Logic of Demons: The Quest for Nadine's Soul, written by H. A. Goodman, is a hybrid YA/adult novel that takes the fantasy genre to a different place.
Devin is reeling with grief and anger after his pregnant wife's murder - he is haunted by the future that was at their fingertips and suddenly ripped from him. At her funeral, Devin tries to accept the calming words of his loving father-in-law, but can't help but be consumed by his need for justice towards the man who killed his wife - the man who is still out there free - the man he might have the approximate whereabouts of...
In a moment of near-insanity, Devin makes a choice to confront his wife's murderer and the deadly results find him in a creepy office building - a place where he is wearing a pinstripe suit and told he is now a demon. All Devin wants is to take back his final choice in life and reunite with his wife - but he's told that in order to do that, he must sell a "Formula" to a mysterious and enigmatically important teenage girl named Nadine. He grapples with his intense desire to see his wife at all costs, and his conscience, which senses something is off about the whole situation - despite his new mentor's insistence that Devin is not in Hell.
But when he comes across an Angel, everything he's been told is thrown off kilter - and his quest to find his wife and protect Nadine become more confusing that ever...
I'm going to be honest with you, my fellow bibliophiles - I don't really like the cover of Logic of Demons at all. It gives off a weird, cheesy tone. However, inside the cover is a powerful, haunting, intense fantasy thriller that takes a different approach to life after death. An existence that is not pleasant, I'll tell you that. At least for poor Devin.
But with Devin as our protagonist, we are presented with a horrifying, starkly realistic portrayal of the lust for revenge and all-consuming grief, melded with a surprisingly fast-paced and gripping foray into the paranormal imaginings of a terrible afterlife.
Logic of Demons is a sad, raw page-turner with a chilling edge, making for a unique fantasy that succeeds in its goal of being different - while also being well-written. Startling and riveting, Devin's plight is horrifying. The mysteries stack up and my interest was constantly piqued.
The novel never slows down as it seems to have a shot of adrenaline powering it through all sorts of thrilling and twisty turns. My only disappointment was the build up to The Boss (in the not-so-good office building below the surface, hint hint), who doesn't come across as evil or creepy as I would've expected, especially after H. A. Goodman did so well portraying scary characters effectively throughout Logic of Demons. All of the instances with The Boss fell flat for me, which is too bad. Of course, you may completely disagree!
Yet, this little hiccup was small in comparison to what ended up being a touching, surprising story with a shocking, unexpected end. It is a very, very different, dark tale. And this time, that meant pretty darn good!
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