Demonology and magic are complex and fascinating subjects that have captured the human imagination for centuries. Many people are intrigued by the idea of summoning and communicating with demons, as well as harnessing the powers of magic to influence the world around them. In this guide, we will explore the basics of demonology and magic, providing an overview of the main principles and practices involved. Firstly, let's define demonology. It is the study and classification of demons, supernatural beings that are often associated with evil and mischief. Demons are believed to possess various powers and abilities, and summoning them requires specific rituals and incantations.
To make the whole situation worse, Oz is in a bit of a rough patch. His reputation as a demon is already on shaky ground ever since he accidentally consumed a mortal soul, giving him the emotions of a human. His boss isn’t real happy about that. But Oz is determined to collect Mariel’s powerful soul to make things right. And of course, the more they spend time together, the more they learn how much they like each other.
It just tickles me that a polite demon named Ozroth the Ruthless tries to ruthlessly organize Mariel s messy house and life For the small price of your soul, I ll clean your whole house. Discover Celtic goddesses and goddesses of the Kabbalah, female Buddhas, African Powers, Dragon Ladies, White Ladies, Black Madonnas, the Green Man, the Green Fairy, lots and lots of ghosts, djinn, mermaids, fairies, and more.
Demons are believed to possess various powers and abilities, and summoning them requires specific rituals and incantations. Demonology aims to understand these creatures and their characteristics, as well as the proper methods of summoning and controlling them. One of the key aspects of demonology is understanding the hierarchy of demons.
Guest Review: A Witch’s Guide to Fake-Dating A Demon by Sarah Hawley
This guest review is from Brigid F. Brigid is a Queer fantasy and romance reader who believes fantasy and romance make the perfect book cocktail. She reviews at Grimdark Magazine and loves writing fantasy and romance recs for blogs and media sites. They love curses, faeries, cozy witches, and wicked characters.
A Witch’s Guide to Fake-Dating A Demon is magical, demonically sexy, and at times very witty. It’s the ‘90s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch if Sabrina dreamed about going to magical graduate school in between her kink for demons. It’s whimsical and pokes fun at fantasy but also packs some steam. It starts out as a fun romance, but ultimately gender essentialist language, alongside familial abuse patterns, really made it into a frustrating read for me as a nonbinary reader.
The story starts with Mariel accidentally magically blowing up a chicken. Mariel Sparks lives in Glimmer Falls, an American town of centaurs, witches, pixies, sirens, werewolves, and other magical species. Her whole life she’s been called a failure. The Sparks family, whose magical legacy goes back to medieval times when Gorvenal Spark was Europe’s preeminent court wizard, expect her to be a powerful witch as foretold by a prophecy.
The eccentricity and elitism of the Sparks remind me so much of Sabrina’s high-achieving, medievally old aunts. Vintage sitcom nerd that I am, a good 90s reference never fails to please me. And as Mariel Sparks fumbles every spell, including the exploding chicken, she feels like a failure. At one point, she even describes herself as a twenty-seven-year-old witch with the skills of a fifteen-year-old. This isn’t helped when her mother tells her at every turn how much she’s failed the family.
Every plant fantasy nerd will rejoice because Mariel also has a talent for plant magic, something her family doesn’t acknowledge as a proper magical skill, which is honestly such an egregious form of villainy.
This witchy girl is the Aquaman of plants. Her magical affinity for plants bonds them to her on an emotional level, allowing her to command plants to move or grow. My personal favorite thing about this is that they hug her when she’s sad. But plants can’t totally give Mariel what she wants in life. She wants to be enough for someone.
In an attempt to clean up the chicken guts, Mariel makes the worst spell fuckup of her life. She summons a demon. Completely by accident. Ozroth the Ruthless (yes really) pops into her kitchen introducing himself with extremely cheeky drama. For centuries, Oz has collected souls in exchange for a bargain. He even collected the soul of Al Capone. The demon plane needs powerful souls to prevent total darkness, and as a valued soul collector, Oz ensures his people’s survival. Mariel’s accidental summoning means that he’s stuck in Glimmer Falls until he and Mariel can reach an agreement.
To make the whole situation worse, Oz is in a bit of a rough patch. His reputation as a demon is already on shaky ground ever since he accidentally consumed a mortal soul, giving him the emotions of a human. His boss isn’t real happy about that. But Oz is determined to collect Mariel’s powerful soul to make things right. And of course, the more they spend time together, the more they learn how much they like each other.
The dialogue truly shines in this book. There’s so much that is quotable. It just tickles me that a polite demon named Ozroth the Ruthless tries to ruthlessly organize Mariel’s messy house and life: “For the small price of your soul, I’ll clean your whole house.” It just makes me want to summon a demon.
There’s a lot of sex positivity in this book. I liked Oz and Mariel’s upfront, very intentional, sex talk. Body parts are described explicitly. Oz and Mariel are very honest and descriptive about what they find sexy.
Alas I have to talk about the parts that didn’t work for me. I love romance. Full stop. But as a nonbinary person, I often don’t know what I’m going into because many romances seem written from a perspective that doesn’t consider that some readers might not be cis. And if I don’t start mentioning the issues that make me feel excluded, the genre will never change.
I want romance authors to be more careful about gender essentialism. There are a few lines that promote gendered assumptions about bodies.
CW/TW: gender essentialist languageIn a scene towards the end of the book Oz thinks, “the universal male noise of involuntary sympathy” after another cis man gets kicked in the genitals. My problem with this short scene is that it is based on gender being biologically determined.
Not long after orgasm, Oz thinks thinks “men” (cis men) should not have to do hard thinking because “his blood had pooled in his dick, not his brain.”
This language makes me feel like I’ve been excluded from a space that I otherwise love.
Overall, I did not find these moments sexy or funny. The language really pulled me out of the story and made me feel shut out. Again, I’m used to this. I’ve been used to it for most of my romance reader career. But it is very frustrating to be taken out of a story I’m loving, and I want it to stop happening.
The relationship between Mariel and her mother also feels like a misstep in tone. A Witch’s Guide to Fake-Dating A Demon is an incredibly funny book. But the book struggles with turning off the humorous tone during the more serious aspects of the novel.
TW/CW emotional abuse, verbal abuseMariel’s feeling like a failure is caused by her mother, who calls her a failure to her face, in addition to saying Mariel is lazy and a slow learner. What’s worse is that her father supports his wife’s treatment of his daughter.
Abuse is a consistent emotional manipulation that impacts a person so much that they truly believe and adapt to whatever their abuser says to them. Diantha is not just a bad mother; she’s emotionally abusive. Understandably, Mariel struggles with how she sees herself. That, I sympathized with especially.
And while some portions of the story work to reveal the nuances in Mariel’s mental health, I did not appreciate the humorous tone in the more confrontational moments. As Mariel explains the harm her mother’s verbal abuse inflicted on her, Diantha is “per usual ignoring any criticism aimed her way.”
When their fight escalates, Diantha bursts into tears, sniffs, and then summons a silly magical creature, which causes some mayhem. It felt very awkward to laugh at Diantha when Mariel is trying to advocate for her mental health against manipulative parents who are harming her self-respect.
The humor undermines the severity and importance of Mariel standing up for herself by inviting the reader to laugh at what is really very sad and harmful.
I loved the world in this book. There are magical libraries full of old medieval tomes about wyverns, succubi, dragons, and demons. There are dating apps called Bumbelina for magical creatures and a reality TV show called America’s Next Top Witch. I’m especially fond of the grumpy werewolf who owns a plant shop called Zev’s Plant Emporium.
I want to be direct about what works about A Witch’s Guide to Fake-Dating A Demon in an honest way, just like I would with what didn’t work for me. At the beginning, I had a good time reading this. My enjoyment was just numbed toward the end. It’s a really fun book at times, but kinda messy, and you may want to proceed with caution.
I want romance authors to be more careful about gender essentialism. There are a few lines that promote gendered assumptions about bodies.
It is believed that demons are organized in a complex structure, with powerful entities occupying higher ranks. These ranks determine the abilities and influence that a demon possesses, as well as the difficulty of summoning and controlling them. Learning about the hierarchy is crucial for anyone interested in practicing demonology and magic, as it provides insight into the various types and strengths of demons. Another significant aspect of demonology is the study of demon sigils and symbols. Sigils are graphic representations of demons, often created through a combination of letters, numbers, and other symbols. These sigils are believed to embody the essence and power of the corresponding demon, and can be used in rituals and spells to establish contact or gain control over the demon. Understanding and working with demon sigils is a fundamental skill for any aspiring demonologist. In addition to demonology, magic is an integral part of the world of demons. Magic is the practice of harnessing supernatural forces and energies to influence and shape the world around us. It is closely intertwined with demonology, as many magic rituals involve the summoning and negotiation with demons. Magic practitioners study various forms of magic, such as ceremonial magic, chaos magic, and witchcraft, to name a few. Ceremonial magic, also known as high magic, focuses on elaborate rituals and invocations to summon and communicate with supernatural entities. These rituals often involve complex symbolism, precise timing, and the use of specific objects and tools. Chaos magic, on the other hand, involves a more individualistic and experimental approach. Practitioners often create their own rituals and belief systems, drawing from various traditions and sources. Witchcraft, perhaps one of the most well-known forms of magic, embraces both practical magic and spirituality. Witches often work with herbs, crystals, and other natural elements to cast spells and perform rituals. They may also incorporate elements of divination and folk traditions into their practice. Overall, demonology and magic are vast and intricate subjects that require dedication and study. While they may be sources of great power and insight, it is important to approach these practices with respect and caution. Whether one is interested in demonology or magic, it is essential to thoroughly research and understand the principles and ethics involved..
Reviews for "The Ethics of Dark Magic: Navigating the Fine Line between Light and Darkness"
1. Jessica - 2 stars - As someone who was intrigued by the topic of demonology and magic, I was highly disappointed by this guide. Firstly, the author's writing style was dry and lacked any excitement. The information provided was also very basic and felt like a rehash of what I could find with a simple internet search. I was expecting more in-depth explanations and insights into the world of demonology, but instead, I got a superficial overview. Overall, I found this guide to be a waste of time and money.
2. Mark - 1 star - I regret purchasing this guide on demonology and magic. It was filled with misinformation and the author seemed to have a poor understanding of the subject matter. The sections on summoning and rituals were particularly problematic, as they provided vague instructions that could potentially lead to dangerous situations for those who attempt them. It's clear that the author lacks credibility and expertise in the field. I would advise anyone interested in this topic to look elsewhere for a more reliable and knowledgeable source of information.
3. Emily - 2 stars - This book on demonology and magic failed to deliver on its promises. The information provided was scattered and poorly organized, making it difficult to follow along. Additionally, the author seemed to be more interested in boasting about their own experiences and achievements rather than providing useful guidance. It felt like a narcissistic memoir disguised as a guidebook. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a comprehensive and practical guide on demonology and magic.
4. Thomas - 2 stars - I found "Guide to demonology and magic" to be lacking substance. The author spent too much time discussing their personal beliefs and experiences, neglecting to provide any real insights or information on the subject matter. The book was filled with unnecessary anecdotes and ramblings that added nothing of value. If you're looking for a serious and informative guide on demonology and magic, this is not the book for you. Save your money and find a more reputable source.