First Creation

by Mars Adler

In an alternate biblical history, the war between angels and demons is unending and brutal.

Amitiel, an angel of God, and Stolas, a fallen angel-turned-spy, should be enemies. However, after they uncover a shocking secret that drives them to desert, they go on the run together in modern-day America. Both are injured, and it’s only by chance that they stumble upon a long-abandoned church.

Ensconced in the alluring, stifling church with a forgotten cemetery and too many peach trees, they finally have time to heal. They also have time to think and plan, which is as much a blessing as it is a curse.

Amitiel must come to terms with his strange hunger and forbidden desires, while Stolas plans their next move. They both grapple with the knowledge of where their food rations came from, and that something is very wrong in the heart of Heaven itself. God has vanished, and if he isn't giving the orders, who is condoning the atrocities the angels commit in the name of winning?

FIRST CREATION is an erotic horror novella. It is a love letter to fallen angels, rediscovering religion in a way that works for you, queer rage, and hunger of all kinds. It deals with some very heavy themes and is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. For a full list of content warnings please check the author's website.

Genres: Horror, Queer, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Angels, Novella

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2023

About the author

mars adler is a queer and trans author in their mid-twenties. they currently reside on the side of a mountain in Colorado with their dog, and unfortunately hold a corporeal form. they write speculative fiction with a focus on things that terrify them (absolutely everything), and morally grey queer characters. when not writing, they can be found painting, making tea, and trying to become part of the forest on hikes.

Reviews

[Elise ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queer, cannibalistic fallen angels. What more could a girl ask for?

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a never-ending war between Heaven and Hell, some recent changes to Heaven have completely disrupted things for the worse. At the center of this story lies an undercover demon assigned to get intel on a particular angel and the events shortly after they both abandon their posts with another.

The level of tenderness, desire, and horror in this story is devastating to experience.

“Amitiel.” His name sounds different, like he was holding back before. It sounds like a benediction, curling around Amitiel like something new and fresh and divine, like something to be worshipped. He hates it, he craves it again.

There’s something wrong with Heaven and the solace these to find in one another is something I can’t even properly articulate without barking at the moon.

But overall this is a story filled with darkness and tension. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish and was terrified often of what would happen next.

Unsettling, gorgeous, and grotesque.

Nobody speak to me ever again I am too fragile 🤚

CW: murder, death, blood, gore, violence, cannibalism, explicit sexual content, blasphemy, war

[Clank · Rating 5 out of 5]

FULL DISCLOSURE I BETA'D THIS BUT BARK BARK BARK BARK HOLY SHIT I AM BLOWN AWAY BY EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS AUTHOR.
(Better review to come but for now this is what you need to know)

[everybookadoorway · Rating 5 out of 5]

good omens (hannigrams version)

[Salem Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Creation is a gorgeously sinful tale of lust, morality and trust. Mars Adler has combined divinity and cannibalism, creating a perfect blend of beauty and depravity.

[Mx. T *Chaotic Reader* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grim, dark and full of feeling. I kind of want them to eat me.

[Narges · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am committing a sin. I don’t care."

[Sed · Rating 4 out of 5]

cannibalistic angels my beloved

[lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

i ate (hehe) this uppppp.

[m · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trans erotic horror with cannibal angels - disturbing, beautiful, and a HFN that leaves me desperately wanting more. Amitiel and Stolas have eaten my heart ❤️

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me all the queer books with dark religious themes, especially the ones about angels, I'll take them all.

[ewa yaoiflop · Rating 4 out of 5]

yaoi anioły… czego chciec więcej, szkoda że takie krótkie to było

[marleywrites · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mars Adler has written a masterpiece. The prose of this novella is stunning, I highlighted so many passages. I am obsessed with Stolas. The men’s relationship was heart wrenching. I am so hopeful that we will get to explore more of the lives of these characters someday. I will forever associate peaches with these two.

[Shu Wei Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how I feel about how much I enjoyed this little blasphemous book about extremely queer, cannibalistic fallen angels.

[thosemeddlingkids · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short erotic horror with a HFN! Angel & demon MCs, cannibalism, what more could you want?

This was fun and I really liked the writing!

[jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨

[meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella hit me hard. Amitiel is relearning everything he knows, and in the process, he is rediscovering himself, his faith, and the world around him. GOD. This was amazing. Will be rereading over and over.

[atlas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for queer angel yearning and this book certainly delivered. I don't know what else to say about this without spoiling anything, but damn that was good.

"I will consume you one day. Just to keep you."

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is like the angel episodes of Supernatural but with erotica & cannibalism

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy peaches, I adored this!! The writing style is so smooth and I was hooked from the first page. Even such a short novella tells such an incredible story of angels, demons, heaven and hell. I would love to read more from this universe <3

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ✨️
This was well written, and I respected it a lot, but it just wasn't for me.

I honestly think I would've enjoyed it more if it had been a full novel with more time to get to know and get attached to the characters and their relationship.

Very cool concept though!

[DC Guevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're perfect, made in His image, and all I could think about was how I'd take you apart.

As unsettling as it is beautiful, FIRST CREATION is a powerhouse of visuals, worldbuilding, and toe-curling interactions that will keep your intrigue at a high level from start to finish.

Alternating between timelines and points-of-view, FIRST CREATION follows Amitiel and Stolas, an angel and fallen, respectively, on a journey of survival and self-discovery that doubles as an escape from the battletorn fields of Heaven which the Fallen have taken over. Horrified by the truth of the divine, the discarded beings must find a new purpose on earth and, more importantly, find a way to communicate this new, tentative but thrilling thing between each other.

Effective in it sure of tension and atmosphere, Adler perfectly creates a mythology horrifying enough for us to scour away from, but intriguing enough to never make the reader lose focus of the things at stake, the truths that matter. With characters as fresh and alive as our main duo, the narrative never loses momentum and, in fact, increases when the walls are down and vulnerability sinks deep into their bones. You will believe in their devotion to one another, in their desires for something more-- something better.

FIRST CREATION is short, visceral, and effective. Think if a world similar to CONSTANTINE was written, produced, and directed by Gregg Araki-- it leaves you wanting more as the characters set forth on their adventure of seeking answers-- of trying to find what was once lost so long ago.

[on storygraph (macclown) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was so GOOD! So, so good. I've read a handful of queer angel stories and this definitely at the top.

The themes of becoming yourself, becoming something new, accepting your differences, being loved for what you are, as you are, always. Impeccable.

Then of course we have the darker side to this story, the gore, the lust. The cannibalism was such a fantastic touch.

I loved this and definitely need to look into more from adler in the futute!

[emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Because when you smile at me gently, I think I could spend the rest of eternity waiting for you to touch me, and still be satisfied.”

First Creation is like if Hannigram, Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicolás, and Like Flies to Lilies by Magnus Thorne had a beautiful, gory, cannibalistic love child and I loved every second of it!!!! 👹👹👹

[Steph Medlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

such an easy and compelling read! loved the writing, the characters, the religious themes, the PEACHES, the sexy moments. a delight.

[sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

cannibal angels make my brain go BRRRRR‼️

[Audiobook S1ut · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. An angel and a demon find themselves on Earth, cast out from heaven and hell, bound together with a singular purpose. Bad things are happening in Heaven, Hell is winning the war against the Angels who have lost contact with God. Seriously, where tf is God, because he should be checking in regularly but I guess he fucked off somewhere..?

Most of those stars are for the story concept; I think it could have been presented in a more effective way, but I loved the idea! Gay angels? Sign me up!

If you like this, I highly recommend Angels Before Man by Nicholas Rafael. It's a much more intricate story about the fall of Lucifer, Lucifer falling in love, and the cruelty of God. There's also an orgy at the end, made even cooler by the fact that the angels don't know what an orgy is.

If you're religious, you might not appreciate either of these stories. The Bible itself is largely a snooze fest, but I love a revamped story using Christian mythology!

[･ﾟ✧♘Bella♘✧･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨️ 𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔦𝔰 𝔞 𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔢 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔰𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔰, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔰𝔫’𝔱 𝔞 𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔩𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔩 𝔩𝔢𝔣𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔩𝔢. ✨️

[Riz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy fucking shit. Devour me, I will devour you in turn.

[Dia Quiroz · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this story sm! it was gifted to me by a lovely friend 😽