists and surprises as they are slowly unveiled, but nothing too stunning. I finally figured out where the chess came into play - interesting stuff. I dug the idea of the family curse, the magic use, and the ties with the demon master Lord Loss.

Grubbs is a worthy main young adult protagonist. He's not obnoxious, he's realistic, and I especially thought Shan wrote his madness well. Almost a poetic bend to tell that part of the story. The uncle is easy to fall in love with and I hope he sticks around. The new best friend, Bill-E, is adorably likeable. As far as villains go, Lord Loss is evil through and through, creepy, and even I wanted him to leave.

There's violence and gore - from someone dead being used as a finger puppet, to beheadings, and even a bizarre story about the original owner of the house getting rid of a baby he didn't want by feeding it to his pet piranhas. It's not continuous, but it's brutal in the scenes which are meant to be horrifying. Of course these scenes hold up strong in their tensions. You never know what the author will pull out of his hat, after all.

I rated three rather than five as the story didn't addict or fully captivate me yet. It has the potential to and I'll definitely keep reading.

The ending is kind of a calm before the storm - a relieved sigh that things are surprisingly okay. This never stays, as I've found - especially considering there are at least ten more of these books to go.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

See... F-I-V-E Bloody stars!

My dad would have kicked Darren Shan for writing this book.

But I won't. XD

Trust me. It's gory and gross. I would never recommend this book to my lil bro. And I've hidden the ebook deep inside the PC so that dad doesn't accidentally find it or worse... read it. Dad hates violence, I can't watch horror movies, play utterly gory games or read stuff on that when he is around

AND PLEASE DONT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE EXTRAORDINARY IMAGINATION SKILLS AND HATE A MASSASCRE OF A FAMILY

The first quarter was pretty gross. The protagonist, Grubbs Grady is a spoiled kid(or so I think) is caught smoking. His mom is furious- blah...blah...blah.... He gets off.

The Family is practically addicted or obsessed or glued or attached to CHESS!
They want Grubbs to play it too, but he doesn't like it.

Then he plays this really mean prank on his sister, Gret. I guess I could never have imagined that kind of prank if I had not read this. And gets grounded for 30 days.

But after some days his sis comes in and gifts him something, says something good and informs him that his punishment has come to an end. "Ya kiddin me?"

And they live happily ever after.

WRONG!

Thay plan to go to watch a ball. The three send Grubbs to his aunt's house while they are away. But our sneaky Grubbs sneaks out and gets back to his house and find the car outside. So they lied to him! He gets in and finds all the chessboards ripped into pieces and then he finds

BIG SPOILER
His father's head cut off, his mother half eaten by a demon and his sis ripped in two, Sob.

He then meets Lord Loss.
Yup. That guy after whom the book was named upon, and his two familiars Artery and Vein. HE ESCAPES THEM.

Then for the next 50-65 pages its utterly no action. Just lunacy and stuff...

Then this cool guy called Dervish(Grubbs' uncle) comes in and takes Grubbs home.

Then the book really gets interesting. I just got glued to my ebook reader's screen. I finished this half in one sitting.

It contains. Spoiler alert!
Werewolves, a hot chick, a fat boy, a cellar, and an EPIC CHESS MATCH

PLOT: Wonderfully created. The author knows exactly when to twist the tale, when you least expect it. The ending is perfect... I could not decide whether to find Demonata #2 Demon Thief a sequel or an entirely different story.

CHARACTERS: The character of Grubbs Grady is not one that I would say I love. But Dervish, his character was crafted so well, I loved it!
Aaaaand... LORD LOSS, the Demon Lord. I personally think that he resembles Voldemort in the way he speaks, calm but harsh.
And his appearance... Eww... COOL!!! He doesn't have a heart, instead he has a hole on his left chest filled with snakes and he's got 8 hands! OMG! He's a Fuckin spider mutant! But I'm glad that he shows only two hands most of the time. AND THAT GUY IS EFFIN OBSESSED WITH CHESS, go figure that out, a demon playing chess! Cool, right? XD

And here are some snippets...
that you'll mostly understand after reading the book XD

"Stick it up your crack, You warped son of a Mutant Bitch!"

"You thought I was a ********?"
"Yes"
"You Ass"

"Now sod off back to your own world, you motherless scum, and save your threats for those who care."

"Can I get to melt your king?"



And this one is my favorite.


-----------------------
"The demons were scary but girls - well, girls are really terrifying!"
-----------------------

NOW GETTYA SORRY ASS OUTTA HERE AND READIT!

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That's it people.
I suck at writing positive reviews.

[Amin · Rating 4 out of 5]

نمی‌تونی از کسی که هستی فرار کنی، اما می‌تونی به‌سمت اون شخصیتی که می‌خوای بشی حرکت کنی.

بعد از پونزده سال، بازخوانی مجموعه‌ای که خاطره‌های خوبی از خوندنش داشتم.

بازخوانی مجموعه‌های دوران کودکی و نوجوانی همیشه استرس‌زاست، چون آدم می‌ترسه خاطرات خوبش خراب بشه. به هر حال باید قبول کرد که بعضی کارها برای یه سنی جذابن و ممکنه در دوره‌ای دیگه خوندنشون لذت‌بخش نباشه. برای مجموعه‌ی دموناتا هم همین حس رو داشتم، و هرچند می‌دونم گفتن این حرفم کلیشه شده، اما باید بگم دارن شان بازم ناامیدم نکرد.

دفعه‌ی اولی که مجموعه رو خوندم، لرد لاس جزو سه تا کتاب محبوبم توی مجموعه بود و گروبز محبوب‌ترین شخصیت توی کل مجموعه. این بار که داشتم با جهان‌بینی متفاوتی کتاب رو می‌خوندم، متوجه می‌شدم که چرا این کتاب رو بار اول اون‌قدر دوست داشتم. داستان شروع هیجان‌انگیزی داره، توی دو فصل اول خواننده رو جذب خودش می‌کنه. بعدش شروع می‌کنه به شخصیت‌پردازی درویش و گروبز و بیل‌-ای و در ادامه میرآ که همه‌شون شخصیت‌های جالبی‌ان و در عین حال متنوع. زیاد هم حاشیه نمی‌ره و خیلی زود ماجرا و معمای اصلی داستان رو وسط می‌کشه. در کل داستان ضرباهنگ خوبی داره. همین باعث می‌شه که خوندنش خسته‌کننده نباشه.

پ.ن: برای ریویوی بازخوانی این مجموعه، نسخه‌ی دیگه‌ای از کتاب‌ها رو اضافه می‌کنم که بتونم امتیازی مجزا از اون امتیازهایی بدم که سال‌ها پیش داده بودم. برای لرد لاس، امتیاز من 4.5 هست که به پایین گردش می‌کنم.

پ.ن 2: می‌خوام به ترتیب هر جلدی که می‌خونم، کتاب‌ها رو برای خودم رده‌بندی کنم. فعلاً که یک جلد رو دوباره خوندم، در نتیجه فعلاً لرد لاس اوله. تا ببینیم در ادامه چی می‌شه.

سوالِ نپرسیده بیهوده‌ترین چیز دنیاست.

[Ariyan Abidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

براي من كتاباى دارن شان جورين كه ميدونم تهش قرار نيست خيلى اتفاق خاصى بيفته يا مثلا يه غافل گيرى اى داشته باشه كه برق از سرم بپرونه، ولى بازم دلم ميخواد بخونم و لذت هم ميبرم.

[Imaydahjr · Rating 3 out of 5]

اتمام
۲۵/دی/۰۱
1:55

نبرد با شیاطین؛ مجموعه ای که جدیدا شروعش کردم و تا اینجا که خوشم اومده :))

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Okay so I read this series about 5 years ago now and don’t remember a lot of it really well. I sat down to write up a few lines about it after seeing that a friend was reading it but as I did I kept remembering cool plot points/characters that I felt obligated to mention. Anyway I remember reading this series when I was about 13/14 and really liking it (all of the disembowelling helped :D). Note: This is marketed as Young Adult but… it isn’t. At least it’s not what you’d normally expect from the genre. You should really not let your kids read this if they’re under, say, 12 and probably older still. I’ve legits never read a book/series with more detailed descriptions of scenes of horrific violence and gore. This review will cover the whole series however I’ll try to keep any important plot points from later books in spoiler tags.

The first book introduces Grubbs Grady, a pretty typical teenager. After his sister tells his parents that he was smoking he plays a prank on her. A really messed up prank. I mean really messed up. Don’t try this shit at home. Anyway afterwards Grubbs is punished by his parents by being banned from going on a trip with them. But his parents and his sister are acting… strange. His sister comes into his room to tell him that she forgives him for the prank and give him a gift. Grubbs, having quarrelled with his sister all his life doesn’t know what to make of this display of affection. I still remember this part due to Grubb’s reflections on it later on. While Shan’s over-use of gore and violence can be immature and tactless he is also occasionally capable of writing moments of true poignancy. Anyway shortly afterwards his parents and sister send him to his grandmother’s while they go on their trip. However when Grubb returns home early he finds their car still parked outside. When he goes inside what he sees changes his life forever…

This first book had elements of mystery and suspense as the hero begins to suspect his uncle suffers from an ancient curse, a curse that may have led to tragedy for his family. When he and his cousin/best friend Bill-E Spleen (I still remember that name :D) investigate they stumble onto a truth they never could have expected. This book with it’s eerie, suspense-filled plot and a brilliantly worked plot twist was reminiscent of the best of R.L. Stein.

As the story goes on the scope is expanded greatly. While at times the first book was more focused on horror the series gradually moves more towards epic fantasy, however Shan maintains his famously brutal style throughout. The death of Grubb’s friend Loch around book 3 and Bill-E’s involvement was a haunting, horrifying piece of writing and Bill-E’s death several books later as a result was a brilliant example of a story tying together while also being a deeply moving moment In keeping with the traditions of epic fantasy 2 new POV characters are introduced. This was done in a really bold way as Shan completely focused on establishing these new characters in later books, with Erikson-esque departures from the main storyline. One of these characters I recall as being extremely similar to the previous MC; a teenage boy who discovers magical powers after his family was killed, raising the question why Shan even bothered with it.

However I still remember the introduction of the other character vividly. In a sudden departure from the modern world with demons lurking in hidden corners we’ve been introduced to the reader is transported to an ancient world of swords and spears, clans and honour. In this world the demons don’t lurk in the shadow but have torn through all of society, trailing devastation and horror in their wake. In this world, Bec, a young priestess is thrust into a seemingly hopeless journey to save her people. Along with a number of companions she has to find a way to shut the demons out from the world before it is too late. Her companions include the man she had hoped to marry before joining in the priesthood, a vain prince, two brave brother-warriors and a simple, mute boy named Bran who we had already met in the main series set several thousand years later in the form of Beranabus, the most powerful and deadly magician in the world. Which I thought was really cool. The book that chronicles this (I think it was 4?) was probably the series strongest and definitely the most vivid in my recollections. I still remember a particular scene where the heroes discover the remains of a small band of humans had been trapped by demons in a shrine in the middle of a forest. The survivors had made a last desperate bid for freedom through the forest, without success. As the book goes on the tension and sense of desperation builds to a fever-pitch, culminating in a shocking betrayal and a deadly final confrontation.

This series had a pretty good ending that was in keeping with the brutal tone throughout while also managing to be optimistic…Which was nice after 10 books of demonic dismemberment.

Overall I remember this as being a pretty cool series. While there’s no real depth to the characters or world building and the plot occasionally feels overstretched and bloated (especially towards the end of the series) when Shan tries to take on too much this was still an enjoyable read with some cool suspense (especially at the start), a mostly sharp, well-written plot and great, highly engaging action scenes throughout.

[Danni (bookswithdanni) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ 4 Stars ⭐

I first read this when I was in school and I recently found the series set in a second-hand bookshop so I had no choice but to get them 😂 Absolutely loved this series as a kid and really wanted to reread them to see if they're still enjoyable, and can say they definitely are!

It is more of a middle-grade book so it's obviously written for a younger audience and the writing style reflects that. However, it makes for a quick fun read for all ages. The middle section was a little uneventful but it didn't impact the rest of the book negatively as it still moved quickly.

There are some disturbing/violent scenes throughout which are described in great detail so if you really hate gore I'd suggest skipping, but if you don't particularly mind gore I'd give it a go as it does feature a good story.

All the characters were well done and quite relatable, it felt they had depth and room for development. They were also very likeable, even the demons, so I really enjoyed reading this as a whole.

[Sang Cast · Rating 3 out of 5]

اگر قرار است خواندن این کتاب مرا به عمق حماقت چاپ کتاب تحت سانسور در ایران «اسلامی» ببرد، پس لازم است که هم‌زمان با خواندن کتاب هر از گاهی این نقد را به‌روزرسانی کنم و نکات مزخرفش را لیست کنم، تا کمی دلم خنک شود. (نگران نباشید، در انتهای همین مطلب، نقد خودم از داستان و ترجمه و نگارش کتاب را هم آورده‌ام.)

(نکته: به تازگی سری به میدان انقلاب زدم و چاپ جدید کتاب را دیدم، و فهمیدم که نشر قدیانی برخی مشکلات را در کتاب حل کرده است، و حاشیه کتاب‌ها هم کم‌تر و فونت متن هم کوچک‌تر شده است، که کارهایی بسیار پسندیده بودند. از همین رو، تصمیم گرفتم برای منصفانه بودن نوشته‌ام، شماره چاپ هر جلدی که می‌خوانم را ذکر کنم: من چاپ چهاردهم (۱۳۹۹) این جلد را خوانده‌ام و در ادامه توضیح داده‌ام.)

۱. صفحه ۲۵: اولین چیزی که من را صاف وسط دریاچه نفرت از سانسور انداخت، پاورقی مترجم برای توضیح «[رقص] باله» بود، که می‌بایست آن را بدون استفاده از واژه رقص توضیح می‌داد: نوعی نمایش روی صحنه همراه با موسیقی و حرکاتی موزون و سازماندهی‌شده! مشکل واژه رقص چیست؟ آدم‌ها حق ندارند گاهی «موزون و سازماندهی‌نشده» خودشان را با ریتمی خاص تکان بدهند؟ و اگر چنین کنند از ارزش‌های والای کثافت این دیار چیزی کم خواهد شد اگر اسمش را بگذارند رقص؟ قطعا چنین افتضاحی خواست مترجم کتاب نبوده. این سانسورها غالبا توسط ویراستار آگاه به رذالت وزارت ارشاد یا مدیر انتشارات صورت می‌گیرند، تا یک وقت به تریج قبای حضرت ولی امر و مسلمین آتش‌به‌اختیار بر نخورده باشد و شهوت و جنون و جنایت در مغزشان اتصالی نکند و انتشارات بدبخت را به آتش نکشند.

۲. صفحه ۲۹: این یکی اما مستقیما به مترجم مربوط می‌شود، که نرفته یک نگاهی بیندازد، و ببیند «چشم‌آبی پیر | Ol' Blue Eyes» ترانه‌ای از فرانک سیناترا نیست، بلکه لقبی‌ست که به خود او داده‌اند. من موقع خواندن کتاب معمولا حوصله ندارم نسخه انگلیسی آن را با متن ترجمه مقایسه کنم؛ اما تقریبا اکثر مواقع می‌توانم بفهمم که متن اصلی چه‌طور بوده. عادت من برای پیدا کردن آهنگ‌هایی که ازشان توی کتاب‌ها اسم می‌برند، باعث شد به این اشتباه پی ببرم. احتمالا متن اصلی چنین چیزی بوده: «عمه کیت ماقبل‌تاریخ عاشق ترانه‌های چشم‌آبی پیر است و همیشه توی رادیو دنبالش (دنبال صدای فرانک سیناترا) می‌گردد. وقتی صدای کیت را می‌شنوم که با آهنگ او هم‌خوانی می‌کند...» اما «هم‌خوانی با آهنگ» آن هم توسط یک زن، احتمالا باز هم نکته بسیار برخورنده‌ای بوده، و به خاطر همین تبدیل شده به «... همراه رادیو این تصنیف قدیمی را می‌خواند...» واژه «تصنیف» آدم را می‌برد به حال‌وهوای تلاش ناموزون والدین خودسانسورمان که سعی می‌کردند بدون ریتم شعرهای ترانه‌های شجریان و شهرام ناظری را بخوانند!

۳. صفحه ۱۰۸: مترجم جمله را به صورت «و تو هم گروبز هستی، "من را گروبیچ صدا نزن!" گریدی، درسته؟» که در واقع از روی ویرگول‌های جمله می‌توانم بگویم که اگر به صورت «و تو هم گروبز "من را گروبیچ صدا نزن!" گریدی هستی، درسته؟» نوشته می‌شد درست‌تر بوده، چون نویسنده سعی داشته یک نام میانی مضحک ساخته باشد.

۴. صفحه ۱۲۹: دو سانسور زیبا، که یک‌جا توضیح‌شان می‌دهم! مثلا جمله «Whoops! I’ve spilt milk all over my T-shirt. Can you come and help me out of it, Grubbsy?» به «وای! شیر را روی زمین ریختم. می‌شود بیایی کمک کنی تا جمعش کنیم، گروبز؟» ترجمه شده؛ و جمله «The mysterious Meera Flame. She’s hot, isn’t she?» به صورت «میرا فلیم اسرارآمیز! خیلی آتشی است، نه؟». لازم به توضیح اضافه‌ای نیست!!!

۵. صفحه ۲۰۵: «در دست راستش، سرنگ بلندی ویژه تزریق‌های زیرجلدی دارد.» باید پرسید که تزریق زیرجلدی دیگر چه کوفتی‌ست، و آیا منظور مترجم تزریق زیرپوستی بوده؟ البته این مورد را می‌پذیرم، چون در جست‌وجوی امروزم در اینترنت، به صفحه ویکی‌پدیای این تزریق بر خوردم. (تزریق زیرجلدی در ویکی‌پدیا) هرچند باز هم تزریق زیرپوستی را بیشتر می‌پسندم! یک پاورقی می‌توانست چیز خوبی باشد.

۶. صفحه ۲۴۱: «بد از آن» که در واقع «بعد از آن» است و هیچ‌کس آن را اطلاع نداده بوده است.

۷. صفحه ۲۷۳: بالاخره «سگی با سر تمساح» یا «سگی با سر سوسمار»؟ هیچ‌کس برایش سؤال نشده، یا سوسمار و تمساح را یک چیز در نظر گرفته بودند؟

۸. صفحه ۳۳۰: مترجم در این‌جا عبارت «Impeccable Hulk» را به «هالک بدنشدنی» ترجمه کرده و پاورقی زده تا درباره «هالک باورنکردنی | Incredible Hulk» توضیح بدهد. اما جالب است که کلمه اصلی را نیاورده و توضیح نداده شوخی ماجرا چیست یا این دو هالک چه ربطی به هم دارند. یا خودش هم خبر نداشته و متوجه شوخی نشده، یا ناشر کتاب «تن‌تن و سندباد» راضی نبوده که یکی از ابرقهرمان‌های آمریکای جنایت‌خوار را در کتابش معرفی کند.

۹. صفحه ۳۳۰: عبارت «Little and Large» که به «کوچکه و گندهه» به صورت ایتالیک ترجمه شده است، و پاورقی توضیح می‌دهد اسم «نمایش» طنز انگلیسی‌ای بوده که دو کاراکتر چاق و لاغر داشته است. بگذریم که مترجم در جریان جست‌وجوی این نام، کلمه Show را به نمایش ترجمه کرده، که هم درست است و هم نیست؛ هم‌چنین فهمیده که اسم این برنامه تلویزیونی بهتر است خودمانی‌تر ترجمه شود، اما به جای «کوچیکه»، انگار که هنوز دلش راضی به این خودمانی‌نویسی و زبان محاوره‌ای نبوده، از «کوچکه» استفاده کرده که خوانشش را برای من چندش‌آور کرده بود.

آیا دارم زیادی ایراد می‌گیرم؟
من از سانسور متنفرم؛ و از وقتی متوجه شدم که انتشارات قدیانی به خودش اجازه داده که مجموعه آنی شرلی را سانسور کند و در کار مونتگومری دست ببرد، احساس می‌کنم سانسور تمام جریان واقعی زندگی را بدل به مردابی مرده کرده است. اگر می‌توانستم گروهی از آدم‌های ضدسانسور را دور هم جمع کنم، بخش‌های سانسورشده کتاب‌ها را همراه‌شان پیدا می‌کردیم و ترجمه‌شان را توی یک سایت منتشر می‌کردیم، تا هر کسی که می‌خواهد کتابی را بخواند، بداند چه چیزی از کجا و به چه صورتی حذف شده یا تغییر کرده است. این‌طوری فارغ از لذت بردن مخاطب از متن کامل، ذهنش هم برای معکوس‌سازی سانسور تمرین داده می‌شود و کم‌کم به عملکرد خوبی دست خواهد یافت.

آیا این‌طور حرف‌ها نباید درباره کتاب‌هایی مثل «فاوست» گوته و آثار شکسپیر یا داکینز مطرح شوند؟
آن آثار عظیم و گران‌قدر به جای خودشان هستند و کتاب‌های کودک و نوجوان به جای خودشان. مسئله این است که هیچ‌کس انتشاراتی را مجبور به چاپ فلان‌کتاب سانسورلازم نکرده است، که حالا به خودشان اجازه داده‌اند چاپش کنند، و سانسورش کنند تا کسی نتواند از سوی مقام عظمای ولایت بیاید و دین مبین اسلام را زورچپانش کند. شاید اگر انتشارات‌ها مثل آقای منوچهر بدیعی زیر دستورات سانسور سر خم نمی‌کردند و کتابی چاپ نمی‌کردند تا به اعتراض‌شان پاسخی داده شود، الان شاهد این حجم از خودسانسوری در جامعه نبودیم. اما از طرفی با این کار همین پیشرفتی که امروز در صنعت ترجمه و نگارش و چاپ شاهد هستیم را دیگر شاهد نمی‌بودیم و دیرتر به چنین نتایجی می‌رسیدیم.
شاید باید این پرسش را مطرح کرد که «کار باسانسور بهتر است یا کار بدون‌سانسوری که چاپ نمی‌شود؟» اما چرا انتشارات‌ها توان مقابله با جنایت سانسور را ندارند؟ چه‌طور باید جلوی حماقت‌پروران انقلابی این مملکت (یا ممالک دیگر) ایستاد؟
کتاب‌های کودک و نوجوان به عنوان دروازه ورود بچه‌ها به دنیای کتاب، اثر زیادی روی آن‌ها دارند. نمی‌توان انتظار داشت که کودک‌مان را طوری بزرگ کنیم که هر وقت کلمه «رقص» یا «عشق» را شنید یا خواند احساسی توأمان از خشم و ترس و خجالت داشته باشد، و هم‌زمان انتظار داشته باشیم که بتواند حرفش را راحت و آسوده بیان کند. در واقع نمی‌توان هیچ موجودی را در حالتی غیرطبیعی بزرگ کرد، و در نهایت انتظار واکنشی طبیعی را از او داشت.
قرار نیست کودک یا نوجوان ما برود و کتاب لولیتای نابوکوف را بخواند، اما قرار هم نیست که موقع خواندن کتاب‌های مخصوص سن خودشان آن‌ها را با سانسورهای ریز و درشت بمباران کنیم و از این طریق خیانت در اثر را توجیه کنیم و آن را پسندیده به حساب بیاوریم. والدینی که ترجیح می‌دهند کودک‌شان سراغ کتاب‌های دارن شان، که به خودش اجازه می‌دهد از کلمه «رقص» استفاده کند، نرود، بهتر است کتاب‌های دیگری را انتخاب کنند که نویسنده‌اش درباره چیزهای دیگری نوشته که مورد پسندشان است. نه این‌که تمام مملکت حق «رقصیدن» نداشته باشند، چون یک نفر یک جایی در بیابان به این نتیجه رسیده که خداوند با رقص و عشق و لذت مخالف است و ترجیح می‌دهد «حرکات موزون و سازماندهی‌شده» فقط برای عبادتش به کار بروند!

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برویم سراغ بررسی «کوتاه» کتاب!
شاید مقداری اسپویل هم در کار باشد. کسی چه می‌داند!

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اگر کتاب را در ابتدای علاقه‌مندی‌ام به کتاب‌خوانی، مثلا حوالی دوم راهنمایی تا سال دوم دانشگاه، خوانده بودم، احتمالا خیلی از آن لذت می‌بردم و سعی می‌کردم شبیهش چیزی هم بنویسم. اما الان که کتاب‌هایی مثل «شاه، بی‌بی، سرباز» نابوکوف و «زوال بشری» دازای و «فاوست» گوته و «شاه‌لیر» شکسپیر را خوانده‌ام و می‌خوانم، تقریبا این کتاب تبدیل به یک اثر بی‌جان و بی‌روح شده است.
نه که کتاب بی‌مزه‌ای باشد، اما مثل این که بین فیلم‌های «ارباب حلقه‌ها» و «در جبهه غرب خبری نیست» و «آملی» و «سینما پارادیزو»، بخواهید یک شب پیش از خواب با یک قسمت از «سریع و خشن» که وسطش احتمالا می‌خوابید، استراحت کنید.
چیزی که از این کتاب در حوزه نویسندگی یاد گرفتم، این بود که هیچ‌وقت نباید دست از نوشتن کشید، و باید ایده‌ها را ادامه داد. هرچند که خیلی از آن‌ها کلیشه‌ای و نابود به نظر برسند. این کتاب هم با کوهی از کلیشه‌ها شروع می‌شود و البته سعی می‌کند که کلیشه‌ها را تا حدودی کنار هم بزند، اما همین تلاش‌ها در کنار زدن کلیشه‌ها هم در طی این سال‌ها کلیشه‌ای شده‌اند! البته قاعدتا کلیشه‌ها برای همه مشخص نیستند و بستگی دارد که چه‌قدر در این ادبیات و موضوع خاص همه‌چیز را دنبال کرده و خوانده و دیده و شنیده باشید. برای همین هم اگر شما نوجوانی هستید که می‌خواهید این کتاب را بخوانید، بد به دل‌تان راه ندهید و شروع کنید. خواندن هر چیزی می‌تواند شما را بیشتر و بهتر به خواندن کتاب‌های مناسب و دوست‌داشتنی و شناختن کتاب‌های باارزش‌تر راهنمایی کند، و ضمنا علایق شما را هم گسترش داده و تثبیت و مشخص خواهد کرد.
چیزی که از این کتاب در حوزه ترجمه یاد گرفتم، این بود که صرفا برگرداندن متن به زبان فارسی باعث نمی‌شود اثر خوبی به خوانندگان تحویل داده باشید. گاهی باید بعضی چیزها در پاورقی توضیح داده شوند و شوخی‌های نوشتاری هم از این دسته هستند. من دوست ندارم متن اصلی با سانسور و تفاوت‌های فرهنگی تغییر داده شود و بعد به مخاطب تحویل داده شود، اما انتظار دارم مترجم با توضیحات کافی مرا با تفاوت‌های فرهنگی و عقیدتی و اجتماعی آگاه کند. قاعدتا قرار نیست هر کتابی در کامل‌ترین شکل خودش و به صورت یک کتاب جامع جامعه‌شناسی و نقد فرهنگی عرضه شود، اما می‌شود برخی از مهم‌ترین نکات را توضیح داد. اگر هم خواننده‌ای از این پاورقی‌ها خوشش نمی‌آید، می‌تواند نخواند. اما مشکل دیگری پدید خواهد آمد، که آن هم اضافه شدن تعداد صفحات کتاب و طبیعتا هزینه چاپ و قیمت نهایی است.
نشر قدیانی با چاپ درشت و حاشیه‌های زیادش همیشه به طریقی حرص مرا در می‌آورد. البته نه که چاپش تمیز نباشد، یا مشکل چاپی داشته باشد، بلکه صرفا نظرم این است که با حذف این حاشیه‌ها و کوچک کردن اندک فونت، می‌شود تعداد صفحات را کاهش داد و هزینه را پایین آورد، تا دوست‌داران کتاب بتوانند با هزینه قابل‌قبول‌تری در این شرایط گرانی و تورم افسارگسیخته، تعداد بیشتری کتاب را در هر سال بخواند. و انتظار دارم نشر قدیانی هم که کتاب‌های خوب و قابل‌توجهی دارد و خیلی از بچه‌ها با کتاب‌های آن کتاب‌خوانی را آغاز کرده‌اند و به آن علاقه‌مند شده‌اند، باید در این زمینه پیشرو باشد.

داستان کتاب با یک جنایت بزرگ شروع می‌شود و با حوادث و ماجراهایی دیگر ادامه پیدا می‌کند، که حوصله ندارم توضیح بدهم و توضیح خاصی هم وجود ندارد. اما می‌توانم بگویم که این مجموعه یک سریال ۱۰فصلی تینیجری است و می‌شود در همان حد ازش لذت برد. نه قرار است در جریان خواندن کتاب شطرنج یاد بگیرید، و نه اطلاعات خاصی درباره زندگی دریافت کنید!

هر از گاهی جمله‌های جالب و بامزه‌ای هم در کتاب وجود دارد که خواندن‌شان حس خوبی دارد، اما قطعا لازم نیست به خاطر این چند جمله یک کتاب ۳۶۰صفحه‌ای را بخوانید!!!

[Rama_flh · Rating 5 out of 5]

یک هفته بود که دلم میخواست تا قبل از سال جدید مجموعه‌ی نبرد با شیاطین دارن شان رو دوباره‌خوانی کنم.
جلد یک رو تموم کرد.
برام جالبه که چجوری این حجم از خشونت در کتاب رو در سن کم برمی‌تابیدم. :)))
برای یک نوجوانی که تازه کلاس اول راهنماییه، خیلی زیادی خشن نیست این کتاب؟؟! :))

[Gavin Hetherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I read the entire Demonata Saga in 48 hours?! Check out my reviews of all 10 books in the series by Darren Shan on my YouTube channel, How to Train Your Gavin: https://youtu.be/ZsSuarXyPcA

[M— · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm all for reading about DEATH MATCH CHESS, but even that cannot save this book for me. It seems poised to snag whatever parts of the YA demographic that have not been sucked into the Twilight vortex. ("Not interested in reading an epic romance about a sparkly vampire? Try this book about demons eating parents instead! now with copious amounts of blood!")

I liked how the hero, Grubbs Grady, gets a hard wake-up call to the realities of his world when his immediate family is slaughtered by demons, and I thought the reveal of that scene and the aftermath with Grubbs stuck in a cycle of psychiatric observation was extremely well done. But shortly after Grubbs' sole surviving adult family member arranges for Grubbs' release from observation, the narrative completely stalls and my interest took a sharp nosedive. First, wouldn't you logically expect a young teenager – having directly witnessed demons eating his family and having spent weeks in an asylum desperately pretending this hasn't happened for fear that he'll prove himself to actually be crazy, but then discovering that his uncle is the one adult in his world who believes in the demons too and who then spirits him out of the asylum to safety – to maybe ask this uncle about these demons? Maybe even ask why this horrible thing has happened to him? You wanna know how long it takes Grubbs to do this? One. Hundred. Pages. I was getting to the point while reading this that I seriously wondered if I'd accidentally skipped over the paragraph that explained this.

It's as if the author was deliberately trying to slow the pace of this book, and I can't think of a single reason why he would want to do so. The beginning grips you instantly and the ending is really good, but the middle? Ugh – the story stops dead. Did Shan think teens couldn't handle reading a novel at breakneck speed and needed some sort of slow place where they could catch their breath? That teens would be unable to relate to a story entirely about a badass demon-fighting protagonist with a burning urge to stay alive and that it would be a better idea to tone it down for a few chapters so that teens could read instead about a protagonist doing exciting things like watch movies with a friend in his living room? Or had he just had a passing whim to switch the story's genre entirely from horror to light mystery but then changed his mind and switched it back to horror again at the end? It makes no sense. If you want to write a horror story, make it horror.

Then Grubbs himself suffers from this sequence of random competence switchovers. He starts at as a sadistically nasty little brother – rigging a shower to pour rotten, liquefied rat guts on your naked sister assuredly counts as sadistic behavior – but he quickly goes through that horrible opening event and starts behaving very believably within the confines of the story, but once he gets to his uncle's house he starts acting like a careless moron and jettisons any of the experience bonus points he would have gained earlier. But then, by the very end of the book, Grubbs has another great growth of maturity and becomes responsible and interesting again. I want to throttle the author. Pick a characterization already, Shan!

I would have loved this story if it had been rewritten with a more even hand. The plot had a great premise, and Shan shows loads of creatively. As the story currently stands, the characters' behavior is too frustrating for me to enjoy.

ETA: I lent this book to my younger brother, who's very in to this sort of gorefest plotline. He friggin' loved the book, read it in the space of a week or two (books normally take him months to read), and approached me with a direct inquiry to see if I had any other titles in this series. (This never happens!) So Shan must be doing something right.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a young adult book. It is straight foward, and an easy read. The concept: curse of the werewolf. I know I know who cares about werewolves. Not that exciting unless you are talking about the card game rage. Then you get to tear people in half, awsome. This book has something better than werewolves. EXTREME CHESS! What? It is true. Hard core chess games. The person in the book that has the curse of the werewolf has two choices. They can except their fate and become a werewolf, or play a demon in chess for the cure. The chess game goes like this; 3 chess boards against the demon himself while your teammate battles two minor demons in a death match. the victor from the death match attacks the person playing chess. A bloody game of chess sweet. Just for the chess battles this book is decent and should be at least looked at. I need to play chess like this

[Ali Ebrahimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

من این مجموعه رو حدود ۷ یا ۸ سال پیش خریدم و تا جلد چهارشنبه رو خوندم ولی ولش کردم
وقتی تو یه گروه همخوانی گفتن که کتاب بعدی لرد لاس هست رفتم کل مجموعه رو از تو انباری آوردم بیرون و تا یه ساعت داشتم کتابا و نوشته هایی که توش داشتم رو نگاه میکردم حالا همخوانی از شنبه شروع شده بود و من تازه سه شنبه رفتم کتابا رو آوردم و اصلا نفهمیدم چجوری و با چه سرعت جلد اول رو خوندم و تموم شد. قشنگ پرتم کرد به همون حا و هوای ۸ سال پیش که هر هفته بدو بدو میرفتم شهر کتاب مرکزی کمتر از ۴ تا کتاب نمیگرفتم و هر سری که میخواستم برم، مامانم میگفت مگه کتابای قبلی رو تموم کردی که داری میری و منم بهش میگفتم آره تمومشون کردم 😁

[Yipyipyeti4783 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Loss was another great book which took you into the macabre mind of Darren Shan. The characters in this book are memorable and very distinct. The plot was that of one that I've never read before, and it was excellent. Shan is a wonderful horror writer and I would recommend this book to anyone into gruesome, plot heavy books. Shan keeps the chapters short and leaves you hanging at the end of each one. I read this in a few days because it's so hard to put down. If you've read the Cirque Du Freak series, this is another great pick from Darren Shan.

[بـهار🌱 · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب اول مجموعه نبرد با شیاطین، از بهتری کتاب‌های این مجموعه‌ست واقعا🥲
به طرزی میخکوبت می‌کنه و باورت نمیشه که پرتت می‌کنه تو داستان و دیوونه‌وار همش دوست داری داستان رو دنبال کنی…
از مورد علاقه‌ترینام بوده در این مجموعه🥹
بعد سال‌ها هنوزم یکسری جزئیاتش تو ذهنمه و دوست دارم دوباره بخونمش و اون حس رو تجربه کنم.♥️

[S._aqa._r · Rating 5 out of 5]

بعد از سال ها بازخوانیش کردم
هنوزم همونقدر قشنگه همونقدر جذابه ولی الان ب ی دید بهش نگاه کردم
کتاب خیلی سریع پیش رفت
همه ی شخصیتا ب صورت کامل معرفی شدند، فضا سازی و داستان نویسی و شخصیت پردازی خیلی عالی بود
توصیفات صحنه های ترسناک کتاب فوق العاده بودن ، کاملا میشد ترس رو توی تک تک صحنه ها حس کرد
اگه کتابی میخواین ک ترسو حس کنین نبرد با شیاطین رو پیشنهاد میدم

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My hand turns.

The door opens.

Hell is revealed.

It’s been over twelve years since I last read this book, coming back to it, I’m filled with so much nostalgia. I remember racing to the bookstore for the next book in the series, spending the whole weekend reading it and then sitting for however long, impatiently waiting for the next book.

Lord Loss follows Grubbs Grady, a teenage boy who stumbles upon the remains of his family who have been brutally murdered by demonic beings. Grubbs narrowly escapes death, but suffers from PTSD and is hospitalised due to his poor mental state. After some time, a not very known relative appears, Dervish Grady, who takes Grubbs under his wing to protect and care for him. With Grubbs now living safely with his Uncle, he becomes friends with a boy called Bill-E, who suspiciously suspects that Dervish is a werewolf. Grubbs has to deal with the possibility of his Uncle being secretly a werewolf, on top of dealing with the possibility that the things that killed his parents are still looming over him.

Lord Loss is a fast paced, brutally executed book filled with gore, friendship and coming to terms with a family curse. I read this when i was 13/14, and I’m now 26 & I can still say for certain it still holds up as one of my favorite horror books/series. It’s fun, its gross, and the characters are so loveable and relatable.

I adore the humour in this novel, it’s lighthearted, it doesn’t take away from the stress/pain of what the characters are going through, and it’s got the perfect balance of soft moments & hard moments. There’s a specific point at the end of the book that devastated me, but the humour really lifted things up, but didn’t take away the fact that something horrific just happened, it eases you into a sense of feeling safe, like you can breathe.

I know how this series goes, I know how much heartbreak is in store for me, but I’m so happy I’m revisiting these books, and I get to meet all the characters I loved as a young teen again.

[Argona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this series after reading "Darren Shan Saga" and while I expected something different and distinct, I wasn't expecting so much originality and uniqueness.

Start reading this book prepared! This series contains a lot of death, violence and gore! I am not a fan of tragedy(or gore) and I avoid it like it's a plague but I did enjoy reading this series without having my spirit crushed out of me.(I haven't read the last book yet!)

The Demonata series has a great plot with memorable characters and surprising twists along the way.

The story begins with Grubbs and although later many other characters are added to the series, he remains my favorite.He starts as a spoiled unpleasant brat but soon grows into a strong capable character. He has little choice, considering what shocking events take over his everyday life but he manages to deal with these horrors and even fight back.

Darren Shan's stories have proved to be memorable, surprising and captivating.

If you are a fan of horror stories and don't mind gruesome character deaths, then I recommend this series to you. Help your imagination and read it at night!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Lord Loss was an awesome surprise for me. Deep into my new found love for Urban Fantasy, I picked this one up with high expectations. I was not let down. Darren Shan combines together a wonderful combination of a fast paced, page turning, and tons of fun story. He is not afraid to paint in the details, even if it is with lots of blood. The action is gorey at times and that is just fine.

The plot and the story are straight forward. Being a lover and player of Chess, this book grabbed my interest. The characterizations are fine as is the world building and the back story. There are no real plot twists and some things can be seen coming from a long ways away.

Even with some tiny faults, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lord Loss. I cannot wait to move on to the further books in this series.

Lord Loss is an Urban Fantasy and adventure that would appeal to a wide audience. Suitable for the older YA crowd as well.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

When i started reading this book, it looked like one book i wouldn't enjoy. There was this spoiled kid Grubbs who was always bothering his sister Gret, and was trying to be a rebel smoking against his parents concerns. I was like "Hell, I'm not interested in reading the adventures of a teenager who believes he's cool because he's a rebel". So i started reading it really slowly without much interest.

Then something happened... I won't say what it is to avoid spoiling anything... and i felt it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever read in a book, ridiculous and unrealistic. I had to keep reminding myself constantly that it was fiction with supernatural things happening so it was supposed to be unrealistic. I started wondering if this was a genre that could work for me... It didn't seem like it.

I stopped reading this book for a day, and the next day came back to it with a fresh and open mind. So when i started reading where i left off, i didn't feel that bothered anymore about those things that happened, i just accepted them. What was my surprise when i realized i read 80 pages non-stop and was actually enjoying this frikkin story!! i found myself laughing, and caring for the characters!

The next day... I couldn't put the book down, i devoured it completely, and finished it. Who would have ever imagined it after my reactions with the beginning!!

What do i mean with all of this??

This book is amazing! simple as that. And I'm really curious to read the next book in the series to see more of the characters and what's next!!

What is this book about?

I believe that if i start saying a little bit more about this book i will spoil all the surprises, because from the beginning it starts with some weird things happening that let you guessing what is going on, and you start discovering what it is all about, what is the truth that lies behind, and why some things happened, and it all starts from the very beginning. So for your own enjoyment if you're considering to read this, i won't say anything about the plot.

Oh, one more thing I'd like to say. I loved the ending, i don't think there could be a cuter ending for this book. Simply fantastic!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a massive fan of the Darren Shan saga I had high expectations for this series, I was pleased to discover that the first book - Lord Loss well and truly lived up to all of these! A suprise in a way that it was so uniquely different from everything I have ever read that I found myself reading it entirely through in the one sitting. I was not able to put it down. I must say, I do still find that my favorite of Darren Shan's series is The Darren Shan Saga, but only one book in it would be a little biased of me to be saying this. At the moment, I will be most certainly rushing out to buy the books after this one, a deffinant must-read for all fans of horror.

Although not the most frightening of books it was certainly spine tingling, I'm not easily scared but the book managed to create such realistic visions of the demons in my mind, even the finest of details being given to us by the narator - Grubitsch 'Grubbs' Grady. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, particularly if the others are as brilliant as this!

5 Stars.

[Alberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pensé que no me iba a gustar como Cirque Du Freak, pero estaba equivocado!!! Aunque esta un poco gore me gustó mucho!. En serio lo recomiendo a todos aquellos que les gustan las historias de terror/gore y que les gusta el ajedrez! No me podía imaginar como Darren Shan podría mezclar el ajedrez con la historia, pero me sorprendió el como lo hizo. Lo único es que no volveré a ver al ajedrez de la misma manera jajaja.

[Fatima difarko · Rating 3 out of 5]

از اخراش واقعا خوشم اومد شايد بعدا عوضش كنم و چهار بدم:)
برم سراغ بقيش🚶🏻‍♀️

[Derpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darren Shan is fun. He is just so much fun and while possibly by 2019 could be some super sensitive PC crap like many other authors (I don't know), at the point when he wrote this he was just unashamed awesome.

Grubbs Grady is a normal kid who likes making trouble, pranking his older sister. You know. Up until something is just starting to be weird with his family. Everyone is tense and he realises they made up a story to remove him from home for a night for whatever reason. When he goes to find out what's wrong he finds all of them dead, brutally chopped up by demons in their home. He goes insane from the trauma and is relatively "content" in his madness until his uncle Dervish shows up, telling him he believes demons really exist. So Grubbs goes to live with him and find out everything.

The thing about Darren Shan that I appreciate is that the child characters are not sanitised little genius saints who are basically mouthpieces for the author's agenda. They are not mouthpieces to tell kids what the author believes is wrong with the real world now, like so many YA books are right now. These are children who can be rude and are boisterous, they can be annoying and selfish, but they are all relatable. Not out there to flatter the kids and tell them what to think.
The adults are the same. They are not there just to be stupid to make it seem like teenagers are the only competent people who can see the issue and solve it too. Not there to hold the kids back and act all sorts of abusive because adults are bad.

Now you have to know that this series is fucked up. There is so much blood, so much suffering and death. It's not for easily freaked out people. Which is one of the reasons why I like it; it fills a niche that was definitely needed to be filled when it was written. I would say even today it's an interesting example of things. Now YA specifically is becoming incredibly political and melodramatic, with book after book of increasingly more ridiculous speculative shit about the laws the politicians that we NEED to hate today will totally absolutely pass (no, they won't). Among those this universal horror is really refreshing in a way. It's really outside the realm of those things, the Current Year drama about this or that. It's something that will definitely freak you out without any of that.

I have read these books way back, maybe 8 years ago. I'm going to say it, Dervish is still my favourite so far, freaking awesome with his slightly quirky ways. It's great to see a father figure who is not portrayed as either evil and sadistic or a total whiny useless Care Bear.

Have a nice day and it's your loss if you've not read this yet!

[Rowie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember picking up a Darren Shan book ten years ago at the library I worked at. Immediately I was hooked on his writing style. Raw, emotional and very real. I read the first three books in his Cirque du Freak series like there was no tomorrow. And yet I didn't continue, nor pick up any of his other books. I can't tell you why. I still feel a great love for Cirque du Freak. I guess sometimes too many other books just come along.

The first book in the Demonata series is a real pageturner. It truly has the excitement of a horrormovie, including the graphic nature. What a lively fantasy mr. Shan has! He manages to surprise you. Better yet, he scares you with the graphic descriptions of demons and the like. His words are so clear that anyone can picture what he writes as if it's a movie. You've got to have a real gift to pull that off. No matter what age this book will be scary, mainly because Darren Shan doesn't shy away from topics that others might not deem appropriate for children. I can only applaud him for this.

However Grubs was too unlikeable at the start for me. It's never explained in the book where his anger comes from. It seems too severe to just be a teenage boys' angst. Especially the prank he pulls on his sister is brutal. If his behavior is only a trick to make the reader be surprised that they will learn to like Grubs, it's kind of a cheap one.

While the book outshines in its creepiness, it's also unexpectly vulnerable at times. You DO really start to feel for the characters, no matter how bad they act in the beginning. There's beautiful moments in this. Darren Shan is really good at writing mentor relationships where the main character gets a second father. It works really well in this series.

I read most of this book during one train ride. Before you know it the wonderful adventure is over. I'm not going to wait another ten years to pick up a Darren Shan book. I need more of his exciting adventures. They're excellent escapism, but not in a way I've experienced a lot. I think it's hard to find a representation of a real teenage boy that's better than this. Because of the short sentences this book reads like a diary. Like you're actually taking a look into Grub's mind.

[Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic, unless reading about dead people grosses you out. It was fast paced, and laugh-out-loud funny in some places. There was also many twist and turns in the plot. Another great series by a great author.

Summary:
Grubbs Grady lives with his chess-obsessed parents and sister, Gret. After pulling a prank on her, he's grounded. But after a while, his parents end his grounding early, and he gets treated special. When his parents and Gret go out, he's knows something's going on. He sneaks out of his aunt's house, goes home and finds his parents and sister dead, horribly and gruesomely murdered. The killers? Demons.
The demon master, Lord Loss, sets his familiars on Grubbs. Using power that's almost magical, he escapes. He's put in a mental hospital because he keeps saying that demons killed his family, which the doctors think isn't true. But Grubbs' uncle, Dervish, tells demons are real. And if he pretends to get better, Dervish says that Grubbs can learn all he needs to know about the Demonata. Grubbs agrees, gets better, and goes and lives with Dervish. But demons are killers. And Grubbs is going down a deadly path.

[Shanon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelves for a while now and keep meaning to read them. I'm glad I finally did. This is a dark young-adult book that focuses on a young man named Grubbs. And while it is a young-adult book there are some VERY disturbing and gruesome scenes. I went into this book without really knowing what it was about and enjoyed the suspense so I will tell no more about it. :)

I will say that this book is full of partial sentences. When I say full I mean really full. Stuff like: Bile rises. Swallowed down. Terror stricken. (Not a quote but very true to the style). Usually this sort of thing would bother me when overused. I remember rating a book low because the characters couldn't put together complete phrases while in intimate moments; I think I even used the term "caveman". In this instance it works. I think it's because of the narration. Lord Loss is related in the first person and these partial sentences are some of the thoughts of the narrator, Grubbs.