REAP & SOW

When a woman makes a bargain with a demon to save her family, she gets pulled into an even greater fight for survival.

Eda Shaw and her brothers have made a living by arranging illegal Pacts between humans and demons in which desperate citizens of Blackbridge agree to trade years of their lives for the fulfillment of their deepest desires. The Shaws themselves will be bound to a demon known as Mr. Night until they’ve delivered the required number of years from other people. In an act of desperation, Eda attempts to orchestrate a Pact of her own, but the situation quickly goes awry, her brothers are arrested, and she’s forced to go on the run. Freeing her brothers is Eda’s priority, but she won’t be able to get anywhere near their prison without help. Enter Kit’rath, a demon who’s been living by his own rules in Blackbridge and has no intention of getting pulled into someone else’s problems. When Eda approaches him to make a Pact, though, he forges a reluctant agreement with her. As the two race against the clock to save Eda’s family before they’re executed, their journey takes them into the darkest corners of the city, unearthing their individual vulnerabilities and forcing Eda to realize that a demon might be one of the most human individuals she’s ever met. Plumb’s romantasy debut has significantly sharper edges than are often found in the genre, and it embraces darker, more violent elements, especially as the narrative gradually adopts even bigger stakes once the conflict between demons and humans emerges from the shadows. Eda and Kit’s evolution from unwilling allies to romantic partners is the book’s beating heart; they have chemistry that sizzles on the page before ultimately giving way to even more emotional depth. While the story satisfyingly wraps up almost every loose end, there’s enough potential left in this rich world that a sequel would be welcome.

This wickedly entertaining debut fully embraces every bit of its own magic.