Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner

         “Carpe Demon”, subtitled “Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom”, ISBN 0-515-14221-2, was written by Julie Kenner and published by Jove, a division of The Berkeley Publishing Group in 2006. This is the first of what looks to be an ongoing series in the newly popular urban fantasy genre. She has also published “California Demon,” and “Demons are Forever” and “Deja Demon.”

         This is an hilariously written account of Kate Conner, a retired Demon Hunter, living in a suburban California town with her husband and two children. No one in the family knows of her former profession and, even in the midst of the demon scare of the story, she struggles to keep it that way. Her teenage daughter was young when her father, also a Demon Hunter, was killed and she knows nothing of demons or La Forza, the secret Roman Catholic society dedicated to protecting the world from demons. When Kate remarried, she did not reveal her past, considering it a totally abandoned part of her life.

         Having retired to a place known for repelling demons, she never expected a demon, inhabiting a recently deceased man, would accost her in her own home. The ensuing battle, the demon’s last threats and a plea from La Forza result in Kate taking up her previous role of Demon Hunter. The next almost 300 pages recount Kate’s sometimes reluctant, sometimes panicky attempts to find and destroy the threatening demon lord, all the while keeping her family in the dark about her fight. The hilarious (trying to keep a dead demon hidden in the pantry during breakfast) and dramatic (Kate suspects her husband has been taken over by a demon) moments of the book intertwine to create a fast-paced, compelling story that is highly entertaining and emotionally satisfying.

         As Christians, we know demons exist and are at war with, if not all humans, definitely with those who profess to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Kenner creates a world where that battle is seen and is plausible. She uses many forms and traditions from Roman Catholic lore. For example, anything holy, such as water blessed by a priest or anything related to a beautified saint, repels and acts as a weapon against demons. The altar at the church is particularly harmful to demons because it is made with the ground up bones of several saints.

         Jenner uses other interesting facets of our culture in setting up her world. One such technique is that demons can only inhabit a body at the point of death. Or more precisely, at the point of a miraculous recovery. The bodies of true believers can’t be taken over this way, they fight too hard and successfully, but most others can. These things make the story plausible, even if some Christian theology might dispute them (saints, for instance, are anyone trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for salvation, not necessarily only those canonized by the Roman Catholic church or salvation comes from believing and obeying the Lord, not from attending Mass or confession).

         Carpe Demon is an hilarious frolic through the life of a woman totally in love with and involved in her family. As she struggles to hide her demon-hunting activities, even lying and misleading her family on several issues, it is obvious everything she does is inspired by the love she has for her husband, teenaged daughter and toddler son.

         As far as this author can tell, there is nothing offensive to a believing, practicing Christian. The few possible theological objections are an expected and established part of a story like this and seem relatively harmless. One would caution, though, that a heart fully devoted to the Lord is a far better defense than carrying a vial of holy water in your pocket the next time you meet a demon.

Tags: Carpe Demon, Julie Kenner, positive, Stephanie, urban fantasy

Posted in Fantasy

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