In the crowded world of paranormal romance, it takes a special kind of bad to stand out—and Demanding Discord rises from the digital ashes like a phoenix made entirely of stock photos, poor lighting decisions, and an overwhelming scent of Axe body spray.
Let’s start with the couple front and center: the Fire Witches of Salem, apparently summoned from a plastic rendering machine. Our heroine has the expression of someone halfway through a protein bar she’s not enjoying, and our brooding fire conjurer looks like he’s been digitally sculpted from a fitness influencer’s torso and a daytime soap actor’s head. Their chemistry is about as hot as a damp matchbook.
And then there’s the lighting. Or more accurately, the absolute absence of logic surrounding it. He’s glowing from the flames in his hand, but she’s lit like she’s in a Sephora ad shot on a cloudy day. No consistent source, no shadows, just two models floating in a fiery hellscape like they lost the exit to Spirit Halloween.
Speaking of fire, let’s talk about the flame effects—because they’re not so much effects as they are spicy clipart. The embers are everywhere. They’re on the ground. They’re in the air. They’re possibly in her pants. It’s unclear what’s burning, but the whole scene looks like it was created in a “Flame Overlay: Vol. 2” template pack that came with a YouTube tutorial titled Make Anything Look Magical (Poorly).
The setting is a molten fever dream of Gothic ruins, with architecture that seems to have been chosen by throwing darts at a “Generic Backgrounds” folder. One torch blazes inexplicably next to a single broken column, while the rest of the space burns in ambiguity. Are they on a lava planet? A cursed medieval Tinder date? No one knows. Certainly not the fireproof leather pants she’s rocking.
But wait—it gets better. The typography. “DEMANDING DISCORD” is styled in a font that looks like it auditioned for a role in Charmed and was cut for being too dramatic. Beveled to death and slapped with a glowing pentagram inside the “O,” the title is almost readable if you tilt your head, squint, and offer a blood sacrifice. Below it, “FIRE WITCHES OF SALEM” is in a completely different typeface like it wandered in from another series and decided to stay. Zero cohesion. Max confusion.
Even the author’s name feels like it’s bracing itself for impact—jammed at the top in all caps, floating awkwardly above this supernatural dumpster fire like it wants out.
Final verdict? Demanding Discord demands many things—respect, coherence, a functioning lighting model—but achieves none. It’s not so much a book cover as it is a graphic design group project gone rogue during Mercury retrograde.
Put this one in a pentagram and seal it shut. Or better yet—just let it burn.