Angelfall Vibes with a Twist — Review of The Shadows That Listen by Louisa Carmody

Angels, demons, and mixed feelings.

Synopsis

DISCOVER THE ANGELS VS DEMONS DYSTOPIAN ROMANTASY SENSATION

WHO WILL SURVIVE THE NIGHT?

The Shadows that Listen is an unputdownable dystopian romantasy with a delicious slow burn romance, from debut author Louisa Carmody. Perfect for fans of Crescent City and Silver Elite.

It’s been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us.

Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don’t make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death.

Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn’t have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach.

But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realise they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies. She might long to kill him, but Amara knows that having an angel at her side is the only way to find the man she loves.

The shadows lengthen. They listen. Who will survive the night?

Review

3.5 to 4 stars

First, thank you to Orbit Books for sending this my way—because clearly, I needed a shimmer daddy in my life

This book gave me very strong Angelfall vibes at the beginning—and if you loved that one (like I did), the premise here will definitely grab your attention.

Just to give you an idea:

We’ve got
– an apocalyptic world where demons have escaped and angels have come down to fight them… while also killing humans (so no, not your friendly guardian angels),
– a kidnapped boyfriend (yes, very much giving Penryn’s sister energy),
– and an alliance between a human girl and an angel to get him back.

Sound familiar?

But to be clear—it’s not a copy of Angelfall.

Amara works for the AIA (Angel Intelligence Agency) and is ex-military, so she’s trained to fight demons—which definitely comes in handy.
Though… if I have one small gripe, it’s that for an intelligence agency, they don’t seem to know that much about angels

Unlike Penryn, Amara isn’t alone. She has her best friend Xavier, and I really liked that dynamic. They both come from the foster system and have built this strong, loyal bond—it added something warm and grounding to the story.

The quest itself is also different. It’s brutal at times, and Amara goes through a lot—sometimes a lot. And while I can see it probably serves a bigger purpose for the series, there were moments where I did wonder what the point of certain events was.

And yes… we do get a beautiful, powerful angel. Aka: shimmer daddy

So there are definitely a lot of elements here that work.

But—because there is a but—the romance didn’t fully land for me.

I just didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two main characters. Or at least, not in a way that made me invested. I wanted more tension, more yearning, more of that pull that makes you feel the connection.

That said… having a kidnapped boyfriend in the background does make things slightly complicated

There are also some major twists toward the end (or twists, plural), and I’ll be honest—I saw them coming.
But from what I’ve seen, I might be in the minority here!

To sum it up: this is a story with a lot of promise, and I can absolutely see why so many readers love it.

For me, though, something was missing to make it a full “I’m obsessed” read.

I’d definitely recommend checking out other reviews as well, because this one is getting a lot of love—and it might just hit differently for you.

Thanks for reading.