Shadow's Origin

Demon Magic #0.5

by Alice Winters

Etienne:Having another being in my head isn’t always the easiest to deal with. He’s loud, annoying, and is trying his hardest to keep me from looking at Leo, the sexy police officer who is currently hunting me down for illegal magic use. I’m not actually doing anything illegal, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use the occasional run-in with Leo to remind him just how much I like him (he’s being dramatic when he claims I tried killing him the last time we bumped into each other). After Leo dies and I bring him back, it becomes clear that the wrong person knows what I can do. The issue is that we’re stuck inside the city where magic is controlled and fear reigns. For the first time in my life, I need to give all my trust to someone because together, we’re getting out. While this novella is a prequel, it is best to be read after Familiar Beginnings. This was originally part of a free promotion and no new content has been added.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Demons, Fantasy, Romance, Novella

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Alice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.

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Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the action and banter in this new prequel book, which I would've never guessed would become a thing, since the original series was wrapped up so nicely.

[Etienne, when Dyame was driving their shared body...]



Other than the constant bickering between Etienne and Dyame, I really liked how they'd come to rely on one another and always had one another's backs.

Plus, when Dyame took control, the ensuing carnage was always entertaining to witness.

However, since I'd read the last of the Demon Magic books right at two years ago (and I *never* do re-reads), it took me way too long to remember most of the details about who Etienne and Dyame were specifically in relation to the series.

So while I rarely say that people need to go back and re-read previous books in a series, if it's been a while since reading book 1 & 2, as it was for me, this time I'd definitely suggest at least skimming over the previous stories.

But if you finished the previous books and have a Havoc-shaped demon hole in your heart, this fast-paced, fun story of Dyame and his pet human, Etienne, might help with that.

So I'd rate it at around 4.25 stars and strongly recommend it to fans of the series. 😁

** Side note: Even though this story was written *after* the series, I'd still recommend that it be read *before* the two main books if you're starting from scratch.

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Only available (I think?) as a *FREEBIE* on this 2022 round of Prolific Works shorts, which should be valid until the end of 2022:



https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/Y...

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[Lucie V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after reading the Demon Magic duology, so I already knew about Etienne sharing his body with the demon Dyame, but it was nice to see them interact and fight for power overr Etienne's body. It did give us a nice insight, but honestly it did not bring much "extra" to the series.

“Dyame does what Dyame wants, and sometimes I don’t have a choice. He especially loves to interrupt me when I’m enjoying life,” he says with a sigh as he leans against the wall. “He’s also not the fondest of the peen, you know? Which, I mean, I get it. Imagine being straight and being forced to have a front-row seat to the best man-on-man sex around, you know?”
“Is that why you bribe him with strip clubs?”
“It is! Sometimes I even let him bounce their boobs around. It’s really weird, but ya know what? It keeps him happier, so if bouncing boobs is what he needs, it’s what he’ll get.”
“You are the most interesting person I’ve ever met in my life,” I decide.

The fact that we did not see Etienne or Leo that much in Familiar Beginnings made it so that I did not care that much about them or their history. Etienne and Dyame's dynamic was intriguing, as were etienne's power, but I was not that involved into their story honestly. Dyame and Etienne were funny though and their inner dialogue made me smile a few times.

He gives me a look. “No. I will not take you on a date.”
I can’t help the smile that hovers at the corners of my lips. If he wants to play hard to get, then I’ll just have to play even harder. “Well… that’s a bit harsh. Tell me why you won’t?”
“Let’s see. The first time I met you, you punched me in the face so hard you broke my nose.”
“You scared me,” I say.
“The second time I met you, you left me on fire.”
I give him a tiny shrug. “To my credit, I didn’t start that fire and I did toss a bottle of water your way.”
“You rolled it. You slowly rolled a bottle of water toward me.”
I smile at him. “That’s all in the past! At that point, I didn’t know we were meant to be.”
“And the third time—”
I wave my hands at him in hopes of getting him to stop. “Let’s just move on! Let’s not talk about the third time.”
“Your horse kicked me through a window.”
I cringe a little. “You know Enzo gets a little feisty now and then,” I say. “I just want you to love me. Is that too much to ask?”
“This is literally the longest conversation we’ve had where you haven’t tried to maim or kill me.”
“See? Progress!”
“Now you’re under arrest.”

Leo and Etienne's relationship was cute and funny, in a similar way to every other relationships written by this author, which is not a bad thing because she has a way to create cute and hilarious moments that balance each other well. If you enjoyed Finn and Church's relationship in How to Vex a Vampire, or Miles and Havoc's relationship in this series, you will most probably end up loving Leo and Etienne. I have to say though that I am still not sure why Etienne was so fixated on Leo, besides the fact that he though he was hot... Leo is a nice guy, but overall he seemed to be the average nice guy, nothing more...

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[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I loved both Happy Endings and Familiar Beginnings making this a must read.
It took me a while to settle in and while I liked it I didn’t love it.
Dyame was fabulous. I wasn’t completely won over by Leo I have to say and luckily Etienne grew on me.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had high hopes going in because so far I've really liked what Alice has done, and they hold. I really liked this. It's a good introduction to the world and what I'd guess to be the plot of the rest of the series

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was obsessed with this whole series, so to read an extra novella made me so happy.
Etienne was one of my very favourite characters (what can I say... i love cute little twink with a cheeky side), so I was excited to get his back story.

I was actually glad that I read this book #0.5 after the other four books, as I already had a good feel for Etienne, Dyame, Enzo, and Leo.

[layla is a picky reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

i liked the etienne & dyame duo, they were hysterical and very organic.

the love interest, leo, was really kind of meh and he annoyed me because he sold out etienne a lot of times so i genuinely didn't see why etienne was so fixated on him or why he even pursued him.

[Rielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 17%

A less funny Venom?

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhha the background intro to the rest of this series!

I didn't read this when it was part of an anthology, although I do own a copy, but I have read the next two books in the series and loved them.

So, it was good to see more of the background to how the dark mage Geoff (which still makes me laugh) was freed in the first place.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I hadn't already read the Demon Magic series I'd def be going to read it after this...in fact..I wonder if it's in audio, I think I could do a re-read/listen :)

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me way too long to remember who Etienne and Leo were 🤦🏻‍♀️

I kept thinking it was the demon Minotaur that was summoned who's friends with Miles and Havoc and became obsessed with the detective, so I couldn't picture what was going on and get it to make sense 😂

When it finally clicked I was actually super happy to see how these guys got together because I really liked them in the rest of the series.

I'd definitely love more of Miles and Havoc though too!

[Heike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Etienne (and Dyame) is on the run from the police in a district that is governed by a despot. Citizens can not leave the district, and he is trapped in an area where he is not allowed to use magic. When he gets captured Detective Leo, who had betrayed him before, promises to help him.

This was a somewhat complicated world building, but the author managed to get this done swiftly, so one could emerge into this funny roller-coaster of a fantasy story.
Etienne and his “roommate” Dyame were awesome, but if one is looking for a cheesy romance – not it. This is more of a fun romp.

I have never found Alice Winters books especially “romantic” as they are in general OTT funny to a point that I am cringing. This one worked better for me mostly because I loved Dyame, and I am okay with just “some romance thrown in”.

Free on prolific works in 2022.

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very much reminds me of the symbiotic relationship that Venom and Eddie have. And that’s not a bad thing. I love those two so freaking much. Especially every time Venom would be like “Let me eat him!” Dyame has asked that of Etienne a bunch and it cracked me up. I liked the combination of darkness and humor going on here.

I didn’t realize this short story was a part of an ongoing series, but it was able to read alone. Looking forward to the next adventures.

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Venom. So many venom vibes. I can just hear D calling him idiot Eti. Didn’t have much of an opinion on Leo. I know he was trapped and all but eh. I liked the horse and completely forgot about the big bad Geoff. Really need to re-read the main story.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting reading this one after I have already read the first couple books in the main part of the series. I already like Etienne, and have also already seen him be the cause of trouble. But it is cool to see his and Leo's original story. They were in a shitty situation with a bad district boss. And taking the best of bad choices leaves them indebted and will ultimately lead to where we find ourselves to start this series.

I love Etienne, Dyame, and Leo. I found it interesting, and am not entirely sure how I feel about it, that Dyame is straight and not into men at all. Makes the dynamic between the three quite interesting. I see a lot of strip clubs in their future.

[Joseph Tonlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable.

Free read via Prolific Works. LINK.

[Kel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last novella giveaway I will be reading for awhile.

[Adrienn Csép · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dynamic between Etienne and Dyame reminds me of Eddie and Venom :D I laughed so much because of their banter

[Janet (iamltr) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like omg...

I have put off reading this for a long time as I couldn't understand how a story about side characters in the main series could add anything to the story.

But boy was I wrong.

This story about the technical mdm love story (man/demon/man) was what was needed to understand how the main bad guy came to be brought back.

So Etienne and Dyame have been together since Etienne was sacrificed as a child. They are basically besties and I want more of them interacting. Leo was a cop in a segment of this world which was run by a horrible mage.

This group tells him that they will help them escape as they need his help. This was just a horrible plan that starts the whole overarching story of the series.

I think that one should read this after the first three books, but it does stand on its own.

[Christina Sturgill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5 🌟
Spice: 1.5/5 🌶️
Heroes: Ettienne and Leo

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a scene with a horse, and a door...
OMG, I laughed so hard I cried.

I've read the first two (Full length) books in the Demon Magic series, and I have been waiting for more. I have really enjoyed the writing and the characters.

This book gives an interesting look into the world and the setup for the conflict in books 1 and 2. But also sets up some more stories that presumably, if the author's notes aren't just teasers, we get to read more about in future books. Yay!

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! Can’t wait for he next book!

[Caroline Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Aki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Habe jetzt voll wieder Lust die Hauptteile zu lesen.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many questions answered! 💖💖💖

[Anna With Unpopular Opinions · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Short and fun.

[Amur Thera · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good
+ Dyame. He was hilarious
+ How Leo accepted Dyame. Not many would be 100% okay with some monster sharing their lover's body, who was also straight and demanded visits to stripclubs and foursomes with women
+ Etienne refusing to leave Leo and Dahlia behind
+ Dyame being totally fed up with Leo and reminding Etienne time and time again how stupid he is for trusting someone who betrayed him multiple times

The neutral
o The author often pushes the humor in her books a bit too far into slapstick territory for my liking, making it slightly cringy. This book didn't have that as much as some of her other books, but let's just say Dyame's running commentary on Etienne's flirting echoed my thoughts perfectly

The bad
- Leo betrayed Etienne like six times, and Etienne never batted an eye. What the fuck? Leo also didn't really show as much remorse as he should have, and he definitely didn't look for ways to do things differently
- There were like three different storylines, and none were resolved. I understand that it's a prequel, but I want a book to have its own story too. Anders' daughter woke up magically, but it was left as an open end. The big dark mage was woken up, but he wasn't caught or defeated (which happens in the main series, but still leaves another storyline unresolved in this novella). Leo and Etienne escaped their district and started building a new life in a new one, but they were betrayed by the very people who saved them so how does the reader know whether they're actually safe now?


I give two stars because of Dyame. The other three stars are lost because of Leo and the incomplete storylines. Would not recommend.

[Pedro Martins · Rating 3 out of 5]

essa foi a prequel da serie demon magic que eu li já tem muitos meses.
confesso que isso complicou a leitura pq eu já esqueci de grande parte da história e honestamente nem lembrava dos personagens desse livro. tenho vagas memórias da série e lembro como acaba, mas só. esse fato, apesar de ser majoritariamente culpa minha, já tirou uma estrela (mas também não entendo quem lança livros que precedem uma série um tempão depois da série já ter saído :@). por isso sou um binge reader – tenho a memória de 1 rato.
também não senti nenhuma química entre etienne e leo. os dois se encontraram umas 3 vezes, todas com o leo (policial) tentando prender o etienne e o etienne descendo o cacete nele pra escapar. aí de repente ele é pego, flerta com o leo num passe de mágica os dois começam a ficar juntos. dois dias depois falam sobre construirem uma vida juntos, três dias depois o etienne é enganado pelos malvadões e faz uma coisa que dá início ao plot dos proximos livros e 1 semana depois eles já dizem eu te amo. wtf?!
tudo bem q esse livro foi uma novella e a autora tá deixando baixar de graça, mas foi totalmente desnecessário e não fez jus ao trabalho dela. faltou até edição nesse livro. nunca antes tinha visto erro de digitação em livros dela e pela primeira vez isso aconteceu. xoxo. capenga...

[Roxy K · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* Stars 🤩 I love Etienne and Dyame, I wish this had been a full novel instead of a novella. I wanted to see how they had come to be together as well as actually seeing some of the crazy antics they got up to over the years.

I did enjoy the relationship between Leo and Etienne but again there wasn’t enough of it. I would have loved to see it fully fleshed out especially the moments between them before the events at the start of this novella. The banter leading up to the moment on the rooftop and Leo’s frustration at not being able to catch Etienne each time.

I just wanted more, I need more of Etienne and Dyame’s dynamic 🥰🥰.

[Demetra Roussakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this book as I am starting this new series. I love this authors work and did not disappoint. We start off with Etienne who was sacrificed as a child who came back with a demon inside him. Fast forward 100 years and cities are divided into districts. The one who heads the district they are in is not a nice person. Etienne also has feelings for a police officer, Leo, who thinks Etienne is strange. Great world building, adventure and lots of action as they were helped to leave the area. I can’t wait to read the next books in this series to find out what happens next.

[Tj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the humor and back and forth between Etienne and Dyame. There was some between Leo and them but it just didn't have the same depth to it. The relationship wasn't very well fleshed out. It happened but really why either fell for the other I really don't know. I felt the star of the story was Dyame with his ripping everyone apart and eating them. He wasn't such a bad guy in the end.