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To Hell and Back
For one pair of swordfighters, their marriage is worth going to Hell and back.
Ty and Dani are a modern-day, swordfighting husband-and-wife duo who help with exorcisms until a demon kills Dani's mother and all of their fellow exorcists. Now, they're on a quest for revenge through the realms of Hell, and killing the demon is just the start of the journey. To keep the demon from reviving, Dani and Ty must escape Hell within seven days and cast the demon's head and heart into an Eternal Flame. To get back to the mortal realm in time, they rely on their small terrier Wicket to lead them past the demon's army and thousands of other horrors.
To Hell and Back takes readers on an epic journey perfect for those who believe love can overcome any challenge and that a devoted dog makes the perfect guide no matter where you need to go.
Ty and Dani are a modern-day, swordfighting husband-and-wife duo who help with exorcisms until a demon kills Dani's mother and all of their fellow exorcists. Now, they're on a quest for revenge through the realms of Hell, and killing the demon is just the start of the journey. To keep the demon from reviving, Dani and Ty must escape Hell within seven days and cast the demon's head and heart into an Eternal Flame. To get back to the mortal realm in time, they rely on their small terrier Wicket to lead them past the demon's army and thousands of other horrors.
To Hell and Back takes readers on an epic journey perfect for those who believe love can overcome any challenge and that a devoted dog makes the perfect guide no matter where you need to go.
- GenresFantasy
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2026
76 people want to read
About the author
Bill Blume
22 books67 followersBill Blume discovered his love for the written word while in high school and has been writing ever since. His latest book West of Apocalypse is now available.
His first novel, Gidion's Hunt (originally titled Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter), was released in 2013. His short stories have been published in many fantasy anthologies and various ezines.
Just like the father figure in his first novel, Bill works as a 911 dispatcher for Henrico County Police and has done so for more than two decades. He served as the 2013 chair for James River Writers, which produces one of the nation's best annual conferences for educating and connecting writers.
He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1995. In the years after, he worked as a TV news producer, first in Columbus, Georgia, and then in Richmond, Virginia, which has become home for Bill & his family.
His first novel, Gidion's Hunt (originally titled Tales of a 10th Grade Vampire Hunter), was released in 2013. His short stories have been published in many fantasy anthologies and various ezines.
Just like the father figure in his first novel, Bill works as a 911 dispatcher for Henrico County Police and has done so for more than two decades. He served as the 2013 chair for James River Writers, which produces one of the nation's best annual conferences for educating and connecting writers.
He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1995. In the years after, he worked as a TV news producer, first in Columbus, Georgia, and then in Richmond, Virginia, which has become home for Bill & his family.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I won't lie, I was pretty excited to read this one. I mean, who wouldn't be excited at the idea of a married exorcists duo (along with their loyal dog, we can't forget about that one!) going to Hell to avenge the death of their close ones?
It got me hooked immediately, to the point where during reading the first chapter I had a thought, that it's going to be a four star read... that's what I was sure of, at least till chapter four unfolded, where the first cracks started to appear for me. The first thing being the fact, that certain words repeated too much in a too short span of a time (like in chapter four, where three different variants of the word "whip" appeared eight times within nine sentences). In the very same chapter, right after what I just mentioned, we had a similar situation with the word "tail" (five times in a pretty short range).
My second and probably the only other problem was the fact, that it quickly became repetative, to the point where every single time we traveled to a different part/section of the Hell I could guess what will happen before we go to yet another "circle".
Now, about the things that I liked, but unfortunately they weren't enough for three starts because of everything I wrote above.
Relationship between Ty and Dani was cute, I enjoyed their married old couple bickering type of vibe, but at the same time they were so supportive of each other that it was sweet and it made me smile a few times. Glad, that we got some flashbacks and we were able to see how their relationship looked before their Hell journey.
Wicket, because despite being a cat person, I adore dogs (and pets in general) in books, especially good writen ones that aren't just a background character thrown for the spite of it.
Overall, while it was a miss for me, the book has a potential and I hope it will reach people, who will enjoy it.
I won't lie, I was pretty excited to read this one. I mean, who wouldn't be excited at the idea of a married exorcists duo (along with their loyal dog, we can't forget about that one!) going to Hell to avenge the death of their close ones?
It got me hooked immediately, to the point where during reading the first chapter I had a thought, that it's going to be a four star read... that's what I was sure of, at least till chapter four unfolded, where the first cracks started to appear for me. The first thing being the fact, that certain words repeated too much in a too short span of a time (like in chapter four, where three different variants of the word "whip" appeared eight times within nine sentences). In the very same chapter, right after what I just mentioned, we had a similar situation with the word "tail" (five times in a pretty short range).
My second and probably the only other problem was the fact, that it quickly became repetative, to the point where every single time we traveled to a different part/section of the Hell I could guess what will happen before we go to yet another "circle".
Now, about the things that I liked, but unfortunately they weren't enough for three starts because of everything I wrote above.
Relationship between Ty and Dani was cute, I enjoyed their married old couple bickering type of vibe, but at the same time they were so supportive of each other that it was sweet and it made me smile a few times. Glad, that we got some flashbacks and we were able to see how their relationship looked before their Hell journey.
Wicket, because despite being a cat person, I adore dogs (and pets in general) in books, especially good writen ones that aren't just a background character thrown for the spite of it.
Overall, while it was a miss for me, the book has a potential and I hope it will reach people, who will enjoy it.
October 30, 2025
What an engaging, delightful adventure with a sword-wielding married duo and their sassy dog!
The prose was beautifully written and kept my attention the entire time. The plot flowed naturally as the two exorcist's swords attempted to find their way out of Hell back to Purgatory and then back to the human realm to finish their task within the constraints of a strict deadline. The different realms of Hell and important demon characters were interesting, and I could feel some inspiration was taken from Dante's Inferno but presented in a way that I haven't encountered before.
The banter between the married couple had me both laughing with and aww'ing at them. While having flashback chapters to the past break up the flow of the story in some instances, this book was not the case - it filled in pieces and questions I had to build a fully realized picture of why the present-day events were even happening.
Also, as someone who met my partner at a sword-fighting class and married them, I enjoyed this book all the more!
What I Enjoyed:
- a sword-fighting couple with a seriously cute doggo
- interesting take on different "sections" of Hell
- demon characters that are more than just pure ambition or straight-up "evil for the sake of evil"
- believable "rules" on how the gates in Hell and Purgatory function
- feeling the characters' fears of running out of time to accomplish their task within the deadline
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Time Killer Publishing for allowing me the chance to read an ARC of this book!
The prose was beautifully written and kept my attention the entire time. The plot flowed naturally as the two exorcist's swords attempted to find their way out of Hell back to Purgatory and then back to the human realm to finish their task within the constraints of a strict deadline. The different realms of Hell and important demon characters were interesting, and I could feel some inspiration was taken from Dante's Inferno but presented in a way that I haven't encountered before.
The banter between the married couple had me both laughing with and aww'ing at them. While having flashback chapters to the past break up the flow of the story in some instances, this book was not the case - it filled in pieces and questions I had to build a fully realized picture of why the present-day events were even happening.
Also, as someone who met my partner at a sword-fighting class and married them, I enjoyed this book all the more!
What I Enjoyed:
- a sword-fighting couple with a seriously cute doggo
- interesting take on different "sections" of Hell
- demon characters that are more than just pure ambition or straight-up "evil for the sake of evil"
- believable "rules" on how the gates in Hell and Purgatory function
- feeling the characters' fears of running out of time to accomplish their task within the deadline
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Time Killer Publishing for allowing me the chance to read an ARC of this book!
February 9, 2026
To Hell and Back is an adult novel by Bill Blume that’s one part horror and one part action, and it’s perhaps best described as a heart-stopping breakneck journey through hell. Literally.
One of the things about Bill Blume’s stories is that he knows how to maintain tension. Just when you think you can breathe, he throws in another curveball and things go downhill and have you almost wishing to go back to the last challenge, because the next one is so much worse. Add in that the main characters are a married couple with a dog, and there were many points throughout this book that I was completely stressed out, anxious to see how they’d get out of the next situation… or if they would.
There’s a lot of rich worldbuilding in To Hell and Back, and it’s deftly woven in throughout, so it never slows the action. Gradually, we get the backstory, so we understand the characters’ motivations and start piecing the world together. I have no idea if Blume has more planned for these characters or this world, but there’s a lot of potential for a return to either/both.
I definitely wouldn’t want to give anything away. This is the kind of story where you need to just buckle yourself in for the journey, knowing it’s a nail-biter that will have you on the edge of your seat right to the end. 4.5 stars
One of the things about Bill Blume’s stories is that he knows how to maintain tension. Just when you think you can breathe, he throws in another curveball and things go downhill and have you almost wishing to go back to the last challenge, because the next one is so much worse. Add in that the main characters are a married couple with a dog, and there were many points throughout this book that I was completely stressed out, anxious to see how they’d get out of the next situation… or if they would.
There’s a lot of rich worldbuilding in To Hell and Back, and it’s deftly woven in throughout, so it never slows the action. Gradually, we get the backstory, so we understand the characters’ motivations and start piecing the world together. I have no idea if Blume has more planned for these characters or this world, but there’s a lot of potential for a return to either/both.
I definitely wouldn’t want to give anything away. This is the kind of story where you need to just buckle yourself in for the journey, knowing it’s a nail-biter that will have you on the edge of your seat right to the end. 4.5 stars
February 21, 2026
This was such a fun & cozy spooky season read. It’s a fantasy adventure set in hell filled with eerie creatures, thrilling encounters & a darkly whimsical vibe that fits perfectly for this time of year. It had that dark but not too heavy tone that makes it an easy & enjoyable read ⚔️
As someone who has a pet, I absolutely loved the inclusion of the pet companion, a loyal, guiding dog who helps the main characters through the chaos of hell. That little detail made the story feel unexpectedly heartwarming 🦴🐾
If you liked the premise of Katabasis by R.F. Kuang, especially the whole descent into hell & fighting through layers concept, you’ll definitely enjoy this one ☠️🪦
As someone who has a pet, I absolutely loved the inclusion of the pet companion, a loyal, guiding dog who helps the main characters through the chaos of hell. That little detail made the story feel unexpectedly heartwarming 🦴🐾
If you liked the premise of Katabasis by R.F. Kuang, especially the whole descent into hell & fighting through layers concept, you’ll definitely enjoy this one ☠️🪦
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews