Incite

Alright, I’m just gonna come out and say that I am listening to Miley Cyrus’s 'Adore You' on repeat whilst I am writing this review. Because you guess it … I adored Azael. HA! I bet you thought I was going to say I adored 'Incite', which I did. But holy cow, Azael completely and totally stole the show.

I mentioned in my review of 'Ignite' and 'Entice' that I liked Azael. A lot. Well. This is a ‘like’ no longer. This is an all consuming love. *For a fictional character.* I haven’t actually had the pleasure of loving a fictional character as much as I love Azael in a pretty long time. And I’m almost certain he is now my number one. I am seriously in love with everything about him. I loved reading his chapters the most (sorry, Pen), and I love how utterly complex he is. I wanted to run to him, and stroke his hair and cuddle the shit outta him and make him realise that life isn’t all that bad. That it can be good, and that’s all that Pen realised. She still loves you, I promise. I don’t know if he’d even give me the time of day, but still. That’s exactly what I wanted to do.

(Second 'Adore You' starting now)

I loved that we got to see so much *more* of him in 'Incite'. Reading from his perspective gave his character so much more depth than we had been given from Pen’s second-hand perspective of him. He’s so completely broken, and my heart just freaking *aches* for him in such a real way. And it’s moments like these that I realise how much of a book fangirl/nerd I really am. Because my love for Azael is pretty real. I mean, there are humans I love less than Azael. Probably because they don’t even come close to the effect he has on me. He craves acceptance, but wants nothing more than to be independent. He loves Pen with the force of a million suns, but won’t accept the fact that it *is love* he feels. He thinks he is evil incarnate, but I can see his goodness. I can see that he isn’t all blood and gore. I can *see it*. And I wish he could, as well. I wish he could realise that it isn’t just black and white, and that there *are* shades of grey. But it’s like he’s gotten it into his head that he is evil, and bad, and there’s nothing he wants to do about it. AZAEL, MY BABY, THAT’S NOT THE CASE.

(Third 'Adore You' starting now. I was legit when I said repeat)

Okay, I realise I’m nearly at five hundred words and I have spoken of nothing but Azael, but Erica has created one of the most beautifully complex characters that I have ever had the *extreme* pleasure of reading. I will never not love Az, which is why I cannot stop writing about him. Because I want you to fall in love with him, too. But also realise at the same time that HE IS MINE FOREVER. AND EVER. MIIIIIINE.

As for the non-Az aspects of 'Incite', they were fabulous, as always. Erica is my favourite author, which I have said a few times. She’s my favourite because she can make me care so much (see all my Az-centric paragraphs above), weave an incredible storyline, and the way she writes. Deary me. It’s perfect. The distinctions between Pen and Az were clear as day, and the evolutions of both their storylines in this book were fabulous. We got to see Az for who he really is, and we got to know Pen even more. How much she cares for Michael; how scared she is of losing him; and how she can be a leader when she needs to be. She’s just an all ‘round badass, and I totally love Pen.

(Fourth 'Adore You'. I’m so hardcore)

I loved the new characters we were introduced to – both from Pen and Az’s perspective, because they weren’t just two dimensional characters, but they also didn’t detract from the characters we care about the most (Az, Pen, and Michael). I’m really looking forward to reading 'Engage', which is a novella about two of these new characters. I cannot wait to read it because it is sexually diverse, too. Yay for Erica being diverse!

Okay. I loved 'Incite'. I loved Azael most of all, but I loved everything else about it, as well. This will no doubt be as firm a favourite as 'Ignite' has been these past (nearly) two years of my reading life.

I loved this book! When I read IGNITE (book 1), it felt like the main focus was the romance, and Pen's development through that romance as she came to accept that maybe she didn't fit in Heaven or Hell. INCITE took a significantly darker turn, and we got to see the really twisted parts of both Heaven and Hell. This book is about Pen coming into her own, and deciding what side she will stand on in the war between Heaven and Hell--and that maybe that gray area she feels like she is in could become a lifestyle, not just something that keeps her running and hiding.

The darkness in this book was a pretty stark contrast to book one. IGNITE had some gritty elements, particularly in the beginning, but it was mostly overshadowed by the romance. In INCITE, the darkness is the driver. There are a few torture scenes that may be surprisingly grim for readers who were drawn predominantly to the romance in book one, but I personally loved it. Erica has such skill, and the way she wove in beautiful descriptions with the truly awful things going on left me wanting to read more long after I had finished the book.

Lastly, the characters. GOSH, the characters. We are introduced to several new ones, and the diversity of the series is dramatically increased. I love Kala and Ana, and can't wait for their novella! Everyone has beautiful character growth. I especially loved Azael and the inner conflict he had between desperately wanting power, while also desperately wanting Pen to want to be at his side as he succeeded. His point of view was the perfect addition to this series.