When Demons Walk

By Patricia Briggs

When Demons Walk is not your typical Sword and Sorcery novel. It is more of a mystery set in a a mythical land. It's suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat and not wanting to put down the book.

Sham, the main character, is the daughter of the late king's Captain of the Guard. She was saved from death when the Cybellian army conquered Southwood. Her family was killed and the King's Adviser, the mage Maur raised and trained her. As she grew, she became an accomplished thief, stealing from the Cybellians. Her master is attacked by a demon and killed, but not before Sham can drive it off using a magic flute she had just "acquired" from a house. The guards show up and try to beat information out of her about the underground's largest kingpin: The Shark. The Reeve of Southwood, Lord Kerim arrives and saves her. They had seen each other on the cliffs as the tide rolled in. The next day, the Reeve calls her to the palace and asks her to look in to the rash of murders in Southwood lately. Sham informs Kerim that her master said it was a demon which attacked him. The Reeve, like all Cybellians, doesn't believe in magic. He is very skeptical at first, but Sham agrees and to have access to the palace, poses as his mistress. As she explores the castle, she is attacked by the demon, but drives it off again. She also discovers that the Reeve's brother was killed by the demon, who uses the body for a temporary refuge. Sham is kidnapped by the High Priest and discovers that he has also been killed and taken over by the demon. Sham is able to cure the Reeve of the wasting sickness he has by discovering it is caused by several runes in the room, cloths, and furniture in the Reeve's rooms. She finds out that a Lady of the court, Sky is really the demon. She is a widow of a Cybellian noble. Sham lures the demon to the cliffs over the inlet of the bay when the Spirit Tide came in. The magic created by the tide enables Sham to defeat the demon, who just wanted to go home and was killing to gather enough energey to do so.

This was a really good book. It kept me riveted to my seat and had me guessing at the identity of the demon throughout. I highly recommend it to everyone to read. Like it said on the cover: "Sorceress, Lady, Mistress, Thief. Just call her an overachiever...." She is and Ms. Briggs brings to her readers a mix of believable characters in a good story line. I look forward to reading more from her.