Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Chanda is the Lord of Honey Flower House, which caters to those who have a taste for the paranormal between the sheets. Being an incubus makes him all the better at the job, even if it also leaves him lonely.
Then a demon appears on his doorstep in search of a missing person, and Chanda is quickly reminded why he prefers the relatively quiet life as master of a pleasure house—but also reminds him of a bitter past he’s tried to leave behind, and dreams he gave up on a long time ago.
Really, its Megan Derr and her ability to whisk me away to whatever world she has created that keeps me coming back again and again to her wildly imaginative stories and tales of wonder. Love Tokens, a fantasy novella, is no different. Chanda is an old succubus and the owner/proprietor of the Honey Flower House which is basically a paranormal whore house for upscale clients with unusual tastes. Chanda has his own painful past and that clashes with the demon sent to his place of business on the hunt for a missing person.
Derr quickly pulls us into this world with descriptions of the Honey Flower House, from the employees to its patrons right up to the owner itself. Then Azar makes a disconcerting entrance and the emotional explosions start to go off for them both. I liked that Azar is a demon that displays demon behavior. He’s not about to throw rose petals at Chanda. He’s all demon and his actions are in accordance with that. Perfect. Chanda’s a succubus and the same goes for him as well. Derr keeps her characters well within a certain behavioral spectrum which I appreciated because it made their relationship work on so many levels – emotional, intellectual, giving this story a wonderful foundation to it.
Yes, I believed in both characters and their romance.
My only bother was that I wish I knew more about the couple at the heart of the “missing man”. They sort of deserve their own story, don’t you think? I would love to know how that whole thing came about…hmmm, maybe a Love Tokens sequel is called for with a return appearance by Chanda and Azar.
At forty pages, this could easily be double that and never wear out its potential to be more. I loved it. If you are a lover of Derr, fantasy or both, this one’s for you.
Cover art by Natasha Snow Designs. Guy is hot but the cover could be for any book honestly.
Sales Links
Less Than Three Press | Amazon
Book Details:
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 