SERIES TOUR: Pitch & Sickle - The Diabolus Chronicles by D K Girl
@Archaeolibrary, @gaybookpromo, #GasLamp,
Book Details:
Book Title: The Bandalore - Pitch & Sickle Book One
Cover Artist: Deranged Doctor Designs
Release Date: February 25, 2021
Genre: Historical Fantasy MM
Tropes: Slow, slow burn, opposites attract
Themes: Loneliness and friendship
Heat Rating: 2 flames
Length: 285 pages
It is not a standalone book. This is the first book in the Gaslamp Fantasy series, The Diabolus Chronicles.
It has an unresolved storyline rather than an outright cliffhanger.
1885 London, England
Silas Mercer died once. He’d rather not do it again.
On his return to the world of the living, Silas finds himself in the hands of the mysterious Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
The Order has London society clamouring for their services, with tarot readings, seances and exorcisms among their arcane specialities.
Now they seem intent on making Silas their newest recruit.
But they want far more from him than cheap parlour tricks.
When the Order partners him with the scandalous rake, Tobias Astaroth, Silas's new life is turned on its head in more ways than one.
Tobias is quick-tempered, dangerously charming, and far more than the man he seems.
For Silas, surviving what the Order has planned for him will be a challenge.
But finding a way to survive Tobias Astaroth could prove impossible.
A slow-burn MM Gaslamp Fantasy series.
Contains: Sexual content, violence and rather a lot of cursing.
This is the first book in the thrilling Gaslamp Fantasy series, The Diabolus Chronicles
Add to Goodreads | Smashbomb | BookBub
4 out of 5 (very good)
THE BANDALORE is the first book in the Pitch & Sickle series. It begins with Silas dying and coming back to life in a coffin, and no, he's not a vampire. He isn't sure what he is now and has no idea who he was before. His memory of his previous life has disappeared, leaving him uncertain in a world full of uncertainties.
This is slow-burn - so slow there is no romance at all in this first book. That isn't an issue as I can see there is so much to this world, I am happy to take in all the details first and then move on to the romance.
Silas and Tobias are two very different souls. Silas is trusting, caring, and almost naïve. Tobias is obnoxious, and harsh, with a rather bitter view of the world. Is it justified? I think so, but I still have so much more to learn about his past.
I loved the addition of Black Annis being as I'm Leicestershire born and bred! It was very descriptive but remained true to the myths and legends surrounding her.
An intriguing start to a series where nothing is as it seems and you can't even trust the 'good' guys - if they are indeed good. I can't wait to continue with this series and see where it goes from here. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Book Title: The Verderer - Pitch & Sickle Book Two
Length: 309 pages
Release Date: June 30, 2021
Genres: MM Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Tropes: Opposites attract, Stuck together, Emotional scars
It is not a standalone story. The overarching storyline continues but issues are resolved for the immediate storyline.
Silas Mercer is a dead man walking.
And the mysterious Order of the Golden Dawn have big plans for their newest ankou and his deathly bandalore.
Life as a servant of death has its challenges.
But the biggest one of all is Silas’s daemonic guardian, Pitch.
He may look like heaven, but he’s making Silas's life all kinds of hell.
The daemon is arrogant, egotistical and his appetite for violence and tea cakes is fast outgrowing the small village where they have been recuperating since their run-in with Black Annis.
Now, the increasingly unstable Blight is causing new havoc, and fresh monstrosities are emerging.
Pitch and Sickle are back in the saddle, and on their way to the haunted Forest of Dean.
But can Silas rely on his guardian’s protection?
Or will Pitch prove to be the most dangerous encounter of all?
Add to Goodreads | Smashbomb | BookBub
4 out of 5 (very good)
THE VERDERER is the second book in Pitch & Sickle series and follows on from book one, which you will absolutely have to read to understand what's going on here.
As with the first book, this has a slow and meandering pace, giving the reader time to learn about both Silas and Pitch, as they themselves learn about each other and just what is expected from them.
There are still big parts of the story that aren't yet explained, leaving me definitely wanting more. Silas is still standing strong with his loyalty. He still has a lot to learn and is still naïve about the new world he inhabits. Pitch is still cantankerous and full of innuendoes. I really wish he would dial it back a bit!
Towards the end of the book, there is a lot of action that has been building throughout. And when I say action, I mean fight scenes. There is still nothing between Pitch and Silas apart from a near-kiss.
A great follow-up to book one and I can't wait for book 3! Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Book Title: The Skriker - Pitch & Sickle Book Three
Length: 369 pages
Release Date: October 20, 2021
Genres: MM Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Tropes: Opposites attract, Stuck together, Emotional scars
It is not a standalone story. The overarching storyline continues but issues are resolved for the immediate storyline.
Blurb
Silas Mercer has faced wily boggarts, mad faerie queens and enraged forest spirits.
But can he withstand a daemon who is losing his mind?
Pitch and Sickle are left bruised, battered and reeling after their confrontation with the Verderer.
They have learned a startling truth behind the arrowhead that wounded Silas, a truth that must be taken to the Lady Satine and the Order without delay.
But his encounters in the Forest of Dean have effected Pitch in alarming ways. The daemon’s body may have healed but his erratic behaviour and wildly unpredictable temper grow ever more concerning.
Silas owes his life to Pitch. Their experience in the forest has brought them a closeness he could not have imagined possible.
But what can he do for a daemon who is losing his way?
And how long will Silas survive, if he must ride alone?
Add to Goodreads | Smashbomb | BookBub
4 out of 5 (very good)
THE SKRIKER is the third book in this ongoing series and starts where book two finished. Pitch and Sickle are licking their wounds and recovering from their fight with the Verderer. However, even though his body appears to be mending, Pitch's mind is nowhere near healed. He pushes Silas away and, eventually, Silas goes.
For the majority of the book, Pitch and Sickle have their own separate 'adventures' and, although necessary, I wanted them to get back together. To me, it was pretty obvious who would be able to heal Pitch and I was all 'woohoo, it's finally happening!' only for it to stutter to a stop and we're back to square one. Gah!
The overall story arc is definitely picking up the pace and I look forward to Pitch and Sickle's upcoming adventures. I just wish they'd sort themselves out a bit more. They take the miscommunication or lack of talking trope to new extremes!
Still a great read and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Book Title: The Greensward - Pitch & Sickle Book Four
Length: 412 pages
Release Date: April 13, 2022
Genres: MM Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Tropes: Opposites attract, Stuck together, Emotional scars
It is not a standalone story. The overarching storyline continues but issues are resolved for the immediate storyline.
Blurb
The Lady’s Horsemen are riding out once more. Carrying death’s scythe to where tormented souls linger.
But what awaits them in a world where divine magick has returned?
Pitch is recovered from the injuries he received in the Forest of Dean, and Silas won’t soon forget the part he played in setting his guardian back on his feet.
The ankou and the daemon have been reunited in a most unexpected and intimate way, but barely have they caught their breath when a new threat arises.
A tortured spirit is frightening both the living and the dead along the roads of Devon.
But is this soul a monster that must be stopped, or another pawn in the necromancer’s mysterious game?
With Azazel’s magick re-emerging after hundreds of years, maleficium plagues the world once more. But who is wielding the forbidden arcane magick of the angels?
Do they work alone?
And why are they so intent on harassing the Lady’s Horsemen?
Silas has never felt stronger, or more determined to live up to the Order’s high expectations. He’s faced the walking dead, outwitted the enchanted Hall, and gained an ally in the skriker.
But he’s not sure he’s equipped to handle his growing attraction to a troubled daemon.
And Silas fears that getting any closer to Pitch and his tragic secrets may prove as dangerous as the monsters they are riding to face.
Add to Goodreads | Smashbomb | BookBub
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
THE GREENSWARD is the fourth book in the Pitch & Sickle series and, as with the other books, this is an ongoing story so you NEED to have read them in order.
These guys never catch a break! Of course, if they did, we probably wouldn't have this story. Trust me though, for me, this was the best of the bunch so far. It was full of action, well-paced action that had me gripped. It's not nice reading in certain parts but oh-so-worth it if you can stick with it.
We learn more about Silas and Tobias' pasts and I really hope Silas shares. These two are only just learning to be there for each other, and his secret may just set them back a few books!
This series just gets better and better. The relationships have changed slowly but I loved it when both Tobias and Silas realised just what the other meant to them.
One thing to mention - I love how local legends have been woven into this series. Each book has its own and I loved how the author has blended them seamlessly with the overall story.
Highly recommended by me and I can't wait for book five!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Book 5 - Coming Soon - October 20, 2022
The Fulbourn - Pitch & Sickle Book Five: The Diabolus Chronicles
After Lucifer’s disturbing visit, the quest to destroy the Blight takes on a desperate urgency.
Finding Lieutenant Edward Charters is paramount.
But what role does a mortal man play in Seraphiel’s dangerous game?
The angel has sent Pitch a talisman from beyond the grave, a seemingly innocuous watch that may be the key to ending the Watcher King’s dark legacy. But to learn its secret Pitch and Silas must find the man intended to carry it.
As the search for the lieutenant begins, the Horsemen find themselves gifted with something more precious than any angelic token. An evening of unexpected freedom. A night that will deepen their intimacy and bring long-stifled feelings to the fore.
But what price will they pay for choosing breathless pleasure over rigid duty?
The Morrigan have not forgiven the destruction at the greensward. They are prepared to do whatever it takes to rid themselves of the Horsemen and heed the Watcher King's ghostly call.
The Fulbourn is Pitch and Silas's greatest threat yet. A place that will drive them into the depths of their most terrible fears and seek to tear them apart.
They are closer than ever before but will that fragile new bond be enough to save them? Or have the daemon prince and his ankou found the nemesis that will destroy them once and for all?
The Diabolus Chronicles is a slow-burn MM Gaslamp Fantasy series that contains on-page sex scenes, gore and violence, and rather a lot of cursing.
This is the fifth book in the on-going series.
Add to Goodreads | Smashbomb | BookBub
Available for Pre-Order
A rather pretty gentleman, sharp featured, pale and fine, stepped into the room with a flourish of raised hands. His tousled light brown hair was wild about his shoulders, and his eyes so green it was as though emeralds had been pressed into the sockets. ‘Let the amusements begin…or should I say…continue.’
His velvet coat, a red almost as bold as the woman’s lips, was unbuttoned, revealing a black shirt with a silver brocade of Chinese dragons upon it. An elaborate ruffling of silk tumbled from the collar and covered a good portion of his chest. His choice of trousers was equally curious, a rather outdated fall-front style in black silk.
The baron groaned, but his smile was ever-present. ‘Good god, man, we thought you two would never be done.’
‘Perfection takes time, does it not?’
‘Take your seat, you rascal, and stop your showmanship, at least just for a moment.’
Silas scratched his right palm absently, attempting to stymie the prickle. Like many things about himself he wasn’t certain of his age, his late twenties was likely, much the same as the man who had just swept into the room.
Mr Astaroth tilted his head, pursing lips that held a near-perfect Cupid’s bow. ‘Am I to stand aside so another showman can perform?’
‘Exactly,’ the baron declared.
As Mr Astaroth made his way to his seat with his companion, he had a notable effect on those in attendance. The ladies all at once seemed incapable of deciding how they should adjust their gowns upon their seats, and the men were equally as fidgety. All of them were fixated on Mr Astaroth’s procession across the room. The man had not spared Silas a glance yet, even when he was deriding him, and Silas had no issue with that at all. He was not sure he’d enjoy the pierce of those green eyes upon him. But he could not deny there was indeed something mesmerising about the lad, the sway of his hips, the coiled tension in his body that gave the impression he might suddenly leap unannounced in any direction.
Mr Astaroth stopped to take a glass of champagne from the tray offered by a somewhat flustered young footman. The liquid wobbled in its crystal confines, and the boy’s eyes darted so quickly between the floor and the man before him, it was as though he’d lost control of his eyeballs.
‘Thank you, kind sir. What a wonderful job you do.’ Mr Astaroth’s smile was discomfortingly suggestive, his whispered appreciation of the boy’s offering far too intimate, and the serving boy nearly stumbled over his own feet to move away.
Mr Astaroth was slender, not remarkable in height, and the angles of his face were delicate to the point of being feminine, but he held a presence that quite overwhelmed the room. Silas’s gaze moved down the length of the man’s body to his feet. He wore heeled boots, which meant he was shorter than first impressions allowed. The glean of polished leather distracted Silas from what became startlingly obvious a moment later. He tensed and closed his eyes a second, as though that might change things. But alas it was not to be.
The ground at Tobias Astaroth’s feet held no shadow.
Whoever this man was, he was not, for all intents and purposes, human. Silas took hold of the arms of the chair, filled with the sudden desire to depart. No one had thought to instruct him on an encounter such as this.
‘Stop frightening the help and get your arse on a chair,’ declared the bespectacled man at Silas’s left. ‘We know how you hate to have attention diverted from you, so do try and behave, Pitch old boy.’
Evidently the group knew the man well enough to have endowed him with a nickname. Silas could only imagine its origins.
‘Oh Brent