The Demon of Beausoleil
The Demon of BeausoleilCartoonist: Mari Costa
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date: January 2026
In the kingdom of Angissravner, some children are born touched by demons, with horns, tails, and all the ostracization such features might bring in an all-human society. These children, called Cambions, are usually killed as soon as they’re identified. But Helianthes, the second child of a noble family, is allowed to grow to adulthood, convinced by the people around him that he’s a blight, an aberration, and cursing men to be uncontrollably attracted to his demonic energy. When his sister’s fiance succumbs to Helianthes’s charms, he’s disowned, assigned a bodyguard (a taciturn man named Elias) to keep him from doing anything too foolhardy, and forced to find out how to survive on his own. Thus begins Helianthes and Elias’s freelance demon-hunting career, a job that takes advantage of both of their strengths.
Elias is an ordinary guy tasked to protect Helianthes from humans, not demons, and he’s never afraid to call Helianthes out for being a “fucking bellend.” Elias standing up to Helianthes instead of trying to appease him catches Helianthes’s attention, making him Helianthes’s favorite of a long line of short-lived bodyguards. Their dynamic recalls a relationship dynamic often found in fanfiction, not exactly grumpy/sunshine but more stoic/flamboyant, like some interpretations of Holmes and Watson. Costa makes clear both Elias and Helianthes’s misconceptions about love and each other, and then uses the high-stakes demon-fighting situations they find themselves in to clear up those misconceptions and develop their characters more effectively than many romance novels. Their banter is top-notch, and Costa has a great sense for comedic timing and pacing.
There is some sexual content in Beausoleil, but it’s not explicit or particularly titillating in nature. Helianthes is perceived by the men around him as a shameless seducer, and he wields his sexuality as a weapon on multiple occasions. The duo exorcises a brothel, a church, and a party, all of which are connected to Helianthes’s evil ex-boyfriend, and all of which lead to erotically charged encounters between the demon-fighters, the demons, and their helpless human thralls. It’s definitely not for children, but I wouldn’t classify it as erotica either. 
Costa’s animation background comes through in the clean lines and expressive character acting in this comic. The fictional kingdom appears vaguely Western European, but the environments are minimal and sparsely detailed, providing just enough information to set the scene and no more. The comic is colored in pinkish sepia tones with the occasional pop of red to indicate demonic activity, creating a warm, harmonious color palette that adds to the historical feeling. Her paneling is very straightforward, likewise recalling storyboards for animation as it seamlessly moves the story along while still keeping the reader at a slight distance. I think my only issue with it is sometimes it feels a little too smooth and slick, too desaturated, and that makes some of the sensual scenes feel more detached. I also wish there was a little more visual contrast in the shading.
The Oni Press edition of this book collects about forty pages of bonus stories and illustrations in addition to the main story. The bonus stories are definitely an essential part of the story of Helianthes and Elias, and I think they could have been more integrated into the main narrative somehow.
Despite these minor quibbles, The Demon of Beausoleil is a very competent fantasy-romance graphic novel, with very appealing protagonists and a fun story that propels them into the relationship they didn’t know they needed. Printing The Demon of Beausoleil now that “spicy romantasy” is having a moment was a stroke of genius on the part of Oni Press, as it reminds me a lot of the trending prose novels on book-reading social media right now and could be the perfect book for bookstagrammers and booktokers curious about graphic novels. Fans of books like Maiga Doocy’s Sorcery and Small Magics or Freya Marske’s A Power Unbound would love The Demon of Beausoleil.
The Demon of Beausoleil is out this month via Oni Press
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