The Space Between (review)

The daughter of Lilith and Lucifer, Daphne makes her home in Hell. The son of a cancer victim and stepson of a grief-stricken workaholic, Truman has made his home into a living hell, drinking away his pain and generally messing up his life. The two first meet near the gates of Hell, after Truman tries to off himself by slitting his wrists but Daphne's brother Obie, an uncharacteristically kind half-demon, saves him, returning Truman to earth for a second chance. A year later (at least in Truman's world; time doesn't exist in Daphne's world), Obie has gone missing and Daphne leaves Hell for the first time ever to track down the one mortal who may have an idea where Obie is. Truman is initially reluctant (and too drunk) to help, especially after Daphne informs him that they are probably being hunted by the archangel Azrael. Something about Daphne draws him in, though, and Truman ends up joining the search, only to uncover the significance of his own nature and his obsession with death. As she did in her debut novel, The Replacement (BCCB 9/10), Yovanoff skillfully constructs a world that is as abundant in mythology as it is in secrets, offering enough information to create an enticingly vivid place but imbuing it with plenty of shadows to leave the reader uneasy but fascinated. Where The Replacement was marked by an air of gloomy gore, the tone here is of utter melancholy, focusing specifically on Truman's grief and Daphne's insular depression. Neither one is a particularly admirable character, but their connection is entirely believable as the one thing that keeps them moored while the rest of their worlds fall away. Painfully romantic and richly imagined, this offering solidifies Yovanoff 's status as an author to watch.