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Imp World #10
Three Wishes
Dar helped his foster sister become the ruler of Hel, and helped her free the enslaved humans from the elves. It’s about time he helped himself – to a fun week of mayhem in the Windy City. Collapsing a few buildings and corrupting politicians is an ideal vacation for a demon in Chicago, but Dar didn’t count on a beautiful angel sabotaging his fun and putting him to work.
Asta is an angelic enforcer, scanning for demons in her assigned territory and sending them to an early grave. Unfortunately, the latest trespasser from Hel has diplomatic immunity – but immunity doesn’t mean she can’t coerce him into helping her track and dispatch the powerful demon that’s been cycling in and out of her radar for the last few days.
Demons are the sworn enemies of every angel, but Asta must learn to trust Dar or the dark presence that is growing in Chicago will spread – and this particular enemy has the skills and knowledge to send human civilization back to the dark ages.
She has one week left as an enforcer before she returns to her heavenly home – one week to catch an elusive monster, and one week to safeguard her heart from the demon who is determined to seduce her to sin.
Asta is an angelic enforcer, scanning for demons in her assigned territory and sending them to an early grave. Unfortunately, the latest trespasser from Hel has diplomatic immunity – but immunity doesn’t mean she can’t coerce him into helping her track and dispatch the powerful demon that’s been cycling in and out of her radar for the last few days.
Demons are the sworn enemies of every angel, but Asta must learn to trust Dar or the dark presence that is growing in Chicago will spread – and this particular enemy has the skills and knowledge to send human civilization back to the dark ages.
She has one week left as an enforcer before she returns to her heavenly home – one week to catch an elusive monster, and one week to safeguard her heart from the demon who is determined to seduce her to sin.
295 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2015
89 people are currently reading
601 people want to read
About the author
Debra Dunbar
101 books1,277 followersDebra lives in a little house in the woods in Maryland with three sons, and a Noah’s ark of four legged family members. She has a corporate job during the day, and writes novels at night, after the kids are tucked in bed.
She drives an Excursion affectionately called The Beast, couldn’t carry a tune if you duct taped it to her back, and enjoys an occasional cosmopolitan (heavy on the vodka). On a good day, she jogs and horseback rides, hopefully managing to keep the horse between herself and the ground.
Her only known super power is ‘Identify Roadkill’.
She drives an Excursion affectionately called The Beast, couldn’t carry a tune if you duct taped it to her back, and enjoys an occasional cosmopolitan (heavy on the vodka). On a good day, she jogs and horseback rides, hopefully managing to keep the horse between herself and the ground.
Her only known super power is ‘Identify Roadkill’.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 18, 2016
i didn't hate it but i didn't like it either. it had its moments
March 16, 2015
This review and more over at The Bibliophile Chronicles!
An angel and a demon working together to uncover a plot that threatens the world. That’s going to run smoothly right?
Asta is an Angel enforcer. She has guarded the humans for almost a century, and in a few weeks, she’ll be heading home, back to the realm of the angels. She decides to let her hair down, maybe drink some coffee, try some food and generally do things angels aren't supposed to do. But as Asta sets about sending a pesky demon back to Hel, she discovers that this one has immunity, and that he won’t leave her alone. Dar is having a vacation, and decides torturing Asta may be the most fun he has ever had. But when the two uncover a strange demonic energy that continually fades in and out, will Asta be able to save the humans and keep her feelings for Dar under control before her service is up?
Lets start with the characters of this book. Asta is probably my favourite, she’s an angel, but not one of these snooty angels, she loves humans dearly, leaves lottery tickets for people, shoplifts clothes and has a mild coffee addiction. Then there’s Dar, the witty bad boy that everyone hates to love. Dunbar creates a great deal of chemistry between the two and there are lots of interesting scenes where the two end up in awkward situations.
I haven’t read the Imp series (though I am most definitely going to after reading this) but the world is the same as in Three Wishes. The world building is solid, and while the story is set in the Chicago, Dunbar paints a very realistic vision of the windy city, very much reminding me of the time that I visited! The language used is lovely and the story flows really well, and it hints at lots of little things about Hel and angels and demons fighting that I assume are most focused on in the Imp series. It really makes me look forward to reading them, because the plot in Three Wishes is exciting and fun, a definite pleasure to read.
The thing that really made Three Wishes a four star book for me was the humour. There were plenty of witty sarcastic moments between Asta and Dar, and quite a few compromising situations. Asta has spent little time in human contact and so she often misunderstands innuendos, which creates very funny chapters. I often found myself smiling or laughing when reading it. It’s a very enjoyable and easy going read, and it’s one I think I would definitely go back and read again.
There is also a great amount of character transformation in the book, Asta goes from being loyal enforcer, to questioning the ethics of the demon and angel conflict. Dar begins as a demon who wants nothing more than to live the fast life and antagonise people, but by the end he strives to be something more. The novel is endearing and sweet, funny and exciting, as well as dabbling in action and mystery. It is one of my favourite urban fantasy novels of 2015. Pick it up today – you won’t regret it.
An angel and a demon working together to uncover a plot that threatens the world. That’s going to run smoothly right?
Asta is an Angel enforcer. She has guarded the humans for almost a century, and in a few weeks, she’ll be heading home, back to the realm of the angels. She decides to let her hair down, maybe drink some coffee, try some food and generally do things angels aren't supposed to do. But as Asta sets about sending a pesky demon back to Hel, she discovers that this one has immunity, and that he won’t leave her alone. Dar is having a vacation, and decides torturing Asta may be the most fun he has ever had. But when the two uncover a strange demonic energy that continually fades in and out, will Asta be able to save the humans and keep her feelings for Dar under control before her service is up?
Lets start with the characters of this book. Asta is probably my favourite, she’s an angel, but not one of these snooty angels, she loves humans dearly, leaves lottery tickets for people, shoplifts clothes and has a mild coffee addiction. Then there’s Dar, the witty bad boy that everyone hates to love. Dunbar creates a great deal of chemistry between the two and there are lots of interesting scenes where the two end up in awkward situations.
I haven’t read the Imp series (though I am most definitely going to after reading this) but the world is the same as in Three Wishes. The world building is solid, and while the story is set in the Chicago, Dunbar paints a very realistic vision of the windy city, very much reminding me of the time that I visited! The language used is lovely and the story flows really well, and it hints at lots of little things about Hel and angels and demons fighting that I assume are most focused on in the Imp series. It really makes me look forward to reading them, because the plot in Three Wishes is exciting and fun, a definite pleasure to read.
The thing that really made Three Wishes a four star book for me was the humour. There were plenty of witty sarcastic moments between Asta and Dar, and quite a few compromising situations. Asta has spent little time in human contact and so she often misunderstands innuendos, which creates very funny chapters. I often found myself smiling or laughing when reading it. It’s a very enjoyable and easy going read, and it’s one I think I would definitely go back and read again.
There is also a great amount of character transformation in the book, Asta goes from being loyal enforcer, to questioning the ethics of the demon and angel conflict. Dar begins as a demon who wants nothing more than to live the fast life and antagonise people, but by the end he strives to be something more. The novel is endearing and sweet, funny and exciting, as well as dabbling in action and mystery. It is one of my favourite urban fantasy novels of 2015. Pick it up today – you won’t regret it.
March 9, 2015
4.5 ★
Revew to come. When I'm not down with the flu & feeling so lazy;-)
Revew to come. When I'm not down with the flu & feeling so lazy;-)
July 31, 2017
This book was actually a lot more interesting than I had expected. And I'm not exactly sure what the TSTL comments about the female lead was about. TSTL normally involves a series of repetitively stupid acts that puts the individual into constant danger of injury and/or death. And while the angel in this story faced a few dangerous moments, they didn't really rise to TSTL status.
She was kind of naive about humans though. And she never did learn how to use a revolving door. But there were reasons, and stuff.
I wasn't really sure how I'd feel seeing a book that starred Dar, as he isn't exactly my favorite character in the Imp universe (I don't dislike him or anything, I just didn't think I'd want to read a book with him in the lead). I can't say that I was 'pleasantly surprised' because I saw Dar and Astra together in a later Imp book, so I knew there were some interesting bits there. Which leads me to note that I found the way I read things to be more satisfying - as in, reading all of the main Imp books, then reading this side book for several reasons - I'm not distracted by whatever is going on in Imp land, nor did I read this then be faced with the very tiny scene in the Imp main line book that saw these two interact further along chronologically than this book. As in, I wasn't disappointed in the tiny snippet extra scene in that later book, because I read it first, and it was something of a prequel, then, to this book.
Right, so - can you read this book on it's own? Can you read it without reading the Imp books first? Not really. You could read this whenever it falls chronologially, but I'd recommend at least reading whatever Imp books occur before this one (just look at the Imp World series list for that).
So if you have read the Imp series before this, then you already know that Dar, the demon and brother to the lead of the Imp series, had decided to go vacation in Chicago. And if you have already read the entire Imp series, currently, published, then you've also already interacted with Dar and Astra in an Imp book.
Well story - Dar's wandering around the streets of Chicago when an Angel swoops down chasing another demon. After losing track of that other demon, she turns her sight on Dar and follows him. He knows she's there, she wasn't exactly subtle, and leads her around, teasing her. Angels normally kill any and all demons encountered on earth (which you, the reader, would have known if you'd been reading the main Imp series), but Dar has immunity - as long as he doesn't do certain things like kills humans. Immunity for being in the household of the Iblis (long story).
Eventually the two meet. Parts of the book are from Dar's point of view, part from Astra, and about 0.5% is form a second demon's point of view. Astra has been on Earth, watching over Chicago, for the last 100 years, but her time is nearly up and she's only days away from returning to her Angel homeland. Other than her flying around (which Angels aren't really be so open about doing), she's been a good little angel - but now she's thinking of trying out some sins in her last week. As it will be her last chance to do so. Before her return. And as luck would have it, so to speak, Dar's there to tempt her (though that isn't what she had meant when she thought of trying out some sins, more like trying food and stuff like that).
Well, during the early stages of chasing, flirting, bantering, Dar and Astra mention this other demon Astra had been initially chasing. A demon that keeps blinking in and out oddly. For reasons, Dar helps with Astra with this investigation. Which includes visiting a cyber security conference - quite important but specifically mentioned so I could note that those who've read the Imp series also might recall that Wyatt, at some point, went to a security conference in Chicago . . . and he does pop up in this book.
For all those wondering who the hell all these people are, Wyatt, Dar, angels and demons, well, I did say that I'd recommend not reading this book as a stand-alone. To read the other Imp books first.
Oh, one final note: Gregory (aka Michael) and Samantha flirt a lot about sex, even have versions of it (mostly the spirit/angel kind), but don't seem to actually get graphic about it. Well, there are a few bits of graphicness in this book. More than in the Imp series books, less than what you'd see in an erotic novel.
Rating: 4.45
July 31 2017
She was kind of naive about humans though. And she never did learn how to use a revolving door. But there were reasons, and stuff.
I wasn't really sure how I'd feel seeing a book that starred Dar, as he isn't exactly my favorite character in the Imp universe (I don't dislike him or anything, I just didn't think I'd want to read a book with him in the lead). I can't say that I was 'pleasantly surprised' because I saw Dar and Astra together in a later Imp book, so I knew there were some interesting bits there. Which leads me to note that I found the way I read things to be more satisfying - as in, reading all of the main Imp books, then reading this side book for several reasons - I'm not distracted by whatever is going on in Imp land, nor did I read this then be faced with the very tiny scene in the Imp main line book that saw these two interact further along chronologically than this book. As in, I wasn't disappointed in the tiny snippet extra scene in that later book, because I read it first, and it was something of a prequel, then, to this book.
Right, so - can you read this book on it's own? Can you read it without reading the Imp books first? Not really. You could read this whenever it falls chronologially, but I'd recommend at least reading whatever Imp books occur before this one (just look at the Imp World series list for that).
So if you have read the Imp series before this, then you already know that Dar, the demon and brother to the lead of the Imp series, had decided to go vacation in Chicago. And if you have already read the entire Imp series, currently, published, then you've also already interacted with Dar and Astra in an Imp book.
Well story - Dar's wandering around the streets of Chicago when an Angel swoops down chasing another demon. After losing track of that other demon, she turns her sight on Dar and follows him. He knows she's there, she wasn't exactly subtle, and leads her around, teasing her. Angels normally kill any and all demons encountered on earth (which you, the reader, would have known if you'd been reading the main Imp series), but Dar has immunity - as long as he doesn't do certain things like kills humans. Immunity for being in the household of the Iblis (long story).
Eventually the two meet. Parts of the book are from Dar's point of view, part from Astra, and about 0.5% is form a second demon's point of view. Astra has been on Earth, watching over Chicago, for the last 100 years, but her time is nearly up and she's only days away from returning to her Angel homeland. Other than her flying around (which Angels aren't really be so open about doing), she's been a good little angel - but now she's thinking of trying out some sins in her last week. As it will be her last chance to do so. Before her return. And as luck would have it, so to speak, Dar's there to tempt her (though that isn't what she had meant when she thought of trying out some sins, more like trying food and stuff like that).
Well, during the early stages of chasing, flirting, bantering, Dar and Astra mention this other demon Astra had been initially chasing. A demon that keeps blinking in and out oddly. For reasons, Dar helps with Astra with this investigation. Which includes visiting a cyber security conference - quite important but specifically mentioned so I could note that those who've read the Imp series also might recall that Wyatt, at some point, went to a security conference in Chicago . . . and he does pop up in this book.
For all those wondering who the hell all these people are, Wyatt, Dar, angels and demons, well, I did say that I'd recommend not reading this book as a stand-alone. To read the other Imp books first.
Oh, one final note: Gregory (aka Michael) and Samantha flirt a lot about sex, even have versions of it (mostly the spirit/angel kind), but don't seem to actually get graphic about it. Well, there are a few bits of graphicness in this book. More than in the Imp series books, less than what you'd see in an erotic novel.
Rating: 4.45
July 31 2017
July 26, 2015
I received a free copy of Three Wishes at RT15.
This is not a stand alone novel. If you read it on its own the heroine, Asta, will seem more TSTL than she actually is.
The background is that the angels in Aaru (heavenish) went to war with each other 2.5 million years ago. They fought over two issues: whether to give humans the gifts of Aaru to humanity and how to reach enlightenment. The angels sill in Aaru believe that enlightenment can only be achieved through asceticism and distance from beings who use their senses while the angels of chaos believed enlightenment could be reached while embracing the senses. The fight was long and sad: it split families who fought against each other and many angels died. Finally, a truce was reached and the angels of chaos agreed to move to Hel. There were terrible consequences to the truce, the angels of chaos devolved into demons with no memory of their time in Aaru, the angels of Aaru are unable to have children because they cannot form them with each other, the races cannot enter the other’s realm, and there is a lot of residual resentment turned into hatred.
The angels in Aaru love and hate humans. They were the ones who wanted to give us the gifts of Aaru, but they now feel it was a terrible mistake. They feel guilty about what they see as the damage done to us, but they hate us because we revel in our passions and remind them of their mistake. They fear us because we can lead them away from their acetic ways and cause them to fall. Because of this, the angels maintain a form that can barely feel sensation when on earth and they keep their distance.
This book is bland compared to Debra Dunbar’s other books because it is a classic case of show me, not tell me. Dar is one of only two heroes I can honestly say I have a crush on. The other is Mr. Rochester (and I may or may not have had a crush on Lord Peter Wimsy when I was a teenager). Dar is loyal, bloodthirsty, tricky, funny, smart, brave, and can change his shape. Dar is a being who has greeting sex with his foster sibling Sam (heroine of the Imp series) that involves torn limbs, he's submitted a breeding contract with her (demons and angels have no determined sex), followed Sam into certain death, and saved her life over and over. He’s also thrown her under the bus a few times although his character is evolving. Where is that awesome being?
It is never really explained why Asta is so clueless, which is Ms. Dunbar’s style and one I appreciate. However that style does cause a problem if you haven’t read the series because it’s tough to understand how Asta could have lived among humans for 100 years without knowing anything about them. Asta lacks the depth a being 2.5 million years old should have. She must have been doing something all that time.
This is by far my least favorite book of the series because of the blandness, lack of action, and because it adds nothing to my understanding of this complex world. I was excited to have a book about Dar, but this one was super disappointing.
This is not a stand alone novel. If you read it on its own the heroine, Asta, will seem more TSTL than she actually is.
The background is that the angels in Aaru (heavenish) went to war with each other 2.5 million years ago. They fought over two issues: whether to give humans the gifts of Aaru to humanity and how to reach enlightenment. The angels sill in Aaru believe that enlightenment can only be achieved through asceticism and distance from beings who use their senses while the angels of chaos believed enlightenment could be reached while embracing the senses. The fight was long and sad: it split families who fought against each other and many angels died. Finally, a truce was reached and the angels of chaos agreed to move to Hel. There were terrible consequences to the truce, the angels of chaos devolved into demons with no memory of their time in Aaru, the angels of Aaru are unable to have children because they cannot form them with each other, the races cannot enter the other’s realm, and there is a lot of residual resentment turned into hatred.
The angels in Aaru love and hate humans. They were the ones who wanted to give us the gifts of Aaru, but they now feel it was a terrible mistake. They feel guilty about what they see as the damage done to us, but they hate us because we revel in our passions and remind them of their mistake. They fear us because we can lead them away from their acetic ways and cause them to fall. Because of this, the angels maintain a form that can barely feel sensation when on earth and they keep their distance.
This book is bland compared to Debra Dunbar’s other books because it is a classic case of show me, not tell me. Dar is one of only two heroes I can honestly say I have a crush on. The other is Mr. Rochester (and I may or may not have had a crush on Lord Peter Wimsy when I was a teenager). Dar is loyal, bloodthirsty, tricky, funny, smart, brave, and can change his shape. Dar is a being who has greeting sex with his foster sibling Sam (heroine of the Imp series) that involves torn limbs, he's submitted a breeding contract with her (demons and angels have no determined sex), followed Sam into certain death, and saved her life over and over. He’s also thrown her under the bus a few times although his character is evolving. Where is that awesome being?
It is never really explained why Asta is so clueless, which is Ms. Dunbar’s style and one I appreciate. However that style does cause a problem if you haven’t read the series because it’s tough to understand how Asta could have lived among humans for 100 years without knowing anything about them. Asta lacks the depth a being 2.5 million years old should have. She must have been doing something all that time.
This is by far my least favorite book of the series because of the blandness, lack of action, and because it adds nothing to my understanding of this complex world. I was excited to have a book about Dar, but this one was super disappointing.
March 28, 2017
3 1/2 stars. I love Dar, but it took forever to finish this one. Could not hold me like the main books in the imp series, unfortunately. Probably would have enjoyed the audio more.
July 11, 2018
64 points/100 (3.25 stars/5).
Satan's brother, Dar, is taking a vacation from her never ending demands, and decides that seducing an Angel is the perfect fun. Asta is an Angel guardian nearly at the end of her service, at the end of this week she goes back to Aaru. Also, there is a demon popping in and out and Asta still does have a job to do.
This is actually a bit more dull than I remember it being. This was basically a 260 page long foreplay scene. The plot is there only as a thin veil.
When I said that it was a really long foreplay scene, I mean that for real. Nothing of substance happens for the first three quarters of the book. There is a lot of Asta watching Dar be sexy and funny. There is a lot of Dar trying to convince Asta to have sex with him. There is a lot of these two dancing around each other. The actual plot takes a solid backburner to this silly little romance. Dar and Asta's tracking down another demon is honestly pretty forgettable, all things told.
The good thing is the characters are at least good. Dar is hilarious, and I think he did deserve his own story, I just don't necessarily think it should have been this long. Asta is neat, and I like her. Dunbar makes me care about her very easily as a character. I just think Dunbar has fallen into a trap of making the angels and demons way too human. The series started out great because Sam did not appear to be human. Dar should not appear to be human here, and yet he feels even more human than Sam currently does, without all of the solid reasons that he could or should.
This is, again, not necessary to read to enjoy the Imp series as a whole. It is a little side diversion meant for fun, not necessarily because it is necessary. It should be read that way, for fun, not out of obligation. If you want to see more Dar, by all means read this, you'll probably enjoy it. I think this could easily be read as a standalone, though. It could be read as an introduction into the world. I don't think it relies too much on you knowing the rest of the story.
Satan's brother, Dar, is taking a vacation from her never ending demands, and decides that seducing an Angel is the perfect fun. Asta is an Angel guardian nearly at the end of her service, at the end of this week she goes back to Aaru. Also, there is a demon popping in and out and Asta still does have a job to do.
This is actually a bit more dull than I remember it being. This was basically a 260 page long foreplay scene. The plot is there only as a thin veil.
When I said that it was a really long foreplay scene, I mean that for real. Nothing of substance happens for the first three quarters of the book. There is a lot of Asta watching Dar be sexy and funny. There is a lot of Dar trying to convince Asta to have sex with him. There is a lot of these two dancing around each other. The actual plot takes a solid backburner to this silly little romance. Dar and Asta's tracking down another demon is honestly pretty forgettable, all things told.
The good thing is the characters are at least good. Dar is hilarious, and I think he did deserve his own story, I just don't necessarily think it should have been this long. Asta is neat, and I like her. Dunbar makes me care about her very easily as a character. I just think Dunbar has fallen into a trap of making the angels and demons way too human. The series started out great because Sam did not appear to be human. Dar should not appear to be human here, and yet he feels even more human than Sam currently does, without all of the solid reasons that he could or should.
This is, again, not necessary to read to enjoy the Imp series as a whole. It is a little side diversion meant for fun, not necessarily because it is necessary. It should be read that way, for fun, not out of obligation. If you want to see more Dar, by all means read this, you'll probably enjoy it. I think this could easily be read as a standalone, though. It could be read as an introduction into the world. I don't think it relies too much on you knowing the rest of the story.
September 29, 2016
Best
These stories are so good . I absolutely hate it when they are finished . I think I read all the books and am now waiting for a new one . I am still waiting .
These stories are so good . I absolutely hate it when they are finished . I think I read all the books and am now waiting for a new one . I am still waiting .
May 21, 2017
Fabulous!
Dar is on vacation in Chicago but tricking humans and pulling pranks doesn't hold the appeal it once did. Ever since Dar gained immunity as a member of the Iblis' household his usual pastimes lack the adrenaline rush of risking discovery and death at the hands of the angelic enforcers. Dar is about to pack it in and return to Hel when he runs across Asta, Chicago's enforcer, and discovers a new favorite pastime. Asta is at the end of her 100 year tenure as an enforcer and somewhat ambivalent about leaving her beloved city and returning to Aaru. Before she goes, she is determined to sample at least a few of the sensory delights that she has been depriving herself of all of these years. Plus there is the issue of a flickering demon signal that she can't quite manage to pinpoint that she would like to clear up before she returns home. Dar decides that helping Asta hunt the elusive demon is the best way to capture the work obsessed angel's attention and meet his own goals in the process. Win, win. However, they soon discover that the demon they seek is far more than they originally perceived. Even with the help of allies and friends they may not be strong enough to survive and save the earth from a vengeful demon's plans. And if they do succed, how can there possibly be a happily ever after for a demon and an angel?
As usual Ms. Dunbar's writing is creative and engaging. Her Imp World comes alive with vibrant characters and well developed storytelling. It feels so real, like you could catch a plane to Chicago and meet up with Dar and Asta for a morning espresso. I love the Imp World novellas! They not only give greater details of the lives and adventures of the wonderful supporting characters but they also flesh out the the world of the stories in a way that just wouldn't be possible in the story arc of the main serìes. I sincerely hope that there are many, many more novellas to come!
Dar is on vacation in Chicago but tricking humans and pulling pranks doesn't hold the appeal it once did. Ever since Dar gained immunity as a member of the Iblis' household his usual pastimes lack the adrenaline rush of risking discovery and death at the hands of the angelic enforcers. Dar is about to pack it in and return to Hel when he runs across Asta, Chicago's enforcer, and discovers a new favorite pastime. Asta is at the end of her 100 year tenure as an enforcer and somewhat ambivalent about leaving her beloved city and returning to Aaru. Before she goes, she is determined to sample at least a few of the sensory delights that she has been depriving herself of all of these years. Plus there is the issue of a flickering demon signal that she can't quite manage to pinpoint that she would like to clear up before she returns home. Dar decides that helping Asta hunt the elusive demon is the best way to capture the work obsessed angel's attention and meet his own goals in the process. Win, win. However, they soon discover that the demon they seek is far more than they originally perceived. Even with the help of allies and friends they may not be strong enough to survive and save the earth from a vengeful demon's plans. And if they do succed, how can there possibly be a happily ever after for a demon and an angel?
As usual Ms. Dunbar's writing is creative and engaging. Her Imp World comes alive with vibrant characters and well developed storytelling. It feels so real, like you could catch a plane to Chicago and meet up with Dar and Asta for a morning espresso. I love the Imp World novellas! They not only give greater details of the lives and adventures of the wonderful supporting characters but they also flesh out the the world of the stories in a way that just wouldn't be possible in the story arc of the main serìes. I sincerely hope that there are many, many more novellas to come!
December 28, 2020
*****Spoilers*****
Asta an angel and Dar a demon come together. The end of the book is so sweet, I loved how open Dar was with his feelings for Asta. She lied to protect him in the end and took on some sin in the days prior to enjoy him and his company as much as she allowed herself while in Chicago as her time as a guardian dwindled. He was crude at times but fun and loyal. It was a little surpsing at how quickly he became attached to Astra, only over a week's time but at day two, he was a little possessive and jealous but in a way that didn't sour my impression of his character.
The things that detracted from this story were the literary gaps. It could have used more world building as certain questions I had were left unanswered about angels and demons. At times it was confusing as to what the characters were doing and where they were, and who was talking at certain points because the author didn't add those incremental steps to get from point A to point B. There was also some inconsistency in the information presented in the story as well.
Asta an angel and Dar a demon come together. The end of the book is so sweet, I loved how open Dar was with his feelings for Asta. She lied to protect him in the end and took on some sin in the days prior to enjoy him and his company as much as she allowed herself while in Chicago as her time as a guardian dwindled. He was crude at times but fun and loyal. It was a little surpsing at how quickly he became attached to Astra, only over a week's time but at day two, he was a little possessive and jealous but in a way that didn't sour my impression of his character.
The things that detracted from this story were the literary gaps. It could have used more world building as certain questions I had were left unanswered about angels and demons. At times it was confusing as to what the characters were doing and where they were, and who was talking at certain points because the author didn't add those incremental steps to get from point A to point B. There was also some inconsistency in the information presented in the story as well.
November 8, 2025
Omg what a unicorn - an Imp world book that's full 5 stars for me!! I LOVED it, that one was so good! And to think I almost didn't read the supporting books 😔
I used to hate Dar in the earlier Imp books. He was a weird insert, a psycho freak put there to show us how demonly Sam is. But Debra started evolving his character more and more and now we have a whole book about him and honestly?? I really like him!! so that's a ton of growth into redeeming a horrible side character.
Asta is lovely. I'm quite interested in her angelic POV I hope we get to see at least one more angel book because between this and Gabriel's POV I actually start to like the pretentious creatures 😂
The genie side plot was interesting and the pace was good - I feel like Debra's skill is growing with each book and I love to read along and notice that progress!
But yeah, read the book - it's surprisingly cute, engaging and fast paced!
I used to hate Dar in the earlier Imp books. He was a weird insert, a psycho freak put there to show us how demonly Sam is. But Debra started evolving his character more and more and now we have a whole book about him and honestly?? I really like him!! so that's a ton of growth into redeeming a horrible side character.
Asta is lovely. I'm quite interested in her angelic POV I hope we get to see at least one more angel book because between this and Gabriel's POV I actually start to like the pretentious creatures 😂
The genie side plot was interesting and the pace was good - I feel like Debra's skill is growing with each book and I love to read along and notice that progress!
But yeah, read the book - it's surprisingly cute, engaging and fast paced!
May 9, 2018
Asta is an angel, assigned to prevent demons from causing mayhem in her adopted city of Chicago. Dar is a demon, whose sister is the ruler in Hel. He's just having a good old time in the Windy City, doing his best to annoy Asta without losing his immunity status in the human world. When Asta senses an angry demonic presence in town, she enlists Dar to help her find it.
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Dunbar has written a tale which changes our beliefs in the origin of the djinn, or genie, and we popularly call them. The story is humorous, action-packed and steamy at points. The relationship between Asta and Dar is interesting to read, in seeing Dar's attempts to sully Asta's angelic nature and lead her too temptation. This may be another series that will end up on my TBR.
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My Rating: 3.75/5 stars
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Dunbar has written a tale which changes our beliefs in the origin of the djinn, or genie, and we popularly call them. The story is humorous, action-packed and steamy at points. The relationship between Asta and Dar is interesting to read, in seeing Dar's attempts to sully Asta's angelic nature and lead her too temptation. This may be another series that will end up on my TBR.
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My Rating: 3.75/5 stars
May 26, 2018
This is the first Imp World book not about Sam/Az that I've liked. Dar and Asta both had excellent voices for reading. They were interesting and the story around them was fun as well. I enjoyed seeing more about Dar and seeing how both Dar and Asta benefited from being around each other. This fit into the overarching story of the Imp World nicely as well. I liked seeing Wyatt away from Sam as well. Though he's still more annoying that not. Would definitely recommend it to a fan of Sam.
July 29, 2021
I enjoyed this Imp World book. It wasn’t the most exciting, but you really get to know Dar and see that just like Sam, Dar has some good in him. I’m reading them in order so, I’m not sure if this will relate to later books or just be a side story or not. I do wish there was more action and I was glad to read about Wyatt again!
February 7, 2017
Very cute story of how Dar meets Asta. I enjoyed the neat idea of another mythical creature into the mix. I did fine questions that I were unable to answer as in how would anybody peg a crime on a rat I just didn't see the connections there sometimes.
November 15, 2018
Loved it!
It's really nice to drop into other demon and angels lives that aren't the main characters.
Watching Dar and Asta fall in love was awesome.
Arse kicking etc etc foreplay for the pair made me laugh.
It's really nice to drop into other demon and angels lives that aren't the main characters.
Watching Dar and Asta fall in love was awesome.
Arse kicking etc etc foreplay for the pair made me laugh.
November 27, 2017
I love this series
Dad and Astra against bad guys in Chicago. Protecting the weak and stupid. Enjoying life to the fullest. Falling in love. Sigh
Dad and Astra against bad guys in Chicago. Protecting the weak and stupid. Enjoying life to the fullest. Falling in love. Sigh
February 12, 2019
It was fun but I definitely prefer the main books from the Imp series.
September 8, 2019
Fun and full of heart too!
All these books are five stars! Great story full of adventure and snarky humor. What a love story how opposites attract!
All these books are five stars! Great story full of adventure and snarky humor. What a love story how opposites attract!
November 10, 2019
Cute story about Dar and Asta. Kind of goes in sync with Sam's project of matching Angels with Demons.
March 7, 2020
Couldn't put it down
A fun easy read with lovable characters. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters and was nice to have some cameo appearances to
A fun easy read with lovable characters. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters and was nice to have some cameo appearances to
March 9, 2021
I loved this story so much! It was nice to get to know another angel and seeing Dar’s sensitive side was fantastic. I hope there are more stories featuring their relationship.
February 11, 2025
A thousand reasons why she shouldn't do this chased across her mind, followed by a thousand reasons why she should.
March 21, 2017
Dar!
While this hasn't been my favorite so far in the series, I still really enjoyed seeing from Dar's point of view. These side stories are great in bringing you even more into the world and are just as well written as the main storyline. Another great one by Dunbar!
While this hasn't been my favorite so far in the series, I still really enjoyed seeing from Dar's point of view. These side stories are great in bringing you even more into the world and are just as well written as the main storyline. Another great one by Dunbar!
March 30, 2017
So this was good, really good in places. There was definitely humor which I love in these books but not the same level as Sam's books. Still Dar is pretty good teaching the clueless Asta and Asta is kissass. The ending is a bit open ended as we are not sure what the future will bring. I do as I already have read Exodus but I'm still wondering how the angels are going to take this relationship and the consequences. This is a bit PNR compared to Imp series but yet it is UF too. A thought a really good mix. I would say 3.75 and definitely bump it up. There are slow parts that bring the really good down a bit. Still great read for the Imp fans waiting for the next release.
updates------------------
So really glad I got this in the compilation, Demons & Djinn, when it was available, Amazon Demons & Djinn. Sometimes it is really good to get those 99¢ specials as this book alone is $4.99 now. Really that is OK as it is over 300 pages, so full novel. So far it is fun but I just started.
20%- Really cute how he leads her around and then tempts her with blues bands and other sins. This one is fun.
updates------------------
So really glad I got this in the compilation, Demons & Djinn, when it was available, Amazon Demons & Djinn. Sometimes it is really good to get those 99¢ specials as this book alone is $4.99 now. Really that is OK as it is over 300 pages, so full novel. So far it is fun but I just started.
20%- Really cute how he leads her around and then tempts her with blues bands and other sins. This one is fun.
October 18, 2015
Three Wishes by Debra Dunbar
5 stars
In this book we have Asta and Dar. Asta is the youngest angel (although she is 3 million years old) and has one week left out of her century long assignment as guardian of the Chicago area. Asta goes around killing demons whenever they are foolish enough to pop up on her radar. Then there is Dar. Dar is a thousand year old demon that has been granted immunity and freedom to walk the Earth, provided he break none of the rules, due to being part of the Iblis's (basically Satan) household. Dar is out walking one day, causing minor mischief and discovering that he is becoming bored with life when he sees and senses Asta, and decides to have a little fun and drive an angel a bit crazy by waltzing around with his energy signature fully out, and then pulling out his immunity card, causing the angel to become angry that she had to waste a whole day chasing after him and doesnt even get to kill him for her efforts! But he doesnt count on an angel like Asta. She's unlike any angel he's ever seen before. Her human form is flawless for one, and she has her little sins. She loves her expresso, and her beautiful clothes. She loves everything about her city and the people in it. And she has one week left. Only one more week before she returns home, and Asta plans to sin as much as she can allow herself to before she returns home. She wants to experience food and music and all the other things she has been denying herself for so long, and will never have the chance to experience again. And the moment Asta sees Dar she is fascinated with him, and he with her. But, though Asta wants to make the most of her last week, she is an angel, and once she feels another demons energy, she feels duty bound to find and destroy that demon. The problem is, she's unable to find it. She encounters a problem she has never had before. Since Dar is also looking for the other demon (mostly to stay by the sexy angels side), they end up teaming up. I wont reveal what else happens, so as not to reveal any spoilers, but I have to say that I really really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, it made my heart ache, made my heart flutter at times, and fan myself in one or two scenes and I found I just could not put it down. In fact, I've actually been up all night reading it. I tried to put it aside several times to try and get some sleep, but I just kept thinking of it and I wanted to know what was going to happen next, so I finally just succumbed to the inevitable and finished it all. Hopefully now I can get some sleep lol!
This book was especially enjoyable to read, as Dar has always been a favorite side character in the authors Imp series (which I HIGHLY recommend you read). He's always a bit gruff and crude, but deep down I'd swear that demon actually had a heart of gold...most of the time anyway, he is a demon after all, and does enjoy causing mischief and mayhem at times. But Dar has always been extremely loyal to those he cares for, those he loves (though no demons generally admit having that feeling for others), and I've always loved him for that. I was really happy to see a book that was all about him and was able to give him his HEA. And it was also nice to see a couple characters from the authors others books as well. All in all, I'd highly recommend it!
Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (though I actually had already purchased a copy prior to that). Any and all opinions and views are strictly my own.
5 stars
In this book we have Asta and Dar. Asta is the youngest angel (although she is 3 million years old) and has one week left out of her century long assignment as guardian of the Chicago area. Asta goes around killing demons whenever they are foolish enough to pop up on her radar. Then there is Dar. Dar is a thousand year old demon that has been granted immunity and freedom to walk the Earth, provided he break none of the rules, due to being part of the Iblis's (basically Satan) household. Dar is out walking one day, causing minor mischief and discovering that he is becoming bored with life when he sees and senses Asta, and decides to have a little fun and drive an angel a bit crazy by waltzing around with his energy signature fully out, and then pulling out his immunity card, causing the angel to become angry that she had to waste a whole day chasing after him and doesnt even get to kill him for her efforts! But he doesnt count on an angel like Asta. She's unlike any angel he's ever seen before. Her human form is flawless for one, and she has her little sins. She loves her expresso, and her beautiful clothes. She loves everything about her city and the people in it. And she has one week left. Only one more week before she returns home, and Asta plans to sin as much as she can allow herself to before she returns home. She wants to experience food and music and all the other things she has been denying herself for so long, and will never have the chance to experience again. And the moment Asta sees Dar she is fascinated with him, and he with her. But, though Asta wants to make the most of her last week, she is an angel, and once she feels another demons energy, she feels duty bound to find and destroy that demon. The problem is, she's unable to find it. She encounters a problem she has never had before. Since Dar is also looking for the other demon (mostly to stay by the sexy angels side), they end up teaming up. I wont reveal what else happens, so as not to reveal any spoilers, but I have to say that I really really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, it made my heart ache, made my heart flutter at times, and fan myself in one or two scenes and I found I just could not put it down. In fact, I've actually been up all night reading it. I tried to put it aside several times to try and get some sleep, but I just kept thinking of it and I wanted to know what was going to happen next, so I finally just succumbed to the inevitable and finished it all. Hopefully now I can get some sleep lol!
This book was especially enjoyable to read, as Dar has always been a favorite side character in the authors Imp series (which I HIGHLY recommend you read). He's always a bit gruff and crude, but deep down I'd swear that demon actually had a heart of gold...most of the time anyway, he is a demon after all, and does enjoy causing mischief and mayhem at times. But Dar has always been extremely loyal to those he cares for, those he loves (though no demons generally admit having that feeling for others), and I've always loved him for that. I was really happy to see a book that was all about him and was able to give him his HEA. And it was also nice to see a couple characters from the authors others books as well. All in all, I'd highly recommend it!
Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (though I actually had already purchased a copy prior to that). Any and all opinions and views are strictly my own.
July 23, 2015
While I liked this book, I'd have to call this the weakest in the Imp world to date.
The pro's:
-Dunbar's humor is a riot and I always enjoy her subtle (sometimes not-so-subtle) jokes and innuendo.
-I'm glad to see more positive demon/angle interaction. It's becoming obvious that a revolution is brewing. Asta is beginning to understand how the authoritarian and rigid regime is denying her simple pleasures under the guise of protecting angels from themselves. After being exposed to Dar she learns that maybe the authorities (arch-angels) are being dishonest at worst or bigoted and narrow-minded at best; she's learned of obvious holes in her education. Victors write the histories after all...
I'm reminded of a quote from CS Lewis:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
-I'm also glad to see an angel with little power or influence in her society explore things for herself. It's obvious that Gregory has radically changed his views since the first book, and now the youngest seems to have similar views. The youngest/weakest and the oldest/strongest are seeing their society that strives for evolution is actually stagnating. At some point, they'll have to meet in the middle to change the status quo.
I'm starting to wonder if there will be a civil war or if a sizable chunk of the Angel population will choose to Fall or exile themselves to Earth.
The con's:
-Wyatt shouldn't have made an appearance. He was awkward and didn't lend much to the story.
-I think the story would have been served if Rubeus had been outed earlier and was allowed to cause some real havoc in Chicago. It would have allowed Dar to display some overt benevolence (even if was self-serving to win Asta) and would have given Asta a better reason to stay on Earth; her failure led to misery that she would have felt obligated to assuage.
-I would have liked to have seen some interaction with Dar and Gregory.
-Even though Raphael and Gabriel are only mentioned, it would have been nice if they could have had some interaction with Asta and Dar.
The pro's:
-Dunbar's humor is a riot and I always enjoy her subtle (sometimes not-so-subtle) jokes and innuendo.
-I'm glad to see more positive demon/angle interaction. It's becoming obvious that a revolution is brewing. Asta is beginning to understand how the authoritarian and rigid regime is denying her simple pleasures under the guise of protecting angels from themselves. After being exposed to Dar she learns that maybe the authorities (arch-angels) are being dishonest at worst or bigoted and narrow-minded at best; she's learned of obvious holes in her education. Victors write the histories after all...
I'm reminded of a quote from CS Lewis:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
-I'm also glad to see an angel with little power or influence in her society explore things for herself. It's obvious that Gregory has radically changed his views since the first book, and now the youngest seems to have similar views. The youngest/weakest and the oldest/strongest are seeing their society that strives for evolution is actually stagnating. At some point, they'll have to meet in the middle to change the status quo.
I'm starting to wonder if there will be a civil war or if a sizable chunk of the Angel population will choose to Fall or exile themselves to Earth.
The con's:
-Wyatt shouldn't have made an appearance. He was awkward and didn't lend much to the story.
-I think the story would have been served if Rubeus had been outed earlier and was allowed to cause some real havoc in Chicago. It would have allowed Dar to display some overt benevolence (even if was self-serving to win Asta) and would have given Asta a better reason to stay on Earth; her failure led to misery that she would have felt obligated to assuage.
-I would have liked to have seen some interaction with Dar and Gregory.
-Even though Raphael and Gabriel are only mentioned, it would have been nice if they could have had some interaction with Asta and Dar.
May 13, 2018
I almost done with the existing Imp books, so I decided to complete all the side characters Standalones, starting with Dar’s story of course. I loved this book. Dar and Asta are well matched. Both quite hilarious with their little obsessions and their little phobias. Their romance was well crafted, exciting and very very hot. I adored the chemistry between the two. The mystery on the other hand was a bit boring, which thankfully didn’t influenced the level of my enjoyment.
May 21, 2015
3.75 out of 5 stars
"Three Wishes" by Debra Dunbar is an adult contemporary fantasy romance with some paranormal elements that follows Asta, an angel facing her final week of working with humans in Chicago, before she returns to Aaru, where she is the youngest, at less than 3 million years of age. Her surprising fascination with Dar, the Second demon in the household of Iblis, threatens all that she has worked for, and he discovers that the chaos he normally enjoys wreaking must take a back seat to the attractive angel who makes him uncharacteristically concerned about the effects of his actions on others, not to mention jealous of a human. The discovery that one of his fellow demons may be a ticking time bomb makes things even more complicated…for everyone, as roles become confused and mistakes can be fatal.
This story presents a twist on the conflict between angels and demons and highlights some of the blurred lines between the values of each. It is evidently connected to a series about imps and it was a little difficult to figure out the significance of certain things at first with respect to the angel/demon relations without the backstory,. The shift from the prologue to the first chapter was a little jarring and it took some time for its significance to be revealed. I was a little slow to warm up to the story but it began to get more intriguing as matters progressed and I began to enjoy the repartee between Asta and Dar, especially as their relationship heats up. There are inventive twists that make this unlike a typical angel-demon struggle, and the new perspective on the concept of a genie in a bottle adds to the uniqueness of this tale. The ending was a little scrambled and a bit rushed to me, but I suspect that part of this relates to this story being connected with others. A fun light read that will appeal to those who like a demon who can be swayed by an angel, and an angel who turns out to have a few weaknesses, including a love of fashionable clothes
A copy of this story was provided to me for review
Read
May 20, 2015**This is NOT a Christian based book, even though the premise is based on angels, demons and spiritual warfare***
This was an entertaining book to say the least. Dar has this lovely sarcastic, blunt sense of humor that breathes life into him and makes you love him and hate him at the same time. He deeply enjoys life as a demon and his status. Asta on the other hand, seems to be board with being an angel and is looking for some excitement in her last days on earth before returning home to recenter herself and her spirit. Neither of these two expect what is awaiting their future and where allegiances will fall.
The heat between Dar and Asta is something you cannot over look and the author did a good job of making this book sizzle without going overboard. I really would have enjoyed seeing some scenes between the archangels with Dar. I also felt the scenes with Rubeus were a little rushed and should have happened sooner in the story. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author via Goddess Fish Promotions in exchange for my honest review.
This was an entertaining book to say the least. Dar has this lovely sarcastic, blunt sense of humor that breathes life into him and makes you love him and hate him at the same time. He deeply enjoys life as a demon and his status. Asta on the other hand, seems to be board with being an angel and is looking for some excitement in her last days on earth before returning home to recenter herself and her spirit. Neither of these two expect what is awaiting their future and where allegiances will fall.
The heat between Dar and Asta is something you cannot over look and the author did a good job of making this book sizzle without going overboard. I really would have enjoyed seeing some scenes between the archangels with Dar. I also felt the scenes with Rubeus were a little rushed and should have happened sooner in the story. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author via Goddess Fish Promotions in exchange for my honest review.
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