A DEMON FILLED JOY-RIDE TO THE PAST!

Ruby is a punk-rocker in 1980’s Alabama whose life choices have left her on probation and living with a lot of pain and regret. When she stumbles upon a ring that is connected to a dark lord, all hell literally breaks loose. Can she find a way to remove the ring before the dark lord claims her soul?

I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Brom is a favorite author of mine and he has truly done it again. He has written another novel that is dark, and quite gory, but filled with heart and characters that you can’t help but relate to.

On a personal note, growing up in and around Atlanta in the late 1980’s, the books’s settings (Metroplex, WREK radio) really gave me the feels as well.

And the acknowledgements led me to find a great band called The Maxines, who released a punk version of the song that plays a large role in the story.

This is an incredibly entertaining romp through the punk scene in 1980’s Atlanta, with demons and carnivorous worms thrown in because…Brom.

I loved this story and blew through this novel in a couple of days.

It releases September 17th.

I received a review arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really love Brom's writing style and the visuals he puts in the reader's head. The first chapter is easily my favorite moment of the entire book and it's a hell of a way to start the story.

I feel this captures the punk rock scene of the 80s and satanic panic very well. It's also very much a story about a young woman fighting not just real demons, but also her own inner demons.

You can expect gore and great visuals of hell and demons, a complicated main character that not everyone will like, an interesting connection between music and magic, and themes like female rage, mental illness, trauma, revenge, and justice.

All that said, it's not a perfect story. First of all, I feel like the MC's breakthrough happened a little too quickly after a very long set up and, instead of being a result of her own inner work and growth through the ordeal she goes through, it's a result of something else literally facilitating that breakthrough.

I don't mind the help she got, I just wish it happened some other way, with her having more of a role in it. Something as simple as her asking for it would've hinted at some growth, but I feel like she stays the same person until that happens, and from one moment to the next, she's changed.

Second, I don't feel like the other characters were as well-fleshed out as the MC. Given how important some of them were for the story, I definitely expected to learn more about them and dive a little deeper into their motivations, but they feel very surface-level.

Third, some things are left unresolved and I don't mind it as much, but you do notice it. Overall, it's a solid horror fantasy with a few issues IMO, but they don't take away from how campy and fun this was to read. 3.5 stars from me.

About the audiobook: it was good! I liked the narrators and I appreciate that they made an actual song (I didn't love it, but that's beside the point). Bringing the music to life like that made it a bit more immersive.

Evil in Me by Bromm
Received as an ARC.
Ruby:teenage girl busted doing community service gets physically attached to an evil ring. Needs magic chant from a punk song she writes to free her and the “demon” possessing her.
Dick:Serial killer at large started late in life. Ruby’s song now is calling him to her
Lord Sheelbeth: the evil being who created the ring when banished to get themselves back to the world
Eduardo: Ruby’s mother’s boyfriend who’s your typical whack job holy roller convinced he can save Ruby’s soul but he has no desire to
They all come together in a wild battle

“The wailing turned into a chorus, a song of unbearable suffering, at once beautiful and chilling. He knew this song too well. He tried to turn form it, to hide from it, but couldn’t.”

Brom’s new novel is about an aspiring musician named Ruby Tucker. She is tired of living with her dysfunctional family. She’s desperate to leave her small town behind and immerse herself in the Atlanta punk scene. Unfortunately for her she has a falling out with her best friend/bandmate, killing her dreams of the escape she desperately wants.

Bad behaviour has her doing community service and helping her elderly neighbour. One day while sorting through his belonging she finds an ancient ring that clamps itself onto her finger. Not realising its possessed by a blood thirsty demon, Ruby’s behaviour changes, the ring doesn’t come off, the demon within wants to be freed, the only way Ruby can rid herself of this ring is through a spell which has to be chanted by hundreds of people. The only way to do this is if she can get her band together. Will she manage to face the evil thats soon to face her with her powerful song?

As soon as I heard there was a new novel by Brom in the works I was excited. I feel like no matter what he writes I’m here for it. The premise alone had me intrigued and I couldn’t wait to begin reading.

Ruby is a survivor, she is dealt with many struggles and injustice towards her yet she keeps fighting for what she wants. When this ring takes control she is tested in ways she couldn’t imagine. What I loved about this story was the unlikely friendship that develops with a certain someone. Can’t say too much without spoiling it however the journey Ruby takes is full of horrors and all kinds of evil that will keep the reader hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Brom does great work in creating creatures and lore of a kind that will turn your stomach while still delivering a story with heart.

4 stars

This is only my second Brom book, but it won't be my last.

Ruby, the m.c., is a young musician whose family has caused her a lot of pain. On top of that, she's struggling to overcome some other personal challenges that have hindered her small-town musical dreams.

Sometimes, it's easy to think your life is falling apart, but then a demon comes and puts it all into perspective (right?!). Well, that's what happens to Ruby when she is possessed by one!

Prospective readers need to be prepared for some quirky ideas and writing, and if they can find an appreciation for this, they will really enjoy the absurdities and at times surprising infusions of humor present throughout this otherwise expectedly dark horror novel.

Brom is a true individual, and the characters and plotlines consistently reflect this. I can't wait for whatever creepy, bizarre ideas ooze forth next!

This was a pretty wild ride! I loved the premise. A mix of music, religion, and gore was everything I was hoping for. I found the first half of the book a bit slow but once I hit the second half I couldn’t put the book down. The chapters were a bit long but that is 100 percent personal preference.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I loved the friendships and the music aspect and of course I loved the writing as well. I was kind of hoping one of the POV’s would have been included in some sort of twist and it might have made a bit more sense to me.

EVIL IN ME, by BROM, takes place in the 1980's--an era of punk rock, "satanic panic", and trying to be yourself when you don't quite fit in with everyone else.

This starts out strong with a show of demonic possession that doesn't hold back! When we move to the 80's, we meet Ruby, a girl with a lot of internal and external issues. One thing shines through though--she truly cares about the "good" people in her life--even though so many people and events are conspiring to bring her down. When she accidentally triggers an artifact from an elderly man she helps, this Demon attaches itself to her, taking her down a path that will surely see her jailed or dead.

The one thing that really stood out to me is how much I FELT for the characters--human, demon, . . . other . . . they all had such depth that you couldn't help but feel something. As for action, it was non-stop! In addition to demons and humans, you had religious zealots, serial killers, ghosts, and all kinds of things making an appearance.

Sound confusing? It's not--the way the story is woven takes you along without missing a beat. The power of music plays strongly into this, and those parts were my favorites of all.

Recommended.

**I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This review is uniquely my own.**

This book was so rock and roll. Brom always comes out with some bangers and this one was no different. It was such a wild ride and the ILLUSTRATIONS are immaculate, per usual. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Check this out when it publishes September 17, 2024!

Brom just gets better with each book he writes. This is probably one of his best. The opening of this book is gory, and it is something I will defiantly remember for a long time. I enjoyed the mental illness aspect that Ruby delt with throughout the story. It makes you realize that many people out in the world deal with issues like these on a daily basis.

Also, the Richard (Dick) parts were extremely chilling. Having the chance, as a reader, to dive into the mind of a serial killer and see things from his prospective was a real disturbing treat and completely unexpected. I (almost) found myself looking forward to the end of chapters so that I could find out what was going on with Richard and what he was thinking.

I didn't really find any slow parts in this book. The only part I would consider slow (as far as pacing would go) would be the part leading up to Ruby getting the ring. But I wouldn't consider that too slow because you learn about her mental illness and her relationship with her mother, stepfather and stepbrother. So, that part of the book was necessary for character building and is pretty entertaining.

Also, Brom has a knack for showing the reader how horrible people can be in the world. It's a true grit aspect of his writing that I really like. It's something that I appreciate and look forward to when I get a Brom book in my hands.

I knew from reading the synopsis that a song would be involved in the story but reading lyrics to a song that I have never heard the melody to be a bit much for me. I tried to make it sound like something catchy in my mind, but I failed and that's not on Brom, that's on me. I typically skip over song lyrics in books because of this BUT the lyrics in this song are a critical part of the story so I had to pay attention to them. I figured it out in the end. I appreciate you helping me grow as a reader Brom.

Throw in a demonic ring, a lot of demons, some punk rock and a race to save Ruby's soul and it was a great ride!

I burned through the last 30% of this book last night in a frenzy, i couldn't put it down. This was my second Brom novel, having read Slewfoot first, and so far Brom does not disappoint. Evil in Me was a fast paced action packed story full of demons, cursed objects and punk rock. It's violent, exciting, brutal and at times even funny.

We follow our protagonist Ruby who comes into possession (and under possession) of a cursed ring imbued with the spirit of a powerful demon lord trapped in hell who will do whatever she can to free herself through Ruby.

Some people have an abundance of talent and @geraldbrom is one of them. His illustrations are gorgeous and for me having seen the pictures of the characters after reading them, they were exactly how I imagined them in my head. I really loved this book and cannot wait to see the rest of the illustrations when the print copy comes out.

Brom nails it again! I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve read (and seen) by him so far. His artwork is haunting and his stories are dark but always a fun ride. I did find parts of this book to feel a bit cinematic but overall it’s still a worth entry into the dark fantasy genre.

Our protagonist is Ruby who has mental health struggles and also turmoil at home. After coming in contact with a possessed item she faces a pretty gnarly journey to free her soul.

Brom’s characterization is great per usual. I dug all of the characters (ok, sans Hugo and Richard) and despite coming off a bit superficial in the beginning, once the backstory was added it helped show their full dimension and they were all flawed without relying too heavily on cliches. I enjoyed the book’s setting immensely. I grew up in Atlanta (90s, not 80s though) and it’s always fun seeing my home city mentioned.

I will say I’ve kind of had my fill of satanic rock books lately. I definitely enjoyed Brom’s take on it and look forward to seeing any illustrations in the physical book. Recommend this one to those who look cursed object or musical horror.

It's Brom, so you are going to get some esoteric, occult vibes. This story mixes in some punk rock, family conflict, suppressed memories and possible mental illness. The author builds up the characters with the main (Ruby) being complex and layered, some of the antagonists are suitably 2-dimensional enough to dislike them (unless maybe they change later on). The story itself is a mix of lore, mystery, horror, almost fantasy as it twists and turns down many different paths on its way to a very satisfying conclusion. It's hard to describe Brom's work without spoiling it for anyone. I can't wait for the physical copy to come out, and I hope he includes some artwork for some of the scenes and characters in this story.

This was my first Brom book and I have to say, I want to read more.

I was drawn into the story from the first page because I had to know what was going to happen next.

The story has so much going on. Yet the story is easy to follow because you're learning and things are going together as you go.

The story is about a young, troubled woman, Ruby, who is completing her community service by helping out at the YMCA. However she keeps getting egged on to let her temper flair. Her ex and the new girl he's with is a former tormentor of ruby's from high school and they both are constraints taunting her and making fun of her. The director at the YMCA is a self righteous woman who is jealous of Ruby because Ruby actually engages with the children and makes them want to learn music.

After having a particularly bad day, Ruby helps her elderly neighbor with some ancient relics when she becomes possessed by a ring and then we are trying to find out if ruby's soul will be saved or if she'll be sent straight to he'll.

Not only is Ruby possessed, but she's on the run with her neighbor to try to few her, and from a serial killer, only she doesn't know that she's being hunted.

Will she make it to freedom? We find out in this non stop thrilling page further.

🎸 EVIL IN ME by Brom 🎸
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Thank you to @netgalley and @tornightfire for the advanced copy to review.

Never before have I ever found myself rooting for a character I hated, I found myself in a position where everyone else in the story was so awful to our main character Ruby that doing anything other than hoping she got her just desserts felt wrong.

Which I guess brings me straight into the character work, I hated everyone in this book. Not because they were villains or because they were bad people or because they did bad things, and not even because they were written poorly, everyone was just so INSUFFERABLE. I don’t know whether this was intended or if it’s just because I’m an asshole, but I could not get behind our main characters plight because she was soooo annoying. HOWEVER, as characters they were written well, consistently and appropriately when considering the tone of the book. I just hated the “look at me I’m different and cooler and better than everyone else because I listen to punk and I’m alternative” eugh. Anyway, everyone else was terrible enough to Ruby that I found myself on her side and rooting for her the whole way. The characters that weren’t insufferable (of which there were maybe 3) were awesome.

The story itself was super intriguing, our main villain here Lord Sheelbeth resides partly in hell and partly in a ring that slowly possesses whoever comes into contact with it, carrying out her bidding which consists of killing and capturing enough souls to allow her release. The plot takes hold about 20% in and doesn’t let go, this was surprisingly a fast paced book, set up as a slow burn but barrelling along at great speed very quickly.

The plot was tight, there were no holes whatsoever and everything wrapped up nicely. Special shout out to the ending which was surprisingly satisfactory, this was not a book that reached for more than it could handle and Brom’s experience here is evident. What it did reach for, it grabbed with both hands and tied into a nice tidy little work covered, slime coated bow.

Evil in Me by Brom delivers a chilling and atmospheric tale with compelling dark fantasy elements. While the book’s eerie setting and imaginative storytelling are impressive, some may find the narrative pacing a bit uneven.

Ooooooh!! Let me just start by saying that BROM IS A MASTER STORYTELLER.

The way he weaves horror with heart and soul and friendship is unparalleled. I am obsessed with every character, whether it's the main character, hero, villain or just a quick side character.

This book follows Ruby, a young woman with a traumatic childhood who has made poor choice after poor choice, and she's about to hit rock bottom. Just as she's about to be free of her probation and community service, she discovers an ancient ring and is immediately captivated by it - and it is quite captivated with her as well. What follows is quite the journey, as she tries to save her soul, but is hunted by all kinds; both of this world, and not of this world.

Her character arc is one of my favorites in recent memory, and the unlikely friendship that forms is one I won't soon forget. This book reminds you that sometimes evil is created from innocence and that every now and again, all you need is a little magic.

5 BIG FAT STARS for Evil in Me. I can't wait to have the physical book in my hands so I can pour over what I know is bound to be stunning artwork and so I can fall back into this world. ROCK ON RUBY.

This was only my second Brom book (KRAMPUS was my first) but I know it won’t be by last. Like with his other book, EVIL IN ME bottles an epic adventure into a fast paced, gnarly ride.

The story follows Ruby, a punk music loving woman that, thanks to a cursed ring that has possessed her with an ancient spirit, gets sucked in to a hellish battle for control. What’s worse, the ring attracts the worst kind of souls to Ruby, hunting her down as he seeks a path to freedom.

I had a blast reading this. Brom gives us characters that are both easy to love and easier to loathe, building dread and delivering satisfying payoffs. Some of the characters’ stories tied up a little too conveniently for me, but Ruby is the star here, and I loved the care taken in her arc.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the book!

The writing in this book is great. The gore in the first chapter did not keep us waiting and I really liked that. The whole premise of the book was fantastic, took a spin off traditional religious horror stories. I definitely read this because I loved Slewfoot and Evil In Me is in the same world. The one side plot I could have done without is the step-dad being so weird. I didn't want to read about him at all, like I don't think it added to the plot overall and I would have much rather focused on the main plot of the ring and where it came from and the "spirit" that was stuck in the ring and attached itself to Ruby and the real demon that was behind it all. I loved the musical aspect of it and the theme that music is magic in some way. Whether it makes us feel a certain type of way or brings us all together, music is made to bring joy and community. And people can do bad things with that music. As I'm writing this review, Taylor Swift's Vienna concerts were cancelled due to terrorism. Which is the anti-thesis to her whole community, they come together in love and it's destroyed by hateful people. The same happens in this book. Ruby just wants to play music and love her friends but something is always stopping her. Sometimes she gets in her own way and sometimes it is the evil in her. But which is which? Maybe that evil was always in her a little bit?
Must read to find out!

I quite enjoyed this! I've read three other books by Brom before Evil in Me, and this was a little different, but I loved the vibes and cast of characters. I thought it did a great job mixing a variety of fun 1980s influences and tropes and blend it with his usual brand of mythological deities/entities, not as deep or intense as Lost Gods or The Child Thief but plenty of heart as usual and a very solid entry for him. Very glad I got to read this early, thanks!

Wow! The start of this book! It is so violent and bloody. I absolutely love it. Evil in Me is a Jewish horror possession punk rock novel. I never expected the combination but Brom made it work. This book is filled with suspense. And that ending: chef's kiss.