Author: Devyn Sinclair

Series: War of Heavenly Fire

First Published: 17 January 2024

“There is nothing quite as lovely as mortal sunlight. Never let them tell you otherwise.”

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank so much Devyn and the team over Chaotic Creatives for sending a copy my way!

Three angels. One assassin. She’s fighting for her life, but they’re fighting for her heart.

I was born for two things: To kill, and to be a queen.

Trained as an assassin since birth, I’ve destroyed Hell’s enemies one by one. Now my throne is so close I can taste it.

One more assignment. One more seduction. One trail of broken bodies to lead me to my crown.

Three archangels can’t be that hard to kill, right?

Turns out, I’ve never been more wrong.

And this mistake? It will cost me everything.

Queen of Darkness is a lot darker in tone than what I’ve read from Devyn Sinclair before, and I was hooked. This book is a serious page-turner. I have so many questions about what happens to Arielle and her Archangels.

Arielle has been taken by the king of Tartarus because of her affinity with darkness. She has been raised as an assassin alongside her adoptive sister, Nissa, to help Hell win the war against the heavens. Arielle and Nissa have been pitted against each other in hopes of being crowned Tartarus’ next heir. Arielle has one more assignment to prove her worth. She’s thrown out of Hell with limited instructions, no weapons and no clothes. She must find The High Trinity, the three Archangels who rule heaven, seduce them and kill them. Only then will she be able to take her title. She has undertaken missions like this countless times. This time won’t be any different, right? Any mistake will cost Arielle everything.

The sheer amount of abuse, assault and torment that has been thrown Arielle’s way was intense. And despite this, Arielle hasn’t managed to lose her humanity. It’s something she tucks away and thinks of as a weakness. Arielle struggles when getting to know the High Trinity – Atlas, Solomon and Kai – as she is finally treated with kindness and respect. She is conflicted about her mission, the life she’s been told she will have her whole life and this growing connection with the archangels.

Queen of Darkness is a why choose, fated mates romance, which we all know is my all-time favourite. We have two romances. First, Arielle is bonded to Cassian, a fallen angel who works for her father. They have been pining after each other for years but resisted temptation as they did not want the king to use it against them. Finally, they are bonded in a humiliating ceremony in front of the court of Hell. Their time together is cut short when Arielle is sent on her mission. And then we have Arielle’s relationship with the High Trinity. Solomon has concerns that Arielle is a spy from Hell, so while they are aware of their growing connection, they are slow to act on their feelings. Queue the growing sexual tension and angst. The steam in here is off the charts. That group scene left me needing to cool down.

I adored the world-building in here. Heaven and Hell are at war. Each side will do anything to gain the upper hand. I did enjoy the slight Greek myth elements of Hell. I adored the mythos Devyn Sinclair has built into this world. Also, the relationship between Arielle and Nissa gave me major Gamora and Nebula vibes. I would like to see the sister learn to trust and support each other as they take on their horrible father, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Queen of Darkness is a strong start to this series and sets up the world perfectly. I have no idea how Arielle, Solomon, Kai, Atlas and Cassian are going to get their HEA, but I fear we will have some heartbreak to get through first.