Hell of a Witch (Tear Down Heaven #2), by Rachel Aaron
5 Oct 2024The Book
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 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.
Book 2 a new, action-packed Urban Fantasy series from the author of NICE DRAGONS FINISH LAST and MINIMUM-WAGE MAGIC!
My Review
Hell of a Witch is the second novel in the Urban Fantasy series Tear Down Heaven, written by Rachel Aaron. A second installment full of action, intrigue, combat and tension, including a slow-burn romance that will play a key role in the plot, taking us to new places unexplored in the first book, and that will continue the fight against Gilgamesh and Heaven forces.
A month after their win against heaven forces, Bex, the Queen of Wrath, still continues with her fight, freeing more demons from warlocks with her group, trying to get the attention of Gilgamesh; however, the lack of action from heaven is making her nervous. But Adrian has an idea, targeting the Anchors, as they seem to be an important part of Heaven's power; infiltrating there won't be easy, and after a first assault that puts Bex between the wall and the rock, we see that she cares about more things than the rebellion against Heaven.
And as you can imagine, in this book, we have a Bex that is falling in love with Adrian, and that at many points, will struggle to choose if she prefers to just focus on the rebellion (as her sword suggests) or if she needs to also enjoy other things in this final life. Her group of demons is still like a family, and we can see how all of them have developed a big friendship with Adrian and Boston. Adrian is fully decided to be part of the rebellion, but also wants to be that support Bex needs with her struggles, and seriously, their stormy romance is one of the big selling points of this second instalment.
This novel is excellently paced, throwing us directly into the action, and using the slower moments to continue developing the characters. There are plenty of action scenes, and each time Aaron decides to write a combat, a smile appears on my face, because they are so spectacular. The world is expanded is a really organic way, making us to learn more at the same time our main characters discover that information.
Hell of a Witch is another excellent novel for this series; if you like Urban Fantasy, you need to read Tear Down Heaven. Aaron has written an incredible story, full of action but also feelings, and I can't wait to see how it continues in next books.
The Author/s
Rachel Aaron
Hello, my name is Rachel Aaron, author of Nice Dragons Finish Last, the best-selling writing productivity book 2k to 10k, and The Legend of Eli Monpress, published by Orbit Books. I'm also the author of Fortune's Pawn, the first book in the rollicking fun Paradox Science Fiction trilogy (now complete) under the name Rachel Bach. Confused yet? I know I am!
I was born and raised in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Athens, GA with my faster-than-the-speed-of-light son, perpetually understanding husband, and fat wiener dog. I write full time, all the time, but when my family can drag me away from my own books, I love reading fantasy (urban and traditional), Romance (paranormal and Regency), and Science Fiction (all kinds). I also enjoy video games, Minecraft, anime, manga, hanging out at conventions, and overdone, epic things.
Other than my fiction, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is to read my books, my blog, or follow me on Twitter.