Review by purely_romantic - Tied to Hell

purely_romantic 's review for:

Tied to Hell by Vee Debras

5.0

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was so eager for this second book in the Monsters of Brimrey Island series and it absolutely did not disappoint. Debras is fast becoming a favourite when it comes to depicting the messiness of humans in realistic situations and all wrapped up in a delightful monster-y world. In Tied to Hell we meet Dusk, best friend to Ness from Book 1 and the demon that takes a shine to him and makes a deal to possess his body for half the day for seven weeks in exchange for a favour.

This book utilises many romance tropes but also manages to colour outside the lines in really interesting and complex ways. In particular, I appreciate how much Debras’ spotlights what we would recognize as “unlikeable” characters and yet forces the reader to really sit with their situations. Dealing with chronic pain that is a result of an accident he was in as a teenager, Dusk is abrasive, angry, oozing sarcasm and carrying a lot of undealt with guilt about needing help and support. He is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a content character and despite all of this, I found myself rooting for his well being. It was an up close and personal look into the life of someone who is always in pain, and who has been masking his fear of being left behind and his guilt at holding everyone in his life back (in his mind), with indifference and pithy comebacks.

Dusk’s love story is also far from conventional, and especially for fans of the first book, Rae is the polar opposite of Echo. The demon matches Dusk’s sarcasm, pushes every single one of his buttons, is at times reckless with his body and, on the surface, seems like the worst possible match for Dusk. And yet, Debras makes this love story work. There is a devotion and an intimacy that the author explores, particularly through the device of possession and body sharing, that really gives this book an edge and while challenging in some ways, one I deeply enjoyed reading. I also really loved the way Rae’s journey with his transness and, in general, how the theme of bodies was explored in this book and it is one I will be mulling over for a long time. As someone who does not experience body dysphoria or disability/chronic pain, I am grateful for books like this that require me to sit with these characters and their realities.

I also really loved how the love story in this novel was not just between Dusk and Rae, but also between Dusk and his family, his friends, and perhaps most importantly, his love story with himself. There are some beautifully tender scenes where Dusk has to lay down these massive weights he has been carrying and understand that his loved ones do not see him as a burden and find joy in supporting him. These scenes were so poignant and hurt in all the best ways.

I highly recommend this book for folks who enjoy being challenged by characters, and who like to root for the ones the world likes to label as difficult. Their stories matter and their realities deserve to be main narratives. Congratulations to Vee Debras on another 5-star read!

CWs: chronic pain; external and internalized ableism; descriptions of a car accident (in the past); mentions of drug use and drug overdose (in the past); mentions of past SA (of a side character); mentions of past bullying; some gallows humour that includes mentions of suicide; transphobia; violence against a pregnant person, leading to a miscarriage; tampering of medication (by the love interest).

CNs: This is the second book in the Monsters of Brimrey Island series featuring an Achillean romance between a trans demon and a human who experiences chronic pain and walks with a crutch. Vee Debras also has a free novella, Tied to Heaven, available with a newsletter signup, that is not entirely necessary to read this book, but would make some of the events of Tied to Hell more enjoyable. I received an ARC from the author and this is my voluntary review.

Content Warnings