Review also on Heir of Glitter.

SPOILER-FREE.

3.5 stars

plot: 20/20
characters: 15/20
setting: 20/20
relationships: 12/20
twists: 12/20
79 out of 100

I adore JLA's Lux series, and I think that had my expectations set a bit too high for this book. It was good, don't get me wrong, but not as good as I'd hoped.

The plot was very unique. I've never heard of anything like it. Simplistically, it was a normal demon-hunting book, kind of like The Shadowhunter Chronicles. But with all of the details, it was very much its own story. The demon-hunters aren't half-angel, but gargoyles that can change between that and a human form. First off, let's just appreciate that GARGOYLES were incorporated into a YA story. I don't think there are any others with them. (But let me know if you know of any!) I applaud JLA for trying something new like this, and for doing it well. The demons were a fairly common element, but their classes and ulterior motives (because come on, they're demons after all) were something I'd never heard of. I'll stop rambling here, but basically, I really liked this story.

I have to say, though, the characters were one of the disappointments in this book. I liked them at times, but none of the main three were great enough for me to be permanently on their side.

Layla:
- humor like a mix of Katy's and Daemon's
- very unique ability (taking souls)
- whiny
- immature

Zayne:
- super sweet
- understanding
- immature
- compassionate for the wrong reasons

Roth:
- caring
- feminist
- inappropriate
- immature

I really liked that the story was set in D.C., because I've never read a book that took place there. It was described very well, and I could picture it easily even though I've barely seen any pictures of D.C., much less been there. I also thought it was cool that certain parts of the city were important to the story. :)

I wasn't really a fan of any of the relationships in this book. Layla's friendship with Stacey felt one-sided, and I think that was because Stacey focused more on boys than anything else. The Wardens felt more like, well, wardens than Layla's family, with how strict they were. The love triangle between Layla, Zayne, and Roth made me cringe just a little. All three had more than their share of immature moments (in my opinion) and I felt like neither guy really fit well with Layla, if that makes sense. Zayne came off as overly protective, and Roth as annoyingly inappropriate. I would prefer if Layla stayed alone, unless either one of those two improved or a third, better guy appeared. >.<

There were a few things I wasn't expecting, but nothing really caught me by surprise. Not even the ending did. A friend online told me that the ending would destroy me, and it honestly felt kind of anticlimactic. It was impressive and unexpected, yes, but it didn't flabbergast me or break my heart like I thought it would. :|

All in all, this book was good, but didn't live up to my personal expectations. I may or may not continue the trilogy, and may or may not read JLA's other books. But, regardless, it was a mostly fun read. :)