My Review
I've just finished this book and I'm absolutely shattered in the most delicious way possible. You know that feeling when you discover a story that just consumes your entire being? That's what this one did to me. I literally called in "sick" to my herbalist apprenticeship just so I could finish it (sorry not sorry, Master Thimblethorn).
The way this author writes about love and found family just destroyed me. I mean, Darien and Loren's relationship? It's the kind of epic love story that makes you believe in soulmates, the type where one person would literally crawl through glass for the other. And don't even get me started on the magic system - it's so intricate and unique that it made my own modest magical abilities feel positively mundane in comparison.
What really got me was how raw and honest the book is about grief and anxiety. As someone who lost my own parents to a rogue enchantment gone wrong, seeing characters deal with similar emotional struggles in such an authentic way was both painful and healing. The author doesn't shy away from the messy parts of healing, and I deeply appreciated that.
I will say the pacing sometimes felt a bit uneven, and there were moments where the writing got a touch repetitive, especially when describing the main characters' feelings for each other. Also, at over 900 pages, it's not exactly a quick read - I went through three entire candles trying to finish it!
But honestly? Those are minor quibbles compared to how this book made me feel. The world-building is phenomenal, the character development is *chef's kiss*, and the spicy scenes? Well, let's just say I had to fan myself with my grimoire more than once.
My verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves urban fantasy with deep emotional core and doesn't mind having their heart absolutely wrecked in the best possible way. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stare at my ceiling and process all these feelings.
*wipes tears with enchanted handkerchief*
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Book Description
In the sequel to City of Gods and Monsters, Loren Calla and Darien Cassel have settled back into their old routines, grateful that the whirlwind of dangers they’d faced on Kalendae and the weeks leading up to it are now behind them—or so they think.
But Loren soon finds herself caught in a new storm of trouble when the Terran Imperator blackmails her into working for him. There’s only one problem: he expects her to use her magic, and she doesn’t seem to have any of it left. To keep Darien and the other Devils safe, she agrees to everything the imperator asks of her. But the secrets she is forced to keep from Darien, and her involvement with the imperator’s son, threaten to drive her away from Darien in ways she might never recover from…
As Randal Slade’s successor, Darien wants nothing to do with the throne his father once sat in, but the city of Angelthene has other plans. The Magical Protections Unit asks for his help in taking down the illegal arms trade his father once dabbled in, and to do that Darien must claim his place at the top of the tiers of Darkslayers—a crown the other circles are willing to kill to possess. As he spirals deeper into the secrets his father kept, he makes enemies of friends and friends of enemies—and finds himself buried so deep in Angelthene’s underbelly that he is uncertain he’ll ever get out of it. And if that wasn’t enough, Darien fears he is going crazy when he starts to see creatures that only he can see…
Return to Angelthene in City of Souls and Sinners, a gripping, action-packed tale that tackles themes of love and loss, light and darkness, and the battle between good and evil—and what happens when you can’t tell which is which.
Please note: This book contains darker content that might not be suitable for some readers, including violence, mature language, detailed sex scenes, drug abuse/drug addiction, bullying, domestic violence and child abuse (shown in flashbacks), sexual harassment, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and discussion of suicide.

Kayla is the author of the House of Devils series—City of Gods and Monsters, City of Souls and Sinners, City of Lies and Legends, and City of Smoke and Brimstone. She is also the author of the upper-YA romantasy novel, Dreams of Ice and Iron. She started writing City of Gods and Monsters when she was in high school, so the characters and the world they live in are very close to her heart. When she isn't writing, she enjoys traveling, spending time in nature, and binge-watching her favorite television shows with her husband. To ensure you don’t miss out on future releases, follow her on Instagram, Amazon, and BookBub @kaylaedwardsauthor.
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