What do you think?
Rate this book
Pandemonium #2
Behind Bars
The city of Dolana has kept itself free from demonic rule the hard by interrogating its citizens and sending anyone who could possibly be under demonic influence to the Inquisition. City innkeeper Pelerin is happy to help out however he can—after all, he lost his beloved wife to demons many years earlier, leaving him to raise their son on his own. If anyone deserves to have a grudge against demons, it's him.
But when his now-adult son disagrees with his actions, he is forced to reexamine the past. Is he doing the right thing, when it could lead—has led—to the deaths of innocents? Why is his son skulking about, and what secrets is he keeping? And while Pel's hands are full with this, a stranger comes to stay at his inn... a stranger who makes the question more relevant than Pel ever imagined would be possible.
But when his now-adult son disagrees with his actions, he is forced to reexamine the past. Is he doing the right thing, when it could lead—has led—to the deaths of innocents? Why is his son skulking about, and what secrets is he keeping? And while Pel's hands are full with this, a stranger comes to stay at his inn... a stranger who makes the question more relevant than Pel ever imagined would be possible.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2017
1 person is currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Katz
16 books211 followersAuthor of LGBT+ romance and speculative fiction! Likes humans, monsters, and the hazy places between the two.
* Personal Website
* Amazon Author Page
* Book Updates Twitter
* Personal Website
* Amazon Author Page
* Book Updates Twitter
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 15, 2021
Rep: bi/pan mc, nonbinary li, achillean side characters
February 25, 2017
Dolana is a city not very fond of demons, to say the very least. And after having his wife die at the hands of one, Pel is hardly bucking the trend. He in fact goes out of his way to point the city guard in the direction of anyone who even looks suspicious. Not because he has a cruel heart, but because he can’t bear the idea that his son might be the next victim to be claimed by lying demon hands. His convictions though might just cost him his son because while he might have the noblest of intentions, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been innocent people who have died because of Pel’s tip-offs. And when a stranger comes to tavern, acting in ways that cause Pel to worry, everything might just come to a head.
I enjoyed the first book in this series so I was glad to see that there was a sequel coming out. And as far as I can tell this one steps away from the fairy-tale retold aspect of book one, so I was curious to see what happens in this new story. Here we get a different look into this world of demons and humans. Instead of living in a place where the demons are (semi)benevolent overlords, we have a city where being a demon, consorting with demons, or even being a bit off can get you thrown into the hands of the Inquisition. (As you can surely tell, that is never a good thing.)
This story definitely held my attention better than book one. Not knowing where the story was going meant I had to keep reading if I was ever to find out. I love retold fairy-tale stories, but they do have the drawback of having a plot that has been well-hashed-out long before the author was probably even born. Here that problem wasn’t really an issue. We got to have fun wondering what Pel would do when the Big Reveal happened–and to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure myself, so that was great.
Yet despite all that, I had a really hard time liking these characters. Pel…well let’s just say he doesn’t come across all that morally righteous. I totally get why he would act as an informant, it just doesn’t do a lot towards invoking sympathy from a reader. In just about any other story he would be the bad guy. Maybe not the Big Bad, but definitely minion-level. And Pel’s son wasn’t much better. Sure he is right to call his father out on his shitty actions, but the dude was a bit too much everything that is Super Angry Teen Temper Tantrum! Despite agreeing with everything he said, every time he opened his mouth I had the urge to smack him.
The most likable characters in this book were the demons. Which is actually kinda understandable. I did love the gender-fluid aspect of one of them–though I wish we had more time in the story to explore that aspect. It kinda gets thrown out there late in the game and doesn’t come into play a whole lot. Guess that is what happens when you have to run from the local authorities. No time for the fun stuff.
This book may not score very high in the ratings, but I did actually enjoy it. The demons are great and I totally give props for having such a morally ambiguous main character. If there is a third book I will no doubt be picking it up.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
I enjoyed the first book in this series so I was glad to see that there was a sequel coming out. And as far as I can tell this one steps away from the fairy-tale retold aspect of book one, so I was curious to see what happens in this new story. Here we get a different look into this world of demons and humans. Instead of living in a place where the demons are (semi)benevolent overlords, we have a city where being a demon, consorting with demons, or even being a bit off can get you thrown into the hands of the Inquisition. (As you can surely tell, that is never a good thing.)
This story definitely held my attention better than book one. Not knowing where the story was going meant I had to keep reading if I was ever to find out. I love retold fairy-tale stories, but they do have the drawback of having a plot that has been well-hashed-out long before the author was probably even born. Here that problem wasn’t really an issue. We got to have fun wondering what Pel would do when the Big Reveal happened–and to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure myself, so that was great.
Yet despite all that, I had a really hard time liking these characters. Pel…well let’s just say he doesn’t come across all that morally righteous. I totally get why he would act as an informant, it just doesn’t do a lot towards invoking sympathy from a reader. In just about any other story he would be the bad guy. Maybe not the Big Bad, but definitely minion-level. And Pel’s son wasn’t much better. Sure he is right to call his father out on his shitty actions, but the dude was a bit too much everything that is Super Angry Teen Temper Tantrum! Despite agreeing with everything he said, every time he opened his mouth I had the urge to smack him.
The most likable characters in this book were the demons. Which is actually kinda understandable. I did love the gender-fluid aspect of one of them–though I wish we had more time in the story to explore that aspect. It kinda gets thrown out there late in the game and doesn’t come into play a whole lot. Guess that is what happens when you have to run from the local authorities. No time for the fun stuff.
This book may not score very high in the ratings, but I did actually enjoy it. The demons are great and I totally give props for having such a morally ambiguous main character. If there is a third book I will no doubt be picking it up.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
February 16, 2017
I absolutely loved the last book in this series, and am really happy that the print version of Behind Bars is a compilation of both books in the Pandemonium series. In the first book, we met a young man addicted to sleeping with incubi and succubi, but we don’t get a great deal of the world apart from that.
In this book, we get so much more of the world, though from a different area, one in which demons are not allowed to go. Palerin is employed as an informant on his fellow townsmen. This is… an incredibly pertinent plot point in the current political climate, and I thought that a lot of the questions that Pal was asked by newcomer, Tari, were incredibly pertinent. Pal definitely could use his mind being opened up more than a little.
The thing that disappointed me in this book is that I didn’t really like any of the main characters or didn’t feel I got enough of the ones I did like. Kip and Pal’s son were the gay relationship that I really wanted to be following in this story. This wasn’t just because Kip was an adorable cat familiar, I swear it >.>
Meredith Katz does very well in including varying sexualities in her stories as ever. I particularly liked the depiction of Tari’s gender identity. It makes perfect sense that a demon wouldn’t bother to subscribe to such human ideas on gender. The physical descriptions were also really well done.
As I loved reading the first book in the series, I particularly liked the call back to Prince Hrahez and Potfeld again at the very end. Made me just want to go back and pick up The Cobbler's Soleless Son for a reread.
March 25, 2017
Overcoming prejuidice
This story is aptly named Behind Bars and its title and implication of imprisonment only to start the story from the bartender’s perspective. The bartender being the main character Pel who is raising his sole child, Bruant, in a strict Inquisition approved establishment. The style of writing is intriguing and the author’s use of words and turn of phrases entertains whilst at the same time drawing the reader into the thickening plot.
Pel was a guard protecting humans from the supernatural in a village that is not supernatural-friendly. Pel fell in love with an innkeeper’s daughter, married her, had son Bruant, and inherited inn and lost unprejudiced wife Phalene to a vicious demon. Pel, having worked as a city guard protecting against demons, becomes an Inquisition informant reporting anyone whom he thinks are acting suspiciously. He and his son are not seeing eye-to-eye on the Inquisition and attitude towards supernaturals. Imagine all suspects being treated to a Salem witch hunt on someone accusations. If you sink, you’re innocent… that’s okay, right? Regardless once accused you’re dead!
Enters into Pel’s bar/inn, traveler Tari in search of a room during her travels. Thinking this was an M/M book, I kept waiting to meet the protagonist’s love match. Again, I felt the author is quite talented in and made twists in the plot in just the right amount of time to keep the reader from feeling like the storyline was boring or not well-paced. In the meantime, Pel is observing his surroundings as usual on the scope of information or actions out of the ordinary. He is concerned about his relationship with his son, but brushes most anomalies off as growing child pains.
Pel observes Tari’s ability to get along with people and her and his son’s instances of conversation. In hopes of improving his and his son’s relationship, he starts talking with Tari more. At some point, they become attracted to each other!? During a heavy make out session, he finds out she is an intercubus – neither male nor female, but most comfortable in between. Pel, still trying to work over the death of his wife, his blind discrimination against all supernatural due to the nature of his wife’s death, his unwilling guilt over having reported so many suspecting individuals to the Inquisition, and now in bed with a he demon, overwhelmingly tells Tari if she leaves his inn and his family immediately, he will not report her to the Inquisition.
At this sad point, one wonders what else remains in this strict Inquisition village that will give our story the necessary impetus to move on to the happy ending we all look forward to. Well, well, what do you know – Bruant is witch, has found love with his newly bonded familiar Kip, and oh, has been captured by the Inquisition. This proved to be the necessary impetus to change Pel’s outlook. Pel works hard to get over his ingrained habit of hating supernaturals. He finds and begs Tari, the only other supernatural he knows, to help him with his plot to rescue his son.
The two journey to save Braunt and in the process may just find freedom and to learn to love each other openly despite their issues.
Behind Bars is certainly not all m/m or highly sexual novel, I almost hesitate to call it a romance novel. If you like twisty supernatural stories, with characters full of emotional angst and flirt with hermaphrodite as a sort of gender ambiguity, this story is for you.
An free copy was provided to me from Reading Alley in exchange for an honest and unbias review.
This story is aptly named Behind Bars and its title and implication of imprisonment only to start the story from the bartender’s perspective. The bartender being the main character Pel who is raising his sole child, Bruant, in a strict Inquisition approved establishment. The style of writing is intriguing and the author’s use of words and turn of phrases entertains whilst at the same time drawing the reader into the thickening plot.
Pel was a guard protecting humans from the supernatural in a village that is not supernatural-friendly. Pel fell in love with an innkeeper’s daughter, married her, had son Bruant, and inherited inn and lost unprejudiced wife Phalene to a vicious demon. Pel, having worked as a city guard protecting against demons, becomes an Inquisition informant reporting anyone whom he thinks are acting suspiciously. He and his son are not seeing eye-to-eye on the Inquisition and attitude towards supernaturals. Imagine all suspects being treated to a Salem witch hunt on someone accusations. If you sink, you’re innocent… that’s okay, right? Regardless once accused you’re dead!
Enters into Pel’s bar/inn, traveler Tari in search of a room during her travels. Thinking this was an M/M book, I kept waiting to meet the protagonist’s love match. Again, I felt the author is quite talented in and made twists in the plot in just the right amount of time to keep the reader from feeling like the storyline was boring or not well-paced. In the meantime, Pel is observing his surroundings as usual on the scope of information or actions out of the ordinary. He is concerned about his relationship with his son, but brushes most anomalies off as growing child pains.
Pel observes Tari’s ability to get along with people and her and his son’s instances of conversation. In hopes of improving his and his son’s relationship, he starts talking with Tari more. At some point, they become attracted to each other!? During a heavy make out session, he finds out she is an intercubus – neither male nor female, but most comfortable in between. Pel, still trying to work over the death of his wife, his blind discrimination against all supernatural due to the nature of his wife’s death, his unwilling guilt over having reported so many suspecting individuals to the Inquisition, and now in bed with a he demon, overwhelmingly tells Tari if she leaves his inn and his family immediately, he will not report her to the Inquisition.
At this sad point, one wonders what else remains in this strict Inquisition village that will give our story the necessary impetus to move on to the happy ending we all look forward to. Well, well, what do you know – Bruant is witch, has found love with his newly bonded familiar Kip, and oh, has been captured by the Inquisition. This proved to be the necessary impetus to change Pel’s outlook. Pel works hard to get over his ingrained habit of hating supernaturals. He finds and begs Tari, the only other supernatural he knows, to help him with his plot to rescue his son.
The two journey to save Braunt and in the process may just find freedom and to learn to love each other openly despite their issues.
Behind Bars is certainly not all m/m or highly sexual novel, I almost hesitate to call it a romance novel. If you like twisty supernatural stories, with characters full of emotional angst and flirt with hermaphrodite as a sort of gender ambiguity, this story is for you.
An free copy was provided to me from Reading Alley in exchange for an honest and unbias review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2017
Book – Behind Bars (Pandemonium #2)
Author – Meredith Katz
Star rating - ★★★★☆
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Fairytale
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Rejoice! Unlike book 1 in this series, which I also got an early copy of through Netgalley, this one has chapter headings! Wooo!
Now, it's going to sound weird but I gave book 1 just 3 stars for having an indefinable problem that left me feeling like the world hadn't been fully explored. Now, I know what it is. This book should have come first. The whole way through this one, I was looking for a connection to Book 1, since it's part 2 in the series and I couldn't find anything. There was a very brief mention of Potfeld a few times, but nothing that indicated an awareness of it or the characters from book 1. In fact, the ending to this mentions going to Potfeld, which would have been a really great interlude to book 1 actually following this. So this book solved that mystery for me, at least.
However, it's also the reason I took off half a star. Because, this didn't read like book 2 in a series, but a book that was just the start of a series. It really would have saved me the trouble of waiting for the penny to drop or waiting for some kind of explanation of why it didn't connect if this one came first. So, though both books are in the same “universe”, there is no correlation between them when read in order, mounting to why I took off that half start.
The other half star was taken off for the fact that this is advertised as genderqueer, but actually has the genderqueer character – Tari – represented as a woman for 95% of the story, with female pronouns for 50%, then “they” for the rest of the story, and the only “male” aspect is that Tari happens to have a d*ck. There's never anything masculine or gender-neutral or genderqueer about Tari. I was also a little disappointed that our genderqueer character, Tari, is referred to as “them” or “them” so much. I'm confused as to why the author didn't use any of the acceptable genderqueer pronouns instead, which would have made it feel more authentically genderqueer rather than a little dismissive. The way “them” and “their” was used often made it sound like there were two people inside of Tari both being referred to at the same time, not a genderqueer individual. So, for this lack of consistency in writing a faithfully genderqueer character, who came across as more like a hermaphrodite, I had to take a half star off.
~
Overall, the story was good. Out of place within the series and lacking that genderqueer authenticity, but it had a good foundation, nice characters that were relatable and interesting to follow, as well as offering a sort of 'prequel' aspect to the first book by introducing us to the other side of the argument. In book 1 we had a human infatuated with demons; book 2 offers the counter-part with a character who hates demons.
Good but not astounding. A nice light read to take up a few hours of the day.
Author – Meredith Katz
Star rating - ★★★★☆
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Fairytale
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
Rejoice! Unlike book 1 in this series, which I also got an early copy of through Netgalley, this one has chapter headings! Wooo!
Now, it's going to sound weird but I gave book 1 just 3 stars for having an indefinable problem that left me feeling like the world hadn't been fully explored. Now, I know what it is. This book should have come first. The whole way through this one, I was looking for a connection to Book 1, since it's part 2 in the series and I couldn't find anything. There was a very brief mention of Potfeld a few times, but nothing that indicated an awareness of it or the characters from book 1. In fact, the ending to this mentions going to Potfeld, which would have been a really great interlude to book 1 actually following this. So this book solved that mystery for me, at least.
However, it's also the reason I took off half a star. Because, this didn't read like book 2 in a series, but a book that was just the start of a series. It really would have saved me the trouble of waiting for the penny to drop or waiting for some kind of explanation of why it didn't connect if this one came first. So, though both books are in the same “universe”, there is no correlation between them when read in order, mounting to why I took off that half start.
The other half star was taken off for the fact that this is advertised as genderqueer, but actually has the genderqueer character – Tari – represented as a woman for 95% of the story, with female pronouns for 50%, then “they” for the rest of the story, and the only “male” aspect is that Tari happens to have a d*ck. There's never anything masculine or gender-neutral or genderqueer about Tari. I was also a little disappointed that our genderqueer character, Tari, is referred to as “them” or “them” so much. I'm confused as to why the author didn't use any of the acceptable genderqueer pronouns instead, which would have made it feel more authentically genderqueer rather than a little dismissive. The way “them” and “their” was used often made it sound like there were two people inside of Tari both being referred to at the same time, not a genderqueer individual. So, for this lack of consistency in writing a faithfully genderqueer character, who came across as more like a hermaphrodite, I had to take a half star off.
~
Overall, the story was good. Out of place within the series and lacking that genderqueer authenticity, but it had a good foundation, nice characters that were relatable and interesting to follow, as well as offering a sort of 'prequel' aspect to the first book by introducing us to the other side of the argument. In book 1 we had a human infatuated with demons; book 2 offers the counter-part with a character who hates demons.
Good but not astounding. A nice light read to take up a few hours of the day.
August 20, 2017
I really liked the first book so I was expecting this to be just as enjoyable.
Although the book was great, it wasn't in my opinion as great as as the first book the cobbler's soleless son.
There were various factors for this but I think they most evident one was Pel's narrow -mind.
As a character Pel was a paradox in that all though he was kind, he had no hesitation in telling on anyone he was suspicious on apart from our lovely love interest of course.
Also he didn't care what happened to the victims he told on consoling himself with the notion that he was done it for his son's safety. He didn't really seem to grow fully but considering the plot it wasn't too much of a deterrent on the story.
The redeeming quality of the book had to be Pel's son broadness of mind and species. And I really enjoyed Pel getting taken down a peg.
Overall the book was three stars because I really enjoyed some parts but couldn't fully love Pel.
I received an Arc thanks to Reading Alley in return for an honest review. So thanks to Reading Alley and Meredith Katz and I look forward to the next book.
Although the book was great, it wasn't in my opinion as great as as the first book the cobbler's soleless son.
There were various factors for this but I think they most evident one was Pel's narrow -mind.
As a character Pel was a paradox in that all though he was kind, he had no hesitation in telling on anyone he was suspicious on apart from our lovely love interest of course.
Also he didn't care what happened to the victims he told on consoling himself with the notion that he was done it for his son's safety. He didn't really seem to grow fully but considering the plot it wasn't too much of a deterrent on the story.
The redeeming quality of the book had to be Pel's son broadness of mind and species. And I really enjoyed Pel getting taken down a peg.
Overall the book was three stars because I really enjoyed some parts but couldn't fully love Pel.
I received an Arc thanks to Reading Alley in return for an honest review. So thanks to Reading Alley and Meredith Katz and I look forward to the next book.
July 1, 2018
I still don’t really understand how demons are supposed to perceive gender and why an assumption, any assumption, would bother them in this regard. - Matt
In the end, I liked this book better than the previous one, but it still took me a while to get into it. - Laura
Read our full review here
In the end, I liked this book better than the previous one, but it still took me a while to get into it. - Laura
Read our full review here
February 12, 2017
From Magnolia Reviews: Three Petals
This story is considerably better than the prequel, which is why I do recommend it. I liked the world building and the characterizations were interesting, albeit a tad weak. Overall I enjoyed reading this story.
Read the full review on Maggie's website: http://magnoliareviews.weebly.com/rev...
This story is considerably better than the prequel, which is why I do recommend it. I liked the world building and the characterizations were interesting, albeit a tad weak. Overall I enjoyed reading this story.
Read the full review on Maggie's website: http://magnoliareviews.weebly.com/rev...
February 19, 2017
Another great book and the 2nd in the pandemonium set. I'll be following this series as its highly entertaining.
This is a story of another city than the one mentioned in the first book although it features a demon mentioned from the 1st.
Pel is an inn owner and someone who passes peoples details to the town Inquisition if they have interaction with demons. One killed his wife so he believes its the right thing. Trouble is his son Bruant feels differently. A new customer Tari comes to stay at the inn and helps show Pel the error of his ways.
This is a great story about learning not to judge a whole species based on one bad experience.
Bring on book 3.
This is a story of another city than the one mentioned in the first book although it features a demon mentioned from the 1st.
Pel is an inn owner and someone who passes peoples details to the town Inquisition if they have interaction with demons. One killed his wife so he believes its the right thing. Trouble is his son Bruant feels differently. A new customer Tari comes to stay at the inn and helps show Pel the error of his ways.
This is a great story about learning not to judge a whole species based on one bad experience.
Bring on book 3.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews