Fantasy Book Critic: Book review: Evil in Me by Brom

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Over the past few decades, acclaimed dark fantasy artist Brom has lent his distinctive vision to all facets of the creative industries, from novels and games to comics and film. He is the nationally bestselling author of Slewfoot, The Child Thief, Krampus, The Lost Gods and the award-winning illustrated horror novels The Plucker and The Devil's Rose. Brom is currently kept in a dank cellar just outside of Savannah.

Publisher: Tor Nightfire Length: 304 pages Formats: audio, ebook, paperback, hardcover

If you’re in the market for a book that combines punk rock, demonic possession, and family drama, look no further. Evil in Me has it all.

Ruby Tucker, a twenty-something with bad luck and a knack for making poor life choices, finds herself caught between a cursed ring, a serial killer, and a bunch of literal demons. Including a demon drummer.

The mentioned ring isn’t a shiny accessory. It’s alive (sort of) and unbeatable. Things escalate quickly, and moments of gore intertwine with more humorous/popcorn fun moments. Brom’s use of Jewish mythology appealed to me, and made the book more than just your average “girl gets possessed” story. I liked how Evil in Me mixed the punk rock references and songs with ancient magic and kept the momentum going. The pacing here is crazy, and I enjoyed the rebellious spirit of it all.

Sure, Ruby makes some questionable life choices (a prerequisite for a protagonist in a horror), but you’ll probably root for her every step of the way. And even though the demons aren’t all that scary, they’re extremely entertaining. As for the ending, it might feel like it’s rushing to the end, but the climax is one hell of a show.

So if you’re ready for a gory (ish) mix of punk, horror, and chaotic fun, you’ll probably enjoy Evil in Me. It’s not deep or genuinely scary, but it’s definitely entertaining.

I highly recommend the audiobook version of the story.