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Embers Duology #1

Demon Rising

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Desperate times make for enticing and dangerous bedfellows.

Fane is done living in Hell, and there is little time until her newest Maester has unrestricted ownership over her. When an Angel is captured and held in the Deep, she knows he might be her only chance at freedom – for only an Angel can break the demonic bond tethering her to Hell.

Mihr was ambushed by a bunch of Demons, who dragged him straight to the underworld. Now one of the Hellspawn – a sexy Demoness – offers him a way out. A forbidden way. He spent his life fighting her kind and avoiding temptation, but with freedom and life beckoning, he finally agrees to her conditions.

Together the unlikely pair flees, but the escape leaves Mihr close to death and in Fane’s care.

Soon both Heaven and Hell will come for them and they have to make a choice – Die, or stay together.

464 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2021

2 people are currently reading
77 people want to read

About the author

Victoria Larque

16 books129 followers
Victoria Larque writes Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. Her love for the genre is rooted in the fact that she has rules to go by, but can bend and even break them if need be.

She was born and raised in the wonderful country of Namibia and is now residing and working in Germany where she lives with her husband.

Victoria has learned the amazing craft of a car-mechanic. But her passion is writing, telling stories and dreaming up impossibilities.

When she gets home from work she writes. On the weekends she writes.

Her goal is to, one day, be able to do nothing but indulge her passion.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Lucie V..
1,225 reviews3,651 followers
November 10, 2023
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you Butterdragons Publishing). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✅ Enemies-to-lovers / sexual tension
✅ Snarky banter
✅ Cute as fluff baby Hellcat
✅ Pace
✅ Quick read
✅ Angels vs. Demons
✅ Strong and fierce female MC
✅ 2 POVs

3.5 stars

First, I need to say that the cover looks nothing like the description of Fane. It’s a tiny detail, but it’s been bugging me since I started the book.

Hell is a vast void of sin, gruesome acts, and power moves. You either thrive being an asshole, or you suffer under one. There is nothing else.


Fane and Mihr are on two opposite sides of a never-ending war and should hate each other, but they both come to realize that everything is not only black or white in life and that they might be more similar than they thought.

“This is great. The one creature in Hell who helps me is spontaneous of all things, as well as incompetent.”
“Hey,” I pointed a finger at him, “I could have let you rot in that cell.”
“Then you’d be no closer to leaving yourself.”


Fane is an Ember, a low caste Demon who can manipulate and shape stones and metals. She is considered an inferior Demon even though she has a great amount of power over stones and metals, and is enslaved to her maester until her contract expires or until he tires of her, which is not likely to happen since all he wants is to get in her pants (or rather very short shorts). When she hears that an Angel has been captured and brought to Hell, she sees an opportunity: if she helps him break out of his cell, he can bless her and that will allow her to leave Hell and be free on Earth.

Fane is a great main character and shows Mihr that being a demon does not automatically mean being evil. She is sassy and snarky, but she is also kind-hearted and caring. I really liked her chapters and how she is resilient and determined to fight for her freedom and to protect the ones she loves.

Now all I had to worry about was walking a path on a river of lave, following an unknown Demon, while carrying a Hellcat that had apparently bonded with me.


Mihr is as stuck up as they come. He is a mighty and proud angel who thinks that he’s right and everyone else is wrong. He is so judgmental and righteous, it was funny honestly. Especially when he ends up being stuck with a half-naked demon who enjoys teasing him way too much. It created funny interactions, but he was also SO FRUSTRATING with his whole “I know you are evil because you are a demon and nothing you say or do will make me believe otherwise because you are a disgusting Hellspawn” attitude. Still, I liked seeing him slowly get to know Fane, while still doubting everything that she did… While also being really attracted to her and trying to deny it.

”You passed out during our trip with Earl. Missed a few good bits after that. I learned to drive, hot-wired a car and robbed a store.”
“You what?” Panic slammed into my chest. “What did you do with Earl?” He had been the reason I followed her. My fear of her doing something to him. She was a Demon, after all.
“We got married in a chapel on the way, then I sold his soul to Lu and killed him.” She pointed at herself, “Proud widow here.”
I stared at her and she burst into laughter.
“Death and damnation, you are so easy to fool. Would you truly believe I-“ Her eyes met mine. “Ah. Of course, you would. No, Earl is fine. He was getting weird about the hospital thing, so I had him drop us off in the next city and decided we would make our own way.”


I really enjoy the interactions between Fane and Mihr. She is all chill and relaxed and has so much fun teasing him, and he is so stuck up and lost in his preconceived ideas that all Demons are evil and cruel. I don’t read books involving demons and angels that often, but I liked the dynamics in this one. Mihr was so full of disdain and he was such an asshole to Fane, yet she continued to try to be civil and nice to him, but I honestly couldn’t wait for him to get his head out of his ass. The banter and snark were funny and kept this whole book light and entertaining.

"Don't tell me that the upstanding Angel lusts for this filthy Demon."


I really enjoyed seeing them circle each other in this enemies-to-lovers relationship. Even though the book is short and the pace is fast, I think this could be described as a kind of slow-burn, since it takes both of them a while to stop wanting to murder each other, to trust each other, and even longer to admit that they are attracted to each other… Well actually Fane admitted it quite easily, but it was fun to see Mihr being so obviously attracted to Fane, but being ashamed of it and trying to fight it.

The feline and me looked at one another, then at the last Demon hanging onto the Angel’s leg. I wiggled around until I faced the Angel, his expression still gloriously pissed off, but his eyes were almost that pale gray from before. He didn’t have much left.
“Hold my legs,” I ordered, then bent backwards, placing the cat smack dab onto the Demon’s face.
“Kitten-attack!” I yelled. Without fail, the cat found purchase, hacking at the Demon’s eyeballs.


Last, but not least, the cute AF Hellcat (or should I say Hellkitten?). Guys, I want a Hellcat. Imagine this tiny Hellcat cub, all black with quite a personality and small leathery wings! It is SO CUTE. I want one… Or maybe more than one..? 🤔

Since the books in this duology are quite short and fast-paced, I will read the second one right away because I’m curious about what will happen to Mihr, Fane, and the cute Hellkitty, and I will probably be able to read the second book in one day or two.



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Profile Image for Leigh.
1,398 reviews325 followers
January 9, 2022
3.5 stars

Demon Rising was an enjoyable book from a new to me author. The story is about an Angel Mihr who is captured by Demons and is brought to Hell. While he's there a Demon named Fane makes a deal with him, she will help him escape but in return he needs to bless her so her bond to Hell is broken and she is free. Overall, the story and characters were great, but the story was slow in areas which caused me at times to lose interest. I did love Mihr and Fane together while I enjoy more heat, I loved how they went from enemies to somewhat partners to lovers. It was definitely slow burn, but it worked for this couple. Cam and Daxter were great, and I loved the Hellcat Kasha. I look forward to book 2.


***I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own***
Profile Image for Alex (HEABookNerd).
2,448 reviews
May 22, 2023
The cover for DEMON RISING stopped me in my tracks and I had to check out this book and I'm so glad I did!! Mihr is a steadfast and loyal Angel when he gets attacked by Demons and dragged to Hell. When a female Demon offers him a way out he agrees, even though it means bringing Fane with him. Now with both Demons and Angels hunting them, Mihr and Fane must rely on each other to stay safe.

From the very beginning I was sucked into this story and I loved these characters and their snarky banter. Fane was an absolute delight and I want to be her best friend; she's sarcastic and flirty and the only thing she's ever wanted was to be free from her chains in Hell. At first Mihr only sees her as an evil Demon but the more time he spends with Fane the more he realizes how compassionate and kind she is. This is a slow burn as Mihr struggles with his feelings toward a Demon as well as his growing questions about the actions of the Archangels. The teasing and banter ramps up more and more as the book goes on and I thought I was going to die from all the tension. When these two finally give in to their desires it's explosive and sexy and so worth the wait.

While the world building is based on basic biblical structures of Heaven and Hell there's still something really fresh about the world in DEMON RISING. I especially loved Fane's powers as an Ember Demon -- she can connect to and manipulate earth, stone, and natural metals. There was something really beautiful about the way Victoria Larque described the scenes where Fane connects with earth and the way she almost communicates with it.

On top of the fantastic plot and romance are also some exceptional side characters. Cam and her son Dax cared so much about Fane and the way they protected for her was really sweet. And I can't forget the adorable Hellcat Kasha who Mihr accidentally bonds with. She's so stinking cute and I melted every time Mihr interacted with her; she might have been Hellspawn but even the stoic Angel couldn't resist her.

I can't express how much I loved DEMON RISING and I'll be diving into book 2 right away because I need more of Fane and Mihr in my life!

**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Content Warning: brief on page rape and dismemberment of an angel right at beginning (can be easily skipped); references to past abusive ex and almost rape

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:

"Why? We both don't need to eat."

"Well, I also don't need to fuck, I still doing it."

- - - - -

"Don't tell me the upstanding Angel lusts for this filthy Demon."
Profile Image for Annette.
3,847 reviews179 followers
April 27, 2023
I'm almost through the ButterDragons Publishing books I own and it makes me a little sad. Those books are so me! I find the thrilling romance I like, combined with amazing plots and loads of fantasy worlds. When I read a short story by Victoria Larque about a Demon in Hell I was already slightly hoping that the story would be a prequel to this series and I was happy to find out that it indeed was and that we were gonna play around in this world some more!

Maybe in a way this story is a very cliche story about an Angel and a Demon slowly falling in love. Maybe the story of both the Demons and the Angels being prejudiced when it comes to the other isn't new. And yet I was enjoying this book so incredibly much! Even though the core elements were not that original the author has an amazing writing style and she's a queen when it comes to romance you really feel while reading.

What I really loved about this book is that it's a true enemies to lovers. The characters are not hating the other perse. They are simply hating the other's species. However, since they're forced to spend a lot of time together and since they're slowly getting to know the other they have to admit that all the reasons for hating the other might have nothing to do with who the other is. However, the author is never rushing the process and both characters really need time to fall in love and to admit it.

And witnessing them slowly falling in love is amazing! I love how in a way, sometimes even unknown to him, our Angel gives our Demon more confidence. His amazement with everything she can do is clearly helping her to come into her own and to see that she's more than just a slave. And I love she is challenging him constantly. She forces him to think for himself, to question everything he knows and to become a better person.

I can't wait to dive into the sequel!
Profile Image for JP.
684 reviews25 followers
March 28, 2022
Demon Rising by Victoria Larque was really great! This novel was her debut, book 1 of the Embers Duology. I fell right into the story. Angels…Demons….Yes please!
I loved this cover, it so badass! I was expecting a realm of opposites. Fane was a demon and Mihr was a Angel.
Their worlds collided and they have to find safety and survive. The banter was good and it is a romance. With the little stretch of my imagination, but I found it entertaining. I’m surprised it was the authors debut. I’m definitely going to read book 2. I highly recommend this.
Thanks

Profile Image for Dapper.
586 reviews7 followers
June 9, 2023
Fantastic writing from an unknown (to me) author. I’m in a UF fix right now and I willingly read absolute junk just to pass the time. So when I find GEMS hidden among the rabble, I am elated.

I will look forward to reading more from this author in the future. The writing was mature and I never felt like I was reading someone’s fever dream. I liked the characters and the premise. I was super interested in the potential mystery of it all before making it even half way.

The cover is fire 🔥
Profile Image for Chelsi Dawn.
404 reviews5 followers
June 25, 2021
I loved this. SO MUCH! And angel a demon humans war all of it just bloody brilliant! I can’t wait for book 2!!!!
Profile Image for Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads).
3,372 reviews180 followers
February 1, 2022
Series: Embers Duology #1
Rating: 5 stars - I loved it!

Fane is done having someone own her and is determined to get out of Hell. When an angel is captured, she knows this might be her only chance at freedom. Together these two flee, but now both Heaven and Hell is after them.

"Don't tell me that the upstanding Angel lusts for this filthy Demon."

Well hot damn, this was a wonderful enemies to lovers story. As soon as I saw this beautiful cover I knew I had to read it and it was totally worth the time. Fane is a demon who is determined to finally be free. She is tough, sassy, and has a soft heart. I loved her and her snark from the very beginning. Mihr is a proud, protective, and set in his ways angel who doesn’t know how to deal with Fane. He starts off as a stuffy angel but by the end he is a sweetheart that will do anything for Fane.

On top of two great main characters, this story also had an awesome and adorable pet! I loved the hellcat and how Mihr accidentally bonded with it. It was just adorable seeing them interact and Mihr slowly fell in love with her. Also, I was surprised by how much I liked Fane’s friends in this one. Basically, all the characters were wonderfully written and just really fun to read about.

Overall, Fane and Mihr’s story has been wonderful so far and I can’t get enough of these two. I am going to jump right into the next book because I need to know how their story ends.

Trigger Warning: brief on page rape and dismemberment of an angel right at beginning; references to an abusive ex and almost rape.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Profile Image for Melody Calder.
Author 41 books269 followers
June 29, 2021
I loved this book so much. The author didn't skimp on world building or character building and it is the perfect amount for my taste. The story pulled me right in with the characters and the action. And I love these characters Fane and Mihr. Heaven meets Hell in the most fabulous way! Must read for fantasy/paranormal romance lovers.
Profile Image for Suzie.
174 reviews
January 9, 2022
If you like slow burn enemies to lovers this book is for you. Mihr is a smoking hot angel while Fane is an equally beautiful demon. Fane is not like other demons in that she wants to be free and she is capable of love. Mihr is an angel who is devoted to his duty. When he makes a choice that does not align with his beliefs it alters the course of his and Fane's lives. There is plenty of action that keeps you turning pages. I never knew what was going to happen next from the angels or the demons. The world-building is in-depth and I could easily picture every scene while reading. The characters grew and adapted sometimes together and sometimes at different times. The best part of the slow burn romance is that the characters really had to learn to like each other. There was forced proximity but even before that, they were developing a mutual relationship of need for survival.

I enjoyed the human characters Cam and Dax. I did not expect them to become so important to the plot but I am glad they were there. I really look forward to reading book 2 just to keep up with Dax. The dialogue between Cam and Fane actually seemed natural and not forced to progress the plot. It really showed that they were true friends before all of the chaos happened.

The spice meter is 7 out of 10 - there is heat exchanged between the characters leading to the build-up. When that finally hits the breaking point the fireworks go off. It is tastefully written and leaves you wanting so much more for the couple.

I would really like to rate this 4.5 stars because I only have one small complaint and it is probably just personal preference, which is why I gave it the full 5. Mihr is an angel with no sexual experience for hundreds of years. At the beginning of the book, he cannot even bear to look at Fane. Then their first encounter together he is like a sex god. I expected a lot more internal conflict as we had at the beginning of the book or at least some bit of unsureness. Again this is just my personal preference and I understand many others will not feel this way.
Profile Image for Ashley.
65 reviews
January 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It had a good amount of action, snark, and spice.
To me, there were things about this book that lent itself to a more typical styled romance. The hero, Mihr, is an angel who is captured by Hell and rescued by our demon heroine, Fane. Mihr is broody and moody, Fane is sarcastic and tough as nails.

Things I loved about this book: The story was interesting for sure, and the drama of it kept me flipping through pages well into the night. I will absolutely be reading the other book to this duology! The building of the relationship between Mihr and Fane is believable in the context of the story. Fane's relationship with her human friends is really sweet. The little cliffhanger at the end was also intriguing. The formatting and writing in general were fluid and easy to read.

Things I struggled with in this book: The poem at the front of the book was clumsy. I hate to be rude about it, but it's not a good poem and doesn't really add to the story at all. The first chapter was the toughest part of the whole book. It was confusing for me and didn't make much sense. Typos throw me off, and my brain practically screams every time I encounter them. I did struggle with following a couple of the battle scenes because it seemed like I couldn't tell where anyone was in any given moment, and sometimes it felt like people weren't where they should have been during the fight and I found myself going back and forth trying to understand the story.
114 reviews3 followers
July 2, 2021
I NEED MORE

Adore the newest series from Victoria Larque, I mean she didn't go wrong with a Demon book. 🤤 Now let's talk about Fane, she is an Ember demon that totally hasn't even topped her potential, especially when she's being used to build houses and statues, like really?!? This woman has totally been down playing her skill set, well not her but the a$$ that swears he owns her. 😑 No worries though I mean there's an angel about, but wait demon meets angel what could go wrong?!?! Well for starters your gonna have to read the book 🙈🤣. If you need more incentive other then the book bio how about an absolutely PERFECT HellCat 🐈‍⬛, yes you read that right and she ain't backing down. But your in for a surprise with her, she totally goes for the one with the most power to bond with... I need a HellCat stat! I'm not sure which character I loved the most in this book, but I can say I will be picking up book 2 as soon as it's out!
Profile Image for Daisy Sauceda.
1,809 reviews21 followers
July 2, 2021
What an interesting book this was. We have Fane who is a demon that is wanting out of hell. She wants to be with her human friends. She is an ember and is quite talented. We learn a lot about Fane and not going to lie, I am rooting for her all the way. Then we have Mihr, an angel who was captured and imprisoned in hell. He is getting straight up tortured. Fane decides he will be her way out only he need to bless her after she gets them freed. Now their journey is full of action and well foreplay. He does not want to lust after her but he cannot help it. Here we see enemies that run together who learn that they are so much more. It was amazing to see how they get worked together and fight. It was full of action and at some moments I felt anxious because we did not know how things were going to go. Then we are left on a good note but we still have unfinished business so we will see them again.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
3,970 reviews63 followers
July 15, 2021
Demon Rising is the first book ive read by Victoria Larque and i can honestly say that i liked her style of writing. So much so that i think ive found another writer to add to my growing list of ones that i like.

Fane (FMC) is a contradiction of a character. Shes a Demon but also sweet, sassy and kind-hearted too. The complete opposite of all the other demons around her. Whereas Angel - Mihr is so straight laced, black & white about everything. That is until Fane & Mihr's worlds collide. They end up needing to rely on each other. I loved the sensitive and playful way Fane and Mihr were written. Their relationship/dynamic with each other, with hellcat - Kasia (So Cute!) and also with Cam & Dax made the book for me. Its definitely action packed and the plot twists especially the ones towards the end of this book were just killer!! I enjoyed reading this so much and i cant wait for the next book
Profile Image for Nicole Henderson.
796 reviews4 followers
July 5, 2021
This book is a new author to me and I had no idea what to expect from it. I loved the blurb for the book and was intrigued to say the least. This book was so much more than I expected it to be. Mihr and Fane are amazing characters but that being said so are Dax and Cam as secondary ones. Then to add Kasha in to the mix and this book has it covered there where parts that had you on the edge of your seat others that gave you a chuckle and other that just held you captive and just totally immersed in the story. The way the book ends has you wondering what’s going to happen in the next book but my curiosity is piqued and I’m looking forward to it.
Profile Image for BLT.
601 reviews3 followers
June 29, 2021
What do you get when you have a demon who isn't evil and an angel who starts having doubts, add in a hellcat kitten, two humans and serious chemistry; you get an awesome story.
Fane and Mihr are from two different realms but even that can't separate them from the same goal, freedom. Each of them needs each other to achieve that.
This is a great story with twist and turns of how everything isn't as it seams, love can be found in the weirdest places and DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY THE COVER.
Fun, easy read with Oh No's at the end.
Profile Image for Daphnne.
1,313 reviews8 followers
June 30, 2021
Not what I expected....

I love demon romances so I was looking forward to this one but had no real expectations if you will. Oh man was I blown away by this read though! Fane and Mihr are wonderful characters - two beings on opposite sides of a war. Their interactions were funny, interesting and insightful. They both grew throughout the story and their relationship develops in a more organic way. I adored the story and just really enjoyed this page by page. I'm looking forward to book 2.
Profile Image for Joy Whiteside.
4,860 reviews112 followers
June 29, 2021
This book grabbed me from the beginning and would not let me go until I finished the last page. It moved along nicely making for an easy read, it has interesting and unique characters that you want to know more about and you will love them and a story that keeps you reading till the end. This book is a must read and needs to be on your TBR list, no doubt about it.
Profile Image for Shell Moore.
133 reviews
January 21, 2022
I recieved this book through Netgalley.
I didn't know if I'd like it. By chapter 2 I was in love with the demon Fane. She is absolutely delightful. There's quite a few twists in this story, and a dab of spice. Oh!!!! And an adorable demon kitty with bat wings, that grows horns, and when fully grown is the size of a horse. The end was great. I loved it. Off to start book 2!
1,140 reviews2 followers
June 28, 2021
Great story
When heaven meets hell a really good story is on hand, all it takes is a snarky demon and a sanctimonious angel to bring on the drama and chuckles.
I received this book as an ARC and enjoyed reading it.
Profile Image for Mallory.
53 reviews9 followers
July 10, 2021
This book has everything, action, mystery, romance, and a cute little venomous hell cat. I was hooked fairly quickly and tore through the book. I'm ready for book two!!
12.7k reviews189 followers
September 10, 2021
What an amazing story. There’s plenty of action and superb characters. There’s absolutely nothing that you won’t love and definitely ready for more.
Profile Image for Ashlee Olson.
352 reviews9 followers
July 5, 2021
This author is absolutely amazing at what she does! I read her Myre series and absolutely loved it! When I saw she was writing a new series I absolutely jumped at the chance of reading it! Boy did she not disappoint.

As always Demon Rising was wonderfully written and flowed so well. I was hooked from page one and just devoured this book. To say I’m anxiously waiting for book two would be an understatement. I’ve fallen in love with her writing all over again. This book was nonstop action and adventure. The twists she throws in were incredible to read threw with a dash of adventure and whole lot of lust. As well as characters that feel like you’ve known them forever. With such depth and diversity. This series is an absolute MUST read!!
Profile Image for CR.
4,193 reviews41 followers
March 3, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It had a good amount of action, snark, and spice.
To me, there were things about this book that lent itself to a more typical styled romance. The hero, Mihr, is an angel who is captured by Hell and rescued by our demon heroine, Fane. Mihr is broody and moody, Fane is sarcastic and tough as nails.

Things I loved about this book: The story was interesting for sure, and the drama of it kept me flipping through pages well into the night. I will absolutely be reading the other book to this duology! The building of the relationship between Mihr and Fane is believable in the context of the story. Fane's relationship with her human friends is really sweet. The little cliffhanger at the end was also intriguing. The formatting and writing in general were fluid and easy to read.

Things I struggled with in this book: The poem at the front of the book was clumsy. I hate to be rude about it, but it's not a good poem and doesn't really add to the story at all. The first chapter was the toughest part of the whole book. It was confusing for me and didn't make much sense. Typos throw me off, and my brain practically screams every time I encounter them. I did struggle with following a couple of the battle scenes because it seemed like I couldn't tell where anyone was in any given moment, and sometimes it felt like people weren't where they should have been during the fight and I found myself going back and forth trying to understand the story. ~ AW
Profile Image for Emmalita.
757 reviews49 followers
January 13, 2022
While scrolling twitter, I saw one of my mutuals interacting with an account raving about Victoria Larque’s Embers Duology, Demon Rising and Angel Falling. I had just seen the two books offered on NetGalley available to read now, so I went back and got them.

Fane is a low level demon, an Ember. She sculpts and shapes stone with her hands. She is owned by a more powerful demon, who is pressuring her for sex. She wants to get away from him, but doesn’t see many options. Mihr was born an angel and has been a warrior for Heaven for centuries. While investigating demonic activity with a younger made angel (once human, now angel), they are overwhelmed by demons and Mihr is dragged to Hell to be tortured. Fane offers him a deal, she will get him out if he will bless her, which is the only way she can escape Hell.

As you can see, Larque sets her fantasy world mostly within Christian mythology. I’m not inherently opposed. It’s familiar to a lot of readers. I did raise an eyebrow at the inclusion of Ifrit, creatures of Arabic mythology, being included among the Christian demons.

One of the most interesting things about this book was Mihr’s struggle to accept facts that undermine his reality. Mihr starts with the certainty that demons are evil and angels are good and there are no grey areas. The reality and complexity of Fane upends his world view. Fane wants Mihr to accept that both sides are bad and the war between heaven and hell is pointless brutality. Larque supports this by making all demons and angels, except Fane and Mihr, unrelievedly bad.

The review I’m posting is pretty different from the review I started.

I started reading fantasy and science fiction as a kid in the early 1980s. I had to ignore a lot of bad things to read the kinds of books I liked. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve been unlearning ignoring content I don’t like to get content I do like. When I started writing this, I had erased from my memory a very disturbing scene early in the book. As I started to think about my review, I remembered it, and it’s changed the way I feel about the book.

Larque dances on the edges of some pretty icky stuff and I’m not sure she doesn’t fall over into the ick. At the beginning of the book, Mihr has a younger male angel patrolling with him. The younger angel races into a battle they can’t win and his death is fairly gruesome and disturbing. Some incubi (male demons who use sex) kill him with sex. I almost put the book down permanently at that point. I don’t have enough information to say whether Larque is intentionally or thoughtlessly homophobic. Regardless, it plays right into the idea that queer sex is a weapon used to corrupt and sully, and that is too bad a thing to ignore.

One of the running “jokes” in the book is Fane calling Mihr by women’s names. He asks her about it in a later part of the book and she tells him that she did it to make him seem less intimidating and then it became an endearment. It’s a weird joke that doesn’t really fit. In the world Larque sets her story, both angels and demons have men and women who are warriors and soldiers. It undermines the credibility of the rest of the world building.

It leaves me feeling uneasy. The great thing about being a reader now is that it’s so much easier for me to find the stories I want to read without having to wonder if the author is accidentally or intentionally homophobic.

CW: Some brutal battle scenes, the aftermath of torture, remembered domestic violence, disturbing murder by sex.

I got this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Bo0kSLoth.
1,616 reviews51 followers
February 12, 2022
Sometimes you take a chance on a book and are disappointed and sometimes you are pleasantly surprised. I liked at this book's intriguing cover and thought "Hey, I wonder what it's about; if it will be any good." I will be the first to admit, like a raven, I often find myself captured by the curious and eye-catching covers of books. They get me to read the blurbs then the blurbs do what they do and then it's up to the story. I loved the cover and the blurb had me wondering about the story.

There are books when the first two have done their jobs and the story fails to meet expectations. It happens, but I didn't think that happened with this story. With a new tale on an old story that has been talking place between the planes of heaven and hell, the author brings an idea of love that transcends races, creeds, planes, and theologies . It just is a it should be . . . PURE in all its forms whether it be for a friend or a lover or a pet or someone new; just open and honest.

This story will allow you to see a dynamic in characters where they take that leap in faith and try to really just be and live beyond what "society" expects their roles to be - devils must be evil; angels must be good; and human souls must be fought over. I enjoyed this book and look forward to where the story goes next.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion **
Profile Image for Reece.
660 reviews43 followers
January 12, 2022
ARC from NetGalley

3.75 stars

I was wise this time. I saw that both books in this duology were available on NetGalley, but instead of requesting both, I opted for the first in case it sucked, but it didn't suck, and I have since downloaded the second book.

It's well-written. The plot was interesting, but this is a romance, and it's really more about the romantic angle than it is plot-driven.

This isn't instalove. Fane and Mihr dislike each other immediately because it's just the way of their world. Angels hate demons, demons hate angels, yada yada yada. The romance takes its time to develop. We don't get any sexy bits until well past the 50% mark. The sexy bits are decent, not graphic but not fade to black. There were no cocks, nor was there any velvet wrapped steel, thankfully. However, there were folds. Can we just come together and banish that from the sexy bit lexicon? It's not hot.

Anyhoodle. Did enjoy. Would recommend if PNR is your bag. Am going to read the next one.
Profile Image for Smut Report.
1,620 reviews195 followers
Read
April 19, 2022
We read both books in the duology and reviewed them together. This review is also available at Angel Falling, and our full review can be read at The Smut Report.

Heat Factor: Pretty low heat, considering this is a demon romance

Character Chemistry: Fane teasing Mihr is the highlight of this duology

Plot: A demon and an angel escape from Hell together and make a lot of people really angry in the process

Overall: Demon Rising is really fun, but Angel Falling kinda dragged

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

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Profile Image for Courtney Saba.
402 reviews45 followers
February 13, 2023
This was definitely better than I thought it would be. Also, that cover is not even close to how Fane looks.

This story had a weird balance of YA and adult. At certain points, it read like a YA book, and then at others, it was clearly adult. The beginning and sexual tension were SO GOOD. Fane and Mihr's meeting was hot and the enemies to lovers plot was well done.

There were questions I had about the worldbuilding and the plot that weren't answered. I also think this book had serious potential for being extremely dark, but the author decided to be generally safe. Not a bad thing, just a missed opportunity.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I heard the 2nd book wasn't as good, and since I was generally on the fence, but it was still good enough for a 4 star, I think I'll stick with that.

Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
Profile Image for Dee.
202 reviews1 follower
February 7, 2023
This book caught my eye initially because of the vibrant cover but this book delivered for me. Fane is a lowly demon who was working for a higher demon and she hated her life. When she hears that there is an angel down in the dungeons she concocts a plan to get herself out of hell and into the real world.
Mira is the angel that was in the dungeon and although he hated demons he made a deal with Fane and they escaped. Now angels and demons have no tolerance for the other and are usually trying to kill one another but these two have to work together if they are going to make it out alive, which they do but only just.
Fane has friends in the real world and so they make their way there so that they can be safe.
The problem is that not only are the demons after them both but so are the angels as Mira has committed a huge sin in making a deal with a demon.
This story was funny, sad and moving all at once. Reading the developing relationship between Fane and Mirh which was fairly predictable was not so straight forward because of their mistrust for one another that continues throughout the book.
Once I started it I could not put it down and went straight into the next book immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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