The Sanguine Sorceress by Camilla Andrew is a tale told from the perspective of Serafina, a demon born into a position of status but without power. Her duty is to marry well and produce as many children as possible, while putting herself at risk of death in doing so. It’s a duty she rankles at, and fights against.

I picked this book up during an indie author event in April. I can’t for the life of me tell you which one as there were a few going on at the time. I hadn’t read the synopsis, but the title drew me in and I looked at the sample, which completely intrigued me.

Not reading the synopsis was a bit of a mistake. I had no idea this took place in an established world, and I also had no idea this was about demons. In fact, I couldn’t tell if Serafina and those like her were vampires, werewolves, or witches due to a cool mashup of tropes for each of these types of people.

Thankfully, I rectified that oversight and in doing so, the story sunk into me a little better.

The subject matter within wasn’t light, but rather an unpicking of society and the pressures put upon women; the way patriarchy works to stifle power in women, starting young by telling them who they are and what their purpose is rather than allowing them to discover these things for themselves thus ensuring they fit the setup of society.

I enjoyed this story, but I also wish it was longer simply so I could see more of what Serafina became after her fight against her duty.