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Grieving the Spirit
Seven ritualistic killings have been done respectively by the Unholy Savior and the Awakener, restoring to each their hellish power.
Violence and death ravish the land beneath the broken sky. The dead rise. The good are killed or converted. Divine spirits are captured, bound by Latin spells emblazoned upon their shackles. The antichrist has risen, is ruling in Hell, and planning to conquer the world.
But when a familiar angel wanders his way into the inferno, will he be added to the ranks of bound and tortured spirits, or will he be spared from Hell’s suffering by the demonically divine Torrence? And what does their reunion mean for the fate of Earth and the souls bound to it?
Violence and death ravish the land beneath the broken sky. The dead rise. The good are killed or converted. Divine spirits are captured, bound by Latin spells emblazoned upon their shackles. The antichrist has risen, is ruling in Hell, and planning to conquer the world.
But when a familiar angel wanders his way into the inferno, will he be added to the ranks of bound and tortured spirits, or will he be spared from Hell’s suffering by the demonically divine Torrence? And what does their reunion mean for the fate of Earth and the souls bound to it?
250 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2021
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 26, 2021
There are books that come into our lives at exactly the right time.
“Deification”, the first book in this series, was one of those books for me. So, when its second part came out, I couldn’t let it pass me by.
And this is what takes us to “Grieving the Spirit”.
“She had been vicious and violent and her physical strength had been impressive. Now came even darker fantasies and much easier fulfillment of them.“
First, let me tell you a bit about the story.
We keep on following Torrence and her expanded Bad Boy Brethren. Now established in a mansion, and working side by side with Conrad, Dark Messiah and Awakener continue trying to get the Apocalypse going as they corrupt angels and try to bring more people into the fold.
But not all is good in Hell, and tension arises when a member of her gang starts feeling set aside, and that feeling just increases when an old friend arrives at the mansion.
War is back after his disappearance, and he's brought in to face the Lord of Hell.
His tumultuous relation with Tor, which turned even more complicated after all the revelations at the end of the last book, starts evolving despite everything, but not without some setbacks.
“Those who fled in fear of the antichrist were hunted down by these new members; the righteous ones’ captures an initiation of the newly damned into Torrence’s trust. They were brought before her to be converted or to be killed.“
Brooklynn Dean once again weaves a compelling tale you won’t be able to take your eyes, and mind, off.
The characters she writes are getting more and more real and you can’t help but feel connected to all of them in some way (I’m partial to one of them, but they all get to you regardless).
The ‘post-apocalypse’ world she created may not be an easy one to live in, but it’s one that's not hard to believe in, demonic and angelic beings notwithstanding.
“Grieving the Spirit” might not be as ‘action-packed’ as the previous one but it's a solid book with lots of character development and a lot of insights to the bigger picture and to where the story might lead in the next book (maybe books, plural?).
It might not have all the gore, blood, and death of its predecessor but what it lacks in those areas it compensates for in others.
In my opinion, humanity is one of the things this book focuses on, and it's one that is developed almost through every character.
Most importantly, you’ll find there's always a spot for Hope, even in Hell.
“He understood the Watchers in the rejected, but entirely gospel, books of Enoch. He understood their enchantment with the daughters of Adam. He understood their desires, their wants. He understood temptation, and he was sorry that he had not been strong enough to overcome it.“
This book won’t leave you once you're done with it. You’ll be thinking about it for a long time after you've read its last sentence. And then you’ll find yourself wishing for the next one.
What started in “Deification” gets stronger roots with this book.
This bad guys’ tale is here to stay.
Torrence and the Bad Boy Brethren are here to stay.
Brooklynn Dean is here to stay.
“Deification”, the first book in this series, was one of those books for me. So, when its second part came out, I couldn’t let it pass me by.
And this is what takes us to “Grieving the Spirit”.
“She had been vicious and violent and her physical strength had been impressive. Now came even darker fantasies and much easier fulfillment of them.“
First, let me tell you a bit about the story.
We keep on following Torrence and her expanded Bad Boy Brethren. Now established in a mansion, and working side by side with Conrad, Dark Messiah and Awakener continue trying to get the Apocalypse going as they corrupt angels and try to bring more people into the fold.
But not all is good in Hell, and tension arises when a member of her gang starts feeling set aside, and that feeling just increases when an old friend arrives at the mansion.
War is back after his disappearance, and he's brought in to face the Lord of Hell.
His tumultuous relation with Tor, which turned even more complicated after all the revelations at the end of the last book, starts evolving despite everything, but not without some setbacks.
“Those who fled in fear of the antichrist were hunted down by these new members; the righteous ones’ captures an initiation of the newly damned into Torrence’s trust. They were brought before her to be converted or to be killed.“
Brooklynn Dean once again weaves a compelling tale you won’t be able to take your eyes, and mind, off.
The characters she writes are getting more and more real and you can’t help but feel connected to all of them in some way (I’m partial to one of them, but they all get to you regardless).
The ‘post-apocalypse’ world she created may not be an easy one to live in, but it’s one that's not hard to believe in, demonic and angelic beings notwithstanding.
“Grieving the Spirit” might not be as ‘action-packed’ as the previous one but it's a solid book with lots of character development and a lot of insights to the bigger picture and to where the story might lead in the next book (maybe books, plural?).
It might not have all the gore, blood, and death of its predecessor but what it lacks in those areas it compensates for in others.
In my opinion, humanity is one of the things this book focuses on, and it's one that is developed almost through every character.
Most importantly, you’ll find there's always a spot for Hope, even in Hell.
“He understood the Watchers in the rejected, but entirely gospel, books of Enoch. He understood their enchantment with the daughters of Adam. He understood their desires, their wants. He understood temptation, and he was sorry that he had not been strong enough to overcome it.“
This book won’t leave you once you're done with it. You’ll be thinking about it for a long time after you've read its last sentence. And then you’ll find yourself wishing for the next one.
What started in “Deification” gets stronger roots with this book.
This bad guys’ tale is here to stay.
Torrence and the Bad Boy Brethren are here to stay.
Brooklynn Dean is here to stay.
February 17, 2022
"Your actions are of love. Love can be manipulative."
Grieving the Spirit follows right where "Deification" leaves off. Torrence ever the beautiful, manipulative and violent savage is more powerful than ever after the completion of her ritual. The battle between heaven and hell continues in this post-apocalyptic world. In the name of Torrence, her gang continues to destroy or force all that are good into submission. Her followers remain loyal and nothing or nobody either mortal or divine can stand in the way of her hellish reign. In opposition, War is still the kind and beautiful angel in disguise that has been sent down to earth after his disappearance. There is no doubt that Torrence is unpredictable and built to spread darkness. War should steer clear but undeniably they are drawn to one another and end up in each other's company once again. Torrence's followers worship her and wouldn't think of challenging or questioning her motives, but tension builds as someone begins to wonder what her true intensions are for War.
This was one of those reads that ripped all kinds of emotions from me. Dark, shocking, erotic and heart breaking but thought provoking as well. From one chapter to the next I didn't know where the story would lead, and I loved every bit. One thing I admire about Dean's writing is that she does not hold back which makes for all kinds of bold surprises. The ending leaves us with a wide opening for book Three and I am happy to hear it is currently in the works.
Grieving the Spirit follows right where "Deification" leaves off. Torrence ever the beautiful, manipulative and violent savage is more powerful than ever after the completion of her ritual. The battle between heaven and hell continues in this post-apocalyptic world. In the name of Torrence, her gang continues to destroy or force all that are good into submission. Her followers remain loyal and nothing or nobody either mortal or divine can stand in the way of her hellish reign. In opposition, War is still the kind and beautiful angel in disguise that has been sent down to earth after his disappearance. There is no doubt that Torrence is unpredictable and built to spread darkness. War should steer clear but undeniably they are drawn to one another and end up in each other's company once again. Torrence's followers worship her and wouldn't think of challenging or questioning her motives, but tension builds as someone begins to wonder what her true intensions are for War.
This was one of those reads that ripped all kinds of emotions from me. Dark, shocking, erotic and heart breaking but thought provoking as well. From one chapter to the next I didn't know where the story would lead, and I loved every bit. One thing I admire about Dean's writing is that she does not hold back which makes for all kinds of bold surprises. The ending leaves us with a wide opening for book Three and I am happy to hear it is currently in the works.
August 3, 2022
Apocalypse. The skies are torn. Mayhem reigns.
In Grieving the Spirit, Brooklynn Dean continues right where book 1, Deification, left off. In fact, that book felt a bit like a prologue, introducing the characters, depicting how Torrence's gang got together in important flashbacks. But now, in book 2, we begin to see what her unholy mission is. The apocalypse is going strong. Angels and demons walk. Torrence continues her mission to create Hell on Earth.
The crux of this book follows the angel, War. This is really His Book. His arc drives this narrative, and we come to understand the turmoil inside him, as well as the love (and sometimes almost hate) he has for Torrence. Right up until the end, I was hanging on his path, wondering what would happen between the two. Dean delivers a gut punch right in the closing lines, a promise of sequel.
While I found book 1 had a bit more motion in terms of narrative drive, this book is all about character, and what is seeded throughout this book will carry us all along into the next. Dean makes us care for War, and fear his fate; in book 2, we're learning more about Wesley, and something tells me he will have a very important part to play in the making or breaking of Torrence's clan; and Torrence herself, with poetic prose depicting horrible and violent acts, Dean has created a character that is entirely unpredictable - the way she causes pain to some, yet delivers miracles to others leaves us wondering who she'll condemn, or who she'll spare, next.
Read this series - The Anti Gospels - if you enjoy a wild ride through Hell and back, violence and gore, and the pain of condemned romance.
In Grieving the Spirit, Brooklynn Dean continues right where book 1, Deification, left off. In fact, that book felt a bit like a prologue, introducing the characters, depicting how Torrence's gang got together in important flashbacks. But now, in book 2, we begin to see what her unholy mission is. The apocalypse is going strong. Angels and demons walk. Torrence continues her mission to create Hell on Earth.
The crux of this book follows the angel, War. This is really His Book. His arc drives this narrative, and we come to understand the turmoil inside him, as well as the love (and sometimes almost hate) he has for Torrence. Right up until the end, I was hanging on his path, wondering what would happen between the two. Dean delivers a gut punch right in the closing lines, a promise of sequel.
While I found book 1 had a bit more motion in terms of narrative drive, this book is all about character, and what is seeded throughout this book will carry us all along into the next. Dean makes us care for War, and fear his fate; in book 2, we're learning more about Wesley, and something tells me he will have a very important part to play in the making or breaking of Torrence's clan; and Torrence herself, with poetic prose depicting horrible and violent acts, Dean has created a character that is entirely unpredictable - the way she causes pain to some, yet delivers miracles to others leaves us wondering who she'll condemn, or who she'll spare, next.
Read this series - The Anti Gospels - if you enjoy a wild ride through Hell and back, violence and gore, and the pain of condemned romance.
August 24, 2021
Picking up where the last book (Deification) left off, Dean begins a sort of world building/character building story that is filled to the brim with prose that breathes with each individual character's personality, and shadows over the world with a deep dark atmosphere that sets the doomed tone of the world.
Where the sort of Mad Max landscape of the first book felt metaphorical in its descriptions, the author sets it in stone, bringing it to life as a real world with a real mythos behind it. Having let Deification set the stage, this book feels like a deeper exploration of the villainy present, while setting up several new ideas and themes that will hopefully be paid on in the next book.
In reading this, I noticed that in a way GTS is sort of two books. The first half is a character building exercise of its key players. Torrence receives an absolute stunning amount of depth, that leaves the readers head scratching as to what is the side of her. Continuing on with the main point of view coming from Torrence, we see her as evil as ever, but are also introduced to a rather tender side that still has me questioning the validity of it. War is given exceptional more time in his POV, growing into conflict that brings us to the second "book" that is here.
While the first half may linger and build the characters, its done so in conjunction with the plot. War takes up the majority of the second book, still allowing us glimpses of the others, and its here that the story begins to pick up steam into what the book was aiming for. Moving at decent pace, it gives room to follow and question where and why things are going as they are. There's not much more I can say without going into spoilers, but suffice to say it works fantastically.
The prose is fantastic and an art in drawing the world in intricate details, but some may not enjoy just how much it goes. The ending line is a highlight for me, breaking my heart and leaving me craving more.
Where the sort of Mad Max landscape of the first book felt metaphorical in its descriptions, the author sets it in stone, bringing it to life as a real world with a real mythos behind it. Having let Deification set the stage, this book feels like a deeper exploration of the villainy present, while setting up several new ideas and themes that will hopefully be paid on in the next book.
In reading this, I noticed that in a way GTS is sort of two books. The first half is a character building exercise of its key players. Torrence receives an absolute stunning amount of depth, that leaves the readers head scratching as to what is the side of her. Continuing on with the main point of view coming from Torrence, we see her as evil as ever, but are also introduced to a rather tender side that still has me questioning the validity of it. War is given exceptional more time in his POV, growing into conflict that brings us to the second "book" that is here.
While the first half may linger and build the characters, its done so in conjunction with the plot. War takes up the majority of the second book, still allowing us glimpses of the others, and its here that the story begins to pick up steam into what the book was aiming for. Moving at decent pace, it gives room to follow and question where and why things are going as they are. There's not much more I can say without going into spoilers, but suffice to say it works fantastically.
The prose is fantastic and an art in drawing the world in intricate details, but some may not enjoy just how much it goes. The ending line is a highlight for me, breaking my heart and leaving me craving more.
April 20, 2022
"I can make Heaven out of Hell for you..."
This is Torrence story and it's a worthy sequel to Deification, dare I even say that I liked the sequel a tiny bit more. This story is raw, brutal and has a badass heroine. I love how Deann surprises you. I found myself tensing up and thinking 'she won't go there' and then she did and I loved every second of it. The story is thought-provoking and Deann provides us with a lot of discussion topics.
Grieving the spirits is well-written and the story is well told. Deann shows us that there's heart and hope even in hell and she makes you feel sympathy for the antichrist. Deann has a fantastic ability of blurring the gender lines, which isn't often seen in literature and I love that! The angelic War is pure, fragile and tender while Torrence is the antichrist. She is dominant, powerful and takes what she want. This way of writing is unique and unforgettable. Don't expect it to be like your ordinary read. It questions everything you have been thaught. Torrence is one of those unforgettable characters that draws you in and you can't look away. Through Torrence, you are gonna experience true female empowerment. Buckle up and enjoy this dark ride.
This is Torrence story and it's a worthy sequel to Deification, dare I even say that I liked the sequel a tiny bit more. This story is raw, brutal and has a badass heroine. I love how Deann surprises you. I found myself tensing up and thinking 'she won't go there' and then she did and I loved every second of it. The story is thought-provoking and Deann provides us with a lot of discussion topics.
Grieving the spirits is well-written and the story is well told. Deann shows us that there's heart and hope even in hell and she makes you feel sympathy for the antichrist. Deann has a fantastic ability of blurring the gender lines, which isn't often seen in literature and I love that! The angelic War is pure, fragile and tender while Torrence is the antichrist. She is dominant, powerful and takes what she want. This way of writing is unique and unforgettable. Don't expect it to be like your ordinary read. It questions everything you have been thaught. Torrence is one of those unforgettable characters that draws you in and you can't look away. Through Torrence, you are gonna experience true female empowerment. Buckle up and enjoy this dark ride.
July 18, 2021
The torture continues—the hell that’s been brought to Earth, luring the damned souls and capturing the pure.
But beyond the horrors of a story well-told are characters superbly-written. Here you’ll find sympathy for the sinister and worry for the wounded—because souls are tried and uncertain spirits are tested.
Here in Hell, hearts still exist—and that of the reader shall also stand trial.
But beyond the horrors of a story well-told are characters superbly-written. Here you’ll find sympathy for the sinister and worry for the wounded—because souls are tried and uncertain spirits are tested.
Here in Hell, hearts still exist—and that of the reader shall also stand trial.
February 8, 2022
Everything about Tor makes me feel like I will not know which side to choose at the end times. I hold her in high regard, and I feel a chill up my spine when I think about how brutal and malicious she can be. Alas, perhaps, as War believes, she is "just as she is supposed to be." All hail Torrance. Spirit be damned.
March 30, 2022
It is difficult to review a book so perfect.
I'll begin with the writing. It's fluid and mesmerizing. It's dripping with beauty and gore at once, a juxtaposition that can only be handled with a careful style, and yet Dean's style is experimental and gritty, woven into the beauty that is literature.
The story, immediately following the events of Deification, thrusts into the pits of Hell, following Torrence and her bad-boy brethren. Following War and his innocence, his struggle, his desires, his inner battles. The balance of this story along with the writing is god-tier.
And among the demons and angels, between the cracks in humanity and the great tear in the sky, there are messages woven through this as well. Not in your face messages that tell you how to think or how to live, nothing so crass. No. Within these pages is free will. It makes you ponder the existence of free will, it makes you ponder the decisions you've made in your life and understand that living as you CHOOSE to live is far superior to any thought of a planned existence. And there are consequences to our choices. How they manifest varies.
I cannot get enough of this book, this series, and this author. Her prose is dripping with angelic beauty and hellish imagery.
I'll begin with the writing. It's fluid and mesmerizing. It's dripping with beauty and gore at once, a juxtaposition that can only be handled with a careful style, and yet Dean's style is experimental and gritty, woven into the beauty that is literature.
The story, immediately following the events of Deification, thrusts into the pits of Hell, following Torrence and her bad-boy brethren. Following War and his innocence, his struggle, his desires, his inner battles. The balance of this story along with the writing is god-tier.
And among the demons and angels, between the cracks in humanity and the great tear in the sky, there are messages woven through this as well. Not in your face messages that tell you how to think or how to live, nothing so crass. No. Within these pages is free will. It makes you ponder the existence of free will, it makes you ponder the decisions you've made in your life and understand that living as you CHOOSE to live is far superior to any thought of a planned existence. And there are consequences to our choices. How they manifest varies.
I cannot get enough of this book, this series, and this author. Her prose is dripping with angelic beauty and hellish imagery.
November 6, 2022
A five out of five indeed. The second installment of this series is even better than the first one, and that is saying something. Brooklynn achieves a new step in her writing and it is a vision to behold. I am diving right into volume 3 asap. We have been blessed by her storytelling.
September 8, 2021
"I can make a Heaven out of Hell for you..."
Brooklynn Dean is always seeking whom she may devour with her prose, and falling into her word-labyrinth is an unforgettable experience. I often say that if there was some alternate universe where Anne Rice and Clive Barker had a love child, it would be Dean. She writes like a woman possessed, rich layered paragraphs, sentences that linger in the brain, a deft navigation of the divine & the demonic...
Grieving the Spirit reads like a very personal story involving Torrence (our antichrist baddie) and the angelic War. There is corruption, torment, and a deep forbidden attraction that burns between these two. One thing I love about Dean's work is that she often subverts traditional gender norms: War is pure, fragile, vulnerable in a tender way. Torrence is dominant, powerful, and often takes the lead. Her characters blur the lines of masculine and feminine and what might be expected from those archetypes. Their relationship is the core of this book, and I love to see how it carries over from Deification.
There is temptation and the consequences of what comes after, along with a fascinating power exchange between opposing forces that can't seem to resist each other.
Torrence's story continues to draw me in, and there's no telling if she'll caress the wings of an angel or tear them into bloody tatters the next time she grants us a visitation. That's part of the fun...
Brooklynn Dean is always seeking whom she may devour with her prose, and falling into her word-labyrinth is an unforgettable experience. I often say that if there was some alternate universe where Anne Rice and Clive Barker had a love child, it would be Dean. She writes like a woman possessed, rich layered paragraphs, sentences that linger in the brain, a deft navigation of the divine & the demonic...
Grieving the Spirit reads like a very personal story involving Torrence (our antichrist baddie) and the angelic War. There is corruption, torment, and a deep forbidden attraction that burns between these two. One thing I love about Dean's work is that she often subverts traditional gender norms: War is pure, fragile, vulnerable in a tender way. Torrence is dominant, powerful, and often takes the lead. Her characters blur the lines of masculine and feminine and what might be expected from those archetypes. Their relationship is the core of this book, and I love to see how it carries over from Deification.
There is temptation and the consequences of what comes after, along with a fascinating power exchange between opposing forces that can't seem to resist each other.
Torrence's story continues to draw me in, and there's no telling if she'll caress the wings of an angel or tear them into bloody tatters the next time she grants us a visitation. That's part of the fun...
May 30, 2023
"Those left alone on earth to bear witness to the demons and to the angels could choose to kneel before the shimmering skin of purity or to kiss the burnt and blackened feet of its distortion." (42)
That's just one profound line that stood out like an angelic beacon from this tale of conflicted spirit.
This book is not like the first. Book one was human. Book one was controlled chaos that seemed more an establishing prologue to a story that still is building to a climax of hellish proportions. This book felt more like Dante's Inferno, with War as Dante and Tor as a hellish Virgil, except Virgil wasn't just a guide but the beast freed and revealing to War the truth of hell, and the truth of free sin. I know this book was about War, but the ending was a perfect showcase of how complex...and even conflictual, Torrence truly is. I can't help but feel like she's drawing me in, as War is drawn in. Drawing me in to a false sensitivity. A false sense of understanding... I know I'm supposed to pity War, but I can't help but pity Torrence in a strange way.
Anyway, excellent book. As with Dante's Inferno, I found myself tasked to work through the complex and beautiful writing, and there was a point where I was questioning how much more was necessary to be described, but the ending almost seems to perfectly pay off the trials that War (and the reader) works through.
I definitely am excited to see what Book 3 holds.
That's just one profound line that stood out like an angelic beacon from this tale of conflicted spirit.
This book is not like the first. Book one was human. Book one was controlled chaos that seemed more an establishing prologue to a story that still is building to a climax of hellish proportions. This book felt more like Dante's Inferno, with War as Dante and Tor as a hellish Virgil, except Virgil wasn't just a guide but the beast freed and revealing to War the truth of hell, and the truth of free sin. I know this book was about War, but the ending was a perfect showcase of how complex...and even conflictual, Torrence truly is. I can't help but feel like she's drawing me in, as War is drawn in. Drawing me in to a false sensitivity. A false sense of understanding... I know I'm supposed to pity War, but I can't help but pity Torrence in a strange way.
Anyway, excellent book. As with Dante's Inferno, I found myself tasked to work through the complex and beautiful writing, and there was a point where I was questioning how much more was necessary to be described, but the ending almost seems to perfectly pay off the trials that War (and the reader) works through.
I definitely am excited to see what Book 3 holds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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