Demonkeeper by Royce Buckingham - Ages 9+

Demonkeeper

What's the Story?

Demons are all around us—most of them are relatively harmless, like the ones that go bump in the night or make you stub your toe. But some are dangerous—some can kill. Since he was orphaned as a boy, Nat has been trained by his aged mentor Daliwahl to be a demonkeeper, controlling a menagerie of demons in their old, rickety house in Seattle. But now Dahliwahl is gone and Nat is on his own.

Keeping demons isn’t a very social activity, and when Nat goes on a date with Sandy, a junior librarian’s assistant, it’s a disaster in more ways that one—while Nat’s out, a very scary demon called the Beast escapes. Can Nat get the Beast back to the house and make things right with Sandy—and do it all by himself?

With its fast-paced action, slapstick humor, and a winning, unlikely hero, Demonkeeper is a high-spirited romp that will keep readers glued to the page.

What's the Buzz?

"It was full of suspense, humor and action. LOTS of HUMOR! My son begged me to read more every night, and I didn’t mind because it was a great book. We love books full of magic, enchanted houses, funny happenings, strange creatures, interesting characters and I’ll tell you what, this book has all of that." - News Craze

 "The author could have put more detail into each scene. However, the demons and their funny antics are a redeeming point. All in all, the story had nice settings and characters, but lacked detailed action." - Flamingnet

"Gore and action ensue. Reluctant readers will devour this fast-paced and deliciously monstrous tale. Flat characters will keep this one off of the award lists, but who cares? This book is too much fun!" - Book Dweeb 

 "I don't know how Demonkeeper can be so terrifying, and yet so unbelievably cute! When I say "terrifying," I mean tween-suitable "AAAAAAH!" and "eeew gross!" and when I say "cute," I mean so adorable your brain might just explode." - The Fickle Hand of Fate

 "Demon Keeper was quite a fun read. Not as horrific as some of my students would like, although I wouldn't personally want to be hunted down by any of the monsters, but not funny in a way that my horror fans will find obnoxious." - Ms Yingling Reads

"Written with a unique blend of funny and fearsome, this novel stomps, slithers and soars with a creative cast of characters. Nat’s spooky house literally comes alive in every nook and cranny as the demons make their appearances at odd times and with surprising results." - Curled Up Kids

 "Filled with humour, horror and likeable humans and demons, Royce Buckingham’s debut book is a winner for Grades 4-8 boys in particular." - Iowa City Public Library

Where can I learn More?

The official Demonkeepers website

Is That All?

This is the kind of stuff that drives me crazy.  See those three cool covers below?  They're for the Demonkeeper trilogy of books.  What, you say? You didn't know there were three Demonkeeper books?  Well that's because they've only been released in Germany!  The second book is called Demoneater and the third which is being released just a few weeks from now is called Demoncity.  While the trilogy is planned for other languages, there are no plans to release it in English! See kids, this is why you should choose a foreign language as an elective.