Heretic Behaviour: E. C. Glynn *Review*

Genres: Romantic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy | Release Date: 1 December 2024 | Series: The Secrets of Demons | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 417 | Indie Author | Review

Overview:

A huge thank you goes to E. C. Glynn, for letting me read an e-ARC of Heretic Behaviour! This dark romantic fantasy is book one in The Secrets of Demons series, and holy guacamole does it pack a punch in intensity! Is that a good thing, I hear you ask? Of course it is! But let’s give you an overview before I fangirl too hard, shall we?

Mila has spent years blending in, trying to escape the powerful Church of Midas from realising she’s a demon. But when she’s finally caught and slated to be sacrificed to appease the God-King, the only thing to save her is Princess Jezebel’s wish to stave off boredom. Yet becoming a spoiled princess’ pet was never Mila’s endgame, and she’s determined to find a moment to escape. When a merchant prince arrives and takes an interest in her, everything Mila’s planned is upended. Can Mila trust that he might be her salvation? How can she escape the brutal Princess, when every move Mila makes is watched? And what secret is the Church hiding from everyone, even their own?

Happiness Boost:

Heretic Behaviour is a dark romantasy full of power plays, political intrigue and a forbidden romance. This is not a book of cosy comfort. Instead? This bewitching fantasy confronts you with uncomfortable truths about power and its consequences. I love that Glynn immerses us in a world like this, highlighting how change often comes about simply because of the need to survive. And oh my goodness can we talk about the world building?! It is so rich in detail, yet never overwhelming. I’m in love with what Glynn’s created here!

Within this fantasy, the characters are constantly vying for survival in a world designed to hurt them. For people (or demons) like Mila, who are completely at the beck and call of someone like the Princess? How she doesn’t fracture into a tiny thousand pieces is beyond me. Glynn’s given us some of the toughest individuals I’ve ever come across, and when you combine that with others like Christopher? His morally grey soul is both terrifying and yet endearing. I love when characters aren’t pure good or evil. When there’s shades of grey, we get something spectacular. And glitterbugs, let me tell you… This *is* spectacular.

Do you want to know the biggest takeaway I had with this intense tale? Question everything. Because in Heretic Behaviour, you aren’t guaranteed a HEA. In fact, you will never know if someone is your friend or your enemy. Case in point: I didn’t want to like a certain character, because they were so cruel. But when I learned how that may have actually helped Mila? My emotions didn’t know how to process all the things! I’m so in love with the dizzying path we’re taken on in this romantasy. It’s intense. There’s so many traps, just waiting for Mila to fall into them. And I need *more*. Okay? Okay!

Downside:

This has been an incredibly engaging read, I have no downside!

Final Thoughts:

Heretic Behaviour by E. C. Glynn is a dark romantic fantasy full of morally grey characters, terrifying power plays and political intrigue. I adore how this romantasy’s intensity just kept getting turned up, with safety never guaranteed for our beloved characters. Am I already wishing book two was out? Yes! Because let’s be honest, that cliffhanger practically stopped my heart. But until then, I’ll just need everyone to read this first instalment. That’s not too big an ask, right? Love what you’ve heard from my review? Just click on any of the links below to order your very own copy of Heretic Behaviour! Happy reading, glitterbugs!

You can order Heretic Behaviour via these links:

Amazon | Blackwell’s | Fishpond