Language: R (25 swears, 4 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Sick of the government-track boys asking her out to get an introduction to her aunt, Naomi (18yo) deters them by saying she’s betrothed. To a demon. When one spurned suitor asks what her betrothed’s name is, Naomi makes one up: Daziel. Then a demon claiming to be Daziel shows up in her rooms, and he stubbornly refuses to be banished.
The story, the magic, and the budding romance were all fun, though I was confused about the world where it all took place. There is obvious Jewish influence, with Naomi’s aunt as a political leader part of the “Sanhedrin” and mentions of “rabbis,” but no one is described as Jewish and there is no mention of Judaism by name. Further complicating matters are the presence of French boulangeries and the use of British terms. These vocabulary choices without a clear explanation of the world I was supposed to be imagining were distracting, though in the end they weren’t important details to the story. And I even learned a couple of new words.
Naomi is depicted as White on the cover, and Daziel is described as having “bronze” skin. Also, Jelan and Gilli are implied to be gay. The mature content rating is for drug and alcohol use, kissing, innuendo, partial nudity, and mentions of sex. The violence rating is for mentions of murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Johnson
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