Devoted

by J.T. Howell, Chris Barcellona (editor), Emir Orucevic (illustrator)

Respect his mind. Protect his body. Cherish his heart. These sacred vows forever bond two men with love and devotion, but in the ancient city of Arachovia, such a union comes with a price.

Matthias, the first-born son of the House of Helianth, has one path to inherit his family’s power and marrying a respectable woman and fathering children to carry the bloodline. Despite his obligations, the young noble jeopardizes his family’s honor to devote himself to his lover, Anton. But when Anton refuses to sacrifice his own familial duty and marries a random noblewoman, Matthias finds himself without a lover, title, or future.

Acting with little thought for his safety, Matthias condemns himself to the bloody, demanding, and often brief life of a soldier. His survival will depend on mastery of an arcane weapon, trust in the other soldiers of his unit, and a captain with a mysterious past.

Matthias soon finds a renewed sense of purpose alongside his shield-brothers, a sacred order of magic-wielding priestesses on the battlefield, and another chance to experience true love. But when the machinations of a neighboring city-state and a group of ambitious nobles threaten the peace they have fought so hard to maintain, Matthias and his companions discover their actions will either save their world or destroy it.

Genres: LGBT, M M Fantasy, Romance, M M Romance, Fantasy

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2024

About the author

J.T. Howell was born in suburban Minnesota, his penchant for daydreaming led him down a path lined with books and an obsession with all things fantasy. In college he studied both film and design, discovering a fervent love for the creative art of storytelling.

His true passion lies in telling LGBTQ+ stories he wished he had when he was growing up, igniting the imagination with accessible fantasy, fast-paced plots, and a dash of spicy romance.

He currently resides in Minneapolis and on any given night you can find him playing video games, trying a new restaurant with friends, or lazing on the couch with a good book.

Reviews

[Marcos “MSMDragon” · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️

I definitely think you will like Devoted if you’re a fan of The Song of Achilles. It has that amazing Greco/Roman mythology feel, lots of great battles, a little political drama, and many gay soldiers!

[Nick Vallina (MisterGhostReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A man's undying love for another was more excellent armor than any helmet or shield."

After disappointing his father once again by spurning the arranged marriage between himself and his childhood best friend, Matthias Helianth plans to speak the oaths to Devote himself to his long-time lover Anton. Unfortunately Anton has other plans and accepts a similar proposal leaving Matthias disinherited and crushed. In a rash decision he joins the army; not as an officer like other nobles but as a soldier. As he trains and tries to forget his hurt, Matthias bonds with this shield-brothers and braces for his first deployment.

With a renewed sense of purpose and a strengthening bond between himself and his squad-mates (and that dashing Captain Rain...) Matthias must master his new sword and learn military tactics to overcome his enemies and maintain the tenuous peace in the world.

I wasn't honestly sure what to expect when I started Devoted. I knew "swords", "fantasy" and "queer-normative". Which was enough for me. While the writing felt a tiny bit clunky, the world building was absolutely top notch. The tattoo swords/armor?! So cool. The furies (battle priestesses)? The best part of the whole damn book. Queer-normative world? Awesome.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit and it didn't have that usual beginning chapter(s) drag that fantasy novels always have where you feel lost in the world.

While this won't go down as an absolute favorite, I really enjoyed it. It's a surprisingly quick read with an even more surprising depth of world-building. I'd love to see more about the furies down the line?

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[MikeLikesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the world building that the author created. I felt the angst and heartbreak of Matthias when Anton, his lover, comes to the shrine to tell him he is marrying a woman and cannot be “devoted” to him. OMG, right before that Matthias went against his father’s wishes and refused to marry a woman, his best friend. I was dying! Matthias has ruined all chances with his family and so becomes a soldier. When we are at our lowest we aren’t able to see a better path. Matthias’ path is anything but easy. Will he survive as a soldier? Will he ever find love again? This has romance, betrayal, fierce battle scenes, conflict, heartache, forgiveness and true love. Perfect for a MM romantacy. This book brings the spice too. I enjoyed the pace and plot of the book and the HEA isn’t bad either, like in all good romance books.

I want to thank the author for the e-book. This review is voluntary and is of my own opinions.

[Alec · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC and I’ve read the book twice already. I loved the story and its portrayal of so many incredible and strong LGBTQ+ characters.

Devoted has great world building, action, romance, and surprises. I absolutely loved the furies and was always excited to see what they would do next.

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devoted is an MM high fantasy book which follows Matthias Helianth, a young noble who has his heart broken and impulsively joins the military in an act of self-sabotage, and Rain Cassian, a young Captain in the military.

The world-building in this book was excellent and reminiscent of other epic battle based books like Game of Thrones and The Witcher. Although the military action and politics were key in this book, I’d argue the romance was also centre stage. In this world, people can either marry in MF relationships or become ‘devoted’ if they are in MM or FF relationships. Captain Rain has discovered that of his soldiers, those who fight beside their devoted partners are more likely to succeed in battle - so this dynamic in soldiers becomes a key battle tactic.

There is so much I loved about this book - we have strong female characters wielding world-transforming magic, queer couples of all ages, body types and abilities, the discussion of power and social responsibility, magical swords that are shaped by the wielder’s mind, epic battles, heartbreak and true love. The characters felt well-written, realistic and honestly I fell in love with all of them. The ‘evil’ characters were not traditionally evil - they were politically underhanded and self-serving, which felt like a realistic threat.

The only reason that this book loses a star from me is simply because I thought the writing was a little clumsy in places (although this is a debut book, so I can totally understand it). One of the characters is constantly described as ‘muscular’ and another repeatedly described as ‘curly haired’ - I wish the author varied his descriptors for these characters, as readers can be trusted to remember who they are without the repeated physical signposting. Also, some of the early speech was a little stilted, but improves as the book continues. HOWEVER, this is very much me just being nit-picky. Overall this book was fantastic - the plot was fabulous, the characters were impeccably thought out and I absolutely appreciated their development throughout, and I just rooted for them! I loved them and I loved this book!

Put this one on your TBR for 2024 - it releases in February and it is well worth your time to read it! Absolutely recommended by me!

Big thank you to the author for an eARC of this amazing book! All opinions are my own.

[Irving · Rating 4 out of 5]

After refusing to marry his childhood friend and carry the family’s bloodline, Mathias Helianth runs off to become “Devoted” to Anton, his true love. But Anton refuses to devote himself to Mathias and instead suggests they continue their love affair in secret, leaving Mathias completely heartbroken. With nowhere to go, the young noble impulsively joins the military, deciding that he would rather die in battle than see the love of his life married to a woman. His fellow soldiers aren’t keen on having Mathias amongst their group, but Matthias slowly wins them over with his determination. Just when Mathias starts to find his place in the group, war threatens their nation. But in the process, he finds purpose in life and a new chance at love

Personal thoughts: I admit that I am not one to read fantasy/romantasy, but I’m always looking to explore different genres and support up and coming authors. I really enjoyed this way more than I thought I would, I was drawn into this world from the very beginning, I loved the characters and how diverse they all were. Everything really came alive, specially the battle scenes and there was just a little bit of everything. Kadri and the furies were my favorite and I would love to read about them some more! The major drawback for me was the writing at times felt clunky - there were constant references to characters height (and trust me, we love a short king and tall kings too) it was just a little strange to be constantly reminded of their height difference. There was another instance where “silver haired man” was used 3 times within the same paragraph. Just really minuscule details, but overall it was a great debut novel and I’m excited to read more from the author in the future!

Devoted was an ARC read and it comes out on February 6th. Thank you so much to JT Howell for allowing me the privilege to read your work, I look forward to reading more of your stories in the future.

4 ⭐️

[Brooke Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devoted is a SOLID 4 stars for me. Allow me to list all the reasons why:
- Matthias, Rain, and their allies were characters I quickly fell in love with.
- This is such a visual novel and I enjoyed imagining the world, especially the fight scenes!
- I love the use of tattoos and weapons!
- I’m here for the Kadri-Vilja relationship!
- Visceral and gritty yet tender and kind-hearted

I was obsessed with fantasy books when I was little. My favorites were the ones with big worlds, a medieval-style culture, and plenty of tense scenes. Devoted is that plus a gay romance about two macho manly men slowly succumbing to the inevitable curse of love.

Howell does a great job balancing the fantasy with the romance and the queer elements. But I do have 2 criticisms that prevent me from giving this book 5 stars: 1) the repetition of describing words (i.e. muscular, wiry, etc) that happened a little too much for my taste, and 2) the fluctuation of the writing.

Those are really the only issues I had with this book, and they aren’t deal breakers either. I really enjoyed this story! I’m excited to see it out in the world - an early congrats to Howell on the release. Looking forward to just maybe snagging myself a physical copy once it’s available!

[Trent · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean. Yeah??? Look you take away the part where he writes "climax" and it turns into a YA novel it's very like "shhhh" hehehehe spice which based off the Authors posts I was expecting it to be a little more heated. The story itself is okay. It was a little drawn out with not a lot of character or plot development in some parts. We have a new legion created and then a coup where the whole conversation happens behind closed door again and it just feels like a little bit of a wattpad read.... it wasn't terrible but it was one of those books where when I finished I was sorta like ok cool. I like the idea behind the legion and the whole idea of being devoted as well but there isn't a lot of development behind this idea, and there also isn't a lot of development behind the magic system of signata and the preistesses abilities.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an ARC (advanced reading copy) of this book.

Wow!! Just finished this book. Took me less than a day to read because I could not put it down. Battles, romance, heart break, deception, basically all the good stuff. So worth it to pick up and get transported away from your daily life.

This will definable be a book I will buy when it comes out (Feb 2024).

[Dan Goldschmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of fantasy and I loved this book. As a fantasy lover I appreciated the way JT Howell managed to create a world and a story that any fantasy reader would love but is still accessible to a casual fantasy reader. Even if fantasy isn’t your thing, the MM romance that develops between Matthias and Rain is worth the read.

[Bronwyn Blakley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll start with this. I absolutely loved the world building, the story, and the characters. J.T. Howell has a unique way of world building that is immediately believable, relatable, and easy to envision. His specific talent for writing battle scenes felt cinematic and engaging to me, which is not easy to do! And his characters are all excellent. Matthias, Rain, Kadri, Aleksandra, and so many more. I feel invested in all of them and want so much more of them.

The story itself is fascinating, and on its own would easily be a top read for me. The idea of the Devoted is unique and beautiful. To see a mostly queer normative environment created in this way is always refreshing. I think my one major critique around the love story specifically is that I wish it was given more time in developing. I found myself wanting more of the longing and the quiet moments where that specific inner conflict that comes when we first realize we’re falling in love has time to shine and grow into more. That part felt a bit rushed. But otherwise, the story itself as a whole is just excellent.

All of the above being said, I feel conflicted on how to rate this book. For all that the story and characters provide, I personally found the writing to lack some flow and feel a bit clunky (especially at the beginning). There are a lot of descriptive words and phrases that felt repetitive, and that took me out of the story on several occasions. While it may just be that this writing style is specifically not for me, it’s definitely something that affects my overall rating of the book.

All-in-all, the story itself is worth experiencing! Writing style may not be a concern for many, and if that’s the case I definitely recommend this book. Matthias and Rain are wonderful, and the people surrounding them just as great, so please enjoy. I’m grateful to J.T. Howell for the ARC and the opportunity to be immersed in this world. This is my honest review.

[RaeRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Belated) ARC Book Review: Devoted By J.T. Howell - @ j_t_howell
Release: February 6, 2024 - Happy Pub Day! 🎉
Format: E-book
The Low-Down: M/M. Adult fantasy featuring lots of battles and sacrifice in the fight for power.

This side of fantasy would not be my typical read, but I have to say I overall enjoyed Devoted by J.T. Howell. The plot was extremely unique, and I loved the magical/spiritual aspects of the story. Especially what being "devoted" meant to the characters. Early on, I compared the character relationships to that of the ones in Divergent (though these are way more adult.)

I was highly intrigued to see how this story would play out. It had me hooked from the beginning with a "wow" magical moment. However, this definitely took me longer to read because of the fantasy aspects, as well as trying to get through the descriptive battles (I like to avoid scenes like this.) There was also a lot of back and forth 'see through X characters eyes' that my brain couldn't keep up with. I reread certain parts a few times to understand where we truly were in the story. One particular scene did have me screaming, "This motherducker!" at a character 😂.

I do wish I had dedicated my time earlier on to this ARC to provide feedback to the Author, though I sincerely appreciate them taking the time to still listen to my feedback. You can tell J.T. Howell poured blood, sweat, and tears into this magical world.

For those who are fans of high fantasy with lots of battles, political intrigue, and some steamy scenes, this is right up your alley, but please be sure to read any trigger warnings from the Author.

Final takeaway: Heartbreak may lead you to do crazy things, but it may also lead you to where you're meant to be.

[Brett Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review *

I really love the world and lore we are brought into in this book. The story is engaging and I always appreciate a M/M romance angle in my fantasy, especially when it is woven into the fabric of the society instead of being forbidden or taboo.

While the beats of the story progress well, and are very engaging as it picks up, the writing feels clunky in the beginning. And throughout, the repetitions of words to describe the characters (muscular being the main offender) becomes almost laughable. But, the flow evens out early on and from there becomes a page turner and very fun to read. The battle scenes in particular are very well written and exciting. The insignis are AWESOME! Love that idea of a weapon.

Overall, aside from the issues I had with the flow of the writing in parts, this is a very fun book with a great fantasy world and story. While I think the writing suffers a bit, I know this is a debut and would happily buy the next novel from the author on release day.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic!

It starts with a twist that immediately sucks you in and gets you invested in the main character. The world building is well thought out and detailed. I wouldn’t quite classify it as fantasy, but there are some fantastical elements the author makes completely believable. I don’t think it was very easy to guess what was going to happen next, but looking back there were clues and I can’t wait to re-read and pick up on the clues I may have missed!

I didn’t know much about the plot going in, and was surprised to find it was more military-focused than I was expecting from a love story, especially with the title, but it was a creative, original story which is so refreshing to see!

The writing style was easy to read and easy to understand, and it helped that it was a page turner! I’d call it a “light spice”, more for the amount of spicy scenes rather than the actual spice of the scenes, which were pretty spicy.

[Josiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.21 Stars

Hearing about this book from the author a few months ago, I just knew I had to read it, and I'm so glad that I did because this story was phenomenal! The world-building was incredible, but unlike a lot of fantasy novels, it didn't feel overwhelming or take forever to get a visualization of everything. I also found myself really invested in the characters as well as the plot overall.

This had a lot of twists and turns, with personal relationships, betrayals, fierce battles, strategic planning, a unique magic system, politics...you name it, there's a good chance it was in here somewhere! And then there was the romance that was just perfectly woven in. While I am not one to ever sign up to go to war, this book made me want to jump into the world and experience it!

There were a couple, mostly minor, things that I found myself wanting in this book. First, while the descriptions and world-building was amazing, I sometimes felt like the personal descriptors for the characters became repetitive, pulling me out of the story a bit. I also recall one scene from a different perspective than the main two characters and that felt a bit jarring when it happened, but I was able to move through it easily enough. I think that for a debut, this is a truly fantastic work and I really look forward to what this author brings in the future.

I was provided an advance review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Trevor Wargo · Rating 5 out of 5]

💫 If you’re looking for your next Romantasy action book than look no further than Devoted. Bonus points for it being a MM romance with a diverse cast of characters

💫 It started a little slow for me and I thought I knew exactly where the story was going but boy was I wrong. There were many different layers & twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I also enjoyed that there were many side storylines that made the whole world really come alive without not being over complicated.

💫 I’m typically not one for Fantasy/Magic books because I get too confused but this was explained and simple enough that I could understand and didn’t get in the way of the plot.

💫 “Devoted” was filled with action, drama, family dynamics, societal issues, romance (aka some spice 🌶️) and most importantly characters you cared for. Do yourself a favor and get this book when it comes out in less than a month!

[Asher Michels-Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the fact that I typically don't read fantasy novels, I found Devoted to be thoroughly engaging and entertaining. The writing paints a vivid picture that allows one to easily visualize the story. A quick read, that somehow also goes into depth to build a world and develop complex characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, romance, battles, or even just a good story.

[Ken Cook]

Militant Alt-world

Howell has created Arachovia, tolerant and intolerant, with a caste system of inherited wealth, privilege and position. The MCs are from the upper class but join the ranks of the military focused on bringing their world to equality. Great battle scenes, the Devoted, and some tasteful mating make this a great read.

[Twentytoo]

DNF

I stopped the book after that one guy got elected and made a battalion of devoted couples. I found of the idea of going off to war with your lover way more dark and morbid then it was sweet. Just thinking of the causality and heart break is terrible. Super cringe.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought and read this book on my own. It has just enough mix of fantasy, romance, and adventure set in what felt similar to the Roman Empire. It was a fun, unique read!