The Gates of Hell

The Rivers of Hell #0.5

by Liana Valerian

I was born to kill angels. Now I’d raze both Heaven and Hell to protect one.

While mortals scratched their first words into clay tablets, I was already knee-deep in angel blood.

I am Nephithar, Hell’s most feared general—the Devil’s own creation, forged in the heart of the abyss for one purpose: war.

My name is a curse on angel tongues, my legend painted in divine gore. I take pleasure in battle, in the chaos of slaughter, in the soft rustle of angel feathers torn from broken wings—trophies I’ve hoarded like sacred relics.

But then I saw them.
Damaged wings, glimmering in Hell’s gloom with a silvery lilac hue. An angel. Broken. Beautiful. And suddenly, none of my victories mattered.

I wanted those wings. I wanted her.
Every rule I was born to enforce no longer matters. I would defy the orders of the Devil himself for another glimpse—another touch. I was made for war, but I’m starting one of my own.
For her.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Novella, Ebooks, Enemies To Lovers

85 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2024

About the author

Liana Valerian is a passionate gamer, obsessed bookworm, enthusiastic sci-fi and fantasy nerd, and self-proclaimed crazy cat lady. She crafts dark fantasy romance novels filled with humor, spice, and mythology, blending gothic and romantic elements in shadowy realms where darkness reigns.
Liana's debut novel, The River of Fire, the first in The Rivers of Hell series, is a steamy romance set in the Underworld, where angels, demons, and forbidden love collide. Now, Liana is branching out into sci-fi, taking readers on thrilling, otherworldly adventures filled with romance, intrigue, and the unknown.
You can follow her adventures and connect with her on social media @liana.valerian.

Reviews

[theshadyivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

General: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫦🫦🫦


Tropes:
🪽 Sexual awakening
🪽 Forbidden love
🪽 Enemies to lovers
🪽 Demons/angels
🪽 Possessive/obsessive MMC
🪽 First love
🪽 Mythology

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒢𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝐻𝑒𝓁𝓁 is the prequel for 𝐿𝒾𝒶𝓃𝒶 𝒱𝒶𝓁𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓃s The River of Hell series and will be released on 𝒥𝓊𝓁𝓎 𝟣𝟫𝓉𝒽.

Liana takes you with her debut novel straight to hell, to a centuries long war between demons and angels thousands of years ago. Nephithar, the son of Sataniel himself, is bored by the ongoing battles and finds a new forbidden obsession. Syriniana, an archivist for the angels, documents the events of this conflict and is as innocent as an angel can be.

I really loved the style of Liana’s writing, she took great effort to create an ancient environment. The sarcasm made me smile and the spice got me hot and squirming.

If you are looking for a fast-paced mythology book with some spice, don’t hesitate to pre-order now.

Quotes:
“Her hair, silver like Sataniel’s, though not nearly as bright, whips around a heart-shaped face as she turns to parry strikes. Her eyes, a perfect blend of the color of her hair and wings, shimmer with pain.”

“Why do you wish to know my name, demon?”
The blatant attempt to humble me by throwing me into the same basket as Hell’s lower creatures almost makes me want to reply 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘹 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘵, but I resist. In truth, I did not risk sullying her precious feathers like that. Well… I did do it once. I orgasmed so hard my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

[Mia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a fight between heaven and hell, between angels and demons what would happen if a demon falls in love with an angel he sees during battle? Short, a novella and prequel to a book that I’m absolutely going to read….. spicy but not overwhelming with it.

[amber nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book!
Demons vs angels in a war that has lasted centuries, Neph meets Syrin and can't seem to get her out of his mind. Choosing to go look for her in the angels war encampment, he is unsure of what he's going to find. But in this short novella, he finds someone who makes his life have more meaning and he learns to smile.

I absolutely can not wait to read the next book!!

[Crazydutchbooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short fast paced into for the Rivers of hell.
Very interesting characters and world.
A pleasant writing style that invites for more.

[Vileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5)

"𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏?"

What an incredibly well done novella! The world building was lovely... with perfect pacing, very well written, loveable main characters and you're in for a *hell* of a good time ;) but you'll definitely be wanting more by the end of this novella! Excited to read book 1! Thank you Liana for the ARC :)

Nephithar, Hell's general, is entranced by his new obsession, Syriniana, an archivist for the angels. If you're looking for a good enemies to lovers fantasy book filled with forbidden steamy romance, swords, angels and demons, then this is for you! I don't really read romance (or even steamy ones) but I did enjoy this one! The only thing is that I would have liked to see more insight with the war/plot side as part of the world building, but I literally read this one sitting because I was pulled in from the beginning! Mark your calendars for July 19th because you don't want to miss out on this awesome read!

"𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉."

[Dee | myliteraryera · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAR OUT I DEVOURED THIS BOOK!
A beautifully written novella, prequel to The River of Fire. The story is a brilliant introduction to Liana’s world of Angels and Demons.
We follow the MMC “Neph” and the FMC “Syrin” through the wars between the two realms and tribulations of forbidden love. The sensuality!?
I am SO ready for the next adventure in The River of Fire, as the Author has so well given the readers a taste of what’s approaching!
This was an easy 5 star read, that was fast paced and had me turning the pages so damn fast!
Just beautiful ❤️‍🔥🖤🖤

[Readingwithdesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gates of hell is a prequel for Liana valerians River of Hell it released July 19th!!!! Liana takes you straight to hell with her debut novel to war between demons and angels centuries ago nephithar a demon falls in love with Syriniana a angel 👼 the troupes 🪽sexual awakening 😈 forbidden love 🪽demons/angel😈enemies to lovers 🪽first love 😈mythology 🪽possessive obsessive MMC 😈 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[GheridenTheBookBard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.25 stars

I found “The Gates of Hell” by Liana Valerian to be a delightful prequel novella. The pacing was spot on, and the story was both intriguing and engaging. It served as a perfect appetizer, leaving me eager for more. I’m excited to continue with Book 1 for the main course!

[Bethanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"rest assured I will not let them keep us apart."

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Gates Of Hell by Liana Valerian

"I will be alone."
"You will never be alone as long as I exist."

The Gates Of Hell, a prequel Novella. Book 0.5 in The Rivers Of Hell series by Liana Valerian.
This was only my second ever novella, and I am blown away. The authors writing is effortless to read, and I was pulled into the forbidden love story of Nephithar and Syriniara from the strat.

✨️ Angel's And Demons
✨️ Touch Her and Die
✨️ Morally Grey MMC
✨️ He Falls First
✨️ Enemies To Lovers

The chemistry between the two main characters is insane!! The demon MMC has major swoon worthy vibes, and the innocence of the FMC just makes it all the more intense! I thoughrly enjoy this short but riveting read, and I can't wait to see what happens next in book 1, The Rivers Of Hell.

🌟 Rating 4/5 🌟

[Milano Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a book to get me out of my reading slump and this helped me quite a bit. It was a quick and fun read. The chemistry between Syrin and Neph was tense. Their connection is the true definition of forbidden love (or lust if you will). When Neph first came across Syrin, he instantly couldn’t stop thinking about her. From her wings to her face to her smell to her hair, then he got to know her a bit and it became her personality. Definitely will read the other two books to see if they got to live out their love where it started.

[kn_cozy_bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We should not have done this. I will fall!” “And I will catch you,” I vow.

Be. Still. My. Heart.

This novella ended on a note that left me wanting to know more about Syrin and Neph’s life together on earth and how they grow in their relationship.

This is a quick read and tells of the careful and sweet seduction of Syrin by the demon Neph. It is so beautiful. Syrin is an angel and as pure as newly fallen snow, never having experienced what would be considered sinful thoughts or feelings.

They meet on the battlefield and Neph immediately becomes obsessed. He starts visiting Syrin at night and is so careful with her so as not to scare her off.

I absolutely loved how slow and sweet their relationship grew. Though Neph was no virgin by any means he was also innocent in certain ways, and seeing how they eventually give into each other’s desires was beautifully written.

This novella is a full blown romance in 85 pages. Give it a go on a free afternoon while enjoying your favorite beverage, you won’t regret it!

✨This book is a prequel to The first book in the Rivers of Hell series, The River of Fire. While you don’t have to read it to enjoy TROF, it’s worth the download! Available on KU!✨

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swoooooon. This quick little novella swept me off my feet.
I would describe it as a sultry, sweet, fantasy romance.

🪽Angels & Demons
😈Enemies To Lovers
🖤Forbidden Lovers
💗First Love
❤️‍🔥Slowburn
📓Mythology
⚔️Fight Scenes
💦Steamy
💘HEA

I am really lucky and get accepted to ARC review for authors quite regularly, this was the first BETA read I have ever been offered. Like many things in life books can be hit and miss for many reasons.
Liana did not miss. This novella has stolen my heart. The build up was sensous, the romance was divine, I was so deeply in love by the end I couldn't believe it was over.

✨
The story bring you into the war between angels and demons. Nephithar, the son of Sataniel himself is a warrior on the front lines. One day he sees Syrinian and his world is changed. If you enjoy mythology, sensous open door romance, innocent FMCs and obsessive MMCs, this one is for you.
✨

I really enjoyed Liana's writing style. Her extended vocabulary and varying knowledge is expressed well and doesn't feel OTT. The detail is perfect, not too much that it's confusing, and so lush that it is in no way lacking.
The imagery was instant and all consuming. I felt like I was transported, my physical reality ceased to exist, I could not see the words on the page, I was completely enthralled.
The way she has developed her characters and their world is so smooth. The development isn't far fetched, forced or rushed. It's just perfection.

Nephithar, "Neph", is so gorgeous. His character is well layered, understandable, the dialogue stays consistent and his development does NOT contradict his foundation ❤️‍🔥
Syriniana, "Syrin", is delicately portrayed in alignment with what you would expect of a 1000 year old, independent, strong, sexually inexperienced angel.

🥀
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦?”
𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥
𝘷𝘰𝘸, 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢
𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬-𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦: “𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”
🥀

The build up is sensual, each word caressing your skin. The romance is sweet and seeps into your bones. I have since devoured this read again in a short sitting, but I am so grateful I got to experience this story as a beta reader so that during my first read I could savor every moment and let the emotions cover me like a blanket.

The book is also funny! I laughed quite a few times at Neph and his internal monologue. Liana has a talent for writing her characters like genuine people and giving you physical reactions along the way. I will read this book again and again, and again.

It is now honestly my favourite novella of all time and takes the cake as my best read of the year as of June 2024. This experience has opened me up to reading in a slower way, in turn allowing me to review better and I couldn't be more grateful. Thank you again Liana, for writing this book and for honoring me with being on your BETA team 💗

[Jacky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor to Beta read Liana Valerian’s The Gates of Hell. The prequel to The Rivers of Hell Series. The Gates of Hell will be released on July 19th and is open for pro-order as of now!

“I will not allow this to be the last time I see you, Muluskara, but if I were to perish in battle tomorrow without having kissed you….then it was not a life worth living.”

As a lover of thick and long BOOKS, Liana did something I never expected. With this short but wonderfully written novel, she dragged me straight to hell and left me wanting more! The story takes you right to the war between demons and angels that has been going on for centuries. Naphitat, son of Saraniel himself, is born to be the greatest weapon against the angels. But he finds himself a new obsession the day he spots Syriniana, an archivist for the angels.

I really enjoyed the writing style of Liana. She knows how to build a world and sucks you into it. And although it’s a short book, with a steamy romance, it feels natural and not like spice for the sake of spice. But the best thing about her writing is the sarcastic humor she entwined into the plot. It made me laugh out loud.

Tropes;
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Demons/Angels
✨Possessive/obsessive MMC
✨Forbidden love

So if you're looking for a wonderfully written (short) story that has a good plot and a sweet and steamy romance? Look no further, The Gates of Hell is everything you need. And best of all, if you like it, The River of Fire(book 1 of The Rivers of Hell series) will also be released on the 19th of July!

Thank you Liana Valerian for trusting me with your book and giving me the opportunity to read your book in advance. I really enjoyed The Gates of Hell and can't wait for the future books!

[Marianna Giannopoulou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking hell YES 🤩

I had the absolute honor and pleasure of beta reading The Gates of Hell for Liana Valerian a few weeks ago, although I neglected my duty to post my review.

This book is a novella, the prequel to The River of Fire, and it's just unique. I have never read another so well-written fantasy book, one that treats heaven, hell and everything in between so liberally, and yet so tactfully.

Nephithar (Neph) is a demonic warrior, fighting in the war every day, and collecting feathers along the way. Until he spots a beautiful angel in the battlefield, with lilac hair and the most gorgeous feathers he's ever seen. Safe to say, his obsession is instant, and their chemistry is nothing if not fiery.

The characters were absolutely magnificent, with personalities so clear I felt like I knew them in real life. The plot is deep and the writing truly poetic. Liana has managed to capture this story and the characters' longing so perfectly, in so few chapters and I was totally in love from the first paragraph.

All in all, you should just head to Amazon and pre-order this book because it's worth every cent. And because Liana is an amazing woman who's worth all your love. Praise be our Queen.

[Kristine (bookstackcity) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect little bite size morsel of romantasy that leaves you craving more!

🪽 Nephithar, Satans son and general, falls for an alluring angel called Syrin during the war between Heaven and Hell. 🪽

This story really takes off running! I was so pleasantly surprised by the quick pace but more importantly the world building that didn’t miss a beat.

I loved Neph’s character. Right from the start we see his weakness which was an interesting contrast to just seeing hardness especially in the son of Satan and his general to boot.

He totally falls first making my heart swell and is obsessive about his pursuit. His longing and need were palpable.

The spice slowly felt more intense with the perfect build up.

Syrin is on the receiving end of a lot of energy but she holds her own and then some.

I’m very curious to see if we’ll see these two again further in the series so I plan on continuing to read to find out!

👍🏼 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

🥀 Romantasy
📝 Novella
💗 He Falls First
❤️‍🔥 Obsessive MMC
🤍 Innocent FMC
🖤 Forbidden Love

🔥 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

👉🏼 #bookstackcityreviews

❓ What do you think about the premise… a war between heaven and hell? Star-crossed lovers?

[Julie 🕊️ ~books.and.chocolat3~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 + 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 + 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀✨

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦?” 𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘰𝘸, 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬-𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦: “𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”

✨ Novella (around 70 pages)
✨ 1st person single POV (MMC POV 👀)
✨ Angel FMC x Demon MMC
✨ Forbidden love 🫠
✨ Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨ Sexuality/lust awakening
✨ He is obsessed by her
✨Insta-lust , he falls first
✨ Quick , addicting , spicy , sweet
✨ Her and only her / him only him

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You know when you eat a very good chocolate, but there is just one left ? And you end up with a taste but it’s not enough ? This is the best way to describe this book ..
it was delicious, surprisingly very spicy for a short book , extremely addicting.. I’m jumping on The Rivers of hell with no fear only anticipation 🤌
And can we talk about the cover please ? Gorgeous !

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A demon should not be touching an angel this way.”

This was written to PERFECTION! The way the MCs spoke and their vocabulary matched how one would assume they would speak like. The amount of times I had to look up a definition is slightly embarrassing lol but I loved it. This story was honestly so sweet, the way they had an instant connection and he was so obsessed with her from the beginning. She was so innocent but she wanted him. Ugh it was so cute. They pulled at my heartstrings. And the ending? I gasped out loud! Okay okay okay, next book. Let’s go!

“I will fall. — Will you catch me?”
“Every single time.”

[Crystal Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quick read novella. This was my first book of Liana Valerian and I can’t wait for more.

Heaven and Hell are at war with one another, no surprise there. Neph, the strongest and fiercest soldier of Hell’s army finds a love interest in the most unsuspected place, on the battlefield. And if that didn’t make it strange, she’s an Angel. The chemistry between Neph and Syrin was intense and I felt it in the writing.

Will Syrin risk becoming a fallen Angel for love?

[Marianne Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book, especially the world building.
She manages to help us understand the process with every character she introduces, so no confusion at all!

[Erin Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m ready for The River of Fire now!

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Centuries long war between angels and demons. Nephithar, son of Sataniel finds himself obsessed with someone he shouldn’t. An angel named Syriniana who has gorgeous wings. Syriniana is innocent in every way and Nephithar’s obsession grows to a point of love. Will she love him in return?

Liana Valerian’s debut novella is a beautiful love story between two people who shouldn’t be together. She uses words that describe the story so well you feel like you are on the battle fields or in the room during the conversations between Nephithar and Syriniana. I absolutely devoured this story and cannot wait to find out what happens next. These two had me on the edge of my seat for this novella.

If you’re looking for a quick mythology romance with a little touch of spice, read this book! You will not want to stop there trust me!!!



🪽Forbidden Love
🪽Enemies to Lovers
🪽Possessive MMC
🪽Sexual Awakening
🪽Mythology Romance

[Shelby Seal(Allen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gates of Hell felt like a great introduction to the Rivers of Hell series!

Neph, a demon general from Hell, meets the lovely Syrin, an Angel from Heaven on the battlefield one day and he is immediately enraptured by her. He will stop at nothing to know her, his obsession winning over everything. Looking forward to what else happens to these characters.

I absolutely love the forbidden love aspect of this and can't wait to find out more with this series!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness what a tasty little prequel novella this was! It’s like Romeo and Juliet in HELL. And spicy as HELL. Neph is THE daddy of all daddies. Loved every second and can’t wait to pick up The River of Fire. Book 1 in the new Rivers of Hell series. I’m so happy to be apart of Liana Valerians Hellions ARC team!

[Joy Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short read to give some background for this series. I loved getting to read it and look forward to more of this series!

[Chanel]

DNF @17% due to word choices that made me cringe

[Robin Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely stunning Novella! In such a short space of pages Liana was able to showcase her writing prowess!

The world building was done in a way where it was descriptive yet not overbearing of the story itself... The story... Nephithar and Syrin, demon and angel. Their forbidden love is a beautifully brutal thing, set against the backdrop of what seems to be an eternal war between heaven and hell.

Nephs' inner monologue and *cough* kinks *cough* are a delightful contrast to his ruthless, fearsome and unforgiving reputation on the battlefield making him an utterly adorable and complex character.

🪽 Enemies to Lovers
🪽 Possessive/Obsessive MMC
🪽 Sexual Awakening
🪽 Demons/Angels
🪽 Forbidden Love

I adored this book and am completely, and totally smitten for this series already!

🌶️ 1/5

[Shelbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I think of “opposites attract” I think of Neph and syrin. The way she brings out his calm gentle side, while he brings out her curiosity and protectiveness of him. The gates of hell is a short story that is beautifully written it just draws you in even more. Evil can truly find their light in a world full of destruction. 🖤

[jor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You will catch me?"
"Every single time."

I hate that it took me so long to start this series because I just know I'm gonna be addicted to everything Liana releases. This was a very short read but there was still so much that happened. The spice, the world-building, the violence, loved it all. Neph and Syrin served enemies to lovers and all the stolen moments between the two had me on the edge of my seat just waiting to see if they'd get caught. This was an amazing read, I'm so excited to start The River of Fire!

[Dee | myliteraryera · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAR OUT I DEVOURED THIS BOOK!
A beautifully written novella, prequel to The River of Fire. The story is a brilliant introduction to Liana’s world of Angels and Demons.
We follow the MMC “Neph” and the FMC “Syrin” through the wars between the two realms and tribulations of forbidden love. The sensuality!?
I am SO ready for the next adventure in The River of Fire, as the Author has so well given the readers a taste of what’s approaching!
This was an easy 5 star read, that was fast paced and had me turning the pages so damn fast!
Just beautiful ❤️‍🔥🖤🖤