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Incubus Rising: A dark urban fantasy of magic, temptation, and dangerous choices
The island remembers every name spoken in fear - and every woman who dares to speak one back...
Lina Delos Santos has rehearsed her terror for eight long years. When a single message announces her husband’s return, she steps into Nanay Rosita’s crooked hut and takes a blood‑dark stone - a talisman pulsing with old promise and older debts. She whispers the forbidden name Maruz, a judgment‑bringer bound to the island’s pre‑colonial bargains.
The creature answers.
What follows is swift, merciless a man erased, a life rewritten, and Lina walking free for the first time in years. But the protection Maruz offers lasts only a season. His presence heals her wounds and burns away pieces of her soul. Ligaya - the first woman to bleed for the bargain - haunts Lina’s dreams, and the Sisterhood’s covenant presses heavy against her palm.
As the island’s old stories rise from their dark places, Lina is drawn deeper into the grammar of talismans, the rituals of vengeance, and the dangerous tenderness of the being she summoned. Every miracle leaves a scar. Every judgment redraws the map of who is safe and who pays. And the season is ending. Now Lina must feed the demon another man’s life to keep her sanctuary - or let Maruz fade back into the nether halls and face the world alone. To claim her power, she may have to ransom her humanity. To break the chain, she may lose the only protector she has ever known.
In a world where old gods wake hungry and women’s names can open wounds in reality, will Lina build a Sisterhood strong enough to change the island - or will her sanctuary become a graveyard of her own making?
If you love folkloric dark fantasy, feminist revenge tales, and supernatural thrillers with teeth, you’ll be devoured by Incubus Rising. Click BUY NOW and step into the island’s shadowed halls - if you dare speak the name.
Lina Delos Santos has rehearsed her terror for eight long years. When a single message announces her husband’s return, she steps into Nanay Rosita’s crooked hut and takes a blood‑dark stone - a talisman pulsing with old promise and older debts. She whispers the forbidden name Maruz, a judgment‑bringer bound to the island’s pre‑colonial bargains.
The creature answers.
What follows is swift, merciless a man erased, a life rewritten, and Lina walking free for the first time in years. But the protection Maruz offers lasts only a season. His presence heals her wounds and burns away pieces of her soul. Ligaya - the first woman to bleed for the bargain - haunts Lina’s dreams, and the Sisterhood’s covenant presses heavy against her palm.
As the island’s old stories rise from their dark places, Lina is drawn deeper into the grammar of talismans, the rituals of vengeance, and the dangerous tenderness of the being she summoned. Every miracle leaves a scar. Every judgment redraws the map of who is safe and who pays. And the season is ending. Now Lina must feed the demon another man’s life to keep her sanctuary - or let Maruz fade back into the nether halls and face the world alone. To claim her power, she may have to ransom her humanity. To break the chain, she may lose the only protector she has ever known.
In a world where old gods wake hungry and women’s names can open wounds in reality, will Lina build a Sisterhood strong enough to change the island - or will her sanctuary become a graveyard of her own making?
If you love folkloric dark fantasy, feminist revenge tales, and supernatural thrillers with teeth, you’ll be devoured by Incubus Rising. Click BUY NOW and step into the island’s shadowed halls - if you dare speak the name.
- GenresAmazon
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
"Incubus Rising" by Mira Aswang begins in 1574 in Manila Bay with Ligaya, an abused wife living under Spanish colonial rule. In desperation, she summons a demon of judgment named Maruz to enact justice. Through him, she learns ritual practices that allow her to claim her own power, giving rise to a hidden lineage of sisterhood.
The story then shifts to the present day, where we meet Lina, a woman trapped in a toxic marriage with her husband. At a local market, she encounters an old witch who notices Lina’s bruises and quietly offers her a different path. As we follow Lina through the turbulence of her abusive relationship, the reader is drawn into her growing need for justice.
The novel explores themes of female agency across generations and the line between justice and vengeance. The author’s attention to detail and her ability to engage the senses bring the story vividly to life, leaving readers with the unsettling truth that once power is learned, it cannot be unlearned. This is a haunting tale of channeling female anger into the courage to overcome fear—empowering, striking, and lingering long after the final page.
The story then shifts to the present day, where we meet Lina, a woman trapped in a toxic marriage with her husband. At a local market, she encounters an old witch who notices Lina’s bruises and quietly offers her a different path. As we follow Lina through the turbulence of her abusive relationship, the reader is drawn into her growing need for justice.
The novel explores themes of female agency across generations and the line between justice and vengeance. The author’s attention to detail and her ability to engage the senses bring the story vividly to life, leaving readers with the unsettling truth that once power is learned, it cannot be unlearned. This is a haunting tale of channeling female anger into the courage to overcome fear—empowering, striking, and lingering long after the final page.
February 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Incubus Rising had a lot of potential, but it fell a little flat for me. The story itself was interesting and I liked the concept, but overall it felt a bit boring at times. I think the biggest issue for me was that I didn’t really get the chance to connect with the characters. Everything moved so quickly, which might just be because it’s a shorter book, but I wanted more depth and development.
That said, the foundation of the story was good and I could see how it might really work if it were expanded on more. Not a bad read—just not one that fully pulled me in.
Incubus Rising had a lot of potential, but it fell a little flat for me. The story itself was interesting and I liked the concept, but overall it felt a bit boring at times. I think the biggest issue for me was that I didn’t really get the chance to connect with the characters. Everything moved so quickly, which might just be because it’s a shorter book, but I wanted more depth and development.
That said, the foundation of the story was good and I could see how it might really work if it were expanded on more. Not a bad read—just not one that fully pulled me in.
March 26, 2026
This is a powerful book that touches on the aspects of leaving abusive relationships, connections with other worldly beings and the cost of making deals with those beyond our realm. I felt so many parts of this book. I do feel like it could have been expanded on more in some parts but the story as a whole was so complete, that I didnt mind it. I really hope the author continues this and makes a second book, detailing yet another woman's journey with this being. Such a beautifully powerful novel for women.
March 2, 2026
Pulled into the magic of power
This story moved me in so many ways, I related so much with the pain of these woman and the desire to have a savior makes me jealous. The writing is done so beautifully and moving and descriptive... I could taste and feel the sea and hear the water waves. This was a wonderful story. I want more!
This story moved me in so many ways, I related so much with the pain of these woman and the desire to have a savior makes me jealous. The writing is done so beautifully and moving and descriptive... I could taste and feel the sea and hear the water waves. This was a wonderful story. I want more!
May 30, 2026
The writing is solid, and the plot is both original and enjoyable. My only reservation is that the title and cover artwork set expectations that the story ultimately didn’t quite meet.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews