Charlotte Ingham talks afterlife in A Match Made in Hell

Charlotte Ingham’s debut A Match Made in Hell whisks readers into a witty, dangerous, and devilishly romantic afterlife. Set in Asphodel, which has endless skyscrapers, divine nightclubs, the novel follows Willow as she takes up deadly trials inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins. In this Q&A, Charlotte shares why she chose Asphodel over Hell, how she shaped Willow’s trials, and what it’s like to publish her first novel.

Why did you choose Asphodel instead of Tartarus (or a more traditional “Hell”)? What was it about this setting or name that felt right for Willow’s journey?

I think it would be hard for readers to sympathise with a character who is so out-and-out awful they deserved to go to Hell, whereas it’s much more relatable to have a character who is less than perfect but trying to be better. As an in-between place, Asphodel hosts the majority of humanity, because none of us are truly perfect, and Willow’s journey of self-acceptance throughout the book allows her to realise that while she is undeniably flawed, she doesn’t need to put as much pressure on herself as she thought – the right people will love her anyway.

What was it like imagining the afterlife-realm of Asphodel?

The best thing about the underworld is that there are no rules or restrictions in what it could be like, because nobody can prove me wrong! The main area of Asphodel is set in a skyscraper with no top or bottom, something slightly mundane as though influenced by the experiences of its inhabitants. Every floor features different activities—some more pleasant than others—for the dead to take part in, but my favourite area is Dionysus, a volcano-themed nightclub where Willow, after indulging in magical wine during the gluttony trial, ends up having a less-than-appropriate dance with the devil.

 The Seven Deadly Sins is such an intriguing concept. Did you draw inspiration from any particular books, films, mythology, or other media?

It was actually Wikipedia that came to my rescue where the sins were concerned – I’d always associated sloth as general laziness, but when researching it in more detail, it’s more of an avoidance of responsibility. This clicked a lot of Sath’s character into place for me – although he embodies all seven sins, his particular vice became sloth as he let Asphodel fall into ruin over time, and Willow’s ability to reenergise him is one of the reasons he falls for her. Sins aside, the concept of Asphodel and Tartarus is of course from Greek mythology, although this version of Asphodel is very different from its namesake. I’ve also had messages from readers that Sath reminds them of Tom Ellis’s Lucifer – but I think that’s down to his dress sense!

And what was it like shaping how the sins would manifest in Willow’s trials? Was there one that was particularly difficult to work with? 

Obviously I had a lot of fun when it came to the seven deadly sin of lust – that scene, where she desperately wants to say yes to being with Sath but knows giving in means being stuck in Hell forever, was the idea that sparked the whole book, and the yearning and tension in that scene is everything I wanted it to be. The trials that were harder to write were for the earlier sins that don’t affect Willow as much – greed, for example, as she isn’t overly materialistic, and what she really wants in excess is things like love and attention and the feeling of power after being powerless for so long. When I reframed the task as her stealing an item that would result in her (supposedly) gaining some respect from others at last, it came together.

The book has humour, romance, danger, and moral questions all mixed together. How did you decide on the tone used in the book?

When I first conceived the premise for A Match Made in Hell, my focus was on the romance and the adventure, but Willow’s voice immediately came out so witty and humorous that I had to lean into it, so I started adding more fun elements to hell. At the same time, it couldn’t all be fun and games – she needed to struggle as well. There had to be a reason she was desperate to return to her old life, and her conflict between deciding who she wants to be and who she thinks she needs to be adds some weightier topics to the story, increasing the stakes for Willow, which in turn keeps the reader guessing as to what choice she will ultimately make.

Finally, what was it like writing this as a debut novel? Why this story, with its ambitious mix of romance, trials, justice, and afterlife, for your first published book?

For a lot of authors, the book that becomes their debut isn’t necessarily the first book they wrote – A Match Made in Hell was my fifth! So much of publishing is about luck, timing, and hitting the right person’s desk at the right moment, along with having the perseverance to keep going until you get that one ‘yes’. I’d always been writing fantasy and romance, but I finished this book right as the romantasy wave really took off, and I think that fresh hunger for the genre, combined with Willow’s quirky voice to make this one stand out, is what helped this book succeed.

A Match Made in Hell by Charlotte Ingham is out now, published by Hot Key Books