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A review by reasonpassion
To Hell and Back by Lilith Saintcrow
urban fantasy without the gloss
Urban fantasy follows a known trajectory most times, particularly the romance variation. There's a connection between a human female and some version of an alien male, sometimes an actual alien and other times simply alien as in other. The male is insufferable, manipulative and abusive. The woman is strong but succumbs because deep down she wants to be held by the strength of a strong man. The abuse and manipulation is ignored for safety. There's variations on this but essentially most cover over the horrific connection with heaps of romantic cliches.
This story take that premise and removes the cliches, at least most of them. Gone is love conquering all. Gone is redemption. Gone is overlooking abuse. This is brutal unmitigated destruction at every level imaginable. What would truly happen in a human/alien union with such a ridiculous difference in power and a lack of understanding? What would happen if the manipulation and abuse were not falsely diminished by emotionalism?
The answer is this series. The sheer scope of the lies and manipulation and abuse are not removed. They come into fruition and death results. Dante is not a strong woman in love with a redeemed hero, she is a strong woman who walks forward despite being shattered. There's a lesson there, perhaps, but it's not one feel good about when reading.
Urban fantasy follows a known trajectory most times, particularly the romance variation. There's a connection between a human female and some version of an alien male, sometimes an actual alien and other times simply alien as in other. The male is insufferable, manipulative and abusive. The woman is strong but succumbs because deep down she wants to be held by the strength of a strong man. The abuse and manipulation is ignored for safety. There's variations on this but essentially most cover over the horrific connection with heaps of romantic cliches.
This story take that premise and removes the cliches, at least most of them. Gone is love conquering all. Gone is redemption. Gone is overlooking abuse. This is brutal unmitigated destruction at every level imaginable. What would truly happen in a human/alien union with such a ridiculous difference in power and a lack of understanding? What would happen if the manipulation and abuse were not falsely diminished by emotionalism?
The answer is this series. The sheer scope of the lies and manipulation and abuse are not removed. They come into fruition and death results. Dante is not a strong woman in love with a redeemed hero, she is a strong woman who walks forward despite being shattered. There's a lesson there, perhaps, but it's not one feel good about when reading.