Book Review: The Devil’s Debt by Rae Devine

I am so happy to be welcoming Rae Devine to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Devil’s Debt.

The Devil’s Debt is Episode Five of The Seven Gates, a short, high-heat dark paranormal romance series of vengeance, obsession and underworld power, featuring ritualised dominance and morally black and grey demons.

Ruthless. Sacred. Beautifully inevitable.

In the quiet hours of the Underworld, even faith begins to falter.

Lucien Vale – recruiter, collector of broken souls and reluctant heavy hand of Hell – has been stripped of his immortality through an act of betrayal from someone he once loved. Yet still loyal and devoted to Hell’s Queen, he accompanies her to locate a fallen prince of the Church whose devotion has long since curdled into complacency.

A cardinal who has heard every confession.
Forgiven every sin.
And slowly stopped believing any of it matters.

Every path leads back to the Devil’s bride.

Bella Blackwood. Gatekeeper. Devourer of sin.
A woman who turns confession into spectacle and indulgence into judgment.

The cardinal receives Bella and Lucien at the abbey with indifference and wariness.

But in their presence he is faced with a new kind of ritual.
Temptation.
And a force designed to test the limits of his faith.

At the Gates, apathy risks becoming the most damning sin of all.

Desire awakens what indifference tried to bury.
And Hell collects its debts with patient precision.

These stories are sins – brief, potent and cumulative.

Each episode is designed to be devoured in one sitting.
Seven Gates. One descent.

For readers who crave gothic atmosphere, infernal courts and dangerously seductive power.

Read free with Kindle Unlimited.

⚠️ Contains explicit sexual content, power exchange, violence and dark religious imagery.

*****

Having been stripped of his immortality through a betrayal, Lucien accompanies Bella as they pay a visit to a priest who is struggling with his devotion.

OK, so I had not read any of the previous stories -this is book five in Rae Devine’s Seven Gates series. I have also not read a lot in this genre. I didn’t know what to expect. Exhale out… this book gets steamy. Just a warning if, like me, you are a little green when it comes to dark paranormal fantasy. It’s like 50 Shades but multiplied. I did however manage to pick up the story well. The author does a really good job at making this tale standalone whilst also being part of a bigger story.

Bella is a strong, confident character who knows what she wants, what she’s capable of and how to navigate the world she inhabits. I loved her. Lucien was also a favourite. In fact, all the characters had great story progression – another thing the author has done well in such a small narrative space.

The setting is presented so vividly. From page one, until the last page, I was there, in the church with Bella and Lucien. Rae Devine pulls the reader completely into the atmosphere.

Ahh, I really don’t know what else I can say about this book without giving away the plot and keeping it family friendly.

This book is under a hundred pages and is perfect if you’re looking for a short tale full of love, betrayal and a BIG BUCKET of passion. I’m now going for a lie down. Am I going to add the others to my TBR pile… absolutely. Haha.

About Rae Devine –

Rae Devine writes about female agency through dark, fantasy, and paranormal romance where desire is dangerous, devotion comes at a cost, and the men are morally grey enough that you probably shouldn’t introduce them to your parents… though you might happily keep them locked up at home.

She reads too much, gardens when she remembers, and has a weakness for good wine, bad ideas, and stories that often play with fire.

Say hello to Rae via her website, Facebook and Instagram. 

The Devil’s Debt is book five in the Seven Gates series and was released in May 2026. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.