I will preface this by saying I did not realize this was a sequel when I started to read it. I'd rate the first 40% of the book 3 stars and the rest 4 stars.

After sacrificing himself to destroy the archdevil he made a pact with Xaraan finds himself reborn in hell as Suneelon, bound to that same archdevil, Astaroth.

His husband, Kyarlin, cannot accept his death and goes on a mission to bring his soul back from Hell. He, along with Xaraan's sister and a couple other allies devise a plan to not only get Xaraan's soul back but also destroy Astaroth for good.

Even without reading the previous book We Were Men Once did a nice job explaining everything and made the plot easy to follow. The first 40% of the story did drag on a bit. Kyarlin's self-deprecation and self harm did grow a bit old rather quickly.

Things picked up after the group made it into Hell. The author does a wonderful job of being descriptive and giving a real feeling for the surroundings. There was a lot of sneaking and scheming in Hell and it was fun to read. Be warned there is quite a bit of body horror throughout the story.

I especially enjoyed Suneelon's perspective in Hell, preferring his POV to Kyarlin's. This is a story where nothing can stop true love, not even Hell.

This is an adventure, fantasy and romance all rolled into one dark story.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i was sooo sure i was going to love this, but unfortunately i was quite disappointed :(
review on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7802535047

My first thought when I started reading was that this book is perfect for anyone who enjoys playing D&D because the book uses the same magic system. I feel like I had a better grasp on the characters and their archetypes because of my experience playing D&D which other readers might be left out of if they don’t play, but of course that context isn’t necessary. My second impression was that I felt like I was immediately pushed into the world and the characters without introduction. I felt like I was missing context from the world and it wasn’t until I finished the book and saw the author’s note stating that this was a sequel that I realized why I was missing context.

Unfortunately, the blurb on NetGalley did not disclose to me that this was a sequel, so I did not have proper context on the characters or the situation. While the book did go back and clarify some situations from the past, it also thrust the reader into the story already because it assumes you’ve read the first book, which I hadn’t because it wasn’t clearly communicated to me that this wasn’t a standalone or the first book.

My other main gripe with the book is how unlikable the main character is, Kyarlin, and how he is not held accountable for his actions. He stands true to his primary goal and will do anything to get it at the cost of anything else, and there will be times when the other characters will confront him, but then the situation will quickly diffuse without consequence. It was incredibly frustrating to read, especially because he was constantly said to be this “pure, morally good” cleric and then all his actions were him being the most selfish person ever and not at all being pure or moral.

Overall, the writing in the book wasn’t bad, however I disliked Kyarlin so much that it impacted my ability to want to continue reading. I do still think We Were Men Once is a good book for someone who enjoys D&D, the idea of Dante’s Inferno, and Orpheus and Eurydice — or perhaps the idea of utter devotion from a partner.

Firstly, let me start by pointing out that this is apparently a sequel to Malediction’s Embrace which was news to me until I got to the very end of the book. I do wish I had known this before I read this ARC because I would’ve totally purchased the first book to get a bit more background regarding the characters and their motivations. I noticed later the author added a note stating that while it is a sequel it can be read as a standalone which does make me feel better.
We Were Men Once was pure fantasy the likes I haven’t read in a while. It felt like a tumultuous affair between Dante’s Inferno, D&D and What Dreams May Come. I found myself captivated by the world building and the writing style. It is very well written and provides enough details for the reader to understand the world early on.
I was immersed in what I thought was a destructive sort of love between the two main characters. It was all tragically romantic but also quite frustrating. The actions of both MMCs were at times just plain silly…infuriatingly silly. Yes, in theory, the story is set up for the reader to understand why the characters make their choices but at times I just wanted to scream at both MMCs to get their heads out of their behinds. I wish there had been more sweet moments.
While I enjoyed the story overall, a blatant downfall was the frequent logistical inadequacies. It could be that I am just an overthinker and yes, this is fantasy, but I felt like there were big parts of the plot that just didn’t belong or make sense. Maybe this could be remedied if I had read the first book in the series but since it is supposed to be read as a standalone, I wish some of the scenes had been fleshed out more. At times the characters do feel confusing, and the pacing tittered back and forth between fast and snail-like. It was discombobulated and just as frustrating as the character’s inability to make good choices.

In summary, it was not a bad book, but it was not what I was hoping it would be. I do appreciate NetGalley for providing me with a virtual copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so intrigued by the title of this book that I just needed to know more. I have never experienced a DND read before, but this was easy to follow and a good read.

Oh, this one stings. As a massive DnD nerd who should have been the target audience for a dark romantasy inspired by Dante's Inferno with actual campaign mechanics, I'm genuinely disappointed this didn't work for me.

Let's address the elephant in the room that every other reviewer has mentioned: this was secretly a sequel. The fact that this crucial detail is buried at the very end of the book like some sort of literary gotcha feels disingenuous at best. While they have since updated everything to say Book 2, it still really left a bad taste in my mouth.

But even setting aside that particular publishing sleight-of-hand, what you get is a book that's technically competent but emotionally hollow. Morris clearly knows her DnD mechanics, and the hellscape worldbuilding is genuinely atmospheric when it leans into cosmic horror elements. The writing itself is perfectly readable.

The problem? The plot reads like someone's campaign notes: go here, talk to this NPC, complete side quest, unlock new area, repeat. It's methodical in a way that makes you painfully aware you're reading a story rather than experiencing one. For something supposedly about transcendent love, I spent more time thinking about party logistics than emotional stakes.

The romance that should anchor this whole thing gets buried under exposition. I kept waiting to care about Kyarlin's desperate mission to save his transformed husband, but the emotional beats felt as mechanical as the plot progression. At the end of the day, this was a book that I was excited about and looked forward to reading and it just didn't hit.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this just didn't hit for me. The writing is good, I had no fault in that but I just wasn't invested in the characters at all. I'm sure other people will absolutely love this book but unfortunately it just wasn't the one for me.

2.5/5 Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I am glad to have had the chance to read it even though it wasn’t the story for me. Not every story will be for everyone. I am still happy for the opportunity thank you.

We Were Men Once is a dark D&D-inspired MM romantasy that blends intense questing, complex characters, and some seriously vivid worldbuilding. Once the story dives into Hell, it gets even better—Hell feels like a real place with politics, culture, and atmosphere, not just a creepy backdrop.

The D&D elements are spot-on. You can tell the author actually knows the game, and the party dynamics are great. The banter, the tension, the little in-town moments—it all feels authentic and fun to read.

The romance is messy, emotional, and a bit chaotic. You’ll probably end up yelling at the characters for making bad decisions, but that’s part of what makes them feel real.

One thing to know before jumping in: this is a sequel, which isn’t made super clear. That might trip up new readers early on.

Overall, if you’re into dark fantasy, mythological vibes, and D&D-style storytelling with a heavy dose of emotion, this one’s worth checking out.

DNFing at 42%

Ultimately this book failed for me in the biggest fact that it wasn’t made clear that this was a sequel. I only found out when I went looking at other reviews to see if people were also struggling with this book.

The story just wasn’t what I wanted so even though the authors voice is pleasant and the novel is written well I just can’t find myself caring for the book. It just isn’t for me.

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.

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.