Book Shelf: Smoulder by Brenna Yovanoff

Being the youngest daughter of the Devil has never been easy. Daphne's father has no time for her, her mother no interest, and her status in the upper echelon separates her from the working-class demons that populate Lucifer's metropolis. When her brother and only confidante goes missing, life in the restrictive city of Pandemonium becomes intolerable. Now, in an attempt to find him, Daphne sets out for Earth - and finds it larger and more chaotic than she imagined: a dazzling expanse of noise, dirt and random violence. Despite her bewilderment, she navigates the mortal world with growing fascination, gaining an ally when she saves a dying boy from her father's minions.

For Truman Flynn, the last year has been one long downward spiral, but when Daphne arrives just in time to save his life, he finds himself unexpectedly glad to have another chance. Together, Daphne and Truman go in search of her brother, braving the hazards of Las Vegas and the perils of first love, even as it becomes increasingly clear that her brother might have had a secret and compelling reason for leaving. Lucifer's agents aren't the only creatures on the prowl, and Daphne soon finds herself the target of a plan to rid the world of demons for good. Now she must evade a demon-eating monster, rescue her brother from an angelic zealot, and save the boy she loves from his greatest enemy - himself.

Blurb from Goodreads.....


Review:

Smoulder proves to be a captivating new tale by Brenna Yovanoff, one that draws you into a vivid world of fire and metal, alluring and captivating in its beauty and mythology!

I need to be honest, I wasn’t much a fan of Yovanoff’s The Replacement. While I enjoyed the writing something seemed to be missing to me, so I was unsure as to what I would find within the pages of Smoulder. I’m pleased to say that what I found was a beautifully descriptive story of two young individuals, Daphne and Truman in their quest the save Daphne’s brother from an enemy neither of them fully understood.

Brenna Yovanoff writes this story beautifully. The mythology and world she creates of Lucifer and Lilith is as interesting as it is entertaining, even as it takes a nice backdrop to Daphne’s journey. I’m very much a fan of this kind of lore and I enjoyed the way the author has woven it all together and even the other creatures she created as part of the story. I would have liked a bit more interaction with Lucifer and even Lilith, but that’s just me personally and even then I don’t feel like it detached anything from the story. I thought it was very interesting how she wove Daphne and Truman into one another’s lives and how she gave them the connections that she did.

Our two main characters are very interesting individuals. Daphne, the youngest daughter of Lilith and Lucifer has spent her life in Pandemonium, her father’s domain, yet she yearns for knowledge of the mortal world. She’s intrigued by it, even as happy as she seems being in Pandemonium in the beginning of the book, but she fears things about herself and what leaving would mean. I thought it was wonderful watching her find strength when she decided to go and attempt to find her brother and it was endearing watching her find her way in the mortal world. Even though she was part demon and held so many demonic qualities, she had a very innocent aura to her. There was no malice within her, not like her sisters and she only wanted to save her brother.

Truman Flynn is a very haunted, somewhat broken boy throughout the course of this book. He’s so lost and has more or less given up on life. He’s content to get drunk and smoke in an attempt to outrun his pain and he has no desire to really live. He’s devastated to find he’s still alive on more than one occasion and you can’t help but feel his anguish even as he tried to hide it from himself. Although he’s reluctant to help Daphne at first he soon finds himself drawn to her; the girl from his dreams and memories, and he allows her into his life.

Both Truman and Daphne learn so much from each other throughout the entire book. As they delve into her brother’s life, revealing some secrets that he’s willing to die to protect, Daphne begins to understand what it means to be human and she comes to understand her brothers feelings and actions a lot more. As they slowly begin to fall for one another during their journey, Daphne takes Truman’s pain and makes him feel something other than loss and anguish; she makes him feel alive......

There were quite a few twists that I didn’t see coming within the book. Many popped up out of nowhere and the revelations about Truman’s heritage were ones I just didn’t see coming and I certainly wondered if Yovanoff would be able to give us a happy ending or not. I’m happy with how it ended and this is an intriguing read that you won’t be disappointed you gave a go!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review from Simon & Schuster Australia (Thank-you so much!)
Format: Paperback
AU Release Date: December 2011
Expected AU Price: $19.99
Recommend: Yes.
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy it.
Cover: It's beautiful, but I do think I like the US version a little bit more.
Read sequel/continue with series: This is another stand alone novel by Yovanoff, but I'd read more of her books!