A review by betweentheshelves
The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa

adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

After getting a taste of what human life has to offer, Dami is on a quest to cancel every deal they’ve ever made as a demon. Once they do so, they’ll be able to taste, feel, smell, and everything else that comes with truly living. However, there’s only one person sitting in their way: Silas Cain.

Cursed to die young, Silas made a deal with Dami that he wouldn’t truly die until he was ready. Unfortunately, that means that Silas has been dying over and over again. In order to break the curse, Dami and Silas must find Captain Kidd’s treasure and return it to his grave. But will they be able to survive the journey to get the treasure in the first place? 
 
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of The Diablo’s Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa to review! Novoa burst onto the YA fantasy scene last year with The Wicked Bargain, and he has been on my radar ever since.

This book is technically a companion to The Wicked Bargain; I wouldn’t necessarily call it a sequel because it technically centers different characters. For the most part, I do think this book stands on its own, but you will get spoilers for The Wicked Bargain if you read this one first. And you’ll miss a lot of Dami’s background with El Diablo.

Anyway! I loved this one just as much as I loved Novoa’s first book. What Novoa is great at is writing these characters you truly care about, working against what seem like impossible odds. These adventure stories center queer characters, of all kinds. Dami and Silas were excellent, and we get a third treasure hunter in Marisol. I would definitely read more of their adventures together!

My only complaint is that sometimes, the points of view change without warning, which is a bit disorienting. I wanted that to be a little more clearly outlined. Despite that, Novoa builds well on the world built in the first book, introducing some new magic and new characters. 

All in all, if you’re looking for a treasure hunting adventure fantasy centering queer characters, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up in February! 

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