Cassiel has given up the family tradition of demon hunting, leaving behind her sacred angelic duty and fated sword. What she can’t leave behind are the scars. To cope, she spends her days immersed in work, pouring all her attention into New Haven Books, her small bookstore and anchor in the new world she’s carved for herself.
But the past hasn't let go of Cassiel yet. When a succubus named Avitue arrives to claim her angel-touched soul, Cassiel's old hunter instincts flare, forcing her to choose between old knowledge and her truth. What should be a fatal seduction becomes a bargain neither woman expects. As they grow closer, Avitue is surprised to find her own pain reflected in Cassiel, a nephilim deemed fallen by her own family’s standards.
By choosing trust, they reveal the lies that bind them. Falling for each other begins a path towards healing. But exorcising the effects of trauma is harder than naming it, and to explore the unfettered possibility Avitue represents, Cassiel must find a way to reclaim and redefine her angelic heritage.
This was stunning. It took everything I loved about reading The Mortal Instruments series, and made it sexier and older and more interesting. I love reading about angels and demons, especially when they are very attractive women who love women. OK, I can't mislead you, Cassiel isn't technically an angel. She's descended from angels and named after an angel and can tap into angelic power, so like...might as well be in my book. But Avitue is very much a demon, and she's fabulous.
While the writing of this is stunning, and the overall lore is fascinating, this was very hard to read at times. Cassiel did not grow up in a loving home, and her relationship with her family is not good. She wants desperately to rely on her sister, and to take care of her sister. But her sister has her own demons to battle, figuratively and literally, and they don't fully trust one another for much of the book. Family is weird at the best of times. And I wouldn't call the events of this book, the best of times. I also recommend checking trigger warnings. There was quite an emphasis on living with self harm and disordered eating. It's a heavy story, but a beautiful one. And I do hope we get a sequel.
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