Powers

June 25, 2012
Two unlikely companions must join forces to foil a demonic plan in Burton's engaging but slow-paced contemporary fantasy. Master smith Albert Johansson has lived a long timeâso long that he can't quite remember who or what he is, although he does know he has a special affinity for forging metal. But Albert's quiet world is upended when a demon named Legion appears in his kitchen and tasks him with a strange mission to repair a broken magical seal. Albert soon meets Melissa el Hajj, a tough police officer who has also been recruited by the demon. Together, they set out to discover the importance of the seal, even though neither one trusts the otherâor the demon. Burton, a pseudonym for James A. Hetley (Dragon's Bones), has created two unusual and interesting characters in Albert and Melissa, and his narrative is peppered with a variety of religious, cultural, literary, and mythological references. However, lengthy descriptions and Albert's fuzzy recollections of his own memories slow down an already plodding story line.