4,5 stars ( )

I love the world Jade Archer has created in this book. It isn’t easy to come up with a sensible and interesting universe when writing sci-fi, but this one definitely has potential. The story held my attention, especially since there was just enough mystery about the origins of the Aenjels and Deamonds to keep me fascinated. Based on some of the hints, I have a theory, and cannot wait to find out if it is true. While there is a basic similarity between Aenjels and angels, Deamonds and demons, there clearly is far more going on than existing religious myths provide for. It made for a very nice variation and some intriguing possibilities for future books.

Mykel is the Aenjel leader on this quest to save what is left of the two species whose planet has just been destroyed by their sun (mysteriously) going supernova. He may be outwardly peaceful looking, and is not very aggressive (usually), but he has a core of steel and more than manages to hold his own. Being the leader of what is left of his species isn’t easy for him, but he faces his task with determination and dignity. The lust he feels for Lussafar may overwhelm him at times, but he is not going to give in. Or so he likes to believe.

Lussafar is the Deamonds’ overlord. He has dark moods, is aggressive and determined not to let the Aenjels pull the wool over his eyes, so to speak. He carries ages of resentment against the ‘holier than though’ Aenjels in his heart and has a hard time overcoming his prejudice. Mykel, for some reason, gets under his skin, and slowly but surely manages to convince him that there may be hope. He knows they need to work together if they want to survive, he just has a little trouble accepting it.

I loved how the two of them fought and sparred, then bantered with each other. The secondary characters are also interesting, and the whole setting had me enthralled. If you like science fiction, don’t miss this one. If you have never read sci-fi in your life, this will give you an interesting introduction. And if you want to read about opposites attracting and strong, macho men falling in love, definitely don’t miss it. This is a great read, and one I enjoyed immensely.




NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online ( )