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Marius Grey #2
Darkness and Demon Song
A cemetery-boy-turned-monster-hunter must race against time to save his recently-resurrected mother in Darkness and Demon Song, M.R. Fournet’s eerie middle grade follow up to Brick Dust and Bones.Marius Grey’s mom is back from the dead. After hunting monsters and performing forbidden spells, Marius is just happy she's there, helping him to take care of their Louisiana cemetery again.But it soon becomes clear that something has gone wrong. Marius's mother is growing more distant and strange things start happening around her. Worse yet, sometimes it feels like she’s a completely different person–one who definitely isn’t his mom.If Marius wants to save her, he’s going to need help. Serious help. Good thing he has a flesh-eating mermaid for a best friend and a classmate with extra strong magic. Add in mysterious clues for new hunts, graveyard hopping from Louisiana to Texas, and a tough ex-hunter he doesn’t know if he can trust, and it’s clear that Marius has his work cut out for him.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 14, 2024
This was an excellent continuation to the Marius Grey series. I loved following Marius as he made new friends, hunted new monsters and tried to figure out what was going on with his mom. I loved getting to know the characters more in this installment. The author did a great job telling this imaginative story and I look forward to reading future books by this author.
Thank you Media Masters Publicity for the gifted copy.
Thank you Media Masters Publicity for the gifted copy.
September 5, 2024
This is a great continuation of the Marius Grey series! I like the writing style and the characters are entertaining. I would recommend reading the first book in the series first but I would recommend this! Special Thank You to M.R. Fournet, MacMillian Children's Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 11, 2024
Despite having missed out on reading Brick Dust and Bone, I was able to jump right into reading Darkness and Demon Song with only slight confusion on how Marius rescued his mom from the dead and perhaps some details about the "fringe world" that they live in. However, this did not interfere with my enjoyment in any way. And boy what an exhilarating opening with Marius and his mom battling a Chupacabra.
Marius and his mother are monster hunters who capture monsters by sealing them into a book in order to exchange them for coins from Papa Harold. Ever since Marius' mom returned, he's noticed that she's changed. It almost feels like she is more of a stranger and a bit of a "liability." Marius witnesses her losing her sense of time and how she becomes easily confused and disoriented. Following an especially difficult encounter with a vengeful spirit, she even becomes seriously ill.
In search of answers, Marius turns to Papa Harold, who offers a deal: he will help with his mother's exorcism in exchange for Marius collecting the Honey Island Swamp monster. Despite suspecting that he's walking into a trap, Marius agrees to the terms. However, when he encounters the monster, he realizes the deal has placed him in a tough spot, and in good conscious he can't go through with it. Later, Marius encounters, Creecher, a retired demon hunter, who reveals that a demon is possessing his mother. To save her, Marius must venture into Hell and retrieve the lost fragments of her soul, but the clock is ticking, and Marius is quickly running out of time.
Like I said, this was a super fun read. The opening dives right into the action and it keeps building from there as Marius tries to save his mom. Marius is determined to try everything he can to fix her. The setting of a mausoleum gives you some eerie vibes, and being able to "grave hop" from one cemetery to the next is a quite interesting way of getting around. The supporting characters added some depth to Marius' journey. Lynna, who we learn is a witch and has been keeping an eye on him. Creecher, the former monster hunter who sets him up with a task to prove himself to her. And especially Marius' best friend, Rhiannon, a flesh-eating mermaid who just adores him. She had me laughing out loud with her humorous way of dealing with threats by — "drowning the dangerous thing and then, if they don't look too tough, you eat them." She's too funny and well cute in how things are just that simple and straightforward to her.
The Louisiana Bayou setting was captivating, with Marius navigating his boat and confronting monsters in the cemetery. The creatures were truly frightening, particularly the two children with black eyes guarding the movie theater entrance—delightfully creepy. I'm not easily frightened or deterred when reading horror and there isn't anything too extreme that should deter you either. This would make for an exceptionally enjoyable Halloween read.
**A huge thank you to Media Masters for the hardcover copy in exchange for an honest review.**
Marius and his mother are monster hunters who capture monsters by sealing them into a book in order to exchange them for coins from Papa Harold. Ever since Marius' mom returned, he's noticed that she's changed. It almost feels like she is more of a stranger and a bit of a "liability." Marius witnesses her losing her sense of time and how she becomes easily confused and disoriented. Following an especially difficult encounter with a vengeful spirit, she even becomes seriously ill.
In search of answers, Marius turns to Papa Harold, who offers a deal: he will help with his mother's exorcism in exchange for Marius collecting the Honey Island Swamp monster. Despite suspecting that he's walking into a trap, Marius agrees to the terms. However, when he encounters the monster, he realizes the deal has placed him in a tough spot, and in good conscious he can't go through with it. Later, Marius encounters, Creecher, a retired demon hunter, who reveals that a demon is possessing his mother. To save her, Marius must venture into Hell and retrieve the lost fragments of her soul, but the clock is ticking, and Marius is quickly running out of time.
Like I said, this was a super fun read. The opening dives right into the action and it keeps building from there as Marius tries to save his mom. Marius is determined to try everything he can to fix her. The setting of a mausoleum gives you some eerie vibes, and being able to "grave hop" from one cemetery to the next is a quite interesting way of getting around. The supporting characters added some depth to Marius' journey. Lynna, who we learn is a witch and has been keeping an eye on him. Creecher, the former monster hunter who sets him up with a task to prove himself to her. And especially Marius' best friend, Rhiannon, a flesh-eating mermaid who just adores him. She had me laughing out loud with her humorous way of dealing with threats by — "drowning the dangerous thing and then, if they don't look too tough, you eat them." She's too funny and well cute in how things are just that simple and straightforward to her.
The Louisiana Bayou setting was captivating, with Marius navigating his boat and confronting monsters in the cemetery. The creatures were truly frightening, particularly the two children with black eyes guarding the movie theater entrance—delightfully creepy. I'm not easily frightened or deterred when reading horror and there isn't anything too extreme that should deter you either. This would make for an exceptionally enjoyable Halloween read.
**A huge thank you to Media Masters for the hardcover copy in exchange for an honest review.**
February 19, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this sequel to Brick Dust and Bones, Marius has managed to bring his mother, Kelly, back from the dead. He continues to go to Madame Millet's school, where he has met the enigmatic Lynna, and also hunts monsters, selling them to Papa Harold. His flesh-eating mermaid friend, Rhiannon, still helps support him. When Marius stops by a local restaurant, the Old Coffee Pot, with his mother and Lynna, he manages to free some ghost hunters who are being possessed by spirits, but his mother becomes violently ill. Something is not quite right, and he tries to find out. He seeks the help of a retired demon hunter, Creecher, who sends him on a mission to find out how good he is, and then tells him that his mother is possessed by a demon. He consults Papa Harold, who says that if Marius can capture the Honey Island Swamp monster, he'll help with information so Marius can exorcise his mother. The monster is actually protecting owls on Honey Island, so Marius doesn't capture him. Now, he needs other help to rid his mother of the demon. With the help of Madame Millet, Mama Roux, and Creecher, will he be able to locate part of his mother's soul in Hell and reunite her with it? While this book could conclude Marius' story, there is a bit of demon song wafting through the air at the end that could lead to yet another tale.
Strengths: Marius' relationship with Rhiannon has something of the feel of Tom's relationship with Alice in The Revenge of the Witch, which is still very popular in my library. The New Orleans setting, with the super creepy monsters (children with solid black eyes infesting a movie theater!), is great, and the plot moves along very quickly. I KNEW that bringing Marius' mother back from the dead would have some negative ramifications, but I liked How Marius was determined to solve the problem, had a support network he could ask for help, and did everything in his power to put things right.
Weaknesses: I wasn't quite sure where Marius and his mother were living. I think they were still in the graveyard, living in a mausoleum, which seemed odd. Of course, she wasn't really in any condition to hold a job and rent an apartment, so that makes some sense. I was hoping that Marius' life would return to normal so that he was even more invested to work to keep his mother.
What I really think: I enjoyed this one, but it's a little unusual to have a horror series. I'd rather see Fournet write some stand alones with the same setting, but with different monster hunters. I will probably still purchase this for readers who enjoyed Baptiste's Jumbies series or Royce's Conjure Island.
In this sequel to Brick Dust and Bones, Marius has managed to bring his mother, Kelly, back from the dead. He continues to go to Madame Millet's school, where he has met the enigmatic Lynna, and also hunts monsters, selling them to Papa Harold. His flesh-eating mermaid friend, Rhiannon, still helps support him. When Marius stops by a local restaurant, the Old Coffee Pot, with his mother and Lynna, he manages to free some ghost hunters who are being possessed by spirits, but his mother becomes violently ill. Something is not quite right, and he tries to find out. He seeks the help of a retired demon hunter, Creecher, who sends him on a mission to find out how good he is, and then tells him that his mother is possessed by a demon. He consults Papa Harold, who says that if Marius can capture the Honey Island Swamp monster, he'll help with information so Marius can exorcise his mother. The monster is actually protecting owls on Honey Island, so Marius doesn't capture him. Now, he needs other help to rid his mother of the demon. With the help of Madame Millet, Mama Roux, and Creecher, will he be able to locate part of his mother's soul in Hell and reunite her with it? While this book could conclude Marius' story, there is a bit of demon song wafting through the air at the end that could lead to yet another tale.
Strengths: Marius' relationship with Rhiannon has something of the feel of Tom's relationship with Alice in The Revenge of the Witch, which is still very popular in my library. The New Orleans setting, with the super creepy monsters (children with solid black eyes infesting a movie theater!), is great, and the plot moves along very quickly. I KNEW that bringing Marius' mother back from the dead would have some negative ramifications, but I liked How Marius was determined to solve the problem, had a support network he could ask for help, and did everything in his power to put things right.
Weaknesses: I wasn't quite sure where Marius and his mother were living. I think they were still in the graveyard, living in a mausoleum, which seemed odd. Of course, she wasn't really in any condition to hold a job and rent an apartment, so that makes some sense. I was hoping that Marius' life would return to normal so that he was even more invested to work to keep his mother.
What I really think: I enjoyed this one, but it's a little unusual to have a horror series. I'd rather see Fournet write some stand alones with the same setting, but with different monster hunters. I will probably still purchase this for readers who enjoyed Baptiste's Jumbies series or Royce's Conjure Island.
November 19, 2023
What worked:
The whole world accepts the existence of ghosts and other supernatural creatures and Marius has become a reluctant celebrity. He was able to dispose of a particularly nasty creature and rescue his mother from the devil. Darius and Kelly, his mom, are monster hunters and the book opens with them tackling a stronger-than-expected chupacabra. Darius possesses a book with the power to capture monsters within its pages and he later has the
Some middle-grade heroes are reluctant and insecure about their roles but Marius is a confident monster hunter. He still captures monsters alone while his mother is gone but he appreciates that she’s now returned to help. He has an ability to transport himself to different cemeteries which makes moving quickly to other locations quite easy. No need for a car! Marius’s best friend is a mermaid named Rhiannon and he’s most relaxed when he’s anchored in the bayou listening to her songs. Rhiannon’s suggestions to help Marius often include killing and eating the problems which adds a touch of levity to the story.
The most intriguing part of the story is Darius’s mom because there’s obviously something wrong with her. She behaves and speaks strangely at times but then can’t remember what just happened. Marius is afraid to ask for help because he’s not sure what might happen to Kelly if news of her condition gets out. However, it’s hard to help her if he can’t identify the problem. It’s an impossible decision. Ask for help and risk losing his mother or do things on his own to risk his mother losing her soul.
What didn’t work as well:
A great deal happened in the first book and it feels like readers are joining a party that’s already started. We quickly learn that Marius is a monster hunter and his mother has just returned from spending two years with the devil. She’s changed because of the experience and it would be nice to have more information about what happened. As always, the easy solution is to read the first book and fill in some of those gaps.
The final verdict:
The author’s skillful descriptions of Marius’s life as a monster hunter will capture the imagination of young readers. His protective feelings for his mother lead to difficult, emotional decisions that may challenge Marius beyond his abilities. Overall, this is an exciting adventure in the bayou and I recommend you give it a shot.
The whole world accepts the existence of ghosts and other supernatural creatures and Marius has become a reluctant celebrity. He was able to dispose of a particularly nasty creature and rescue his mother from the devil. Darius and Kelly, his mom, are monster hunters and the book opens with them tackling a stronger-than-expected chupacabra. Darius possesses a book with the power to capture monsters within its pages and he later has the
Some middle-grade heroes are reluctant and insecure about their roles but Marius is a confident monster hunter. He still captures monsters alone while his mother is gone but he appreciates that she’s now returned to help. He has an ability to transport himself to different cemeteries which makes moving quickly to other locations quite easy. No need for a car! Marius’s best friend is a mermaid named Rhiannon and he’s most relaxed when he’s anchored in the bayou listening to her songs. Rhiannon’s suggestions to help Marius often include killing and eating the problems which adds a touch of levity to the story.
The most intriguing part of the story is Darius’s mom because there’s obviously something wrong with her. She behaves and speaks strangely at times but then can’t remember what just happened. Marius is afraid to ask for help because he’s not sure what might happen to Kelly if news of her condition gets out. However, it’s hard to help her if he can’t identify the problem. It’s an impossible decision. Ask for help and risk losing his mother or do things on his own to risk his mother losing her soul.
What didn’t work as well:
A great deal happened in the first book and it feels like readers are joining a party that’s already started. We quickly learn that Marius is a monster hunter and his mother has just returned from spending two years with the devil. She’s changed because of the experience and it would be nice to have more information about what happened. As always, the easy solution is to read the first book and fill in some of those gaps.
The final verdict:
The author’s skillful descriptions of Marius’s life as a monster hunter will capture the imagination of young readers. His protective feelings for his mother lead to difficult, emotional decisions that may challenge Marius beyond his abilities. Overall, this is an exciting adventure in the bayou and I recommend you give it a shot.
November 21, 2023
Darkness and Demon song starts off a little after the end of book one. Marius is famous for having captured the rougarou and bringing his mother back to life. Things should be looking up but his mother is acting strange lately. Did he really bring her back or did she come back wrong?
This is a good follow up to book one. Book one gave us a taste of the world that Marius lives in while Book two builds on top of that. You feel the fear that Marius has for his mother and his desperation to keep her with him. We are introduced to new characters that help Marius with his journey. Lynna is a new friend with strange powers and Creecher a retired monster hunter. Rhiannon is still a delight. I do wish we saw more of the ghosts that Marius has to take care of.
This is an exciting read that captures the imagination thanks to the descriptive writing of the author. Darkness and Demon song is a must for readers who like creative world building and likable characters.
I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for giving me an e ARC for Darkness and Demon song.
This is a good follow up to book one. Book one gave us a taste of the world that Marius lives in while Book two builds on top of that. You feel the fear that Marius has for his mother and his desperation to keep her with him. We are introduced to new characters that help Marius with his journey. Lynna is a new friend with strange powers and Creecher a retired monster hunter. Rhiannon is still a delight. I do wish we saw more of the ghosts that Marius has to take care of.
This is an exciting read that captures the imagination thanks to the descriptive writing of the author. Darkness and Demon song is a must for readers who like creative world building and likable characters.
I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for giving me an e ARC for Darkness and Demon song.
January 9, 2024
A solid 4.5. Seldom does a sequel maintain the power of the first book. This one does. All of our favorite friends are back, and there are some unexpectedly cool new friends to be found. I’m jealous of the author’s imagination. This will be fun for students who love the unexpected and those who adore legends and cryptids. Our young witches will especially enjoy it, too. There’s beautiful lessons here, about bravery, friendship, loyalty, love, and of course, magic. The writing is textured, delicious to get lost in. I always love my time in this New Orleans. A definite must read.
July 3, 2024
This was so good. If you love Cemetery Boys or DreamWorks Fright Krewe, you'll love this book.
Using New Orleans as the backdrop, all of those creepy creatures come to life here. From Rougarous to chupacabras, New Orleans has it all. But for Marius, his main concern is saving his mother from the entity that piggybacked on her trip out of hell.
Marius, the monster hunter, hunts monsters. He's also the son that will travel to hell to save his mom.
I enjoyed this story so much. It is very reminiscent of Fright Krewe (a Hulu show I absolutely love).
Using New Orleans as the backdrop, all of those creepy creatures come to life here. From Rougarous to chupacabras, New Orleans has it all. But for Marius, his main concern is saving his mother from the entity that piggybacked on her trip out of hell.
Marius, the monster hunter, hunts monsters. He's also the son that will travel to hell to save his mom.
I enjoyed this story so much. It is very reminiscent of Fright Krewe (a Hulu show I absolutely love).
August 3, 2024
From the immense imagination of the multi-talented MR Fournet, Darkness and Demon Song is a terrific follow up to her first in the Marius Grey series, Brick, Dust, and Bones. It’s a well written tale with rich settings and engaging characters, including a smart, compelling protagonist who cares deeply enough to (literally) go to hell and back to save his beloved mom. If your fourth to sixth grader is a horror genre fan, both books in this series are worth checking out!
July 8, 2024
This awesome volume 2 can be easily understood if read as a standalone, but you won't want to miss Marius' origin story of getting tangled with monsters and hunters, and what events led Marius to the status of a celebrity at his school. His burden is not easy to deal with, though. Being a twelve-year-old and facing real monsters makes him a very young but brave hunter, too. We get a bit more plot twists when it comes to some characters, in this one, including Papa Harold.
This is my favorite volume so far and by far one of my favorite Monster Hunter series since Buffy. It's eery, creepy, a step up from the witchy/monster/demons usual middlegrade books. The author is great in giving us all the five senses experience, being the 5th a bad feeling that Marius feels since he saved his mom. She is back, but she is not safe. Something is wrong. Something will go terribly wrong soon.
With a lot of New Orleans, and Cajun vibes, and their lore influences, this new adventure makes Marius again one of my favorite characters. Another is the mermaid Rhiannon. She is the best.
Marius' relationship with his mother is awesome, and I love the concept that they have to trap the monsters inside a book.
It's a thrilling read for all year and especially for spooky season.
This is my favorite volume so far and by far one of my favorite Monster Hunter series since Buffy. It's eery, creepy, a step up from the witchy/monster/demons usual middlegrade books. The author is great in giving us all the five senses experience, being the 5th a bad feeling that Marius feels since he saved his mom. She is back, but she is not safe. Something is wrong. Something will go terribly wrong soon.
With a lot of New Orleans, and Cajun vibes, and their lore influences, this new adventure makes Marius again one of my favorite characters. Another is the mermaid Rhiannon. She is the best.
Marius' relationship with his mother is awesome, and I love the concept that they have to trap the monsters inside a book.
It's a thrilling read for all year and especially for spooky season.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews