REVIEW: Blue Flame :Daemon Collecting Series By Alison Levy

Award winning author returns with thrilling sequel

Delve back into Rachel Wilde’s thrilling world of Daemons 

GREENSBORO, North Carolina – Chanticleer International Book Award winning author, Alison Levy, returns with her electric second installment in The Daemon Collecting Series. “Blue Flame” (Oct. 11 2022, SparkPress) continues with the adventures of headstrong and tenacious protagonist, Rachel Wilde. 

Rachel comes from a dimension that exists adjacent to ours. The people there have structured their society around daemon collecting: they locate, catch, and repair malfunctioning daemons (creatures out of phase with our world that tempt people to do good or evil). 

While introducing Leda Morley, last of an ancient line of gatekeepers, to the ins and outs of her daemon-collecting work, Rachel Wilde encounters something far more dangerous than any daemon: a young boy who stands alone against an unseen yet terrifying enemy that has invaded his home—an inhuman creature who, hellbent on revenge for a minor slight, intends to harm the boy’s oblivious family. Meanwhile, Leda’s brother, Simon, is feeling left out of his maternal family legacy but is coping partly by helping Rachel’s friend Bach—a previously homeless man with unusual mental abilities—get his life back on track.

In the midst of all of this, Bach unintentionally but serendipitously makes contact with a capable otherworldly being who, with great reluctance, agrees to help Bach and his friends take on the dangerous creature that’s just become their problem to solve. Together, this group of unlikely allies must put aside their differences to save an innocent child, and his family, from a monster—before it’s too late.

This author is wonderful but its also hard for me to get right into this book as she has a specific writing style. This in no way deters from her talent and the greatness of this series.

 

I would recommend reading book one, Gatekeeper first to understand the dimensions and the characters.  I was glad to continue with many of the characters' stories from the first book and go deeper into their backstories.  Rachel continues to be strong and fierce, with Leda's help she begins to break down her unyielding personality.  Through Leda's human eyes, a better understanding of the Arcana and it's social structure is shown.  Leda's thirst for knowledge and gentle nature unravels some of the mysteries of the Arcana and smooths some of Rachel's edges. I was elated to learn more about Bach's history, see him move forward with his life, get a grip on his gift as well as learn of its origins. The being that Rachel and Leda discover in Blue Flame is surprising and interesting to learn about.  I loved that the point of view switched to these special beings and they were very interesting to read.

This was a really wonderful second book in this series and I was so excited I was approached to read this second book. Cant wait to see what else this author will do or come up with in the future.

                                        

Alison Levy lives in Greensboro, North Carolina with her husband, son, and a variety of pets. When she is not writing or doing mom things, she crochets, gardens, walks her collies, and works on home 

improvement projects.

Her books feature female characters who are strong but flawed, making them more relatable. They stay rooted in everyday life while world-building in their fictional cultures. Intolerance of differences has become widespread in recent years. Gatekeeper encourages readers to look beyond what they consider normal and see through foreign eyes, a message that I hope will appeal to many in today’s climate.