This an odd book and I kept going back and forth on what I should rate it. Finally I settled on four stars because I did really like the book - even if it felt like I was telling myself that I shouldn't. I mean, if I actually knew what the story was about before I read it, I probably never would have bought it. But I saw Ginn Hale and Steampunk and I was sold. But, really, there's a lot of stuff that I usually wouldn't like in my books: one of the main characters is a drug addict, the writing style is excessive at time, and it's just a little more gritty than I'd usually go for.

Also, the only real issue I had was the fact that this is actually two connected novellas. And, the switch was probably the only time that this story dragged for me.

Very interesting and cool world building, wasn’t quite sold on the MCs, I like both but didn’t really feel a connection between them.

For me reading this book was an interesting interpretation of history if demons/fallen angels really existed and made themselves known in order to attain forgiveness and ascend back to heaven. The whole book has the feel of Europe and the Inquisition if the Inquisition had been given ultimate power.

Belimai Sykes is a Prodigal, a descendent of one of the fallen angels, who retains some of their powers. The only catch is his ancestry shows in his eyes and blackened fingernails. The Inquisition rules all and Prodigal's have very little recompense when things go wrong. They are the children of demons as far as the Inquisition is concerned and of course it is in their nature to be inclined towards evil. Belimai has already had enough of the Inquisition, being tortured at their hands for the information they wanted has left him scarred inside and out with an unhealthy addiction to the drug they pumped him full of. But somehow he finds himself caught up with one of the Inquisition members when Captain William Harper comes asking for his help on a case.

Captain William Harper knows there's something more going on with his half-sister's disappearance. He's determined to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to her. His sister's been wrapped up in Prodigal affairs and this case clearly connects to them as well. There've been a number of murders and William needs help figuring out exactly what's going on.

I liked that these two guys were on opposite sides of the culture lines, but that they find some amount of peace in a tortured world together. The romance definitely takes a back seat to the action of the mystery here, but I didn't mind as the richness of the world was captivating. I enjoyed the way this story was told really in 2 parts, the first form Belimai's perspective in 1st person, the second from William's in 3rd person. Belimai's a tortured soul whose suffered a lot in his short life just for being what he is. And William, well William has plenty of secrets of his own.

Ultimately this story moved along quickly and while it doesn't solve everything in the world it does give you hope for these two characters future. This is a twisted dark world where right is not always going to win, in fact more often than not, right has nothing to do with it. Religion reigns supreme and the Inquisition gets what they want by any means necessary. I really enjoyed watching William figure out what he really wanted and where he stood by the end of this book. Fun story with a decent mystery and fun paranormal elements. :)

Actual rating is closer to a 2.5! I absolutely loved the characters, premise, and world, but I also thought the plot needed to go back to the table for some reworking--it wasn't as fleshed out as I thought the characters merited. Still, I liked the world and characters enough that I'd read more by this author; it's definitely a first novel, but one with some lovely ideas.

❤️❤️❤️

Only complaint: too short

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! It was a fun take on familiar tropes, the repressed but charming middle-class religious policeman and the decadent, morally dubious demonspawn with a drug addiction working his way out of the gutter. And they work together to solve mysteries and DO THE FRICKLE! so pretty book all around despite the embarrassing cover.

A quick read but fun. Demons and inquisition and mysteries. I wished the actual character development was shown differently, because I feel like it was easy to lose track of? But overall good, because a world with demons is fun to read and this goes a lot into the way it affects things. I can see why people recommend it.

Es mucho mejor de lo que parece por la portada, lo prometo. No tengo ninguna queja en especial sobre él. Bien escrito, buen mundo y buenos personajes. Está dividido en dos partes, cada una con su trama y el punto de vista de uno de los dos protagonistas. Ambas voces están muy bien caracterizadas y dejan ver lo mucho que se aprecian mutuamente, a pesar de que las palabras no sean lo suyo. La ambientación es bastante gritty y casi todo el mundo está un poco roto por dentro porque el mundo es un asco, pero me gusta cómo a pesar de eso el libro no hace que se regodeen en la miseria, sino que los empuja a salir hacia adelante. Also demonic gay romance, 10/10 would recommend