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Demon Witch (Novel)
For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).
Demon Witch is a novel written by Geoffrey Huntington. It is the second novel in the series of works called the Ravenscliff series. The three works in this series are titled: Sorcerers of the Nightwing, Demon Witch, and the upcoming Blood Moon. In this novel, a character named Morgana appears who is a central part of this novel. Morgana appears to have some aspects of a Succubus in her and is referred to as being a Succubus in the novel as well.
Overview
- Title: Demon Witch
- Author: Geoffrey Huntington
- Published By: HarperTeen
- Format: Mass Market Paperback
- Length: 400 pages
- ISBN-10: 0060595515
- ISBN-13: 978-0060595517
- Publishing Date: June 29, 2004
Plot Summary
Devon March matches wits and wizardry against a five-hundred-year-old evil in Demon Witch, the spine-tingling sequel to Sorcerers of the Nightwing.
Long before the days of Madman Jackson Muir, a witch named Isobel the Apostate waged war upon her fellow sorcerers, the noble order of the Nightwing. Burned at the stake for her crimes, Isobel vowed to return and conquer the world. Now that she is back, the only person who can prevent hell on earth is fourteen-year-old Devon March. In a battle that takes him from modern-day Ravenscliff to Tudor England and back, Devon must unleash the Nightwing power within himself and call upon friendships in the strangest places to stand against an evil that has waited five centuries for revenge. For at Ravenscliff, friends come in all shapes and sizes -- and enemies are everywhere.
Book Review
The following review is from the Amazon.com link in the External Links below:
- 5 out of 5 stars
- She's back
- Reviewed On: October 9, 2003
- Reviewed By: E. A Solinas
Geoffrey Huntington's second Ravenscliff book lives up to the promise of the first. It's a dark fantasy triumph with a new and nastier villain, plenty of ugly demons, and ambiguous characters galore. Though a few plot twists are broadcast way in advance, it's a solid sequel that doesn't slip into the same sort of plot as the first book. At Ravenscliff, Devon March meets the new caretaker -- a gnome. Devon is shocked when the supposedly friendly Bjorn Forkbeard directs him to the Stairway Through Time, which takes him to what seems to be a Hellhole. To make things worse, Edward Muir (Alexander's father) shows up with his new fiancee, Morgana, who seems to have a certain druglike effect on the men around her. Cecily and her mother loathe Morgana instantly, which puts Devon's new relationship to the test.
That's the last thing Devon needs, because he has been hearing strange laughter and weeping, and demons are creeping through Ravenscliff. Isobel the Apostate, a powerful witch burned five hundred years ago by the Nightwing sorcerers, has returned to open the Hellhole. To make things worse, Devon has a hideous vision of demons overrunning Ravenscliff and killing his friends -- and is told that he will cause that to happen. To save the present from Isobel, he will travel through time and space to medieval England-- and learns a hideous truth about his own past.
The Ravenscliff series is darker, grittier and more twisted than the Harry Potter series and similar fantasy tales. It's New England gothic without being over-the-top, complete with haunted houses, graveyards, weird caretakers and undead sorcery. Somehow, Huntington manages to avoid being bogged down in cliche -- although his cliffhanger will leave readers howling.
His handling of the Nightwing sorcerers in old England is very well-done, once he gets past the initial awkwardness of time travel. The main stumbling block is Morgana's identity, which I figured out in a few pages. However, the handling of succubus/witch Isobel is phenomenal; she's genuinely scary from the first chapter onward. And the lingering question of who the weeping women in the basement is, and what connection she has with Bjorn and Devon, is a fantastic subplot. (Although having the old lady die just before revealing Devon's secret made me groan)
Huntington keeps up the good work with Devon's character development, especially since nobody tells him anything. His growing dread and confusion are excellently done. Bjorn Forkbeard is a nice addition, especially since it's genuinely hard to tell what he's thinking. Edward Muir is a blueprint for an irresponsible rotter; the other supporting characters are generally solid.
Though there are a few flaws at Ravenscliff, the sequel to "Sorcerers of the Nightwing" is a fine piece of dark fantasy that won't disappoint. "Demon Witch" definitely casts a spell.