Dark Opius: Watchtower is the story of the angel Gabriel who has a simple mission from God, but that is ruined when Asmodeus, a demon, causes havoc in the life of his charge, Helen. When Helen starts losing faith and wants to end her life, Gabriel does something that he knows he shouldn’t do; he comes down to earth. Now on earth, he is finding out what it truly means to help people and let them live their lives. While Asmodeus is trying to do as much damage as he can with his army, Gabriel is fighting for the people and feeling new emotions he never thought he would. What will Gabriel do? How can he help people when he does not understand what is happening to him?

Dark Opius: Watchtower by Muffy Wilson and Dariel Raye is the eleventh novel in the Cursed Angel Collection and can be read as a standalone. I love to read about mythology and religion and this novel had them both in spades. Gabriel is such a conflicted yet powerful character. I loved how his character developed and changed from being one dimensional to a fully rounded character that felt, hurt, and just wanted to love and feel loved. He went from being an angel of God to being a person who wanted to help people because that was his duty, but also because it’s what he wanted to do. The pace was brilliant, not too fast or slow, and kept my interest. I enjoyed how the author described everything from simple food to the complex emotions of an angel who was finally developing a conscience. Very interesting and very entertaining.

Dark Opius: Watchtower by Muffy Wilson and Dariel Raye is the story of the angel Gabriel and a woman named Helen (who isn't simply an ordinary human woman) in this post-apocalyptic, paranormal romance, an installment of the expansive Cursed Angel Collection. The book begins with Helen, who is under the guardianship of Gabriel when her husband is killed. Helen descends into the depths of despair but finds she is pregnant when she attempts to take her own life. Accustomed to hearing Gabriel's voice, Helen is confused and upset when he seems to disappear. It isn't until the child is born that she begins to understand her place in a world torn apart since “The Rift”, with demons, angels, witches, warlocks, and all manner of warriors fighting for good and evil.

Muffy Wilson and Dariel Raye have written a truly unique story with Dark Opius. Helen, Gabriel, and Narsae are deeply compelling characters, and the world created is an extraordinary blend of what we see now and what the characters see then...in this dark, terrifying future. Not having read any of the other books in the collection, I admit that I wasn't necessarily expecting a romance, but it does weave in an authentic way through the overall plot itself. The two main twists of Helen's baby and, oh my gosh, that ending—those are what you hope for when you pick up a novel. I enjoyed this story, its singular storyline, the characters, and the delicious world built by two talented novelists.

Dark Opius: Watchtower by Dariel Raye and Muffy Wilson is a spellbinding supernatural narrative with phenomenal conflict and compelling characters involving angels and demons. The demon of lust, Asmodeus, has unleashed a cataclysmic disaster that has caused the earth to split into several pieces, each part colliding with another and opening the doors between Heaven and Hell—a rift. Now demons are spilling into earth from other dimensions and crime becomes commonplace—rapes, murders, kidnappings, and many other terrible crimes. Helen is one of Archangel Gabriel’s charges and seeing her plummet into chaos is the last thing Gabriel wants. So, he defies his way of life and the principles that have governed his life over time and plunges to earth, regardless of the consequences. While he fights Asmodeus and his army of demons, he begins to experience powerful human emotions. Gabriel must help save Watchtower 11, besieged by demons. But something even more terrible is happening — he is falling in love with Narsaé. Can he handle his emotions, beat the demons, and keep his angelic purity?

This is a novel filled with imagination and the authors reinvent a world that readers will want to explore, pitting an angel against an army of demons. There is a lot of drama taking place and from the moment the reader encounters Helen and her husband, through the time she loses him and the cataclysmic experience, the reader will enjoy the drama. Helen is one of the powerful characters who caught my attention and I became keen on following her the moment she discovers she is pregnant in the hospital. The conflict is well-developed and it isn’t a small kind of conflict. A powerful threat faces earth and even the National Army Underground (NAU) can’t beat them. The reader looks at an angel caught between his divinity and a new, disturbing experience of humanity. Dark Opius: Watchtower is fast paced, crafted in gorgeous prose and exciting in its drama. This action-packed novel is a wonderful treat for fans of the supernatural and urban fantasy.

Dark Opius: Watchtower (Cursed Angel Collection) by Muffy Wilson and Dariel Raye is a stellar novel with memorable and compelling characters embroiled in an earth-shattering conflict. When the angel Gabriel leaves his place beside God to descend to earth, he convinces himself that it is to protect one of his beloved charges — Helen Warner, who loses her husband in a most tragic manner and at a time when the earth is ruthlessly attacked by Asmodeus, the demon of lust. Gabriel doesn’t want Helen to lose her faith, but he is thrown into a world of devastating disorder. The demon has unleashed a power yet unknown to the earth, opening dimensions that, hitherto, kept demons at bay. Crime is rampant and uncertainty is the rhythm of life. Gabriel is fighting to send Asmodeus and his cohort of demons back to hell, but how can he focus when he begins to experience human emotions of love, doubt, and even jealousy? And can he keep his mind focused with Narsaé — a beautiful and powerful woman — by his side?

Muffy Wilson and Dariel Raye take readers on a rollicking ride following a powerful narrative that is packed with action. It feels so real, so human, and so incredibly convincing that readers almost believe the angel lives just next door. The prose is exceptionally good and filled with vivid descriptions and dialogues that read like real life conversations and the authors use these dialogues to deepen character, enrich plot elements, and entertain readers. The conflict is introduced in the opening pages, and while there is a lot to enjoy when it comes to physical conflict, what caught my attention the most is the internal conflict, the dilemma that threatens to tear Gabriel’s life apart. Dark Opius: Watchtower (Cursed Angel Collection) is boldly written, the work of vivid imaginations and deft storytelling craft. It is full of entertainment.