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The Shadows that Listen
It's been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war.
Anyone who survived the day the other worlds arrived remembers it clearly. The ground cracked open, and daemons crawled from the depths of hell. The sky bled the colour of a raging fire and angels arrived to stop them. Only humanity quickly realised that they were not their allies, and they're certainly not their guardians.
Amara Jones is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days at a desk searching for those who don't make it home in time for curfew. When Amara’s boyfriend is added to that list, she is forced to choose between running off into the darkness to save him and her own life.
Suddenly she’s thrust into the midst of a war that she's not equipped to fight, and quickly realises that she is unlikely to survive on her own.
Nathaniel is the archangel leading the destruction on humanity, for which he cares little. After he finds Amara hiding in the dark, she leaves a lasting impression in the form of a blade through his abdomen and her enemy quickly changes from daemons that lurk in the shadows to the vengeful winged beast that stalks her from the skies.
Amara soon discovers that Nathaniel may not only be the key to survival, but to finding the man that she loves.
The only question is - who will survive the night?
Anyone who survived the day the other worlds arrived remembers it clearly. The ground cracked open, and daemons crawled from the depths of hell. The sky bled the colour of a raging fire and angels arrived to stop them. Only humanity quickly realised that they were not their allies, and they're certainly not their guardians.
Amara Jones is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days at a desk searching for those who don't make it home in time for curfew. When Amara’s boyfriend is added to that list, she is forced to choose between running off into the darkness to save him and her own life.
Suddenly she’s thrust into the midst of a war that she's not equipped to fight, and quickly realises that she is unlikely to survive on her own.
Nathaniel is the archangel leading the destruction on humanity, for which he cares little. After he finds Amara hiding in the dark, she leaves a lasting impression in the form of a blade through his abdomen and her enemy quickly changes from daemons that lurk in the shadows to the vengeful winged beast that stalks her from the skies.
Amara soon discovers that Nathaniel may not only be the key to survival, but to finding the man that she loves.
The only question is - who will survive the night?
457 pages, ebook
Published September 9, 2025
430 people are currently reading
11604 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
February 26, 2025
ANGELS DEMONS MILLENNIAL CORE
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🫑 (ONLY KISSING)
-Urban fantasy 🏙️
-Enemies to reluctant allies to… 👀
-SLOW burn & yearning ❤️🔥
-Angel/demon warfare 🪽
-Twists, turns, secrets & betrayal 💔
“Then may I ask why you have your hand wrapped around my throat, and my arm pinned to the tree?”
“Perhaps this is how I like my women.”
What in the actual fuck did Louisa put in this book because I ATE IT UP.
This was serving all the Hush Hush, Fallen, Mortal Instruments, 2010s vibes, but the story was still so unique, well thought out, and planned.
What I loved:
🪽 This story was AMAZING. It was action packed, it had tense moments, emotional moments, and it all flowed really well.
🪽 Louisa isn’t scared to rip your heart out lol. That’s all I’ll say on the matter.
🪽 All the characters were 10/10, even very minor side characters were fleshed out; they all had their own unique personalities and stories.
🪽 This is a proper SLOW BURN. If you prefer your romantasy books with low/no spice but want more of a focus on the emotional aspects of the relationship, THIS BOOK.
What I didn’t love:
🪽 The writing wasn’t without its flaws, and there was repetitiveness for things like “his lip twitched”, “he smirked”, like the man was doing a lot of lip twitching, lip quivering and smirking. But I think a new editor for book 2 should be able to fix that. IT WAS SUCH A SMALL THING.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🫑 (ONLY KISSING)
-Urban fantasy 🏙️
-Enemies to reluctant allies to… 👀
-SLOW burn & yearning ❤️🔥
-Angel/demon warfare 🪽
-Twists, turns, secrets & betrayal 💔
“Then may I ask why you have your hand wrapped around my throat, and my arm pinned to the tree?”
“Perhaps this is how I like my women.”
What in the actual fuck did Louisa put in this book because I ATE IT UP.
This was serving all the Hush Hush, Fallen, Mortal Instruments, 2010s vibes, but the story was still so unique, well thought out, and planned.
What I loved:
🪽 This story was AMAZING. It was action packed, it had tense moments, emotional moments, and it all flowed really well.
🪽 Louisa isn’t scared to rip your heart out lol. That’s all I’ll say on the matter.
🪽 All the characters were 10/10, even very minor side characters were fleshed out; they all had their own unique personalities and stories.
🪽 This is a proper SLOW BURN. If you prefer your romantasy books with low/no spice but want more of a focus on the emotional aspects of the relationship, THIS BOOK.
What I didn’t love:
🪽 The writing wasn’t without its flaws, and there was repetitiveness for things like “his lip twitched”, “he smirked”, like the man was doing a lot of lip twitching, lip quivering and smirking. But I think a new editor for book 2 should be able to fix that. IT WAS SUCH A SMALL THING.
December 1, 2024
If you’ve been missing urban fantasy vibes specifically with angels then this book is about to be your new favorite!
Oh my god there are so many amazing aspects of this book! It’s the perfect blend of romance and action! And the banter and tension between the characters has me giggling and swooning!
I can’t wait for book 2!!
Oh my god there are so many amazing aspects of this book! It’s the perfect blend of romance and action! And the banter and tension between the characters has me giggling and swooning!
I can’t wait for book 2!!
April 6, 2025
DNFed 29%.
The premise was so good, reminds me so much of Susan Ee’s Angelfall series which I LOVED.
However.
The writing just isn’t good. And by writing, I don’t mean the line level. It was decent enough, a lot of repetitions not caught and blocky, repetitive sentences the same length at times that made it monotone but the wrtiting was bad in two crucial areas:
The characters psychological acuity. For instance, a person who has never been to space needs to show a bit of wonder and fear the first time going there, and not confidence for it to make sense if we are to believe the character has never been to space, right?
An angel who believes and call humans insects, needs to treat them as such until they learn better, right?
I just didn’t not believe the reactions, behavior and actions most of the time from the characters. They lack psychological acuity.
For example, an IMMORTAL ARCHANGEL who sees humans as INSECTS, yet he immediately smirks, laughed, is amused and leans in to whisper flirtily in her ear? Why? It seems more likely he would be cold and calculated, not behave like a cocky fratboy. His character was the most two dimensional and everytime he behaved like 22 year old Chad, it took me out of the story.
The dialogue is also very info-dumpy, over-explanatory. Like Afriel when our FMC meets him at the club. And he could have just said “I’m his second”. That’s all the info we need, as readers, layers of inuedos and meanings are there. Yet the dialogue continues where and the clunkyness is heavy as he reiterates what sounds like background info dump while speaking to a human he sees as an instect, and we are to believe, an immortal angel warrior sounds like a robot regurgitating backstory of the mmc. It’s so… clunky. And as a reader we can tell the author did not trust us to understand underlying context.
And the fmc is sort of dumb and a lot of their actions are illogical.
Maybe I’ll try again but I can get past bad line level writing if the characters feel fleshed out and 3D. They did not and it could have used a lot more rounds of edits to take away and remove the over explanation and add more plausible reactions from the characters in tuned with their backgrounds but I think the author lacked that eye as their actions doesn’t make sense with how the author tried to portray them, hence the unbeliveability.
Sorry, I just can’t continue with a story where I can’t believe the characters and they don’t feel real
The premise was so good, reminds me so much of Susan Ee’s Angelfall series which I LOVED.
However.
The writing just isn’t good. And by writing, I don’t mean the line level. It was decent enough, a lot of repetitions not caught and blocky, repetitive sentences the same length at times that made it monotone but the wrtiting was bad in two crucial areas:
The characters psychological acuity. For instance, a person who has never been to space needs to show a bit of wonder and fear the first time going there, and not confidence for it to make sense if we are to believe the character has never been to space, right?
An angel who believes and call humans insects, needs to treat them as such until they learn better, right?
I just didn’t not believe the reactions, behavior and actions most of the time from the characters. They lack psychological acuity.
For example, an IMMORTAL ARCHANGEL who sees humans as INSECTS, yet he immediately smirks, laughed, is amused and leans in to whisper flirtily in her ear? Why? It seems more likely he would be cold and calculated, not behave like a cocky fratboy. His character was the most two dimensional and everytime he behaved like 22 year old Chad, it took me out of the story.
The dialogue is also very info-dumpy, over-explanatory. Like Afriel when our FMC meets him at the club. And he could have just said “I’m his second”. That’s all the info we need, as readers, layers of inuedos and meanings are there. Yet the dialogue continues where and the clunkyness is heavy as he reiterates what sounds like background info dump while speaking to a human he sees as an instect, and we are to believe, an immortal angel warrior sounds like a robot regurgitating backstory of the mmc. It’s so… clunky. And as a reader we can tell the author did not trust us to understand underlying context.
And the fmc is sort of dumb and a lot of their actions are illogical.
Maybe I’ll try again but I can get past bad line level writing if the characters feel fleshed out and 3D. They did not and it could have used a lot more rounds of edits to take away and remove the over explanation and add more plausible reactions from the characters in tuned with their backgrounds but I think the author lacked that eye as their actions doesn’t make sense with how the author tried to portray them, hence the unbeliveability.
Sorry, I just can’t continue with a story where I can’t believe the characters and they don’t feel real
January 1, 2025
Absolutely worth the read!! I couldn’t put it down and I loved the urban fantasy vibes. Cannot wait to get more from this author!
December 19, 2024
I received an ARC of this by the author. Thank you so much.
THIS IS THE BOOK OF 2025
5/5⭐️
I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. It’s a combination of dystopian and fantasy and it took me back fifteen years ago when I began reading this genre. Louisa has done an incredible job of storytelling, writing complex characters and settings. The plot was magnificent and it all flowed so well. I only wished there was more romance, as it’s quite slow burn, but something to look forward to in book 2! The slow burn made want to throw my kindle to the other side of the room! It was devastatingly beautiful. 💗
THIS IS THE BOOK OF 2025
5/5⭐️
I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. It’s a combination of dystopian and fantasy and it took me back fifteen years ago when I began reading this genre. Louisa has done an incredible job of storytelling, writing complex characters and settings. The plot was magnificent and it all flowed so well. I only wished there was more romance, as it’s quite slow burn, but something to look forward to in book 2! The slow burn made want to throw my kindle to the other side of the room! It was devastatingly beautiful. 💗
February 23, 2025
‘Just one more chapter.’ Is what happened here.
I I just stalked the authors socials after reading because I need updates on THE NEXT BOOK ASAP PLEASE!! & I actually saw it described as a hint of ‘Crescent City, The Mortal Instruments & Hush Hush’ - the fact I am currently reading the CC series & Hush Hush series as well & have read the Mortal Instruments (which btw is my fav SH world series) - this is 100% that vibe!!👏🏽
This was incredible for a first debut novel. I was hooked. Super easy to read. I was second guessing myself a lot & then I was like ‘HUH’ & gasped!!!
Post apocalyptic dystopian world - my favourite time of reading genre/books & this defiantly hit the bar for me🤌
I was sitting at a 4/4.5 star then the last 20% of this book made it a 5 star read for me. I was going through all the emotions & I just had to finish it. It’s once of those you won’t want to put down.
Yeah i’m obsessed. Congrats to this beauty👏🏽🩷
I I just stalked the authors socials after reading because I need updates on THE NEXT BOOK ASAP PLEASE!! & I actually saw it described as a hint of ‘Crescent City, The Mortal Instruments & Hush Hush’ - the fact I am currently reading the CC series & Hush Hush series as well & have read the Mortal Instruments (which btw is my fav SH world series) - this is 100% that vibe!!👏🏽
This was incredible for a first debut novel. I was hooked. Super easy to read. I was second guessing myself a lot & then I was like ‘HUH’ & gasped!!!
Post apocalyptic dystopian world - my favourite time of reading genre/books & this defiantly hit the bar for me🤌
I was sitting at a 4/4.5 star then the last 20% of this book made it a 5 star read for me. I was going through all the emotions & I just had to finish it. It’s once of those you won’t want to put down.
Yeah i’m obsessed. Congrats to this beauty👏🏽🩷
January 18, 2025
This had me hooked from the very first page! Every chapter left me wanting more, and I couldn’t put it down. The twists kept me guessing, and the story was so vivid and gripping that it’s still stuck in my head. Can’t wait for the next one!
April 26, 2025
4.5
I need time to think about that book. I have feeling that i just watched tv show about angels, humans and apocalypse. I like how author built the plot, we have many plot twists (some of them predictable, some no, but still good). FMC reminds me of Buffy or more like Cordelia and MMC reminds me of Damon from Vampire Diaries. Don't ask me why, I just feel it haha
Tropes
- angel/deamon/human war;
- dystopian vibes;
- one bed;
- 'that`s my girl';
- badass FMC;
- enemies to lovers to enemies?
- you can trust no one
Anyway, it was captivating and I def gonna read second book
I need time to think about that book. I have feeling that i just watched tv show about angels, humans and apocalypse. I like how author built the plot, we have many plot twists (some of them predictable, some no, but still good). FMC reminds me of Buffy or more like Cordelia and MMC reminds me of Damon from Vampire Diaries. Don't ask me why, I just feel it haha
Tropes
- angel/deamon/human war;
- dystopian vibes;
- one bed;
- 'that`s my girl';
- badass FMC;
- enemies to lovers to enemies?
- you can trust no one
Anyway, it was captivating and I def gonna read second book
March 15, 2025
Seriously blown away, I almost can’t believe this is a debut novel.
The Shadows that Listen is a book about humans, Angels, Daemons, and more. It’s action-packed, gritty, suspenseful, romantic, and twisty. I guessed the ending early on but I was still surprised but it and didn’t get it exactly right. I can’t wait to see where this series goes and where this author goes with her talent.
The Shadows that Listen is a book about humans, Angels, Daemons, and more. It’s action-packed, gritty, suspenseful, romantic, and twisty. I guessed the ending early on but I was still surprised but it and didn’t get it exactly right. I can’t wait to see where this series goes and where this author goes with her talent.
April 7, 2025
4,75⭐
December 2, 2024
THIS BOOK IS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 1/9/25. I was fortunate enough to be an arc reader and wanted to post my review before ADHD led me to forgetting.
I’m not an in-depth, analyze every sentence type of reader. I read for the pure entertainment of it, and I don’t have the energy to go any deeper than that. That said, if a book keeps me interested and caring about characters, I’m happy with it. I COULD NOT stop reading this, and was incredibly sad when I finished it. Because I had no more of it to read. I finished it in a day.
It had twists, but they weren’t necessarily punch you in the gut and ruin you twists. There were subtle hints leading up to it that makes you question, then question your questioning. I pray there is more coming with this world Louisa has built, because I need it.
There were some things I wish we got a little more detail on - maybe a little more details of the daemons, the war, a little more build to Amara’s relationship before - well, no spoilers. I guess some would call it world building? Still, not mad at it.
I feel she did a wonderful job building tension with Amara and Nathaniel. Their banter was fun, and the tension build killed me. I wanted more of them. From them. 🤷🏻♀️ also why I pray there’s more to this world. I’ll read it again, for sure, and it will be added to my collection. I’m a sucker for a badass FMC and a badass MMC who has a growing weakness for the girl.
I’m not an in-depth, analyze every sentence type of reader. I read for the pure entertainment of it, and I don’t have the energy to go any deeper than that. That said, if a book keeps me interested and caring about characters, I’m happy with it. I COULD NOT stop reading this, and was incredibly sad when I finished it. Because I had no more of it to read. I finished it in a day.
It had twists, but they weren’t necessarily punch you in the gut and ruin you twists. There were subtle hints leading up to it that makes you question, then question your questioning. I pray there is more coming with this world Louisa has built, because I need it.
There were some things I wish we got a little more detail on - maybe a little more details of the daemons, the war, a little more build to Amara’s relationship before - well, no spoilers. I guess some would call it world building? Still, not mad at it.
I feel she did a wonderful job building tension with Amara and Nathaniel. Their banter was fun, and the tension build killed me. I wanted more of them. From them. 🤷🏻♀️ also why I pray there’s more to this world. I’ll read it again, for sure, and it will be added to my collection. I’m a sucker for a badass FMC and a badass MMC who has a growing weakness for the girl.
January 8, 2025
This. book. was. PHENOMENAL! i was sucked in from the very beginning to the very end, grasping onto every single freaking word.
the world, the characters, the plot twists, the LORE!!! Louisa, you ate with this one, i’m afraid.
I think that the craziest part of the entire plot was how brutal the angels were described (and they are…) from the very beginning, but then to learn WHY?! oh god. it’s just so good. and the detail that went into the fighting/gore scenes was so well done that i could picture the scenes in my head perfectly. i always love when an author can do that!
Amara is that girl! she is an independent woman who don’t need no human man to protect her (see what i did there, Louisa?? 🤭) Right from the beginning, she just felt so real to me with how she views the world and her reality. and i especially loved the little tells she had all throughout the book that you wouldn’t have ever known were important until the very end because obviously there’s a crazy plot twist 😫🤯
And Nathaniel. oh my sweet baby Nathaniel, i can’t wait for you guys to meet him. its him slowly revealing how much of a softy he truly is underneath his big bad angel exterior the further into the book we get for me.
there is no explicit romance in this book, guys. but i’m willing to bet there might be some in the next one, based off how this one ended 🫣 i can’t wait!
⚔️ enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
🌏 post apocalyptic dystopian world
🌞 forced proximity
⏳ hidden identity
🔥 slow burn with crazy tension
🪽 angels and daemons
🗡️ feminine rage
Thank you Louisa for the ARC of your debut novel! i truly felt the years of hard work you put into it with every word! i can’t wait for the world to experience this!
the world, the characters, the plot twists, the LORE!!! Louisa, you ate with this one, i’m afraid.
I think that the craziest part of the entire plot was how brutal the angels were described (and they are…) from the very beginning, but then to learn WHY?! oh god. it’s just so good. and the detail that went into the fighting/gore scenes was so well done that i could picture the scenes in my head perfectly. i always love when an author can do that!
Amara is that girl! she is an independent woman who don’t need no human man to protect her (see what i did there, Louisa?? 🤭) Right from the beginning, she just felt so real to me with how she views the world and her reality. and i especially loved the little tells she had all throughout the book that you wouldn’t have ever known were important until the very end because obviously there’s a crazy plot twist 😫🤯
And Nathaniel. oh my sweet baby Nathaniel, i can’t wait for you guys to meet him. its him slowly revealing how much of a softy he truly is underneath his big bad angel exterior the further into the book we get for me.
there is no explicit romance in this book, guys. but i’m willing to bet there might be some in the next one, based off how this one ended 🫣 i can’t wait!
⚔️ enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
🌏 post apocalyptic dystopian world
🌞 forced proximity
⏳ hidden identity
🔥 slow burn with crazy tension
🪽 angels and daemons
🗡️ feminine rage
Thank you Louisa for the ARC of your debut novel! i truly felt the years of hard work you put into it with every word! i can’t wait for the world to experience this!
January 18, 2025
3,5 ⭐
I loved the plot up until that called plot twist... But I'll keep reading the series because I'm curious
I loved the plot up until that called plot twist... But I'll keep reading the series because I'm curious
January 27, 2025
“I think that you want someone who challenges you. You want something that you have to fight for, someone who’s going to keep you on your toes. You want someone who would crawl from the grave back to you.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because you’re a warrior, and I know the desires of warrior women.”
One thing that thrills us with reading is when we find a new to us author. We love uncovering those lesser-known books and sharing the love with our book buddies. Another thing we absolutely love are Angels – the saviours and the fallen, and in The Shadows That Listen by Louisa Carmody, we found both. Bingo!
’The archangel is a flame, and I’m standing close enough to get burned.’
It’s been 5 years since Amara (Mara) Jones’ world went to pot. She a soldier with the Angel Intelligence Agency. After three years of brutal war, following a deal with the angels, they had room to breathe, but a fallen angel is wreaking havoc, murdering at will and he needs to be stopped.
’The temptation of sin warp the mind unlike anything else.’
On the hunt for her missing boyfriend, Mara crosses paths with the Archangel Nathaniel. He’s incredibly strong and powerful, he’s stunningly handsome, he’s witty, and he’s a pain in her arse, but she needs his help as they enter realms and dangers that would make the strongest person wince.
”The angel of all angels.” His lethal gaze turns to playful, and he looks away. “I like that title.”
Louisa Carmody has woven a fabulous romantic urban fantasy with daemons, hellhounds, and every other fearful creature you can put in the paths of Nathaniel and Amara. This is both a fast paced and slow-moving story with the chemistry and tension between our MMC and FMC palpable. There are some twists and turns. Some we saw coming and others we didn’t.
’We will never win this war. This is the start of the end of our world.’
This does end on a cliffy which we didn’t expect, and we’re looking forward to picking up where we left off. We love it!
August 14, 2025
24 hour finish & HOLY SH*T. Think an angels vs demons hit the real world in a “The Last of Us” apocalyptic way. This story is going to be sitting rent free in my brain for a while. It does get more a little gorey & dark than I’d say a typical romantasy does, so be warned but like please don’t let that stop you from reading it I’m begging.
FMC was 10/10, not annoying whatsoever imo & I am just so taken with the MMC in like a really big way. Their banter was soo good too BUT it is a SLOWWWW BURN. Like SLOW. Like barely anything happens (if yall catch my drift) but like there’s enough banter & tension to make it work. There’s also just the fact the world’s collapsing around these individuals so like when would you even have time to think about something like that (I’m looking at you Feyre & Rhys in that gods damn tent during a full on battle). There is another factor at play here too for reasons why that ^ will prob wait until the next book which I’m BEGGING TO THE GODS will be soon.
Final note - it’s on Kindle Unlimited! I made a saved list on Amazon with all of my TBR books that are on Kindle Unlimited so I don’t have to manually search every time, so if anyone is interested in that, hit my line 😤
FMC was 10/10, not annoying whatsoever imo & I am just so taken with the MMC in like a really big way. Their banter was soo good too BUT it is a SLOWWWW BURN. Like SLOW. Like barely anything happens (if yall catch my drift) but like there’s enough banter & tension to make it work. There’s also just the fact the world’s collapsing around these individuals so like when would you even have time to think about something like that (I’m looking at you Feyre & Rhys in that gods damn tent during a full on battle). There is another factor at play here too for reasons why that ^ will prob wait until the next book which I’m BEGGING TO THE GODS will be soon.
Final note - it’s on Kindle Unlimited! I made a saved list on Amazon with all of my TBR books that are on Kindle Unlimited so I don’t have to manually search every time, so if anyone is interested in that, hit my line 😤
January 15, 2025
This. BOOK. 😭
From the very beginning I was hooked, by 10% I was obsessed, by 30% I knew it would be a 5 star read!
Absolutely PHENOMENAL read! Had me entertained the whole way through, giggling, gasping and oh my gosh were tears shed!
Unlike anything I’ve read, this book was exactly what I needed in a fantasy, especially when a lot of fantasies nowadays feel so copy and pasted! It was refreshingly unique!
With a super entertaining, fun, engaging, emotional and beautiful plot, The Shadows That Listen will have you immersed from page one!
Highly, highly recommended ❤️✨
From the very beginning I was hooked, by 10% I was obsessed, by 30% I knew it would be a 5 star read!
Absolutely PHENOMENAL read! Had me entertained the whole way through, giggling, gasping and oh my gosh were tears shed!
Unlike anything I’ve read, this book was exactly what I needed in a fantasy, especially when a lot of fantasies nowadays feel so copy and pasted! It was refreshingly unique!
With a super entertaining, fun, engaging, emotional and beautiful plot, The Shadows That Listen will have you immersed from page one!
Highly, highly recommended ❤️✨
December 4, 2024
I’ve been so excited for this book for the longest time and I was lucky enough to be chosen as an arc reader. When I say this book did not disappoint, I mean it exceeded every expectation and more. This book grabs you right from the start and never lets go! There wasn’t a dull moment! This book gave me the same vibe as the Mortal Instruments series! The same fast pace, action, seat of your pants vibes!! I absolutely loved it and I highly recommend it!!
December 18, 2024
WOW!! I was so lucky to be chosen as an ARC reader for this book and I feel so blessed because this book was so good!
I’m honestly so impressed with Louisa and her writing considering this is her first book! It was engaging, fun and exciting to read! I found myself having a few late nights while reading this because i just couldn’t put it down!
The story was so easy to follow along but was still very unique and engaging! It has me wondering and guessing things which was great!
I think EVERYONE needs to give this book a read especially if you love fantasy, this was so great!
I’m honestly so impressed with Louisa and her writing considering this is her first book! It was engaging, fun and exciting to read! I found myself having a few late nights while reading this because i just couldn’t put it down!
The story was so easy to follow along but was still very unique and engaging! It has me wondering and guessing things which was great!
I think EVERYONE needs to give this book a read especially if you love fantasy, this was so great!
December 30, 2024
Do you believe in angels? Do you believe that they could be among us?
An epic fantasy read that takes you on a journey in a post-apocalyptic like world where humans are faced with a war between angels and demons.
The plot twists in this book were so unexpected but so so good! It left me literally sitting in silence staring at the wall just trying to reign my thoughts in.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
An epic fantasy read that takes you on a journey in a post-apocalyptic like world where humans are faced with a war between angels and demons.
The plot twists in this book were so unexpected but so so good! It left me literally sitting in silence staring at the wall just trying to reign my thoughts in.
I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
May 26, 2025
★★★☆ I wanted to give this 5 stars so bad, but multiple things drove me crazy, so we'll have to settle for a 3.5.
Spice: 🫑
🎵 Theme Song: "Darkside" - Bring Me The Horizon
🗡 Post-apocalyptic world
🗡 Angels/Archangels vs demons
🗡 Fierce female warrior
🗡 Enemies to reluctant allies to...👀
🗡 Fate vs free will
📖 Plot Overview
Amara is a warrior in the Angel Intelligence Agency, where heaven has turned earth into collateral damage in a war between angels and demons. When her boyfriend Jeremy vanishes without a trace, she breaks curfew to search for him—and runs straight into the Archangel Nathaniel. Instead of smiting her on sight, he... pairs up with her? Yep. Cue an unlikely alliance between an elite archangel and a human warrior as they unravel a much bigger mystery that may change the fate of the world.
But there are secrets between them, and what they uncover might burn the whole world down.
⚔️ Characters
Amara (FMC): Fierce, mouthy, and not here to be saved. She's a badass warrior who refuses to be underestimated—even by literal archangels. I loved her confidence, her refusal to be silenced, and how she throws herself into danger, as if fear is just a concept.
Nathaniel (MMC): Broody archangel energy, powerful and intimidating, but I wanted more. The build-up didn’t quite reach the intensity I hoped for, and the chemistry felt more like a flicker than a blaze. Give me more moments that represent this quote!!!
⚔️ World-Building
- Post-apocalyptic setting with angels/demons was so up my alley
- Strong atmosphere—gritty, haunting, and cinematic. Felt like a movie in my head.
♥️ What I Loved
✔️ Amara is that girl. She had fight, fire, and a set of sharp blades.
✔️ The enemies-to-allies energy was fun, and I was hyped to see where their relationship would go.
✔️ The banter was so fun. Found myself kicking my feet
✔️ I love any story when a female is kicking demon @$$
💔 What I Didn’t Like
✖️ Repetitive language (how many times can someone twitch or smirk?)
✖️ The ending felt... meh. No big payoff - ending felt a little rushed
✖️ Missed opportunities! I wanted a big underdog arc or shock-value twist to punch me in the chest.
✖️ The romance wasn’t romancing. There wasn’t enough yearning, angst, or build-up, and no payoff.
✖️ There are more - read my spoilers if you want to know.
📝 Overall Thoughts
The Shadows That Listen is one of those books that had everything I love—angels, a fierce FMC, post-apocalyptic vibes, and reluctant allies—but stumbled right at the finish line. It should have been a 5-star read. The world was there, the writing had its moments, and Amara is the kind of character I cheer for in every scene.
But some missed opportunities, repetitive phrasing, lack of emotional build-up in the romance, and a "meh" ending knocked it down to 3.5 stars. I’ll still read the sequel (because I’m curious and mildly invested), but I hope the next book delivers the emotional stakes, twists, and payoffs I know this series is capable of.
If you like angels, urban fantasy, and badass heroines with sharp mouths and sharper blades, check this out.
⚠️ Hidden Spoiler Rant
Spice: 🫑
🎵 Theme Song: "Darkside" - Bring Me The Horizon
🗡 Post-apocalyptic world
🗡 Angels/Archangels vs demons
🗡 Fierce female warrior
🗡 Enemies to reluctant allies to...👀
🗡 Fate vs free will
📖 Plot Overview
Amara is a warrior in the Angel Intelligence Agency, where heaven has turned earth into collateral damage in a war between angels and demons. When her boyfriend Jeremy vanishes without a trace, she breaks curfew to search for him—and runs straight into the Archangel Nathaniel. Instead of smiting her on sight, he... pairs up with her? Yep. Cue an unlikely alliance between an elite archangel and a human warrior as they unravel a much bigger mystery that may change the fate of the world.
But there are secrets between them, and what they uncover might burn the whole world down.
⚔️ Characters
Amara (FMC): Fierce, mouthy, and not here to be saved. She's a badass warrior who refuses to be underestimated—even by literal archangels. I loved her confidence, her refusal to be silenced, and how she throws herself into danger, as if fear is just a concept.
Nathaniel (MMC): Broody archangel energy, powerful and intimidating, but I wanted more. The build-up didn’t quite reach the intensity I hoped for, and the chemistry felt more like a flicker than a blaze. Give me more moments that represent this quote!!!
“I think that you want someone who challenges you. You want something that you have to fight for, someone who’s going to keep you on your toes. You want someone who would crawl from the grave back to you.”
⚔️ World-Building
- Post-apocalyptic setting with angels/demons was so up my alley
- Strong atmosphere—gritty, haunting, and cinematic. Felt like a movie in my head.
♥️ What I Loved
✔️ Amara is that girl. She had fight, fire, and a set of sharp blades.
✔️ The enemies-to-allies energy was fun, and I was hyped to see where their relationship would go.
✔️ The banter was so fun. Found myself kicking my feet
✔️ I love any story when a female is kicking demon @$$
💔 What I Didn’t Like
✖️ Repetitive language (how many times can someone twitch or smirk?)
✖️ The ending felt... meh. No big payoff - ending felt a little rushed
✖️ Missed opportunities! I wanted a big underdog arc or shock-value twist to punch me in the chest.
✖️ The romance wasn’t romancing. There wasn’t enough yearning, angst, or build-up, and no payoff.
✖️ There are more - read my spoilers if you want to know.
📝 Overall Thoughts
The Shadows That Listen is one of those books that had everything I love—angels, a fierce FMC, post-apocalyptic vibes, and reluctant allies—but stumbled right at the finish line. It should have been a 5-star read. The world was there, the writing had its moments, and Amara is the kind of character I cheer for in every scene.
But some missed opportunities, repetitive phrasing, lack of emotional build-up in the romance, and a "meh" ending knocked it down to 3.5 stars. I’ll still read the sequel (because I’m curious and mildly invested), but I hope the next book delivers the emotional stakes, twists, and payoffs I know this series is capable of.
If you like angels, urban fantasy, and badass heroines with sharp mouths and sharper blades, check this out.
⚠️ Hidden Spoiler Rant
June 21, 2025
I knew I wanted to read this book when the author said they’d poured 8 years of their life into it. This book deserves more hype than over half the viral books I’ve read this year.
The FMC is not annoying, which is a huge rarity these days. Her values and empathy are her strength for majority of this book. Instead of giving her obvious flaws for the sake of character development.
As a psychologist I love reading a characters insecurities be beautifully played out and explored. As it normalises some of the wants and thoughts that plague most of us on a daily level. That it’s okay that we want that secure attachment: to feel safe and loved and that bad-ass fictional characters want that stuff too.
Fans of “supernatural” will enjoy similar themes and characters ;) in this book to the show. My heart rejoiced for Angel lore.
Slow burn/ Yearning > spice imo
Rare is it that I don’t see the plot twist coming so bravo 👏I cannot wait for the next one.
The FMC is not annoying, which is a huge rarity these days. Her values and empathy are her strength for majority of this book. Instead of giving her obvious flaws for the sake of character development.
As a psychologist I love reading a characters insecurities be beautifully played out and explored. As it normalises some of the wants and thoughts that plague most of us on a daily level. That it’s okay that we want that secure attachment: to feel safe and loved and that bad-ass fictional characters want that stuff too.
Fans of “supernatural” will enjoy similar themes and characters ;) in this book to the show. My heart rejoiced for Angel lore.
Slow burn/ Yearning > spice imo
Rare is it that I don’t see the plot twist coming so bravo 👏I cannot wait for the next one.
September 19, 2025
DNF'd at 33%.
While I don’t typically like to DNF books, I will if it becomes unavoidable. The Shadows that Listen had an intriguing premise, but I found it difficult to stay engaged or invested (I never had that strong pull to pick it up again), so I decided to put it aside.
The author's mentioned multiple times that it took her 8 years to self-publish this book, and to be honest, it shows in certain areas. Based on what I read, here are my main issues with it:
• The world-building felt underdeveloped. The name “Angel Intelligence Agency” didn’t spark much interest, and referring to the decision-makers as “the world leaders” felt quite generic.
• The FMC was, at times, difficult to understand. While we were told repeatedly that she was terrified, her actions didn’t reflect that. It wasn’t a case of her being scared but pushing through anyway; rather, I just didn’t feel that terror at all. In fact, she came across as quite capable and seemed almost eager to face danger head-on.
• The MMC felt more performative than substantial. Despite the FMC constantly referring to the angels as “monsters,” the MMC was cocky, flirty, and didn’t come across as intimidating or fearsome in the slightest. The tension between the two characters felt like a forced and obvious set up for a future romance.
While I don’t typically like to DNF books, I will if it becomes unavoidable. The Shadows that Listen had an intriguing premise, but I found it difficult to stay engaged or invested (I never had that strong pull to pick it up again), so I decided to put it aside.
The author's mentioned multiple times that it took her 8 years to self-publish this book, and to be honest, it shows in certain areas. Based on what I read, here are my main issues with it:
• The world-building felt underdeveloped. The name “Angel Intelligence Agency” didn’t spark much interest, and referring to the decision-makers as “the world leaders” felt quite generic.
• The FMC was, at times, difficult to understand. While we were told repeatedly that she was terrified, her actions didn’t reflect that. It wasn’t a case of her being scared but pushing through anyway; rather, I just didn’t feel that terror at all. In fact, she came across as quite capable and seemed almost eager to face danger head-on.
• The MMC felt more performative than substantial. Despite the FMC constantly referring to the angels as “monsters,” the MMC was cocky, flirty, and didn’t come across as intimidating or fearsome in the slightest. The tension between the two characters felt like a forced and obvious set up for a future romance.
June 1, 2025
I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK.
If I could give this more than 5 stars I absolutely would. Holy crap, it was SO good. It’s the kind of story you know you’re always wanting to read about angels and demons but, it hasn’t necessarily been written yet so you wait and wait for it.. only to read it, and be blown away. I can’t believe more people aren’t gushing about this story, I can’t get enough of it and I cannot wait to read the second book. (Begs on her knees for the second book). I’m so impressed by Louisa Carmody, and this was my first read by her and I devoured it, I can’t wait for more!
This wasn’t your typical angels and demons story. Honestly, the world building was so different than what I expected it to be, it was so refreshing. This is a post apocalyptic/dystopian world set in modern times with angels and daemons (how they spell demons in this book) who are at war. Not only are they at war with each other but, humans are stuck in the middle of this war with limited knowledge of why this war was even brought to Earth to begin with.
5 years ago, Amara’s world as she knew it completely changed. With seismic events happening all over the world and daemons crawling out from literal hell or The Darklands as they call it, the wreckage covered the Earth with no end in sight. So, she joins the AIA, Angel Intelligence Angency to try and make a difference. Not realizing at first, the daemons aren’t the only ones they need to be wary of. Angels are necessarily “Angelic” in this storyline. They have little regard for human lives and don’t really care about the collateral damage this war is doing to humans. But, when Amara’s boyfriend is taken she has no choice but to team up with the Archangel, Nathaniel for help.
And let me tell you they do not like each other one bit. Amara is so sassy, witty and hilarious whereas Nathaniel is a serious commander who doesn’t really care about human feelings at all. The two of them together? Hilarious. Oh my gosh their banter was priceless and funny. I was laughing the majority of the time reading their scenes. And throughout it all? The underlying tension… my god. The slow burn effect? So good. The forced proximity? AH. This is a true enemies to lovers rivalry here. I don’t want to say romance because I don’t think that’s the key here in this book but, I do think we’ll get to it. But, man that tension between them is intense. I was living for it.
Throughout this book, Nathaniel is hiding a HUGE secret from Amara. As they travel together in this book hunting Daemons and trying to find Jeremy there are so many things she is learning, not only about this war but, herself as well. And holy crap, what she learns? Can turn the tide of this war.. I will NOT give it away but, this books ends on really big, intense cliffhanger. I can’t wait to find out what the second book will bring and how the continuation of this war will go.
If you love angels and demons, a badass FMC, a slowwww burn, forced proximity partnership? Then I can’t recommend this book enough. I hope this story blows up. Happy reading all!
“I see a man who stares at me like I'll quench his thirst. A man who looks at me like I'm the body of water he's been hallucinating in the desert. Like I'm the deity he's been praying to.”
If I could give this more than 5 stars I absolutely would. Holy crap, it was SO good. It’s the kind of story you know you’re always wanting to read about angels and demons but, it hasn’t necessarily been written yet so you wait and wait for it.. only to read it, and be blown away. I can’t believe more people aren’t gushing about this story, I can’t get enough of it and I cannot wait to read the second book. (Begs on her knees for the second book). I’m so impressed by Louisa Carmody, and this was my first read by her and I devoured it, I can’t wait for more!
This wasn’t your typical angels and demons story. Honestly, the world building was so different than what I expected it to be, it was so refreshing. This is a post apocalyptic/dystopian world set in modern times with angels and daemons (how they spell demons in this book) who are at war. Not only are they at war with each other but, humans are stuck in the middle of this war with limited knowledge of why this war was even brought to Earth to begin with.
5 years ago, Amara’s world as she knew it completely changed. With seismic events happening all over the world and daemons crawling out from literal hell or The Darklands as they call it, the wreckage covered the Earth with no end in sight. So, she joins the AIA, Angel Intelligence Angency to try and make a difference. Not realizing at first, the daemons aren’t the only ones they need to be wary of. Angels are necessarily “Angelic” in this storyline. They have little regard for human lives and don’t really care about the collateral damage this war is doing to humans. But, when Amara’s boyfriend is taken she has no choice but to team up with the Archangel, Nathaniel for help.
And let me tell you they do not like each other one bit. Amara is so sassy, witty and hilarious whereas Nathaniel is a serious commander who doesn’t really care about human feelings at all. The two of them together? Hilarious. Oh my gosh their banter was priceless and funny. I was laughing the majority of the time reading their scenes. And throughout it all? The underlying tension… my god. The slow burn effect? So good. The forced proximity? AH. This is a true enemies to lovers rivalry here. I don’t want to say romance because I don’t think that’s the key here in this book but, I do think we’ll get to it. But, man that tension between them is intense. I was living for it.
Throughout this book, Nathaniel is hiding a HUGE secret from Amara. As they travel together in this book hunting Daemons and trying to find Jeremy there are so many things she is learning, not only about this war but, herself as well. And holy crap, what she learns? Can turn the tide of this war.. I will NOT give it away but, this books ends on really big, intense cliffhanger. I can’t wait to find out what the second book will bring and how the continuation of this war will go.
If you love angels and demons, a badass FMC, a slowwww burn, forced proximity partnership? Then I can’t recommend this book enough. I hope this story blows up. Happy reading all!
“I see a man who stares at me like I'll quench his thirst. A man who looks at me like I'm the body of water he's been hallucinating in the desert. Like I'm the deity he's been praying to.”
August 14, 2025
I really wanted to love this book. I had high hopes. In reality it just made me angry every time I read it. Mainly due to the main character. I get the idea of her being a strong female character, but she came off as cocky and insufferable. I despised her until the very end of this book.
I found numerous typos and misspellings that irritated me to the point I couldn't enjoy the book. A lot of the dialogue was repetitive. There was one instance where the same line was written within a few sentences of each other. The word "stories" was misspelled on one line but spelled the correct way on the line just below it.
The storyline is good, if you can get past the errors and happen to like the way the characters are written. It wasn't enough to put me off the next book now that I know what to expect, but my expectations are much lower.
I found numerous typos and misspellings that irritated me to the point I couldn't enjoy the book. A lot of the dialogue was repetitive. There was one instance where the same line was written within a few sentences of each other. The word "stories" was misspelled on one line but spelled the correct way on the line just below it.
The storyline is good, if you can get past the errors and happen to like the way the characters are written. It wasn't enough to put me off the next book now that I know what to expect, but my expectations are much lower.
August 13, 2025
Angels and deamons and human kind.
Very interesting premise: a human army girl embarks on a mission with a strange ally, an angel, to find her boyfriend only to find out nothing is at it seems and the war everyone is being a part of has way more twists and turns that she can Imagine.
Predictable in a sense but well paced.
Loved Nathaniel, sadly did NOT feel the romantic tension between these two.
If there is a book two maybe that yearning could be further developed as long as it doesn’t get very cliche in the I CANT HAVE YOU BECAUSE OF MY MORALS BUT I DESIRE YOU kind of way.
It was ok. Not as fun as I thought it’d be
Very interesting premise: a human army girl embarks on a mission with a strange ally, an angel, to find her boyfriend only to find out nothing is at it seems and the war everyone is being a part of has way more twists and turns that she can Imagine.
Predictable in a sense but well paced.
Loved Nathaniel, sadly did NOT feel the romantic tension between these two.
If there is a book two maybe that yearning could be further developed as long as it doesn’t get very cliche in the I CANT HAVE YOU BECAUSE OF MY MORALS BUT I DESIRE YOU kind of way.
It was ok. Not as fun as I thought it’d be
January 21, 2025
Predictable…with an insufferable FMC.
I think the overall goal was to have a really strong FMC, but honestly it was bringing a lot of male energy. The book was also written with a fast chain of events popping off, and I think the author is trying to have all these different twists that you don’t see coming…but I saw them coming.
The author said she took 8 years to write this? I honestly can’t understand how this book would take that long. Went in with high hopes but didn’t like it at all.
I think the overall goal was to have a really strong FMC, but honestly it was bringing a lot of male energy. The book was also written with a fast chain of events popping off, and I think the author is trying to have all these different twists that you don’t see coming…but I saw them coming.
The author said she took 8 years to write this? I honestly can’t understand how this book would take that long. Went in with high hopes but didn’t like it at all.
February 14, 2025
I feel bad because this book has so many good reviews, but I just don’t think this book was for me. The writing was interesting and I felt like it read a tiny bit corny on some parts. I didn’t really get into it until about 19% in but even then, I just felt like I needed to finish it rather than I was intrigued to continue. Overall, I just did not like it very much.
December 7, 2024
Let me just start this off by saying THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL!
The story follows BADASS Amara who works for the Angels Intelligence Agency in the midst of the seemingly never-ending war between demons and angels. Humans are supposed to be in their homes safely before 6PM every night... and if they aren't, there's a 99% chance they'll end up dead. It's Amara's job to find the frighteningly long list of missing humans - a job she takes incredibly seriously and carries heavily in her heart. When her boyfriend of two years doesn't come home one night, Amara immediately jumps into action and goes looking for him, even though she's very much of aware of the danger that waits in the dark.
On her journey to find Jeremy (her boyfriend) she meets Nathaniel, the archangel. It's instant hate between the two of them; she's a human, he's an angel. She loathes him for what the angels have done to her world; he's disgusted, annoyed, and bothered by her mere presence. He surprisingly needs her help locating a fallen angel, and she needs his protection while she searches for Jeremy. The two decide on a truce and help each other on their own respective searches. But as days pass, sparks FLY between Amara and Nathaniel (cue enemies to lovers - MY FUCKING FAVORITE) as they inevitably get to know each other, but Amara is torn between the man she loves and is literally risking her life to find, and the archangel who continuously saves her life, makes her feel SEEN, and ignites something inside of her that she's never ever felt before. Amara quickly beings to realize that the stories she's been told about angels may have all been lies, the world is not at all what she'd thought it was (especially when she comes across some shady ass humans), and there's so much more to the war between the demons and angels that she ever could've imagined.
FIVE STARS. TEN STARS. A MILLION STARS. This book is easily one of my top ten reads of this year. Louisa KNOCKED THIS OUT OF THE PARK. This was a much-anticipated release and not once did it disappoint. I was staying up until midnight to keep reading, sneaking off to the bathroom at work so I could get in another chapter (hope my boss doesn't see this) I literally could not stop reading this amazing story. It's unlike anything I've ever read before. The way Louisa flawlessly executes the worldbuilding, the slow burn between Amara and Nathaniel (SWOON! Nathaniel the sexy archangel is literally the LOML), the way she makes you feel Amara's anxiety at possibly not being able to find Jeremy, not feeling good enough, or when she's burning with rage due to the senseless slaughtering of humans, and you can feel it in your chest because Louisa is that damn good of a writer. This doesn't read as if it's a debut, it reads as thought Louisa has been writing novels her entire life. I cannot say enough good things about this book, it was so fucking good. It had me in a CHOKEHOLD, and the TWIST AT THE END OF THE BOOK HAD ME SHOOKETH. Magnificent writing, flawless storytelling, perfect pacing - *standing ovation* I'm obsessed, if you couldn't tell.
I know there's going to be another one (please God, I hope so) and I will be waiting on pins and needles to read it.
The story follows BADASS Amara who works for the Angels Intelligence Agency in the midst of the seemingly never-ending war between demons and angels. Humans are supposed to be in their homes safely before 6PM every night... and if they aren't, there's a 99% chance they'll end up dead. It's Amara's job to find the frighteningly long list of missing humans - a job she takes incredibly seriously and carries heavily in her heart. When her boyfriend of two years doesn't come home one night, Amara immediately jumps into action and goes looking for him, even though she's very much of aware of the danger that waits in the dark.
On her journey to find Jeremy (her boyfriend) she meets Nathaniel, the archangel. It's instant hate between the two of them; she's a human, he's an angel. She loathes him for what the angels have done to her world; he's disgusted, annoyed, and bothered by her mere presence. He surprisingly needs her help locating a fallen angel, and she needs his protection while she searches for Jeremy. The two decide on a truce and help each other on their own respective searches. But as days pass, sparks FLY between Amara and Nathaniel (cue enemies to lovers - MY FUCKING FAVORITE) as they inevitably get to know each other, but Amara is torn between the man she loves and is literally risking her life to find, and the archangel who continuously saves her life, makes her feel SEEN, and ignites something inside of her that she's never ever felt before. Amara quickly beings to realize that the stories she's been told about angels may have all been lies, the world is not at all what she'd thought it was (especially when she comes across some shady ass humans), and there's so much more to the war between the demons and angels that she ever could've imagined.
FIVE STARS. TEN STARS. A MILLION STARS. This book is easily one of my top ten reads of this year. Louisa KNOCKED THIS OUT OF THE PARK. This was a much-anticipated release and not once did it disappoint. I was staying up until midnight to keep reading, sneaking off to the bathroom at work so I could get in another chapter (hope my boss doesn't see this) I literally could not stop reading this amazing story. It's unlike anything I've ever read before. The way Louisa flawlessly executes the worldbuilding, the slow burn between Amara and Nathaniel (SWOON! Nathaniel the sexy archangel is literally the LOML), the way she makes you feel Amara's anxiety at possibly not being able to find Jeremy, not feeling good enough, or when she's burning with rage due to the senseless slaughtering of humans, and you can feel it in your chest because Louisa is that damn good of a writer. This doesn't read as if it's a debut, it reads as thought Louisa has been writing novels her entire life. I cannot say enough good things about this book, it was so fucking good. It had me in a CHOKEHOLD, and the TWIST AT THE END OF THE BOOK HAD ME SHOOKETH. Magnificent writing, flawless storytelling, perfect pacing - *standing ovation* I'm obsessed, if you couldn't tell.
I know there's going to be another one (please God, I hope so) and I will be waiting on pins and needles to read it.
December 13, 2024
The most delicious urban fantasy with angels!
I loooved every second of this book! I followed Louisa on Tiktok aaaages ago and read the chapter available through her newsletter and was absolutely hooked! I was literally thinking about the story every day since then, and the book did not disappoint.
Louisa’s writing is absolutely amazing. The characters are strong, individual, and so memorable. Amara is so awesome; she is strong and feisty but also has great depth.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world if the apocalypse was Earth being used as an Angels vs. Deamons battleground. In this world, Amara works for the Angel Intelligence Agency, and she is so badass! Straight away, she is a fighter, and I loved it!
Now the thing about this world is that if you aren’t in your home, locked away by 6 pm, you will probably die. So, what does our badass Amara do when her boyfriend Jeremy doesn’t come back one night? You bet she was right out the door into the dangerous night.
Then enter Nathaniel. Amara hates him on the spot because angels have done horrible things to her world, and to her people and the hateful banter is divine!
I won’t say much else about the plot, but just know it's so. Damn. Good! I read this book extremely fast, I was sitting up in bed, cackling to myself (sorry to my boyfriend who was trying to sleep).
This book has everything I love, angels, enemies to potential lovers, slow burn, INSANE world building, and really good pacing.
As a fan of Hush Hush back in the day, this was exactly what I needed!
I sure am giving this book 5 stars because it’s been a week since I’ve finished it, and I have thought about it every day.
5 stars!
I loooved every second of this book! I followed Louisa on Tiktok aaaages ago and read the chapter available through her newsletter and was absolutely hooked! I was literally thinking about the story every day since then, and the book did not disappoint.
Louisa’s writing is absolutely amazing. The characters are strong, individual, and so memorable. Amara is so awesome; she is strong and feisty but also has great depth.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world if the apocalypse was Earth being used as an Angels vs. Deamons battleground. In this world, Amara works for the Angel Intelligence Agency, and she is so badass! Straight away, she is a fighter, and I loved it!
Now the thing about this world is that if you aren’t in your home, locked away by 6 pm, you will probably die. So, what does our badass Amara do when her boyfriend Jeremy doesn’t come back one night? You bet she was right out the door into the dangerous night.
Then enter Nathaniel. Amara hates him on the spot because angels have done horrible things to her world, and to her people and the hateful banter is divine!
I won’t say much else about the plot, but just know it's so. Damn. Good! I read this book extremely fast, I was sitting up in bed, cackling to myself (sorry to my boyfriend who was trying to sleep).
This book has everything I love, angels, enemies to potential lovers, slow burn, INSANE world building, and really good pacing.
As a fan of Hush Hush back in the day, this was exactly what I needed!
I sure am giving this book 5 stars because it’s been a week since I’ve finished it, and I have thought about it every day.
5 stars!
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June 9, 2025I will not rate this book because I don't like to give bad rates. Me not liking a book doesn't mean it was a bad book.
However, I will join the opinion of some readers about the repetitions ("a rope around my torso", for instance...) and the general tone of the sentences. The characters were well played enough to keep me until the end, and the story's unfolding has a good rhythm, plenty of action to keep me going on. So I did finish this book. I mean angels, demons, enemies to lovers, that's my cue, right?
Well, no.
There are so many plot holes in this story you can barely walk a path to the end of the book. And sadly, the more you go, the bigger the holes.
So while this might be an okay read when you want action and don't try to question the backstory too much, it was not for me.
However, I will join the opinion of some readers about the repetitions ("a rope around my torso", for instance...) and the general tone of the sentences. The characters were well played enough to keep me until the end, and the story's unfolding has a good rhythm, plenty of action to keep me going on. So I did finish this book. I mean angels, demons, enemies to lovers, that's my cue, right?
Well, no.
There are so many plot holes in this story you can barely walk a path to the end of the book. And sadly, the more you go, the bigger the holes.
So while this might be an okay read when you want action and don't try to question the backstory too much, it was not for me.
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