Dark Exodus is the second installment in author Thomas E. Sniegoski's Demonist series. This is a series whose main characters are John Fogg and Theodora Knight. John and Theo once had their own TV show called Ghost Chasers. But, months ago, on Halloween, something went horribly wrong. John was left badly injured, Theo was left possessed by thousands of hardened infernals (demons), while the rest of their team didn't make it out at all. John now believes that his team was deliberately set up and is on the trail of the man who he thinks is responsible.

As for Theo, we are seeing the aftermath of saving John's life by taking in thousands of infernal demons. She struggles daily to keep the infernals under wrap, and not let them corrupt her mortal soul. She struggles with her new abilities to shape shift into monstrous beings. She struggles with the fact that if it weren't for the markings on her body, she would have already been gobbled up by the infernals that call her body home. As of this story, Theo now has someone watching over her to ensure she doesn't go fully to the darkside. More on that shortly. Theo is a character that I truly am curious about to see what the author has in store for her next. 

John, meanwhile, is on the hunt for the man, Fritz Gorham, who he believes is responsible for what happened to his team. He knows that his team was intentionally targeted but has no answers as to why. He worries that he is on the cusp of losing Theo to the demon infernals that live in her body. John's travels takes him back to the site of his teams devastation, to the trail of Fritz which brings him to the attention of a new character named Nicole. In case you are wondering, Nicole is the character on the cover of this book. She has innate abilities to call to animals that have died, including her own cat Daisy. Her abilities are awesome, and her entrance into the series now, gives this series much more depth.

As a heads up, this story begins 18 years before. If you've read the first installment, then you've met Elijah Covington, the leader of a secret group known as the Coalition. What you didn't know about Elijah is that he isn't exactly what he appears. He will do whatever or use whomever he feels is necessary to keep the world safe from the infernals, including FBI Special Agent Brenna Isabel. Brenna continues to struggle with her new status, and is another narrator of this story. She has found herself facing a world that is dangerous, dark, and will test her ability to make snap decisions at a moments notice.

One of the comments that I have seen from reviewers is that it takes a long time for the true meaning behind Dark Exodus to be revealed. Not really. There are plenty of Easter eggs in this book that lead you to believe that something awful is on the way. Hint: Just follow Fritz and you'll get there. I think the author did a good job in keeping the readers guessing as to what happens next. But, in this world, it is pretty apparent that there is a fight happening every single day between so called Good, and Evil. The Evil seems intent on winning at all costs, while the Good, like Cassie, the pyrokinetic, are struggling to catch up before the world teeters off the brink and into the apocalypse. Loves Cassie and Nicole. Can't wait to see what the author does in the next installment.

3.5 stars. This book took me a looong time to finish. It was very slow going, and I felt unnecessarily so. Lots of the book was shrouded in mystery, I'm thinking for the big Reveal of what Dark Exodus meant. I think it would have made the book a little more exciting and easy to wade through if some secrets were revealed. Who was Fritz? He got on my nerves, and for someone who came off as a joyful murderer, he was really very timid when under the thumb of The Dark Lord. The Divine beings, barely got a footnote--they showed up, destroyed stuff and people presumably for the glory of God, but who are they really??? What is going on in heaven??? Why would an Angel be in Hell making announcements? What was this grand heavenly plan that was shot to shi#? So many loose ends made for a barely palatable book. It was only the ending when everything concerning the Dark Exodus was revealed that the pace revved up and the book became really heart pounding, similar to the first book which I absolutely could not put down and creeped me out severely.. This one, not so much.

I have read this author’s Remy Chandler series, and when I read this new series by him, I realized the two series were not really similar at all. I always think that’s a sign of a true good writer: the ability to write such different series/books and yet draw you in the same way. I liked the first one, but it did seem to lack a little something. This second book was better than the first one. I really liked the way the author had several POVs going at the same time so you knew exactly what was going on with each and every person involved in the story line when their positions and actions were relevant. Of course, the book was very well-written, and I couldn’t put it down. The pace was such that you know something’s happening at every single moment and you want to know what’s going on next. In addition, one of the things I like about Mr. Sniegoski’s writing is how dark it can be without overwhelming you, and at times, this book was dark. However, there always seemed to be a little hope somewhere to shine in that darkness. Things changed in this book at the end which I can’t say too much about or I’ll give away too much, so I’m anxious to see what’s going to happen next. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.