City of Gods and Monsters (House of Devils, Band 1)
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Description
Loren Calla has only ever been ordinary. As a human struggling to survive in a city that caters to the needs of vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural creatures, she always assumed her life would remain simple, predictable, and as safe as her world would allow.
Until she barely escapes abduction at the hands of Darkslayers—supernatural bounty hunters that possess the Sight, a magical tracking ability that allows them to see a person’s aura—and one of her friends is taken in her place. The abductors are demanding a ransom: Loren's life in exchange for her friend's safe return. Loren will do whatever it takes to get her friend back—even if it means accepting help from Darien Cassel, the leader of the Seven Devils, the most feared Darkslaying circle in the city.
Darien specializes in tracking down demons and criminals that are better off dead than alive, so when he takes a job to track down Loren and finds out she is human—and couldn't hurt a fly if her life depended on it—he decides to protect her instead of turn her in for a reward. As much as Loren doesn't want to admit it, Darien is her best and only chance at finding her friend alive, if she can somehow manage to get along with him—and not fall head-over-heels in love with him in the process, which is far easier said than done.
When more women start disappearing, and some of them slowly turn up dead, Loren and Darien's search for answers takes them deep into Angelthene's corrupt underbelly, where they discover a dark secret that threatens to unravel their world. And when tragedy strikes, Loren learns that love can make an ordinary person do extraordinary things.
From the author of Dreams of Ice and Iron comes a new fantasy romance perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Ilona Andrews, and Cassandra Clare.
Book Information
Posts
Don’t just add it to your TBR… bow down to it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
City of Gods and Monsters didn’t just eat my feelings — it devoured my soul and rebuilt it with fire and devotion. Kayla Edwards delivered an urban fantasy that absolutely slaps the heart awake and refuses to let it rest. From the moment I met Loren Calla, an ordinary human thrust into a terrifying supernatural metropolis, to every breath-stealing moment beside Darien Cassel and the Seven Devils, I was locked in, utterly obsessed.  What truly sets this book apart is the slow-burn that actually burns — the tension between Loren and Darien is honeyed with longing, grit, and the kind of chemistry where you feel every heartbeat. Their romance doesn’t rush — it erupts in all the best ways. The emotional depth, the vulnerability, the weight of love that grows from trust instead of insta-lust — flawless execution.  The worldbuilding of Angelthene is rich, gritty, and dangerous in all the right ways. Vampires, werewolves, hellsehers, witches, magic, corruption, and conspiracies that pull you deeper with each twist — this isn’t just a fantasy city, it’s a living, breathing labyrinth of danger and wonder.  And let’s talk about found family — I laughed, I feared for them, I love-swooned for them. The Seven Devils are iconic, individually memorable, and collectively untouchable.  This is a 700+ page masterpiece that kept me glued to the edge of my seat, desperate for every revelation. Dark, romantic, wild, and irresistible — City of Gods and Monsters isn’t just a read — it’s a devotion.
Ich bin begeistert!
Ich hatte wirklich sehr hohe Erwartungen an das Buch und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht! 😍 Obwohl das Buch knapp über 700 Seiten dick ist, gab es keine Längen. Die Entwicklung der Charaktere war zu jeder Zeit nachvollziehbar und die Chemie zwischen Loren und Darien war einfach perfekt! 🔥 Ich fand es auch gut, wieder mal eine FMC zu haben, die einfach nett und freundlich ist und keine außergewöhnlich starke Kämpferin, die innerhalb von ein paar Wochen mit ausgebildeten Auftragskillern mithalten kann. Das Buch bekommt von mir 10/10 Punkte.
Situation: life threatening Protagonists: thinking about fucking each other I tried really, really hard to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. I couldn't feel anything towards the fmc, the mmc had me roll my eyes many times, I wasn't interested in the plot, the sexual tension felt pretty misplaced, and I've never read the word "paraphernalia" so often in such a short time.
Ich liebe es
Also ich muss zuerst einmal sagen das ich das meiste von dem Buch auf der Arbeit gehört habe und es mir ab und zu schwer fiel mein Gesicht neutral zu halten. Ein super spannendes Buch und die Art und Weise wie Darian zu Lola redet ist einfach so schön. Ich kann es wirklich nur empfehlen, musste auch kurz ein bisschen weinen. Ich habe mir den nächsten Teil noch nicht geholt aber das werde ich aufjedenfall noch. Wenn ihr am überlegen seid das Buch zu lesen aber euch nicht sicher seit, gebt dem Buch auf jeden Fall eine Chance. 🥰
Darien Cassel the man you are
Als ich in die Geschichte gestartet bin, war ich direkt Feuer und Flamme für die Handlung. Abgesehen von der Magiewelt, war es einfach ein super durchdachtes Buch und jede Figur hatte seine Wichtigkeit und Platz. ich bin supergespannt wie es weiter geht, aber trotz mancher Kleinigkeiten gegen Ende, bin ich nicht weniger von der Geschichte überzeugt. Zu 100% eines meiner Jahreshighlights!
6 star read! 🩶🩶🩶
I haven't read such a good romance book in a very, very long time! It was exciting from the first page and continued throughout the entire book! The plot twists were just incredible. The author managed to build the relationship between Darien and Loren incredibly well, it was so incredibly nice to be able to experience that with both of them. Darien puts all bookboyfriends to shame so far, I love him! So if you don't read this series, what else are you doing?!
Puh. That book was way too long and I hated the FMC. Sure she’s a nice young women but man there are NO layers. And she is a huge damsel and that’s just not my type of FMCs. I am sorry but no. Then she’s depicted as “so pretty but I doesn’t see it” - this whining and “oh I’m the poor orphan girl- l am a nobody and so clumsy” - made me want throw up. The MMC is far more interesting and has some layers but he is a walking cliché The world building started out interesting and then the author lost me quite quickly. Maybe it’s because I’m not a fan of urban fantasy’s but it all felt so stereotypical. The love drama between our main characters was forced and sorry you can’t use a phone call EVERY damn time they want to do it - this was just not natural and had no suspense - it was just freaking annoying. The pacing is off too and there is always: two weeks later phrases I really did not like. I mean that book has nearly 800pages… I think a lot of people like this series but I won’t continue and there’s no recommendation from me.
Can't understand the hype...maybe I'm too old but the characters didn't convince me, I didn't like them especially the FMC...Its a dnf for me
Habe das Buch nach 10% abgebrochen - 2 Sterne sind für das mögliche Potential, was ich damit nicht mitbekomme. Die Bewertungen u.a. auf Amazon oder Instagram hörten sich vielversprechend an, aber Loren ist so eine dumme Nuss, die garantiert auch keine große Entwicklung durchmacht- das wollte ich nicht aushalten. Sie ist natürlich super hübsch mit schlanker Figur, großen blauen Augen, hüftlangen blonden Haaren und immer in kurzen Klamotten und High Heels unterwegs. Dabei stolpert sie gern mal, muss beschützt werden, trifft ziemlich infantile Entscheidungen und ist so inhärent GUT, dass sogar ihre Aura weiß mit Regenbogen ist 💫 Der MMC ist natürlich groß, dark, muskulös und schleppt irgendein Trauma mit sich, was er mit Untergrundkämpfen und casual sex zu verstecken versucht. Ist ja klar, dass er nur auf Loren wartet. Dementsprechend - nee danke. XD
Neuer Bookboyfriend!!! ❤️❤️🔥 Darien-fucking-Cassel
Ich habe das Buch sehr gemocht und werde die ganze Reihe zuende lesen! Der Anfang war etwas holprig und mir fiel es schwer in die Welt einzutauchen, weil es sehr viel neues war. Die verschiedenen übernatürlichen Wesen und wer wem unterstellt ist. Das spielte aber nicht so eine große Rolle, sobald er auftaucht... Darien Cassel ❤️ In den Mmc habe ich mich im ersten Moment verliebt. Die Spannung zwischen Ihm und unserer Protagonistin war herrlich, auch wenn sie lange gebraucht haben sich ihre Gefühle einzugestehen. Auch wenn ich eher Bücher mit mehr smut lese, fand ich es sehr erfrischend und angenehm. Durch Darien-fucking-Cassel braucht man nicht unbedingt viel smut... er reicht aus! Es ist ein sehr schönes und spannendes Buch, ich kann es nur empfehlen!
goddamnit that was a rollercoaster of the best kind. This reminded me again why I love fantasy. The world and lore in this is so exciting and intriguing and I’m eager to see more of this world and learn more with the continuation of the series! This book is extremely exciting and keeps you on your toes with plot twists and turns on every corner, whilst simultaneously providing you with all the feelings and emotions and character developments that make you fall in love with the entire cast. You go on an emotional rollercoaster, following our leads Loren and Darien on their supernatural investigation and solving of mysteries. Those two are among my favorite fantasy couples. They have instant attraction but still keep us waiting with high tension, teasing and banter of the delicious kind. And eventually you get a spicy reward for all the pages they kept you rooting and screaming for them to finally give into their attraction and growing feelings. Damien? argh he’s a hot one. A very hot one. I’m in love. But the rest of the characters is great too! You get found family and such a fun and making you feel good cast. I’m praying we’ll get some more povs in the future! I also want to give some praise to the incredibly addictive and captivating writing of this book. It grips you from the very first page. Extremely well written and amazing storytelling! I saw some people criticize the similarity to crescent city. I haven’t read any urban fantasies despite Crescent City, but I think it’s just the vibe urban fantasies all have in common. Just like many high fantasies have similar worlds and vibes…. From a plot and character point the two books are completely different! But: if you enjoyed and liked crescent city, you’re going to love this series!! You’re in for a intriguing and exciting read with amazing characters. I seriously can’t pin point one single bad thing in this book. This was written for every urban fantasy fan out there and for all of us romance addicts. You get both in this book. 5
goddamnit that was a rollercoaster of the best kind. This reminded me again why I love fantasy. The world and lore in this is so exciting and intriguing and I’m eager to see more of this world and learn more with the continuation of the series! This book is extremely exciting and keeps you on your toes with plot twists and turns on every corner, whilst simultaneously providing you with all the feelings and emotions and character developments that make you fall in love with the entire cast. You go on an emotional rollercoaster, following our leads Loren and Darien on their supernatural investigation and solving of mysteries. Those two are among my favorite fantasy couples. They have instant attraction but still keep us waiting with high tension, teasing and banter of the delicious kind. And eventually you get a spicy reward for all the pages they kept you rooting and screaming for them to finally give into their attraction and growing feelings. Damien? argh he’s a hot one. A very hot one. I’m in love. But the rest of the characters is great too! You get found family and such a fun and making you feel good cast. I’m praying we’ll get some more povs in the future! I also want to give some praise to the incredibly addictive and captivating writing of this book. It grips you from the very first page. Extremely well written and amazing storytelling! I saw some people criticize the similarity to crescent city. I haven’t read any urban fantasies despite Crescent City, but I think it’s just the vibe urban fantasies all have in common. Just like many high fantasies have similar worlds and vibes…. From a plot and character point the two books are completely different! But: if you enjoyed and liked crescent city, you’re going to love this series!! You’re in for a intriguing and exciting read with amazing characters. I seriously can’t pin point one single bad thing in this book. This was written for every urban fantasy fan out there and for all of us romance addicts. You get both in this book. 5
3.5
6 star read Darien Cassel the man you are!! He quickly became one of my top 5 book boyfriends I love him ✨
Description
Loren Calla has only ever been ordinary. As a human struggling to survive in a city that caters to the needs of vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural creatures, she always assumed her life would remain simple, predictable, and as safe as her world would allow.
Until she barely escapes abduction at the hands of Darkslayers—supernatural bounty hunters that possess the Sight, a magical tracking ability that allows them to see a person’s aura—and one of her friends is taken in her place. The abductors are demanding a ransom: Loren's life in exchange for her friend's safe return. Loren will do whatever it takes to get her friend back—even if it means accepting help from Darien Cassel, the leader of the Seven Devils, the most feared Darkslaying circle in the city.
Darien specializes in tracking down demons and criminals that are better off dead than alive, so when he takes a job to track down Loren and finds out she is human—and couldn't hurt a fly if her life depended on it—he decides to protect her instead of turn her in for a reward. As much as Loren doesn't want to admit it, Darien is her best and only chance at finding her friend alive, if she can somehow manage to get along with him—and not fall head-over-heels in love with him in the process, which is far easier said than done.
When more women start disappearing, and some of them slowly turn up dead, Loren and Darien's search for answers takes them deep into Angelthene's corrupt underbelly, where they discover a dark secret that threatens to unravel their world. And when tragedy strikes, Loren learns that love can make an ordinary person do extraordinary things.
From the author of Dreams of Ice and Iron comes a new fantasy romance perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Ilona Andrews, and Cassandra Clare.
Book Information
Posts
Don’t just add it to your TBR… bow down to it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
City of Gods and Monsters didn’t just eat my feelings — it devoured my soul and rebuilt it with fire and devotion. Kayla Edwards delivered an urban fantasy that absolutely slaps the heart awake and refuses to let it rest. From the moment I met Loren Calla, an ordinary human thrust into a terrifying supernatural metropolis, to every breath-stealing moment beside Darien Cassel and the Seven Devils, I was locked in, utterly obsessed.  What truly sets this book apart is the slow-burn that actually burns — the tension between Loren and Darien is honeyed with longing, grit, and the kind of chemistry where you feel every heartbeat. Their romance doesn’t rush — it erupts in all the best ways. The emotional depth, the vulnerability, the weight of love that grows from trust instead of insta-lust — flawless execution.  The worldbuilding of Angelthene is rich, gritty, and dangerous in all the right ways. Vampires, werewolves, hellsehers, witches, magic, corruption, and conspiracies that pull you deeper with each twist — this isn’t just a fantasy city, it’s a living, breathing labyrinth of danger and wonder.  And let’s talk about found family — I laughed, I feared for them, I love-swooned for them. The Seven Devils are iconic, individually memorable, and collectively untouchable.  This is a 700+ page masterpiece that kept me glued to the edge of my seat, desperate for every revelation. Dark, romantic, wild, and irresistible — City of Gods and Monsters isn’t just a read — it’s a devotion.
Ich bin begeistert!
Ich hatte wirklich sehr hohe Erwartungen an das Buch und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht! 😍 Obwohl das Buch knapp über 700 Seiten dick ist, gab es keine Längen. Die Entwicklung der Charaktere war zu jeder Zeit nachvollziehbar und die Chemie zwischen Loren und Darien war einfach perfekt! 🔥 Ich fand es auch gut, wieder mal eine FMC zu haben, die einfach nett und freundlich ist und keine außergewöhnlich starke Kämpferin, die innerhalb von ein paar Wochen mit ausgebildeten Auftragskillern mithalten kann. Das Buch bekommt von mir 10/10 Punkte.
Situation: life threatening Protagonists: thinking about fucking each other I tried really, really hard to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. I couldn't feel anything towards the fmc, the mmc had me roll my eyes many times, I wasn't interested in the plot, the sexual tension felt pretty misplaced, and I've never read the word "paraphernalia" so often in such a short time.
Ich liebe es
Also ich muss zuerst einmal sagen das ich das meiste von dem Buch auf der Arbeit gehört habe und es mir ab und zu schwer fiel mein Gesicht neutral zu halten. Ein super spannendes Buch und die Art und Weise wie Darian zu Lola redet ist einfach so schön. Ich kann es wirklich nur empfehlen, musste auch kurz ein bisschen weinen. Ich habe mir den nächsten Teil noch nicht geholt aber das werde ich aufjedenfall noch. Wenn ihr am überlegen seid das Buch zu lesen aber euch nicht sicher seit, gebt dem Buch auf jeden Fall eine Chance. 🥰
Darien Cassel the man you are
Als ich in die Geschichte gestartet bin, war ich direkt Feuer und Flamme für die Handlung. Abgesehen von der Magiewelt, war es einfach ein super durchdachtes Buch und jede Figur hatte seine Wichtigkeit und Platz. ich bin supergespannt wie es weiter geht, aber trotz mancher Kleinigkeiten gegen Ende, bin ich nicht weniger von der Geschichte überzeugt. Zu 100% eines meiner Jahreshighlights!
6 star read! 🩶🩶🩶
I haven't read such a good romance book in a very, very long time! It was exciting from the first page and continued throughout the entire book! The plot twists were just incredible. The author managed to build the relationship between Darien and Loren incredibly well, it was so incredibly nice to be able to experience that with both of them. Darien puts all bookboyfriends to shame so far, I love him! So if you don't read this series, what else are you doing?!
Puh. That book was way too long and I hated the FMC. Sure she’s a nice young women but man there are NO layers. And she is a huge damsel and that’s just not my type of FMCs. I am sorry but no. Then she’s depicted as “so pretty but I doesn’t see it” - this whining and “oh I’m the poor orphan girl- l am a nobody and so clumsy” - made me want throw up. The MMC is far more interesting and has some layers but he is a walking cliché The world building started out interesting and then the author lost me quite quickly. Maybe it’s because I’m not a fan of urban fantasy’s but it all felt so stereotypical. The love drama between our main characters was forced and sorry you can’t use a phone call EVERY damn time they want to do it - this was just not natural and had no suspense - it was just freaking annoying. The pacing is off too and there is always: two weeks later phrases I really did not like. I mean that book has nearly 800pages… I think a lot of people like this series but I won’t continue and there’s no recommendation from me.
Can't understand the hype...maybe I'm too old but the characters didn't convince me, I didn't like them especially the FMC...Its a dnf for me
Habe das Buch nach 10% abgebrochen - 2 Sterne sind für das mögliche Potential, was ich damit nicht mitbekomme. Die Bewertungen u.a. auf Amazon oder Instagram hörten sich vielversprechend an, aber Loren ist so eine dumme Nuss, die garantiert auch keine große Entwicklung durchmacht- das wollte ich nicht aushalten. Sie ist natürlich super hübsch mit schlanker Figur, großen blauen Augen, hüftlangen blonden Haaren und immer in kurzen Klamotten und High Heels unterwegs. Dabei stolpert sie gern mal, muss beschützt werden, trifft ziemlich infantile Entscheidungen und ist so inhärent GUT, dass sogar ihre Aura weiß mit Regenbogen ist 💫 Der MMC ist natürlich groß, dark, muskulös und schleppt irgendein Trauma mit sich, was er mit Untergrundkämpfen und casual sex zu verstecken versucht. Ist ja klar, dass er nur auf Loren wartet. Dementsprechend - nee danke. XD
Neuer Bookboyfriend!!! ❤️❤️🔥 Darien-fucking-Cassel
Ich habe das Buch sehr gemocht und werde die ganze Reihe zuende lesen! Der Anfang war etwas holprig und mir fiel es schwer in die Welt einzutauchen, weil es sehr viel neues war. Die verschiedenen übernatürlichen Wesen und wer wem unterstellt ist. Das spielte aber nicht so eine große Rolle, sobald er auftaucht... Darien Cassel ❤️ In den Mmc habe ich mich im ersten Moment verliebt. Die Spannung zwischen Ihm und unserer Protagonistin war herrlich, auch wenn sie lange gebraucht haben sich ihre Gefühle einzugestehen. Auch wenn ich eher Bücher mit mehr smut lese, fand ich es sehr erfrischend und angenehm. Durch Darien-fucking-Cassel braucht man nicht unbedingt viel smut... er reicht aus! Es ist ein sehr schönes und spannendes Buch, ich kann es nur empfehlen!
goddamnit that was a rollercoaster of the best kind. This reminded me again why I love fantasy. The world and lore in this is so exciting and intriguing and I’m eager to see more of this world and learn more with the continuation of the series! This book is extremely exciting and keeps you on your toes with plot twists and turns on every corner, whilst simultaneously providing you with all the feelings and emotions and character developments that make you fall in love with the entire cast. You go on an emotional rollercoaster, following our leads Loren and Darien on their supernatural investigation and solving of mysteries. Those two are among my favorite fantasy couples. They have instant attraction but still keep us waiting with high tension, teasing and banter of the delicious kind. And eventually you get a spicy reward for all the pages they kept you rooting and screaming for them to finally give into their attraction and growing feelings. Damien? argh he’s a hot one. A very hot one. I’m in love. But the rest of the characters is great too! You get found family and such a fun and making you feel good cast. I’m praying we’ll get some more povs in the future! I also want to give some praise to the incredibly addictive and captivating writing of this book. It grips you from the very first page. Extremely well written and amazing storytelling! I saw some people criticize the similarity to crescent city. I haven’t read any urban fantasies despite Crescent City, but I think it’s just the vibe urban fantasies all have in common. Just like many high fantasies have similar worlds and vibes…. From a plot and character point the two books are completely different! But: if you enjoyed and liked crescent city, you’re going to love this series!! You’re in for a intriguing and exciting read with amazing characters. I seriously can’t pin point one single bad thing in this book. This was written for every urban fantasy fan out there and for all of us romance addicts. You get both in this book. 5
goddamnit that was a rollercoaster of the best kind. This reminded me again why I love fantasy. The world and lore in this is so exciting and intriguing and I’m eager to see more of this world and learn more with the continuation of the series! This book is extremely exciting and keeps you on your toes with plot twists and turns on every corner, whilst simultaneously providing you with all the feelings and emotions and character developments that make you fall in love with the entire cast. You go on an emotional rollercoaster, following our leads Loren and Darien on their supernatural investigation and solving of mysteries. Those two are among my favorite fantasy couples. They have instant attraction but still keep us waiting with high tension, teasing and banter of the delicious kind. And eventually you get a spicy reward for all the pages they kept you rooting and screaming for them to finally give into their attraction and growing feelings. Damien? argh he’s a hot one. A very hot one. I’m in love. But the rest of the characters is great too! You get found family and such a fun and making you feel good cast. I’m praying we’ll get some more povs in the future! I also want to give some praise to the incredibly addictive and captivating writing of this book. It grips you from the very first page. Extremely well written and amazing storytelling! I saw some people criticize the similarity to crescent city. I haven’t read any urban fantasies despite Crescent City, but I think it’s just the vibe urban fantasies all have in common. Just like many high fantasies have similar worlds and vibes…. From a plot and character point the two books are completely different! But: if you enjoyed and liked crescent city, you’re going to love this series!! You’re in for a intriguing and exciting read with amazing characters. I seriously can’t pin point one single bad thing in this book. This was written for every urban fantasy fan out there and for all of us romance addicts. You get both in this book. 5
3.5
6 star read Darien Cassel the man you are!! He quickly became one of my top 5 book boyfriends I love him ✨