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The Wretched Divine is the heart-pounding adult debut from New York Times and Sunday Times-bestselling author Adalyn Grace, about an ancient war between angels and demons, and the human knight determined to end it at any cost. Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she's spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she's one of the few who can stop them. If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she'll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune bloodline: a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom's survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she's sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good. With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she'll have to make a choice: continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Themes & Tropes:

Book Review:

The Wretched Divine by Adalyn Grace is amazing. I loved this book so much, and I need to make one thing clear right up front: this is a fantasy novel, not a romantasy.Romance is a subplot of a subplot here, so if you're coming in expecting a love triangle to take center stage, you might want to adjust those expectations. The real star of the show is the fantasy, and trust me, it delivers.

Grace throws us into an extraordinarily complex world inhabited by angels, demons, and humans, and I was immediately intrigued by how unique this story felt. Aurelie is meant to be soul-bonded to an angel, but things take an unexpected turn when she ends up bonded to both an angel and a demon. Because apparently, one supernatural complication just wasn't enough!

Aurelie's kingdom is being ravaged by demon attacks, and all she wants is to save her people. To do that, she bonds with an angel in hopes of gaining the power of glory. But when she unexpectedly bonds with a demon, she discovers that demonic power might be just as useful in her fight. Suddenly, she's navigating two very different kinds of magic, and neither comes with an instruction manual.

Now, Aurelie and I had a few moments. She's naive, emotional, and impulsive, and I occasionally found myself wanting to shake some sense into her. But I also understood why she was that way. She's been indoctrinated into a particular way of thinking, and unlearning everything she's been taught isn't exactly a walk in the park. Watching her struggle to understand her new powers while questioning the beliefs she's built her life around was one of the more interesting aspects of her character development.

One of my favorite elements of this book is Grace's take on the age-old conflict between angels and demons. The battle between good and evil is hardly a new concept in fantasy, but she gives it a fresh and entertaining spin. The story explores the idea that good and evil might not be as black-and-white as we're taught to believe. Sometimes, the very things we're told to fear have something valuable to offer, and sometimes, the things we consider good aren't quite as pure as we'd like to think. Perhaps balance, rather than the complete destruction of one side, is what the world needs to find peace. I really enjoyed how this theme unfolded throughout the story.

And then we have our two supernatural troublemakers.

Severin, our demon, is every bit as charming and seductive as you'd expect. He's a fan of inappropriate jokes, wine, and playing the lyre, and he has absolutely no problem making himself the most entertaining person in the room. He agrees to help Aurelie, but naturally, there's a catch: she has to bond with him. Because why offer assistance when you can make things dramatically more complicated? The powers he grants her are fascinating, and his personality adds a deliciously mischievous energy to the story.

Yuriel, our angel, is sweet, kind, and genuinely cares about Aurelie. He takes his responsibilities as her bonded angel very seriously and has a deep love for both his bow and humankind. He also thrives on routine, which makes him an interesting counterpart to the chaos unfolding around him. Much of the book finds him trying to earn Aurelie's trust, though I did find him a little misguided at times. There's also a noticeable sense of guilt surrounding certain aspects of his character, and I was intrigued by what that might mean for him.

What really made this book work for me, though, was the cast as a whole. The characters feel thoughtfully developed, and I loved the chemistry between them. I'm not just talking about Aurelie, Severin, and Yuriel, either. The dynamics throughout the story add so much personality and depth to the world. The relationships feel like more than just convenient plot devices, and the characters' differing perspectives make their interactions genuinely entertaining.

Overall, The Wretched Divine is a fantastic adult debut from Adalyn Grace. It feels distinct from her previous books, but it still has the imaginative storytelling and character work that made me love her writing in the first place. The worldbuilding is compelling, the magic system is intriguing, the themes give the story substance, and the characters kept me invested from beginning to end.

I absolutely recommend this one to anyone looking for an epic fantasy with a richly imagined world, morally complicated supernatural beings, and a fresh take on the eternal battle between angels and demons. Just remember: come for the fantasy, not the romance. The demons have jokes to make, the angels have rules to follow, and Aurelie has a whole lot of chaos to sort out.