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A review by betwixt_the_pages
The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa
4.0
Rating: 4.25/5 Penguins (rounded down)
Quick Reasons: lgbtq+, diverse read; uniquely captivating world building; intriguing magic system; mystery, suspense, romance; happily for now ending; SO MUCH SNARK!
HUGE thanks to Gabe Cole Novoa, Random House Books, and Netgalley for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way impacted or altered by the gesture.
"We've been on this cursed horse all day."
"Carrot isn't cursed." Silas pats the horse's neck affectionately. "He's been an excellent mount."
They huff. "He doesn't like me."
"Neither do I."
"That's right--and look at you. Cursed."
This was SUCH a fun, diverse, humorous read! There's demons, there's magic, there's romance, there's comedy, there's adventure and destruction and despair and coming of age and SO MANY gasp-worthy moments! I could keep going, this book SERIOUSLY has pretty much everything in it, but then you'd be stuck here for the rest of forever and I don't really think you want that (and I don't want to be stuck here writing this forever...because then would YOU really be stuck here, if I never stop writing? I digress...)
The characters are believable, equal parts morally grey human and questionably not mortal. I laughed out loud more times than I think I have at a book in quite a while. These characters ripped at my veins, crawled into my heart's deepest pockets, and came to life within my mind (which for someone with Aphantasia is saying A LOT). The story was filled with adventure, red herrings, mystery and intrigue. There were some admittedly "easy to spot" twists throughout, but Gabe Cole Novoa took an idea and made it wholly their own with this book. If I had to describe this relating it to other things, I'd say it is Indiana Jones meets Supernatural...with maybe some Jungle Cruise in there for good measure.
They squint at the ghostly flames. "So, if it looks like fire, but it's not the color of fire, and doesn't burn like fire, and isn't hot like fire... is it still fire?"
"This is a terrible riddle," Silas says.
I DEFINITELY recommend this to lovers of paranormal RomComs, characters who flit the line between morally human and obviously not mortal, and those seeking to broaden their shelves with more diverse / #ownvoices reads this year. The characters will ensnare you, the story will thrill you, and the ending will leave you cheering (I know I for sure did). Are you ready to break the curse, Penguins? Or will you fall victim to the island, yourselves?
Quick Reasons: lgbtq+, diverse read; uniquely captivating world building; intriguing magic system; mystery, suspense, romance; happily for now ending; SO MUCH SNARK!
HUGE thanks to Gabe Cole Novoa, Random House Books, and Netgalley for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way impacted or altered by the gesture.
"We've been on this cursed horse all day."
"Carrot isn't cursed." Silas pats the horse's neck affectionately. "He's been an excellent mount."
They huff. "He doesn't like me."
"Neither do I."
"That's right--and look at you. Cursed."
This was SUCH a fun, diverse, humorous read! There's demons, there's magic, there's romance, there's comedy, there's adventure and destruction and despair and coming of age and SO MANY gasp-worthy moments! I could keep going, this book SERIOUSLY has pretty much everything in it, but then you'd be stuck here for the rest of forever and I don't really think you want that (and I don't want to be stuck here writing this forever...because then would YOU really be stuck here, if I never stop writing? I digress...)
The characters are believable, equal parts morally grey human and questionably not mortal. I laughed out loud more times than I think I have at a book in quite a while. These characters ripped at my veins, crawled into my heart's deepest pockets, and came to life within my mind (which for someone with Aphantasia is saying A LOT). The story was filled with adventure, red herrings, mystery and intrigue. There were some admittedly "easy to spot" twists throughout, but Gabe Cole Novoa took an idea and made it wholly their own with this book. If I had to describe this relating it to other things, I'd say it is Indiana Jones meets Supernatural...with maybe some Jungle Cruise in there for good measure.
They squint at the ghostly flames. "So, if it looks like fire, but it's not the color of fire, and doesn't burn like fire, and isn't hot like fire... is it still fire?"
"This is a terrible riddle," Silas says.
I DEFINITELY recommend this to lovers of paranormal RomComs, characters who flit the line between morally human and obviously not mortal, and those seeking to broaden their shelves with more diverse / #ownvoices reads this year. The characters will ensnare you, the story will thrill you, and the ending will leave you cheering (I know I for sure did). Are you ready to break the curse, Penguins? Or will you fall victim to the island, yourselves?