This book follows up the first volume nicely. It answers questions left at the end of the first book but holds it's own, telling a complete story. It would certainly be helpful to read the first book but that wouldn't be entirely necessary. We have a fair amount of complexity and moral ambiguity in the characters. Compelling and just spooky enough.

This is a great continuation of the Marius Grey series! I like the writing style and the characters are entertaining. I would recommend reading the first book in the series first but I would recommend this! Special Thank You to M.R. Fournet, MacMillian Children's Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first book in this series took me completely by surprise last year. I received a copy from the publisher and really didn’t know anything about the book itself before opening it up. I’m not a big horror reader, so that also gave me pause. I couldn’t figure out how horror would work in middle grade.

Once I started reading the book, though, I totally got how it could work. It’s definitely not something I would have been able to read in elementary school myself. I have always been something of a sensitive reader. But now, reading the book, I felt like I couldn’t put it down.

Marius is such a compelling character. He’s doing everything he can do to make the world a safer place and take care of the people counting on him, from his mom to the ghosts in the cemetery in their care.

In the first book, Marius does a lot on his own or with only the help of his best friend, Rhiannon, the flesh-eating mermaid. In this second installment in the series, a community develops around Marius. Partly, this happens because his mom is back, and people try to reconnect with her as well. Partly, it happens because things go sideways, and Marius needs help.

The book focuses on some really cool relationships. Of course, we learn more about the friendship between Marius and Rhiannon. But Marius also makes a new friend his age who harbors her own secrets. He also learns to take risks by trusting a few adults in his life who have helped him in the past.

All in all, I enjoyed this second adventure into the dark, scary world of New Orleans, complete with fishing in the swamp, a Texas entrance to Hell, and an exploration of what truly makes someone a monster. I’ll be eager to see what M.R. Fournet writes next.

I didn't realize this was a second book in a series but I liked it a lot nonetheless. It was energetic and fun and had great supernatural elements throughout.

I definitely did not realize that this was a second in a series. I really enjoyed it nonetheless and it pretty much carried on as just another book, if that makes sense? It was something that I could read without reading the first. Sure I missed some context but it was generally easy to put together. I like the book and it was a very easy read. I enjoyed it thoroughly

Darkness and Demon Song was a wonderful book about Marius having to save his mom. Marius teams up with his friends, a flesh-eating mermaid and a magician in training to save his mom. This book is full of awesome supernatural elements that students in 4-7th grade would love to read. I added this to my student's summer reading list. Great book. 5. stars.

A solid 4.5. Seldom does a sequel maintain the power of the first book. This one does. All of our favorite friends are back, and there are some unexpectedly cool new friends to be found. I’m jealous of the author’s imagination. This will be fun for students who love the unexpected and those who adore legends and cryptids. Our young witches will especially enjoy it, too. There’s beautiful lessons here, about bravery, friendship, loyalty, love, and of course, magic. The writing is textured, delicious to get lost in. I always love my time in this New Orleans. A definite must read.

This was an exciting read and a fantastic sequel. It had the same energy and engagement of the first one but with even better writing and more depth to the characters. There is just the right amount of teen melodrama mixed with spooky fun elements. There's a nice balance of tense/scary moments and exciting adventure.

Darkness and Demon song starts off a little after the end of book one. Marius is famous for having captured the rougarou and bringing his mother back to life. Things should be looking up but his mother is acting strange lately. Did he really bring her back or did she come back wrong?

This is a good follow up to book one. Book one gave us a taste of the world that Marius lives in while Book two builds on top of that. You feel the fear that Marius has for his mother and his desperation to keep her with him. We are introduced to new characters that help Marius with his journey. Lynna is a new friend with strange powers and Creecher a retired monster hunter. Rhiannon is still a delight. I do wish we saw more of the ghosts that Marius has to take care of.

This is an exciting read that captures the imagination thanks to the descriptive writing of the author. Darkness and Demon song is a must for readers who like creative world building and likable characters.

I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for giving me an e ARC for Darkness and Demon song.

What worked:
The whole world accepts the existence of ghosts and other supernatural creatures and Marius has become a reluctant celebrity. He was able to dispose of a particularly nasty creature and rescue his mother from the devil. Darius and Kelly, his mom, are monster hunters and the book opens with them tackling a stronger-than-expected chupacabra. Darius possesses a book with the power to capture monsters within its pages and he later has the
Some middle-grade heroes are reluctant and insecure about their roles but Marius is a confident monster hunter. He still captures monsters alone while his mother is gone but he appreciates that she’s now returned to help. He has an ability to transport himself to different cemeteries which makes moving quickly to other locations quite easy. No need for a car! Marius’s best friend is a mermaid named Rhiannon and he’s most relaxed when he’s anchored in the bayou listening to her songs. Rhiannon’s suggestions to help Marius often include killing and eating the problems which adds a touch of levity to the story.
The most intriguing part of the story is Darius’s mom because there’s obviously something wrong with her. She behaves and speaks strangely at times but then can’t remember what just happened. Marius is afraid to ask for help because he’s not sure what might happen to Kelly if news of her condition gets out. However, it’s hard to help her if he can’t identify the problem. It’s an impossible decision. Ask for help and risk losing his mother or do things on his own to risk his mother losing her soul.
What didn’t work as well:
A great deal happened in the first book and it feels like readers are joining a party that’s already started. We quickly learn that Marius is a monster hunter and his mother has just returned from spending two years with the devil. She’s changed because of the experience and it would be nice to have more information about what happened. As always, the easy solution is to read the first book and fill in some of those gaps.
The final verdict:
The author’s skillful descriptions of Marius’s life as a monster hunter will capture the imagination of young readers. His protective feelings for his mother lead to difficult, emotional decisions that may challenge Marius beyond his abilities. Overall, this is an exciting adventure in the bayou and I recommend you give it a shot.