Mammon

J.B. Thomas (author)

Random House, Australia: September 2011; 376pp

ISBN: 9781742750743

Genres: adventure, paranormal fiction

Issues: family, identity, teamwork

Just as they are beginning to discover that they have extraordinary abilities, Grace and Joe Callahan have to endure the death of their parents who died trying to protect them. It seems their parents, too, had unusual gifts and a previous life that their children knew nothing about: they fought demons.

Not the odd looking creatures you find in Buffy, that are easily defeated before they do any real harm. No, these are the kind that can take on the appearance of humans and who lead mortals astray into greed, anger, jealousy and lust. If they look the same as humans – often taking the appearance of highly successful, appealing humans – how are Grace and Joe to keep safe? And will Grace learn to master her telepathy before she puts the lives of others at risk? Or will Joe's burgeoning arrogance about his new Ferryman abilities cause him to make dangerous choices?

Mammon is a little different to most of the paranormal fiction that is so popular at present in that it dismisses the idea of helpful angels and focuses on the darker forces. This is J.B. Thomas' first novel and while the action-packed narrative and teenage heroes will attract those who enjoy Matthew Riley and Anthony Horowitz, Mammon has some narrative holes that will irritate the more sophisticated reader. Quite probably the first in a series, Mammon follows the current trend of novels that combine paranormal action with intense teenage romance. The character development that occurs is somewhat stagey – Joe has an unexpected encounter with the spirit of a former Ferryman which results in a somewhat unlikely overnight change in his attitude, for example.

That said, Thomas obviously has great potential as a writer and a gift for lively, highly filmic narrative that will appeal to readers who like their novels dominated by dialogue and action.