Edgy Taylor sees demons. They walk among us, masquerading as humans, but he can see through their disguises. So when Edgy discovers the Royal Society for Daemonologie, he hopes that at last he will find some clue to the origins of his mysterious ability. Within the Society's ancient walls are the answers to many secrets. And when Edgy joins their expedition to the Arctic Circle, he sails through icy seas towards the darkest secret of all . . .
The Demon Collector
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Review
Praise for Mortlock:
‘Mayhew has woven a rich tapestry depicting a series of convincing worlds . . . It has a breathtaking pace [and there] are characters we hope to meet again' (Children’s Book of the Month, The Observer )
‘An accomplished page-turner . . . lighthanded, scary fun, with some sibling bickering thrown in' (SFX )
Praise for The Demon Collector:
‘Mortlock was a striking debut . . . it created a creepy atmosphere that won much praise. The Demon Collector is equally full of well-written suspense but far funnier, with a strong filmic element that fans of Joseph Delaney's Spooks Apprentice and Anthony McGowan's Hellbent will lap up . . . Boys will love the rich vein of disgusting humour and the fact that demons can't resist riddles - which the well-named Edgy is good at making up and solving. Mayhew's demons are scary enough to be exciting but, unlike those of Darren Shan, not depressingly sadistic. These are demons with style, and they're here to stay' (Amanda Craig, The Times )
‘Mayhew has woven a rich tapestry depicting a series of convincing worlds . . . It has a breathtaking pace [and there] are characters we hope to meet again' (Children’s Book of the Month, The Observer )
‘An accomplished page-turner . . . lighthanded, scary fun, with some sibling bickering thrown in' (SFX )
Praise for The Demon Collector:
‘Mortlock was a striking debut . . . it created a creepy atmosphere that won much praise. The Demon Collector is equally full of well-written suspense but far funnier, with a strong filmic element that fans of Joseph Delaney's Spooks Apprentice and Anthony McGowan's Hellbent will lap up . . . Boys will love the rich vein of disgusting humour and the fact that demons can't resist riddles - which the well-named Edgy is good at making up and solving. Mayhew's demons are scary enough to be exciting but, unlike those of Darren Shan, not depressingly sadistic. These are demons with style, and they're here to stay' (Amanda Craig, The Times )
Book Description
Jonathan Stroud meets Joseph Delaney (with a bit of Dickens). A darkly humorous and utterly gripping story of a time when demons roamed London's underworld
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another deliciously dark and wryly humorous historical fantasy adventure
17 Feb 2011
Format:Hardcover
It's 1854 and Edgy Taylor's an orphan who collects dog muck for use at Mr Talon's tannery. Although Talon has given Edgy a home, he also beats him and constantly sets him riddles to learn. Worse, Edgy sometimes sees Talon as being a demon with huge horns and red skin, but has learnt not to tell anyone in case they think he's mad.
One night when Edgy believes that Talon is about to kill him, he's rescued by an old man with a strange weapon that turns Talon into stone. The man, Mr Janus, takes Edgy and his dog, Henry, to the Royal Society of Daemonologie where Edgy discovers that not only are demons real, but Mr Janus is on a quest to find one of the most feared - Moloch, the demon who defeated Satan and wants to start a war with heaven. Soon Edgy finds himself in a deadly game of riddles and mayhem where his own life is at risk ...
A companion novel to the critically acclaimed MORTLOCK, there's some overlap of minor characters from MORTLOCK but this is very much a stand-alone story.
It's easy to root for the intrepid Edgy. Lonely and unloved, he hasn't known much kindness, which makes his gratitude to Mr Janus so understandable and while he's quick-witted and hard working, he's also capable of weakness and selfishness. This humanity makes him very believable. His relationship with his dog, Henry is well portrayed and I love the way the dog constantly tries to defend him.
The real stars of the book though are the demons that Edgy encounters. My favourite was Slouch, a demon of sloth who's supposed to be the Society's butler but who really can't be bothered. The idea of linking demons to sins is well executed and I particularly liked the fact that gradually they all succumb to the sins they seek to promulgate and become mortal.
Mayhew once again incorporates traditional folk song lyrics and proverbs into the text, which give the story both an added sense of the macabre and ground it in English tradition. The story's filled with twists and turns and although there's a lot of death and mayhem, Mayhew also packs in a lot of dry humour. It's slightly slow to get going, but once it hits its stride it kept me gripped until the end. More please.
One night when Edgy believes that Talon is about to kill him, he's rescued by an old man with a strange weapon that turns Talon into stone. The man, Mr Janus, takes Edgy and his dog, Henry, to the Royal Society of Daemonologie where Edgy discovers that not only are demons real, but Mr Janus is on a quest to find one of the most feared - Moloch, the demon who defeated Satan and wants to start a war with heaven. Soon Edgy finds himself in a deadly game of riddles and mayhem where his own life is at risk ...
A companion novel to the critically acclaimed MORTLOCK, there's some overlap of minor characters from MORTLOCK but this is very much a stand-alone story.
It's easy to root for the intrepid Edgy. Lonely and unloved, he hasn't known much kindness, which makes his gratitude to Mr Janus so understandable and while he's quick-witted and hard working, he's also capable of weakness and selfishness. This humanity makes him very believable. His relationship with his dog, Henry is well portrayed and I love the way the dog constantly tries to defend him.
The real stars of the book though are the demons that Edgy encounters. My favourite was Slouch, a demon of sloth who's supposed to be the Society's butler but who really can't be bothered. The idea of linking demons to sins is well executed and I particularly liked the fact that gradually they all succumb to the sins they seek to promulgate and become mortal.
Mayhew once again incorporates traditional folk song lyrics and proverbs into the text, which give the story both an added sense of the macabre and ground it in English tradition. The story's filled with twists and turns and although there's a lot of death and mayhem, Mayhew also packs in a lot of dry humour. It's slightly slow to get going, but once it hits its stride it kept me gripped until the end. More please.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By ShinraAlpha
Format:Hardcover
The Demon Collector is a wonderful gothic fantasy with equal pinches of mystery, humour and biblical epic leant to the plot. The characters are warm and easy to like, making the reader much more sympathetic to their plight. The story goes from curious clue-tracking mystery to epic voyage in a brilliantly twisting way.
Read more at: [...]
Read more at: [...]
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Having read and loved Jon's original outing, Mortlock, I really couldn't wait to get my hands on this title as after completing this, I can easily say that he's fast setting himself up as an author to not only watch but set standards by. What he weaves into his tales will hopefully take the YA genre in much the same way as RL Stine did with his Goosebump series in the 90's. The writing is fresh, the characters outstanding and when you add into it a murky world of shadowy figures who double deal with the demons and allow their own lusts to control their fates, makes it a difficult title to put down.
All in this was an absolute delight to read and will more than likely make my top ten YA reads this year which made this a real gem of a find and one that I will enjoy a few more times before allowing my nephews anywhere near. That said, I would perhaps recommend reading this prior to letting your young reader get their hands on it as some of the issues raised may well need to be talked through but for a good scare as well as high octane thrills you really won't do better. Come to the Darkside, we don't just have cookies, we have Mayhew.
All in this was an absolute delight to read and will more than likely make my top ten YA reads this year which made this a real gem of a find and one that I will enjoy a few more times before allowing my nephews anywhere near. That said, I would perhaps recommend reading this prior to letting your young reader get their hands on it as some of the issues raised may well need to be talked through but for a good scare as well as high octane thrills you really won't do better. Come to the Darkside, we don't just have cookies, we have Mayhew.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't bother
I thought I was reading a childrens book. Deleted it after reading just one chapter. It has put me off this author - sorry
Published 5 months ago by Leslie Robinson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quirk Tale
This was a 'by chance' kindle book, but an enjoyable diversion - albeit with some unlikely jumps, but then it was in a time of mystery and magic! Read more
Published 5 months ago by Lindsay R. Bayne
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bothered that I waited so long to start reading
I actually got my copy of The Demon Collector at a release signing in Formby. (apologies John for my twins causing general chaos while you were trying to speak) My sin was waiting... Read more
Published on 9 May 2011 by G. Williams
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