Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #91546 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Synopsis
Darren Shan's acclaimed "Demonata" series continues with more shocks, demons and thrilling twists in the chilling, Bec. "I'm almost through the door when something breathes behind me, 'Beccccc...' I turn. I can't see anything but I know I'm not alone. I want to call for help but I can't. Then, in a blur, claws dart out of the darkness...a twisted face...fiery eyes...rows of teeth...the demon grabs me!" As a baby, Bec fought for her life. As a trainee priestess, she fights to fit in to a tribe that needs her skills but fears her powers. And when the demons come, the fight becomes a war. Bec's magic is weak and untrained, until she meets the druid Drust. Under his leadership, Bec and a small band of warriors embark on a long journey through hostile lands to confront the Demonata at their source. But the final conflict demands a sacrifice too horrific to contemplate...

From the Back Cover
I'm almost through the door when something breathes behind me, "Becccccc ..." I turn. I can't see anything but I know I'm not alone. I want to call for help but I can't. Then, in a blur, claws dart out of the darkness ... a twisted face ... fiery eyes ... rows of teeth ... the demon grabs me!

As a baby, Bec fought for her life. As a trainee Priestess, she fights to fit into a tribe that needs her skills but fears her powers. And when the demons come, the fight becomes a war.

Bec's magic is weak and untrained, until she meets the druid Drust. Under his leadership, Bec and a small band of warriors emabark on a long journey through hostile lands to confront the Demonata at their source. But the final conflict demands a sacrifice too horrific to contemplate ...

About the Author
Born in London in 1972, Darren O'Shaughnessy [writing as Darren Shan] moved to Limerick with his parents and younger brother. He returned to London to study Sociology and English, then worked for a TV cable company. His first adult novel Ayuamarca has been published by Orion and his writing has been likened to Clive Barker and Iain Banks. He is now a full-time writer of TV scripts and novels.

Customer Reviews

great horror series
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.

Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.

Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.

Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.

Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.

Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Bec
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.

The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.

I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.

And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.

All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.

I can't wait for the next books!!