Review: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers
Demon Slayers #2

Demon slaying powers should come with an instruction book...

Seriously. Why does a new hair dryer have a twelve-page how-to manual, but when it comes to ancient demon-fighting hocus-pocus, my biker witch granny gives me just half a dozen switch stars and a rah-rah speech? Oh, and a talking terrier, but that's another story. It's not like my job as a preschool teacher prepared me for this kind of thing.

So, I've decided to write my own manual, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, because no one tells me anything. Dimitri, my "protector," may be one stud of a shape-shifting griffin, but he always thinks he can handle everything by himself. Only he's no match for the soul-stealing succubi taking over Las Vegas. If I can't figure out how to save him - and Sin City - there'll be hell to pay.

At the end of the last book Lizzie chose to keep her demon slayer powers but what her grandmother didn't tell her is that she needed to pass an exam to be able to use them. When a few letters arrive in the place they're staying and they say that she wil be shot on sight if she didn't get a permit, Lizzie decides to take the test. Is not as easy as it seems because at the end she's only been a demon slayer for two weeks and she doesn't know the answer to a lot of questions, so they fail her. She tells the people of DIP that she needs to go to Vegas to save his uncle from a succubi, and after one more test, they give her a begginers license and a book that gives a few pointers to new demon slayers, but it's so old that a lot of it is useless. So, Lizzie decides to start her own book for demon slayers.

When Lizzie, Dimitri and the gang arrive in Vegas, she notices that something is wrong. Instead of 12 succubi they were 23, and she knows she can't fight them all on her own; and appart of that she finds out that griffins are very vulnerable to succubi but she can't tell Dimitri to go because he left before she found out. Lizzie and her grandmother go to uncle Fred's place to figure out were he was and when they arrive, she sees that his house is full of pictures, articles and stuff about her, so her grandmother tells her that he's her fairy godfather.

When they find out that the succubi and Fred were going to get married that very same day, they don't understand why. Succibi never got married. So they get back to their hotel and Lizzie calls uncle Fred to her through their fairy godfather connection. When he appears in the hotel room they realize instantly that uncle Fred has been compromised, his mind was no longer his own, but before they can figure out why they chose him, the succubi attack and then Fred leaves with them.

At the end, they try to form a plan, but when Dimitri arrives everyone decides to go to sleep. Lizzie confronts Dimitri about the vulnerability of griffins against succubi, but he tells her that he was going to be all right but she notices that something is wrong with him. The succubi have already started to drain his energy and he couldn't stop them for some reason. Lizzie decides to take matters into her own hands and tells everyone that she can do it alone. Would she be able to figure out what the succubi are planing before is too late?

This was a great follow up of the first book. Lizzie keeps learning new things and lessons through the story. We don't see much of the witch coven, but we get new insights into Dimitri and a new character is introduced. Max is a slayer, he wasn't born for the job, bot chosen for it and it gives him a few disadvantages. Pirate keeps being a sweet dog who sometimes is a pain in the ass but is clear that Lizzie cares a lot for him and so does him for her. I liked the little snippets of the dangerous book of demon slayers that Lizzie is writing at the beginning of every chapter. I found the book slow in some parts, specially when Lizzie tells everyone to leave and starts doing stuff on her own. Also, after all the trouble the succubi gave them, I would have liked a less simple final. If you liked the first book, there's no doubt you will like this one.

Memorable Quote:

"Pirate!" I scooped up his impossibly warm little body. At least they didn't get him. "Are you all right?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I was all set to bite the guy in the shiny pants, but he gave me these." He whipped his head toward a bag of half-eaten Doritos on the bed. "And Phil seemed to know him and I felt sorry for him, you know, being a succubus love slave and all." Pirate paused to study me. "Gee, Lizzie, you look stressed. You want to rub my belly?"
I buried my face in the scruff of his neck. "Just give me a second." I couln't believe that things had gone downhill so fast.
"Aw, now that's nice," Pirate said, licking my hand.
"How many were there?" Grandma asked.
Pirate's expression fell. "You know I can't count."

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