Summary:
That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.
Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….
Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.
With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.
But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.
My Thoughts:
This was such an interesting take on Hell. While the general story of going to Hell in order to rescue someone you know isn't new, this particular take on it is (at least for me). Alice decides to go to Hell in order to bring back her professor for two reasons: she thinks his death is her fault, and she wants to be able to get a job right after graduation with his good connections. Peter has the same idea of rescuing him, and also believes that Grimes' death is his fault. Despite their shaky relationship, they decide to go together. Parts of hell look like the campus at Cambridge, but the two struggle trying to find their way to whatever section of Hell their professor is in. Throughout the journey, secrets are uncovered that may just turn their mission into something else . . .
While I love the amount of world-building in Hell, the author does not do the same for the world-building at Cambridge. We get character development along the way, but the book mostly takes place in Hell and the life at Cambridge is a mystery for the most part. There are small details revealed, but not enough to fully capture what it was like for Alice and Peter. While I am not a huge fan of Alice, I do love Peter's character, especially when we learn his backstory and the struggles he has with an uncurable illness. Their growing romance seems very real, slow, and not forced. They struggle with socializing due to past incidents and think the other hates them before they realize the truth. Parts of the ending, however, felt rushed. We are led to believe that Peter won't be able to make it back, so how does he make it back? Alice did a spell, yes, but it wasn't really explained on how it was possible.
Overall I did like the book, and will most likely try out some of the author's other works as well.
My Rating: 3 stars
