Is 'Devil Daddy' A Romance Or Dark Fantasy Novel?

I've seen debates about 'Devil Daddy' floating around, and here's my take: it's a dark fantasy with romance elements, not the other way around. The world-building screams dark fantasy—demonic realms, blood rituals, and a protagonist who's literally the Devil's heir. The romance exists, sure, but it's woven into the brutality. The love interest isn't some sweetheart; she's a necromancer who collects skulls. Their chemistry? More like twisted obsession than candlelit dinners. The novel spends way more time on power struggles and gore than heart-fluttering moments. If you want pure romance, try 'Bride of the Shadow King'. But if you crave a story where love blooms in a graveyard, this is your pick.

As someone who binge-read 'Devil Daddy' twice, I can confirm it straddles both genres but leans heavily into dark fantasy. The romance is there, but it's subservient to the overarching narrative of cosmic horror and moral decay. The protagonist isn't your typical romantic lead—he's a half-demon warlord who decimates armies before breakfast. His relationship with the female lead is less about flowers and more about mutual destruction. She’s his equal in cruelty, and their bond forms through shared atrocities rather than tender moments.

The dark fantasy elements are meticulously crafted. The author doesn’t shy away from graphic descriptions of hellscapes or the psychological toll of immortality. There’s a chapter where the protagonist carves his initials into a rival’s soul—that’s not romance territory. Even the ‘sweet’ moments are laced with poison, like when he gifts her a necklace made from his enemies’ teeth. For fans of similar tones, ‘The Scholomance’ series nails this balance better.

What makes it stand out is how the romance doesn’t soften the story. Most hybrids dilute their dark aspects for love triangles or redemption arcs. Not here. The ending is bleak, beautiful, and definitively dark fantasy.

Calling 'Devil Daddy' a romance is like calling a chainsaw a kitchen tool—technically possible, but missing the point. This novel is dark fantasy with romance as a seasoning, not the main course. The love story exists to heighten the stakes, not to provide escapism. When the male lead whispers ‘I’d burn heaven for you,’ he means it literally—he later incinerates an angelic city.

The dark fantasy elements are visceral. There’s body horror (characters morphing into eldritch abominations), political intrigue (demon court betrayals), and philosophical undertones about free will. The romance serves these themes. His love for her isn’t redemptive; it’s destructive. She doesn’t ‘fix’ him; she amplifies his monstrous traits. Their most intimate scene involves sharing blood while torturing a traitor.

For readers who prefer dark fantasy with emotional depth, ‘The Nevernight Chronicle’ is a better fit. ‘Devil Daddy’ is for those who want love stories where ‘happily ever after’ might involve ruling the underworld over a mountain of corpses.