Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

A solid story. My favorite part was definitely the quality of the writing. Morris is definitely an exceptional writer. I also really enjoy the premise and a lot of the separate components to this book. Where I struggled was the pacing. Not enough to ruin the book for me, but enough to trip up my brain while reading and continuously pull me out of the story. And there also seemed to be a bit of a rush to the ending that left me feeling dissatisfied.

I had a hard time with the pacing of this one and the way the world building is developed. There’s just too many intensely fantastical elements and pieces of lore/backstory dropped at once, rather than thoughtfully woven throughout, and the names/sudden clunky references to past events it battles really detracted from the reading experience. The author does have lovely prose and there’s some good turn of phrase here, but the actual story and world building needed intense editing.

This is apparently a sequel?? It wasn’t advertised as one when I applied for the arc, but there’s enough info in it about past events to not feel lost.

It’s a DND style dual POV book that depicts a love story that transcends morals and dimensions. It has great body horror, world building, and aesthetics. You definitely see the Dante’s Inferno an Orpheus and Eurydice influence in this. It took me a while to get really into it, but it was a good read nonetheless.

This is the exceptionally dark tale of how love can drive you beyond morals and change you into a true devil.

Kyarlin distraught after the death of his husband decides to venture into hell to try and bring him home. He inlists the help of the King's General , his friend, a wayward Druid and Elim along with his familiar. Soon the quest turns into a world saving endeavour but all Kyarlin can see is Suneelon the devil that was once his husband, memories wiped and a Duke of Hell.

I adored how dark this was, anyone could die at any moment and nothing was what is seemed. I really adored Suneelon as a whole and my favourite parts were the interactions between the Duke and Kyarlin. It really shows how desperate we can become when our reason for living is taken away and the madness it can drive us too.
I honestly would love to read more of this world

You will love this if you like

🔥 Dark Romance
🔥 D&D type adventures
🔥 Hot Devils
🔥 Love has driven him mad.

This whole book was like one long, exciting D&D campaign. Very gory at times and there are a lot of side quests that sometimes drag on. The Dante’s Inferno vibes were strong.

Even though it’s a sequel, I was still able to follow along. Although after finishing the book, I went and read the summary for the first book, and I think it’s worth reading the first book before this book so you can understand Lynn’s complicated relationship with her brother a bit more. There’s some references to the family drama but only bits and pieces. I did like the trope inversion of Xaraan’s mother being the abusive parent, and his father being the more nurturing parent.

Don’t read this book if you’re scared of spiders and don’t like gore. Xaraan’s gory fever dream as he gets transformed into Suneelon was a lot. His repeated episodes of torture were a lot. Kyarlin’s repeated self harm was a lot.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to have read an advanced copy this book for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After losing his husband Xaraan a year ago (who sacrificed himself after making a deal with the archdevil Astaroth), dark-elf cleric Kyarlin tirelessly offers sacrifices to his deity in hopes of bringing Xaraan back. When his ring begins to pulse, Kyarlin suspects that Xaraan’s soul still lingers in Hell. He rallies his companions, and together they embark on a dangerous journey through the underworld to save Xaraan before his soul is lost forever.

**Edit Jul. 25: The author/publisher added in the blurb this is <i>a sequel that can be read as a standalone</i> and that correction makes all the difference to me. I really think I ought to give this book another chance when it's released.**
---- First off, let me explain why I started this book *enraged*: it is actually **a sequel** to the author’s first book, *Malediction’s Embrace*. Oh, you didn’t know? I wouldn’t blame you, because this crucial detail isn’t shared on Goodreads, StoryGraph, NetGalley, the author’s website, the blurb, or even through the cover designs. In fact, it’s not mentioned inside the book itself except on a page tucked **at the very end**, after the Glossary:
> *We Were Men Once* is the sequel to *Malediction’s Embrace*. If you’re interested in knowing more about the origins of Xaraan, Kyarlin, and Lynn’s stories, please purchase it on Amazon at this link.
And doesn't that make the intention pretty clear? This sort of dishonorable marketing drives me up the wall. Publishers and authors spring these on readers hoping to make you feel like you *need* to buy the earlier book just to understand what’s going on or risk missing out. It’s actually the second time **this week alone** I’ve received an "undisclosed sequel". That’s totally unacceptable to me.----

Rant aside, let’s talk about the book itself. It is definitely competently written. Even though I hadn’t read the first installment, I did appreciate that the author took time to summarize key events for new readers. These explanations have the subtlety of an elephant in a porcelain shop and kept pulling me out of the narrative, but they were very accessible and succeeded in making this book a standalone: I didn’t feel lost without reading that first book. The best compliment I can give this book is that the overall writing quality is solid and it is definitely atmospheric.

The book stands out most when it comes to aesthetics and body horror, occasionally giving creepy cosmic-horror vibes. Unfortunately, the pacing and plot structure made it tough for me to stay engaged. The plot feels like a video game checklist: get a goal, talk to this NPC, complete the sidequest, unlock access to another area, have a battle, get new macguffin, talk to new NPC... I never connected with the characters or the action, and the dense, sprawling narrative often left me forgetting how the cast had even arrived at their current predicament.

In the end, I can’t quite put my finger on what didn’t work for me, since there were plenty of things the book got right. Maybe my annoyance with the undisclosed sequel status colored my whole experience. YMMV on this one. The plot was interesting (in another life, I would have *inhaled* this), the finale was emotional, and I’m guessing the series would be a hit with fans of DnD-style adventures and quest-driven narratives.. I'm just not sure why it didn't land for me.

I yelled at this book so many times. But let me not jump ahead and go back to the beginning first.

I absolutely fell head over heels in love with the DND aspects of this book. When the little party is doing little party things in town, I ate it up. The finer details that showed the author actually knew how the DND thing worked and didn't just throw that label in there, very much appreciated. The banter and flow between the party characters was awesome as well, it wasn't all smooth sailing but you could see the connections there. And once they got to Hell, the Dantes Inferno and Orpheus influences were there in a very notable way that didn't come off as just straight up copying. Overall the flow of the plot vs character development I found was done really really well and it was extremely easy to get lost in this story.

But the yelling?

Yes I know Xaraan/Suneelon was a devil and devils have their own motivations, desires, and emotions.

Yes I know Kyarlin was stupidly in love and love makes you do things.

But damn it all boys, the decisions made?! If I wasn't yelling at one for being dumb or blind I was yelling at the other for pulling dumb crap.

And that's what you want in a book, to have the characters so, 'alive,' that you find yourself shouting at them for things they are currently doing that they shouldn't be doing.

Hell itself was nicely fleshed out into an actual place. Very often in books it's almost let a set, where it's there but not really an actual place. In this case, which makes sense because so much of the book takes place in Hell, it was a real place. Political systems, weather, landscapes, society and culture. It had it all going on.

I am thankful for the gifted ARC and look forward to where the story goes in book two.

Wow, just wow! We Were Men Once by Candice Morris is raw, haunting, and unforgettable. This book grips you with its intensity and emotional depth—it’s about survival, loss, and the fragile lines between strength and vulnerability. Every page hits like a punch, and you’ll feel it long after the last line.

I quickly devoured this in one sitting. While I enjoyed the premise and idea of the story, the ending felt way to rushed and would like to have seen it fleshed out a bit more.