Hades (Halo #2)

The second book of the Halo series was much better than the first book. Beth finds herself trapped in Hell. Jake has claimed her for his bride, and things are definitely not looking up. She is wasting away in a world where everyone openly despises her. I was caught up in the story of this book. I was so enthralled with the series of events that was taking place in Hades. This book had a little bit of everything you could possibly want in a book. It had romance, tragedy, heroism, miracles, possessions, and exorcism. There was even the introduction of Lucifer aka “Big Daddy”. This had me reeling. I have never thought of Lucifer in this sense, but it was quite hilarious!

Bethany is still the childish, gullible, and clingy little girl that book one left off with. She is insecure and melodramatic! Her character continuously got under my skin. I found myself wanting to strangle, shake, and smack her around at times! I mean okay I get that she is supposed to be this innocent angel, but she was just so annoying at times that I felt that it took a lot away from the book for me. I was so flustered by her character I felt that I did not enjoy the book as much as I should have. Not to mention her boyfriend Xavier.

Xavier is the kind of guy that girls fall head over heels for. He is tall, handsome, smart, a leader, and an athlete. I just find him very egotistical. He was so sure of himself and his “strength”. I mean you would think he would learn from having his ass handed to him the last time, but no he was determined to try and prove to the world he was tough enough to take on the forces of evil. I did appreciate his loyalty to Beth, but there are times where we have to be reasonable, mature adults and know when to back down. He was constantly getting involved in things that were beyond him. His clinginess was another downfall of his. I understand loving someone, but smothering yourself with them has never been good for anyone. You tend to lose sight of yourself and things that you want/need. Yet, I think the thing that I found the most distasteful with his personality was his ability to be extremely overbearing. A guy that can be a little over protective can be cute, but when he controls every action you make; NO THANKS!

Jake has always been my favorite character. He is tall, dark, handsome, charming, romantic, and lonely. In the first book, he was vanquished back to the underworld by Gabriel. He has returned with a vengeance in this book. He wants what he cannot live without… BETH. Oh did they forget to mention in the last book that he is a Prince! I mean what more could you ask for?! Beth on the other hand has an unwavering dislike for him and everything he stands for. I just felt so bad for Jake. I mean could you imagine suffering for all eternity for a one mistake? He was ultimately only doing what we would all do in the same situation; standing by his friend. The fact that he went above and beyond to make Beth feel like a queen, SWOON! I was so disappointed with how this book ended for him. It literally broke my heart!

This book is full of intriguing events. You learn of a poor young girl who has suffered an ill fate for trying to make a better life for a friend, you meet a southern lad who suffers deformity and disgrace by the hands of the damned, you watch as Gabriel and Ivy struggle to find Beth and sort through the roadblocks thrown their way, and you watch as love draws to people closer together even when immeasurable distance threatens them. I was so shocked by the time I got to the ending! As sad as it seems, I was rooting for Jake. Even though he was the “bad guy” I found myself more on his side with every chapter. I enjoyed this book a lot, and I hope that future readers also find things about this book to pique their interest.

The ending of this book as left off for a great opening to the third and final book, Heaven. I am really quite eager to find out how this all ends. Although I can kind of piece the puzzle together, I am sure to be in for a whole lot of shocking secrets along the way. I find myself blinded by the prospect of love and happiness, although I know that not every story can end in complete happiness. There is only one question on my mind going into the final book; will Armageddon be the result of this wild ride that has been the Halo series?

After an ill advised Halloween séance, Jake Thorn escapes hell and tricks Beth into getting on a motorcycle with him. He kidnaps her and takes her to hell where he is Prince of the third circle. In his own weird way, Jake tries to gain Beth’s affections, by treating her like a princess, but Beth isn’t fooled.
Beth knows she must escape and that her family and Xavier are trying to find her, but when Jake threatens Xavier’s life she bargains for it. Will her family and the love of her life get there before it’s to late?
This book had an awesome take on Hell, it was scary yet cool and it showed a softer side of Jake Thorn.
Beth’s character becomes stronger and more headstrong. It was a great read.