Hexed

The characters in Hexed are violent and unprincipled, with a habit of betraying one another to suit their own convenience. Though these traits are unconventional, at least in protagonists, the novel suggests that they are understandable given the environments in which the characters were raised, in which crime, abuse, and addiction were normalized. 

The novel’s father figures are universally corrupt, selfish, and cruel. Even though Trent dotes on Aria, his love for her is possessive in the extreme. He would be willing to implicate her in a murder to make sure she doesn’t stray from his control. He treats Venesa even worse; for instance, he originally intended to shift the blame for Enzo’s murder onto her. He treats his nephew Bastian with little more than contempt. Carlos is no better. Like Trent, Carlos castigates both his sons and frames them as failures: If he can succeed in making Giuseppe and Enzo feel inadequate, they will represent less of a challenge to his authority. However, his paranoia makes even their conciliatory behavior seem like betrayal. In the end, he arranges the murder of both sons. Moreover, Trent and Enzo’s abuse of their children occurs within the context of their broader criminal activity, into which their children are initiated early in life.