The Heart of Hell

Barlowe returns to his brutal, dismal version of hell (as portrayed in God’s Demon), following demons and a once-human soul in the aftermath of a war that successfully freed souls from eternal torture. After helping emancipate the human souls from imprisonment, demon Lilith must now help rebuild; however, seeing the actions of the newly freed souls, she questions whether her support of their liberation was a wise choice. Meanwhile, demon Adramalik, who was on the losing side, is chosen to lead a new, more destructive war against those who defeated him. Boudica, a soul newly freed by the same demon who imprisoned her, wishes only to find out where her daughters are; in her quest for answers, she makes unexpected allies. Those who haven’t read God’s Demon will struggle to follow or appreciate this installment, but series fans will savor voyaging with these characters through an ugly, gory, brilliantly written hell. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (July)