Publisher: World Wrestling Entertainment

Author: Robert B. Marks

Release Date: 10/31/2000

MSRP: $5.99 (Digital)

Pages: 82

Recommended Audience: Young Adult

The fourth and final Diablo novel in the celebration of Diablo III is Demonsbane, which is, sadly, the best of the four. Being only a meager 82 pages long, this short story was more entertaining and felt more like Diablo than all three books combined. The story kept all the boring filler out and just let us follow Siggard to find out about his mysterious disappearance from the battle of Blackmarch against demons and his Vizjerei companion. Each chapter is a little bit of an adventure as he makes his way toward Assur. The story actually felt whole and complete without the need for boring filler, which shocked me.

How Robert was able to pull this off is beyond me, but the formula worked so well. It felt like a quest from the game where he discovers a magical sword, finds a companion, travels around a bit, and fights a huge war. I do hope authors take note of this novel and pick up on this style for video game novels. Sometimes a long, drawn-out novel isn’t the best, and for the Diablo series, it isn’t working very well. This short, but sweet, book will make you want to jump back in the game and slay some demons. Even the characters were more interesting than in the other novels I have read in the series. Not quite memorable, but certainly more interesting to read. I read the entire story in one sitting because of how well Robert sucked you into the story.

Overall, Demonsbane is one of the best Diablo novels out there, and it’s only 82 pages long. The whole story is fulfilling, entertaining, and quite exciting, and it feels more like a Diablo quest than a boring, drawn-out generic fantasy novel. Fans of the series should pick this book up for the small price for a good night’s read.