Lord Loss (Book One of The Demonata): Book 1

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Lord Loss is the first novel in The Demonata series by best-selling teenage horror author Darren Shan. It was originally published in the UK on June 6, 2005. Soon after, it appeared in Japan and America, where Shan's previous series, The Saga of Darren Shan, had sold especially well. Set in Ireland. It is told in first person through Grubbs Grady, and in present tense. The series centers around three protagonists from separate periods of time—Grubbs lives in the present day, Kernel in the 1970s, and Bec in around 450AD. The books detail their fight against the demon master Lord Loss, his many demon familiars, and Shadow, who promises to destroy the human universe. Together with The Disciples, the main characters attempt to thwart the Demonata from destroying the world. Will Not Tell a Lie: Lord Loss makes a point of never lying, but he tends to speak in half-truths when it suits him. But after some days his sis comes in and gifts him something, says something good and informs him that his punishment has come to an end. "Ya kiddin me?"

Three days after my early release. To say things are strange is the understatement of the decade. The atmosphere's just like it was when Gran died. Mum and Dad wander around like robots, not saying much. Gret mopes in her room or in the kitchen, stuffing herself with sweets and playing chess nonstop. She's like an addict. It's bizarre. Uneven Hybrid: The werewolf-curse on the Garadex/Grady-clan is the result of an ancestor interbreeding with a demon in failed a power grab. The magical gene is so resistant, that even after thousands of years of outbreeding and "culling" those who turned, it still pops up in every generation. Purgatory. Confined to my room after school for a month. A whole bloody MONTH! No TV, no computer, no comics, no books - except schoolbooks. Dad leaves my chess set in the room too - no fear my chess-mad parents would take that away from me! Chess is almost a religion in this house. Gret and I were reared on it. While other toddlers were being taught how to put jigsaws together, we were busy learning the ridiculous rules of chess. When I was a baby, I could crawl through the flap. Mum had to keep me tied to the kitchen table to stop me sneaking out of the house when she wasn't looking. Much too big for it now, so I fish under the pyramid-shaped stone to the left of the door and locate the spare key. Good Thing You Can Heal: Mages can reattach and regrow body parts to some extent, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

Inside the room, somebody giggles - low, throaty, sadistic. Not Mum, Dad or Gret. There's a ripping sound, followed by snaps and crunches. After Grubbs recovers, he lives with the rather eccentric Dervish in his mansion near the village of Carcery Vale. Dervish explains to Grubbs that using magic is possible as Grubbs himself used magic to flee from Lord Loss and his minions, members of an otherworldly race known as the Demonata. As Grubbs begins to settle down, he meets and befriends Bill-E Spleen, an orphan who visits Dervish often to learn magic.

In solitude, I call Gret every name under the moon the first night. Mum and Dad bear the brunt of my curses the next. After that I'm too miserable to blame anyone, so I sulk in moody silence and play chess against myself to pass the time.The universe that Darren created is also something that I am particularly fond of. There’s an entire ruleset for how magic works, who can do it and what they can do. There are different types of magic users and a hierarchy to the demonic lands that adds a great deal of depth to the overall story. Later on, there’s even a universe origin story that is actually quite clever. There’s as much depth to the mythology and the lore as there is to the characters, and that makes Lord Loss a very enjoyable read. This book was fantastic, unless reading about dead people grosses you out. It was fast paced, and laugh-out-loud funny in some places. There was also many twist and turns in the plot. Another great series by a great author. Lord Loss makes no apperance, he is only mentioned, this is the only one where he does not show up at all, though he does send Juni Swan. I don't catch the rest of the insult - Gret flies down the stairs ahead of it. She drops her towel on the way. I don't have time to react to that before she's on me, slapping and scratching at my face. I shrug, trying to act like it's no big thing, like I was planning to stop anyway. "Sure, if you're going to make that much of a fuss about it," I yawn.

I Just Want to Be Normal: Grubbs has no interest in the world of magic or demon fighting. Too bad You Can't Fight Fate. The head's office. Me, Mum and Mr. Donnellan. Mum's ranting and raving about cigarettes. I've been seen smoking behind the bike shed (the oldest clich�� in the book!). She wants to know if the head's aware of this, of what the pupils in his school are getting up to. Emotion Eater: Lord Loss. Its not totally clear if he is literally this and actually feeds on suffering, or is simply a lot more sadistic than the rest of his demon brethren, though they aren't mutually exclusive interpretations. Smoking's dumb," he says. We're in the kitchen (I haven't been out of it since Mum dragged me home from school early, except to go to the toilet). "It's disgusting, antisocial and lethal. Why do it, Grubbs? I thought you had more sense." PLOT: Wonderfully created. The author knows exactly when to twist the tale, when you least expect it. The ending is perfect... I could not decide whether to find Demonata #2 Demon Thief a sequel or an entirely different story.

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The Quincy Punk: Dervish was this in his teenage years during the 70s, complete with a spiked purple Mohawk, leather clothing, chains and piercings. Lord Loss is the debut novel of the Demonata series by Darren Shan. The book follows Grubbs Grady as he discovers a secret demonic world behind ours. After the tragic murder of his parents and sister at the hands of these demons he spends a bit of time in a mental institute before his uncle comes and gets him out. Over the course of the book, Grubbs learns about magic, demons and the curse that plagues his family. Naturally, he has to do battle with the very demon who killed his family, Lord Loss. What's wrong, Gretelda?" I giggle, fending her off, calling her by the name she hates. She normally calls me Grubitsch in response, but she's too mad to think of it now. Mix-and-Match Critters: The Demonata tend to be this, explanation being they envy natural forms and end up copying them. The Ego: Bec, somewhere between the other two, and almost certainly the most diplomatic (as far as the setting allows anyone to be diplomatic)

Let's just say that teaming up with these demons is a bad idea. No seriously, a reeeaally bad idea. Bec seemed to do okay in Hell's Heroes, but then she wasn't really on their side, maybe. To paraphrase from the Discworld, if there's any power in demonology, it lies with the demons. The door opens. Gret - smiling shyly. I'm nineteen days into my sentence. Full of hate for Gretelda Grotesque. She's the last person I want to see. All Therapists Are Muggles: Averted. In between Lord Loss and Slawter, Dervish sees a therapist who already knows about demons. However, his experiences in Lord Loss's realm are so completely horrible that the therapist is scared off anyway. But what have I done that's so bad? OK, it was a crude joke and I knew I'd get into trouble - but their reactions are waaaaaaay over the top. If I'd done something to embarrass Gret in public, fair enough, I'd take what was coming. But this was a private joke, just between us. They shouldn't be making such a song and dance about it. Although not the most frightening of books it was certainly spine tingling, I'm not easily scared but the book managed to create such realistic visions of the demons in my mind, even the finest of details being given to us by the narator - Grubitsch 'Grubbs' Grady. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, particularly if the others are as brilliant as this!Lord Loss also seems to have a sense of arrogance, particularly when it comes to his skill at chess, but at the same time he has shown signs of cowardice. While he claims he does not fear Beranabus, he is nonetheless unwilling to face the Demonata's deadliest enemy in direct combat. Furthermore, as he is actually one of the weaker Demon Master's, he has even been described as "pathetic" and even seems to realise this himself, although after the rest of the Demon Master's were wiped out by the Kah Gash, he stated that he was now the deadliest of all the surviving Demons.