Hallowed Be Thy Name

by Morgan Dante

From the author of The Saint of Heartbreak comes a moody and haunting demon romance set in the South. Stoic and lonely, Sebastian Sica operates outside the purview of the Catholic Church and assists demon hunters and people in need. One night, at a fraternity house, he strikes an unconventional deal: If the demon, Berith, leaves his host, Sebastian will spend one night with him.

At the most inconvenient times, Berith haunts him, and both Sebastian and the demon, unused to company and gentle touches, grow more familiar with one another while they navigate new possessions and spend rainy nights at a greasy spoon with a sign that glows an infernal red. What they have jeopardizes what they know about themselves and endangers Sebastian when Berith’s master in Hell learns of their burgeoning relationship.

Hallowed Be Thy Name is a 52,000 word romance between an emotionally repressed trans man priest protagonist and an even more emotionally repressed demon. It has an HEA.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Queer, LGBT, M M Romance, Demons

178 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2026

About the author

Horror, fantasy, and romance writer. Vampire and angel enjoyer. They/Them. Read more on morgandante.com.

Reviews

[lauren]

a priest falling in love with a demon will always be delicious!! beautiful!! amazing!! show stopping!!

[Poppy || Monster Lover]

Sebastian and Berith were both so deeply emotionally repressed and struggled to communicate or let them feel feelings. Their meeting was rather horrible, with Sebastian being the exorcist and Berith being the demon being exorcised. Sebastian had all the compassion for everyone but himself, and it extended to demons. He was a conundrum to Berith. With all their care through actions, they muddled their way into a relationship. I super enjoyed the chronic pain rep and how it impacted intimacy.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: Discussions of off-page abuse, mentions of transphobia, ableism, religious themes and trauma, unhealthy relationship dynamics, references to past sexual abuse, references to past torture, demon possession, pet animal death (natural causes) and grief, blood

[Yuuto]

I received an ARC from the author! Thank you!

Local sad priest winds up falling in love with a demon he exorcised from someone else, after agreeing to sleep with him once.

[acalithas]

This was so good! I don't generally read religious romance books, but this was very well written. The story was easy to follow and I absolutely loved Sebastian and Berith together. Priest and demon?? YES GIVE ME.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jessica]

2.75 ⭐️ I’m not really sure what I expected when I started this book, but toward the end I realized that maybe it just wasn’t for me, and that’s okay. What initially pulled me in was the concept of a demon and a priest being together, but I found myself a little bored at times with some of the mundane conversations and outings.

The spice was also.. strange? It almost felt like I was intruding on something I wasn’t supposed to be reading, and not necessarily in a good way. Maybe that was intentional though, and a way of showcasing a priest experiencing intimacy for the first time? It felt much more awkward and fumbling, which I can appreciate that for what it was, even if I’m still not sure how I felt about it lol. The religious conversations and themes were also much more at the forefront than I anticipated, which ultimately just wasn’t for me.

That being said, what didn’t work for me could absolutely work for someone else! This was my first time reading Morgan Dante, and I’ll be giving Runaway Prince a try next when the vibes are there. Fingers crossed that one works a little better for me.

[jana]

He doesn’t feel like he’s betrayed God. Doesn’t see it as against God. He made Christ and the Devil, who conversed in the desert and at the highest point of the world. He made Sebastian and Berith, who are no Christ and the Devil.

content warnings: off-page abuse, mentions of transphobia, ableism, religious themes and trauma, unhealthy relationship dynamics, references to past sexual abuse, animal death (natural causes)

[NATHALIE PILON]

ARC review:
I was expecting a dark, fun, naughty short story about a priest and a demon falling for each other. What I wasn’t expecting was to be emotionally torn to shreds and bawl my eyes out. Thankfully there is a sweet ending that helped put me back together.
This was a great journey and I will definitely read more of this author’s work!

[Oliver]

this is my third book by this author. and now i'll be honest with myself and say that i think they're just not an author for me.

their books tend have the kind of premise i would gobble up with the kind of greed the bible warned you about. yet, somehow, perhaps it's just me, going in with a wildly different expectation than the kind of stories they want to tell, they always fail to deliver for me.

this one is about an almost self-isolated priest's slow realization that he's falling for a demon he exorcised as part of his duty. i will give them a thumbs up for not going for the popular boys (they even lowkey made fun of that in this which did made me giggle too), instead opting to write about berith, an ars goetia demon. don't see that often in this side of niche queer stories, i can definitely appreciate that.

reading back to my own reviews on the previous books i've read (#1 and #2), my problems with the writing has remained consistent. they really enjoy writing these supposedly terrifying beings in an otherwise very domestic scenario. however, this is once again too much... fluff for me.

sebastian and berith talk to each other a lot. and i mean a lot a lot. so much that this whole book is, for the lack of better way to put it because it has been misued to death, just talking and Nothing Ever Happens. sebastian has a moment of self-hatred? they talk. sebastian goes to exorcise demons? they talk. real trouble finally arises and baal came knocking? you guessed it, they talk. the talking is so convenient and solves practically every single problem that ever comes their way that it becomes wildly unbelievable.

not even mentioning the fact that the last two chapters slip into Crazy Cliches territory, with the power of love and friendship, and the ol' classic, "i know you're still in there" like OH that one hit. not the way the author probably intends to. right in my cringe bone. felt like they were testing me with the final confrontation.

lastly, there's a non-insignificant amount of grammar errors in here. this is for the kindle unlimited version. some lines are missing the opening quotation marks, some lines are said by the wrong character with relation to context, and i'm not sure if books can just do this, but there are dialogues that literally goes, Name: The line they are speaking. like as if you're reading a screenplay if you get what i mean. i'm wholly unsure if that's truly intended, or the author were just getting the lines out and forgot to edit it in post. it was nonetheless very bizarre to read.

i did also enjoyed the (very small) pov switch to berith, and i think the story could've used a bit more of that, because while knowing sebastian inner turmoil matters, it is just the mostly the same thing over and over again, and seeing how berith views that more often maybe could've staved off the boredom i started to felt in the latter half of the book.

i think this is me throwing in the towel. i wish them the best in their publishing journey but after three books, i know my limits and it's for the best if i don't read their work anymore.

[Ghost]

Personally for me this book is not as good as The Saint of Heartbreak series, which sucks. But I did still like it. The things I didn’t love was the weird sounding sentences and sometimes grammar errors, which is fine but I feel like before publishing a book errors shouldn’t be there. I did like Sebastian and Berith a lot but it did take me some time to come to love them. I think that’s only because for me the story felt a bit slow, but that’s just because I take awhile to read. I do love how the ending went, in which Sebastian realized that he did and does have people who care and love him. Likewise with Berith when it came to that comforting scene after Berith came back from his master and Sebastian comforted him. I did tear up when Hecate died, no shock there. The smut was about as good as I’ve come to expect with Dante, no complaints.

Overall I liked this novella but i did not love it due to personal pet peeves of mine.

[Theo]

'“You shouldn’t be alone with the demon.” Sebastian smiles crookedly. “We have a rapport, unfortunately."'

What a novella!
A gay trans romance with Catholic guilt and exorcisms? yes yes yes I read the majority of this in one sitting

Berith is fab and brings much needed comedic relief which then morphs into tenderness as the subject matter gets darker.
I didn't feel rushed and I could really feel both Sebastian and Berith develop over the story it was really nice.

There absolutely are quite a lot of spicy scenes but the plot is driven by the pair getting to know one another so it doesn't feel out of place.

[Sharon Holt]

I don’t think I’m introspective enough to grasp and put into words my thoughts on this story. I only know that I enjoyed it in a sad sense. Sacrifice and loss were big themes to me, and it was beautiful to see this unlikely pairing use their own sacrifice and losses to find each other.

[the.aquarius.booklover]

I loved it. the depth and complexity of this storyline, the characters, the banter; it was all just SO GOOD. This book was next level. I dont want to spoil this, but can't rec this enough. its an original storyline that just hits the spot for me.

Morgan Dante's writing never disappoints; never.

[isthisakink]

4/5. It needs editing and proofing something fierce, but it’s fucking good. I knew I’d cry and feel too much, and I did. Both. More. It was worth the self-inflicted pain.

[Lionelle Pmuls (That's Slump Backwards & It's What I Do)]

5 Hecate Stars ⭐ | 4 🌶️
ARC Read: 21/03/2026
I received this ebook for free from the author and I'm leaving this review of my own accord. Thank you Morgan Dante for this gift. 🥰

What to expect from this book? 🤔
🫶 MM Supernatural Romance 🖤
✝️ Exorcism Meet-Cute
🔥 Priest x Demon
🖤 One Night Stand
❤️‍🩹 Insta Connection
👉 Trans Man Catholic Priest x Sarcastic Demon
👉 Virgin MC
🖤 First Times
🔥 Long Forked Tongue
🌶️ Tail Play
🔥 Nipple Play
🍆 Strap-On
🔥 Edging
✝️ "Yes, Father"
🖤 Piercings & Tattoos
🌬️ Moody Late Night Autumn/Winter Vibes
🧇 Southern Diners
🖤 “I’ll be the exorcist’s little shadow.”
💗 Exploration Of Tender Masculinity
❤️‍🩹 Emotional Vulnerability
🔥 Angsty & Spicy
🖤 Two Lonely Souls
🖤 Grief
🙌 Horror & Sarcasm
🖤 HEA/HFN
Check Out The Trigger Warnings

✨✨✨✨Q✨u✨o✨t✨e✨✨✨✨

“Why should I believe you?
“Because, Father, sir, I don’t lie,” Berith replies.
“Don’t tell me that a demon doesn’t lie.”
“Demons do, as much as mortals lie, but I don’t. It is my task to bestow great truths on the summoner. So, I don’t lie. Why do that when the truth is often more devastating? Humans think lies are worse, but they lie to make cruel truths easier.”
“Give me the cruel truth, then.”

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Format: Ebook/ARC
Cover: 5/5

Series: Novella/Standalone
Story: 5/5
POV: Dual - 3rd Person
Plot: 5/5

✨✨✨✨Q✨u✨o✨t✨e✨✨✨✨

“I thought you would go to the bedroom and wait there.”
“Oh, Father, is that your fantasy?” Berith makes a dramatic gasp and a show of reaching up to touch the door frame and present himself, his half- bared chest ruffled with red lace. “Me splayed there waiting on your bed for hours, waiting for you to claim me. You might not like that. I get talkative if I’m left to my own devices for hours. But you know, I have a theory that a priest is a good lover.”
“Am I that desirable?” asks Sebastian. His face grows hot. He has to keep himself together. He feels out of his depth. He does wonder if God will forgive him, but he also worries about making a fool of himself."

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Main Characters:
5/5 - Sebastian Sica: he/him, trans-man, human, unofficiated Catholic priest, likes to help people, depressed, passing through grief
5/5 - Berith: ?yo, he/him, male demon, once an angel, sarcastic, thinks priests are great lovers
Side Characters: 5/5
Steam Level: 4/5
Romance: Medium High Focus

✨✨✨✨Q✨u✨o✨t✨e✨✨✨✨

“You never told me your second reason for living. Besides your dog. A fear of going to Hell?”
“Helping others.” Sebastian pauses, brows furrowed. “When I can.”
“Oh, tsk, you really are a saint. You shouldn’t be. It only means they will take advantage of you until you’re martyred. And with how capricious God can be, no one can say if you’d manage to get to Heaven.”
“I like helping others, but it takes my mind off things, too.”
“Don’t feel bad, Father. Most selflessness is rooted in selfishness.”

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Humor: Medium Focus
Angst: Medium High Focus
Cheating? No
The Ending: 4/5
HEA/HFN/Cliffhanger: HEA/HFN

✨✨✨✨Q✨u✨o✨t✨e✨✨✨✨

“Hell was boring me. All that screaming.”
Sebastian crosses himself and clasps his hands together with his rosary hanging from them. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name—”
Berith sighs. “Are you going to say that entire rigmarole? What tedium. Does it really help, or does it just make you feel better?”
Sebastian’s gaze darkens. “Do not interrupt my prayers.”
The demon crosses himself in the wrong direction. “Sorry, you’re the daddy. Go on.”

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Favorite character? BOTH
Enjoyment: 5/5

✨✨✨✨Q✨u✨o✨t✨e✨✨✨✨

“No distractions, Father,” Berith says.
“Yes, I liked that. I liked when our hands touched the most.”
Berith looks offended. “Really? The hands? Over the tongue or the two climaxes— or the tongue!”
“Did you like when I bit your tail?”
“Oh, did you do that, Father? I didn’t notice.”
“I’m sure you didn’t,” Sebastian replies."

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

This is my 1st book by Morgan Dante.

Hope this review was helpful.
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!!Please remember that all my reviews are a matter of my personal taste. Your opinion and what you are willing or want to tolerate in the books you read is your own. We all have different opinions and preferences when it comes to the kind of books we enjoy, so it's important to respect that. It's just a book... but reading is still political!
No AI was used to make this review. These are my own words. And I support real artists.

[Mireya]

Thanks to the author for an ARC copy of Hallowed Be Thy Name. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

Lonely priest Sebastian Sica aids demon hunters and any person in need, operating outside the eye of the church, knowing he will never be fully accepted as a trans man, trying to cleanse his sin helping others. One night, during an exorcism, he strikes an unconventional deal: if the demon, Berith, leaves his host, Sebastian will spend one night with him.

One night turn to two, turn to more, even days, moments shared to scare away the loneliness that haunts them both and so they grow far more familiar than they should with each other. What endangers Sebastian when Berith’s master in Hell learns of their relationship.

My first ever book from Morgan Dante, and definitely not the last! Sebastian and Berith make an amazing pair of characters, complementing each other and even helping healing that trapping loneliness each suffers. The build up of their relationship was so slow, yet organic and natural, deriving from than haunting loneliness, sure, but also from an instant and deep connection between them both.

I don't really have much to say except that I loved this book. Dante has an amazing way with words, perfectly describing the character's surroundings or their emotions, the guilt, the loneliness, the love, the hesitation, the longing. And even the way Sebastian navigates being a trans man hit deep.

A strong point is the world built by Morgan Dante. Ours, yet Heaven and Hell exist and demons roam around like it is their right to, because even a moment possessing a human at our world is far better than a second in hell, and that's a conversation that Seb and Berith eventually have, and it gives this world a new perspective than Heaven=good/Hell=bad, but that there're grays too. Just like them both.

Overall, a strange but endearing read about two characters exploring not only a new relationship, but a new reality, their repressed sexual (or non-sexual too) desires and growing individually alongside each other, to the point of choosing for their own, instead of for others. Truly recommended for fans of the author, or for new people wanting to discover them. Hope y'all enjoyed this review and I'll see you in the next one!

[Ris]

“You are haunted by the impermanence of everything you do.”

This is an emotionally devastating and surprisingly tender story of a trans man masquerading as a priest (sort of?) on his own terms and a demon, Berith, who doesn’t want to leave him be.

“He can never forget that he’s dealing with a demon, no matter how he has learned to pity them because nothing is sadder than being abandoned by God.”

I love Sebastian and Berith as characters and all their flaws within them. Sebastian really encompasses the feeling of always being on the outside looking in. He’s not enough for his family, for the church, for even some demon hunters to treat him well and yet he doesn’t stop pushing against those beliefs. He encapsulates the feeling of wanting to fit in but knowing he won’t (specifically with the Catholic church) which I can greatly relate to. Berith on the other hand is a fallen angel, a demon, and sees the reflection of God’s abandonment echoed in Sebastian that he has in himself.

The plot was incredibly character focused which made it easy to follow along. The only thing for me is the pacing felt a bit slow. For such a short book with time skips in it I wasn’t expecting it to feel like nothing has really happened for a while but unfortunately that happened in the first half of the book for me. However, the rest of the book I felt had a better sense of pacing.

“It’s enough to grieve what has happened, and it’s worse to grieve what should or can never happen.”

I enjoyed this book and the unexpected emotional devastation it gave me! If you’re into religious undertones and “Yes, Father” vibes then this is the book for you!

[Amanda]

I'm going to have a hard time reviewing this one, because absolutely nothing I can tell you will do it justice.

Have you ever immediately started a book and just fell in love with the prose? Before the characters were even known to me I was in love with this book because it was beautiful and captivating and haunting and just truly, truly perfect.

And then, I met the characters, and I fell even harder. I said many times while reading that Morgan should just directly @ me next time, because I so deeply related with Sebastian's internal thoughts. The worry that you're not good enough, that people will see something in you they don't like, that you will be lonely at the end of the day. That's such a human experience and it made Sebastian an instant favorite character for me. And Berith starts out sassy and fun, but he's so much more than that. He's hurt and hurting, he's lonely too, and he loves and needs to be loved in return.

You might not expect it, but the romance is so sweet and loving. It's soft and quiet, but it takes up space in such a lovely way. Even when they're actively avoiding feelings and just hooking up, you can feel the care and the devotion.

Just a stunning novella that I am beyond obsessed with!

[Moon Phace]

Thank you Morgan Dante for the ARC of this book! This is my honest review:

I really loved this story. Dante's writing is haunting and heartfelt. The sadness that both of the main characters felt echoed in my soul. There is something about the way they can convey it with such beauty and vulnerability that made this book hard to put down.

The way both of them wanted each other but were also afraid to say it out loud made the yearning so strong.

He cannot banish him, and he cannot make that final step and ask him to stay, to stay and see the loneliness and wreckage.

After reading The Saint of Heartbreak I hear Lucifer's voice in lines like this:

“And what He did was just? Or do you think that your perfect God makes mistakes? Casting us out of Heaven, and casting you lot out of Eden, out of Paradise?”

I would have liked a bit more about Sebastian before the actual start of the story but just because I think he is a very interesting person.

[my_throne_of_books]

This was once again such an intriguing read by Morgan. Their take on things is always very interesting to read. This one followed Sebastian as he operates outside of the view of the catholic church and helps demon hunters and people in need. When one night he goes to a frat house and makes an unlikely deal with a demon. If Berith leaves his host body, Sebastian will spent a night with him. So at the most inconvenient times Berith comes to haunt Seb. They grow more and more familiar with each other as they both aren't used to soft touches. What they have jeopardizes what they know about themselves and endangers Sebastian when Berith’s master in Hell learns of their burgeoning relationship.
I absolutely adored these two! The way their relationship forms was really something and I was rooting for them both. They took care of each other even when they hadn't known kindness in a long time. 
If you are looking for a queer romance between a demon and a repressed trans priest this book is something for you! (Be sure to check out the TW before starting this book)
Thanks to Morgan Dante for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Florence .]

A romance between an emotionally repressed priest and an emotionally repressed demon sounds like the stuff of my dreams and I was absolutely right to think so but this work just worked for me, so so much. I started reading this book and I knew from page 6 that I would be head over hells in love with this world and these characters. Something about this book just grabbed me and never let me go. I think if there was a way to describe this book, it would just be that it 100% got me. Like I just felt so seen while I was reading and it was just so lovely to read.

The imagery in this book was some of the best I have ever read. It was so well built and so evocative and it made for such an entertaining reading experience.

I absolutely adored the relationship in this book. Sebastian is a priest that has been hurt so many times in his past and doesn’t trust easily and Berith is a demon with a lifetime of being letdown and they shouldn’t work together, but oh boy did they work. They both find something in each other that they never had before, a place where they can be free to be, without any expectations. And it was so brillant to read about.

This book has made himself a very special spot in my favourite books of the year list and I just enjoyed my read of this one, so so much.

[Aaron]

Morgan Dante’s Hallowed by Thy Name is an art piece, it weaves together romance, intimacy, deep seated wounds and learning to live. Father Sebastian is an interesting figure, he explores what it means to be considered a Catholic when your views don’t align with the institution, in comparison Berith is the archetypical fallen Angel, at odds with the hypocrisy of Sebastian’s religion and hopelessly attached to the man entrenched in it. They have some really sweet and funny moments, Berith assists with exorcisms which were written in a different and refreshing way. Overall I really enjoyed this book, it was artistic, emotional and I was happy with the ending! The spicy scenes also felt quite mature, like they were tangible and more grounded in reality (ironic seeing as Berith is a demon haha!) which I really appreciated!


Review of advanced copy received from Author <3

[Eve]

I went into this one fairly blind after enjoying Morgan Dante’s other work, and while I did enjoy the experience, it didn’t quite settle into me in a way that will linger for years.

What stood out most was the perspective, reading a story centered around a transgender character felt genuinely eye-opening, and I appreciated the way it was handled. The exploration of religion and the internal conflict tied to it also hit a note for me; it’s a theme I’m always drawn to, and this delivered in a way that gave me something to sit with.

Dante’s writing style remains the real highlight. There’s something almost indulgent about it, smooth, immersive, and just really satisfying to read.

Overall, a strong and thoughtful read, even if it didn’t fully sink its claws into me.

[Alex]

A (fake) priest with a bleeding heart, and the demon he exorcise, then fall in love with.

Hallowed Be Thy Name was a very enjoyable novella. I liked the characters. Sebastian was a bit hard for me to understand sometimes, I didn't totally get his internal struggle, but still I found him very interesting. Berith was my favorite. His physical look was out of here and I do love when "entities" like he is have unique looks. I enjoyed how he was sarcastic, honest and pretty funny too.

With the whole premise, I didn't expect the romance to be as sweet as it was, it took me a bit by surprise but I enjoyed it very much.

If you want a short, supernatural romance, with a dose of internal struggle, give it a go ! A quick and entertaining read !

[row row]

I always love a demon/angel character, so I chose this as my second Morgan Dante book in my binge of their catalogue. It seems like most of their works are much shorter than Sacrament, which is 400+ pages. I tend not to like shorter books as much because I like a story that keeps me engaged for longer. This was definitely good, but I had an issue with the pacing. The writing didn’t hit as hard for me as it did in Sacrament, but I liked the romance and both of the main characters. I empathized with Sebastian and his chronic pain and having to live within the limitations of his body.

[Amy]

The book was not for me It started of good and then it felt flat, boring and the spice wasn't as spicy as I thought it was going to be and sometimes I felt bored but I pushed myself to read it because I did have high hopes and the whole demon & priest concept did catch my attention.But don't let my opinion discourage anyone else to read it, give it a try and I hope you guys have a better experience than me.

[Kit Frey]

Thrilled to have an ARC copy of this to review!
Often times, the stories we read have an uncanny way of fitting into the bits of our lives that need attention. This tale is certainly no exception to that. Proving time and time again that love, in all of its forms, is something we are still worthy of. If you need to smile, laugh, cry, and feel hope this is absolutely a wonderful choice!

[Gabby]

This was a book club read for me. I thought I was going to like the book because the first chapter was good and the spice was interesting. Once I continued reading I just stopped liking the book unfriendly. There’s some grammar errors which I don’t mind it’s fine but, I found the book hard to read at times. I also felt like it kinda slowed down and got boring.

[prachismusings]

Sad Priest x Lusty Demon might be the best way to describe the book, but it is way more than just that.

I don't usually read this type of book, but this one is exceptionally well-written and thought-provoking.

I'll definitely be checking out some of this author's other works <3

[Lauren]

I was hoping a demon and a preist would be a hell of a good time...no pun intended haha...but for a novella I thought it dragged a little and didn't quite have the pull I was hoping for. It just didn't grab my attention.

[Jheneille]

3.5 ⭐ highly rounded up

I enjoyed this so much more than I ever expected. Some parts were a bit clunky especially in the dialogue's near the end but this was unique, wholesome and wonderful.