Dark Wings

Rite World: Fallen Angel #1

by Juliana Haygert

I made a deal with the devil …

What kind of angel doesn’t have her wings, her sword, and her magic? Oh, right … the me kind. These days, I'm practically just another human.

The hurt of not being a true angel is too much, so I come up with a brilliant I summon an evil wish-granting demon and trap him in a witch's circle. The price for his ticket out? My wings and my magic.

But, surprise, the ritual goes haywire and now this devil is bound to me! Furious but shackled by the spell, the demon reluctantly agrees to help me get my wings back, then we figure out how to break the bond, preferably without driving each other crazy.

Remember what they say about best-laid plans? Buckle up because this ride is getting bumpy, and our odd partnership? It's heating up.

DARK WINGS is a scorching paranormal romance set in Juliana Haygert’s enigmatic Rite World, where love defies heaven and hell. Magic and desire collide in this action-packed steamy urban fantasy novel, leaving readers breathless and desperate for more!

17+

Rite Fallen Angel

Dark Wings (Book 1)

Light Magic (Book 2)

Fallen Demon (Book 3)

Wicked Angel (Book 4)

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal, Demons, Romantasy

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2024

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. She resides in North Carolina and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Want to know about announcement, events, cover reveals, and other fun stuff related to my writing and my books? Sign up for my newsletter: bit.ly/JuHNL

Reviews

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Reads #677/250
3.75⭐️

Read for the Sights of Sweden Challenge 2024-2025
September 20, 2024 - January 10, 2025

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[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ariella is an angel who’s not an angel. On a mission gone wrong she lost her wings, her sword and her magic. Now she’s hunted by her kind and desperation leads her to a spell and a demon who grants wishes. If only fixing things were that simple. The spell goes a bit wrong and the angel and demon are bound together, to undo it they have to find her wings, the demon who stole them and avoid getting caught. No big. Buckle up it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
What an amazing beginning to this new series! I loved the cameos! This is full of action, magic, spice and so much more. Fantastic read!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[chesirern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Wings (Rite World: Fallen Angel Book1) by Juliana Haygert is a paranormal romance novel. This book and series is a part of the author‘s Rite World Series. Juliana Haygert does an excellent job of character development and moving them forward throughout the story. The plot was fantastic in this novel. I really enjoyed the entire story line. I could not put it down from beginning to end.
Ariella was in prior novels so if you are no stranger to Juliana Haygert you will recognize her. In this novel she has lost her wings and sword and is on the hunt for a way to get them back thus enters Leviathon. He is a demon that can help her but his helping comes with a steep price but what happens when this price backfires.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were really well developed as well as the plot. I highly recommend it.

[anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

miss ariella, despite having no wings or magic for like 99% of the book, was constantly trying to throw hands and tbh i respect that about her. i mean, she rarely won, but it’s the the thought that counts.

but seriously, i did thoroughly enjoy this book for what it was. a fun, fast-paced introduction to ariella’s world filled with chaos, drama, and, of course, some good ole fashioned angel x demon romance.

i’m a simple girl, and this absolutely did it for me.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Rite World: Fallen Angel series and the main character is Ariella aka Arwen, the fallen angel of the title, who came down to Earth with a load of other angels on a mission, it they were betrayed by one of their own and she was the only survivor. She has been on the run ever since, hunted by her own kind, as the traitor has blinded all of Elysium to the truth about what happened and made her a wanted person! She had to pay a witch a lot of money to make a special potion to hide her from other Seraphim hunting her. She lost her wings and her Celestial Sword to the higher demon in league with the traitorous archangel on their mission, and later had her magic stolen from her whilst trying to help others. She takes part in cage fights under the name Arwen, to earn enough to pay the witch for her potions, but when the witch can’t supply enough anymore, she has to take some drastic actions.

She tries too make a deal with a wish demon called Leviathan, but the price is too high. So she asks the witch to summon him and capture him in a circle initial she can get a better deal from him and get him to help her get her wings back at least! But the demon they are summoning is a higher demon and the witch needs to pull from Ariella to get him there, leaving the two bonded together. If one dies, the other will die and he can’t hurt her, but her emotions and being too far from her, will hurt him. He agrees to help her get her wings back, it can’t help with her magic, nor her sword which the other demon destroyed. They get closer than she would like on the journey, as she discovers he is not all bad and actually has a bit of a good within his heart, especially with regard to his younger sister Lacey, who is half demo, half witch. Ariella wants him to find the higher demon Molraz, who ripped her wings off her and destroyed her sword, so she can get her revenge and kill him. He knows where her wings are and the demon collector who has them, but it won’t be easy.

Ariella and Leviathan will find themselves pursued by the angels hunting her, but then by every bad supernatural out there, as the angels post a reward for her capture! Just as nothing could get worse, it certainly does. They can’t seem to get a meeting with the collector who has her wings, who clearly knows all about her already, but whether that is the truth, or the truth being peddled by the traitorous archangel, is hard to tell. Without her wings she can’t get back to Elysium to plead her case, but it seems too much time has gone by and the traitor has spread lies about her, that all those hunting her clearly believe. Matters come to a climatic conclusion, as Ariella and Leviathan find themselves at odds when certain truths about what happened to her on the mission are revealed and she finds out he knows a lot more about her and what she is hiding than she thought. He has been covering things up for a long time and only his final actions against Molraz, may allow her to forgive him slightly. So much more to come as further traitors she knows nothing about, will be twisting her actions to get what they ultimately want from her. I look forward to reading the rest of the series as soon as I can.

I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Rickey Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ariella, my favorite Fallen Angel in Rite-World and always there to help her friends and those in need with her magic, has descended to the depths an Angel can fall to. She not only has no Wings, Her Angelic sword has been destroyed, and now her Angelic Magic has also been taken, leaving her to survive by using potions to hide her from others that would torture and kill her for what she knows, and what she still has hidden from Arc Angels and Demons, who want a special blade, only she knows where it is. The potions are expensive so she must fight in underground fight clubs (still much stronger than normal humans) to pay for both the Potions, and living expenses, and needs, just like any human.

Making a visit to the Witch who produces the elixir, she runs into a huge Man (later to find he was a Demon she will need) When she tracks him down, wanting to buy/trade for his cooperation in finding her wings, his price is too high, so she enlists and old Witch Friend to help trap him to force him to help. Instead she accidentally binds him to her, and since he can't leave her without causing pain, or let her get hurt without it hurting him, the story flows from adventure to exciting adventure of Angels, and Demons hunting them, while they travel to find her Wings, and more Mysteries yet to come.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Wings is book 1 in the series and my first book by the author. It is set in the author's Rite World, which I think explains the feeling like this is a continuation of something else. There is the mentioning of previous adventures and conflicts that feel like there is much more backstory than we get in the moment. I didn't think this detracted from the story, and felt I was able to enjoy it on its own. Does make me curious to go back and explore the other stories.

Ariella is on the run with very little left. She tries to make the best of her situation and not drag down her friends, but it is becoming exceedingly more complicated to accomplish. Leviathan is a demon who can potentially grant her wish, but that requires paying his price.

I loved these two together. He moves mountains to help her as the stakes keep getting raised.

I down graded the story 1 star because of the ending. Step one is accomplished but major reveals do not allow for the happy I was looking for. Will need to see what comes in book 2. I was pulled in and invested in their tale, which probably is why the ending shook me. Loved the descriptions of where they traveled to and the secondary characters.

I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

I received an advanced copy of this story for free and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Audrianna Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do a fallen angel and higher level demon end up on a road trip together? That’s the entanglement in this book. Without spoiling it for you, somehow a demon and a fallen angel become connected to go on a trip to get her wings back.
The characters are well written. Ariella is sassy and most of the time a confident take no bull kind of gal. Occasionally, she gets whiny, but not overly, where it halts you from feeling for her. Leviathan is a charmer and comes across that way, though he does become particularly annoying with the repetition of the word sweetheart.
There is a spicy scene and it is pretty hot and heavy. There is also a lot of spice leading up to the scene as well.
As I have not read any of the books in the Rite world, some of the prior mentions of stories past went over my head, but it did not keep me from reading. It did make me feel as though I was missing parts of the story and caused some confusion on my part.
I will say the last third of the book is where I was really hooked and could not stop reading. The ending is a cliffhanger and I cannot wait to read what happens next!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ariella had her wings stolen and her sword destroyed by one demon, and her magic stolen by another. When she hears about a wish granting demon, she decides he might be her best bet to get them back. Unfortunately, the price he asks for is too high, so she decides to trap him in a witch's circle and force him to help her get them back. Something goes very wrong though and she ends up with an incredibly angry demon bound to her. She convinces him that the only way she will release him is when he has helped her to get her wings and her magic back. Leviathon is a very powerful demon, and incredibly angry with the angel who has trapped him into a partnership that he has no way out of, he can’t kill her without killing himself, so he decides to do what she asks. But Levi has his own agenda which will eventually come out, and when Ariella finds out what he really wants she will end up releasing him from the bond before they have completed her quest.
Steamy encounters, magic, betrayal, and some unexpected twists kept me glued to the pages of this book from the first page to the last. Intriguing, unique, and well written characters make this a book I highly recommend to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

But more like 3.5 stars.

Was the banter good? Yes. Was the sex scene good? Yes. Did I enjoy the storyline? Yes. Was the writing good? It was okay..

Let me preface with I read A LOT and especially Romantasy. My numbers on good reads is like half if not less then my actual count lol
I feel like if this was the first book in the Rite World Series I would be totally understanding of the writing and this would be a solid 4 for me.. but its not. The writing is generally good but its a little bit clunky sometimes, like it really could of used someone coming in and stripping out the excess/re-wording a few things. Its only a little bit though so still totally readable and the actual story is great.

I havnt seen much of an angel as the main character so that was fun. I enjoyed all the introduced characters though I did feel like I could of used some more background but thats what the other books are for right?

I think the ending was intending to make me crave the next book but honestly, I could just put the series down now. There is some motivation to push you to the next but I wouldn't say im so enraputed that I HAVE to read the next one right this second.

Overall good but could be better

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Liked:
The ending of Dark Wings as the first book in the Rite World: Fallen Angel series was very well done. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say there are two twists that really ramp up the emotions of the characters and make the reader reassess so many things that happened throughout the book. I also really enjoyed how details of Ariella's past are slowly dispersed so the full picture isn't put together until the very end.

What I Didn't Really Like:
I think it might have helped me understand Ariella a little more if I had a better idea of what to expect from a normal Angel in the Rite World. At times, her thoughts and perceptions felt inconsistent, but maybe that was intentional to show how her she had been influenced by her time on Earth.

Overall:
If you a fan of paranormal romance and enemies to lovers, you should give Dark Wings a read. Just keep in mind that it's not yet a complete series, so you won't be able to binge through the whole thing.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Ariella lost her wings, sword, and magic in a fight with a demon called Molraz, she got stuck on Earth basically as another anonymous human. Yet her aura is strong, the angels are on her trail, and she is barely able to evade them alone. Out of despair, she tries to make another demon to do her bidding and grant her wish - only to end up connected to him more than she wanted. And so the adventure hunt to get a pair of angel wings begins.
The opening story in Ariella's journey is fast, adventurous, emotional, and dramatic. There are many twists and turns, some really unexpected, and other characters from this shared world pop up to help when needed. I very much enjoyed the banter between Ariella and Leviathan, even though his "sweetheart" started to annoy even me, not only her :) At the end of the story I found myself deeply attached to all the main characters, and I would love to see more of them soon.

[Anita Hanekom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt sorry for Ariella, she lost her wings, her magic and her angelic sword. This leaves her almost human and the seraphim are hunting her, the main ingredient for the potion she drinks to hide her from them is becoming increasingly hard to find which means her days on the run are about to get a lot harder. That is when she meets Levi, a demon who can grant wishes but when his price is too high she comes up with a plan of her own. Only things don't quite go as planned and she ends up with him tied to her in a way she hadn't anticipated and which he is not too happy about. The characters are wonderfully crafted and the story kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. Can Ariella get what she wants, withstand Levi's allure and survive his wrath at being trapped into this situation?

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Lirith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I can’t say that It was perfect, but the plot was kinda interesting. The twist a bit predictable, I must admit that I got bored and literally could not wait when the big ending will come so I skipped like an 1,5 hour. Since the dinner before San Francisco I knew what’s going on. I didn’t know everything of course (who Levi was), but the rest I knew. The book doesn’t interest me that much that I need to continue immediately bc I can’t wait what is going to happen, but the plot intriguing me, to continue someday.
It is poss that my if other narrator would do it, it might be better, bc this narrator doesn’t do it for me. I just don’t feel it. Even the chemistry between Ariela and Levi wasn’t there, at least I didn’t feel it. So I skipped the whole sex scene.

Anw, I give the book 3⭐️, with going to continue someday.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is wonderful to be back in this incredible world. The author does an amazing job luring us in with another exciting and thrilling ride as we follow Ariella, the fallen angel on her enthralling and captivating adventures to restore her magic and wings. So it’s a really terrible idea to try and get a demon to help especially when things backfire and Ariella finds herself bound to the demon and that’s when things really start heating up! It’s one hell of a ride in this action packed and adventure filled urban fantasy read . Our female mc is good, strong and kick ass and our mmc is hot and evil, can these two make it being bound together? I loved this and am excited to read the next book and see where the author takes us from here.

[Cecilia Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, this story line is so fun! I was consistently being surprised.
Ariellas story line is so interesting I honestly hope we get to learn more about her time with the Blackthorn hunters and the battle that lead her to becoming a fallen angel! Like into more detail. Lol
Ariella is such a bad assss in this story. She refuses to back down from a fight against all these supernaturals even tho she knows shes basically like a human.
I absolutely fell in love with the idea of Levi. And was NOT EXPECTING the plot twist that was given at the end with Molraz!
I can not waaaait to see what happens in the next book and to see where it takes Ariella and Levi and this whole story line!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book; it was fast-paced and well-written.
There could have been a bit more 'show' instead of 'tell,' and I wished for more screen time between the two main characters to see their relationship grow. A bit more world-building and background would have been great.
The end was disappointing; it was very anticlimactic. The villain was killed in two sentences, and I had expected more of a fight, considering his power. After the fight, the two main characters spend some time together, but they don't talk after all that has happened? I understand that this should be the cliffhanger for the next book, but to me, she acted very childish.

It was a great read, but I wished for more depth at times. All in all, a good book, and I want to read the next one!

[Jaime Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Rite World Fallen Angel series. A demon and a fallen angel become connected to go on a trip to get her wings back. The storyline is fast-paced and very well written, filled with magic, angels, demons, danger, death, politics, intrigue, and subterfuge. It has a bit of romance, intrigue and betrayal, misunderstood characters and is written in a way that kept my attention. As I have not read any of the books in the Rite world, some of the prior mentions of stories past went over my head, but it did not keep me from reading. It did make me feel as though I was missing parts of the story and caused some confusion on my part. If you a fan of paranormal romance and enemies to lovers, you should give Dark Wings a read.

[Rozanne Visagie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been enjoying different books in the Rite World, but this one is my favorite 😍

A fallen angel who lost her wings, a wish-granting demon, and a spell that went wrong.

This book had the biggest twist, I definitely did not see it coming, and my jaw literally dropped in shock. I enjoyed the pace and liked the characters. The bond between Levi and Ariella had me so invested!

This book has it all:
🪽 Touch her and d1e
🪽 Enemies to lovers
🪽 Forced proximity
🪽 Paranormal Romance
🪽 Spice
🪽 Epic plot twist

If you haven't read the other books in the series yet but want to give this one a try, you can dive right in because the author writes the series in such a way that there's enough background info.

[Geff Ratcheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm thinking that Ms Haygert may be the best "paranormal" fiction writer we have today. Each book & series is better than the last, & this is no exception! I can't wait for book 2! I could not put this down & finished in 1 evening. Great characters, plot & feel. I don't understand why she is not better known, like say Deborah Harkness or Steven King.

I can't wait for book 2!!

On the other side, the "enemies to lovers thing" doesn't work well for me, but I think I'm in the minority there. Also, this is not for children or young teens.

I was given a free copy of this book & am leaving an honest review.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ariella has been though a bit, including the lose of her wings, but that doesn't stop her from her determination to get them back. She decides on a plan to get a demon to help her, which ends up her roping Leviathan to help her (although he is unwilling at least at the start). With all the dangers after her, can Ariella gain her wings back? And at what cost? I loved Ariella's story, the strength of her to adapt, the attraction, the danger, the interesting characters and all the intrigue. I look forward to reading more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Isabel Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read other books by this author and I really like her style of writing. I love the paranormal world that she has created. It is intriguing and action packed. I love that there are cameo appearances by characters that have appeared in other books by the author.
I like the plot and the pace of the book. I am excited to read more books in this series as there is a lot more to learn and to happen. The characters are fascinating and there are wonderful interactions and unexpected twists and turns in their friendships and relationships.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[T.M. Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Wings (Rite World: Fallen Angel Book 1)
by Juliana Haygert
My Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Tammy - Book Nook Nuts

REVIEW
First book in this series...If you love Fallen Angel stories, this one is fantastic reading!

Ariella is a fallen angel who was on a mission...until...
They are all betrayed, and now are being hunted.

She has lost her magic, her wings, but she is a warrior, so she still has that, or does she?
She needs help...She meets Levi, a wish-granting demon.

A friend's magic, however, messes everything up.
This story is action on steroids... I loved Ariella's strength.
Well written, and I can't wait to continue the ride.

[Dominique Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was hooked by the first page and you get sucked in but boy do I have words for you Haygert!!!!

You write amazingly and im glad i ordered the pretty set and discovered you but the Female lead Will make you want to chuck the book across the room in frustration ( only reason I didn’t is bc the book is pretty…)
…. (Me glaring at you)
Like we love all the characters and you root for them but boy do I want to hit people in the faces with frying pans…..

10/10/10 must have it’s a quick easy read that gets you sucked in…. Make sure to have the other books in series on standby bc you are going to need it…

[Victor Gonzalez Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally it was Ariella's turn. I have been waiting for her story for a long time and this first book did not disappoint me at all.
Ariella is still aiming to get her wings back and I love how fierce she is and how nothing will stop her even if it means getting involved with a demon.
Levi is hot and maddening, but he has the charm about him.
We meet beloved characters who belong to this world and loved it.
There are certain mysteries surrounding the new characters and I can't wait for them to be revealed.
And that ending, the only thing he does is make him want the second book right away.

[G Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book and a brilliant introduction to a new series.
The world building was incredible and I loved the main characters who were both believable and very likeable.
The story centres around Ariella a fallen angel who has lost both her wings and celestial sword. In her attempts to get them back she ends up bonded to Leviathan a wish granting upper level demon.
I love the interaction between them and am looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops in the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ruth Mccaleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story. It has a bit of romance, intrigue and betrayal, misunderstood characters and is written in a way that kept my attention. I especially liked the slow reveal of how the relationships developed. Sometimes stories move to fast from meet to well, action. This gives you time to get to know the characters and really get into the story. I loved it and would be interested in following a series in this world.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Astrid Rudloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily review an ARC.
This is the first part of the Fallen Angel series. The books should be read in order. This series is part of the Rite World, but you don't have to read the other series first.
I loved the main characters, the world building and character development, the tension and spicy scenes and the sibling dynamic.
A really great start to a new series.
The writing style is a bit wooden in some places, but I'd recommend this book nonetheless.
After that cliffhanger I can't wait for the next part.

[Arceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Dark Wings (Rite World: Fallen Angel)," Juliana Haygert spins a riveting tale of an angel without her wings, who strikes a deal with a demon to regain her celestial powers. But when the ritual goes awry, they find themselves bound together, embarking on a journey fraught with danger and desire. With each page, Haygert weaves a captivating story of love, magic, and the battle between heaven and hell. "Dark Wings" is a must-read for fans of paranormal romance, offering a thrilling ride that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.

[McKenna Luzynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I binged this book! It was so fun diving back into the Rite World realm, with some familiar characters as well as some brand new, exciting characters. Even though this story takes place in the same world and with many of the tropes we all know and love, it didn’t feel stale at all. The story moves at a great pace, and I was so disappointed when I realized I was nearing the end of the book. I am anxiously awaiting book two!