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We Were Men Once
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
An Orpheus and Eurydice retelling where a dark elf cleric descends into a richly built Hell to save his husband who has been transformed into a devil with no memory. The devotion is devastating.
Synopsis
What happens when the person you’d burn the world for forgets you entirely? When Xaraan sacrifices himself to destroy an archdevil he once made a pact with, his soul is cast into Hell. But his husband, Kyarlin, refuses to let death be the end. He descends into Hell to reclaim the soul of the man he loves, only to find Xaraan transformed into Suneelon, a devil bound to Astaroth’s will and stripped of all memory. As Kyarlin navigates a war-torn underworld rife with political manipulation, infernal monstrosities, and damned souls, he must decide whether to save who Xaraan was—or love who Suneelon has become. In an unforgiving hellscape where love is weakness, souls are currency, memory is fractured, and obsession is power, Kyarlin’s devotion may be either salvation or damnation. We Were Men Once is a dark romantic fantasy inspired by Dante's Inferno and Orpheus and Eurydice (with some Baldur's Gate 3 vibes sprinkled in).
At a Glance
3.49 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
3.49 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
410 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
2025
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Dark Fantasy
PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.
M/M
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
Multi-POV
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Established Relationship
CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.
spoiler
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
No
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
FMC: N/A sign in to unlock
emotional / loving sign in to unlock
high fantasy sign in to unlock
the angst delivered sign in to unlock
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