Hellsbane (A Hellsbane Book, #1) (Hellsbane)

by Paige Cuccaro

[layawaydragon]

Pros
Liked Emma immensely though she has one specific smack-able moment
the mystery and sleuthing.
Cons
Biblical sexism and slut shaming
World-building = meh. Not compelling.

Trigger Warning: contains discussion of Rape, children conceived by rape, and rape threats. It’s mostly second hand discussion about their rapist fathers but there’s a particularly poignant conversation with a rape victim who has no memory of the event. Emma’s threatened repeatedly towards closing time by our antagonist right after spouting “can’t rape the willing” bullshit regarding his victims.
Emma Hellsbane is a psychic, more or less. She makes her living off feeling emotions and giving her customers what they want. Until one fate-filled day when too popular for you jock, Thomas comes insistently knocking. Him rocking her world is what she’s always wanted but is unprepared for just how he does it.
After saving Thomas’s life, she’s on a roller coaster ride of train or die by the scores of demons and their masters now wanting her dead. With the help of their Angel magistra, aka Nephellium wrangler, Eli Emma’s new life begins to take shape. Between Thomas’s smile and Eli’s intoxicating angel aura, she’s got to get her head in the game somehow. Touched by an angel to a whole new level, but that’s war-making talk.
There’s downtime for paranormal sleuthing to find out who’s their daddy in order to gain freedom from Groundhog Day’s evil, sexy twin infested with murderous demons. This, along with Emma’s still thinking like a human moment slips, is my favorite part. Yeah, the fighting is good and all, especially with the reality of injuries thrown in (though it doesn’t last), but I love mysteries.
Training montages are kept short and interesting, the second of which will make astrology nerds explode from death by bullshit but I found it fun. Of course, it’s all made up anyways.
It’s funny of all the magical hand waving I’ve accepted, it’s always the angels and demons on Earth that’s hardest for me to shallow. Maybe it’s the holier than thou look at those sheeple aspect. Maybe it’s that some honestly believe they’re already here and the damage those people have caused. Maybe it's because no one dares to delve deeper in the mythos. Maybe living in a Judeo-Christian society that saturated with it, I just find it dull.

Rating Specifics: Overall & in general, I'd give a 2.5 but for the genre, it earns 3 ½ stars for an enjoyable tale that is above average given my experience with others of its ilk. The world-building is bleh, but I liked Emma and the action. Don't think I can stand continuing though. But major props for keeping me hooked enough to finish and not hating it. That's a first for me and the Biblical fantasy sub-genre.