Review: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon – Kimberly Lemming

This book made the rounds on book Twitter back when it first came out so of course, me being the inveterate monster lover I am, I picked it up. I couldn’t get into it though and chalked it up to it being a me-issue at the time and resolved to try again later. When I saw that Orbit was releasing the books with incredibly hot new covers I decided that time was now. And this time? Oh boy, did this book ever work for me! A great mix of humor, steam and warm hugs, it’s the perfect book to pick up if you want something light hearted and quickly paced.

As you can probably tell from her name, Cinnamon’s one of a several in a spice-obsessed farming family. Unlike many of the other adults her age, she’s not interested in adventure. She just wants to chill, drink beer and eat cheese – basically, a quiet and peaceful life surrounded by her family. Her chances of that evaporate, though, when she’s chased down by a demon intent on killing her – at least until she smacks him in the face with some of her namesake spice. Even more surprising is that demon, Fallon, showing up the next morning and explaining that their so-called goddess has imprisoned the demons in a frozen wasteland and cast spells on them that make them go berserk. Breaking the goddess’ sacred chalice in the village temple is the only way to free them – but Fallon needs Cinnamon’s help. How hard could breaking one little chalice be?

So, first off, the setting. Cin’s village is set in a Louisiana-like bayou, complete with crawfish boils, file powder and alligators, with other areas resembling Italy or the Nordic countries. It’s vaguely Ye Olde Anglo-medieval but the characters are anything but. They use modern slang and frequently have modern sensibilities (“of course the dress has pockets!”) and the juxtaposition can be jarring if hilarious. But it also means we get to see a Black Creole woman kicking ass fantasy-style.

“You just threw my brother across the room!”
“Would it have been more polite to let him gut me? I admit I’m unfamiliar with human customs, but I doubt your greetings are that extreme.”
I rose and pointed a finger at him. “You tried to kill me last night!”
“Semantics.”

And Cin is amazing. Her POV is a joy – frank and effortlessly hilarious – and I spent most of my time reading this book with a huge smile on my face. While she’s undeniably a homebody – for which she has Reasons – that doesn’t mean she isn’t brave or quick to step in when others need help. Maybe sometimes too quick to step in. Fallon’s a bit more of a puzzle. At heart he’s kind and protective, a sort of Labrador retriever demon (mixed with German shepherd when someone he cares about is threatened). Of course his motivation is to free the demons, and since he can’t enter the temples himself, he needs Cin’s help – and he might as well tease the human while he’s at it. But it only takes four days before he declares that Cin’s going to be his wife. There are reasons for it – I mean, Cin is badass – but it’s still very instalove. Cin was attracted to him despite herself almost immediately and the chemistry between them is very hot. And the banter! Oof. But I would’ve liked to spend more time with them as the romance aspect felt rushed to me.

“What if the evil demon seduced you away from your better judgment?” Warm lips graced my ear, making me shiver. “I can be your villain,” he whispered.”

As for cons, there are quite a few heavier topics introduced which make me hesitate from labelling this a cozy romance despite its overall light-hearted vibe. I mean, the core of the book is the characters trying to save the demons from what’s effectively genocide. It’s harder to get much heavier than that. The treatment of demons in general is terribleView Spoiler », including a city where it’s morally acceptable to enslave and abuse them. Needless to say, the MCs take care of this, but in a very Old Testament-type way that didn’t sit right with me « Hide Spoiler. And on top of that there are threats of sexual violence against the heroine which, frankly, I think the book would’ve been fine without. For the most part, I don’t think Cin’s frequently humorous narration downplays these topics. It’s more like Cin is focused on solving them and, since this is a fantasy novel, she can. And seeing some of the bad guys get their just desserts was very satisfying for me.

Overall, this is a quick and funny read, an excellent example of a fantasy romcom. While I wish we could hang out with Cin and Fallon longer, I’m definitely looking forward to the next couple in the next book!

Content notes: View Spoiler »genocide, violence (including death and gore), slavery, threats of rape, fatmisia (countered on page), fire, grief (over death of a sibling, off-page), fantasy mind control, alcohol use « Hide Spoiler

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