"It’s impossible to ignore the devils and demons who have a tangible presence in this story, but the novel’s deeper pleasure comes from the analysis Ullman applies to these horrors. 'Fear — of death, of loss, of being left behind — is the genesis of belief in the supernatural,' he explains, which makes horror stories more like 'the history of man’s efforts to make sense of pain, of loss, of mystery.' So bring on the devils and make way for Milton."
-New York Times Book Review
“The evil of Milton’s pandemonium comes to life . . . Pyper’s novel takes on “things that go bump in the brain” and delivers a stirring entry in the supernatural thriller genre.”
-Booklist
“Pyper is an intelligent writer, steeped in Miltonian symbolism, gifted with language . . . This artful literary exploration of evil’s manifestation makes for a sophisticated horror tale.”
-Kirkus
"A mesmerizing and melancholy narrative voice lends chilling credibility to this exceptional supernatural thriller."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A complex novel about loss, anger, faith, grief, love and forgiveness...[The Demonologist] will frighten you out of your shoes."
-Toronto Star
"The Demonologist reads like a ready-made screenplay, a fast-paced Exorcist-meets-Da Vinci Code where the actual horror happens off-screen, in the mind. Which, as Pyper surely knows from Milton, is where evil truly dwells."
-Maclean's Magazine
"Pyper’s a star because he writes so spectacularly. The entire story is drenched in dread, and his most terrifying scenes are so vivid, you’d best not be reading the book just before hitting the sack."
-NOW
"Ah, I loved this. Pyper has a way with words, and in The Demonologist he has created a beautiful and truly disturbing work of literary horror...Highly recommended."
-Devourer of Books blog
“Part horror, part thriller, all page-turner . . . The Demonologist has all the twisting excitement of a Dan Brown novel, and all the lurid, gory violence of a Stieg Larsson.”
-The Globe & Mail
“This book is going to be big, and it’s going to be popular, and it absolutely deserves to be both of these things. You should buy it, and read it, and let it scare you stupid.”
-National Post
“A chilling novel for readers who like their horror presented with literary flair.”
-Fort Worth Star-Telegram (US)
"In the sly, creepy and often-horrific The Demonologist, Andrew Pyper knows how to get under the skin of even the most rational reader."
-The Columbus Dispatch (US)
“Proper creepy.”
-Chatelaine Magazine
"Taut, intelligent and utterly gripping...[The Demonologist] is a fascinating exploration of the darkest corners of the human psyche."
-Raven Crime Reads
"* * * * [Four Stars]...Intense and satisfying."
-BookBanter Blog
“The plot rarely flags and remains difficult to predict, twisting elegantly rather than through clear contrivances, and the Miltonic and biblical echoes add an extra layer to what is, at its heart, a dissection of depression and an argument for hope.”
–Winnipeg Free Press
"[U]napologetically pulpy..."
-Toronto Life
"There is no clutter in Pyper’s writing. He gets the story rolling through calm and learned prose that chills to the bone...Pyper’s novel is enthralling in its subdued intensity. There are no pyrotechnics à la William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist — more a slow burn to a pulse-pounding end."
-Montreal Gazette
“With THE DEMONOLOGIST, Andrew Pyper has created a truly blood-curdling work that will have readers looking over their shoulders and on edge from beginning to end. Whereas other classics in the genre have focused on battling evil, this novel seeks to understand the very nature of evil from its origins. The fact that he is able to breathe life into the book’s plausibility creates an unsettling feeling and completely satisfying horror read without ever becoming clichéd in the process.”
-Bookreporter.com
"Recommended for teens who enjoy intelligent, literary puzzles...Genuinely scary and unexpected."
-School Library Journal
"A stunningly crafted, intelligent and moving horror story... There is an elegance to the storytelling and a command of what evil may mean, that lingers with you long after the end. No surprise that it is development as a major film."
-Daily Mail (UK)
"A chilling exploration of how we all have to do battle with our own demons."
-Mail on Sunday (UK)
"Pyper’s novel might be properly categorized not as suspense, but as horror, a genre that has proven again and again–from Poe to James to King to Cronin–that it can marry plot with a prose that reaches a higher literary register. With The Demonologist, Pyper has won himself a place on that list. Despite its lovely prose and thoughtful execution, we offer a word of caution before you dive headfirst into Pyper’s latest: don’t plan on getting a good night’s sleep. Between your desperate attempt to finish it in one sitting and the novel’s abundance of absolutely frightening passages, you’ll be searching for sleep as desperately as Pyper’s hero searches for answers. And it will be just as difficult to find."
-Rogue Reader
"The pace heats up in the first chapter and stays to the climax. This is storytelling that transcends the boundaries of genre: mystery (a vanished child), thriller (evil), a page-turner. It’s beautifully written, with layer upon layer of fear, redemption and deep feelings rarely expressed in a fiction. The Demonologist should not be missed."
-Hamilton Spectator
"A horror-thriller that grips the reader in a tale that haunts, questions and terrifies all under the wrappings of highly literate prose."
-Shots Magazine (UK)
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