Dominic Diavolo (cute use of a derivation of “devil” isn’t it?) is the primary target of a group called the Realm of Light, which is a worldwide unit of crime fighters who go after demons.  Nic’s demon father kidnapped him away from his human mother at the age of eight, and the Realm of Light needs to know if Nic’s demon side controls him - and put him down if it does.  Shay Pearson, a precognitive (although she’s referred to as a clairvoyant in the book), is sent to establish a connection with the pampered so-called bad boy of the Diavolo Diamond realm. Boy, do they ever establish one.  For all that both are supposedly leery of involvement with the opposite sex, they jump right into physicality and having a much-hailed connection.

When Shay’s friends - including Nic’s brother, Derek, whom Nic doesn’t remember due to post-traumatic shock remaining from the kidnapping and ensuing chaos - arrive to take Nic prisoner, Nic and Shay’s relationship understandably falters.  Nic isn’t buying the Realm of Light’s bull, and as he hasn’t been notified of his father’s death, they really have nothing to back up their story.  Nic and Shay, establishing a pattern early on, make up quickly, aided by the first of many demon appearances. Before long, Nic is a diehard member of the team, coming to terms with the fact that his father was evil, accepting his newfound brother, and having not very exciting yet very explicit sex with Shay on a regular basis.

The team is searching the Diavolo mines for the black diamond, a mythic gem that the Sons of the Dark need for their next ritual.  This rite, if Shay’s visions are to be believed, will include Nic - human as well as his demon side.  It seems that Nic’s been groomed by his father and uncle to be one of the six Lords of Darkness, and now that Ben’s seat has been vacated, it’s become somewhat urgent to get him initiated.

The plotline to this book - to the entire series, from what I gather - is fairly simple: the fight of good against evil. Simplicity can be refreshing, but not in the instance.  That battle of the Realm of Light versus the demons is described physically over and over again, in between the gory details of Shay and Nic’s sex life.

The scenes of this book are so repetitive, the semi-intelligent reader will have the drill down by page 100.  Three hundred pages later, the ending is welcome and predictable.  One doesn’t need to read the first book to grasp the simple concepts in this one; you’ll pick up pretty quickly on the fact that the first book was Nic’s brother, Derek’s, story.  If you’ve read the first one and wondered if the second would be an improvement, don’t bother.  If you’ve read this one and wondered if you’d enjoy the series more if you went back and read Surviving Demon Island, I wouldn’t do that either.  If nothing else, hold out until the third book, The Demon’s Touch, comes out in 2008, and cross your fingers that it has more value to it than either of the others.

--Sarrah Knight