THE DEMON AND HIS VIPER is the final book in a MM paranormal romance series of heart-pounding romance, witchcraft, and bloodthirsty enemies, perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and Her Soul to Take.
Hector Briar may have walked away from the Witch Trials alive, but not whole. His failure handed the Witch Hunters a weapon capable of shattering Witch-kind—and placed the ancient demon Bahmet firmly in their grasp. Now the Hunters are poised to burn magic out of the mortal world forever.
Arwyn Hopkin spent years living a lie. Meeting Hector changed that. Manipulation got him so far, until his success during The Witch Trials bound him to Bahmet, a demon who whispers promises, demands obedience, and hungers for freedom. Everyone wants to use the Witches, the Hunters, and the demon inside him. Surviving any of them may be impossible.
When Hector and Arwyn’s paths converge, the Witch Trials ignite once more. Forced into a deadly contest of loyalty and power, Hector will do whatever it takes to stop fate from repeating itself. In Bahmet’s domain, love becomes a weapon, trust a gamble, and every choice carries a cost that could reshape the world. Witches and Hunters face off in one final battle that will determine the fate of their world forever.
And beneath the rising chaos, desire sparks hotter than it ever has between them—dangerous, undeniable, and impossible to control. As enemies and lovers collide, their bond becomes both salvation and ruin, pushing them to the edge of temptation and betrayal. To claim each other—and save magic itself—sacrifices must be made, and the price of their passion may be the one thing neither is ready to give.
THE FACTS
📕 Wonderful world-building, magic and chosen family
📘great story, sneaky twists and turns
📙 action, drama, intrigue, smouldering gazes, spice and action
THE GOOD BITS
Here’s the problem with Ben Alderson’s books … I’m running out of ways to say how amazing they are. Every single book of Ben’s that I have read has left me an emotional mess and absolutely convinced that Ben will remain one of my favourite writers for the rest of my life.
So… The Demon and His Viper is the second book in a duet that Ben has called the Hunger Games but with gay witches. Yes, that sums up the book, but it certainly doesn’t do it justice.
In the first book “The Witch and His Crow” we were introduced to Hector Briar. He is a witch and hunters killed his parents. Along with his Crow familiar, Hector has spent his life becoming a weapon and he is locked in on getting revenge.
Things flip on Hector in a flash and he finds himself forced into a competition to become Grand High Witch. The Hunger-Games-like competition only ends when everyone is dead. One person will remain and that person will be the Grand High. Hector is determined that he will be the last witch standing.
At the end of the book, everything that could go wrong does. In true Ben Alderson fashion, nothing was as I expected.
SPOILERS (Book 1 and 2) PAST THIS POINT
The second book begins with Hector on a murderous spree. He’s lost almost everything and he is intent on destroying the witch hunters while he tracks down and kills the man he thought he loved. Oh yes! Things go completely haywire at the end of the first book.
The bond that once held Hector and Arwyn together has been destroyed by betrayal and evil. Everything Hector loved was destroyed by a battle for power that became convoluted and clouded by past events and his feelings.
The bond between Hector and Arwyn hasn’t completed dissipated though and soon the witch and his hunter find themselves forced back together again into another life or death competition constructed by the demon lord, Bahmet. There are lovely supporting characters who are along for the hair-raising journey
All these lovely souls are locked into a battle. They must learn to trust one another again, they must combine their talents, they must hope that they can find a way to escape Bahmet’s clutches and ultimately, they are going to have to decide if they can reveal the secrets they have been holding close to their hearts.
THE LINKS
🖊 Author
I was provided with an ARC of The Demon and His Viper by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.
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