Why was diabolical witchcraft persecuted in northern but not southern Spain? The publication of this book represents a significant step in the search for answers to this intriguing question. Its author compares the work of two inquisitorial tribunals: Barcelona (in the north) and Valencia (in the south), reaching a number of illuminating conclusions. One such is that the belief that certain individuals made pacts with the devil and took part in sabbaths so as to harm their fellow men was directly rooted in the demonological culture originating in France. The absence of such beliefs in the south, specifically in Valencia, was a reflection of the different culture there, one associated principally with the Moriscos, for whom demons were not just negative spirits but also often magical helpers. That is not to say that the magic practised by Valencian sorcerers contained no element of maleficence, yet what emerges clearly from the inquisitorial accusations is that they now considered themselves not ‘servants of Satan’ (underlining the Devil's uniqueness as the representative of evil), but ‘masters of demons’ (plural). The meticulous research work carried out by the author in the inquisitorial archives here translates into a fascinating gallery of characters who give us greater insight into the real culture of a country still overshadowed by the ‘black legend’. If the book lacks anything, it is a more thorough study of the different jurisdictions in the north and south of the peninsula: this could shed more light on an area that merits further investigation.