Demon Brew: A Hazardous Gems Novella

by Christina Hagmann

Selling your soul has never tasted this good. Rion Run dreams of seeing her name on the cover of a bestselling book, but her problem is she doesn’t know how to espresso herself. When a serendipitous reading at the devilishly hip new coffee shop, Demon Brew, catapults her into the spotlight, she experiences the bitter cost of her fame with a double shot of bizarre. Now, Rion must decide if she should risk everything for foam—er, fame.

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

Christina Hagmann is an award-winning author of young adult fantasy, horror, and suspense novels. She writes fictional page-turners that entertain and leave readers wanting more. Christina continues to lead a not-so-secret double life as an author and an English teacher. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their basement full of arcade games.

Reviews

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A bit weirder than her other books that I’ve read, but I could see the appeal. This is a short story about a woman who wants to be a writer, but ends up on a strange adventure/acid trip/deal with the devil thing. I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure what was real and what wasn’t, but I think that was probably the point. I ended up reading the whole thing (which is a short 87 pages) in one sitting because I was trying to figure out what was going on the whole time. This was called A Hazardous Gems Novella, so I’m wondering if this is part of a larger series that I haven’t yet read. I don’t think it’s necessary though—this story stands on its own just fine.

I loved the way the story started and it really pulled me in and it made me wonder just how much of it was in her head and how much of what was happening was actually happening but others couldn’t see it because they couldn’t see in the supernatural? I liked her parents, but I also wonder if they were a bit too involved in their own lives to fully appreciate that their daughter was going through something. I though the ending was okay, but it was a bit rushed and it didn’t quite feel right. The resolution felt a bit too neat considering all the weirdness she was going through up until that point.

Overall, this was an imaginative short story and I would be interested other stories set in the same universe, if only to gain a bigger picture of that world. I like this author’s imagination and quirky way of seeing the world.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens and the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Crystalclearwpg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is going to be an 2.5 star rating. It was ok but not one of Hagmann's better ones. I felt lost on some of the direction with where the story was actually going and I found the story line a bit choppy with lack of development on the concept. I do enjoy Hagmann's other stories and this will not deter me from picking up her work again. It does have some good idea that could possible turn into a better story with more character development and stronger direction of where the story should go.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[teeth fairy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wholeheartedly believe this book has been written by an AI. In case that this is not the truth, my sincerest apologies, but all that being said, you might get the impression of what kind of a book this is.

I don't like to be rude in writing reviews, and seldom do I ever read anything that deserves such an insulting comparison, but the description of the book I read sounded quirky, funny, pun-tastical and a bit cheesy on a cute side - all admirable qualities, none of which I found in Demon Brew.

While the idea for the book is interesting, it is hardly explored, utterly unexplained as a whole, and at the end of the day fails to shine next to excessively empty writing that I powered through in less than an hour. It is a short book, to be sure, but the writing so empty that you'll find yourself reading a single page in less than half a minute.

On a more sleuthing note, this author has so many books published in such a short amount of time, that I'm convinced she either has an AI assistant, or simply writes the fastest she can for a quick buck.

Thank you, BookSirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated up. My rating is 3.5.

First off, love the cover art. There is something Young Millennial/Gen Z about it that really pulls you in. Also, something about the use of pink in a book with horror themes just screams, Read Me!

This is a great short read. It's a tale of caution. A story of how far will you go to get what you want and as always, READ THE FINE PRINT. I'm a sucker for stories that make you question what is real and what is not and this one does just that. Making you gaslight yourself just like the protagonist.

Thanks to BookSirens, RDW Publishing, and Christina Hagmann for the advanced copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

[Hannah Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much would you sacrifice for fame? Would you sell your soul? Would you make a deal with a demon?

I came across this novella on Book Sirens and had to apply to read this straight away! This was such a fun little read about a coffee shop in a small town, that is certainly not what it seems. Demon Brew was such a surprise of a read, with fantastic messages and metaphors throughout. This just shows the price for fame, and the lengths everybody is willing to go for to get it. Thank you for having me read this novella, I highly recommend!

[Erica Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demon Brew is young adult fantasy/horror novel set in and around a coffee shop. It starts off strong, has a totally relatable heroine and manages to frame teen anxiety and friends and futures really effectively. It has some interesting twist and does a great job of building tension.

I felt the ending was a little rushed and the last chapter left me disappointed. The author is great at building to the climax though.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demon Brew is a good novella, I just think it was a little too short. There were a few places that I thought needed a little more explanation. I really liked Rion and I liked Avril, did the most part. I found the other characters were lacking depth and so it was hard to decide what I felt about them.

I received an advance review copy from BookSiren for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As I really liked the 2 other books that I've read by Christina Hagmann, I will definitely read more of her books.

[Myranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 4.5 star for me. It was a gut feeling. I'm not sure what could have been done better to make it a 5 star but I very much enjoyed this. I'm from Seattle where you could see half a dozen coffee shops within spitting distance of any corner so it made my coffee loving heart so happy to find it takes place in a coffee shop. I can't wait for book 2!

Full review on my website on 2.10.26.
www.mommodeloading.com

[Kayrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this had been longer! I was really intrigued by the twists and turns and I enjoyed the stories within the story. I loved how relatable the main character was, enough backstory was provided to have a glimmer of insight into her past but ultimately tantalisingly left wanting for more!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sara Siegesmund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for young teens who want something suspenseful that keeps you guessing!

[Biblio · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story alone was pretty cute. The characters were ok and silly. The formatting was really hard to read though. Bold text and right side aligned. Ooof. It was a struggle for me to get through that. This novella was both exactly what I expected it to be yet not what I expected it to be. The dialogue between characters is a bit immature but I think that's how it was intended. Overall didn't hate it but didn't love it.