This Book Promised a Demon Daddy and Gave Me a Folklore Field Trip
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What did I get?
...A bunch of goblin errands.
Devil's deal
Genre & Tropes
It claims to be "dark romance," but I saw neither darkness nor romance—unless you count my descent into existential crisis while waiting for the plot to do something. Calling this dark romance is like calling a potato a weapon because you once saw someone throw one
Rating
2/5
Things That Made My Brain Go “What the F*!”
On the most magical of nights, our main girl Jaga—yes, named like the terrifying crone Baba Yaga but hotter—decides to crash the gods’ party. Because why not? She’s mortal, she’s bored, and her ADHD said “go sniff the divine fire.” Then boom: enter Mr. Devil. He’s got hooves, claws, glowing eyes, and enough sultry menace to fry your last brain cell.
He dances with her, whispers evil nothings, makes everyone at the sacred rave extremely uncomfortable… and then just… vanishes.
Like a toxic ex who love-bombs you in the club and then ghosts for 30 chapters.
😵💫 THINGS THIS BOOK DID TO ME: Yell in to the void
Do you like Slavic folklore? Great! Do you want every single cryptid explained in painful detail while Jaga runs around like a mythological pest control agent? Even better! Because that’s 85% of this book.
We’ve got rusalki! Domovoi! Leshy! Baba Yaga's cousin twice removed! I started expecting a folklore BINGO card in the back matter.
Meanwhile, the Devil—this allegedly dark, terrifying, irresistible presence—is just...vibing. Off-page. Probably filing his claws or binge-watching soul torture tutorials on YouTube.
So here’s the part that made me yell into the void: WHERE IS THE ROMANTIC ANGST?
Don’t tease me with “clawed hands circling my waist” and “seductive lies” and then spend the rest of the book ghosting me like we didn’t just have a moment under the moonlight. What is this, a devil drive-by?
I signed up for slow burn, not no burn. Their “dynamic” is basically:
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Jaga: "You ruined my life!"
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Devil: [ominous silence from the shadows]
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Jaga: "Okay but like… are we gonna make out or not?"
Spoiler: Not.
What my Braincell Has Spoken!
This book had so much potential. The writing is atmospheric, the world is rich, and if you’re here for deep Slavic fantasy lore, you will have a field day. But if you came looking for demonic seduction, burning tension, or even a decent smolder, you’ll be left clutching your Kindle and screaming, “WHERE IS HE?!”
In my opinion? This is also not a slow burn romance. It’s a gas stove with no propane.
Am I gonna read book 2? Begrudgingly. Because I have issues. And I need answers. And maybe, just maybe, the devil will actually show up to his own damn story.
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