Archive
Book Review: The Diabolist by Layton Green (Series, #3)
Summary:
Dominic Gray, ex-government worker, ex-military, and once professional jiu-jitsu fighter, is seeing a lull in his work as assistant to Professor Viktor Radek on private detective cases involving religious mysteries and the occult. He’s set up shop in New York City, teaching jiu-jitsu to inner-city youth. But when a high-ranking Satanist is murdered in front of his entire congregation by a mysterious figure who sets him on fire at a distance and then disappears himself, Dominic is quickly pulled into a new case with Viktor. High-ranking Satanists worldwide keep dying in the same, or similar, mysterious ways, and the odd thing is, it’s not the Christians doing it.
Review:
I’ve enjoyed this series from the very beginning. The combination of religious studies, private detectives, and international intrigue suck me in every time. This latest entry in the series does not fail to deliver, bringing once again the perfect combination of religious philosophy, mystery, and private detective intrigue.
This entry brings us back to the more mystical origins of the series. Rather than biomedicine as in the second book, what’s involved here is ancient occultism and what may or may not be magic tricks. I was happy to see this occult mysticism represented in the developed world this time, pointing out that it’s not just surviving in developing countries in modern times. The actual religion of Satanism is well explained and given room for both good-hearted followers and evil fanatics, just as may be seen in every religion. Green keeps an even hand when writing about religion, even when writing about Satanism, and that’s to be commended. A drop of mysticism is provided, and it’s left up to the reader to decide if it was science or magic ultimately responsible for the mysterious occurrences, which is ideal for this type of book.
The entwining of Viktor’s backstory with the mystery was well-done, and it was certainly time for the reader to learn more about Viktor. Unfortunately, I must say that Viktor’s backstory made me dislike him more than I had previously, but it certainly also helps form him into a more well-rounded character. There’s a delightful femme fatale, enshrouded in both beauty and mystery. Her ending, however, did feel a bit abrupt. Dominic goes very quickly from one opinion of her to another, and not enough known, factual information is provided for the reader to keep up with this. On the other hand, the ending was surprising and also made logical sense, and it also put the main characters in a frightful level of mortal danger. Exactly the kind of ending one looks for in this type of book.
Overall, the third entry in the series continues to deliver the private detective exploration of moral and mystical gray areas. Those who enjoyed the first entry in the series more than the second will be happy to see the return to the mysticism found in the first book. Those who enjoyed the science of the second will be glad to see the science of magic covered extensively in this entry. Recommended to fans of the series to pick it up as soon as possible.
If you found this review helpful, please consider tipping me on ko-fi, checking out my digital items available in my ko-fi shop, buying one of my publications, or using one of my referral/coupon codes. Thank you for your support!
4 out of 5 stars
Length: 375 pages – average but on the longer side
Source: Netgalley
Previous Books in Series:
The Summoner
The Egyptian
Reading Challenge: R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (RIP) IX
Hello my lovely readers! Many book bloggers are already familiar with Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings’ RIP Challenge. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a reading challenge, covering the months of September and October, during which you read delightfully creepy / horror books to go along with the feelings of fall. The books can be in any of the following genres:
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.
Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.
There are multiple different ways to participate, including reading short stories and watching movies, plus there’s now a readalong you can participate in. I’ve participated twice before purely in the book reading portion of the challenge, and that’s what I’m going to be doing again. I’ll be doing Peril the First, for which you read four books that broadly fit in any of the categories above.
Books I already own that I could select for the challenge are listed below. I’d love to hear from you in the comments if there’s one you’d particularly like to recommend to me from my list!
- A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts by Ying Chang Compestine
- Barely Breathing by Michael J. Kolinski
- Beverly Hills Demon Slayer by Angie Fox
- Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker
- Breed by Chase Novak
- Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King
- Deadtown by Nancy Holzner
- Disclosure by Michael Crichton
- From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
- I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead by E. A. Aymar
- The Keep by Paul F. Wilson
- The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair
- Nightmare Fuel: Volume 1 by Bliss Morgan
- The Shimmer by David Morrell
- Smokin’ Six Shooter by B. J. Daniels
- A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore
- State of Decay by James Knapp
- Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
- The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
- Tales of the Chtulhu Mythos by H. P. Lovecraft
- Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco
- The Veiled Mirror: The Story of Prince Vlad Dracula’s Lost Love by Christine Frost
- The Walking Dead, Volume 16 by Robert Kirkman
- Wanted Woman by B. J. Daniels
I think I should be able to find four books from a list that large, don’t you?
PS If anyone is doing the short story challenge, I have two short stories published that fit within the parameters (and are free!). Also, my published novel fits into the challenge too. Check them all out on my publications page.
Friday Fun! (August: Yoga and Gratitude)
My view reading next to the Charles River (including my book, of course!)
Hello my lovely readers!
My, it’s been quite a busy summer for me, and August is always the busiest, as anyone who works in post-secondary academia will tell you. On top of students coming back to campus and teaching orientations, I also started a new project at work and took on more responsibility in another one. In my personal life, my partner and I threw our first party together, which was a smashing success, and I finished out the month with some vacation time to get to go to the track with him again, something that I always really enjoy. It makes me so happy to get to see him race and also camp out and be in sunbeams all day on top of it!
Two things I’ve discovered this month that I’d like to tell you about. The first is something you may have heard of, MyYogaPro. Basically MyYogaPro features videos done by Erin Motz (one of my favorite online yoga instructors). The videos both break down poses step-by-step for you and also feature full-length programs, organized for various goals (flexibility, power yoga, backbends), progressing from easy to advanced. Even better, you earn badges for completing videos, which makes it like achievements in a videogame but for doing something physical. You can register for lifetime access for only $45 right now. I know this sounds a bit like an ad, but no one asked me to talk about MyYogaPro. I chose to sign up for the account, and I’ve found it really has enhanced my yoga practice. I’m learning and progressing in a way I never have before with yoga. I’m quite passionate about how the website enhances home practice. If you’re into yoga, if you’ve dabbled your toes but never got serious, or if you’re brand-new to the concept, there’s something for everyone.
The second thing I’ve discovered that I’m really enjoying is an app called Gratitude 365. It gives you a notebook page every day to put down however many things from that day you want to that you are grateful for. It also lets you attach a photo to that day. You can password protect the app if you want. You can both view a snapshot of your last few days and a calendar of all your pictures. It also keeps track of how many days you’ve journaled for and your average number of gratitudes. A lot of people talk about how taking a moment to be thankful each day enhances mood and reduces stress and anxiety, but even if that’s not your goal, it’s a great little journaling app that is easy to use in the day-to-day.
In spite of being so busy this month, I still managed to read 5 books. I currently have a back-log of three book reviews, so they should keep coming at a steady pace. I also created a new cross-stitch pattern. The test stitch is completed, I just need to hoop it for the recipient and create the pdf pattern. Keep your eye out for it. It’s geeky!
My partner is always wonderfully supportive during my most stressful month of the year, and I honestly think his support is part of why I handled this August with as much relaxation tossed in as I managed to grab, whether that was sneaking in 10 minutes of yoga, journaling gratitude, going for walks together, laughing at old Twilight Zone episodes, or reading outside flopped on a blanket together. When I think about my August, I don’t just think about the stress, and that’s quite the gift.
Happy reading, everyone!
Support my work with a tip or browse my shop for curated book club guides, how to guides, cross-stitch patterns, and more!
This work by Amanda Nevius is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Opinions of a Wolf 