“Bex was used to being her people’s hope, but being with Adrian was the first time in her life that she’d had hope.”
Rachel Aaron is absolutely on fire in Hell of a Witch, the dark yet diabolically fun second instalment in the demon-infested and wonderfully witchy Tear Down Heaven series. It’s got more action, more intrigue, more (combat gardening) magic, more tension, more emotional gut punches, more banter, and more deliciously slow-burn romance; this is how you write one hell of a sequel.
Now, with Hell For Hire instantly becoming one of my top favourite reads of the year, Hell of a Witch had big shoes to fill. But even going in with almost unfairly high expectations, I was totally not ready for what Rachel Aaron had in store in this sequel. Even though the story picks up about a month after the bombastic ending of Hell For Hire, it took me only about one page to be completely sucked back into the chaotic lives of my favourite wayward gardening witch and the endearing crew of loveable demons; the bonds of this unlikely found family are tested beyond belief as tensions rise to ungodly levels and they are faced with demons both within and without, but Gilgamesh will soon learn he messed with the wrong crew, and his Heaven is no longer safe from their burning wrath.
Look, as impressed as I am with the layered world building, intricate plotting, and rich lore that Aaron delivers in this refreshing urban fantasy series, I can’t sit here and pretend that I am here for anything else than Bex and Adrian. While they were already absolute powerhouses in book 1, it was truly magnificent to see them embracing their full powers now that Adrian’s Blackwood forest is starting to thrive and Bex’s powers as the demon Queen of Wrath are fully restored; they are honestly a match made in heaven, and it doesn’t take long for them to realise that their mutually beneficial alliance might potentially be something more if they could just let themselves allow it.
Honestly, friends, if there was one thing I wanted more of in Hell For Hire, it was the unlikely yet heartwarming relationship between these two gems, and Aaron more than delivered in Hell of a Witch. The plot starts out a bit quieter before devolving into an intensely hectic heisty situation, and I loved how that allowed for an almost cozy time where we just get to see them recuperate, bond, and grow closer together. Don’t get me wrong, the romance never starts to overtake the core plot, but holy smokes… did I eat up the scorching hot romantic/sexual tension , the sweetly agonising ‘will-they-won’t-they’, the adorably innocent butterfly feelings, the sharp banter, and the delicious pining between them; Lys the lust demon should be proud of them.
As the plot got increasingly intense, I almost started to get overwhelmed a few times because I personally struggled to visualise some of the more ethereal and action-packed scenes (especially relating to the Anthors), but Bex and Adrian’s strong bond and their intimate narration ultimately kept me grounded throughout the craziness. Aaron just does such a masterful job of balancing and interweaving the big external conflicts with the vulnerable inner conflicts, which is exactly why I feel so deeply emotionally invested in the lives of these characters (almost to the point that it’s almost dangerous for my own sanity, help.)
And it’s not just Bex and Adrian who absolutely steal the show in Hell of a Witch, but the supporting cast of characters also really get their time to shine; Lys the suave and cunning lust demon (my fave, I am trash for them), Iggs the gentle giant of a wrath demon, Nemini the apathetic void demon, Boston the sassy cat, and even Drox the snarky sword all have their own important role to play in this quickly escalating rollercoaster of a conflict, and their personal (and shared) backstories only become more intriguing. They can bicker, tease, and fight like siblings, but their love for each other just bleeds through the pages and they prove time and time again that they will stop at nothing to protect those they hold dear, even if they have to put their own lives on the line (hello emotional destruction!).
Moreover, we also get some refreshingly intriguing perspectives from the antagonists’ point of view, which not only boosts the tension but also adds so much nuance and intrigue to the entire conflict. Seriously, how Aaron managed to deliver such high quality development of the characters and their interpersonal relationships, while also expanding the world and lore in both breadth and depth, all while keeping the stakes high as the plot barrels along at breakneck speed is truly beyond me; I bet she has been using some of the Blackwood forest’s power while writing this book, otherwise I cannot explain how Hell of a Witch is even better than its stupendously strong predecessor.
Before reading Hell for Hire, I would never have guessed that I could love an urban fantasy series this much, but Hell of a Witch just single-handedly shot the Tear Down Heaven series straight into the top ranks of my all-time favourites. Whether these characters know it or not, I consider myself part of their wonderfully weird found family now, and I am so (nervously) excited to see how their adventure continues. If you like the sound of a fast-paced yet intimately character-driven urban fantasy series that is full of heart and strikes the perfect balance between the action and emotion, then I can’t recommend the Tear Down Heaven series highly enough.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
