Title: Souls for Sale
Author: Asta Idonea
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: March 26, 2018
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 51600
Genre: Paranormal, LGBT, humor, demons, angels, nerds-geeks, artists, hell
Synopsis
When demon Saul persuades comic book artist Tom to sign over his soul in exchange for a night of passion, little does he know what lies in store. Demons can’t fall in love—or so he’s been told—but he finds himself smitten and attempts to destroy the contract, desperate to save Tom from an eternity of torture.
With Saul and Tom forced to run, a showdown between Heaven and Hell ensues as the angels and demons argue over who owns Tom’s soul. But does either party have a stronger claim than Saul?
My Review:
This was a quick, hot, devilish read!
I have to give kudos to Asta Idonea for writing this novel in first person, present tense. As an author, I have attempted this writing style and failed miserably. There's a certain skill required in telling a story from this perspective, a skill I don't possess.
The story revolves around Saul, a demon from hell, who is a top-notch salesman in obtaining satanic contracts, signed by silly humans willing to give up their souls for an eternity of damnation in exchange for their deepest desire.
A very familiar storyline. And yet, Idonea kept me entertained the entire way through the story by injecting present day realness into the tale. I giggled out loud when Saul exclaims that all demons watch the TV show Supernatural. And in fact, it was required watching. Hilarious - and deeply wonderful, as the TV series antics of demon-hunting brothers Sam and Dean are a regular show at my household.
I was also pleasantly surprised when Saul, the demon, turns to the reader of the story and actively includes them in the narrative. Here's an excerpt just before Tom and Saul are about to have sex, as an example of what I'm talking about:
I'm not entirely certain that our inclusion isn't a 'breaking of the fourth wall', but it was a decidedly odd technique to ensure the reader was wrapped up in the story - as we became part of it! It worked well and I loved it - and thinking back, I don't believe I've ever read another story that utilized such a device to include the audience.
It's no secret that I like my dark and creepy stories, but Idonea's version of hell and demons, although dark, and potentially gruesome never truly 'went there' for me. We were given hints as to what hell would be like, and we met a couple of different types of demons, but the focus was on Saul and his decidedly human physical attributes. Throughout the story, we definitely watch his burgeoning humanity as he falls in love with Tom. And I was tickled with the notion that demons love luxury, so the next time you check into the Four Seasons hotel - make sure you're on the lookout for a sexy demon. They should be around in droves.
All in all, this is a great read, a sexy dark temptation of giving up your soul to love.
Rating:
Available At:
NineStar Press: https://ninestarpress.com/product/souls-for-sale/
Amazon: http://hyperurl.co/v19qd7
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/803834
Meet the Author
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theater, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel, all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing. She is never found too far from her much-loved library/music room.
Author Links
No comments:
Post a Comment