Category : Fiction
Genre : Fantasy (Middle Grade)
No. of Pages : 322 Pages
Format : E-book
Publication Date : October 8, 2018
Read Date : December 15, 2019
Rating : 4/5 ⭐
“And then there were the eyes..The terrible eyes..They were so black that even the deepest grave in the darkest winter night was like a well-lit ballroom in comparison.”
Philip, a thirteen-year-old boy, who never does anything wrong, never lies and is in fact an angel in disguise, is being bullied by Sam the biggest bully of his school. The bullying turns serious when because of Sam, Philip lands in hell. But how can an honest boy like him land in Hell, aren’t good people bound to go to Heaven?
On reaching there, he discovers that he’s been called down before his time by the Satan Lucifer himself, as he is seeking his successor for the dark throne. Realization hits and it is known to Lucifer that Philip is the wrong boy, but once a soul is brought to Hell, it can’t be sent back. It is a challenge for Lucifer to bring out the evil in Philip and turn him into a devil, for a human so naïve can’t be the Satan’s successor.
The entire world of Hell is a shock for Philip. His good nature helps him build few good relations but he also makes enemies. Philip also believes that he is in love with a tempter, Satina. Between studying (yes, even hell has its education to impart) about the evils in Hell and taking up Lucifer’s assignments to turn into a Devil, Philip comes across a conspiracy. A conspiracy to dethrone Lucifer, the immortal King of the Dark, by killing him.
The book is Philip’s journey of trying his best to turn evil, clearing the confusion that down there evil is the good and to unravel the conspiracy. But is he capable of turning evil? Will he be able to or rather want to save Lucifer when the time comes? Will Lucifer find his successor in Philip?
The author has done a stupendous job in the world building of “Hell”. Since it is hell he has made it a point to ensure that it is a dark dark world out there. From the atmospheric description to how the people are treated in hell is described in detail. Also, there is nothing so gruesome that can’t be read. The entire concept of Hell that has been built in this book is so convincing.
The characters have been built strongly. Various horrifying creatures have been created to make Hell scarier – Tempter, Vargars, Hushers (You need to read the book to know what they are). Each of these creatures play a part in creating havoc on earth and in people’s mind and souls. Philip’s character is built amazingly and it grows as the story develops. Since the entire story is happening in Hell, I wasn’t surprised that I loved the character of Lucifer as well. 🙂
The story is fast paced with no beating about the bush. Just in few pages the author takes us to Hell. There is an element of humour, thrill and mystery in the plot. The plot development is crisp and adventurous at the same time. The little mystery is kept up to the last page of the book.
This was my first Fantasy read ever & it didn’t disappoint me. Do I recommend this book? Hell Yes, even if Fantasy is not your go-to genre this book deserves to be read.
Thank You @The_WriteReads for this opportunity to review this book and be a part of the #UltimateBlogTour.
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About the Author:
Kenneth B. Andersen (1976) is an award-winning Danish writer. He has published more than forty books for children and young adults, including both fantasy, horror, and science fiction.
His books have been translated into more than 15 languages and his hit-series about the superhero Antboy has been turned into three movies. A musical adaptation of The Devil’s Apprentice, the first book in The Great Devil War series, opened in the fall 2018 and film rights for the series have been optioned.
Kenneth lives in Copenhagen with his wife, two boys, a dog named Milo, and spiders in the basement.
You can get in touch with him through the following Social Media platforms:
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