Devil's Night

by S.L. Armstrong (Editor), Kristen Pavka (Editor), Alina Ray (Contributor)

The infernal host is on the prowl. They want your soul, and they're not afraid to bargain for it. They'll promise you everything you could ever desire, but the price tag may be steeper than you can handle. Whether tempting and seducing mortals, defiling angels, or reveling among themselves, the fiendish creatures in these four haunting tales know that while good is okay, evil is just more fun.

Thaddeus sold his soul to save his family long ago, but the deal he struck with the demon Belial has him spending eternity managing Le Carnaval du Diable, filled to the brim with other's damned into servitude. Belial wants more than Thaddeus' soul, though, and his constant advances only add to Thaddeus' stress as he faces a threat to "The Devil's Midway".

Craig Peters finds himself "Hell Bound" and destined for an eternity of torture at the hands of the demon Karawan, despite having no memory of the sin that condemned him to this existence. Over time, though, those memories return, along with an unnatural attraction to Karawan, which leads them both down a path neither of them could have possibly imagined.

"When the Hounds Come Out to Play", Ryu and Keir are released from their chains to hunt the wayward damned and drag them down to Hell. A breath of freedom is an opportunity for fun, however, and Ryu isn't about to waste it, even if it means getting caught in a case of mistaken identity with a handsome stranger.

Finally, Beltran is a man of heritage and honor, and when his cousin is brutalized, he has few qualms about consulting a local Inca shaman on her behalf. Little does he know the price of the charm he seeks will make him "The Seventh Sacrifice" in the amaru demon Kitara's ancient quest for revenge.

Genres: M M Romance, Anthologies, Gay

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2012

About the author

Support S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet on Patreon!

S.L. Armstrong has been writing for as long as she can remember. Art and reading have played a large part in her life since young childhood, but around fourteen, writing became her passion. Voraciously consuming every book in front of her opened up hundreds of worlds in her head, and she soon wanted to create worlds for other people as well. She has a particular fondness for gothic horror, horror, high fantasy, urban fantasy, and romance novels. The authors she turns to time and again are Stephen King, L.J. Smith, V.C. Andrews, R.L. Stine, and Anne Rice, among others. She has no shame in picking up the young adult novels she loved as a child, and she will talk your ear off about grammar and punctuation.

After she married her husband over seventeen years ago, she began to truly delve into the world of writing for public consumption. It was sheer chance that she stumbled on M/M fanfiction, and she's not looked back. Though fanfiction will always have a fond place in her heart, she soon grew tired of playing in other people's sandboxes. When she discovered M/M romance, and how it was now a legitimate branch of romance writing, she knew her course. S.L. plans to release F/F, M/M, M/F, and multiple partner books as she continues her writing career. M/M romance is where her heart lies, no matter what else she may write or read, and it's where she keeps returning to. There is something about two men passionately in love that just makes her heart melt, and she has no intention of giving that up anytime soon.

S.L. Armstrong lives in Florida with her husband, partner, two dogs, and twelve cats. She hates the heat and longs for a northern, snowy climate. She writes with K. Piet on a number of projects, but she also writes her own solitary titles as well.

Reviews

[Cole Riann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

3.5 stars

I've gotten a bit behind on my reviews lately (partly due to GRL) and several of the ones that have backed up have been anthologies. I have to tell you that reviewing an anthology, for me, is quite daunting. I just can't seem to do a review without reviewing each story -- even if I don't set out to. But the great thing is that the anthologies released by Storm Moon Press recently seem tailor-made for me. And when you add in one of my favorite sub-genres of paranormal, demons (and sundry), I knew that I had to accept this one for review no matter how far behind I was. Surprise, surprise -- I pulled it out first, completely neglecting the others.

I want to apologize to all those authors because I just couldn't resist. And while none of these stories were my favorites (none were my least favorites either) I've found in SMP's past anthologies, the diversity between them was really wonderful. These four stories work really well together simply because they're all incredibly original in different ways. Don't expect your typical demon/angel trope here. They do however take the atmosphere of this time of the year into the tone of each story without it becoming … Halloween-y.

They each have something to praise about them, so in the end my review format for anthologies works for this one.

Read on!


The Devil's Midway by SL Armstrong & K Piet (3.75 stars)
Genre: m/m Historical Paranormal

Though he should be an old man by now, Thaddeus finds himself managing the traveling Le Carnaval du Diable, the demon Belial's pet project. But, though he generally can keep the carnival and all it's traveling act and crew under wraps, he's frustrated that the badass demon still has his sights set on him. Owing to the catalyst that brought him to sell his soul to the Devil and how that intersects with his faith, Thaddeus has always remained autonomous. Though the big man below owns his soul and therefore his long, unending future, he doesn't own his mind or actions, which makes him the only one who can deny Belial. But the chase seems to turn the demon on and he uses every advantage he has to break Thaddeus down and get him into his bed, some of which are devious enough to be worthy of the demon he is.

The place this story succeeds the most is in the sexual tension created between Thaddeus and Belial. They're both incredibly stubborn, and Belial has enough arrogance for both of them, that their sexual come and go turn into a game of wills. Thaddeus is afraid that if he did give into his carnal desires and sleep with the demon he would lose his independent thought he cherishes. It is all he has left that hasn't been laid claim to and he doesn't want to chance it. Belial, though, is very difficult to say no to, especially as he continues to find ways to try to torment Thaddeus into submission. While there were some other small bits of plot that help to expand the world, this is the essence of the story.

The problem then for me, was that I didn't really understand the ending. I have no doubt with these two authors that the choices they made were deliberate, but they either didn't work for me or I didn't understand the story as I thought while I was reading. It was certainly enjoyable, and I really liked the world (I'd love to see more!), but the ending didn't seem to add anything in particular to the story other than follow through on what is probably Thaddeus' true characterization. So, I ended up feeling like this story wasn't much more than a snippet of a larger world. No real romance, per se -- or at least the story didn't progress enough for me to consider it a romance. And, like I said, that's probably what the authors were going for, but this time it didn't work as well for me.

All of what I expect from these authors is in this story, the quality of writing is undiminished. I simply had a bit of a snag with the direction of the end of the story and my hope that there would have been more before it ended. A good, strong start to the anthology!


Hell Bound by Alina Ray (2.75 stars)
Genre: m/m Contemporary Paranormal Romance

Craig wakes to find himself in darkness -- a shifting void that slowly reveals a dreamland resembling Hell. He learns quickly, though, that he is indeed dead and has traveled to the underworld for punishment and redemption for his actions in life. Too bad Craig can't remember anything about his life except random details like pop trivia. He's ushered through punishments and recollections by the demon Karawan, a sexy young red-skinned hunk that gives Craig "Ideas", even during his rather harsh punishments that are intended to cause pain. A human who derives pleasure from pain is something that Karawan has never heard of before, but something that he admits intrigues him, along with the human himself. When Craig starts to regain his memories, they're both in a for a surprise. Is Craig in the right place? or, did he do something terrible in life that he hasn't remembered yet? Either way, they both find themselves finding pleasure in a place where happiness is supposed to be impossible to feel…

I am of two minds about this story. I originally gave this story a Not Feelin' It rating simply because it ended on a low note for me, after starting quite strong. But after a little reflection, there is actually a smart and original hook to this story. The first half of the story, where Craig arrives in Hell and Karawan introduces him to the various tortures meant as punishment, is quite strong. There's an atmospheric quality to the writing that portrays Hell as a void which is incredibly eerie. The addition of Craig's amnesia means that his point of view is rather distorted. Karawan is shown to have a more trustworthy point of view, and interestingly enough, a rather naive and sheltered one. I could never quite tell if it is his lack of experience, his own personal quality, or a representation of the whole race of demons, but Karawan isn't the cruel master one expects by allowing us to see his reasoning behind torturing humans.

The problem I had was the very quick transition from "getting to know each other" to the ending and a quick change in tone (from suspenseful and mysterious to almost sappy). There is a very quick series of events that revs up the pace and it really didn't work for me. It left me feeling like the two wouldn't have as strong of feelings as they did at the end because we don't get to see the point where they actually get to know one another, just hear about a bit of it. It goes hand in hand with the ending, and I could see that the author had an endgame in plan from the very beginning. I had actually wondered if that was the way the author was going to go right at the beginning, and for the most part I was right. It's an interesting little trick of reasoning which made the story stand out a bit more for me, hence the raised rating. Unfortunately, the execution left some things to be desired and because of that, this was probably my least favorite story of the anthology.


When the Hounds Come Out to Play by Azalea Moone (3.75 stars)
Genre: m/m Paranormal

I also had a difficult time with this story, but only for a bit. The beginning is almost funny, and certainly cute as we're introduced to the Hounds of Hell, dog shifters coming to the surface for Halloween night to reclaim lost souls. I liked Ryu immediately, who is like a fish out of water but attracted to the sunlight that burns him. He reminded me a bit about Ariel, from The Little Mermaid, who is obsessed with humanity but gets burned by them in her naivete. The story later got difficult for me and left me with a bit of an uneasy feeling. Trying to understand and feel empathy for Grant is a tall order, and I had to reconcile my own feelings with Ryu's, all while watching him become a little bit more jaded as the story progressed. I think, though, that this story might have left the most impression on me, even though it wasn't my "favorite".

I was initially a bit confused about the direction the story took, when we learn who Grant and Jalen really are, and upset that the story wasn't a romance, but it made sense after a while. Ultimately, I'm glad that the story didn't turn romantic, because that would have confused me even more. Of course, part of my uneasiness also comes from knowing so little about Ryu, but then I think that was deliberate. And it makes sense why the author would choose to keep so much detail from the reader, unless she wanted to sacrifice the mood of the story, which is built on the suspense and threat of danger from several different directions. This story had the most Halloween atmosphere for me, and that's not because the holiday makes an appearance in this story but because to Ryu, who doesn't really understand humanity before his night away from the graveyard, Halloween only makes everything more confusing, and therefore it is disorienting to him and the reader.

I definitely liked this story and I loved that it was something different. I'd love to hear what other readers think about this one!


The Seventh Sacrifice by Tali Spencer (4.5 stars)
Genre: m/m Paranormal Romance

Finally, I think this story was my favorite of the anthology. I was waiting for that sizzling chemistry and for a story to take it a little further than some of the previous ones in the anthology. Beltrane, a Spanish descendant of conquistadores, is visiting his cousin in Bolivia, a female TV journalist who was recently horribly abused by her boyfriend. Beltrane follows his friend's directions to visit a sorcerer in the ancient city to buy a charm or talisman to get revenge on the man who betrayed his cousin, the woman who is like a sister to him. Only, the sorcerer isn't what Beltrane expected at all. Not only is he surprised that some of this seems to be real, but the man himself intrigues him -- not to mention Kitara is one of the most beautiful men he's ever seen.

Kitara is much more than a sorcerer. Descended from the ancients and shackled to the area around the church for centuries only makes the past betrayal and anger at what the Conquistadores did to the Incan culture. It turns out that he needs Beltane as much as the man needs him, or even more. Strangely enough, the man who he was immediately attracted to when he walked in his store is Spanish, and could be the key to unlocking the imprisonment placed on his people all those years ago. Only, he'll have to sacrifice him first!

I really liked the dark edge to this story. I think, in the end, I consider this a romance. I'm glad that Kitara doesn't act human. If he did, this would easily be a romance, but I'd rather him be as he is in this story -- larger than life, still retaining his god-like abilities and way of thinking. In many ways, Beltrane is a pawn to Kitara, but by the end of the story I wasn't so sure of that, even though it seems that way, outwardly. But the dark edge to their relationship and sex in the form of betrayal and sacrifice and slavery.

If I had to choose one story from this anthology to expand into something larger, or a sequel, it would be this story. Not only did I like it enough to want to read more, but there's the growth of the relationship between Beltrane and Kitara, as well as the plethora of detail and possibility about the world.

[blub · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-ish

Four stories that are themed around hell and/or the devil's advocates. There are two stories out of the four that has (or almost has) a happy ending (they were my favorite of the bunch) and the others just end leaving reader's wanting more.

The Devil's Midway by SL Armstrong & K Piet
Thaddeus has sacrificed his soul for the one's he loves and is in the service of the demon Belial. As part of his service to Belial, Thaddeus, manages Le Carnaval du Diable, a traveling carnival that does more than entertain. Even though the devil owns Thaddeus soul, Thaddeus still hasn't lost all his humanity and is constantly at a struggle to resist Belial'c charm and completely fall. Then a day comes when a demon hunter comes to the carnival to eradicate the demon in charge.

Hell Bound by Alina Ray
Craig awakes in darkness and finds himself walking a long a path where he eventually reaches three red skinned burly men. He's taken to a room by Karawan, one of the three demons. Craig finds out that he's passed away and he's in hell and the only way to leave is to feel remorse for his actions. The problem is Craig has no recollection of his life. Until Craig's memories come back, Karawan will be the one dishing out punishments that are intended to inflict pain not pleasure. To Karawan's bewilderment, Craig seems to like that pain he's being given. Karawan and Craig relationship start to develop beyond that of a torturer and torturee. As Craig gets back his memory, it becomes questionable whether or not Craig actually belongs in hell. Will Craig leave Karawan if he's given the chance to ascend to heaven?

When the Hounds Come Out to Play by Azalea Moone
It's Halloween and it's the one night the hounds are allowed out to play. Ryu, is like a prospective college student waiting to go out on his own for the first time. He's looking for a fun night after being stuck in a graveyard for so long. He blows off looking for lost souls with his partner and decides to hit up a party. He shifts into human form, scaring a car full of party goers. Walking around in nothing more than a top and a garbage bag fashioned into a diaper, Ryu is picked up by Grant who mistakes him for Jalen. Grant gets him properly dressed and they then go to a club. Ryu runs into his partner who informs him, he's there tracking a lost soul by the name of Grant. Ryu volunteers to bring the soul back and proceeds to have a good night with Grant. Readers get the back story between Jalen and Grant and what lead to Grant becoming a lost soul.

The Seventh Sacrifice by Tali Spencer
Beltrane, a Spanish descendant of conquistadores, is visiting a female cousin who been attacked viciously by an ex-boyfriend. Being begged by the cousin, Beltrane does her bidding and goes to Kitara, a sorcerer, for a charm to exact revenge on the man who has wronged his cousin. At their first meeting, both MC's are very attracted to each other. Kitara manages to get a promise from Beltrane to meet again that night. It's then that Beltrane discovers Kitara is more than he appears to be.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, Devil's Night. It was actually a pretty good book, i liked the whole demon and hell thing, i founf it to be interesting, but i wasn't a fan of all the erotic gay parts. I have nothing against it, its just not my type of book. I didn't know the book would be like this until after i had won it and read the first story and i was like oh, ok, uhmm, that was not wat i was expecting. But the rest of the stories without those parts were good. I was glad i won it and read it.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may not be for everyone, but if you're looking for hot demonic erotica, this is worth checking out.

The stories aren't flowery romance -- these are demons, after all -- so don't go expecting rainbows and cuddles and happy endings. At best, it's bittersweet, but that's not a bad thing. Just know what you're getting.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't romance. If that's what you want don't bother. There's sex, there's demons, humans, hell-hounds and others but love? Not so much. It's mostly just about sex and there's not always a HEA either.

Personally? I was kind of disappointed. There is some creative writing for sure but not enough to impress me. The characters are fleshed out and I couldn't really care for them.