The Hell’s Belles series is a planned trilogy written by Jaysea Lynn. Its first installment is For Whom the Belle Tolls and while two sequels are planned, official titles have yet to be revealed as of 2025. In For Whom the Belle Tolls, Lynn sets the foundation of her worldbuilding. Her narrative unfolds in an inclusive Afterlife where the afterlives of all belief systems (such as Christian, Islamic, Norse, Aztec, etc.) and mythologies (such as the Celtic fae and the Cthulhu mythos), as well as non-denominational afterlives (such as atheism), are agglomerated under one Universe.

Travel through the Afterlife can be achieved through a combination of the main physical Halls (Paradise, Entrance, and Universal) and the arches and gates that divide them. All mortal souls—no matter their belief system—arrive at the Afterlife through the Celestial Lobby, where they are greeted by fellow mortal souls who guide them to their chosen Judgment. Each soul can choose which kind of Judgment they receive if they prefer the specific standard of justice and morality of a given belief system.

In the case of those who do not wish to be judged under the standards of a belief system, an overarching Universal Judgment is available to them—which is the type of Judgment Lily, the protagonist, chooses. Judgment is received simply by going through the appropriate arch, and upon arriving to the other side, mortal souls either emerge into their personal Paradise or at the front gate of Hell.

Hell is comprised of its front gate area, nine levels of punishment, and an administrative area that houses both the institutional side of Hell and its legions and training grounds. All aspects of Hell are administered by demons, the ruler of whom is Lucifer. Six princes of Hell help him rule Hell and presumably the Afterlife: Beleth, Mammon, Beelzebub, Tanael, Asmodeus, and Leviathan. Each level of punishment is also overseen by a “Master.”

While Levels 1 and 2 focus on addressing mortal souls’ shortcomings through therapy, Levels 3 through 9 have worsening degrees of painful punishment as judicious retribution for immoral acts mortal souls have committed while alive. Additionally, while Levels 3 through 5 are considered levels from which souls may yet redeem themselves, Levels 6 through 9 are reserved for the worst of humanity. Tucked away among it all is an arch to the Void, the last resting place any denizen of the Afterlife or mortal soul may enter to end their existence and, for mortal souls, end their reincarnation cycles.

Though mortal souls occupy a large part of the Afterlife, other creatures—specifically demons—also abound. Unlike mortal souls, however, demons and the other denizens of the Afterlife are born with a physical body akin to those in the mortal realm and, unlike souls, do not auto-regenerate. If fatal harm comes to them, they can perish, and their existence returns to the Universe upon their death. While the inner workings of the Afterlife are harmonious and intricately made to offer joy and second chances, there are other Universes beyond the one known to Lily and the other characters.

Universes can prove hostile if they have depleted their own self-sustaining power. In For Whom the Belle Tolls, one such Universe is at the heart of the long-standing war that nearly kills Bel and infiltrates the Afterlife. Lulled by this idyllic and just setting, Lily, Bel, Sharkie, and their friends and family become precariously vulnerable, and the war that breaks out between both Universes threatens complete annihilation.