48 pages • 1-hour read
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon
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Background
Genre Context: Romantasy
Romantasy, a combination of the fantasy and romance genres, is rapidly rising in prominence. These tales of romance set within fantastical worlds offer both a magical adventure and a developed romantic arc that ends with a HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now) for the main couple. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, as well as the rest of the Mead Mishaps series, is a part of the romantasy genre. Other popular romantasy books include Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame), Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s Assistant to the Villain series (Assistant to the Villain, Apprentice to the Villain), Bride by Ali Hazelwood, and the work of New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas (including Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses). Romantasy titles often come in a series, either with a different romantic couple fronting each book (as is the case in the Mead Mishaps) or with a single romance arc explored throughout several books (as in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean). Sexual content, sometimes referred to as “spice level,” ranges from light (such as in the first two books of Assistant to the Villain) to heavy. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon plays with kink—or sexual preference that falls outside of conventional or mainstream expressions of intimacy—as a device to blend fantasy tropes with erotic tension, using exaggerated power dynamics and magical circumstances to explore consent, dominance, and pleasure in a heightened, humorous world.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon adheres closely to the heroic quest format of fantasy while featuring a fully explored romance arc between Cinnamon and Fallon and hinting at romantic arcs explored in later installments (such as the lamia Ambros and human Usha). Cinnamon’s aversion to adventures and quests plays into the fantasy elements of the book while her desire to find a partner calls to the romance plot. Thus, Cinnamon developing feelings for and becoming intimate with Fallon along her journey makes her both a fantasy hero and a leading lady as she equally navigates the struggles to destroy Myva’s phylacteries and confess her feelings to Fallon. As a dragon demon, Fallon experiences an instant connection when he finds his romantic partner, which is commonly known as the “fated mates” trope in the romance genre. By having Fallon immediately recognize Cinnamon as his mate and subtly pull her toward him, Fallon is also a morally gray romantic interest. However, since Cinnamon ultimately acknowledges the morally questionable motivations behind his actions and chooses to love him anyway, she offers a positive message about accepting love on her own terms.
Socio-Cultural Context: Humanity and Rights
Set in a fantastical world of magic, curses, and mythical beings, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon uses its fantasy setting to reflect real-world concerns about power, marginalization, and systemic injustice. The novel may be irreverent and humorous in tone, but it also asks serious questions about how societies define monstrosity, who holds the power to grant or strip autonomy, and what it takes to dismantle systems of exploitation. Through this lens, the book encourages readers to reflect on broader issues of freedom, consent, and allyship.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon deals with issues of enslavement and the stripping of rights by those with power. Within the book, demons are seen as monstrous creatures, though it is later learned that they act this way because they were cursed by a powerful lich sorceress who used them to ensure loyalty from humans. Further, this has led to places like the city of Wandermere to view demons as property, which allows humans to abuse demons for their own gain. Myva’s greater power over the demons creates a divide in society and shows what happens when power is abused. Much like with the quest overall, Cinnamon unwittingly finds herself becoming an advocate for demons as she works to free them from the control exerted over them by both humans and Myva. Since the book ends with Myva’s curse being broken, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon offers context for the breaking down of oppressive power dynamics to show what must happen before all groups can enjoy the same quality of life. Cinnamon’s role in helping demons also promotes how those with some power can help those without it and offer protection while the fight is ongoing.
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