After surviving the brutal war camp and unraveling the cruel truths at the heart of Demon society, Assyria emerges not just as Rokath’s mate—but as a spark lit beneath centuries of carefully shaped stories.
Assyria, the Imposter. A symbol of change. A symbol of hope.
Veiled priestesses now bear swords. Forgotten daughters now wield power. And the army that once scorned Assyria must learn to kneel for her.
But not everyone is ready to surrender.
As Rokath struggles to hold a crumbling alliance together, old wounds crack open and long-buried truths rise. The three cousins who once shaped an obedient realm are now on the brink of war with one another.
With the Angels preparing for another attack and the Demons fracturing from within, Rokath and Assyria must become more than lovers, more than leaders—they must become legends.
Horns of Wicked Ebony is the second book in the Deathcaller Duet, an enemies to lovers, banter-filled high dark fantasy romance with a vicious, dangerous MMC and a fiery FMC. Perfect for fans of A Choice of Light and Dark, Carissa Broadbent, and LJ Andrews. An Age of War and Prophecy is a series of interconnected duets and standalones centering around the world-altering events of the Great War between the Angels and Demons. It contains mature, dark themes that some readers might find disturbing. A full TW list is available on the author’s website.
So it just got less interesting as the book went on. This could have been 300 pages shorter.
And this is a contradiction to the previous sentence, but it also got more interesting as it went on.
For a big chunk of this book, not a lot happens they're at the war camp and then they're at the training camp And that takes us Well into 60% of the book.
It's only at the end where we get these side stories which are really interesting and I wish they were explored throughout the two books.
So each book is about 750 pages for 750 pages the story is focused on Assyria and Rokath.
And after a while, it gets a bit repetitive and boring, this book being a duet and being about 1500 pages in total it had room to explore the side characters and give them their own POV's.
For example, Ciara and wraps love was off page and it would've been really great and interesting to see on page.
And when I said the ending is boring but also interesting is where they explored prisoner angel being fated with a Demon and we kind of just skim over that and it would've been really interesting to have that point of view explored to make the overall story more interesting.
And what really frustrated me was I said two books, total pages 1500, for a good 1000 of those pages Cierra, has been in training to be a warrior, but after one assassination attempt and she can't defend herself! The first time she goes to battle she gets overpowered!it's not good enough. We keep getting told that she's powerful and she's strong and she's a symbol of hope, but what I wanted to see was it in action. the one instance, she had to get Demon army men on her side and there was one that was very reluctant. The MMC stepped in and dealt with him, and I just felt like this was the perfect opportunity for the FMC to show us the readers and the other fictional characters that she is just as strong and just as worthy as the MMC.
And I think it's her power to be honest was unique because no one else had it but it didn't actually do much in the sense of strength, she could impersonate others but she couldn't impersonate their magic which would've made way more sense for her to be regarded as so powerful and symbol of hope. It frustrated me that she had to be saved by everyone in this story and we had invested over 1000 pages of her in training and for it to not produce any results was really disappointing
I had to think a bit about how I wanted to rate this one. There were times when the story dipped for me, but then it would pick up too, so I was a bit confused.
This book picks up right where book one ended, with Rokath and Assyria taking note of their losses and trying to find a way to get back to the rest of the army. Rokath also makes good on his promise of including women in their army alongside the men and preparing them for the upcoming war against the angels. This was not a smooth transition by any means, and there was a lot of chaos that ensued following it, which kept things interesting.
There were flashback chapters that tell us more about the trio that rules the demon realm—what transpired all those centuries ago and how different events played out along the way to get them where they are today.
There were so many instances when things got too intense and I was at the edge of my seat, eager and also nervous to know what happened next. The plot unfolded well even if it took time since this was over 750 pages, but I feel like the way it was building up was much needed, especially with that ending. There were places when things got a bit slow, which I struggled with, but then when it picked up, it got good.
The training sessions, the initiation, all the planning and plotting, and each mission done to gain further intel on the enemy were all moments that I thoroughly enjoyed.
When it comes to the romance between Rokath and Assyria, these two still had a lot to figure out, but their feelings for each other were very clear. Rokath had to actively work on not restricting Assyria from fighting in the war even if it was to keep her safe because he wanted her to have the freedom to decide for herself. I liked the way Assyria didn't shy away from Rokath's darkness and violence. In fact, she reveled in his adoration and the lengths he would go to for her. And boy did he go to extreme lengths for her, which made me love him even more. Both Rokath and Assyria open up to each other more about their past and trauma, and I loved the way they helped mend these broken pieces.
The kind of strength and violence Rokath exuded was honestly so addictive and hot. No wonder Assyria was so gone for him. Rokath during any battle was just sexy AF, especially when using the full extent of his magic.
The side characters were essential to the plot, and I loved their involvement. There were new characters introduced, some of whom I would love to know more. Rapp is still one of my favorite characters along with Kiira. Grem and Zeec are just as adorable and terrifying, and I love them.
The ending of this book might have been the HEA for Rokath and Assyria, but it sure as hell isn't the end. In fact, things are only just picking up. Honestly, I'm not too sure about how I feel about the ending, though. I was expecting the story to end with the book, with the war coming to a conclusion and these two getting their HEA. But at the same time I'm also super excited for this new development and where things might lead from here. Also now I'm looking forward to Kiira's book.
There are some aspects of this book that I personally didn't like, which I will mention below and will contain some spoilers, so you can skip it if you plan on reading the book.
Thank you to Lacey Lehotzky and Grey's Promotions for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After reading book 1 & absolutely loving it, I was just waitingggg for book 2. IT DELIVERED.
This series makes you feel so many emotions. This was such a high stakes, adrenaline pumping book. I felt so deeply for all these characters, side characters included. The found family in this is TOO GOOD. The banter between all the characters is top freaking notch. Assyria’s character growth in this book? PHENOMENAL. Everything I needed it to give. Genuinely one of the most badass FMC’s I’ve ever read about. Rokath. Shadow Daddy. UUGGGHHH, he will do anything for our FMC. Literally anything, & the things he does in this book for her? 🤏🏼🤏🏼🤏🏼 The spice really amped up in this book & I’m not complaining at all, there was still such a huge plot line going on.
This didn't need to be 2 books, let alone 3?!?!? Good lawd, I found myself thinking over and over...get to the point and we never actually did hahahah! Just a book full of fighting that leads to nothing. And while I liked Assiria in book 1, this one made me dislike her. Her extreme self-righteousness snapping at Rokath saying she knows she can do it when Rokath was trying to encourage her, only for her to immediately after be like "omg im not sure if I can do this". Well damn, do you want him to encourage you or not? I'm gunna have to give up on this series. I can't do another 700+ pages of the same.
I really enjoyed this duet! I absolutely loved Assyria and Rokath! Their relationship was everything and I appreciated how Rokath let Assyria grow without having to baby her! They grow so much in these two books and they really never bothered me, which never happens hah. I honestly wanted more of some of the side characters, like what is the deal with Rapp and Kiira? I want to know more! The plot was good in both books, even though it is very spicy I still think the plot was solid. I did get a little bored in book 2 since we spent the whole book leading to the end battle. But overall this was a good duet!
This book is insanely addictive. Over 700 pages, yet I finished reading it within 24 hours. I loved continuing Assyria’s and Rokath’s story. It is definitely dark but it is such a beautiful story. So many emotions, both happy and sad. I both wish there would be another book following their story but also really interested in what else can be written in this incredible world. Absolutely one of my favorite reads this year! Thank you to Lacey Lehotzky and Grey’s Promotions for the opportunity to read this e-arc early. Although, let’s be honest, I would have been ON IT at release day anyways.
I’m a bit disappointed with this book. After the way the first one ended, my expectations were high, since the first book was one of my favorite reads this year. We had all this build-up throughout the story, and the ending left me wishing for more.
In this second installment of the duology, we pick up right where the first book left off, with Assyria and Rokath dealing with the aftermath of the angels’ ambush. I think that was pivotal for Rokath to understand that real change was needed in the demon army.
I absolutely loved how Assyria was empowered throughout the book—how she earned the respect of her peers for who she was and what she could do, instead of just being Rokath’s mate. It was beautiful to see her earn her name and the trust of the demons. I also loved how Rokath supported her, even though all he wanted was to protect Assyria from harm. Their banter was their foreplay, and it always amazed me—it was one of my favorite parts of the book.
Although I enjoyed the story, at times it felt a bit repetitive. The constant declarations of love and some of the sex scenes, while enjoyable in parts, sometimes felt misplaced. It didn’t always seem like the right moment for them to be going at it. Honestly, I think the book could have been at least 250 pages shorter.
The ending also fell flat for me. After all that build-up to the war, it ended in a very anticlimactic way. I wanted to see heads rolling and blood flowing. On top of that, we were left with so many unanswered questions: What exactly did Xaniring’s letter to Kiira say? What was the situation between Kiira and Rapp by the end? How was Kiira even kidnapped? What really happened?!! It felt like we had so much going on, only to be left hanging. Considering how much I loved the first book, I was really expecting more.
I’m grateful to the author and Grey’s Promotions for giving me the opportunity to be part of this ARC team. Let’s see what the future holds for the angels and demons.
Everything I wanted in Book 2; I LOVE this series, I love this world, the characters, this insane war between angels and demons. Lacey came up with a really good plot here and it’s developed & changed in such a beautiful way; females gain power and respect in this book, entering the army as equals, their power embraced by the males. I love Rokath in all his entirety, his arrogant, malicious nature. Assyria has really changed him and he’s become so much stronger & softer all at once, you can really feel that in this part of the series. I’m in agony waiting all the way until August 2026 for book 3 but I look forward to it
I have no words… I am sitting here with tears in my eyes. This book was everything. All the emotions that are poured into each and every page just take your breath away. Lacey’s ability to give such a powerful story that lets you truly feel every once of pain, yearning, and love that these characters feel is unreal.
Assyria and Rokath’s story is everything you could ever wish for! They love so deeply and the way they empower each other brings your heart so much joy! Even in the darkest of times they allow that amazing banter they have with each other to pierce through. Their journey of growth and understanding throughout this duet is phenomenal! And although there is so much more I could say, I will not spoil this amazing journey for anyone. Because you deserve to take it, to feel, and love these characters and see for yourself the transformation that takes place.
Thank you to Lacey for taking us on another rollercoaster of a journey. Thank you for making a story that allows us to dive into this amazing world and truly feel. You will forever be my favorite author. The emotional journey and the marks these books leave in my soul will forever remain. I cannot wait to see what you bring to us next!
Author: Lacey Release: September 2, 2025 Series: Deathcaller Duet, book 2
Lacey is such an incredible writer. One that thrusts you into the story and you see, hear, and feel it all with her words. This was such an immersive duet and this finale really took us through a fight for freedom in so many different and beautiful ways. Both books are thicc and so worth it.
We begin HOWE right where we left off from book one. We experience SO MUCH within these pages. Our two MCs are each warriors but in different ways. They battled each other in book one, but we get to see them walk alongside one another in this installment as they face trauma, hardship, abusers, vengeance, hopeless and insurmountable trials, reckless devotion, and oppression all while fighting for a future and love they were never supposed to have.
This book is dark, gritty, full of spice, torture, battle strategy, and stepping into one’s purpose- or moreover, forcing one’s purpose to heel. We get to see strength and weakness in our MCs and their found family as character development blooms throughout. And the banter and chase. 🙃 The ending was a bit abrupt, but I also understand why and after the epilogue and sneak peek of our upcoming couple… I AM SHOOK AND THIRSTY to know more. The chaos was wild but I see that it was just the beginning. 🤭
This duet is not just about a war against angels and demons. It’s a battle for equality and a turning of the tides. A redemption for the centuries of female oppression and the eye opening of a future where both sexes triumph in the wake of not the same strengths, but their specific strengths. And a beautiful story of two broken people helping to heal one another in the harshest of circumstances - war.
“In the ashes of what we’d flamed, in the breath between battles, we did the most dangerous thing two people could do in the midst of war. We chose to love.”
Tropes you may find in HOWE are forced proximity, fated mates, feminine rage, unique magics, unique magics, mind speak, hierarchy based off eye color, angel x demons, medium-high spice (graphic with some bdsm/sub/dom feels), banter, found family, prophecy, political intrigue, check trigger warnings, torture, shadow daddy, everyone’s a bit morally grey, epic battles/strategy, and a HEA/happy for now for some. 🙃
Lacey, it has been such a joy and honor to arc read this duet with you. Thank you!!!
First off, I absolutely loved the first book and was so excited to read this one. However, I was honestly disappointed.
I loved how Assyria was able to get females into the military and the struggle for them to be accepted. I loved that Assyria was able to grow and her powers became useful. Rapp and Kiira just made sense to me too. But the amount of inappropriately timed flirting or sex was driving me nuts. And the ending that just skips six weeks ahead with little to no information?! That killed it for me. There was all that build up to the final battle and it just gets skipped over. What the hell happened to Kiira?! Why were Rapp and Xannirin fighting?! What did the peace treaty say?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The Duet took all the action of the first book and multiplied it by a 1000. The moment was either suspenseful, action-packed, or spicy. There are no other options.
It was a wild ride, and it’s definitely not over because there’s a whole other story brewing. I will say I was super confused about where it came from. We were at the end, and then we were further at the end, and then….something else happened. I’m not sure if the last part of the story I zoned out or genuinely don’t know what happened.
I received Horns of Wicked Ebony as an ARC and I absolutely loved it! From page one we pick up exactly where we left off at the end of Eyes of Devious Burgandy with Assyria and Rokath. Even though they survived their previous battle things are just starting to heat up for our favorite demons. Throughout this story we start to learn more about Rokaths history and the things that have happened to him in order to shape him into the Halalhivo. We also get see Assyria learning more about her magic and becoming the woman she wanted to be. I really loved seeing how Rokath and Assyria helped each other with their traumas and acknowledged that even though they have been through hell and back that there is still good out there, and the things that they are doing are going to help reshape the demon world and make it a better place for their people. I loved seeing the priestesses being allowed to join the army and show that just because they are women does mean that they are the weaker sex and they can be a help instead of a hindrance. I wss truly happy that we got to see more of Kiira in this book, and how she fully supports Assyria in changing the way the demon realm views women and allowing them to fight in this war against the Angels. I was truly surprised by how this book ended and honestly after sitting on it for a day or so, I truly belive it was the prefect ending. Although I don't feel like Rokaths and Assyrias story is done, I truly appreciated the way this book ended because it really was IMO the perfect way to set up book 3 of this series. Lacey Lehotzky knocked it out of the park with this book, just as she has with every book ive read by her. I definitely give thus book 5 stars and I honestly cannot wait to see what happens in the third book
3.5 ⭐️ Okay, despite my rating, I really did love this duet. I just had some issues.
Issue #1: I hate when a series ends as setup for another. I get that this is meant to be a series of duets with one overarching plot, but a duet shouldn’t end with more questions than answers.
For example: * Where was the High Priestess in that final chapter? * Why build for 700+ pages only to skip six months ahead? * Is the Kral going mad? (This one might just be me 😂)
Now for a few other gripes.
This book was simply too long. And while I loved the FMC in book one, her elevated status in this book felt unearned. Being powerful because of her mate, no matter what her inner monologue insists, gave more “playing at war” than actually being part of one.
She’s portrayed as all-powerful, yet there isn’t a single mission she doesn’t need rescuing from. Those little inconsistencies start to add up when a book is this long. Honestly, it either needed to be shorter or expanded into a trilogy.
And still, after all of that, I really did love this duet.
I’ve seen that the next duet follows the Angels on the same timeline. I probably won’t read that one. I just don’t care 😅 But once we’re back with the demons and hopefully get a story for the High Priestess and a certain someone, I’m 100% in.
I know this is longer than my usual reviews, so if you’re still here… Have you read the author’s other series? And if so, should I? 👀
Horns of Wicked Ebony by Lacey Lehotzky Deathcaller Duet book 2, more to come in series with other characters! Releases 9/2!
Thank you to Grey's Promotions and Lacey for entrusting me with an amazing early copy!
Dual POV, bloodthirsty power couple, mental health rep, feminine rage, fated mates, two of the bestest demon dog boys, found family, interesting magic system, angels vs demons, never ending war, shadow daddy, shape shifter mommy, banter, extra spicy, touch her and 💀
This book picked right back up where the last left off, with Rokath and Assyria traveling back home after he rescue her at great cost. They continue to work together as they start to dismantle the severe oppression of females that Rokath and his cousins helped put in place in a misguided attempt to save their people. It was a powerful story of overcoming trauma and taking action for a better world. I love how Assyria was FIERCE since the very beginning, but as the story went on was gaining more experience and confidence in herself to be just as intimidating as her mate. While Rokath is extremely protective and possessive, he also knew how important it was to both Assyria and their cause for her to be strong on her own! I enjoyed the pacing and roller coaster of emotions! While this is the end of this duet, more books are to come and I'm so excited for them!
My favorite part about a Duet is the how the author deep dives into a story and takes us all on a rollercoaster of a ride! Lacey did just that with the second book Horns of Wicked Ebony!! This book destroyed me and I loved every second of it 😭 we immediately jump cam in with our favorite broody characters Assyria and Rokath. The war continues on and we also experience a handful of other POVs within this book, which I felt shed more light on the overall storyline and helped create a deeper feel for the world.
Spice? Say less 🥵 Banter? YES 🙏🏼 That ending? Had me replaying everything in my head ☠️
what a joke to call something a duology and then in the middle of battles of a centuries war end it with an epilogue 6 weeks later with missing information about what events transpired between the last battle and now, man what a load of crap I swear to all gods, I really liked the first book but the second was just mid at best and I'm being very generous here with this rating, and it's not even about the ending but the way the characters became unbearable with their constant and repetitive love proclamations and weird kinks, well I'm still planning to read the next "duology" in hopes it gets better and I sincerely hope the next group of arc readers doesn't just praise the book without constructive criticism as I saw happen here, what a load of horseshit
Again, this book could have been 200 words shorter. WE GET IT! YOU’RE MATED AND IN LOVE! AND SOCIETY IS CHANGING! Jeeeepppeeerrrsss I was really hyped for the progress in the political storyline but damn it just kept telling you the same thing over and over. The ending was rubbish. Mid battle, then next chapter was 6 weeks later and there’s a peace treaty?!?! Where’s Kiira? What happened to her prophecy? Ugh. Very frustrating. The only thing that really saved this book (well both books actually) was that the battle and action scenes were written so well! I could totally picture the war and fighting. That part was so entertaining. But the repetitive romance was a drag.
The ending of this felt SUPER rushed. I wasn’t a fan of the lack of unanswered storylines from some of the MCs. If there was a book 3 I would understand. However, it is a “duology”, but it felt too open ended to be one.
After the first book (5 stars for me!) I was excited to continue reading about these characters but, this book was so disappointing. Incredibly long, repetitive, and boring with an ending that leaves out information to purposefully drag you into reading her next book. Ugh.
This book was dark and started off strong! It starts right where book 2 ends. I loved Rokath in this book! Book 1 he was iffy for me but right off the bat in this book he was possessive and protective of Assyria. Assyria kind of annoyed me in this book, she wanted to be an individual so much but could never fully complete a task. I also appreciated the flashbacks that gave some insight to Rokath and his cousins. Overall this book was good, but my same complaint from the first book is that it was a little too long and some details could’ve been skipped. Thank you Greys promotions for the arc!
The first book was great! This one was repetitive, kept dragging on and somehow at the same time cut out a huge chunk of time which only made the main characters more annoying.
It is amazing the author can write more than one book with over 500 pages. The world is great, the conflict is interesting, the journey is intense, but the romance messes it all up for me and I just can’t. Whiny female is popular these days and advertised as strong female.
Assyria was strong and smart in the first book. Post-Rokath she is an emotional roller coaster, up on her high horse, beating her chest and yelling “I am female, hear me roar!”
A war is happening but I only read about love confessions and lousy excuses for why 50k were killed for 1. Is Rokath still a leader? Where did his leader-like behavior go?
Misogyny is present, but some things are more important than Assyria’s feelings. Assyria just proves why the men don’t want the women. She wants to prove she can be useful, but makes decisions based on emotion rather than logic. But this is a book so she is praised and ALL the consequences are waived.