Starfire: The Demonslayers

Three books into The Demonslayers, this is not a starting point for a newbie. The plot is dense with previous events, the history of Lemuria, and current twists and turns. This time, veterinarian Dawson Buck is called upon to save the life of Selyn, a slave from the secret Lemurian mines that are the shame of a mighty, hidden civilization. As the daughter of one of the mightiest Lemurian women warriors, Selyn is destined to wield a crystal sword and fight to free Lemuria from the curse of demon possession that afflicts the leadership and citizens alike. Douglas does a fair job of revisiting the backstory, but the strong presence of couples from the earlier books (Eddy and Dax from Demonfire and Ginny and Alton from Hellfire) weighs down the romance between Selyn and Dawson. There is little emotional depth in the presentation of the established pairs, yet they occupy much of the page count because of their crucial roles in the plot. Still, the characters are appealing, the narration is serviceable, and the portal is left wide open for further adventures. (Apr.)