Eyes of the Empress

I truely hope Bacon-Smith continues with another book of Daemons Inc. This book wsa as great as the first and i would encourage anyone to buy it! Like the first Eyes of the Daemon, the book was never slow and both kept me reader till 2 in the morning. The plot is intriguing and always entertaining, and the complications add flavor to the overall story. To sum-up the book, the private detective agency of Bradely, Ryan, and Davis is called to protect the Dowager Empress Crystals, but before they can start they're gone and Kevin Bradley has become the top suspect! With these and other "family" problems bursting into life, the agency is in for a rough ride, and Kevin maybe in for a greater betrayl...

I picked up this book and the first title "eye of the daemon" together on the off chance that they would be good. I wasn't dissapointed. Both titles are one of the best reads I have had in a long time. A contempoary fantasy that has great characters. You won't want to put either book down. I am looking forward to more books with these characters from this author. I read a lot of SF, Fantasy and horror and these titles really do stand out from the crowd. Definate 'keepers'.

I'd advise having the following handy when you read this book. First, an extremely comfortable chair; you aren't going to want to put this book down anytime soon. Next, a DO NOT DISTURB sign so the world will leave you alone while you chortle or in some cases laugh hysterically at the book's ironic and often sly humor. Finally, a fan for cooling off after you get through the steamier passages. This worthy successor to EYE OF THE DAEMON picks up several years after the first book, with half-human/half-daemon Evan settling into something resembling a happy existence with daemon father Brad and daemon lover Lily. At least, Evan suspects it's a happy existence because neither has tried to kill him lately... he's a remarkably well-adjusted boy. I'm a fantasy and science fiction reader, and I still don't know what genre this book belongs to, but I can attest to the fact that it's the most legal fun you can have without getting into Serious Literature. The humor is wonderful, the premise delightful. Read the other book first if you can because it's more fun that way, but if you can't, don't worry. I look forward to more in the series!

I really enjoy Camille Bacon-Smith's daemon books, but I get funny looks when I try to explain them to friends! "You see, there are these daemons who run a detective agency ..." So why would daemons, Lords of the Seventh Sphere, want to run a detective agency? If artifacts that once belonged to the Dowager Empress of China are dissapearing from museums all over the country, why would this concern the Lords of the Seventh Sphere? Well, suppose those stolen chrystal balls could work magic that could endanger not only this world, but the Seventh Sphere as well? Bacon-Smith's books have memorable characters that find themselves in equally memorable and unexpected situations. She draws her character's use of magic from medieval books of shadows, and sets this ancient daemonology in present-day Philadelphia. This is definitely not the same old thing!

There are seven spheres in the heavens. Each one is ruled by an angel, sometimes called a daemon. None of the ruling angels want anything to do with that abomination called earth. Though the two species can mate, their offspring are insane monsters who die young. Ironically, a daemon can be tricked into being bound to a human as has happened to Badad, host of Ariton, who learned about a son he was unaware even existed until they met and felt the connection. For four years, Evan Davis bound his father and his cousin Lily to him so as to insure they never leave him.Although circumstances force Evan to break the spell, neither Badad nor Lily vanishes. Instead, the trio continue with their detective agency and uneasily work together on the disappearance of the dowager Empress' crystal balls. The last one that is missing, the Moon Stone was previously on display at the nearby Philadelphia Art Museum. It is imperative to retrieve the missing objects because they are much more valuable than just art. They possess a power that might prove too strong for two daemons and a halfling to overcome.The sequel to the EYE OF THE DEMON magnificently depicts the struggle of beings beyond mortal understanding who feel more human than they would like. Though the hybrid mating of human and daemon seem like the ideal from two planes, bias on both sides make it difficult for the halfling. Camille Bacon-Smith has created a brilliant urban fantasy in EYES OF THE EMPRESS that effortlessly merges horror and mystery. This series will appeal to fans of both genres and anyone who wants something a bit different.Harriet Klausner