I received this book for free from the Publicist in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman Published by MIRA on August 11 2026
Genres: Adult, Horror Romance
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: Publicist
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The nitty-gritty: Horror and romance combine in some interesting ways in Devil Inside, a dark but oddly sweet demonic possession tale.
“I like it here. Inside you. I think I might stay for a while.”
In his latest horror novel, Clay McLeod Chapman takes the idea of demonic possession and turns it into a love story, and while that might sound crazy, I have to say it really worked for me. Devil Inside is also very restrained for the author (his last few books have been off the charts bonkers!), which is probably another reason I enjoyed it so much.
Jordan is a bike courier, braving the city traffic to pick up and deliver packages as quickly as possible. He’s had his fair share of bike related injuries over the years, but his latest is by far the worst. After running a red light in order to to get to a delivery on time, Jordan is hit by a car and ends up in a coma. When he wakes up in the hospital, he’s told he was official dead for two minutes.
Fast forward a year, and Jordan has recovered from his ordeal, at least physically. Mentally, he’s not so sure. He feels empty inside, and he’s having weird nightmares. One evening at a bar, he meets a mysterious woman named Lilith and there’s an instant attraction between the two. There’s something about Lilith that draws him in, and before long Jordan realizes he’s become obsessed.
But Lilith isn’t an ordinary woman, and she wants something from Jordan he’s not willing to give her.
I don’t think it’s a spoiler to tell you that Lilith is a demon, and in order to exist on the mortal plane, she must inhabit a human body. Part of the fun of this story is watching Lilith jump from person to person, which gets confusing when Jordan tries to find her, since she can’t stay in any one body for too long. I think one of the points Chapman is making is that it shouldn’t matter what a person looks like on the outside—it’s what’s inside that’s important. The fact that the woman Jordan thinks is Lilith is only a “vessel” is a concept that takes him a while to come to terms with.
Although there really isn’t much of a plot to Devil Inside other than what I’ve already talked about, the very strange relationship between Jordan and Lilith was the main draw for me. Yes, the story is horrific at times. Lilith is possessing people without their knowledge (although supposedly she whispers in their mind “let me in” before jumping in), taking over their bodies and minds, and doing whatever the hell she wants to before leaving. There are also a few chapters with random characters who seem to be possessed (whether by Lilith or another demon, it isn’t clear). Some of these turn extremely violent, and while I liked these extra bits of horror, I didn’t quite see how they fit into the rest of the story.
The main attraction is the very dark love story between the two main characters. Both are nicely developed and their personalities seem to complement each other. Lilith compares each vessel she enters to a different type of wine, and I thought that was a clever way of summing up a person’s essence. She’s also evil in the sense that she doesn’t care for the people she inhabits, she only wants to have a good time. Jordan is more of a tortured soul, permanently changed by his accident, and Lilith seems to fill a hole inside him. Their odd relationship is a constant thread throughout the story, and all the other elements revolve around it.
Lots of reviewers are talking about the lack of consent (or very dubious consent) in the story. Jordan makes a point of insisting that Lilith not possess him, so at least he’s aware of her antics (although you’ll have to read the book to see if Lilith sticks to her promise). One of the more shocking elements happens to Cara, the woman Lilith is possessing when she first meets Jordan. She and Jordan have sex, and you can see where this is going. Honestly, it didn’t bother me too much. This is horror, after all, and non consensual sex falls under the category of “horror” for sure. But it’s something to be aware of, and obviously many readers will react differently than I did.
Despite the darker themes, the story has some very sweet, romantic moments, which I was not expecting. I really wanted their relationship to work out, although I couldn’t figure out how they could stay together long term. Luckily, Chapman did, and I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Devil Inside won’t be for everyone, but Clay McLeod Chapman fans will no doubt love it.
Big thanks to Kaye Publicity and the publisher for providing a review copy. Above quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.
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