The Shadow Imp Books in Order

The Shadow Imp series takes the HellBeast's world and flips it on its head by handing the narrative to a creature who was never meant to be important. The heroine is an imp, a minor demon from the bottom rung of Hell's hierarchy, whose talent for mischief has finally caught up with her. Instead of finishing her hundred year sentence quietly, she earns herself a punishment that no soul has ever survived.

In Imp And The Beast that punishment looks like death. She is dragged in chains to the most dangerous creature in Hell, a Beast so terrifying that even the Devil has nightmares about him. Everyone expects her to be torn apart. Instead, the Beast takes one look at this mouthy little imp and decides he is keeping her. What follows is a sharp, foul mouthed and unexpectedly sweet clash between a tiny troublemaker and the monster who should have eaten her.

Trapped together, they carve out a new life that sits somewhere between captivity and partnership. The Beast, known as Abaddon, is used to fear, not backchat. The imp is used to being overlooked, not treasured. Their odd bond draws unwanted attention from the rulers of Hell, who quickly realise that she might be the only one who can influence the Beast. Using her as leverage becomes the obvious move.

Beast And The Imp takes that setup and blows it wide open. An early release from prison, meddling by the Devil and a world that suddenly depends on finding a mortal strong enough to host the Beast set the stakes. Hell itself is in danger of being torn apart by Abaddon's rage as he searches for the imp who has slipped through his claws. Our heroine, meanwhile, is facing an impossible choice between saving worlds and saving the man she has somehow made fall in love with her.

The tone of the Shadow Imp books is pure dark fun. They are packed with sarcastic asides, running jokes and a heroine who refuses to stop talking even when silence would be safer. Yet underneath the humour there are big questions about free will, the value placed on small lives and whether a creature built for destruction can choose a different path.

For readers who enjoyed the HellBeast books but wanted more banter and a slightly less overwhelming hero, this series is a perfect companion. It plays in the same sandpit of Hell, deals with many of the same threats and rules, but views it all from the perspective of the smallest demon in the room.