3 out of 4 stars
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Demon Heart by David Crane is a fantasy-thriller set up in contemporary Japan. The story follows Naoko Kitamura, a half-demon. We see the circumstances of her birth and her growth into an adult. The story develops as Naoko follows with her dream of joining the Osaka Police. Being different from other police officers, she investigates weird cases involving the supernatural. However, Naoko has her fair share of troubles as she soars through the ranks in the police. In the story, the readers follow Naoko, as she deals with the dangers involving the fate of her country, Japan.
The story is, no doubt, excellent. The plot moves fast and is rich in action. The author doesn’t shy from showing us some gore scenes here and there. Again, the detailing was superb. The plot contains high-intensity fight scenes and surprising plot twists. The entire plot was so compelling, that, the book was difficult to put down. The author put several symbols of Japanese culture here and there, which made the plot, seem much more real and characters relatable. The use of Japanese words in between lines lit up the plot. The use of Japanese proverbs at the beginning of each chapter added a bonus to the narration.
With a very engaging plot and brilliant narration, we also have some strong themes in the story. The bonds between family are visited time and again in the story. So is the idea of loyalty and friendship. Though the character of Naoko is pretty well developed, other side characters are found to be lacking. Apart from Naoko, the author hardly bothers giving depth to any of his side characters. Another thing I disliked about the book was that it barely had any essential subplots. The entire story was too focused on the main character, and I would have liked some occasional detours.
Overall, the book is exceptionally well written. If you are a fan of Japanese anime or Japanese culture, you will find this book delightful. There are no actual sex scenes, but there are several erotic and gore contents, not to mention violence, which is inappropriate for young readers.
The author edited the book well. Apart from a few missing commas, the book contained no other problems. The few errors, however, did not distract from the wonderful reading experience. Due to the above reasons, I cannot give it four stars. I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I would have given it a partial star if it was possible. It was a great reading experience, and I recommend all adults to give it a try.
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Demon Heart
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