Romeo SpikesJoanne Reay
Gallery Books, August 2012
ISBN: 978-1451674446
If you think you’ve never encountered Tormenta, think again. You’re friends with one. Have worked for one. Maybe even fallen in love with one. We call it a suicide. Tormenta call it a score, their demonic powers allowing them to siphon off the unspent life span of those who harm themselves.
Romeo Spikes is the first book in the Lo’Life trilogy and introduces lead female characters Alexis and Lola who are drawn back into the battle to stop the work of the Tormenta, a group of demons who drive humans to suicide and steal their remaining life span.
Homicide detective Alexis Bianco, who one night runs into the strange Lola at another in a line of suicides that she is investigating, and learns of The Tormenta. The Tormenta are demons that are most closely related to humankind, and their sole purpose is to torment humans into committing suicide so that they can steal the victims’ life span and use it to stay alive. The more span they can steal the longer that they can live for--however, the span must be given up and can not be taken.
If a Tormenta is impatient and takes the span whilst a person is still alive, then their victim will be delivered to Lo’World and returned to earth as a hunter of The Tormenta. Lola, it turns out, is just that--a hunter from The Sinestra, a security section of the Lo’ World whose only purpose is to protect humanity from all the demons who seek to suck away the life span of humans. To make matters worse, the rise of The Mosca has been foretold--a king amongst Tormentas who will draw all Tormentas to him. It is up to Alexis and Lola to work together and find him before he unites all Tormentas and drives humanity into mass suicide.
Romeo Spikes is a stunning debut novel; well-crafted and grotesquely inventive. With its madcap story, unforgettable characters and fine balance between humour and pathos, Romeo Spikes ticks all the boxes. It's well written, and author Joanne Reay has taken time to set out how the story all links together and the background lore that goes with it. The novel ends well, ready to be continued in the sequel Lo’Life Book Two: Black Antlers which is due out next year.
JOANNE REAY began as a documentary maker for The Discovery Channel, where her films focused on the mysteries of brain function and the human mind. She moved to the BBC, creating the acclaimed detective series The Murder Rooms. As a film writer/producer, her credits include Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis, Cold & Dark, and Gallowwalker.
ISBN: 978-1451674446; ISBN10: 1451674449; Imprint: Gallery Books; On Sale: 8/14/2012; Format: Hardcover; Pages: 416; $25.00
