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Demonborn #1
Demon Season
Being a demonborn on the eve of his first demon season can be stressful, especially for Taylor, who's always felt that he doesn't quite fit in. After a troubled youth marred by trauma, he's finally set off on his own to college for a fresh start. So far things are going well, but soon demon season will start and he'll have three nights to lure a demon to him so that they can bond. The demon will feed off him for the rest of his life and in exchange, he'll gain the demon's protection. But every demon is different, and he wonders if he'll even be able to bond with one.
As his first night comes, he finds himself in an unusual situation and before he can think, he's bound to a demon he knows almost nothing about. When his demon reveals himself to be the prince of demons and an incubus, Taylor is forced to confront his own past and his repressed sexuality in order to give his demon what he needs to survive.
Trying to fit in on campus while bonded to the prince of demons is difficult, and being with an incubus even harder, and Taylor has to find the courage to move on from his past and embrace his future.
As his first night comes, he finds himself in an unusual situation and before he can think, he's bound to a demon he knows almost nothing about. When his demon reveals himself to be the prince of demons and an incubus, Taylor is forced to confront his own past and his repressed sexuality in order to give his demon what he needs to survive.
Trying to fit in on campus while bonded to the prince of demons is difficult, and being with an incubus even harder, and Taylor has to find the courage to move on from his past and embrace his future.
Unknown Binding
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 9, 2020
The story was good enough to keep me reading
I found the human main character super annoying but the story line and world building was enough to make me finish the book. I actually like the story so much that I want to see what happens next. I hope the main guy changes though. He's just so dumb.
I found the human main character super annoying but the story line and world building was enough to make me finish the book. I actually like the story so much that I want to see what happens next. I hope the main guy changes though. He's just so dumb.
January 9, 2022
Taylor is demon born attending a demon born school meaning he can bond with a demon to help them survive. It’s a huge honor and always anticipated! His demon tattoo though was disfigured and he fears he won’t be able to bond. All he’s hoping for is an ordinary demon that something within him can feed and sustain.
Imagine Taylor’s surprise when the ONLY incubus demon prince chooses him. Not only did a MALE pick him, but an incubus! Taylor knows he’s gay but it’s been well closeted until now, much to his fear. Taylor also has severe sexual childhood trauma he’s tried to bury and now can’t since his demon NEEDS him.
The thing about this book is it’s so BEAUTIFUL. Gabriel, his demon, is so patient with him. He feeds off pleasure and adored making Taylor happy. The communication and consent was incredible AND the way the trauma was handled had me in tears. They patiently explore’s Taylor’s desires and curiosities set at his pace. Another thing that’s so beautiful is Taylor loves Gabriel’s true form. He doesn’t shy away from who Gabriel really is and he slowly falls for him.
Demons can’t love though and Taylor is only in for heartbreak.
Or is he?
As they navigate their relationship things escalate when hunters target Gabriel brining along Taylor’s trauma and hidden truths.
THE SPICE WAS SO GOOD and the ending solution was so good and I had a hangover after this book. I loved the boundaries and character depth and the romance. It was so perfect for my tastes. I adored Taylor and Gabriel and I adored them together. This book was so soft and fast paced and made my heart melt and my pulse race.
Imagine Taylor’s surprise when the ONLY incubus demon prince chooses him. Not only did a MALE pick him, but an incubus! Taylor knows he’s gay but it’s been well closeted until now, much to his fear. Taylor also has severe sexual childhood trauma he’s tried to bury and now can’t since his demon NEEDS him.
The thing about this book is it’s so BEAUTIFUL. Gabriel, his demon, is so patient with him. He feeds off pleasure and adored making Taylor happy. The communication and consent was incredible AND the way the trauma was handled had me in tears. They patiently explore’s Taylor’s desires and curiosities set at his pace. Another thing that’s so beautiful is Taylor loves Gabriel’s true form. He doesn’t shy away from who Gabriel really is and he slowly falls for him.
Demons can’t love though and Taylor is only in for heartbreak.
Or is he?
As they navigate their relationship things escalate when hunters target Gabriel brining along Taylor’s trauma and hidden truths.
THE SPICE WAS SO GOOD and the ending solution was so good and I had a hangover after this book. I loved the boundaries and character depth and the romance. It was so perfect for my tastes. I adored Taylor and Gabriel and I adored them together. This book was so soft and fast paced and made my heart melt and my pulse race.
October 20, 2022
Very intriguing plot & world building where a population dubbed the “demon born”, grow up with the expectation they’ll be chosen by / bond with a demon.
This happens during Demon Season only, from what I understand this begins when they turn 18 (MC is a freshmen in college). The bond allows the demon to feed from them, for example Natalie (the MCs bffl) is a serious student, & she bonds with a demon who feeds off the satisfaction of learning / gaining knowledge. Through feeding the demons are able to gain enough energy to gain their own form & walk on earth, outside the demon realm, while feeding off their bonded until they die.
Another couple details:
1 - demons cannot love, falling in love with your demon is like the ultimate no-no taboo that can only lead to a sad depressing death by unrequited love (dramatic but I get it)
2 - there is only ONE incubus in existence, he is also the only Demon Prince & sole son of the Demon King.
3 - the bonded human gives the demon a name, each and every time, and they (demons) never disclose their true names. Ever.
4 - demons when in their own form are usually animals with the exception of the sucubus - the demon prince will be the only one with a human form. His true form he shows only in dreams.
5 - dreams are where bonded communicate, where they first meet, & where the feed enough that the demon can get it’s own form (and literally crawls out of their bonded humans mouth it’s really intense 😅)
Over all this again, was an interesting plot and an original idea as far as dynamic & world building goes. I had a hard time connecting with the MC Taylor -
His internal dialogue was lacking depth & dimension, kind of just straight to the point without anything to pull at my heart strings outside of his devotion to his demon. He was kind blah aside from that, even his trauma which was substantial, failed to leave a mark on me while reading because it was just mentioned…. Them pushed aside.
That said, I recommend. Can’t lose with Demon love. I’ve said once I’ve said it a million times - demon BFs always slap.
This happens during Demon Season only, from what I understand this begins when they turn 18 (MC is a freshmen in college). The bond allows the demon to feed from them, for example Natalie (the MCs bffl) is a serious student, & she bonds with a demon who feeds off the satisfaction of learning / gaining knowledge. Through feeding the demons are able to gain enough energy to gain their own form & walk on earth, outside the demon realm, while feeding off their bonded until they die.
Another couple details:
1 - demons cannot love, falling in love with your demon is like the ultimate no-no taboo that can only lead to a sad depressing death by unrequited love (dramatic but I get it)
2 - there is only ONE incubus in existence, he is also the only Demon Prince & sole son of the Demon King.
3 - the bonded human gives the demon a name, each and every time, and they (demons) never disclose their true names. Ever.
4 - demons when in their own form are usually animals with the exception of the sucubus - the demon prince will be the only one with a human form. His true form he shows only in dreams.
5 - dreams are where bonded communicate, where they first meet, & where the feed enough that the demon can get it’s own form (and literally crawls out of their bonded humans mouth it’s really intense 😅)
Over all this again, was an interesting plot and an original idea as far as dynamic & world building goes. I had a hard time connecting with the MC Taylor -
His internal dialogue was lacking depth & dimension, kind of just straight to the point without anything to pull at my heart strings outside of his devotion to his demon. He was kind blah aside from that, even his trauma which was substantial, failed to leave a mark on me while reading because it was just mentioned…. Them pushed aside.
That said, I recommend. Can’t lose with Demon love. I’ve said once I’ve said it a million times - demon BFs always slap.
March 6, 2022
Bonding with a Demon
I'll be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to expect with this book and, boy, was I ever surprised. This is an amazingly unique story that was well written and absolutely compelling!
Taylor is a first year university student at a school for primarily demonborn. Humans born with a specific mark on their wrists are destined to bond with a demon. This window happens once a year for three days and the demonborn have only from 18 - 22 years of age to make that bond - after which they will be strictly human for the rest of their lives. Not everyone bonds the first time around, although it is the ultimate goal. Taylor's mark is different, imperfect, and he worries that this will mean he won't make a bond. Demons that wish to bond with you will appear in your dreams and Taylor is surprised to find himself drawn to a shadowy figure in his dream on the first night. Accepting this demon comes with a host of complications. First of all, the demon is male, an incubus, and Taylor has never told anyone that he's gay! Secondly, this is no ordinary demon - this is the demon prince - the only male demon created by the demon king and shrouded in secrets and rumors. As Taylor and his demon find their footing as a bonded pair they will have to navigate, not only, jealous humans, scheming demons, demon hunters, and Taylor's huge reluctance towards sex due to childhood abuse. However, if they can make it through everything, they might just find that they are the catalyst for great changes - for demons and humans alike!
There's so much I loved about this book. The characters are really well fleshed out. I really felt for Taylor because he us thrown into situations that he's not quite prepared for - yet he truly tries to rise to the occasion. His childhood abuse is a huge stumbling block but he accepts this, while trying to work through his insecurities. Gabriel, his demon, is endlessly patient and tender, and only wants to make Taylor happy. He never pushes for more than Taylor can give and tries to reassure and comfort him. Their relationship grows in a rational manner. It's not all instalove and roses. I appreciated that they had to work for their connection to strengthen and it felt more real. It does end on a HFN, because there's definitely more story to tell and not every secret is uncovered or resolved. I'm totally going to be watching for other books because I'm 100% invested in finding out what happens next. A few minor grammatical errors but nothing major. I would definitely recommend this book!
I'll be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to expect with this book and, boy, was I ever surprised. This is an amazingly unique story that was well written and absolutely compelling!
Taylor is a first year university student at a school for primarily demonborn. Humans born with a specific mark on their wrists are destined to bond with a demon. This window happens once a year for three days and the demonborn have only from 18 - 22 years of age to make that bond - after which they will be strictly human for the rest of their lives. Not everyone bonds the first time around, although it is the ultimate goal. Taylor's mark is different, imperfect, and he worries that this will mean he won't make a bond. Demons that wish to bond with you will appear in your dreams and Taylor is surprised to find himself drawn to a shadowy figure in his dream on the first night. Accepting this demon comes with a host of complications. First of all, the demon is male, an incubus, and Taylor has never told anyone that he's gay! Secondly, this is no ordinary demon - this is the demon prince - the only male demon created by the demon king and shrouded in secrets and rumors. As Taylor and his demon find their footing as a bonded pair they will have to navigate, not only, jealous humans, scheming demons, demon hunters, and Taylor's huge reluctance towards sex due to childhood abuse. However, if they can make it through everything, they might just find that they are the catalyst for great changes - for demons and humans alike!
There's so much I loved about this book. The characters are really well fleshed out. I really felt for Taylor because he us thrown into situations that he's not quite prepared for - yet he truly tries to rise to the occasion. His childhood abuse is a huge stumbling block but he accepts this, while trying to work through his insecurities. Gabriel, his demon, is endlessly patient and tender, and only wants to make Taylor happy. He never pushes for more than Taylor can give and tries to reassure and comfort him. Their relationship grows in a rational manner. It's not all instalove and roses. I appreciated that they had to work for their connection to strengthen and it felt more real. It does end on a HFN, because there's definitely more story to tell and not every secret is uncovered or resolved. I'm totally going to be watching for other books because I'm 100% invested in finding out what happens next. A few minor grammatical errors but nothing major. I would definitely recommend this book!
July 10, 2020
Look past the cover and blurb
I passed this book by several times because he cover art is kinda... and the blurb is... Yeah. Neither do this book any favors. This is actually a surprisingly great book. Very enjoyable and fairly original as well.
One thing that I HATED about this book first: way too much internal dialogue. It was so bad I actually felt the need to drop a star. I appreciate an MC that thinks things through (and Taylor certainly does that) but I hate it when that's all they do. Taylor speculates so so so much about gabriel and the intentions of people around him but barely ever says anything out loud. I enjoyed his thought process but dang. A bit much.
The world building was crazy interesting. I thought the whole concept was surprisingly awesome. This was NOT the book that the blurb leads you to believe. Innocent demonborn gets bonded with an incubus? Totally full of meaningless sex scenes, right? Noper. It's there, obviously, but not like I expected and I was very happy about that. I wish there was A lot more, because I felt like given a bit more flesh this could have been a genre flagship but I was Still pretty satisfied by what we got.
All said and done this was a well done story and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Worth it for sure.
I passed this book by several times because he cover art is kinda... and the blurb is... Yeah. Neither do this book any favors. This is actually a surprisingly great book. Very enjoyable and fairly original as well.
One thing that I HATED about this book first: way too much internal dialogue. It was so bad I actually felt the need to drop a star. I appreciate an MC that thinks things through (and Taylor certainly does that) but I hate it when that's all they do. Taylor speculates so so so much about gabriel and the intentions of people around him but barely ever says anything out loud. I enjoyed his thought process but dang. A bit much.
The world building was crazy interesting. I thought the whole concept was surprisingly awesome. This was NOT the book that the blurb leads you to believe. Innocent demonborn gets bonded with an incubus? Totally full of meaningless sex scenes, right? Noper. It's there, obviously, but not like I expected and I was very happy about that. I wish there was A lot more, because I felt like given a bit more flesh this could have been a genre flagship but I was Still pretty satisfied by what we got.
All said and done this was a well done story and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Worth it for sure.
January 11, 2022
I don't know
I wanted to really like this book I didn't dislike it but it was confusing and Taylor was very annoying.. In my opinion nothing was really explained it was kinda just confusing I still don't understand what really went on it just didn't click for me...
I wanted to really like this book I didn't dislike it but it was confusing and Taylor was very annoying.. In my opinion nothing was really explained it was kinda just confusing I still don't understand what really went on it just didn't click for me...
November 3, 2020
Amazing book!
This book was great! The world building and story unique, an interesting take on human/demon relationships. Here, there are humans, demons, and demonborn, a person born from the union of human and demon. Demonborn are able to form a bond with a demon (a highly sought after rite). They are raised and go to college to prepare for the brief time (demon season, three days) when this bond becomes possible. Through the bonds the demons can feed and would otherwise starve to death, and if the bond is strong, they can enter into the human realm. The demonborn and demon bond is a symbiotic relationship. These demons do not act like how they are usually depicted. There is no mass murdering or chaos here.
The main character is Taylor, he is sweet, kind and loving, but hiding a traumatic moment in the past and that he is gay. I just loved him. Gabriel is the demon prince, an incubus, very powerful and sought after demon and he bonds with Taylor. Gabriel in kind and patient and so caring towards Taylor.
There is tension and danger in the form of demon hunters after Gabriel and targeting Taylor. The ending was intense and totally not the outcome I expected and I loved it! I hope to see more of these two characters and what changes are in store for them!
Also, as a side note, I read some comments about the cover art being bad, but they must have changed it because the image I saw was cool and dark, centered with a demons red eye. It was one of the things that drew me to the book.
This book was great! The world building and story unique, an interesting take on human/demon relationships. Here, there are humans, demons, and demonborn, a person born from the union of human and demon. Demonborn are able to form a bond with a demon (a highly sought after rite). They are raised and go to college to prepare for the brief time (demon season, three days) when this bond becomes possible. Through the bonds the demons can feed and would otherwise starve to death, and if the bond is strong, they can enter into the human realm. The demonborn and demon bond is a symbiotic relationship. These demons do not act like how they are usually depicted. There is no mass murdering or chaos here.
The main character is Taylor, he is sweet, kind and loving, but hiding a traumatic moment in the past and that he is gay. I just loved him. Gabriel is the demon prince, an incubus, very powerful and sought after demon and he bonds with Taylor. Gabriel in kind and patient and so caring towards Taylor.
There is tension and danger in the form of demon hunters after Gabriel and targeting Taylor. The ending was intense and totally not the outcome I expected and I loved it! I hope to see more of these two characters and what changes are in store for them!
Also, as a side note, I read some comments about the cover art being bad, but they must have changed it because the image I saw was cool and dark, centered with a demons red eye. It was one of the things that drew me to the book.
March 28, 2021
Vague writing mars an otherwise adequate heterocentric (“real” sex = penetration) demon/human romance.
A bit squicky element of child rape in the backstory, but it served the plot more than I’m-not-ready-to-go-all-the-way.
So many questions:
Is this a magical college for demon-sided kids?
Why does the main character even need school (he’s not really paying much attention)?
What does bonding to a demon provide apart from companionship and maybe protection?
Is there a group of demon-bonded businesses or communes they join after graduation?
Does the term “demon” imply Abrahamic faith?
Is Taylor naming his demon after an angel?
A bit squicky element of child rape in the backstory, but it served the plot more than I’m-not-ready-to-go-all-the-way.
So many questions:
Is this a magical college for demon-sided kids?
Why does the main character even need school (he’s not really paying much attention)?
What does bonding to a demon provide apart from companionship and maybe protection?
Is there a group of demon-bonded businesses or communes they join after graduation?
Does the term “demon” imply Abrahamic faith?
Is Taylor naming his demon after an angel?
April 5, 2021
The idea of a demon season was a cool concept to build a book around. Taylor was an uke (bottom) character that had just enough backbone to be a good fit for an incubus. The book description promised us a tumultuous relationship with sexuality on Taylor's end. While it did have that, I think that it could have been even more of a focus. Though maybe there wouldn't have been as much room for the demon hunter aspect. The twist with Taylor's soul was a good one. I wasn't quite sure what it was going to be, but that twist fit well and helped to form a good conclusion.
March 21, 2021
Not your average demons
So. ... to be fair, I have limited experience with books about demons. Having said that, this story was completely different than any I had read before. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought Taylor was adorable. Gabriel was a conundrum until everything makes sense at the end. Natalie is the best kind of bestie. I'm wondering if there will be a sequel. I'd recommend this book.
So. ... to be fair, I have limited experience with books about demons. Having said that, this story was completely different than any I had read before. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought Taylor was adorable. Gabriel was a conundrum until everything makes sense at the end. Natalie is the best kind of bestie. I'm wondering if there will be a sequel. I'd recommend this book.
April 23, 2021
Fun variation on demons
Ms. James has presented a fun variation on the demon fantasy and their interaction with humans. With an obvious as a principal character it is easy to guess the book offers quite a bit of sex, but it does not overwhelm the story. There are a few disturbing elements of abuse, but they fit well into the overall story.
"Demon Season" reads a lot like a manga and I could easily see this as a graphic novel. Overall a fun and romantic read.
Ms. James has presented a fun variation on the demon fantasy and their interaction with humans. With an obvious as a principal character it is easy to guess the book offers quite a bit of sex, but it does not overwhelm the story. There are a few disturbing elements of abuse, but they fit well into the overall story.
"Demon Season" reads a lot like a manga and I could easily see this as a graphic novel. Overall a fun and romantic read.
May 29, 2021
Ver satisfying ending
I loved the irony that Yolette set up the very thing that she, and her family, and worked so tirelessly to prevent. What changes is this going to cause in both the demon realm, and on Earth?
Taylor had such a huge capacity to love and to forgive, that he became the perfect mate to Gabe. I liked that there are so many avenues that this can go, in future books.
I loved the irony that Yolette set up the very thing that she, and her family, and worked so tirelessly to prevent. What changes is this going to cause in both the demon realm, and on Earth?
Taylor had such a huge capacity to love and to forgive, that he became the perfect mate to Gabe. I liked that there are so many avenues that this can go, in future books.
January 29, 2022
I really struggled to get through this book. The writing style just didn't keep my attention (stuffy and too much tell instead of show on top of plenty of typos, some missing verbs, and even logical inconsistencies ...) and I feel that most of the relationship(s) are toxic. Never mind the trauma plot and whole "love cures all" bs. If only. So, not a book for me even though I did find the underlying concept interesting enough to finish the book. I just wish it had been executed differently.
April 18, 2021
If you could get past the cover this really not a bad book the computer generated images are off. But overall A nice short read with an interesting plot and World building. It's kind of wordy with a lot of describing and little doing
but the two main characters keep me interested and i wanted to see the story ends.
but the two main characters keep me interested and i wanted to see the story ends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 4, 2021so good
I genuinely enjoyed this world that the author created. I really hope they come out with more and that this is the start of a series as while there are no major cliffhangers. There are lots of unanswered questions that I would really enjoy knowing the answer to. This was a great book.
I genuinely enjoyed this world that the author created. I really hope they come out with more and that this is the start of a series as while there are no major cliffhangers. There are lots of unanswered questions that I would really enjoy knowing the answer to. This was a great book.
July 11, 2020
Very enjoyable book
This book is very well written and flows smoothly. I liked the Demon Prince (Gabriel) and his relations to his Demonborn, Taylor. All of the supporting characters were well written and easy to either like it dislike.
This book is very well written and flows smoothly. I liked the Demon Prince (Gabriel) and his relations to his Demonborn, Taylor. All of the supporting characters were well written and easy to either like it dislike.
May 13, 2021
I had a good bit of fun reading this one. It wasn’t perfect, the main character suffers from naïveté in order to further the plot along, and the finish/conclusion at the end seemed a little fast, wrapping up a lot of stuff rather quickly. But all in all, I really did have fun reading Demon Season.
January 28, 2022
Fantastic!
This was a very unique story about demons and the demon born that really was inventive and new. Not an insta-Love and no mpreg. A completely different story that I truly enjoyed reading!! Highly Recommend!
This was a very unique story about demons and the demon born that really was inventive and new. Not an insta-Love and no mpreg. A completely different story that I truly enjoyed reading!! Highly Recommend!
February 27, 2022
Excitingly different
Definitely worth spending time with these characters. Interesting story, creative and captivating. It’s a unique read and sets up exciting possibilities for the sequel.
Definitely worth spending time with these characters. Interesting story, creative and captivating. It’s a unique read and sets up exciting possibilities for the sequel.
April 13, 2022
This book had such an interesting concept (love me some incubus action), but I had to quit a mere 10 pages in because it was riddled with so much thinly veiled misogyny that made it impossible to stomach. :/
May 17, 2022
A VERY PROMISING START.
An entertaining read but, in real need of a good editor. It has a good start, to grasp you attention. There are chapters that repeat themselves and over all the book tends to be verbose.
An entertaining read but, in real need of a good editor. It has a good start, to grasp you attention. There are chapters that repeat themselves and over all the book tends to be verbose.
December 6, 2022
Meh
This had the potential to be great but sadly fell very short. It was quite wet, and there were so many plot holes that it was frustrating. I did actually finish it although it was a bit of a chore, but I won't be reading the second I'm afraid.
This had the potential to be great but sadly fell very short. It was quite wet, and there were so many plot holes that it was frustrating. I did actually finish it although it was a bit of a chore, but I won't be reading the second I'm afraid.
December 31, 2020
Good read
I liked it. I hope there will be a second book soon. My one complaint is that I wish it had been a bit longer haha.
I liked it. I hope there will be a second book soon. My one complaint is that I wish it had been a bit longer haha.
May 29, 2021
Taylor was TSTL and became tiresome. Writing was too YA with excessive internal monolgues. DNF at 32%.
July 1, 2021
Riveting read
Such a great new world building book. Amazing characters and story lines. Definitely a new favorite and looking forward to the next in the series.
Such a great new world building book. Amazing characters and story lines. Definitely a new favorite and looking forward to the next in the series.
January 2, 2022
There were some very unique demon things going on, but sometimes I just couldn't with the university stuff.
November 2, 2022
loved to Characters
I could not put the book down and I’m excited to read the next one. I will be starting it tomorrow
I could not put the book down and I’m excited to read the next one. I will be starting it tomorrow
November 7, 2022
Can’t wait for more!!
October 14, 2024
Juvenile. Felt like reading wattpad
December 16, 2019
Loved it!
The first thing that grabbed me about this story was the lore, which is easy to follow and detailed without becoming full.
Taylor and his demon are well thought out characters, and their relationship is complicated but fulfilling.
Recommended!
The first thing that grabbed me about this story was the lore, which is easy to follow and detailed without becoming full.
Taylor and his demon are well thought out characters, and their relationship is complicated but fulfilling.
Recommended!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews