Bunny's Reviews: The Demon, the Hero and the City of Seven

"Sometimes a little bad can do a lot of good."

Welcome to the book tour for a hilarious fantasy debut called The Demon, The Hero, and the City of Seven by A.E. Kincaid! Read on for my review and a chance to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card!

The Demon, The Hero, and The City of Seven (A Mal & Reg Novel of Widdershins Book 1)

Publication Date: December 14th, 2021

Genre: Fantasy/ Humorous Fantasy

Sometimes a little bad can do a lot of good.

What happens when good and evil collide?

They yell, “Ouch!”

When you’re a demon who’s been magically connected to a human for eternity, life is bound to be annoying. But when that human is also an inept hero who tosses his lunch whenever he gets stressed out? Breaking the connection becomes priority one.

Plus, there’s a mystery at the heart of their bond that needs unraveling. When the magical object that bound them broke, it weakened the barrier between Widdershins and the Underworld. The duo hopes to find a wizard in the City of Seven who will be able to help with both problems.

Follow along as our demon, Lord Malgon and our hero, Sir Reginald make themselves unwelcome with fairies, humans, dwarves and giants—all while racing to get to the City of Seven before Mal’s supremely evil brother.

In this debut humorous fantasy adventure novel, Kincaid pairs an endearing cast of characters with expert world-building and laugh-out-loud dialogue. The Demon, The Hero, and The City of Seven will leave a Mal and Reg shaped stamp on your heart.

The Demon, The Hero, and the City of Seven is the first book in A.E. Kincaid’s new humorous fantasy adventure series and I can’t wait for more!

The Demon, The Hero, and City of Seven is HI-larious!! When I read the blurb for this book, I knew that I had to read it. The author really brings this story to life with Lord Malgon, the demon, and Sir Reginald, the hero. These two goof-heads manage to bungle their quest, to return a stone to the dryads, and end up attached with magic. What could wrong with that, right? Well, when the dryads say “don’t come back until the stone is fixed”….you can expect lots of problems. Especially when you can’t get too far away from the other person without being magically dragged back together. Forcefully. Lots of ouches to be found there! LOL!

While Sir Reginald is a hapless hero, Lord Malgon honestly isn’t much better. I mean...honestly, how bad can he be as the “Giver of Papercuts and Collapser of Souffles”? LOL! Okay, okay, paper cuts are diabolical things, and if you’re a baker a collapsed souffle can be an absolute nightmare, but it’s pretty obvious that Mal has a lot of work to do if he truly wants to be a diabolical demon. This book is mainly told from Mal’s perspective and I absolutely love it. He has the absolute best commentary, and I love the “spoiler” alerts sprinkled throughout this story. While they give you a minor spoiler, the spontaneity of them makes them all the more hilarious.

These characters really get themselves into some serious trouble, but they aren’t the only ones who will have you in stitches. Reg’s Gran at the bar had me almost snort off half my nose when it’s revealed that she’s the one dancing on the tabletops. I figured it was her, but honestly, Reg’s response to seeing her was totally worth the reveal. Let’s just say I want to be just as spritely as her when I’m her age. LOL!

There is honestly never a dull moment with these characters. They manage to get themselves into trouble everywhere they go. While they may manage to do a good deed here and there or start off with good intentions (remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions so...keep up the good work Mal!) things ALWAYS go awry in some form or another. While things typically go off the rails...it’s hilarious so...worth it.

I love the little clues that the author drops here and there to let readers know that there is more to come with these characters and this storyline. The biggest clue is the giant in the mountains. So that really makes me eager for the next book. I need to know what happens next!! I mean, what would happen if one of the other stones was to be broken as well? Of course, it’s not just mishaps and miscalculations along the way for Mal and Reg. Apparently, Mal’s brother has managed to cross over through an unstable place thanks to the broken stone, and he wants to know how to make it permanent. He gives Mal a clue that this broken stone could be what gets Mal what he’s always wanted, but is he willing to take that path?

This book is packed with so much fun. As I said, I was already laughing when I read the blurb. After I’d read my daughter a bedtime story, I’d stop to read a few pages and I’d be choking on laughs so I wouldn’t wake her. I absolutely loved this book, and practically devoured it. It’s probably safe to say that there is a little space in my heart for Reg and Mal. They are such a dynamic duo in their own unique far from the perfect way. But I wouldn’t change a thing about them.

If you love a good book chock full of humor and adventure then this book is perfect for you. This book is more for the older crowd – 18+ because of some of the language used (mostly by Mal, apparently Reg is broken when it comes to swearing LOL!). But beware that dwarf who complains about people telling him to put pants on (I nearly choked with laughter).

For an author’s debut novel, this book is absolutely perfect. If you’re curious about this book, just go grab it. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. This author knew what she was doing when she put this book together, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next in Reg and Mal’s mis-adventures. I’m rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book checks all the boxes if you love humor, adventure, and fantasy all mixed together to create an amazing story. A.E. Kincaid is one author I’ll absolutely be keeping an eye on.

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Excerpt

In my 550 years of existence, I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who exasperates me more than Sir Reginald P. Asstradle, the ersatz Hero of Widdershins. When he speaks, I imagine drop-kicking him off a cliff. When he snores, I fantasize tossing him into a fiery volcano.
Don’t get me wrong—he’s a good lad. For a human, anyway. But when you are magically entangled with another being in such a way that putting just a few yards’ distance between the two of you triggers the spell to physically smash you back together? That can wear on anyone’s nerves. Like my nerves, for example. Right now.

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About the Author

By day I am the Creative Director at a branding studio in Iowa. By night I write humorous fantasy novels. In between I drink coffee to keep up with a small human, and try to convince my cat she’s not as great at dictation as she thinks she is. The Demon, The Hero, and the City of Seven is my first published novel.

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