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REVIEW: Between the Devil and the Sea by Chani Lynn Feener
Between the Devil and the Sea – Chani Lynn Feener
What happens when a devil claims a demon?
Detective Shadow Yor hates his life.
He spends all of his time, day after day, struggling against the demons in his head that tell him he’s a worthless, unlovable person. This doesn’t change when he’s sent on a new assignment with his partner to solve a series of murders. He’s good at his job and will find whoever did it, there’s no doubt there. The only question is whether or not he’ll be able to keep himself together, or if his empathic abilities will finally be the death of him.
Apollo Orobas is bored.
He’s bored of his secret nighttime proclivities and bored of playing the part of charming neighborhood do-gooder. Apollo isn’t good, never has been, but just when he’s starting to think life holds no interest, Shadow Yor stumbles into his sights. It doesn’t take long for him to figure out the detective is also hiding his true self, and suddenly coaxing Shade’s monster out into the light is all Apollo can think of. As obsession sinks its claws in, he decides it’s time for a new game, one Shade is going to play with him. Whether he likes it or not.
Kidnapped and forced to endure whatever twisted plans Apollo has in store, Shade struggles to hold onto his idea of right and wrong, but the more he tries to resist, the more those lines start to blur. What chance does a mere demon have against an actual devil? Especially one who soothes those twisted voices in his head and makes him feel for the first time ever that maybe he isn’t as unlovable as he’s always believed.
Trigger Warning: This is a stand-alone dark romance which means there are many themes that some might find disturbing. Some of these include, but are not limited to, dub-con, violence, a seriously obsessed male lead, a male lead who deals with low self-esteem, and explicit sexual content not suitable for all readers. Please be sure to read the Author’s Note for a complete list of warnings! HEA guarantee!
Between the Devil and the Sea by Chani Lynn Feener has a long list of trigger warnings that should be heeded. The gist is that it is pitch black with a guaranteed HEA. The book is a sci-fi serial killer romance, low on the sci-fi, high in serial killer, and a slow-burning romance.
The setting is an intergalactic world where law enforcement officers jump from planet to planet depending on where their cases take them. Most of the story takes place on a planet that is really no different from Earth. Apart from a few high-tech gadgets mentioned, the story feels very contemporary.
Detective Shadow Yor and his partner and best friend, Inspector Gael Thiago, are working on a new case that points to a serial killing. Shadow, known to most as Shade, is an empath, a rare variety whose powers can’t be turned off. Empaths are usually trained to be detectives because they can suss out lies.
He met Apollo Orobas, a well-liked art journalist currently assigned to cover their case. It turned out Apollo was an empath himself, although a low-level one. Apollo is easygoing, with a boy-next-door charm. Shadow’s fellow LEOs encourage their friendship, seeing how they hit it off quite well.
A deadly encounter with a suspect led to an abduction, and suddenly Shadow is face to face with his nightmare – or is it his deepest, darkest desires?
This is a deliciously intense, twisty turny tale, though it lost some of its bite with Shadow’s repetitive woe-is-me internal dialogue, which took up almost the entire first half of the story. Like that complaint, nobody wants to date someone who can read all their emotions. He whined about this at least three times.
While there’s a lot of self-depreciation, Shadow has a strong will, fighting spirit, and snark, so he’s not a doormat. He had a traumatic, lonely childhood and a solitary adulthood if not for Gael, who immediately took his introverted partner under his wing.
Meanwhile, Apollo wears his public face with aplomb and embraces his true self with glee. Our boy’s not sweating the small stuff and handles crisis with a deft hand. He knows when to dole out punishment and when to soothe, taking the hurt part of the story to kinky and the comfort part to hella swoony levels.
There are lots of things Shadow is afraid to admit to himself but trust the psychopath to teach Shadow how to embrace his dark side by letting Apollo be his light. Because shadows thrive best in the light.
And holy hell, did it work! Apollo took Shadow apart and put him back together the right way. It took a while for their connection to click, but when it did, the chemistry was off the charts! And I especially loved the ending because that’s where they zing!
Between the Devil and the Sea is one man’s journey to self-acceptance and finding the yin to his yang. Overall, it is a potent example of soul-deep connections that make a broken man whole, and the devil you know holds the glue.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Breathe
Artist: Christian Cohle
Album: Holy Trouble
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BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE SEA: Kindle | Audiobook
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PROMO BLITZ: The Price of Ice by N.J. Lysk
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REVIEW: Igni Ferroque by Ashlyn Drewek
Tennebrose: Igni Ferroque – Ashlyn Drewek
Despite being branded as an outcast amongst outcasts, Phelan Oliver devotes his life to helping his fellow Necromancers. But even with his vast knowledge, nothing prepares him for the day he comes face to face with a demon he didn’t summon—one who embodies everything he has been taught to hate, whose wickedness sparks sinful feelings Phelan can’t ignore no matter how much he tries.
Taken captive by a prince of Hell, Phelan strikes a desperate bargain. In exchange for his soul’s freedom, he’ll give his captor what he wants, even if it means betraying his own family.
But demons aren’t the only ones with secrets and Phelan’s might end up costing them both more than they’d ever imagined.
IGNI FERROQUE is a dark MM paranormal romance about a pious Necromancer and an incorrigible demon and what happens when their paths intersect. There’s scorching steam and brutal violence in this enemies-to-lovers tale, wrapped up with plenty of intrigue and betrayal. It is intended for a mature audience and reader discretion is advised. A full list of triggers can be found in the front matter of the book and at my website under Tropes & Triggers.
This book can be read as a standalone, but it is highly suggested to read the series in order, as the history of Winslow and its witches builds on itself with each book.
Igni Ferroque is a book that comes with a long list of trigger warnings: non-con, dub-con, blood play, torture, mental illness, occult practices, mentions of animal and human sacrifices, controversial commentary on religion, particularly Catholicism, and more listed in the book.
Author Ashlyn Drewek excels at darkly delicious enemies-to-lovers romances and pulled no punches in this sequel to Malum Discordae, Book 1 of Tennebrose. I definitely enjoyed this book more than its predecessor.
Tennebrose is a secretly magical university in Winslow, where witches trace their family histories to the past 400 years. The university is where their sons and daughters study among unaware non-magical students.
Phelan Oliver is a necromancer from a renowned family of necromancers currently working as a research librarian at the university. The necromancers of Winslow have been systematically summoning demons listed in the Book of Lazarus, only to kill them once they appear. Phelan is one of those involved in the rituals, though his powers barely exist.
The fun started when Demon Prince Remiel spotted him and took a liking to the necromancer. After stalking Phelan for a while, only to find out how blah the man’s life is, he whisked the necromancer to his domain in hell and had his wicked way with him.
On her website, the author admitts that writing the non-con parts was difficult.
“Given all the other horrible things Remiel does, why should that one thing stop him? So even though I knew some readers would hate me for it, I left my human morality at the door and wrote my demon prince as authentically as I could. Did I say it was ok? No. Does Phelan say it’s ok? No. In fact, he brings it up to Remiel on two different occasions to let him know he hasn’t forgotten. But Phelan (and I) also realized Remiel would never apologize for something he didn’t feel bad about because he doesn’t see right/wrong the same way we do. “
And yes, Remiel is the best character here. Sardonic and sauve, he was always true to his demon nature. He was both the dastardly villain and the charming prince sweeping our boy off his feet. He resorts to torture and seduction to weaken Phelan’s resolve, he could be so amoral and cold in some situations, then be a source of comfort and subtle but heartfelt affection.
And always, Phelan’s most fiercest protector.
Complicated he may be, there are no doubts about his deep, unspoken feelings for the necromancer. The tender feather caresses were my favorite!
Phelan, on the other hand, behaves as most ultra-religious MCs I’ve read. This is a man who lives like a 14th-century monk, denying himself pleasure, remaining completely celibate throughout his 30 years, and even whipping himself with those nasty whips used by flagellates.
Initially, he proved quite resistant to Remiel’s methods of seduction because our boy is nothing if not stubborn. He even outwitted the demon prince once. At times, I wasn’t impressed with his actions and reactions, always with the woes, the blame, or begging for punishment from God because he was in complete denial of who he is
Phelan shines best when he’s going toe to toe with demons. Our boy can be quite ballsy and surprisingly wily, outwitting yet another demon prince to save his demon prince. The necromancer even challenged the king of hell in a gutsy move that completely won me over.
This is a long book about the ever-evolving and hella nuclear relationship between Remiel and Phelan. The sexual tension burns like the flames of hell, leaving our virgin hero scorched, conflicted, and then later, became Remiel’s most feral savior. The evolution of their romance was well-paced, convincing, and deliciously satisfying!
Interwoven with the romance are fascinating twisty-turny threads of family secrets, dark pasts, demon wars, town conspiracies, deadly grimoires, and powerful arcane relics bestowed by God himself. Tennebrose lore was already rich and here it brought the series to another level!
There are minor hiccups, things the editor might have missed. Like how one body part was able to reach a certain body part when they were already in a certain position. Or a couple of reactions that seemed confusing or out of character.
Also, just a heads up if you are sensitive about religion, the story might appear to have a grim view of Catholicism and religion as a whole. This is usually voiced through Remiel, who continuously challenges Phelan to be honest with himself and embrace his true nature.
But, however tumultuous and dark the journey is for Phelan, in the end, it’s all in God’s plan. And it was the most bombastic, genius coup de etat + coup de gras + literal deus ex machina climax, I could only shake my head in amazement!
It turned Phelan’s world upside down and inside out, and just like that, he found his place in the grand scheme of things. I could imagine the Almighty giving Phelan and Remiel a big, cheeky wink across the cosmos.
Igni Ferroque is a potent brew of occult and romance told with the skill of a born storyteller. Overall, unapologetically dark and incendiary!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Sanctify
Artist: Olly Alexander (Years & Years)
Album: SanctifyP.S.
Tennebrose books can be read as standalones but get to know the discordant town of Winslow in Malum Discordiae.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Igni Ferroque. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
IGNI FERROQUE: Kindle I Audiobook
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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RELEASE BLITZ: Never Have I Ever: Submitted to My Enemy by Willow Dixon (Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: O Deadly Night: A Dark MM Charity Anthology (Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Kinked Up by M.C. Roth (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Robin by Rain Carrington (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q & A with Author)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Morte by Leigh Kenzie (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Ira by Leigh Kenzie (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Tradimento by Leigh Kenzie (Excerpt & Giveaway)
