Overall, I really enjoyed Between the Blade and the Heart. I loved the characters and the storyline. I do think the world building could have been stronger and the final action scene with Tamerlane, Malin, and Asher did fall flat for me. However, I still liked it and can't wait for the second book to come in April. Hocking did a good job of mixing Norse mythology with urban fantasy.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very different from what I was expecting, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I'm a big fan of Norse mythology, so I was expecting more Norse myth influence in the book, but it's more loosely based on it and Hocking provides a lot of imaginative twists. Still, Hocking's combination of different mythological figures was fascinating and enjoyable to read. The world she created was unexpected and reminded me of some popular Urban Fantasy books.

This book was a quick, enjoyable read. Definitely a page turner! Once you start reading, it's hard to stop. The characters were fascinating, particularly Quinn. I loved the history between Malin and Quinn, as well as her complicated relationship with her mother. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Let me first explain what the Valkyries where:
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie (from Old Norse valkyrja “chooser of the slain”) is one of a host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. Selecting among half of those who die in battle (the other half go to the goddess Freyja’s afterlife field Fólkvangr), the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar (Old Norse “single (or once) fighters”). When the einherjar are not preparing for the events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens and sometimes connected to swans or horses.
–Wikipedia–

Against this background Hocking opens up a world and story of love, relationships, superhuman creatures, mythology and fiction which is well paced, and (again) a joy to read. The story line is good and touches a couple of life questions. What is destiny, what is free choice and what are their consequences is one of them.

Between the Blade and the Heart is a fun read aimed at young adults, but I do know some adults who’d love to read this as well. Go ahead: pick it up, snuggle up and emerge yourself in this mythical adventure!

j'ai beaucoup aimé le contexte mis en place par l'autrice et sa manière de nous présenter les différents personnages. J'étais toujours plus curieuse de voir ce qui allait leur arriver et si le début est assez calme, les choses s'accélèrent petit à petit. J'ai apprécié l'évolution de Malin tout au long de l'intrigue, elle est plutôt froide et distante mais au fur et à mesure, au contact des autres, elle apprend à s'ouvrir, à demander de l'aide et fonce dans le tas pour ses idéaux et sa famille. Le final est pour le moins stressant et nous promet un second tome palpitant !

Between the Blade and the Heart is book about a young girl named Malin. She was born to be a Valkyrie. That’s her destiny. But what happens when everything she was taught turns out to be a lie or is it?

I have to admit I didn’t like Malin much when I first started reading. She reminded me of me when I was her age and that’s a bad thing. She seemed stand offish, hateful at times and not grateful. The more I continued reading though the more I understood her and loved her. I couldn’t help my heart going out to her. The mother side of me wanted to hug her and hold her while assuring her that everything would be alright. The friend side wanted to kick ass beside her. Rooting her on and being that shoulder she needed.

She’s a strong female lead and reliable narrator. There was no question what was going on. Her character wasn’t whiny or needy and I loved how she didn’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend in her life.

I think what made this story even more remarkable were the side characters. Oona, Quinn, and Asher in their own right added the right amount of drama and heart to this book. Where Malin was lacking they made up for it. Then you add in the not so lovable ones and you have a book packed full of fast paced action and some drama that you can’t stop reading until it’s over.

I love how different Between the Blade and the Heart is. We have a little bit of everything paranormal not just one or a few. Amanda tackles them all and it’s a reprieve from the same old vampire books and demon/angel books you read.

*1.5 stars*
I was very disappointed by this book. The plot and pacing felt convoluted with the "romantic" entanglements and the world building is way too busy and bloated. I also felt like the main character had almost everything handed to her, so she never really worked for much. A full mini review, as part of the blog tour for this book. will be on my blog on January 4, 2018. The post is now live.

I am a huge fan of Hocking’s Trylle Series and was thrilled to learn she had a new series based on Norse mythology. Between the Blade and the Heart was somewhat of a mixed bag; there are certain aspects I found enjoyable and others completely annoyed me. Overall, I liked it enough to try to the next installment of the series.

I was completely sold at the word Valkyrie, so maybe that’s why I didn’t notice the obvious dreaded love triangle that appears in the synopsis. I despise triangles and would have passed on the book had I known it contained one. It is an interesting premise that Malin is bisexual. However, the romance itself is completely flat. I felt no chemistry with either Asher or Quinn. Malin’s constant comparisons between the two and her indecisiveness was annoying and not inline with other aspects of her character.

Despite my romance frustrations, I found the world and the secondary characters fascinating. The storyline is a mixture of dystopian, mythology, and urban fantasy, all rolled into one. I really want to know more about characters like Jude and Samuel. I adored Oona and her banter with Malin were some of my favorite moments. Hopefully, the next installment contains more focus on the various inhabitants of the world, the struggle between mortals and immortals, and less of Malin’s love life.

If you don’t mind love triangles and enjoy fast paced adventure, I would recommend giving this new series a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy!

I hope you are ready for a kickass and snarky heroine because Between the Blade and the Heart is here to deliver. One of my favorite mythologies to read and study is on Valkyries, and this book did not disappoint. Adding to the Valkyrie myth, Amanda Hocking adds her own twist with a modern-day spin.

Between the Blade and the Heart consists of a lot of world-building and understanding the duties of Valkyries. And beyond this alluring set up is Malin, a Valkyrie in training whose world is turned upside down when she finds out that a very close and fellow Valkyrie did not dispose of an immortal to the Afterlife. This then leads to a chance of a butterfly effect and devastating results. From there Malin not only tries to understand her duty as a Valkyrie, but she also has to come face-to-face with secrets, danger, and the consequences of choice. Malin is hard to read sometimes, because she is always over-analyzing situations, but overall she is always trying to learn, understand, and mature.

I loved that Between the Blade and the Heart is rich with an elaborate world, but the pacing is quite slow. It took me a few chapters to actually start enjoying the story. Once the book picked up pace, Malin’s determination and fierceness was a great motivator to continue the story and find out what happens next in this world that meshes mortals and immortals.

I enjoyed the book more so than Hocking’s previous books. Between the Blade and the Heart flows more nicely. It’s straightforward, an easy and quick read, and the plot is quite focused. There aren’t distracting subplots. But the climax is too short and the ending is…mundane.

The characters are okay. I like the Valkyries and their duties, and the consequences of not following orders hooked me in. The plot twist involving some gods is also a highlight. The book touches on the Valkyries not getting too attached to others, pulling my heart strings. But I found the romance between Malin and Asher mediocre (he’s also mediocre) and just…there’s no heat, okay. Them hitting on each other doesn’t make sense and that’s why I didn’t feel anything when that thing involving Asher towards the end happened. Malin has a better relationship with her best friend. Why can’t they be in love?

Besides Odin, I’m bothered by how the other few poc characters, minor characters, are portrayed, not like the main characters, e.g. a Japanese character shapeshifting into a spider-like monster. There’s also the part where languages other than English are kind of fading away and Central America being described negatively in terms of civilisation. It’s also near the entrance of the underworld.

There are moments where it feels like the settings, especially the far off places, are fetishised, having an “exotic” feel. As for the bisexual and lesbian rep, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s sweet and makes my heart race, but on the other, I’m like “Really?”

Anyway, the book has some flaws, but it still has admirable things, enough to like it.

This was an enjoyable read, and had the same easy flowing story I expect from an Amanda Hocking novel. I like her writing style, and I have enjoyed most of the books I’ve read, but honestly my favorites are the Trylle trilogy and then the Kanin Chronicles.

Thankfully this one had a bit of a similar feel to it, which is much nicer for me than the last Hocking book I read. I enjoyed the mythology and the blend of creatures and technology. It was really interesting. It is typically always cool when an author can blend ancient creatures and mythologies with the modern world.

But do we really need yet another fantasy story with a tangled knot of a love story. I get it, Malin the Valkyrie is an awesome and badass character, and obviously there are those who are into her. And okay, yeah, I appreciate that Malin is bisexual and so we get some nice diversity because of it. I just also think it a little unnecessary to have two characters competing for Malin’s heart.

Nevertheless, I did find the Valkyrie concept to be well done, and the action was really fun to read. Watching Malin and Asher try to track down this immortal helped make this read fly by. I will very likely be picking up the sequel here in a few months.

This one reminded me of the drama series, Lost Girl, nodding with an exciting variety of fantasy characters, action, mystery and a love triangle which pulls in two directions.

Malin is a Valkyrie and, as such, slays immortals when it's time for them to leave their earthly existence and return to the underworld. She's good at her job, although her social and family life doesn't run as smooth. When someone breaks into her apartment, she's drawn into a crime which involves more than a few murders. The entire world as she knows it is at stake.

This isn't my first novel from this author, and although I've thoroughly enjoyed her other novels, this one didn't draw me in quite as much. The world building is excellent. Malin and those around her come to life with attitudes and personalities true to their situations. They are easy to grasp, feel natural even when a bit harsh, and lure in to guarantee one or two favorites. It's no trouble to follow the mixture of the mortal and immortal world, and feel at home in the bars, clubs or even institution.
The writing flows and is easy to sink into. It's entertaining, fun and holds everything a dive into the world fantasy should. Despite all of this goodness, I couldn't get completely lost in the pages.

It's entertaining but a bit of depth and intricacy in the plot is missing. Obvious hints stole the surprise from several later twists and turns, and other moments didn't grab as much as they might have. Many events mount with logic, tension and exciting scenes, but others come across as familiar and don't hold quite the tension they could. Even the romance lacks a hook into the heart, which makes a good love triangle pull from all sides.

Still, it's a fun read with lots of wonderful elements and interesting characters. Fans of valkyrie, magic, and mystery will enjoy the read and get lost in the world.

I am familiar with Amanda Hocking's work, since her Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles hold a special place in my heart. That is why it saddens me to no end to admit that Between the Blade and the Heart was a big miss for me.
Between the Blade and the Heart is the first book of a duology based on norse mythology. The world is divided between Mortals and Immortals; Mortals have a short lifespan, but they can determine their own fate, whereas Ιmmortals live forever, but their path is set in stone, and fundamental choices about their nature do not belong to them. In order to maintain the balance, the gods created the Valkyries, mortals bestowed with supernatutal strength and abilities, assigned to murder immortals and return them to the Underworld. Malin is a Valkyrie in training, but when she discovers a horrible truth about her mother's past, she becomes a pawn to a conspiracy set into motion hundreds of years ago. In the end, it seems that her mother's choice will cause the end of free will, and humanity.
Perhaps I shouldn't read this one so soon after Norse Mythology. I was mesmerized by Neil Gaiman's storytelling, and the way he preserved an authentic, nostalgic vibe to his narration of nordic myths, and as a result Amanda Hocking's approach did not sit well with me. I was introduced to a world which at first seemed like a cheap imitation of the Mortal Instruments, only to later realize that humans and supernatural beings coexist (for example your car mechanic has horns and it's totally cool, even sexy if you're into those things), and then hovercrafts and flying motorcycles were thrown into the mix and my expectations were scattered to the wind. Amanda Hocking's universe did not lack imagination, but I wanted something more traditional, I guess, and the futuristic element took me by surprise.
To be fair, my not so enthusiastic reaction towards the world-building is something entirely subjective, and I would propably overlook it if that was my only issue. Sadly, the characters and the romance did not help either. The relationships were frustratingly superficial, they didn't evoke any emotions, and their backround was poorly established, they were friends or lovers because the author told you they were, not because she showed you the way their bonds ran deep and true. I didn't care about them at all, I was totally indifferent to their fates, they could live or die, hurt or smile and still I didn't give a damn. And it only gets worse.

Most of you must know by now that there's nothing I hate more than love triangles. So yeah, Between the Blade and the Heart had one of those, too.
There's your girl, Malin, who broke up with her girlfriend for reasons I can't quite comprehend but still pines over her and salivates at her glowing hair and her crooked smile, and then she meets this gorgeous guy who makes her feel safe and warm and gives her palpitations, and she has a thing for them both. And she acts on the thing she has for them both.
The world is literary burning but Malin can't control her hormones. She is overcome with lust at the most inappropriate times, and the heat fogs her brain and she can't make rational decisions. I haven't encountered the need to play savior so far, but I'd rather think that my mind would be on the demons I'm facing next day instead of kissing the one love interest and ten minutes later cuddling with the second. Or maybe it's just me, I don't know.

I skimmed the last chapters because after a while I gave up trying to feel something about these characters except from irritation and exasperation, but I still wanted to learn the conclusion of the story, and that's how I made it to the end. I may sound harsh and bitter, but believe me, my heart is full of sorrow because I know Amanda, I know she is capable of magic and great things, and it kills me to say that Between the Blade and the Heart was not one of her best works. It was still fast-paced and action-packed, and the ideas behind it full of potential, so if you're up for the task, please give it a try.

BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE HEART draws you in from its very first sentence and will keep you riveted until the story’s end. With an original and exciting world of mortals, immortals, and those somewhere in between, an interesting take on Norse myth, a fierce, flawed but immensely likable heroine, a dangerous pursuit, a question of fate versus free will, and an ending that will leave you desperately wishing for book two, it is a lightning-fast read that promises to be unputdownable.

Malin knew that the life of a Valkyrie wasn’t an easy one. Returning immortals to the underworld was challenging more often than not and even dangerous on occasion. It was also a lonely existence – the job didn’t allow for much time for friends, being hated or feared by immortals meant there weren’t many options for friends even if there was time, and not being able to fall in love made for a lot of empty and pointless relationships.

But still she couldn’t imagine becoming anything but a Valkyrie. It was in her blood. It was her destiny. She never felt more alive than when she was wielding her sword and sending the chosen immortal back to where they belonged.

She never questioned her orders. She never wondered how her assignments were chosen. She never hesitated to do her job and keep the balance. Not until things start to go wrong and she discovers that the person she trusts most has been keeping a dark secret that could change everything she believes in.

Amanda Hocking created a world that is imaginative, dark and dangerous, and utterly fascinating – where mortals and immortals live side-by-side, in a fragile balance enforced by the Valkyries. She chose a setting for the bulk of her story that is gritty and decaying and seedy and a little bit sexy. She introduced a wide variety of beings from Norse – and other – mythology and folklore. And she gave readers characters who are captivating and intriguing and unusual and appealing.

BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE HEART has action and romance and mystery and suspense. It has drama and heartbreak and humor and intrigue. It has heat. It has adventure. It has battles aplenty. And it has one adorable wolpertinger named Bowie. All of which make for an absolutely gripping and wildly entertaining must-read.

Amanda Hocking did a great job creating a very realistic world. It was rich and detailed with characters you cared about.

First off I want to talk about the characters! I love like literally love the characters in this story. I've never read a book about Valkyries before and oh my did this one set the bar high for the next one I read. I loved all the character building and the world building as well. So much description in this story as well made me want to jump in and fight the battle with Malin.

Oh and I must say I loved the level of romance in this book as well, there wasn't so much that it took away from the story, but it was a perfect balance between romance and plot building. I will say this was a fast read for me and honestly I couldn't put it down. Even with the slow burn beginning, I had to know what was going to happen to Malin. I had to know if she was going to make it or not. Was she going to become a full-fledged Valkyrie. So much amazingness with this story I simply can't wait for the next.

Writing style, I like to always comment about the authors writing style in a review and of course Amanda Hocking didn't disappoint once again. Her style is one that I can't wait to read once I've got my hands on one of her books.

I HAVE THOUGHTS. SO SO MANY THOUGHTS.

I hadn’t heard about Between the Blade and the Heart until a lovely publicist from St. Martin’s Press pitched me the book as a part of a Blog Tour invite and the minute I read the word Valkyrie, I WAS SOLD.

If you haven’t seen me tweeting UNENDINGLY about just how brilliant Thor: Ragnarok was, YOU DON’T KNOW ME. I have seen that movie THREE TIMES in theatres, and I would’ve been there a fourth time if they hadn’t taken it off screens. If you have seen the movie, you’ll know that one of the main characters is a part of an ELITE FEMALE WARRIOR ARMY, the Valkyrie.

And so, I went into Between the Blade and the Heart with HIGH expectations. As I actually read the book, I found that each thing I loved also had an aspect that I didn’t like, which feels as confusing as it sounds, but let’s break it down:

1. THE MYTHOLOGY:
As soon as I heard that this book was about a Valkyrie, I assumed that it would be filled with Norse mythology. And yet, there were so many OTHER cultures coming into play, including Indian, Sumerian and Indonesian. While I LOVED the diversity, I feel like if the book acknowledged all the different cultures, I would’ve enjoyed it more, instead of feeling like I was reading about X culture and an intruder Y showing up.


2. THE CREATURES: This book was FILLED with paranormal/ supernatural and mythical creatures ranging from fallen angels to vampires. While these are some of the well-known creatures, there were SO MANY MINOR MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES THAT I’D NEVER HEARD OF, and it resulted in me DESPERATELY wishing for a glossary and reaching for the dictionary. I loved the fact that they were there, but it resulted in me being one CONFUSED reader.

3. THE WORLD BUILDING: In relation to what I just wrote above, what I was expecting was Norse Mythology (most of my knowledge comes from the Thor movies) but I was drop-kicked into a world where paranormal and mythical creatures lived side by side, there was advanced technology, schools for children of mythical creatures and I just NEEDED a foreword or some kind of introduction before I was thrown into the deep end. Of course, it all made sense as I read on but STILL.

4. THE LOVE INTERESTS: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THAT MALIN, OUR VALKYRIE MC WAS BISEXUAL and I loved that there were male and female love interests. It made this book so much more interesting because YAY for diversity. HOWEVER, I am NOT A BIG FAN of love triangles (well, more of a love square/ flowchart) with one minor and two major love interests. It made me groan, because didn’t we all get over love triangles/ squares/ flowcharts after Twilight?

5. THE ENDING: I LOVED THE ENDING SCENE OF THIS BOOK. I made me flail in excitement and scream out loud and just that ONE scene has me so excited about what is to come next!

Will I be picking up the next book? YES. That ending was fodder for my fangirl heart.

Between the Blade and the Heart was a diverse book filled with mythology and I’d definitely recommend digging in, even if it has its flaws! 3 stars.

Valkyrie are not what we normally see in these books and I’m happy the author did something different. It was nice to see the heroine a kick butt chick! The book has adventure, heart, love and fighting. I was a little put off with the whole Quinn, Asher, Malin triangle. It was annoying at times and I didn’t feel it needed to be like that in the book. I am interested to see where the book goes next.

I am a sucker for books about badass females, so I jumped on the opportunity to read a book about the Valkyrie warriors from Norse mythology! I was so happy that this book DELIVERED on the mythology and the powerful women!

The Norse mythology in the novel was so interesting! It was obvious the author did a lot of research into the mythology, especially in regards to the female warriors called the Valkyrie. I know of the Valkyrie from some characters in other books and movies, but I felt like I didn't really KNOW much about the Valkyrie. This story really delved into the world of the Valkyrie women, and I loved every moment of it. Some of the other plotlines in this book were a bit weaker and slower in comparison to the Norse mythology. I would have like to have a stronger focus on just the mythology and world building in this book.

Malin was the main character, and I will admit that she was a bit hard to warm up to at first. She felt brash, unfiltered, and unapologetic. Those strong personality traits were a lot to handle all at once when first being introduced to the character. However, I learned to really enjoy and admire her strong personality. Malin was a girl who could not be pushed around or told what to do. I liked that she was a girl who wasn't afraid to speak up and be just as dominant as any male character. #FemalePower. Malin also did have some growth throughout the story, and I liked how she became more mature and understanding as the story progressed.

Malin was a bi-sexual character, which I ADORED. I love seeing different sexualities represented in YA novels, so I was over the moon excited that the main character was bi-sexual. There was some romance in this novel and it involved a bit of a love triangle. I notoriously hate love triangles, so it was a bit disappointing to see it presented at first. However, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would!

Overall, Between the Blade and the Heart was a fascinating and high stakes novel! If you are intrigued by the concept of Norse female warriors, then I would definitely check this book out!

4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

"Between the Blade and the Heart" by Amanda Hocking as been on my radar since I first heard about it a few months ago. I don’t see many books with a focus on Norse mythology, so it was a no-brainer to add this book to my TBR!

Well, to say I was a bit disappointed would be right. From the synopsis, I definitely did not expect it to be an urban fantasy. While those are okay, it’s not what I typically read. Truthfully, I was expecting a bit of historical fiction, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Here’s what I did like: the mythology and all the supernatural creatures. I don’t read many books that center around Norse mythology, so it was fun to explore and learn more about it in this book. I liked the whole idea of Valkyries returning immortals to the underworld and the heavy task that weighs on the protagonist, Malin’s, heart. However, I was very skeptical of her mother, Marlow, and what went on her “training.”

The relationships in the this book, at leas the romantic and familial ones, seem very forced and not at all fleshed out. I did enjoy Malin’s friendship with her roommate, Oona, and how they depended on one another a great deal, especially as the story progressed. But the introduction of Asher, and Malin’s own conflicted feelings about her ex-girlfriend, really threw me for a loop. I longed for something deeper and stronger, but I didn’t get that here. As I said before, it felt forced and most of it happened too quickly.

As for the world-building, I think it could do with a bit more of work. Maybe we’ll get more of it in book 2, but at this rate, I’m not overly excited about it (though the cover looks beautiful). I liked the whole concept of nothing is really secret: there are mortals (human or otherwise), immortals, and supernatural creatures. Everyone knows about the Valkyries and the general acceptance of the supernatural was nice to read about. Yet the setting… Where does this take place? Obviously the U.S., but I need more specifics. There’s also a bit of a sci-fi element with the hover cars and technology, which I liked, but also, still foggy.

In terms of the writing style… Very simple and easy to read. This isn’t a book filled with purple prose, and I think the book could have done with something…more. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed with the writing at all, though it did make this book a quick read.

We do get the hint that something isn’t quite right here, and we had but a taste of what it could be. I imagine book 2 will be an explosive, eye-opening read, but I’m not eager to add this book to my shelf. I’m interested enough in book 2 to keep an eye out for it, but not in a rush for it to release as book 1 lacked in a variety of areas that would made me give this book a higher rating.

Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking is the first in her Valkyrie duology. This book was all action with a little romance which made it a fast read despite its size. My favorite part of the book though was the blending of urban contemporary with Norse mythology. It’s not a common thing in YA fantasy and I loved seeing it here. Amanda Hocking did a fantastic job of taking the mythology and interweaving it with today’s world. Following Malin, a young Valkyrie in training, Between the Blade and the Heart brings into question the choice of free will and the guiding hand of fate.

Malin was an interesting character to say the least. At 19 she is attending college as she completes her Valkyrie training. She feels she was destined to be a Valkyrie, nothing else feels right in her life except the returning of immortals when deemed by the gods. Returning is a nice word for killing….just fyi 😉 She strives for the approval of her mother who has never been a kind woman. But when Malin discovers that her infallible mother made a choice to spare an immortal destined to die, everything Malin thought she knew comes into question. Her life is thrown off balance by this one choice and now she must correct it if she is going to save the world.

But as much as I liked Malin, I loved Asher. Asher is the son of a Valkyrie who was killed by the immortal Malin’s mother neglected to return. Asher is out for revenge and that starts with finding out why Malin’s mother spared this immortal. Despite this need for revenge, he is kind, level headed, and shows Malin that not all Valkyries are as cruel as her mother can be.

The main plot follows Malin and her new found friend as they track down this immortal. But the deeper they go, the more they realize there is more at stake than correcting a wrong. The entire world hangs in the balance. The action is interspersed with the answers Malin seeks and I found myself engrossed. My only complaint about the story was the romance. Malin is bisexual and her ex is also a Valkyrie. Now according to the book they’ve been apart for six months when Asher enters the scene. Malin spends her time kissing both in the book and I didn’t care for that. It was a love triangle that only Malin knew she was in….does that make sense? I felt it brought unnecessary drama to the an already action-packed, dramatic plot.

Overall Between the Blade and the Heart was just okay for me. As much as I loved the interweaving of contemporary and mythology, it couldn’t carry the book. The world-building while fantastic was hard to follow. To be honest the book would benefit from having a glossary in the back because there are so many names for demons, cities, ruling parties, etc. that I found myself flipping back trying to figure out who was who. And as I already mentioned the annoying triangle I won’t go into that again. Despite the negative though I plan to read the next book because I am invested in the characters and need to know what will happen next….especially after that bombshell ending. If you enjoy urban mythology, a little romance and a lot of action, you should check out this book.