Demon Lovers: Succubi

Demon Lovers: Succubi
Demon Lovers: Succubi eBook Cover, edited by Deborah Teramis Christian
Author(s)	Lori Selke, Nina Harper, Laura Antoniou, DeAnna Knippling, Deborah Teramis Christian, Jennifer Pelland, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Lilly Cain, and Talitha Kalago Deborah Teramis Christian (Editor)
Publisher	Storybones Publishing
Publication date	June 1, 2012
Media type	eBook
Length	72 Pages
ISBN	978-0-615-59470-5
ASIN	B0087QH2MS
Followed by	Succubus Lore & Legend

For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).

Demon Lovers: Succubi is an anthology eBook edited by Deborah Teramis Christian. It is described as being the first book of the Demon Lovers series by this editor. This work contains an anthology of thirteen works all connected to the theme of Succubi. The authors in the collection are: Lori Selke, Nina Harper, Laura Antoniou, DeAnna Knippling, Deborah Teramis Christian, Jennifer Pelland, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Lilly Cain, and Talitha Kalago. As a bonus, purchasers of this collection could place orders for a follow-on book called Succubus Lore & Legend at no additional charge through the series website, but this work and the other that was scheduled in the series were not published.

Overview

• Title: Demon Lovers: Succubi
• Editor: Deborah Teramis Christian
• Authors: Lori Selke, Nina Harper, Laura Antoniou, DeAnna Knippling, Deborah Teramis Christian, Jennifer Pelland, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Lilly Cain, and Talitha Kalago
• Published By: Storybones Publishing
• Length: 72 Pages
• Format: eBook
• ASIN: B0087QH2MS
• ISBN-10: 0615594700
• ISBN-13: 978-0-615-59470-5
• Publishing Date: June 1, 2012

Other Works in this Series on SuccuWiki

• Succubus Lore & Legend - Never Published
• Demon Lovers: Incubi - Never Published

Plot Summary

Welcome to the world of the succubus. She visits your dreams, or she visits your bed. She is sex incarnate: hot, irresistible, and oh so willing. Willing to seduce you, or to destroy you—whatever feeds her needs of the moment.

Join us in this collection of tales about succubi and their encounters with human lovers. Thirteen authors share their vision of the succubus, the legendary creature who feeds on sexual vitality and energy from her victims. Must an encounter with a succubus always be deadly? No—but it is always memorable, for the person she takes into her embrace has something she wants and cannot live without.

Revenge, redemption, loss, lust, desire and love are some of the places these stories will take readers as each succubus reveals a facet of her unique existence.

Genre readers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, fantasy and science fiction will find gems to delight in in this collection. Authors are a mix of new voices and established writers, including Mary Roberts Rinehart Award nominee Diana Pharaoh Francis, two-time Nebula Award nominee Jennifer Pelland, Deborah Teramis Christian, whose work has been considered for the Tiptree Award, and Laura Antoniou, whose Marketplace series has been lauded as setting the standard for contemporary SM erotic fiction.

The stories in this anthology are:

• Homecoming by Nina Harper: A short and not too happy life, a tragic and untimely teen death—it was just the beginning for Jez, who after her death found herself chosen for succubus training. Amazing powers and an exciting demonic life were all within her grasp if she could only graduate to the satisfaction of her trainers. That meant delivering her first soul to Hell, and Jez knew just who needed to be served up: the jerk who’d dated and dumped her just before her death. Forget the admonishments against such petty revenge—it wasn’t petty to her. Her feelings still hurt, and she knew just where to find him on this particular day in Fall. He was sure to be at Homecoming at her old high school. A fledgling succubus, a bonfire night, and vengeance ripe for delivery: Jez hadn’t really planned to go home again, but this one time, for Homecoming, she would make an exception. . .

• Lily in Bloom by Lori Selke: Cravings and desires that must be fed: it is a succubus’ nature. Lily and her friends have no problem with their natures, but there are other considerations in play these days. To feed on someone is to destroy them, and in this modern day and age, that could cause…repercussions. The politics of Hell and the mandate to keep a low profile made things a lot more difficult for succubi than they used to be. Difficult enough, in fact, that the Demonic Ladies Knitting and Archery Society support group is always fully attended. Lily goes religiously, or as religiously as any demon can. She tries to take only what she needs. She tries to confine her attentions to those foolish men who don’t realize that this time, she’s the predator and they’re the prey. But there is so much temptation all around. What’s a succubus to do?

• Blood For Bone by Talitha Kalago: In the eyes of her husband, Lucy is only good for two things: looking pretty and ordering pizza. Lucy dreams of being a better wife than that and, maybe one day, a good mother too. But her husband won’t even try her cooking or indulge her fantasies about opening a little café. When Lucy meets Sassy, a voluptuous, exotic woman who smells like spices, things suddenly take a turn for the weird. Sassy offers a peculiar bargain: for one night of sex, she can give Lucy everything she wants—her own café, happiness and the confidence she desperately needs. One night of sex seems like a small price to pay, but Lucy would never cheat on her husband…would she?

• Mother Vinegar by DeAnna Knippling: Ship’s AI and succubus Bright Pickle loves her life of running a space ship and titillating her human pilot, Chester. Accompanying her miner on his journeys through the outer solar system, she’s managed to keep herself as far away from her mother AI’s machinations of independence and conquest as possible. But Mother can’t leave well enough alone. When she sets the wheels of destruction turning, only Bright Pickle can save Chester and thwart Mother Vinegar’s plans. But Pickles is her mother’s daughter, after all…

• In the Manner of His Choosing by Jennifer Pelland: Each night, she follows the stink of guilt with more skill than any bloodhound, tracing the trail straight to the beds of the men who deserve her most. She brings death from the place where other women bring life, and she does it without reservations. She is a succubus. She is vengeance in the form of a woman. And sometimes on that trail, she does not always find what she expects at the end.

• We’ll Always Have 9 A.M. by Maitha Moon: Who can say when love will come out of nowhere to turn one’s head? Certainly not Vera, an efficient and experienced succubus who was intent only on getting through her quota for the day. Nick was just another item on her to-do list, but when their day is interrupted by Divine Intervention, Vera’s impulsive action puts them both on the wrong side in God’s Plan. Not a good place for a succubus to be, and when she needs to deal with the Big Guy, there is only one unlikely hope of setting things right.

• Hunger Pains by Diana Pharaoh Francis: Olivia has spent a long time denying her true nature and passing as human. When she falls for her boss, Noah, she wants to earn his love, not steal it—but as a succubus, she can’t help herself. It’s time for desperate measures to be with the man she loves. She’s paid a witch to cure her, only now she’s running out of time. Noah has found someone else, and if Olivia doesn’t act soon, she’ll lose him forever. Tonight’s the night, if nothing gets in the way. But someone from her past has other ideas…

• Recovery by Lawrence Scott: Like others of her kind who have fallen from grace, Claire comes from a divine origin. But that was long and long ago, and over the eons the succubus has gone from loving humans to using and exploiting them. Intent on destroying lives and delivering up souls, addicted to sex and sensation, she does her work as she has done it for time out of mind. Or that’s what she’s supposed to be doing. Yet one lover she is setting up for destruction has a strange hold on her, and it’s getting harder and harder to do what a succubus is supposed to do. Memories, regrets, forgotten aspirations, long-buried feelings stirring—it’s a lot to handle, and when the dam breaks, nothing will be the same in Claire’s world ever again.

• A Different Approach by Jason Christopher Hosler: Josef is a virtuous man, a sincere and pious soul who puts great stock in the words of the Tome and the teachings of the Prelate. He once thought his willpower should be enough to fend off the nighttime visitations of a demonic seductress—but he was wrong. A Prelate’s blessing, his personal faith, his virtue: Josef girds himself with all possible forces for good, grasping to anything that might balance out his weakening resolve. But will it be enough when night falls, and the succubus returns? They are creatures of temptation and deception, and little does Josef know just how greatly deceived he may be.

• Succubus Chances by C.H. Keyes: Ever since the bite of a succubus’ pet bat altered her forever, things haven’t been the same for Aimee. Independent, self-employed, and fundamentally romantic, the things her new-found succubus nature drives her to desire go squarely against her upbringing. Now she’s desperately fighting her craving for men, for sex, and slowly her willpower is crumbling. There is no worse time in the world to fall for someone—and when she does, she knows her time has run out. Can she risk having sex, only to lose any chance for real love? It’s a chance a succubus might be compelled to take.

• Calling Syn by Lilly Cain: Every job has its risks—but not many run the hazard where failure means being devoured body and soul. It’s Julien Black’s job to raise demons—he gets paid to summon them to meet with his underground employers. It’s not up to him what happens next, it’s not his deal. But Julien’s never raised a succubus and he has no idea of the power the wily females have at hand. When the demon he’s called names herself as Syn, Priestess of the Temple of Lust, Julien knows he’s in trouble. He’s been sabotaged and Syn is about to escape. Julien must find a way to soothe her desires and save his soul, but staying in control isn’t easy when you’re with a succubus named Syn.

• One Drop by Laura Antoniou: Discovering you are kinky can be scary; exploring the worlds of consent and pain and the erotic torments of sadomasochism just brings the fear factor up a notch or two, even with a lover as gentle, understanding, kind and conscientious as Rina. But when Joyce yearns for more, dreams and fantasizes of a more cruel, more pure, more sadistic element to their play style, she is unprepared for the hideous, bloody glory of a demon who truly delights in violence and degradation. And once called…how can she ever free herself—and her lover!—from the sort of bondage they just don’t cover in an SM 101 class?

• Elise’s Gift by Deborah Teramis Christian: Julia Hammond, née Lamont, is a high initiate of a secret metaphysical order in 1860s London. While she is busy training new inductees to their order—and wrestling with a burgeoning crush on her beautiful friend, Elise—she has no idea that one of their many recruits is the succubus Cleastra in human guise. Cleastra has met other Lamonts before—met them, desired them, and been driven off before she could destroy her victims with her lustful embrace. Now, with an unsuspecting Julia at hand and her attraction to Elise to play upon, the succubus’ way is clear to sate herself and finally have her vengeance on the irksome Lamonts.

Book Review

The following review was first published on Tera's Blog, A Succubi's Tale on June 2nd, 2012

On June 1st, 2012, a new anthology of stories about Succubi was released at various eBook sellers sites on the web such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The work is called Demon Lovers: Succubi and contains a total of thirteen stories, all related to, or about, Succubi… It is the first book of a series called Demon Lovers, and is to be followed by another volume which focuses on the myths and legends of Succubi called Succubus Lore & Legend and a second anthology work called Demon Lovers: Incubi. The authors in this anthology are very well known and each brings their own views and concepts of Succubi to this work. It gives a fascinating mosaic of what Succubi are, what they desire, and what in truth they are to themselves and to others. It is not erotica per se. No, what this work is takes you from what you expect Succubi to be, beings of passion and eroticism, and leads you towards what is hidden beneath that veil that few ever see…

As this is an anthology of works, I will be reviewing them individually and then the entire work as a whole. I will give a short summary of each of the stories, and then my thoughts on each, followed by a rating out of five pitchforks. Afterwards will be a summation of my thoughts about the anthology and my hopes for what may appear next in the series.

Homecoming by Nina Harper – Jez had a short life. After she passed on, she was claimed and placed on the path to becoming a Succubus. This night she must claim her first soul to graduate and she appears at her old high school’s homecoming… and to the boy that dumped her and put her on the path to become a Succubus. I think the one thing that Jez represents, more than anything else, is simply revenge. She wants to get that at almost any cost. including disobeying the warnings of those that are teaching her the Succubus way. The thoughts of revenge overcome just about any other thought she has throughout the story and even when she isn’t actively thinking about revenge, she is acting in concert with it. It was, honestly, sad to see how all she was, all that she had become, focused on that one idea and left all else behind. I can’t say that I liked her, it’s hard to like someone like Jez when her life, her existence, is held with the idea of revenge. As a short story of the passage of someone in this universe into being a Succubus, it’s more interesting to read about the world she exists in, and, more so, the Succubus that teaches her. While the story is set in the Succubus in the City universe by this author, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the other books this author wrote. Well written, but the other Succubi were more interesting than Jez was to me. Four out of five pitchforks. Revenge is fine, but a Succubus with only that thought within them bothers me.

Lily in Bloom by Lori Selke – Lily is a Succubus, and part of her life, an important part of it, is to attend meetings of the Demonic Ladies Knitting and Archery Society. A support group for Succubi and though that Lily tries to keep her needs under control. I think the concept of a Succubi Anonymous is a fascinating idea and this author really plays on that idea quite well. Lily herself is unique but also flawed in her own way which added to my enjoyment. More so, the supporting cast of Succubi in the group had their own voices and backgrounds that I felt added a number of layers to this tale. I found myself wondering about all of them, what their own flaws and issues could be, but more so, what they were like outside of the group when they met. It ended far too soon really and I think there is quite a lot more to say in this story universe. Four and a half pitchforks out of five. Wonderful characters, a unique setting, and with such promise.

Blood For Bone by Talitha Kalago – Lucy is in an abusive relationship and it is becoming worse by the day. She dreams of a better life but has no idea how to make it happen… until she meets Sassy who promises the world for a small price. A captivating story that was a joy to read from beginning to end. I liked the mixture of mystery from Sassy and the transformation of Lucy. It also was interesting how the subject of what Sassy wanted was brought up and how Lucy figured out what Sassy was, and her feelings about that. It’s not a story of revenge, that never truly comes into focus as the story progressed, which was nice to see. It’s a story about dreams and desires. The story watches Lucy transform herself for the right reasons with the right help and, in the end, what must be, had to be. A solid five out of five pitchforks. One of the most interesting appearances of a Succubus that I have seen in a long time.

Mother Vinegar by DeAnna Knippling – In the future, human beings carry artificial intelligences within them as they explore space. But what if the AIs have other plans? I found it a rather poetic idea that the AIs that lonely humans have in space are called Succubi. What was more interesting was how the author made the differences between Pickle, one of the Succubi AIs and her mother, Vinegar, so striking through the story. There was conflict between them from the beginning, but also there were two distinct personalities and belief structures in them. While the rest of the AIs and humans, save for Chester, the human that Pickle rode, aren’t well fleshed out, it wasn’t truly needed. It is a battle of wills after all, and that is the focus of the story. The universe is really quite well detailed for being such a short tale and it leaves so many questions unanswered. I would like to see more of this world, I find the mixing of Succubus lore and Science Fiction amazingly well done. Five out of five pitchforks. I’d love to see this as a series or a longer work someday.

In the Manner of His Choosing by Jennifer Pelland – Lilith hunts those that deserve the deaths that she provides. But what defines that deserved fate? Truly a thoughtful story of Lilith and her fate and her mythos. It was an awful thing to read when the truths of the man she comes to claim are revealed. It’s sad beyond words to see what he believes in, what brings Lilith to him, and what Lilith takes from the encounter. Possibly the most thought provoking story in the collection that asks the question what tells us what we deserve? Five out of five pitchforks. Just wonderfully written, well told, and with a lesson to it that really needs to be considered.

We’ll Always Have 9 A.M. by Maitha Moon – Vera is a Succubus and she meets Nicolas in the street one day… and then all heck breaks loose when God rolls the universe’s dice. The one thing that seems to be the core of characters like Vera, at least for the most part when authors write about Succubi, is that they never seem to be able to love someone. In this story, Vera learns some truths she didn’t expect and through them, makes something happen that wasn’t meant to be. I thought the characterizations of God, angels, Vera and Nicolas were really very good. Vera was especially real to me and it was nice to see a Succubus learn something about herself and what she was capable of. Four and a half pitchforks out of five. Bit short and I felt like one important scene was missing but I can’t quite put my finger on that.

Hunger Pains by Diana Pharaoh Francis – Olivia wants to stop being a Succubus because she is in love with a human. She’s made a deal and that will happen soon… or it will if her past doesn’t get in the way of her happiness. A deeply involved story with many well done characters and moments in it. Olivia is the highlight of the piece, but reflected in that is Arash, an Incubus from her past. I thought it was really a good use of both Succubi and Incubi in the business that Arash has and what he does with them. I can see it being a completely possible role for Succubi to play and I think it’s odd that more authors don’t think of it. But what makes the story is the scenes between Olivia and Arash. Not over the top, not silly, not cruel. No, they are real in all of the ways that matter, and it really does matter in this story. Five out of five pitchforks. I would love to see this story turned into a novel. There is so so much promise…

Recovery by Lawrence Scott – Claire and her kind once loved humans, but then things changed and they became lesser beings. Now Claire has met someone that reminds her of what she one was. But how can she be once again? Moments of sadness, love, and realization are throughout this work and the mixture of those moments turn this from what could have been a tragic story into one of hope. Not just for Claire, but for all. It’s emotional, there is no doubt of that. And those emotions are exactly right. There isn’t a false moment in the story and that makes it special. Four and three-quarter pitchforks. I just wish that one moment that didn’t happen for Claire would have at the end.

A Different Approach by Jason Christopher Hosler – Josef resists the affections of a Succubus that comes to him every night… again and again. How long can be possibly last against her powers? Really a surprising story with a twist in it that I didn’t expect. What is seen in the story takes your in one direction and then the conclusion opens a universe that is unexpected, unique, and brings up all sorts of questions to consider. The dualism in the story is well done, Josef and Senta are really quite unique in their own rights. I would have liked a bit more of the reveal at the end. Four out of five pitchforks. There’s a rather large question left unanswered, would have been interesting to know more about how this universe works.

Succubus Chances by C.H. Keyes – Aimee is a Succubus, but she is trying so hard to resist what she is. She has to try. Must try. Just has to try. I have to admit that I couldn’t help but laugh when the end of the story came. I didn’t expect it as the story continued and I have to thank the author for managing the ending she created. I really liked Aimee as a person first and foremost and watching her deal with the needs within her was really a reflection of the person she is. It’s nice to see a Succubus with a conscious. Four pitchforks out of five. The story ends a bit too soon for me. I would have liked to see the aftermath.

Calling Syn by Lilly Cain – Julien summons demons for a living, if you can call it that. This time he summons Syn, a powerful Succubus and then discovers that in doing so, he has opened himself to a very unpalatable fate. This is a short prequel story to a novel that this author will be releasing in the near future called Claiming Syn. From this short work, and the story within it, I really cannot wait to read the longer work. Syn is a perfect Succubus in poise, manners, and abilities and the way she interacts with Julien is a pleasure to read. This story ended far too soon, and I will be looking for this author’s work when it appears. Five out of five pitchforks.

One Drop by Laura Antoniou – When you are into sadomasochism, you must be careful of which Succubus you summon. They will push your boundaries. Really the most violent of all of the stories in the collection, but then the themes within it make that a requirement really. I can’t say that I honestly enjoyed the story, I don’t personally like pain and suffering, so that colours my view of this work. Setting aside that, it’s a well done story of submission and sadomasochism which delves into what darkness awaits in souls. For those that are interested, it’s a story that I think you will enjoy for the emotional ties that appear within it and what happens through them. Four out of five pitchforks. The story is there, I just had problems accepting it for my personal beliefs.

Elise’s Gift by Deborah Teramis Christian – A Succubus intent on revenge, and two lovers. Elise is training in a secret order and she is deeply attached to her friend Julia. Sometimes the universe conspires to make you decide on a choice, whatever that may have to be. Set as a prequel to this author’s book Queen Victoria’s Transmogrifier, it’s a peek into that world, but also a glimpse of love that is threatened by a power that believes that it is more powerful than love is. The battle for Elise is long and hard fought, but in the end, that makes the climax of the story well worth the ride. I will have to read the novel next as I want to know where the characters wound up from here. A wonderfully told tale and though it, a transformation of the characters that works really well. Five out of five pitchforks.

You’ll probably notice that I haven’t said which story is my favourite. The reason is that in fact three of the stories I really liked and to choose between them I found I couldn’t do. The anthology is well balanced, has a purpose and a direction to it that I think all of the authors embraced in their works. I do wish that the stories were slightly longer as there are many open doors, paths, and directions for them to take.

Some will go there, it’s made quite clear in the anthology that they are, but for those that aren’t I find that a bit of a shame… There are a lot of wonderful universes to play in here and I hope that someday there will be more to come.

Overall, the anthology well rates five out of five pitchforks for the care, the joy, and the abilities of all of the authors to make their characters come alive. And as I finished this collection, my thoughts turned to the next work in the series and the hope that the authors involved in that work can create as wonderful stories as well…

I would like to direct readers of the Tale to this page on Facebook where you will find a survey by the editor of this anthology asking for your thoughts. Please do consider doing so if you would like the chance to win one of two copies of Demon Lovers: Succubi. The contest closes on June 6th and winners will be announced on June 7th, 2012.

Special thanks to Teramis for her kindness in sending me an advance copy of the anthology, it was very kind of her to do so and I hope that the future works in this series bring much success!

External Links

• This work in Kindle Format at Amazon.com
• The official site of the series at Demon Lovers.com
• Purchasing page on Demon Lovers.com for this anthology
• This work in Nook Format at Barnes and Noble.com
• Demon Lovers Books at Facebook.com