When you meet the one demon with more trust issues than you, what better thing to do than fall in love?
Mei is determined to become the strongest warrior serving in Lucifer’s horde so she’ll never have to lean on anyone again. She’ll make every painful training and every deadly mission against the archangels count. Unfortunately, there’s a tall-and-gorgeous obstacle in her way. Her commander Kallias carries even more scars than she does. The stoic jerk stalks her every move. Yes, fine, he has orders from their ruler Lucifer to stick to her side, but is it too much to ask for one moment away from the massive shadow he casts? When an unexpected enemy gets their hands on the greatest demonic power ever seen, Lucifer sends them on a mission to retrieve the source of wildfire for him. Together, of course. What better way is there to save demonkind from a power that was never meant to exist than sending two demons burdened by their own secrets?
Commander is the next hot enemies-to-lovers story from Ella Moore and the standalone third book in the Hellfire paranormal series. Like your protagonists strong, sassy, and a little messed up? Then get this slow-burning romance to binge!
Ella Moore is 80% hopeless romantic, 20% sarcastic, and 10% ignorant of math equations. Her paranormal romance books feature fierce demons, warrior angels, and one fallen angel with plans to conquer the world.
These powerful beings are filled with the kind of determination that changes the world. They love with heart, body, and soul. Just like the author, who can't stop writing their stories. When she's not working on the next book in the Hellfire series, Ella is binge-reading or hanging with friends who love books.
A slow burn with scorching hot tension that is SO worth the wait!!
“Warrior.” “Yes, Commander.”
These words have been imprinted on my soul. (And in that gruff growl, too!) From the first couple of lines, I was sucked right back in to Roraima and didn’t want to stop reading. The push-and-pull between Mei and Kallias from the very beginning is deliciously addictive! I loved how they butt heads, her little bit of brattishness, and how she gets frustrated by his stoic, unmoving nature.
“It took all of Mei’s willpower not to throw the firepot at his head.”
I also loved the personal growth arcs both characters went through to end up where they are at the end. I loved seeing Mei realising the consequences of her actions, and her frustration at Kallias turning to undying loyalty and love.
“He frustrated her. He annoyed her. Too many times, he stoked her fury with his silence. But he also had her back.”
Commander has great battle scenes and insight into strategy and leadership, and the secondary characters were also brilliant – I adored Ammon the boat owner and his teasing nature, Chief, and Darron – and we got to see the return of old favorites Arren, Lucifer, and Erisi as well. Lovers of demons and heavy fantasy romance will love Commander. I’ll be dreaming of this couple for a long time to come!
Angel's seem to be the bad guys. The Demons work with humans and seem to offer protection in trade for the souls when they die of natural causes. Mei is a Warrior in Lucifers horde and Kallias is a Commander in that horde. The 2 are working together to bring down a demon family that is trying to grow more powerful to bring down Lucifer.
I'm going to start with the bad and end on a good note!
The bad:
Book overall: I'm going to preface this by saying I haven't read the first 2 books in this series. Due to this I felt lost for almost more than half of the book. I feel there was a lot of backstory that I was missing out on and not much explanation in this book. I don't think this book could be read as a stand-alone.
Kallias: I found his stoic character a little annoying to me. I kept waiting for him to open up to Mei and have an actual conversation but I feel like it never fully happened. I understand why he is the way he is 100%, but I would have liked for some kind of conversation to happen throughout the book other than what was revealed at the end. Instead, there were a lot of 1-4 word sentences he would utter. Really frustrating.
Mei: Her impulsiveness and bouts of fury/rage she was feeling became a bit much. It seemed like it was happening a lot. She also kept mentioning how her impulsiveness is what is causing issues but nothing really comes about from it. She keeps saying she going to do better next time but I don't feel like there was enough time to show that growth.
The good:
Mei: I loved her sassiness, compassion, and determination. Especially her compassion for Kallias and her willingness to fully accept him as he is and not willing to change him.
Kallias: An interesting character other than the stoic personality of his. He is very loyal and honestly the ending and what he does tell her was not a HUGE shock but was surprising. It made me love him so much more.
The overall book: Very interesting storyline that kept my attention. I usually read books in one sitting, however with the holidays approaching, kids, and work I wasn't able to do that with this book. BUT I kept thinking about it and was trying to read bits and pieces as I could. Example, I was making hamburgers and I made the patties one handed so I could read a couple pages! 😂
The idea of Demons being the good guys and Angels being the bad guys was interesting. At least that is what I've gathered from this book. I haven't read the others in the series yet to fully comprehend why the angels are considered bad guys.
I actually found Lucifer's character really interesting, even though he seemed to be considered a cold bastard. I actually plan to read Lucifer's story just because the peaks of him in this story intrigued me enough.
Spice: I would consider this a 3 on the spice scale. It's NOT fade to black but also not super descriptive. I really really really (can you tell I really enjoyed it?) enjoyed the scene where Kallias was counting due to Mei wasn't listening. A little bit of edging and punishment in there. So was not expecting that and whoa did I love it. I feel the spice was just enough. The romance/spice is more the subplot to the main plot of the book. So the spice definitely fits the book perfectly.
Overall other than the few frustrations I found with the book, this author has intrigued me enough that I'm going to download another book (Lucifers story) to read next. If you plan to read this book I would definitely recommend starting with the first book in the series!
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I finished the book within two days of receiving it. I cannot tell you how excited I was when I got the email saying that I was a part of your reading team. I have been dying to read this book these past couple years!
I absolutely enjoyed the storyline. Mei was her firecracker self as always, which is the perfect balance for the stoic commander Kallias. There was so much going on but it was all illustrated thoroughly. I cannot tell you how many times I started to tear up whenever Kallias’ family history was brought up upon Mei. The chemistry and adventure these two shared is absolutely undeniable. I can also appreciate our other main characters still. Lucifer is as arrogant but still secretly a softy as always. Arren was still his adorable self too. Then there is the cheeky sailor, Ammon. I loved him from the start of his introduction. He definitely has a backstory that I would love to hear in the future!
But I think out of all the scenes, I was overcome with joy for Erisi and her friend Lyx. I’m definitely looking forward to her story (if that is what you plan to do).
Overall, wonderful story as always. So much goes into each of these books and I appreciate that immensely. I’m looking forward to meeting all your future characters. Especially, the archangels!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The third book in the Hellfire series, and I must say my favourite so far.
I believe it can be read as a standalone, but the reason I love it so much is that it beautifully ties all the knots for other characters in the series. We see old friends' appearances and their scenes are more touching when you know their full story. So my recommendation would definitely be to read all three books to get the full experience.
Back to Commader's main heroes! I was looking forward to this story ever since it was hinted we will get more of Mei and her silent shadow. Boy, it was worth the wait. I thought we will get their story from the moment Mei was put under Kallias' command but what we got was so much better! As usual, Ella brings a story that grasps your attention and the romance feels like a cherry on top. While the love story is beautiful, I am a fan of Ella's stories because it's never all about love. It's about the characters' growth, the bigger picture, and the bigger story.
It was amazing to see Mei as an elite, a warrior, to see her full potential. It was heartbreaking to learn Kallias' full story and it felt victorious to see him face his demons (no pun intended XD). Their love, their closeness on an instinctive level was the most beautiful thing.
I’m always down for an Ella demonmance but Commander blew me away! Mei and Kallias are both such dynamic characters with chemistry from the very first page and watching them grow and flourish together is a beautiful thing.
The action and battle scenes as always are so visceral and heart stopping. I was visibly shaking during the Xenos fight, it was so intense! Before I could come down from the battle scenes I was thrust into emotional angst or steamy romance and holy, what a delicious roller coaster!
It was great to see some returning characters, and amazing that through this series the books and world melds so believably well with just enough of the past that it feels like an easter egg but doesn’t detract from the main story of the book. I love being in this world and enjoy the overall lore and war strategies through the lens of different characters learning and growing and loving together.
I'm a little late to the party on this series. I only recently found this author and signed on to her ARC team, but - WOW - am I glad I did. This is a fantastic thrill-ride with snark and banter, angst and emotion, and a rollercoaster ride of action. And don't forget the romance! It's a slow-burn to start, but like a snowball rolling downhill, it builds and builds, UST then hot AF! I loved this story, and now I need to go back and delve into the first two books, while I eagerly wait for the next one.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I received an arc of Commander and I couldn’t wait to dive in. It did take me longer than usual to complete due to work commitments. I love the feisty Mei and the stoic Kallias. This was definitely a slow burn and sometimes frustrating waiting for Kallias to to speak rather than wait for Mei to come up with the answers herself (what can I say, I’m impatient!) but watching their relationship build was worth it. I was delighted to revisit this world again and see old friends and meet new ones. I look forward to seeing their stories unfold over the series ❤️
The publisher provided this ARC copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Before I get into it, let me first start by saying that my review is solely based on my thoughts as a reader, and not that of a professional.
Wholesome is the word that comes to mind when I think of Commander. Mei and Kallias’s relationship is what partners for life mean. Kallias allowed Mei to grow into the leader she was meant to be and they both grew into lovers who both frustrated and excited you yet remained wholesome.
Like the first two stories in the series, Commander did not disappoint! Solid plot, calculated plot twists, juicy breadcrumbs called foreshadowing(highly recommend reading the first two), good humor, gore, spice, love, and action-packed, and neither of the listed overshadowed the other, perfect freaking balance!
The side characters were also well-balanced, they didn't outlive their presence, and they weren't heavily missed either; they just stayed with you at the moment. My favorite side character was Ammon lol just remembering the cheeky troublemaker cracks me up and also the fact that he got under our beloved commander’s skin was hilarious!
“I’d tell you two to get a room, but Ra knows I wouldn’t be getting any sleep.”
“I like my women feisty and protective,” he said. “And my men strong and growly. You two are going to be the death of me.”
Cracks me up every time!
Overall Commander is a tantalizing read that I recommend, heck the entire Hellfire series is the perfect collection to invest in.
This is the third book in the paranormal romance series from Ella Moore. This book can be read as a standalone but in my opinion, it really is better to read it as part of the series. It is set on a version of Earth where humans and demons both live in their own tribes on the same plane of existence. At a time after Lucifer had fallen but was still fighting his way to dominion over all demons. This book contains detailed scenes of a sexual nature between two consenting demons.
The world building in these books is excellent. The writing is a joy to read. I can easily see all the places and peoples this author describes so beautifully. All the characters in this series are complex and carry their share of baggage. It seems that the ongoing themes are of damaged beings who are finding love and acceptance where they expect there to be none.
The stories are often violent and brutal, as you would expect in a land filled with demonic tribes. They are filled with action, politics, scheming, war, rescue, love and the forging of family bonds. I absolutely loved it. Ella Moore is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I cannot wait to see what comes next.
Hellfire series reading order so far: Book 1 : Wildfire Book 2 : Lucifer’s Rule Book 3 : Commander
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mei has been followed by Kellias as a punishment, ever since she annoyed Lucifer with her attitude when he upset her best friend. She has tried to lose him whenever she can but she never seems to have much luck. When she is sent on a mission to see who is trying to make wildfire with Kellias will she finally get rid of him or find his value?
This is book number 3 in the hellfire series and I have enjoyed every single story in this series. As soon as I had finished one book I was ready to read the next one. There are a couple of novellas as well that I will be reading and I am eagerly waiting for book number 4!
The way that Ella has written these are fresh and exciting. Lots of anticipation about what could happen next and whom it involves. Although this story contains characters from previous books, I think you could read it as a stand-alone. Personally, I recommend you read them all as they are fast-paced, romantic, passionate, and gripping. I really can't praise them high enough they are brilliant!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
I enjoyed this quick read. I'm late to the party and haven't read the previous books in this series but will be going back for those reads ASAP. I think having the backstory to characters we read about in this book will help with the overall feel. The reason for my four star review rather than five is because I felt a definite lack of connection to Kallias. I understand he's supposed to be dark and brooding, but we really get very few words from him and what we find out of his past is from others doing the talking for him. I would have liked to see him open up more. With that being said, I still very much enjoyed this book and am excited to jump back into this world for the other stories. <3
LOVE that Mei finally got her story! She has always been one of my favorite characters. Her connection with Kallias is so intriguing, as he is all stoicism and loyal while she is more outgoing and feisty. Slow burn but worth the wait! I also love how the author connected the first 2 stories' characters by letting us see a bit of them and how their relationships are developing as well. The world created also blows me away with the amount of detail and depth in it, and I cannot wait to read more! Great read!
This was so good love this world of demons the author built. They are tough and loyal to each other and learning every day to care for each other. cannot wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommend