Gabe Cole Novoa, you've done it again!!!

This was so, so beautiful from start to finish. And don't come for me please, but I might like this better than The Wicked Bargain? And I already loved and adored that book, so that's a clear sign of how amazing The Diablo's Curse is for me I guess 😂 Or maybe this is just me (a genderqueer person) relating to Dami (a genderfluid character) a lot... Either way, I loved this okay? 🥹😂

Full review soon, and will be posted as part of the book tour hosted by Turn the Pages Tours.

Exact rating: 4.75

CW: miscarriage, childbirth, violence, blood, death, injuries, gore, sexual content

Marking this book as part of my reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2024.

★ ★ ★ ★ • 4

First read by Gabe Cole Novoa, and I ended up really enjoying the book. I was a bit concerned at first that there would be some context I was missing, once I realized that The Diablo’s Curse takes place in the same universe as A Wicked Bargain (as I haven’t read that book), but that ended up not being the case. Still… I personally would definitely recommend going and giving A Wicked Bargain a read before picking up this book.

I think what made this book so good were the main and side characters, the fantasy storyline is by no means lacking, but the characters were an absolute highlight… And the way the characters were written they were not only likable but relatable.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I adored the Wicked Bargain, but the whole time wanted to know more about Dami and this book gave me all that and more!!!! Gabe Cole Novoa has created a beautiful world of demons, curses, magic, mystery, and love and it is just fantastic. If my life hadn't been so hectic I could have finished this in one sitting. You don't really need to have read the Wicked Bargain to jump into this, but it would definitely help (I highly recommend the audiobook read by Vico Ortiz). The magic and mystery of this book is so fun.

I look forward to more adventures from Novoa.


***SPOILERS***


Initially, I was disappointed we didn't get to see most of Dami's adventures trying to end all their deals to become human, BUT once they got to Silas and started their work to end that deal I knew we were in for a wild ride. It was totally worthwhile. I was able to predict some of the plot, but not all and that is thrilling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was absolutely obsessed with Dami when I read The Wicked Bargain and I was THRILLED when I heard there was a spinoff book about them coming out. It’s everything I ever could’ve dream of and more!

Not only could I relate heavily to Dami as a non-binary person (them worrying about losing their ability to shapeshift would 100% also be my main concern in their situation), but I absolutely adored the other two POV characters as well! Silas is so charismatic even though he doesn’t try to be, and Marisol is just the most lovely girl ever seriously.

The descriptions were wonderful as well. The whole time I couldn’t help picture it as a movie. I think it’d be a huge oversight for a producer/director to Not pick this story up because it would adapt wonderfully to screen. I couldn’t help comparing the island they end up on to the Catching Fire arena, so Francis Lawrence you better get on this bestie.

Overall, this has become one of my new all-time favorite books and I’d be so down for more books set in this universe! Banking on a Marisol book next 👀. I definitely recommend picking up a copy when it comes out!

First off this cover is absolute fire!! 
So pretty words aren't enough!

I loved this book from start to finish and all the things in between. If you are looking for an adventure, with fantasy elements and a cast of kick ass characters you should pick this up!

The story follows Dami on their quest to become fully human after living a majority of their life as a demonio. Only the freedom they thought they had from that life has an expiration date. Enter Silas who just can’t stay alive, he made a deal with Dami to not stay dead. The two are bound together to break a curse on Silas which sends them to a strange island that keeps trying to kill them. All to find a missing treasure and set a past deal right. What follows is a richly developed story that will keep you engaged from this first pages to the last. We meet fun, loving, caring friends along the way (looking at you Marisol) that help us see the beauty in life!

This was one of my favorite reads this year with an expert interweaving of magic, great characters and awesome story development! It left me feeling super cozy and comforted.

If you love fantasy books with great LQBTQIA+ representation, adventure, strong friendships, and finding what you want, I would absolutely recommend picking up this book. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start this review by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC. They granted it in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Flat out, loved it. Loved Dami, loved Silas, loved Marisol. Loved the queerness of the characters and the way it was just accepted! Omg seriously there was no homophobia. Were there villains? Yes, but even they weren’t homophobes.

Dami is a demonio, and raised by El Diablo.

There’s a lot of Spanish in this book, not all of it is translated but that’s fine. It’s not enough to be a difficulty when reading. Plus, it’ll help everyone taking Spanish on Duolingo get some practice in.

Dami is genderfluid and thanks to the shapeshifting powers granted to them by being a demonio, they can change their body to fit the gender they’re aligned with that day.

Dami however has a goal. They want to become a human. They’ve been a demonio they’re entire life. And they don’t want to continue it. They don’t want to continue reaping people either. And this goal is what brings him to Silas.

The first time they met Silas, was to make a deal. Silas Cain is cursed, like all the men in his family before him. And he wants a chance to break it. For that, he made a deal with Dami.

They end up stuck together trying to break his curse, stuck on an island that is very tropical for being close to Connecticut. This island is where they meet Marisol, a girl who just wants to get off the island to her brother, and the mysterious Eve.

The dynamic between Dami and Silas was great. I loved it and Dami’s antics had me laughing. Seriously, they drew a mustache on Silas’ face at one point without him knowing.

Silas is also bisexual. He says there are women and men that have caught his eye. And he’s into Dami. They made me laugh and seeing them come together was fun. I also appreciated the fact that Dami’s genderfluidity was spoken about and understood.

This book will really help and be a good starting place for people to hear the term and understand it.

Then there’s Marisol, she’s trans. She’s amazing and funny and smart and super important to the story when it kicks into the third act. I think my only problem with her character is that she wasn’t there enough. But that’s selfish, I just wanted more of her lol

I’m giving this book 5/5 stars. It’s funny and has lots of heart. I adored it and the characters. Please when it comes out, buy it!

The Diablo's Curse is the story of a child taken from their mother at birth, in fulfilment of a deal their mother made with El Diablo, who is himself a diablo - a demon. Dami, the child, is raised as a demonio, a lesser demon in El Diablo's employ, intended to be his protege. But Dami is unhappy as a demonio; they want to be human again. So begins Dami's quest - one that is possible, but prohibitively difficult. Reaching this goal also means that Dami, who identifies as trans and regularly shifts their body to reflect their current identification as male, female, or neither, will lose the ability to shift, but gain the ability to feel, smell, and taste - to be the human being they were born to be, but never had the chance to experience.

This is a timeless sort of story, although it's set in the 1800s, which, as a story that involves finding a pirate treasure, is appropriate; however, it's really a story about young people finding themselves, about being who they truly are, regardless of what society thinks they should be. Variations on this story could easily happen today, with a few tweaks around the details of how Dami carries out their quest, and really, except for the fastest transatlantic transportation being a steamboat that takes 6 weeks, the time setting is irrelevant to the story. All three of the main characters - Dami, Silas, and Marisol - vary in some fashion from what was, until very recently, the socially accepted norm for their birth genders, and in the time frame of the novel, this is considerably more of an issue, as such variance could lead to death if the wrong people found out. Each of them deals with this issue in their own way, making it clear along the way that this is simply a normal part of growing up. Recommended for readers high school to adult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

I eagerly anticipated this companion to WICKED BARGAIN, the queer pirate fantasy of my dreams, and Dami’s story more than lived up to my expectations. While I encourage anyone interested to read both, I think DIABLO’S CURSE could be enjoyed on its own, but it does spoil the outcome of its predecessor. I’ll try to avoid any serious spoilers here.

There’s no way I wouldn’t love a genderfluid demon protagonist, but I love this one especially. The Dami of WICKED BARGAIN was a figure of intrigue, a projection of disaffected confidence covering a desperate desire for freedom. Digging into this character, uncovering their flaws and vulnerabilities, and witnessing them discovering their place in the world was so wonderfully satisfying.

I’m also intrigued by the expansion of this magic system. We get more of a taste of the lives (so to speak) of demons and diablos, the varied and sometimes horrific consequences of their deals. If there’s more to come in this world, I’m excited to read it. Either way, I’m sure I’ll be returning to these books in the future. How can I resist basking in the stories of nonbinary characters finding themselves through magic, romance, and adventure? It’s what I would have wished for my younger self, but I’m thrilled to have it now.

I DEVOURED this book, and you will too, if you love The Wicked Bargain. It's not abundently clear that you need to read that book first, but you really do in order to 1) understand this story fully and 2) avoid spoilers for it, because if you read this first you most definitely will be running after any and every book written by Gabe Cole Novoa.
Dami was one of my favorite characters in The Wicked Bargain, and so I was so excited to get my hands on this and read about how they came to be who they are. I was not even a little disappointed. This felt like Indiana Jones, but gay. There is magic. There are puzzles. There's a treasure hunt. A dangerous island, curses, magic, and more. All the elements to an amazing story are here, and Gabe Cole Novoa Delivers with his excellent writing. My only complaint is that our main couple doesn't bond sooner. I feel like they could have had at least one real conversation before the 60% mark, but that's just me being greedy for more page time of them being soft with each other. In actuality, I did like how slow their romance was. How they hated each other in so many ways, and the caring kind of snuck up on them. Caring does that sometimes. Love has a way of catching you off guard.
And DAMI. Bless their precious soul. I love them so much. They deserve all the best things in the world, and their ending was perfect. Now I'm just crossing my fingers for a spin off with Marisol.

This book was PHENOMENAL. I could not put it down. It grabbed my attention immediately and held it fast. I thoroughly enjoyed The Wicked Bargain by this author, but he outdid himself in this book. The flow and pacing was spot on. I never felt like the story lagged or had any boring or down moments. Normally I lose interest when books go back into the past with flashbacks and the like, but this book did it so well, I didn't mind one bit. The characters were perfection and I loved the ones I was supposed to and hated the ones that were meant to be hated. Honestly, I can't think of a single complaint. This book is five solid stars and if I could give it more, I would.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

I really loved this book. Dami was my favorite character in The Wicked Bargain and it was so cool to see them get their own book that delves into their story and how they want to live the life they’ve never been able to have. Silas, Dami, and Marisol are a true dream team. All of the main characters are LGBTQ+, which is amazing and something Novoa does so well in his books. I definitely recommend this if you loved The Wicked Bargain or just fun adventures!

Following Dami, introduced in Gabe Cole Novoa’s previous book The Wicked Bargain, The Diablo’s Curse is the story of the former demonio trying to keep their humanity and stop themselves from reverting back to not being able to feel, taste or be in the world. To do so, they must end every single deal they have made during their demonio days. This brings them to Silas Cain, a boy whose family has been cursed with dying young, a boy whom they had previously made a deal with to keep him from dying. They must work with him to travel to an island to discover hidden treasure to break Silas’ curse so that he can end his deal. But of course, the island isn’t quite right.

I was super excited going into this, I loved Dami in The Wicked Bargain and could not wait to read their own story, from their perspective and since the previous book, I had been rooting for them to regain the humanity that was cruelly taken away from them as a baby. As it turns out, this book did not disappoint. Dami is hilarious, their witty remarks sometimes at the worst moments are amazing, and the way they hold themselves and deal with what they’re going through is incredible. I loved getting to see their backstory, how they made deals and what it was like for them growing up. We got to see Dami’s humanity through this, through their regret at making deals and their disgust at having to reap souls. Yet, we also got to see that they did have some enjoyment in their work, they liked the power they got from it.

Silas was adorable, his constant blushes every time Dami made a cheeky comment were sweet and I felt sorry for him each time he died, which let’s be honest, was a lot. The love he has for his sister was super admirable and it made him likeable. His fear of dying wasn’t just his fear of the unknown, but also his fear of the curse passing down onto his younger sister. The relationship between him and Dami was so sweet. From snarky comments and his resentment of them for making them die over and over to Silas' willingness to sacrifice his own life for Dami’s humanity. I also loved how Dami was almost annoyed at themselves for catching feelings for him, but then just letting themselves go for it.

The concept of the island was terrifying. Having the villain as the island itself, but also the American treasure hunters. Damn, Paul. The character of Eve gave me the absolute creeps and the revelation of her being the actual curse was super clever and then the discovery that she and the island were made by El Diablo. Sigh, will he ever truly go away? Stop tormenting poor Dami. I loved Marisol and I really liked getting her perspective from time to time to see Silas and Dami from the outside but also getting another non-magical view of the happenings on the island.

The queerness in this book was an utter joy. Silas telling Dami that he’s mostly interested in boys, and only girls sometimes but thinks that Dami is gorgeous all the time made me melt. Dami’s worries about not being able to transform to their will if they turn human and the others not being bothered by them changing their form to suit their feelings. Marisol’s story, with her brother being the only one who saw her as his sister, and not something else. It was subtle but beautiful. It was never made into a big ordeal, which I think needs to happen more in books.

To me, the ending felt a little rushed. It felt like there was still a lot to happen and then everything happened within a couple of pages. However, the ending was beautiful and in a way that worked for everyone. I would have also loved to see the character of Juno more as she seems super interesting, and I would love to read about her deals and how she works as a Diablo.
[[spoiler end]]

Overall, The Diablo’s Curse is a beautiful story that humanizes Dami, gives them the ending they deserve and surrounds them with people who truly care for them as a person, not just what they can give. It was magical, gripping, scary at times, and overall amazing. Introducing beautiful queer characters and making such a wonderful friendship trio to tackle a terrifying island for their physical, and mental, freedom.

Thank you to netgalley and Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers for allowing me access to The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa. This book was so damn good. I loved every moment of this book. The character representation in this book was chefs kiss.

Review posts on my blog on February 4th, 2024.

THE DIABLO'S CURSE is set chronologically after THE WICKED BARGAIN, and contains a few brief references to it early on, but it can function as a stand-alone book. While some of Dami's situation was explained in the previous book, the only thing someone would need to know from that is that El Diablo was killed there, and this is about Dami dealing with the results. This means that someone could pick up this book and have a good time without having read THE WICKED BARGAIN, but I do recommend starting with the first book, for both enjoyment and continuity. Dami is an excellent character, and I enjoyed getting their point of view after having seen them through another character in the first book. This time the perspective swaps between Dami in the present day, Silas in the present day, and some interludes from Dami's past working for El Diablo.

In the course of trying to break Silas's curse so that Dami can cancel their deal and become human, Dami and Silas travel to a magical island where the weather is too tropical for the latitude and everything is trying to kill them. They meet Marisol, who joins up with them to try and find the treasure so they can get off the island. I like the setup, and the worldbuilding is very cohesive. The rapport between the three of them is fun in the face of the dire circumstances, and the mix of antagonists is enough to be an impediment but not so much as to overshadow the deathly effects of the real killer: Silas's curse.

It has a storyline which is almost entirely self contained, save that Dami is making moves based on El Diablo being dead, something which took place in THE WICKED BARGAIN. This means that almost everything important is both introduced and resolved here, save for that. This is unlikely to be the last book, but if it is this is a satisfying enough ending that I have closure. I hope there are more, this has the possibility to be a great series of loosely or tightly interconnected books, and I'd happily read more with any mix of these characters.

I really enjoyed reading this book!! I mean, I knew I'd enjoy it because it's DAMI, but still, you never know. I really liked the adventure Dami goes on, the things they learn, learning about their past, and the ending was honestly great. I was worried because even I wasn't sure what kind of ending I wanted, lol.

Dami is a genderfluid demonio that has to cancel all of their deals to be able to become human again. His last human is Silas, a boy whose family has been cursed to die young except for the deal he made with Dami which prevents him from staying dead. To help Dami become human and make it to where Silas can live a life without constantly dying, they have to find a way to end the curse that was placed on Silas's family.

I was excited to see that Dami was getting their own story after reading The Wicked Bargain. And The Diablo's Curse was worth the wait. Dami is portrayed well as a genderfluid person/demon and I love their characterization. I feel for them because all they want is to stay human after having a taste of it and now they have to go through so much trouble to be able to stay that way. Silas is a great character. Since making his deal with Dami, he has died at least once a week and because of this he stays away from his family so others don't know about his curse. It sucks for Silas because all he wants to do is protect his sister but is not able to be near her. Then about half way through the book we are introduced to Marisol. She is a smart sassy character who wants to be perceived as a girl that she stowed away on a ship to get away from her home only to be shipwrecked on a magic island that no one can get off of. My only complaint I have is that I want more on Marisol. Maybe we'll get another book about her. One can hope.

I want to think Netgalley and Random House Children's for the ARC of The Diablo's Curse. This is a great book to read for fantasy readers who love well written characters with great representation. This is a must read for 2024.

4.5 stars

After getting a taste of what human life has to offer, Dami is on a quest to cancel every deal they’ve ever made as a demon. Once they do so, they’ll be able to taste, feel, smell, and everything else that comes with truly living. However, there’s only one person sitting in their way: Silas Cain.

Cursed to die young, Silas made a deal with Dami that he wouldn’t truly die until he was ready. Unfortunately, that means that Silas has been dying over and over again. In order to break the curse, Dami and Silas must find Captain Kidd’s treasure and return it to his grave. But will they be able to survive the journey to get the treasure in the first place?

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa to review! Novoa burst onto the YA fantasy scene last year with The Wicked Bargain, and he has been on my radar ever since.

This book is technically a companion to The Wicked Bargain; I wouldn’t necessarily call it a sequel because it technically centers different characters. For the most part, I do think this book stands on its own, but you will get spoilers for The Wicked Bargain if you read this one first. And you’ll miss a lot of Dami’s background with El Diablo.

Anyway! I loved this one just as much as I loved Novoa’s first book. What Novoa is great at is writing these characters you truly care about, working against what seem like impossible odds. These adventure stories center queer characters, of all kinds. Dami and Silas were excellent, and we get a third treasure hunter in Marisol. I would definitely read more of their adventures together!

My only complaint is that sometimes, the points of view change without warning, which is a bit disorienting. I wanted that to be a little more clearly outlined. Despite that, Novoa builds well on the world built in the first book, introducing some new magic and new characters.

All in all, if you’re looking for a treasure hunting adventure fantasy centering queer characters, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up in February!

Love the diversity and the nonbinary representation. I will definitely be reading more books form this author.

I loved The Wicked Bargain, but I think I might have loved The Diablo's Curse even more. The Diablo's Curse follows Dami in their request to become fully human. To do so, they must dissolve every deal they've made, and they've almost done it; there's only one person left: a boy about their age named Silas, who Dami granted immortality to. Only Silas doesn't want to give up his immortality, miserable as it is, because if he dies for good, the family curse passes onto his sister. So Silas and Dami strike a deal: Dami helps Silas break the family curse, and Silas ends his deal with Dami. Only the deal is harder to break than either of them thought, and it takes them to an island full of deadly horrors. And, though Silas never stays dead for long, Dami worries they might be human enough to stay dead if the island manages to kill them, stuck as they are halfway between demonio and human.

The Diablo's Curse is an incredibly fun adventure filled with danger, lost treasure, and two teens who are more drawn to each other than either would like to admit. It is a phenomenal sequel to a phenomenal book, and it's one I know I will be rereading.

I didn’t know The Diablos Curse was the sequel to The Wicked Bargain, and when I found out, I was scared I wouldn’t understand the story, especially because this is a magical one set in the eighteen hundreds, and I’m not much of a fantasy reader. But I didn’t need to be scared because it’s perfectly readable as a standalone, even if it’s a historical YA infused by (dark) magic and fantasy.

This story made me think of F.T. Lukens’ wit and writing combined with the animosity and the quests from The Sunbearer Trials.

I immediately liked Dami and Silas. Both passionate and full of perseverance. There was this kind of rivalry/enemy’s to lovers kind of trope with lots of banter, and it made me smile so many times. Sami and Silas were sometimes so annoyed with each other. But they also grew closer—that slow burn!—I loved how Silas cared about his family and how Dami wanted to be fully human. And I just adored Marisol!!

The Diablos Curse was my first book by Gabe Cole Novoa, but definitely not my last!