The Best of Enemies (Demon Squad, #6) by Tim Marquitz

The Best of Enemies (Demon Squad, #6) Reviews

• 
  Mihir

  
  Full review over at
  Fantasy Book Critic
  
  ANALYSIS: What a long journey it has been for Frank Trigg, when we were first introduced to him and his world. He was a lowly denizen of hell that had refused his uncle Lucifer’s offer to ascend to the mantle of the Anti-Christ and then had taken an ignominious fall. He served his time on Earth in a city called El Paseo where he did a penance of sorts (for all his actions as Lucifer’s nephew) by helping DRAC (Demonic Resistance And Containment) an organization that is trying to hold together a world coming apart at its podes. Since God and Lucifer came together and called a truce and then left for universes unknown, both heaven and hell have been shaken.
  
  Through the first five books in this series, the readers witness Frank’s growth as a person and serious revelations about Frank, his parents and the real reasons for God and Lucifer’s departure. Over the last couple of books, Frank’s personal life has been through the wringer but he has gained crucial information about his lineage and also gone up on the power scale. With this book, we find Frank back to his old hell (in this case, Hell actually). He’s reminiscing about the events featured in book IV and V as they have literally changed his life and the lives of people around him. Bored about his wits, Frank decides to return back to El Paseo and face the wrath of his friends. True to his inklings, Rahim, Katon and Scarlett are there to confront him as well as certain characters from the previous books make their presence felt. However there’s a crucial difference this time around, Frank’s no longer the bottom bitch and he intends to let everyone know that quite viscerally if need be.
  
  With the sixth volume, the author tries to keep it fresh and exciting and makes Frank even more headstrong than he’s ever shown to be. Perhaps it is assumable that this was how Frank was when he held his status quo as Ant0-Christ-to-be. It’s an ugly picture but Frank still manages to entertain the readers and keep them on his side. He’s also trying to get Rala the alien to decipher the contents of the strange book that Lucifer passed onto him. Lastly his search for El Paseo’s newest head honcho is quite darkly comical and action-packed sequence with golden delights such as a Were-Panda screaming “Wu Tang” and the re-appearance of a certain governmental agency.
  
  What the Panda is up to and what happens to him will have to be RAFOed by the readers, suffice to say, it showcases how Tim’s dark mind works and this perhaps is a cool riff in regards to a certain beloved Panda. With this storyline, the action sequences are again brought to the fore and we see Frank relaxing in all his new power. The author never has had any problems with action sequences and in this one, he continues in the same vein. The story doesn't have that many plot twists as its two predecessors; I felt that was due to the nature of the storylines espoused by those books and so in this one, we get a solid twist in the last one-third of the story and story also ends on a cliffhanger, which makes book seven another must have immediately.
  
  Readers who have enjoyed the previous five volumes, will definitely enjoy this addition to the series as they will get to see Frank like never before. For newer readers, I would caution against starting Frank’s saga with this book as there are several major spoilers for the last two-three books and in fact the identity of the main antagonist also is a major reveal from a preceding title. It would be best to start with Armageddon Bound and enjoy the train wreck that is the life of Frank “Triggaltheron” Trigg. Lastly for drawbacks to this title, the only sore point for me was the presence of a cliff hanger in the climax. After doing so for the last few books, I was hoping to not experience it again but I was not completely disappointed in that regard. However the author is also known for his speed and so I’m not too concerned for the wait until book seven which might be in 2014.
  
  CONCLUSION: The Best Of Enemies is another solid entry in the Demon Squad series, for all lovers of Frank Trigg, Tim Marquitz doesn't disappoint with this one. Focusing on Frank who is a different version of himself, the author paints a vivid and dark story that will surely keep the readers entertained and hooked on till the very end. Get ready for a darkly comic thrill ride, ladies and gentlemen, Frank Trigg is in the control seat and it’s going to be a wild one.
• 
  C.T. Phipps

  I've mentioned how much I love the Demon Squad books and this is a series which I intend to continue following until either Tim Marquitz starts writing them or I realize poor Frank is never going to get with his angel cousin Scarlett. For the time being, I'm going to continue to delude myself that such is a possibility. Just kidding, I love the series because it's a great literary comic with lots of humor and action plus great characters.
  
  Nothing more, nothing else.
  
  The premise is Frank Trigg is the Devil's nephew, who turns out to have been the Devil's son, and who has recently inherited rulership of Hell from his father. Unfortunately, this has accompanied accidentally killing his long-time girlfriend Karra's father Longinus. Having estranged himself from her just as she becomes pregnant with his child, Frank has sunk into a deep depression which alienates him from his few friends. Returning to series staple of Old Town, Frank decides he's going to take the region back from its current squatters and set up his own little kingdom there.
  
  Things go pear-shaped from there.
  
  I've always liked Karra as a romantic interest for Frank but, honestly, prefer his ex-wife Veronica and the aforementioned Scarlett for Frank's love interests. Watching Frank go to pieces over Karra makes me unhappy but I'm hoping they'll just move on to amiable exes. It's a testament to Tim Marquitz's writing skill that, despite not being a romance guy, I'm invested in these characters and their relationships.
  
  This novel, unlike Beyond the Veil, is primarily a character piece. It's a slower-paced, lower stakes novel which allows us to catch our breath before the next big series of revelations. I appreciated this because poor Frank has been battered from left-to-right in the last few books. Frank's not particularly likable in the book but, after all he's been through, the reader understands why he's lashing out.
  
  Frank is, as always, the heart of the series appeal. First-person series live and die on their protagonists, Demon Squad being no exception. The snarky, lonely, angry, and badass hero of the book is one which we could spend an endless amount of time with. I'd like to see him get acknowledged as the ruler of Hell and get a chance to sit down with his loved ones to have a conversation about what is going on but, I suspect, that's never going to happen. Too much of the series depends on him alienating everyone around him, which I'm starting to think is at least semi-deliberate on his part.
  
  The return of characters Veronica, Scarlett, the DRAC organization, and others is all well-done. I, especially, liked the return of Frank's bizarre pet, the zombie-fied head Chatterbox. Frank should carry him around everywhere. I'm not completely pleased with the way Frank treats his friends but, again, it's understandable. I'm especially interested in how Frank and Veronica's relationship develops from here, though, given he's now exactly the sort of super being she's always tried to cozy up to before.
  
  The final act of the novel contains a twist which I should have seen coming and was telegraphed a long time ago. I love when authors do that. I won't spoil it but while it causes a reverse in Frank's well-earned gains, I immediately bought the next volume after I finished. Readers should be warned The Best of Enemies ends on a cliffhanger, though. I will say, however, it involves the return of a much-loved villain and I hope said villain gets a proper ending this time around. I've really come to hate that guy.
  
  In conclusion, this is a fun, easy-going, entertaining read which is perfect for longtime fans of the series. Those looking to pick up the series for the first time should probably start elsewhere but it's a treat for those who know just what's at stake.
  
  8.5/10
• 
  Jason

  4.5 Stars
  
  
  The Best of Enemies by Tim Marquitz is book number 6 in the Demon Squad series. I have been reading a lot of this series because I cannot get enough of our Demon hero, his DRAC friends(more like unwanted associates for the time being), the bad ass women in his life, and of course the ever witty CB/ Chatterbox.
  
  This story picks up where Beyond the Veil left off. The series is changed forever now that things have literally been opened up. You see, there is more than one universe. The Best of Enemies takes the previous Demon Squad novels and amps them up to the nth degree. This is a dark, graphic, and down right nasty novel. Things have changed for Trigg but not really for the better.
  
  As far as this story goes it is a simple straight forward one with a new big baddie to contend with. The larger story arc with God, Lucifer, and the Angels and Demons is not really addressed. But who cares...The Best of Enemies is simply the darkest non stop action novel of the series to date. And it worked.
  
  I have fun reading the series because I love the genre. I love it because I love the writing. Tim Marquitz fills the pages with wise cracking comments, Non-stop action, Cool magic, and of course with Triggaltheron himself. He is one of the coolest anti-heroes ever and he just happens to be the son of the devil...
  
  The writing is what makes the series....
  
  
  ""Whatever it takes, and that’s the position you put me in.”"
  
  whatever it takes is the mantra that Frank lives by.
  
  
  Humor...
  
  
  "“Not wanting to test my newfound resilience against the marvels of modern technology, I flung up a shield to reflect the majority of the bullets from hitting me. Reddish energy glistened all around me, my will shaping the defenses into sleek curves and sharp points, like I was wearing a spiky shell. I was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle on steroids.
  “Cowabunga, motherfuckers.”"
  
  
  Ooey gooey action...
  
  
  "“My boots squished as I stomped through the pools of viscera that colored the road like a Dali painting on meth and laxatives. Bodies creaked under my weight. The first several waves of mercenaries had come and died, a swath of broken bodies spewed across the sidewalks, a Normandy Beach re-creation gone way too real. The hoary moans of their suffering crashed against my ears in undulating, pitiful waves. The men were loyal. I had to give them that. Not all of them would die tonight, but none of them would go home unscarred.”"
  
  
  The Demon Squad is simply one of my favorite things to read period.
  
  A must read for those that love horror and those that love a really bad guy good guy.
  
  Awesome.
• 
  Gordon

  So I took some time out from my 14 book Wheel of Time marathon as I had to know what happened next to Frank.
  
  Where to start? Frank comes roaring back to action as the new anti-Christ/king of hell/callitwhatyawant! And immediately gets his demon power on. As usual Frank is a wise cracking, metal singing mean dude that the world just loves to mess with and in this book it really really messes with him - Not a spoiler and not quite the end of the book but there is no way I saw the major plot shift coming even though I had thought a few times that Frank seemed meaner and slightly more obsessed with his power than you would have expected. The plot twists in this one will keep you spinning around trying to figure who the hell is behind it all turns out its Frank well kind of shush don't tell anyone :-)
  
  Tim does a really good job with these books they are fast, furious, funny as hell and just keep on delivering the goods. As long as Tim keeps writing them I for one will keep on reading the Demon Squad books.
  
  And hang on whats the in the sky heading this way? Something evil this way comes well probably after all Franks day probably isn't bad enough yet!
• 
  Jack

  I have really enjoyed this series, But it looks like I need to wait a bit longer to find out what, where and how much damage is done to one of my favorite smart-ass anti hero's.
  I remember watching a movie I think it was (black moon rising) with Tommy lee Jones and he just keeps getting his A$$ stomped over and over, this relates to our wise-ass (octane boosted) anti-hero, who just keeps dodging left and right ...into left and right punches, really it seems our "hero" just keeps taking it in the teeth, but really that's what I love about these novels, these characters can really take a punch or a bite, bullet's,fire bomb's well... i have really enjoyed a character that has grown in power (as well as smart-ass witty remark's) running around trying to find out really WTF is going on now that God and Satan have really jumped on a one way flight and left the mess and confusion too... our Hero?!??
  The author Tim'.... leaves us hanging but I have faith in this guy that he will have us rejoin the plot as soon as possible, and all in all a enjoyable read, will pick up the next aqs soon as available.
• 
  Noah K Sturdevant

  Not a big fan of the plot device at the end, but I'll wait to see how it plays out.
• 
  Htb2050

  The plot wasn't as good as the previous books. Maybe the last one finished on a really great point and this one was just based on a single plot point until the very end.
• 
  Roberto

  start very nice.. end up kinda dull'