Loved this book! At first I wasn’t sure what to make of it but it kept me super interested from start to finish.

Thank you Tantor Audio for providing this audio book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. So I'll start off by saying that I finished this audio book in two days! There was something about the story that just sucked me in and wouldn't let me go! I was originally interested in the book because of the comparison to Crescent City. I'll be honest, I don't really see the connection to that book series, but I'm still glad I read/listened to it. I've been trying to think of another series to compare it to but can't because I think that it has an original spin on the clueless "mortal" girl who gets caught up in a world of angels, demons, fae and other mythical creatures that she never believed were real.

Marlow is a successful novelist who goes on boring dates with boring guys to get free, high-priced meals. She also happens to have an "imaginary" friend who visits her at night and gives her the best orgasms of her life. To protect her sanity, she has convinced herself that he is not real and is just a figment of her imagination. When a series of events prove that he's not only real, but has been protecting her and looking after her for her whole life, she realizes that she's banished him and desperately wants him back. She then embarks on a journey that challenges all of the things she was told to believe from childhood about good and evil and who the real monsters are.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The story went a lot of different directions and at times I wished we could hang out in a few places a little bit longer. There was a feeling of only scratching the surface and I really wanted more substance. The book ends on a cliffhanger and I'm really hoping that the next book will fill in some of the details that were missing from this book. It kind of felt like when you're rushing to get to the end of the story and skip over details to get there faster. I'm invested in the characters now and want to know so much more!

Firstly thank you for this opportunity. I did not enjoy this audiobook. The narrator was not the right fit for the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the advanced listening copy!

I thought the premise sounded interesting when I originally ran into the author's videos about this book, and how the Bible phrase of not worshipping other gods in fact acknowledges their existence. This book does a wonderful job of unpacking trauma of growing up in an overly strict Christian home, where religion was used as grounds for punishment instead of love, and how the main character Marlow has to wrap her head around these new revelations about her heritage and the world around her.

Marlow is a successful author, but after her past as a high-class escort collides with her present during a book signing, her whole world changes. The characters were pretty well constructed (while not necessarily all likeable, and especially Marlow feeling quite a lot like a self-insert) and Fauna was interesting to me in how she was so close to being annoying but instead added comedic value and the needed relief from heavier topics to my listening experience. I have to say that I'm not fully sold on Caliban yet... but perhaps that will change in the future books as we get to see him more! I enjoyed the narration done by Luna Rey and how effortless it was to listen to.

If you want to read this book, please check content warnings beforehand as it contains mature themes and heavy topics than may be triggering to some.

I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook and thought they had a great voice that was enjoyable to listen to! I’m not exactly sure this book was to my taste to be honest. It felt a bit uncomfortable to read in some parts for me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try it out!

What's in a name? I'll admit while browsing books on netgallery the name of this one and it's cover is what caught my eye. I've also been on a fantasy kick after reading the ACOTAR series so why not.

I received an audio book of this one and the narration is pretty good over all. It always takes me a minute to get used to a new voice to listen to and this one isn't bad.

Overall I did truly enjoy the story the twists and turns of different mythology mixing was fascinating and it gets spicy. I think I have a few main issues with it. One being I don't enjoy questioning if our protagonist is crazy at least not for that long. I know we need to understand her view point but I wanted to get to the plot 😅 and second guessing our protagonists sanity isn't a fun for me unless it's it's a wait are they actually crazy situation.

I didn't enjoy the dumb aspect to the book, our girl giving her name out after repeatedly being told not to and repeated other dumb decisions was irritating sometimes. I know we need mistakes to get a plot but they felt over done. But a name is power in this world and she keeps forgetting it.

But did I enjoy it? Hell yeah! It was interesting and spicy and enjoyable. If you are coming off of ACOTAR I recommend it. I'm 100% going to read the next one to see what happens which is always a good sign. It's not a masterpiece but it's a fun spicy read. But don't share your name with faries.....

Received for free off of netgallery for purposes of reviewing.

The Deer and the Dragon by Piper CJ is the first book in the No Other Gods Series. This is the story of Marlow and Caliban.
 
Marlow at first seems like a successful human who is a bestselling author of my fantasy series. But she also has the gift of seeing angels and demons and there is one demon she sees in particular and whom she calls Caliban. But he goes missing at some point and Marlow makes it her mission to find him again. This added so much mystery and adventure to the story and I loved following alongside Marlow. She is just confident, fierce and a total badass and the audiobook narrator Luna Rey perfectly brings this across.
 
Marlow is accompanied by a fae from the Nordic pantheon strolls into her life and I absolutely love her, and she was the perfect sidekick. I liked how this story was about Marlow opening up and accepting this whole new world and she fitted right in. This book reminded me a bit of an adult and spicier version of Daughter of Smoke and Bone meets Dark Elements, and I was totally here for it.
 
Overall, The Deer and the Dragon is a fantasy romantasy read that I highly recommend. 5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

I listened to the audiobook and it took me maybe three chapters to get hooked. Then I pretty much listened nonstop.
The plot is fast paced and easy to follow. I laughed a lot, which I hadn’t expected. My favorite character is definitely Fauna and I hope to hear more about her in the next book. I’d say: Read the book if you want a fast paced fantasy read and don’t mind it to be on the spicy side. And don't forget to check the content warnings!

This book was captivating! I listened to the advanced listeners copy of The Dear and The Dragon by Piper CJ. The Narrator was well versed and showed a large range of emotions which really helped bring the story to life. I love how Piper writes her books, they have a wonderful flow, and everything is so beautifully descriptive. The world building is amazing. She sure knows how to paint a picture in your mind. This story was emotional and relatable. The different friendships Marlow makes feels unique. Each character has their own unique personalities and Piper shows how some work together well while others, not so much. This book may be fiction but you can tell a lot of Piper herself went into these characters. She never dissapoints. I can not wait for book 2 of No Other Gods! I highly recommend listening or reading this book as soon as you can. It is a must read and possibly even the best book I have read this year.

2.5 stars rounded up.

There were a number of elements about this story that I genuinely enjoyed, particularly the writing. It was easy to read, descriptive and smooth. The narration by Luna Rey was fantastic! I honestly continued listening to the end because of her narration. Her voices were consistent and well executed. Her narration was smooth and easy to listen too.

Something I struggled with was the pacing. Although the writing was good and the narration great, I found the pace to be quite slow and it didn't hold my attention at times. I lacked the ability to stay focused and interested in the story and even dozed off a couple times.

I found that the FMC, Marlow, lacked maturity. She clearly had a lot of trauma and struggled with her mental health, but even so. I would have loved for some more character development and self awareness. I typically love a quiet, brooding, alpha male, but I wanted more from our MMC. There is a lot of mystery surrounding him in the beginning of the book and I would have liked more time with him to become more invested in his character.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I’m honestly still trying to figure out how I feel about this one. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The narration was great and as an audiobook itself, I found no issues there. However, the story had a lot going on, and Fauna & Az were the saving graces for me as far as characters go. I found the FMC to be pretty unlikeable. I liked the mythology aspect but it felt like a lot that supposedly all mythology is real. I liked the religious trauma angle with her family. I didn’t like how it ended and feel that the book ended in a really weird, abrupt way.

I’m not sure if I will continue this series or not but I am curious to see where it goes from here.

I loved the premise of this book! Marlow sees a shadow in her room and has an on and off again friendship that evolves over time. Ultimately she sends him away, unbeknown to her that he will vanish. Unable to focus she sets off on a mission to find him, partnering with mythical beings along the way. I loved characters and honestly can't wait for book two!

I enjoyed this book and overall enjoyed the writing and narrator. I admit, the story was a little hard to follow at times (mainly during the world building) but once the plot was set in place I couldn't wait to see if and how Marlow would reunite with her prince.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

Swipe for GoodReads synopsis.

WOOOOOOOOOW!!! Wow wow WOW! When I tell you I DEVOURED this book and am currently in a book hangover/possible reading slump, I am SERIOUS. I’ve been trying to write this review for 5 days, that’s how much I loved it and couldn’t stop thinking about it because AAHHHH!!

I honestly went in blind with this book and SO happy I did! With that being said though, I know this book won’t be for everyone and I will get to that in a sec. But can we talk about how UNIQUE this book was?! First off, I’ve never been huge into folklore/mythology/religious books. Usually when I read fantasy, those elements just don’t exist in my head (obviously some have elements of it, I just mean implicit vs explicit). BUT THIS BOOK CHANGED THAT FOR ME! First off, if you didn’t know Piper has a MA in Folklore WE LOVE A SMART QUEEN! And she used those powers for DRAMA! Because OMG how she used her knowledge (and part of her personal experience) into this book. I’ve never been so fascinated with a universe in my LIFE! Second, our MC Miss Marlow is 1000000% the definition of a realistic human in a fantasy novel in the BEST way! I LOVE how throughout the book she was like “um, it’s not that I don’t believe what you’re saying, but wtf is happening?” Because if •I• were in a fantasy novel, I too would be VERY confused. And that made her SO relatable to me! Third, Piper writes about mature content but does it in a way where you’re actually LEARNING as you read (minus the spicy scenes because hehe).

Anywho. I LOVED this book and can’t wait for book 2 to pub! Which sucks because I’m writing this for the pub of book 1. I HIGHLY recommend the audio and to go in with an open mind with this one!

Content Warnings: sex work, religious trauma, light stalking, mental illness. I’m happy to talk in my DMs if you need to!

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date 5/7/24.

Holy cow. I can't wait until the next one comes out. It's GOT to be a series because it kinda, sorta leaves you hanging! I love the premise, the characters, and the history. I can't wait to get back to them all!

I loved the way it was different from anything I’ve ever read or heard the god and fae elements were a great touch to the story , the voice actors and the details made you feel like your watching a movie and not reading a book . Can’t wait I’ll book 2 .

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ARC Audio Copy!

I have been looking forward to this book for a long time. I have read other books by this author and loved them all. This story is much different from her other series, but wonderfully different in a good way. Set in the modern day with mythical creatures, demons, and angels, it is a beautiful created world that I really enjoyed immersing myself into.

I really enjoyed the narration as well, she did a great job with really immersing the reader into the world.

I could not put this down! I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed the narrators. Marlow is an author with religious trauma from her childhood. She grew up poor and has to create her own way into the world. Throughout everything, she has the Prince of Hell to help her get through. Believing she’s crazy and has created him in her mind, she learns that words are binding in the world. She dives deep into the paranormal world to find her prince and gets more than she ever bargained for.

I was excited to read this book because I had been itching to read more fantasy. But I don’t think this one was for me. It had too many storylines going on at the same time which made hard to keep up.

NARRATION LOVE
♥️♥️♥️♥️
3.75 of 5
rounded up

STORY LOVE
♥️♥️♥️♥️
4 of 5

SPICE
🌶 mild(ish)

RECOMMEND
💳 yes ~ for a certain audience only

I recently listened to Piper CJ’s “The Deer and the Dragon,” a romantasy that explores the complexities of mental illness and religious trauma against the backdrop of a centuries-old war among gods, angels, demons, and mythical creatures of various religions and lore.

Marlow has the ability to see angels and demons. This gift, passed down from her devout mother, challenges Marlow’s perception of reality as she tries to escape from her family and the male presence that’s been a constant companion in her life.

“The Deer and the dragon” touches on themes like self-awareness, courage, morale conflict, religion, and unseen forces that shape our lives. It’s a reflection of the real-world struggles many of us face.

Piper CJ’s personal experiences seem to influence the story and Luna Rey’s narration vividly captures Marlow’s characterand the colorful ensemble of characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to “The Deer and the Dragon” in advance.

This was an... interesting read. It had a unique plot with questionable characters.
My issue is that the pacing felt a bit messy and it was as though the plot of the story was lost about a quarter of the way through. I also don't love that the FMC was diagnosed with something akin to schizophrenia and then it turns out that what she was "hallucinating" was actually real. This is something that can be harmful.
I also don't like when she says that she listens to books that aren't good so that she can avoid making their mistakes. The way it is said makes her seem condescending and self righteous. That's not something I like to see in a main character.
I was also not a fan of how she kept bringing up how fulfilling her time as a sex worker was. She started saying it so much that I stopped believing her and began thinking that maybe it wasn't as good as she's describing it as.
I also wish that Calaban was part of the story more. I think that the premise of retrieving your S.O. only works if the characters have an established relationship. We only see them together for such a small portion of the story which made me care very little about what happened to either one of them.
I think this book could use some pretty major rewrites but it has potential as a series if the author makes the FMC a bit more likable.

The audiobook was fantastic and I loved the narrators.

1.5/5