City of Lies and Legends (House of Devils)

— 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📖 | 776 pages 👤 | author Kayla Edwards 🏢 | published independently 📅 | release date 12 March 2024 What you can expect: — New Adult Urban Fantasy Romance — Third Instalment In A Series — Third-Person POV — Multiple POVs — Mental Health Rep — Chronic Pain Rep — Morally Grey Characters — Shadow Daddies — Rivals To Lovers — Close Proximity — Found Family Trigger & Content Warnings include: violence, mature language, sexually explicit content, drug abuse, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and suicide. City of Lies and Legends is the third instalment in the New-Adult Urban Fantasy House of Devils series by author Kayla Edwards. When Darkslayer Darien Cassel first took human Loren Calla under his wing, he’d made a promise to protect her from anything. And now that she has fallen into a coma, every day a losing battle to return to life, he is determined to save her. When Darien hears rumours of the one place in Terra that houses a secret that just might bring Loren back to him, he drops everything to try it and leaves behind the city he grew up in and the people he calls family. His decision sets his best friend Maximus Reacher onto a road of his own—one no less dangerous than Darien’s as he unearths the secrets of his past, uncovering a multitude of lies and legends better left buried. Meanwhile, in the historic city of Yveswich, Roman Devlin of the House of Black gets tangled up with a shapeshifting Selkie of the Riptide, a member of a rival Darkslaying house and a thorn in his side. Shay Cousens is a pickpocket with endless tricks up her sleeve—and if Roman isn’t careful, she might succeed at stealing both his wallet and his heart as they work together to find her missing sister. Their path will lead them not just to Angelthene, but also into the dark secrets of the Phoenix Head Society—and the restorative body of water that has the power to cleave their world in two. Loyalties are tested and worlds collide in City of Lies and Legends, where the stakes are higher than ever. After being granted early access to read City of Lies and Legends I've found myself having to take a few days to sit on my thoughts and feelings on this explosive book before compiling them all into my review... because wow. It should not feel possible to be sitting here on a 5-star reading streak within a series and yet, here we are. Author Kayla Edwards continues to set out to impress with her immersive world-building and compelling narrative voice within her story telling. The pacing felt steady throughout which is no easy feat considering the sheer length of these books. Every plot, sub-plot and page count exists with a clear purpose as the story continues to tease and develop. At no point did I find the story lagging or containing a filler-like plot, and this just continues to display the commitment and genius mind of the author. I recommend the House of Devils series to all who will listen to me, and that will never change. After that jaw-dropping cliff-hanger at the end of book two I have been anxiously awaiting to see where this story will go, and it's safe to say it's as heart-breaking and yet as fulfilling as you could imagine. My heart broke for our roguish and loveable main character Darien as he fights for the survival of the woman we watched him fall in-love with, Loren Calla. Loren's purpose within this instalment isn't something I'm going to spoil as it's very much one of those instances you need to read yourself to feel the full effect. But what I will say is that Loren and Darien's journey is filled with angst, pain, heartbreak and most importantly... love. The love that Loren and Darien share is what makes this story what it is. Watching these two once lonely and sad individuals find true love and contentment with one another is the driving force within the storyline... but that doesn't mean it gets to be easy. There were multiple occasions I had to put the book down and just think about what I had just read, as City of Lies and Legends cements itself in the most emotionally compelling instalment to date. Darien and Loren are so special to me, and I will gladly follow their journey through to the end. When the author announced that we would be leaving the familiar world of Angelthene to expand and explore into the world of Yveswich and its inhabitants... I was intrigued. I wondered if this new settings would create a change in vibes and overall feel to the story, which it did in the best possible way. This new setting and cast of side characters offered a fresh outlook and a new narrative to follow which added to the strength of the vast plot being explored. I absolutely love Roman Devlin. I will admit that I was nervous about the introduction to his character as the older cousin to Darien Cassel and older brother to Travis Devlin. I was concerned that a character like Darien would be too difficult to follow and that Roman would either be too similar to Darien, or he would just exist in his shadow. I'm glad that my concerns have been appeased as Roman Devlin is a strong side-character with his own distinctive voice and characteristics. There are some similarities to be found between Roman and Darien that you would come to expect from family, but outside of this both characters stand firmly on their own. Roman's story is emotionally gripping and offers the reader a greater insight into his motivations and decisions. What is with the Slade men being so awful and terrifying? If you thought Randal was bad... wait until you meet his brother Don. His relationship build-up with Shay was everything, and I absolutely adored them. I love Shay's feisty nature and willingness to dish back everything Roman serves. Their banter was hilarious and their dynamic offered a much-needed reprieve to the heaviness to the main storyline. I loved watching the connections that brought everybody together, and I'm already desperate for book four after seeing where Roman and Shay leave things. A special mention has to go to my beloved Dallas and Max. Can I just say how proud I am of these two? Their relationship progress was very much on the sidelines until we were introduced to their POV in City of Souls and Sinners. It was then we were introduced to a deeper insight into their relationship and the troubles they faced. We witnessed Dallas in particular as she struggled with her hesitancy and fear surrounding being loved by Max, and the growth that we see in City of Lies and Legends is so subtle and yet so apparent? I adore those two together so much, and it was everything to watch them seamlessly work together as a team throughout their purpose to the plot as they continue to grow and learn as a couple. Max and Dallas are severely underrated and under-appreciated, and I hope we continue to see them flourish throughout the good and the bad. I told myself that I'd try my best to keep this review concise and short, but alas I have once again failed. This is what happens when you love a book too much and have far too many thoughts and feelings needing shared. City of Lies and Legends is the darkest and grittiest instalment to the House of Devils series. Author Kayla Edwards has seamlessly continued the story and the lore of the world into the third instalment of this five-planned book series, and I genuinely cannot wait to see what comes next. This series is an emotional rollercoaster that will force you to feel as many emotions as physically possible in one book, and at the end we say 'thank you' to the author for taking us on that journey. Yet another strong addition to my favourite Fantasy series of all-time, and I need as many people as possible to be jumping onto this one.

City of Lies and Legends* brilliantly introduces characters like Roman and Shay, seamlessly integrating them into the story as if they'd been there from the very beginning. Their presence is captivating, and any new character introduced quickly draws you in. This book is another slow burn with a lot happening from start to finish. While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, there were moments that felt a bit dragged out, leaving me eager to get to the heart of the action.

So, I am going to reiterate my City of Souls and Sinners review here because, yes, this is an urban fantasy novel. Still, it doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the Cresent City Series (especially after that third book, IMO). This book is a masterclass in trusting the author to know where their stories are going, to stay true to their characters and their dedication to building a world that we can all escape to. If you've read this far in the series, you know our lass Kayla loves an Easter Egg and a clue. What I love about this third book is that we get plenty of answers, clues, and questions. But it is all beautifully balanced, which doesn't make you frustrated that you have more questions than answers and are being horribly dumped on my expedition. *SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT* Okay, now let's talk about the story. I really enjoyed leaving Angelthene for a new area and learning more about the world that we are vicariously living through. Learning more about Roman was delightful; the more the story progressed, the more you could see insight into this guy. I was pleased when the whole gang finally shared their finding. Again, that comes down to a very well-paced book; at no point was I frustrated that between the three/four concurrent storylines, they were all finding out crucial things for each other they couldn't tell each other. Because when they eventually reunited, it all felt very well-paced. The banter, the growth, the spice, the found family, the representation of mental health, all incredible. Here are a couple of random thoughts I had: - I love seeing behind Jack's joker mask because he does use humour to cope, and before that got disrespectful and annoying, this book lets you start to see behind that and is beautifully written by Kayla - The hopeless romantic in me hated the memory loss, but the reunion and the process more than compensated for it. - I love seeing more of Ivy and Darien and their sibling energy and support - Malaki, I will love you forever - Arthur is my grumpy spirit animal - IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MORTY WE RIOT - I want a *bit* more growth from Dallas as her insecurities in the first two books were so much; I think our girl is going to go far if she can just love herself a bit more - I will do anything for Darien.

This book was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024, and let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed one bit. COLAL delivered everything flawlessly, and then some. It is one of those rare series where every new book is full of twists and turns, and anticipation. You never know what’s going to hit you in the next chapter, and the story builds so nicely. For me, it’s the comfort of knowing that it’s not going to be a book about a headless chicken running around, and I will be welcomed with a bunch of wholesome characters with onpoint humor every. single. time. that does it. There is not a single one-dimensional, filler character in here who has a few lines through the series “to keep up the mystery”. Everything is intentional and at some point will come back around to make a full circle, which is a very positive thing in my book. Speaking of the characters, we have new and old friends here and we can see their world changing drastically in this book. Roman and Shay’s arc gives such a hard perspective switch in a way. They are both powerful in their own right, yet we get to experience the depth of the traps they’re stuck in thanks to their carefully tucked away bleeding hearts. They were the perfect additions to this rapidly growing number of idiots, and I can’t wait to see how their “otherness” from the rest of them will unfold. I still have a soft spot for Darien, but his dynamic with Loren tends to rub me the wrong way sometimes. It’s a personal preference, if you will, and doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book/series, but these two have a long way to go for a healthy relationship. It’s deeply rooted in who they are as individuals and the amount of trauma they both experienced, but some parts of their interactions gave me the ick. I just hope we will see them deal with this at one point. Also maybe Loren should grow a personality sooner or later because right now, she is just an idea on a pedestal that Darien is chasing that has very little to do with who she really is. But again, I’m pretty sure it’s just a *me* thing, and I probably find it distracting only because every other woman in this series has such a strong personality and balances their unhinged men out in a way. Regarding the plot, I think I started to understand where Kayla is aiming this story to go and I cannot wait to see it unfold in the next books. There are so many questions, so many directions to go, and so many threads to see connect. But I’m also TERRIFIED to see who will not survive until the end because with such a huge cast of characters we all know it is bound to happen. And I want Morty back.

5🌟/5🌟

I expected a lot and it was better than I expected. New characters, new places, just amazing. However I did expect more from Loren, she felt more predictable and less like that feeling when you love a character, she lost that a little bit in this one but it didn’t make the book anything less than 5 stars

The third instalment of house of decils had me just as hooked as the last two. Roman and Shay's connection was a great and welcome new addition. The plot was complex and fast paced. Had me hooked til the very end. Also way to end on a cliffhanger! Can't wait to read book 4

City of Lies and Legends by Kayla Edwards is an absolute gem of a book! From the very first page, I was drawn into a world of rich lore, complex characters, and thrilling twists. The world-building is top-notch, making every setting feel vibrant and alive. The protagonist is relatable and strong, and the supporting characters bring their own layers of depth to the story. I was hooked by the plot’s unexpected turns and the mysteries that kept me guessing until the very end. This book is perfect for anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, and a bit of magic. Highly recommend for fans of intricate storytelling and immersive worlds!