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House of Earth and Blood: Crescent City, Book 1
Sarah J. Maas
4.7
The Deer and the Dragon (No Other Gods, 1)
by Piper CJ
Published May 7, 2024
Categories
About this book
Marlow lives a life defined by the thin, terrifying veil between reality and the supernatural. Haunted by a dark, persistent entity she has long dismissed as a manifestation of her own failing sanity, she prefers to keep her distance from the world of myth. However, her carefully constructed isolation shatters when a Nordic fae reveals a devastating truth: the shadow that has occupied her life—and her bed—is none other than the Prince of Hell, and he has suddenly vanished.
Thrust into the crosshairs of a clandestine, centuries-old war, Marlow finds herself navigating a dangerous landscape where ancient pantheons collide. She is no longer just a bystander; she is the centerpiece of a struggle for cosmic control. As she tracks the missing Prince, she must reconcile her complicated, intimate history with a being who is both her protector and a primordial threat.
Amidst the chaos of warring deities and shifting allegiances, Marlow discovers that the line between human and monster is thinner than she ever imagined. With the fate of worlds hanging in the balance, she must decide if the love she never dared to claim is worth the price of the chaos it invites.
Available Formats
Kindle: $9.99 Paperback: $10.19
What readers are saying
Amity MorganMythic, dark, and beautifully unhinged
"The Deer and the Dragon is not a gentle fantasy—it’s feral, symbolic, and dripping with atmosphere. This book leans hard into pagan mythology, power dynamics, and devotion that borders on obsession. It feels ancient and dangerous in the best way, like a story you weren’t meant to overhear. The writing is lush and deliberate, heavy on mood and meaning. Characters feel more like forces of nature than people, which fits the story perfectly. It’s slow in places, but intentional—this isn’t about speed, it’s about tension, control, and transformation. If you like dark fantasy with religious undertones, morally gray gods, and a story that trusts you to keep up, this one hits. Strange, intense, and unforgettable. Not for everyone—but if it’s for you, it really is. ["
December 24, 2025 Verified Purchase
A JamesMain Character is Detestable; The rest is quite good!
"This book is well written and the overall premise is interesting. The supporting characters are really interesting and have a lot of life. The details of the settings are well crafted and the worldbuilding is satisfying. The main character is absolutely awful, though. I find myself hating her. I keep waiting for her to be redeemed, but with fewer than a hundred pages left, she is still unbelievably clueless and insensitive. *Spoilers begin here* She is unrelatable, entitled, and spoiled - things I wouldn't expect from a character with a rough backstory like hers. She reportedly grew up in poverty with an abusive parent but is completely unable to tolerate not getting her way; she claims to be able to slip into various personae, but they all read as "rich girl" who doesn't have a clue - she is meant to be powerful when in these personae, which maybe entitlement is a type of power? But not one to be admired. She is also supposed to be a master manipulator from her time as a high dollar escort, however her manipulation abilities seem limited to pouting and showing her breasts; I would think that she should be an empath who knows how to read people and situations and can twist them to her benefit, but nope. She is totally unaware of her surroundings and has pretty bad social skills. The other characters are somtimes impressed by her, even though they are literally immortal beings... I just don't believe her. I find no joy in reading her. If the author pushed the main character to the background of this story line and instead wrote a stories focused through the eyes of one of the Fae, it would be more interesting - Az has so much potential for his own story, and Mar could be one of his pet projects. Or, a story from the Prince's view on the conflict with Heaven and what exactly he finds so intoxicating about Mar... I just need a reason to like her. I probably won't continue with the series because she is awful. She is so unlikeable that I feel like it is intentional on the author's part - because the author obviously knows how to write likeable characters. However, I think it backfires, because Mar has literally no talents of her own (her Demon consort has pulled enough strings that she is famous and wealthy... who knows if she actually earned any of that), her problem solving skills seem limited to begging for help or buying expensive costumes, and her ability to comprehend oral contracts is unbelievably limited - I get that she fell into the trap of making an agreement she didn't understand, but why is she so surprised when someone explains it to her (I mean, the character is supposed to be an expert on mythology, she should know this and she certainly should not be surprised by it once told)?! I can't wrap my head around reading a story through the eyes of a character who is essentially an overgrown child who cannot handle adversity AND is also an intensely interesting and beloved entity that the Prince of Hell finds in every cycle of reincarnation. If I, a mortal human, cannot like her, how am I supposed to believe that an ageless and timeless creature with command over an entire Demon kingdom would think about her even once, let alone for eons? Unless I am meant to believe that the Prince of Hell enjoys a wildly unbalanced power structure in which he has to take care of his beloved, clueless, crybaby... in which case, that is not eternal love, but control, and now I don't like him either! I want more from this author... just not more Marlow. I might try some of her other work. ["
October 17, 2024 Verified Purchase
Christina RMy Favorite Modern Mythology Fiction!
"Piper CJ does it again. She has completely hooked me with this book. I could not put it down. I was lucky enough to get an ARC audiobook from NetGalley. I had been eagerly anticipating Piper's 2nd series. Piper writes beautiful and vivid prose that makes me want to live in every world she creates. She uses wonderfully descriptive language to completely immerse readers into Marlow's world. The characters are complex, flawed, and lovable. The plot is the perfect mix of levity and joy with heart-wrenching and tense moments. Piper does an amazing job weaving mythology with the story. I can't wait to learn more about the pantheons in future books. I'm also looking forward to spending more time with all the characters and I'm so glad this is a series. Piper is so intentional with her foreshadowing. The Deer and The Dragon is full of delightful breadcrumbs. Piper excellently sets up the series and the ending had me on the edge of my seat. Luna Rey was also an amazing narrator. She powerfully captures the emotion of each scene. And she makes each character sound distinct. If you are a lover of romatacy, I highly recommend The Deer and The Dragon. This is the best modern fantasy/mythology book I've read. This is a book that I plan to reread over and over, including as soon as I am finished with this review. See you in hell! ["
May 8, 2024 Verified Purchase
RhysIt's an uncomfortable read
"Marlow was not my usual type for a FMC and this is definitely not a typical romantasy. I do prefer a lead with a bit more physicality to her and I would have liked a liiiiiiiiittle more relationship building through show versus tell betweem Marlow and Caliban. But despite those personal preferences, this book was very brilliantly written in tackling some very complex subjects and the weaving of different belief systems was well done to the point that before I was all the way done reading it I was sending copies as random presents to a couple of besties. I cannot wait for the next installment as I'm very much invested in the story and all of the characters. The only real gripe I have (and it's not enough to make me knock it down a star) is that Marlow needs to dock EG's pay or something because there are typos about every 30 pages or so...enough so that I almost began to wonder if you put all the typo words together if it will form a secret code or its own story. ["
May 12, 2024 Verified Purchase
