This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Alissa Deann for Readers' Favorite
The Devil Drinks Monsoons by SueBird Sparrow is a well-written novel that follows Richard, an investigator in New Orleans who works as a private vigilante to get rid of bad guys in society. His life is closely linked to Molly, a former journalist who was blinded after an accident, and Candi, a street worker whose warnings are constantly dismissed. One day, Molly is brutally attacked and hurt, and while Richard tries to find the attacker and take revenge, he goes too far and causes more problems. His actions draw the attention of secret, powerful beings in the city, like Miriam, a powerful voodoo priestess; Jeanne, a sanguinarian who owns an antique shop; and her associate, David. As the conflict continues to escalate, Richard has to face the evil that Candi had been warning him about, leading him to make a difficult decision to save the person he wants to protect the most.
One of the things that stood out to me was the world-building. The way Sparrow described the settings and the humid, tense, and dark atmosphere of New Orleans made the city feel real and alive. Richard kept learning from his mistakes and struggled with his strict ideas of right, wrong, and justice as he started to meet good people in his life. The character development was a big highlight for me; they felt natural, and the supernatural beings gave a dark aura that made this feel like a horror novel. I also enjoyed the secondary characters; they made the plot more grounded. The writing style is very detailed. The pacing is fast and flows seamlessly. I loved how the narrative shifted between the past and the present. It showed how evil is something that grows over time, feeding on both history and memory. I recommend The Devil Drinks Monsoons by SueBird Sparrow to lovers of dark thrillers with crime, horror, and supernatural mysteries.
