Duncan’s Descent is book two in the Ethereal Foes series. Part of the timeline in the beginning of this book runs parallel with book one, Dragons’ Demon, and then picks up where it ends, with one of the brother’s stories. In order to understand the world dynamics, the characters (as they overlap through the stories) and the overall storyline it would be best to read the series in order. It would also make for a more enjoyable read to see how everything unfolds from the beginning. Ms. Harte has created a fascinating world with a new twist on the relationships between angels, demons, dragons and other interesting creatures in a battle of survival and good versus evil. This is a fun, fast paced story full of laughs that will keep you entertained and wanting more. The characters she has created are fascinating and the dialogue is fun and enjoyable. Each of the main characters in this series bring their own strength and stubbornness to the situation they are presented with and do a good job of twisting the circumstances to best suit their needs. Though other books in this series contain ménage scenes, this particular book is M/F alone.
Duncan and his twin brother James are in trouble for pulling a prank on the dragons by stealing a royal egg and blaming the angels, which started a war where lives were lost. As penance for their prank their father Asael has sentenced them each to servitude for an allotted period of time to each offended party. Duncan’s particular penance is in the upper realm with the Angels and it is the last place he wants to be. He is a demon who sways souls and the last thing he wants is to be bathed in light and love. Uriel has had his eyes on Duncan since he was younger and has other plans for the wayward demon. After several torturous days at the angel’s mercy, he assigns a young angel as his keeper and wants her to sway him to ascend and work with them. Seeing the heavenly creature he is to work with gives Duncan other ideas and he puts together a plan of his own. He has set his sights on his keeper and will do whatever is necessary to keep her for his own…even if that means he has to ascend.
Sapphira has lived her life doing her mother’s bidding and fighting her inner nature. She feels out of place, restless, is too curious for her own good and always getting into trouble for not abiding the rules of her kind. When she is summoned to Uriel’s quarters she fears she is in trouble yet again but is pleasantly surprised at her assignment…and with a demon, no less. She is young and inexperienced in the ways needed to complete her task and she is wary to be around Duncan and in his world. Something in him calls to her, the part she has tried to deny, and the more time together his temptation is too much to resist. When push comes to shove and hard choices have to be made which direction will she choose? To live under the thumb of her heavenly family, never happy or satisfied with her life or will she decide to fall and be true to her nature? To take a chance with Duncan, who stirs her inner desires?
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.