Demon By Day byHelen E. H. Madden is a homoerotic paranormal story.

Orziel, a half demon, snuck into the palace to visit Asheru, his lover and demon prince/nephew to his enemy, the Prince Consort Valefar. Orziel, being only a half demon, is despised and hated by most demons for his tainted blood. His powers are much less than demons, but he has one thing going for him that no one in demon kind has; the ability to go to the surface by day. You see, eons ago the demons angered their mother so much with their depraved behavior and abuse of the world, that after a great battle they were forced to live deep underground never to see the light of day. If a demon is caught in the rays of the sun he/she will burn to death. Orziel doesn’t abandon what belongs to him and Asheru is his and his alone. For his part, Asheru is a slave to Orziel needing the sexual release that Orziel gives him. Unfortunately, they are discovered by Valefar causing Orziel to flee for his life. Orziel goes to the one safe place for him, the surface, but Valefar sends his human and demon minions to kill him until he goes to the queen, Shebazael, for help. Orziel finds no help in the demon world, only treachery. While fleeing, Orziel crosses paths with a mad and sadistic woman with strong magical powers. She promises to help him if he finds her slave; she has vowed to recapture to make him pay for all of her suffering. Who is this mysterious woman and can she be trusted to keep her word? Who is the slave she desires and why did he run away from her? Will Orziel find a way to get Asheru back; will Asheru still want him?

Ms. Maddenhas written a fast paced story with fantastical creatures and average men who are as different and similar as day and night. Orziel is a complex character who boasts his sexual owning of Asheru, but when he meets a human, different from any creature he has ever met, we see a whole new side of him. Asheru says he belongs to Orziel, but can he be trusted to be true to him? I loved how Valefar is at first glance a very stern and forbidding character, but he may surprise you with his hidden depths. The story line is so descriptive that it brings the characters to life for the reader. Anyone who loves yaoi will quickly get ensnared in the characters and fall in love this story. I hope that there will be a sequel to Demon by Day. Thanks go to Ms. Madden for an incredible read!

Reviewed by: Teresa