TL;DR Review: Action, romance, magic, and intrigue dialed up to max intensity. A delicious “will they, won’t they” I absolutely loved.
Synopsis:
The hotly anticipated sequel to HELL FOR HIRE!
One month ago, Bex, the demon Queen of Wrath, and Adrian, witch of the Blackwood, pulled off the upset victory of the century. Now, they find themselves facing the question all unexpected champions must answer: what next? They’ve declared war on Heaven, but how do you actually bring down a divinely powerful tyrant when your army’s still in the single digits and your magical fortress is an illegally modified Winnebago?
It seems like a hopeless situation. As always, though, Adrian Blackwood has a plan, and this time, he’s going big. He’s got an idea to take down the Seattle Anchor, the giant magical fortress that houses the Anchor Market and every other bit of critical infrastructure that connects Heaven to Earth.
How the Anchors work is a closely guarded secret, and getting to the good stuff will require going deep into the heart of Gilgamesh’s power. There’s a reason even the Queen of Wrath has never attacked one directly, but now that Adrian’s on her team, Bex thinks they can do it. She’s finally got the power she needs to actually move the needle on this war, and she’s going to hit that Anchor with all the fire she’s got.
But the enemies of Heaven aren’t the only ones making plans. After the fiery return of his most persistent annoyance, Gilgamesh has ordered his princes to take care of the demon queen problem personally. It’s time to roll out the big guns and show these rebels what divine wrath really means, starting with the Hell of a Witch who made it all possible.
Full Review:
Oh, what a joy to be back in this witchy, demon-infested world where Heaven has been turned to a place of evil and the only one fighting for “good” is a disgraced (and downsized) demon queen!
In Hell for Hire, we got to meet Adrian Blackwood, witch extraordinare, and learned the truth about Bex, the Queen of Wrath. We learned about their vendetta against Gilgamesh, King of Heaven, and saw them beginning to stir up trouble in the magical world.
Trouble is the name of the game in Hell of a Witch. We’re instantly thrust back into the action as Bex and her team—Iggy the hulking-but-good-natured wrath demon, Lys the cunning and sultry lust demon, and Nemini the…well…she’s just Nemini—take out warlocks and free demons from their heavenly shackles. Once the blood has flowed and the deed is done, it’s back to Adrian’s forest for some much-needed R&R.
By R&R, I of course mean Rest and ROMANCE.
There’s no denying the heat that’s building between Adrian and Bex, but rather than going down the steam or spice route, the book focuses on how pleasant, warm, and soothing blossoming affections can be. Each of them has found something special in the other—a piece that their lives have been missing—and something as simple as sharing mission updates or sharing a meal is draped with the golden glow of new attraction (turning undeniably into love, though neither of them can yet admit that aloud).
And then everything comes grinding to an agonizing halt when, in their most daring attack on Heaven, Bex makes the choice to save Adrian’s life rather than defeating an enemy and retaining a powerful strategic asset. Suddenly, she begins to question everything—and, expectedly, chooses to push Adrian away and lock down her own feelings.
The “will they, won’t they” aspect of the book is delicious and delightful. I had no idea whether the book would end in heartbreak or happiness (and I won’t spoil you by revealing which) but my poor romantic heart suffered through this entire book as I watched Bex try her best to push Adrian away to protect him—or, in truth, protect herself from the vulnerabilities that come from falling in love in the middle of a war.
I loved how Adrian, rather than getting sulky or petty (like would be the case in a darker, grimmer book), just goes about figuring out what went wrong, then has so much understanding and compassion for Bex’s struggles that you can’t help but love him even more.
The action is dialed up to the next level along with the romance. Now, Bex and her crew don’t just fight demons, but take on the Princes of Hell and their Princesses, too. The battles are faster-paced, more frenetic, and lead to greater revelations and epiphanies for the characters, and the settings (from an M.C. Escher-flavored corporate office to a superhighway-sized golden bridge into Heaven) are bigger and bolder.
And, by the end, we’re left (we hope) one step closer to Bex tearing down Heaven and dethroning the wicked King Gilgamesh from his throne. More mysteries are dangled (WTF is going on with Prince Leander? Who are the Blades really? How did a wrath demon learn to craft Excel spreadsheets?) and the foundation is laid for an exciting Book 3.
Hell of a Witch cements this series as one of my favorite urban fantasy series of the year. It keeps drawing me in with cooler magic, more intriguing worldbuilding, and characters that I fall in love with over and over.
I’m just gonna say it: Hell of a Witch is a Hell of a Book!
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