“Five thousand years of war and rebirth have all come down to this. It’s time to Tear Down Heaven.”
We all know that endings can be scary when you have enjoyed a series this much, so I was honestly equal parts hyped and slightly terrified to see what Rachel Aaron would have in store in Tear Down Heaven. And you know what, she absolutely stuck the landing so gracefully in full demon queen fashion, we love to see it.
Now, we pick up literal seconds after where Hell Hath No Fury left off, and it’s just non-stop chaos from page one till the end. We’ve got armies of freed slaves who are barely holding it together, Bex missing her horns and still dealing with a stubbornly silent sword, Adrian being brilliant and brave and occasionally stressed out of his mind, and king Gilgamesh who just refuses to stop being an evil bastard. At times my tiny pea brain was working overtime trying to keep track of the schemes and counter schemes, but somehow I was just along for the ride.
What I loved most about Tear Down Heaven (both the book and the overall series), is that I never once doubted that good would eventually win. This series has always carried that spark of hope, but I could never predict how we were going to get there. The road to toppling Heaven was steep, bloody, and emotionally brutal, which just happens to be exactly how I like it. Bex and Adrian hit some very low points and have to fight hard for every little victory, which just makes their journey feel so real, satisfying, and well-earned.
I also have to applaud how Aaron kept expanding this world without it collapsing under its own weight. We started in Chicago, descended into Hell, and now we are storming Heaven itself, and I loved how each new setting shifted the vibe just enough to keep things fresh. By the time we are marching down golden streets and occupying celestial mansions here, it somehow feels both completely wild and totally inevitable, which I really enjoyed.
That said, Tear Down Heaven is an epic finale, and you feel it. The pace is fast, the fights are huge, and the twists keep coming. And like, I get it, we are tearing down a divine system so of course it is going to be explosive. But honestly, I am a sucker for quiet character moments, and while I think Aaron does a great job of keeping all of this chaos grounded in the characters’ journeys, I did wish for a little more breathing room. Just give me my traumatized demons and witches sitting in exhausted silence, processing their trauma and holding hands, and I would be a happy gal.
Especially when it comes to Bex and Adrian, I just felt a tiny bit conflicted here in Tear Down Heaven. I mean, I adore them, don’t get me wrong. Their trust in each other, the way they respect each other’s strengths, the way they step in to protect when it really counts, it is all there and it is beautiful. But their romance often stays on the backburner because the apocalypse simply will not wait, and I wanted just a little more time to sit in their feelings. The same goes for the found family vibes, which are immaculate in theory and genuinely touching when they shine through, but they had to make room for yet another big magical showdown a few too many times for my liking.
Still, the sheer fun of this book cannot be denied, and I really enjoyed the whole “F the system” vibe of it all, because Gilgamesh had this coming for a long, long time. Familiar faces show up at the most chaotic moments, unexpected allies crash into the narrative with perfect timing, and there were multiple scenes where I was basically vibrating with adrenaline because I could not believe what Aaron had just pulled off. The surprises just kept on coming, and I loved how they always felt so earned and exciting instead of ever coming across contrived or like a wild cheap trick.
Even though the first book might still be my personal peak of the series, I am so glad I stuck with this journey. I am genuinely satisfied with how everything wrapped up here in Tear Down Heaven (that final chapter!!!), and Bex, Adrian, and the entire chaotic demon crew can live rent free in my head forever. This series is easily one of my favorite epic urban fantasy rides, and if you have not started it yet, please fix that immediately.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Tear Down Heaven is scheduled for release on 5 March 2026.
