Demons and Diplomacy

Megan Frampton just released her new novel, Demons and Diplomacy, the first in her Ministry of Supernatural Affairs series. Set in 1851, it’s an alternate Victorian era England following the “Great Revelation.” Supernatural beings live among us, and in fact, Queen Victoria is a vampire. With so many species now openly living together, a new job opened up: Species Ombudsman, meant to smooth over interactions between differing beings. Cora Hastings is the only ombudsman so far, and her latest assignment is to help the Devil and his entourage (including his hot demon son, Marcellus, the Marquis of Hell) during their month-long stay in London. But someone doesn’t want demons in town, and Cora and Marcellus must figure out who’s instigating the attacks. Their attraction to each other only further complicates what should have been a straightforward assignment.

What I Liked:

• The whole premise. I love books about demons, and I’m enjoying the new rise in historical romances with a supernatural bent. That Cora has a job specifically meant to help the different species co-exist more peacefully is absolutely perfect! The setup for this was smart and fun, and I liked seeing Cora get to know her unexpected new charges… especially the Devil’s irresistible son, Marcellus.
• Blending work and pleasure. Look, it’s usually frowned upon to engage in romantic entanglements while working within a professional capacity. But Cora and Marcellus don’t waste much time in confessing their mutual interest in each other. Theirs is a quick, no-fuss romance, and only encouraged by Cora’s roommates/friends. The bigger issue is what to do when the four-week trip is over. Can a long-distance relationship work between them? Is it what either one of them wants?
• Promoting understanding and acceptance of beings different from you. In between chapters are excerpts from the “Incomplete Guide to Navigating Supernatural Species in the Post-Revelation World.” Though brief and often humorous in nature, they actually end up having important lessons woven in. These words are applicable in our real lives, too. We should all love and respect people for who they are, even if they’re different from you.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Humor style. The entirety of Demons and Diplomacy is written with a particular style of humor, and while it will likely work for many, it wasn’t my cup of tea. For me, it was somewhat distracting and slowed down the overall pace of the book.
• Ending was rushed. By contrast to the above point, the book came to a rather abrupt end. The reveals and solutions came so easily, and it ultimately felt kind of anticlimactic.

Final Thoughts

Demons and Diplomacy is a fun and quirky book for fans of the Victorian era, supernatural beings thrown into the mix, and a healthy mix of mystery and romance. I will look out for the next book in the Ministry of Supernatural Affairs series.

Special thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Demons and Diplomacy here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Title by Megan Frampton
Series	Ministry of Supernatural Affairs (#1)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Paranormal Romance
Setting	England
Number of Pages	352
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	August 25, 2026
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

A tantalizing pact between an ordinary woman and the silver-tongued son of the Devil is all that stands between Britain—and all hell breaking loose.

1851, London. All supernatural species have emerged from hiding, a result of The Great Revelation, led by Her Majesty, the vampiric Queen Victoria, and her dhamphir consort, Prince Albert.

Cora Hastings is the British government’s Species Ombudsman, a human tasked with keeping the peace between supernatural creatures. It’s run-of-the-mill work: enforcing the newly created shifting parameters, negotiating contracts between species, and generally making certain all Londoners are treated equally.

That is, until the Devil himself decides he wants to leave his hellish home and see the results of Prince Albert’s greatest accomplishment, the Great Exhibition. His arrival could upset the uneasy peace between creatures, and worse—he’s brought his son.

The Marquis of Hell is diabolically good-looking, unnaturally perceptive, and, well, a demon. Cora navigates her sinfully seductive diplomatic assignment as best she can, until she catches wind of a secret conspiracy set to come to fruition at the opening of the Great Exhibition. This leaves her with an impossible choice: Either Cora enters an unholy alliance with the Devil’s son, or she watches as her world is torn asunder….