#!demons

Title: A Game of Wings and Marks Author: Rebecca Crunden Format: Standalone novel Published/Free: Published // Free if you have Kindle Unlimited. Length: 76K~, 240 pages Status: Finished Rating: Mature Warnings: mentions of past abuse, fight scenes, sex scenes Link: Amazon // Goodreads Summary: When Octavia Coal goes to the mountains to clear her head, she doesn’t expect to find an angel in trouble.

He tells her his name is Tamiel and he’s one of the Irin – the army of angels tasked with keeping demons from overwhelming humanity. But Tamiel broke a sacred law – he fell in love with a human – and now he’s being hunted by the same angels he once served.

With nowhere else to go, Octavia and Tamiel – along with Jack, the human in question, and her brother Caleb – appeal directly to Zev, the Demon of Games. A trickster of unparalleled power, Zev gives nothing for free, and the gift he offers Octavia to keep Tamiel alive comes with a confusing catch: He makes her the Healer of Raphael, archangel and Commander of the Irin.

Suddenly a target for both angels and demons, Octavia quickly learns that the only way to survive is to play the game better than they do.

The only problem is, she doesn’t know whose game she’s playing …

Title: Sultry Hero Author: Darkheartsfiction Format: Novel Published/Free: Free Length: 37,201 (So far) Status: Ongoing/Updating (Every Saturday) Rating: Mature Warnings: Non-con, Abuse, Violence Link: https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3310862/1/Sultry-Hero Summary: A Daemon warrior turned concubine uses a magic stone to travel through time and change history, but when he returns to the present he discovers that he is revered as a hero. Now he travels in disguise to hunt down the Zealots of the Daemon King to prevent them from undoing everything, all the while hiding from the Generals affection.

Title: Spidersilk Author: Pamela Kotila (Alakotila) Format: Webcomic Published/Free: Free. Two volumes available for purchase on Kickstarter Length: 20 chapters and counting Status: WIP Rating: Teen Warnings: Torture in flashbacks, combative violence, and sexual references Link: https://tapastic.com/series/Spidersilk Summary: Prentice, a former soldier struggling with events a year before the story’s start, is introduced to a city’s criminal system by new friends. Attacks during his training reveal threads to a large trap for their system. Review: Spidersilk is Social Fantasy. While the primary relationship is a sweet romance between a warrior-mage and a golden-hearted thief, the story follows other relationships, most notably friendships and chosen family. Because of the interwoven story lines, I feel as if the comic’s title is as descriptive of the story’s structure as the network of criminals accepted by the city.

The large cast can be hard to follow, especially when background characters are referred to by name. Original character designs makes remembering the big players easier. It’s obvious their creator cares about showing their unique identities.

One aspect I really appreciate about the cast is the mix of masculinity and femininity in the characters. After jumping in from a reading break, remembering the gender of the secondary characters can be a challenge but it ultimately doesn’t matter. They treat each other differently based on skill, affiliation, and attraction rather than on gender.

The characters are beautiful. All of them. I suspect every reader develops a crush on at least one character. It’s not only their pretty faces, lean bodies, lush hair, and intricately-drawn clothing; many of the characters have lovely personalities. Excepting the occasional racist guard and mysterious strangers attacking the city’s system, the characters are accepting, supportive, and interesting.

I wouldn’t mind living in their world.

There’s both beauty and humor. The physical humor is actually what first hooked me. This summoned creature called Ambassador is a big contributor. He seems to change size to loom threateningly or to offer up hugs. He has to share the funny moments with a guard llama (my favorite), an owl, and even clothing as an impromptu weapon.

That this comic is culturally rich is quickly apparent. While Prentice (and the reader) is introduced to the city of Kalviva. The clash and blend of cultures from outside the city adds to the rich tapestry of the world.

Speaking of, I wish for a faster-moving plot. That’s because I’m more action-oriented and more interested in the main couple than any of their friends and allies. More patient readers might delight in the time spent exploring the side relationships.

Title: The Viper’s Scheme Author: TheDancingCrow Format: Novel Published/Free: Free Length: 162k so far Status: WIP Rating: Mature Warnings: slavery, rape, abuse Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5540954/chapters/12782114 Summary: Sylves Tevenra is a powerful mage, said to have been born with the ability to subdue humanity’s mortal enemies once and for all. Esares is the demon who was sent to kill him and has been paying the price ever since. And then there is Anereth Laverien, who Esares knows is unkind and treacherous, but who is the only person his master would trust with his treasured slave.

Esares holds the key to his master’s destruction, but he will have to decide whether using it would bring him and his people closer to freedom, or merely turn him into another dangerous man’s pawn.

Review: Came for the power imbalance, stayed for the characters and worldbuilding. Could be your thing if you like hurt/comfort, fantasy and slow paced stories and have an interest in slavefics. You’ll find a lot of focus on the two main characters and the gradual progression of their relationship as well as on the power dynamics, with the main plot (the planned murder of the “Chosen One” Sylves) moving along much more slowly.

Chapters 2&3 where Esares is with Sylves are the darkest (at least of yet) and where the rape warning is especially important. One thing that got me is that at a glance Sylves has many more traits of a good person than Anereth, but his dehumanisation of slaves is where that all falls apart and he reveals himself a villain. Whereas we know Anereth has an ulterior motive for being nice to Esares yet it’s clear he at least approaches him like a person and not (only) a possession. Esares himself has been pushed nearly to breaking point but remains beautifully angry at his predicament and the oppression of his people, and continually struggles with being grateful to Anereth for things he knows shouldn’t elicit gratitude.

Title: MON★STAR Studios Author: vampmilk Format: Webcomic Published/Free: Free Length: Ongoing Status: WIP Rating: Teen Warnings: Mentions of/implied sexual content Link: https://tapastic.com/series/monstarstudios Summary: In a modern city where humans and monsters live together peacefully, college dropout Ramone Garcia makes some strange and exciting friends when he becomes the first human employee at MON★STAR Studios, a monster-centric gay adult film studio.

Title: Galdranorn and the Fury Author: Insipid-Drivel and DoubleThickCustard Format: Webcomic Published/Free: Free Length: 14 chapters Status: Complete Rating: Mature Warnings: Nudity, sex, blood, injuries Link: galdranornandthefury Summary: 15,000 years ago a great siege waged between gods and demons tore an immense canyon through the water and earth itself, creating an ever-plunging crevasse into the very heart of the world. Now things in dark places stir once more, and a lone Fury is sent to guard the doorway, and ensure the safety of the Nivean people who would call it home. But there are things far more feared than demons down there, for it is also in the blackest depths that the Niveans send their Galdranorn to live in exile.