Review: Ignite (Ignite #1) by Erica Crouch

Release Date: June 11th, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed.

As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice.

With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark.

***Note: I had received an ARC of Incite, the second book in the Ignite series, from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Naturally, I prefer to read a series in full, so I also requested a copy of Ignite in exchange for my honest review.

I knew I would love Ignite just from reading the opening chapter! Erica Crouch drew me into this world she had created and I felt like I walked through every page and scene with Penemuel (Pen), the lead character. I've had a love/hate relationship with Angel/Demon stories in the past, but there was just so much I enjoyed about Ignite:

Penemuel (Pen). It is so refreshing when the female lead character isn't awkward, woe is me, or annoying. Ignite is told from a 1st person perspective, and when it comes to females (especially females falling in love), the 1st person POV can be a disaster. Not Pen, though! Her wit and sarcastic humor is delightfully entertaining, she loves literature, and she's a bad a**!

The story is told from a Demon's perspective. I think this intrigued me most! I've only ever read Angel/Demon stories from an Angel's POV so this was new to me. I wasn't sure how I would react-- if I would be able to sympathize with an evil character, but Erica Crouch did a fantastic job in creating a slightly less evil Demon with real human emotions that I could relate to.

Azael. True, Azael is extremely evil. The worst. He has no mercy and takes great pleasure in killing and reaping souls that he actually is promoted to the second command under Lucifer. Still, I liked him! He, like Pen, has that sarcastic sense of humor I enjoy so much. The epilogue broke my heart. After hundreds of centuries of sticking by Pen's side, he wasn't even the least bit hesitant about his mission to kill her.

This quote:

"I'm falling for you, too." My voice comes out in a soft whisper that swirls between us.

"I've tried to fight it, but it seems pointless. I can't stop thinking about you, and I'm not sure I want to."

Although Pen's and Michael's love was a bit sudden, I found it endearing. I mean, hey, the story had a lot of background about fate, so a whirlwind romance works here.

Chapter 29. My heart broke for Pen. Everything she felt, I felt it, too. When she stumbled through the streets wearing Michael's jacket, I could completely understand her grief.

I'm definitely excited to read the rest of this series!

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