Excerpt
“The Demon King, Lucifer, has escaped from Hell.”
Gasps and surprised whispers echoed across the room. All emotion dropped from my face as it drained of color. My blood ran cold.
“So,” my brother said, scrutinizing my reaction, “you should really be asking my sister about the security of her prison system in Hell, considering she’s in charge of that particular subregion of the Underworld.”
The conference room burst into chaos. Deities sprung from their chairs and conversations escalated to loud screaming matches. Frozen, I tried to process Ben’s words. The Demon King escaped. My head was feverish yet light. Drops of sweat slid down my skin. Much time passed since I felt true fear. Lucifer’s name brought it back like a wave of deadly vengeance.
“Quiet,” Erin Grimm ordered. “Let’s not devolve into hysteria just yet.”
The room went silent, and the accusing gazes of the High Court pierced me like a hot poker. “As we know,” Erin continued, “the Devil is mad. He attempted to overthrow multiple deities and treasonously plotted against the High Court. We wouldn’t want such a thing to happen again, Lady Primrose. I’m sure you understand.”
The High Court awaited my reaction with poorly concealed anticipation. They wanted confirmation I hadn’t set Lucifer free. Though I wanted nothing more than to annoy the petty, insignificant lives of the deities seated in this scented, elegant room, freeing Lucifer was not an option. His escape harmed me more than anyone else.
Claustrophobia was theoretically impossible in a room the size of a hotel, yet I was suffocating under the pressure of hundreds of expectant eyes. Though the Court members wouldn’t remain patient much longer, I stole a moment to restore my composure, breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth. The beating of my heart slowed. My eyes glazed into boredom, and my heart distanced itself from every being in the room.
I chose my next words carefully. “Are you certain he has escaped?”
Ben’s forehead creased. “I have no reason to lie.”
“His prison is well guarded. I have every right to contest a claim so outlandish as this, especially in the High Court.”
“He appeared before me.”
Shocked, I stood from my throne. My book and bag fell to the floor with a loud thump. All concern about maintaining a relaxed and collected appearance evaporated. “What?”
Ben approached the Round Table. “You heard me. After throwing my castle into chaos and killing many of my loyal servants, he left a message for you.”
The beating of my heart quickened.
“What did he want?” Erin Grimm asked.
“To make her pay,” Ben said, looking me dead in the eye, “and to finish what he started, but along with that, he wants her.”
“What could he possibly want with her?” Erin asked.
Ben gritted his teeth and inclined his head toward me. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”
Great. The gazes of the High Court pierced me once more. I lifted my chin. “Before I imprisoned him, Lucifer was in search of a queen to rule his doomed attempt at an empire. He found me suitable. I refused.”
“Oh, but you did more than refuse his advances,” my brother seethed. “You refused any sort of negotiation and declared war on him.”
“Negotiation?” I wasn’t senseless enough to make a deal with the Devil. Even humans, in all their ignorance, knew better. “I don’t negotiate,” I said. “He didn’t take no for an answer, so I hunted him down, fought him, won, and imprisoned him. I have no reason to free him.”
REVIEW
Dark Magic is one of the most unique spins on mythology and fantasy I have ever encountered. The author did a great job of blending so many different lores within this action-filled tale. The world and magic was extremely intricate. I was very impressed by how much detail and thought was put into unraveling the world and it’s systems while never feeling like info dumping. It was like the author anticipated every question I could ask and answered it within the story. I really enjoyed the guessing game of who I could trust (turns out I was never right!) and what was the truth. I have a feeling the story is only going to get more complex in the sequel and this is just the beginning. I did expect more romance and usually prefer more but the plot kept me hooked with what was given. However, the romantic elements were slightly unexpected in a way, as in they sometimes felt randomly placed throughout the story. For me, a few parts seemed to drag on somewhat and a couple fights with side-enemies seemed to border on filler scenes, but the pacing overall was really good for how much information, backstory, and tension is built. With that being said the ending really surprised me and I was not expecting what happened at all! I need to know what happens so badly I will definitely be impatiently waiting the sequel. For some reason I got major Percy Jackson vibes from this book, only older and much more corrupt! Read this if you like stories with Gods and Goddesses, political intrigue, assassination plots, demons, and plot twists galore.
* I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
4/5 Stars
About Author
Raluca Narita was born in Romania and grew up in Southern California and West Texas. She currently resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and loves to travel in her free time. Raluca is the author of The Chronicles of the Underworld. For each book sold, 99 cents will be donated to the Win STEM Foundation to support women in STEM. Raluca Narita Dark Magic Book Tour
R&R Book Tours
Comments
Post a Comment