Daryl Gregory’s first novel is a work of daring and brilliance. The prose is crisp and the observed world around him is well drawn. In the world of Pandemonium, demon possession is common enough to have various strains identified. A pistol-wielding demon named The Truth guns down liars. A shield-slinging hero nicknamed The Captain possesses soldiers in their darkest hours. And a puckish demon named The Hellion possesses little boys and has adventures that are a series of boyish pranks.
In the story, young Del is posessed by a demon when he is five and to his horror, the demon never leaves. Now, Del is in his twenties and the demon has re-awakened. The Hellion wants out so that he can spread his brand of mischief. Del wants him dead. As Del races to find a cure, The Hellion in his head starts throwing up roadblocks including a murder. Pandemonium is a clever and compelling read.
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