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Author (Platform): Darren Shan (Kindle)
Publisher (Release): HarperCollins (2005)
Length: 244 pages
Genres: Young Adult; Horror; Fantasy; Action
❗️Disclaimers❗️:
trigger warnings for bias, specifically my own, Darren Shan and The Demonata series are my favourite author and story respectively, without equal
oh, and, of course, lots of blood, guts, and horror
this review contains low-level spoilers
recommendation: must read
👍 Pros 👍
As magical as Harry Potter with the darkness of Stephen King
Excellent themes of identity, with metaphoric demons alongside real ones
Snappy, fast-paced writing balances progression with development
👎 Cons 👎
None
👀 Synopsis 👀
When Grubbs Grady first encounters Lord Loss and his evil minions, he learns three things:
the world is vicious,
magic is possible,
demons are real.
He thinks that he will never again witness such a terrible night of death and darkness…
…he is wrong.
🛎️ Introduction 🛎️
I have a confession to make. Well, not a confession, just a little bit of history. Back in the day, I had another blog, a tiny slice of my own called Matthew R. Bell’s BookBlogBonanza. Like The Phoenix Project, it was a passion project, to explore stories and the communities revelling in those stories, something I absolutely adored.
Then I grew up, not out of love, but with more adult responsibilities I had less time for it and eventually it closed (our damn elders warned us about it but nothing truly prepares you for things like bills). One of my crowning achievements back then was devouring every Darren Shan book available. It was a mission, an adventure through spectacularly creative worlds that never once let me down.
Of course, I’m old now (30, but you know the feeling). When I wanted to return to blogging and that community, I wasn’t planning on going back through many books I’d already read, but when Lord Loss resurfaced in my recommendations, I got curious. Young adult books are a bit harder for me to read now, a little less relatable, but what would my adult mind make of a childhood favourite? Would The Demonata still be my #1 series?
Spoilers: of course it bloody is.
🧩 Plots 🧩
Lord Loss is a tricky sell on the surface. I mean, check out the covers then tell an adult it’s for their child. I remember first picking it up in youthful terror and my Mum shaking her head (my Dad on the other hand…). Its themes are also quite challenging, covering loss, grief, and life spiralling out of control. It’s grotesque, viciously vivid, and unbelievably hopeful.
The first entry in Shan’s 10-part fantasy series, Lord Loss is a magical, unashamed adventure that provokes the reader’s imagination, including us adults.
Life will never fail to surprise you
The story is a simple yet expertly woven tale of overcoming real and metaphorical demons. Fast, snappy sentences in first person and present tense keep the pace brisk, and a carefully crafted balance of action, development, and twists keeps the reader engaged. Lord Loss just feels so natural. It builds its world with an enviable focus and lays just enough breadcrumbs to hint at what’s next without ruining the surprise.
The epic and tense finale closes the core plot with fantastic satisfaction, but the world is so vast that this never could be mistaken as a stand-alone book.
It’s grotesque, viciously vivid, and unbelievably hopeful.
🎭 Characters 🎭
Grubbs Grady is our early teen protagonist. With dark humour and witty sarcasm, his cocky attitude quickly turns to inexperience when true darkness engulfs his life. Joining him on his journey through trauma, overcoming yet never losing his confident brashness, and reaching the beginnings of a flawed hero is a genuinely mesmerising adventure.
Get ready for some bloody magic shenanigans
Lord Loss keeps the cast minimal, ensuring each gets their own arc, their own attentive development, and that they compliment the plot just as much as Grubbs does. They’re vivid and remarkable, colourful without ever becoming caricatures of themselves, and even the villains garner a sick sense of respect from the reader.
…genuinely mesmerising adventure…
🧠 Final Thoughts 🧠
Lord Loss is a brutal and bloody coming-of-age story. With demons and magic, Shan explores what the young face when they realise the world isn’t quite the way we see it as children, but, while that sounds overwhelming, that knowledge is power, and that power is hope.
So, yes, Lord Loss can be a nightmare-inducing novel for young adults. Still, they and adults alike will, in my humble opinion, benefit from how sickeningly good and horrifically inspiring it portrays taking control of your own life, no matter the odds.
The Phoenix Project 
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