Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by. Jana Oliver

Title: The Demon Trapper's Daughter
Author: Jana Oliver
Publication Date: February 1st 2011
Pages: 340
Genre: Paranormal 
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis from Goodreads: Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself – and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on. Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get – even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen. But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart – and her life?

Review: My first favorite of 2011!!! Way to bring back the kick butt teenage heroine! The Demon Trapper's Daughter is the first book in the trilogy by Jana Oliver and was a great way to kick off what I am positive is going to be an amazing series.

Riley Blackthorne is already dealing with a heavy load as the book begins. And that loads just seems to get bigger as the book goes on. It's hard enough being a girl and trying to become a demon trapper, put on top of that trying to go to school on a close to nothing income and dealing with your father's obnoxious, yet formerly crush-worthy assistant/partner really makes being a normal girl seem all the more appealing. But if Riley wanted to be a normal girl, she wouldn't be Riley. She welcomes a challenge.

Everything seems to be going against her. And when one of Lucifer's minions, whom Riley has a special deadly vendetta against,  takes a special out of the ordinary interest in her, and an underground demon conspiracy seems to be coming to cause a sudden shift in the ways the demon trappers handles their business, Riley has so much more to deal with than she ever expected. Riley needs to find a way to bring this conspiracy to the light, despite the fact that someone just wants her to be away from the mayhem. If it was any other girl besides Riley, they would run from the pain, the struggle, and the danger. But she runs towards it. And sometimes it works out, other times...

The book is told between the two perspectives of Riley and Beck (her father's partner) and this method completely worked with the book. The two perspectives really show you a lot about the characters and the situation they have been thrown in. It creates a he said, she said feel in the book and you makes you think if they would just talk to each-other everything would be so much easier for the both of them!

This is one of those first books in the series that sets up a great mystery, and leaves you to make your own inferences as to what is to come. There could be some much outcomes, there is so much foreshadowing for something big, that my mind was traveling in a million directions at the end of this book.

And of course to top it all off there is some romance in this book. And something that was a real refresher is that it wasn't the "we have to die to be together" or some other impossible romance, it was a nice natural romance that sprang up. It is the kind  that really helped the heroine, not hindered her. But of course something i.e. someone has to be thrown into the mix to raise a few eyebrows.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I know it's going to be a serious page turner!!!


Overall: 8/10

Characters: 10/10 
Plot: 10/10
Originality: 8/10 
Entertainment: 910 
Ending: 8/10 
Writing Style: 8/10
Cover:  8/10