City of Smoke and Brimstone: House of Devils, Book 4

Valerie - vanelena.reads

Incredible, as always! Fast Paced and Romantic

"<b> Love Must Always Win "What does it mean?" she asked him. "It's a reminder. To choose love, kindness. To never lose sight of the things that matter. And that love is a powerful force that always triumphs, no matter how dark the road."</b> All the stars for this one! So good. Wow, did I finish this book, or did this book finish me?!? I won't give away too much of the plot, as this is well into the story by now. City of Smoke and Brimstone picks up right where we left off in book 3. The Veil has been opened in Yveswich, and the Devils are trapped, fighting to get out before the city is sealed off. Loren and Darien must escape back to Angelthene before the Veil falls. Meanwhile, Roman is hoping to get his brothers out of Yveswich before his father finds them. And with the Veil growing and new threats popping up, time is a luxury these immortals may no longer have. There are forces out of their control, and the Devils must find a way to face it together. I adore this book. But let me tell you - it is a non-stop ride!! There is a ton of action, and so many moving pieces that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I don't think I even took a breath for the first chunk of the book, as I was desperately waiting to find out the fate of a favorite character. Yveswich is in chaos, and our characters are stuck in the middle of it all. We have multiple POV's in this book, and our characters are split up as they are trying to escape Yveswich and get back to Angelthene. There is a lot going on, with old enemies, new mysteries, and of course, so much love. This is an absolute favorite series of mine, and this book further helps solidify it as one of the best, top-tier urban fantasy series out there. It is a chunky book, but it is faced paced and the switching POVs keeps it interesting. I was totally immersed the whole time I was reading, and didn't want it to end. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much to Kayla Edwards for the advanced copy of this incredible book. All options are my own. ["

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July 8, 2025 Verified Purchase

Darcey Flora

5⭐️ ARC Review!

"For now, the battle to live another day has been won but war is coming and it’s going to take everyone -devils, angels, reapers, elementals- working together in order to literally save the world as they know it. 80% of this book is straight up peril with minimal conflict resolution but it is done SO WELL and I was HOOKED throughout. I am so invested in the developing relationship between Roman & Shay, constantly rooting for Loren & Darien & appreciative of the comedic relief provided by none other than Malakai Delaney. I hope we get more of his story in the next installment! It is easy to get frustrated with the poor communication within each romantic relationship (I’m speaking to you directly, Loren Calla) but we must remember these characters are in their early twenties and the author does an excellent job of portraying their emotional maturity levels. Often with fantasy series that have extensive world-building and magic systems, it can be hard to recall pertinent details but this author has crafted her series in a way that is easy to follow. The details she gives are always relevant & straightforward & that enables the reader to be invested and engaged in the storyline without having to recall minute details from books and books ago. A gift we can all appreciate! Highly recommend this urban fantasy romance series and looking forward to all that is to come in book 5! ["

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July 19, 2025 Verified Purchase

Natasha Striegel

Obsessed.

"**spoiler alert** Obsessed is an understatement. This book is jam packed with action, suspense, romance and everything you could want. The development of Shay and Roman?! Second ONLY to Loren and Darien. My favorite thing about this book is the multi-POV. So many books get it wrong, but Kayla Edwards does not. There is no messy, second guessing, re-reading. You are invested in each character, story, subplot, relationship. Everything about this series is seamless. While I HATE that Donovan is still alive, I cannot wait to see what they do in Book 5. ["

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February 7, 2026 Verified Purchase

Mollie

Oh. my. god.

"First of all, the dedication: “For the Darians and Romans—those who shelter others when the rain gets heavy. Remember to look out for yourselves, too.” 😭🥺😭🥺 I was emotional before I even turned the first page. That line alone could have knocked me out. And yet somehow, this book managed to hit even harder. I can’t even begin to explain the chokehold this series has on me. I had heard whispers about it months ago but held off on starting because of some of the mixed reviews about the FMC in book one. And you know what? I get it. At first, she is frustrating. She’s helpless, she’s scared, and she leans heavily on those around her even though she acts like she doesn’t. But now, four books in? I want to personally fight anyone who gave up on her. Because what a transformation. Once I got to book two, I realized: I had to put myself in her shoes. If I were in her situation and what she’s continuously enduring, what she’s learned about herself… I’d need saving too. She wasn’t weak. She was surviving. And now she’s finding the courage in her to take care of those around her. The pacing? Flawless. The character arcs? Top tier. The emotional build? A MASTERCLASS. Kayla knows her characters so intimately that they never lose themselves. Sure, they can be annoying but that’s what makes them so relatable. Every flaw, every fear, every slow-burn growth…we get it all. The found family trope is absolutely delivered. You will not get tired of the banter, the pain, the loyalty, the ride-or-die energy between them. In the first two books, I felt like Loren was caring more about the Devils than they cared about her but they really redeemed themselves in this one and I’m really starting to enjoy Lace. Unlike many series where the “war book” still has some downtime or post-battle lulls, this one does not let up. Nearly 1,000 pages of pure tension. The world is quite literally ending. The group is split across three different areas. And every. single. chapter. raises the stakes. There were times I had to close the book, take a breath, and remind myself this wasn’t real… because it felt so real. Kayla juggles over 20 characters and their individual arcs—and yet it’s never confusing. It’s cohesive. It’s deeply personal. It’s brilliant. Honestly, Shayla is my friggin girl. I love Roman but he did her so dirty at the end of the last book and her last POV chapter, honestly left me in tears. To see her get the answers from him and the apology, was something I myself was also needing. I love her so much and I truly hope her and Loren become great friends (we obvi are seeing how they both are about to play a huge role in the next book). And let’s talk about the characters that completely came into their own in this one. Roark Bright… Sir, I owe you an apology. I did not like you whatsoever and was waiting for your downfall. But now that we know what was happening, you are forgiven. Characters I barely paid attention to before are now my entire world. The full ensemble is finally together, and the possibilities for what’s next have me absolutely feral. But the ending? The cliffhanger?? Ma’am, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT’S THE LAST PAGE? Everything is not only still in chaos but it’s worse. Nothing is resolved. And somehow… it only covers a few days of time?? I feel like I just lived through months of emotional warfare. They all need a drink. He’ll, I need a drink. But most importantly… Kayla? I need Book Five today. To sum it up: This series is dark, gritty, full of heartbreak, hope, and the kind of love that sneaks up and ruins you in the best way. The magic? Stunning. The world-building? Elite. The funny moments? Priceless. The plot twists? Ruthless. “Welcome to Angelthene. We hope you survive.” Yeah… me too. 😮‍💨 Brb. Going to start my re-read. ["

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July 21, 2025 Verified Purchase

readbykaycee

I wanted to like it so much more than I did.

"City of Smoke and Brimstone House of Devils Book 4 By Kayla Edwards If you are rusty on the events of the previous book, read through the cast of characters at the back - it provides a lot of the background information you need to get reacquainted with the story. The author also does a great job of reintroducing the characters and refreshing us of the major events within the first 10% of the book. This is hugely appreciated. Ok, so I really wanted to love this book. But I’m struggling to rate it. I’m settling on 3⭐️ because I just don’t think I can rate it higher. Nothing happened but at the same time everything happened. The characters never have a chance to reset or breath. They bounce from obstacle to obstacle, all of them life threatening and stressful. But there is no advancement of the plot or the series. We are essentially at the same spot as we were at the end of book 3, except now they are in Angelthene and not Yveswich. Due to the constant high stress environment, there is no room for actual character development either. They are continuously in survival mode so they never get to have deep reflection and thought. There is some relationship growth with Roman and Shay, and Travis and Jewels which saves things a bit. I absolutely loved Roman in the last book, and I am happy with where he ended this book, I still found the path there a bit frustrating. Shay deserves better. Malachi also takes a huge step backwards, he grew on me a bit in the last book and was childish in this book. I definitely could’ve used more Dom and Blue as well, who had basically no role in this book, and Sabrine and Loren’s girl group. Again, all of the focus was on these high stress situations that didn’t do much to advance the plot and didn’t focus on all of the awesome relationships and found family that had been developed over the series. Darien and Loren… I don’t even know what to say about them… sigh… Loren is the most frustrating female main character I’ve ever read and she doesn’t improve this book. Darien is a lovesick puppy, self sacrificing, with no other personality in this book. Where did the leader of the Seven Devils go? Instead of building on the characters it’s just constant reactions to doomsday situations. The story bounces between several story lines as the characters are split up in different groups between Angelthene and Yveswich. We get brought to an end of chapter cliffhanger and then jump to another group. I get it. These events are happening at the same time but it was constant and jarring. The imperator still feels like this background character. He’s the main antagonist in the series and we don’t have any page time with him other than the evil villain pulling strings of his minions. I’m still going to stick with the series. I want to know how things end. But I need more depth from the characters. ["

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July 12, 2025 Verified Purchase