A half-angel, half-demon mother races to save her kidnapped son whose father happens to be the king of hell in this third installment of a paranormal series.

A pregnant Samara Daemonium hides out in the Gnarly Forest on Middle Earth. Now free of Lucifer, who had raped her repeatedly, she gives birth to a boy she instantly loves, Papillon. Unfortunately, Lucifer’s daughter, Lucinda, finds Samara and, plotting to seize her dad’s throne that was once hers, abducts young (but rapidly aging) Papillon. Samara can’t face Lucinda alone, especially since she’s recently lost her telepathy and teleportation abilities—and her foe has an army. So Samara turns to Lucifer, who could very well take the boy away for himself. Samara’s quest to rescue her son sends her back to hell while the Red War between heaven and hell rages. It also leads her to vicious individuals, from witches who blame her for their sister’s death to a black dragon with a lethal vendetta against Lucifer. She fights to stay alive to have Papillon in her arms once again. McFarren amps up this series entry with a lively cast of characters. For example, Samara runs across a warmhearted shape-shifter as well as a formidable demon hunter, whose hatred of the evil fiends may extend to her if he learns of her origin. She bounces from one peril to the next, as she’s a captive more than once and even a potential sacrifice. But some cast members are disappointingly sidelined, like gleefully wicked and powerful Lucinda and Papillon, who quickly develops a bubbly personality. Still, the author’s dynamic prose depicts arresting turns, such as Samara’s first serene moments with her new baby boy and a tense episode where she traverses a cold, bleak dungeon (“The air smelled putrid. Words couldn’t describe the horrible stench—a mix of blood, piss, and sweat”). Much like the preceding installment, this story offers an extraordinary denouement that readers won’t soon forget.

An energetic and entertaining sequel that enhances this worthy supernatural saga.

In this paranormal sequel, a teenage angel/demon hybrid and her family clash with hell’s power-hungry queen and her famous dad, Lucifer.

With her father, Lucifer, supposedly dead, Queen Lucinda aspires to be the most powerful figure in hell, tormenting and consuming demon and human souls. World domination is also in reach if she can turn the tide in the imminent Red War between heaven and hell. It seems odd, then, that Lucinda focuses her attention on Crighton, Lucifer’s former soul seeker and a Nephilim (an angel/demon), whom the queen loves. Crighton lives in Middle Earth, a place that’s neither heaven nor hell, with his guardian angel soul mate and their 17-year-old daughter, Samara. But Lucinda has a diabolical plan; she abducts someone in Crighton’s family who’s reputedly the key to destroying heaven in the war. Meanwhile, Lucifer, an angel once more, hijacks a “meat suit” and returns to hell. He aims to seize the throne back from Lucinda while his disturbing obsession with Samara slowly brews. He may be an even bigger threat than his daughter, as he’ll likely use his power to annihilate everything—heaven, hell, and Earth. McFarren’s epic follow-up to Soul Seeker (2020) brims with vivid characters and subplots, fueling the sequel’s impressive pace. For example, Samara’s demon-filled school days culminate in a murder mystery, and disappearing members of Crighton’s family spur several rescue missions. In addition, the author’s pithy details don’t linger excessively on scenes of brutal torture and explicit sex. Much of the cast is gleefully complex, harboring unexpected connections to others, and rarely trustworthy, though Samara is a consistently appealing young protagonist. While Lucinda’s thirst for power drives the story, the lengthy final act swerves drastically, introducing myriad new characters and twists aplenty involving Samara and a weirdly specific prophecy. Still, the doozy of a cliffhanger will surely leave readers yearning for a third series installment.

Supernatural beings propel this intricate, intriguing, and surprisingly energetic tale.