The Daemon Parallel
Published on 22. March 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-86315-869-8 (ISBN)
Description
It was over coffee and biscuits that Grandma Ives offered to return Cameron's father from the dead...
Cameron never came to visit his grandma when his dad was alive -- and he's just found out the reason why. Sent to stay with her after his father's death, Grandma Ives soon reveals their family's extraordinary abilities, and introduces him to the dark side of Edinburgh he never knew existed -- the Daemon Parallel.
Cameron is sent on dangerous missions in Edinburgh's daemon underworld to find the ingredients for an ancient spell that will bring his dad back to life. Cameron befriends a werewolf, bargains with a giant bat-like beast, and struggles to escape the clutches of a powerful spider daemon. But will he survive long enough to finish the resurrection spell? And who can he trust in a world where nothing is what it seems?
It was over coffee and biscuits that Grandma Ives offered to return Cameron's father from the dead...
Cameron never came to visit his grandma when his dad was alive -- and he's just found out the reason why. Sent to stay with her after his father's death, Grandma Ives soon reveals their family's extraordinary abilities, and introduces him to the dark side of Edinburgh he never knew existed -- the Daemon Parallel.
Cameron is sent on dangerous missions in Edinburgh's daemon underworld to find the ingredients for an ancient spell that will bring his dad back to life. Cameron befriends a werewolf, bargains with a giant bat-like beast, and struggles to escape the clutches of a powerful spider daemon. But will he survive long enough to finish the resurrection spell? And who can he trust in a world where nothing is what it seems?
Cameron never came to visit his grandma when his dad was alive -- and he's just found out the reason why. Sent to stay with her after his father's death, Grandma Ives soon reveals their family's extraordinary abilities, and introduces him to the dark side of Edinburgh he never knew existed -- the Daemon Parallel.
Cameron is sent on dangerous missions in Edinburgh's daemon underworld to find the ingredients for an ancient spell that will bring his dad back to life. Cameron befriends a werewolf, bargains with a giant bat-like beast, and struggles to escape the clutches of a powerful spider daemon. But will he survive long enough to finish the resurrection spell? And who can he trust in a world where nothing is what it seems?
It was over coffee and biscuits that Grandma Ives offered to return Cameron's father from the dead...
Cameron never came to visit his grandma when his dad was alive -- and he's just found out the reason why. Sent to stay with her after his father's death, Grandma Ives soon reveals their family's extraordinary abilities, and introduces him to the dark side of Edinburgh he never knew existed -- the Daemon Parallel.
Cameron is sent on dangerous missions in Edinburgh's daemon underworld to find the ingredients for an ancient spell that will bring his dad back to life. Cameron befriends a werewolf, bargains with a giant bat-like beast, and struggles to escape the clutches of a powerful spider daemon. But will he survive long enough to finish the resurrection spell? And who can he trust in a world where nothing is what it seems?
Reviews / Votes
'It is full of adventure, action, and mystery. This book definitely deserves to be read, even if it's one in the morning like it was for me.'-- Bookxrock Blog
'The Daemon Parallel is a intriguing, interesting, and weaves a wonderful tale of fantasy and adventure ... I can't wait for a sequel!'
-- Libguides.Colonial blog
'The Daemon Parallel is a fast-paced and exciting read, focusing on Cameron's quest to bring his dead father back to life through magic he previously was completely unaware of. With plenty of action and a healthy dose of humour, we follow Cameron as he meets people who may or may not be who they claim to be, and visit some odd - yet strangely familiar -- locations in the "Edinburgh Parallel"... Gill has a finely-tuned ear for teenage dialogue, which helps breathe life into his characters, who the book's target audience are likely to identify with immediately. Older readers familiar with Edinburgh will also enjoy spotting the often satirical references to the city, whilst readers of all ages will appreciate the underlying universal themes of the novel ... We would heartily recommend The Daemon Parallel to anyone who enjoys a light-hearted and exciting adventure story with magical elements: with its clever plot, realistic characters and unique setting, it is one of those "just one more chapter" titles which will keep readers gripped to its action-packed climax.'
--Edinburgh Spotlight
'Great writing in this gutsy fantasy thriller set in Edinburgh -- a city with two sides to it.'
-- Mumsnet
'Loved the book. It was fun and exciting, definitely something younger readers would be able to see themselves in ... Love how the world-building was set up, with the split between this world and the demon world, as well as someone needing the ability to slip between the two. The whole department store/otherworld? Fantastic! ... this is a good start to what looks to be a promising series (I hope!)'
-- L. Spiel, NetGalley
'It's a great book and it was good that it was set in Edinburgh ... Some of the great things in the book were that there was a different universe and all the characters had good personalities.'
-- Firrhill High pupil, Teen Titles
'This book is well written, descriptive, humourous, unusual, and mysterious. It pulls you in from the very first page. It has a fantastic ending with a nail biting cliff-hanger.'
-- Firrhill High pupil, Teen Titles
'If you like urban fantasy stories that don't take themselves too seriously, that have you giggling almost at every chapter, that have interesting characters, a plot that doesn't revolve around saving the world, and all of this set in the capital of Scotland, then I recommend this book hands down, and I would support the author in any way possible for a sequel. So what are you waiting for? Go out and get it!'
-- Deviantart blog
'This impressive debut novel has just the right blend of action, mystery, adventure, magic, supernatural, humour and character development. Most of all, I was surprised at how "right sounding" the voice of Cameron is ... underneath all the fantastical elements is a boy who is trying to figure out if he's doing the right thing or not. And what a gutsy ending!'
-- Boys Do Read blog
'This book is absolutely brilliant ... It's like watching the adventure first hand, as if you were a fly on the wall, so to speak. It's one of those books that when it ends you feel a great sense of loss ... This book has everything from quick fire humour, which really make you chuckle, to some fantastic action sequences, which are really well written ... This is a great debut book and one that will fly high into my top five reads of this year.'
-- Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
'It is probably the best written book by a new author that I've read in a while ... Roy Gill has teenage banter to a T (or is that a B?) and the book is a highly entertaining read. Please let there be more from Roy Gill, whether underground, overground or parallel.'
-- Lothian Life, May 2012
'With more twists and turns than a basilisk, and a truly exciting ending that kept me on the edge of my seat, The Daemon Parallel gripped me throughout and made me long for a sequel.'
-- kidsreadbooks
'Roy Gill's first novel reminds me of the work of the great Diana Wynne-Jones; we don't have a straightforward narrative, from our world to the fantastical one and back, and isn't about slotting the right grail onto the right plinth at midsummer -- it's a story about the people who live with knowledge of that magical world: a story of a contract, of secrets, of deals and friends and businesses ... It's not a straightforward thing to put grief at a heart of a children's novel, particularly one full of werewolves and a giant spider made of curtain material, but Gill's success with it is rewarding: you believe in Cameron and his dilemma throughout, and that's key ...I'm assuming that there are sequels to come for the Daemon Parallel ... But Gill could equally tell another story from somewhere else in this inverted Edinburgh -- there is a wonderful, intriguing world to be explored here.'
-- A pile of leaves blog
'The writing was beautiful, and the story as promising and yummy as a piece of cake you're about to sink your spoon into! And it got better and better. Cameron, the main character, is a loveable, thoughtful, brave little boy whom I fell for at once ... This is one of the things I love about this book: it's an action adventure, full of magic and danger and werewolves, but it's also the story of a little boy's soul, and his struggles to tell friend from foe in a world that's difficult to decipher ... You can say the main character in this book has to share the limelight with the other main character, the city of Edinburgh -- so much more than a setting. Edinburgh truly comes alive under Roy's pen, and it's a mysterious, dark, ancient place -- exactly like I see it ... I never put ratings to my books before, but I'm going to put a rating on this one: a milky way of stars for The Daemon Parallel, and one of the best books I've read in a long time.'
-- Daniela Sacerdoti
'For a werewolf/daemon fantasy with a difference, set in Edinburgh, you can't do better ... This could be a standalone novel. Or I can see how it could be the start of more deamonish happenings.'
-- The Bookwitch, April 2012
'Edinburgh is conjured brilliantly and beautifully here, and we can really believe in it as a place suffused by magic. Whenever Cameron steps sideways into the Parallel, the world around him alters and shifts and familiar places are strangely transformed. I loved the scenes in the old department store on Princess Street - which becomes a kind of forest cathedral, where antlered beings tend to a sleeping Winter God ... I adored this novel. I really, really want it to be the first in a sequence. I want it to be a boxed set of novels that are just about falling apart with repeated rereadings. That's how much I enjoyed this first one.'
-- Paul Magrs
'Set partly in an alternative Edinburgh, half way between this world and its daemon mirror, 14-year-old Cameron goes in search of tools to help his strange, old fashioned but likable grandmother resurrect his recently deceased father. He encounters werewolves, curtains that change into red-eyed spiders, and a four-storey high Santa Claus -- all presented with a dry humour and some understanding of teenage angst.'
-- School Librarian Journal
'This book immediately caught my attention because it is based in Edinburgh and I wanted to see how the author described the city. It was interesting to read about places I recognised and I thought Roy Gill was pretty accurate in the details. It was an exciting story and I definetly wanted to finish the book to find out how it all turned out. I'm a Michael Grant fan and I think it was almost as good as his series.'
-- Craigmount High pupil, Teen Titles
'It is full of adventure, action, and mystery. This book definitely deserves to be read, even if it's one in the morning like it was for me.'
-- Bookxrock Blog
'The Daemon Parallel is a intriguing, interesting, and weaves a wonderful tale of fantasy and adventure ... I can't wait for a sequel!'
-- Libguides.Colonial blog
'The Daemon Parallel is a fast-paced and exciting read, focusing on Cameron's quest to bring his dead father back to life through magic he previously was completely unaware of. With plenty of action and a healthy dose of humour, we follow Cameron as he meets people who may or may not be who they claim to be, and visit some odd - yet strangely familiar -- locations in the "Edinburgh Parallel"... Gill has a finely-tuned ear for teenage dialogue, which helps breathe life into his characters, who the book's target audience are likely to identify with immediately. Older readers familiar with Edinburgh will also enjoy spotting the often satirical references to the city, whilst readers of all ages will appreciate the underlying universal themes of the novel ... We would heartily recommend The Daemon Parallel to anyone who enjoys a light-hearted and exciting adventure story with magical elements: with its clever plot, realistic characters and unique setting, it is one of those "just one more chapter" titles which will keep readers gripped to its action-packed climax.'
--Edinburgh Spotlight
'Great writing in this gutsy fantasy thriller set in Edinburgh -- a city with two sides to it.'
-- Mumsnet
'Loved the book. It was fun and exciting, definitely something younger readers would be able to see themselves in ... Love how the world-building was set up, with the split between this world and the demon world, as well as someone needing the ability to slip between the two. The whole department store/otherworld? Fantastic! ... this is a good start to what looks to be a promising series (I hope!)'
-- L. Spiel, NetGalley
'It's a great book and it was good that it was set in Edinburgh ... Some of the great things in the book were that there was a different universe and all the characters had good personalities.'
-- Firrhill High pupil, Teen Titles
'This book is well written, descriptive, humourous, unusual, and mysterious. It pulls you in from the very first page. It has a fantastic ending with a nail biting cliff-hanger.'
-- Firrhill High pupil, Teen Titles
'If you like urban fantasy stories that don't take themselves too seriously, that have you giggling almost at every chapter, that have interesting characters, a plot that doesn't revolve around saving the world, and all of this set in the capital of Scotland, then I recommend this book hands down, and I would support the author in any way possible for a sequel. So what are you waiting for? Go out and get it!'
-- Deviantart blog
'This impressive debut novel has just the right blend of action, mystery, adventure, magic, supernatural, humour and character development. Most of all, I was surprised at how "right sounding" the voice of Cameron is ... underneath all the fantastical elements is a boy who is trying to figure out if he's doing the right thing or not. And what a gutsy ending!'
-- Boys Do Read blog
'This book is absolutely brilliant ... It's like watching the adventure first hand, as if you were a fly on the wall, so to speak. It's one of those books that when it ends you feel a great sense of loss ... This book has everything from quick fire humour, which really make you chuckle, to some fantastic action sequences, which are really well written ... This is a great debut book and one that will fly high into my top five reads of this year.'
-- Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
'It is probably the best written book by a new author that I've read in a while ... Roy Gill has teenage banter to a T (or is that a B?) and the book is a highly entertaining read. Please let there be more from Roy Gill, whether underground, overground or parallel.'
-- Lothian Life, May 2012
'With more twists and turns than a basilisk, and a truly exciting ending that kept me on the edge of my seat, The Daemon Parallel gripped me throughout and made me long for a sequel.'
-- kidsreadbooks
'Roy Gill's first novel reminds me of the work of the great Diana Wynne-Jones; we don't have a straightforward narrative, from our world to the fantastical one and back, and isn't about slotting the right grail onto the right plinth at midsummer -- it's a story about the people who live with knowledge of that magical world: a story of a contract, of secrets, of deals and friends and businesses ... It's not a straightforward thing to put grief at a heart of a children's novel, particularly one full of werewolves and a giant spider made of curtain material, but Gill's success with it is rewarding: you believe in Cameron and his dilemma throughout, and that's key ...I'm assuming that there are sequels to come for the Daemon Parallel ... But Gill could equally tell another story from somewhere else in this inverted Edinburgh -- there is a wonderful, intriguing world to be explored here.'
-- A pile of leaves blog
'The writing was beautiful, and the story as promising and yummy as a piece of cake you're about to sink your spoon into! And it got better and better. Cameron, the main character, is a loveable, thoughtful, brave little boy whom I fell for at once ... This is one of the things I love about this book: it's an action adventure, full of magic and danger and werewolves, but it's also the story of a little boy's soul, and his struggles to tell friend from foe in a world that's difficult to decipher ... You can say the main character in this book has to share the limelight with the other main character, the city of Edinburgh -- so much more than a setting. Edinburgh truly comes alive under Roy's pen, and it's a mysterious, dark, ancient place -- exactly like I see it ... I never put ratings to my books before, but I'm going to put a rating on this one: a milky way of stars for The Daemon Parallel, and one of the best books I've read in a long time.'
-- Daniela Sacerdoti
'For a werewolf/daemon fantasy with a difference, set in Edinburgh, you can't do better ... This could be a standalone novel. Or I can see how it could be the start of more deamonish happenings.'
-- The Bookwitch, April 2012
'Edinburgh is conjured brilliantly and beautifully here, and we can really believe in it as a place suffused by magic. Whenever Cameron steps sideways into the Parallel, the world around him alters and shifts and familiar places are strangely transformed. I loved the scenes in the old department store on Princess Street - which becomes a kind of forest cathedral, where antlered beings tend to a sleeping Winter God ... I adored this novel. I really, really want it to be the first in a sequence. I want it to be a boxed set of novels that are just about falling apart with repeated rereadings. That's how much I enjoyed this first one.'
-- Paul Magrs
'Set partly in an alternative Edinburgh, half way between this world and its daemon mirror, 14-year-old Cameron goes in search of tools to help his strange, old fashioned but likable grandmother resurrect his recently deceased father. He encounters werewolves, curtains that change into red-eyed spiders, and a four-storey high Santa Claus -- all presented with a dry humour and some understanding of teenage angst.'
-- School Librarian Journal
'This book immediately caught my attention because it is based in Edinburgh and I wanted to see how the author described the city. It was interesting to read about places I recognised and I thought Roy Gill was pretty accurate in the details. It was an exciting story and I definetly wanted to finish the book to find out how it all turned out. I'm a Michael Grant fan and I think it was almost as good as his series.'
-- Craigmount High pupil, Teen Titles
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Floris Books
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 8 to 12 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 130 mm
Weight
306 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-86315-869-8 (9780863158698)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Person
Roy Gill was born in Edinburgh, and has a PhD from Stirling University on the topic of media fandom. He has taught English and Film at Stirling and Strathclyde, and also worked front-of-house in a theatre. He has always enjoyed writing, and has published articles, reviews and short fiction in books and journals such as Critical Quarterly, Creeping Flesh and Fractured West. In 2009/10 he won a New Writer's Award from the Scottish Book Trust.
Roy Gill was born in Edinburgh, and has a PhD from Stirling University on the topic of media fandom. He has taught English and Film at Stirling and Strathclyde, and also worked front-of-house in a theatre. He has always enjoyed writing, and has published articles, reviews and short fiction in books and journals such as Critical Quarterly, Creeping Flesh and Fractured West. In 2009/10 he won a New Writer's Award from the Scottish Book Trust.
Roy Gill was born in Edinburgh, and has a PhD from Stirling University on the topic of media fandom. He has taught English and Film at Stirling and Strathclyde, and also worked front-of-house in a theatre. He has always enjoyed writing, and has published articles, reviews and short fiction in books and journals such as Critical Quarterly, Creeping Flesh and Fractured West. In 2009/10 he won a New Writer's Award from the Scottish Book Trust.