TIMOTHY'S DEMON

In Duff’s debut novel, a man must choose between honoring a demon’s centuries-old contract or using his newfound magic to fight his way out of it.

Timothy Kovak is nearly killed by an otherworldly beast on his 25th birthday. His world in 2058 is accustomed to both demon attacks and mages, such as those in the Bluestar 7 team of metahuman cops. But he’s still shocked when he awakens to find the succubus Lydia in his Boston apartment. She claims he’s now inherited magic, an ancient book, and a blood contract that his soul-selling ancestor signed in the mid-14th century; now he’ll have to serve Demon Prince Baalphezar. While Lydia can’t force Timothy to honor the contract, Baalphezar may send a more vicious demon to enforce his will. Timothy takes his time, learning what he can about the book, the terms of the contract, and Lydia’s methods of seduction (“Her body had stopped being titillating and was starting to feel like a threat”). If Timothy can master his new magical abilities, he can do good, like the Bluestar mages he admires—he may also be able to defeat Baalphezar and permanently cancel his contract. Duff’s leisurely paced tale, which opens a series, masterfully develops multilayered characters—Timothy, for example, seems hung up on his ex, but his genuine care for others is apparent when the Demon Prince threatens his friends. Similarly, Lydia is unpredictable, a powerful succubus who sometimes shows a warmhearted side. Despite Timothy’s intermittent cynicism. Lightening the mood, the narrative remains tense throughout. Even the protagonist’s apartment, a principal setting, is in a “No-Fly Zone” where a dead god’s miasma randomly kills anything in the air (and most other things). Demons rearing their ugly heads guarantee gory bits along with supernatural action. The novel’s latter half picks up considerably as Timothy hones his magic and his circumstances grow increasingly dire. There’s plenty left to explore in sequels.

An unnerving and immensely entertaining dark fantasy.