Good evening, and a huge hello to everyone who has visited my blog over the last few months. I have been busy with work and writing but have taken time to read over the previous few weeks. I was excited to be recently selected to be an ARC reader for an indie author, Dante St. John, and was privileged to receive both editions of her first book in the series ‘Broken Demon‘. There are two editions: one is spicy with no redactions, and the other is the blackout edition with the spicy parts removed for readers who prefer not to read the ‘smut.’

I applied to be an ARC reader as I have never been part of this type of process before, and I’m not going to lie, I was interested to see how the whole advanced reader copy system would work, as this may be something I’d like to try myself. It was a great process, and I could open the advanced copy on my Kindle Fire HD tablet through my Kindle Unlimited account. I read it as I would any other book I had purchased or downloaded, and I will review it in my first post on my blog for almost a month!

This fantasy/supernatural book opens with a prologue, which is just a few pages long, but I was instantly drawn in and excited about where the story might lead. It talks about the world ending 20 years before and every major religion and culture experiencing the end as we know it; like each religion often referenced in the shape of the Rapture or, for others, Ragnarök. It happened simultaneously on an ordinary Tuesday, and the collision of beliefs and conflicts aroused by differing opinions of these religions caused catastrophic change. The world as it was known had changed and was now unrecognisable, and during this collision, other worlds of magic, of Fae and vampires and demons, mongst a few, were suddenly here, co-existing on our small planet. Millions died, and this world-ending event became known as The Breaking.

I was immediately intrigued and wanted to read more and was not disappointed as chapter 1 opens with the female main character, Andromeda, the mercenary of the human population who was tasked with torturing and interrogating other ‘beings’ who were not of the human persuasion, to stop crime against the human population where many had been trafficked or killed for sport or profit. The world had been divided up. Once great human cities were now controlled by vampires, shape shifters, demons or any other type of monster you could imagine. The humans now existed in small walled cities, desperately establishing rules and laws that all, even those who were not human, were expected to live by.

The love interest becomes apparent early into the narrative, and instead of a slow-burn romance, we get a fast-moving relationship that begins as simply physical. Viktor, a demon with handsome features and a fierce personality, quickly appeals to readers as the two characters begin a more professional work relationship while navigating their emotional affair. There are many twists and turns, and discoveries are made as each chapter unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed the clever narrative, engaging characters, well-constructed plot, and dangerous situations that arose throughout the book.

I have since reviewed the book and awarded it 5 stars, as it draws you in and leaves you wanting more. I have to say, for me, this was an excellent process, and it is ever exciting to see indie authors getting their work out there as this book deserves to be read. If you like fantasy with supernatural themes and a little spice, which doesn’t take away from the narrative whilst delving into the dark world of crime against humans in a dystopian world where monsters rule the land, this is the book for you. It has love, laughter and danger whilst recognising that the world as we know it could end up in a situation like this as we become increasingly overpopulated and rely on computers and technology to survive.

If you fancy reading the book, see the link below… I loved this book and cannot wait for the sequel!

Broken Demon