Review of The Devil Incarnate by Ali Vali
This was another good book in the series. I’ve been having rough reading luck lately, with 4 out of the last 5 books being only okay or worse. I’ve felt like I was fighting off another reading slump so I was very happy to get a little “Devil” in my life. I’m a fan of all of Vail’s works but this series holds a special place in my heart. I read book 1, The Devil Inside, over a decade ago and I still love this series. For an author to hold my attention, on the same series, for 12+ years is pretty incredible when you think about it. I can count on one hand how many authors have been able to do that so it’s pretty rare. And to have the series still feel creative, and like it hasn’t jumped the shark, makes it even more impressive.
I want to make it very clear that this is a series that needs to be read in order. While you could skip the prequel (book 0) and start at book 1, you can’t skip any other installments without it ruining your reading enjoyment. There are so many characters in this series, and so many threads that wind all around through all the books, that it would be so confusing if you tried to start here. There are so many players involved from mobsters, Feds, and enemies, which means Vali herself must have a huge character bible just to keep track of everything she is writing. It’s one of the things that makes this series so great is how many balls Vali has up in the air all at once and somehow she never lets them drop and be forgotten. Every loose end eventually gets tied up which is super satisfying for a reader that is series invested. In fact, this book itself closed a lot of loose ends -Cain got her hands dirty a lot- and only left a few threads open for another book. It feels like the next book might actually be the end of the series. I’m going to be crushed to see this series end, but I’m happy to know we have at least one more book left to read.
This book is not all mobsters and violence, there is also plenty of romance to go around. Cain and Emma are the main couple, but many other couples have gotten together throughout the whole series. This book didn’t have any new couples falling in love, but it gave us time to see all the old couples we enjoy, and to see how their lives have changed and grown. My one slight complaint is I would have loved some POV in Remi and Dallas’ headspace. They are two of my favorite characters and I really want more of them. We know how much chemistry Cain and Emma have together so it would be nice to turn the heat up for some of the other great couples too.
If you are a fan of this series, then this book is a must. Like I mentioned already, a lot of loose ends were tied up which was satisfying for us readers. If you are new to the series, take a chance on book 1, The Devil Inside, and see what you think. This series is so unlike anything else out there, in the WLW market, so that it’s worth taking a chance to see if it might be for you. Yes, there are a lot of books, which is daunting, but this series is addictive so if you like it, you will be happy you have so many books left to read. 4 stars.
An ARC was given to me for an honest review.
