I received a copy to review from Netgalley, below is the blurb

"Daryl's therapy uncovers a blood-stained past of pain and death, alongside something dormant within him of frightening power. When Dr. Walker teaches him how to face his own very literal demons, the psychosis-induced hallucinations and dreams conspire to warn him of something much worse stalking him. Something ancient and evil.
To survive, Daryl must confront the repressed memories that drove him insane.
For madness—is a blunt instrument."

I am not really where to start with this one! Did I enjoy reading it... yes, did I understand what was happening all the time...nope, would I read a book 2...yes! This is definitely one of these books where I had to keep asking myself, what on earth is going on, and even after finishing it, there are some elements of it I am unclear on. Having said that, I dd enjoy the read and I think it has set itself up for a follow up book. I want to see what happens to Daryl next! In summary, great read that kept me reading on but I didn't always understand what was happening.

I enjoyed it this more than I thought I would. I found it hard to work out what was going on but that added to the mysterious and eerie atmosphere. I was really invested in Daryl’s story and what would happen to him. The story was intense and kept me engaged from start to finish. I’m looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this book!

It took me a while to really get invested in this book. While I was a little interested, I was mostly just confused. It wasn't until we started getting answers at about the 2/3 mark that I started actually getting into it. I still don't really understand the world, but I feel like it would become more clear in the sequel.

Daryl is an unusual patient at an unusual mental hospital. His verifiably “real” friend group is largely made up of a surprisingly large number of physicists who also happen to be admitted there. The group spends a lot of free time involved in freewheeling conversations about topics that intrigue Daryl while often flying over his head. He also counts amongst his friends however, a gnome with a penchant for drink that only he can see and who emerges from the walls to keep him company. Additionally, in the facilities’ mirrors, and especially in the basement, he can see another world, one filled with frightening creatures that also appear to be able to see him and want desperately to cross onto his side of the glass.

His psychiatrist Dr. Walker is doing what she can to build a rapport with him while also trying to get him to learn to ignore these “hallucinations”, believing that if he does so they will stop, and Daryl does his best to follow her advice. His scientist friends however aren’t so convinced the things he sees aren’t real, and his visions are getting stranger, more threatening, and more convincing with every passing day.

J. Cornelius has crafted an immediately involving story in Remembering Demons. The hospital and the occurrences within it are genuinely creepy and the beings that haunt Daryl are suitably frightening. Feelings of tension and dread permeate nearly every page as we try to puzzle out just what is real and what is all in our hero’s head, leading to a satisfying conclusion that takes the story into some unexpected directions.

Unfortunately, the characters are mostly underdeveloped, with only Daryl receiving much of a backstory, and the writing sometimes veers into using the sort of unnecessarily pretentious words that rarely impress anyone aside from the author. Those flaws though don’t detract much from the overall enjoyment readers should get from this book. It’s the first part of a planned trilogy, and I for one am eager to see where he takes this eerie, engaging story from here.

3 1/2 stars. A slow build of horror and paranormal as Daryl, who can't remember anything about himself except for the death of a young girl, is in an insane asylum. He has hallucinations and a terror of looking into mirrors. His best friend--that no one can see but him-- is a gnome with a pet chicken . But there is something strange happening in the asylum. People disappear from the basement and the administration doesn't seem to be too concerned. As Daryl struggle to distinguish between reality and illusion, a strange power is stirring that may destroy all within...

It is a strange book that took me a little while to get into. What is real and what is not is a major theme. If people have triggers of mental illness and particularly about people suffering from hallucinations be warned. There is a lot going on and much is left hanging at the end which also left me a bit confused. There are some interesting storylines that could lead to some very interesting places.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I’m not much a sci-fi reader and this seemed to have parts of it but this was an interesting read. I like the book enough to finish and liked the plot. I didn’t care too much about the main character. Just seemed like he was lost. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Daryl has a lot of issues and is undergoing therapy.
But along the way it's uncovering a terrifying past.
He must confront the death of his daughter Ginny for one thing.
But something is within him waiting to pounce.
Dr. Walker is attempting to teach him to deal with all this but his own mind is producing hallucinations wherein he learns of something even more evil stalking him.
The only way he can survive and live after is to confront and overcome the memories that caused his insanity and landed him where he is.
This was a really clever story, inventive writing and great characters.
The tone and scope of it reminded me a little of King's "Dark tower."
Definitely looking forward to the sequel.

This was so much fun to read. The characters were realistic and relatable while bringing a sense of humor to the story that I really enjoyed. It’s definitely a book I would revisit and I look forward to seeing what else the writer brings us in the future.

I rated this a 4*

I loved the setting of this book, the location was very fitting for the storyline. It was a happy little saga of confusion, I didn’t really follow where I was up to most of the way through because I was downright confused where I left off, and it certainly put me through my paces - unfortunately the distraction of real life broke my focus and I was taken out this world adding to the confusion when I returned.

So so good. This book is so good. I recommend this book to everyone. 4 star rating from me. Read it If you haven't.