In many ways, Divine Descent is a mirror of Exquisite Ruin. I loved diving back into this world with Daesra coming to save Sadaré. Plus the premise is yearning to the max! Keep reading this book review of Divine Descent for my full thoughts.
Summary
Sadaré and Daesra’s struggles go beyond the deadly labyrinth as Sadaré is trapped in the underworld after a new enemy emerges, and Daesra will risk everything to rescue her.
But the god of death can be tempting. With every passing day, Sadaré grows closer to her captor. As she’s drawn deeper into his world, the memories of her past—of Daesra—begin to slip away. And the closer Daesra comes to saving her, the less she remembers wanting to be saved.
If Daesra can reach her in time, will she still remember him? Or will their love be the next piece of her to die?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The premise of Divine Descent is ultimate yearning. It’s someone coming to save us, who we saved in the past, who we are forgetting. It’s sacrifice for the ones we love as we forget what we sacrificed. The premise is poetic, full of angst, and running on a treadmill against the forces of time against us. Divine Descent asks us if it’s enough to want to change for someone, or does it have to come from us? We know the answer. True change only happens if we want it, if we believe we are capable, and sometimes we have to lose everything to figure it out. There’s this interplay of power and wanting, but also of love and sacrifice.
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In many ways it’s a reversal of Exquisite Ruin. It’s a descent into the underworld, into the twisty mazes of desire, regret, and hauntings. We are asked whether love without choice is love at all. Would we trade it all for the love we think we want, for obedience, for worship? Or do we know the best and sweetest love and submission is freely given? Divine Descent exists at this crossroad. Our heart is in the pit of our stomach as Daesra races against the clock. Because sometimes we find ourselves exactly when we think we have lost it all. Sometimes we want to give in and become the monster they think we are. I loved this sequel and how it feels so introspective and how the action mirrors the internal changes.
Find Divine Descent on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.