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Damon Snow #1-4
Damon Snow Boxset: Books 1-4
He thought love was impossible, until his cull’s dying wish... Damon's first 4 lessons with over 500 pages. Save over 30% when you buy the boxset! London, 1809. Incubus demon and male prostitute Damon Snow thinks he has the world figured out. Love only exists in rich poets’ imaginations and all any man wants from him is a quick romp. But when his long-time and dying patron forces Damon to investigate true love, he discovers that love may be possible for those lucky few — and that possibly, just possibly, love is possible for him too. *** Nocturnal Lessons (Book 1) In the dark world of Regency molly houses, love can’t be possible – can it? Damon Snow thinks he has the world figured out. As an incubus demon and male prostitute, the world is a cruel, dark and lonely place where men only want one thing. When his long-time patron Byrne discovers he's dying, Byrne offers to leave his entire fortune to Damon. There's only one Damon has to investigate and write about the reason another patron Price visits him. Easy – the same reason as all men. But what starts as an easy assignment turns into an impossible secret, the last thing Damon would ever suspect. If men only want one thing, how can one possibly fall in love? *** Incubus Rake (Book 2) In the dark world of mollies and incubi, who can Damon really trust? Incubus and prostitute Damon Snow wants nothing more than a repeat of his last fateful visit with his long-time patron Byrne. Not that he’d actually admit that. Week after week, Byrne’s door remains closed, until Damon discovers he’s not the only one paying Byrne a bedside visit. Even Damon’s only friend Rogers seems ready to discard him if he ever does get into Damon’s pantaloons. So when a dapper rake reveals himself as an incubus and offers to teach Damon how to bend men to his desires, Damon is quick to take him up on his offer, even if it means breaking a few of his own rules. But the rake has a secret of his own, and men keep disappearing around him. In a world of only users and the used, who can Damon really trust? *** Viscount Temptation (Book 3) In a world of buyers and the bought, can Damon afford to choose love? The only thing incubus and prostitute Damon Snow wants for his dreaded “twenty-first” birthday is to spend the day at Byrne’s bedside. But Byrne is growing ever more distant. Claiming it’s due to his ongoing struggle with his business partner, Viscount Ashton, Byrne assigns his next Damon will seduce Ashton into ceding to Byrne. Damon desperately needs the extra money. As much as he’d prefer to stay in Byrne’s bed, he can’t refuse, and seducing the wanton creature he’d seen so many years ago seems easy enough. But when the viscount offers Damon the respectable and lucrative position of valet, it comes with one he’ll never see Byrne again. When it seems like even Byrne regards Damon as little more than a whore to be bought, can Damon afford the choice? *** Nocturnal Confession (Book 4) In a world of incubi and unicorns, there must be something capable of curing Byrne… right? For months, incubus and prostitute Damon Snow has been given assignments from his long-time cull and now lover Byrne.
547 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2015
13 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Helling
13 books47 followersOlivia Helling writes the dark fantasy series GODSBANE PRINCE and the historical fantasy romance series DAMON SNOW. Although she grew up an avid book lover, she couldn’t find the LGBTQ fantasy she’d always wanted. So now she writes them herself.
With a Religion & Culture degree and a love of history, she crafts wonderfully dark worlds and malicious gods. As if that weren’t trial enough, she burdens her protagonists with her own struggles of vulnerability and self-doubt, love and obsession. But through twists and intrigue that keep readers guessing to the last page, characters and readers alike finally emerge like a light in the darkness.
Olivia loves to talk with readers, so come chat at:
oliviahelling.com
facebook.com/oliviahelling
goodreads.com/oliviahelling
And get her beautiful and tragic love story, GOD CURSED, for free at:
oliviahelling.com/yourfreebook/
With a Religion & Culture degree and a love of history, she crafts wonderfully dark worlds and malicious gods. As if that weren’t trial enough, she burdens her protagonists with her own struggles of vulnerability and self-doubt, love and obsession. But through twists and intrigue that keep readers guessing to the last page, characters and readers alike finally emerge like a light in the darkness.
Olivia loves to talk with readers, so come chat at:
oliviahelling.com
facebook.com/oliviahelling
goodreads.com/oliviahelling
And get her beautiful and tragic love story, GOD CURSED, for free at:
oliviahelling.com/yourfreebook/
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 1, 2015
Damon Snow Boxset is great! Olivia Helling has written romantic suspense that's quite unique and imaginative. I was expecting much more erotica and was pleasantly surprised that it was limited. I couldn't help feeling sorry for Damon in his search for love. His life sure wasn't easy.
I enjoyed reading these wonderful stories and highly recommend them.
I enjoyed reading these wonderful stories and highly recommend them.
February 8, 2017
Wow, that's a tough one to rate. First of all, I don't think that the books are bad as such. There were parts that I really liked but all in all...
So, let's talk about technical aspects.
I get why authors release books as serials. I get it. I don't begrudge them that they actually want make some money with the tons of work they put into the stories. But it also has downsides for the reader. The biggest one is the need to recount what has happened before. I think with regard to story-telling the author did herself (and me) a disservice with this format. Because, really, this is one book. No part can be read as a stand-alone. IMHO we all would have been better off with a "Previously on Damon Snow...". If I remember correctly, the author kind of realised this and stopped the laborious re-capping within the story after the third (?) book but it wasn't soon enough for me.
Another thing is that the thing with the journal and the titles led me to expect a "real" serial, i.e. a more episodic kind of narration, where there might be an overarching story line but more as a backdrop to the episodes in Damon's journal. Now, expectations, shmexpectations, I know that nobody ever will write the book I expect from various indications but these books are really neither fish nor fowl in many respects. I mean, really, see above. This is a long novel, and that's just fine by me. More than fine, really. So, again - serial - bad idea.
Right, now, things I liked.
The idea for the main character is absolutely fantastic. A reluctant incubus - great! I liked that he had major qualms about embracing the destructive side of his nature.
I also like a great deal of the writing. As soon as there are things actually happening the books are great. I'd like to read a great deal more of this. I really would.
Which then leads me to the part which actually was responsible for the books not working for me. At all.
*sigh*
I despise the narrative voice. There, I said it. Damon is such a whining, snivelling brat - and brat in this case for me is not tinged with indulgent sympathy. I don't want to ruffle his hair. I don't even want to smack him upon the head. I actually want to knee him in the groin. He - never - ever - listens! He finishes each and every sentence that actually reaches his ears with his own words in his head. Even if he hears the words, he doesn't listen. And if he does, he doesn't believe his ears. It's - exhausting. Utterly, soul-suckingly exhausting. I wrote a review for book one and mentioned that I had high hopes for this because it seemed that the author had planned a longer character arc.
Turned out that she didn't. Damon doesn't learn a single thing in 500+ pages. Ok, maybe he learns a thing or two on the last pages of book four but - really? I mean - really?!
Argh! I sound like I hated the book and I didn't but it was kind of frustrating for me to see the author squandering away her talent - and I truly believe there is talent there - on this character. I pretty much hated the characters in the "Godsbane Prince" books and Damon is one of their siblings (figuratively speaking).
Anyhow, three stars means "I liked the book" and I didn't, hence two stars. Sorry about that. I would have preferred that as well.
So, let's talk about technical aspects.
I get why authors release books as serials. I get it. I don't begrudge them that they actually want make some money with the tons of work they put into the stories. But it also has downsides for the reader. The biggest one is the need to recount what has happened before. I think with regard to story-telling the author did herself (and me) a disservice with this format. Because, really, this is one book. No part can be read as a stand-alone. IMHO we all would have been better off with a "Previously on Damon Snow...". If I remember correctly, the author kind of realised this and stopped the laborious re-capping within the story after the third (?) book but it wasn't soon enough for me.
Another thing is that the thing with the journal and the titles led me to expect a "real" serial, i.e. a more episodic kind of narration, where there might be an overarching story line but more as a backdrop to the episodes in Damon's journal. Now, expectations, shmexpectations, I know that nobody ever will write the book I expect from various indications but these books are really neither fish nor fowl in many respects. I mean, really, see above. This is a long novel, and that's just fine by me. More than fine, really. So, again - serial - bad idea.
Right, now, things I liked.
The idea for the main character is absolutely fantastic. A reluctant incubus - great! I liked that he had major qualms about embracing the destructive side of his nature.
I also like a great deal of the writing. As soon as there are things actually happening the books are great. I'd like to read a great deal more of this. I really would.
Which then leads me to the part which actually was responsible for the books not working for me. At all.
*sigh*
I despise the narrative voice. There, I said it. Damon is such a whining, snivelling brat - and brat in this case for me is not tinged with indulgent sympathy. I don't want to ruffle his hair. I don't even want to smack him upon the head. I actually want to knee him in the groin. He - never - ever - listens! He finishes each and every sentence that actually reaches his ears with his own words in his head. Even if he hears the words, he doesn't listen. And if he does, he doesn't believe his ears. It's - exhausting. Utterly, soul-suckingly exhausting. I wrote a review for book one and mentioned that I had high hopes for this because it seemed that the author had planned a longer character arc.
Turned out that she didn't. Damon doesn't learn a single thing in 500+ pages. Ok, maybe he learns a thing or two on the last pages of book four but - really? I mean - really?!
Argh! I sound like I hated the book and I didn't but it was kind of frustrating for me to see the author squandering away her talent - and I truly believe there is talent there - on this character. I pretty much hated the characters in the "Godsbane Prince" books and Damon is one of their siblings (figuratively speaking).
Anyhow, three stars means "I liked the book" and I didn't, hence two stars. Sorry about that. I would have preferred that as well.
September 25, 2016
I have really enjoyed this set of books. The way the author has develop the character of Damon and others is masterful. The sense of self doubt and worth that Damon has is well played out. The roles of Byrne, frost and others is very interesting. However and there is always an however I am not sure I liked he ending, if his is the ending?
I know that the author does not always like happy endings but I feel the ending in book 4 is so incomplete. Perhaps there is a book 5 on the horizon and I do hope so.
There is so much in the main characters that could develop into another set of books. The final awareness of Byrne been a necromancer was in one way unsuspected but in on other way obvious (if we where not completely ensconced in the battle of self doubt and realisation that Damon is going through) that the journey from the end on to new life before and after death of Byrne, is worth exploring. Give us more Olivia
I know that the author does not always like happy endings but I feel the ending in book 4 is so incomplete. Perhaps there is a book 5 on the horizon and I do hope so.
There is so much in the main characters that could develop into another set of books. The final awareness of Byrne been a necromancer was in one way unsuspected but in on other way obvious (if we where not completely ensconced in the battle of self doubt and realisation that Damon is going through) that the journey from the end on to new life before and after death of Byrne, is worth exploring. Give us more Olivia
February 17, 2017
These books are well-written, with an interesting premise, and the free first book was good enough that I bought the next three, but overall it wasn't a great series for me, and I don't plan on buying any more.
Damon Snow is somehow simultaneously one of the most cynical characters I've ever encountered, and yet also one of the most naive/lacking in common sense. The cynicism, I completely understand, and in fact I was sometimes frustrated with other characters for failing to grasp why someone with Damon's life experiences might possibly be a cynic. The naivete, on the other hand... I spent most of these books in that sort of cringe-y fascination of knowing something is going to go terribly wrong - and often being able to tell exactly what - but being unable to look away. Damon just... doesn't pay attention. To anything or anyone, no matter how obvious the danger seemed to me. I kept wondering how he had possibly managed to survive to get to this story, and it got very old, very fast.
Also, the focus on the race of the one black footman (like seriously, that is one of the only things the reader learns about him, and the information is repeated almost every time he appears) felt very weird, especially since he was one of the only (the only?) character of color in the entire set of books.
Damon Snow is somehow simultaneously one of the most cynical characters I've ever encountered, and yet also one of the most naive/lacking in common sense. The cynicism, I completely understand, and in fact I was sometimes frustrated with other characters for failing to grasp why someone with Damon's life experiences might possibly be a cynic. The naivete, on the other hand... I spent most of these books in that sort of cringe-y fascination of knowing something is going to go terribly wrong - and often being able to tell exactly what - but being unable to look away. Damon just... doesn't pay attention. To anything or anyone, no matter how obvious the danger seemed to me. I kept wondering how he had possibly managed to survive to get to this story, and it got very old, very fast.
Also, the focus on the race of the one black footman (like seriously, that is one of the only things the reader learns about him, and the information is repeated almost every time he appears) felt very weird, especially since he was one of the only (the only?) character of color in the entire set of books.
May 22, 2016
Very enjoyable quick reads. Solid writing, no sex overload, flawed characters who share a genuine love. A little tragic and a little sweet. Great bargain price for 4 books.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews