Demon King's Gardener Volumes I-III Omnibus

by Rori Thornton, Sydney Dean (Dustcover Illustrator), Aleksi Gray (Endpaper Illustrator)

Enter the World of Jurao and Braelin

Volume I: In Which a Demon King Does Not Have a Romantic Interest in His Human Gardener

Demon King Jurao returns from his successful thirty-year Union Campaign and discovers something amiss - the castle gardens have a secret caretaker.

Using his authority over the sentient plants, he discovers the gardener is... a human! But after hearing the man out, Jurao decides to appoint Braelin as the official Royal Gardner for all his hard work.

Now he just needs to figure out why everyone seems to believe he is romantically interested in the human...

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Volume II: In Which a Demon King Has a Realization and Attempts to Court His Human Gardener

After a bit more encouragement, Jurao realizes he does have a romantic interest in Braelin - and decides to pursue it.

But what should have been a simple matter of confessing his feelings turns out to be more difficult than the Demon King anticipated when he loses his nerve. Seeking advice from friends and family - including an excitable princess arriving to confirm rumors of his crush - Jurao comes up with a new plan to express his feelings in the form of a courtship gift.

Now all that remains is whether or not Braelin is interested in being courted...

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Volume III: In Which a Demon King Meets His Romantic Partner's Family

Jurao and Braelin are, after all the hijinks, officially courting romantically. But their story is far from over...

The first members of Braelin's scattered family - the elf-human twins Meir'ril and Ayelma, along with Braelin's fully human uncle, Owren - arrive in the Demon Realm. All are glad to be reunited, but it seems to stir up some bad memories for the Royal Gardener...

Soon after, the envoy from the Temple of Iescula, Goddess of Sieges and Plants, arrives - and he's not happy about the human gardener tending his Lady's beloved plants...

Genres: Fantasy

390 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2025

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Demon King’s Gardener is an online queer cozy fantasy serial originally posted on Royal Road. After a decade-long campaign, the Demon King Jurao returns to his palace to find the castle garden thriving. The sentient demon plants reveal a lost human Braelin that has been tending to the garden, and the plants have been protecting and hiding him in return. Jurao surprises all by appointing Braelin as the official Royal Gardener, and what follows is their day to day as king and gardener that somehow turns into more.

This serial is the definition of a comfort read, and it is just a delight. The series is incredibly cozy, with absolutely no stakes, and relies heavily on just vibes. I absolutely loved it. There is no set plotline or defined narrative, but we just get a slice-of-life look into their daily lives within the castle like gossip about a certain king and gardener, staff conflict about the new human in their midst, and surprise visits from relatives, priests and deities.

It follows Jurao, a straightforward aroace demon, surprised to discover that he has developed a crush on this aroace human man in his 40s. Braelin is similarly oblivious to his feelings and just super focused on the caring of plants. Their lowkey (bordering on queerplatonic) romance was great as both men ineptly try to discover, express, and explore their new relationship. It’s just adorably cute. Surrounding them are a wide range of diverse queer characters that make up Jurao’s staff and advisors in the castle.

The Demon King’s Gardener is a queer no-stakes cozy fantasy that is just a delightful comfort read.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this volume and Rori Thornton's other works. I loved watching these characters come together and figure each other out. It was heart warming and heartening. As someone who's never been great with people, it felt like seeing myself on the page in a way that does not normally happen. Thank you.

The world building and the setting were also lovely. The inclusive society was a pleasant break from reality, although trying to keep track of all the titles and terms was occasionally frustrating.

[August · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was cute, low stakes, and lots of aroace rep (which is the reason i picked it up). my only thing is that it was almost too low stakes and lacked a tangible plot line, which isn’t really my cup of tea. the writing style wasn’t my favorite if i’m being honest, it felt a bit disjointed and rushed but i could see how some others would enjoy it more than i did. i did like how much aroace exposure and representation there was though and i will always support that in books.

[Lenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such a cute, low-stakes, slice of (fantasy) life cosy story with lots of different represenation, plus sentient carnivorous plants, what more can you ask for? 😃

I ended up binge reading the whole series (8 parts so far) and I think I'd give it an overall 4.75⭐️ rating - it's cute, with great characters and worldbuilding (though having so many new terms and names can get confusing a bit), (slow) plot, romance (both mcs are aroace) and humour

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and cozy.