I used to work with the author of The Black Tattoo, Sam Enthoven, in a London bookshop. He used to regale me with tales of the obscure zombie films and Hong Kong martial arts stars that he was obsessed with. I now see this was all research for his terrific debut novel, which is stuffed full of kung-fu fighters, a varied cast of demons, flying sharks and a wonderful vision of hell as a vast empire existing on the back of a sleeping dragon. Amidst this riot of imagination we follow the story of three very realistically drawn young teens and their battle with a tricky and powerful demon that possesses one of them and uses him to try to destroy the universe.

It’s an exciting ride with lashings of dark humour and fantastical twists and turns that should appeal to all lovers of good fantasy and adventure. It’s like The Matrix crossed with Buffy crossed with Supernatural, but with demonic gladiators and vomiting bats!

Paul Bowman is from Readings Carlton