Literature / The Black Parade

Would you be the savior of the broken, the beaten, and the damned?

"Vaya con dios, bitch."

— Jordan Amador

The Black Parade is a 2013 urban fantasy/paranormal novel by Kyoko M.

Jordan Amador. 21. New Yorker. Waitress. Mild alcoholic. Murderer.

Two years ago, Jordan accidentally shot and killed a Seer: a person who can see, hear, and talk to ghosts with unfinished business. Her crime came with a hefty price, too. She has two years to help a hundred souls cross over to the afterlife or her soul is bound for hell. Tough break.

As if that weren't bad enough, two days before her deadline a handsome pain-in-the-ass poltergeist named Michael strolls into her life. His soul is the key to her salvation, but the cost just might be more than she can handle. Solving his death puts her right in the crosshairs of Belial: a vain, bloodthirsty archdemon who won't rest until she's his slave. Can she rescue Michael and save her own soul, or will they both be dragged down into the clutches of the eternal black parade?

Not to be confused with the My Chemical Romance album, although that is where the novel draws its inspiration and title. The novel also roughly bases its mythology after John Milton's Paradise Lost, which is why it is separated into three "books"—Book One, The Black Parade; Book Two, In Medias Res; Book Three, The Beautiful Descent.

The Black Parade has two sequel novels as well as a short story collection and a novella. The short story collection called The Deadly Seven. It takes place In Medias Res of The Black Parade in the two month period between Chapters 15 and 16, where Jordan and Michael are getting accustomed to each other as he protects her from various demons and settles in to his new human life. The included tropes are below. There is also a novella called Back to Black that takes place between She Who Fights Monsters and The Holy Dark, telling the tale of how Jordan met the Seer Myra Bennett.

The second novel is entitled She Who Fights Monsters and was released July 22, 2014. Its tropes are below as well.

The third novel is entitled The Holy Dark (after a lyric from Leonard Cole's "Hallelujah") and was released April 24, 2015. There are a couple of excerpts from the first two chapters available to preview. Its tropes are below as well.

There are interviews with the author here, here, and here.

Spoilers ahead.

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These novels provide examples of:

The Black Parade

• Above the Influence: Michael manages not to take advantage of the drunken Jordan, but even he can't resist kissing her before she falls asleep.
• Accidental Murder: Jordan accidentally kills Andrew, mistaking him for a demon.
• The Ace: Michael. He's handsome, well read, smart, powerful, and genuinely a nice guy.
• Action Girl: Jordan. Turns out it's in her blood, as her mother, Catalina, was quite the Action Girl too.
• Affably Evil: Belial and Mulciber. They'll tear you limb from limb, but they'll be polite about it.
• Affectionate Nickname: Jordan calls Michael "pretty boy." She is the only one allowed to do so.
• Afraid of Doctors: Jordan suffers from a variation of this—she's generally freaked out by hospitals and clinics because the last time she ever saw her mother was when they took her to a psychiatric hospital.
• After Action Patch Up: One for Jordan, and another later for Michael.
• All Girls Want Bad Boys: Played with, as Michael (while human/poltergeist) has some bad boy charm to him and Jordan likes him more than she's willing to admit, but once he gets his body back, he's much more responsible and level-headed. It's ultimately averted with Belial, who manages to tempt her, but fails in winning her soul.
• All Your Powers Combined: The only way to kill the false angel is to form a trinity of attack, defense, and healing powers through Jordan.
• Alone with the Psycho: Jordan with Belial, twice. Poor thing.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Jordan. She is black and Spanish, so her hair is quite dark, and she's closed off.
• Alternate History / Alternate Universe: In the world of The Black Parade, the events of Paradise Lost essentially happened—not to every fine detail, but much of it did occur. Michael is very vague on the matter but he mentions that Milton had some divine assistance when he wrote it.
• Amateur Sleuth: Jordan is a subversion. No one hires her to solve the ghosts' deaths; she's tasked with it in order to redeem her soul from damnation. It's also notable that she has to do most of it on her own without any help from the police in order to avoid suspicion.
• Angel Unaware: Michael. After securing the Spear, Belial essentially erased him from history entirely, causing a borderline Alternate Universe until Michael and Gabriel meet again face-to-face. Gabriel's recognition undoes the spell and they're able to figure things out from there.
• Anywhere but Their Lips: A non-romantic example between Gabriel and Jordan. He always kisses her on the forehead above her right eye as a sign of affection and to be clear that his love for her is non-sexual.
• Archangel Gabriel: One of the main protagonists. He also speciales in defense abilities and is God's Messenger.
• Archangel Michael: One of the main protagonists/love interests. He is the Prince of Heaven's Army aka the Commander once he gets his memory back.
• Archangel Raphael: One of the minor protagonists. He also specializes in healing abilities.
• Armor-Piercing Question: "Michael... are you jealous?"
• The Atoner: Jordan. She mistakenly killed a Seer and has to make up for the important life she took.
• Audience Surrogate: Michael in the first third of the novel. Jordan explains how things work in the normal and supernatural world as she investigates his case.
• Badass Boast: "Touch her and I'll feed you that hand finger by finger."
• Badass in Distress: Michael in the hospital scene. Jordan has to confront Mulciber and challenge her to a fight to get him free.
• Being Good Sucks: Jordan notes this as she is forced into her job due to an ultimatum and receives no help as she lives on her own.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Jordan and Michael, full stop. Jordan and Belial too.
• Berserk Button:
  • Jordan does not like it if you call her mother crazy. Not. One. Bit.
  • Do not threaten Jordan in front of Michael. It will be last thing you ever do.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Gabriel is perfectly sweet 99% of the time, but if you manage to get on his bad side, you will most certainly regret it.
• Big Bad Duumvirate: Belial and Mulciber.
• Big Brother Mentor: Gabriel. He is often willing to give Jordan advice and genuinely cares about her, and shares a similar relationship with Michael, his actual brother.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Andrew and Catalina share one shortly before she dies.
  • One of the climatic moments of Book Three is Jordan and Michael's hotel makeout session after he admits he's jealous of her going out on a "not-date" with her ex-boyfriend. It's implied that if Gabriel hadn't showed up, they would have slept together.
• Big Good: God and the angels, obviously. Neither God nor Jesus ever appear in the series, but They give the archangels both direct and indirect orders that the demons, archdemons, and Lucifer try to thwart at every turn.
• Bilingual Bonus: There are several instances where Spanish speakers have the advantage of understanding dialogue between Jordan and her aunt.
• Black Gal on White Guy Drama: Jordan gets a taste of this when she attends Terrell's funeral with Michael as Terrell's mother disapproves of interracial dating.
• Black Eyes of Evil: The false angel.
• Blood Magic: Mentioned as Belial needs Jordan's blood to open a portal into Michael's body.
• Bodyguard Crush: Michael explains that his reason for becoming Jordan's bodyguard is that he owes her for her sacrifice to restore his life, but that's not quite the whole story as their friendship continues. It's clear that he has some sort of feelings for her at that point, but neither of them have figured it out just yet so they leave the issue be.
• Book Ends: The story begins and ends with a death of someone Jordan loves.
• Break the Cutie: Belial tries this several times on Jordan, but is only successful when he reveals that he murdered Terrell and inhabited his body to trap her.
• Broken Bird: Jordan. She was emotionally and physically abused by her Aunt Carmen and suffers from chronic nightmares after accidentally killing Mr. N.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Mulciber's reaction to having a hand in Catalina's death.
• Casual Danger Dialogue: Usually Jordan. She will quickly pop off a one-liner even though she's up to her eyeballs in danger.
• Casual Kink: Jordan mentions wearing a police uniform. Michael becomes awfully interested all of the sudden, but she leaves him hanging.
• Cat Scare: Twice. By the same cat, no less. Jordan finally finds Michael's apartment through sleuth work, then a cat in his apartment startles her. It startles her again much later on the street, but when she goes to collect it, she finds out the cat was luring her into a trap and it works for Belial.
• Catapult Nightmare: Jordan has a few of them, mostly about being taken away from her mother, being hunted by Belial, or accidentally killing Mr. N.
• Celibate Hero: Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael (initially). They are angels, after all, and angels are forbidden from sleeping with humans.
• Character Development:
  • Jordan learns to open up and stop rejecting human contact because of the nature of her job. She also forgives herself for killing Andrew and falls in love.
  • Michael started out as little more than a warrior and then his experiences as both a poltergeist and a man change his perceptions of life and mankind for the better.
• Chaste Hero: Jordan, by choice, and the angels by duty. Jordan has a lot of baggage, so she doesn't date. The angels are not supposed to be romantically involved with humans, so most of them are asexual. Michael ends up being a rare exception since he thought he was human for an extended period of time, so it allows him to be attracted to them.
• Chekhov's Gun: Gabriel's feather. Jordan hides the feather we saw in an opening chapter in the lining of her bra, so when Belial tries to initiate sex when he has her captured, she whips it out and stabs him with it, eventually freeing herself.
• Chocolate of Romance: Jordan briefly considers buying Michael some Lindt chocolate to apologize for being so closed off about her ex-boyfriend.
• Closed Door Rapport: Jordan and Michael in Book Three. She can't face him without crying, so she locks herself in her bedroom and talks to him through the door.
• Clothing Damage: Played with on both the male and female front. Michael's t-shirt gets trashed in the fight at the hospital, but the wound distracts Jordan more than his shirtlessness; Jordan's Little Black Dress gets ripped up after a helllhound attacks her.
• Color-Coded for Your Convenience: The angels' wings all have white bases with metallic sheens to them (Gabriel is gold, Michael is silver, Raphael is bronze) while the demons' wings are dark, earthy colors (Belial is black, Mulciber is brown).
• Creepy Child: Jacob. Michael notes that it's suspicious that Jacob came to Jordan's apartment when no other ghost except for him has ever done so. Jordan also wakes up to find the kid staring at her silently.
• Complete-the-Quote Title: The novel is named after the My Chemical Romance song "Welcome to The Black Parade." The signature line is "Because one day, I'll leave you, a phantom, to lead you in the summer to join the black parade." The black parade, in this case, is a metaphor for death.
• Dark Action Girl: Mulciber. She is one of the Princes of Hell, aka an archdemon.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Jordan spent her entire childhood being physically and emotionally abused by her aunt. As a result, she rarely discusses anything regarding before she accidentally killed Andrew. It's also the main reason she refuses to let anyone in as she's afraid of being hurt again.
• Deadpan Snarker: Jordan, Michael, and Belial.
• Dead Person Conversation: When Mulciber strangles Jordan, she enters a near-death state and ascends to the astral plane, where she finds her mother, Catalina, and Andrew Bethsaida. Both of them tell her the truth of what happened the night Catalina died and help Jordan figure out a way to stop the false angel.
• Deal with the Devil: Subverted. Belial offers Jordan one, but she's not buying it.
• Death by Origin Story: Andrew Bethsaida and Catalina Amador. A minor example with Diana, the cute store clerk saleswoman Michael met who was the first human he connected with after his memory loss.
• Declaration of Protection: Michael, full stop, after he gets his memories back, and much to Jordan’s dismay. She prefers to be a loner and Michael insists on staying at her side in case the archdemons return.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Jordan's awfully prickly at first, but the more time she spends with Michael, the more she opens up.
• Demonic Possession: Discussed. Demons cannot possess living human beings because two souls cannot share a body. They almost never attempt possessions because it is a violent process that rarely works out. However, Belial skirts the rules a bit by first killing Jordan's ex and using his body to lure her into his clutches. This only worked because he stayed far away enough from Michael that he didn't know he was around.
• Demon Lords and Archdevils: Belial and Mulciber are the only ones who appear, but Michael mentions that there are five total: Belial, Mulciber, Moloch, Mammon, and Beelzebub. They are known as archdemons, or alternatively, the Princes of Hell—Lucifer's most loyal and powerful followers.
• The Determinator: Jordan gets her ass kicked a lot, but she never gives up.
• Devil, but No God: Averted, although both parties do not directly interact with mankind and only send orders through their servants.
• Disappeared Dad: Jordan’s father. He left before she was born.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Jordan is so preoccupied by the sex dream she recalls having about Michael that he asks her a question and she doesn't even hear it.
• Driven to Suicide: Jordan’s mother. However, it was also a Heroic Sacrifice to save Andrew.
• Drowning My Sorrows: A subversion. Jordan only drinks because she has chronic nightmares and the alcohol helps calm her down enough to sleep.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: Boy, do they ever... Jordan and the angels battle a false angel before God relents and allows Jordan and Michael to marry.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Belial, in his second human form.
• Empowered Badass Normal: The archangels. They are super strong, super fast, and they can use defense, healing, or attack energy.
• Erotic Dream: Jordan has one in Book Two about Michael, embarrassingly enough. In Book Three, one dream starts out this way for Jordan but quickly turns into Nightmare Fuel, no pun intended.
• Everyone Can See It: Michael and Jordan are completely smitten with each other. Everyone can see it...except Jordan. Who refuses to see it (for a while).
• Evil Aunt: Jordan's aunt Carmen was unmatched in her cruelty to Jordan when her mother was declared unfit to raise her and she was sent to live with their family instead. She beat Jordan at every available opportunity, to the point of scarring her back, and spent every waking moment telling her how worthless she was. Michael is so incensed on Jordan's behalf that he bestows one hell of a "The Reason You Suck" Speech on her when they meet.
• Evil Counterpart: Belial is Michael’s, as he is smart, handsome, and charming, but evil.
• Female Gaze: Jordan tries her absolute damnedest not to notice how attractive Michael is, but she can't resist checking him out a few times when he's not paying attention.
• Femme Fatale: Mulciber. Being the only female archdemon doesn't slow her down one bit—she is a particularly vicious and smart archdemon who has been plotting humanity's downfall even during Jordan's mother's lifetime. She also has a habit of picking dark-haired, beautiful women for her disguises.
• First Kiss: Played with. Michael never reveals if Jordan was his first kiss or not.
• First Love: Jordan is Michael’s and vice versa. However, it should be noted that she was in a long-term relationship with Terrell beforehand.
• First-Person Smartass: Jordan has quite the mouth on her, both in her head and aloud.
• Flash Step: Belial and Mulciber both demonstrate this ability on Jordan.
• Flirting Under Fire: Jordan and Michael (despite the latter being dead when they meet) have more than a little chemistry while she has three days left before her soul remains damned and there’s an archdemon after her.
• For the Evulz: Majority of Belial’s desire for Jordan is based on this.
  Belial: I wouldn't be so bitter if I were you, my dear. I have plans for your soul after you die.
  Jordan: What plans?
  Belial: I asked the master for your soul in return for my services. When you die, you will become my servant.
  Jordan: Why?
  Belial: (chuckles) You're too modest. I was not lying when I said I liked you. I will thoroughly enjoy bending you to my will. Besides, it would be much more fun than simply killing you.
• Foreshadowing: Jordan's nightmare about the man in black.
  • To a lesser degree, her argument to Michael that she has to prepare for "whatever's coming next."
• Freudian Trio: Michael is Id, Gabriel is Super Ego, and Jordan is Ego.
• Functional Addict: Jordan drinks each night to get to sleep, but it doesn’t affect her life until the third act.
• Gender Flip: Mulciber, who is male in Paradise Lost.
• Gentle Giant: Gabriel. He is a whopping six foot six and is the kindest character in the novel.
• Ghost Amnesia: All the ghosts who stay behind instead of crossing over lose their memories but they eventually regain them with help from Seers. Usually seeing a particular person or place reminds them of what they’ve forgotten.
• God and Satan Are Both Jerks: Subverted. God refuses to interfere with life on earth, but He does eventually revoke his decision to have Michael stay away from Jordan and allows him to wed her after Michael admits to being in love.
• Go Out with a Smile: Both Jordan and her mother. Catalina sacrificed herself to kill her assailant to help Andrew escape, dying in his arms after a last kiss, smiling fondly at him. Jordan sacrificed herself to allow Michael's soul to return to his angelic body, smiling fondly at him as well.
• Go Seduce My Arch Nemesis: Centuries ago, Belial ordered this of a Seer named Zora so she will bond with one of the angels and allow him to spy on them from the inside.
• Great Offscreen War: Two of them, that Jordan knows about: one, the rebellion in heaven and Lucifer's fall from grace, which are mentioned in the series to have taken place similarly to how John Milton recounted it in Paradise Lost; two, the battle with the false angel begins and Jordan holds her own for a while before Mulciber comes after her and nearly kills her. When she wakes, the battle is still going on, but she misses Mulciber and Michael's fight that caused him to capture her by the time he revives Jordan from near-death.
• Green-Eyed Epiphany: Literally. Michael seemed to be struggling with his feelings for Jordan as to whether they were real or simply lust caused by his human body and doesn’t address it directly until Jordan calls him out on it.
• Hannibal Lecture: Belial gives Jordan one during their second fight in the psychiatric hospital. She later shuts him up.
• Handsome Lech: Michael shows signs of this in his poltergeist form.
• Headbutt of Love: Happens between Jordan and Michael after they save each other at the psychiatric hospital.
• Healing Factor: Archangels' bodies are significantly tougher than normal human bodies, but they still have to physically heal themselves. They don’t regenerate.
• Healing Hands: Raphael; Michael as well, although he uses more than his hands…
• He Is Not My Boyfriend: Happens twice. The first time Mulciber drops the term and Jordan doesn't deny it; the second time, a waitress mistakes them for newlyweds and she quickly corrects the error.
• Held Gaze: Recurring theme between Jordan and Michael. He can always tell when she's trying to retreat within herself because she breaks eye contact, so often he'll turn her face back towards him in order to get the truth.
• Hell Hound: One appears before Jordan just after she leaves for her "not-date" with Terrell. Michael explains that hellhounds are a result of Loophole Abuse by the demons, who corrupt stray dogs into hellhounds to do their bidding.
• Hellish Pupils: Belial and Mulciber. Michael explains that it's the mark of an archdemon, who are considered to be royalty as they are Lucifer's lieutenants. It should be noted that the first time Jordan meets Belial in a nightmare, she is immediately wary of his eyes despite not knowing who or what he is.
• Heroic BSoD: Happens to Jordan when she finds out Terrell had been murdered and Belial was impersonating him to get close to her.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Jordan. She gets better. Also, Jordan’s mother. Though she doesn’t.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Jordan. Michael calls her out on it.
• Hiding in Plain Sight: Belial pretending to be Terrell, Jordan's ex-boyfriend.
• Holding Hands: Michael holds Jordan's hand when they walk through the psychiatric hospital with Jacob. It's one of the first signs that she's warming up to him because she doesn't pull away.
• Holy Burns Evil: Demonstrated with many holy objects, but most notably, angel feathers will burn a demon and are even holy enough to kill them. Holy water can also scald them like acid.
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Michael is roughly six-foot-one while Jordan is five-foot-six; Gabriel is a better example considering he is six-foot-six.
• Human Sacrifice: What Belial was going to do to Jordan in order to possess Michael's body.
• Humanoid Abomination: The false angel. The demons are a subversion as they cannot use their true forms, but they do have super strength and agility.
• Humans Are Bastards: What the ghost child Jacob believes.
• I Call It "Vera": Michael’s sword is called “Celeste.” Not very intimidating until you see him use it.
• I Have You Now, My Pretty: Belial to Jordan, twice.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Surprisingly averted in Book Three, when Jordan confronts her alcohol dependence and decides not to drown her sorrows in booze.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: After telling Jordan about the Marriage of the Souls, Michael offers to leave her be because he loves her enough to want her to be safe and happy even if it removes him from the picture.
  Michael: Jordan, I won't ask this of you. I came down here to tell you because you deserve to know and to make a decision for yourself. I don't want this life for you. I don't want you to have to wait up nights praying that some demon doesn't get lucky and finally succeed in killing me or capturing you. If you ask me to leave and never come back, I'll do it.
  Jordan: Even though you love me.
  Michael: ...yes.
• If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: Averted. Jordan didn’t kill Belial because she was in a hurry to find Michael, but she had no trouble dispatching Mulciber for taking her mother away.
• I'm Going to Hell for This: Jordan's reaction after she has an Erotic Dream about Michael. Y'know, the archangel of the Lord.
• Insistent Terminology: The archangels tend to refer to God as "Father" or "the Father" when referencing Him directly and "the Son" when referencing Jesus.
• Interplay of Sex and Violence: Belial and Jordan, to a T. Belial literally instigates a fight with her.
• Interspecies Romance: Sort of. Michael is a full-blown angel in a half-human body.
• Intimate Healing: Used as a form of punishment by Michael on Jordan in the Book Three. Though the term punishment is a pretty loose translation in this case.
• Invisible to Normals: All ghosts and poltergeists.
• I See Dead People: It's later explained that Seers are the descendants of the original twelve disciples, who in this universe all had children and grandchildren and so forth. Not all of them become Seers, but those with pure enough souls can, like Jordan, her mother, and Andrew Bethsaida.
• It's All My Fault: Jordan blames herself for the deaths of Mr. N and Terrell.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Jordan can sometimes come across as this.
• Killed Off for Real: Terrell. It turns out Belial found him, killed him, and took over his body to trap Jordan.
• Kissing Under the Influence: Jordan gets drunk and kisses Michael.
• Lampshade Hanging: Belial is fond of this, particularly when it comes to something regarding Michael or Jordan.
  Belial: Do you see how weak he makes you? The mere mention of his name and your defenses drop. I find it rather upsetting, don't you?
• Last Kiss: Catalina and Andrew share one before she dies.
• Lecherous Licking: Belial is quite fond of this in regards to Jordan.
• Leg Focus: Michael's biggest turn on for Jordan is her legs.
• Like an Old Married Couple: Jordan and Michael, so much so that a waitress mistakes them for being married.
  Krystal the Waitress: ...are you sure you're not married?
  Jordan: If by 'married' you mean me hating him, then yes.
• Like Brother and Sister: Gabriel and Jordan. He even kisses her on the forehead each time he departs to show how much he cares for her.
• Little Black Dress: Lauren secretly packs one for Jordan. She is less than pleased when she finds it.
• Little "No"’s: Jordan after mistakenly shooting Andrew.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Belial in his second body. He has long black hair.
• Love Triangle: Michael/Jordan/Terrell. Later, Michael/Jordan/Belial.
• A Magic Contract Comes with a Kiss: For both the angels and the demons, a contract involves kissing and, well, more than that…
• Manipulative Bastard: Belial. He manipulates both Jordan and Michael at different points in the story.
• Man of Wealth and Taste: Belial. He is always seen in expensive suits.
• Mayfly–December Romance: Jordan and Michael; though they do get off easy because if Jordan dies and goes to Heaven, Michael can see her whenever he likes.
• Meaningful Name: Almost everyone.
  • Carmensita Durante: “Durante” is a Spanish name meaning a stubborn person.
  • Jordan Amador: Jordan refers to the river where Jesus was baptized while Amador means “Lover of God” in Spanish. This was done intentionally as Jordan's mother, Catalina, was deeply religious.
  • Andrew Bethsaida: named after one of Jesus’ 12 disciples from Bethsaida.
  • Catalina Amador: Catalina is a Spanish version of the name Katherine, which can mean “pure.”
  • Jacob: the evil child poltergeist ends up tricking Jordan and Michael as Jacob did to his brother in the Bible.
  • Michael: His name means “God-like.”
• Missing Mom: Catalina Amador, Jordan's late mother. She was taken away from Jordan after her sister convinces the state that she's mentally unstable and can't take care of Jordan. It turns out the demons had her locked away with future plans to use her Seer blood for an Evil Plan, but the angels send in Andrew Bethsaida to break her out. She sacrifices herself to save him in the end.
• The Mole: Jacob; Belial’s cat to a lesser extent. Jacob lures Jordan and Michael to a psychiatric hospital where the archdemon Mulciber is waiting to spring a trap.
• Moment Killer: Gabriel in Book Three. He interrupts Jordan and Michael mid-makeout.
• Motive Rant: Jordan purposely invokes one from Belial in order to stall for time after he captures her. She notes that he seems to enjoy hearing himself talk.
• Mr. Fanservice: Michael, although it's completely accidental. Jordan laments more than once at how he looks so gorgeous all the time without any real effort.
• Muggle Best Friend: Lauren, a fellow waitress and Jordan's best friend. But she does find out the truth in the second novel.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: Terrell, we hardly knew ye.
• My Name Is Inigo Montoya: Jordan to Mulciber, shortly before killing her with Gabriel's feather.
• Never Got to Say Goodbye: Jordan to her mother. Later subverted as she is reunited with her in the astral plane.
• The Nicknamer: Jordan teasingly calls Michael ‘pretty boy’ on a regular basis. It should be noted that he hates it if anyone but her calls him that.
  • Belial bestows "my pet" on Jordan. It's twice as disturbing when one realizes that Belial considers human beings to be beneath him, so the term is actually quite literal.
• No Body Left Behind: Hellhounds' bodies evaporate into ash after they're killed.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Michael vs. Luka. Michael gets particularly irritated that Luka requested an unwilling kiss from Jordan, so he doesn't hold back even slightly during the fight.
• No Sense of Personal Space: Belial. However, it's usually intentional as a way to manipulate Jordan.
• Not a Date: Jordan insists this is the case with Terrell. Also serves as a Running Gag.
• Not a Morning Person: Jordan needs to coffee to be anywhere near sociable.
• Official Couple: Jordan and Michael by the end.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Jordan never got to see just what Andrew did to that demon that was chasing her.
  • She also misses Michael chopping off Mulciber’s arm during the war.
• Off the Wagon: Jordan briefly tumbles off after her "not-date" with Terrell.
• Oh, Crap!: Jordan's reaction once she realizes who the man in the psychiatric hospital really is: Belial.
• Older Than They Look: Michael and Belial appear to be in their mid-twenties while Gabriel seems in his early thirties, but all three of them are literally millions of years old.
• Old Flame: Terrell, Jordan's ex-boyfriend.
• One Head Taller: Gabriel. He is six foot six, while Jordan is five foot six.
• Our Angels Are Different: The angels only have two rules: one, to protect and serve mankind; two, do not reveal themselves to normal people. Furthermore, all angels are sterile to prevent the birth of nephilim. Michael explains that their abilities range from super speed and strength to the ability to heal injuries with spiritual energy.
• Parental Substitute: Though their interactions were brief, Andrew is a version of this for Jordan, which is all the more meaningful considering he was in love with her mother.
• Perpetual Frowner: Jordan. More in public, though, so people will leave her alone and not question her seemingly strange actions.
• Pet the Dog: Aunt Carmen sends Jordan the letters that Andrew wrote her through her childhood as an apology for how she treated her in the past.
• Pillow Pistol: Jordan sleeps with a .38 Smith & Wesson.
• Plagued by Nightmares: Jordan. It contributes to her alcohol abuse, as she drinks to forget the nightmares and calm down enough to go back to sleep.
• Plot-Triggering Death: Andrew’s death definitively begins Jordan’s story.
• Posthumous Character: Andrew and Jordan’s mother; later, Michael. Sort of.
• Power Trio: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the angelic example while Michael, Gabriel, and Jordan are the protagonist example.
• Precision F-Strike: When Jordan finds out Michael had broken into her apartment.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Tell me if you saw this coming, ma cherie.”
• Psycho Psychologist: Mulciber. She is posing as a psychiatrist when she lures Jordan and Michael into a deadly trap.
• Public Domain Artifact: The Spear of Longinus and a sliver from the True Cross.
• Purgatory and Limbo: Both are referenced. Jordan learns that Zora, the Seer who was married Uriel but was secretly Belial's servant, was banished to Purgatory as her soul was mated to Uriel, but her betrayal was such a great sin that she couldn't be allowed into Heaven after she died. There is also a void between Heaven, Hell, and Earth where souls pass through that Jordan wakes up in when Mulciber strangles her to a near-death state.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Belial in his second body.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Michael delivers a well-deserved one to Jordan’s aunt.
  "If it weren’t for your cruelty, your cowardice, your selfishness, and your ignorance, then the woman standing behind me might not have come to be. It’s not your fault that your mother treasured your younger sister more than you and showered her with love and praise. I know how that must have made you feel. You became bitter and resented the both of them, so as soon as the opportunity presented itself, you leapt into action to betray your sister. When the hospital called to hand custody of Jordan over to you, it was like Christmas morning, wasn’t it? What better revenge on Catalina than to break her daughter beyond repair? But then something happened, something unexpected. That girl you worked so hard to destroy grew up and became the very person you hated the most. She is beautiful, kind, intelligent, and full of life. I’ve been around for a very long time, Mrs. Durante. Her kind of radiance is rare in this world. So I hope for your sake that you someday have enough sense to ask for her forgiveness because if you don’t…there is a place waiting for you where they won’t take as much pity on you as I have. You have a nice evening, ma’am.”
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Hellhounds. They are huge and extremely vicious and hard to kill. Jordan finds that out the hard way.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Gabriel and Raphael serve as Blue to Jordan and Michael’s Reds.
• Redemption Equals Death: Jordan sacrifices herself to allow Michael to return to his body.
• The Reveal: Mr. N’s real name, Andrew Bethsaida, and the fact that Terrell was being impersonated by Belial in Book Three.
• Rule of Three: Three books, three kisses, three archangels.
• Scar Survey: In Book Two, Michael finds out about the scars on Jordan’s back after she undresses to change out her bandages.
• Scars Are Forever: Subverted, as Jordan could heal hers but chooses against it.
• Sealed with a Kiss: The novel ends with a kiss from Jordan and Michael.
• Sex Goddess: Good enough that Michael remarks that he's impressed that Jordan doesn't have sex all day, every day because their first time was just that enjoyable. It's also implied they did it several times before Jordan fell asleep as it's been hours when she wakes up.
• Sexy Discretion Shot: Jordan stops narrating shortly after she and Michael get to the bed. She picks back up after the event...a couple hours later, in fact.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Belial and Gabriel are both always dressed to the nines.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Jordan is a bit tomboyish, but she still looks pretty hot with a little work.
• Shipper on Deck: Gabriel, Lauren, and Raphael all seem on board for Jordan and Michael to be together. Even God eventually joins in.
• Shout-Out: Plenty.
  • To Castle. She mentions Castle and Beckett by name.
  • To Desperado: “Did I thank you?” “No.” “I will.”
  • To William Butler Yeats: Michael recites “The Cradle Song” in The Beautiful Descent.
  • To Firefly: Catalina asks Andrew about his life helping ghosts and he says, “It’s a life.” She replies: “That’s not much.” He tells her: “It’s enough.”
  • To V for Vendetta: Jordan’s dying words.
  • To Batman Beyond: at the end of Chapter 8.
  • To Star Wars: “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
  • To William Shakespeare: Two, actually. Belial recites a line from '"The Life and Death of Richard III". Mulciber recites lines from "Hamlet" when she attacks Jordan in the climax.
  • To Paradise Lost: Jordan recites a line about Belial in Book Three.
  • To Harry Dresden: Michael is reading Proven Guilty when Jordan returns, drunk, to their hotel room in Jersey.
  • To Constantine: As Jordan regains consciousness after being stabbed with the Spear of Longinus, she wonders if she'll see Peter Stormare wearing all white waiting for her at the gates of hell. She also makes a joke about cats being "half in and half out."
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Jordan to Belial, twice. First, when he tries to convince her she should become his servant and shortly afterwards when Belial tries to pull a “If You Kill Me You Will Be Just Like Me” on Jordan, but she shuts him up by saying she’ll just deal with their similarities.
• Sibling Team: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are all siblings.
• Single-Target Sexuality: Once he’s back in his body and his soul is intact, Michael only has eyes for Jordan.
• Slap-Slap-Kiss: Jordan and Belial, quite literally too. They have an entire fight sequence before Belial attempts to seduce her.
• Sleep Cute: Jordan and Michael fall asleep in bed together after reading Jacob a bedtime story. Aw.
• Smug Snake: Belial is certainly not afraid to gloat. Mulciber too.
• The Snark Knight: Jordan; Michael in his poltergeist form. She is extremely sarcastic at all times as part of a distancing tactic.
• Socially Awkward Hero: Jordan has serious trust issues, so it's enough that she is so closed off, but even after Michael gets her to loosen up a little, she still fidgets and squirms and doesn't know how to react when he compliments her or does something sweet for her.
  Jordan: (after waking up cuddling Michael in her sleep) Uh. Hi.
• Sophisticated as Hell: Belial and Mulciber, no pun intended. Both are always inhabiting incredibly beautiful bodies and are almost always dressed to the nines.
• Stupid Sexy Friend: Amusingly enough, Jordan and Michael both have this problem with each other; the former drops this term verbatim, in fact.
• Take That!: Jordan makes one at The Twilight Saga when she finds out what Michael had been doing the day he met her (mainly creeping around her apartment while she slept.)
• Talking in Your Dreams: Jordan speaks with Belial for the first time in a nightmare, but it’s also shown that it’s a form of communication used by angels and demons alike. Catalina mentioned speaking to Gabriel in a dream after her capture.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Michael's got dark brown hair and green eyes. Jordan mentions his full lips and athletic body type a couple times. Not that it's important.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Michael (in poltergeist and human form). As an angel, he goes on and off with being a Deadpan Snarker.
• Tank-Top Tomboy: Jordan. She's most often in a tank top, jeans, Reeboks, and her inherited oversized duster.
• Team Mom: Gabriel. He is extremely gentle and understanding with Jordan and mentors his brother, Michael.
• This Is for Emphasis, Bitch!: "Vaya con dios, bitch."
• Those Two Guys: Like in Paradise Lost, Ithuriel and Zephon appear together.
• Tomboy: Jordan, but she knows how to dress up.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Jordan and Lauren.
• Tomboyish Name: Jordan, of course, which Linda the ghost girl points out.
• Tomboyish Ponytail: Jordan, most of the time, wears a high ponytail.
• Too Kinky to Torture: Belial is quite fond of pain, it seems, since he experiences it so rarely in his human form. Yet another reason why he’s so attracted to Jordan—she has a penchant for hitting him.
• Took A Level In Bad Ass: Jordan does between Books Two and Three.
• Tragic Keepsake: Jordan held on to Mr. N’s duster as a reminder of her penance.
• Tranquil Fury: Jordan, when she finds out Mulciber was responsible for her mother’s abduction.
  • Michael, too, when he confronts Jordan’s aunt.
• Trauma Conga Line: Jordan, so much. Shall we recap? When Jordan is 5 years old, her mother gets abducted and commits suicide, she is physically abused by her aunt for a decade, she accidentally shoots and kills her father figure, she gets kidnapped and murdered by a demon, gets beaten up twice by two different demons, gets her arm broken at the elbow, and finally is choked unconscious by one of them in the middle of a war.
• Trenchcoat Brigade: Jordan and Andrew are both members. Jordan inherited his grey duster after he died. Done on purpose as Word of God states that Andrew is inspired by John Constantine and Capt. Mal Reynolds.
• True Companions: Among Lauren, Andrew and the angels, Jordan has a makeshift family.
• Tsundere: Jordan is the Type A variety. She eventually grows out of it.
• Twofer Token Minority: Jordan manages to be a threefer minority—a female who is half-black and half-Spanish. Her best friend Lauren is a straighter example.
• The Unfavorite: Michael implies that this is part of the reason why Aunt Carmen hated Catalina, and subsequently Jordan, so much. One can infer that he might have already known some of their background after meeting Jordan, but he chose to let her put the facts together for herself.
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: Occurs between Jordan and Michael all through the first two books and gets resolved in the third. Thoroughly.
  • Jordan and Belial have tons of this.
• Urban Fantasy: with hints of Paranormal Romance. The story is mostly set in Albany, New York with a trip to New Jersey later on.
• Victoria's Secret Compartment: Played straight, but with something reasonable: an angel feather.
• Villainous BSoD: Belial has one at the end of the war in Jersey.
• Villainous Crush: Jordan for Belial. He likes her spirit and hopes to be able to break it someday. Brr.
• Villain Respect: Mulciber admits she likes Jordan's bold (albeit foolish) decision to fight her in order to save Michael.
• Wall Bang Her: Almost happens in Book Three with Jordan and Michael.
• Wall Pin of Love: After Jordan calls him out on being jealous, Michael pulls this trope, leading to their first makeout session and the above near-miss of a Wall Bang Her.
• The Watson: Jordan, once Michael's memories and abilities are restored. He explains a lot of what she missed while she was dead and some of his backstory.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Michael calls Jordan out on her self-destructive isolation from other people due to her damned status.
• Wham Line: "Does this smell like chloroform to you?"
  • And later, "I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you... my pet."
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Guess where's the last place Jacob remembers being before his death? A psychiatric hospital. Jordan is less than thrilled.
• Wicked Cultured: Belial and Mulciber. They are both well-read and scarily intelligent.
• Would Hit a Girl: Belial, unsurprisingly. Michael, surprisingly, but then again, he is a military man.
• You Are Worth Hell: Jordan to Michael, though subverted. Jordan agrees not to let the angels save her after Belial stabs her with the Spear of Longinus since it would shut the portal that would allow Michael's soul to return to his body. She is ready to accept rotting in hell after becoming close to him. Lucky for her, saving his life counts as her 100th soul, so she is no longer damned.
• You Can See Me?: A subversion off-screen. Michael finds out when Jordan's in the park that she's the only person in all of Albany that can see him, so he seeks her out later on to find out why.

The Deadly Seven

Being bad never felt so good.

"You think I'm so naive that I believe I can always be there to stop scum like you? Of course not. Do you really want to know why I'm doing this, you sorry sack of crotch droppings? Because I'm immortal. I have all the time in the world. [Jordan] doesn't. It doesn't matter if she's going to die someday. As long as I'm around, she will live her life the way she could have if she hadn't been born a Seer. I don't care how many of you come for her. I'll kill you all if I have to.

-Michael the archangel

"The Deadly Seven" is a short story collection that details the seven deadly sins as Michael the archangel encounters them living alongside Jordan while he masquerades as a human being. It's also told entirely from his perspective, save a bonus chapter and preview to She Who Fights Monsters.

• Action Duo: Jordan and Michael, even moreso than in The Black Parade. They go on several missions together and most of them are dangerous.
• Agony of the Feet: The very pissed off Michael shoots a demon who had planned on kidnapping Jordan and Lily in the foot just to teach him a lesson.
• Almost Kiss: "Pride II" is centered around one between Michael and Jordan.
  • There's also one serious near miss between them in the bonus chapter.
• Alone with the Psycho: Michael and Liz in "Greed III." Liz is an assassin and sees fit to torture Michael before waiting for Jordan to arrive so she can kill her. She was hired by one of the demons Michael's been hunting.
• Bad Ass Normal: Jordan. Two words, "Hey, fur-face!" (cue slamming a tree branch into a hellhound)
• Bad Ass Boast: Jordan and Michael each have their own moments.
  Liz: (as Jordan has her pinned, at knifepoint) You can't kill me. You're not a policewoman. You're just a girl.
  Jordan: No. I'm a Seer. You and the rest of your friends had better learn the difference between a sheep and a wolf in sheep's clothing. Until then... (she knocks Liz out) Vaya con dios, bitch.
  • In that same story, Michael informs Liz just what she's gotten herself into.
  Michael: I want to make one thing perfectly clear. If you do manage to kill [Jordan], there is no crevasse that you can hide in where I will not find you. I am not just some handsome bodyguard. I am the archangel Michael. I am the Prince of Heaven's Army. I am the Commander. I will swallow you whole and spit out your bones like the thousands of others foolish enough to cross me. Do your worst, little girl. See what happens.
• Big Eater: Jordan, apparently off-screen. Michael mentions "she eats like a football team."
• Bizarre Taste in Food: For some reason, Michael enjoys raw asparagus. Jordan points out how disturbing this is to him.
• Buffy Speak: The following exchange:
  Jordan: I don't think you'd be bad at it.
  Michael: Bad at what?
  Jordan: Boyfriending.
  Michael: Is that a word?
  Jordan: Yes. I'm human. I know these things.
• Casual Danger Dialogue: Gabriel has a practically spectacular moment of this after the bomb explodes in "Sloth II" and he's got internal bleeding:
  Michael: Try not to move. You seem to have gotten the worst of it.
  Gabriel: My popularity is an awful burden sometimes.
• Catchphrase: Jordan's is made official: "Vaya con dios, bitch."
• Celibate Hero: Michael. Discussed in detail in "Envy II." He's an archangel in a human body and angels aren't allowed to mix with humans.
• Covert Distress Code: Michael drops an incredibly unusual one after he's been captured by an assassin: "I love you." Jordan later points this out to him.
  Michael: How'd you know I was in trouble?
  Jordan: 'I love you'? Seriously, this is not a Nicholas Sparks novel. No way in hell you'd say that to me unless you were about to die.
• Deal with the Devil: Michael rescues a young girl named Sarah who gets herself into one of these in the story "Wrath III."
• Dismissing a Compliment: Michael actually calls Jordan out on it.
  Michael: (after Jordan saves him from the hitwoman) Thank you.
  Jordan: (shakes her head) Don't. If I'd have gotten here sooner—
  Michael: Shut up. (gently touches her face) Can't you just say 'you're welcome' like a normal person?
  Jordan: (smiles) You're welcome, Michael.
• Doesn't Like Guns: Mentioned by Michael, who has been using a sword since the beginning of Creation.
• Double Entendre: Jean Winters drops a positively massive one in "Greed II" while comparing Jordan to a dog.
  Jean Winters: Tell me...does she come when you call?
• Drinking Contest: Michael (unwisely) challenges his bandmate Casey to one of these and shows up at Jordan's place absolutely loaded.
• Embodiment of Vice: Jean Winters. He appears in the "Greed" storyline as the embodiment of it, wanting to kill to steal wealth from others and he threatens Jordan once Michael discovers his plot.
• Erotic Dream: Used as a Funny Moment in "Lust III." Michael takes it kind of hard when he has his first sex dream about Jordan.
• Erotic Eating: Jordan just about (accidentally) gives Michael a heart attack while eating her ice cream cone. And it certainly doesn't help that it's vanilla.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Michael becomes furious when he confronts a peddler demon who tricked a teenager into selling her soul and getting her mother on his hit list. The demon admits to lowering his standards after Belial botched his plans of taking over the world.
• Eye Scream: Michael throws a knife into the eye of a bouncer-demon in "Sloth II."
• First Person Smart Ass: Though far less than Jordan's Point-of-View.
• Foreshadowing: A quick little wink at the end of "Sloth III."
  Jordan: And don't think I forgot about your promise.
  Michael: Your Chinese food is in the fridge, madam.
  Jordan: Marry me.
  Michael: (chuckles) Maybe someday.
• Friend to All Children: Subverted. Michael loves children, but babysitting makes him nervous.
• Genius Bruiser: Michael is highly trained in forensics, literature, and history. He is also six-foot-one and solid muscle.
• Girl on Girl Is Hot: Michael may be an archangel of the Lord, but he's still a guy.
  Lauren: (on teaching Jordan how to dance) I've had to work at getting her comfortable with her own body. (Beat) That sounded a lot more sexual than I intended.
  Michael: No complaints here.
• Gold and White Are Divine: Gabriel has golden feathers and tends to wear white a lot. Directly contrasts with Michael, who has silver wings and is somewhat partial to black clothing.
• Good Is Not Soft: Heavily supported by Michael's actions. He always does the right thing, but if he gets angry, he can get ruthless, as seen in "Wrath" and "Sloth III."
  Mckenzie: (as Michael brandishes a buzzsaw) Y-You can't do this to me! You're an angel! That'd be a sin.
  Michael: You bombed a room full of God's own soldiers. I'm not sinning. I'm avenging.
• Guardian Entity: He may be sweet and charming most of the time, but Michael is not afraid to remind any demons thinking of taking Jordan for themselves that he is in fact an archangel with powers akin to a demigod.
  Michael: Take this message to your people, you obsequious little worm. Anyone who lays a hand on Jordan Amador will have to answer to me. Now do me a favor and go to hell. (Cue beheading)
• Hell Hound: An absolutely monstrous one in "Greed", appropriately named Boagreus.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Jordan gets a bit of this as Michael's stay on earth has caused his soldiers to question if she has managed to corrupt him.
• Hidden Depths: Michael. He shows signs of being a bit of a geek (owning a Play Station 3, referencing an anime trope and comic book characters, binge-watching Breaking Bad, reading Neil Gaiman) and isn't quite as unflappable as he first appears. He can actually get a bit flustered when Jordan directly flirts with him (Sloth II) or teases him (Lust II) and is utterly mortified when he has a sex dream about her (Lust III).
• Honor Before Reason: Michael could have dropped Jean Winters' case and let another angel handle it, but Winters' personal threat against Jordan overrode Michael's sense of logic.
• Hot for Student: Subverted. Michael is teaching Jordan all kinds of techniques and helpful things she needs to know as a Seer, but he is quite clearly developing feelings for her as the story progresses.
• Hot Teacher: Jordan calls him "pretty boy" for a reason.
• I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: Michael suffers through quite a few of these moments as the story progresses, though he continues to insist to himself that it's just due to his human urges.
• Innocent Innuendo: The entire point of "Lust II." Michael accidentally turns himself and Jordan on while licking caramel off her fingers. It makes sense in context.
• Insult Backfire: Liz the hitwoman's jab at Jordan for not being a police officer leads to a Bad Ass Boast instead.
• I Have Nothing to Say to That: Michael's answer after Gabriel asks him why he knows so little about women.
• I Kiss Your Hand: Michael to Jordan In "Sloth III." It's during a moment where she needs reassurance as she's worried about him.
• In Vino Veritas: Jordan finds out Michael had actually been lonely before he came to stay with her on earth. He also clearly shows signs of being attracted to her, and she doesn't exactly ward him off either.
• Lampshade Hanging: Jordan's reaction to Michael getting a little sappy in "Greed."
  Jordan: Quit it.
  Michael: What?
  Jordan: I hate it when you do that.
  Michael: You hate it when I smile?
  Jordan: No, when you make that 'aw, she does have a heart' face. You look like a Disney prince.
• Lecherous Licking: Accidentally invoked when Michael and Jordan are goofing off eating caramel dip and sliced apples on the couch in "Pride II." Michael hasn't spend enough time with the opposite sex to realize what a massive turn on licking a woman's fingers can be.
• Little Black Dress: Even littler than the one in The Black Parade. Michael has a bit of trouble not noticing it.
• Loophole Abuse: Discussed in different sins. Michael threatening to torture a human hitman on the grounds that it's "avenging" the angels he tried to murder or allowing physical intimacy (albeit non-sexual) with Jordan because "there was nothing in the rules that said I couldn't."
• Made of Iron: Michael's angelic body can withstand any attack by man-made weapons. He survives getting gut-stabbed, shot six times in the chest, and later a bomb.
• Male Gaze: Michael tries his hardest to suppress his sexual desires from being projected onto Jordan, but he can't resist noticing her a few times, particularly in "Lust", "Pride II", and "Sloth III."
• Meaningful Echo: Jordan's repetition of "stupid, selfish, gluttonous moron" in the bonus chapter.
• Meaningful Name: A couple, actually.
  • Jean Winters is seriously one cold bastard.
  • The peddler demon is named after Shylock from William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."
• Not What It Looks Like: Lauren happens upon Jordan and Michael in mid-wrestle, with her on top of him.
• Oblivious to Love: Jordan appears this way from Michael's perspective, but it's quite clear she has feelings for him as well.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: We miss Michael's epic battle with thirty-something demons in "Sloth II."
• Power is Sexy: It's implied that Liz the hitwoman is turned on due to Michael's resistance to death.
• Precision F-Strike: By a demon in "Sloth III." Michael is interrogating a demon and takes off the duct tape to hear an answer. Instead of that, the demon tells him, "Go fuck yourself, pretty boy."
• Running Gag: A series-long one, but Jordan and Michael designate ringtones for each other that change based on how they feel about the other person. In this book, Jordan's is "My Beloved Monster" by Eels and Michael's is "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred.
• Sadistic Choice: Brought up in "Greed II" where Jean Winters tells Michael to either drop the case he's investigating with the hellhound murders or let Jordan die to get to the bottom of them.
• Sentimental Drunk: Michael shows signs of this in the bonus chapter.
• Sexy Mentor: Michael, distracted by a case he's about to work, starts undressing while talking to Jordan. She doesn't stop him.
  Michael: Were you just going to let me get half-naked in front of you?
  Jordan: (shrugs) Didn't want to break your concentration.
  Michael: (eye roll)
• Ship Tease: The entire set of stories is essentially this for Jordan and Michael.
• Shout-Out: Several, keeping with the first book.
  • Michael binge-watches Breaking Bad until four in the morning in "Gluttony III."
  • Jordan casually watching Michael undress is a small homage to both The Road to El Dorado and a scene from The Nanny ("A Pup in Paris.")
  • To the season three episode "3XK" of the crime dramedy Castle, when Michael is able to convey something is wrong to Jordan by telling her he loves her. See Covert Distress Code above.
  • A big one to The Princess Bride in "Sloth II" as Jordan and Michael prepare to infiltrate a demons' nest.
  Jordan: So we're just going to ignore what a terrible idea it is to storm the castle without Fezzik, huh?
  Michael: (grins) Basically. Come on, Inigo.
  • A quick reference to The Neverending Story in "Gluttony II."
  Michael: I like kids just fine. I just don't like being in charge of them. They're tiny and so...breakable.
  Jordan: And you have such big strong hands?
  Michael: (Death Glare)
  • Lauren mentions that she thinks Jordan and Michael "will be after each other like Beatrice and Benedick" in "Pride."
• Sleep Cute: In "Sloth."
• Smiting Evil Feels Good: Michael most certainly enjoys vanquishing demons.
• Spit Take: Lauren gets Michael pretty good.
  Jordan: (sits down next to them, having come from the bathroom) What'd I miss?
  Lauren: We were just discussing the sexual tension between you two.
  Michael: (epic spittake)
  Jordan: See, this is why I can't take you anywhere.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Michael, but it's played mostly for laughs. One woman calls him "Brad Pitt." Jordan's coworkers have dubbed him "the underwear model," much to his exasperation.
  • Brick Joke: Michael's ringtone on Jordan's phone is "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred as a jab at the fact that everyone thinks he's a supermodel.
  • Apparently, six different women ask him to dance while he's at a club with Lauren and Jordan in "Greed."
• Take That!: A small one at Nicholas Sparks in "Greed III."
  • Also one to The Twilight Saga in "Gluttony II." "I'm an archangel, not Edward Cullen. I don't sulk."
• Through His Stomach: Jordan bakes cookies, mostly for herself, but then reveals that her former landlady taught her how to make them because they were "a surefire way to catch a husband."
• Too Dumb to Live: Virgil the "collector," who thought it was a good idea to stalk Michael and try to kidnap Jordan and Lily to ransom them off for the Spear of Longinus. Michael quickly makes him see the error of his ways.
• Tsundere: Michael drops the term on Jordan, after she supposedly made him watch Ouran High School Host Club.
• Twerp Sweating: A rare subversion in "Greed" where Lauren grills Michael about his relationship with Jordan.
• You Taste Delicious: A complete aversion in "Sloth II" when Michael licks a small amount of blood off of Jordan's face to scare off the demons attracted to it. He is repulsed by the taste, though being pressed up against her does distract him a bit.
• Zip Me Up: Featured in the short story aptly named "Lust." Michael zips up Jordan's Little Black Dress.

She Who Fights Monsters

"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

Belial: [...] I realized that scars are what have brought us together. We never heal them; they just stay with us until our bodies turn to dust. I thought mine ran more deeply than yours, but I was wrong. Your problem is not simply repression. You do not love yourself and so you pour your heart and soul into others because you believe they are more worthy. That is why you are so afraid of giving yourself completely to me or Michael. You think we won’t like what we find.

Jordan: Belial—

Belial: You will never reach your full potential until you make peace with who you are, Jordan. Good and evil. Black and white. Sin and savior. You are both. Accept it.

Jordan: (her head bowed) I can't.

Belial: You can and you will. Someday.

The dynamic supernatural duo is in the middle of trying to solve a deadly case. Someone is methodically hunting down and murdering Seers one by one. After six months with no leads on the killer, Jordan and Michael are forced to work with their worst enemy—the archdemon Belial: a self-professed Prince of Hell who is dead set on stealing Jordan for himself. However, with the archdemon’s help, they pick up on the trail of the serial killer and plan to stop him no matter what the cost.

When the shocking truth behind the murderer’s identity is revealed, Jordan begins asking herself if she is still fighting for the good guys or has she become one of the monsters she is desperately trying to stop?

• Action Girlfriend: Jordan. Or, more precisely, Action Wife. She gets elbow deep in the case and has to survive several nasty fights.
• Audience Surrogate: Erica the dead Seer. Jordan and Michael help her solve her death by explaining what it is that they do for a living and assist with clues related to her untimely death.
• Bad Ass Boast: Jordan gets in a pretty good, prophetic one in Chapter 21 while threatening Belial:
  Jordan: I know you're going to betray me somehow. It may not be tonight or tomorrow or the day after that, but I'm not stupid. You have your own agenda and it's entirely possible that you're going to try and manipulate me into releasing the Leviathan. But I promise you that if you're foolish enough to do it, I'm going to kill you. It won't be like the last two times we've fought. I'm going to stab you in the fucking heart. Is that clear?
• Battle Couple: Jordan and Michael, who are married. They team up at the end to face the Leviathan.
• Bilingual Bonus: Jordan learns beginner's Brazilian Portuguese in order to speak to Juliana.
• Black-and-Gray Morality: Explored. Michael suffers from jealousy, overprotectiveness, and revenge. Conversely, Belial shows actual concern for Jordan rather than simply lusting after her like in the first novel.
  • Jordan betrays her husband and best friend in order to learn how to stop the Leviathan.
• Black Gal on White Guy Drama: Continues from the first novel, but this time with Jordan's father, Lewis, who is wholly unsupportive of the relationship until the very end of the book.
  • Jordan also mentions that Michael told her he occasionally gets dirty looks from black men when the two of them go out on dates. She admits to not caring in the slightest.
• Blood Knight: Belial is happiest only when (a) having sex or (b) killing everything in sight.
• Blood Magic: Explored more fully in this novel than the first one, as Belial reveals that one can actually create a circle to temporarily trap angels and hellbeasts with a demon or Seer's blood.
• Book Ends: The book begins and ends with Jordan and Michael kissing in the kitchen of her apartment.
• Borrowed Catch Phrase: Michael borrows Jordan's signature line in the climax before killing Belial, adding his own spin on it.
  Michael: Vaya con dios, you son of a bitch. (Cue stabbing)
• Bullying a Dragon: Jordan loses her temper with Belial a couple times, prompting him to remind her that he could kill her faster than she could even see it.
• Call-Back: Several. For example, Jordan’s fear of hospitals and lab coats, the scar from being stabbed by the Spear, and Terrell’s untimely death from the first novel.
  • Michael bumping into Shylock is a call back to their interaction in The Deadly Seven.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Jordan does so soon after meeting Lewis, her deadbeat Dad.
• Captain Ersatz: Agent Clark is basically Agent Coulson.
• Casual Kink: Implied. Jordan mentions a maid and a naughty nurse costume in her closet. Michael doesn’t deny it, either.
• Character Development: Belial undergoes a change between the first and second novel. While still evil and manipulative, he does appear to have genuine feelings for Jordan rather than just lusting after her.
• Cock Fight: Belial and Michael try to avoid this problem the whole novel through. It doesn’t work.
• Cursed with Awesome: Jordan's abilities as a Seer make her a valuable asset and a target to the demons, but it also gives her the ability to protect herself and the ones she loves.
• The Dandy: Belial. Michael even calls him "metrosexual" at one point.
• Dangerous Deserter: The rogue angel, Avriel.
• Deal with the Devil: Though not the literal Devil. Jordan makes a deal with Belial so she can stop the Leviathan from awakening.
• Devil's Job Offer: Belial wants Jordan to become his servant since he's seen how deadly, competent, and effective she is as a Seer, in addition to being attracted to her. Jordan staunchly refuses, but Belial is convinced he can wear her down enough for her to say yes eventually.
• Demonic Possession: Mulciber possesses Juliana after Gabriel kills her human body. She notes that while adults and teenagers cannot be possessed, children's spirits are too weak to resist a demon's hold over them.
• Depraved Bisexual: Confirmed of Belial.
  Belial: And for the record, I was coming on to you.
  Michael: Shut up and read, Belial.
• Dirty Business: Invoked. Jordan breaks a criminal out of jail, unwillingly totes a kidnapped child, and plays good cop in a rough interrogation.
• Disappeared Dad: Jordan’s father. He gets un-disappeared after getting himself into trouble with a loan shark.
• Dramatic Irony: The audience sees Jordan decide to work with Belial one chapter ahead of Michael and Gabriel.
• Enemy Mine: The archangels very reluctantly agree to work with Belial to stop the rogue angel.
• "Eureka!" Moment: After Jordan suggests retrieving the fruit from the Leviathan’s stomach, Michael realizes he can use Avriel’s knowledge to help them.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Belial wasn’t a fan of his daughter Juliana, but it was clear he didn’t want her to come to harm.
• Evil vs. Evil: Belial allies himself with the good guys just so he can take down Mulciber.
• Face–Heel Revolving Door: Belial. Good God, Belial. He's on no one's side for long. Just his own side.
• Fake-Out Make-Out: Jordan and Gabriel. However, the amount of No Yay involved makes it Played for Laughs.
• Fate Worse than Death: Jordan’s main motivation to stop the Leviathan is to prevent 1,000 innocent people being devoured by the hellmouth and sent to Hell to suffer.
• Finger in the Mail: Unfortunately, Jordan gets a whole hand as a threat from the loan shark closing in on her father.
• Forced into Their Sunday Best: In her dream where Belial contacts her, Jordan's been forced into some kind of 1940's pinup girl cocktail red dress. Belial in a 1940's tuxedo as well, since he's overdramatic and likes messing with her in themed dreams.
• The Gadfly: Belial really likes pushing people’s buttons.
• Good Is Not Nice: Jordan, Michael, and Gabriel all get their hands dirty in this novel, and it certainly has its consequences.
• Happily Married: Jordan and Michael for the first half of the novel.
• He Who Fights Monsters: The book is named after the quote for a reason, as Jordan struggles with this issue thoroughly from beginning to end. Whether or not she is successful is up to the reader.
• Heel–Face Turn: Avriel.
• Heroic BSoD: Jordan has one after Belial tricks her into releasing the Leviathan.
• Human-Demon Hybrid: Juliana Freitas. It turns out Belial had a tryst with her unhappy mother some years ago and she was the result, unknowingly, until they find out her Seer abilities are about to awaken. However, she's so young that she doesn't know about any of it, much less can use any of her abilities yet.
• Ignore the Fanservice: Jordan blatantly refuses to get an eyeful of Belial's bare chest when they chat at The Morsel, mostly because by now she knows he's doing it on purpose.
• Inevitable Mutual Betrayal: Belial and Jordan are both fully aware that they are just using each other as a means to an end, and patiently wait to see who will betray whom first.]
• In Love with the Mark: Belial zig-zags on the line of this from start to finish. It's anyone's guess.
  Jordan: Belial...are you in love with me?
  Belial: Don't ask rhetorical questions, my pet.
• Insatiable Newlyweds: Heavily implied of Jordan and Michael.
• Insult Backfire: Jordan forgets herself in anger and quickly regrets it.
  Jordan: Fuck you, Belial.
  Belial: (presses up against her) Careful. Don't offer it if you don't mean it.
• Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Used on Avriel by Belial.
• Kraken and Leviathan: The latter makes a terrifying appearance.
• Lampshade Hanging: Belial has a lot of personality traits similar to a modern day vampire, which comes to a head when Jordan brings him to Michael's apartment for research purposes.
  Jordan: Uh, what's the problem?
  Belial: You have to invite me in. I cannot enter because [Michael] has blessed the apartment.
  Jordan: What? Like a vampire?
  Belial: In a manner of speaking, yes.
  Jordan: Figures.
  • Michael lampshades his method of getting Jordan back after their big fight:
  Michael: Nothing says 'I love you' like pressuring you into forgiving me in the middle of a crowd of random spectators.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When Gabriel mentions Scribes in Heaven:
  Jordan: Whoa. You're gonna have to explain that one to the slow people in the audience.
• Mama Bear: Jordan becomes very protective of Juliana as the story progresses.
• Meaningful Name: A couple, like the first book.
  • Edmond Saraf: Saraf means “to burn.” Edmond refers to Edmond Dantes, of November the 5th legend.
  • Freitas: (Juliana's last name) Freitas means “one who stands on broken ground” in Portuguese.
• Moment Killer: Belial, after Jordan and Michael are reunited in the hotel room.
• Mood Whiplash: The story begins with Erica being brutally murdered and then cuts to Michael feeling up Jordan in the kitchen.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Michael and Belial vs. Avriel.
• Noble Demon: Belial, literally. He is still evil, but he does a few decent things. For instance, he ordered Juliana’s parents to be kidnapped but not harmed, he agreed to help Jordan and the angels find Avriel, and he didn’t take advantage of Jordan after Avriel was murdered.
• Not Afraid to Die: Jordan in the third act climax.
• Not Inthe Face: Gabriel's request when Michael comes to see him shortly after their excursion in Canada, where he unfortunately failed to protect her. Gabriel's quiet resignation is truly what sells it, and Michael kindly obliges since they are brothers, after all.
• Omniglot: The archangels and the archdemons speak every known language, but it's justified as they've been on earth since language was first developed.
• Papa Wolf: Andrew straight up decks Michael for not taking care of Jordan like he promised. Mind you, Michael is an archangel of the Lord.
• Pop Cultured Bad Ass: Jordan.
  • Surprisingly, Belial has a moment of his own.
  Belial: There's enough hatred and sexual tension in here to fuel an entire season of True Blood.
  • Then there was that comment about Mulciber being a "cock-juggling thundercunt."
• Power Perversion Potential: Belial has used his immortality to become a Sex God.
• Precision F-Strike: A subversion. The only time Jordan utters the word 'goddamn' is after Mulciber breaks one of Juliana's fingers. It speaks volumes to how enraged she was considering God is real and she's in the company of archangels.
• Rage Breaking Point: Jordan finally loses it when Belial admits that her life (and her marriage) is nothing but a game to him, and she just straight up assaults him. It's quite rare considering Jordan is often the Pragmatic Hero in regards to fighting demons, and a final sign that she's gone off the deep end into the darker parts of herself.
• Really Gets Around: Belial. To the point where it's an actual plotpoint.
• Redemption Equals Death: Avriel.
• The Reveal: Belial is Juliana's biological father.
  • A small one, but Gabriel's civilian last name is Solberg.
• Running Gag: Belial invokes a couple. First, whenever Jordan or Michael tells him to bite them, he asks, “Is that a request or a command?” Second, whenever Jordan says, “I hate you,” he simply replies, “I know.”
  • The ringtone gag between Jordan and Michael continues. Hers is "Fascinating New Thing (FNT)" by Semisonic and his is "Big Bad Handsome Man" by Imelda May. Belial also joins in this time, and his ringtone for Jordan is "I Can't Decide" by Scissor Sisters. Jordan is deeply unamused when she finds out about the latter.
• Screw Destiny: Jordan and Avriel’s attitude about the Leviathan awakening.
• Sea Monster: The Leviathan.
• Sex God: Belial. See Power Perversion Potential above.
• Sherlock Scan: Michael performs one on FBI Agent Ana Corona.
• Shout-Out: The title is one to the famous Nietzsche quote, and it just goes from there.
  • Brick Joke: Just before Jordan nods out from exhaustion after Avriel attacked her, she asks Belial if she thanked him and he says no, prompting her to say, "I will," echoing the Desperado moment she and Michael had in The Black Parade.
  • Belial briefly imitates Hannibal Lecter as an Insult Backfire from Jordan.
  • Michael has the same background screensaver of "You should be writing" as Richard Castle.
  • "Shut up and finish packing my underwear, Alfred." Twice as funny when you realize Jordan compared herself to Batman just a chapter earlier.
  • While trying to comfort Jordan, Lauren insists her father will turn out to be "as awesome as Liam Neeson in Taken."
  • Lamont Brooks' henchmen all take their fake names from characters in Pulp Fiction.
  • Michael asks if Jordan ever has a normal day and she replies with, "Once. It was a Thursday." The same question-and-answer occurred between Dr. Calvin and Det. Spooner in I, Robot.
  • Michael tries to win Jordan over after their big fight by appearing at the bar singing "If You Were Here" from Sixteen Candles and playing on his acoustic guitar. It's so ludicrous that it actually works.
  • One of Lamont's henchmen asks what makes Jordan think she can take him on and she replies with "He's not gonna catch us. We're on a mission from God."
  • Jordan briefly mentions a delirious fear that the U.S. Marshal escorting the rogue angel to jail might be Raylan Givens as they are in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Snark-to-Snark Combat: Get Belial in a room with Jordan and Michael. You get this.
• Spirit Advisor: Andrew is one to Michael.
• Take That!: Belial makes one at The Last Airbender, which was so bad it caused Jordan to ask Michael if M. Night Shymalan was actually a demon.
  Belial: Come now. Not even demons are that evil.
  • Belial mistakes Justin Bieber for a girl.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Belial, Belial, Belial. He's as bad, if not worse, than Jordan.
• Thicker Than Water: Jordan saves her father despite his abandonment of her and her mother right after she was conceived.
• Too Kinky to Torture: Belial gets sexually aroused when Jordan admits how much she wants to kill him.
• Tragic Keepsake: Jordan keeps her mother's rosary after her father brings it to her.
• Treacherous Advisor: Belial. He advises her on how to catch the rogue angel, but he has his own agenda too.
• Unstoppable Rage: Michael slips into this after Belial follows him to the Garden of Eden.
  • Jordan later follows when Mulciber breaks Juliana’s finger.
• Urban Legend Love Life: Belial. It's justified considering he's literally millions of years old.
• Villainous Valor: Belial helps Jordan exorcise Mulciber from Juliana’s body when the odds are stacked against them, though it can still be argued he did it for his own selfish agenda to control the Leviathan himself.
• Wham Line: "So this has nothing to do with the fact that [Belial] is Juliana Freitas' biological father?"
• What the Hell, Hero?: Jordan gets a full blast of this for her questionable actions in the second and third acts.
  • Michael calls Gabriel out on leaving Jordan with Belial in order to pursue the rogue angel.
  • Later, Gabriel calls Michael out for his actions towards Jordan after she helps kidnap the rogue angel. Andrew does as well.
• Weirdness Magnet: After the incredible drama with her father drops, Jordan apologizes to Michael for being a "death magnet."
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Avriel the rogue angel. He is afraid that the Leviathan's awakening will eventually bring about the end of the world, but since the prophecy basically says it can't happen unless a Seer helps it happen, he goes down to Earth to hunt down Seers before it's too late.
• Wine Is Classy: Belial is an avid wine drinker, and is always dressed to the nines in expensive, fine clothing.
• Wretched Hive: The Morsel, a "demon safe haven" in Queensbury, New York.
• Wrongly Accused: Jordan gets a taste of this after Mulciber murders the rogue angel and she and Belial are blamed for it.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Strangely enough, Belial is the one who drops this on Jordan. She later does this for Avriel.
• You Can Barely Stand: Belial chastises Jordan for this after she survives Avriel's attack.
• Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Jordan expresses great displeasure at having Belial’s approval after she betrays the angels.

Back to Black

Jordan's back in action and badder than ever.

Jordan: I'm just...drifting.

Myra: Maybe you are. But that's not what makes you who you are. Maybe you look at yourself and just see the scars, but it isn't a reflection of you as a whole. Sometimes the only way to do the right thing is to just keep saying no to that tempting offer.

Seer and demon slayer Jordan Amador has had it rough lately: separated from her husband the archangel Michael, hated by the angels who think she betrayed them, hunted by demons who want her dead or enslaved, and rejected by her friends and family for lying to them. Disgraced and miserable, she's all but ready to lay down and die until another Seer named Myra Bennett saves her life. Myra gives Jordan a new mission: to wipe out a nest of demons that are terrorizing her family as well as the innocent people of Houston, Texas. Jordan goes undercover to infiltrate the demons' nest and figure out how to eliminate them. Meanwhile, she's locked in a deadly game with the archdemon Belial, who constantly visits her night after night in her dreams to convince her to give him her soul. Between the insanely gorgeous, but dangerous archdemon poking around in her head and the vicious creatures surrounding her, she's not sure how much longer she can survive.

• Abhorrent Admirer: Jordan’s “strumpet” persona attracts the attention of the lead demon’s lieutenant, Dustin. The first night they interact, he slits a demon’s throat and then nearly initiates sex with her afterward, while still soaked in the dead demon’s blood. Brr.
  • And after he finds out she's a double agent, so to speak, he casually tells her that without him putting in a good word for her with Maurice, she'd be turned into a sex slave. His counter-offer is that if she cooperates, he'll only turn her into his personal sex slave instead and then dump her off to Belial once he's had his fun. Stand up guy, that Dustin.
• Accomplice by Inaction: Addressed before Jordan and Myra get ready for the final confrontation with the demons’ nest. Jordan is worried about Myra leaving her husband and son behind if she dies, but Myra cites this as her reason to act.
• Accuser of the Brethren: Subversion. The angel Bailey thinks Jordan deserves the ridicule she’s getting and thinks she can’t be redeemed.
• Anti-Hero: Jordan steps firmly into this role for this mission, as she is doing illegal things like killing and transporting drugs to get in good with the demons’ nest and later bring them down. She’s in the middle of a downward spiral, which makes it easier for her to slip into this behavior, and without her husband or Gabriel, she slides right into the trope.
• Arc Villain: Maurice. He is in charge of a demons' nest and blackmailed Myra to work for them or they'd kill her husband and son.
• Armor-Piercing Question: Belial finally gets Jordan to crack after asking if Michael has made any attempt to check on her since they separate. He hasn’t.
• Bad Guy Bar: The Kiln is a subversion, as it is only populated by demons and criminals.
• Being Good Sucks: After Jordan’s Sadistic Choice in She Who Fights Monsters, her life is pretty much the epitome of this trope. The demons want her dead and the angels distrust her.
• Blood Magic: Jordan uses it to incapacitate Maurice in the end.
• Break Them by Talking: Belial almost gets Jordan to give in after offering to allow her safety from the war and from the raid on the demons’ nest, but also by bringing up that Michael left her and she has no one else.
• Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Myra asks about Jordan’s sex life with the archangel Michael, so naturally she opts to change the subject.
• Cry into Chest: In the final dream, Belial does manage to break Jordan after showing her a memory of her mother to warn her not to lose focus on her mission.
• Curse Cut Short: Belial kisses Jordan before she can finish insulting him in the third dream sequence.
• Dating Catwoman: Subversion. Some of the angels think that Jordan and Belial are together after the vicious rumors that spread during the events of She Who Fights Monsters and that’s she’s a hypocrite for trying to kill a demons’ nest while “dating” an archdemon.
• Deliberately Distressed Damsel: Jordan sets herself up to be one the first night she infiltrates the demons’ nest to get Dustin to come rushing to her side and to give herself an in to show she’s ruthless enough to join their ranks.
• Demon Slaying: Myra had heard Jordan’s reputation for being one of the most capable Seers and demon slayers around and sought her out for help rather than relying on the angels.
• Devil's Job Offer: Both Belial and Dustin (and later Maurice) have lucrative offers for Jordan. Belial wants her to stop being a good girl and become his second-in-command and Dustin wants Jordan to become a “courier” for their drug organization as well as his girlfriend.
• The Dragon: Dustin to Maurice.
• Evil Sounds Deep: Maurice pulls some kind of effect with his voice that creeps Jordan out in the finale.
• Faux Affably Evil: Dustin. He comes off as charming at first, but it's not long before Jordan finds out just how awful he actually is.
• Femme Fatale Spy: Jordan’s mission is a subversion.
• Foil: Dustin and Belial. Both are demons who work for a Big Bad and want to recruit her, but Dustin's interest is purely superficial, whereas Belial wants her physically and because he recognizes how powerful and influential she is.
• Hello Again, Officer: Jordan’s encounter with Det. Hughes. He works out that she's involved with the demons (though he thinks they're just drug dealers) and is trying to flip her into a witness, but she can't tell him the truth so she has to avoid him instead.
• Honey Trap: Jordan becomes one to gather Intel on how to eliminate the demons’ nest.
• I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Belial’s behavior implies this, especially in the final dream.
• In Love with Your Carnage: Both Dustin and Belial are impressed and even turned on that Jordan can be absolutely ruthless.
• Inspector Javert: Subverted. Jordan accidentally acquires one while being a courier for Maurice’s drug operation. However, it appears as if Detective Hughes has good intentions and is just doing his job rather than having a vendetta against Jordan. He even lets her off the hook with a warning.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Most definitely Jordan. She doesn't want to keep fighting, but since Michael and the angels abandoned her, she has little choice left.
• Mexican Standoff: Maurice tries to force this at the end while fighting Jordan, but Jordan knows better. All she has to do is wait and the angels would come in to stop him, so he attacks.
• Moving The Goal Posts: Maurice tells Jordan to deliver the drugs, knowing full well that the Columbian drug runners won’t pay him the full amount, and so Jordan has to finagle a way to get the money to be accepted into the demons’ nest.
• Oh, Crap!: Jordan’s reaction when Dustin sneaks into the office behind her before she’s about to set the bomb and rescue the prisoners.
• Police Are Useless: Not only do the cops trying to bust the drug ring have no idea that they’re demons, but they’re so careful the cops have never gotten enough evidence to pursue them. Hence why Hughes pursues Jordan so doggedly; he’s looking for an in to take them down.
• Rejection Affection: Belial is convinced he can win Jordan over now that she is no longer with Michael, despite her attempts to shut him down.
• Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny: Belial is hanging out in Jordan’s subconscious, trying to tempt her into giving into her sexual needs, as she’s now emotionally vulnerable from the recent break up with Michael and also under extreme stress from trying to infiltrate the demon’s nest. As usual, Jordan resists, but it’s clear that with every dream, he gets closer to wearing her down, although eventually she gets a handle on it and finally rebuffs him.
• Shout-Out: Shortly before passing out from nearly being beaten to death, Jordan quotes The Princess Bride. Even Myra finds it funny and eventually even quotes it back later on.
  • Jordan mentions that Dustin reminds her of Mike Rowe.
  • Dork that she is, Jordan quotes Snagglepuss in her internal monologue while trying to keep Dustin out of her pants.
  • She mentions being totally ashamed of herself for making a Showgirls reference with a straight face.
  • "Danger, Will Robinson, danger."
  • Apparently, Myra's a wrestling fan because she threatens to RKO her son Chris if he doesn't act right.
• Talking in Your Dreams: Belial slips into Jordan’s dreams to try and corrupt her.
• The Tease: Belial. For God’s sake, he makes Jordan play strip poker with him.
• This Is for Emphasis, Bitch!: “And you aren’t half the warrior he is, bitch.” Plus, Jordan works in her Catchphrase after Bridgette Brooks’ untimely demise: “Vaya con dios, bitch.”
• Tom the Dark Lord: Seriously, the Arc Villain’s name is Maurice.
• Unwillingly Girly Tomboy: Jordan normally operates as a Tank-Top Tomboy, but she has to fool the demons so she does the opposite, piling on makeup and tight, feminine clothing.
• Violence Really Is the Answer: With the help of Myra and the angels, Jordan rids Houston of its demons’ nest and as a result, there will be a sharp decline in drugs and prostitution related crimes in the city.
• Wham Line: “Well, I guess I don’t know you as well as I thought, beautiful.”
  • “By the way, I’m sorry.” “For what?” “For the headache you’re about to have. (PUNCH)”
• Wife-Basher Basher: Jordan takes it a little personal that both Dustin and Maurice have been cited as abusive to women. Dustin’s threat to turn Jordan into a whore really pushes her over the edge.
• Would Hit a Girl: Unsurprisingly, the demons. Hit, kill, enslave, they do it all to women with no qualms.
• Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Surprisingly, Belial doesn’t try to hit Jordan back when she fights him in the first dream, though he’s happily fought her before. This time, it seems that he knows she’s too weak to hold her own, so there’s no need to strike back.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: On top of rescuing fifteen innocent people from a building full of bloodthirsty demons, Jordan picks up a tail from the Houston police department.

The Holy Dark

Are you ready for Hell on Earth?

“Listen and listen good, shitbrain. If you ever touch someone I love again, I will shove this cross down your throat and watch you choke on it. You want to know why a Prince of Hell wanted me so bad? Now you do. I’m not a nice girl. I’m a Seer. It is my job to save the people of the world from vultures like you. Now you take that back to whoever your boss is and let him come find me, if he’s stupid enough. I’ll bury you all if I have to.”

-Jordan Amador

Sarcastic demon-slayer extraordinaire Jordan Amador has been locked in a year-long struggle to hunt down the thirty silver coins paid to Judas Iscariot. The mere touch of these coins is enough to kill any angel.

Jordan's demonic opposition grows more desperate with each coin found, so they call on the ultimate reinforcement: Moloch, the Archdemon of War. Moloch puts out a contract on Jordan as well as her estranged husband, the Archangel Michael. Now Jordan and Michael will have to find a way to work together to survive against impossible odds and stop Moloch's plan, or else he’ll wage a war that will wipe out the human race.

• Above the Influence: Surprisingly, Belial doesn’t take advantage of Jordan while she’s under the influence of his blood, though he clearly considers it at first.
• All Just a Dream: Jordan's nightmare about still being in Hell with Mulciber.
• Angry Guard Dog: Ace. Even after living with her for almost a year, Ace still growls at Jordan when she comes home.
• Ascended Meme: Jordan nicknames Myra "the Honey Badger" because "she doesn't give a shit."
• Avenging the Villain: Lamont’s daughter Bridgett comes after Jordan, since in She Who Fights Monsters Jordan shot him in the leg and got him thrown in jail.
• Back from the Dead: Avriel.
• Big Bad Duumvirate: Belial and Moloch, but with WAY more vitriol between them than Belial and Mulciber.
• Big Sister Instinct:
  • Jordan answers Michael's cell phone when he's away and finds a scared Allison in mid-panic attack on the other line. She has no idea who she is to him, but she immediately helps calm her down and promises Michael will call her later. This later develops into a mother-daughter relationship as five years after the main events of the book, Michael and Jordan have adopted Allison.
  • Myra is gruff and very snarky, but it's clear she's become protective of Jordan over the course of their partnership and friendship.
• Bilingual Bonus: Some Latin and German are spoken in a few scenes.
• Book Ends: The novel begins and ends with Jordan confronting a group of demons.
• Broken Pedestal: Michael. His actions in the second novel cause many of the angels to suspect he's been corrupted by Jordan, and so there is a lot of distrust already, and then Gabriel's murder pretty much pushes them into full rebellion against him, resulting in his demotion.
• Canine Companion: Myra doesn't go anywhere without Ace, her "pet" hellhound. The story is briefly mentioned, but Myra found him hurt after a vicious dog-fighting match the local demons had thrown, fixed his leg, and he decided to stick with her through thick and thin. It should be noted that he hates everyone but her, even Jordan, whom he seems to tolerate.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Moloch to Jordan, though not for long.
• The Chessmaster: Moloch fancies himself one. He's only partially successful at it by manipulating Belial, Jordan, and the angels into the war.
• Dark Action Girl: Belladonna. She turns on the angels in order to start a war that would likely end the human race, meaning the angels no longer have to look after them.
• Deal with the Devil: In order to "win" Gabriel's soul and get him out of Hell, Michael and Jordan have to make a deal with Mulciber to be put through three tests in which they relive the worst moments of their llives. If they win, Gabriel goes free. If they lose, whomever gave in to the test is stuck in Hell forever.
• Destructo-Nookie: Jordan and Michael do a number on the bed of their hotel room in Pennsylvania.
• Didn't Think This Through: Michael is rightfully enraged when Jordan drugs him, drinks Belial's blood, and goes off to find Moloch or what his end game is on her own. Jordan's paranoia got the better of her after Gabriel's murder, so she did the first thing that came to mind in order to keep from losing Michael or any of her friends as well. Thankfully, Michael is able to metaphorically smack some sense into her afterward and she apologizes for what she's put him through.
• The Dragon: Belladonna becomes this to Moloch after she betrays the angels. Subverted because she only serves him to start the war with humanity and release the angels from having to serve mankind in secret.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: It’s implied that Belial might have been in love with Zora, or at the very least had real affection towards her. His relationship with Jordan is played the same way with no real answer one way or another.
  • Lamont Brooks' daughter Bridgett takes it quite personal that Jordan shot her father and then got him arrested.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Belial couldn’t bring himself to take advantage of Jordan while she was under the influence of his blood.
• Everyone Knows Morse: Gabriel and Jordan use it to communicate with each other during Moloch and Michael’s fight.
• Evil-Detecting Dog: Ace is a literal example. His nose is so acute that he can smell demons from miles away and accurately locate them. He is also fully sentient and capable of understanding human speech.
• Expository Hairstyle Change: Jordan lets her hair grow a few inches and starts wearing it in loose curls as opposed to shorter and always in a Tomboy Ponytail. It seems to imply she feels more comfortable with herself. It also makes her look more like her mother, indicating some maturity as well.
• Face Heel Turn: Belladonna. She helps Moloch in order to start a war with humanity that will effectively be genocide. Once all the humans are dead, the angels will be under no obligation to watch over them her God's orders.
• Fantastic Racism: Belladonna absolutely despises human beings and turns on the angels solely to commit genocide and be relieved of duty protecting them, as those were God's orders before He decided not to intervene on Earth any longer.
• Fate Worse than Death: Gabriel wasn't just killed by the Judas dagger. His soul was sent to Hell, and he is subjected to torture from all its patrons for what amounts to an entire month.
• Foil: Belial and Michael. It comes full circle when we find out they were close friends and both up for the position of Commander.
• Forced to Watch: Mulciber's first threat when Jordan and Michael arrive in Hell is that she'll spend time raping Jordan in every fashion she can think of and then do the same to Michael.
• Friendly Enemy: Belial skates back and forth over this line constantly.
• Friendly Sniper: Myra. She's ex-Special Forces and is Jordan's muscle, basically.
• Hell Hound: Ace, Myra's "pet." He's somewhat domesticated, but still a vicious killer when needed.
  • Cerberus in Hell is the ultimate Hell Hound. He also speaks with a British accent. Who knew?
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Most of the angels don’t like or trust Jordan and think she’s in league with Belial.
• Heroic Willpower: Played with.
  • When Jordan almost initiates sex with him while on demon blood, Belial just barely manages to resist the urge to sleep with her or give her more of his blood, as demon blood is highly addictive and turns the person who drinks it into the worse version of him or herself. It's one of the handful of truly decent things Belial's ever done in the series.
  • Belial warns Jordan that as soon as they crossover into Hell, he will be so utterly beautiful and powerful that she won't be able to resist him and he will be compelled to convince her to give him her soul. Once they arrive, it goes exactly as he said it would, with him easily seducing her. It's ambiguous as to whether or not Jordan's willpower would have been enough to resist had she not seen Michael a second later. Seeing him snaps her out of it and she's able to get back to herself.
• Improvised Weapon: Jordan has a couple: her showerhead and later snow.
• Infernal Fugitives: Michael, Jordan, and Gabriel all escape Hell.
• Inhumanly Beautiful Race: The angels in their spiritual forms and the archdemons in theirs. For example, Belial is so beautiful that Jordan can’t even think straight when they arrive in Hell and he starts to tempt her.
• James Bondage: Jordan, to the point where both she and Belial lampshade it.
  Jordan: Let me ask you this: do I get some kind of coupon for being kidnapped by you so many times? Free frozen yogurt? A cruise to the Caribbean?
  Belial: Afraid not, my dear. Perhaps next time.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Belial has a katana in his full demon form in hell. It tracks, as his first appearance in '"The Black Parade'' has him in the body of a handsome Japanese man. Belial seems to like Japanese culture in general, even wearing a yukata in Hell.
• Kissing Under the Influence: Jordan almost has sex with Belial while under the influence of his blood.
• Letting Her Hair Down: In the first two novels, Jordan mostly keeps her hair in a high ponytail and it’s shoulder length. By the third novel, she’s let it grow out a few more inches and it’s in large, loose curls like her mother used to wear hers.
• Likes Older Women: Belial likes women in general, but he takes quite a shine to Myra.
• Little Miss Snarker: Allison, in spades. Michael is immediately taken back by how someone so young can be so cynical and sarcastic.
• Meaningful Echo: The line "You are an idiot, Jordan Amador" is spoken the first time out of sarcastic spite, and the last time out of affection from Belial.
• Mouth To Mouth Force Feeding: Belial confronts Myra in the parking lot and blackmails her into telling him Jordan's hotel room number. After she reluctantly complies, he stomps on her foot, which makes her open her mouth to cry out in pain, and then he shoves a pill inside her mouth and kisses her so she can't spit it out. The pill knocks her out and he places her back in the car so no one is the wiser.
• The Nicknamer: Jordan ends up calling Belial “Bels” (pronounced like “bells”) just to annoy him and as payback for always calling her "my pet."
  • Myra calls Michael "angel food cake" (sort of a loose reference to him being Eye Candy), to his endless exasperation. It's implied she doesn't respect him because of what she knows about him from Jordan's stories, and once he's earned her respect after rescuing Gabriel from Hell, she calls him by his name.
• Out with a Bang: Belial suggests this to Jordan after he confesses that he was ordered to kill her by Lucifer.
• Power at a Price: Drinking Belial's blood allows Jordan the ability to have super-strength, agility, and a way to sense other humans and demons around her, but it also amplifies her worst qualities, making her vindictive, selfish, violent, and cold-hearted, and her body can't cope with the stress of such amazing feats once the blood wears off. If Belial hadn't healed her afterward, she would have lost the use of her right arm.
• Prehensile Hair: Mulciber's form in Hell.
• Really 700 Years Old: Becomes important when Michael admits why he made the deal to stay behind in Hell.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Once Jordan finally gets the upperhand during their fight, Belladonna begs for mercy and then reveals to Jordan that Gabriel's soul is now in Hell and she can help her get him out. Jordan still kills her anyway, but then leaves to make a plan to break into Hell and get Gabriel out with the other archangels.
• Shout-Out: In keeping with the other books (and the fact that the author is One of Us), plenty of them.
  • One to The Colbert Report when Michael calls the hellbear a “godless killing machine.”
  • Jordan tells Belial Michael is her "smizmar."
  • While revealing facts about herself, Jordan mentions having a crush on Harry Dresden.
  • Allison apparently set Jordan's ringtone to "Trinity Titoli", the song that plays over the last scene of Django Unchained.
  • Jordan's narration mentions Two Best Friends Play's episode of Man versus Wild when she is forced to go hiking for one of the Judas coins.
  • Ace is named after Ace the Bathound from the Batman comics as well as Batman Beyond.
  • One of the demons who comes for the contract on Belial calls himself, Balrog.
  • Avriel quotes "Oedipus Rex" while taking down one of the necromancers.
  • Jordan mentions The A-Team and Star Wars (particularly the Storm Troopers) when noting the necromancer's poor aim.
  • Jordan tries to tempt Michael into doing the "Are you pondering what I'm pondering" line from Pinky and the Brain. She calls him an "uncultured swine" in her head for not playing along.
  • Myra makes fun of Jordan and Michael for having a little tryst in their hotel room by saying, "Y'all motherfuckers need Jesus."
  • As Myra tries to pry about Jordan and Michael's relationship, Jordan calls her Quagmire, to which she replies with, "Giggity."
  • After Belial kidnaps her and doses her with sodium thiopental, Jordan has this to say: "Why did you drug me? Trying to get me to admit how you make me go sploosh in my panties?"
• Taking You with Me: Jordan vs. Belladonna. Jordan very nearly dies, but manages to get the upperhand and kills Belladonna.
• Theme Naming: Like The Black Parade, The Holy Dark takes its name from a song lyric, particularly from Leonard Cole's famous "Hallelujah": "There was a time you'd let me know what's real and going on below, but now you never show it to me, do you? And remember when I moved in you; the holy dark was moving too, and every breath we drew was hallelujah..."
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: Even though Michael is a great deal stronger than her and can (usually) take care of himself, Jordan has no qualms with defending him.
• Wham Line: “Did…did you…drug me?” and “Let’s just say the name he called out sure as hell wasn’t mine.”
• "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The epilogue picks up five years later from the last chapter. Jordan and Michael are now happily married and have adopted Allison. Michael is a music producer instead of being lead singer of his band.
• Worthy Opponent: Belial admits Jordan is this to him.
• Wrong-Name Outburst: Jordan finds out the main reason that Belladonna hates her so much is that Belial once seduced her, but when they had sex—mind you, this is an angel having sex with a demon and that is very much not allowed—Belial ends up saying Jordan's name instead of Belladonna's, enraging her that she just fell from grace for a guy who wasn't even thinking of her in the moment she fell from grace for him. Needless to say, it makes her hate Jordan with a passion and even Jordan acknowledges that was fucked up of Belial.

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