Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - City of Souls and Sinners

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

City of Souls and Sinners by Kayla Edwards

7 reviews

el2319's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

rasha_reads's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

So… I am currently trying to make my way through as many series as I can because I have THE worst case of literary FOMO and I am insatiably curious. Ok, yes, I enjoy the romantasy genre as well, but I am determined to chase that feeling I got from reading ACOTAR and TOG... While the “House of Devils” series may not live up to its hype as a God tier pick, it was still one that I became quite engrossed in (even though there were parts that I had to push through). As with the first volume (see my review of “City of Gods & Monsters”), it was not perfect but by the end, it redeemed itself and entered unputdownable territory.

After the tumultuous events of book 1, we rejoin our MCs where, as expected, they seem to be enjoying their HEA; except that you just know that it is merely a HFN considering the unanswered questions concerning family and what comes next for the city. At this point, any trace of a slow burn has been eliminated between Loren and Darien with some very spicy scenes (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️) straight from the get go. It can come as no surprise that things take a turn for the worse in Angelthene and they are caught right in the middle of politics and power grabs which, in turn, causes personal drama.

But this is where the author shines: the world building. The details and storyline in “Souls & Sinners” expands beyond “Gods & Monsters” to impressive levels. We find out more about the true rulers of this world - not just the city - and how far they are willing to go to get what they want as well as more about the politics of the darkslayers. The array of characters includes the devils, reapers, huntsmen, vampires, witches, werewolves, angels of death, wargs and the nameless. Add to this, the schools, areas of the city of Angelthene and beyond, shops, familiars… the amount of detail put into this story is mind boggling. You can also expect some great action (🩸🩸🩸🩸).

However, partly due to these details and an extremely complex plot that has a few twists, this is not a book for the faint of heart. The self published hardcover edition (which has some really great details such as artwork and a beautiful cover and dust jacket) is a whopping 862 pages. In other words, we are entering George R.R. Martin territory and this is only the second volume of the series.

However the length of the book (which even the author refers to it as being a million pages in the acknowledgments) is only part of the problem. The other, IMHO, was the pacing. The first 120 pages (approximately) are a partial recap of the first book with a peek into Loren and Darien’s HFN, but this section seemed to me to be an excuse to add in a bit more spice and felt gratuitous. The pace and plot start developing more after that but then it starts to slump and got a touch predictable, even with the tension created, and doesn’t pick up again until 70% through. In other words, for anyone out there who is likely to DNF a book, be warned: this one may not be the best choice. But if you are like me and you must push through a books once you have started, I think you will be rewarded, as I was.

The pay off comes from the characters inner lives and interactions. The relationship between Darien and Loren may not be in my top twenty but the connection between them is undeniable. And those are the moments that had me smiling, holding my breath and crying.

Fair warning: keep a box of tissues next to you and make sure you have a copy of book 3 handy to dive into immediately after reading this due to the emotionally damaging cliffhanger. See you after “City of Lies & Legends”…

4.25 stars 🤓📚

#CityOfGodsAndMonsters #HouseOfDevils #CityOfSoulsAndSinners @KaylaEdwardsAuthor

#booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookaddict #reading #bookstagram #booktok #bookreview #booksof2025 #bookdragon #bookworm #lovebooks #booklovers #booklove #booknerd #bibliophile #ilivetoread #passionforbooks #bookish #readingcommunity #bookaddict #bookrecs

#sciencefiction #urbanfantasy #adventure #fiction #darkromance

Content Warnings

shahad_isam's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is even better than the first one—despite literally having the same plot and the same third act. And let’s talk about Darien Cassel… he is the perfect man. He’s so PATHETIC in the best way possible, and I felt for him so much throughout the book.

This quote from him explains everything

"Do you want me on my knees? Do you want me yo beg, is that it? Because I will. I'll Crawl for you."

Absolute perfection.

I also felt for Loren even more—I love her. She’s a soft girl, and I adore that about her. This is the first time I’ve seen a fantasy romance FMC who isn’t the typical “I don’t need your protection” or “Don’t fight my battles for me” type. Instead, she’s like, “I’m a weak human, and I can’t fight these demons and monsters—please protect me.” And honestly? That’s so real! But even though she’s fully aware of her weakness, she will still do anything and everything in her power to protect Darien and her friends, which tugged on my heartstrings.

Darien and Loren’s unconditional, undying love for each other made me tear up multiple times. And even though the misunderstanding trope usually pisses me off, in this book, it was so understandable from both sides.

I also loved Max and Dallas’s relationship development in this book—I didn’t expect them to have an arc at all, but I’m so happy they did.
The found family aspect was great (Travis and Tanner are my favorites!), and I genuinely enjoyed all the side characters—except Malakai and Logan. Still don’t care for them.

Now, for the cons… I didn't exactly like the Cliffhanger. It gave me Zodiac Academy Book 6 flashbacks with Darius, and I’m still traumatized from that series 😭.
The last chapter being from

Roman’s

perspective was kind of corny. We’ve never even seen him before—only heard about him since he’s

Travis’s older brother and Darien’s cousin.

His speech in the elevator? Yeah… it was a ~~lot~~ little bit chessy. 😕

My favourite quotes from the book:

"You’re my home, Lola. You’re my home."

"You are the light in my dark. My reason for living."

"As long as you are with me, I will always protect you. Bodyguard, remember?"

"Instantly, I was…protective of you. Even if you would’ve refused my help, I don’t think I would’ve been able to stay away from you."

"He fell in love with her all over again every single day."

"He hated seeing her upset. He fucking hated it more than anything in the world. It made him want to rip out hearts and crack open skulls and burn entire buildings to the ground."

"You are the exception to every one of my rules."

"A toxic relationship is a toxic relationship, no matter who it involves."

"You belong with me." His words were a declaration. A shout out into the universe, a claim that could not be challenged. "No one else. This—" He lifted her left hand to his chest, flattening it right above his heart, his strong pulse thumping under her palm. When he spoke, his eyes burned with passion and intent. "This is yours. From now until the day I die, and every day after, I am yours. Got it?"

"I don't just want you right now, I want you forever."

"My destination has always been you." (This is my absolute favourite)

"I'll love you through anything and across any distance."

"Until she'd met Darien, she had never believed in fate, but the way he made her feel, the way their paths had been so inexplicably entwined, had turned her into a believer."

"Was it possible to die of a broken heart?"

"He fell in love with her all over again every single day."

"It was funny how a wrong turn in life sometimes led to the right destination."

Content Warnings

tuckert2's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

emilythestrang3's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved this 2nd book in the House of Devils series. I personally found that it was a bit slow at first, building up to an action packed and tense second half! I can't wait to start the next one

Content Warnings

samantha_ellen's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This series is an epic love story set in a gritty modern fantasy world… with the ultimate morally grey mmc who would burn the world for the people he loves, a FMC who grows in strength & a found family that would do anything for each other.

Throw in a unique magic system, a different take on magical creatures & an unforgiving & harsh world & you have The House of Devils series.

This book is BIG, and because of that there is a lot of plot that is built up & takes time. There were moments that I questioned if certain things were needed - but then ultimately the author brought it back around & I could see why it was there & it all made sense.

There is ONE moment that I still question - but I’m giving the author the benefit of the doubt that it will make sense in B3 because if it doesn’t it felt a bit ‘too easy’

Other than that the whole story was gripping, enthralling & pulled on every one of my heart strings. I love how the world expanded in this book & how we learnt a lot more about the side characters.

The ending had so much happening but was really well paced. Nothing felt rushed so the emotional impact really hit you.

Some things I really appreciated:

The anxiety rep 🙌🏽

the diabetes rep 🙌🏽

the grief rep 🙌🏽

all fantastic

Oh & the spice…. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 - after the wait of b1 this one certainly delivered 🙌🏽 (some personally ick words for me that I looked over but overall it was 💯💯💯)

Lastly, Darien is one of the most well rounded characters I have ever read. He is the absolute star of the show. How his grief manifests as anxiety & anger & how he deals with that - while also LOVING his ‘found family’ & Loren so hard that he gives all of himself… is so heartbreaking.

BUT, Ultimately that ending…. I’m broken…. In the best & worst ways… I am so happy B2 lived up to my expectations after loving B1, this series will go down as one of my all time favourites

Content Warnings

bellebookcorner's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“You are the exception to every one of my rules.”

It’s good to be back to Angelthene again! The sequel is just as good as the first one, intriguing plot, loveable characters and also action-packed!

It started right after the ending of the first book, there’s a little summary and list of characters to refresh your memories and help you remember who's who, which is really helpful.

The world building is expanding which gives me Stranger Things vibes and there’s also a map that’ll help you envision the places better.

The story is well written and well-paced. It’s told in multiple POVs, we have a new addition POV – Max and I love him! It’s really nice to see his own thoughts and see his relationship grow with Dallas. The scene at the dock is my favorite from them!

The characters are my favorite part of this story, the found family trope is very strong and I love seeing how they interact, care and fight for one another.

As for the main characters, I love Loren and Darien chemistry together. Only crazy people would ever question Darien’s love for Loren because he really shown how much he cares and trust her in everything that he does (especially in the last few chapters!! Aaaaaa)

“Part of being in a relationship involves loving a person through everything – the good and the bad. I want every part of you.”

Overall, a remarkable sequel in House of Devils series and an emotional roller coaster, you’ll laugh, smile and teared up while reading this one. That huge cliff-hanger really makes me wish I could time travel to next year and pick it up!

Very enjoyable, unputdownable and highly recommended for readers who love New Adult Urban Fantasy Romance with found family, blackmail, friendship, angsty moments and lots of spicy scenes.

I received an advanced review copy for free from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Content Warnings

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