History Literature / TheDemonata

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* AboveTheGods: [[spoiler:At the end of the series Grubbs, Bec and Kernal become PhysicalGods, and then discover at the very end of the series that something out there is even more powerful then them.]]
* AllTherapistsAreMuggles: Averted. In between Lord Loss and Slawter, Dervish sees a therapist who already knows about demons. However, his experiences in Lord Loss's realm are [[YouDoNotWantToKnow so completely horrible]] that the therapist is scared off anyway.

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Bec, possessing [[KilledOffForReal Bill-E's]] body.]]

* CallBack: In Demon Apocalypse, an elderly lady who can wield a mace expertly is mentioned very briefly. Later on, in Hell's Heroes, [[spoiler: which is an alternate timeline,]] she's mentioned again, [[spoiler: having been killed by a large snake demon Grubbs is hunting in the beginning.]]

* LesCollaborateurs: Humans who side with the Demonata. It ''never'' ends well for them.
* CosmicHorrorStory: [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] [[spoiler:The ending sure looks that way, with the demonic hordes closing in on the universe, until the moment that the three users of the Kah-Gash proceed to use their power to annihilate nearly all the demon hordes, stop the events that lead the concept of death becoming sentient, and finally remaking the universe with the demon hordes out of the picture]] [[DeaderThanDead ''for good'']]

%% * [[ChessWithDeath Chess With Demons]]

* EatenAlive: Several characters, but most notable is [[spoiler: Bec at the end of her titular book, since it's ''from her point of view'']]

%% * [[spoiler: EnemiesWithDeath]]
* EyeScream: In Book 2, Demon Thief, there are a good three pages where Kernel angsts about whether he's in the dark or he's gone blind. [[spoiler: He's in the dark. But guess what happens to him in Book 9?]]

* [[spoiler:TheGrimReaper: In a deviation from the traditional robed skeleton, this version of death is a malevolent, shadowy monster.]] [[spoiler: And he wants to end the ''universe'', with the aid of ''every demon in existence'']]

* HumanoidAbomination: Juni Swan [[spoiler: after her resurrection.]] Also Grubbs, Kernel and Bec turn out to be this by default as they are components for the [[EldritchAbomination Kah-Gash]]. Grubbs later on even unlocked the ability to [[LovecraftianSuperpower shapeshift with added]] BodyHorror.

* {{Invincible Villain}}: At first Lord Loss. That is until [[spoiler: He's revealed to be one of the weakest Demon Masters]].
* ImAHumanitarian: Demons seem to regard ''everything'' [[ExtremeOmnivore as potential food, including each other,]] and humans are no exception.

** Unless you count [[spoiler: Bec in the final book. But then, that was less being a genuine collaborator and more an elaborate [[FakeDefector False Defection]] against Death. Lord Loss still manages to benefit nicely from it, though; see KarmaHoudini. [[IDidWhatIHadToDo Even if that's still better than]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the alternative]].]]

%% * TheManBehindTheMan:[[spoiler:Death.]]

* PowerTrio: Grubbs, Kernel and [[spoiler: Bec]], the [[spoiler:three parts of the Kah-Gash]].
** TheId: Grubbs, the most powerful magically out of them [[spoiler: and later also a rewolf]]
** TheSuperEgo: Kernel, probably the most cerebral out of the three
** TheEgo: [[spoiler: Bec, somewhere between the other two, and almost certainly the most diplomatic (as far as [[CrapsackWorld the setting]] allows anyone to be diplomatic)]]
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Lord Loss. Probably most of the Demonata. Also [[spoiler:Beranabus]] and [[spoiler:Bec]].

* ShoutOut: In ''Slawter'', the giant cockroach demon is named Gregor, a reference to Gregor Samsa from Kafka's ''Literature/TheMetamorphosis''. Bo laughs at the reference, but Grubbs does not get the joke.
** In Wolf's Island, there's Shark's team of 12, which he calls the Dirty Dozen and explicitly states his love of the movie.
** Also in Wolf's Island is the character Antoine Horwitzer, who is a homage to Darren Shan's close friend and fellow author, Creator/AnthonyHorowitz.
** The black portals used in Demon Thief and Demon Apocalypse are referred to as monoliths, and when he first sees one Dervish expressly compares them to the monoliths from ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''.

* VowOfCelibacy: Priestesses used to be forbidden from romance in general since it supposedly led to a loss in magic. Over sixteen hundred years, this belief eventually turned out to be false, but the ancient priestesses still count.

* XanatosSpeedChess [[GambitPileUp pile up]]: The whole series essentially revolves around [[spoiler:Lord Loss, Death and the Kah-Gash each employing plans which include the other two and are decided by which of the three Bec, Grubbs and Kernel side with.]] In the end, [[spoiler: Grubbs stands opposed to all three, Kernel has [[TakeAThirdOption taken a fourth option]] and gone neutral and Bec sides with Lord Loss and employs her own ploy to trick Death and the Kah-Gash. Which is actually the best outcome, even if she does side with Lord Loss.]]

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Multiple humans throw their lot in with the Demonata on the promises of wealth and power (and in one instance on the promise of making a really good movie). This never ends well - Lord Loss is usually honest, but milks ExactWords for all they're worth, and will happily kill someone simply because he didn't explicitly say he wouldn't. Other demons don't even bother with the courtesy, and kill their human allies the ''second'' they fulfil their purpose.

To say this series is violent [[{{Gorn}} is like saying the ocean is wet]]; lets make this clear- this story is for children, but right from the get-go the reader will be treated to [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids some of the most ludicrously over-the-top ultraviolence ever put to print]]. The Demonata are '''evil''' with a capital '''E''', and many, many characters die explicitly gruesome and horrific deaths on-page, to say nothing of the countless others whose horribly mutilated corpses are come across. You have been warned.

''The Demonata'' is the second full-length {{Fantasy}} {{Horror}} series by Irish author Creator/DarrenShan. Unlike [[Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan The Saga]], this series has three narrators, with different books told from different perspectives.

* LuckyTranslation: Billy thinks his name is too plain and calls himself "Bill-E", which sounds very similar to an old Chinese term for "Thunder".

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler: The only characters to survive to the end of the series are Grubbs, Kernel, Bec and Lord Loss.]]

* LuckyTranslation: Billy thinks his name is too plain and calls himself "Bill-E", which sounds very similar to an old Chinese term for "[[AwesomeMcCoolname Thunder]]".

The plot features far too many twists to be quickly summarized, but it starts with our first narrator, perfectly normal teenager Grubbs Grady in a perfectly normal town, long story short, some demon related stuff happens and... things go bad. ''Really bad.'' And then they [[FromBadToWorse get worse. And worse.]] ''[[FromBadToWorse And worse.]]'' [[UpToEleven After which, things]] ''[[UpToEleven really]]'' [[UpToEleven start to get nasty.]]

* ShoutOut: In ''Slawter'', the giant cockroach demon is named Gregor, a reference to the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. Bo even laughs at the reference, though Grubbs does not get the joke.
** More likely a reference to Gregor Samsa from Kafka's ''Literature/TheMetamorphosis''.

* AdultFear: In ''Bec'', [[spoiler:Orna is eaten alive by her zombified children. And she dies willingly. Needless to say it's one of the more chilling deaths in the series.]]

%% * BaldOfAwesome: Kernel Fleck.
%% ** And Drust the druid from ''Bec''.

%% * BreakTheCutie: Here, it's considered ''lucky'' if you aren't [[CrapsackWorld disemboweled and eaten]] after getting broken.

* ChessWithDeath: Aside from reveling in every shape and form of human misery, playing chess is the only thing Lord Loss thoroughly enjoys, enough that he's willing to bet [[spoiler:curing a member of the Garadex-line from their lycantrophy, if his challenger beats him in a best-out-of-five simultaneously played match. However if the challenger, or their partner keeping Lord Loss' familiars at bay loses, Lord Loss can kill all three of them.]]

** Although not expressedly stated as such, it's implied that Dervish took one as well, since he vowed to not have children to avoid passing down the werewolf-curse. The only way he could be absolutely sure about it, was by not having sex, since even the best protection is only 98% safe.

** Also in Wolf's Island is the character Antoine Horwitzer, who is a homage to Darren Shan's close friend and fellow author, Anthony Horowitz.

* YouHaveOutlivedyourUsefulness: Multiple humans throw their lot in with the Demonata on the promises of wealth and power (and in one instance on the promise of making a really good movie). This never ends well - Lord Loss is usually honest, but milks ExactWords for all they're worth, and will happily kill someone simply because he didn't explicitly say he wouldn't. Other demons don't even bother with the courtesy, and kill their human allies the ''second'' they fulfil their purpose.

* DownerEnding: Darren Shan is the master of this trope. Bec, the main character of the fourth book, [[spoiler:is ''actually killed'' at the end.]]

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The demons are universally depicted as cruel, monstrous savages whose sole purpose is to exterminate humanity, out of pure hatred. Lord Loss, despite being the BigBad, turns out to be an exception. He has an interest in keeping humans alive so he can feed on their pain, whereas other demons just want to kill them all.