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UNHOLY FAVORS
Two tales of sinister influence, two trans protagonists struggling to come to terms with the consequences of relying on the supernatural to fix their problems. Trick or Treat.
THE SOUL LOTTERY
Tate played the soul lottery and won a single wish ten years ago, but now his years of fortune are up, and the demon who owns his soul has come to collect. On the run from Hellhounds, and with only one person to turn to, he's out of options. But what awaits him isn't what he expects.
SILVERTONGUED DREAMS
Kiran is an insomniac and college student who dreams of more than what he has. After finding a rare spell book, he brings an egregore into being, and feeds it his ideas and dreams in hopes that it can be his equal and help him become great. But what happens when his dreams outpace him and take on their own life?
UNHOLY FAVORS is a dark, mature book and is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. Please read CWs before purchasing.
THE SOUL LOTTERY
Tate played the soul lottery and won a single wish ten years ago, but now his years of fortune are up, and the demon who owns his soul has come to collect. On the run from Hellhounds, and with only one person to turn to, he's out of options. But what awaits him isn't what he expects.
SILVERTONGUED DREAMS
Kiran is an insomniac and college student who dreams of more than what he has. After finding a rare spell book, he brings an egregore into being, and feeds it his ideas and dreams in hopes that it can be his equal and help him become great. But what happens when his dreams outpace him and take on their own life?
UNHOLY FAVORS is a dark, mature book and is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. Please read CWs before purchasing.
90 pages, ebook
Published October 31, 2024
1 person is currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Mars Adler
18 books193 followersmars 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.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 10, 2025
3,5 perfectly bite-sized ⭐️
Yes, yeah okay, Mars Adler's writing style is something worth paying attention to 😳 Unholy Favors contains two "weird unique what the hell" short stories that are queer (trans in particular), are erotica, are atmospheric. Are they horror? I genuinely don't think so; it read more like supernatural to me.
The Soul Lottery is a story we all heard already, demons and contracts, and what could happen when you try to sell your soul for success.
Lucian hums like he's pleased, and even now, even with everything that's changed between them, Tate's ears hone in on the sound, and he flushes. He's worse than Pavlov's dog, salivating at the ring of a bell.
Silvertongued dreams is a bit more bizarre, a very literal dream come true.
"You're not my dream, are you? I didn't conjure you up from my imagination."
My dream, he says, like it's a promise, and the dream shudders, nearly losing control of his hold on Kiran's mind. Careful, he thinks. Gentle. "Not yet," he says. "Not unless you name me. Then I can be yours."
I think I expected the horror aspects to be more present, but for what it is, it certainly did its job. I'll definitely continue diving into more of the author's work ❤️
Yes, yeah okay, Mars Adler's writing style is something worth paying attention to 😳 Unholy Favors contains two "weird unique what the hell" short stories that are queer (trans in particular), are erotica, are atmospheric. Are they horror? I genuinely don't think so; it read more like supernatural to me.
The Soul Lottery is a story we all heard already, demons and contracts, and what could happen when you try to sell your soul for success.
Lucian hums like he's pleased, and even now, even with everything that's changed between them, Tate's ears hone in on the sound, and he flushes. He's worse than Pavlov's dog, salivating at the ring of a bell.
Silvertongued dreams is a bit more bizarre, a very literal dream come true.
"You're not my dream, are you? I didn't conjure you up from my imagination."
My dream, he says, like it's a promise, and the dream shudders, nearly losing control of his hold on Kiran's mind. Careful, he thinks. Gentle. "Not yet," he says. "Not unless you name me. Then I can be yours."
I think I expected the horror aspects to be more present, but for what it is, it certainly did its job. I'll definitely continue diving into more of the author's work ❤️
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July 29, 2025On sale for $1.50 through 31 July!
mars adler is one of many queer authors and artists that itch.io fucked over by removing their work. Queer indie artists have lost their income from itch, their books have gotten yanked, books people have purchased have been deleted from the purchaser's dashboard (means you can't download what you bought), all because an Australian anti-porn extremist group (Collective Shout) got MasterCard and Visa to cater to their moral panic.
Now is a great time to support indie authors by buying from them directly and to give your middle finger to censorship.
My tags and CWs may contain spoilers, don't read below this line if you want to avoid that.
Tags: Queer erotic religious horror duet, 2 short stories (The Soul Lottery & Silvertongued Dreams)
• Tags for The Soul Lottery: manipulation, violence (not sexual), mention of an off-page murder, explicit sexual content, CNC (not discussed prior to the scene), primal play, knife play, blood play, spanking (brief), overstimulation, trans man using terms such as 'cock, cunt' to describe his genitals
• Tags for Silvertongued Dreams: manipulation, mind altering through magic, explicit gore (non-sexual), off-page murder, explicit sexual content, dubcon throughout (due to mind altering magic), somnophilia, sex during sleep paralysis, praise kink, degradation kink, thigh riding, oral sex, trans man described as having a cock, cunt, breasts, graphic
CW for raw human meat consumption (not exactly cannibalism, but cannibalism adjacent)
mars adler is one of many queer authors and artists that itch.io fucked over by removing their work. Queer indie artists have lost their income from itch, their books have gotten yanked, books people have purchased have been deleted from the purchaser's dashboard (means you can't download what you bought), all because an Australian anti-porn extremist group (Collective Shout) got MasterCard and Visa to cater to their moral panic.
Now is a great time to support indie authors by buying from them directly and to give your middle finger to censorship.
My tags and CWs may contain spoilers, don't read below this line if you want to avoid that.
Tags: Queer erotic religious horror duet, 2 short stories (The Soul Lottery & Silvertongued Dreams)
• Tags for The Soul Lottery: manipulation, violence (not sexual), mention of an off-page murder, explicit sexual content, CNC (not discussed prior to the scene), primal play, knife play, blood play, spanking (brief), overstimulation, trans man using terms such as 'cock, cunt' to describe his genitals
• Tags for Silvertongued Dreams: manipulation, mind altering through magic, explicit gore (non-sexual), off-page murder, explicit sexual content, dubcon throughout (due to mind altering magic), somnophilia, sex during sleep paralysis, praise kink, degradation kink, thigh riding, oral sex, trans man described as having a cock, cunt, breasts, graphic
CW for raw human meat consumption (not exactly cannibalism, but cannibalism adjacent)
January 6, 2025
Before reading, make sure you check your cw and decide if this book is for you. This was my second book from Mars Adler.
I enjoyed both stories. Give me stories about hell, demons, and hellhounds, and I'm so happy. This was so satisfying.The Soul Lottery was a fantastic read.
The Silvertounged Dreams, I was fascinated, in awe of, and terrified of Oliver. I enjoyed this story. It was a dreamy, horror tale of manipulation that was also a fantastic read.
I enjoyed both stories. Give me stories about hell, demons, and hellhounds, and I'm so happy. This was so satisfying.The Soul Lottery was a fantastic read.
The Silvertounged Dreams, I was fascinated, in awe of, and terrified of Oliver. I enjoyed this story. It was a dreamy, horror tale of manipulation that was also a fantastic read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2025
3.5 stars! more more more. more gore, more horror, more grossness. I was expecting it to be crazy balls to the wall but it was pretty tame. I like how you didn't know the characters were trans until a sex scene happened. Their gender had nothing to do with the story and was never mentioned, it just was what it was. Also interesting to have these two stories together because there was so many similarities. The main one being giving yourself over to a higher being, completely letting go and choosing to use your body as a vessel for them.
I liked the first story, The Soul Lottery, better. It was more primal and ravenous. The scene of Lucian claiming Tate in the forest was awesomeeeee. I love the borderline of pleasure and pain. It reminds me of 50 shades, when Gray is telling Ana that the pain can feel good if you throw away the standard that it shouldn't. The dirty talk between Lucian and Tate was killer. Also kept thinking of Tate Langdon.
This story was more gentle and yearningful (?). It was hard for me to get super into it because I have sleep paralysis quite frequently and I just can never imagine actively wanting that or finding pleasure in any form from it.
Quotes:
THE SOUL LOTTERY
- "Everything Lucian says and does dances the line between provocative and professional, and he's always left floundering, waiting for something to give."
- " 'Are you going to be good for me?' Lucian asks, his voice low and husky in Tate's ear. Tate trembles, shakes his head. He wants to, but Lucian told him he had to earn it. "
- "Back arched, wings spread above them like a giant canopy, the fire in his eyes guttering out like a dying fire, Tate thinks that he's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen."
SILVERTONGUED DREAMS
- "He's warmer than Oliver thought he would be, warm enough for Oliver to want to draw closer, to bask in it. Like the sun."
- "I know you , Oliver thinks, giddy with the revelation, with all his knowledge of Kiran's mind. I know your soul, and now I know your touch as well."
- "He wants Kiran pressed against him, he wants to taste and bite and gnaw his way into Kiran's heart, so he'll never be asked to leave."
I liked the first story, The Soul Lottery, better. It was more primal and ravenous. The scene of Lucian claiming Tate in the forest was awesomeeeee. I love the borderline of pleasure and pain. It reminds me of 50 shades, when Gray is telling Ana that the pain can feel good if you throw away the standard that it shouldn't. The dirty talk between Lucian and Tate was killer. Also kept thinking of Tate Langdon.
This story was more gentle and yearningful (?). It was hard for me to get super into it because I have sleep paralysis quite frequently and I just can never imagine actively wanting that or finding pleasure in any form from it.
Quotes:
THE SOUL LOTTERY
- "Everything Lucian says and does dances the line between provocative and professional, and he's always left floundering, waiting for something to give."
- " 'Are you going to be good for me?' Lucian asks, his voice low and husky in Tate's ear. Tate trembles, shakes his head. He wants to, but Lucian told him he had to earn it. "
- "Back arched, wings spread above them like a giant canopy, the fire in his eyes guttering out like a dying fire, Tate thinks that he's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen."
SILVERTONGUED DREAMS
- "He's warmer than Oliver thought he would be, warm enough for Oliver to want to draw closer, to bask in it. Like the sun."
- "I know you , Oliver thinks, giddy with the revelation, with all his knowledge of Kiran's mind. I know your soul, and now I know your touch as well."
- "He wants Kiran pressed against him, he wants to taste and bite and gnaw his way into Kiran's heart, so he'll never be asked to leave."
March 22, 2025
Both stories - THE SOUL LOTTERY and SILVERTONGUED DREAMS - delivered on their premise, with impressively layered character dynamics for their length and exactly the kind of 🌶️ Adler promised. Gobbled them both down thank you for the meal.
However of this novella duet Silvertongued Dreams was the PERFECT delicious morsel and I would read 150k+ more words about Kiran and Oliver. Intriguing, delightfully engaging and with an edge of darkness like a storm on the horizon. Fantastic give me 14 of these!
However of this novella duet Silvertongued Dreams was the PERFECT delicious morsel and I would read 150k+ more words about Kiran and Oliver. Intriguing, delightfully engaging and with an edge of darkness like a storm on the horizon. Fantastic give me 14 of these!
March 22, 2026
i wish their books were longer. i love mars adler mind 💖
March 8, 2026
Marking for spoilers regarding the second story. First and foremost, the cover is stunning and it absolutely drew me in, so props for that!
Regarding the two stories, I found both of them extremely delightful. My personal favourite was 'Silvertongued Dreams'. I love the fact we got the dream's POV, how Oliver experiences the world as something non-human experiencing — or trying to— experience human life. I don't often see this sort of thing and it was something that had me hooked on every word. It took a while to settle into the horror of it, I feel, in a similar way that Oliver took his time to grasp onto Kiran. I don't know if it was intentional, but I absolutely loved it. For a while, I too had forgotten of Oliver's non-humanity, despite it being webbed into the very fabric of this story, because of how genuine the bond between Kiran and him had become (despite Oliver's initial motives always being laid out for us), so when the final few pages hit, I had to sit there and dwell for a moment, thinking "oh, right". Those few pages reminded me that no matter how human-adjacent Oliver was, he was still a dream, with whatever that comes with.
Moreover, I like the writing style. I didn't leave the book down for a moment because I kept thinking 'I want to read more, I want to see what happens'. From the vocabulary, to the way I could tell the different POV's apart (Tate's and Oliver's), it all made me feel submerged into the story. I'll defo be reading other books from this author.
Regarding the two stories, I found both of them extremely delightful. My personal favourite was 'Silvertongued Dreams'. I love the fact we got the dream's POV, how Oliver experiences the world as something non-human experiencing — or trying to— experience human life. I don't often see this sort of thing and it was something that had me hooked on every word. It took a while to settle into the horror of it, I feel, in a similar way that Oliver took his time to grasp onto Kiran. I don't know if it was intentional, but I absolutely loved it. For a while, I too had forgotten of Oliver's non-humanity, despite it being webbed into the very fabric of this story, because of how genuine the bond between Kiran and him had become (despite Oliver's initial motives always being laid out for us), so when the final few pages hit, I had to sit there and dwell for a moment, thinking "oh, right". Those few pages reminded me that no matter how human-adjacent Oliver was, he was still a dream, with whatever that comes with.
Moreover, I like the writing style. I didn't leave the book down for a moment because I kept thinking 'I want to read more, I want to see what happens'. From the vocabulary, to the way I could tell the different POV's apart (Tate's and Oliver's), it all made me feel submerged into the story. I'll defo be reading other books from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2025
I have a friend that was talking with me one time about the terrifying concepts and imagery and lyrical dread within horror stories, and they emphasized the necessity of allegories and metaphors to be not just that but also to have these images and concepts exist beyond the constraints of meaning making so that the stories we create are not just vessels to make sense of our existence.
Rather they also exist as themselves in complex ways that don’t demand our quest for knowledge but rather require a focused awe and respect & a ravenous delight & sacred satiation.
Unholy Favors does this EXPERTLY. I was here for the blurred lines of power, of making oneself known, and reclamation in ways that interwove damned yet not broken and bastardly wicked beings together. Beyond that—the writing is exquisite: enchanting and haunted—and the idea of consumption & divined tethering was HOT AF.
Rather they also exist as themselves in complex ways that don’t demand our quest for knowledge but rather require a focused awe and respect & a ravenous delight & sacred satiation.
Unholy Favors does this EXPERTLY. I was here for the blurred lines of power, of making oneself known, and reclamation in ways that interwove damned yet not broken and bastardly wicked beings together. Beyond that—the writing is exquisite: enchanting and haunted—and the idea of consumption & divined tethering was HOT AF.
November 7, 2024
Hot damn! This was excellent in so many ways 👏🏻 I was expecting great spice (and it definitely delivered!!), but I wasn’t expecting the stories to also be super layered, interesting, and just have great world building and set up. The characters too are so well-written and gray. Lovely surprise! I will definitely read more books by this author.
March 5, 2025
Really loved the premise of both of these stories! My second time reading something from Mars Adler and they really don't disappoint. Check Content Warnings but if those are all good with you really can just recommend them.
I did enjoy the second short story (Silvertongued Dreams) just a liiiiittle more.
I did enjoy the second short story (Silvertongued Dreams) just a liiiiittle more.
November 15, 2024
These stories were wonderful. There was an amazing amount of world building in like 45 pages for each of them. Silvertongued Dreams was unsettling in such an interesting way.
September 4, 2025
This is actually two short stories and it’s FANTASTIC! I loved these so much and I so wish they were longer but they are perfect the way they are!
Mars does a great job at writing horror lite and has you begging for more! If you have not read Mars yet you absolutely need to!
Mars does a great job at writing horror lite and has you begging for more! If you have not read Mars yet you absolutely need to!
December 10, 2025
Two bite sized "fuck around and find out" tales that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Soul Lottery didn't break any molds, its a classic deal with the devil scenario. Despite this the erotic tension was exceptionally well paced and written (as is typical for adler). Story two, Silvertongued Dreams is really where this novella shines. What a fascinating concept, a thought-form that knows every inch of your mind, bending your memories to satisfy its needs while also being protective and sweet in its own violent way. I fell in love with these characters hard, it would be delightful if the author decides to explore this concept further in the future.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews