Welcome back to The Brave Bookshelf, where we highlight books that take risks, crack open big questions, and linger long after the last page. Today Kim reviews Soul of a Gentleman Witch by David Ferraro—a queer gothic fantasy wrapped in devil’s bargains, eternal youth, and a single impossible moral choice.
Our witch in question is Calum—perpetually seventeen, bound to Lucifer, collecting souls to pay off his own. When his final task involves transporting kind, gentle Augustus “Augie” across the ocean before a blood moon, the story pivots from simple assignment to existential nightmare. If Augie never sold his soul, then Calum’s freedom demands a terrible price: sacrifice innocence or lose everything he’s fought for.
Kim explores how the novel blends classic gothic atmosphere (immortality as curse, power with strings attached) with queer fantasy traditions centered on characters who exist between identities, worlds, and moral absolutes. Instead of shock-horror, it delivers emotional reckoning—asking not just What would you do? but Who are you willing to become?
Along the way Kim digs into community commentary from Goodreads & NetGalley readers: the action pacing that never lets up, the light-but-sweet romance, the cozy humor, and the mismatched expectations for readers searching for something spicier. The result is a fascinating snapshot of how genre, romance expectations, and reader preference collide.
If you’re into witches, demons, angels, saints, alchemists, moral gray zones, or stories that prioritize heart over heat, Soul of a Gentleman Witch deserves your attention. And if you’ve already read it—whether you adored it or had notes—Kim invites you to join the discussion below in the comments.
Read brave. Stay curious. See you on the shelf.
This book review is a part of a book tour made possible through Toppling Stacks Tours.
About the book:
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publishing date: January 20, 2026
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Rep: Gay, LGBT+
Synopsis:
Perpetually seventeen, Callum the witch has been in the service of Lucifer, collecting souls, as his own soul is indebted to the devil until he completes 666 tasks for him.
Summoned to Hell on assignment, Lucifer tells Callum that completing his next task will wipe the remaining tasks from his ledger and he will return Callum’s soul to him upon completion. All Callum must do is ensure his latest charge, Augustus, makes it from London to America, by the next blood moon.
As they journey across the sea, Callum grows to care for Augustus “Auggie”. Auggie seems unlike any mark Callum has ever been charged with and Callum wonders why such a noble boy would sell his soul to the devil.
Upon reaching New York, Callum discovers that Auggie never sold his soul to the devil at all but is an innocent. But is Callum willing to forfeit his own freedom to save Auggie?
Meet the author:
David Ferraro grew up in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where he was raised on a steady diet of comic books, horror movies and YA novels. He graduated with a B.A. in English and creative writing from St. Cloud State University, and currently resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his partner and a very spoiled tortoise. He is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. His debut “The Alchemy of Moonlight” came out from Page Street YA on May 30th, 2023. A second novel, “A Vile Season,” came out in Fall 2024.
