Colton lives in the rough Iron Belt trying to make a living as a exorcist, a fake one that is. Colton doesn't believe in ghosts or demons and he definitely doesn't believe in himself. When Lucian from the wealthy Ivory District comes across him, he has a interesting proposition for Colton. Lucian is in need of money since his father cut him off so he wants to fake exorcisms in the Ivory District with Colton's help. Colton agrees and it isn't long until the money starts rolling in for both him and Lucian. There might even be the start of a romance for them. Until everything goes sideways on their latest gig. Maybe demons aren't so fake after all...

I highly enjoyed this story. It was right up my alley and I was definitely hooked. Colton and Lucian were amazing characters to read about. They made each other better people and even start falling in love. Their romance was definitely a slow-burn but oh so delightful to read about. There were also quite the funny moments when they were faking exorcisms that made me laugh out loud and I just loved those moments.

There was quite the contrast between the moments of them doing exorcism jobs and then after the one job where things go wrong. Then things started becoming darker in the story and more heartbreaking. As sad as some scenes were it made for a thrilling story where I wasn't sure what would happen next. I was left guessing at every turn until the last few chapters.

I also want to shout out some of the secondary characters like Mai, Odessa and Marbles the pig. Yes, that's right, a pig. I really loved them so much. They stood by Colton and Lucian when everything went to shit in their world and I appreciated that so much since it wasn't easy for any of them. I was actually pretty worried about Marbles when the story turned darker but I can say that everything turned okay with Marbles. I also would love a sequel or novella about Mai and Odessa. That would be so great!

The Lavender Blade by E.L. Deards is a wonderful queer fantasy with a slow-burn romance that touches the heart. Fans of S.T. Gibson's Evocation will absolutely love this book and devour it just like I did.

Happy to end pride month with a good M/M fantasy romance! You’d think that with all the fantasy books I read that I would have come across my fair share of demons. Alas, I have not—at least, not ones that act like true demons with human possession, plans for world domination, and whatnot. So, this was new for me.

When we first meet Colton, he is working as a “demon exorcist” (read: con artist) in the poor Iron District. Despite coming from a long line of demon exorcists, he doesn’t actually believe demons are real. So, when Lucian enters the picture with a lucrative business proposition for him: join forces to scam the wealthy residents of the Ivory district, Colton is understandably skeptical. Why would the, albeit disgraced, son of the country’s most powerful man want to help him? But as time goes on, Colton and Lucian’s partnership blooms into something more. Until the day when Lucian gets taken over by something that neither man thought existed.

By far, the best part of this novel was Colton and Lucien’s relationship. Their back-and-forth dialogue was funny, and I thought the way they both relied on each other was sweet. Especially when Colton comforted Lucian after confrontations with his dad. Mai (Colton’s friend/ex-girlfriend) and Odessa (Lucian’s sister) were solid side characters. I hoped that Mai and Dessie’s relationship would be featured in another book, but the ending seemed fully wrapped up. In an interesting stereotype reversal, most of the characters in this book are queer, but the antagonists (the demon and Lucian’s dad) are straight. Marbles the pig had major potential as a sidekick, but unfortunately that was never fully realized. In the few scenes she had, she was just…there.

Where this book really struggles is its pacing. In the first half, there’s much more telling than showing. Lucian and Colton go on many jobs that we never see, and their relationship seems to develop rather quickly from the reader’s perspective. There could be weeks that go by summarized as a few sentences or a paragraph. I wish the book had been a bit longer so we could see events happen more naturally.

Conversely, the second half of the book had too much detail about blood and gore. For some reason, I went into this thinking it was a cozy fantasy, but the graphic violence and horror elements quickly dissuaded me of that notion. Maybe that was my fault for going into it with incorrect assumptions, but the tonal shift was jarring, nonetheless.

I’d recommend this book if you’re into:
-M/M romance
-Found family
-Self discovery and acceptance

TWs:
-Heavy alcohol and drug use
-Addiction
-Gore & body horror
-Homophobia
-Assault (sexual and physical)

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that overall concept that I was looking for and enjoyed from the genre. It does have triggering topics in this so be warned. I was hooked from the first page and thought the world building worked in this universe. E.L. Deards was able to create that world that I was wanting and enjoyed in the genre. The characters worked well and had that element that I was expecting.

I liked the plot but the writing style took me right out of it, honestly. It isn't that any aspect of it is bad, it's just that all of it together fell short of my standards somewhere. The world building was okay, but had potential for more. The characters were okay, but had potential for more. The plot was okay. The writing reads like a middle grade book. Still, it wasn't bad.

ARC review 🗡

Thank you, NetGalley and She Writes Press, for early access.

The Lavender Blade by E.L. Deards is expected to come out on July 8th, 2025.

I finished this ARC last night, and it was a nice, fun read. I did have other expectations of this book based on the cover and description. This book is advertised as focusing on fake and real exorcisms and the like, and having an air of high risks. As a reader, this book didn't feel like the risks were high. The plot points moved quite quickly and relatively predictably. The romance was also introduced quickly as well. As stated in my review, I think this book would have been paced better if it had been longer. I wanted more time spent with the exorcisms and the demon.

I do think the idea of a lord and a fake exorcist conning the social elite/rich is an extremely fun concept, and I wish we had seen more of the "exorcisms" in the book. The romance, though, was absolutely adorable. I spent many pages re-reading and highlighting because the interactions between the love interests are where the author excelled in her writing of this story. The interactions are sugar sweet, and the characters are tender and caring. No third act breakup here! If you like your books to focus more on the romance than the action, I think you will have a fun time with this book.

Triggers for this book include rape, domestic/partner abuse, body mutilation, drug and alcohol abuse, parental death, homophobia, exorcisms, torture, cutting self and others, and blood.

the author of The Lavender Blade may as well have shown up at my door with the blade itself and driven it straight into my heart because i am ruined. this book was a bit of a rollercoaster, but the concept is fantastic.

there are some really great gore scenes and solid horror throughout. it’s both terrifying and fantastical in a way that sticks with you. the characters are awful in the best way. terrible and loveable all at once.

i do wish the twist hadn’t been spoiled in the blurb. there were also a few parts that felt like a bit of a trudge to get through, but overall the experience was intense and worth it.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️✖️✖️

My Thoughts:

First off, huge thanks to She Writes Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Lavender Blade. This one had all the ingredients I normally love: queer romance, class tension, a little magic, and a whole lot of mess. And while the premise, definitely, had my hopes set high, the execution ended up feeling a bit uneven.

We meet Colton, a working-class exorcist in the gritty Iron District. He’s the reluctant heir to a long line of demon-fighters but, unlike his family, he doesn’t even believe demons are real. Still, he makes ends meet performing spiritual theatre for his neighbors, casting out their “demons” (read: personal trauma) with dramatic flair and zero actual conviction.

Enter Lucian. A fallen-from-grace political figure from the posh, untouchable Ivory District.. He offers Colton a deal: bring his street-side exorcism skills to the wealthiest part of the city and rake in more money than he’s ever seen.

Well, everything. Obviously.

As their grift turns into a real business (and maybe something more), the book sets up a rich-boy-meets-poor-boy-who-needs-a-glow-up trope that had me hooked. When the most surprise exorcism request comes in, Lucian and Colton take the job against thier better judgement. Cue chaos. Colton scrambles to save him, leaning on a found family of misfits and the skills he didn’t know he had.

Sounds like a perfect setup, right? Unfortunately...

The Romance

One of my biggest frustrations with The Lavender Blade is also what kept me reading: Colton & Lucian. I loved them. Earnest and a little chaotic—I was absolutely dying to see more of them on the page. The beginning does a fantastic job building up their chemistry: witty banter, slowly blooming trust, a stolen kiss, some amazing awkward tension. It had that friends-to-lovers vibe with enough class tension to make it interesting.

But just when I thought we were getting somewhere, the relationship skips ahead. Months pass off-page. Their emotional closeness is referenced more than shown. By the time Lucian is possessed and Colton is panicking to save him, we’re being told about their bond in hindsight, rather than experiencing it. Those key moments of growth between them are glossed over, and the romance loses its teeth.

The same issue crops up with side characters. Aside from Mai (whose romantic subplot felt rushed), we don’t spend enough time with anyone to truly connect. Lucian is the only character who gets depth—especially through his strained, emotional relationship with his father. Those scenes hit hard and gave Lucian complexity, but they also made the rest of the cast feel like shadows by comparison.

The Plot
“ “This story doesn’t have a good narrative flow, Lucian’ ”
— The Lavender Blade
The plot followed the same trend as the romance. Confusing pacing, a lot of time jumps, and while it was great at times; it was not consistent. The story starts strong, if a little awkward, but once the exorcism grift with Lucian kicks off, I was all in. Those scenes are fun, tense, and weirdly joyful. The Iron District meets Ivory wealth, and the absurdity of their scam lands perfectly. But then… the plot accelerates. We skip entire seasons. A few pages later, Lucian is possessed, the plot twists, and we’re at the climax.

There was one reveal toward the end that should’ve had impact, but it was pretty easy to spot ahead of time. That’s not a dealbreaker for me—I don’t mind predictable as long as it’s satisfying. And in fairness, the ending did wrap things up. It wasn't shocking, but it didn’t leave any threads dangling either.

THe Setting
The Iron and Ivory Districts are introduced as deeply divided: class-wise, politically, spiritually. The Ivory District is supposed to be off-limits to Iron citizens, but after the setup, that rule disappears entirely. Colton crosses into Ivory with zero tension or consequence. For a book that tries to explore class divide, that lack of stakes really took the wind out of its world-building.

The districts themselves feel more symbolic than real. The contrast is sharp—gritty Iron vs. pristine Ivory—but that visual divide exists mostly to reflect Colton and Lucian’s differences. I wanted more. Why are these districts the way they are? Was this a slow rot of capitalism? A post-collapse dystopia? Just a magic-fueled caste system? Even a paragraph or two of historical or political context would’ve grounded the world and made it feel lived in.

I’m not asking for a full map and glossary, but I need more than vague vibes to stay immersed.

What Worked (and What Could’ve Worked So Much Better)
💜 What Worked:

Colton & Lucian. I’ll say it again. I loved them.

Lucian’s backstory, especially his family dynamic was well developed.

The exorcism scam concept. Original, punchy, and fun.

The beginning of the romance. Banter? 10/10.

⚠️ What Didn’t:

Romance development off-page.

Rushed pacing—especially from middle to end.

Underbaked world-building.

Side characters without depth or stakes.

Final Thoughts on The Lavendar blade
The Lavender Blade had everything it needed to be a standout: a queer romance with tension, a demon-possession twist, class dynamics, and a darkly magical city divided by power and privilege. But while the concept crackled with potential, the execution dulled it. The pacing moves too fast to let the emotional beats land. The world feels more like a stage set than an ecosystem. And the romance—the emotional core of the story—flourishes briefly, then fades to the background.

Still, if you're into high-concept queer fantasy and don’t mind filling in the blanks yourself, this might hit the spot. It's not a bad read—just a frustrating one. And honestly, I’d still pick up a sequel if Colton & Lucian are leading it.

Final Rating: 2.5 stars

Published on the site - will be like on tiktok closer to the release date

Review: The Lavender Blade, E L Deards
Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I will be posting this to them directly as well as on Goodreads. Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publishers that set up this exchanged, we appreciate you very much.

This review may contain spoilers, so if you have any desire to read this off of the first part of this honest review, I will indicate where spoilers appear.

Possible Trigger Warnings: some fantasy/period typical homophobia, including internalized homophobia. (Fantasy) drug use, and overuse, addiction. Blood, loss of a limb, murder, loss of control and bodily autonomy, brief mentions and implication of rape and humiliation. Some rampant murder/arrest of the lower class/ethnic/immigrants framed as “cleansing” the “filth.”

The Lavender Blade by E.L Deards is a LGBTQIA+ story set in a fantasy world of Silvermoor, a city broken into three distinct and extremely different districts. There’s the Ivory District, where the rich and the elite live their easy and money hungry lives, the Indigo District, where those that rise above their station – or fall below it – reside, and the Iron District, where the immigrants, downtrodden, poor and addicted scrape together a difficult life.

Overview: Our main and point of view character is Colton, no last name given, a Iron District con man with an alcohol addiction who uses mild hallucinogenics to convince people that his legitimate job is an exorcist, and that possessions, demons and the damage they cause to households, families and bodies is real. He’s fairly good at this, because his ancestry is of a clan of outsiders (again, no name given) that believed demons were real, and his mother tried to teach him before she passed. Demons though, aren’t real, and Colton is happy enough to con the folks of Iron District. That is, until, he meets Lucian Beaumont, disowned lordling of Ivory District fame.

Lucian clocks him as a fraud immediately, but instead of having him arrested and thrown in prison, he presents Colton with a deal – don’t just con the folks of Iron, work with him to con the folks of Ivory. Lucian and Colton team up, changing each others lives for what seems like the better.

When I first put in for this story, I will fully admit that it was because of the purple cover as purple is my favorite color. The story seemed interesting, I’m always here for a good prince and the pauper romance, and I’m a survivor of the Superwholock days (if you know, you know) so demons are always a plus, even if they’re not real.

I will say that for me, the romance seemed a bit fast. It didn’t feel like any time at all had passed between these two men before Colton was lamenting about his crush, and even less time had passed from a crush on a handsome rich friend, and definitely, absolutely being in love with him. Lucian of course, felt the same, and resisted that for a bit but I remember checking the amount of pages I had left when they first got together and wondering, I’m only on page 122, how the heck do I have 300 pages left to go.

There were some moments where I was drawn out of the story which is set in a very steampunk, clockwork, cloak, dagger, carriage time period whenever one of the the characters said “dude”. And I believe this author might have gotten their roots from fanfiction (that’s not a dig, so did I!) because of the ‘ship portmanteau-ing’ of some of the characters in actual dialogue and prose (e.g. ‘Cucian’) which made me laugh during a somewhat serious and romantic scene.

Okay, now spoilers below:
There were some parts of this book that made me pretty uncomfortable. While unlike many romantasy books I’ve read, the “smut” content is basically zero. Everything is either implied or fade to black, and that’s fine, which is why I was taken by surprise at the more-than-just-implied rape. Major Spoiler: While I said that demons aren’t real and what Lucian and Colton do is entirely a con, it turns out that no, demons actually are real and Lucian gets possessed. He turns into a cold, unfeeling monster who wants to burn the world down, and takes great pleasure out of causing Colton both emotional distress and physical distress. During one such time, the demon attempts to humiliate Colton via “kissing his boots”, and when that has little affect, the demon allows Lucian to retake control just long enough for them to kiss and be close before taking back over and then, well, taking Colton. Colton openly describes it as disassociating until the demon finishes or gets bored. It was, all told, the most explicit “smut” scene in the whole book, and I did have to put it down after and do something else for a time.

While I did find the parts of the book where Lucian was possessed the most compelling and well written, I also find the loss of bodily autonomy really uncomfortable. The trans allegory of the demon changing Lucian’s body, sexual proclivities, and partners all while Lucian watched from inside his own head was not heavy-handed exactly, but it was unfortunate. I don’t know if it was the author’s intention to make it so obviously a trans allegory, but she did literally use the words ‘body dysphoria’ which is a pretty obvious tell, in my opinion.

I also found the last half of the book to suffer a little from All Bad Nothing Good, as Colton and friends work tirelessly to exorcise the demon from Lucian, watching the demon destroy everything Lucian stands for. The first attempt at an exorcism results in Lucian’s arm being cut off, and nearly dying. And there’s a good chunk of time where it appears to have worked but no, the demon was faking being Lucian actually and they failed. Then Colton is accused of a whole bunch of crimes, and needs to be separated from his friends, and no actually, he has to go back and kill Lucian, it’s the only way. So he does, and he gets thrown in jail and it felt very much like it went on and on, and on before we finally got some closure.

And, the demon’s core desire is to “cleanse” the “filth” from the Iron District (you know, where the ethnic minorities, poor and addicted live in squalor) by “inspecting” their homes and if they find the home to be unlivable, those residing there must leave in two days. Then they burn it to the ground regardless if its still occupied or not. It’s deeply uncomfortable and everyone who survives their building burning down becomes unhoused and lives in even more squalor to be arrested for their filth. I’m getting more allusions from this and it just sat wrong.

All in all, I would give this book a 2.5/5 star rating, which I will round up to 3, as Goodreads (and NetGalley) don’t allow halves. It was very well written, and had a lot of punchy fights, dramatic prose, and fun dialogue. It only took me a few hours to read it, and while I did think it could have ended about sixty pages from the actual end, I still mostly enjoyed it.

AL

Finished one more ARC, The Lavender Blade by E.L. Deards. This one’s a bit slow-paced, but overall story was pretty good, and pretty cute too.

About the Book: Colton had the misfortune of being born in the Iron Belt, a sort of industrial zone of the country, where the poorest do their best to make a living, and a life. But he also had the luck to be born into an exorcist family, his mother having been a truly gifted one. She passed on all she knew onto her boy, but Colton got jaded after her death. No divine intervention came to return his mother to him or protect him. So, it felt like it was all bogus. It was easy thus, when a fine man from Ivory District came down to the slums to take it up on the offer to keep faking the exorcisms, but for far better price. In the manors and homes of the Ivory District clients in want for a thrill. It went pretty well, payments were good enough for Colton to leave any day, enough to help his childhood friend, enough to start dreaming of a future. Until that one job that turned everything over…

My Opinion: There’s a core story, and there’s a lot of fillers to get to it. At times it’s pretty good, some side-hustles that are their own mini short stories of these two solving mysteries. Other times you just read on, aware that this is what you’ll have to get through to get to what you know is coming. But overall, the book was pretty good. Interesting world building, with religion, supernatural, and high society that craves the thrill of demon possession, even when they likely suspect it’s all bogus. That part could’ve been built upon heavier tbh. There are both steampunk elements, and elements of magic. The slowness did get tedious many times, but it covered a sweet love story between two unlikely fellas, and how life wasn’t about handing it to them.

A solid 4 out of 5, easy to read, and interesting enough.

This was a cute and unexpected exorcist romance.

The book started off slow, and had the feel of a cozy fantasy. It has the wealthy but scorned man, the poor and smart partner, and the banter between the two of them was adorable. I loved the commitment and trust between them, and their vision to improve the world.

The exorcism twist was unexpected and I liked where it went. The irony of their goals being accomplished in an unorthodox manner made me giggle.

Overall, a cute quick read - a cozy fantasy feel with more depth than typical.

2 ⭐

The Lavender Blade had a really interesting premise, and I was really excited to read this one. I’m sad to say this book was a miss for me. The pacing of this story is… strange. The beginning feels rushed — there’s a lot of telling and not enough showing when it comes to the early events with Lucian and Colton. This early segment of the story is when we’re supposed to be getting introduced to these characters and become invested in their goals/lives/romance, but the plot (at multiple points) jumps large spans of time where they’ve worked jobs together and presumably gotten close — we just never see any of it. Colton and Lucian’s main goals and the overall success of the exorcist business is largely completed around the 45% mark—the plot was fast-paced, but it was still rounded enough—I actually liked their romance, rushed as it was. I like Lucian, who’s bright and theatrical even when he isn’t acting for the sake of their job.

After the halfway point we get to the portion of the book where they have to fight a real demon, and it’s less fun to read about, and more depressing in comparison.

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the ARC of the book.

(pre-reading) i feel like if you comp title a romantasy book (about men?) with Gideon the Ninth you have fundamentally misunderstood the Locked Tomb lowkey. Can't speak on the book but I shall be investigating

after reading this book i can say that I was in fact correct. Also I find it a bit icky when women write books exclusively about gay men, but also it's just not good? It's trying too hard to be dark without the tone of the narrative actually making it work so it just feels a bit childish.

This book can best be described as a wild ride.

Colton grew up with an exorcist mother and no idea who his father was in the poor side of town or the Iron side. He doesn't believe that demons are real and makes a living performing fake exorcisms. Lucian grew up with a cruel father on the rich side or the Ivory side of town. He is disowned due to being too "soft." The two meet in a bar and Lucian has a proposition Colton can't refuse, they perform over the top fake exorcisms on the rich side of town for a load of cash. The two start a friendship that beings to grow into more. Throw in Lucian's sassy sister and Coltons ex/best friend and you've got quite a crew.

This book started out a lot of fun. Seeing the two scam the rich and perform their fake exorcisms, both with their own goals in mind, and seeing them become more and more close. About 50% into the story the real exorcism happens and the story takes an overall very dark turn.

This story has really good bones but overall feels like it's trying to do too much. I really enjoyed the relationship between Colton and Lucian (the real Lucian not the demon possessed one). It certainly kept me turning the pages to see what happens next. Although there are a few loose ends I did enjoy how the story concluded and was overall satisfied.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Lavender Blade could’ve been a Disney fairytale—if Disney were written by Ryan Murphy. It’s queer, magical, a little dark, and sometimes bloody.

The plot is a bit predictable once you get into it. Two lovers meet, they have a challenge the overcome, the chosen family rallies around them, and then they live happily ever after.

Overall, an okay read. I do wish there was more descriptive language reading the settings because I do believe it could have had an immersive quality.

DNF at 30%, i usually try to read at least up to 50% but i just couldn't do it anymore. The writting is so clunky and awkward i felt so detached from everything and i had no idea what was going on. Also everything was told not show, the friendship between our MC developed off page and then suddenly they're in love, just no

3’8/5⭐️ First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of “The lavender blade”. I found the first half of this book so interesting, i was pretty hooked to the story, both with the aspects related to the exorcisms and the profesional (and personal) relationship between Colton and Lucian. The second half was a little bit less interesting for me. Nonetheless, i really enjoyed the queer relationships in this book and the plot related to the exorcisms.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC.

Firstly, the prose and imagery in this book is absolutely stunning! It made the world feel so vivid and it really came alive with each page. The world-building was fantastic, and I loved the contrast between the affluent city, and poorer one.

I loved all of the characters, especially Colton. The dynamic between him and Lucian was fantastic, and they had incredible chemistry from the start. Their progression into a romantic relationship felt inevitable with the way they complimented each other, and improved each others' lives.

I was an emotional wreck throughout this whole book. At the start, Colton and Lucian faking exorcisms was hilarious, and it had some laugh out loud and incredibly entertaining moments. The second half I was almost in tears with Lucian becoming possessed. It was so incredibly tragic that these two had found each other, both overcome personal hurdles, only to lose each other again. That being said, I loved the darker turn the novel took once Lucian had become possessed. It added an extra layer to the dynamic, and made it feel all the more like a tragedy.

The writing was extremely clever and I never knew what was going to happen next. I love that the characters got their HEA. This was a real emotional read, but I loved it all the more for that.

Thank you NetGalley, She Writes Press & E.L. Deards for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

I was drawn to the premise of this book from the book's description. I enjoyed the story set up in the first few chapters, where we meet Colton & Lucian. However, the writing and overall development did not progress for me. The phrasing used felt surface level, and I didn't feel a strong connection with either character. Did not finish at 24%.

DNF - loved the concept of this book, but a few chapters in there was so much that could have been written better, in a major way. Way too much telling not showing, and weirdly clunky ways of describing/explaining things. plus, a lot of backstory dumping early on.

Colton is a 'real exorcist' who has never actually performed a real exorcism. He doesn't much believe in the demonic or the magical, despite his title and marks being passed down by his mother, who was a true believer. Then bright, enigmatic Lucian enters the picture, with the proposition to expand Colton's 'exorcism business' to the upper class. Neither of them ever worry about actually coming across much danger, until an actual possession takes place.

Colton and Lucian—and side characters like Odessa and Mai—are likable enough, with interesting backstories. The first half of the novel especially is quite humorous, and I was amused by their antics and dynamic. Their chemistry is also pretty instant, and they go from sweet friends to sweeter lovers, with enough tension and obstacles to make you root for them.

The biggest downside for me was that I felt a bit detached, and I think this is because we never quite get into Colton's head. There's always a bit of distance, I think because there's more telling than showing. A lot of potentially-significant things just happen off-page, and many of the events we do see are moved on from rather quickly without us feeling much emotional depth from them. I think this would've been helped by letting us know Colton better and generally spending more time on character development. As it stands, it didn't feel like there was much of that; the characters end up not too different to how they began, in terms of personality and mindset.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a sort of comedy-horror queer read, so long as you're willing to not worry too much about the details. You won't get many ideas on how to actually perform an exorcism, but you will get a sweet relationship with good banter and some found-family dynamics.