The Demon's Daughter
Emma Holly
Berkley, Nov 2004, $6.99, 336 pp.
ISBN: 0425199185

During the reign of Queen Victoria, Inspector Adrian Philip enhanced his ability to keep the peace between demons and humans by accepting implants that enable him to have the incredible physical skills of demons for a short time. However, the cost of doing his job better is that neither human nor demon society accepts Adrian as one of them.

Adrian wanders in a dangerous part of town seeking a missing boy, Tommy Bainbridge. He is accosted by a local gang, but uses his implants to escape, but fails to get on the other safe side of the wall. Adrian collapses in the courtyard of Roxanne McCallister, an outcast half-breed. As she helps him recover from exhaustion due to the implant use and the beating from the gang, he realizes that he wants her. However, he knows no woman will have him, as evidenced by Christine, his former wife of three months, who walked out on him. Roxanne is not Christine as she desires her patient, but knows no male, demon or human, would want an in-between soul like her.

This is an entertaining, historical, romantic, suspense fantasy that never slows down from the moment the hero is fleeing for his life in the foggy Avvar slums until the final confrontation with his Roxie and (two buggers). The storyline is action-packed and filled with a deep cast, especially the lead couple. However, what makes Emma Holly's tale so powerful is that fans from several genres will believe in this alternate Victorian world.

Harriet Klausner