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.

Demon Rising is an unusual love story Romeo and Juliet style, but without the suicides, between an Angel who is kidnapped by demons and taken to Hell to be tortured to death and a lesser demon, an Ember, who rescues him. From the moment the two meet, the flames begin to burn. It is a very well written story, with a very imaginative plot, set in part in a hell based on Dante and in which humor, drama, and action abound, and a romance that seems to blossom between our protagonists, Fane and Mihr. . Or maybe not? A light novel of fantasy and paranormal romance that is worth reading.

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

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.

Full series review available at The Smut Report

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 Butterdragon Publishing via NetGalley.

Do angels and demons count as paranormal romance? Honestly, this was a romp between a grumpy angel and a surprisingly sunshiny, if acerbic, demon , both of whom were just trying to save the world, no big deal. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and its sequel in the duology.

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 the 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.

I can’t wait to start the second book as these two books are really fast paced and easy to read.

Demon Rising (Embers Duology #1). By Victoria Larque. 2021. Butterdragons Publishing (ARC eBook).

The adventure of Angel Mihr and Demon Fane contains original world building, plenty of action and witty banter, and a nice build of romance and steam. Demon Rising is an entertaining romance and I look forward to finishing the duology.

Excellent hellish adventure with demons and angels - and quite the blurred lines of who the good guys and bad guys really are. Well done and exciting, with a good slow burn throughout, I guess literally with hell and all ...

I really like this book series, especially the contrast between the sarcastic, humorous demon and the stiff angel with narrow morals.

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 **

Hot and sexy story and characters! Loved the storyline and the character development as well as the scorching heat level!

Lots of fun in this book! Fane is a character that grabs your attention and doesn't turn lose. Loaded with intrigue! Twists and turns galore. So glad I got the next book! Thanks #netgalley and #ButterdragonsPublishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I would like to thank Victoria Larque for making this an accessible book to read on Netgalley, especially for someone like myself who is newer to the reviewing community.

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.

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!

(I will be posting on my goodreads, and tik tok)

Great part 1! Loved the enemies to lovers trope. This book is a constant adventure with lots of action. Both main characters must overcome the stigmas behind who they are in order to find common ground, and while they naturally shouldn’t be drawn to each other or help each other, they grow to look beyond the other being an angel or a demon. The lines of good and evil are blurred and Mihr and Fane both learn nothing is black and white. Can’t wait to find out what happens next, especially with their relationship.

first book i’ve read from this author and it was pretty solid! i liked the set of the first few chapters/ getting to know both characters early on and separate from each other. 2.5-3/5 on spice level. a solid story! excited to read part two and see what the fallout is from the last fight 👀

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 the 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.

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.

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.