We could not just leave you with a City of Gods and Monsters summary, we had to come back and introduce you to the lethally handsome Darien Cassel and his devils. City of Gods and Monsters by Kayla Edwards is the first book in the House of Devils series, which has taken fantasy romance readers by storm. If you follow BookTokers like Marianna—whom we absolutely worship in this team—then you know what we’re talking about.
As we’ve said before, if you swear by SJM’s Crescent City, then you must log into Amazon, Goodreads, or any alternative apps you prefer and give this romantasy gem a chance to sweep you off your feet. Many readers prefer the audiobook version due to its intimidating length. Don’t forget to check out our Crescent City characters post and our suggested Throne of Glass reading order.
City of Gods and Monsters summary
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Without further ado, let’s dive into this urban fantasy romance and meet our darkslayers and as many side characters as possible—trust us, there are a lot.
Proceed with caution; spoilers ahead!
Loren is a human girl who was adopted at a very young age by the Red Baron and Tessa Bright. She grew up thinking she had no magic, and we see most of the story through her POV. She suffers from a mysterious condition, has a painful medical tattoo that alerts her when her blood sugar is low, and has grown up feeling weak because of it. However, her intelligence and tenacious character are far from weak.
She will gladly give her life to protect her step-sister Dallas without hesitation. With Darien’s help, she will find the power that is inside her and will not only protect those she loves, but also claim what is rightfully hers, including the legacy of the Arcanum Well and the device itself. Darien will become her soul, their love with redefine their lives and will help both of them rediscover who they are.
Darien is your new possessive book boyfriend—dark, mysterious, morally gray and brooding. He is who you warn your friends about, but the one you secretly yearn for. And let us tell you, this man yearns and loves hard. Darien suffers from magical surges and has green up blaming himself for his mother’s suicide. His father is not only absent but also abusive and is the one who forced him into using his hellseher powers and becoming a supernatural bounty hunter. His greatest ally is his twin sister Ivyana, whom he protects fiercely.
As the leader of the Seven Devils, he feels responsible for them, and sees them as his found family. His love for Loren will drive him to want to be and do better. Darien has a hard time accepting he is inherently good and has been turned into a weapon by his father, but with Loren by his side, he makes his own destiny. But don’t be fooled, he can be vicious and ruthless to get what he wants.
Dallas is a badass, strong, independent, and Loren’s best friend and step-sister. She is exactly what you would expect from the daughter of the Red Baron—Elix Danik, the other Arcanum Well creator—and Taega Bright, who leads Angelthene’s Aerial Fleet. Naturally she wants to follow in their footsteps and become a soldier in the Aerial fleet. She is also a witch in training and absolutely loves Loren. Unlike Loren, she is very sensual and dates Maximus Reacher, another of the seven devils.
Sabrine is the first victim of the conspiracy against Loren, she is taken as a hostage in Loren’s place, but thankfully she is not experimented on. She’s had a rough childhood with a drunk for a father, and loves Dallas and Loren dearly. She is half-witch, but when Logan, the alpha of the werewolves, finds her while searching for his sister who is also missing, he turns her into a wolf. Sabrine seems to have feelings for Logan, but we don’t get into it in the first book.
Logan is the alpha of the Angelthene werewolves, and when his sister Chrysantha goes missing, he moves heaven and earth to find her. He ends up stumbling upon a half-dead Sabrine. With no hesitation, he turns her into a wolf to save her, and despite being afraid, he is ready to face the consequences. He seems to have tender feelings for Sabrine as well.
Maximus is cool and well-liked. As his name implies, he does his absolute best in everything. He cares a lot about Darien and is the first to welcome Loren. He falls for Dallas immediately, and they hit it off. He is like the second leader of the devils, calm and collected.
Ivy is Darien’s twin sister, and looks run in the family. They have grown up taking care of each other and are full-blooded hellsehers despite their mother being human. Like Darien, Ivy despises their father, Randal Slade, and Darien constantly protects her from him. She is married to Jack, and even covers his gambling debts—which does not seem too healthy.
Another member of the Seven Devils, Jack is Ivyana’s husband. He’s easy going and fun, but has a gambling addiction and often brings trouble to Ivy.
The Devlin Devil is Ivyana and Darien’s cousin. He is like a younger version of Darien in both looks and attitude. Like Jack, we don’t see much of him in the first book.
The minute Lace meets Loren, she hates her guts and is openly hostile. Lace has a very strong sense of family and struggles with her sense of belonging, so we can’t hold a grudge. She dated Darien and is his only serious relationship aside from Loren. But, Lace is not as bad, she progressively becomes nicer to Loren.
The last member of the devils, Tanner, is the hacker of the team. Thanks to him, the team manages to break into the most secure buildings in the whole of Angelthene. Fun fact, he wears fake glasses to look the part of a tech expert despite having perfect vision.
When it comes to slow-burn romance and intricate world-building, Kayla Edwards knows what she's doing. For fans of urban fantasy books and tropes like enemies to reluctant allies to loves or grumpy x sunshine, CoGaM is the ideal romantic fantasy. The plot twists keep coming and the plot—along with the spice—thickens in the next two books, City of Souls and Sinners and City of Lies and Legends.
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Yes, Loren is human, but she discovers that she does have magic. Her father, Erasmus Sophronia, one of the two creators of the Arcanum Well has bestowed his power to his daughter, who was born from the device. Using her magic, Loren brings Darien back to life and restores the city of Angelthene.
No, Loren manages to restore the city after the explosion by using the wish her father bought her and wishing on Tempus, the God of Time, to reverse it all. She and Darien confess their love and come together for the first time. Loren is even reunited with her father. The next book has new threats and a new quest for our heroes.
Not exactly. Darien and Loren are from different species; she is human, and he is the renowned leader of the Seven Devils. They don’t hate each other, but they are from two different worlds which results to enemies to lovers vibes. And there is a lot of middle ground before they become lovers, despite their instant attraction.
Always living in her own enchanted little world, Christina discovered the magic that can be hidden within the pages of a book when one dares to take a closer look from a tender age. An avid reader, she is constantly inspired to delve into the secrets woven between the lines and challenges herself to find her own voice amidst the chaos. She is a dedicated fan of the classics, but the supernatural creatures that have tormented readers for years are her kryptonite. The mastery it takes to infuse the author's essence, molded by the era they grew up in to their innermost desires fascinates her. Undoubtedly, putting her passion and knowledge on paper has a mesmerizing allure on her, and following the steps of so many other dreamers before her she wishes to leave her mark in the literary world. Guided by T.S Eliot’s haunting words: “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” she intends to wreak havoc in the minds of her future readers.
