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The Wretched Divine #1
The Wretched Divine
The Wretched Divine is the heart-pounding adult debut from New York Times and Sunday Times-bestselling author Adalyn Grace, about an ancient war between angels and demons, and the human knight determined to end it at any cost.
Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she's spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she's one of the few who can stop them.
If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she'll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune bloodline: a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom's survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she's sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.
With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she'll have to make a choice: continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.
Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she's spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she's one of the few who can stop them.
If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she'll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune bloodline: a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom's survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she's sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.
With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she'll have to make a choice: continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2026
About the author
Adalyn Grace
13 books11.4k followersAdalyn Grace is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, International, and Indiebound bestselling author of Belladonna and the All the Stars and Teeth duology.
Prior to becoming an author, Adalyn spent several years working in live theatre and studied storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series The Legend of Korra.
Local to San Diego, Adalyn spends her non-writing days by watching too much anime, and by playing video games with her two dorky dogs.
Prior to becoming an author, Adalyn spent several years working in live theatre and studied storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series The Legend of Korra.
Local to San Diego, Adalyn spends her non-writing days by watching too much anime, and by playing video games with her two dorky dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,636 reviews
October 18, 2026
Genuinely wtf was this?? Did we all read the same book??? 🥲🥲😭
I'm ngl it had a super interesting start. An interesting hook when it drops us right into action. It gave it a cinematic reading experience and I was quite into it. The characters sounded really interesting. The world building was quite fascinating as well, but the middle fumbled. Big time. And it became quite clear the author had no clue how to develop this lore.
The middle was sooo horrible, it completely lost the plot. The whole structure of the book was like watching the life of the book slip like quicksand. The majority of it did not make sense, ripped the fmcs personality off and turned the whole thing into a teen angst of a poorly written love triangle. The writing was so immature and lacked refinement, God knows how I made it through.
The concept of angels and demons has always been interesting. But the book tried to do too much with it and achieved nothing at all. The angel hierarchy was simple to understand, the demon lore got all twisted up and eventually made little sense. The bond magic is my biggest complaint though. It has soooo many inconsistencies. Because why is it that the rules per the book itself state that the bonded can feel each other's emotions including pain, pleasure and agony etc etc. Yet, when it is convenient for the plot, it gets removed and no one blinks an eye???
Aurelie was frankly quite a disappointment. She had such a strong start as a woman who's a knight, I was looking forward to seeing her be a badass. Instead, I got a lying, whining, petulant brat. She doesn't even fight back properly, doesn't question anything. Naive as hell. Nope. Not a fan. Coming to Severin, the demon was interesting for about five minutes. Then lost his aura the moment the author tried to make him into a try hard version of Rhysand. Please stop. Just stop and write original personalities. As for the angel boy, Yuriel. He was the most interesting character in the story. He kept me going. The backstory, the restraint, the suffering and endurance was chef's kiss. There's a hint of darkness to his light and it made him a little flawed but he was the better deserving man.
The romance was so disappointing. Holy hell, what even was that??? There's a clear preference on which guy the author prefers and it was annoying as hell. Cause why write a love triangle or a double bond when the other guy doesn't even stand a chance? The imbalance of it all comes across as cheap and lazy. Then the author tries to do too much with the spicy banter and situations that she forgets the main plot which was the damn cure. It became a subplot by the end 🥴 The chemistry between the two men with Aurelie is minimal. I would rather have not read romance at all. Yet somehow, the chemistry between Yuriel and Severin is far better. Now these two I can get behind.
The ending was decent. The plot twist was something I appreciated, though the execution of it was kinda meh and by then, I really did not care about Aurelie or whatever the book was trying to do. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be reading book two, this book's given me enough headache to last a week and I would not like to revisit this whole mess.
Thanks to Lindsey for reading it with me. At least our bond works better than whatever this book tried to do 😂❤
~•~•~
The cover is STUNNING. The premise even more, cause what do you mean she bonds both with an angel AND a demon?? I'm hooked already.
I'm ngl it had a super interesting start. An interesting hook when it drops us right into action. It gave it a cinematic reading experience and I was quite into it. The characters sounded really interesting. The world building was quite fascinating as well, but the middle fumbled. Big time. And it became quite clear the author had no clue how to develop this lore.
The middle was sooo horrible, it completely lost the plot. The whole structure of the book was like watching the life of the book slip like quicksand. The majority of it did not make sense, ripped the fmcs personality off and turned the whole thing into a teen angst of a poorly written love triangle. The writing was so immature and lacked refinement, God knows how I made it through.
The concept of angels and demons has always been interesting. But the book tried to do too much with it and achieved nothing at all. The angel hierarchy was simple to understand, the demon lore got all twisted up and eventually made little sense. The bond magic is my biggest complaint though. It has soooo many inconsistencies. Because why is it that the rules per the book itself state that the bonded can feel each other's emotions including pain, pleasure and agony etc etc. Yet, when it is convenient for the plot, it gets removed and no one blinks an eye???
Aurelie was frankly quite a disappointment. She had such a strong start as a woman who's a knight, I was looking forward to seeing her be a badass. Instead, I got a lying, whining, petulant brat. She doesn't even fight back properly, doesn't question anything. Naive as hell. Nope. Not a fan. Coming to Severin, the demon was interesting for about five minutes. Then lost his aura the moment the author tried to make him into a try hard version of Rhysand. Please stop. Just stop and write original personalities. As for the angel boy, Yuriel. He was the most interesting character in the story. He kept me going. The backstory, the restraint, the suffering and endurance was chef's kiss. There's a hint of darkness to his light and it made him a little flawed but he was the better deserving man.
The romance was so disappointing. Holy hell, what even was that??? There's a clear preference on which guy the author prefers and it was annoying as hell. Cause why write a love triangle or a double bond when the other guy doesn't even stand a chance? The imbalance of it all comes across as cheap and lazy. Then the author tries to do too much with the spicy banter and situations that she forgets the main plot which was the damn cure. It became a subplot by the end 🥴 The chemistry between the two men with Aurelie is minimal. I would rather have not read romance at all. Yet somehow, the chemistry between Yuriel and Severin is far better. Now these two I can get behind.
The ending was decent. The plot twist was something I appreciated, though the execution of it was kinda meh and by then, I really did not care about Aurelie or whatever the book was trying to do. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be reading book two, this book's given me enough headache to last a week and I would not like to revisit this whole mess.
Thanks to Lindsey for reading it with me. At least our bond works better than whatever this book tried to do 😂❤
~•~•~
The cover is STUNNING. The premise even more, cause what do you mean she bonds both with an angel AND a demon?? I'm hooked already.
September 30, 2026
She was only meant to soul bond with an angel. But she bonds to both an angel and a demon. This should be good. 🍿💺
After having finished The Wretched Divine, I'm not saying Aurelie (lady knight), Severin (demon) and Yuri (angel) should necessarily be a throuple however, I'm not not saying that either. I perhaps see a fascinating business case for it, and there is a good chance I would be slightly disappointed if it doesn’t go that way. I mean, why does she even have to choose? Ykwim? Just my opinion.
Beyond the romantic shenanigans, one of the things that stood out to me most was the way the magic system of bonds with mortals, angels and demons with their seven deadly sins, add complications to the situation between our three MMCs. Plus, the way the lines blur between having to decipher if one is developing feelings or feeling salacious is always good fun and I’m always here for that delicious delicious tension.
Also, I won’t detail the specifics, but let’s just say sound magic opens up such interesting possibilities for how power can be wielded and I found that aspect very inventive and memorable and distinctive. There is also shadow magic, but the way the standard shadow daddy archetype is subverted through my blue-skinned demon girl Lute is also top-notch.
Fantasy politics here is also on point when commentating on oppressed vs oppressor type dynamics and even propaganda and indoctrination. I always overanalyse fantasy politics, don’t mind me. Either way, my point is that I enjoy fantasy romance with world building and politics that gives you something to think about. And it becomes even more meaningful when you realise how timely and timeless that commentary is, when it's holding up a mirror to the real world.
Shout out to my friend Gabriela, who I traded fun random thoughts and theories with, she had some astute ones and we already have several theories for the sequel on the boil.
The last 20% of this story has opened up many many possibilities, and yes…we are on a cliffy ending. Highly highly recommend, if you couldn’t already tell that I love this so much.
Thanks so much to Hachette Australia & New Zealand and Netgalley for the ARC.
After having finished The Wretched Divine, I'm not saying Aurelie (lady knight), Severin (demon) and Yuri (angel) should necessarily be a throuple however, I'm not not saying that either. I perhaps see a fascinating business case for it, and there is a good chance I would be slightly disappointed if it doesn’t go that way. I mean, why does she even have to choose? Ykwim? Just my opinion.
Beyond the romantic shenanigans, one of the things that stood out to me most was the way the magic system of bonds with mortals, angels and demons with their seven deadly sins, add complications to the situation between our three MMCs. Plus, the way the lines blur between having to decipher if one is developing feelings or feeling salacious is always good fun and I’m always here for that delicious delicious tension.
Also, I won’t detail the specifics, but let’s just say sound magic opens up such interesting possibilities for how power can be wielded and I found that aspect very inventive and memorable and distinctive. There is also shadow magic, but the way the standard shadow daddy archetype is subverted through my blue-skinned demon girl Lute is also top-notch.
Fantasy politics here is also on point when commentating on oppressed vs oppressor type dynamics and even propaganda and indoctrination. I always overanalyse fantasy politics, don’t mind me. Either way, my point is that I enjoy fantasy romance with world building and politics that gives you something to think about. And it becomes even more meaningful when you realise how timely and timeless that commentary is, when it's holding up a mirror to the real world.
Shout out to my friend Gabriela, who I traded fun random thoughts and theories with, she had some astute ones and we already have several theories for the sequel on the boil.
The last 20% of this story has opened up many many possibilities, and yes…we are on a cliffy ending. Highly highly recommend, if you couldn’t already tell that I love this so much.
Thanks so much to Hachette Australia & New Zealand and Netgalley for the ARC.
October 18, 2026
This was PHENOMENAL!! Very fantasy forward, kept me turning pages and such a good storyline!
Also i went to look up character art after reading and OH MY GOD they’re all so pretty.
I did guess one of the big plot twists and am still sad that I did, but the ending did shock me.
If you like the Infernal Devices, you’ll like this.
Ugh this was so so good. Highly recommend!
Also i went to look up character art after reading and OH MY GOD they’re all so pretty.
I did guess one of the big plot twists and am still sad that I did, but the ending did shock me.
If you like the Infernal Devices, you’ll like this.
Ugh this was so so good. Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m both captivated by this book and weirdly irritated by it.
I was locked in at first. It was like Adalyn Grace read my mind and put every single thing I like into one book: a cool world building, a strong female character, and two very interesting MMCs to choose from (Yuriel the angel, and Severin the demon). Reading the first chapters felt like checking off every item on a wishlist I didn't even know I had.
Sadly, the middle of the book wasn’t as strong. They needed to find something, they ran into trouble, someone fell deep into lust. I just wasn’t that invested in the story line or the romance. Even the characters started to wear on me.
Aurelie felt too immature and impulsive, and Severin felt like a cardboard cutout of a million other MMCs I’ve read about before. Only my love for Yuri stayed strong (who knew my anti hero loving heart would fall hard for the angel? I call this character development)
And as always, I saw things where they didn't exist, because of course the demon and angel fought and all I wanted was to grab their heads and go ’Now kiss!’. (did I say character development? oops I meant: being delusional)
I devoured the last chapters though. The ending had so many reveals and a wild cliffhanger, and I loved them all. But I do wish one or two of those reveals were sprinkled in the middle of the book.
Overall, a strong beginning, weak middle, and crazy ending that saved it. The only question I need answered is if this is going to stay a love triangle or evolve into a Why Choose. I really need to know
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: after loving the Belladonna series, I couldn’t be happier to get my hands on this ARC 😍
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
I was locked in at first. It was like Adalyn Grace read my mind and put every single thing I like into one book: a cool world building, a strong female character, and two very interesting MMCs to choose from (Yuriel the angel, and Severin the demon). Reading the first chapters felt like checking off every item on a wishlist I didn't even know I had.
Sadly, the middle of the book wasn’t as strong. They needed to find something, they ran into trouble, someone fell deep into lust. I just wasn’t that invested in the story line or the romance. Even the characters started to wear on me.
Aurelie felt too immature and impulsive, and Severin felt like a cardboard cutout of a million other MMCs I’ve read about before. Only my love for Yuri stayed strong (who knew my anti hero loving heart would fall hard for the angel? I call this character development)
And as always, I saw things where they didn't exist, because of course the demon and angel fought and all I wanted was to grab their heads and go ’Now kiss!’. (did I say character development? oops I meant: being delusional)
I devoured the last chapters though. The ending had so many reveals and a wild cliffhanger, and I loved them all. But I do wish one or two of those reveals were sprinkled in the middle of the book.
Overall, a strong beginning, weak middle, and crazy ending that saved it. The only question I need answered is if this is going to stay a love triangle or evolve into a Why Choose. I really need to know
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: after loving the Belladonna series, I couldn’t be happier to get my hands on this ARC 😍
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
October 13, 2026
One of my favourite reads of the year! Such a perfect balance of plot, world-building, and romance. I was entirely hooked by this from the very beginning and the dynamic between our three main characters is possibly one of my favourite ‘love triangles’ ever (please don’t ask me to pick a team). This is angels and demons in a way I have never read before and I am utterly in awe of Adalyn’s ability to take something we see a lot in the fantasy genre and make it feel so unique and fun. This is everything I could possibly want from a Fantasy and I am so beyond excited for the next book in this series 😭🌟
Read
April 29, 2026UPDATE TO ADD:
Tour stops in the US, UK, and Ireland have been announced. All are ticketed and limited. Tickets for stops still available can be found here.
Page overlay Pre Order incentives have also been announced for the US.
This Yuriel page overlay is available by pre ordering the B&N signed Angel Edition
Claim your Yuri page overlay here
This Severin page overlay is available by pre ordering the standard US Demon Edition
Claim your Severin page overlay here
This Aurelie page overlay is available as a US tour exclusive, while supplies last
Original Review:
Hello and goodbye! Before this book launches and I must hide from Goodreads again, I wanted to share where you can find signed and exclusive editions.
In the US: (all bold text should be clickable)
The B&N Limited Angel edition:
- Signed
- A stunning designed red case printed straight onto the hardcover
- Gilded edges
- A deleted chapter
- Alternate jacket coloring with golden x on the cover
- Red designed angel wing endpages
This limited signed edition is exclusive to B&N
The Standard Demon Edition:
- A beautiful red case design printed straight onto the hardcover
- Red metallic edges
- Gold angel wing endpages
- Red X on jacket
Signed editions of this version can be pre ordered through my local indie, Mysterious Galaxy. All pre orders will be signed. If you'd like personalization, please include how you'd like it personalized in the order notes at checkout.
In the UK:
Signed Waterstones Exclusive:
- Signed
- Very limited and nearly sold out
- Alternative gold dust jacket colorway
- Deleted Chapter
- Fiery edges
- Beautiful red hardcover case design (matches US)
- angel wing endpages
We also have the beautiful silver standard edition. Some indies should also be getting signed editions of this version. I will share information as it comes.
This is my favorite book yet, and I'm so so excited to share it with you! If you like big, epic fantasy worlds, plot driven stories that still have a ton of romance, angels, demons (including a demon bard), knights, a medieval inspired fantasy world, and a boatload of magic, TWD might be the book for you! I really hope you love it as much as I do.
Tour stops in the US, UK, and Ireland have been announced. All are ticketed and limited. Tickets for stops still available can be found here.
Page overlay Pre Order incentives have also been announced for the US.
This Yuriel page overlay is available by pre ordering the B&N signed Angel Edition
Claim your Yuri page overlay here
This Severin page overlay is available by pre ordering the standard US Demon Edition
Claim your Severin page overlay here
This Aurelie page overlay is available as a US tour exclusive, while supplies last
Original Review:
Hello and goodbye! Before this book launches and I must hide from Goodreads again, I wanted to share where you can find signed and exclusive editions.
In the US: (all bold text should be clickable)
The B&N Limited Angel edition:
- Signed
- A stunning designed red case printed straight onto the hardcover
- Gilded edges
- A deleted chapter
- Alternate jacket coloring with golden x on the cover
- Red designed angel wing endpages
This limited signed edition is exclusive to B&N
The Standard Demon Edition:
- A beautiful red case design printed straight onto the hardcover
- Red metallic edges
- Gold angel wing endpages
- Red X on jacket
Signed editions of this version can be pre ordered through my local indie, Mysterious Galaxy. All pre orders will be signed. If you'd like personalization, please include how you'd like it personalized in the order notes at checkout.
In the UK:
Signed Waterstones Exclusive:
- Signed
- Very limited and nearly sold out
- Alternative gold dust jacket colorway
- Deleted Chapter
- Fiery edges
- Beautiful red hardcover case design (matches US)
- angel wing endpages
We also have the beautiful silver standard edition. Some indies should also be getting signed editions of this version. I will share information as it comes.
This is my favorite book yet, and I'm so so excited to share it with you! If you like big, epic fantasy worlds, plot driven stories that still have a ton of romance, angels, demons (including a demon bard), knights, a medieval inspired fantasy world, and a boatload of magic, TWD might be the book for you! I really hope you love it as much as I do.
Want to Read
September 30, 2024She said its like a more mature version of daughter of smoke and bone and The infernal devices but set in a world like the stormlight archives!! I AM SCREAMING BECAUSE BRANDON SANDERSON SUPREMACY EVERYONE!
September 29, 2026
“By the devil’s rotting cock!” that was good!
Usually I start out my reviews with a more eloquent or meaningful quote, but this story surprised me in so many ways. From humor to depth to humanity. While I was excited about this one I was also mildly skeptical about all the hype, but Wretched Divine was worth every bit IMO.
In a kingdom ravaged by demon attacks, Aurelie’s greatest desire is to save her people by bonding with an angel, giving her the power of glory and hopefully a fighting chance of fending them off. Turns out bonding with a demon may be just as integral to her plan.
Somehow this feels like a story I’ve heard a thousand times, and at the same time it presents as fresh and reimagined. The conflict between angels and demons is almost as old as time. But what I love here is how Adalyn takes the traditional opposing tropes of good and evil, divine and diabolical, and shows how they are dependent on one another for any kind of peace and balance to exist. At least I’m pretty sure that’s where we’re heading.
The humans are dependent on the angels to help ward off the demons, but this dependence comes with rules that are about as boring as they are rigid. You know, unquestioning devotion, zero tolerance of sin, celibacy for everyone that isn’t married, including angels. On the other hand, the demons are all descended from one of the seven deadly sins. Sounds like a lot more fun, except when they descend into the extreme of say, gluttony. Cannibalism anyone?
I know this sounds black and white, but the point is that it’s really not. This story shows how easy it can be to control people with politics disguised as religion and morality. How thin the line between these two can be, and also how fragile.
Let’s talk characters.
Aurelie, the knight: I loved watching her waver between determination and despair. She’s certainly willing to make some questionable decisions to save her people, even when she’d rather just relax and play the lyre. Severin is everything a demon should be: charming and slippery, but also fiercely protective. And let’s not forget hot, obviously. Yuri the angel: beautiful and sweet, devotion personified, maybe a little misguided at times. Needs a giant hug.
But then again, they all do. I loved the delightfully antagonistic dynamic between these three. They’re all doing their best in their own ways, and my heart aches for each one of them. I’m fully on team throuple, even if they’re not 🤭
I think this story is every bit as epic as it’s set out to be. Highly recommended if you’ve been eyeing it.
“History is written by the victor. So I wonder—when the last sword of this war is drawn, whose truth will remain?”
The audiobook has four narrators and they all did a fantastic job. I loved listening to this every bit as much as reading it, and it’s on KU if you prefer eyeball reading. There were times I was just too impatient to listen, so I loved having both versions.
I’d like to thank the lovely Esta for trading theories and thoughts, I had so much fun ❤️
MacMillan audio, you know the way to my heart. Many thanks to you and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pre-read: a knight bonds with an angel AND a demon in order to save her people.
I’ve had some serious FOMO with all the buzz around this one 👀
Usually I start out my reviews with a more eloquent or meaningful quote, but this story surprised me in so many ways. From humor to depth to humanity. While I was excited about this one I was also mildly skeptical about all the hype, but Wretched Divine was worth every bit IMO.
In a kingdom ravaged by demon attacks, Aurelie’s greatest desire is to save her people by bonding with an angel, giving her the power of glory and hopefully a fighting chance of fending them off. Turns out bonding with a demon may be just as integral to her plan.
Somehow this feels like a story I’ve heard a thousand times, and at the same time it presents as fresh and reimagined. The conflict between angels and demons is almost as old as time. But what I love here is how Adalyn takes the traditional opposing tropes of good and evil, divine and diabolical, and shows how they are dependent on one another for any kind of peace and balance to exist. At least I’m pretty sure that’s where we’re heading.
The humans are dependent on the angels to help ward off the demons, but this dependence comes with rules that are about as boring as they are rigid. You know, unquestioning devotion, zero tolerance of sin, celibacy for everyone that isn’t married, including angels. On the other hand, the demons are all descended from one of the seven deadly sins. Sounds like a lot more fun, except when they descend into the extreme of say, gluttony. Cannibalism anyone?
I know this sounds black and white, but the point is that it’s really not. This story shows how easy it can be to control people with politics disguised as religion and morality. How thin the line between these two can be, and also how fragile.
Let’s talk characters.
Aurelie, the knight: I loved watching her waver between determination and despair. She’s certainly willing to make some questionable decisions to save her people, even when she’d rather just relax and play the lyre. Severin is everything a demon should be: charming and slippery, but also fiercely protective. And let’s not forget hot, obviously. Yuri the angel: beautiful and sweet, devotion personified, maybe a little misguided at times. Needs a giant hug.
But then again, they all do. I loved the delightfully antagonistic dynamic between these three. They’re all doing their best in their own ways, and my heart aches for each one of them. I’m fully on team throuple, even if they’re not 🤭
I think this story is every bit as epic as it’s set out to be. Highly recommended if you’ve been eyeing it.
“History is written by the victor. So I wonder—when the last sword of this war is drawn, whose truth will remain?”
The audiobook has four narrators and they all did a fantastic job. I loved listening to this every bit as much as reading it, and it’s on KU if you prefer eyeball reading. There were times I was just too impatient to listen, so I loved having both versions.
I’d like to thank the lovely Esta for trading theories and thoughts, I had so much fun ❤️
MacMillan audio, you know the way to my heart. Many thanks to you and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pre-read: a knight bonds with an angel AND a demon in order to save her people.
I’ve had some serious FOMO with all the buzz around this one 👀
November 2, 2026
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
₊˚✧𑁍.ೃ࿔*:･
“𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚢, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚏𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎. 𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚏 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚑𝚘’𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐? 𝙸𝚏 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍?”
Okay so this was kind of a mixed bag for me. The beginning had me hooked, and the ending with that plot twist and cliffhanger?? Super interesting, I did not see it coming and now I kinda need book two.
But the middle part dragged so much. It’s way too long and felt overstuffed, and I caught myself skimming a few times.
The love triangle was honestly horrible. I never bought into either romance, it just felt forced, and I was way more into the angels vs. demons stuff than any of the love drama. Severin felt like the copy paste anti-hero with a little bit of humor. Yuriel on the other hand was a bit interesting at first but turned out to be a lackluster
And I was promised a warrior!! Aurelie is supposed to be a knight who’s trained her whole life for this, but she came off as so whiny. She spends way too much time complaining and being indecisive instead of actually acting like the badass I was expecting.
Still, it was better than Belladonna for me.
₊˚✧𑁍.ೃ࿔*:･
“𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚢, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚏𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎. 𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚏 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚑𝚘’𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐? 𝙸𝚏 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍?”
Okay so this was kind of a mixed bag for me. The beginning had me hooked, and the ending with that plot twist and cliffhanger?? Super interesting, I did not see it coming and now I kinda need book two.
But the middle part dragged so much. It’s way too long and felt overstuffed, and I caught myself skimming a few times.
The love triangle was honestly horrible. I never bought into either romance, it just felt forced, and I was way more into the angels vs. demons stuff than any of the love drama. Severin felt like the copy paste anti-hero with a little bit of humor. Yuriel on the other hand was a bit interesting at first but turned out to be a lackluster
And I was promised a warrior!! Aurelie is supposed to be a knight who’s trained her whole life for this, but she came off as so whiny. She spends way too much time complaining and being indecisive instead of actually acting like the badass I was expecting.
Still, it was better than Belladonna for me.
November 2, 2026
🎧 Take me back to Eden - Sleep Token 🎧
⇆ㅤ ◁◁ ❚❚ ▷▷ㅤ ↻
This book started so strong, eventhough I didn't necessarily immediately like the writing. The opening immediately throws you into the action, and I was genuinely invested.
The world-building and characters initially seemed fascinating,especially the angels and demons of it all,I loved, but the middle completely fell apart.Like what was this even. It was so much filler and so little plot.
The story lost focus, the lore became increasingly confusing,and boring, and Aurelie's character was stripped of everything that made her interesting. She went from a promising knight to a naive, whiny protagonist who rarely questioned anything.
Severin had potential too. Initially, I was quite interested in him he seemed ike the morally grey character that I would easily find myself attracted to but he easily became a copy paste of just about every other fantasy morally grey character and let's not even talk about the continuous on page singing I got the ick so bad.
Yuriel, on the other hand, was easily the standout character. His backstory, restraint, and subtle darkness made him far more compelling than anyone else on the page.
My biggest issue was the magic system. The bond's rules were constantly ignored whenever it suited the plot, making the whole thing feel inconsistent and poorly thought out.
The romance was equally disappointing. The love triangle felt pointless because the author's preferred pairing was obvious from the start. Let's just say that girl was down bad for demon dick. Girl believe me I have also been there so I don't blame you. There was very little chemistry between Aurelie and either love interest, orher than the lust she felt for Severin and yet somehow Yuriel and Severin had more chemistry with each other than with her.
The ending had an interesting twist, which pushed it to a 2.75 for me otherwise we would have only had a 2 on our hands.
This book literally gave me a headache. Overall, a great premise with poor execution.
---------‐-----------------------------------------------------------------
Pre- read:
Lots of mixed reviews on this one. I've had it on my tbr and saw my girl Fariha was reading it. So I just decided to join her, even if she didn't ask.
⇆ㅤ ◁◁ ❚❚ ▷▷ㅤ ↻
This book started so strong, eventhough I didn't necessarily immediately like the writing. The opening immediately throws you into the action, and I was genuinely invested.
The world-building and characters initially seemed fascinating,especially the angels and demons of it all,I loved, but the middle completely fell apart.Like what was this even. It was so much filler and so little plot.
The story lost focus, the lore became increasingly confusing,and boring, and Aurelie's character was stripped of everything that made her interesting. She went from a promising knight to a naive, whiny protagonist who rarely questioned anything.
Severin had potential too. Initially, I was quite interested in him he seemed ike the morally grey character that I would easily find myself attracted to but he easily became a copy paste of just about every other fantasy morally grey character and let's not even talk about the continuous on page singing I got the ick so bad.
Yuriel, on the other hand, was easily the standout character. His backstory, restraint, and subtle darkness made him far more compelling than anyone else on the page.
My biggest issue was the magic system. The bond's rules were constantly ignored whenever it suited the plot, making the whole thing feel inconsistent and poorly thought out.
The romance was equally disappointing. The love triangle felt pointless because the author's preferred pairing was obvious from the start. Let's just say that girl was down bad for demon dick. Girl believe me I have also been there so I don't blame you. There was very little chemistry between Aurelie and either love interest, orher than the lust she felt for Severin and yet somehow Yuriel and Severin had more chemistry with each other than with her.
The ending had an interesting twist, which pushed it to a 2.75 for me otherwise we would have only had a 2 on our hands.
This book literally gave me a headache. Overall, a great premise with poor execution.
---------‐-----------------------------------------------------------------
Pre- read:
Lots of mixed reviews on this one. I've had it on my tbr and saw my girl Fariha was reading it. So I just decided to join her, even if she didn't ask.
Currently Reading
May 31, 2026⚔️ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 #2𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐
YAYAYAYAY BESTEST NARRATOR EVER KRISTIN ATHERTON AUDIO HAS ARRIVED AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
⚔️ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐
i got a sample!! thank god for booktrovert ❣️
❤️🔥 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂
ADALYN GRACE??????? GIVE HERE
YAYAYAYAY BESTEST NARRATOR EVER KRISTIN ATHERTON AUDIO HAS ARRIVED AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
⚔️ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐
i got a sample!! thank god for booktrovert ❣️
❤️🔥 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂
ADALYN GRACE??????? GIVE HERE
September 24, 2026
5⭐️
I am convinced that I will love just about everything that Adalyn Grace writes because this book? WOW.
I am still reeling after that ending and I know this was just released, but I need the next book RIGHT NOW!
This is Adalyn Grace's first adult novel and I can conclude that IT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD!
This book had the appropriate amount of spice given the mainly story-driven plot. I would say that this book was 90% plot and 10% spice and I absolutely think that she did amazing for her first adult fantasy debut.
The characters were to die for and I loved each and every one of them. Each character was so unique and there was so much depth and backstory and lore to Aurelie, Yuri, and Severin. I found all of them likable, even if some of the characters were supposed to be enemies, and who doesn't love a book where you want to fall for the charming bad guy?
The concept of Angels and Demons combined with this author's writing style was a potion for utter success. I genuinely don't think Adalyn Grace could have done this better because I was obsessed from the very beginning.
I didn't really know what the expect because the synopsis didn't give a whole lot away, but going into this book blind? I wouldn't have it any other way.
The plot was addicting; it was unique; it was well thought out and well executed. This book is one of those where you finish reading it and you feel like an entire lifetime has gone by because you were so invested that time blends together.
I purposefully chose to put off reading this book because I truly didn't want it to end.
I wanted to stay in this universe.
I wanted to be with these characters.
I wanted to continuously feel the ANGST and YEARNING and ACHING that these characters and the book overall gave off.
498 pages was not enough. I could've read another 500 pages of this honestly.
I fear this book has been added to the list of my top favorite books of the year since I don't give out 5 stars very easily. This book was just THAT good.
I am normally known to be pretty harsh when it comes to critiquing books, and this one just hit all the marks for me.
It was so engaging and I was invested in the books entirety from the very beginning. The twists and turns and plot development wowed me and I am so thankful to Miss Adalyn for creating such a work of art that is this adult fantasy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ⚔️🤍🩸
One of my favorite authors releasing one of my most anticipated releases of the year????
I AM SOOOOO SAT FOR THIS!
IN ADALYN GRACE WE TRUST
I am convinced that I will love just about everything that Adalyn Grace writes because this book? WOW.
I am still reeling after that ending and I know this was just released, but I need the next book RIGHT NOW!
This is Adalyn Grace's first adult novel and I can conclude that IT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD!
This book had the appropriate amount of spice given the mainly story-driven plot. I would say that this book was 90% plot and 10% spice and I absolutely think that she did amazing for her first adult fantasy debut.
The characters were to die for and I loved each and every one of them. Each character was so unique and there was so much depth and backstory and lore to Aurelie, Yuri, and Severin. I found all of them likable, even if some of the characters were supposed to be enemies, and who doesn't love a book where you want to fall for the charming bad guy?
The concept of Angels and Demons combined with this author's writing style was a potion for utter success. I genuinely don't think Adalyn Grace could have done this better because I was obsessed from the very beginning.
I didn't really know what the expect because the synopsis didn't give a whole lot away, but going into this book blind? I wouldn't have it any other way.
The plot was addicting; it was unique; it was well thought out and well executed. This book is one of those where you finish reading it and you feel like an entire lifetime has gone by because you were so invested that time blends together.
I purposefully chose to put off reading this book because I truly didn't want it to end.
I wanted to stay in this universe.
I wanted to be with these characters.
I wanted to continuously feel the ANGST and YEARNING and ACHING that these characters and the book overall gave off.
498 pages was not enough. I could've read another 500 pages of this honestly.
I fear this book has been added to the list of my top favorite books of the year since I don't give out 5 stars very easily. This book was just THAT good.
I am normally known to be pretty harsh when it comes to critiquing books, and this one just hit all the marks for me.
It was so engaging and I was invested in the books entirety from the very beginning. The twists and turns and plot development wowed me and I am so thankful to Miss Adalyn for creating such a work of art that is this adult fantasy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ⚔️🤍🩸
One of my favorite authors releasing one of my most anticipated releases of the year????
I AM SOOOOO SAT FOR THIS!
IN ADALYN GRACE WE TRUST
September 20, 2026
Adalyn Grace's adult debut was a dark, twisted take on the classic good vs. evil tale. I was kept guessing till the very end, and honestly I am still making guesses (book 2, please come quickly 😭). The world and characters were so captivating that I didnt want the story to end. All the twists and reveals left me genuinely flabbergasted!
Aurelie is a Lady Knight who is destined to bind herself to an angel, but when a demon comes to her with a way to save both their peoples, everything changes. Severin the demon is devilishly charming, and the perfect foil to Yuriel the angelic soldier. This whole story was so engaging, and the end!!! I cannot wait to see how this series will continue. Like, I am SICK with having to wait! Absolutely amazing and an easy 5 stars!
I finished this arc and immediately turned around and bought tickets for her book tour, that’s how good it was 😂❤️
•••••••
Absolutely ravenous for this book! Thank you to FEIWEL | Macmillan and NetGalley for the review copy ⚔️🪽
Aurelie is a Lady Knight who is destined to bind herself to an angel, but when a demon comes to her with a way to save both their peoples, everything changes. Severin the demon is devilishly charming, and the perfect foil to Yuriel the angelic soldier. This whole story was so engaging, and the end!!! I cannot wait to see how this series will continue. Like, I am SICK with having to wait! Absolutely amazing and an easy 5 stars!
I finished this arc and immediately turned around and bought tickets for her book tour, that’s how good it was 😂❤️
•••••••
Absolutely ravenous for this book! Thank you to FEIWEL | Macmillan and NetGalley for the review copy ⚔️🪽
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
time of death: 35%
I just couldn’t do it anymore guys. i genuinely tried. this is an ARC, so I kept forcing myself to continue because I wanted to give the book a fair chance, but by 35% I realized I could not care less about anything happening.
1. my first issue is the descriptions
oh my god. This author has described absolutely everything in every possible way. I understand wanting your world to feel vivid and atmospheric, but there were so many moments where I felt like I was reading the same description over and over again, just phrased differently each time. everything HAD to be poetic. everything had to have another metaphor. everything had to be described in some elaborate way when I already understood what was being described the first time. It became so damn exhausting.
2. the love triangle. Severin, Aurelie, and Yuri
I despise love triangles. I absolutely despise them. And I could already tell exactly where this was going. of course Aurelie is going to be drawn to the hot demon even though he's annoying as hell. their “banter” so far has been so predictable and so obviously following the exact formula of this trope that I found myself getting pissed off every time they interacted.
and I genuinely don't understand how this is being framed as enemies to lovers. she's already attracted to him. she's already obsessed with him. she's already wants to bang his bones. there is no actual hatred or tension that makes me believe these two are enemies. she just doesn't like him while simultaneously being completely fascinated by him. AND he calls her "little badger". wtf??
and what makes it even more annoying is that There are actual things happening that should be consuming her attention, and instead so much of her focus is going toward this annoying demon that she is already obviously attracted to. we are already 30% in and she's already having *those* dreams about him. girl wtf is wrong with u.
then there's Yuri.
3. I love Yuri.
& that makes this even worse because I already don't want to sit through Aurelie choosing Severin over and over while Yuri stands there being the sweet, kind, perfect guy. he actually has depth to his character and he's the only one who can think maturely. I know exactly what role he's going to play in this dynamic, and I don't want it. He's the “perfect pure angel” who is probably going to respect her choices and never cross a line while she keeps running back to Severin, and I genuinely do not have the patience for that shit.
I can bet my whole life Severin is gonna betray aurelie in the end too
4. The pacing
It was SO incredibly slow, and I never felt like the story was progressing enough to justify how much time was being spent on descriptions and worldbuilding. I kept waiting for something to happen that would pull me back in, but instead I felt like I was constantly being reminded about the same things we'd already learned.
there are so many different creatures and elements to this world, and I wanted to care about them. I really did. But when I'm repeatedly being told what something looks like or reminded of the same details over and over again, it stops feeling immersive and starts feeling like the story is stalling.
I can see what this book is trying to do. I can see the appeal. There is clearly a lot of effort put into the world and the atmosphere, and I'm sure there are readers who are going to absolutely love the writing style and the slow buildup.
But for me, it was bland, slow, repetitive, and frustrating. rip to my Netgalley ratio :(
I just couldn’t do it anymore guys. i genuinely tried. this is an ARC, so I kept forcing myself to continue because I wanted to give the book a fair chance, but by 35% I realized I could not care less about anything happening.
1. my first issue is the descriptions
oh my god. This author has described absolutely everything in every possible way. I understand wanting your world to feel vivid and atmospheric, but there were so many moments where I felt like I was reading the same description over and over again, just phrased differently each time. everything HAD to be poetic. everything had to have another metaphor. everything had to be described in some elaborate way when I already understood what was being described the first time. It became so damn exhausting.
2. the love triangle. Severin, Aurelie, and Yuri
I despise love triangles. I absolutely despise them. And I could already tell exactly where this was going. of course Aurelie is going to be drawn to the hot demon even though he's annoying as hell. their “banter” so far has been so predictable and so obviously following the exact formula of this trope that I found myself getting pissed off every time they interacted.
and I genuinely don't understand how this is being framed as enemies to lovers. she's already attracted to him. she's already obsessed with him. she's already wants to bang his bones. there is no actual hatred or tension that makes me believe these two are enemies. she just doesn't like him while simultaneously being completely fascinated by him. AND he calls her "little badger". wtf??
and what makes it even more annoying is that There are actual things happening that should be consuming her attention, and instead so much of her focus is going toward this annoying demon that she is already obviously attracted to. we are already 30% in and she's already having *those* dreams about him. girl wtf is wrong with u.
then there's Yuri.
3. I love Yuri.
& that makes this even worse because I already don't want to sit through Aurelie choosing Severin over and over while Yuri stands there being the sweet, kind, perfect guy. he actually has depth to his character and he's the only one who can think maturely. I know exactly what role he's going to play in this dynamic, and I don't want it. He's the “perfect pure angel” who is probably going to respect her choices and never cross a line while she keeps running back to Severin, and I genuinely do not have the patience for that shit.
I can bet my whole life Severin is gonna betray aurelie in the end too
4. The pacing
It was SO incredibly slow, and I never felt like the story was progressing enough to justify how much time was being spent on descriptions and worldbuilding. I kept waiting for something to happen that would pull me back in, but instead I felt like I was constantly being reminded about the same things we'd already learned.
there are so many different creatures and elements to this world, and I wanted to care about them. I really did. But when I'm repeatedly being told what something looks like or reminded of the same details over and over again, it stops feeling immersive and starts feeling like the story is stalling.
I can see what this book is trying to do. I can see the appeal. There is clearly a lot of effort put into the world and the atmosphere, and I'm sure there are readers who are going to absolutely love the writing style and the slow buildup.
But for me, it was bland, slow, repetitive, and frustrating. rip to my Netgalley ratio :(
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Adalyn Grace really sat down and decided sleep was overrated because HOW exactly am I supposed to function normally after finishing this book? Explain it to me slowly. Preferably while handing me therapy bills, holy water, emotional support snacks, and book two immediately.
The Wretched Divine completely swallowed me whole.
I already knew Adalyn Grace could write addictive stories, but seeing her step into adult romantasy? Oh she came armed with pain, tension, holy warfare, emotional damage, and two fictional men ready to ruin my peace differently. This book feels darker, sharper, heavier than her previous works. There’s blood on the blade, grief in every corner, and yearning dripping from nearly every interaction. Basically my favorite kind of suffering.
The atmosphere alone deserves applause. Angels and demons are not simply aesthetic decorations here thrown around to make Pinterest boards happy. The world feels brutal, ancient, wounded by war and religious devotion. Every page carried this feeling of doom lingering right beneath the surface, like something catastrophic was always one heartbeat away from happening. And honestly? It made me inhale this book like a starved Victorian woman discovering soup.
Aurelie was exactly the kind of heroine I love reading about: fierce, emotionally conflicted, stubborn enough to charge into danger even while internally falling apart. She’s been raised to see the world in absolutes—good versus evil, divine versus monstrous—but the deeper she falls into this twisted bond with both Yuriel and Severin, the more everything she believed starts cracking apart. Watching her question her faith, her kingdom, even herself, made her journey feel so compelling to me.
And speaking of the bonds…
I'm blabbering. I'm hyperventilating. I'm out of control right now!
The Wretched Divine completely swallowed me whole.
I already knew Adalyn Grace could write addictive stories, but seeing her step into adult romantasy? Oh she came armed with pain, tension, holy warfare, emotional damage, and two fictional men ready to ruin my peace differently. This book feels darker, sharper, heavier than her previous works. There’s blood on the blade, grief in every corner, and yearning dripping from nearly every interaction. Basically my favorite kind of suffering.
The atmosphere alone deserves applause. Angels and demons are not simply aesthetic decorations here thrown around to make Pinterest boards happy. The world feels brutal, ancient, wounded by war and religious devotion. Every page carried this feeling of doom lingering right beneath the surface, like something catastrophic was always one heartbeat away from happening. And honestly? It made me inhale this book like a starved Victorian woman discovering soup.
Aurelie was exactly the kind of heroine I love reading about: fierce, emotionally conflicted, stubborn enough to charge into danger even while internally falling apart. She’s been raised to see the world in absolutes—good versus evil, divine versus monstrous—but the deeper she falls into this twisted bond with both Yuriel and Severin, the more everything she believed starts cracking apart. Watching her question her faith, her kingdom, even herself, made her journey feel so compelling to me.
And speaking of the bonds…
I'm blabbering. I'm hyperventilating. I'm out of control right now!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
”She was asleep, and he was left holding her, wondering how something so quiet could unravel him so completely.”
i have been desperate for angel romantasy books to make a comeback and this book satisfied that for me. it had everything i could’ve wanted, even the love triangle had me in a chokehold. from the minute I started this book, i could not stop reading.. i was so addicted.
the characters - Aurelie, Yuriel and Severin were flawed and even unlikable at times, but for some reason it made me appreciate them more. Yuri is my favorite, i go feral over that “duty vs desire” type of dynamic but i also loved Severin and how entirely messy he was.
some of the reveals in the end were obvious to me, so i wasn’t shocked or anything, but i didn’t even care that it was predictable bc i was dying to see how the characters would react. it was so satisfying to read about the classic angel + demon rivalry, while also having enough emotional layers between the characters and their own separate motivations to keep things interesting. i CANNOT WAIT for the next book!!
➺ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan for the arc, all opinions are my own.
i have been desperate for angel romantasy books to make a comeback and this book satisfied that for me. it had everything i could’ve wanted, even the love triangle had me in a chokehold. from the minute I started this book, i could not stop reading.. i was so addicted.
the characters - Aurelie, Yuriel and Severin were flawed and even unlikable at times, but for some reason it made me appreciate them more. Yuri is my favorite, i go feral over that “duty vs desire” type of dynamic but i also loved Severin and how entirely messy he was.
some of the reveals in the end were obvious to me, so i wasn’t shocked or anything, but i didn’t even care that it was predictable bc i was dying to see how the characters would react. it was so satisfying to read about the classic angel + demon rivalry, while also having enough emotional layers between the characters and their own separate motivations to keep things interesting. i CANNOT WAIT for the next book!!
➺ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan for the arc, all opinions are my own.
August 28, 2026
REELING FROM THAT ENDING!!!!
so many things i loved about this, adayln brought everything to the table and then some with this book.
the way this is so plot driven, with an abundance of twisty turns and political intrigue but then also an incredible sub plot of romance?! ughhhh i devoured this.
i’m gonna need to know what team you all are when this comes out, add it to your priority releases tbr IMMEDIATELY 🤭
so many things i loved about this, adayln brought everything to the table and then some with this book.
the way this is so plot driven, with an abundance of twisty turns and political intrigue but then also an incredible sub plot of romance?! ughhhh i devoured this.
i’m gonna need to know what team you all are when this comes out, add it to your priority releases tbr IMMEDIATELY 🤭
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
HOLY FUCKING SHIT. STFU. WHAT THE HELL.
This was phenomenal! The world and its lore were rich, the characters were so entertaining and all the story came together SO WELL AT THE END. This was so fantastic, I cannot explain. I am textbook agog right now.
We’ve got demons, we’ve got angels, we’ve got lady knights and they all can bond to each other- feeling all the emotions and such from the others.
The whole premise is our lady knight FMC Aurelie is to be bonded to an angel once she kills a demon, as is her birthright as a daughter of the Chantelune blood line (this bloodline is chosen by the angels). But she also has to bond with a demon to save her kingdom. The three of them being bonded makes for some great entertainment, let me tell you. The tension, the jealousy & the pining that comes from this? Exquisite.
I literally don’t have enough words in the English language to convey how much I loved this- THIS WAS SO WELL EXECUTED. I am obsessed and sick I have to wait for even a bread crumb of book 2, lol.
Adalyn Grace has done it again! Her adult book debut is a complete success for me. 6 million, billion stars!
This was phenomenal! The world and its lore were rich, the characters were so entertaining and all the story came together SO WELL AT THE END. This was so fantastic, I cannot explain. I am textbook agog right now.
We’ve got demons, we’ve got angels, we’ve got lady knights and they all can bond to each other- feeling all the emotions and such from the others.
The whole premise is our lady knight FMC Aurelie is to be bonded to an angel once she kills a demon, as is her birthright as a daughter of the Chantelune blood line (this bloodline is chosen by the angels). But she also has to bond with a demon to save her kingdom. The three of them being bonded makes for some great entertainment, let me tell you. The tension, the jealousy & the pining that comes from this? Exquisite.
I literally don’t have enough words in the English language to convey how much I loved this- THIS WAS SO WELL EXECUTED. I am obsessed and sick I have to wait for even a bread crumb of book 2, lol.
Adalyn Grace has done it again! Her adult book debut is a complete success for me. 6 million, billion stars!
August 10, 2026
Summary
Aurelie, the female main character raised as a knight in a land ruined by demons is training so she can fight the demons who filled most of her family. When Aurelie kills her first demon she becomes soul bonded with an angel named Yuriel. But then she becomes bonded with a demon, Severin and makes a deal with him in order to save her father who has been turned. She must decide who to trust and whether she can save the people she cares about.
Thoughts
The premise sounded so interesting, bonded to an angel and a demon, but it was disappointing. The first half was very slow paced and the plot was boring. It also took a while for the world building to be explained which makes sense since it's the first book, but I'm still confused about some aspects of the world. I did enjoy that the book illustrated the differences between the human knights, angels and the demons. I also enjoyed that Yuriel's past was weaved into the present. The introduction to the magic in the book was interesting, such as the healing magic, shadow magic, darker magic from the demons, and sword magic. The second half of the book was much better, the pacing was more consistent and the plot was more intriguing. The writing was descriptive, concise and easy to follow. I had mixed feelings about some of the characters in the beginning. I was frustrated by Aurelie at first, her character felt flat and she didn't have much development. Near the middle of the book Aurelie showed more of her personality including her bravery, tenacity, and determination, but she did make a few decisions that were not well thought out. Yuriel was an intriguing character, he had a caring and sweet side but also a darker side. I enjoyed learning about his backstory and understanding why he is more reserved. Severin was okay, he had moments when he was helpful and funny, but in other moments he was not trust worthy and not a good guy. There were a few interactions between Severin, Yuriel and Aurelie that made me laugh out loud. The ending was surprising and action-packed. Overall the second half of the book was great, but the first half was underwhelming.
Aurelie, the female main character raised as a knight in a land ruined by demons is training so she can fight the demons who filled most of her family. When Aurelie kills her first demon she becomes soul bonded with an angel named Yuriel. But then she becomes bonded with a demon, Severin and makes a deal with him in order to save her father who has been turned. She must decide who to trust and whether she can save the people she cares about.
Thoughts
The premise sounded so interesting, bonded to an angel and a demon, but it was disappointing. The first half was very slow paced and the plot was boring. It also took a while for the world building to be explained which makes sense since it's the first book, but I'm still confused about some aspects of the world. I did enjoy that the book illustrated the differences between the human knights, angels and the demons. I also enjoyed that Yuriel's past was weaved into the present. The introduction to the magic in the book was interesting, such as the healing magic, shadow magic, darker magic from the demons, and sword magic. The second half of the book was much better, the pacing was more consistent and the plot was more intriguing. The writing was descriptive, concise and easy to follow. I had mixed feelings about some of the characters in the beginning. I was frustrated by Aurelie at first, her character felt flat and she didn't have much development. Near the middle of the book Aurelie showed more of her personality including her bravery, tenacity, and determination, but she did make a few decisions that were not well thought out. Yuriel was an intriguing character, he had a caring and sweet side but also a darker side. I enjoyed learning about his backstory and understanding why he is more reserved. Severin was okay, he had moments when he was helpful and funny, but in other moments he was not trust worthy and not a good guy. There were a few interactions between Severin, Yuriel and Aurelie that made me laugh out loud. The ending was surprising and action-packed. Overall the second half of the book was great, but the first half was underwhelming.
October 18, 2026
"Even the most wretched souls could masquerade as the divine."
Let me start off by saying I fell in love with Adalyn Grace and her writing since I read the Belladonna series and will read everything that she writes. I simply devoured the beginning of this because we started off with a bang. Action from the very beginning and I fell in love with Aurelie's character, because she started off as a complete badass FMC. Then everything flew out the window. I unfortunately feel this is going to be one of those books that booktok overly hypes up but then again maybe I am in the minority. With that being said, hopefully this review will help you go in with a better understanding and realistic expectations.
Tropes
🪽Angels and Demons
⚔️Knight FMC
🖤Love Triangle
🪽Soul Bonds
⚔️Secrets and Betrayal
🖤Enemies to Allies
This book had all the elements to be one of my favorite reads of the year, and I was completely consumed by the premise. An ancient war between angels and demons, morally gray characters, and a badass FMC who was a knight. This is exactly the kind of fantasy I find myself gravitating towards but unfortunately the premise was way more interesting to me then the execution.
I immediately fell in love with Aurelie's character when I started the story. She was a strong and fascinating FMC who fought for those she loved but then she became highly frustrating. Her character became annoying and stubborn, her actions repetitive. She would reject something, then argue about it, then make a decision, then be surprised when that decision caused a problem, and repeat. I did love her loyalty to her father and the mission to help him but that got lost in the plot and was overshadowed by the weird dynamics between Aurelie, Severin, and Yuriel.
At first, I found Severin completely intriguing because I am one of those girls who always falls for the villain. I loved the humor and teasing he brought to the story and loved the bickering between him and Yuriel the first time they really met. I did find an issue connecting with his character though because I wanted to see more from him when it came to the "demon" side of him. More of his history and his connection to the demon world and his motives. At times, I felt that the author just put these characters together in a bond in the story but there was really no build-up of them as individuals. Then you have the bond and the weird triangle dynamics that happen between the three of them and where I feel the biggest issue came from. Not only did this overtake the plot but the love triangle lacked and became confusing and strange. There was no emotional development making it harder for me to find the love triangle even convincing.
I will say that I absolutely loved Vex!!! I really feel if the middle of this book went a different way that this book could of absolutely been a book that stuck with me and I am so sad about it.
Thank you to SK bby for bearing through this with me and hopefully we redeem this one soon!🖤
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Let me start this by saying that my review is in no way a shade or pointless diss towards the author, and I'm not requesting to read this book with the sole intention of dunking on it. I've loved the author's previous series to pieces, and I can confidently say it's one of my favorite romantasy series. I was very fond of her writing and how she wrote the characters, so when I heard she's coming out with an adult romantasy book, I was beyond excited. I loved books with angels and demons, and the blurring line between black and white, and I have a thing for a "pure" being having doubts about the entity they're serving.
As you can expect, with expectations that high, I went into this book with the hopes of getting a strong fantastical world supported by a cast of nuanced characters with room to grow, romance that's addictive and builds up perfectly within the story, and writing that is on par with its adult fantasy peers. Unfortunately, I wasn't getting that in this book, which bummed me so much while reading it.
My main issue with the book is the fact that it was adamantly marketed as Adult Fantasy with a romance subplot, but the truth of what I'm reading is that the romance between Aurelie and Severin was what drives the plot forward, and it felt like whatever is going on in the background is just that. A background for them. And that would've been fine had these two characters been written well. Aurelie may be the most inconsequential female main character I've read in a while. Honestly, you could've written her out of the story, and nothing would've changed, and I would argue that it would make the story so much better. We were given a premise for her: this strong, smart, savvy 23-year-old who's highly trained in combat to be able to bond with an angel to eradicate demons from earth. But nothing we see in the story suggests Aurelie embodies any of those traits. Instead, what we got was a naively incompetent, blind fool who couldn't even do what was tasked and has the survival instinct of a wet rat. She, who is supposed to be smart, blindly trusted a demon who gave her nothing of worth to save her father and, in turn, save the human race. Somehow, she became entangled with the demons and believes anything they tell her, and that she's serving a pointless cause, and of course, she believes them because she's horny and the plot demands it. It's absolutely baffling and grating to see her think this way and choose the most reckless course of action that kept endangering everyone around her.
I'm not afraid to say this, but the amount of lusting and sex scenes in this book makes the book seem like it was written to fulfill some sort of corruption kink or fantasy and poorly hiding it in a fantastical plot with angels and demons, and it grinds me to no end. There was so much potential for the plot to explore the bounds of morality and questioning higher beings, which is a type of story I tend to gravitate towards. Instead of that aspect being explored more, it was taking a backseat to the obvious lustful story with Aurelie and Severin. And I'm not above saying that Severin would've been a better character had it not been for his proximity to Aurelie.
Now, am I saying that this book is entirely irredeemable? No! I genuinely believe that the story would've been told so much better had it been from the main point of view of Yuriel, an angel who is sent to earth to be bound to Aurelie, where he was brushed to the side to serve as more of a backstory for some of the things that's happening and to be the one person who is questioning his place and his duties. I think that it's precisely because of that that he would make a better main character than Aurelie, because he's in the perfect position to question the order that he has pledged his life to and to explore the bounds of his morality and desires. Severin, being the antagonist that he has a connection to from the past, and a romantic plotline from there would make the perfect villainous love-interest story that so many people crave. There are so many missed opportunities in this story that, unfortunately, were being passed off.
Overall, I think this book is a hot mess and has some of the worst writing when it comes to the characters and who the author decided the focus falls on, but Yuriel and some of the other side characters made this book somewhat readable, even for a short while, and it infuriated me that they deserve more focus but are not getting the flowers they deserve.
As you can expect, with expectations that high, I went into this book with the hopes of getting a strong fantastical world supported by a cast of nuanced characters with room to grow, romance that's addictive and builds up perfectly within the story, and writing that is on par with its adult fantasy peers. Unfortunately, I wasn't getting that in this book, which bummed me so much while reading it.
My main issue with the book is the fact that it was adamantly marketed as Adult Fantasy with a romance subplot, but the truth of what I'm reading is that the romance between Aurelie and Severin was what drives the plot forward, and it felt like whatever is going on in the background is just that. A background for them. And that would've been fine had these two characters been written well. Aurelie may be the most inconsequential female main character I've read in a while. Honestly, you could've written her out of the story, and nothing would've changed, and I would argue that it would make the story so much better. We were given a premise for her: this strong, smart, savvy 23-year-old who's highly trained in combat to be able to bond with an angel to eradicate demons from earth. But nothing we see in the story suggests Aurelie embodies any of those traits. Instead, what we got was a naively incompetent, blind fool who couldn't even do what was tasked and has the survival instinct of a wet rat. She, who is supposed to be smart, blindly trusted a demon who gave her nothing of worth to save her father and, in turn, save the human race. Somehow, she became entangled with the demons and believes anything they tell her, and that she's serving a pointless cause, and of course, she believes them because she's horny and the plot demands it. It's absolutely baffling and grating to see her think this way and choose the most reckless course of action that kept endangering everyone around her.
I'm not afraid to say this, but the amount of lusting and sex scenes in this book makes the book seem like it was written to fulfill some sort of corruption kink or fantasy and poorly hiding it in a fantastical plot with angels and demons, and it grinds me to no end. There was so much potential for the plot to explore the bounds of morality and questioning higher beings, which is a type of story I tend to gravitate towards. Instead of that aspect being explored more, it was taking a backseat to the obvious lustful story with Aurelie and Severin. And I'm not above saying that Severin would've been a better character had it not been for his proximity to Aurelie.
Now, am I saying that this book is entirely irredeemable? No! I genuinely believe that the story would've been told so much better had it been from the main point of view of Yuriel, an angel who is sent to earth to be bound to Aurelie, where he was brushed to the side to serve as more of a backstory for some of the things that's happening and to be the one person who is questioning his place and his duties. I think that it's precisely because of that that he would make a better main character than Aurelie, because he's in the perfect position to question the order that he has pledged his life to and to explore the bounds of his morality and desires. Severin, being the antagonist that he has a connection to from the past, and a romantic plotline from there would make the perfect villainous love-interest story that so many people crave. There are so many missed opportunities in this story that, unfortunately, were being passed off.
Overall, I think this book is a hot mess and has some of the worst writing when it comes to the characters and who the author decided the focus falls on, but Yuriel and some of the other side characters made this book somewhat readable, even for a short while, and it infuriated me that they deserve more focus but are not getting the flowers they deserve.
September 23, 2026
THAT ENDING!?
Ok so this book confused the crud out of me for the first little bit, I had no clue what was going on but damn if I wasn’t enjoying the ride. This is one of those fantasy books where you’ll need to be ok with being a little confused at first, but trust the process and it’ll all make sense soon enough!
I loved the world, the atmosphere, the prose, and the romance! This was an excellent time and I cannot WAIT to read the next book!
Audio Narration: 4.5/5
Narrators: Kristin Atherton, Major Curda, Marisa Calin, Shane East
Length: 20 hrs 2 mins
Style: Full cast in dual style
Thoughts: Overall a great audiobook! Kristin’s performance was perfection, as usual. Major Curda is a new to me narrator and I’m completely obsessed! SO GOOD! I can’t wait to find more books narrated by him. Shane East was solid as well. Marisa Calin’s performance was good but I didn’t personally care for the style of voice she used for her character, but again that was just a personal preference thing, not a poor performance issue! The only real issue was that the pacing/speed was slightly different between some of the different narrators. Not so much that I felt I needed to adjust the speed when they changed but definitely enough to notice it. The pacing/speed within each narrators performance was consistent though so overall it was a minor issue. I still highly recommend the audiobook! OH I almost forgot the narrators actually SING!!!!! It's so good!
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
Ok so this book confused the crud out of me for the first little bit, I had no clue what was going on but damn if I wasn’t enjoying the ride. This is one of those fantasy books where you’ll need to be ok with being a little confused at first, but trust the process and it’ll all make sense soon enough!
I loved the world, the atmosphere, the prose, and the romance! This was an excellent time and I cannot WAIT to read the next book!
Audio Narration: 4.5/5
Narrators: Kristin Atherton, Major Curda, Marisa Calin, Shane East
Length: 20 hrs 2 mins
Style: Full cast in dual style
Thoughts: Overall a great audiobook! Kristin’s performance was perfection, as usual. Major Curda is a new to me narrator and I’m completely obsessed! SO GOOD! I can’t wait to find more books narrated by him. Shane East was solid as well. Marisa Calin’s performance was good but I didn’t personally care for the style of voice she used for her character, but again that was just a personal preference thing, not a poor performance issue! The only real issue was that the pacing/speed was slightly different between some of the different narrators. Not so much that I felt I needed to adjust the speed when they changed but definitely enough to notice it. The pacing/speed within each narrators performance was consistent though so overall it was a minor issue. I still highly recommend the audiobook! OH I almost forgot the narrators actually SING!!!!! It's so good!
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
September 20, 2026
A late ARC review because a grumpy sick mood couldn't stop me from tearing through this fast-paced rollercoaster of a book! This heart-pounding adult fantasy debut centers on an ancient war between angels and demons, following a human knight, Aurelie Chantelune, bound to both an angel (Yuri) and a demon (Severin).
Here is what I loved:
The Verdict:
The vibes were dark, twisty, and deeply engaging. However, I am holding most of that last star hostage until the romance is officially resolved to my satisfaction. Rumors point to a traditional triangle rather than poly, and right now, Aurelie feels like the plus-one in a bond where Yuri and Severin have way more tension between them.
Also, a lingering thought: why do angels have "fun parts" to (not) use if they just pop into existence?
CHECK OUT MY FULL IG CAROUSEL
__________
Took me a while cause I was too sick and grumpy to read or focus, but this was fun
RTC!
Pre-read
I've been told this reads like those cool anime we watched as kids. Now I didn't ask if this was more in the shojo or shonen feel, but after reading two progression fantasy books (which to me are anime in literature form) this all feels like 1) an unplanned and weird coincidence to have 2-3 consecutive progression fantasy book arcs from NetGalley, 2) my momentum for this genre is still going strong so all this must have been meant to be! 3) but yes, I'm very late with this. So sorry, and thanks for the ARC 🙏
Here is what I loved:
• The standout interlude chapters diving into angel society through Yuri’s past.
• The absolute peak banter between Yuri and Severin. Honestly, you cannot convince me this isn’t an M/M romance with Aurelie acting as a +1 to be the cream in the sandwich!
• The fact that everyone is a bit of an asshole, and it works so wonderfully.
• A demon who actually commits to morally questionable plans instead of folding at the first hint of a crush.
• The fascinating detail of men going to their wedding with their face covered by a veil.
The Verdict:
The vibes were dark, twisty, and deeply engaging. However, I am holding most of that last star hostage until the romance is officially resolved to my satisfaction. Rumors point to a traditional triangle rather than poly, and right now, Aurelie feels like the plus-one in a bond where Yuri and Severin have way more tension between them.
Also, a lingering thought: why do angels have "fun parts" to (not) use if they just pop into existence?
CHECK OUT MY FULL IG CAROUSEL
__________
Took me a while cause I was too sick and grumpy to read or focus, but this was fun
RTC!
Pre-read
I've been told this reads like those cool anime we watched as kids. Now I didn't ask if this was more in the shojo or shonen feel, but after reading two progression fantasy books (which to me are anime in literature form) this all feels like 1) an unplanned and weird coincidence to have 2-3 consecutive progression fantasy book arcs from NetGalley, 2) my momentum for this genre is still going strong so all this must have been meant to be! 3) but yes, I'm very late with this. So sorry, and thanks for the ARC 🙏
Read
August 31, 2026Oh my!
The world building really made the book for me. It's rich, layered, and really immersive. Of course not everything is what it seems, and it so satisfying.
The tension and conflicts between the characters are fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I can't wait for the next installment!
I had the chance to listen to the audiobook version, and the cast of narrators were absolutely perfect. I will mention Severin's narrator specifically because I feel he added depth and personality to the character.
Thank you Macmillan audio for this ARC!
The world building really made the book for me. It's rich, layered, and really immersive. Of course not everything is what it seems, and it so satisfying.
The tension and conflicts between the characters are fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I can't wait for the next installment!
I had the chance to listen to the audiobook version, and the cast of narrators were absolutely perfect. I will mention Severin's narrator specifically because I feel he added depth and personality to the character.
Thank you Macmillan audio for this ARC!
October 3, 2026
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
⟢ 5 stars
“when light meets darkness, blood must fall. so it was written, so it shall be.”
i think this book is going to end up being one of my top reads this year because what. the. fuck. i wasn’t the biggest fan of belladonna, so i kept my expectations fairly low, but damnnn.
what first drew me to this book was the concept of angels and demons— one of my personal favorite tropes in books. it definitely started on the slower side, and i was a little confused for the beginning 20% of the book. however, if you’re attempting to read this book, i’d try to get to at least 50% if you’re not feeling it. truly, the last 10 percent is what truly sold me, because damn. i don’t think i’ve been that shocked by a fantasy book in a good while.
the characters —
yknow, i don’t know if i really dislike any of the main characters. auralie definitely had some moments of… stupidity? but overall, i really enjoyed watching her grow into herself character throughout this book. now, the men?? THE MEN. lawd have mercy. i thiiiiink i might like severin a tad better but then there’s yuri and oml. the two of them balance each other out so perfectly, and they’re just so easy to adore. overall, 10/10– no notes.
THE ENDING. THE. ENDING. the ending of this
book SHOCKED me. i will personally be sending adalyn grace my therapy bill because good lawd. i have no words. 😩😩😩
⟢ 5 stars
“when light meets darkness, blood must fall. so it was written, so it shall be.”
i think this book is going to end up being one of my top reads this year because what. the. fuck. i wasn’t the biggest fan of belladonna, so i kept my expectations fairly low, but damnnn.
what first drew me to this book was the concept of angels and demons— one of my personal favorite tropes in books. it definitely started on the slower side, and i was a little confused for the beginning 20% of the book. however, if you’re attempting to read this book, i’d try to get to at least 50% if you’re not feeling it. truly, the last 10 percent is what truly sold me, because damn. i don’t think i’ve been that shocked by a fantasy book in a good while.
the characters —
yknow, i don’t know if i really dislike any of the main characters. auralie definitely had some moments of… stupidity? but overall, i really enjoyed watching her grow into herself character throughout this book. now, the men?? THE MEN. lawd have mercy. i thiiiiink i might like severin a tad better but then there’s yuri and oml. the two of them balance each other out so perfectly, and they’re just so easy to adore. overall, 10/10– no notes.
THE ENDING. THE. ENDING. the ending of this
book SHOCKED me. i will personally be sending adalyn grace my therapy bill because good lawd. i have no words. 😩😩😩
Want to Read
September 30, 2024Angels, demons, AND Renaissance-inspired?
Yes. Without a doubt, yes.
Update: Adalyn Grace just posted the first character art on Instagram and I am IN LOVE.
Update 2: We've got a release date (just before my birthday!!) and an epic description.
Update 3: We have a cover!
Yes. Without a doubt, yes.
Update: Adalyn Grace just posted the first character art on Instagram and I am IN LOVE.
Update 2: We've got a release date (just before my birthday!!) and an epic description.
Update 3: We have a cover!
October 12, 2026
I’m here for Yuri and Severin in this triangle. Aurelie I can do without 🤷🏻♀️ enjoyed the twists at the end
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When Aurelie finds herself unexpectedly bonded to an Angel and a Demon, her life takes a dramatic turn. With their fates intertwined Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must work together to find a cure capable of restoring demons to humans and rescue Aurelie’s father, who has already ‘turned’ and is being held captive. As they journey together their alliances deepen, secrets are unravelled, and Aurelie begins to question whether the divide between Angels and Demons is really as simple as good versus evil. Haunted by the past and navigating divided loyalties, their actions will ultimately change the fate of the world…
This was my first book by Adalyn Grace, and after hearing so many wonderful things about her writing, I went in with high expectations. It’s fair to say The Wretched Divine absolutely delivered!
The plot is a wild ride with many twists and turns. While I suspected where some aspects of the story might be heading early doors, it didn't take away from my enjoyment and I was invested throughout to see how things would unfold. Other aspects of the plot had me guessing right until the final pages and beyond!
I perhaps didn't immediately connect with Aurelie’s character, but the fast pacing of the story kept me turning the pages from the very start. For me, things really picked up once Severin and Yuriel entered the picture. As more of Yuriel’s backstory was revealed through the interludes, and the different threads of the plot started coming together, I found myself quickly sucked in!
Both Severin and Yuriel are excellent contenders for book boyfriend status in a morally grey, undeniably hot, definitely-not-perfect-but-I-could-fix-him kind of way! They're complex and completely different from one another which makes the romantic tension all the more compelling. The love triangle which evolves has chemistry and awkwardness (of the best kind!) which kept me hooked. There's a modest amount of spice, which felt perfectly suited to the first instalment of the series.
The settings are rich and atmospheric, carrying readers from grand medieval-style castles to hidden magical woodland sanctuaries, eerie gothic churches, and to realm of the Angels - a picture of heaven itself.
What elevated this to a five-star romantasy read for me was the relationship between Yuriel and Sabriel. Their story was emotional and I found myself genuinely invested in both characters. Their ending felt perfectly executed, and I need to know what happens next already! As for Aurelie, it feels as though she is still in the early stages of her character development. While she grows throughout the novel, I suspect there's much more to come in the next instalment, and I'm excited to see where her journey leads.
The cliffhanger sets up the next book perfectly. I cannot wait to continue the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for the ARC.
This was my first book by Adalyn Grace, and after hearing so many wonderful things about her writing, I went in with high expectations. It’s fair to say The Wretched Divine absolutely delivered!
The plot is a wild ride with many twists and turns. While I suspected where some aspects of the story might be heading early doors, it didn't take away from my enjoyment and I was invested throughout to see how things would unfold. Other aspects of the plot had me guessing right until the final pages and beyond!
I perhaps didn't immediately connect with Aurelie’s character, but the fast pacing of the story kept me turning the pages from the very start. For me, things really picked up once Severin and Yuriel entered the picture. As more of Yuriel’s backstory was revealed through the interludes, and the different threads of the plot started coming together, I found myself quickly sucked in!
Both Severin and Yuriel are excellent contenders for book boyfriend status in a morally grey, undeniably hot, definitely-not-perfect-but-I-could-fix-him kind of way! They're complex and completely different from one another which makes the romantic tension all the more compelling. The love triangle which evolves has chemistry and awkwardness (of the best kind!) which kept me hooked. There's a modest amount of spice, which felt perfectly suited to the first instalment of the series.
The settings are rich and atmospheric, carrying readers from grand medieval-style castles to hidden magical woodland sanctuaries, eerie gothic churches, and to realm of the Angels - a picture of heaven itself.
What elevated this to a five-star romantasy read for me was the relationship between Yuriel and Sabriel. Their story was emotional and I found myself genuinely invested in both characters. Their ending felt perfectly executed, and I need to know what happens next already! As for Aurelie, it feels as though she is still in the early stages of her character development. While she grows throughout the novel, I suspect there's much more to come in the next instalment, and I'm excited to see where her journey leads.
The cliffhanger sets up the next book perfectly. I cannot wait to continue the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for the ARC.
September 9, 2026
Received early via the publisher.
____
What an interesting foray into a more epic-scale fantasy from Adalyn! A tug of war between angels and demons is always bound to catch my interest, but the shifting narratives about who has the moral high ground is an argument I found compelling. Is violence ever justified? Are rules always meant to be followed? Maybe, just maybe, some structures should come tumbling down…
I will admit our FMC is naive to a point of contention, and I think many readers will grow irritated with her. Initially, I did - but I also am of the mind it’s intentional. She’s indoctrinated, and so intensely emotion-led first naturally, then magically enhanced. I think at that point I too would just roll with the punches. I’m really intrigued to see how she develops as a character, especially with the other POV characters proving much stronger in voice and agency.
This book is vastly different from Adalyn Grace’s previous work, and is an impressive feat of ongoing war and politics. You get a sense of how long this battle has been fought, everyone seeming exhausted yet invested and too stubborn to give any leeway in their stance. But the cracks are there, and so is the set up of what promises to be a brilliant, large scale fantasy story.
The Wretched Divine is a notable pivot in tone from Adalyn Grace’s previous works, and one I think will hold existing fans and new readers alike. I’m excited to see more from her, and from what can only be described as a chaotically messy trio.
____
What an interesting foray into a more epic-scale fantasy from Adalyn! A tug of war between angels and demons is always bound to catch my interest, but the shifting narratives about who has the moral high ground is an argument I found compelling. Is violence ever justified? Are rules always meant to be followed? Maybe, just maybe, some structures should come tumbling down…
I will admit our FMC is naive to a point of contention, and I think many readers will grow irritated with her. Initially, I did - but I also am of the mind it’s intentional. She’s indoctrinated, and so intensely emotion-led first naturally, then magically enhanced. I think at that point I too would just roll with the punches. I’m really intrigued to see how she develops as a character, especially with the other POV characters proving much stronger in voice and agency.
This book is vastly different from Adalyn Grace’s previous work, and is an impressive feat of ongoing war and politics. You get a sense of how long this battle has been fought, everyone seeming exhausted yet invested and too stubborn to give any leeway in their stance. But the cracks are there, and so is the set up of what promises to be a brilliant, large scale fantasy story.
The Wretched Divine is a notable pivot in tone from Adalyn Grace’s previous works, and one I think will hold existing fans and new readers alike. I’m excited to see more from her, and from what can only be described as a chaotically messy trio.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
dnfed at 30%
i couldn't care less if I tried
unfortunately, this book doesn't have interesting enough politics or narration for me to care. it's meant to be new adult i think? the only time it feels like new adult instead of YA is for the yuri chapters. the demon and aurelie chapters are very reminiscent of a really boring prototype of bantery enemies to lovers we're seeing these days. a lot of themes we begin with also feel very ya and the chemistry between the demon and aurelie is very middling. aurelia feels not much different from a staple fantasy fmc and her decisions are very impulsive and not interesting enough to hold my attention. she doesn't really have a unique characteristic so I didn't care much about her.
the one who I did care about, was yuri. the angel character is ironically the most interesting character in the book. he's got a set up and arc that feels very unique and mature. a sort of character that doesn't feel box-ed or boring. his pov kept me up from dnfing a lot sooner. he brings a fresh and interesting pov into the book and the world as an angel navigating humans and I'm sure his interactions with demons at the later part (if we ever get them) will be just as nice.
ultimately, I need my fantasy books perfect in setting their vibe from page 1 and building on it, so this wasn't for me as I don't think it blew my mind with unique ideas. i wish everything was as interesting as yuri but well, I'll never find out even if it is.
edit: okay I skimmed the middle part and then got to the ending and LOLLLL this might be one of those fantasy books that is insanely good in the last 50-100 pages. what a ride. I wish the beginning wasn't that slow but yeah whatever. I don't regret dnfing but OOOF that was some intense last 50 pages. and the ending???????? i wish i cared cause it's actually peak 😭😭😭😭😭 WHY COULDN'T I ENJOY THIS BOOK UGHHHHH
(and why was the yaoi serving so much)
thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc
i couldn't care less if I tried
unfortunately, this book doesn't have interesting enough politics or narration for me to care. it's meant to be new adult i think? the only time it feels like new adult instead of YA is for the yuri chapters. the demon and aurelie chapters are very reminiscent of a really boring prototype of bantery enemies to lovers we're seeing these days. a lot of themes we begin with also feel very ya and the chemistry between the demon and aurelie is very middling. aurelia feels not much different from a staple fantasy fmc and her decisions are very impulsive and not interesting enough to hold my attention. she doesn't really have a unique characteristic so I didn't care much about her.
the one who I did care about, was yuri. the angel character is ironically the most interesting character in the book. he's got a set up and arc that feels very unique and mature. a sort of character that doesn't feel box-ed or boring. his pov kept me up from dnfing a lot sooner. he brings a fresh and interesting pov into the book and the world as an angel navigating humans and I'm sure his interactions with demons at the later part (if we ever get them) will be just as nice.
ultimately, I need my fantasy books perfect in setting their vibe from page 1 and building on it, so this wasn't for me as I don't think it blew my mind with unique ideas. i wish everything was as interesting as yuri but well, I'll never find out even if it is.
edit: okay I skimmed the middle part and then got to the ending and LOLLLL this might be one of those fantasy books that is insanely good in the last 50-100 pages. what a ride. I wish the beginning wasn't that slow but yeah whatever. I don't regret dnfing but OOOF that was some intense last 50 pages. and the ending???????? i wish i cared cause it's actually peak 😭😭😭😭😭 WHY COULDN'T I ENJOY THIS BOOK UGHHHHH
(and why was the yaoi serving so much)
thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc
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