Hi Kids! I know we said we’re only reviewing novellas during Novella November, but I told a wee fib. It’s Nov 5th – Bonfire Night in the UK – so what better day to release our review of a Guy Fawkes novel?… and on this… the day of its release, no less.
A Dream of Demons is the second in Langley’s Guy Fawkes series, and this review will be spoiler-free.
After saving York from the clutches of the evil men and defeating a hulking demon lord in York Minster, Guy Fawkes finds the consequences of his actions have left him wounded, friendless, and assaulted nightly by dreams of demons.
When Queen Elizabeth’s demon-loving spymaster, Francis Walsingham, tries to reassemble and expand the wicked Council of the North in York, Guy knows he must act. But a chance encounter with a woman from his past, one he has often dreamed of, leaves him hoping for a life free of bloodshed and chaos.
However, the ghost of the rebellious lord, Thomas Percy, insists Guy’s destiny lies on another path, one which will see him dragged into a plot to appoint a demonic successor to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
This story starts where the last one left off, and Guy’s adventures continue in a similarly violent but hilariously tongue-in-cheek fashion.
As with the first book, my favourite thing about this was Langley’s narrative voice, and his sense of humour. These characters and their wit is just so relatable, as well as their pitfalls and stupid moments. I laughed out loud several times while reading. As much as I love more classic horror tales, I read so many that I do appreciate a lighter tone sometimes. I was particularly pleased to see that the disembodied floating skull of Thomas Percy is still present in this sequel.
I don’t normally have a favourite chapter of a book, but I do with this one, and it’s Chapter 9, entitled, “In which Guy Fawkes Serves Nobility at a Banquet and Gets into a Spot of Bother”. The scene where Guy and Thomas (a living descendant and hoooo boy, is this character an absolute hoot) are serving food is so comical, I wanted to be in the banquet hall watching them.
My absolute favourite scene is one in which a fire demon is pursuing Guy, and unknowingly running through fluid and extinguishing himself, bit by bit, with each sizzling step. I swear, the way this whole thing is depicted is one of the most Terry Pratchett-esque things I’ve ever read.
“He looked back, but little more than half of the fiery creature remained. He’d extinguish himself long before he could reach them. What a way to go.”
And oh my god, the blood imp. I’ll say no more on that one, but honestly – I was tittering through that whole thing too.
Though this is a continuation of Guy’s story, it doesn’t feel like more of the same because the stakes are raised significantly, and the consequences of Guy’s heroic quest are…. dire. I was enjoying the laughs so much that I was not expecting the gut-punches, and they stung. This is very much a story centred around family – both blood and chosen, and the dilemma of which path is the right one to take in life.
There’s a slowly revolving door of characters, some old and some new, and some with a cool tie-in connection to others from the first book. It gives the story a real sense of progression, and a widening of the greater world.
Speaking of world expansion, there are demons in the first one but there are DEMONS in this one. They seem to be absolutely everywhere now, which kept the tension riding high throughout. And if you like demons, let me assure you that there’s variety with them here; fire, ice, blood imp, a tentacled beast that conjures up images of John Carpenter’s The Thing, and – perhaps my favourite – a sheep, amongst others.
Like the first book, this is basically a self-contained story. However, it’s not a standalone, so be sure to start with the first book – GUY FAWKES: DEMON HUNTER – A CLANGOUR OF BELLS.
I had a great time reading this, as usual when it comes to Langley’s work. If you enjoyed the first one, I highly recommend moving on to this one!
Ben – if you’re reading this – congratulations on releasing this book today, we hope you’re proud of it, it’s great! Good luck, and may the copies fly off the shelves! To everyone else – don’t forget to leave a review when you read it!
If you’d like to get your own copy, you can find it here:
A DREAM OF DEMONS (GUY FAWKES: DEMON HUNTER 2)
If you’d like to learn more about Langley and his work, you can find him here:
If you’d like to check out the publisher, you can find them here:
Happy Goat Horror 
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