The "research" on the occult issues in this book seemed more like regurgitated blurbs from encyclopedias than actual understanding of the ideas or historical figures involved. The characters were more stereotypes than rounded people, and the book dragged like a bum leg. There was nothing particularly shocking, intriguing, or thought provoking about this book. The part with the demons was really good, but it was over quickly, and it was back to the benign story that meandered forward to an even less exciting ending. This might be good for a young reader, but if you are looking for something well written and exciting, skip it. I couldn't even recommend this for a good weekend read. If you want a good horror book, try S. A. Swiniarski's "The Flesh, the Blood, and the Fire." Now, THAT is a good read!