The Angel's Kiss

As always, Nicholas Bella presents an original and different take on the traditional religious themes and demonology and creates a magnificent, all-encompassing world-building, filled with demons, angels, and humans. The only thing keeping the precarious balance between Sin and Temptation, Evil and Good, are the Guardians and their champions, fighting to keep it in check. But nothing is always what it seems - corruption, greed, ambition, narrow-mindedness - are never ending Plague and the so called Guild of Guardians isn't immune to their corrosion.
So when Azazel - the powerful demon of War is affected by the Angel's kiss, exiled from Hell and suddenly has to reconsider his whole life in the light of all the changes and join forces with the Heaven side, it rocks the very foundation his life was based on.
This is a beautifully written, heart-touching story about redemption, loyalty and the unexpected Challenges Life throws at you, that you have to raise and find the strength to accept them. After years of loyal service to the Queens of Hell and his fellow brethren,Azazel finds out that nothing he took for granted has to be actually taken at face value. And the hit of abandonment and betrayal opens a cavernous wound in him. But are the Angels and the other side any better - he will find out too. The story was absolutely enchanting, full of twists, tension, snark, dark humor and hilarious A-ha moments that really threw me off sometimes. Being paired with the last and the youngest of the Guardians, was yet another challenge. After years of destruction, death and wars, Azazel finds himself in some sort of kindergarten, full of beings with immature thinking, awfully inexperienced, but full of bravado, foolish stubbornness and lack of real knowledge about Hell and its inhabitants. Talk about bitter landing. Like Fate was mocking him, daring him to adapt and find new purpose in life and even an uneasy treaty with everything he despised the most for centures. Rai - the guardian he has to be bound to, is the epitome of entitlement, hot headedness and lack of experience. They clashed from the start because Rai with his big 24y of life was just so awfully, awkwardly inadequate in his prejudices, that it was painful to watch. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers aspect of the story because it had all the tension and the necessary build up without being too easy and predictable.
My only complain? I needed more and I would have definitely loved to see even longer book, why not a trilogy?