Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

I got this as an ARC from Netgalley.  M/M romance, with super hot devils.   

I really, really, really wanted to give this a five star review.   The writing is amazing, just this side of poetic, without being purple prose.   With lines like, "Even now, he could hear the dull, rhythmic thumps of dancing feet stomping on the wooden floor, mapping a tune he could feel all the way into his ribcage," Cornelia Grey expresses everything from the mundane to the fantastical, giving each one an equal sense of mystery, beauty, and wonder.   

Throw in a couple character who are incredibly well drawn, and well rounded, and I almost regret knocking down that half a star.   Explanation under the page cut.

But there is one flaw with this short story, and that's the Devil, Farfarello, is a little too... nice.   His bargain is a little bit odd, and although this is somewhat explained in the end, I didn't quite buy it.   Farfarello is a devil, and he shows the kind of patience that was not only unexpected, but quite frankly somewhat disappointing.   I was more able to buy Logan's reactions at the end than Farfarello's.   

This is the story of Logan, a down-on-his luck musician who makes a deal with a crossroads devil to be a great bluesman, as well as to have money and fame.   It’s told in alternating time between chapters - now and then.   Then is six years ago, when Logan made the deal, and now ranges between Logan waiting for Farfarello to appear and claim his soul.   The ending had enough surprises to keep me satisfied, while a little frustrated by the story Farafello tells at the end.   

It’s 72 pages, so I’d rank it as a short story rather than a novella, or novel,  but a longer short.   Because the world is set in the real world, and the modern world no less, the worldbuilding is limited to the fantasy elements and creating a place so real I felt as if I were the one choking on the coal and dirt when Grey got really descriptive.   Very nicely done, and more effective than some of the worldbuildilng as far as the fantasy went because we get this from Logan’s point of view, and he’s never fully clear on what the rules of that world are.  His conjectures are phrased gorgeously, but they’re clearly phrased as guesswork.   However, the main impact is made through the characters, and their encounters, and I’m perfectly happy not knowing the rules of Farafello’s world, at least in this particularly story.   If the world were to extend to more stories, I may be less patient if nothing more is ever revealed.   

Grey makes the most of the relatively short time we spend with Logan and Farafello.   Even before they get it on, just the kissing is hot.   I’m actually considering paying for this so I can have it on my Kindle.   I certainly will check out more of this author’s writing, although I would love to see what she can do with a full length novel!   Highly recommended.