Novel Notions

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review

Cover Art by Luisa Preissler.

Hell For Hire by Rachel Aaron

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Tear Heaven Down (Book 1)

Genre: Fantasy, urban fantasy

Release date: 4th June 2024 (self-published)

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Please allow me to repeat myself, again.  Rachel Aaron has never ever failed to deliver an effortlessly engaging story filled with lovable characters, and an amazing, yet accessible, worldbuilding that is uniquely hers. It came as no surprise that Hell For Hire has all her usual winning trademarks and is possibly her best first book in a series so far.

Hell For Hire is a completely new urban fantasy series which is not directly related to her popular DFZ series, and it pretty much hit all the right spots for me.  I did not have much exposure to books with witches or witchcraft, but the nature/druidic aspect of the magic in this book was totally up my alley. It also helped greatly that our witchy main character, Adrian Blackwood, was so incredibly loveable.  Couple that with a feline familiar that has all the qualities that come with the species, and you have a duo that grabbed your heart from the get-go.

One look at the cover, and you may also wonder if one of the main characters is a demon. Well, the answer is yes, and Bex and all the other demonic supporting characters are fantastic. As much as I believe tropes have a place in fantasy, subversion when done right is always welcomed. This urban fantasy which made me root for witches and demons over the ‘angelic’ host satisfied a need that I didn’t even know I had.

I appreciated the pacing in this book. The first half spent more time developing the characters, and providing the much-needed worldbuilding and lore skillfully woven into the compelling narrative. Even as events began to escalate towards the climactic confrontation, character development was never compromised. Typical of Aaron’s writing, the action scenes are gripping and draw deeply upon each main character’s inner conflicts, motivations and strength to overcome the odds, while keeping you at the edge of your seat.

The key overarching conflict in this series is going to be seriously epic. With that in mind and how much I loved the characters, the sequels cannot wait come soon enough.

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You can purchase the book from Blackwells | Bookshop.Org | Amazon US | Amazon UK

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