Chained to the Devil's Daughter

Mating the Elements #1

by Delilah Dare

Nine years as a prisoner...
I'm free, and I'm coming for her.

Searra
As Hell’s human princess, the palace was my gilded cage until a ruddy-faced orphan with fangs as sharp as his wits showed me how love sets one free. Our secret friendship kindled under the stars, blazing into an inferno over the years as we shared all our precious firsts.

Everything changed when my tyrant father put my hand up for sale.

Ash’ren
It was a night like any other. I snuck into Searra’s room to remind her that every last inch of me belonged to her, and she was mine. Reckless, foolish, driven by primal urges, I was captured.

Banished to a tower with a spirit as broken as my wing, I’ve dug Devil’s blasted rings for nine years, defying my morals in unredeemable ways, turning my soul and my flames as dark as the void.

Now I’m free, and never once have I stopped burning for her.

Perfect for fans of morally dark anti-heros, insta-love, high-spice with a low-angst relationship and an interesting fantasy plot set in a partially sentient elemental world!

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2024

Reviews

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look I wanted to love this but I just couldn't. Don't get me wrong, the smut is pretty hot but I couldn't connect to the story or the characters at all and everything felt kind of bland and dull.

I kept reading thinking it would get better but there wasn't enough world building for me. I felt like I was constantly being told things and didn't really feel / see them.

Also, Ash as a character just had no personality to me. Like he hasn't seen her for years and they just are like "cool nice to see you, let's have sex now". It just didn't work for me and I'm sad about that.

[erikoreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Love the idea of the devil’s daughter overthrowing the devil himself, leading a rebellion, freeing the oppressed… the MMC was… I donno… I could have done without the spicy romance aspect in this book, but it took up a large part of the book - hence the lower rating.

Such as shame that the rebellion and the political intrigue took a back seat, because the Hell and the magical system created in this book was really interesting to me. But if you’re a monster romance fan, then this book might be more your thing!

[Evelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The smut was good, the storyline/plot, needed work.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every second of this book. Delilah Dare has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I was honored to be apart of the arc readers for this new book. I couldn’t put this book down!! The only reason I didn’t finish it sooner was due to life getting in the way.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Nobody must drop to their knees before me other than you."~Searra

This was unfiltered smut. And I mean, constantly.😝😝 Don't get me wrong there's a bit of a plot, so much is happening here, a red world is being built, some drama, betrayals, half secrets, trying to help others for a better realm in the deep pit of the underworld. Yes, it's that place. A rebellion is happening. There's levels, like Dante's Inferno, but without all the scary torture punishment. Demon Ash'ren has been sent to the tower where he stays imprisoned for 9yrs b/c of who he got involved with. The devil's daughter is off limits. Ash makes his escape to get back to his one true love, the future Queen. His vengeance and his need for his Firefly are his two driving forces. He's a dirty talking guy who wants to have a future with Searra and tons of kids.😄😄 Or pups as he calls them. Hence the procreation drive. It's on kinky overload!!🔥🔥🔥 There's even tail action.🙀🙀 What will happen when the devil returns home?

At times it was hard for me to follow the story. I felt like I missed some backstory somewhere. There's parts of history that are filled in, but even then, I still had questions. Especially Searra and how she came to be with the devil. I get part of the why, I guess, but there was something still left out. That's how it felt to me. How did it get to this point? Who truly is the usurper? If you like dark fantasy, with hints of mythological elements, and constant constant fire smut interaction, then you should check this one out. There's a continuation for the next book with another character from this story. Not really a cliffhanger per se but you know what I mean.😁 I'm not sure how to rate this one. There wasn't a character that stood out for me, one I was rooting for. I'm sorry. This was more of a breeding obsession story if that makes sense. Happy reading.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

☄️😈Thank you to Ms Dare and Bookfunnel for an early book. These are my honest thoughts on the story I read.😈☄️

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was sadly a miss for me - there were some interesting ideas here but it was honestly a bit of a slog for me to get through it.
I felt rather lost at the start of this book as it seemed we jumped right into the deep end with no real idea of what was going on or who anyone was and this didn’t improve all that much as the book progressed. I’m still somewhat confused about the various rings, the politics, the bone mining enterprise and the circumstances under which Devil had left/been incarcerated. I really needed more comprehensive worldbuilding and context.
As for our main characters, Searra seemed incredibly naive at times for someone who was being groomed as the heir to the throne since she was a baby and is currently leading a rebellion. And Ash-ren, other than his one track mind about Searra, was an almost too perfect invincible hero. Then there were the miraculous magical potions, etc. that solved every issue the two of them faced which felt ridiculous after a point. Even the sexy times started to wear thin and I reached my saturation point long before the ending!
All in all, not my favourite read by this author.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this has all the elements of a fantasy read, and everything you might expect. The power struggle. The fighting for the people, going against the ruler's authority. The magic, losing powers and gaining powers... ect. ect. ect. It's core is the romance. A 'forbidden' one. A second chance one. Going against all rules to be together. Ash'ren is what you might say, 'From the wrong side of the tracks.' Searra is the Kings daughter, and soon to be Queen. They were childhood friends (even if they had to be sneaky and secretive about their relationship.) Unfortunately, he was imprisoned for about a decade. That decade apart did nothing for the love they had for one another. This love story was really quite beautiful... and hot. The book is filled with all the steamy content (which is intended for mature readers.) It has all the different types of characters you'd see in a contemporary romance. The jilted ex causing havoc. The best friend. The enemies turned allies. The neglectful and overbearing parent. And so much more. I will say that the first portion of the book was primarily sexual content. (As the two were recently reunited.) Little in the way of plot, but did set the groundwork for what takes place later on. The later portion was where all the real action took place. Where the battle happened. It alternates POVs. There are a few possible triggers, so read the warning if you have any. Having said that, it's not a dark read (no darker than any other fantasy/romantasy anyways.) Yes there is death, and some violence. But, once again, it's the romance that is the heart of this story. (Despite his demon ways.. Ash'ren really is great book boyfriend material. That Searra is one lucky Queen. ;)

[Tabitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt incredibly frustrated by this Book One that felt like anything but. Everything that is happening in this book—the start of the revolution and the beginning of the MCs’ relationship, the story of how the two of them got caught together and separated for nine years, whatever happened to his wing, the MMC’s life in The Tower and the fate of the FMC’s father—all of it happens before the start of the novel, which begins when they’re reunited, she’s being called Queen and there’s apparently a revolution underway while her dad is in the hands of some sort of Council. Each and every one of these plot points is only touched upon and then breezed past in favor of mountains of sex scenes and their joyful reunion that I just couldn’t flipping understand because I was too busy trying to track everything else that I missed. I got super-frustrated with this when, at one point, the MMC is getting confronted by angry villagers about his past (I don’t know what he did) and then some other guy with Significant-Looking Emerald Eyes pipes up to defend him, and the chapter ends with the MMC thinking: Of course Samothy’s son would be the first to extend a hand. Who TF is Samothy? Frustrated, I looked up “Samothy” in the text and It’s The Only Time He Is Mentioned. WTF am I reading? Ultimately, not a lot of these questions got answered and I was left wondering why the book worked so hard to set up all this stuff when the erotica was the focus.

[Tima · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. Searra, the female human lead, is the foster daughter of Devil, the ruler of the Hell domains. She fell in love with a low caste demon, Ash’Ren, the male lead, years ago but Ash’Ren was locked away once Devil discovered their ongoing love.

Now years later, Searra is in the process of leading a coup to overthrow Devil when she hears of the “Ash Render” destroying the domain as he makes his way to her castle. Once Ash’Ren makes it back to her, however, there’s still politics to negotiate. Then they need to secure Devil and dispose of him permanently…

This story is dual POV, and a darker fantasy, reverse Rapunzel retelling, erotic romance. The key here is that it is an erotic romance with lots of very intimate engagement between the lead characters. If that what you’re looking for, this story is a fun romp. I admit that I found some of the non-romance plot somewhat disjointed. I enjoyed Searra’s resilience and her rebellion against the only parental figure in her life, abusive though he was. I enjoyed Ash’Ren’s dedication to (obsession with) Searra and his willingness to do whatever she needed and to keep her thoroughly satisfied.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.

[Angela Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts off with immediately gripping you into the story and it didn’t let go. Ash has spent nine years imprisoned because he dared to love Devil’s daughter. Now he’s back and he has no intention of ever leaving her again. Good thing she doesn’t want him to leave. Searra’s and Ash’ren’s love is so strong even after all these years. It was so awesome seeing how much they still loved each other and to see how much that love continued to grow as they got to know each other now as well. They have a lot to face together, but they know they can, because they do have each other. From winning over the people, to overthrowing her father there is a lot of overcome. It’s amazing to see how they do it. Loved the supporting characters and can’t wait for some more stories in this series! Oh and the spice starts from the very beginning and doesn’t let up. But there is a great story and plot to go along with it. Definitely recommend.

I did receive an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ash’ren was imprisoned by the Devil for loving his human princess daughter but he escaped 9 years later to return to his best friend and one true love Searra. This epic love story is packing some serious spice also, I mean like 5 peppers! Her father tried selling her so every year she has a suitor to live next to her room. Through it all she held firm in her love for Ash’ren. Along with this She is trying to over-through her father the Devil, to right some of the wrongs being done. If you like a book with high heat, pregnancy kink, an all encompassing love for each other & fight to keep it, and main characters (royalty) having to earn the respect of the people, you will enjoy this. I love there is going to be another book coming giving Elodie’s story. Maybe we can hope for one for Geysis, I love this character!

[Tara Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chained to the Devil's Daughter is a fast paced read that drops you right in the middle of the action. It might benefit from a prologue as I found myself thinking I skipped a page or two at the beginning. Searra is our lead FMC, and she is the titular Devil's daughter, who fell in love with a lesser demon, Ash'ren, when she was younger. Throughout his nine year imprisonment, Ash survived with a singular focus to return to Searra. Once they're reunited, it gets *spicy* guys. He's got a filthy mouth and a pregnancy kink, and stuff gets colorful, frequently. The hierarchy of Hell was interesting, with the different rings, and the planning of rebellions. Searra becomes aware of the injustices hidden from her due to her station and sets out to flip the script. If you're looking for a fast paced, super spicy tale of reunited lovers overcoming trials, then you should check this out!

[TheDreadPirateHilde · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you just want smut, skip everything but the smut; better yet try something else. This was too hard to read. I wanted so much to like this book. Unfortunately, it’s so badly written that I just can’t. There are small moments in this book, where you think you may be able to finally get into it; then Ms. Dare rips you back out of it with some ridiculous saying, or a really weird dip into Noir-style detective monologue. Much of it reads like she wrote her ideas down as notations but then instead of fleshing out her ideas, she simply went “yeap that’s good enough,” and then pasted it in. The events seem disconnected, unfinished, or phoned in. I read Married to the Mahr and while it was simplistic, and predictable, it was not this badly written. I bought three of her books in one go. We’ll see what lies in store for me in the crow book.

[Daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Its Love
This story has lots of bits happening. Such a magical cool world the writer created. Its a BIG book, full of detail and story.
Boy meets girl... the wrong girl if her father has anything to say about it. Boy and girl sneak about doing their thing. Then the power that be which is the Devil himself does his thing. Years past 9 years to be exact. Now the Big Boy has escaped and caused chaos getting himself back to his girl.
We have H3ll fighting h3ll. The girl is not on the winning side or is she??...
They typical magic court with betrayal, intrigue, and just stuff goings on. A lil dark, a little intense a lot of $exy.
The first book and yeah you're gonna wanna grab the second one. Enjoy

[Anna Astralchampinjion · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts with a bang and just keeps on going.
It’s a book about two people from different stations in life, a boy of low birth and the princess, a tale as old as time.. but much spicier..

The princess has started a rebellion to take down her Devil father and it is a mace of betrayal and intrigue, Ashr’en breaks out of the prison he was put in by said father and comes to her side after nine years away from each other.

I like the world that Delilah Dare has created, the curse words and such, you get a feel for it but she doesn’t write about how things look/feel/taste/smell until you want to skip over things.

I like the spice, a good amount and quite hot. (and it did not take over the whole thing)

Will I read it again? Probably!

[Fay J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from start to finish. I think that the way that things progressed was very natural. For a couple that had been kept apart for ten years and mourned each other the entire time, the physicality of being back together sweeps everything away and yet the world will always slowly creep back in.

Searra was doing what she thought was right, even if she didn't want the role. Ash'ren wanted to be with her above all things. The world building was very evocative and you felt as though you journeyed through all these places with them. Your heart gets wrenched with all that they have to fight through. There is violence, greed, intrigue, apathy, neglect and deep pain underneath the surface and it is all relatable. At it's core though this is a love story, pure and simple.

[Stealthy Dragon 623 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book needed a prologue or a beginning chapter to set the stage. I feel like we jumped in with all hands on deck. I liked that the book was fast paced, and we did get ships to their childhood through out but I felt like I would have been happier with a little bit of that up front. That being said... There is sooooo much spice! Like, every other chapter spice. I love a good smut book as much as the next gal but I felt like I would have enjoyed the plot with a little less smut and a little more character development. That being said, I am still looking forward to the next one

[Sandra Sanches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark,intense and so spicy!

Two lovers kept apart by an evil father, devil himself. 
Now,nine years later Ash'ren escapes and burns all in his path to find Searra,the human  princess. 
Together they will lead a rebellion fighting for their love and the freedom of their people. 
Anti-hero,morally grey characters,low angst,a good plot and smut hotter than hell with the magic touch of Delilah Dare!

[Simone A · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Use me, Firefly. Please.” Piercing, all-black eyes pleaded with me. “Please, use me like your pawn. I promise to be good. Please” “You beg like such a good little pet.

I loved the relationship and growth between Ash'ren & Searra. The banter and spice with plot was good, I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amiee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a highly anticipated read for me, and it did not disappoint! I love the storyline and the way Ash'ren would do anything for his woman but has very little need to as Searra is a strong woman in her own right. The spice is so hot and there is soooo much of it!
I can't wait for Elodie's book now.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has a lot of potential.

This teeters a fine line between all smut no plot and having a plot. Some things were never explained either so the world was built beautifully but I didn’t understand it.

I wish I liked it more. I feel like this could easily be a five star with just a little more work!

[Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of spice, but the timeline made absolutely no sense. Would have also liked a little more character background before starting the book off with such a bang.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, another amazing read. I couldn’t put it down. Will read more books from this author.

[Heather Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly written by an incredible author! I loved it from beginning to end!

[Isa Newbury | reading_isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
4 🌶

[Exalt Naga · Rating 5 out of 5]

After nine long years of being imprisoned, Ash’ren is broken out and he literally burns through the rings of Hell to get to Searra. Their reunion is spicy. But Searra has a rebellion to lead against Devil so she can be Queen and save her people from horrible conditions and indentured servitude, and finally claim her love, her mate, Ash. The spice is spicing! Ash has a forked tongue, wings, horns, and a knotted and ribbed you know what, a tail that can be used to *cough*, oh and did i mention he has black flames he can control?!? His nickname for her is so sweet, he calls her “Firefly” and he wants to see her light burn bright for herself and her people. I love Delilah Dare’s books and this one is the best one yet! The next book is Searra’s friend story and I can’t wait!

[Sarah Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed the story. There was a lot of spice that still allowed the plot to flow at a nice pace. The two main characters have some good growth as they help each other get through their traumas while also figuring out how to handle a possible war.