A good concept and an amazing opening. However I found that the pacing fell off track as did the overall story. I found that by the halfway mark I got quite bored whilst reading it, and by the 80% mark the story was quite dull and I just felt disappointed.

This was a nicely written horror with som problems with the pacing. It felt like it was going on for a little too long and I felt a little bit bored throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinons are my own.

Jacob died... maybe. Kind of. Sort of. Something happened to him—and whatever it was, it turned him into a demon. And he wasn’t the only one. Most people around him either transformed into demons or lost their minds entirely.

Somehow, his wife Rebecca and their daughter Micah were spared. Kind of. Micah may have survived the chaos, but something is happening to her, too—something no one can explain. Now Jacob and Rebecca travel through this apocalyptic nightmare in an ambulance, trying desperately to find help for their daughter. If help even exists anymore.

The premise hooked me right away—demons, madness, survival, and family—but the pacing didn’t quite land for me. It moved slowly, and at times, the chapters felt like they dragged. That said, there were surprisingly tender moments woven into the horror, which isn’t something you see too often in this genre. One scene with a demon telling a heartfelt story to a child? Weirdly endearing.

A unique concept with some emotional depth—I just wish it had picked up the pace a bit more.


This will be posted on my Facebook account tonight (7/7), on my Instagram account tomorrow 7/8, and on my blog tonight 7/7.

The Nature of Demons was intense and emotional—a brutal apocalyptic horror with real heart. The father–daughter bond gave the chaos meaning, and some of the imagery was truly haunting. It dragged a bit in the middle, but overall, it stuck with me. A solid 4 stars.

The Nature of Demons by J.D. Carmicle is a wild story about a post-apocalyptic world. I recieved a review copy from Netgalley and here's my review

The story starts with a night, when people around the world lose control and turn into monsters... Demons. Strange creatures - crazies - start roaming the streets, killing anyone they come across.

At the heart of the chaos is Jacob Freeman - a lawyer turned half-demon - who must protect his family while battling the beast within.

The book is full of action and scary moments. It's dark and gory. In between, it has some touching, emotional scenes as well.

I liked the idea as well as the plot. But I couldn't finish reading the story.

The story was slow-moving, with painfully long chapters. And even after spending 5+ hours, I wasn't yet at half of it. I got impatient.

DNFed after around 40%.

Nature of Humans is the kind of book that slinks up on you—unassuming at first, then suddenly you're knee-deep in something dark, primal, and disturbingly familiar. J.D. Carmicle doesn't just write about horror; he writes about us—the brutal, buried instincts we like to pretend we’ve outgrown.

This story had a slow, creeping dread that I loved. It’s not about jump scares or flashy gore (though when the violence hits, it really hits). It’s about the psychological rot that festers just beneath polite society. About what we’re capable of when the mask slips. And what happens when the line between “human” and “monster” starts to blur.

What really stayed with me was the tension between civility and savagery. The characters are flawed, frightened, trying to hold themselves together in a world that keeps whispering: give in. Carmicle’s writing is sharp and unflinching, but also weirdly lyrical—it made the ugliness feel intimate, even beautiful in a twisted way.

If you’re into horror that asks big, uncomfortable questions and doesn’t hand out easy answers, this one’s for you. Nature of Humans made me squirm—in the best way. It’s bleak, brilliant, and impossible to look away from.

This was an interesting book to say the least. There were lots of things going on between the norms, demons, crazies and what happened along the way. I would say, this book would’ve read a bit smoother had the chapters been shorter. That said, Jacob, a lawyer, his wife Rebecca, a doctor and their daughter Micah lives change in the blink of an eye when the world quite simply implodes around them. Micah was by far the best character, although Carmicle could’ve pursued more into Micah’s character. I was quite surprised at Judith. I loved watching the powers unfold during this journey for survival. Though confusing at times, it was truly all part of the process, POV’s and twists. The premise of people being enveloped by their darkest innermost thoughts and desires were interesting.

Thanks NetGally and the author for the eARC!

I had to DNF after page 110. I could not get into this book. The chapters are very long, there is a lot of jumping around and the characters are boring. From what I did read, there wasn’t much excitement. A father turned demon goes out to play while his wife and daughter are in constant hiding. That’s the story. I wish I could add more, but this just wasn’t good. Perhaps it was leading up to something but I’ll never know.

Maybe in the future I will give this one another go.

ARC Review

It's a two post kind of day! Happy pub day to The Nature of Demons by @jdcarmicle. I went into this blind, as I usually do with most books. I knew that it was horror and that I loved the cover, that's it.

This story follows a small family, Jacob, Rebecca, not Becky, and their daughter Micah. Rebecca is a doctor, Jacob is a lawyer. One day, their entire world changes. Jacob begins to grow horns, and the world goes mad. Some people, norms, don't change at all. Some become demons, like Jacob. Some become crazies who are terrified of the demons. Some undergo other changes and see the light. Whether or not that's a good thing is up in the air.

I had no clue where this story was going, but it ended up having way more heart than I anticipated. I fell in love with this family, Micah being the glue that held them together even in the most trying times. This one was gory, funny, and full of action. I enjoyed the powers that the demons developed and the team dynamic, albeit reluctant at first, when another demon, Judith, joins their journey.

At 339 pages, I would say this was medium paced. There were some spots that lagged, but it never took me out of the story.

+++ Cool and interesting concept

--- I felt like the story was a little long. I felt like there were just some parts of the plot that could be omitted entirely.

A me problem - I did not like the main character. He gave me the ick regardless of the demon inside him. Also why were all the female characters running around in mini skirts and sun dresses (or just underwear) in the apocalypse?

3.25 rounded down to 3 stars. A good concept and strong opening bled into pacing problems and a lacking story.

The world has gone to hell...literally. A good portion of the population at random are overtaken by their innermost demons, manifesting it even outside of their bodies. People sprout horns, tails, weapons for arms, etc. at the middle of it all is a father just trying to keep his wife and daughter safe in this new world; while also harnessing the devil inside.

The opening to this story is confusing but exceptional. There are time jumps you don't understand until the POV changes, but once all the pieces fall into place you're hooked. Piecing the puzzle together between different characters was a real highlight that made you pay attention and take note, even if the most insignificant things. The problem comes about 28% in when the pacing takes a dive and the puzzle disappears as characters spend more and more time apart. By the half way point I was struggling and by 80% I was simply disappointed that so much page space had lead to such an anticlimactic end. The story is left open but I personally won't be revisiting this world. I wouldn't even really call this horror as the gore factor isn't really there and any supernatural elements are withheld and dampened.

3.25 stars simple because the beginning was astonishing. Recommended for readers 15+ for mature content. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jacob Freeman, a devoted husband to Rebecca and father to Micah, wakes to find the world consumed by a sudden supernatural force. As monstrous creatures emerge and people fall into madness, giving in to their darkest desires, society collapses overnight. Jacob begins to change in both body and mind, forcing him to protect his family not just from the horrors outside but from the darkness rising within himself.

I loved the ominous atmosphere of this book - it was dark, chaotic, and grotesquely fascinating as humanity spiraled into its worst instincts. The gory, apocalyptic descent felt like a demonic road trip through the collapse of civilisation, and the way people transformed into monsters was a powerful reflection of inner evil brought to the surface.

The characters were genuinely compelling. At first, I was rooting for Jacob, hoping his humanity would prevail, but as the story unfolded, I began to question whether his actions were shaped by the world around him or if they revealed who he truly was all along.

While Jacob’s role was central, I found myself wanting more from Rebecca. Early on, she was shown as a sharp, capable doctor and fierce protector - a total badass and I loved her perspective. But as the story progressed, she seemed to fade into the background because of other characters in the story, and often only appearing through Jacob’s dismissive perspective. It felt like a missed opportunity to let her shine and to delve deeper into their relationship, especially given her strong potential as a leading character in her own right.

Despite that, the world-building was absolutely stellar - dark, immersive, and full of horrifying wonder. I would love Rebecca to have her own retribution kick-ass story. She deserves it! 4/5

Thanks to Demon Mythos and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

DNFed at 27%

This is the second book I have DNFed in over five years, and it is for the simple reason that I was over a quarter of the way through and was yet to understand what in the world was happening.

The Nature of Demons has an interesting concept, and it is based on this concept that I requested it. In short, we follow Jacob, his wife Rebecca, and their daughter Micah, in the wake of a paranormal apocalypse in which half of the human population has either gone entirely insane or have turned into strange supernaturally-powered beings capable of wielding a ‘Darkness’ inside of them. However, excluding this surface-level premise, the book offered nothing in the way of explanation as to what was happening. Initial interest can only get you so far, and once I began reading the cracks began to show as early on as the first few chapters. The book did not explain why the apocalypse happened, nor offered an answer as to why certain people turned insane / monstrous as a result. I completely understand building suspense, but I was simply not taken enough with what was happening surrounding the apocalypse to wait-out an explanation.

The characters were one-dimensional, and lacked any charisma. Jacob was a complete degenerate, and impossible to root for, and Rebecca and Micah had zero personalities of their own, simply acting as conduits to power Jacob’s ‘character-growth’. I thought we had developed past the need to reduce female characters in horror to empty vessels, but here we are!

The writing was quite poor, and at parts juvenile. The pacing was all over-the-place, at parts so rapid I had whip-lash, and in other parts so slow I felt myself falling asleep.

Overall, The Nature of Demons was mediocre at best, and not something I felt like forcing myself to finish. 2/5 stars.

ARC:

DNF: Chapter 3 - 20%
The chapters felt so long, and I feel like if they were cut down I would have been way more interested in reading it, plus I was slightly confused on what was actually happening.

Goodreads: "Megan’s review of The Nature of Demons | Goodreads" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7681776490
Fable: Check out this review of The Nature of Demons on Fable. https://fable.co/review/29d8aca4-98f0-4e73-a546-a18803547597/share
StoryGraph: megan_r1

What the hell did I just read. I finally finished the book and I have no idea what I just read. It is an apocalyptic horror story about the world being taken over by some kind of dark force but it did not do it for me. It took me too long to get into and even when I did I was not feeling it at all.

The Nature of Demons by J.D. Carmicle

4⭐⭐⭐⭐

A defining moment in my existence hovered. Change was happening, and with it came a type of reckoning never witnessed before. In a similar eerie experience, Jacob Freeman, a lawyer with a demonic side, transforms into a literal, devil-like entity. The neighborhood becomes a playground of hysteria, and “crazies” run wild. I moved silently through the alleyways, averting attention as a means for survival. Peeking in through the living room window, I maniacally looked for satiation. Unbeknownst to me, the Freeman family was packed safely like a tin of sardines down in the basement. Strangely, I moved with an insatiable temptation for havoc and blood. Was I going mad? J.D. Carmicle concocts a special dish. A serrated knife, along its edge, gooey flesh drippings plopping along the seamstress's garment. Apocalyptic in nature, the story imagines what living alongside unleashed evil might look like.

I glanced down at my plate. My rib-eye steak stared back at me, teasing and tempting me in its seductive, flavorful way. Much like this story, there was more meat left on the bone than had first appeared. My guilt flared because I had sold this tale short. At first glance, I assumed the novel was a demonic-possession type of endeavor, and while that certainly piqued my interest, I soon learned I was in store for far more. Mashed together like peas, carrots, and mashed potatoes, the novel’s horrific nature coated my senses with a tasty and horrific-like gravy. I was confused. How were people chosen to be a demon? Seemingly, a past of moral infractions was the cause, although I was never quite sure. I mean, no one is truly exempt from shady activity under a microscope tasked with uncovering our deepest, darkest secrets. A white lie is still a white lie. Beyond Carmicle's devilish angle, a glowing light persists in the form of Jacob’s daughter, Micah. She is the outlier. Her radiance and beauty radiated a sense of deeper understanding and wisdom, belying her young age.

A sense of claustrophobia begins to stir, and Jacob, tasked with the caretaking duties of his “norm” wife and daughter, searches for a better location, one providing answers to what might be happening. Along the road to a greener pasture, as it were, the family encounters another demon who may or may not be of assistance in their fight for survival.

While I thought the plot was solid, I did have my questions. Micah seemed like the strongest character. I began to feel like she could truly fend for herself, and yet that seemed not to take shape. I wanted this little girl to rise and take control, only to be left with what could have been. I considered it a missed opportunity to expound on her character.

Not perfect, but darn entertaining. Godlike abilities infiltrate the normies. A marriage destined to crumble under the weight of a demonic love affair. Can the monsters/humans/crazies coexist in harmony? Tanks, wolves, snakes, wings, and cat-like tails await the reader in a smorgasbord of supernatural goodness.

Many thanks to Demon Mythos for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

Tw: child death, child abuse, cannibalism(ish), implied SA, mentions of child SA, nudity, suicide, death, murder, self harm

Overall this was an interesting read I will say it’s probably more post apocalyptic than horror. There are definitely some gore/ horror aspects but it’s not a “scary” book. Now to get into the spoilers of the story. I feel like Jacob was difficult to like at times especially with his pawning after Judith and thus disrespecting his marriage. Maybe I just have beef with cheating but it was icky to see. Not to mention I felt bad that Judith had a bad life and then was captured again by Jacob. I was glad when he finally let her go. At the end of the book, Rebecca irritated me taking off with Micah and getting them in trouble. I feel like that was resolved rather quickly though which was disappointing and rushed. Side note: what were those dreams he had while poisoned.
Side note: Typo on loc 3674 in chapter 7 Judith says “sut up” instead of “shut up”

Id like to preface this by saying that my middle of the scale rating is due to the fact that post-apocalyptic settings are not my go to reads. but I did pick up this arc because the description of the book and the characters' journey interested me. it definitely held up in that end, the characters' were really interesting to follow regardless of if you liked them or not.
the description of the setting itself was also really good, horrifying as it was intended to be.

the only downside for me was the pacing, but I feel that's a personal preference. I simply went into this book expecting a faster pacing and didn't get that. overall, this is a good book for people looking for an interesting post apocalyptic world and morally ambiguous characters!

I was not a fan of this book. For me, it was a struggle to get through. The book begins after the introduction of the characters with the end of the world occurring. To me, there was excessive violence and gore for what felt like shock value. The reason that the end of the world occurred was never really explained, and that was the only reason why I finished this book. Overall, I felt that the pacing of this book was very slow.

To be honest, the quality of this book does not warrant a more thoughtful review. I would suggest staying away from this book.

I’ll start with honesty: the beginning of The Nature of Demons didn’t click for me at first (I nearly DNF’d). The writing style took a while to settle in, and it took longer than I expected to find my footing in the storyline. Still, something about the premise kept me curious enough to push through.

Once I did, the book revealed a harrowing vision of apocalyptic horror. A supernatural force sweeps the globe in a single night, bathing streets in chaos as people succumb to their darkest impulses. The worldbuilding is rich and disturbingly immersive, graphic, unsettling, and driven by a creeping dread that lingers well after the chapter ends.

Highlights for me included the eerie atmosphere, the tension of survival horror, and the fraught father-daughter relationship oriented around protectiveness. Also, I appreciated the structural choice of ending each chapter with reflections from his daughter Micah, which provided a bittersweet, grounding humanity among the darkness.

The middle dragged with long and slow sections that dulled the momentum. Although the creepiness and gore were well executed, the novel at times felt like a slow burn consumed by excessive detail .

In the end, I landed at a solid 3 stars. I admire the ambition and the emotional core, but the sluggish pacing kept it from being a standout for me.

Still worth a read!