Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Demons & Dynasties
SERIES: Demons & Dynasties #1 of 8
AUTHOR: Luka Fallon
PUBLISHER: Molly House Press LLC
LENGTH: 69 Pages
RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2021
BLURB:
Vince James is living his worst life. As the youngest son, forced to hold his father’s empire together, Vince knows nothing about Manhattan or the world beyond his father’s control.
Damien Blake refuses to be what anyone expects. Inheriting his father’s enterprises at a young age forced Damien into the cut-throat business world and the realization that everyone prefers his money to him.
Will a rash act of independence bring doom and destruction or desire and destiny? Can Vince and Damien learn that both demons and love are real in time to save each other?
REVIEW:
Vince led a sheltered life full of routine and expectation, with his only rebelliousness involving reading the occasional book instead of the financial pages at breakfast. After his older brother fled the family restrictions, his father turned his attention on Vince, who too yearned to lead his own life. Still, he was also the peacemaker of the family who wanted to protect his brother’s freedom. A night of defiant curiosity introduces Vince to a world he never knew existed and Damien – a man who believes in the paranormal – not love.
This is a story that I truly wanted to love because I enjoy executive tales, and at the mention of the paranormal, I was positively salivating.
Demons & Dynasties is told in the third person, and Vince’s viewpoint is the mainstay of the manuscript, although Damien’s voice occasionally creeps through in the odd paragraph. As this is a short story, world-building is minimal – more emotional and thought-based. Vince hails from a dynastic family whose father is loudly manipulative and thinks more of the company than his son’s. The business deal is everything. However, when Vince meets Damien, he begins to question his life.
Through the early stages, I was a fan. The story was well-paced, entertaining, and introduced enough extras to keep me turning the page without being overwhelmed. Sex is in the plot, but it is off-page. I can’t say I missed it because it was nice to read something not bogged down by sex scenes that most have read plenty of variations of before. With the introduction of paranormal elements, I looked forward to where the arc was going. But, in this – the first of eight short stories, otherworldly aspects are introduced instead of delved into.
As the story progresses and Vince ventures outside his ordered life – some aspects get slightly skewed as Vince tends to do things for the family at the cost of his happiness – all very admirable but annoying as **** to read, and I wanted to slap him.
In the latter stages of the book, is where, for me, the author’s inexperience shows through a little. Every author has a first book which turns out to be a steep learning curve. Everyone wants to do the big finish, but in some cases, less is more, and this story was a touch over complicated. Then again, some information may be pertinent in future books – only time will tell.
I received an uncorrected proof of Demons & Dynasties. From my perspective, it can be anything from the final draft before the editors get to it or a few grammatical errors before last read through and publishing. In this case, I found a few inconsistencies, which the author assures me will be corrected before publishing. A possible product of over-enthusiasm instead of dogged diligence?
If these issues are dealt with, then Luka Fallon could be an author to watch. This story is a promising start to a series that, I am sure, will get better as it progresses alongside lessons learned from a fledgling talent.
RATING: 
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