Saturday, April 18, 2015

Daemonique VI: The Desire Within

As Lord William Eldin works to unravel the secrets of the black book his beloved, possessed Lady brought to his attention, dark powers are shifting beyond sight. Whilst the holy Priestess Katelin of the Eternal Mother's teaching believes herself touched and blessed by the Goddess herself, it is a darker whisper that teases her ear.

Amidst it all in the tranquil town of Kinsgard, on the distant shore to the cursed Sarandin Isle, an innocent serving girl will give herself up to temptation, setting lose a chain of events that may just give others a glimpse into a long-forgotten past, and set them on a darker path as desires swirl and grow around them all.


It always feels good to get back into one of my core fantasy world building series, and Daemonique is really at the heart of all that. This volume went through a number of iterations in my head of exactly how, where and what I wanted everything to be, and as per usual, the end result was to run away with inspiration and largely ignore the outlined plan. 

It still follows intent, but some of what I'd expected to do with it has been pushed back in favour of that natural growth. In the end, I can't stay mad at my methods, as this way it lets me focus a little more intently on each phase or step, and that's nice.

So last we left off with Daemonique, Lord William Eldin was keeping Lady Elizabeth Vernan in a suitably erotic dungeon with a declaration of love. The thought of demonic possession and the mysterious book had brought them together just as Lady Vernan wished, and so now things in that town of Kinsgard move forward for them together.

Therefore this volume covers looking at some of the characters in the town once more, touching a little on their past and present, why they are where they are and are doing what they do. Then it really starts to tease some of the deeper, harder history of the world out. In the first Daemonique arc, "The Darkest" books I-IV, later rebound in "Darkfall", the titled namesake was not given presence until the very end. 

Now that we know that the Daemonique is a thing, its contents and power can be investigated, which is something Lord William Eldin devotes himself to in hopes of better understanding his love's possession and the nature of demons. Reading such an ancient tome isn't quite so straightforward however, and his desire affects those around him. 

Having the plot interweave with hard, erotic scenes has always been a hallmark of Daemonique, and while it may be ramping up more subtly in this volume as a backlight to the interactions and lives of humans, it's soon going to launch straight back into the fantastical and demonically erotic. Enjoy the peace while it lasts! 

Excerpt follows the pagebreak.