City of Gods and Monsters

City of Gods and Monsters (2022) is the first book in the House of Devils series by author Kayla Edwards. Edwards is known for her urban romantasy titles; her books have become popular on BookTok, a TikTok reading community. Set in the supernatural city of Angelthene, the novel follows Loren Calla, a mortal girl whose mysterious past draws the attention of immortal beings known as hellsehers. When Loren becomes the target of a dangerous bounty, she is forced into an uneasy alliance—and eventual romance—with Darien Cassel, a hellseher sworn to protect her. Gods and Monsters explores themes including The Morality of Hunting the Guilty, The Value of Mortality, and Romantic Love and Self-Esteem.

This guide is based on the 2022 Kindle edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of bullying, child abuse, death by suicide, substance use, addiction, graphic violence, sexual content, cursing, and death.

Plot Summary

City of Gods and Monsters opens on non-magical human Loren Calla returning home from a night out with her adoptive sister, Dallas Bright, and their friend, Sabrine. Sabrine is attacked and abducted by Darkslayers, immortal creatures called hellsehers who can use their aura-tracking Sight to pursue people. Elsewhere in the city of Angelthene, hellseher Darien Cassel fights demons at a club. When he leaves the club, he is met by a messenger wearing a rabbit mask who offers him a large sum of money to track down an unknown target who was abandoned at a temple decades prior.

Loren and Dallas begin attending Angelthene Academy, though they worry about Sabrine and the kidnappers’ apparent interest in Loren. Darien follows Loren, the rabbit messenger’s target, but his efforts to apprehend her are interrupted by other would-be kidnappers. Darien is confused that Loren is just a human girl and unlikely worth the large bounty on her. He decides to protect her until he knows more about why she is being pursued. He takes her to Hell’s Gate, where she meets the other members of Seven Devils, Darien’s Darkslayer group.

Darien provides Loren with a masking amulet to keep her safe from the kidnappings. They hunt down leads to find who is hunting Loren, which leads them to various members of Angelthene’s underworld. They learn that the people hunting Loren have been purchasing illegal Blood Potions. As they investigate, Loren and Darien grow closer together, though they try to push away their feelings. They find half of an ancient scroll in a secret building at Angelthene Academy, which they begin to translate with the aid of a book from the academy’s library. Darien translates an inscription on an amulet Loren has had since birth, which urges her to “wish upon the Liar” in dire circumstances (261). In the novel’s climax, she learns that she can pray to the God of Lies for a boon, which she uses to save Angelthene. Darien and Loren ally with a criminal called the Butcher, who sells Blood Potions and agrees to help them find the kidnappers.

Werewolf Logan Sands finds Sabrine, who remembers little about her abduction. He transformed her into a werewolf to save her, which is illegal, but Calanthe, the head of the vampires (who oppose the creation of new werewolves), agrees to an alliance with the wolves instead of a war. Calanthe explains that the kidnappers are seeking an artifact known as the Arcanum Well, which can grant mortals immortality and heal immortals from the wasting illness called the Tricking. The half scroll that Loren and Darien found provides information about finding the Well. They discover that the kidnappers have made an imitation Well, which they have been testing on the kidnapping victims; this turns the people into horrible demons.

Darien consults Arthur Kind, a human doctor, who discovers that the legendary figures who created the Well are Loren’s possible descendants, who died long ago. Darien is upset when his father, Randal Slade, insists on meeting Loren, as Darien didn’t want his abusive father to learn about Loren. Randal forces Darien to swear a binding Blood Covenant that magically forces him to continue searching for the Well until he finds it or dies.

Loren and Darien continue flirting and enjoying time together, though they avoid discussing their true feelings. Darien takes Loren on a date, and the two kiss, but then he pulls away, afraid that his dangerous life will put her at risk. This hurts Loren, who refuses to speak to Darien for several weeks. Eventually, when she and her dog, Singer, are attacked by demons, she calls Darien for help. He comes, but her dog dies. When Loren goes to a Crossroads creature to try and have Singer resurrected, the creature, known as the Widow, tells her that her true name is Liliana Sophronia and that she is the daughter of Erasmus Sophronia, who created the Arcanum Well.

After Loren’s request is refused, Darien bargains with the Widow to resurrect Singer as a Familiar Spirit, a non-corporeal dog that will always be with Loren. He admits his feelings to Loren, and they begin a romantic relationship. Arthur finds evidence that Dallas’s mother, Taega, is involved with the kidnappers; when searching for proof, Dallas is attacked. They confront Taega, who insists that she is being set up. She tells Loren that she and Dallas’s father, Roark, were friends with Erasmus, who created Loren using the Arcanum Well. When Erasmus’ enemies sent him into hiding, he had Taega and Roark adopt Loren. Taega helps Loren, Dallas, and Darien escape before she is arrested.

Loren realizes that hellseher blood is essential to healing the transformed kidnap victims, as the Arcanum Well created hellsehers. She delivers this information to a doctor and sees the academy’s headmaster’s daughter, who is recovering from an injury. This makes Loren realize that the headmaster is in league with Calanthe and that they are the kidnappers. Calanthe abducts Loren, with Randal’s help, and they make her falsely break up with Darien. They take her down to the imitation Well, where they attempt to force Loren’s aura into the Well. Darien realizes that Loren’s breakup was a trick and tracks her phone to his father’s lair. Using the promise of the other half of the scroll, which Darien claims instructs on how to use the well, he lures his father to a house with a murderous demon, which kills Randal and his cronies. Darien helps Loren escape via a nearby river.

Randal’s attempt to force Loren’s aura into the false Well has made it poised to explode, which has freed the demons. Loren races to disseminate the antidote as the demons bite citizens, instantly transforming them. Darien and Arthur try but fail to disarm the Well, which explodes, killing everyone in the city but Loren. Loren realizes that the power of the Well is inside her and that her pendant tells her she can ask for a bargain from the God of Time, which she uses to undo the city’s destruction. This leaves Loren and her allies alive but uncertain whether Calanthe, whom Loren killed during the final battle, is alive or not.

Loren and Darien enjoy their new relationship now that the city is safe. Loren returns to school, though she doubts that her troubles are over. In the novel’s epilogue, she finds out that Erasmus is alive. They meet, which makes Loren and Darien certain that more trouble will follow.