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Good Fiends
Good Fiends is a standalone contemporary fantasy set in a modern world transformed by the emergence of shadowy fiends.
Blue has spent half of her life trapped in an underground bunker where she is subjected to exposure to a mysterious light. When she isn’t in the saturation tank, she’s recovering from the painful side effects, reading, or honing her Ttacher skills, which grant her the ability to command fiends using the glowing cord in her chest. But Blue has seen glimpses of life outside the Institute through the eyes of her only friend, and when she suspects the compound will be moved, cutting her off from the rest of the world entirely, she escapes into the Southern California sunshine.
Bonding with a furious wolf fiend to escape the Institute guards, Blue agrees to help Kai get out of the debt trapping him in San Diego in exchange for his protection on the road to Vancouver Island, where the Ttacher Union may offer Blue refuge from the organization that raised her. As they move through California and Oregon by boat, bus, train, car, and foot, they deal with fiends from Kai’s past in addition to Blue's pursuers. Den leaders, ssmoke dealers, Institute coatguards, and corrupt Ttachers stand between them and their goal, but as the pair get closer, they grow stronger. Blue has traits her Ttatcher abilities can’t explain, and Kai’s connection to his umbral body keeps advancing. While they struggle to decide what future to make for themselves, outside forces attempt to steal the choice from Blue forever.
When Blue ends up back in Institute hands, she and Kai must break mortal limitations to remain in a world where they can be together— or die fighting for the unbreakable bond they share.
This is the SPICY EDITION, which includes intimate scenes.
Blue has spent half of her life trapped in an underground bunker where she is subjected to exposure to a mysterious light. When she isn’t in the saturation tank, she’s recovering from the painful side effects, reading, or honing her Ttacher skills, which grant her the ability to command fiends using the glowing cord in her chest. But Blue has seen glimpses of life outside the Institute through the eyes of her only friend, and when she suspects the compound will be moved, cutting her off from the rest of the world entirely, she escapes into the Southern California sunshine.
Bonding with a furious wolf fiend to escape the Institute guards, Blue agrees to help Kai get out of the debt trapping him in San Diego in exchange for his protection on the road to Vancouver Island, where the Ttacher Union may offer Blue refuge from the organization that raised her. As they move through California and Oregon by boat, bus, train, car, and foot, they deal with fiends from Kai’s past in addition to Blue's pursuers. Den leaders, ssmoke dealers, Institute coatguards, and corrupt Ttachers stand between them and their goal, but as the pair get closer, they grow stronger. Blue has traits her Ttatcher abilities can’t explain, and Kai’s connection to his umbral body keeps advancing. While they struggle to decide what future to make for themselves, outside forces attempt to steal the choice from Blue forever.
When Blue ends up back in Institute hands, she and Kai must break mortal limitations to remain in a world where they can be together— or die fighting for the unbreakable bond they share.
This is the SPICY EDITION, which includes intimate scenes.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2025
4 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 5, 2025
This gets wacky in such a fun way LOL. I was already sold on this author from the first book I read, but this one proved that Delaney has a talent for crafting cohesive, inventive, and exciting urban fantasy worlds and bringing them to a satisfying conclusion in one volume!
I would be ECSTATIC to read a 600 pg book this author, I won’t lie, but all three existing titles have been a delight and I’m so so happy to have discovered Delaney 😭😭😭
Blue is a an absolute sunshine character and though she is naive to most of “regular” life, it never felt annoying or that I was being kept in the dark as a reader. I really appreciate a story where the protagonist can be naive without being a complete airhead LMAO. Like she’s not stupid for the sake of the plot, she’s smart and just hasn’t had a lot of opportunities or experiences, and I really appreciated that change bc it often feels like inexperienced fmc’s can become very annoying for that reason in other books I’ve read.
The build up between Blue and Kai’s relationship was also so well done. You can feel his reluctance and his distrust threaded through a lot of their early interactions but it’s clear at the end of the day that Kai is a good person in spite of his own best efforts sometimes lol. He hasn’t been afforded a lot of kindness, and Blue becoming that bright soft spot in his life, the person who can open himself up to, the person he’s willing to get hurt for because knowing her makes the hurt worth it….GAH. I CANT EVEN DEAL WITH IT SEVERAL DAYS LATER IM GONNA CRY.
The side characters are all super fun and well crafted, the lore of the universe is refreshing without being overwhelming. I am will be securing myself like a barnacle to this author’s Amazon profile in anticipation of all the next books 🫡🫡
I would be ECSTATIC to read a 600 pg book this author, I won’t lie, but all three existing titles have been a delight and I’m so so happy to have discovered Delaney 😭😭😭
Blue is a an absolute sunshine character and though she is naive to most of “regular” life, it never felt annoying or that I was being kept in the dark as a reader. I really appreciate a story where the protagonist can be naive without being a complete airhead LMAO. Like she’s not stupid for the sake of the plot, she’s smart and just hasn’t had a lot of opportunities or experiences, and I really appreciated that change bc it often feels like inexperienced fmc’s can become very annoying for that reason in other books I’ve read.
The build up between Blue and Kai’s relationship was also so well done. You can feel his reluctance and his distrust threaded through a lot of their early interactions but it’s clear at the end of the day that Kai is a good person in spite of his own best efforts sometimes lol. He hasn’t been afforded a lot of kindness, and Blue becoming that bright soft spot in his life, the person who can open himself up to, the person he’s willing to get hurt for because knowing her makes the hurt worth it….GAH. I CANT EVEN DEAL WITH IT SEVERAL DAYS LATER IM GONNA CRY.
The side characters are all super fun and well crafted, the lore of the universe is refreshing without being overwhelming. I am will be securing myself like a barnacle to this author’s Amazon profile in anticipation of all the next books 🫡🫡
June 5, 2025
Did I 100% purchase this book because of character art I saw on social media? Absolutely! Was it worth it? Definitely!
Blue and Kai are delightful protagonists. Blue is something called a ttacher: she can create a rope of light, or a "tether" that can allow her to control creatures called fiends. She has spent a good chunk of her life as a lab experiment, but escapes when she learns she is going to be moved to a different facility. As part of her escape, she tethers to Kai, a wolf fiend. They are a total grumpy/sunshine paring. Blue is very excited to see all the things she's never been allowed to see while stuck in the institute and Kai is absolutely FURIOUS that he can now be completely controlled by someone.
I loved how the world building slowly unfolded as Blue and Kai travel up the coast. There was no info dumping: readers learn about the mysteries of fiends, ttachers and nonpareils as the story progresses.
There's plenty of action and adventure as they evade shady fiends and Institute goons. The more time Blue and Kai spend together, the closer they become and their journey to freedom changes both of them greatly.
Blue and Kai are delightful protagonists. Blue is something called a ttacher: she can create a rope of light, or a "tether" that can allow her to control creatures called fiends. She has spent a good chunk of her life as a lab experiment, but escapes when she learns she is going to be moved to a different facility. As part of her escape, she tethers to Kai, a wolf fiend. They are a total grumpy/sunshine paring. Blue is very excited to see all the things she's never been allowed to see while stuck in the institute and Kai is absolutely FURIOUS that he can now be completely controlled by someone.
I loved how the world building slowly unfolded as Blue and Kai travel up the coast. There was no info dumping: readers learn about the mysteries of fiends, ttachers and nonpareils as the story progresses.
There's plenty of action and adventure as they evade shady fiends and Institute goons. The more time Blue and Kai spend together, the closer they become and their journey to freedom changes both of them greatly.
August 10, 2025
Good Fiends is captivating from beginning to end! There’s plenty of action and spice to go around, but I was equally taken with its quieter moments. Not a single line felt wasted in this story.
The protagonists, Blue and Kai, have both been greatly shaped by circumstances beyond their control and it’s a delight to watch them learn who they are when the chains are broken. I was rooting for them individually as much as I was rooting for their romance!
As far as the romance itself goes, there was plenty of squealing and kicking my feet going on while I was reading this one! If you like “the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one” tropes, Blue and Kai will be right up your alley. Once she’s identified her feelings, Blue is surprisingly bold in her affections despite her sheltered upbringing, and Kai is the perfect blend of snarky and tender. 10/10 no notes on these two silly lovebirds
Good Fiends has so much heart. I laughed, cried, smacked my hand on my forehead… you name an emotion, Good Fiends probably evoked it at some point or another. It was a pleasure to read this story, and I can’t wait to dive into Delaney Martin-Hutsler’s next one!
The protagonists, Blue and Kai, have both been greatly shaped by circumstances beyond their control and it’s a delight to watch them learn who they are when the chains are broken. I was rooting for them individually as much as I was rooting for their romance!
As far as the romance itself goes, there was plenty of squealing and kicking my feet going on while I was reading this one! If you like “the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one” tropes, Blue and Kai will be right up your alley. Once she’s identified her feelings, Blue is surprisingly bold in her affections despite her sheltered upbringing, and Kai is the perfect blend of snarky and tender. 10/10 no notes on these two silly lovebirds
Good Fiends has so much heart. I laughed, cried, smacked my hand on my forehead… you name an emotion, Good Fiends probably evoked it at some point or another. It was a pleasure to read this story, and I can’t wait to dive into Delaney Martin-Hutsler’s next one!
August 6, 2025
I needed this book. I haven’t read much in the last few years, and it’s been slow reading if I have. However, I blasted through Good Fiends in just a few days. Delaney Martin-Hutsler kept me constantly coming back for more. There’s nerve-wracking escapes, chill campy vibes, ~ tension ~, and so much more. The characters go through so much, and you get to experience it all through the eyes of the two leads and their interactions with the intense world around them. I enjoyed every page of it.
May 30, 2025
Good Fiends uses one of my favorite setups in romance: the time trial. When the journey is over, when the music stops, will the main pair go their separate ways, or will they form ties that outlive the circumstances that brought them together?
The (urban?) fantasy elements are effortlessly woven into the personal dramas of the cast. No lore dumps here; we the readers learn about Ttachers and fiends and nonpareil primarily by watching the world do its thing through the eyes of our main pair. Blue drives the plot towards the things she has been missing out on; incidentally, the same things that the book delivers on best.
The splendor of the Pacific Coast. The beautiful, messy people (and fiends) that cross her path there. Love. Community. Hope. Precious, tranquil, fragile moments to mourn the youth that her wardens denied her. Desperate, electric, hot-blooded struggles to win her own future.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will blush (at minimum -- the spice!!), you will cheer, at least once: "beat his ---!!"
You will certainly not regret reading Good Fiends. I devoured it in a night and a day, breaking a years-long drought of books in my life. For what it's worth, I'm a cishet guy and consider myself a tourist to the standalone contemporary fantasy romance genre. I might not be an authority on genre trappings, cliches, tropes, and whatnot. But I will be reading whatever Delaney Martin-Hutsler decides to grace us with next.
The (urban?) fantasy elements are effortlessly woven into the personal dramas of the cast. No lore dumps here; we the readers learn about Ttachers and fiends and nonpareil primarily by watching the world do its thing through the eyes of our main pair. Blue drives the plot towards the things she has been missing out on; incidentally, the same things that the book delivers on best.
The splendor of the Pacific Coast. The beautiful, messy people (and fiends) that cross her path there. Love. Community. Hope. Precious, tranquil, fragile moments to mourn the youth that her wardens denied her. Desperate, electric, hot-blooded struggles to win her own future.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will blush (at minimum -- the spice!!), you will cheer, at least once: "beat his ---!!"
You will certainly not regret reading Good Fiends. I devoured it in a night and a day, breaking a years-long drought of books in my life. For what it's worth, I'm a cishet guy and consider myself a tourist to the standalone contemporary fantasy romance genre. I might not be an authority on genre trappings, cliches, tropes, and whatnot. But I will be reading whatever Delaney Martin-Hutsler decides to grace us with next.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews