Of Love and Evil by Anne Rice, published in 2010, is the second installment in The Songs of the Seraphim series. It follows Toby O’Dare, a former government assassin seeking redemption, as he is swept once again into a divine mission by the angel Malchiah. Blending contemporary reflection with historical intrigue, the novel explores the collision of sin and salvation through a metaphysical journey that spans time and morality.

Plot Summary

In a dream steeped in light and sound, a man once named Lucky the Fox was summoned again by the seraph Malchiah, who came not with thunder, but with tenderness and purpose. Toby O’Dare, a former assassin whose hands once carried out death without question, now carried within him the tremble of mercy. His soul, once numb to consequence, was lit anew by angelic purpose and human longing. In the hush of his room at the Mission Inn, Toby awoke to the sound of prayers that echoed across time – prayers for him, and for the man he had the chance to become.

The angel appeared once more, cloaked not in flame but in grace. He had work for Toby, but first, there was something greater to be reclaimed. Time was gifted – not eternity, but moments. Liona, the woman Toby had once loved and left behind in New Orleans, was coming. And with her, the son he had never met. A son named after himself. A son who had carried his father’s laminated picture in his pocket, waiting, believing.

When Liona stepped into view under the campanario’s low arches, dressed in a red suit that caught the sun, Toby was struck by the beauty of time and the weight of his absence. She had grown into grace, her eyes carrying the depth of years survived and forgiven. And there beside her stood Toby’s son, with the same shoulders, the same unwavering gaze as the brother Toby had lost long ago. The boy gave his father a photo and said he always knew he would come.

The reunion was not perfect – it was something better. It was real, grounded in Liona’s clarity and Toby’s aching need to hold onto the good. They shared laughter and pictures, walked the tiled paths of the Mission Inn, and dined in its candlelit corners. Yet beneath the joy was memory – of blood spilled in the very room where they now sipped soda and spoke of school. Once, this place had cradled murder. Now, it held the hope of absolution.

A stranger appeared more than once – a young man with a khaki suit and eyes full of worry. Toby came to know this was his guardian, Shmarya, watching over him with the same quiet constancy as Malchiah. These were not figments or fantasy. These were the keepers of his soul, charged not with punishment but with guidance. And Toby, for all his past sins, was listening.

He took them – Liona and the boy – to San Juan Capistrano. There, under the sunlit ruins of a church shattered by time, he spoke to his son of God. Not with doctrine, but with truth. He asked the boy to always speak to the Maker, in joy or despair, in triumph or doubt. The child listened, and when Toby stepped away, the boy prayed on his own.

Later, in the shadow of the chapel’s broken walls, Toby asked Malchiah if love was possible. Not love for his son – that was certain. But love for Liona. Could he, a man with so much blood behind him, reach for that light? The angel answered not with laws, but with a gentle evasion. The answer lived in Toby’s heart and Liona’s eyes.

They returned to the Mission Inn. That night, Toby stood outside her room, watching the dark sky. He was filled not with lust, but with longing – to be good, to be worthy, to be held without shame. And when the angels laughed softly, not cruelly, but knowingly, he understood he had to wait. That love, if it were to be true, must be earned through patience and honor.

In the morning, he gave Liona two folders – trust funds, security, a future. He used the name Justin Booth, the same he used for other works of penance. She did not question it. And then, he gave her a phone, promising he would call. Not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but when the time was right. He held her, kissed her gently, and kissed his son with tears that had nothing to do with sorrow.

When they drove away, Toby stood in the fragrant stillness of the garden, the Mission Inn quiet once more. He turned to find Malchiah weeping – not in pain, but in awe. He spoke of the echo of Heaven in their love, of the mystery of humans who yearned to complete themselves in each other. Toby said he never wanted to be parted from them. And Malchiah, touched by this confession, warned him: love had changed him already. He was no longer the man who walked alone. Liona and Toby would always be his.

But there was more work to be done. Blood had been spilled, lives taken. Redemption was not only love, it was labor. Toby was to answer the prayer of another soul, this one a young Jewish man named Vitale. A new mission awaited – in another time, another place. Not to erase the past, but to confront it and walk through it. Malchiah warned him that love did not mean retreat from duty. That the past demanded reparation, and the angels would guide him toward it.

Still, Toby could not help himself. He asked again – would there ever be a day when he might live under the same roof as Liona and their son? Malchiah, moved by the question, answered only – perhaps. There might be world enough and time.

And so, as the morning light glinted off the Inn’s tiled rooftops and the prayers of old saints mingled with the hopes of a changed man, Toby O’Dare stepped forward once more into the mystery of grace. Angels walked beside him – not to shadow, but to show. And somewhere far ahead, a woman and a child waited for the man he was becoming.

Main Characters

• Toby O’Dare: A gifted lute player turned assassin, Toby seeks spiritual redemption after a lifetime of sin. Deeply haunted by his past, particularly the trauma involving his mother and the loss of his siblings, he undergoes significant transformation through angelic intervention. His emotional arc is rooted in his longing for forgiveness, love, and connection, particularly with the woman he abandoned, Liona, and their child.

• Malchiah: A serene and authoritative angel who acts as Toby’s divine guide. Malchiah exudes wisdom and gentleness, never demanding obedience but always challenging Toby’s soul to rise above its shadows. He represents the bridge between the celestial and earthly realms, orchestrating Toby’s missions to right wrongs and confront complex human suffering.

• Liona: Toby’s former lover and the mother of his son. Strong, compassionate, and grounded, Liona re-enters Toby’s life with grace and maturity, offering him a chance at emotional healing and a glimpse of the life he could have had. She is a deeply stabilizing presence and a mirror to Toby’s progress toward redemption.

• Toby (Little Toby): The ten-year-old son of Toby and Liona. Intelligent, precocious, and perceptive beyond his years, Little Toby becomes a symbol of hope and innocence for his father. He immediately forms a heartfelt bond with Toby, offering unconditional acceptance.

• Shmarya: Toby’s guardian angel, less vocal but spiritually potent. Shmarya’s presence symbolizes divine protection and moral reckoning. Through him, Toby is reminded of the weight of his past actions and the sacredness of his second chance.

Theme

• Redemption and Forgiveness: At its heart, the novel explores the arduous road to redemption. Toby’s journey is shaped by his struggle to forgive himself and seek forgiveness from others, particularly from Liona and their son. Through divine missions and familial reconnections, Anne Rice delves into the complexities of grace and the power of absolution.

• Angelic Intervention and Divine Will: The presence of angels like Malchiah and Shmarya brings forth the motif of celestial oversight. These beings serve as both messengers and moral compasses, pushing Toby to act with conscience and compassion in a world marred by corruption and pain.

• Love as Salvation: The title itself foregrounds the idea that love and evil are intertwined in the human condition. Toby’s love for Liona and his son becomes a transformative force, suggesting that human connection—especially unconditional love—can offer redemption where doctrine and punishment cannot.

• The Past as a Haunting Force: Toby’s assassin past and traumatic childhood weigh heavily on his psyche. Rice uses memory and guilt as recurring motifs to highlight how the past can distort present choices unless faced head-on with courage and truth.

• Mysticism and Moral Complexity: The novel doesn’t simplify good and evil but rather presents a spiritual landscape where morality is tangled in circumstance. Toby’s missions, especially those involving historical periods, demand a deep engagement with justice, culture, and empathy.

Writing Style and Tone

Anne Rice’s prose in Of Love and Evil is lush, lyrical, and emotionally intimate. Her language frequently blends poetic imagery with philosophical introspection. This blend of style and subject matter invites readers into a contemplative space where spiritual themes are treated with sincerity and gravitas. Her use of first-person narration intensifies the emotional core of the novel, allowing readers to immerse themselves in Toby’s inner conflicts and evolving conscience.

Rice’s tone is reverent yet personal, combining the weight of religious mysticism with the accessibility of emotional storytelling. Her angels are not distant abstractions but emotionally resonant characters who engage in meaningful dialogue with flawed humans. There is a pervasive gentleness even in moments of moral confrontation. Through subtle irony, spiritual longing, and intimate character interactions, she cultivates a tone of hope, humility, and sacred yearning.