Review - Ask the Oracle

This review originally appeared in another form on BDSM Book Reviews.

Grayson Muir knows things. In fact, he knows just about everything. He is one of a handful of “oracles” in the world, and probably one of the best. Gray makes a good living off corporate clients, and helps out the police when he can. In fact, Gray likes helping people. Emphasis on people. When a demon from the underworld comes asking for Gray’s help to sort out a sticky situation, his first instinct is to refuse. But there’s something about this Lust Demon Dreo that Gray can’t quite get out of his mind.

After Gray reluctantly agrees to look into the case, things prove to be even more complicated that he thought. Not only is he sucked into a web of intrigue, but Dreo announces that Gray is his destined mate. Too bad an oracle can’t see into his own future, huh?

Ever read a book that was so bad, in an over-the-top kind of way, that you actually grew to like it? That’s probably what you can expect from “Ask the Oracle”. The dialog is rather cheesy, and much of the descriptive prose is rather eye-rolling as well as repetitive — okay, the demon has smoldering eyes, we get it, move on, and maybe buy a thesaurus while you’re at it. It’s the kind of writing that’s either going to make you stop reading one or two chapters in, or you’re going to give in, go with it, and enjoy the ride.

What saves this book from being just too trashy to get through are the characters, which in spite of the writing are actually likable and even believable, considering this is fantasy. Gray and the demon work well together, and they have some hot scenes. More on that later.

The other thing that works surprisingly well is the plot. Strip away the fantasy and the lusty demons, and at its heart this is a mystery. And it’s actually a pretty good one. Oh, you won’t be forsaking Agathe Christie any time in the near future, but this is still a well constructed mystery that doesn’t give itself away too soon. As a whodunit, it works rather well.

Now, about the sex. Well, the good news is there are some steamy, if not too graphic scenes between Gray and his demon. These two really have the hots for each other. The bad news for kinksters is that the sex is pretty vanilla. There’s talk of being tied up, and references to the demon being dominant or Gray being submissive, but there’s no real sign of any of that. The lust demon is, well, lusty enough, and persistent, and somewhat forceful, but that hardly makes him a Dom. For his part, Gray would have to be the bossiest bottom ever, and the demon doesn’t seem to mind a bit.

“Ask the Oracle” will appeal to those who like a really trashy read, as long as they’re not looking for too much kink. It could well be a guilty pleasure, and it’s the first in a series, so there is more to come.

The book is available from Amazon.