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RELEASE BLITZ: The Regressor King by A.J. Sherwood
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REVIEW: Hell’s Most Incompetent Demon by Silvana Falcon
Supernatural Suckers: Hell’s Most Incompetent Demon by Silvana Falcon
Hell’s most incompetent demon meets Earth’s most hopeless romantic.
All Ethan wanted was someone who could help him find love—or at least someone to pop his cherry. A spell from an odd book he found at the library promised him a wish from Cupid. Sure, some of the ingredients weren’t easy to get, but he could improvise. Was there really that much difference between dried laurel leaves and coriander?
He never meant to summon a demon.
Malphas hasn’t been to Earth in a hundred years, not since he accidentally created a massively successful support group for gamblers and saved hundreds of souls from damnation. As punishment, he’s stuck in Hell’s archives filing dusty prophecies because his boss is convinced he’s incapable of being properly evil.
When Ethan’s summoning yanks him topside, he sees his chance to prove himself. He’ll make a deal with the human—and collect that blindingly bright soul.
All he has to do is to help Ethan get together with his crush.
What could possibly go wrong?
Low angst, high comedy m/m romance. HEA guaranteed, no break-ups, no cheating.
Hell’s Most Incompetent Demon is the first book of the paranormal rom-com series, Supernatural Suckers, by Silvana Falcon.
The demon in question is Malphas, notorious for botched soul collection jobs, which often ended up helping his targets escape damnation. Once, he helped a priest create an orphanage, and another time, he suggested that a gambler seek fellow gamblers, thus inventing the concept of a support group.
One day, he was summoned by Ethan, a librarian and incurable romantic who thought he was summoning Cupid. The plot follows Ethan as he struggles to overcome his social anxiety so he can impress his crush. The man had a rather hopeless crush on a fellow librarian and was trying to muster the courage to talk to him. Ethan agreed to hand over his soul in exchange for losing his virginity to the man he loves.
Mal’s magic backfires, revealing Ethan’s crush is not what he hoped for. As Mal and Ethan spend more time together, feelings grow, but they can’t be together without risking Ethan’s precious soul—something Mal is determined to protect.
Mal is a cinnamon roll demon who tries so hard to be evil. Ethan is a book nerd and quite naive. They spent their time watching Netflix and eating ice cream. Now and then, they talk about the contract and how Ethan can win over his crush. It’s all very cozy and fluffy!
The world-building is hilarious! Hell is literally corporate hell, full of triplicate multi-page paperwork, asshole co-workers, and meetings about meetings. Mal is frequently called to his boss’s office to be yelled at, then bullied by a senior soul collection specialist. When he landed a prime contract, a.k.a. collecting the pure soul of Ethan, he was given a warning not to lose such a valuable soul or else he’d be doomed to an eternity of team-building in the deepest pits of hell.
The story is also a poke at book genres. Ethan lives for romance books while his crush is a literary snob with aspirations to be a published author. Ethan is intimidated and awed by his crush’s intellect and frankly pretentious proclamations about his favorite literary fiction. Ethan secretly found the book boring but had to pretend to like it, something he failed at spectacularly when it was revealed he really likes romance stories.
And since we’re being meta, this book would be the kind of book Ethan would adore. It’s cute and cheestastic, cozy and swoony, with a sweet nerdy hero, a protective adoring love interest, and a hard-won, ridiculously romantic happy ending. Granted, there is some Deus ex machina hand-waving in the resolution, but it is still satisfying and much deserved!
Overall, Hell’s Most Incompetent Demon is a story of infernal contracts and incurable goodness. Light-hearted and hella fun, it does what rom-com does best: lift the spirits and make you smile!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Inner Light
Artist: Autograf & Dan Soleil
Album: Inner Light
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HELL’S MOST INCOMPETENT DEMON: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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PREORDER BLITZ: Kuro by Ana Raine (Excerpt)
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SERIES TOUR & NEW RELEASE: The Heaven Trilogy by Reni Stankova (Excerpt + Character Interview)
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REVIEW: That Mafioso Magic by Nicholas Bella
Mages & Mayhem: That Mafioso Magic by Nicholas Bella
Private detective, Adrian Elias, knows what trouble looks like, and ruthless mobster and lion shifter, Sage Tamir, was just that with a capital T. On top of smelling like heaven, the man has the face of an angel, with a body made for unbridled sin. A combination Adrian finds very hard to resist.
Unfortunately, someone is trying to kill Sage and they’re using magic to do it. Sage usually takes these types of matters into his own hands, but this time, he’s out of his league. He believes the only person who can help him is the down-on-his-luck detective. Problem is, Adrian doesn’t want to take his case because he feels it may be too dangerous. Never mind the volcanic-level attraction they seem to share for each other raising the stakes. Magic and mayhem awaits.
Reader Advisory: 18 and older. Strong adult situations and language. A sarcastic PI and a no-nonsense mobster will keep you turning the pages way past your bedtime. Best order that pizza, because once you start this book, you won’t want to stop.
That Mafioso Magic is the first book of the shifter paranormal/urban fantasy series, Mages & Mayhem, by Nicholas Bella. The fated mates pairing of a lion shifter mafia boss and a private detective mage intrigued me right away.
Firstly, Sage Tamir and his pride of all-female lions is so Wakanda-coded, I was imagining Killmonger, yes, him, since Sage is a bad boy after all, and the Dora Milaje as mafiosos. Sage is also a mage, though not a particularly strong one. He makes his spells look more powerful than they really are, so he’s feared as the Lion King who can also do magic.
Adrian Elias is also not a particularly strong mage, but he can do enough to help him beat bad guys and solve cases as a PI. My first impression of Adrian was that of a grizzled John Constantine-type character, so I was surprised to learn he was only 26 years old. I would have preferred him to be older, but Adrian is gritty, resourceful, and doesn’t back down from a fight, not even from a powerful vampire archduke.
The first meeting between Sage and Adrian was a nuclear explosion of uncontrollable primal lust; they had people running out of the room, scrambling to get out of their way. When heads cleared and things cooled down, they learned about a grimoire and their destiny. They agreed to collaborate to find out who is trying to kill Sage while also continuing Adrian and his partner Xavier’s investigation into a missing child.
I really appreciated that the author avoided the training trope but was able to create a believable way for Sage’s and Adrian’s magic to grow stronger. I also liked that they were neither the least nor most powerful but strong enough to stand toe to toe with formidable enemies.
I enjoyed the world-building, the secondary characters, and the dynamics between the main characters, as well as the various plot threads. However, the narrative presented two key plot threads that were exciting on their own, but when combined, they felt diminished. Additionally, there was too much telling instead of showing, which would have been more effective.
The opening chapter where Adrian and Xavier were rescuing children and fighting the bad guy was very suspenseful and chilling. Sadly, the continuation of the search for the missing child possessed by a demon seemed like an afterthought. If the book had been written solely as a police procedural or murder mystery, it would have been quite riveting.
The mafia business where Sage and Adrian had to ask a favor from Sage’s vampire nemesis, Archduke Salino Laurent, was hella fun but all over the place. Salino is fabulously sinister and gorgeous! I wouldn’t be surprised if the three end up a poly.
Kinda want them to poly given how Sage and Adrian are both attracted to Salino while also hating his guts. I can’t wait for the vampire archduke to cash in his favor! Pretty obvious who’s my favorite character here.
Overall, That Mafioso Magic could benefit from a tighter, more cohesive writing that could enhance the story’s impact. Still, there is plenty to like about this series, plot threads I’m looking forward to, and characters I’d love to see more of. It’s not setting my world on fire, but it’s keeping it alive with just enough magic and mayhem,
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Lionhearted
Artist: Porter Robinson feat. Urban Cone
Album: Worlds
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That Mafioso Magic: Kindle | Audiobook
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BOOK TOUR: Dance of Demons by Alyssa Lauseng (Excerpt)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Guarded by Lark Taylor
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REVIEW: Mercy by Ian Haramaki
Mercy – Ian Haramaki
A PRIEST AND HIS ANGEL…
Father Ilya Pavlovich Sokolovis a lonely priest and pariah of his small town. Tasked with killing an injured monster in the woods, Ilya is certain of his death. Instead, he heals the monster’s injury and lifts its curse, revealing a handsome, memory-less man.
Cocksure Danya is a man lost in an unfamiliar world. He struggles to recall his past life, flashes returning as he and Ilya grow closer. Soon, his appearance begins to change once more, but not into a beast — instead, Danya grows into something just like the Sun that Ilya has worshiped all his life.
With complicated pasts between them, the two must work together to deal with the corruption of Ilya’s own church, as well as their blooming feelings for one another.
Mercy by new-to-me author Ian Haramaki has that irresistibly eye-catching cover typically found in YA books, so I went into it blind.
The opening chapter is a mesmerizing scene of the unpopular priest-healer, Ilya Sokolovis, forced by the townsfolk to slay the beast in the forest, only to secretly take the beast back to his church to heal it. The beast then transformed into a man, Danya, who had no memory of what had happened to him.
The following chapters felt like time was standing still, a.k.a. nothing was happening. The pace trickled like molasses as the grumpy, neurotic, and touch-starved Ilya struggled with his attraction to the undeniably lovable Danya, who promptly latched on to the young priest with the enthusiasm of a Labrador retriever.
As cute as all that, it was a struggle to continue, and I had to put the book on hiatus twice. It was that blah, which was too bad because it had many interesting aspects, and the premise was intriguing. The pairing of an angel and a priest isn’t something I encountered often, and I need more of it!
The setting is a Russian-flavored alt-history set in the 1920s, in a small town. Most of the technology, such as radios and telephones, was invented by a woman, which we later learn was connected to one of the MCs.
Their religion worships the Sun Mother and Moon Father. Ilya is a priest of the Sun, a position he inherited from his father. Magic and magical creatures exist, and angels, who were sons of the Sun, and demons, who were creatures of the night, show their presence to humans.
Their world captured my interest, but unfortunately, it wasn’t well-developed. It mainly included fleeting references with minimal details. The elements felt like a jumble of surface-level fantasy, a vague historical atmosphere, and modern language that seemed out of place and didn’t blend with the overall setting. And there wasn’t any magic done all, which was a huge disappointment.
Ilya’s late father is well-loved by the town, and when he fell ill and died, the people blamed 10-year-old Ilya because he could not heal his father. This is a grudge they have carried until now. His mother was especially bitter and harsh, and she hated him with vitriol. Ilya did all he could to avoid her.
Understandably, Ilya is a mass of guilt, anxiety, and woes. Unfortunately, most priestly love interests are of this mold, which I found rather tiresome. The only man of the cloth I knew who’s chill and happy with himself is the motorcycle-riding vicar Archie Thorne of Seven Summer Nights by Harper Fox. That was a joy to read, so give us a happy gay priest MC, please!
The plot is very romance-centric, and happily, it delivered! The pace also sped up considerably when the two MCs became romantically involved. The dynamics between Danya and Ilya were fun, fluffy, and hella swoony, and I loved how the author played off their opposite personalities. Most of the conflict was external, and this highlighted the strength of their bond and protective instincts.
Danya and Ilya went overboard with the Russian petnames, which were silly but also ridiculously cute! Danya, truly a son of the Sun living up to being Ilya’s solnishko, just wants to love on his human, protect him at all costs, and tinker with his many gadgets. His positive effect on Ilya made the book worth reading!
Mercy is a story of healing and embracing happiness. It has a lot of potential, and with better execution, it could have been a real gem. It might be slow-paced and simplistic in some aspects, but the love story at its core shines true.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Light Prayer
Artist: School Food Punishment
Album: amp-reflection
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REVIEW: Revelations by Nik Knight
Fire & Brimstone: Revelations – Nik Knight
Riley thought he knew what to expect from college, but he never planned for angels, demons, or a team of attractive, overprotective Guardians.
When one fateful night opens his eyes to a world he never knew existed, Riley Shepard must navigate a host of supernatural dangers, all while struggling with new and confusing feelings for his guardian angels. With the promise of friends, family, and freedom finally within his grasp, he fears not only for his heart but for his life as well.
Lucky for him, some things are worth dying for.
*** Revelations is the first book in the slow-burn M/M+ romance series, Fire & Brimstone, featuring hurt/comfort, swoon-worthy guardian angels, sexual awakening, and an unlikely hero, too innocent for his own good. Trigger warnings include: situations of homophobia (both external and internal), past child abuse, self-harm, mental health, and one instance (Prologue) of non-graphic sexual assault. ***
Revelations is the series opener of the polyamorous paranormal/urban fantasy series Fire & Brimstone. It is a story held together by an intriguing premise, a spectacular prologue, and a talented narrator, Kurt Graves.
Without this lucky combination, I doubt I would have finished the book.
I won’t spoil the prologue with too much details. Just know that demons are on a hunt….
The story is in the 1st-person POV of Riley Shepard, a shy 19-year-old college student with barely any friends. Riley grew up in foster homes, the last one with a Dolores Umbridge of a religious nut who brainwashed poor Riley into thinking every other errant thought or action is a cause for shame or sin.
Our boy is a mass of trauma, anxiety, and guilt. He was once committed to a mental health institution for having “imaginary friends.” Due to his foster mother’s training, he is compelled to punish himself whenever he feels he did something wrong.
Riley’s imaginary friends turned out to be real. Noel, Jai, and Gideon were his guardian angels. Why was he able to see them only now?
While I empathize with Riley’s mental health issues, going through his self-flagellatory internal dialogues is a very unpleasant experience. Add to that him being a doormat and being treated like a baby by his friends, to the point of being literally carried like one, it was hard to like the character.
I loved the three protective angels. Noel and Jai’s interactions were the most fun part, as the two were mirror entities who were also complete opposites. Noel is an albino with a sweet, caring nature, while Jai is the bad boy, tall, dark, and with a taste for trouble. Gideon is their leader, complete with daddy vibes, a gruff manner, and fabulous cooking skills.
The thing with these celestial beings is that they take the hurt comfort to a ridiculously infantile level as if overcompensating for Riley’s loveless childhood.
The plot moves efficiently, largely due to Kurt Graves’ engaging performance, even though not much happens until the final chapters, where secrets are finally revealed. Interestingly, while these revelations are not particularly surprising, they still make me eager to read the next book.
It also helped that the epilogue is in Gideon’s POV, which means, we’ll be getting Noel’s and Jai’s POVs too. Sometimes a different perspective changes how I feel about unlikable characters, and I want to like Riley. Our boy has been through the wringer and deserves some extra TLCs.
Revelations was a mixed bag and very slow burn but hooked me nonetheless. It’s an emotional story about a boy living a monochrome life who discovers the world is far more vivid and colorful than he ever imagined. Overall, it’s not setting my world on fire, but I liked it.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Not Alone
Artist: Otto Knows
Album: Not Alone
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REVELATIONS: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: The Witch and His Crow by Ben Alderson
The Witch Trials: The Witch and His Crow – Ben Alderson
‘Rule them. Win. Become Grand High.’
My name is Hector Briar, and I live for revenge. It’s been eighteen years since Witch Hunters murdered my parents, and still the night haunts me. A part of me died that night, when six-year-old me was forced to listen to their brutal murder. Since then, I’ve gone from prey to predator. I spend my nights stalking Oxford’s streets for those who’d see me slaughtered for being what I am. A witch. And more than that, the son of the last Grand High.
I’ve spent the last years hidden in the shadows, not only from Witch Hunters but also my own kind. But one fateful night lands me directly in the hands of the people I’ve been evading my entire life-the Coven. Whereas the Witch Hunters want to destroy me, the Coven want me for a darker fate. For my blood. It’s the key to starting the Witch Trials – a contest to find the next Grand High, a contest where witches battle to the death, or madness.
Thrown into the middle of the very contest my mother died trying to prevent, I must make allies with my enemies if I wish to survive the first night. Not so bad when my ally so happens to be an attractive blue-eyed, 6ft-something, tattooed from neck to navel, bloodthirsty rival-Arwyn Morgan.
But I soon discover that not is all as it seems. There are dark forces lingering in the shadows and the truth is a hard pill to swallow. The Witch Hunters seek a Champion of their own. Enemies and allies lose all meaning when a wolf invades the flock.
Surviving the Witch Trials quickly becomes the least of my worries when ancient forces reveal their true natures. Something dark stirs within me, waiting for its inevitable freedom. I’m the key to keeping it locked away, or freeing it.
The Witch and his Crow is the first book in a MM paranormal romance new series of heart-pounding romance, witchcraft, and bloodthirsty enemies, perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and Her Soul to Take
The Witch and His Crow is the first book of The Witch Trials, an intriguing paranormal romance by Ben Alderson. I thought it would be a pairing between the witch and a crow shifter.
The witch is Hector Briar. He was orphaned at the age of six after his parents were murdered by witch hunters. His mother, Heather, then the Grand High of witches, left him in the care of a shadowy entity that takes the form of a crow.
Hector grew up under the care of his familiar, Cayman, hunting the hunters and hiding from the coven. He’s an air witch and a telekinetic. One day, he is caught and coerced to join The Witch Trials since his Briar blood is key to a big secret.
The plot then focused on a Battle Royale/Triwizard Tournament-style contest with three trials. Ever since watching the OG Japanese movie Battle Royale, other stories with this plot tend to pale in comparison. The book didn’t offer anything new, so in this aspect, it was more or less standard fare.
The crow, Cayman, was sadly absent for most of the story. He was the most intriguing character, and I wanted more interactions with him and the other characters. I hope he reappears in future books in one form or another.
The weakest aspect for me was the main characters. Try as I could, I didn’t connect with any of them. The characterizations felt shallow, and I felt Hector. as the 1st person narrator didn’t seem to own the story. I could swap another character, perhaps Salem, the scarred witch, and it would still work.
In the opening chapter, I was genuinely impressed by Hector. He appeared formidable as the lone wolf confronting the witch hunters, with only Caymen at his side. However, during the Witch Trials, he often jumped to rash conclusions and made questionable decisions that left me wondering how he had managed to survive alone for so long.
Arwyn, the enemy-turned-lover-turned-enemy-again, wasn’t necessarily cardboard, but he was the typical tall, dark, and witchy love interest mold. Even his big reveal wasn’t that surprising. But boy, that ending sure changed my mind about it. Darkness is a good look for the hunky witch.
Romy also piqued my interest in the opening chapter. Then she turned into some kind of manic pixie dream girl, conveniently catering to whatever Hector needed. Too bad because her gift is one of the scariest and the most helpful. She’s a fire witch who can melt flesh and bone, or conversely, mend them.
The strongest aspects were the world-building and the magic system. The vibe is wonderfully gothic. Think overcast skies, ancient castles, old graveyards, and secret passageways. This is a world where old magic no longer exists, and witches have gifts, typically associated with an element. It’s immersive despite Hector as narrator and a big factor why I stuck with the book.
They worship Hecate, and as the story progresses, we learn the limitations of Hecate’s powers and that darker forces exist in the periphery, biding their time. I’m hoping the darker forces will come into play more in future books. The combination of old magic and gifts would also make the world richer and more dangerous if they continue with the trials.
Hector, Arwyn, and Romy form a tentative coven and navigate the trials while dealing with betrayals from all sides, even among themselves, and enemies coming out of the woodwork. Everything hinges on Hector’s family legacy, and when it comes down to the wire – BAM! That twist was insidious and hella creepy!
And just like that, Hector became a million times more interesting and I’m super hyped for the next book. It came at the very end but still, a complete gamechanger!
The Witch and His Crow is a mixed-bag but won me over in the end. Atmospheric, fantastically witchy, with a bombshell ending that crept up the spine.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Shadow
Artist: Amigo The Devil
Album: Born Against
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THE WITCH AND HIS CROW: Kindle | Audiobook
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