The premise and blurb seems so good. But the liviing a high school life is kind of ruining it for me. Espesially since it is just one task.

3.5 Stars

TW: abusive parents, raging fatphobia, domestic abuse

I absolutely adored Tracy Auerbach's "Fragment Trilogy" and leapt at the chance to read "Sons of Fire."

"Sons of Fire" has romance in it but is primarily a story about two demon brothers: Keegan and Aiden. Aiden's purpose in life is to consume souls to grow powerful but Keegan doesn't want to consume souls at all. After Keegan does not properly stop Aiden from feeding, both are sent to Earth with a mission to complete together: the one that completes the mission best gets a favour from Lucifer himself and the loser is sentences to the pits of hell. There is, however, a twist: on Earth Aiden is in a human body and Keegan is not,

All of this is absolutely delightful.

The thing that took me out of the book were the overt instances of fatphobia-- calling the demon Leviathan disgusting because of his size and Keegan making comments about Aiden's body now that he is eating human food. This was just really jarring and negated some of the beauty of the book. There are also discussions about how people who are abused sometimes then abuse other people (which is true) but the book was not quite able to make this a nuanced discussion. One of the humans is shown to be possessive about his girlfriend and violent to men that talk to her-- his abusive home life is shown and this is mostly where the narrative arc ends. While he is broken up with and has to contend with that, there are no consequences for his actions and no discussion of him trying to be less toxic. He takes the abuse so that his sister doesn't have to but, while this is admirable, it does not make his possessive and violent behaviour acceptable.

This was a weird one. Coming off the back of The Sin Soldiers I was so damn excited but unfortunately this one missed the mark a little.

So ill keep this one short. I loved the premise of it - two demons have been sent to earth to make up for a mistake one of them made. Aidan, heir (kind of) to the kingdom of Hell is made human, while his lesser demon brother with a soul Keegan gets to stay in his demonic form. It started out well with the brothers being on a quest to find and tip a 'borderline soul' over the edge to evil. While its a tale that should have pulled at the heart strings, I kind of found myself feeling nothing for anyone but Paimon.

I also felt it took so. Damn. Long. To get anywhere. I get charcter building and sibling rivalry but it felt like all that truly happened for most of it was people eating and refusing to talk to their female crush 🤔.

Overall, while it wasnt the best thing I have read all year, it was an adequate way to spend an evening. And the ending is really sweet so it kind of redeemed itself.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

What a fun, intriguing story!
This story about two demon brothers experiencing humanity and bonding was sweet and interesting. I didn't want to stop reading, I had to know who the borderline soul was! Keegan was a gentle, nice guy and I love that he was always trying to be friends with Aidan, even when he pushed Keegan away. Aidan had the biggest transformation and secrets, his crush on Libby was cute and I liked that he took to being a human so quickly.
The main thread of this story was brotherhood and it was well written. I haven't read a book like this before and the originality was refreshing. This went by quickly and the ending was great.

Thank you NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The idea was there. An it was good, trust me.
A too naive execution and a general lack of depth spoiled it, though.

This book was..... different. Honestly I'm not really sure how I feel about it. It definitely didn't pull me in like some of the books I've read recently, and took far longer to finish then it should have.

There isnt much action, very little romance, and it's a very clean read. It does get you thinking a little about humanity, and the outcomes of how ones environment can lead a person one way or the other in the battle of good and evil though. There just wasnt a whole lot else to keep me invested.

I enjoy an easy read with action, a little romance and characters you can find your readerish heart smiling for. Keegan and Aidan bring all of that to the pages of Sons of Fire with a brotherly dynamic that I adored. Their struggles to find themselves and grow as individuals was well written and made me connect with each brother individually. The typical high school hierarchy, stereotypes and boy meets girl are prevalent throughout the novel. In a way I was hoping for more demonic power and chaos but the majority of the book is acclamation into human life and strife between brothers.

The world building is minimal but it did not completely take away from my reading enjoyment. One of the more intriguing aspects I would've liked to have read more about was the power systems and demon hierarchy in Hell.

Lastly this book deals with many hidden issues that are great for readers of any age. Self-identity, abuse, stereotypes, body image, self acceptance, family issues, choosing right over wrong, the passion of being human and loneliness. One of my favorite parts is the references to Lord of the Flies throughout the novel and how apropos it is to today.

I've been duped. Or rather, I've allowed myself to be duped. And if you know me, you understand this is almost an unheard of occurrence.. but let me explain, while I try not to spoiler anything for you either.

I'll tell you up front that I really enjoyed this book. Not because it's a spectacular display of writing ability, in fact.. at the start, the writing appears weak.. not unlike one of these lovely twins. It's never poor, mind you. It's simply.. imbalanced. There's a wealth of character depth which is slow to reveal itself, a fascinating underworld, and yet.. initially the writing feels.. unformed. Both language and dialogue seem stinted, names seem unimaginative and actually too human for a pair of demons, and interactions come across as cliché.. as the story opens.

After reading further, I could only assume that this was done with some intent. The story, like the brothers' relationship, is just toddling. There's an awkwardness to it that could be the result of Auerbach trying to separate that world from ours in the most basic way, but I prefer to think it's more reflective of the characters at that point. They have limited understanding, they have history that neither of them fully grasps, and that awkwardness stems from everything standing between them.

At the start of my journey with the Sons of Fire, Keegan and Aidan, I was conflicted about choosing this read. I'm always intrigued by the use of theological entities in modern urban stories. The author displayed a penchant for making interesting choices as to which entities to employ, from the ancient Semitic god known here as Adramelech to the loyal King of Hell, Paimon.. the mighty Lucifer and a host of other various named demons. Each of which play an important role in the ultimate outcome of the story.

I'll admit, I'm always a sucker for a couple of things.. creatures that we as a society believe are evil exhibiting absolutely opposite behaviors and individuals that might be entirely different if they were pitted against each other by some outside force. This story has both.

​Created by Adramelech as an heir, Aidan is a dark, powerful force, while Keegan is an unfortunate side-effect of an outside interruption. Cast to Earth in unfamiliar bodies with needs neither of them is accustomed to, they're sent to complete a task as a trial. Bound together by necessity, failing is not an option, but working together is an entirely new concept.

To explain my earlier statement about Auerbach's well-crafted deception, I was probably 70% through the story before realizing I'd allowed myself to be mislead by appearances. Perceived weaknesses and strengths in the story, mirroring those in the characters, had set me on a path not to take this author or this novel very seriously. I was invested, yes. I instantly loved the brothers. But I didn't realize the strength they or the author actually wielded.

I suddenly found myself looking around with a horrible sense of foreboding, not that someone had managed to fool me-- I love it when that actually happens. But at the dreaded suspicion that was developing in my mind. I had allowed myself to read with complacency and unexpectedly intuited that I had followed Auerbach's misdirection, looking at all the wrong things, which meant I was also on the precipice of understanding what the right things were.. and they were beautifully horrible.

Read this title. Ignore the poor looking cover art, it doesn't do the title justice. Or maybe it does.. it plays right along with that sleight of hand. But bring a box of tissues because if you're like me, you'll be struggling to see the last pages. This story is exquisitely painful and I'm so glad I read it. You will be too.

This book was received as an ARC from Tracy Auerbach in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was such a nice cup of tea to read. This had the trifecta of a great book, Drama, Action and Conflict. Keegan was casted as the son of the King of the Demon Fire but the reincarnation went wrong and there is Keegan. Along with his brother Aidan the true heir to the throne, Keegan and Aidan are bound to complete tasks for their father but when one training goes ary, they both get transported to earth and are set to adjust to human form. They are given a task to return to the demon realm but they must hide and adapt themselves and protect themselves from something called Human Emotions. All while working together to get home they can't help but wonder if their father transported them intentionally? What was his plan all along and the fate of the demon world and earth rests in their hands. I felt like I was in a sci-fi/fantasy action movie that I did not want to end and I know our teen book club will go crazy for this and will be talking about it for a long time.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I would like to thank Tracy Auerbach and Xpresso Book Tours for my copy of the ARC. Due to this kind gesture, I have decided to leave an honest review.

When the Demon King of Fire Adramelech decides its finally time to make an heir, what happens when it does not go to plan? When a higher being intervenes and he ends up with twins? One strong and controllable, the other smart but seen as a lesser demon, our Fire King is not best pleased. Can Adramelech carry on with his plans or will one just break all the rules?

Did I hate the story? No, I thought it had a great concept hitting on issues that we see a lot among not only young people but any age struggle with. Identification, body issues, family, life changes, but still I didn't fully fall in love with the story. At parts, it fell flat for me where I just wanted to skim read an move onto the next chapter.

I just don't see how two extremely important demons just slipped into Earth but did not cause any real commotion? Fit into their new roles nicely? Yes, there were struggles but I don't know it just felt very meh. I would have loved to have seen some hilarious, out of control behaviour at first but unfortunately, it just ran with two teenage boys.

At first, you think Keegan's character is going to be the star - the one who loves humans, who spent all his time learning about them but really you only actually see Aidan's character develop and grow. I felt Keegan's character just simply got lost and our story was concentrating mainly on one character development.

I did read the book in one sitting, it was quick and enjoyable. I do believe maybe it leans to a more younger YA audience and the story starts off very unique.

3 stars!

"I hate to leave you, but per Aidan's request, Tiny Fire, I was only allowed to see you once, bearing you safely back to Earth. I will miss you forever."

An entertaining tale about brotherhood, power and what it means to be human.

Keegan is the good brother or the shitty demon if you asked their father. Known by all, as the one with a soul, he feels more than anyone in his position should. Despite everything, Keegan loves his brother. Even if his brother seems to have little love or use for him.

Aidan, on the other hand, is the father's ideal son or more accurately the ideal pawn. Driven almost entirely by a hunger for power Aidan spends little time thinking of anything else. He is the being his father intended to create. A vessel for power meant to see their father's greatest ambition fulfilled.

But when brothers both fail at a task assigned by their father and catch the attention of the devil himself, they are sent to earth on a mission. One that requires them to work together, something neither has managed to do in their 200 years of existence.

Once there we learn that there is more than meets the eye in both brother's case. As they learn to adapt to life in the human realm, they both begin crave life outside of their father's rule. And secrets have been kept for far too long threaten everything the brothers have ever known about themselves and each other.

This is a story about love, trust, family, and forgiveness. A tale of two brothers who, despite the differences, continue to fight for each other.

An enjoyable read with an exciting plot and great characters. I loved every page and would highly recommend it for lovers of supernatural fiction.

I really liked this book but there were some issues I couldn't look over. Let's start with what I liked then we can move on to what I didn't like.

Likes:
-Brother Dynamic
-The Character development
-The different lores

Dislikes:
-Fat Shaming
-The school experience
-The Father and how he handled his sons


Basically this is a good book if you want to read about some family struggles. I liked how the brothers switched places and they both had to learn to adjust. I would read this book again, I just don't think I will be spending money to reread it.

For the most part, I did like this book. It was interesting to see Keegan and Aidan adapt to human life after a mistake down in Hell. The two brothers definitely saved the book for me, as it was really the only thing that kept me reading. I enjoyed their differing personalities, and seeing them adjusting and then taking a newfound appreciation of their situation was fun. The overall story though, such as the task and then the ending, just didn't do enough for me. It was alright, but it could've used more finessing as I didn't really care about the story.

Recommended: sure
For the standard fun of watching a non-human have to adjust to becoming human, for a new imagining of Hell (and Lucifer, who takes an unusual personality)

Thoughts:
This was both exactly what I expected, and not what I expected, which ended up evening out into an okay read. When our two protags get to Earth and find out how their roles have been reversed, I was drooling a bit like "Oh yeah, this is what I've been waiting for!" But then for a while it felt like any other standard teen story where the main characters struggle with fitting in and having a crush.

For demons from Hell, this change felt weirdly simplistic; it was hard for me to accept the abrupt switch with so few ramifications of their original natures. Granted, this is addressed and it got easier to accept throughout, but I had been anticipating some more dire situations given powerful demon Princes of Fire were walking Earth....

Another crucial issue for me was how uninteresting Keegan was to me. His character felt very flat, whereas Aidan developed quite drastically from beginning to end. Keegan's concerns remained fairly similar to where they began, and even his moments of self-discovery served more as a foil to Aidan and worked to illuminate Aidan a bit more.

And finally, threat of oblivion that Aidan and Keegan faced in their challenge was undermined by what felt like a very obvious answer to any problem, given the favor from Adramalech. I was confused at how that was either overlooked or blatantly ignored, and the way it was ultimately resolved seemed like only half the answer being addressed.

So, with all that, why did I keep reading it? Well, despite feeling rather lukewarm about Keegan and one (significant) plot hole, I was interested in the world and the resolution that they would come to. The resolution of their task was quite beautiful, and their discoveries about themselves and about humans resonated pretty well with me (a human).

Also, straight up, it was funny! Any time I get to watch a non-human adjust to humanity, I know I'm going to chuckle devilishly the whole way through. Aidan was no exception!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tracy Auerbach for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Sons of Fire is a difficult read for me to review.
On the one hand, I greatly enjoyed the setting, the worldbuilding, the characters and their connections with each other. I also really liked the way the demons and their powers were written and the way being human is explored.
On the other, I really had a hard time connecting with the brothers. It's beautiful how they learn to navigate their new way of life and how especially Aidan Fire learns to be really human.
But somehow still there is no spark that makes me truly care, that makes me fully fall into the story.

In the end, I'd rate it 3.5 stars, and as there's no way to show this I give this book 4 stars for creativity.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Wasn't I surprised by this book?! Such a good read. One minute I thought I had it all worked out and then it threw me for a loop, several times! The characters experience great development and the setting has a different feel to it. I've never read of this particular place described in this way.

Interesting, Entertaining and Original!

Terrific story about Hell, demons, power, and humanity. I really liked this original story about two brothers that are demons from Hell who are sent to Earth to perform a task. The premise was great for a supernatural story and the characters were perfect. Though there is romance for each of the brothers, the story focuses more on their relationship as brothers, the relationship with their father (Adramelech, the King of Fire in Hell), and their task on earth.

The King of Fire is set on taking over and ousting Lucifer since Lucifer is weakened and trapped in a frozen lake in the deepest part of Hell. In order for demons to accumulate power, they feed on the souls in Hell. Once the power is too much to contain, the demons humanoid form will change into something huge and monstrous. Though Adramelech is vain and wants to keep his handsome humanoid form.

So Adramelech decides to create a heir who he can feed on souls and who will gain all the power Adramelech covets. While In the process of creating the heir using his hoarded soul power, Lucifer discovers the unsanctioned creation and the newly forming demon heir is hit with a ball of holy fire from Lucifer and a piece breaks off. It doesn’t stop the creation, but another son is created, one much smaller than the heir and containing a soul from the light of the holy fire.

The heir is named Aidan Fire and the other demon child named Keegan “little fire”. Aidan is taught to only speak to his father, using few words, and that his only purpose is to consume souls. All he does feed on souls. Keegan is largely ignored by his father, but talks to Aidan and spends time with him, though Aiden doesn’t talk to him and has no interest in Keegan.

The boys are banished to Earth after disappointing Adramelech and Lucifer. They have a task to complete and to do that they are enrolled in high school. They each have a separate task but they have to work together to get both tasks completed and when they return to Hell they will be thrown into the abyss if they fail. If they complete the tasks, one of them will earn a favor from their father.

“Aidan would almost certainly receive the favor. A favor promised by an upper level demon was a binding contract, and his brother could ask for anything, including all the power that was Adramelech’s to offer.”

I won’t go into anything that happens while they are on earth or after, but to say that Aidan and Keegan both have love interests and the story is unpredictable and interesting. There are several other characters they meet, but a lot of the book deals with each of the boys and the different struggles they have. I recommend this book and give it a solid 4 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just okay for me, I didn't love it nor hate it. I enjoyed the world that was built but I didn't feel any connection with the characters.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.