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The Dark Court #1
Caught in the Devil's Hand
Desire leaves her bound to a demon. Love will unlock her destiny. In Shumei's world, her black hair marks her as being touched by magic and thereby vulnerable to its corruption. Shunned by her village, she and her family scrape by selling herbal remedies, but a mysterious epidemic has depleted her stores, and she is forced to leave the protection of town to replenish them. With only moonlight to guide her, Shumei does what she can to evade the demons known to stalk the woods, but she finds herself confronted by an alluring man with a wicked smile and desolate eyes-one who somehow knows her deepest, darkest desires, and whose depraved hunger betrays his inhuman nature. Little does she know how a single moment of weakness will end up unlocking her potential, her destiny, and her heart. ♥♥♥ Caught in the Devil's Hand is a full-length "dark lite" fantasy romance featuring demons, awakened magic powers, and a steamy romance between an incubus and the young woman who can't help wanting him. If you like enemies with benefits, cynical heroes who learn to hope, magical bonds, and happily ever afters, you'll love Caught in the Devil's Hand . Note that while the relationship ends in an HEA, the story ends in a cliffhanger.
396 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2007
82 people are currently reading
2155 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Duvall
12 books58 followersRuby Duvall began writing out of spite for otherwise wonderfully written romances that nevertheless didn’t quite satisfy. Her addiction to the happily-ever-after began as a teenager, and she wrote her first story at fifteen before moving on to fanfiction and then original fiction. Though she grew up in the Midwest, she now lives with her husband and two children in Seattle. When she’s not writing, she reads, enjoys video games, and bakes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 26, 2022
2.5 stars
Listen, I know for a fact that some of my friends would love this very much. In this case, maybe not me.
The plot is good. The setting is better than I expected. The smut, fantastic and scorching if I can say so.
But towards the end, it turned boring and mushy.
Also, there's a threesome scene in here, so don't be surprised. Anyway, the first half was probably my favorite part and then it just went downhill.
Still, a solid book. If you like insta-lust/love, witchcraft, cursed H, bargain with the devil, sets in an almost East Asian-influenced fantasy land, hey you should try this one out.
Listen, I know for a fact that some of my friends would love this very much. In this case, maybe not me.
The plot is good. The setting is better than I expected. The smut, fantastic and scorching if I can say so.
But towards the end, it turned boring and mushy.
Also, there's a threesome scene in here, so don't be surprised. Anyway, the first half was probably my favorite part and then it just went downhill.
Still, a solid book. If you like insta-lust/love, witchcraft, cursed H, bargain with the devil, sets in an almost East Asian-influenced fantasy land, hey you should try this one out.
December 6, 2025
Not for me. I liked the idea of this book, because it seemed interesting. Also the cover is beautiful. Unfortunately, the quality of writing, the characters, the plot... everything was lacking. DNF.
January 22, 2022
“Courage is being able to act even when you’re afraid.”
the story is unlike anything i have ever read, and i enjoyed it. the second part of the book is a bit strange so i was quite shocked with how the story went. the plot is pretty much about a soft hearted demon making a deal with a naive girl so the demon can feed off its sexual energy. overall, it was entertaining and i was intrigued the whole time.
the story is unlike anything i have ever read, and i enjoyed it. the second part of the book is a bit strange so i was quite shocked with how the story went. the plot is pretty much about a soft hearted demon making a deal with a naive girl so the demon can feed off its sexual energy. overall, it was entertaining and i was intrigued the whole time.
December 17, 2022
This read like fanfiction and I'm confused. The entire premise was like a 70s porno. The sex demon must capture young women and feast off their mind blowing orgasms. The smut was actually pretty well written, but it was when it tried to be a real story that the whole thing broke down. The sex scenes are written by an adult woman who knows what she likes, while the rest of the books feels like it's written by a 15 year old girl taking her first creative writing class. I dnf'd at 60% and I'm not looking back.
February 6, 2022
honestly read this for the promised smut and it absolutely delivered. i also applaud it for the try at plot, though it was a bit too much of an info-dump at times.
still, entertaining, exciting, and very spicy.
still, entertaining, exciting, and very spicy.
March 28, 2022
Ouch... it was painful to read :(
April 21, 2022
Well, well, well, that was spicy. The beginning had me saying ‘What the heck’ outloud several times. It’s not an especially great plot, but when it focused more on the actual plot than just the smut, I found it quite entertaining
March 21, 2025
EDIT: Thinking back on this, I'm going to change my rating down to a 2.5 instead of a 3 (previously was 3 instead of 2.5, but I feel that's being too generous).
Courage is being able to act even when you're afraid.
So, first off I realized that the book felt like it went from 0 to 100 so fast, it gave me whiplash. The writing itself was pretty good and I enjoyed the story, but the pacing was just off. Either it was too slow or way too fast for my liking. Most of the book was extremely detailed spicy scenes between the two main characters, which I suppose is a reason for it feeling like everything happened too quickly—time was jumping from one week to the next since their deal is to do it once a week, but we never really got to see much of everything else that was happening. To be fair, we do spend some time in Shumei's life outside of Vallen, but those parts didn't strike me as particularly interesting or enjoyable to read—it was mostly her delivering medicine once a week to a few villagers and collecting some money in exchange and then going home.
The characters also felt kind of shallow and all over the place. Vallen says he absolutely hates having to feed to stay alive, but isn't at all repulsed by the thought of sleeping with Shumei. Actually, he quite enjoys it and wants to do it multiple times a week, but we never really go back to any internal struggle of his at this development. And Shumei herself felt like she was flip flopping all over the place with characterization—one minute she's afraid and timid, the next paragraph she's spiteful, and the one after that she's coy and a temptress. It just didn't mesh well when it was so often and random, instead of a natural growth of her character with ups and downs. The point of view also flipped back and forth between Shumei and Vallen, however it was in the same chapter and was only indicated by an extra space between the paragraphs—I didn't think that was really needed to get the feelings of both characters across. They also fell in love so fast that even I was surprised—I was barely even a quarter into the book and I'm pretty sure it was only their third meeting when they confessed to each other so suddenly. Personally, I was hoping that the confession would be dragged out until later. And, without spoiling what happens in the second half of the story, it really felt like everyone was jumping all over the place in terms of characterization. Shumei doesn't want that—well, actually, she does want it—no, wait, she's shy—oh wait, she's coy now and an expert at this particular thing—no, she's afraid again and timid. And the same with Vallen, as well, where he felt like he was flip flopping in the same ways. It was just strange to read, because while it'd be normal for a character to regress and have ups and downs after growing and changing, having all of that flip flopping be within the same few paragraphs on a few pages feels weird and confusing to read.
The book read as kind of a PWP, but I decided to give it 3 stars instead of 2.5 because of the potential of the plot. To be honest, I wish we had spent less time with the additional sex scenes and more time with the characters and the fantasy plot. It was interesting and I found myself hoping that we'd move away from how aroused the characters were to learn more about the magic and the history that was teased through the dialogue, but alas. The scenes that were dedicated to the plot were quick and short, introducing a problem that, in usual fantasy settings, would span multiple chapters to fix but were resolved within the same chapter or the following one. Everything was so short and quick that nothing even really felt like a threat, even though it was supposed to be an end-of-the-world level enemy and danger. Because of the potential of the world inside the book, I decided to bump the rating up to 3 stars; if the magic and lore seeds weren't so fun for me to read, I would've left it at a 2.5 stars.
Overall, the book was fun to read. I'd recommend it for people who want something quick to read and enjoy pure smut and fast paced stories. For those of you who enjoy reading fleshed out plots and lore, I'd say you wouldn't enjoy this one and might want to skip it.
Courage is being able to act even when you're afraid.
So, first off I realized that the book felt like it went from 0 to 100 so fast, it gave me whiplash. The writing itself was pretty good and I enjoyed the story, but the pacing was just off. Either it was too slow or way too fast for my liking. Most of the book was extremely detailed spicy scenes between the two main characters, which I suppose is a reason for it feeling like everything happened too quickly—time was jumping from one week to the next since their deal is to do it once a week, but we never really got to see much of everything else that was happening. To be fair, we do spend some time in Shumei's life outside of Vallen, but those parts didn't strike me as particularly interesting or enjoyable to read—it was mostly her delivering medicine once a week to a few villagers and collecting some money in exchange and then going home.
The characters also felt kind of shallow and all over the place. Vallen says he absolutely hates having to feed to stay alive, but isn't at all repulsed by the thought of sleeping with Shumei. Actually, he quite enjoys it and wants to do it multiple times a week, but we never really go back to any internal struggle of his at this development. And Shumei herself felt like she was flip flopping all over the place with characterization—one minute she's afraid and timid, the next paragraph she's spiteful, and the one after that she's coy and a temptress. It just didn't mesh well when it was so often and random, instead of a natural growth of her character with ups and downs. The point of view also flipped back and forth between Shumei and Vallen, however it was in the same chapter and was only indicated by an extra space between the paragraphs—I didn't think that was really needed to get the feelings of both characters across. They also fell in love so fast that even I was surprised—I was barely even a quarter into the book and I'm pretty sure it was only their third meeting when they confessed to each other so suddenly. Personally, I was hoping that the confession would be dragged out until later. And, without spoiling what happens in the second half of the story, it really felt like everyone was jumping all over the place in terms of characterization. Shumei doesn't want that—well, actually, she does want it—no, wait, she's shy—oh wait, she's coy now and an expert at this particular thing—no, she's afraid again and timid. And the same with Vallen, as well, where he felt like he was flip flopping in the same ways. It was just strange to read, because while it'd be normal for a character to regress and have ups and downs after growing and changing, having all of that flip flopping be within the same few paragraphs on a few pages feels weird and confusing to read.
The book read as kind of a PWP, but I decided to give it 3 stars instead of 2.5 because of the potential of the plot. To be honest, I wish we had spent less time with the additional sex scenes and more time with the characters and the fantasy plot. It was interesting and I found myself hoping that we'd move away from how aroused the characters were to learn more about the magic and the history that was teased through the dialogue, but alas. The scenes that were dedicated to the plot were quick and short, introducing a problem that, in usual fantasy settings, would span multiple chapters to fix but were resolved within the same chapter or the following one. Everything was so short and quick that nothing even really felt like a threat, even though it was supposed to be an end-of-the-world level enemy and danger. Because of the potential of the world inside the book, I decided to bump the rating up to 3 stars; if the magic and lore seeds weren't so fun for me to read, I would've left it at a 2.5 stars.
Overall, the book was fun to read. I'd recommend it for people who want something quick to read and enjoy pure smut and fast paced stories. For those of you who enjoy reading fleshed out plots and lore, I'd say you wouldn't enjoy this one and might want to skip it.
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September 13, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/13/2021)! 🎁
March 8, 2022
3.5⭐
I like what this book was set out to do but I just wished it gave the story some more room to grow. Or better yet, to pick an angle. It felt like I was reading two different books, one about this creature trying to seduce and loosen up this innocent girl and the next plotline about this lower-class mistreated young woman finding out the truth about her identity. Both premises are good, but the fact that this is a whole universe means the world building needed a lot more structure and a slower pace. These plotlines cannot fit in one short novel.
On the other hand, as a creature who seeks willing women to defile, I would think the love interest would be better at seduction. Their first meeting felt more like a demand than an unraveling. I wanted to see him slowly draw her out of her shell. We already saw that prior to their encounter, her interest was piqued, he just needed to light the flame. And he could have done that better... which brings me back to the point that this needed more time to develop.
But overall not a bad story.
I like what this book was set out to do but I just wished it gave the story some more room to grow. Or better yet, to pick an angle. It felt like I was reading two different books, one about this creature trying to seduce and loosen up this innocent girl and the next plotline about this lower-class mistreated young woman finding out the truth about her identity. Both premises are good, but the fact that this is a whole universe means the world building needed a lot more structure and a slower pace. These plotlines cannot fit in one short novel.
On the other hand, as a creature who seeks willing women to defile, I would think the love interest would be better at seduction. Their first meeting felt more like a demand than an unraveling. I wanted to see him slowly draw her out of her shell. We already saw that prior to their encounter, her interest was piqued, he just needed to light the flame. And he could have done that better... which brings me back to the point that this needed more time to develop.
But overall not a bad story.
January 8, 2009
Shumei is hated and ridiculed because of the color of her hair. Black-haired people must slave away in the medicine fields and are paid little for their hard work. But then a deadly disease breaks out and Shumei must provide medicines to help ease people's pain. Her young blond-haired brother is one of the sick. When she runs out of medicine to reduce his fever, she knows he will surely die if she does not get more. But to travel outside the protective wards of the village is a sure death sentence, for demons roam the land after nightfall. She nearly makes it back home without incident, but is caught by a handsome man who isn't really human.
Vallen is a sex demon who feeds off sex to survive. He finds no enjoyable pleasure in it anymore for it's been many years since he was first cursed. But all that changes when he comes across Shumei. He wants her more than he's ever wanted any woman and is even willing to negotiate for what he wants.
I loved this book. Shumei is a social outcast, and you can't help but feel sorry for her as she drifts through life. Her interactions with the other villagers tell you what her life has been like thus far, and you can't help but admire her loyalty when things go badly even though no one treats her nicely. Her devotion to her much-loved brother is telling too. Instead of jealousy, he is everything to her and she would do anything to protect him. I couldn't help but root for the demon (naturally--I have a strange obsession with sexy demons). The sex scenes are hot, but they don't overpower the story. There's still plenty of plot. I was pleased to discover there's a sequel to this book and I can't wait to read it.
Vallen is a sex demon who feeds off sex to survive. He finds no enjoyable pleasure in it anymore for it's been many years since he was first cursed. But all that changes when he comes across Shumei. He wants her more than he's ever wanted any woman and is even willing to negotiate for what he wants.
I loved this book. Shumei is a social outcast, and you can't help but feel sorry for her as she drifts through life. Her interactions with the other villagers tell you what her life has been like thus far, and you can't help but admire her loyalty when things go badly even though no one treats her nicely. Her devotion to her much-loved brother is telling too. Instead of jealousy, he is everything to her and she would do anything to protect him. I couldn't help but root for the demon (naturally--I have a strange obsession with sexy demons). The sex scenes are hot, but they don't overpower the story. There's still plenty of plot. I was pleased to discover there's a sequel to this book and I can't wait to read it.
Read
February 4, 2022this had a lot of info dumping and exposition and the world building is… not the best. the fl was decent and i liked her chemistry with the demon love interest but it’s insta lust to insta love and it got boring quick. the plot didn’t hold my interest enough either.
February 9, 2024
I have so much to say about this, I almost don't know where to begin. This definetly was not what I expected it would be. There was a lot of untapped potential in here, definetly room for improvements, but overall it wasn't bad.
First things first, when I discovered this book I was under the impression that it was fantasy romance with some spice but still a heavy focus on actual plot. That is not the case here and I think if you go into this with that mindset you will be disappointed. This is smut with a subplot of fantasy.
I actually really struggled to get through the first 150 pages simply because of how sexualized everything was. As well as the fact that I think the general plot, pacing, characters and language usage was just not as well written or thought out as they could have been.
I think personally, the writing style was just too descriptive for me, eventually I got used to it and it was fine, but for a majority of the book it felt like I was reading a dictionary. And by that I mean it felt as if the author was throwing out any and every new word she could possibly think of to describe anything and everything regardless of how mundane or irrelavent it was. In saying that, I do think this is just something I don't enjoy personally, so if you don't have issues with paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions and adjectives you should be fine.
I hate to say it, but I think the pacing was awful. It genuinely felt like I was reading two separate books yet neither was given enough time to devolp fully. The concept of these two plots coming togther, one being a girl making a bargain with a demon after being seduced and then the other being a mistreated girl growing into a magical world and by extension herself, was so good in theory. Yet the end result is just a jumbled mess of a plot that lacks stable foundation due to the rushed pace.
The characters and world had so much potential and I think if the author had taken the time to really explore them as well as world build through expiernces as opposed to info-dumping, this would have been so much better.
The characters were really hard to connect with in the beginning due to the fact that they didn't feel real. They were indecisive, and lacked consistent values, opinions and motives. They constantly change their minds and flip flop between things at a rapid pace to aid the plot. This does improve towards the end but even then it is rushed, so I don't think the effect of growth is a strong or moving as it could have been.
The relationships between the main characters are a mess. And once again, it does improve towards the end, but it is rushed and lacks solid foundation. The main romantic relationship is just sexual attraction to insta love. And though there is about 150 pages for that to devolp, we don't actually get to watch it happen. I would have really enjoyed being able to see the characters connect on a deeper level outside of two genuine conversations before confessing their undying love.
A lot of what I just said doesn't make this book sound very good, but I did enjoy it to a degree.
I found the world and it's lore to be really interesting. I did enjoy the ending and where the story seems to be heading in the next book, although I'm disappointed to know it won't be from the same main characters perspective.
There was so much potential in here and I think a lot of the issues in this book could have been solved with better pacing and allowing the characters and plot adequate time to devolp. But the concepts were still really good and at times the storyline was genuinely engaging and enjoyable. (Also if I'm being honest, most of the smut was pretty good.)
I've decided to continue the series, and am really hoping to see improvements as I do. This wasn't by any means a bad book, I think I walked into this with the wrong mindset. As well as that the author herself, could still develop in terms of writing and pacing. In saying that though, once again, the concepts she's exploring and the stories she's trying to tell are genuinely interesting and so full of potential.
I am really hoping to see the author grow and expand her ideas as this series continues.
First things first, when I discovered this book I was under the impression that it was fantasy romance with some spice but still a heavy focus on actual plot. That is not the case here and I think if you go into this with that mindset you will be disappointed. This is smut with a subplot of fantasy.
I actually really struggled to get through the first 150 pages simply because of how sexualized everything was. As well as the fact that I think the general plot, pacing, characters and language usage was just not as well written or thought out as they could have been.
I think personally, the writing style was just too descriptive for me, eventually I got used to it and it was fine, but for a majority of the book it felt like I was reading a dictionary. And by that I mean it felt as if the author was throwing out any and every new word she could possibly think of to describe anything and everything regardless of how mundane or irrelavent it was. In saying that, I do think this is just something I don't enjoy personally, so if you don't have issues with paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions and adjectives you should be fine.
I hate to say it, but I think the pacing was awful. It genuinely felt like I was reading two separate books yet neither was given enough time to devolp fully. The concept of these two plots coming togther, one being a girl making a bargain with a demon after being seduced and then the other being a mistreated girl growing into a magical world and by extension herself, was so good in theory. Yet the end result is just a jumbled mess of a plot that lacks stable foundation due to the rushed pace.
The characters and world had so much potential and I think if the author had taken the time to really explore them as well as world build through expiernces as opposed to info-dumping, this would have been so much better.
The characters were really hard to connect with in the beginning due to the fact that they didn't feel real. They were indecisive, and lacked consistent values, opinions and motives. They constantly change their minds and flip flop between things at a rapid pace to aid the plot. This does improve towards the end but even then it is rushed, so I don't think the effect of growth is a strong or moving as it could have been.
The relationships between the main characters are a mess. And once again, it does improve towards the end, but it is rushed and lacks solid foundation. The main romantic relationship is just sexual attraction to insta love. And though there is about 150 pages for that to devolp, we don't actually get to watch it happen. I would have really enjoyed being able to see the characters connect on a deeper level outside of two genuine conversations before confessing their undying love.
A lot of what I just said doesn't make this book sound very good, but I did enjoy it to a degree.
I found the world and it's lore to be really interesting. I did enjoy the ending and where the story seems to be heading in the next book, although I'm disappointed to know it won't be from the same main characters perspective.
There was so much potential in here and I think a lot of the issues in this book could have been solved with better pacing and allowing the characters and plot adequate time to devolp. But the concepts were still really good and at times the storyline was genuinely engaging and enjoyable. (Also if I'm being honest, most of the smut was pretty good.)
I've decided to continue the series, and am really hoping to see improvements as I do. This wasn't by any means a bad book, I think I walked into this with the wrong mindset. As well as that the author herself, could still develop in terms of writing and pacing. In saying that though, once again, the concepts she's exploring and the stories she's trying to tell are genuinely interesting and so full of potential.
I am really hoping to see the author grow and expand her ideas as this series continues.
Read
August 28, 2022February 2022's Book Club Pick!
June 17, 2024
um what the fuck
June 19, 2025
Très bonne lecture, c’était court et bien construit. Ça a coché toutes les cases de ce dont j’avais besoin en ce moment. Un livre simple et intrigant.
December 4, 2022
For some reason I thought this was YA. ITS NOT. It’s really not. 🌶️ and I ate
February 6, 2022
So I noticed this on tiktok, it was recommended because it gave 'INUYASHA' vibes. So, of course, as a former INUYASHA obsessed fan who still has a little tender soft spot for it. I read it. It was definitely a must read for me. I loved it. It was so spicy and fun. It was very 'Manga' inspired where the characters are dramatic and over the top which is exactly why we love anime and manga. I could totally see this as an anime or manga in my head. If you like manga or anime, this is a must read.
March 5, 2022
This was my book club's pick for February!
While I thought the writing style was really good, I think this book tried to do too much at once. And in a short amount of time. The Kindle version only has 260 pages and I feel like the plot of this book could have easily been a duology, or a trilogy even. With JUST Shumei's story, since I know the others in this series aren't her story. It was a fun read, but I probably won't be continuing the series.
While I thought the writing style was really good, I think this book tried to do too much at once. And in a short amount of time. The Kindle version only has 260 pages and I feel like the plot of this book could have easily been a duology, or a trilogy even. With JUST Shumei's story, since I know the others in this series aren't her story. It was a fun read, but I probably won't be continuing the series.
February 24, 2022
3.5/5 rounded up.
This is most definitely not the young adult book that I thought it was going to be when I began reading it. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s not what I expected. So, BEWARE, NOT YOUNG ADULT! Check for trigger warnings and know that there are explicit scenes in this book!
Anyways… Here’s what I liked:
When you first start reading “Caught in the Devils Hand,” you are introduced to this interesting world where your hair color defines where you fit into society. Shumei, the protagonist, just so happens to be a crow, which are at the bottom of the hierarchy. I enjoyed watching her go from a terrified and submissive girl who seemingly accepted the status that everyone else gave her into a powerful and kind woman that will likely lead the way for the future of her crows.
Her and Vallen’s relationship was also fun to watch grow. Seeing them connect over unshared experiences and shared firsts was very nice.
And Oka. I love Oka. <3
Here’s what I didn’t like:
The ending was underwhelming. It wasn’t exciting. As was the battle.
All Shumei and her groups’ trials were overcome too easily and her skills were developed without any hardships.
None of that is a very big deal though so 3.5/5.
This is most definitely not the young adult book that I thought it was going to be when I began reading it. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s not what I expected. So, BEWARE, NOT YOUNG ADULT! Check for trigger warnings and know that there are explicit scenes in this book!
Anyways… Here’s what I liked:
When you first start reading “Caught in the Devils Hand,” you are introduced to this interesting world where your hair color defines where you fit into society. Shumei, the protagonist, just so happens to be a crow, which are at the bottom of the hierarchy. I enjoyed watching her go from a terrified and submissive girl who seemingly accepted the status that everyone else gave her into a powerful and kind woman that will likely lead the way for the future of her crows.
Her and Vallen’s relationship was also fun to watch grow. Seeing them connect over unshared experiences and shared firsts was very nice.
And Oka. I love Oka. <3
Here’s what I didn’t like:
The ending was underwhelming. It wasn’t exciting. As was the battle.
All Shumei and her groups’ trials were overcome too easily and her skills were developed without any hardships.
None of that is a very big deal though so 3.5/5.
December 10, 2021
LISTEN. When I read reviews for this book, I was under the impression that this was a fantasy romance with *some* spice. I was NOT prepared for the amount of spice and just how quickly the spice appeared. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some spice, but dang. My eyes just weren't prepared. So, be warned going in, this book is kinda rated R. That being said, I enjoyed this book a lot. I love Asian-themed fantasies, I find them so incredibly fascinating. The hierarchy based on hair color is an interesting concept that I've never seen before, so props to the author for that. Overall, this is more smut than plot, but still an enjoyable read!
May 23, 2022
I did enjoy this book at first - I wanted to read romance and it clearly delivered at first. But then it did fall into some bad stereotypes (LGBT villain, because, of course), horny unfulfilled gay feelings (of course), predictable plot and some really weird magic system based on westernised Japanese.
February 5, 2022
Christ.
July 13, 2022
Naive female lead and manipulative male lead. Am I supposed to sympathize with Vallen? He was cursed because he didn't respect women and can only survive by molesting women. Come on!
July 8, 2025
2.5 stars rounded down, because it doesn't deserve three.
It felt a bit like cultural appropriation. Descriptions of everything, from places to clothes, were inconsistent. Sometimes the bed was floor-level mats, the next scene in it it was raised and had a mattress. Same with the tables. The language used to describe the characters’ actions around those things changed, seemingly because the author forgot they weren’t western style stuff and wrote as if they were, and went back to describe them as asian-style when she remembered. It was very confusing. The plot was OK, but after a point it just stopped. It became a series of scenes that led to the sex and nothing more.
Shumei's characterization was very inconsistent. One moment she's an inexperienced virgin, the next she's a vixen, the next she's shy, the next she's coy. Sometimes she’s impulsive, sometimes she isn’t. She’s always stupid, though. At the beginning, Shumei doesn’t have magic, then a lot of stuff happened and now she has it. And at first she didn’t know anything about it, and was learning, but all of a sudden she has some vision or something and now she’s better at it than the centuries old demons. Then she forgets again and is weak because the "plot" needed her to be weak for a second, then she has another vision and she's super strong again. Actually, every character was very inconsistent.
The threat doesn’t feel like a threat, mostly because Shumei defeats the witch with ease, goes away and then we hear nothing of this witch until conveniently Valen finds out and we are told there is a threat (Why is Valen the only one without an Asian-sounding name, huh? gave me colonizer vibes, this guy, especially because he seemed to be the only one wearing European-style clothes). Oh, and the evil witch had to be a lesbian, and a sex predator, of course, why would it be otherwise? God forbid a woman is not straight, she must be a villain, and she can’t be sex positive, she must be a predator.
The sex was OK, except it gave me the creeps because Valen infantilizes Shumei so much, and manipulated her a lot when it came to sex. And you can tell the sex was the focus of the book, because the romance is not developed at all, we’re just told some time passed and now they’re in love, but we see very few of their conversations, most of which revolve around sex, and the “plot” was mostly a series of excuses for these two to get it on. And we get to witness every freaking time they do it, which gets old after a while, because, for a sex demon, Valen was very vanilla, and they were in the same position every time except for once when they had a threesome with Rosuke. And after that Valen is super possessive, as if he remembered he didn’t like threesomes all of a sudden.
And, finally,
It felt a bit like cultural appropriation. Descriptions of everything, from places to clothes, were inconsistent. Sometimes the bed was floor-level mats, the next scene in it it was raised and had a mattress. Same with the tables. The language used to describe the characters’ actions around those things changed, seemingly because the author forgot they weren’t western style stuff and wrote as if they were, and went back to describe them as asian-style when she remembered. It was very confusing. The plot was OK, but after a point it just stopped. It became a series of scenes that led to the sex and nothing more.
Shumei's characterization was very inconsistent. One moment she's an inexperienced virgin, the next she's a vixen, the next she's shy, the next she's coy. Sometimes she’s impulsive, sometimes she isn’t. She’s always stupid, though. At the beginning, Shumei doesn’t have magic, then a lot of stuff happened and now she has it. And at first she didn’t know anything about it, and was learning, but all of a sudden she has some vision or something and now she’s better at it than the centuries old demons. Then she forgets again and is weak because the "plot" needed her to be weak for a second, then she has another vision and she's super strong again. Actually, every character was very inconsistent.
The threat doesn’t feel like a threat, mostly because Shumei defeats the witch with ease, goes away and then we hear nothing of this witch until conveniently Valen finds out and we are told there is a threat (Why is Valen the only one without an Asian-sounding name, huh? gave me colonizer vibes, this guy, especially because he seemed to be the only one wearing European-style clothes). Oh, and the evil witch had to be a lesbian, and a sex predator, of course, why would it be otherwise? God forbid a woman is not straight, she must be a villain, and she can’t be sex positive, she must be a predator.
The sex was OK, except it gave me the creeps because Valen infantilizes Shumei so much, and manipulated her a lot when it came to sex. And you can tell the sex was the focus of the book, because the romance is not developed at all, we’re just told some time passed and now they’re in love, but we see very few of their conversations, most of which revolve around sex, and the “plot” was mostly a series of excuses for these two to get it on. And we get to witness every freaking time they do it, which gets old after a while, because, for a sex demon, Valen was very vanilla, and they were in the same position every time except for once when they had a threesome with Rosuke. And after that Valen is super possessive, as if he remembered he didn’t like threesomes all of a sudden.
And, finally,
February 8, 2022
Inizialmente sono stati catturata dalla bellissima cover e sono rimasta anche un po' confusa dalle poche recensioni.
Parto subito da cosa mi é piaciuto:
L'ambientazione rurale orientaleggiante
I personaggi: la protagonista, pur partendo dal nulla, evolve nel corso della storia, matura e prende consapevolezza del suo ruolo; i personaggi secondari sono ben delineati e intriganti.
La storia d'amore non manca, anzi nella prima parte del libro si può dire che tutto ruota intorno al rapporto tra i due protagonisti. Hanno una forte chimica e sono davvero emozionanti.
Ho apprezzato anche il world-building, tutto il sistema magico, i diversi tipi di demoni e anche un passato tanto lontano che quasi nessuno ricorda ma che potrebbe ribaltare le sorti di tutti coloro che fino ad allora sono stati oppressi.
Cosa non ho apprezzato:
Il sistema magico e la semplicità con cui l'autrice ha risolto alcuni buchi di trama. Mi spiego meglio: verso la fine del libro shumei si trova in una situazione di stallo perché il nemico é alle porte e sta per iniziare una battaglia per cui lei non é minimamente pronta in quanto non sa usare la sua magia e in più vorrebbe trasformare di nuovo vallen in umano, ecco che in un momento fortuito la divinità le manda una visione nel quale lei impara tutto ciò che deve sapere e bom ora é imbattibile nelle arti magiche. L'ho trovato troppo conveniente e facile come scelta di trama, solo perché bisognava terminare il primo libro in modo veloce e poco complicato ma così é semplicistico. Allo stesso modo lo scontro finale é abbozzato e frettoloso; la scelta di uccidere momentaneamente vallen per spaventare il lettore non mi ha sconvolto perché ero consapevole che shumei lo avrebbe resuscitato subito.
In generale é un bel libro, che promette molto soprattutto nel prossimo volume. É un po' da rivedere l'equilibrio tra romance e fantasy, ma lo stile di scrittura è scorrevole e piacevole.
Voto: 4 -- 🌟
Parto subito da cosa mi é piaciuto:
L'ambientazione rurale orientaleggiante
I personaggi: la protagonista, pur partendo dal nulla, evolve nel corso della storia, matura e prende consapevolezza del suo ruolo; i personaggi secondari sono ben delineati e intriganti.
La storia d'amore non manca, anzi nella prima parte del libro si può dire che tutto ruota intorno al rapporto tra i due protagonisti. Hanno una forte chimica e sono davvero emozionanti.
Ho apprezzato anche il world-building, tutto il sistema magico, i diversi tipi di demoni e anche un passato tanto lontano che quasi nessuno ricorda ma che potrebbe ribaltare le sorti di tutti coloro che fino ad allora sono stati oppressi.
Cosa non ho apprezzato:
Il sistema magico e la semplicità con cui l'autrice ha risolto alcuni buchi di trama. Mi spiego meglio: verso la fine del libro shumei si trova in una situazione di stallo perché il nemico é alle porte e sta per iniziare una battaglia per cui lei non é minimamente pronta in quanto non sa usare la sua magia e in più vorrebbe trasformare di nuovo vallen in umano, ecco che in un momento fortuito la divinità le manda una visione nel quale lei impara tutto ciò che deve sapere e bom ora é imbattibile nelle arti magiche. L'ho trovato troppo conveniente e facile come scelta di trama, solo perché bisognava terminare il primo libro in modo veloce e poco complicato ma così é semplicistico. Allo stesso modo lo scontro finale é abbozzato e frettoloso; la scelta di uccidere momentaneamente vallen per spaventare il lettore non mi ha sconvolto perché ero consapevole che shumei lo avrebbe resuscitato subito.
In generale é un bel libro, che promette molto soprattutto nel prossimo volume. É un po' da rivedere l'equilibrio tra romance e fantasy, ma lo stile di scrittura è scorrevole e piacevole.
Voto: 4 -- 🌟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2025
This book was fine. I enjoyed the magic system a lot, with many concepts being simultaneously familiar to me and feeling like original concepts.
The world building was pretty cool. I felt like I could picture the small village, each villager’s house, and the family estate due to rich descriptions of colour and lighting.
The characters were very interesting but some lacked the depth I was looking for. Shumei is a great protagonist, hating most of the characters she interacts with, but fiercely loving her family, and providing some more of that fierce emotion to Vallen.
Vallen and Rosuke’s brotherly bond is heartwarming and precious. I love a well written friendship in any book I’m reading. And their sharing scene was unreal. The spice was spicy 👀
I’m unsure if I’ll read the second instalment, but Rosuke feels like he’s gearing up for a redemption arc and some internal turmoil so I could be tempted.
The world building was pretty cool. I felt like I could picture the small village, each villager’s house, and the family estate due to rich descriptions of colour and lighting.
The characters were very interesting but some lacked the depth I was looking for. Shumei is a great protagonist, hating most of the characters she interacts with, but fiercely loving her family, and providing some more of that fierce emotion to Vallen.
Vallen and Rosuke’s brotherly bond is heartwarming and precious. I love a well written friendship in any book I’m reading. And their sharing scene was unreal. The spice was spicy 👀
I’m unsure if I’ll read the second instalment, but Rosuke feels like he’s gearing up for a redemption arc and some internal turmoil so I could be tempted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2022
So terrible I should've stopped after the first few chapters at most, but somehow I forced myself to read to 80% out of some stupid masochism. It reads like bad (ok, really bad) fanfiction and don't even get me started on the wannabe Japanese...it gave me such bad Inuyasha ripoff vibes with a very lame version of Kagome and Sesshoumaru. In fact, now that I think about it, I think that's exactly why I kept reading, because it bugged me that much.
I could've been reading amazing fanfiction or any of my TBR list that's a mile long. What was I thinking? I'm 90% sure that the cover art is done by Charlie Bowater and I swear this will be the last time I pick up a book solely because of her art. ESPECIALLY not after going straight from reading actual Chinese fantasy novels to this kind of "Asian inspired" fantasy.
I could've been reading amazing fanfiction or any of my TBR list that's a mile long. What was I thinking? I'm 90% sure that the cover art is done by Charlie Bowater and I swear this will be the last time I pick up a book solely because of her art. ESPECIALLY not after going straight from reading actual Chinese fantasy novels to this kind of "Asian inspired" fantasy.
May 10, 2023
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Was this book a literary masterpiece ? No. Did it become one of my favorite book I read this year ? Absolutely.
I came for the smut and I was SERVED. There are so many smut scenes I had to pause and stare at the wall sometimes. Not only is it well written but it surprisingly doesn’t feel like it’s too much.
The plot is good although the beginning could have been a bit faster so that the battle at the end wouldn’t feel so rushed.
Don’t get fooled by the size of the book btw this baby is LONG.
Was this book a literary masterpiece ? No. Did it become one of my favorite book I read this year ? Absolutely.
I came for the smut and I was SERVED. There are so many smut scenes I had to pause and stare at the wall sometimes. Not only is it well written but it surprisingly doesn’t feel like it’s too much.
The plot is good although the beginning could have been a bit faster so that the battle at the end wouldn’t feel so rushed.
Don’t get fooled by the size of the book btw this baby is LONG.
March 7, 2022
The world was... interesting, I guess, but the world-building itself... wasn't great. But magic and the way it works in this world seems terribly convenient and not governed by any sort of rule structure. It's an info-dump a lot of the time. The smut was fun. Definitely wasn't the best that I've read, but for sure wasn't the worst I've read.
I was really excited for this book because the premise sounded super interesting, but I was left feeling just a little underwhelmed.
I was really excited for this book because the premise sounded super interesting, but I was left feeling just a little underwhelmed.
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