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Devil's Gamble
Caleb Durant is half demon. His mother has spent his
entire life telling him that he's the Antichrist, destined
for great and evil things.
He's mostly just trying to pass Calculus.
After being forced to move to a small country town after
his principal suffers a fatal and not-entirely-unintentional
accident, Caleb hopes he can at least get some solitude.
But Andras, his demonic guardian, has made a friendly
wager with an angel, and Caleb's soul is the prize.
Isaac Mitchell, the sheltered Southern Baptist tasked
by an Angel of the Lord to turn Caleb toward the light,
is determined to keep his new friend on the straight
and narrow.
Isaac himself, however, is having some trouble
remembering to keep his task and his feelings separate.
entire life telling him that he's the Antichrist, destined
for great and evil things.
He's mostly just trying to pass Calculus.
After being forced to move to a small country town after
his principal suffers a fatal and not-entirely-unintentional
accident, Caleb hopes he can at least get some solitude.
But Andras, his demonic guardian, has made a friendly
wager with an angel, and Caleb's soul is the prize.
Isaac Mitchell, the sheltered Southern Baptist tasked
by an Angel of the Lord to turn Caleb toward the light,
is determined to keep his new friend on the straight
and narrow.
Isaac himself, however, is having some trouble
remembering to keep his task and his feelings separate.
- GenresFantasyM M Romance
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2016
6 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 3, 2017
Edited to add: This is a very problematic read that I acknowledge is problematic. It's just there are nuggets of gold that I *really* liked, so that's why I originally rated this 4 stars. In hindsight, ignoring the big issues in favor of the little dazzle is bad business. Though I think I'll leave a star for the heart of the story that gripped me.
I'm keeping up the original review because it does go into detail about where this book goes wrong, in spite of me also raving about it. (Probably because I was in a reading slump at the time. Also the cover is gorgeous.)
TL;DR: The writing is amateur, and the author does no justice for the MM Romance genre. Plus random anti-semitism because why not.
---
Original review:
I am pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this story. It's a really sweet YA-type romance between a broody kid (with demon powers) and a goody-two-shoes that INCLUDES explicit sex scenes. The characters are charming, the conflict is believable, and I was left with a wicked smile on my face.
Caleb is coming-of-age with his demonic powers, and Andras, his demon guardian, is worried about him going too far too fast. Andras makes a wager with Barachiel, a seraph who is also looking out for Caleb's well-being (in between having a ton of sex with Andras), about whether Isaac, a Baptist church going, purity ring wearing, so virtuous the other angels find him boring, teen can lead Caleb on the path of the light.
Caleb has to decide what kind of life he wants to lead, whether he wants to embrace his demon side wholly or become neutral as to blend in with humans. (Hah, let me get over the fact that this teenager has to make a final decision that will impact the rest of his life while he's hormonal and confused.) Isaac tries to befriend him, under Barachiel's urging, and Caleb assumes Isaac is flirting with him. Shenanigans! And even though Isaac is brought up to believe homosexuality is a sin, that doesn't stop him from pursuing Caleb platonically after their brief misunderstanding. Though it doesn't stay platonic for long. The book does a great job of jabbing at religious doctrine without it feeling too heavy handed, and the adorable part is how much Caleb and Isaac end up rubbing off on each other. Both mentally and physically.
Andras is also an interesting character. He is charged with caring for Caleb because Caleb's real father is bound to Hell. Caleb is not the first offspring Andras has had to raise, yet the attachment he feels to this one is unique. He gives Caleb room to make his own choices, and even though it'd be great for Caleb to become a fully-realized demon, Andras also wants Caleb to be happy. Making bets with Barachiel is just the icing on the cake.
As a person who stopped reading YA because it's a lot of fade to black, I'm really satisfied with the sexy times. Perhaps my few niggles are the consent issues with Caleb being able to command people to his will, thus making it weird when he orders Isaac around in bed. Isaac's chastity is also treated in a problematic way because Caleb decides Isaac's chastity should stay in tact as long as he doesn't bottom, which is wrong considering if Isaac was with a girl he wouldn't bottom anyway. Don't get me started on that one penetration scene with no explanation as to why there was no lube.
While I devoured the story, I didn't enjoy the amateur writing style. When we're in Caleb or Isaac's POV, they refer to themselves with third person attributions such as "the boy," more specifically Caleb as "the dark-haired boy" and Isaac as "the blond." Additionally, there is a bad case of head-hopping in the last 20% of the story. (Also shouldn't kids have a doctor's note if they're missing for more than a few days from school?) (Also... can we not with the Jewish symbols for demon summoning rituals. That's randomly anti-semitic in an otherwise enjoyable experience.) (I have strong opinions about this needing another round of editing to tighten up the prose.)
My verdict is simple: if you can get over the issues I've brought to your attention, this is a really great read with extremely charming characters. I was swooning over Caleb and Isaac's relationship while grinning at Andras and Barachiel's banter. Good coming of age story that's not afraid to get explicit.
I'm keeping up the original review because it does go into detail about where this book goes wrong, in spite of me also raving about it. (Probably because I was in a reading slump at the time. Also the cover is gorgeous.)
TL;DR: The writing is amateur, and the author does no justice for the MM Romance genre. Plus random anti-semitism because why not.
---
Original review:
I am pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this story. It's a really sweet YA-type romance between a broody kid (with demon powers) and a goody-two-shoes that INCLUDES explicit sex scenes. The characters are charming, the conflict is believable, and I was left with a wicked smile on my face.
Caleb is coming-of-age with his demonic powers, and Andras, his demon guardian, is worried about him going too far too fast. Andras makes a wager with Barachiel, a seraph who is also looking out for Caleb's well-being (in between having a ton of sex with Andras), about whether Isaac, a Baptist church going, purity ring wearing, so virtuous the other angels find him boring, teen can lead Caleb on the path of the light.
Caleb has to decide what kind of life he wants to lead, whether he wants to embrace his demon side wholly or become neutral as to blend in with humans. (Hah, let me get over the fact that this teenager has to make a final decision that will impact the rest of his life while he's hormonal and confused.) Isaac tries to befriend him, under Barachiel's urging, and Caleb assumes Isaac is flirting with him. Shenanigans! And even though Isaac is brought up to believe homosexuality is a sin, that doesn't stop him from pursuing Caleb platonically after their brief misunderstanding. Though it doesn't stay platonic for long. The book does a great job of jabbing at religious doctrine without it feeling too heavy handed, and the adorable part is how much Caleb and Isaac end up rubbing off on each other. Both mentally and physically.
Andras is also an interesting character. He is charged with caring for Caleb because Caleb's real father is bound to Hell. Caleb is not the first offspring Andras has had to raise, yet the attachment he feels to this one is unique. He gives Caleb room to make his own choices, and even though it'd be great for Caleb to become a fully-realized demon, Andras also wants Caleb to be happy. Making bets with Barachiel is just the icing on the cake.
As a person who stopped reading YA because it's a lot of fade to black, I'm really satisfied with the sexy times. Perhaps my few niggles are the consent issues with Caleb being able to command people to his will, thus making it weird when he orders Isaac around in bed. Isaac's chastity is also treated in a problematic way because Caleb decides Isaac's chastity should stay in tact as long as he doesn't bottom, which is wrong considering if Isaac was with a girl he wouldn't bottom anyway. Don't get me started on that one penetration scene with no explanation as to why there was no lube.
While I devoured the story, I didn't enjoy the amateur writing style. When we're in Caleb or Isaac's POV, they refer to themselves with third person attributions such as "the boy," more specifically Caleb as "the dark-haired boy" and Isaac as "the blond." Additionally, there is a bad case of head-hopping in the last 20% of the story. (Also shouldn't kids have a doctor's note if they're missing for more than a few days from school?) (Also... can we not with the Jewish symbols for demon summoning rituals. That's randomly anti-semitic in an otherwise enjoyable experience.) (I have strong opinions about this needing another round of editing to tighten up the prose.)
My verdict is simple: if you can get over the issues I've brought to your attention, this is a really great read with extremely charming characters. I was swooning over Caleb and Isaac's relationship while grinning at Andras and Barachiel's banter. Good coming of age story that's not afraid to get explicit.
Read
January 3, 2017DNF at the acknowledgement, I just can't with this:
"ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to my husband, who still cares about my books even when I keep writing about boys touching."
It just... it sounds like she thinks something about two men touching should put her husband right off her books but she's giving him cookies for not being homophobic... wtaf? I don't even want to start a book whose author has that kind of an attitude.
"ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to my husband, who still cares about my books even when I keep writing about boys touching."
It just... it sounds like she thinks something about two men touching should put her husband right off her books but she's giving him cookies for not being homophobic... wtaf? I don't even want to start a book whose author has that kind of an attitude.
November 2, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Devil's Gamble by Tess Barnett
Devil's Gambit is a wonderfully unexpected read with a fresh plot and perfectly drawn characters. I found the conflict original and believable, and the play between the classic themes of good & evil, angel & demon, and the redemptive power of love handled with finesse and humor. There was no heavy preaching here, just pleasure and delight.
Devil's Gambit is a wonderfully unexpected read with a fresh plot and perfectly drawn characters. I found the conflict original and believable, and the play between the classic themes of good & evil, angel & demon, and the redemptive power of love handled with finesse and humor. There was no heavy preaching here, just pleasure and delight.
Read
January 5, 2017Dedication: "thank you to my husband, who still cares about my books even when I keep writing about boys touching"
...is there something wrong with boys touching each other? Because that's what this implies. Even if it's some weird in-joke it's still not okay. if your dedication basically boils down to "queer people are kinda icky teehee" then you really ought not to be writing queer romance.
*sigh*
...is there something wrong with boys touching each other? Because that's what this implies. Even if it's some weird in-joke it's still not okay. if your dedication basically boils down to "queer people are kinda icky teehee" then you really ought not to be writing queer romance.
*sigh*
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews