Speculative Fiction

Ethan is finally free. He’s left the Cabal behind and embraced a civilian life with Jack, the man he loves. The only problem is that the Cabal isn’t willing to let him go. A call in the middle of the night and a threat to Jack’s family, and Ethan is back in the game.

The only way out is to take on the organization that spent years warping his life.

Jack’s boyfriend has a way of vanishing on him, but this time Ethan’s disappearance is more frightening than ever. A trail of mysterious clues, a hit against his family, and the handprint of the Cabal on everything means the greatest test of love and determination Jack has ever endured.

Torn apart by forces greater than they are, Jack and Ethan must fight harrowing battles to get back to each other. The Cabal is the greatest foe either of them has had to face. Ethan is willing to throw away everything to bring an end to the Cabal’s evil. And Jack is willing to do the same to make sure Ethan comes out the other side alive.

‘When Death Frees the Devil’ is one of those type of books you wish you’d seen the movie version of, not that the book or the movie are interchangeable entities. But the actions scenes, the whole Bourne-vibe lend themselves pretty well to a visual feast as you tear through the pages detailing the gritty adventures of Ethan and Jack.

The format of this one is thankfully different from the confusing to-and-fro of its predecessor, and with changes in perspectives, twists and turns, ‘When Death Frees the Devil’ is quite a lot to take in. It’ll be rewarding for those who are simply into Jack/Ethan trying to fight for each other, or staying together at all odds despite some stupid manoeuvres on either side and this far into the whole series, I’d expected nothing less than breathless action, more conspiracies and spook-like matters taking place all around the world.

This much Hayward does deliver.

But this far into the series as well however, I’d expect more unity between Jack and Ethan, which wasn’t quite the case from the start. I did get frustrated with Ethan from time to time however – as likeable as he is with his complex history – he did after all, play the a bit of a role of a TSTL damsel who sort of needed rescuing.

Still, it’s a solid pairing that I’ve found myself liking a lot, and this is a series I’d been more than pleasantly surprised with. Hayward is definitely an author who’s going on my feed now.