This was amazing! Aaahh how I missed Larissa's writing! There is nothing like the OG writers for me. 🥰🥹🥹🥹 The nostalgia hit hard.

And I loved it... for the most part. I don't read second gen books EVER, and some of the things that happened in this book are the reasons why. I want to pretend the OG main characters reached their HEA and that's that, I'm oblivious to any drama that may come in their life later on (like, say, old enemy or kids problems). 😭

But in theory, I do get the reasoning for those things for the big encompassing plot I'm amazed at Larissa's world building and little intricacies that all link together over time to now. Howww 🤯🤯😵‍💫

Anyway. I need to process, and it is A LOT to process.

By the way, the publisher posted a family tree on their insta page and that will come in handy to anyone, as we get introduced to the whole cast here (main characters and their kids).

It's a lot....

P.S. can it be read by new readers? Yes, but it may be a little more challenging to keep track of everything, as there's a lot of characters and world building to set the stage, so to speak, and it helps if you at least know the main things (like who the Horsemen are, who are their mates, species, powers etc). They are explained here too but its easier if you already have that info stored in your brain and can focus on the new stuff vs getting it all in at once, you know?

*arc provided by the publisher through Netgalley

It was so great to read this book! I really love the series, and that we're now getting the next generations story was just great! It was so great to be back in this world, and having these new characters deal with the consequences of their parents actions.

I do wish there was a family tree, maybe there's one floating around but I haven't seen it, and it was a bit difficult to keep track of all these characters and who their parents and siblings were, since there was so many couples up to this point, and it's been a while since I've read their stories. But I managed to get it fixed in my brain.

Logan is the son of Death, a Horseman of the Apocalypse, and Regan, a former member of The Aegis. And oh, their story and how they fell in love was definitely a point of contention between Logan and Eva. They were on opposing sides, and both had reasons to distrust the other, so it was fantastic to see them falling in love!

Lilith is a big problem, she really only came onto her grandson, and did things behind the scenes, but she's definitely a threat to be reckoned with. And I'm so excited to see how that all is going to play out, given that they've already beat her before, but that was before.

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to continue on!

Diving back into Larissa Ione's Demonica universe in "Legacy of Temptation" felt like a reunion with old friends—intensely nostalgic and thrilling. This first installment in the next generation series does not disappoint, blending the familiar dark allure with new, dynamic characters. Logan, son of the Horseman of the Apocalypse, and Eva, a dedicated demon-slayer, take us on a wild ride from loathing to love in true Ione fashion. Their chemistry is off the charts, electrifying every page with tension and passion.

The story skillfully weaves intricate plots involving celestial politics and demonic conspiracies, maintaining a pulse-pounding pace that had me hooked. Every chapter adds layers to the expansive world Ione has created, filled with angels, demons, and everything in between. The nods to beloved characters and the seamless integration of the next generation into the Demonica lore were handled perfectly, enriching the narrative without overshadowing the new leads.

"Legacy of Temptation" deserves more than a mere 5 stars. It's a spectacular ride, full of action, romance, and the signature heart-stopping moments Ione is known for. Already eager for the next book, this series promises to be another jewel in Ione's crown of urban fantasy.

Thank you for this ARC of Legacy of temptation. This was a great read and I powered through it in less than a week. While I enjoyed the characters and the story I think it would have been a better read if I had read the previous series set years beforehand. Often there was not enough explanation of characters because of previously meeting them in the earlier series. I also think that the conclusion of the book was rushed and after a slow progression it was a bit of a shock. Overall I enjoyed the premise of the story but really needed to have read the previous series to be as invested as I could be in the characters and story.

If you're looking for Greek retellings? Look elsewhere
If you're looking for an Urban Fantasy? Look elsewhere

This book is marketed as "Demonica Birthright #1," so can someone please tell me why, in tiny *tiny* font at the bottom of Goodreads, it says Demonica #22. Twenty freaking two yall. I read this book thinking it was the first book in a series. Wrong. This book gave me a vibe similar to what I imagine The Black Dagger Legacy books are like—I have only read the original series. I could never imagine J.R. Ward dropping me into a spinoff series like this without actual worldbuilding. Did anyone who wasn't intimately familiar with the other books read this? Because it seems like a massive oversight.

The story follows Logan, Thanatos' son, as he navigates intra-agency cooperation between the Demon Activity Response Team (DART) and its rival anti-demon agency, the Aegis. There is little to no worldbuilding as this is secretly book number twenty-two, so you should know everything by now. The family trees and interpersonal dynamics were super convoluted and just muddy. Logan's grandmother is Lillith, the mother of demons, a succubus that, in the first chapter, before revealing herself, proceeds to seduce him before his daddy rescues him. It was gross and completely unnecessary, leading to banger lines such as,

"Logan got granny humped."

"Mace had probably put Logan Got Felt Up By His Granny all over social media by now."

I am trying to remain as objective as possible, but my god. Oh, did you think Lillith had anything to do with the main plot of the book? Wrong. She is barely even relevant to this book, and it's setting up Armageddon for Demonica book number twenty-something. Enter Eva Tennant, a deputy spokesperson, whom the Elders of the Aegis selected to participate in the intra-agency exchange program at DART headquarters. While there, she meets Logan, the hottest man ever, and they are immediately ready to rip each other's clothes off—no build-up. There is no chemistry, no sexual tension. The way they think about each other is such a turnoff. They immediately hypersexualize each other, which I get in books that are smutty smut, but I was under the impression that this book was trying to be smut with the plot.

A fight breaks out in the cafeteria of DART Headquarters, and the plot devolves from there. Consequently, we have forced proximity (kind of) where Logan needs to protect Eva. It bothers me that he had already felt protective over her and was interested in her before this, so it continues to undermine their sincerity as "enemies." They go from high-stress moments to ultra-horny, and I'm going, to be frank- the spice in this book is terrible.

"Is it weird that I want a handsome, powerful man to give me a night of pleasure to forget all the shit?"

Certain words and phrases should be blacklisted from romance books; when I read the words hot honey, aching flesh, slick channel, etc., it makes me physically recoil. Logan and Eva's relationship is very superficial. Her introduction to everyone in his life is very odd and stilted. It gives Twilight, except it's immediately the garage scene, no preamble, where Carlisle says, "Bella is with Edward. She's part of the family now. We protect our family."

There is an angelic subplot (kind of) to this book that comes out of nowhere if you read it from the perspective of Demonica Birthright #1. I don't know who these characters are. Who are Reaver and Harvester? What role do they play in heaven? What are Celestial Orders? Suddenly, it's raining blood, and a gate that ties into the Armageddon opens. Harvester sends a sign that *conveniently* "fixes" traumatic plot devices. It's just lazy writing. THE PLOT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

Even the little things don't make sense- so Logan isn't used to using the Harrowgate because Cujo can phase him places. If Logan is in trouble, Cujo can phase right to him even if he's never been where Logan is. But when Eva is in trouble, "Cujo usually couldn't phase to a location he'd never been to." Yet, on *literally the next page* after Logan frantically runs to her for dramatic suspense, "Cujo phased in next to him." This is just one example- the whole book is like this. Don't waste your time.

'Legacy of Temptation' plunges us back into Larissa Ione's brilliantly dark world of Demonica where angels, demons, and the progeny of apocalypse horsemen collide. This new addition introduces us to Logan, the reluctant hero with an apocalyptic lineage, who must protect Eva Tennan, a woman entangled in celestial vendettas, sparking an unexpected, tempestuous and delightful alliance. This kickoff to a new generation series melds Ione's signature complex characters and high-stakes action, promising another series of addictive storytelling, steamy romance, and supernatural intrigue.

I really enjoyed this book and the world inside. it was well written and has a good plot which captures you and doesn't let go.
The books need to be read in the correct order so it took me some time to get to this one.
these just keep getting better and better.

I wanted to enjoy this next generation story but I could not get into it. I have enjoyed Ione's previous books, but I had to persevere through this one. I liked the rivals to lovers and most of the spice but just was not up to the previous books.

I was so excited for a new Larissa Ione book but sadly, I couldn't make it through this one. Ideas that once seemed fresh and fun now seem outdated and icky. I also had a really hard time with a subplot line involving a character's relative that just made me uncomfortable.

The premise of this story was interesting but it felt kind of all over the place in terms of plot direction. Also, was super uncomfortable with the Grandma Lilith character. The way she behaved was so weird and unnecessarily sexual, and that made the story hard to enjoy. I was never really able to get into this story and it just felt like too many concepts at once.

I was so over the moon to hear that the Demonica series was back. It would have to be one of my favourite paranormal series and that’s saying something. I was really curious at what this world would look like post horsemen of the apocalypse and I have to say it wasn’t what I expected and it’s definitely darker but I’m invested to see where it goes.

Our hero is the son of the horseman of death and our heroine is a demon hating Aegis Agent. Our heroine is part of an exchange program that pairs them with their rival agency and our hero (and brings her oh so close to actual demons). When things in the training program go to hell it’s a race to see if our hero can keep her alive and prevent her from finding out he’s half demon.

The world building in this series is so good and honestly it’s almost like the romance is just a bonus (I know! Sacrilege). This book is intense, the world is dark, and yet you can’t stop reading and hoping that there is a win. As much as reading this book almost feels like it’s undoing the ending of the previous series I’m still here for it and will be sticking around.

4.5 ⭐

This was my first book in the Demonica world .... I will most definitely be going back to read the other 21 books set in this world by Larissa Ione. She has just become an author I would like to read more of!

This story had me hooked from the first chapter. It was full of dark drama, had fantastic side characters and a plot line that will suck you in and leave you reeling at the end! I cannot wait for the next book!!

This book contains: slow-burn, vampires, shifters, angels and demons, 3rd person POV, four horsemen, dark themes mixed with romance and humour. Highly recommend!

This was such an exciting and action packed read! It’s sure to be a hit with romantasy fans and the balance between romance and urban fantasy was well done. I struggled a bit to get my bearings in the world and to keep track of all the different characters and relationships, but the story kept me invested and wanting to find out what would happen next.

Eva was a fantastic heroine and I loved that she wasn’t a damsel in distress. There’s instalust between her and Logan at first, but I liked how their relationship unfolded and shifted. Their banter was hilarious and I loved how they pushed and supported each other. The secondary characters were all so unique and added comic relief and more emotion to the story. I’m looking forward to reading their books in the future, especially Aleka and Sabre’s as well as Amber and Talon’s. The main conflict of the story resolved quickly, but there are plot points that I think may span several books (if not the entire series).

Note: Legacy of Temptation is a spin off series that can be read on its own, but I think it would be most enjoyed if you’re familiar/have read the previous series. Numerous characters from previous books are mentioned, as well as events from those books.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Logan and Eva end up working together even though they are on opposite sides. Eva is a fugitive and guarded by Logan, he isn't happy about it. An evil enemy is on the rise and they both may have to sacrifice their relationship and those they love to stop it. The paranormal world is now known to humans, what could go wrong? A fantastic world building and such interesting characters.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

Basically all supernatural creatures are real and living on earth. Logan is the son of Thanatos, a horseman of the apocalypse, and is working for DART, a supernatural enforcement agency. Eva is working for Aegis, a different supernatural enforcement agency that only employs humans. Eva is sent to DART headquarters with some coworkers to foster a relationship between their agencies. Meanwhile, Logan’s grandmother Lilith (aka mother of demons) is running amok on earth. You can probably figure out the rest.

I haven’t read the original series that this is a spinoff/continuation of but I don’t think I really lacked any context from that since it was all pretty well explained. I thought this was a fun story but felt a little forced. Like with many romance books, the timeline of the relationship was just so speedy. I feel like there were times where the author had one character learning something, not telling the other character, but then the other character suddenly knowing it? It was also pretty predictable. All that said, it was still enjoyable and I will be reading the next in the series.

The slow burn in this book nearly killed me (in a good way)!! It has demons, angles, vampires, multitude of mythical creatures. I knew this book was going to be great when I read the first page and realized it was third person. This book is spicccccccy however the MMC was a bit one dimensional. I’ll be picking up more from the author!

Larissa Ione is back! I just love the world she's created with her demons, angels and other paranormal creatures. I think she's come back to be an even better storyteller than before. The time away has definitely paid dividends and was well worth the wait as she recharged. There is SO MUCH packed into this book and the world is fully fleshed out! This is the second generation and you know the old adage, the sins of the fathers are visited upon the young. Well that's what is going on here. The turmoil isn't just on earth but also in heaven and we watch a leadership coup happen. Here on earth it's an enemies to lovers story that surprises both the hero and heroine. Eva Tennant is working towards becoming the head spokesperson for the Aegis, demon policing organization that's all human. Their rivals that spun off from Aegis is DART, Demon Activity Response Team. It's populated by supernaturals of all sorts and works to keep the bad guys from hurting innocent people. The two organizations has exchanged agents to aid them in working together better.

Eva is the spokeperson of the six Aegis agents exchanged to DART. She meets Logan immediately upon her arrival. Her team is an interesting group but there's always one who will cause problems. Sigfred Olsen is an arrogant narcissist who got his position by nepotism. He is not up to the job and creates a crisis. Logan is the son of the Horseman of Death, Thanatos. He is not supposed to be directly involved with the exchange but ends up filling in for his teammates who get delayed. He is a natural leader and he find himself involved with Eva from the start. These two distrust each other but as time goes on they learn to work together to keep the world safe. I loved this story and can't wait for the next.

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

Legacy of Temptation is a story SMACKED full of adventure, drama, and more. I was originally drawn to this book because of the Title, Cover, and then of course, the description. Angels/Demons grabbed my attention, but the son of one of the Four Horsemen really had me hooked. It wasn't something I see very often in my books, and I was itching to branch out from the fantasy realm I was already familiar with.

Overall this book was a solid 3 star read for me! It was a quick, fast paced read and when I said it was smacked with adventure earlier, I was not exaggerating. No spoilers here, but some of the twists/turns I saw coming and some really took me by surprise. I found myself getting more and more drawn into the plot (plots?) as the book continued on. There were a few things that fell short for me - the start of the book had me confused and thrown in all sorts of directions. Some of the details mentioned seemed.. unnecessarily added in, particularly when we're dealing with any type of sex demon and I wish I would have known that a family member would go after another family member in a sexual manner (regardless of if they're sex demons or not) because that's just really not my cup of tea.

Again, I thought this was a good read & I definitely read the sneak peak into book two and will pick that up when it comes out as well.

I started this book without any history of reading the authors prior books set in the same world. I didn’t find that reading them was a requirement as the author plugged in small summaries to bring the reader up to speed. I definitely got the sense that A LOT happened in that series that developed the mentioned supporting characters considerably, which peaked my interest but again, it didn’t detract from the story to not have read those other books.
Overall I felt this was a good casual read. I loved the premise of the conflict between organizations and the prejudices that guided (or misguided) the characters actions. I did find the depth of the story to be only moderate - for some of the more intense themes, the characters felt like they have an appropriate reaction but then it sort of fizzled out. I can’t tell if that may have been an intentional tribute to the fact that they have all experienced so much loss that they compartmentalize it though. Seems plausible given the extreme history or war and violence the characters experienced.
The main characters - Logan and Eva, were cute but inconsistent. I felt like their opinions on demons, angels, etc would vary between extreme, or moderate, to extreme, sometimes within the same chapter which made their resolve feel a bit inconsistent. This would make sense if put into the context of their growth as they build relationships with the people they once despised, but it wasn’t quite framed that way so it just felt a bit inconsistent.
Either way, this seemed to have been the kind of read I was in the mood for people I enjoyed it despite these this and it didn’t make me connect with the characters any less.
I would say the writing was good. It was descriptive and given the amount of catch-up world building it needed to accomplish to set the stage for those who hadn’t read the other series, it didn’t get overly ‘tell-y’.
While this felt like a casual read, I am not sure I am ready to move on to another series yet as I do find myself invested in the story and looking forward to reading more.

I must also commend the authors creativity….. dick swords. A very WTF LOL moment.

In Larissa Ione’s Legacy of Temptation (Demonica Birthright #1), Eva Tennant, an Aegis Guardian, becomes a fugitive from justice with a demonic target on her back after a murder and is assigned Logan, a demon-fighting DART agent and son of the Horseman of the Apocalypse Death, to protect her.

I am so excited to get back into the Demonica world—one of my favorite paranormal romance series—even though I am incredibly behind. So, I couldn’t resist the chance to read Legacy of Temptation. I had to do a little reading to catch up and read this. Ione has expanded the world a lot since I read the first books in the Demonica series, and it’s even more thrilling and entertaining. Demonica Birthright focuses on the second generation of Demonica. I love that we see the children of the Demonica characters and world grown up.

Ione’s vibrant, detailed description and lush, imaginative worldbuilding are two of the best things about her novels. Furthermore, she creates and excellently develops and evolves complex, fallible, fascinating, conflicted, likable—and detestable— protagonists and villains. Her snarky, witty, colorful, and natural-sounding dialogue fits her characters, stories, and themes, making them larger than life. Ione’s multilayered, suspenseful, emotional, and action-packed story drew me in from the first scene, keeping me turning the pages until the end came too soon.

Deputy Spokesperson for the Aegis, Eva hates demons—like all of the global demon-slaying organization. She loves her job and hopes to get promoted to the Chief Spokesperson position if things go well with the two-week exchange program with The Aegis’s rival agency, the Demon Activity Response Team. Unfortunately, a murder at DART headquarters makes that unlikely.

Logan loves three things: females, fighting, and Cujo, his pet hellhound. He’s dedicated his life to battling demons with his DART colleagues. When he’s ordered to protect an Aegis Guardian associated with the deaths of his friends, he’s less than thrilled, especially since Aegis’ leadership tried to murder him at birth.

Eva and Logan’s lives become even more complicated when an old, deadly enemy unexpectedly rises from the ashes. Meanwhile, they grow closer, and their attraction becomes hard to resist. When they give into temptation, they sacrifice what they love the most.

Ione’s action sequences are well-constructed, tense, and sometimes incredibly creepy. Her description in these scenes is so visceral that it creates a fantastic, dark, threatening atmosphere. She makes you feel like you are right there with the characters fighting lethal demons in the most unpleasant places imaginable and keeps you on the edge of your seat because sometimes you legit wonder if the protagonists will make it out of dangerous situations alive. I love how she perfectly mixes humor, horror, action, fantasy, romance, and emotional stories about family without affecting the novel’s pacing. She explores the dangers and impact of prejudice and bigotry through the division and strife between the Aegis, DART, and the Angels in Heaven.

Ione wonderfully develops the interactions between her hero and heroine, the protagonists with the secondary characters, and among the secondary characters. She does a great job of exploring and comparing family dynamics among the demons, Angels, and Aegis. I love the interactions between Logan and his teammates, who are essentially family.

Logan and Eva share an intense and fiery attraction from the moment they first meet. They start as classic enemies-to-lovers based on a lifetime of societal teachings (Eva) and personal experiences (Logan). However, as they are forced to spend time together, Eva and Logan must confront their preconceived notions of one another, and they find themselves reevaluating what they want from their lives. Their interactions are full of snark, banter, and heat as they clash and initially fight the attraction. Though truthfully, the snark and banter never fade from their relationship. Both control freaks are an excellent match that makes each other’s lives better, balancing their lives and personalities. I love the sexy, funny, steamy, emotional, passionate, and intimate interactions and love scenes that Ione uses to transition their relationship from enemies to lovers to falling for each other.

I cannot wait for Book 2! Until then, I’ll re-read Demonica and catch up on the series. Suspenseful, Suspenseful, steamy, funny, sexy, emotional, and romantic Legacy of Temptation is a fast-paced, action-packed, paranormal romance highly recommended for fans of the Demonica series, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract, action/adventure, steamy PNR, and family-centered stories.

Blue Box Press provided an advanced review copy via Netgalley for review.