"DEMON'S HEART," by Emily H. Bates, Sweetwater Books, $16.99, 208 pages (f) (ages 12 and up)
"Demon’s Heart" is a young adult fantasy-adventure novel centered around the adventures of an abused runaway, Rustav, and Dantzel, the young lady he meets in a mountain village. Together, they are always running away from someone, including his abusive uncle and demons in the forest; being held captive; or being taken care of by some kind soul who happens to rescue them.
Rustav endures this cycle three times, and the convenience of the kind soul is a bit inconceivable by the third time.
Also mixed in are fantasy beings and the legend of an heir that also point to Rustav.
Rustav’s character is annoyingly moody, perhaps overacting the role of reluctant hero, although fans of the fifth Harry Potter book will feel right at home. Many of Rustav’s actions are illogical or unlikely. At one point, he trusts a villain who has proved untrustworthy in the past. The villain’s magical ability to get Rustav to trust him has no explanation and seems contrived.
Rustav and Dantzel establish their mutual attraction about halfway through the book, and it’s refreshing that they effectively communicate their feelings to each other. Their romance is completely chaste, but Rustav’s wounds and scars from his abuse might be a bit much for a 10-year-old.
"Demon’s Heart" is best suited to young adults and adults looking for a light read — so long as they aren’t bothered by the types of plot contrivances listed above. There is no foul language, and the violence is mostly vague — in the scene where Rustav's scars from beatings on his back are visible, the other characters are stunned, which implies more than it states.
Author Emily H. Bates is a Brigham Young University graduate and lives in Washington.
Rachel Helps has a bachelor's degree in psychology. She has a passion for old books and video gaming. See thepretentiousgamer.blogspot.com for more of her gaming articles.