Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Deal in Divinity
SERIES: Standalone
AUTHOR: Chely Penn
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 345 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 18, 2023
BLURB:
Lots of people have demons, but they’re not usually literal.
Heaven and Hell are warring on Earth, and Ander Castillo is stuck in the middle. Ever since demons broke through the gates of Hell and decimated humanity, Ander, along with other “blends”—humans with angelic blood—has been hiding in Gardners, one of the few remaining sanctuaries. The decrepit city is watched over by strange, distant angels, who protect its residents but offer no advice or comfort.
Leaving Gardners is a death sentence, but love drives Ander to attempt the impossible and set out beyond the walls to find the foster brother he lost long ago. Yet Ander’s no true angel, and a few feathers on his neck can’t save him from the monsters running wild over Earth. Soon enough he faces an impossible choice: a vicious death or making a deal that will tie him to a bloodthirsty demon. Forever.
Everything is not as it seems, though. Ander’s left wondering if evil can wear an angel’s face or love can hide in a demon’s luminous eyes. As he and his new deal-bound “partner” are drawn into the affairs of entities far beyond them, Ander’s strength and resolve are tested, and only love and loyalty will give him a chance at a future worth living.
**See this title’s page on RiptidePublishing.com for content warnings.**
REVIEW:
In Gardners, Ander had a life he didn’t consider worth living. So, he left the safety of the city for a journey that could kill or save him. Either way, Ander had to find his foster brother, Ronan. He didn’t expect to make a deal with the demon, Sytri, in the process.
Deal in Divinity is a book that I was on the fence with. It is like nothing I’ve read before, to the point of genius or the opposite. The tale includes all races and creeds, including conflicts that parallel society. It is evident that much thought went into the story. However, along with the parts that wowed me were irritating elements, too, to the point where I’d read so much and then take a break. I expect that many will love this story, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Sytri and Ander. In a world where Angels want to rid the earth of impurities, worldbuilding is bleak, occasionally gory, and full of conflicts where people of all blends are trying to survive or dominate. One could describe it as apocalyptic, where the earth is the fighting ground between heaven and hell, and innocents get caught in the blast zone.
During the travels of Ander and Sytri (who appears to be the oracle of demonology) – their encounters are dialogue-heavy. Throughout, I enjoyed the straight talk. However, much of the time between Sytri and Ander is spent effectively arguing. While I understood the back-and-forth – after a while, it became irritating, especially as every opportunity was capitalized on to create friction. Nevertheless, each time there was a pocket of drama, the two grew closer and more amicable.
About a third of the way through, the story gets into its flow. Before that, I struggled to connect with it. Ander’s need to be useful made for an understandable narrative and some uncomfortable reading, as I felt for him and was frustrated for him at the same time.
Imagine the cast of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in an adult heaven and hell movie. I can see from other reviews that plenty of people are in the ‘love-it category’, which I am pleased about – I just struggled to connect in the intended way.
RATING: 
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