Alex Dunn

Reviewed by Carla Trueheart for Readers' Favorite

The Demon Magician by Alex Dunn follows teen Ella as she falls in love with the wrong guy, then the right guy, and ends up in a difficult situation because one of those guys happens to be involved with demons. Ella first finds amateur magician Jonathan repulsive, but after making him over into The Demon Magician persona, she becomes attracted to him and falls in love. But Jonathan has some problems at home that lead him to become involved with menacing demons, and Ella goes along for the ride. Things are fine at first—the demons make it so that Ella’s crippled younger sister Jenny can walk again, and Jonathan’s act as The Demon Magician is really taking off. But soon Ella realizes that both she and Jonathan are in over their heads. Luckily, she is smart enough to back out, even as Jonathan gets sucked in further. When she falls in love with angelic and handsome gardener Matthew, however, she finds she can never leave behind her life as magician’s assistant. Jonathan and the demons just won’t allow that.

What struck me most about The Demon Magician was the interesting concept. Jonathan, like many others who have difficulties in life, takes the easy way out by attaching himself to a world where anything is possible if you give up enough of yourself to attain it. The scenes where Jonathan is doing his Demon Magician acts were the most engaging, and I really would have liked to see more of this, especially in the beginning so I could understand the full depth of Ella’s attraction to him. The magic shows were imaginative, particularly as they grew darker and darker as the book went on. The man who wished to be Elvis Presley and how he received that gift will stay with me for a long time! Author Alex Dunn writes Matthew’s character as the exact opposite of Jonathan, and Ella’s attachment to him shows her growth. I can’t include spoilers, but I will say the ending was done spectacularly. The book is recommended to fans of horror novels and edgy teen reads.… (mehr)