I have mixed opinions about this book. There is so much I enjoy about it ( the characters, the world building) however, I don't think the writing style is something I would enjoy reading again. This book was fairly easy to get through and engaging enough that I found myself interacting with the texts. Would I buy this myself? Probably not. But I do see a audience that would love this.

House of Dusk was a stunning romantic fantasy that had me at fire-wielding warrior nuns and a slow-burn sapphic romance between a prophecying princess and her bodyguard. And it more than lived up to my expectations.

This was a proper slow-burn too, with plenty of yearning, no kissing until the 75% mark, and wrestling with moral dilemmas of loyalty to the bodyguard's spy mission or to her heart. I didn't mind that I didn't get the POV of the princess too because I could tell how she felt through Yeneris's interpretations and hopes.

The story follows two points of view, starting with Sephre, a middle-aged nun for the House of Dawn who sought refuge in the cloisters from her PTSD from her previous life in combat. There used to be more houses, but only House of Dawn still stands. I found it interesting how the author emphasized that the philosophy of the stories the conquerers tell are the ones we believe in, even if they're wrong.

Sometimes the pacing could get lost in ethical dilemmas and political machinations but I loved the characters and worldbuilding.

The other pov follows Yeneris, bodyguard to Princess Sinoe, also known as the Sibyl of Tears. Cursed with the gift of prophecy, she is controlled by her father who believes himself to be the Ember King. But she's also a girl who sighs over romantic poetry and treasures a pet dragon/bird of prey creature. Yeneris is a double agent, secretly working for a group that seeks to return sacred bones to their rightful home. But she's also fighting a growing attraction to the princess.

I loved seeing two strong, smart butch women in this in the forms of Yeneris and Sephre, who has her own side romance with a mysterious green-eyed traveling man. I did not find that romance as compelling as that with Yeneris and Sinoe and almost felt that was too much romance for the story. They acted too much like teenagers.

The characters are fighting the rise of undead creatures who I thought at first were vampires because of the puncture wounds on their necks but act more like ghouls. They played a smaller part in the story than I expected vs the mythology and the politics of the religious houses.

Overall though I really loved this book, this world and the romance between Sinoe and Yeneris was swoonworthy. Priory of the Orange Tree was an excellent comp title. I hope this book has series potential because I would read more in this world. I got closure with the ending but it also felt like a small opening for that.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover and the idea of fire wielding nuns, but unfortunately in the end the book didn't really work for me. It was a bit predictable, and felt a little too similar to books at times (especially Priory of the Orange Tree). While the two POV characters are not teenagers, the story uses a lot of the usual tropes of YA fantasy books which I just don't really enjoy anymore.

I received a free copy from DAW via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date August 26th.

I requested this book because I was intrigued by its sapphic fantasy premise. In House of Dusk, an ex-soldier has buried herself in a monastery to try to escape her past, but her home is about to be ensnared in the king's ruthless power grab. Meanwhile, a young bodyguard to the princess is secretly a rebel agent--but as she learns more about the truth behind the throne, she must choose where her loyalties really lie.

House of Dusk is a dual POV book with little direct interaction between the two storylines. Although the two plots influence each other, the characters never meet. Yeneris is a youthful and hot-headed rebel who begins to question her handler's plams as she gets closer to the princess and the princess' secrets. Sephre is a woman well into her forties who deeply regrets the things she did as the king's soldier, and has dedicated herself to the flame as penance. Also she can throw fireballs. Of course, the problem with a two POV book is that you inevitably prefer one storyline to the other. In this case, I strongly preferred herbalist Sephre's middle-aged regrets to Yeneris' impetousness and extremely youthful romance, which felt a touch too YA for my taste. Both plotlines had their own romance arc, which felt a bit forced. However, I did like the bittersweetness of the resolution of Sephre's romance. I won't spoil it here, but it was beautifully done.

The mythology the book is grounded in is an intriguing mix of the familiar and things that Fagan has invented. There's the serpent god of the dead, the eternal flame, the barge that crosses the river of the death, the labyrinth of souls. In a book that's focused to revealing the truth behind the mythology, I liked that no one culture had the correct story, just fragments of the truth, even the culture using mythology to justify brutal foreign wars. Although the setting is mistily vague, I would tend to place it as earlier than the usual medieval setting.

A leisurely paced fantasy novel about faith and myth and prophecy. It reminded me a bit of Priory of the Orange Tree (albeit with much crisper pacing), or of the upcoming The Lost Reliquary by Lyndsay Ely.

Beautiful read… strong female leads, magic, mythical worlds. Strong plot with lots of twists and turns. Great world building. Is there more? Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This was such a pleasant surprise. I think as a debut, this was absolutely fantastic. The characters, Sephre and Yenneris are ones you truly want to root for in all sorts of ways! I also didn't realize Sephre was part of the House of Dawn and not Dusk but that's just me I think! I really enjoyed the myriad of Mediterranean influences, especially Greek and perhaps even Egyptian with the whole Serpent and Chaos creation story.
The romance was also great, I like that the main focus was still on the world and not the romance hence why I would not label it as a romantasy unless the author deems it so. The sapphic yearning was SO good and the romance between Sephre and Nylos? To die for!
Overall, really enjoyed the book and I cannot wait to read book 2!
Final rating: 4.75 stars

4.5 stars rounded up

Ahhh this was so good! I love that it was a fantasy not focused on an 18 to 20-year-old but instead, one of the POV's is a former soldier/current fire wielding nun in her 40s. Sapphic rep? Check. Diversity? Check. Slow burn romance? Check. Well paced fantasy with well thought out world building that doesn't make the story drag? Check. I am so disappointed, actually, that this is a standalone. I want so much more from this universe and I was so invested throughout the entirety of the story. Deva Fagan, you will pay for your crimes of only giving me one book in this world!!

I really enjoyed this. It felt epic and atmospheric, but the characters are grounded and likeable. It's very Priory of the Orange Tree (arguably including its somewhat problematic racial politics, what with brown servants/bodyguards falling in love with light-skinned royals - although there are very few references to the POV characters' appearance in this, so I'm basing this on a few passing mentions).

My biggest issue with this was repetition, especially when it came to lore and prophecy. There are things we're told over and over again about the gods, and word-for-word repetition of prophecies as the characters discuss them and make plans. For me this feels like either the author is thinking "out loud" through the characters (which makes total sense to me as part of the writing process, but could be edited out), or they don't trust me as the reader to keep up. It also would have been nice to have the two storylines intertwine more meaningfully.

Even so, this is described as a standalone but I would read a sequel in a heartbeat and I look forward to reading more by this author.

With fire-wielding nuns, a god of death, spies, and betrayal, this book checks all of the boxes for an epic fantasy. Following multiple POVs, House of Dusk offers a unique magic system and strong female protagonists, a fast pace and addicting storyline. The main characters are admirable and inspiring, while still being written with humorous and relatable inner monologues. Following the two FMCs is both inspirational and reflective, with a lot of character development and growth. The writing is immersive, with world building so detailed you'll feel like you're there. It's a story you won't want to put down.

House of Dusk a fiery novel!
I really enjoyed this book, so 4.5 stars. The book follows two women, Sephre; a soldier that became a nun and the orphan Yeneris, who is a spy. Both are strong women that are dealing with the current events while also dealing with their trauma’s, the romance and the conflicting feelings that come to show. My favourite storyline was that of Sephre, and would have loved to have more of her story, however the romance on her side felt a little forced and I would have been satisfied with just the love story of Yeneris.

The world building, especially the lore was excellent and was flowing easily and comprehensive throughout the book. I loved that there was no ‘info-dump’ at the beginning, but that you learn al the necessary information when you are reading along.

For a debut novel it was really enjoyable, well written and the pacing was on point.

Thank you NetGalley and DAW books for an ARC!

House of Dusk is a riveting young adult fantasy novel which expertly weaves two seemingly separate storylines. The slow-burn build-up of the two intertwining storylines creates a rich and emotionally satisfying climax, making the journey to the end feel well-earned.
One of the standout aspects of House of Dusk is the author’s refusal to over-explain the world or the magic. There’s no lengthy exposition or info dumps—readers are immediately immersed in the action and the mystery. This approach keeps the story feeling fresh and unpredictable, as we learn about the world in tandem with the characters. It’s a bold move, but it works brilliantly. The author trusts the readers to be curious, and in return, the narrative feels far more organic and engaging. You’re not bogged down with unnecessary details; instead, you're invited to piece things together as the story unfolds, making for a more interactive reading experience.
The world-building in House of Dusk is rich and immersive without feeling overwhelming. By not explaining everything upfront, the novel allows readers to explore its intricacies naturally. The society is well-drawn and woven into the narrative without slowing down the plot.
While we don’t get all the answers right away, that’s part of the appeal. The author allows the story to unfold at its own pace, keeping readers on their toes. The themes of power and identity are explored in subtle yet impactful ways, with each character forced to confront what they are willing to sacrifice for what they believe is right.
With strong, relatable characters, an immersive world, and a compelling exploration of themes like identity, power, and belonging, House of Dusk is a standout addition to the young adult fantasy genre.

Thank you NetGalley and DAW for the ARC!

House of Dusk follows two alternating POVs against a backdrop of mythology, prophecy, and an ancient scheming evil. Sephre, a flame-wielding nun trying to forget a horrific war crime she helped commit, is thwarted by rising corpses and a mysterious man who accompanies a trail of death across the country. Meanwhile Yeneris, an undercover agent orphaned by the same war and tasked with recovering the stolen bones of her people's saint, is waylaid by the charismatic princess and a much darker secret within her enemies' palace. Each of the two women follows her own path toward preventing a cataclysmic event that would destroy the world.

I went into this with high expectations, and while I enjoyed elements of the story, overall I think it lacked the emotional punch suggested in its premise. The worldbuilding is fun and inventive, if not particularly original (though I did really like the nuns' powers, both the flame wielding (windup nunzilla, anyone?) and a second, in my opinion even cooler power introduced later on that I won't spoil!) The romance between Yeneris and the princess Sinoe was probably my favorite part, as it was well-developed throughout. Sinoe in particular had layers of characterization that made it easy to sympathize with her and root for her the whole way through. Actually, I wish the novel could have spent more time with Yeneris and Sinoe working together to uncover the villainous plot. Sephre's romantic subplot felt a little more forced, though I had warmed up to it by the end. I think the problem was that even though this book is quite long, there wasn't time to develop both romances fully because this is essentially two separate stories disguised as one book.

Which is why the dual POV aspect of this novel didn't work as well for me, even though I'm usually a sucker for unusual story structure. The two main characters are separate for the entire story, but as they move along their individual narratives, they're each uncovering the same information, and frequently by putting two and two together the same way the reader does (so rather than taking some sort of action or making a discovery in-scene, they basically think about what they've learned already and make a conclusion). So the reader is already doing that, and then you watch the first character figure it out, and then the second character. This really slows down the pacing and sort of kills any anticipation of what's going to happen next, so the second half in particular dragged quite a bit as I waited for the characters to figure it all out. That said, the finale had some good action and the ending was satisfying.

———
Is it queer? Yes! This book has both a sapphic and a hetero relationship.

Is it diverse? It's kind of fantasy diverse, but no, not really.

How long did it take? I spent around 12 hours reading this and that was spread across 11 days because I was struggling to keep my attention on it for long stretches at a time.

This was an incredible read. I can't believe this is Deva Fagan's first adult fantasy book. This is an epic story with romantic subplots, and it felt very indicative of stories like Blood Over Bright Haven, Priory of the Orange Tree, or She Who Became the Sun. I find stories like these are so relevant to current day. I kept thinking about how government, religion, and the winners in conflict write the history we all tend to follow and believe. And how blind belief can lead to horrible consequences. House of Dusk felt like a reminder to listen to your heart, but always think critically about everything you hear and see.

I loved the characters in this story. We have dual POV from two very powerful, strong, independent women who are navigating an intricate plot, a complex world, and very high-stakes.

10/10 highly recommend. And all of this in a standalone? AMAZING.

This story absolutely swept me off my feet. The emotional depth, the gorgeous world building, the aching pull between duty and desire all made this a book I did not want to put down. Every moment felt charged with both magic and meaning. This is a story that is going to stay with me for a very long time and I am absolutely in awe of how much beauty and heartbreak it held.

This book had me at fire wielding nun. I was all in by page three, and it was such an enjoyable read. I was also surprised to find out this is the author’s debut novel. Needless to say, I will absolutely be reading anything she publishes in the future.

I’m always looking for stories with well written female heroes who don’t play the communication? never heard of her card. The story focuses on Sephre and Yeneris through their dual POVs. The book flowed seamlessly as we follow their individual journeys until they eventually cross paths. While the romance isn’t necessarily swoon worthy, it also wasn’t painful insta love. There were moments where it didn’t feel entirely organic. But it’s far from the worst I’ve read.

Here’s where I felt a little let down, this is a standalone. Up until today I thought this was the start of a series. Because of that, I do think some of the background lore and details, like the war or catalytic, could have been fleshed out more. Still, the writing is immersive and beautifully descriptive. It was incredible easy to get lost in the world.

Thank you NetGalley and DAW for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and DAW for the advanced reader copy!

This book is perfect for anyone who loved Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night. The world building is very similar to Samantha Shannon's, with an ancient cataclysm caused by a mighty beast. I love that Sephre was in her 40s and had her own unique history as a warrior. I felt like she was a beautiful antithesis to Yeneris and Sinoe, who are young and full of hope. Sephre believes in a better world, but she is experienced enough to know it doesn't come without a cost.

My only complaint is that I feel like in the romance area, the author did a lot of "telling not showing". We're told that Sephre and her lover talked a lot on their journey, but I think it would've added a lot if we had gotten to actually see those conversations at least a little bit.

I'm actually kind of upset I got this as an ARC because now I'll have to wait a long time to read book 2, but I also feel like this could be an excellent stand alone.

CW for some body horror

It’s feeling like it could be another Serpent Summer! 🐍

House of Dusk is a story focused on two badass, feminine heroes: Sephre, who became a fire-wielding nun through an effort to make amends for actions in her past, and Yeneris, who is working undercover to return something precious to her homeland. Both women are driven by a desire to see things righted in a world that is being upended by men who will destroy everything for their own glory and personal gain. These women are focused on different aspects of the same incredible mission from two entirely different places, without having ever met one another. All the while, an old and mysterious god seems to be returning and both women find themselves unexpectedly tangled in their own webs of longing and distrust.
I especially appreciated the diversity of characters we meet in House of Dusk. From a young man eager to begin his work and make his place in this world to a woman well into her 40s recreating and shaping herself without apology. As paths collided, I felt eager to meet each new and unfamiliar face, as they quickly became integral parts of the story.
Deva Fagan made wonderful use of storytelling throughout, as well, and I loved each opportunity to learn a little more of the lore. Even in cases they chose to tell me rather than show me, I was able to get a great visualization of the story that I thought was really vivid. The world building was incredible and I felt deposited into Ancient Greece, surrounded by olive trees and with a bowl of figs in my hands. And, while romance wasn’t the primary focus of this book, there was plenty of longing and tension, two of my favorite ingredients in a slow burn romance.
Low spice, but high stakes, this book was a solid read that I would definitely recommend and I will for sure pick up any continuation in the future! Get your copy when it releases August 26th. Thank you to NetGalley & DAW Books for this ARC. This is my honest review. ♥️

I absolutely adore a complex FMC, let alone two of them. Plus, with my own fascination with religious themes, nuns, and magic, this book checked every box for me! An absolutely stunning standalone that I will recommend endlessly to my friends.

House of Dusk is a magical, heartfelt fantasy that completely drew me in. This dual POV follows Sephre, a sister of the House of Dawn and a former soldier, as she tries to make sense of the unusual murders happening across the land. Across the realm, Yeneris is a spy protecting the princess, while trying to bring justice to her fallen people,

What I Loved:

The magic system
The unique world building
Lovable and complex characters
Strong FMCs
Dual POV

Thank you NetGalley and DAW for the arc!

House of Dusk is a book filled with incredible world building, an in depth magic system, romance, and intrigue. Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this book. The plot was captivating and exciting, and the characters were written in depth, which I always appreciate. The one part that pulled me out of the story a bit was how the dialogue from characters could feel a bit young and urban fantasy instead of high fantasy at times. This pulled me from from the setting and vibe of the story quite a few times.