![]() ![]() After building up the rich inner life of Alok and his palpable fear and fascination with the lore, things start to fall in place in all too pat a manner, probably with the view to quickly tie up all the loose ends. Sadly, there just isn’t enough of this in the novel. And despite the occasional rambling digressions into the lore of shape-shifting, Das manages to portray both the horror and wonder of shape-shifters and their primal magic. ![]() A life of a demon is sensuality taken beyond all limits, and this comes across strongly in the book. Bones crack, blood flows freely, carrion flesh is eaten raw, and the dank scent of stale sweat covers everything. One thing that Das gets absolutely right is the profusion of bodily fluids that drench the story, and the unapologetic way that this and other forms of pure physicality just jump off the page. Although she’s a crucial link between the two worlds, it often seems like she’s wandered into a male fantasy of shape-shifting demons and their lustful world-for human meat, for blood, for a life unconstrained by any human morality. Cyrah, the fierce, independent soul who overcomes her fear and revulsion to hunt Fenrir down, is the most under-represented. ![]() His blundering attempts to woo Cyrah, his joyless rape of her and his subsequent shame and guilt and rage are convincing, if a tad melodramatic. ![]()
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