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Nerys Newblood was convinced that there was nothing special about her and for most of her life, she was fine with that. She had her best friend and that was all she needed. But, when circumstance takes over and Nerys is given a spirit guide, she finds that being a daimon is not what the legends and old stories proclaim it to be. It's not heroic or glamorous.

It's terrifying.

Pursued by a vengeful king and thrust into a journey to save her ailing spirit guide, Nerys must rely on several potentials to help her survive the king's wrath and her spirit guide's mysterious illness. When betrayal shatters the budding romance between Nerys and her protectors, someone must pay the price.

***This book is a reverse harem title***

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2017

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About the author

Lucy Smoke

61 books1,769 followers
Lucy Smoke, also known as Lucinda Dark for her fantasy works, has a master’s degree in English and is a self-proclaimed creative chihuahua. She enjoys feeding her wanderlust, cover addiction, as well as her face, and truly hopes people will stop giving her bath bombs as gifts. Bath’s get cold too fast and it’s just not as wonderful as the commercials make it out to be when the tub isn’t a jacuzzi.

When she’s not on a never-ending quest to find the perfect milkshake, she lives and works in the southern United States with her beloved fur-baby, Hiro, and her family and friends.


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5 stars
131 (33%)
4 stars
129 (33%)
3 stars
87 (22%)
2 stars
31 (8%)
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8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for Anna.
814 reviews
August 31, 2017



Nerys never really had a "normal" life, but when she finds herself the owner of a spirit guide she longs for the days of her normal. She ends up on the run with her best friend Coen and a few more friends she picks up along the way. Nothing can ever be simple for Nerys though. Not only does having a spirit guide make her special, her spirit guide is special too. Something is wrong and Nerys has to find out what it is and how to fix it. All of this while running for her life, learning who to trust and learning more and more about herself.

This is the first book by Lucy Smoke and I really enjoyed it. Nerys is a strong female lead and lord knows we need those in the RH world. She can take care of herself but knows when she needs help. She would do whatever it takes to save the people she cares about. That's the kind of MC I can get behind.

The story starts with action right from the beginning and keeps going throughout the whole book. There's never a dull moment. The ending though, ugh made my heart swell and break all at the same time. Seriously can not wait for the next one b/c I need to know what happens.

There's not any sexy time in this one but we do have some heated moments. We build relationships and focus on staying alive.

Make sure you keep up with Lucy here.
Profile Image for Tate James.
Author 73 books9,321 followers
August 31, 2017
DAIMON is the first book by author Lucy Smoke, and I wasn't totally 100% sure what I was expecting... but... it wasn't what I got. In a good way. Here are some Pros and Cons:

Pros:
#Nerys don't need nobody, she's an independent woman (thank God)
#It's Reverse Harem, meaning all these awesome dudes she meets, she gets to KEEP!! ALL OF THEM!!
#Nerys is a bit of an awkward penguin, which is great. It makes her real.
#It is ACTION PACKED
#There is some incredible world building and ORIGINAL concepts (wish I could bold that)

Cons:
#It ended.

Small note to the author, in the hopes that she reads this, please please please for the love of Obidian can Nerys get some in book 2?! The tension is real, girl. Have a heart.
Profile Image for Jennifer G.
2,330 reviews41 followers
September 3, 2017
Nerys is an orphan educated by the holy women. Completely normal. That's a good thing living in a kingdom where getting noticed can be dangerous. She has her best friend Coen and that's plenty. That all changes when she receives a spirit guide, the inky man. She's a daimon and that can get her killed. Nerys and Coen decide to escape the kingdom and are unexpectedly joined during the escape by two men, Holden and Titus. These two turn out to be invaluable. The four travel to Ragnarok to seek shelter and information from Holden's friend Booker, a druid. There they meet his familiar Luca, The protectors are all in place.

Lucy Smoke has created a wonderfully original new Reverse Harem series. The fantasy world she has created is richly detailed and multi-layered. The backstory of the spirit guide is incredible and I feel that there is even more to learn. The characters are all fully developed and likable. The men are all distinct. Coen with his steadfast friendship and love, Titus and his need for family, Holden and his feelings of worthlessness, Luca with his charm and energetic playfulness, and Booker with his need to control every situation, solve every problem. They make a fantastic team. Nerys is equally kind and spirited. She's thoughtful, caring, and fun. She doesn't see her own value like her protectors do. She worries more for them than for herself. She doesn't see how they each feel about her, how attracted they are to her. This is endearing, except where Coen is concerned. I don't want his feelings hurt as she develops attractions to the others. She needs to see him as a man, not only her best friend. I have faith that she will work this out. The King is a worthy opponent; dangerous and determined. And the final character that must be mentioned is the spirit guide. While only a voice, he is of utmost importance to the story , maybe the kingdom. I hope that in future books he knows when to be present and when to be absent. Example: When there's danger, be present; when it's a sexy time, be far, far away!

This is a well-written book of non-stop action. The ever-present danger allows the group to bond swiftly and become vital to one another in a short time. It also allows attractions to develop quickly. While everyone behaves for the most part, the tension is there; there are several heated moments. This will lead to a few problems and plenty of fun in the future. I can't wait. The book ended with a horrible turn of events and a new dangerous twist. I am going to need book 2 sooner rather than later please!
Profile Image for Liv Evans.
Author 9 books22 followers
January 2, 2021
This is the first novel I have read written by Lucy Smoke/Lucinda Dark. As soon as I read the blurb, I knew I had to give Daimon a go. The concept sounded original and enthralling, and the prospect of a story with polyamorous relationships is always a winner- who needs a love triangle? Just pick them all!

I was not disappointed. The world Daimon is set in is gorgeously described and well-developed. Some of the descriptions created vivid and unique mental pictures as Nerys and her 'guys' went on their adventures. One thing I have found with reverse harem titles is they often sacrifice some of the individuality of the male characters because there are just too many to explore in detail. While I would have loved a little more one-on-one time to get to know all of the guys a little better, there was enough detail there to get a good picture of them in my head.

The budding romances are fantastic, and I love that this had a more realistic slow-ish burn. Sure, it would have been fun for our girl to get some, but sometimes the best thing an author can do is stay true to the character and make the reader wait. Making sure that Nerys takes time to explore her relationships and changing feelings makes me feel like some of the pitfalls of a reverse harem are avoided, and make this read like something that may turn into respectful and realistic polyamory (and I am ALWAYS down for respectful, healthy relationships in fiction).

Now, romance aside, there is a lot to love in this book. Little nods to different mythologies, some easter-egg style names for historical characters, and unique aesthetics really make the world feel lived in. It starts off with a thrilling chase and ends with some scenes that made me yell at the book (yep, I went there). The key takeaway is that Nerys is awesome, the guys are awesome, and I am going to be buying the next book because I need to know how things work out for all of them!
Profile Image for Anna.
733 reviews68 followers
September 22, 2017
Well, I sure as hell took my time with this book. It doesn't usually take me this long to read a book, but I'm actually happy that I managed to draw out the experience.
I liked the mood of this story, it kind of sucks you in from the beginning. And I also think that the set of characters here was pretty good, I enjoyed getting to know them.
However, I wouldn't have minded (at all) learning more about the world, like what kinds of magical beings there are and what kinds of ruling systems operate there, those sorts of things.
Other than that, I had a great time reading the story and am looking forward to the next book.

(Btw, the second epilogue was kind of creepy. That Edwin character reminded me of the Princes from the "Throne of glass" series, for some reason. You know, the ones who invaded other people's bodies and minds? Creepy evil dudes)

Profile Image for Brianna - Mindfulnessreading.
99 reviews15 followers
July 25, 2021
A Great Slow Burn RH!
4 stars!
“The good thing about existing,” I say, “is that you can choose to be anyone you want to be now that you do.”

I was once again transported and immersed into a whole other world because of Lucinda Dark (aka Lucy Smoke). Daimon is such a unique story with an original plot, it’s unlike anything I’ve read before. Nerys, the FMC, is a daimon, someone who has a spirit guide, and someone who possesses one is forbidden and can lead to execution in her kingdom.

I love how the book starts with a sense of action already. We’re thrust right into the middle of Nerys and Coen, her best friend, escaping the city. From then on, there’s tons of action throughout the rest of the story. Leaving doesn’t come easy, and if and when the King finds out... I loved Nerys. She’s a girl who is strong but isn't rash, she’s not afraid to feel vulnerable, and has an incredible amount of heart. All of the guys: Coen, Titus, Holden, Booker and Luca are incredible as well. I seriously love all of them so freaking much- I think Titus just a little more… he’s got blue eyes like, come on. But they’re all so complex, and each has a completely different personality, but they all care and feel so deeply for Nerys.

Daimon focuses more on world building and characters than sexual situations. Which for me I actually really enjoyed because I loved seeing the start of how Nerys meets the rest of her harem, the new found friendships being built, the trust, and everything in between. Don’t get me wrong, there's some serious tension there… It drove me crazy, but it was so interesting and cool seeing the relationship build more. I can’t forget to mention her spirit guide, who she calls the inky man. He’s just a voice, but you know he’s gonna be so important for the rest of the series. He’s one of the main plot driving points already.

Daimon ends on a big cliffhanger. One I wasn’t fully expecting and made me immediately want to start book two. You have one situation resolving while jumping right into a whole new one, without any warning. I did feel like there were certain parts of the book that felt slightly contradicting, but it wasn’t a lot to where it actually impacted the book, so it was still really enjoyable. You have the suspense of the unknown, the action and tension, the danger of the King, and the potentials… All in all, if you’re looking for or enjoy a book that has stellar world building, a hot harem, some dystopian elements, and great characters, read this book!
42 reviews
August 31, 2017
Definitely a new favorite!!

I so very (if ever) rarely write reviews but this was just so good I needed to. This is a RH and its a great one. I'm a huge fan of The Academy series and Curse of gods, now I have Nerys Newblood to add to my favorites. Though RH books are becoming more common, it's so hard to find really good ones in my opinion. So I'm so glad Ms Smoke wrote this. Please release the next one real soon, don't leave me hanging for (what feels like) decades!
Profile Image for Cassie Guest.
120 reviews26 followers
October 22, 2017
The overall story was interesting, but it was also all over the place. It seemed that the story was more focused on ending than it was details. I did not even know most of the main character's story until the ending of the book. Also, the males surrounding the heroine were hard to differentiate, because they had no unique attributes that were distinguishable.
Profile Image for SJ.
1,871 reviews14 followers
September 1, 2017
I received a free advanced reader copy of this book and voluntarily decided to review it

Nerys Newblood is in trouble, she needs to escape. She has a spirit guide and where she lives that is enough to get her killed by the evil king.

Nery's and her best friend Coen try to escape, and along the way she makes some new friends/protectors. She is a strong and feisty but she also has a vulnerability about her making her a great heroine

There is action, adventure, twists and turns and plenty of danger as Nery's and her band of protectors try to navigate their escape to freedom and she also has to deal with her ailing spirit guide whilst trying to stay alive

I was hooked from the start of the story, I was surprised actually at how quickly I got into the story and invested with the characters, Lucy Smoke kept me glued to the page with her awesome writing, not only a fabulously exciting storyline but great characters who have excellent chemistry and I admit I fell in love with all the characters

This book has everything you could want in a story and more. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is a fantastic read, Lucy Smoke smashed it out of the ball park and I LOVED it, I will definitely be reading the next book in the series when it is out, treat yourself to this awesome read
Profile Image for Iretsia.
446 reviews47 followers
December 31, 2018
DNF late in book. I didn't have much of a reason for dropping it here rather than anywhere else; I just came across something else I'd rather read instead, and I don't think I'll come back to this. It has the type of harem that I dislike in the sense that the guys don't want to share the MC and are getting their feelings hurt. I'm sure they'll come around eventually, but I don't really think it's the right decision for characters who struggle that much with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
798 reviews
September 7, 2017
I loved how different this reverse harem book was! Lucy does an incredible job bringing these amazing characters to life. I couldn't put this book down, to be honest. It was one of the biggest surprises for me this year. I liked how vulnerable Nerys was but still totally kickass. I loved her protectors, I couldn't get enough of their interactions. I liked how the drama unfolded between the group, yet everyone started to open up to each other as the story went on. I don't want to give too much away, but you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't pick this book up and read it right now!

I liked that the POV changed sporadically (thank goodness not with every chapter, so you could still follow the story) and I liked how different each of the guys were. If I could find a Booker or Titus, that would make my life haha. I hope to see the guys bond more, they need each other as much as they need Nerys. Also looking forward to more moments between Nerys and her guys. Some of the events are so adorable or hilarious, it was a good mix of everything.

I have really no complaints about the book. The very end was sorta predictable, but it will make for a great sequel. I was hoping Nerys would be able to handle some "tense and steamy" situations better, but she has to grow throughout this journey...no MC should be perfect right off the bat (that makes for a boring storyline). I like the backstory with "the inky guy" and how we got to see the flashbacks. My only critique was it was sometimes hard to figure out the timeline. Some of the transitions were non-existent, so all of sudden you would be back to the present without a break, symbol, font change, etc. and it felt like some words or a sentence was missing. Nonetheless, I definitely put Daimon on my top 10 favorite books I have read this year, hoping Book 2 isn't too far behind.
Profile Image for Steph.
485 reviews10 followers
January 31, 2021
DNF 40%. I’m am absolutely missing the plot of this story. It starts off with what’s her face trying to escape a walled city (forgot name) with her best friend Coen. They pick up 2 addition guys while doing so. She needs to get out because she is a spirit guide and those of her kind are hunted and killed in the city. Okay in still following up until now. The king doesn’t know about her and she would like to keep it that way. Couldn’t agree more. The things start to get a little murky. There is no real plan other than escaping and then trying to make a life elsewhere. The 2 new guys she picks up are instantly included into her trusted circle. That I find a little naive and optimistic but okay. They did escape with her and her spirit chose them. We’re still good. They get to a different city and meet up with another guy who is a friend of one of the guys she picked up. Again he is added to the trusted circle immediately. He is also chosen by her spirit. For the record: her best friend Coen is not. Then it gets even weirder: the king discovers people have escaped from his city and is looking for them. Currently he does not yet know who they are and what they look like. Also has no clue that one is a spirit guide. All of a sudden they freak out and devise a second escape plan with elaborate magical disguises and alternate lodgings and the lot. Al this because there are no other options... when literally all the other options, including just walking out of the city are still open.

This story is extremely shallow and reads like something that was hastily put together. Non of the characters and their actions as well as the overarching plot were thought out. At 40% I still have no clue what this story is about other than spirit guides aka daimons.
Profile Image for Shannon.
76 reviews15 followers
November 6, 2017
3.5
I enjoyed this quite a lot. As others have mentioned, yes, there were some errors but they weren't frequent or glaring, at least I didn't find them to be. And, yes, there were plot holes; however, I found this to be steaming with potential. Enough so that I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. The world was interesting, the idea was good, the characters are intriguing, and the author can write. The dialogue didn't make me want to scream, which for YA/NA is something to be applauded, neither did the characters act like tween twits. I would have preferred more background on the world and the characters. I would have preferred more individual interactions so that the relationship building had more foundation than the kind of instant bond. But those are small nitpicks and don't deter from my willingness to read the next one, especially when compared to the slew of barely readable independent RH novels I've read in the past.
539 reviews1 follower
January 18, 2019
So glad I gave it a try

I was hesitant to pick up this book, though I’m not sure why - I’ve really enjoyed this author’s other work. Something just kept me from reading. I finally decided to give it a try, and I’m oh so glad I did. I absolutely fell into this story, totally engrossed and didn’t want to put it down. I’ll admit the beginning was a little hard to get into at first, but I pushed through and soon I was engaged and invested in these characters. There were spots I felt like I was missing something, that I didn’t quite understand, but the story itself and the characters made up for any minor confusion. I’ll be immediately diving into the next book in this series, and would recommend giving it a try. As far as the star rating, this falls between 4 and 4.5 stars for me.
36 reviews
September 30, 2017
So many errors....

The story was good, but there were so many errors. It was very hard to finish. Parts of the story contradicts itself, it makes you have to go back and re-read some chapters to make sure you didn't miss anything. One example was with Booker when he first meets Nerys and finds out she's a daimon. He says he met one once while traveling. Later he tells her that she is the first daimon he had ever met. There are many of mistakes like this. Hopefully the editing will be better with the next book...
Profile Image for Tara Hawkins.
112 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2018
I love Lucy Smoke!

This author has come to be a favorite of mine. She always creates well developed characters that draw you in and make you fall for them. Her storylines are amazing and the worlds she creates for those characters are just as inviting. Her MC’s are quick witted and strong. This obviously applies to Nerys Newblood as well. Fighting for her life and the lives of her friends and spirit guide she perseveres regardless of the obstacles. I hope the the second book proves to be as awesome as the first in this series.
171 reviews8 followers
September 6, 2017
Very interesting

What an interesting concept. All the old meets new in the same time space. I didn't get sucked into the story right away and I would have potentially liked some relationship things to have been taken care of in the first book but I'm interested to see where it goes. I am also very curious to see how Coen's situation unfolds and I'm not sure what to make of his jailer!
Profile Image for Laura.
2,070 reviews16 followers
November 8, 2022
I'm on the fence with this one. It was a pretty good premise but i feel like I didn't get enough story as to what was actually going on. Nerys has a spirit guide, which is apparently punishable by death where she lives. But she escapes with her best friend and two other guys, they all go on the run. At first there was a good development with the relationships but at one point it seemed like they just started skipping ahead with each other. By the end I just wasn't all that invested.
Profile Image for Kim Latham.
479 reviews2 followers
September 7, 2017
Daimon is not just another RH

This was an amazing story and clearly not the end. This book is emotional and heart felt throughout. Loved... Absolutely loved... the characters and the storyline. Her words echoed off the pages leaving me in love and heart broken at the same time . I can not wait to see what happens next.
Profile Image for Yasmin.
652 reviews2 followers
December 28, 2017
I enjoyed the story. Interesting plot and very likeable characters.

Nerys is a strong heroine. She might not be a hero that is able to fight her way through everything but her resilience and determination makes her strong.

I think we will see her growing into a tougher character the more the story progresses.
Profile Image for Desdemona.
Author 5 books52 followers
March 8, 2018
The pacing was slow and I definitely prefer Lucy's other series, Iris Boys, but I found myself enjoying this story. I like the world she built around Nerys and all the really cute boys in her life. I hope everything works out for her and I cannot wait for the release of the second book in the series, Necrosis.
Profile Image for Natasha Maltman.
664 reviews5 followers
September 30, 2019
2

1 Star = DNF.
2 Star = Finished. Didn’t really enjoy.
3 Star = Finished. Story was neither good nor bad.
3.5 Star = Finished. Story was neither good nor bad. Will probably pick up next in series if there is one.
4 Star = Finished. Enjoyed story & would reread.
5 Star = Stole my heart! ❤️
Profile Image for Alyssa Marie.
54 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2020
Loved it!

Ugh this story was so good! I love the sense of adventure our little FMC has! She’s one tough cookie and really cares deeply about the protectors she’s gathered around her. I love the whole group works as a family; these guys simply can’t help but take care of Nerys. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
Profile Image for Pamala Hunt.
850 reviews4 followers
September 4, 2017
Next book

I need the next book! I love her guys and Nerys need to help her friend! The ending was unexpected, I was going to cry...until the very end. You will have to read to understand. 5 stars Lucy!
Profile Image for Melissa Hickman.
892 reviews9 followers
September 11, 2017
Great read!

I really enjoyed being introduced to Nerys world. This author is extremely talented at world building and storytelling and I will absolutely be buying the second book in this Series!!!!!!
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