In The Demon In The Wood, an acclaimed author writes about the loneliness of a child from a broken home. While he is left alone to help his cousin recover from a tragic accident that left him paralyzed. Before he ever ruled Ravka, He was only a sad, lonely young boy with a unique gift. However, in this prequel tale to his best-selling New York Times bestseller Grisha trilogy, Leigh Bardugo steers us toward the dark secret behind the seemingly unbeatable Darkling: he is, in fact, the demon in disguise.
In the first book, The Demon's Lexicon, Grisha describes his kind-hearted and loving personality as "sweet and pathetic," while explaining how he took on the identity of the Demon when he was looking for a suitable form for himself so that he can find true happiness. As the novel continues, we learn more about the identity-shifting process and how he interacts with others and with his own perceptions of the world.
While the novel is filled with action, romance, and powerful emotions, The Demon In The Wood is primarily an exploration of how identity takes on different forms, and how those forms can affect the person and society around them. As the title character flees Ravka for the safety of his sweetheart's home, the demon inhabits the mind of his cousin, Chunk.
When the couple returns, Chunk's mind becomes disoriented and wanders off, followed by the demon. Fleeing to the woods, the couple comes across a cabin made of sticks and stones that have become the sanctuary of the demon. He then unleashes his rage on everyone in the surrounding area, including Chunk's own family, forcing everyone to flee the cabin in fear. However, instead of killing the inhabitants, the demon kills his sister Azazel and tries to destroy the world. Only a single girl stands up to him, and when the book ends, the reader finds out that she is the one responsible for keeping the demon away, after all these years.
As the book ends, you realize that the author was able to take the story from the perspective of the demons themselves, as they escaped from Ravka and created their own realm. So while the plot remains the same, the reader is now allowed to see the demons as they interact with humanity. Although the book is heavy-duty and probably not for the first-time reader, The Demon In The Wood does offer something new and interesting in the fantasy genre.
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