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Another Name for the Devil
Sweet evil, come deliver us.
Gabriel has spent the last decade trying to forget his best friend, the first boy he ever loved: Jacob. Ripped away from each other in the midst of a family tragedy, Gabriel grieved for Jacob alone, surviving in their small religious town before finally breaking free to attend college, where they found new friends and relationships to pursue. To Gabriel, Jacob became a distant memory.
Until one fateful Halloween night, when the two are reunited, and Gabriel couldn't be happier. Now, as adults, they can find the comfort and love that they desired in their adolescence. However, it doesn't take long for Gabriel to realize that time apart has changed Jacob. The once confident and assured boy has grown into an isolated and obsessive adult. And the more Gabriel discovers about the man he loves, the clearer the danger becomes.
When Jacob reveals to Gabriel his life's work - his studies into the occult, demonic practices, and his ultimate desire to summon and communicate with Paimon, a King of Hell - Gabriel finds himself dragged into a world that they never asked to be a part of. But the further Gabriel goes, the more they realize that the demonic king is not the true threat and that evil has been beside them all along....
A twisted, supernatural thriller from the acclaimed and best-selling writer Mason Deaver about a love darkened by trauma and turned wicked by obsession.
Gabriel has spent the last decade trying to forget his best friend, the first boy he ever loved: Jacob. Ripped away from each other in the midst of a family tragedy, Gabriel grieved for Jacob alone, surviving in their small religious town before finally breaking free to attend college, where they found new friends and relationships to pursue. To Gabriel, Jacob became a distant memory.
Until one fateful Halloween night, when the two are reunited, and Gabriel couldn't be happier. Now, as adults, they can find the comfort and love that they desired in their adolescence. However, it doesn't take long for Gabriel to realize that time apart has changed Jacob. The once confident and assured boy has grown into an isolated and obsessive adult. And the more Gabriel discovers about the man he loves, the clearer the danger becomes.
When Jacob reveals to Gabriel his life's work - his studies into the occult, demonic practices, and his ultimate desire to summon and communicate with Paimon, a King of Hell - Gabriel finds himself dragged into a world that they never asked to be a part of. But the further Gabriel goes, the more they realize that the demonic king is not the true threat and that evil has been beside them all along....
A twisted, supernatural thriller from the acclaimed and best-selling writer Mason Deaver about a love darkened by trauma and turned wicked by obsession.
Audio CD
First published October 21, 2021
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464 people want to read
About the author
Mason Deaver
12 books3,372 followersMason Deaver is a bestselling and award-winning author of young adult and adult romance novels. Their books have been awarded stars from Bookpage and Booklist, nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and won the Pink News Best Young Adult Book Award.
Their first novel, I Wish You All the Best, named one of Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Books was made into a film directed by Tommy Dorfman. It premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.
They currently live in San Francisco.
Their first novel, I Wish You All the Best, named one of Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Books was made into a film directed by Tommy Dorfman. It premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.
They currently live in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
April 8, 2023
Ah! So excited to finally share this with y'all! ANFtD is an Audible Original audiobook coming in October! It's Adult, it's horror, it's trans! All the good things!!!!
Hopefully we can share a more appropriate synopsis soon!
Hopefully we can share a more appropriate synopsis soon!
October 26, 2021
Star Rating: —> 3.5 Stars
Yeahhhh so this was not that great. Sigh. I gave it .5-1 Star just for having a trans MC rep. It wasn't bad per say... just a little snooze-worthy. 🤷🏼♀️
The trans narrator was amazing though! Authentic trans rep through & through!
_____________
An adult horror novel with a trans MC? Also on Audible Plus? Two Words: HELL. YES.
Yeahhhh so this was not that great. Sigh. I gave it .5-1 Star just for having a trans MC rep. It wasn't bad per say... just a little snooze-worthy. 🤷🏼♀️
The trans narrator was amazing though! Authentic trans rep through & through!
_____________
An adult horror novel with a trans MC? Also on Audible Plus? Two Words: HELL. YES.
Read
November 19, 2021Dnf. Unfortunately, I wanted to read this book but it is inccessible and I fear that it is inaccessible for many neurodivergent folks. The issue here is that they have placed an audio track underneath the narration and so if your brain is like mine, I couldn't focus on the actual narration because of the music in the background. Had they left the musical soundtrack for in between chapters or even given a moment to set the mood before the narration started again, maybe it would have been okay. But the way they have it now is just not very accessible to neurodivergent people and that's really disappointing to see because I was looking forward to this book a lot.
I listened to almost an hour of this, which is almost halfway through at two times speed, and I still have no idea what happened because I got so distracted by the musical soundtrack. I get wanting to add dimension but you have to think about whether or not you're making your content accessible and how to add dimension without excluding folks.
I listened to almost an hour of this, which is almost halfway through at two times speed, and I still have no idea what happened because I got so distracted by the musical soundtrack. I get wanting to add dimension but you have to think about whether or not you're making your content accessible and how to add dimension without excluding folks.
October 22, 2021
Even since I read IWSATB, Mason Deaver is an auto-buy author for me. When I saw that they wrote a horror story I was SO excited cause it's really hard to find good horror stories and even harder to find good queer horror stories.
And of course Mason didn't disappoint. On the contrary, this was even better that I expected. I'm not a fan of the paranormal and that's a big part of the horror genre and the main reason I hardly ever find horror books that I enjoy.
This one though, it's so well done that made me want to read more books with demons!! Even if it's a short story, its characters are well written and developed! In just a few hours, Mason was able to awake my love for the occult, which was asleep for almost a decade now. And let me tell you, it woke up with a craving!!
So, if you are reading this, THANK YOU Mason for all those feelings and for filling a need I had forgotten I had.
And of course Mason didn't disappoint. On the contrary, this was even better that I expected. I'm not a fan of the paranormal and that's a big part of the horror genre and the main reason I hardly ever find horror books that I enjoy.
This one though, it's so well done that made me want to read more books with demons!! Even if it's a short story, its characters are well written and developed! In just a few hours, Mason was able to awake my love for the occult, which was asleep for almost a decade now. And let me tell you, it woke up with a craving!!
So, if you are reading this, THANK YOU Mason for all those feelings and for filling a need I had forgotten I had.
March 30, 2023
(I just want everyone to know that the cover of this says short story but both the author's website and the length suggest it's a novella. Who thought 3 hour-long short stories existed.)
I'm sorry but nothing about this was thrilling.
Avi Roque does a great job at narrating this even if it's not the most accessible audiobook (there is background music in parts and the demon gets a weird overlay) but not even his acting could make me care about whatever Jacob was obsessing about.
It is a setup that has been done plenty of times before and the story spends too much explaining why it's normal that Jacob is studying demonology and wants to summon Paimon. The past between Gabriel and Jacob only sounds interesting on paper but doesn't really play out in any interesting way in the story. Gabriel's two defining characteristics are his transness and his gullibility.
We barely get to see the interesting parts! Why was Alex not properly introduced earlier so we did not have to do that in the middle of the story, breaking all the tension? Why do we just learn in passing that Paimon keeps visiting and don't actually see that bond growing?
The ending is not even a surprise at all.
I'm sorry but nothing about this was thrilling.
Avi Roque does a great job at narrating this even if it's not the most accessible audiobook (there is background music in parts and the demon gets a weird overlay) but not even his acting could make me care about whatever Jacob was obsessing about.
It is a setup that has been done plenty of times before and the story spends too much explaining why it's normal that Jacob is studying demonology and wants to summon Paimon. The past between Gabriel and Jacob only sounds interesting on paper but doesn't really play out in any interesting way in the story. Gabriel's two defining characteristics are his transness and his gullibility.
We barely get to see the interesting parts! Why was Alex not properly introduced earlier so we did not have to do that in the middle of the story, breaking all the tension? Why do we just learn in passing that Paimon keeps visiting and don't actually see that bond growing?
The ending is not even a surprise at all.
October 23, 2021
Oh, I loved it! Didn't see anything coming!
November 4, 2021
Good, but no more than that, sadly. One of those novellas that needed to be more than a novella for me to really care for it. Gabriel, a college student, unexpectedly reunites with their childhood best friend and lover, and they're soon drawn into helping him with a strange, dark project. The horror/paranormal parts of this were just kinda meh for me, and I'd have been happy to just have more gender feels and exploration. (I also thought this might have gone a certain direction with the demon but alas, it did not. I had a lot of fun with this book when thinking of what I wanted it to be.) That, or it needed to be longer! Idk, I just didn't get invested, and the writing never fully pulled me in. Still good though. Listened to the audiobook as read by Avi Roque, and they performed really well as always. I enjoyed the special effects stuff too.
I'll always pick up more from this author, but I enjoyed their YA contemporary a lot more.
I'll always pick up more from this author, but I enjoyed their YA contemporary a lot more.
October 21, 2021
Fuck yes queer horror novella with a trans protagonist.
This is it, that is my review.
No but seriously, between the trans protagonist, unhinged queer relationship, demon summoning and dark academia elements this was Made for me.
(4.5 stars for minor things but like mostly it was incredible)
This is it, that is my review.
No but seriously, between the trans protagonist, unhinged queer relationship, demon summoning and dark academia elements this was Made for me.
(4.5 stars for minor things but like mostly it was incredible)
October 10, 2022
This has really important notes about toxic relationships and gaslighting. The trans rep was really nice to see too. I’m glad I picked this up on a whim and it’s definitely a good spooky season read, especially if you want something quick.
to-read-adult
September 9, 2021As to quote Deaver themself, it's Adult, it's horror, it's trans! All the good things!!!!
(OK I don't generally like Adult BUT still, the latter parts are true)
(OK I don't generally like Adult BUT still, the latter parts are true)
August 18, 2022
Really enjoy all of Deavers other work but this, even with me being a horror fan, just wasn't it for me. 2.5.
February 16, 2022
Maybe I could have given a higher mark if the narrator wasn't so awful. Everything was too creepy and awkward, like if the 12year-old mentality of the main character was expressed in the writing.
I found more interesting the gender journey and the past of the characters that the actual "spooky/horror" plot. Jacob was a complete jerk and treated awfully the MC, there were so many red flags that a bullfighter would sweat. The friend warned them and caution to the wind.
Having a trans MC is great but I think wasn't really well written. It was confusing because the narrator referred as they/them while Jacob always used he/him, but it could he was the biggest arsehole in Earth and deadnamed them on a daily basis. I guess they were a trans girl leaning on androgeny to fit in, but I wasn't really that clear.
I found more interesting the gender journey and the past of the characters that the actual "spooky/horror" plot. Jacob was a complete jerk and treated awfully the MC, there were so many red flags that a bullfighter would sweat. The friend warned them and caution to the wind.
Having a trans MC is great but I think wasn't really well written. It was confusing because the narrator referred as they/them while Jacob always used he/him, but it could he was the biggest arsehole in Earth and deadnamed them on a daily basis. I guess they were a trans girl leaning on androgeny to fit in, but I wasn't really that clear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2021
That was a great story! Came across this as a quick listen for dog walking and didn't regret it at all! I will be looking up the authors other work!
March 20, 2022
I love all things creepy and spooky but this one just didn't tick the right boxes.
There were elements I enjoyed and while I thought the main character had some strong internal conflict the rest just fell a bit flat. Might be fun to check out if you are looking for horror that is inclusive of the LGBTQA community but for me it was lacklustre.
Just because a story is inclusive doesn't make it good. The story also falls a bit short in the ending without much really being resolved.
There were elements I enjoyed and while I thought the main character had some strong internal conflict the rest just fell a bit flat. Might be fun to check out if you are looking for horror that is inclusive of the LGBTQA community but for me it was lacklustre.
Just because a story is inclusive doesn't make it good. The story also falls a bit short in the ending without much really being resolved.
September 9, 2022
So dumb. DNF
March 30, 2023
Audible Freebie
Spoilers because I suggest you do not read.
This was almost a DNF.
Narration was terrible. I can not believe this narrator has several credits as a voice actor. I had to bump playback speed to 1.5 in order for them to have normal human speech cadence and intonation. Would have been an OK 3 stars if not for the narration.
Now the story- TLDR: As another reviewer stated, just because it's inclusive doesn't mean it's good. I could not agree more.
From a story perspective, it is stupid to start the story from the ending. In the first chapter we learn Gabrielle is going to strangle Jacob to death while possesed. Even without that absolutely no one can be surprised that Jacob could not control the demon. Show me one horror movie where that ever worked.
I've gone back and revised the following part of the review because the more I think about it the more problematic it becomes.
Look at it like this-
Gabrielle comes from a religiously oppressive family that does not accept him. At around 10 he becomes sexually active with a boy from an equally difficult home life. That doesn't come across as a love story, that's trauma bonding and seeking inappropriate affection because they don't have healthy home lives. Not a good look.
Later Gabrielle is questioning his gender identity and his gay friend helps him explore and become less oppressed. Alex puts Gabrielle in a feminine costume and also persuades him to put aside school in favor of drinking for the first time. This begins Gabrielle's further "decline" away from his religious origins and towards Jacob's satanic influence. Alex is the best character, but we're analyzing here. Alex is offering the apple in the Garden. Not a good look.
Then there is Jacob. He is Gabrielle's version of what love is but its not real love. The author doesn't want you to route for this couple. This gay relationship is Gabrielle's quick path to Hell. He turns away from positive things like school and friends and becomes consumed by darkness. Its a really bad look.
Finally the demon, clearly a personification of genderfluidity. And it leads him straight into the Devil's ranks. Gabrielle finally let's the demon in(/out) and though it tempted him by promising his dreams would come true and he'd be who he was meant to be it delivers none of that. It takes over Gabrielle's identity and he loses all other traces of himself. He commits horrible crimes against those he claims to love. He is no longer in control of himself and we can not say it makes him happier, more complete, or a better version of himself. The look is about as bad as a look can look.
Big yikes. Now im just BSing for the sake of something to do instead of working but if this book wasn't written by this author and rather let's say by JKR I'm pretty sure it would not be received the same way.
I'm all for representation, but I don't think this is the type it was supposed to be. Or is it.....?
Spoilers because I suggest you do not read.
This was almost a DNF.
Narration was terrible. I can not believe this narrator has several credits as a voice actor. I had to bump playback speed to 1.5 in order for them to have normal human speech cadence and intonation. Would have been an OK 3 stars if not for the narration.
Now the story- TLDR: As another reviewer stated, just because it's inclusive doesn't mean it's good. I could not agree more.
From a story perspective, it is stupid to start the story from the ending. In the first chapter we learn Gabrielle is going to strangle Jacob to death while possesed. Even without that absolutely no one can be surprised that Jacob could not control the demon. Show me one horror movie where that ever worked.
I've gone back and revised the following part of the review because the more I think about it the more problematic it becomes.
Look at it like this-
Gabrielle comes from a religiously oppressive family that does not accept him. At around 10 he becomes sexually active with a boy from an equally difficult home life. That doesn't come across as a love story, that's trauma bonding and seeking inappropriate affection because they don't have healthy home lives. Not a good look.
Later Gabrielle is questioning his gender identity and his gay friend helps him explore and become less oppressed. Alex puts Gabrielle in a feminine costume and also persuades him to put aside school in favor of drinking for the first time. This begins Gabrielle's further "decline" away from his religious origins and towards Jacob's satanic influence. Alex is the best character, but we're analyzing here. Alex is offering the apple in the Garden. Not a good look.
Then there is Jacob. He is Gabrielle's version of what love is but its not real love. The author doesn't want you to route for this couple. This gay relationship is Gabrielle's quick path to Hell. He turns away from positive things like school and friends and becomes consumed by darkness. Its a really bad look.
Finally the demon, clearly a personification of genderfluidity. And it leads him straight into the Devil's ranks. Gabrielle finally let's the demon in(/out) and though it tempted him by promising his dreams would come true and he'd be who he was meant to be it delivers none of that. It takes over Gabrielle's identity and he loses all other traces of himself. He commits horrible crimes against those he claims to love. He is no longer in control of himself and we can not say it makes him happier, more complete, or a better version of himself. The look is about as bad as a look can look.
Big yikes. Now im just BSing for the sake of something to do instead of working but if this book wasn't written by this author and rather let's say by JKR I'm pretty sure it would not be received the same way.
I'm all for representation, but I don't think this is the type it was supposed to be. Or is it.....?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2021
Gosh, I want to give this a higher rating but I don't know if I can. This was a great effort but ultimately not quite the horror story I think it could have been.
I'd say this is firmly New Adult, following college student Gabriel as they reconnect with their first love and childhood best friend, Jacob. The first hour or so was not very spooky, in fact I thought it was a bit info dumpy. Giving us a lot of details that, while providing context, weren't necessary for the story. These portions also had a strong YA voice as did the other non-occult scenes in the later half of the story.
It was the second half where the story finally started to pick-up. The moments with the demon and descriptions of Gabriel's mental state were dark and wonderfully atmospheric (especially with the audio's sound effects), I got shivers! The ending was expected which lessened the impact somewhat, but it was still powerful because I couldn't help but feel for Gabriel.
I loved the queer representation. I find demonology very fascinating, and having an author actually acknowledge that Paimon and other demons are more or less genderless was awesome (not to mention building a story about it which incorporated the main character's gender!). That was probably my favorite part of the story, how those two things connected.
I will admit I was a little confused regarding Gabriel's gender representation. The writing could be a bit vague at times so I wasn't able to really interpret whether Gabriel sought androgyny or to claim a different identity or something else entirely. And Jacob used he/him pronouns for Gabriel and the story blurb used they/them so I think I might have just missed something. This isn't a critique just something I'm acknowledging I probably missed.
All in all, Another Name for the Devil wasn't a bad listen, but could have been stronger when you consider what a talented author Deaver is. The ending was easy to predict but stayed true to the horror genre with a bittersweet finale. The sound effects were a fun addition, although the sudden organ music scared me a bit (I sort of think it should have faded in but whatever). It's a quick listen sure to get you in the spooky mood.
3.5 stars
I'd say this is firmly New Adult, following college student Gabriel as they reconnect with their first love and childhood best friend, Jacob. The first hour or so was not very spooky, in fact I thought it was a bit info dumpy. Giving us a lot of details that, while providing context, weren't necessary for the story. These portions also had a strong YA voice as did the other non-occult scenes in the later half of the story.
It was the second half where the story finally started to pick-up. The moments with the demon and descriptions of Gabriel's mental state were dark and wonderfully atmospheric (especially with the audio's sound effects), I got shivers! The ending was expected which lessened the impact somewhat, but it was still powerful because I couldn't help but feel for Gabriel.
I loved the queer representation. I find demonology very fascinating, and having an author actually acknowledge that Paimon and other demons are more or less genderless was awesome (not to mention building a story about it which incorporated the main character's gender!). That was probably my favorite part of the story, how those two things connected.
I will admit I was a little confused regarding Gabriel's gender representation. The writing could be a bit vague at times so I wasn't able to really interpret whether Gabriel sought androgyny or to claim a different identity or something else entirely. And Jacob used he/him pronouns for Gabriel and the story blurb used they/them so I think I might have just missed something. This isn't a critique just something I'm acknowledging I probably missed.
All in all, Another Name for the Devil wasn't a bad listen, but could have been stronger when you consider what a talented author Deaver is. The ending was easy to predict but stayed true to the horror genre with a bittersweet finale. The sound effects were a fun addition, although the sudden organ music scared me a bit (I sort of think it should have faded in but whatever). It's a quick listen sure to get you in the spooky mood.
3.5 stars
October 27, 2021
I think I had my fair share of Jacobs this Halloween season, and I would very much appreciate it if I didn't have to deal with them anymore. First there was Reverend Jacobs in Stephen King's Revival, and then there was Jacob in Another Name For the Devil whom I hated very much. It didn't even register that his name was Jacob until we were past the halfway point and we started to see his ugly side creeping up. The way he was so obsessed with his life work reminded me a lot of Reverend Jacobs, which was a bad sign. The way he was emotionally manipulative and abusive to our main protagonist irked me like you have no idea. Whenever he'd call Gabriel by pet names such as "my love" and "darling" after gaslighting them? My goodness. I so wanted Gabriel to see the truth—to understand what Alex was telling them after he finally met Jacob—but even if they saw all the red flags, their attachment to Jacob prevented them from taking action against it, and I kind of understand that mindset. I'm not proud of it, but I've put up excuses for people who didn't deserve it. Then there was the supernatural aspect of the story. Combine a character who reminds me of Reverend Jacobs with a plot point from Hereditary, and you got a story that's sure to grab my attention. I wouldn't say it was exactly scary, but it did keep me on the edge of my seat while I was listening to it. While we kind of knew how it was going to end, the road there was what made it engaging. Did they succeed in summoning Paimon or did Gabriel put a stop to it? Also, add the fact that the author is one of my favorites and that the narrator was Avi Roque and you got a recipe that's sure to work. It was a nice story to end my reads of this Spooktober.
October 25, 2021
Mason Deaver is an auto buy author for me, so let me explain shortly why I only gave this 2 stars. For the MOST part, I just don’t like the narrators voice, and I’d be more interested in reading a physical version (which I’d give at least 3 stars.) It’s only 3 hours long and the reading speed is really slow so I put it at 1.5x speed (and never have I been so annoyed by the way someone pronounces “acknowledge” lol)
One thing I loved was the subtle background noises like the music or a heartbeat, have a great atmosphere. But the narrators voice was grating for me the entire time and I found it hard to focus on the story.
I generally don’t like audiobooks and I don’t read horror but I binged this all at once because 1. Gotta support Mason 2. It was free anyway! And 3. It’s only 3 hours long. So I’d recommend everyone form their own opinion.
*Now for spoilers: I might be lost because I was working while I was listening to this, but I don’t get the ending? Are all 3 of them dead…? Idk.
I liked that Alex picked up on the red flags, and the response from Gabriel was accurate. But I feel like Jacob turning into an asshole kind of came out of nowhere. And Gabriel should’ve been far more fucked up from all the alcohol from their first time drinking. Also as for the demon itself, in my mind I pictured the Imp Grimm from RWBY*
One thing I loved was the subtle background noises like the music or a heartbeat, have a great atmosphere. But the narrators voice was grating for me the entire time and I found it hard to focus on the story.
I generally don’t like audiobooks and I don’t read horror but I binged this all at once because 1. Gotta support Mason 2. It was free anyway! And 3. It’s only 3 hours long. So I’d recommend everyone form their own opinion.
*Now for spoilers: I might be lost because I was working while I was listening to this, but I don’t get the ending? Are all 3 of them dead…? Idk.
I liked that Alex picked up on the red flags, and the response from Gabriel was accurate. But I feel like Jacob turning into an asshole kind of came out of nowhere. And Gabriel should’ve been far more fucked up from all the alcohol from their first time drinking. Also as for the demon itself, in my mind I pictured the Imp Grimm from RWBY*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2021
I think the author needs to do more research as he was steeped into much modern-day wokism when it came to demonology. The pure demon is form and is neither male, nor female in its incarnation, but can choose how to appear. Serious scholarly study from proper sources shows that demons take many forms--male, female, animal, even inanimate objects as well as grasses and trees, and even the wind.
Both the main players in this work presented an interesting psychological study as to how one's upbringing can affect one's later life. The author did an excellent job in presenting Gabriel's inner turmoil and dilemmas. I don't see this as horror more than I see it as a psychological thriller that involved two gay men (that latter point isn't really important to me, though relevant to the story)
What bothers me most about this is that we have an excellent buildup, but somewhere along the line the author drifted and the story I think ended when alot more could have been said. The first half was five stars, and the last half was about 1-2 stars, so I'm giving it 3 stars total.
I think alot more of the human side could have been explored---don't get me wrong I think it was well written, and in terms of the audible presentation, quite well done. I think it was too abrupt...
Both the main players in this work presented an interesting psychological study as to how one's upbringing can affect one's later life. The author did an excellent job in presenting Gabriel's inner turmoil and dilemmas. I don't see this as horror more than I see it as a psychological thriller that involved two gay men (that latter point isn't really important to me, though relevant to the story)
What bothers me most about this is that we have an excellent buildup, but somewhere along the line the author drifted and the story I think ended when alot more could have been said. The first half was five stars, and the last half was about 1-2 stars, so I'm giving it 3 stars total.
I think alot more of the human side could have been explored---don't get me wrong I think it was well written, and in terms of the audible presentation, quite well done. I think it was too abrupt...
September 18, 2024
I usually don’t give bad ratings. I’m usually quite liberal with my ratings. But I regret using one of my Audible credits on this one. I picked it up because it’s meant to be an adult horror with trans rep. Unfortunately the writing is really juvenile which then translates to the mc being a bit creepy because they’re coming off like a 12 year old kid cosplaying an adult trying to do adult things.
The trans rep really was not written well. I assumed in the beginning they were androgynous transmasc (maybe due to the poor choice of narrator?) but ultimately figured out half way through, through an awkward, poorly written “sex scene”, they’re possibly an androgynous trans woman who uses they/them pronouns but allowed their love interest, Jacob, to both deadname and misgender them for fear of being rejected? What in the internalised transphobia… Yeah no, not great rep considering the reader will likely get it wrong, as I did.
I can’t speak for the horror part honestly; I was more caught up on the fact that weird music plays intermittently and out of nowhere, for no reason at all.
“And I knelt in front of him for my nightly prayer” someone please get me a bucket…
The trans rep really was not written well. I assumed in the beginning they were androgynous transmasc (maybe due to the poor choice of narrator?) but ultimately figured out half way through, through an awkward, poorly written “sex scene”, they’re possibly an androgynous trans woman who uses they/them pronouns but allowed their love interest, Jacob, to both deadname and misgender them for fear of being rejected? What in the internalised transphobia… Yeah no, not great rep considering the reader will likely get it wrong, as I did.
I can’t speak for the horror part honestly; I was more caught up on the fact that weird music plays intermittently and out of nowhere, for no reason at all.
“And I knelt in front of him for my nightly prayer” someone please get me a bucket…
October 27, 2021
I can rate it positively for representation. Rarely do we have positive trans rep in horror fiction but everything else about it... I can't.
Only in the last 35 minutes does anything really happen and even then the main event only takes about 5 and then we wax poetic for a while, and then maybe revenge. I had the speed turned up and even then it took forever to finish. This wasn't for me. It feels like someone on nosleep needing to workshop it through. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I would have appreciated more well-thought-out plots, characters, and storylines. You can do a lot with 3 hours of audio and I didn't need two hours or exposition for it to not really matter at all at the culmination of the piece. You can 'call' yourself 'tortured' all you want but damn, man, take some of that two hours to REALLY SHOW IT TO ME. Make it matter to me.
Sorry, but this wasn't for me fam.
Only in the last 35 minutes does anything really happen and even then the main event only takes about 5 and then we wax poetic for a while, and then maybe revenge. I had the speed turned up and even then it took forever to finish. This wasn't for me. It feels like someone on nosleep needing to workshop it through. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I would have appreciated more well-thought-out plots, characters, and storylines. You can do a lot with 3 hours of audio and I didn't need two hours or exposition for it to not really matter at all at the culmination of the piece. You can 'call' yourself 'tortured' all you want but damn, man, take some of that two hours to REALLY SHOW IT TO ME. Make it matter to me.
Sorry, but this wasn't for me fam.
January 25, 2025
Perhaps I gave this such a low rating because, when I started listening to it, I was recovering from the flu and it started coming across like it was written for new-adult and not adult. However, it might be because everything felt so rushed. Because we're not given much of a build-up of the past relationship between the MC and their love interest, the fact that the love interest was throwing up so many red flags from the start made me want to yell at the MC to run far away and get frustrated that they didn't see it. Looking back, I can mentally justify it by saying "they were blinding by their history", but the story didn't really show that very well, IMO.
I actually started to get a bit interested about the time the story was wrapping up, but by then it was too late for me to really enjoy. I think this could have been a much more enjoyable read for me if it had been given more time and fleshing out.
I actually started to get a bit interested about the time the story was wrapping up, but by then it was too late for me to really enjoy. I think this could have been a much more enjoyable read for me if it had been given more time and fleshing out.
November 8, 2021
My first reaction when I finished it was to ask myself what I read. Not a bad reaction at all. I was definitely a little sursrised because I've read other books by this author and this is not what I'm used to. My surprise asside, I love this book. It was an interesting story and I love the demon summoning aspect of it.
I've rated previous books by Mason Deaver five stars, but I'm rating this one four stars. My only critique here is that I would have liked more time spent on our characters and their relationships. His longer novels spend a lot of time developing main characters and side characters which is something I love about his stories. I believe it should have been longer to give the story more time to develop.
I've rated previous books by Mason Deaver five stars, but I'm rating this one four stars. My only critique here is that I would have liked more time spent on our characters and their relationships. His longer novels spend a lot of time developing main characters and side characters which is something I love about his stories. I believe it should have been longer to give the story more time to develop.
October 28, 2021
A nice, spooky little short that really makes you think about monsters and demons, whether they be literal or just human manifestations of such things. A realistic look at an abusive relationship and the red flags that pop up, that often even the most astute people ignore, for a variety of reasons. Deeply appreciated that Audible got a trans & nonbinary narrator for a trans & nonbinary story, but something about the speed/sound was very off. 1.0 speed sounds like Avi Roque is half-asleep aand also reading underwater! I put it on 2.0 and it was still quite slow. It almost feels like Audible slowed down their natural reading voice, because they don't usually sound like that, at all.
March 25, 2024
3.5. A weird, fun dark demonic story. The scene/chapter break music is what knocks it down a bit, overlapping the narration wasn’t great and made it hard to focus, and honestly I didn’t feel like the music choice itself was a good one either. I liked the subtle sound effects and the club music well enough, but music really should have been used to set the scene before and after narration.
Avi Roque is great as always!
Note that everyone in the story referred to Gabriel as he/him and using masc language, in case that’s an issue for anyone reading about a trans fem character, and the relationship is seen as m/m.
Avi Roque is great as always!
Note that everyone in the story referred to Gabriel as he/him and using masc language, in case that’s an issue for anyone reading about a trans fem character, and the relationship is seen as m/m.
November 5, 2021
3.5*
What.The.Fuck.
Twisty, turny, creepy, freaky. Like, what the hell did I just listen to?!? The blurb really tells you all you need to know about this audio. Another Name For the Devil was a wild, tragic, horrifying ride.
I liked Avi Roque's narration of this story. Their portrayal of Gabriel was very compelling, while they brought just the right amount of control to Jacob's character. And the demon factor was understated which made it all the more chilling.
This story won't be for everyone, but if you're looking for something different, Mason Deaver delivered!
What.The.Fuck.
Twisty, turny, creepy, freaky. Like, what the hell did I just listen to?!? The blurb really tells you all you need to know about this audio. Another Name For the Devil was a wild, tragic, horrifying ride.
I liked Avi Roque's narration of this story. Their portrayal of Gabriel was very compelling, while they brought just the right amount of control to Jacob's character. And the demon factor was understated which made it all the more chilling.
This story won't be for everyone, but if you're looking for something different, Mason Deaver delivered!
November 12, 2021
I really did enjoy this!!
I did not know what to think though as I had started, but as it got going, i was more intrigued, more excited, more engrossed by what was going on
The last bit, when i realised what was happening i was like ohhh with a great big smile on my face
I am not one for Horror, but this, if i read more horror like this, then i would definitely be a horror fan
Part of me wants to start from the beginning again and enjoy it all if not more.
Definitely a fave read of the year
I did not know what to think though as I had started, but as it got going, i was more intrigued, more excited, more engrossed by what was going on
The last bit, when i realised what was happening i was like ohhh with a great big smile on my face
I am not one for Horror, but this, if i read more horror like this, then i would definitely be a horror fan
Part of me wants to start from the beginning again and enjoy it all if not more.
Definitely a fave read of the year
December 7, 2021
3,5
This was really enjoyable and a nice change for me. I don't read much horror and it was my first experience with audiobooks! I was interested in this novella because of the author and I'm happy I picked it up.
Overall it was really good, I loved the representation and the atmosphere. There is kind of a dark academia vibe, interesting characters and an intriguing plot.
I did struggle a bit with the audio format and the voice of the narrator, though, but it was short and a great November read!
This was really enjoyable and a nice change for me. I don't read much horror and it was my first experience with audiobooks! I was interested in this novella because of the author and I'm happy I picked it up.
Overall it was really good, I loved the representation and the atmosphere. There is kind of a dark academia vibe, interesting characters and an intriguing plot.
I did struggle a bit with the audio format and the voice of the narrator, though, but it was short and a great November read!
August 1, 2024
Narrator was NOT good. very robotic. I usually listen at 1.35 speed, but had to increase to 1.75 because the voice was so slow and dull. A lot of homosexuality sex in this, something alluded to in the blurb, but a lot of discussion surrounding transgender too. The Demon aspects were good, but only a small part of this, the rest was homosexual love, something the blurb didn't expand on. I almost DNF but hate to do that, and it was short.Starred good, middle was repetious, but the end was good.
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