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Chosen by Shadows
(The Original Demons – Book 1)
by Basia Pike
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Slow Burn, Urban Fantasy RH
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited
Down and Dirty
Great Premise, needs some work. If this was re-edited, it would make a stellar addition to your library.
What is it about?
(Blurb from GoodReads)
When there’s no way out, only the devil can help.
Hayley Saint unwittingly goes to hell to rescue her best friend from the devil’s sister, a violent, brutal, and savage fallen angel. And that’s on a good day.
Lucifer’s sister, Arianna, wants revenge on Haley for unearthing the gateway to hell, but the moment Lucifer sets eyes on Haley, he’s bonded to her in ways outside of his control.
If Lucifer’s mating bond to Hayley is discovered, he risks her life and his right to the throne. But the only other option is letting the woman he’s destined to love leave him forever.
Hayley just wants to get out alive. But when feelings for the devil start to surface, she must determine whether she wants to fight her way out of hell, or fight for the ability to stay.
Fans of Lucifer are falling for the devil in this addictive paranormal romance.
Thoughts
This one is hard to review, as I really, really like the premise of this book. The meta plot is phenomenal and revamps the angel/demon mythos in the most delicious way.
That said, the actual writing of this astounding plot was lacking. While some parts are very compelling and the narrative moves at a fast clip, the way the scenes blend stutters across the pages, offering flashes of insight that make little sense and do not inspire empathy with the characters – or understanding.
Frankly, there were moments where I felt that the writing was simply poor, but not as a reflection of a bad author. It struck me more as an author that should spend a bit more time on their manuscript, buffing and polishing the rough edges to make it shine. I would expect this from a first draft, Alpha read, not a published work. Run it through a few betas, rework some scenes and edit…. seriously… EDIT… and this would be a 5 star slowburn RH worth buying.
Perspective
First Person and Third Person, Multiple POV
Ending Type
Cliffhanger
Steam Level
Eh… alright? It gets heated towards the end, but the majority of the book involves emotional tension that ebbs and flows out of nowhere. PG for most, X for one scene.
Pros:
- Opens with a Lara Croft’esque’ feel.
- World building is unique.
- Human vs. Demon vs. angel… it’s tropey but played well.
Cons:
- Editing mistakes.
- Needs Some rewrites.
- Characters need more depth and definition.
- Adam? Where’s Adam?
Favorite Line
Time to prove I could fight for myself, even if I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to do that yet. (91%)
Verdict
Great premise, poor execution. Free on Kindle Unlimited – but if there are some rewrites, I’ll buy it.
November 18th, 2018
201 Pages
Please note that this is a Reverse Harem series that will eventually feature sexual themes or scenes more suited to an older audience. 17+
If you enjoyed this review, please consider checking out a few of my other articles.
- Assassin’s Mask by Everly Frost – A Book Review
- House of Secrets by Marie Robinson – A Book Review
- Bonds of the Mazza by Blake Blessing – A Book Review

Your Turn
What are you reading today? Have you read this book? What did you think? Please leave a comment, I would love to talk!
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