Descension was a very fun, interesting and quick read for me. Filled with magic, mystery, and a sweet romance - two, actually; I really enjoyed reading this one. Going into this you should know that the first half of this book is where you get to know Layla. It really sets the scene for the rest of the series and you get a little bit a an intro to Quin and their romance. The second half of the book revolves around Layla's past - her parents, why she was hidden, and the dangers she will face. You don't see much of the villan in this story, except for what he did in the past, and I was surprised, in a good way, at how this book moved along. 
 You start off getting a glimpse of the villan, Agro, and his discovery that Layla is still alive. After that, you don't really see him until the end, although he appears in the second half of the book as a tool to Layla's parents' demise. Layla then uncovers who she really is as she ventures to Oregon in search of family and answers. From there, you dive into her past, see what happened to her parents, and Burgess sets the scene for what's to come. 
 I really liked Layla and Quin. They're such a cute couple. Layla is instantly attracted to Quin and as she learns to trust and rely on him, their romance grows. Quin has cared for Layla for awhile now, having dreamed of her for so long and I loved the idea of how they basically grew up together in his dreams. He's a very charming and sweet guy. Their romance is very steady and I'm hoping for epic things for these two. 
 Their romance, however, was quickly overshadowed by the love of Layla's parents. I kind of feel like this was more of their story and actually would've preferred a prequel telling their story, because it felt like Descension was really two different books in one. While learning about Layla's parents, I completely forgot about Layla and whatever was happening in the present. It's not really a deterrent, and if anything, it makes you really want to read Book 2 to find out what happens to Layla. I really loved their romance, and even though it was a bit of instalove for them, as their relationship progressed, it became so much more than that. They dealt with some pretty intense drama and I especially give it up to Layla's mom for what she went through. 
 The ending is pretty mysterious and Burgess hints at a key player in this story that you'll be dying to know about. Descension was light read and I finished pretty quickly. There's not a lot of depth or detail, which I hope will come in later books, but for the most part, it was a good read. Oh, but one thing I didn't like how was they kept referring to each other as "magicians", it really trivialized the magic and I couldn't take them seriously, but really, that's just my personal opinion. I really feel like there could've been more to this if only Burgess had taken the parents' story out and made it their own, but I'm hoping her reasoning for doing things this way will come out in later books.