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A review by appinheiro
City of Smoke and Brimstone by Kayla Edwards
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ 1.5
Kayla did it again—another 5-star read!
City of Smoke and Brimstone was such a ride. Fast-paced and action-packed, with my favorite characters of all time. I loved every second of it—it was intense, funny, witty and now I need the next book yesterday 😩📚
The plot? Wildly entertaining and packed with twists. There’s a lot happening, but Kayla ties it all together so well. She’s a master at dropping little Easter eggs that seem insignificant at first but turn out to be so important later. My only (tiny) critique is that the first part felt a bit too eventful for me—it took a moment to settle into the rhythm.
One of the things I adore about Kayla’s writing is how she builds a perfect found family 🫶 Characters are introduced gradually, giving us time to connect with them all. Nothing feels rushed, and that slow build makes every POV interesting and emotionally engaging. I was fully immersed—there wasn’t a single perspective I didn’t enjoy and that is rare.
Now onto Loren and Darien—my favorite couple 💘 Their bond keeps growing stronger, and you can feel how much they impact each other’s lives. Even when things got messy, their relationship never felt shaky. They stayed steady through it all. I did want a bit more spice 🔥 but the romance deepened so beautifully that I didn’t mind. It was heartwarming to witness.
Shayla and Roman also went through a lot, and watching them navigate those struggles was so entertaining. They’re hilarious, sharp, and undeniably hot 😏 The plot twists surrounding them caught me completely off guard, and I’m dying to see what happens next.
Special shoutout to Mortifer—my emotional attachment to him is real 🥺 and this book took me on a roller coaster! Malakai had me giggling out loud every time he opened his mouth 😂 I also really enjoyed Jewels and Travis’s POV! Their dynamic, especially with Malakai, was so fun to follow. Pax? Total sweetheart 😍 Arthur, always dependable. And Ivy… she really went through it in this one 💔
As for the villain—he didn’t show up much in this book, but what little we did glimpse? Terrifying 😬 I already know the next book is going to bring chaos, and if he’s even worse than CoLaL… yikes.
The book ends on a cliffhanger and I am not okay 😭 and one more year until the next one is pure agony.
I love this series with my whole heart. If you enjoyed the other books, you’re going to love this one too 😍
🌶️ 1.5
Kayla did it again—another 5-star read!
City of Smoke and Brimstone was such a ride. Fast-paced and action-packed, with my favorite characters of all time. I loved every second of it—it was intense, funny, witty and now I need the next book yesterday 😩📚
The plot? Wildly entertaining and packed with twists. There’s a lot happening, but Kayla ties it all together so well. She’s a master at dropping little Easter eggs that seem insignificant at first but turn out to be so important later. My only (tiny) critique is that the first part felt a bit too eventful for me—it took a moment to settle into the rhythm.
One of the things I adore about Kayla’s writing is how she builds a perfect found family 🫶 Characters are introduced gradually, giving us time to connect with them all. Nothing feels rushed, and that slow build makes every POV interesting and emotionally engaging. I was fully immersed—there wasn’t a single perspective I didn’t enjoy and that is rare.
Now onto Loren and Darien—my favorite couple 💘 Their bond keeps growing stronger, and you can feel how much they impact each other’s lives. Even when things got messy, their relationship never felt shaky. They stayed steady through it all. I did want a bit more spice 🔥 but the romance deepened so beautifully that I didn’t mind. It was heartwarming to witness.
Shayla and Roman also went through a lot, and watching them navigate those struggles was so entertaining. They’re hilarious, sharp, and undeniably hot 😏 The plot twists surrounding them caught me completely off guard, and I’m dying to see what happens next.
Special shoutout to Mortifer—my emotional attachment to him is real 🥺 and this book took me on a roller coaster! Malakai had me giggling out loud every time he opened his mouth 😂 I also really enjoyed Jewels and Travis’s POV! Their dynamic, especially with Malakai, was so fun to follow. Pax? Total sweetheart 😍 Arthur, always dependable. And Ivy… she really went through it in this one 💔
As for the villain—he didn’t show up much in this book, but what little we did glimpse? Terrifying 😬 I already know the next book is going to bring chaos, and if he’s even worse than CoLaL… yikes.
The book ends on a cliffhanger and I am not okay 😭 and one more year until the next one is pure agony.
I love this series with my whole heart. If you enjoyed the other books, you’re going to love this one too 😍