A DIVINE INVITE

In Havoc’s series-launching debut, a woman’s fate places her in the company of the Devil’s workforce.

Ellie O’Neill, a police station clerk, hopes to one day become an officer. The 30-year-old certainly has the heroic nature for it, as she barely hesitates to run into a burning building to save a stranger. Not long after, a voice—God’s, perhaps—informs Ellie that she’s worthy of “the Divine.” She’ll have three tests of faith, two of which she’s already passed: her courageous act and her prudence in not squandering her large inheritance. For the third test, she “must refuse the Devil.” Meanwhile, the Devil’s soul-scout and debt collector, Johnny Knight, becomes fascinated by Ellie: Not only is she able to step inside the Soulfull Tavern, an otherworldly establishment which humans can’t see or enter, but, as far as Johnny can tell, she also doesn’t have a soul. This opening series installment introduces a likable, multilayered hero in Ellie, who has low self-esteem and avoids attention while remaining consistently plucky and selfless. The fantastical narrative showcases various monsters (such as clingers, disfigured humans that move like “inverted crabs”) and such delightful inventions as Johnny’s magic coat, which is seemingly able to hold anything. The cast shines brightly, from Ellie’s human best friend, Kaley, to the colorful, sometimes scary beings she runs into (“Her face was pale—so pale, her eyebrows had no pigmentation. Her lips were swollen and cracked, and Ellie was sure there was a maggot on the lower lip. Deep cuts marred her features…”). Much of the story is murky, raising unanswered questions, but the final act elevates the tension and delivers an ending that makes reading the next installment in the series a virtual necessity.

Animated characters fuel this commendable start to a fantasy saga.