Halcyon: San Hades Chronicles: City of Demons

by Tilly Bramley, A.J. Knight

Demons walk among us. And it’s our own fault.

Blair is a happily single divorcee nearing forty. A dedicated medical examiner, she has her life in—albeit boring—order. At a crime scene she locks eyes with the slender, dark-haired detective and suddenly, all she can think about is him.

Ander Lokissun is a Norse demon who, with his myriad of siblings, runs one of San Hades’ largest crime syndicates. He’s powerful, rich, handsome, and wanted. His problem? When the hells fell, he became stuck in a human woman’s form. In the twenty years since the collapse, he's used the tools of earth and a bit of scrapped together magic to get his body as close as it can be to what it once was.

Ander recognizes his mate at once. But how can he reveal his secret? Oh, and the demon thing, she might want to know that too. But how can his mate accept all of... him? A tailspin of half-truths, small felonies, and utter pleasure ensue, all wound up in Ander's sense of himself--and the missing body he knows is his.

158 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2024

About the author

Tilly and her life partner live in the snowy north and homeschool their clutch of children. If she’s not reading, writing, mainlining iced oat milk lattes, swimming, or herding cats, she’s definitely cursing about her dead sourdough starter (again) or working on her cake decorating skills so she doesn’t embarrass herself at the kids’ bake sale.

You can follow her on Instagram @TillyBramley

Reviews

[Eleanor · Rating 2 out of 5]

HARD PASS
Not only does the MMC fool around with other woman after he's met his fated mate, but once they get together and then break up after a fight, he f*cks other people to relieve some "pressure"..... Icky

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Blair and her no nonsense vibe. She had some serious trauma from a past marriage and it impacted how she went about this relationship. Ander was sweet and wanted to spoil Blair, but def was a crime boss. He dealt with a lot of body dysphoria that made it difficult for him to be open with her. There were a couple conversations I wish they’d had on page, including a more in depth one about accidental outing. However, they had a most of the hard conversations on page and I thought they fit well.

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: body dysphoria, accidental outing, violence (off page), dead bodies including murder victim, organized crime, emotional and psychological abuse (past relationship)

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare yourself for an extraordinary experience that will touch your heart and soul! This book is a breathtaking masterpiece, intricately woven with exquisite prose that will leave you spellbound. The characters leap off the pages; Ander and Blair are not just characters, but extraordinary beings whose connection ignites the very air around them. Their love story is a dance of passion and vulnerability, a stunning illustration of two beautiful souls entwined. The heartfelt representation of the trans community is both moving and inspiring, portraying their journey with grace and authenticity. Tilly and AJ, from the depths of my hearts, thank you for sharing this brilliant work of art with the world! Your gift will resonate long after the last page is turned!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I would like a demon mob boss of my own, how do we go about getting one of those?

Blair and Anders are adorable doofuses, the spice is spicing, and there are many lovely moments as they fumble their way through getting to know each other and dealing with each other's baggage.

[Robyn G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one!
Ander was the sweetest and my heart hurt for him with the frustration he felt for being stuck in the wrong body but his family accepted him for who he was and supported him.
And the ending was amazing that he finally got to feel whole for the first time in so many years!
Blair was starting over again after leaving her high-school sweetheart so she was finding herself again when Ander came into her life.
These two worked so well together.
I love Ander's family too, the idiot twins, Hel and the wolfy brother, I hope we see more of them!
And the little cameo of Markus and Sam and even Bas!

[Babes Books and Brews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blair and Her Norse Demon Crime Lord Mate

This was a very sweet and spicy story between Blair, a human nighttime morgue technician, and Ander, a Norse demon that *happens* to be part of a family criminal organization. I loved Blair’s openness and understanding and overall attraction to Ander who was struggling with the body he was trapped in after the event that brought demons up to earth. I was hoping for a bit more crime ring action but it was still an enjoyable read. And I always love reading about the MC and their relationship with their family, this one was chaotic in the best way.

[Amara F · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I was given this book but my review is based solely on my own thoughts and opinions*

It’s a novella, short and an easy read. Read it in a couple hours. It’s an interesting take on so many levels, a combination of different genres and tropes that I haven’t read combined before. You have mafia, demons, mates, slightly/ sort of trans relationship, being in the wrong sort of body but finding love anyway. As mentioned in other reviews, I don’t like that Ander messes around with other women once he meets his mate, kind of messed up. It’s hard to get a full understanding of characters in a novella, this wasn’t bad. A good read for people that wanna dabble in dark reads cause this got pretty dark and let’s say raunchy at times haha.

[Tonika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trans Demon x Human fated mates, Crime Family x Medical Examiner

Ander a male demon trapped in a female human body. Feeling self conscious with low self esteem, Ander doesn’t know how to handle the situation, with himself or Blair.

And Blair the medical examiner called out to a random crime scene where they have a meet cute. And now she assumes because Ander is in a suit at a crime scene that Ander is a detective.

So this should be a fun read.

I love the dig at the toxic masculinity podcasts! And the dig at a large conglomerate.

key points in no particular order:

- Trans demon man (F2M)
- Packers
- Curvy sized FMC
- secrets/lies
- siblings stirring up trouble
- Fated Mates

[Darktwistybookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

• Trans FTM demon
• Divorced almost 40 FMC
• Norse mythology
• Idiot twins

This was quite the rollercoaster - It was angsty, sweet, spicy, and made me laugh at times.
I loved the trans aspect of this story - It really gives you an insight into the mental struggles faced with being in the wrong body, and my heart really hurt for Ander. I loved the acceptance he got from those around him and how he finally felt whole in the end - it was touching!
I also adored Anders family - the idiot twins cracked me up, and the rest of the family has me intrigued! I hope we get more of their stories in the future!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Blair and Ander SO MUCH
I laughed, I cried, I blushed from the spice.
I love this series so much, and I love every couple we get to meet 🔥