This book surprised me in many ways! The plot was very interesting and different from other types of demon and angel stories.
The characters were also very complex and I was very surpried by the ending POV's! Cam and Sax are a lot more important to the plot that I thought initially and I'm very interested in them.
I think that the r*pe scene was unnecessary tho. There were other ways to alude to how evil demons are, without going that far (in my opinion of course).
Overall, it was a pretty good book and I'm excited for the sequel!
Trigger warnings:
-Death
-R*pe and sexual assault
-Mutilation and torture
-Nudity
-Sexual content

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.

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.

Angel and Demon stories are certainly a favourite of mine, and Demon Rising by Victoria Larque didn’t disappoint. As a new author to me, I had no real expectations, but was totally captivated by this intriguing story. Fane and Mihr are intense and exciting characters on opposite sides of an ongoing war. Their interactions were funny, interesting and insightful, rather than steamy and their personalities grew throughout the story and their relationship developed. I'm looking forward to book two and the conclusion to this duology.

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