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Diabolic Romance #1
The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil
Apprentice mage Wally spends his days cataloging rare artifacts and dreaming about finally mastering his magics and living the adventures he’s always desired. Bez, a once mighty devil who craves the freedom of the outside world again, despises his confinement inside a powerful object. His only company now comes from the mages working within the archives he’s stored. Among them, the most annoying of them all, an anxious and considerate Walter.
When the archive is attacked, Wally and Bez each seize the opportunity to achieve their dreams—and inadvertently create a magical link between them. With so many lives lost in this assault on the mage headquarters, Wally’s connection to a dangerous devil makes him a threat and a target, forcing the pair on the run. Wally sees Bez as a sadistic devil, and Bez finds every word out of the mage’s mouth grating. Even so, they’ll have to work together to unravel the true threat in the city or they won’t live long enough to enjoy the lives they’ve both desperately wanted.
When the archive is attacked, Wally and Bez each seize the opportunity to achieve their dreams—and inadvertently create a magical link between them. With so many lives lost in this assault on the mage headquarters, Wally’s connection to a dangerous devil makes him a threat and a target, forcing the pair on the run. Wally sees Bez as a sadistic devil, and Bez finds every word out of the mage’s mouth grating. Even so, they’ll have to work together to unravel the true threat in the city or they won’t live long enough to enjoy the lives they’ve both desperately wanted.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2023
328 people are currently reading
1780 people want to read
About the author
M.N. Bennet
11 books371 followersMN Bennet is a high school teacher, writer, and reader. He lives in the Midwest, still adjusting to the cold after being born and raised in the South.
He enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy stories with huge worlds (sometimes too big), loveable romances (with so much angst and banter), and Happily Ever Afters (once he’s dragged his characters through some emotional turmoil).
When he’s not balancing classes, writing, or reading, he can be found binge watching anime or replaying Baldur's Gate 3 for the millionth time.
He enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy stories with huge worlds (sometimes too big), loveable romances (with so much angst and banter), and Happily Ever Afters (once he’s dragged his characters through some emotional turmoil).
When he’s not balancing classes, writing, or reading, he can be found binge watching anime or replaying Baldur's Gate 3 for the millionth time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 2, 2024
You're just a sinner, I am told / Be your fire when you're cold / Make you happy when you're sad / Make you good when you are bad (I Would Die 4 U – Prince).
Hey, I’ve got to let you in on a secret… this book was AMAZING! Please go read it!! Um, if you want, of course. I just felt the need to go town-crier mode for a second there. "I've got to tell someone about this! Hey all you people, hey all you people, won't you listen to mee~eee!" I don’t know, I’m super excitable right now because this is one of those rare special times where I picked a book on a whim and everything clicked right into place, right away. Like, I had a feeling it’d be a winner from the start, and it was! Yay! Sometimes things work out alright in the end, huh? I’m usually pretty shy about recommending things to people because “different strokes for different folks” and all that, but I really think this is fun enough for anyone to enjoy. And the stars aligned especially well here because now this is a Pride Month read! Besides, I know the world’s been waiting with bated breath for a book that combines the iconic episode “Disappearing Inque” from Batman Beyond with that classic feel-good movie Meet Joe Black. I’m kind of joking, Meet Joe Black sucked, but I think the real reason why this worked so well for me is the simple fact that there’s just something inherently satisfying about the whole “nerdy-guy-gets-with-a-demon-guy” thing. Okay well, that's not a thing, but two outcasts finding comfort in each other’s embrace is definitely a thing. It’s classic stuff! Put that dynamic in a story and it’ll almost always Mountain Dew it for me. Seriously though, character driven, road-trip-type novels work best if the characters have a good back-and-forth and are continuously driving each other crazy, so I’m incredibly happy to report that Wally and Bez had all that in spades! I feel silly saying it out loud (in writing, whatever), but the chemistry between these two was fire hot. Pssst ouch. I mean, even before they’d officially gotten together, when their alliance was still on shaky ground, they were positively steaming! They had that old-school rom-com romantic tension where even when they were literally throwing each other from the windows to the walls, you could tell that it was only a matter of time ‘till sweat was dropping down their… er never mind. You get what I mean. It evolved naturally from something explosive to something a little sweeter. But not too sweet! It's probably pretty obvious how much I liked this by my excessive use of exclamation points, but there's no shame in repeating myself! I liked this!! Anyway, it’s funny, because while The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil didn’t seem too interested in exploring the toxicity of parasocial relationships like Batman Beyond or grappling with what it means to love when the concept is incomprehensible to you like Meet Joe Black (tried) to do, it instead focused on answering a much more important question, in fact, some might say it's the most important question of all: “Is somebody going to match my freak?” And the answer is a resounding “…uh huh.”
“Chill.” Bez closed his smutty romance book, tossing it on the bed. My ears burned. I’d read that one to him once before.
Hey, I’ve got to let you in on a secret… this book was AMAZING! Please go read it!! Um, if you want, of course. I just felt the need to go town-crier mode for a second there. "I've got to tell someone about this! Hey all you people, hey all you people, won't you listen to mee~eee!" I don’t know, I’m super excitable right now because this is one of those rare special times where I picked a book on a whim and everything clicked right into place, right away. Like, I had a feeling it’d be a winner from the start, and it was! Yay! Sometimes things work out alright in the end, huh? I’m usually pretty shy about recommending things to people because “different strokes for different folks” and all that, but I really think this is fun enough for anyone to enjoy. And the stars aligned especially well here because now this is a Pride Month read! Besides, I know the world’s been waiting with bated breath for a book that combines the iconic episode “Disappearing Inque” from Batman Beyond with that classic feel-good movie Meet Joe Black. I’m kind of joking, Meet Joe Black sucked, but I think the real reason why this worked so well for me is the simple fact that there’s just something inherently satisfying about the whole “nerdy-guy-gets-with-a-demon-guy” thing. Okay well, that's not a thing, but two outcasts finding comfort in each other’s embrace is definitely a thing. It’s classic stuff! Put that dynamic in a story and it’ll almost always Mountain Dew it for me. Seriously though, character driven, road-trip-type novels work best if the characters have a good back-and-forth and are continuously driving each other crazy, so I’m incredibly happy to report that Wally and Bez had all that in spades! I feel silly saying it out loud (in writing, whatever), but the chemistry between these two was fire hot. Pssst ouch. I mean, even before they’d officially gotten together, when their alliance was still on shaky ground, they were positively steaming! They had that old-school rom-com romantic tension where even when they were literally throwing each other from the windows to the walls, you could tell that it was only a matter of time ‘till sweat was dropping down their… er never mind. You get what I mean. It evolved naturally from something explosive to something a little sweeter. But not too sweet! It's probably pretty obvious how much I liked this by my excessive use of exclamation points, but there's no shame in repeating myself! I liked this!! Anyway, it’s funny, because while The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil didn’t seem too interested in exploring the toxicity of parasocial relationships like Batman Beyond or grappling with what it means to love when the concept is incomprehensible to you like Meet Joe Black (tried) to do, it instead focused on answering a much more important question, in fact, some might say it's the most important question of all: “Is somebody going to match my freak?” And the answer is a resounding “…uh huh.”
“Chill.” Bez closed his smutty romance book, tossing it on the bed. My ears burned. I’d read that one to him once before.
June 11, 2024
There were some moments in this book that didn’t totally make sense to me but the world building behind all the magical properties/elements I have to was pretty decent. The characters are completely opposite from each other. Walter is a nerdy overthinker while Bez is destruction hungry. The plot was a little bit of a slow-burn, a good enemies to lovers that’s for sure. As the story went on the layers behind both Walter and Bez started to fall away, revealing more of their true selves and strengths. They are such an odd couple but also one of the best!! This story was a great read and I’m excited for the second book!
January 26, 2024
DNF at 58%
Why 😭😭 And I had real expectations for this one, come on 😭 It sounded so good! Not only that, at the beginning it seemed so good for real!
Walter is a complete nerd mage apprentice with little to no practical skills so he works as an archivist. Bez (Beelzebub) is a devil trapped in an artifact in the archive, forced to listen to Walter's daily ramblings. Then an attack happens, Bez is freed and somehow, these two are connected and forced to work together.
At first, I liked Walter, he was endearing, but he quickly frustrated me and he steadily got more and more insufferable. Bez was more interesting but not really what I expected. He was kinda adorable in a mischievous way, not what I imagine when someone says a devil. And their relationship could've been a great enemies-to-lovers... except they were never actually enemies, even though it seemed that way at first. Bez tolerated Walter almost from the beginning and very quickly formed an attachment (he just didn't want to admit it).
All that could've worked if not for the writing style, I had serious troubles with that. It almost reads like a stream of consciousness, mainly the chapters from Walter's POV. And I get it, he's rambly, but that was too much. Exhausting to read, and it didn't pull me into the story and I constantly lost sight of the plot. It was all telling, no showing, and I got to the point of not caring about anything in this book. Emotions were named and described, but not felt.
I drove myself into Walter, wings flapping so fiercely it conjured a gust in the room.
Aaand that's the last sentence of the book I read - I imagined a panicked hen frantically flapping its wings instead of a hot devil fucking our MC and I just couldn't anymore 😅
I'm so sorry but this didn't work for me at all, the writing just wasn't my cup of coffee.
Why 😭😭 And I had real expectations for this one, come on 😭 It sounded so good! Not only that, at the beginning it seemed so good for real!
Walter is a complete nerd mage apprentice with little to no practical skills so he works as an archivist. Bez (Beelzebub) is a devil trapped in an artifact in the archive, forced to listen to Walter's daily ramblings. Then an attack happens, Bez is freed and somehow, these two are connected and forced to work together.
At first, I liked Walter, he was endearing, but he quickly frustrated me and he steadily got more and more insufferable. Bez was more interesting but not really what I expected. He was kinda adorable in a mischievous way, not what I imagine when someone says a devil. And their relationship could've been a great enemies-to-lovers... except they were never actually enemies, even though it seemed that way at first. Bez tolerated Walter almost from the beginning and very quickly formed an attachment (he just didn't want to admit it).
All that could've worked if not for the writing style, I had serious troubles with that. It almost reads like a stream of consciousness, mainly the chapters from Walter's POV. And I get it, he's rambly, but that was too much. Exhausting to read, and it didn't pull me into the story and I constantly lost sight of the plot. It was all telling, no showing, and I got to the point of not caring about anything in this book. Emotions were named and described, but not felt.
I drove myself into Walter, wings flapping so fiercely it conjured a gust in the room.
Aaand that's the last sentence of the book I read - I imagined a panicked hen frantically flapping its wings instead of a hot devil fucking our MC and I just couldn't anymore 😅
I'm so sorry but this didn't work for me at all, the writing just wasn't my cup of coffee.
dnf
October 8, 2023I’ve struggled to stay focused on this. I may try to come back later.
Stopping at 48%.
No rating.
Stopping at 48%.
No rating.
June 3, 2025
The narration was solid!
April 10, 2024
Wally and Bez are so much fun together. Wally is such a nervous awkward guy, and I wanted to hug him and give him love. Bubble wrap him, maybe. Bez was hilariously evil. It was funny how he kinda hated Wally but not really... The worldbuilding was complex but not overly so, which I appreciated a lot. Their adventures together were intense and they also broke my heart a bit.
Fictional parents are the worse, ugh.
I liked their HFN, can't wait to read the next!
Fictional parents are the worse, ugh.
I liked their HFN, can't wait to read the next!
October 8, 2024
“Are you seriously talking about killing me like it’s some two in the morning bar hookup?”
4.5⭐️
Well I will be honest I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this, the first two or three chapters didn’t really pull me in but I am pleasantly surprised. Bez and Wally really came in clutch and I enjoyed their adventure to escape and their plot to clear Wally’s name. Bez was funny as fuck, I just like how he really doesn’t give a flying fuck about killing people, while Wally is the opposite. It was fun seeing these two opposite fellows fight the system and fall in love. I also enjoyed the lore as well, getting a lot more world building than most typical paranormal romances.
November 26, 2023
3.5
Wally es un mago bastante torpe que trabaja en un Archivo rodeado de artefactos mágicos. A pesar de ser bastante curioso y friki con sus conocimientos mágicos, no consigue ser lo suficientemente competente para ascender en la jerarquía de los magos, ni siquiera para pasar los exámenes más básicos. Un día el Archivo es atacado por un grupo de Míticos, siendo Wally uno de los pocos supervivientes. En la refriega el demonio Bez, que llevaba confinado años en un orbe en el Archivo, consigue escapar y mezcla accidentalmente su esencia con la de Wally, lo que crea un vínculo entre ellos. De esta forma Wally se convierte en el principal sospechoso del ataque, por lo que deberá buscar una forma de limpiar su imagen y de romper el lazo con el demonio sin morir en el intento.
Supongo que a estas alturas de la reseña muchos ya estaréis sorprendidos: el libro tiene trama 🤣 (Además de la romántica, me refiero). Porque sí, aunque el grueso de la novela se centre mucho en la relación que se va estableciendo entre Wally y Bez, tiene un worldbuilding sorprendentemente interesante (dentro de lo que cabe) y una historia que, aunque es simple, cumple. Quizá hacia la mitad del libro decae un poquito porque hay cosas que se resuelven demasiado rápido, quizá los giros sean bastante esperados porque tiene pocos personajes y, como suele pasar en muchas de estas novelas, los secundarios no están muy bien desarrollados... Pero sinceramente, el balance entre lo que yo esperaba y lo que el libro me dio es bastante positivo.
Es una buena historia romántica y mamarracha, con bastante spicy, pero también bastante acción, sangre y algún que otro girito. Los dos protagonistas principales me gustaron mucho y tienen una dinámica muy graciosa entre ellos.
Después de salir de una lectura anterior tan intensa y abrumadora, NECESITABA leer algo así: sencillito y ligero.
Buena lectura si buscáis algo de romance mezclado con fantasía urbana que no se complique demasiado ✌🏻
Wally es un mago bastante torpe que trabaja en un Archivo rodeado de artefactos mágicos. A pesar de ser bastante curioso y friki con sus conocimientos mágicos, no consigue ser lo suficientemente competente para ascender en la jerarquía de los magos, ni siquiera para pasar los exámenes más básicos. Un día el Archivo es atacado por un grupo de Míticos, siendo Wally uno de los pocos supervivientes. En la refriega el demonio Bez, que llevaba confinado años en un orbe en el Archivo, consigue escapar y mezcla accidentalmente su esencia con la de Wally, lo que crea un vínculo entre ellos. De esta forma Wally se convierte en el principal sospechoso del ataque, por lo que deberá buscar una forma de limpiar su imagen y de romper el lazo con el demonio sin morir en el intento.
Supongo que a estas alturas de la reseña muchos ya estaréis sorprendidos: el libro tiene trama 🤣 (Además de la romántica, me refiero). Porque sí, aunque el grueso de la novela se centre mucho en la relación que se va estableciendo entre Wally y Bez, tiene un worldbuilding sorprendentemente interesante (dentro de lo que cabe) y una historia que, aunque es simple, cumple. Quizá hacia la mitad del libro decae un poquito porque hay cosas que se resuelven demasiado rápido, quizá los giros sean bastante esperados porque tiene pocos personajes y, como suele pasar en muchas de estas novelas, los secundarios no están muy bien desarrollados... Pero sinceramente, el balance entre lo que yo esperaba y lo que el libro me dio es bastante positivo.
Es una buena historia romántica y mamarracha, con bastante spicy, pero también bastante acción, sangre y algún que otro girito. Los dos protagonistas principales me gustaron mucho y tienen una dinámica muy graciosa entre ellos.
Después de salir de una lectura anterior tan intensa y abrumadora, NECESITABA leer algo así: sencillito y ligero.
Buena lectura si buscáis algo de romance mezclado con fantasía urbana que no se complique demasiado ✌🏻
September 20, 2023
Wow, this was one wild ride from start to finish, and I absolutely loved it!!
The characters were so endearing and loveable, with the anxiety-ridden, over-explainer Walter, and the cocky, confident and snarky Bez. Oh, how well they worked together!! I loved all their banter and enemies-to-lovers will always be one of my favorite tropes.
The WORLD BUILDING in this too had me floored!! Some of it I lost track of because there was just so much to learn, but seeing as this is only book one of a series, it's only merely an introduction to get us familiar with the mages, Mythics, and Diabolicals inhabiting this world. But I never did feel too confused despite it all, because our precious Wally was the sweetest over-explainer, teaching us as he was going over his thoughts and reasonings himself. Needless to say, his characterization worked out exceptionally perfectly! 🤭💕 I love the attention to all the little details!
The whole plot too, it was so freaking exciting and had me on my toes the whole time!! So much adrenaline, high stakes, blood and death at every corner. I loved it all!! 💕💖
The characters were so endearing and loveable, with the anxiety-ridden, over-explainer Walter, and the cocky, confident and snarky Bez. Oh, how well they worked together!! I loved all their banter and enemies-to-lovers will always be one of my favorite tropes.
The WORLD BUILDING in this too had me floored!! Some of it I lost track of because there was just so much to learn, but seeing as this is only book one of a series, it's only merely an introduction to get us familiar with the mages, Mythics, and Diabolicals inhabiting this world. But I never did feel too confused despite it all, because our precious Wally was the sweetest over-explainer, teaching us as he was going over his thoughts and reasonings himself. Needless to say, his characterization worked out exceptionally perfectly! 🤭💕 I love the attention to all the little details!
The whole plot too, it was so freaking exciting and had me on my toes the whole time!! So much adrenaline, high stakes, blood and death at every corner. I loved it all!! 💕💖
October 9, 2023
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
One of the things I really enjoy about M.N. Bennet’s writing is the world building. Here the author has crafted another well-detailed world that immerses the reader in an alternate reality where mortals have no idea the magical world exists; mages, witches, Mythics, and Diabolics are at odds and vying for power; and the only way to succeed in life is to snatch some of that power. I was drawn into the world from the beginning, and really enjoyed the two main characters.
The mystery side of the story had a bit of a slower start for me. While I really enjoyed the narrative style, the world building, and the MCs, I was disappointed at first with how apparent some of the clues were. It telegraphed easily what was going to happen to Wally in the coming chapters. But I should have given the author more benefit of the doubt. At about the halfway point, certain things were revealed that truly amped up the tension.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
One of the things I really enjoy about M.N. Bennet’s writing is the world building. Here the author has crafted another well-detailed world that immerses the reader in an alternate reality where mortals have no idea the magical world exists; mages, witches, Mythics, and Diabolics are at odds and vying for power; and the only way to succeed in life is to snatch some of that power. I was drawn into the world from the beginning, and really enjoyed the two main characters.
The mystery side of the story had a bit of a slower start for me. While I really enjoyed the narrative style, the world building, and the MCs, I was disappointed at first with how apparent some of the clues were. It telegraphed easily what was going to happen to Wally in the coming chapters. But I should have given the author more benefit of the doubt. At about the halfway point, certain things were revealed that truly amped up the tension.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
January 7, 2024
4.25 stars. Sort of Hogwarts meets Loki/Deadpool with a nerdy meets powerful, enemies to lovers theme. We follow along with the least successful student of all time and end up meeting a devil. A mean, selfish, violent devil. Yippee! This is no golden-hearted misunderstood nice-guy devil, you will have to enjoy destruction and an anti-hero story to get into this book. It’s not super dark, but the devil likes to throw people off buildings, just so ya know.
Walter is an over-thinker, a bookish fellow who lacks confidence in all areas of his life. This leads to lots of very entertaining bad luck shenanigans. Add a super interesting world and a conspiracy that we need to uncover, and you have yourself a good read.
Great world building, not too technical, explained really well within the story. Great characters, their individual personalities really shine. Steam is mild, mostly fade to black. Author notes that there will be more books for this couple. Excited for more, ending was a HFN with big adventures on the horizon.
Paranormal, witches, devils, demons, mages, magic, conspiracy, coup, HFN, dark, death/destruction, violence, enemies to lovers.
Walter is an over-thinker, a bookish fellow who lacks confidence in all areas of his life. This leads to lots of very entertaining bad luck shenanigans. Add a super interesting world and a conspiracy that we need to uncover, and you have yourself a good read.
Great world building, not too technical, explained really well within the story. Great characters, their individual personalities really shine. Steam is mild, mostly fade to black. Author notes that there will be more books for this couple. Excited for more, ending was a HFN with big adventures on the horizon.
Paranormal, witches, devils, demons, mages, magic, conspiracy, coup, HFN, dark, death/destruction, violence, enemies to lovers.
August 24, 2023
This was a cute story.
I had fun reading it.
I like how the author constructed the story and described the settings.
The pacing for me is just perfect in the first and third act but in the middle it's slowed down a bit too much.
I appreciate how the characters were developed throughout the story.
Wally's temperament and dedication is his strongest trait and it was very interesting to follow if he will change after spending more time with Bez.
I laughed so much at some of Bez lines and I think his character is very well built and has big development.
I would have liked to see more from the secondary characters .
Overall I really liked the story.
This couple is amazing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I had fun reading it.
I like how the author constructed the story and described the settings.
The pacing for me is just perfect in the first and third act but in the middle it's slowed down a bit too much.
I appreciate how the characters were developed throughout the story.
Wally's temperament and dedication is his strongest trait and it was very interesting to follow if he will change after spending more time with Bez.
I laughed so much at some of Bez lines and I think his character is very well built and has big development.
I would have liked to see more from the secondary characters .
Overall I really liked the story.
This couple is amazing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 20, 2024
4.5 stars.
This was a good time. Lots of violence tho.
This was a good time. Lots of violence tho.
July 6, 2024
3.5⭐️
A pretty fun, opposites-attract, read. It kinda fell apart around the climax, though. Too many internal monologues and so frustrating that they didn’t communicate the crucial information immediately.
A pretty fun, opposites-attract, read. It kinda fell apart around the climax, though. Too many internal monologues and so frustrating that they didn’t communicate the crucial information immediately.
March 16, 2025
4.5 rounded up? 4.75 rounded up? I'm honestly still riding a high of "Amazing! Perfect! 20 stars!", so it's hard to say.
I can say, however, that I absolutely love this book. Does it have flaws? Sure! But it also has so much of what I want in a book that I'm very willing to overlook these.
I adore both Walter and Bez. They're both delightful on their own and their interactions are just chef's kiss. I could read an 800 pages book with only them bantering and not get bored.
There are also some very charming side characters and some I wanted to punch in the face so hard their teeth fell out and all of these are masterfully crafted. As is the worldbuilding. Oh, the world building! That made the lore nerd in me quiver. The world is so lush and alive and I want to dive into its history.
I love all the moments where we were deceived, made to believe something that wasn't true. That one moment towards the end of the book? That broke my heart a little (or a lot), when I realized what was happening.
The only issue I had was with the action/fighting scenes. They felt too descriptive, sometimes getting too lost in the thoughts of the characters, which slowed their pace down and took some of the tension away, as well as made them hard to follow at some points.
Yet I love this book. I'm a slow reader and I flew through this. I wanted to reread it from the beginning as soon as I got to the last period. I had so much fun reading this book I didn't want it to end. I love the characters, the story, the world building, the writing and so, even though it's not a flawless book, it's a 5 stars book for me.
I can say, however, that I absolutely love this book. Does it have flaws? Sure! But it also has so much of what I want in a book that I'm very willing to overlook these.
I adore both Walter and Bez. They're both delightful on their own and their interactions are just chef's kiss. I could read an 800 pages book with only them bantering and not get bored.
There are also some very charming side characters and some I wanted to punch in the face so hard their teeth fell out and all of these are masterfully crafted. As is the worldbuilding. Oh, the world building! That made the lore nerd in me quiver. The world is so lush and alive and I want to dive into its history.
I love all the moments where we were deceived, made to believe something that wasn't true. That one moment towards the end of the book? That broke my heart a little (or a lot), when I realized what was happening.
The only issue I had was with the action/fighting scenes. They felt too descriptive, sometimes getting too lost in the thoughts of the characters, which slowed their pace down and took some of the tension away, as well as made them hard to follow at some points.
Yet I love this book. I'm a slow reader and I flew through this. I wanted to reread it from the beginning as soon as I got to the last period. I had so much fun reading this book I didn't want it to end. I love the characters, the story, the world building, the writing and so, even though it's not a flawless book, it's a 5 stars book for me.
August 18, 2024
4.25 stars
Well, this was just so much fun! It's adventurous, magical, funny, a little dark, and a bit spicy. Bez and Wally are the best together. Bez "hates" Wally, but not really. The banter is hilarious. Bez is so evilly hilarious. The world building was kind of surprising. I wasn't expecting it to be as in-depth as it was, but it was also not overly complicated. It was very easy to follow. There's a little mystery and intrigue along the way. The story overall was very gripping and had me hooked pretty early on. This is my first book from this author and I don't think it will be my last. This book ends on a HFN and there is a second book following Bez and Wally's shenanigans, so I will definitely be checking that one out.
Well, this was just so much fun! It's adventurous, magical, funny, a little dark, and a bit spicy. Bez and Wally are the best together. Bez "hates" Wally, but not really. The banter is hilarious. Bez is so evilly hilarious. The world building was kind of surprising. I wasn't expecting it to be as in-depth as it was, but it was also not overly complicated. It was very easy to follow. There's a little mystery and intrigue along the way. The story overall was very gripping and had me hooked pretty early on. This is my first book from this author and I don't think it will be my last. This book ends on a HFN and there is a second book following Bez and Wally's shenanigans, so I will definitely be checking that one out.
July 30, 2023
Ahhhh this was so good! I absolutely loved the two main characters, Wally and Bez!
Wally is an archivist and a mage, who struggles with his magic. His only friend is a devil trapped inside a magical prison; an orb which sits on the shelf of the archives. For years Wally has talked to the orb, not realising that Bez, the devil trapped inside can hear every word! Wally is a sweetheart, he is filled with anxiety and insecurity and is unwittingly dragged into a coup between the heads of the mage factions.
Bez is Wally’s opposite, he’s confident, flirty and outrageous. He’s been trapped in a prison for fifty years with only Wally’s rambling thoughts for company and now he’s out, about and ready to murder some mages!
The story follows the unlikely pair as they deal with the coup and try to uncover why it has happened, with Wally trying to strengthen his powers whilst Bez tries to avoid being incarcerated again.
I thought the story was fun, the side characters were interesting and the world was well built! I really liked the banter between Wally and Bez; they were so loveable!
I received an eARC of this book from the lovely gang over at BookSirens! All opinions are my own.
Wally is an archivist and a mage, who struggles with his magic. His only friend is a devil trapped inside a magical prison; an orb which sits on the shelf of the archives. For years Wally has talked to the orb, not realising that Bez, the devil trapped inside can hear every word! Wally is a sweetheart, he is filled with anxiety and insecurity and is unwittingly dragged into a coup between the heads of the mage factions.
Bez is Wally’s opposite, he’s confident, flirty and outrageous. He’s been trapped in a prison for fifty years with only Wally’s rambling thoughts for company and now he’s out, about and ready to murder some mages!
The story follows the unlikely pair as they deal with the coup and try to uncover why it has happened, with Wally trying to strengthen his powers whilst Bez tries to avoid being incarcerated again.
I thought the story was fun, the side characters were interesting and the world was well built! I really liked the banter between Wally and Bez; they were so loveable!
I received an eARC of this book from the lovely gang over at BookSirens! All opinions are my own.
December 21, 2023
So I know I'm in the minority here.. but man that was PREDICTABLE. And I felt like I was inner monologued to death. Bez was at least interesting but Wally was an idiot.
March 26, 2025
This isn't about morality. It's simple revenge.
It's perfect, i fucking love it, i love Bez and Wally, because they are so damn good.
They remind me SO MUCH of Bill/Dipper of GF, because they have similiar trades - a unhinged evil devil and a ultra nerdy rambling boy, who has such low self esteem, it's in the cellar.
They are bickering so.much. Like SO MUCH. Bez humour is wonderful, snappy Wally is wonderful. Also the story about being used as a traitor fits perfectly in this world. Also how the whole plot ends is perfect, because boi ... seeing the development of Wally, who never believed in hisself OR his magic, and who never wanted to hurt anybody ... to well Wally at the end of the book, is such a delight. Especially how he treates the ones, who wronged him.
Also the amount of gore is also a delight. It's ... a lot.. :D a lot of blood and spines and bones and well.. everything *snigger*. I had a field day, when Wally... well.. used his revenge ;D.
But... one thing. What's the name of the familiar *snort*. It never gets revelead, feh.
2nd But: I want a signed copy, stupid EU law preventing me from buying one form US *cries*
It's perfect, i fucking love it, i love Bez and Wally, because they are so damn good.
They remind me SO MUCH of Bill/Dipper of GF, because they have similiar trades - a unhinged evil devil and a ultra nerdy rambling boy, who has such low self esteem, it's in the cellar.
They are bickering so.much. Like SO MUCH. Bez humour is wonderful, snappy Wally is wonderful. Also the story about being used as a traitor fits perfectly in this world. Also how the whole plot ends is perfect, because boi ... seeing the development of Wally, who never believed in hisself OR his magic, and who never wanted to hurt anybody ... to well Wally at the end of the book, is such a delight. Especially how he treates the ones, who wronged him.
Also the amount of gore is also a delight. It's ... a lot.. :D a lot of blood and spines and bones and well.. everything *snigger*. I had a field day, when Wally... well.. used his revenge ;D.
But... one thing. What's the name of the familiar *snort*. It never gets revelead, feh.
2nd But: I want a signed copy, stupid EU law preventing me from buying one form US *cries*
October 9, 2023
I have been in the weirdest slump lately, I’ve been starting books but outside of a graphic novel I’ve been struggling to actually finish them, even if they’re good. This one really helped break that slump. There’s just so much going on that it grabbed my attention and really just wouldn’t let me stop until I found out who was actually behind the attack.
I loved Walter’s awkwardness. He’s just this nerdy little chatterbox who can be a little annoying at times but ultimately I found him totally relatable and endearing. Especially his rant about geese, because those little suckers ARE monsters.
I also grew to love Bez. He’s a little abrasive at times, a complete sarcastic asshole other times, but realistically he’s the devil. What other personality did I expect him to have?
This was a fun, engaging read that really kept me on my toes.
I loved Walter’s awkwardness. He’s just this nerdy little chatterbox who can be a little annoying at times but ultimately I found him totally relatable and endearing. Especially his rant about geese, because those little suckers ARE monsters.
I also grew to love Bez. He’s a little abrasive at times, a complete sarcastic asshole other times, but realistically he’s the devil. What other personality did I expect him to have?
This was a fun, engaging read that really kept me on my toes.
Want to read
May 28, 2024* DNF at 14 % *
I usually don't mark book as DNF, but it's more for the statistical point of view. I would maybe rather mark that shelf as "unfinished for now". I don't really believe that books would be bad, but rather I just wasn't in the right mood for it or I don't have so much experience with reading English books with fantasy or paranormal theme. And that's maybe also this case as I love the cover, the blurb and the overall idea, only that maybe this time the switch from contemporary to fantasy wasn't the right one. It will be interesting how this will affect also other fantasy books on my TBR list. I am just sure that later in the future, when in a better mood for it, I definitely want to give this a second chance to see if it will be a better match then.
I usually don't mark book as DNF, but it's more for the statistical point of view. I would maybe rather mark that shelf as "unfinished for now". I don't really believe that books would be bad, but rather I just wasn't in the right mood for it or I don't have so much experience with reading English books with fantasy or paranormal theme. And that's maybe also this case as I love the cover, the blurb and the overall idea, only that maybe this time the switch from contemporary to fantasy wasn't the right one. It will be interesting how this will affect also other fantasy books on my TBR list. I am just sure that later in the future, when in a better mood for it, I definitely want to give this a second chance to see if it will be a better match then.
April 4, 2024
Enduring love??? Well, count me out! No , really this was an adventure following this journey. What a wild ride that everyone should at least try. The gore, the humor, and the memorable characters are not to be missed. Non stop action and there is so much going on all the time. This author has an ingenious mind. Are you up to the challenge to try it???? Looking forward to the next book. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest opinion.
August 5, 2023
I took my long ass time to read this but hand down this is the most fun ARC I’ve ever received.
I genuinely thought it’d be cute meet cute queer romance abut holy shit the plot in this book is mind blowing and left me breathless so many times.
Writing was elegant and just what I was craving. The whole world building was my favourite part of this book however romance is swoon worthy as well.
I really enjoys it😌.
I genuinely thought it’d be cute meet cute queer romance abut holy shit the plot in this book is mind blowing and left me breathless so many times.
Writing was elegant and just what I was craving. The whole world building was my favourite part of this book however romance is swoon worthy as well.
I really enjoys it😌.
August 29, 2024
I bought this book because the title and cover made me laugh. I wish I was kidding.
I finished it in a day.
I loved the characters and the story. The world building could use a little work but honestly it was still good. There was so much going on and I just want to learn so much more about the world. This was a fun read and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.
I finished it in a day.
I loved the characters and the story. The world building could use a little work but honestly it was still good. There was so much going on and I just want to learn so much more about the world. This was a fun read and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.
November 30, 2025
The author gets lost in a lot of details as he tries to portray the magical world he has created. But when he’s simply telling the story, as he is in the last third of the book, it reads with much more cadence. And the steamy bits kept me reading for more.
September 16, 2023
This was a very enjoyable book with a fun plot 🤩 definitely will try more of the author
January 21, 2025
This was such a surprise for me and the book captured me from the very first page. It’s very well written, has great characters and a truly unique magic system. Bez is amazing
March 29, 2025
I did enjoy reading this, mostly skimmed through the world building though. There was just too much. Also, I could have done with a bit more positive thoughts from the two of them before they jumped into bed. It was all I hate you and then sex, not even like attraction really.
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