Book Review: Dark Divinity by Amy Braun

Ever since I read Demon’s Daughter, the first book in the Cursed Series, I’ve been eagerly anticipating its sequel. Dark Divinity lived up to, and in some ways, surpassed my expectations.

Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made…

It’s been two months since Constance Ramirez’s adopted sister Andromeda was used as the Key to opening the Gates of Heaven and Hell. They escaped with their lives, but made countless enemies as a result.

Now that demons are beginning to weave into ordinary lives, their only hope is to find a way to close the Gates of Heaven and Hell before the angels and demons begin a war. Something that becomes only harder as one of Constance’s deadliest enemies resurfaces.

But as they struggle to stay alive and find the Gates, they learn that a huge sacrifice will be required if they succeed, and this time, Constance isn’t sure the cost will outweigh the reward…

By the end of Demon’s Daughter, it didn’t seem possible that things could get tougher for Constance and Andromeda. I mean, nothing could be worse than facing the devil himself, right? Well, yes and no. While the girls and their little gang- Dro’s telepathic boyfriend Max, renegade angel Sephiel and ultra-hot demon-slayer Warrick (doesn’t the list of side-kicks alone make you want to read this?)- survived the encounter, they’re on a difficult, dangerous mission,  and time is running out while their enemies multiply.

The action is nearly non-stop and just as in Demon’s Daughter, there are multiple lengthy flashbacks to Con’s former life, this time working for a Mexican drug lord. Unsurprisingly, the flashbacks are no less exciting, and to be honest, I found them probably the most thrilling part of the book. And by thrilling I mean, my heart was pounding, I said “ew” a lot and even had to cover my eyes a few times.

The twists and turns of both storylines were both interesting and unpredictable. I especially enjoyed the fact that Braun never sacrifices emotional development to the rip-roaring pace. In the brief and seldom peaceful interludes she successfully conveys Con’s emotional turmoil, especially regarding her tentative, burgeoning relationship with Warrick. This meshes nicely with the parallel flashback story of Con’s ill-fated relationship with drug-lord-spawn Mateo (girl, what did you expect?!?).

Several unexpected twists and turns lead to an ending that is both surprising and satisfying. Of course, it remains somewhat open-ended since the story is far from over. Bring on Book Three!

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