By Indieland’s lights, things have changed quite a bit in the infernal realm since Dante charted the terrain in the 14th century. Today’s Hell is a much more corporate affair, largely run by harried demonic functionaries struggling to hit their quotas and maintain some kind of bureaucratic order—the eternal lake of fire depicted in these titles resembles nothing so much as a DMV office, with moodier lighting and a slightly less hostile staff. These indie jaunts are characterized by inventiveness, offbeat humor, and memorable characters just doing their best in a tough situation. As we start a new year and the world teeters on the brink, there’s something comforting about this slightly less hostile Hell—we’re all in this together.
Allen Isom’s 2023 novel, Hell Hath No Fury, begins with the professional humiliation of a demon given the ignominious task of breaching the mortal plane…to retrieve a cat. It’s hard out here for an imp. The Dark Lord’s lackey snatches the wrong feline, one belonging to tough-as-nails Delilah Jones, a former Las Vegas cop. She doesn’t take kindly to the theft of her beloved companion, and when she follows the inept kidnapper (catnapper?) back to the underworld, there’s hell to pay. She encounters a friendly demon named Larry, who helps her navigate the cursed realm, with its braying vendors shouting “Come get your souls!” It’s a living, so to speak. Our reviewer notes that Isom “steeps this fast-paced tale in rollicking humor” and highlights his “unforgettable” descriptions of such sights as “six-legged Abominations with multiple heads sporting ‘needle toothed smiles.’” (Andy Cohen smells a franchise.)
Eliza and the Alchemist (2023), by Carlos Lacámara, follows the titular maladjusted college student as she struggles to repair a rift in the universe that allows Hell-spawned demonic incursions into our world. Among the invading hordes are skeletal zombies, a giant scorpion, and an earthworm-eating homunculus (no, that’s not from Elon Musk’s Tinder bio). Luckily, Eliza happens to possess amazing alchemical abilities—you really do learn so much about yourself at college—that may be sufficient to seal the breach and save the world. Our starred review praises the yarn as a “delightfully bizarre and rollicking supernatural comedy with colorful humans and ghastly monsters.” Yeah, that’s college.
A Divine Invite, a 2023 fantasy novel by Maggie Havoc, features police station clerk Ellie O’Neill, a woman struggling with low self-esteem who receives a surprising vote of confidence from Above when her heroic nature and prudence make her eligible for “the Divine.” Her final test to establish her worthiness requires her to “refuse the Devil,” which sounds like a euphemism for declining that last shot of Fireball at closing time. Ellie’s path puts her on a collision course with working schlub Johnny Knight, a debt-collector in Old Scratch’s employ who becomes fascinated by the plucky mortal; Ellie, it seems, has no soul. So why does she heedlessly rush into burning buildings to save lives rather than, say, lobby for big pharma? Our reviewer warns that “the final act elevates the tension and delivers an ending that makes reading the next installment in the series a virtual necessity.”
Arthur Smith is an Indie editor.
