Wrath of the Damned (Deadly Devine 2)

Deadly Divine Duet #2

by Ella Fields, Patricia Buchwald (Translator)

RACHE IST GÖTTLICH. Selbst wenn ich Florian verzeihen könnte, ist es nicht Liebe, was ich brauche. Ich muss ihn dazu bringen, das zu beenden, was er begonnen hat, und seinen Feind zu vernichten – meinen Vater. Aber jetzt, da Molkan als Monster entlarvt wurde, schleicht etwas viel Tödlicheres durch Folkyn. Um es aufzuhalten, muss Molkan gestürzt werden, und die Reise bietet Florian reichlich Gelegenheit, tiefer zu schneiden als meine Narben. Unser gemeinsamer Wunsch nach Rache könnte uns vereinen, aber als die Dunkelheit immer näher rückt, könnte die Rache das sein, was uns trennt. Ich werde meine Freiheit zurückgewinnen – selbst wenn ich dadurch eine Liebe riskiere, die mächtiger ist als jede Krone.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fae, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance

482 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 2023

About the author

USA Today and international bestselling author, Ella Fields, resides in Australia with her husband, two children, and furry critters.
A lover of chocolate, magic, and words—she enjoys exploring the sharper sides of love in varying genres of romance.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellafieldsa...

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/authorellafields/

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2Amt3FL

Reviews

[ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ✧

Wrath of the Damned by Ella Fields is the haunting and heartfelt conclusion to the Deadly Divine Duet — a story of vengeance, forgiveness, and the kind of love that both ruins and redeems. The book begins where Nectar of the Wicked left us shattered: Tullia has returned to Hellebore with her Winter King, Florian, carrying within her the ache of betrayal and the fragile hope of healing. Once again, she is caged in the snow — but this time, the bars are thinner, built not of ice but of longing. Together, she and Florian are bound by a shared purpose: revenge against the man who has taken everything from them both. But when love begins to thaw the frost between them, Tullia must decide whether vengeance can coexist with the heart she thought she had buried. ❄️

Please note: This review contains mild spoilers for Nectar of the Wicked.

───♡─────────────

♡ What I loved most:
• Dual POV! Finally! Getting inside Florian’s mind made everything richer — the tension, the tenderness, the ache. Seeing how he thought, how he loved, how he broke... it was everything I wanted 💔
• I adored Kreed and Olin — two secondary characters who couldn’t have been more different, yet both protective and loyal in their own ways. Their care for Tullia warmed my heart. 🥺
• The evolution of Tullia and Florian’s relationship was beautifully written — patient, raw, and painfully human. It wasn’t easy, and that’s what made it so real.

“‘What do you intend to do with me, Florian?’ I couldn’t understand him, and trying to hadn’t served me well thus far.
It never would, I knew, as his eyes opened to meet mine in the mirror.
‘Whatever you allow.’”

• Their love bloomed slowly but burned fiercely — complex, consuming, and impossible to define. Every exchange felt like a confession, every silence a wound.

“Annoyance, and perhaps something like fear, threaded into my voice. ‘What is it you’re wanting me to see, Florian?’ I opened my eyes, and they crashed into his.
A mistake, for I could see it swimming within the stormy sea of his gaze. I saw it all before he released those poisonous words to my lips. ‘That I’m so wretchedly in love with you, it’s both saved and damned me.’”

• The spice was once again exquisite — passionate but deeply emotional, a reflection of their healing bond 😮‍💨
• The mating bond was so beautifully done — tender, fated, and powerful in a way that felt both divine and devastating 🕯️
• I adored Tullia’s growth — from fear to defiance, from brokenness to quiet power. Her rediscovery of her worth was luminous. 🌙
• Her magic — her connection to animals and the wild — was stunning. Each scene showing her ability glowed with quiet wonder 🐾
• The ending was tender and deliberate, taking its time to settle every emotion and every scar 💌

✘ What didn’t quite work for me:
• The pacing was much slower than in Nectar of the Wicked — though it suited the healing tone, I occasionally missed the tension of book one 🐢
• The spice, while beautiful, occasionally felt a bit too frequent, pulling me slightly from the intensity of the plot 🔥
• The final twist felt a little predictable — not bad, but less surprising than I hoped for, softening the impact of the climax ⚔️

❀ Overall:
Wrath of the Damned was a gorgeously emotional finale — a tale of vengeance and forgiveness, of choosing love even after the world has broken you. While Nectar of the Wicked remains my favorite, this sequel brought closure that felt tender and true.
Ella Fields crafted a duology that feels like poetry written in frost: a dark, aching tale of love, loss, and redemption. I will hold these characters close for a long, long time. ❄️💔

「Deadly Divine duet」
#1 Nectar of the Wicked — 5 ✧
#2 Wrath of the Damned — 5 ✧

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the giant frogs didn't get enough credit or screen time and I'll die on that hill.

[Janvi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so disappointed in this book. I had such high expectations after being blown away by the first book. It was so hard to get through because it was so boring. The first book left so much to be answered that the second book just failed to deliver. There was a bunch of lazy writing. Ella Fields hinted at a love triangle in the first book through her writing, and it felt like she just changed her mind in the second book and found an easy way out of it. Don’t even get me started on how many times she used the world “seldom”.

Even though this book takes place in a magical fairyland, there was no explanation as to what their powers are. Tullia's powers are never mentioned in vivid detail, which left me with so many questions. It was all incredibly vague! We never see her grow and learn how to wield her power, as well as what the other characters can do. The final battle scene was so anticlimactic. Instead of learning about herself and her powers on their way to battle, it was just her and Florian going back and forth over the same problems they had since book one!

What annoyed me the most was the "I hate him, but I love him. I don't trust him, but I love him." There was no real resolution to their problems. One star because the spice didn't disappoint and the other star for my baby Shole.

[Michelle Claypot_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories like this are why Ella Fields will forever be a one click author for me. One of my favourite reads of the year ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Long live King Florian and all his dark and delicious ways! He has a beautifully filthy mouth and definitely knows how to use it. Everything about him is heightened in this book - his anger, his quest for revenge and definitely his chemistry with his butterfly.

Tullia really comes into her own in this story. I adored her quiet strength and her determination to fight on when others would fade away. Pity the people who underestimate her.

Their connection is more potent in this book because it’s coupled with vulnerability and that makes everything more real, and I have to tell you that the spice is definitely amped up to one hundred. Perfection!

I received an arc of this book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
Fated mates hands down one of the best tropes.

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book right before testing positive for covid. The fact that I continued to read and finish it while feeling as awful as I did is a testament to how much I adore these characters and how invested I was in their HEA.

My baby, Tullia, went through hell in Nectar of the Wicked, and I needed to see some heads roll for what happened to her! She was dealt a shitty hand her entire life, and it was heartbreaking to witness it continue to happen. I couldn't wait to see everything turn around for her, and I wanted Florian to show her how much he loved her in an undeniable way. In the end, I got what I wanted on all accounts!

Wrath of the Damned is a satisfying conclusion to the Deadly Divine duet. Tullia completely comes into her own and doesn't just sit by and watch everything play out around her. She takes an active part in setting things right for herself and the kingdom, which I loved. Florian more than proves himself to be a worthy mate, and their HEA is everything I wanted it to be.

Nectar of the Wicked fans, this one's for you!

P.S. That consummation scene was 🥵.

[Toribetweenpages · Rating 4 out of 5]

• crawl to me
• verbal sparring
• beauty in violence
• both love interests morally grey

The first 50% was slow but we needed a lot of healing from the absolute trauma of the ending of book 1. Once our characters got back into their spice I was back in it. ALSO THESE PLOT TWISTS AT THE END 🫨🫨 shooky

If you think you’ll enjoy a couple that gets turned on by vengeance and violence this is for you. It’s giving my kink is karma by Chappell Roan ❤️‍🔥

[Janessa ❁۪ · Rating 1 out of 5]

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS FOR BOTH BOOKS.

Oh man. What an absolute snooze fest of a conclusion.

Truly, the last ~45% of the book was such a slog for me. The story itself is interesting enough but the author’s writing is confusing & vague. By vague, I mean, what is the extent of everyone’s powers? We’re only told hints of what they can do but we’re never given enough definitive information and the reader is left to fill in the blanks. Ok, Tullia can… control animals? Connect with them? Literally how the hell does that work? (WHAT AN UNDERWHELMING POWER BTW) It’s all so VAGUE. Tullia mentions a tingling in her fingertips when she materializes but does everyone feel that? Is it special to her? She mentions her power coming from a place of “cold” when Florian tells her to pull from “warmth” and then it’s never discussed again. I had this issue with the first book as well assuming we would get these answers in the second book but we never did!! I feel like the author was just making stuff up as she went along and a lot of it didn’t make sense. For example, the consummation of mate hood. It felt like it was just tossed into the book without ever having been mentioned before. What???? & The part where they are outside the gates of Baneberry? No clue what was going on. I had such a hard time following along and trying to picture it because it's just not written well.

Ugh. I didn’t even want to read the last chapter where they skip ahead a year.. Zzzzzz.

[Steph · Rating 1 out of 5]

a soap opera plot with needless smut every couple of pages.

If a man ever got mad at me that I kissed another dude when he kidnapped, decieved, and tortured me, I would be throwing the whole man out asap.

[Melluvsbooks]

DNF @ 51% - first book was good but this one has become boring. I liked the angst of the H’s guilt over the h’s trauma early in the book, but now it’s all about vengeance and bathing in blood.. Yadayadayada… and the h continuing to resist the H (not sexually of course 🙄) even though he didn’t REALLY do anything to her and it’s quite obvious he’s crazy about her and has been since he met her. I don’t like an h that punishes the H. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I want the H to feel guilt and remorse on his own, not have the h rub his nose in it like a puppy who peed on the floor. Anyway… this is tiresome and not going anywhere. It was fun when the H seemed reluctant in book 1. Now the H is openly simping, and the h is just being obtuse when it’s obvious she loves him too. They are currently heading into battle to seek bloody vengeance and I’m over it. 😴😴

[Jessica Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.65 stars- the first book was better! This one was much slower. Still had a good time though! Highly recommend this duology.

Call me petty, but I lowkey hated how every male was OBSESSED w a certain female side character 😂😂.

Like where is all of the love for the FMC?!! I get that the MMC is all she needed, but c’monnnn why was no one else ever into her?! And every dude who we previously thought was into her was just pretending for the sake of that female side character 😭. I need my FMCs to be bathed in attention

[Silvy · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you’re looking for a snowy-vibe, dark fantasy romance duology to keep you extra warm this winter — look no further.

this duology has it ALL. immersive worldbuilding and great writing? check. fleshed out characters with deeply emotional storylines? check. violent, possessive, toxic MMC who rips the arms and heads off of men for touching what’s his? CHHHHHEEEEEECKMATE.

this is book two of a duology! check out my review for book one here.

wrath of the damned was beautiful, y’all, as it wraps up tullia and florian’s story. this one picks up right at the end of nectar of the wicked, and charts tullia’s healing journey as she copes with the violence done to her, the traumas and the betrayals. it’s HEAVY. it’s DARK. and it’s so, so healing.

i have unrepentantly devoured all of ella’s fantasy romance books, as they’re the perfect blend of twisty, spicy, and creative, and wrath of the damned is no exception. it packs a heftier emotional punch, tackling the aftermath of the events of nectar of the wicked, which makes for a bit of a slower-paced read than nectar of the wicked, but witnessing tullia’s villain era was an utter delight.

pick this duology up if you want something dark, hot, and traumatic enough to make you want to punish every man who’s ever done you wrong.

an easy and enthusiastic 4 stars. big thank you to ella and her team for the ARC 🫶🏻

[aarya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really see what the hero POV added to the story... I hate when it's heroine-only POV in book 1 and then the author inserts hero POV in the second book to remind readers "hey, in fact, hero is misunderstood and is actually great!" The mystery of the morally grey hero is the source of intrigue; it was abundantly clear from the beginning that the heroine misinterpreted his motivations. Not a fan of the narrative spelling things out for the reader in crystal terms — we have brains!

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I’m disappointed 🥲

[❤️Court - Villains Do It Better❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars (some spoilers-safety)

Loved this duet. I do think heroine forgave the hero too fast and I wanted the hero to show more remorse, but it didn't bother me much. The things that did bother me the most and are what kept me from giving these books 5 stars, is that while the hero is loyal, the ow crap really bothered me. The first time, I hate how he didn't clarify his relationship with the first girl, and it was pretty much forgotton. The second time was in the second book and they were daughters of a lord they were staying with, who wanted his attention. Both times he was with heroine. He could have easily showed them their place, or ignored them. Especially in book 2 when he's trying to get heroine to forgive him, he still let them cling to him and let the heroine watch, and yet didn't want her to hear so he told her to stay while he went up to the 2 girls (he previously slept with). He can't handle them and yet he's a KING??? Other than those instances though, I really enjoyed these books.



Safety for book 1 and 2.

Virgins heroine/previous HUGE manwhore hero

Age gap: h 20/ H 126 I think

Ow drama- there was some talk a few times about how huge of a manwhore hero was before his sister died (I think Abt 20ish years before he met heroine). In book 1, H and h are at a festival and while she walked off, the H's ex lover who he was with for years (not monogamous) walked up to him and I think flirted. Heroine saw and was jealous. Hero claims it was just his past and it was pretty much forgotton after, and yet he was with her for YEARS, no other details. The second time in the second book, they have to stay in a town where he slept with 2 out of 3 of the lords daughters. He's with the heroine again, and at first tries to ignore them, but they get closer and I don't think he wanted heroine to hear, so he tells her to stay while he goes up to them. They flirt and cling and heroine has to see it all. He doesn't push them off or anything and heroine gets jealous and leaves. Later when he finds her again, they talk abt it while having sex and she even tells him she was jealous and mad he just let them touch them and he low-key gets all hot when she's jealous, but he never refutes her. Its sketchy because he knows shes sensitive, doesn't have much experience, wants her to love and forgive him, and knows shes insecure and gets jealous over his past and yet he still does this to her. He's a KING who is MARRIED AND MATED, and he doesn't have the decency to reassure the heroine or even push ow off? Ugh. It's the biggest fault in him.

Om drama- in book 2 during their separation, heroine is kissed by om who her father wanted her to marry. It doesn't go any further than that, but when hero finds out he is extremely angry and jealous. Heroine is also sexually harassed and assaulted a few times too.

Cheating: when they first met, and hero I think knows she is his mate, he still feeds from someone else, which heroine is hurt by when she finds out as it's intimate. They weren't officially together but they did already do sexual stuff together and heroine didn't find out til way later Abt that. Hero also lets ow cling/sorta touch him, but nothing else. Heroine kisses another man back. I wouldn't consider it cheating though because she didn't know she was married. Other than that, they're loyal.

No sharing between them. Hero is possessive. There is talk of him sharing women in his past though

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two continues where we left off and I found this even better than its predecessor. I've rated them both the same but this one did have a slight edge and I think that was mostly down to Tallia's growth as a character. I hate it when the female heroine is all holier than thou refusing to make the tough choices and doesn't embrace her vengeance. Tallia came to bat for me here emerging from all of that pain and betrayal with a red-hot anger and need for justice and I loved it.

At the beginning of this she's naturally broken, who wouldn't be after what she'd endured. Despite Florian's assurances and his bitter self-recrimination, she refuses to be the naive girl she once was and fall back under his spell. This time we do get Florian's POV so we are aware exactly of how much he's sorry and also his deep guilt regarding Tallia. It's only when Tallia takes back some of her power that she begins to heal and I loved how she embraced this whole new side of herself.

This was such an easy read and Florian and Tallia as a couple were magic together. I raced through this fast and really enjoyed myself. It was again super sexy and these two have so much potent chemistry together. I recommend reading this duet especially if you like your romantasy served with a side of spice



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm

[ReadWithPat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot believe how underrated this duology is!!!

Enemies to Lovers? Morally grey? Fated Mates? It’s all there in a really great dark fantasy romance with amazing plot and character growth especially going into the second book.

Both books have great plot twists, and kept me wanting to read chapter after chapter without being able to put it down.

It was the perfect length, both books under 400pages but packed with action and a good story.

Definitely recommend to anyone who doesn’t want to commit to a long fantasy series and wants a fantasy with delicious romance and a gripping storyline.

[Clarissa Labue-Pham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wrath of the Damned is an arduous chore to get through of but worth it for Florian and Tullias ending.

I flew through the previous book but really had to force myself to get through this one. The pacing is agonizingly slow and very little happens for the first 2 thirds of the book. I'd have given this 2 stars had the ending of the book not wrapped up the duology so well.

[Mikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this very much! You could say that the MMC grew on me. Kinda like a fungus, but still it's progress? Regardless, this book was worth every single minute of the time I spent listening to it. Though the story resolved itself very quickly towards the end. It lowkey felt rushed. I don't catch myself saying this a lot, but dare I say this could have had another book to expand the universe even more. I hope the author writes a spinoff and has the MMC's sister as the lead. This is a new-to-me author, so I'll definitely be checking out her backlog because I'm hooked ♡

[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)

Tullia arrived in the realm of Folkyn hoping all her dreams would come true, but her life soon became a nightmare where everyone manipulated her for their own vengeance. Truths and lies have now been revealed, but she still doesn’t know who she can trust. She longs to live life on her own terms, but can’t ignore the overwhelming connection she feels to Florian. Hellebore’s winter king is ruthless, powerful, and extremely complex. He demanded complete control over every facet of his life. She’d once loathed him, but as they begin to share a mutual goal, she starts to accept him and his flaws. As affections grow everything turns complicated. Will she yet again be at his mercy, or will she finally find the place where she belongs?

Wrath of the Damned (Deadly Divine, #2) by Ella Fields is the exciting conclusion to this amazing duet. It’s an enemies to lovers, paranormal, fantasy, royal romance full of magic, humor, angst, revenge, suspense, lies, betrayal, explosive chemistry, delicious passion, unbreakable connections and beautiful, intense love. It’s about family, survival, freedom, forgiveness, fate, hope, destiny and self discovery. This couples journey was a true adventure. I never wanted to leave this stunning, captivating world Ella Field’s created. It was everything I love in a book, and just reminded me yet again why she is my favorite fantasy romance author. I couldn’t get enough of these characters and this alpha faerie king! <333



***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C...

[Julotlinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pick up these books 🫶🏼

Also plssss Ella Fields, write about Lilitha!

I devoured these, so addictive and so great. I enjoyed this one a bit less, but it was still very good. The main characters are great, but I also really enjoyed seeing a bit more of the side characters in this one. Also, I felt so sad for Tullia, her experiences were so horrible, but I think this author did a really great job with the healing process. Florian is like everything you want of a morally grey romantic interest, he was yum. Although it was a bit sad that the majority of the book consisted of them travelling from one spot to the next, I still enjoyed the book in its entirety. It is also a nice ending to their story.

But pls, I want a book about Florian's sister so bad.

[Minna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because I am a completist and apparently have a masochistic streak. All the problems I had in the first book I had here, plus some. The pacing is ridiculous. Tullia has a letter from her aunt for the entire book and refuses to read it, but then in the epilogue her aunt is her new bestie. OK. Tullia and Florian get mad at each other for basically no real reason and sulk for a good portion of the book; very mature 🙄 The sex scenes seemed like they received 4x the care and attention the rest of the plot did. Eh. Not for me. YMMV

⭐⭐

[Vita Wirt · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ the beginning was strong, but then it was a snooze fest only to have an unhinged ending

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean... fine.

[India McLeod Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[The Aqua Pisces · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it December, yet?

[˚ ｡Drew ˚ ｡˚ ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%, plot was too slow-moving

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Somewhere between meeting her in the pleasure house and tending to the heat, something had changed. Now, that change pounded within my chest with a strength that grew each day."

Ok so 'Wrath of the Damned' is the conclusion to the Deadly Divine Duet. I had been waiting for this for what seemed like forever and started reading it the day it was released. Unfortunately, because I'm a single mother of two and work a full time job, I wasn't able to read it nearly as fast as I wanted to, but that doesn't mean that the desire wasn't there. It's just the available time wasn't! Now that I've finished it, I can say that it was awesome... but I did not enjoy it as much as I did the first, though.

A little bit of background information:
So in the first one, "Flea/Butterfly", and we finally learn her actual name is Tullia, is a changeling in the Midlands. After the death of her cruel adoptive mother, desperation leads her to the pleasure house in an attempt to make money to pay her supposed debts that she consequently had been made aware of. Even though a virgin, she is determined to do whatever she must to take care of herself. She has a deep desire to return to the Fae land to try to look for her real family, though, and as fate would have it, her first customer propositions her with a way to do just that.
Very 'Pretty Woman' actually...

But I digress...
So she returns with Florian to the Fae land (You know, honestly, I think it has a specific name but that's not actually one of those kind of things that my brain picks up on and latches onto, so "Fae land" will just have to suffice, ok? K.) anyway so she returns with Florian, but unbeknownst to her, he has a shit ton of ulterior motives and not all of them admirable. She goes through a series of terrifying (and spectacularly passionate) events and learns what those motives are. Towards the end of the first book, KING (yes because he is a king, the king of winter in fact) Florian's own soldiers try to murder her while accompanying her on a trip. Out of fear and the desperation to live, she "materializes" (magically teleports through the fabric of space) for the first time by herself to escape. This eventually allows her to find her father, Molkan Banebury, who is also a king. What would seem like cause for celebration, turns into an all out nightmare when her father discovers that she is married to the King of Winter, Florian, his eternally sworn enemy. Tullia wasn't even aware that she was already married to Florian, as she was under the impression that they were only engaged. Another ulterior motive revealed from her apparent husband who had been lying to her and tricking her over the entire duration of their relationship.

"This male who’d lied to me, who’d manipulated me to wreak more of his beloved vengeance, and who’d sought to eradicate any future I’d envisioned was my husband. But that wasn’t all he was. He was also my goddess-gifted mate."

In a rage, King Molkan, who Tullia is quickly learning is completely unhinged and insane,
has Tullia tortured, then branded a traitor with an iron insignia embedded in her back. Tullia awakes in excruciating pain, completely naked, and on display in a cage in her father's throne room while hundreds of people are in a attendance for a ball. Those people are permitted to touch, taunt, and throw things at her, leaving Tullia feeling utterly broken and humiliated. The next day she is led naked outside to cross the bridge leaving her father's castle grounds. Her father's trusted advisor, Avrin, purposely does not lock the cuffs on her wrist, which allows Tullia to materialize back to the safety of the library in the Midlands. She is soon greeted by the looming figure of her husband, Florian, teasing that she needs to be punished.

“The moment I laid eyes on you was the moment I knew I could never end your life.”

So the story of 'Wrath of the Damned' starts off exactly right where the previous one, 'Nectar of the Wicked', left off. I've thought long and hard over what would be the best way to do this review. with this being a duet, I figured most people interested would have read the first one and I really don't want to give anything away that would ruin the continuation of the story. So, I'm going to address parts of the story with how I felt.

"Naively, I’d constantly reassured myself. Told myself that if I couldn’t kill her, then I would at least shake those claws loose with the careful erosion of her innocent wonder. With enough sex to have my fill, and with incessant reminders of what her father had taken from me and my kingdom."

Throughout the beginning, I loved it! It had all the give and take, slightly painful pull between the two MC's that we had grown to both anticipate and love in the first book. It focused a lot on mending the relationship between Florian and Tullia and trying to move towards building trust again. Of course this allowed for the two MC's to be around and interact with each other a lot and that did not disappoint at all!

“You seduced me,” I said. “You made me think you cared because you enjoyed fucking me.” His lips curled with his snarled words. “Fucking you?” “Yes, Florian,” I hissed. “Fucking me.” “How wonderfully filthy your vocabulary is becoming.” Darkness, eerie and splintering, saturated his eyes. He loomed over me like a cloud of thunder ready to roar. “Is that all it was, butterfly?” His teeth dragged across his lower lip. “Just me fucking you?”

“Exquisite creature.” He nipped, then kissed my finger. “I don’t want your forgiveness.” Our lips grazed with the edged whisper. “I just need your surrender.”

“That’s it, butterfly.” His lips and low laugh brushed my ear. “Drink my blood and take my seed, my fucking lifeforce, like the defiant yet greedy little creature you are.”

"Being inside this female was unlike anything I’d felt before. It was not merely pleasurable; it was vital. A necessity that strengthened and weakened all that I was."

By the midpoint, though, it had transitioned more so towards the planning and plotting of vengeance, which was intriguing, don't get me wrong, but it's just not exactly my thing. I always love it when the author glosses over battle scenes and what have you in fantasy books that call for it, because that sort of thing doesn't really interest me too much and when I'm not interested, not only does it make it more difficult for me to follow the story, but it also makes me less inclined to care. It honestly made me lose some connection I felt to the characters, which naturally isn't a good thing.

“Even hatred makes a home in the soul, butterfly. That is why we seek to eradicate it with indulgence and vengeance.”

Then at the end I actually got really annoyed with how the author chose to let the story unfold. And to explain this, means I'm going to have to give a few spoilers. So if you're not interested in that, this is the point where you want to just skip down to my "Final Thoughts" section, ok?!

So we have a startling revelation that I did not once think was going to happen. Generally that's awesome that you can't guess what's going to happen and you're genuinely surprised. BUT this is only achieved if the author/creator drops subtle hints throughout the text but you MISS them. Then it's like, "How the hell did I not see that coming?!" and it's an excited form of shock that you feel because the revelation makes perfect sense.

But
When the author doesn't give subtle hints and this random revelation seemingly comes out of nowhere, it can feel a little disjointed.

"The weapon was not the fog. It was Lilitha."

And that's exactly how this revelation felt to me. Not to mention, there were sooooo many sequences throughout the ending that I don't think hit their mark. It was hard to follow through the fight scenes. I didn't know what I was supposed to feel. I mean, there were several instances where I was like, "Well, shit, did Florian just die?" Only to have him still going like it was nothing a sentence or two later. All the confusion just really took me out of the story. Not to mention-- And this is a HUGE spoiler so just know that I'm warning you-- BUT throughout the entire duet, the mate bond is heavily emphasized to be an all consuming feeling between two individuals. Especially if they both act upon it.

“When you killed your own wife, was it because she lacked the ability to satisfy your cravings after you murdered the forbidden mate you fed from?”

At that point it's described as something you cannot escape from and then Molkan is killed right in front of Lilitha without any protests on her end...no reaction to it then or in the moments/days that subsequently followed. I mean, I know the guy was a dick and deserved death on swifts wings, but the death of her mate didn't affect Lilitha at all?!

It just felt like an extremely big plot hole to me.
OH! And then after all this and everything they've been through, Tullia tells Florian to return to his kingdom without her??!!

I was not a fan of that and it was yet another thing that felt out of place in the story. In the end, this was somewhat salvaged with her materializing back to him, but that happened WEEKS later, if I'm not mistaken and still annoyed the shit out of me.

“I don’t want your kingdom.” The gold clinked over the stone, and as many flinched and gasped, I began to materialize. I smiled as darkness embraced. “I already have one.”

Final Thoughts:
Despite some things at the end of the story truly annoying me, I still loved the Deadly Devine Duet and highly recommend it to anyone that loves a thrilling, fantasy romance, that's full of delicious spice and passion! Florian's deadly, possessive nature over his enchanting mate whom he loves deeply and Tullia's innocent curiosity that leads her to be Florian's willing student on all matters of learning, makes this the kind of story that is sure to enthrall anyone who chooses to read it.

"It wasn’t the sex that sated and left me starved anew. It was her. The dark innocence. The sly confidence. The curious hunger. The stubborn determination that matched my own no matter how different the shade of our souls."

"My captor. My unexpected freedom. My home."

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just fantastic. This is one of the best romantasy books I’ve read. These two books had everything you could ask for if you love Fantasy Romance. The steam is on point, but aside from that, the plot kept me glued! I could not put these down. I’ll probably have a headache from this but so worth it 😂
The story continues immediately from book one, and our FMC has a lot going on and so much to go through. No worries there is an HEA and it’s just tearfully beautiful.
Also, I would read several books based on the side characters alone! Can’t say anything, spoilers, but yea. Totally would.

So I think it’s obvious that I recommend these books 😂😂