Made with love
© Victoria Gryson 2024
She’s just a demon, standing in front of a vampire, trying not to punch him.
Aviva Fleischer has a secret life.
To all appearances she’s a paragon of the magic community. She’s from a respected family and has become a top supernatural operative policing crimes committed by magic humans. In fact, Aviva is about to be promoted to head up her own unit, all by the age of thirty. Exactly as planned.
But should anyone ever learn that she’s a half-demon—an infernal—her entire life will go scorched earth. In her world, vampires are celebrated like rock stars, but demons, their kissing cousins, are reviled and hunted. Talk about a double standard.
Then a rash of bizarre murders break out and the Powers That Be opt to make her co-leader of a special new squad. One that mixes humans with their vampire counterparts—investigators who hunt down rogue vamps and demons.
Co-leader? Seriously? That major wrench in her leadership plans is bad enough, but even worse? She’s being partnered with Ezra Cardoso, jet set vamp and playboy extraordinaire. Aviva should know—he broke her heart six years ago.
Ezra is also the only one other than her mom who she’s trusted with her secret. Will he betray her to get ahead? Try it: she’s got a wooden stake with his name on it.
Soooo… one of my favorite authors has just published a new series set in a new world… why yes, don’t mind if I do!
We’re in today’s world, though we have vampires, demons, and apparently people, the Eishei Kodesh, who have some degree of fire magic (red, orange, yellow, white, and blue). Each color of said fire magic does something else. Avi is a Blue Flame, and she can see people’s weaknesses, physiological or mental.
Aviva (Avi) is an infernal, a half-shedim (half-demon). Her alter ego Cherry is pretty much THE best-kept secret ever, as she is deathly afraid of how the world or even her friends would react if they found out she’s not entirely human. Avi has worked her butt off for the level 3 promotion but gets stuck as a co-leader in a murder case. Too bad the other leader is her ex, who crashed and burned her world six years ago.
Ezra is a vampire. People might know him as the Crimson Prince and envy his jet-set lifestyle. They don’t know that he is an intel gatherer for the Maccabees… and, well yeah… now a very reluctant co-leader in a murder investigation.
While we get to know a bit more about both of our main characters throughout the book, there is still much that remains a mystery, and I hope we will discover more about them in the next installment. Being near each other again really does a number on both Avi and Ezra. How will they pull off working together without killing each other first?
I just wanted to remind you all this is a slow-burn romance… so please, don’t expect anything to happen… yet 😉
The supporting cast is amazing! We have Sachie, a human Maccabee and Avi’s bestest friend. We have Darch, a genderfluid vampire who, I think at least, is very underrated in this book. And we round out the team with Silas, another vampire, and Ezra’s second.
While the atmosphere in the group can get tense, getting to the bottom of the case is the top priority, and everyone pitches in. The characters feel real and alive, and I absolutely love the snark and the banter going back and forth 😀
The pacing was pretty chill… there was no hurry, so there was plenty of time to set the stage and get to know all the players (have a love -or hate- vibe going on with Ezra) before it picked up and got us going!
The book was well written with no (noticeable) errors.
It has 366 pages, spread over 29 chapters, and is told from Avi’s point of view.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book, and while I enjoyed it, I couldn’t really get into it for some reason, but that’s just me. I look forward to getting to know the characters more in the next installment.
Do you like an urban fantasy/mystery with vampires, demons, a new and unique kind of magic, and some characters who are very good at hiding big secrets (I’m looking at you, Ezra), topped off with a sprinkling of romance? Then pick this one up and enjoy the ride 🙂
© Victoria Gryson 2024