Note: I received this book from the author and I voluntarily give this review, it is my honest opinion.
Queen of Torment totally wrecked me in the best way possible, it is an excellent follow-up to Queen of Darkness and I want more.
The emotions in this book were real, raw, and brutal. Ari has betrayed Hell, the Trinity is gone and Ari is suffering the consequences with Cass suffering right beside her. You can't use the word strong to describe Ari, it goes beyond that. Growing up in Hell she thought she knew suffering but after saving the angels her punishment is unimaginable and yet she endures it and honestly I don't know how. She will never be the same after the torture but she is trying to rebuild herself and it warmed my heart to see her rebuild and carry on.
Without giving too much away, the Trinity is very much in this book and after the ending of Queen of Darkness, I was totally surprised by their actions in this book. Things didn't go how I expected them to and that was absolutely a good thing. I am happy with the balance that Devyn found with these characters, the only thing I have to criticize is that I wish the book had scenes with the guys' perspective.
I will admit, I was on the fence about Cass in the first book, now I am all in. Cass sorta breaks my heart and then after finally learning about his past, that was it, I was all in with him. Cass's past revealed a lot of interesting things and gave me a better look into who he is as a person than I ever had before. The Cass that is in this book is a total revelation and I really enjoyed it.
As for the story, it was excellent, while there wasn't a lot of action, there was big character development, a better understanding of Heaven and Hell, and a lot of emotion. The flow was steady and the story was interesting. There are dark moments, PTSD, steamy, romance, and a few shocking revelations which all made Queen of Torment a great read. The story ended on a cliffhanger you wouldn't believe and now I am being tormented having to wait for the third book, Queen of Annihilation but it's so worth it.