Book Review: Darkness Calls by Marjorie Liu

Darkness Calls is the 2nd book in the Hunter Kiss series, which starts with Iron Hunt. It continues telling the story of demon hunter Maxine Kiss, who must now rescue her lover from an army of religious zealots.

Maxine Kiss is descendant from a line of demon hunters, and she inherited from her mother five demon protectors, which camouflage as tattoos throughout her body during the day.

Her lover, Grant, is a former-priest who uses music to control any living creature, and runs a homeless shelter in Seattle. The previous book revealed that he is the last Lightbringer, descendant from a race of otherworldly creatures who have lived on Earth for ages.

The Avatars, other such creatures, were their enemies, and their remnants thought them extinct until they found Grant. Throughout the book, they try to kill Maxine Kiss, to keep her from defending Grant.

In order to save Grant, Maxine Kiss will have to unleash her darkest powers, risking losing herself in the attempt.

Marjorie Liu has published her first fantasy book in 2005, and she has written over 10 books, including some X-Men novels. The next installment of the Hunter Kiss series is due in July 2010.

About the Darkness Falls book she has commented that: “Darkness calls is about Maxine's journey to understand this force that she was born with, that's inside of her, that is so frightening to others in a way... it's frightening to her, but for those who realize that she was born with this, it terrifies them.

“Years ago, there was another hunter who was born, who exhibited these similar traits, a similar power within her and she almost destroyed the world.

“And so now, thousands of years later, here's another hunter, Maxine, who is exhibiting this same power, this same darkness. Certain signs are coming, she's marked on her face with a symbol, and for those who recognize that symbol, and recognize this darkness, it terrifies them, they don't know what's coming, all they know is it's going to be bad, and she is very dangerous.” [1]

Marjorie Liu is a major in East Asian Languages and Cultures, and a minor in Biomedical Ethics, and also a Law graduate. She has worked previously in the US Embassy in Beijing, before becoming an author.

Learn more about her work and her amazing novel in the sites mentioned below.

Darkness Falls Book Page Marjorie Liu's Official Site Darkness Falls Excerpt