Logic of Demons by H.A. Goodman + Interview

Title: Logic of Demons

Author: H.A. Goodman

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Rate: 3 stars

There she was, 30 feet away, a monster of sorts, sitting behind her desk looking straight at Devin with a razor-sharp stare, cold and motionless. Her eyes beamed with a red glow. Devin recoiled; he couldn’t help it. Like every other area in this office world, there was no way to see anything clearly. One could barely make out the antique furniture and large paintings throughout her office. However, a small lamp on her desk was located close enough to highlight every one of her grotesque features.

What would you do if the love of your life was murdered by a deranged killer? Would you become a vigilante and seek retribution? And would this revenge affect those you care for in the afterlife? LOGIC OF DEMONS The Quest for Nadine's Soul takes you on a journey inside the psyches of men and women forced to deal with the spiritual consequences of their decisions. Through the lives of a demon, two Angels, and a mysterious teenage girl, a plethora of politically and socially relevant issues ranging from the roots of genocide and sex trafficking to child conscription and religious fundamentalism are addressed in this fantasy thriller.

There are several things I would like to criticize about this book. The first one of course the main character, Devin was too naive and never uses his brain; perhaps it was because he lost Bridget but it makes me wondering how dependent he was to her when she still alive. I think Bridget did all the thinking for him *wink*.

The second is there were too many dialogs and too many explanation; for example when Nadine’s friends appreciated her works, everyone had their share of dialogs which basically the same thing in a different words. I think instead of that, the author could use a paragraph to describe the situation. Perhaps he was afraid that the readers don’t get the message but for me sometimes inferring message is better than explicit description.

Regardless those things I’ve listed above, Logic of Demons is a very interesting novels that embrace various aspects; religion, race, and what’s right and wrong. The author had managed to deliver all the aspects smoothly. In some scenes the right and wrong presented as clear as black and white but then in other scene it all mixed up in a gray zone and before I knew it, I start evaluating my life and my value on what I consider as right and wrong. Unfortunately the issues such as genocide weren't explored deeply, only touched in several situation. It would be much more interesting if we get more detailed insight about them. Nevertheless this is a worth reading book. It will open your mind about what you consider right and wrong, and to view religion from different point.

Interview with H.A. Goodman, author of Logic of Demons:

Lyn: Do you still remember the first time you got the idea to write about Logic of Demons?

Hal: In November of 2009 I was sitting in my apartment and told myself that I needed to express a great amount of creativity that was bottled up inside of me. So, I went over to my laptop and started writing a story.

Lyn: What was your inspiration?

Hal: Writing Logic of Demons was a catharsis and helped me vent a number of emotions I was  experiencing.  In addition, I wanted my creative endeavor to also reflect my philosophy of life, which is fundamentally that actions speak louder than words.  At the time, I had been betrayed by some very close friends and going through an emotional rollercoaster. One of the friends who betrayed me had recently become religious, and quoting the Bible was something he did often. Over the years, I’ve noticed that people who suddenly become absorbed in their religious activities can sometimes use their newly found spirituality to mask their eccentricities or justify certain negative behaviors (by saying God made them do it). Through the characters and plot of Logic of Demons, I wanted to convey that simply being religious doesn’t always lead to positive actions. Ultimately, the person staring back at you in the mirror decides if your actions that day will be good or less than stellar. The novel is written from an agnostic point of view, so I believe there’s something watching over us, but I don’t believe “the guy upstairs” plays favorites. 

Lyn: How long does it takes for you to finish Logic of Demons?

Hal: It took me 6 months to write Logic of Demons: The Quest for Nadine’s Soul.

Lyn: About your main character, did you create Devin based on image of someone you know or he was made purely from your imagination? What about other characters?

Hal: The characters are all combination of people I’ve known, my imagination, and a philosophical outlook of good and evil. 

Lyn: In your book, you insert several sensitive issues such as religion and race, did you do extensive research? Were you surprised of what you’ve discovered?

Hal: Well, I was surprised at the depths of how inhuman and cruel people can be, even though we as human beings profess to love a higher power.

Lyn: When you first started writing LoD, did you already imagine how it would end, or you just go with the flow?

Hal: That’s a great question. To be honest, I changed the ending several times until the final chapter felt right.

Lyn: What is the hidden message in your book that you’re trying to convey to the readers?

Hal: There’s no hidden message. If anything, I think the message is a bit overt, in a paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy sort of way. I just wanted people of all ages who read my novel to see that true goodness comes from good actions, or behavior that helps, rather than hurts people.

Thank you for H.A. Goodman for sharing his time and book with us. You can buy Logic of Demons in Amazon, Book Depository, and Barnes&Noble. Don't forget to visit H.A. Goodman's website if you want to know more about him!

Lynossa 

Logic of Demons by H.A. Goodman + Interview