I have had jobs that I described as “hell.” Brian Lachey hates his job so much, hell is actually an upgrade.

Lucy, the devil, Satan herself, wants to retire. She has been in charge of Hell for, well, eternity. So Lucy Fair offers Brian a job. Work for her, improve the productivity of Hell (i.e., corrupt more souls), and eventually he can take over, she can retire, and everyone is happy.

Well, maybe not the condemned souls, but they only figure tangentially in the story.

Brian really enjoys his new job and finds ways to increase the flow of souls into hell. He also begins a relationship with Dahlia, the devil’s daughter (yes, that’s just fun to say). His relationship with her twin brother Dallas is much less cordial. Dallas wanted to take over management from his mother, and he is not happy that Brian has joined the leadership team.

Brad Abdul is not writing biblical commentary. His version of Hell does not involve fire, brimstone, or demons. There are hellions, but they are sort of people who have been corrupted into service to Lucy Fair. Apart from the whole eternal punishment sort of thing, Hell is actually a nice place to live. It has large windows overlooking a courtyard, gardens, deserts, and other lovely landscapes. It even has a shoe store.

I don’t want to read too much into what is at its heart a fun story that does not take itself too seriously. Hell is filled with intriguing characters. Some of them have their stories partially told in the book. Subtly, themes of finding yourself and reaching for your dreams figure into the story. I’m not sure there’s anything else to say, other than…

This is a hell of a novel.

I really liked this book. The idea that you'd be hired by the devil out of everyday mundane life is definitely an interesting premise.
The author certainly runs with it too.
Definitely worth checking out if you like a little bit of wacky in your fiction.

Something Different.....................

The Devils Advisor by Brad Abdul offers a plate full of satire and humor. I liked the idea of a modern hell full of Hellions. But, the most attractive thing for me was that the author has portrayed both God and Devil as women. It was really a light read full of satire. But, I could not find much humor in it. The plot held my interest right from the start with a satisfying climax. I hope to read more from the author.

I would like to give the book 4 stars. Thanks to Random Things Tours and Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to be a part of the blog tour.

Fun read!
The devil, Lucy, wants to retire - but needs to take over. Enter Brad - could you not love these bland, unoriginal names more? Just adds to story. Anyway, Brad catches Lucy's attention - and is tasked with enhancing Hell's productivity.
I loved the dark humor - pokes at religion. And how do you make Hell overachieve?

The writing is pacy, even wickedly humorous at times. I enjoyed the world-building and exploring this unique version of Hell. Abdul views the relationship between God, the Devil, and Death through an unusual lens, and I found it interesting.

Conceptually, it was interesting and creative. The excessive foreshadowing removed any and all elements of surprise.

The Devil’s Advisor is a short fun read. It has a blend of drama, romance, sex, and humour. Pick it up if you are looking for a fast-paced fantasy.


Wordsopedia Rating 3.45/5

Every couple pages there would be a "STRICTLY NOT FOR SALE" or a "FOR ADDRESSEE ONLY". These inputs kind of ruined the flow of reading. Clever and fun and a decent read for a few days.

I did not intend to read this in one sitting.... but that is definitely what happened. This took me a minute to get into, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

Brian comes off aloof at and 'better' than all his co-workers... But I guess that's why they all put his name down in the chain letter to be punished. Turns out, this is not the worst thing that can happen to Brian as it lands him the job interview of a lifetime. Fixing Hell! You would not expect a story that's based around the idea of Hell being run like a corporation (that's in desperate need of an overhaul before they go bankrupt) to be this much fun, but it was. This was funny, exciting, and a little bit romantic, with a dash of war between Heaven and Hell to keep things interesting.

Overall, this was a great way to spend a day, it's not super deep and doesn't have any profound message, but it was fun, and what more can you ask for on a lazy Sunday

I read the other reviews on GR prior to picking up the book, so I had my expectations adjusted (lowered) accordingly. And it helped. Still though, the publishers had a lot of gall in comparing this to Good Omens. This is about as far from Good Omens as Flame Tree Press is from top five.
In fact, lately the quality of the books they’ve been putting out has been leaving a lot to be desired.
In this case, they didn’t even manage to provide a proper ARC for Netgalley readers. The copy was rife with giant letters proclaiming a version of FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. As if it’s some great treasure to be protected at all costs. And yes, that sort of thing really does detract from reading enjoyment.
The rest of it is essentially a tale of bureaucracy in Hell with strong undertones of sympathy for the devil. Moreover, the author ambitiously goes as far as to rewrite the entire history of the world as we know it, featuring an all female and partially queer star cast because he’s woke like that or knows what sells in today’s market.
The basic plot involves a career businessman who lives, eats, and sh*ts work, getting recruited by Lucy Fair (get it? get it?) to improve Hell’s numbers and efficiency.
The Lucy Fair joke is about as funny as it gets in this falsely-advertised-as-comedy production.
There are some power struggles, some decently imaginative world building, some romance. It reads quickly enough and entertains…mildly, but nothing special. Nothing special at all. Thanks Negalley.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and Brad for this eARC.

The Devil's Advisor is a short & sweet story about Brian, a bored management employee, or should I say, genius, since he's lost all his enthusiasm for his job because it's just too easy. His coworkers hate him and his boss is using him for her own better salary. Then Brian receives an invite to a surprising job interview: a position has opened in place of the devil's management advisor. Unsure for a short time, he accepts, since he hasn't got a lot to lose. But his employment in hell and his proficiency at his work upset certain people.

The plot is solid and entertaining for the length of the novel, while it is not the most creative book I've ever read, it's length is perfect for it's story. It never feels stretched out and the plot has a fairly fast pace. Another plus is the writing, which is also solid and smooth to read. We get all the necessary information without any useless descriptions or metaphors.

All that being said, the novel and it's characters are superficial and could almost work as a model for a classic fantasy tale with it's bad guys and good guys and the beautiful woman as the award for the good guys. The last 50 pages are completely predictable and pretentious. It got me rolling my eyes at some of the clichés. While the women get some freedom to their actions, most of them feel fetishised and sexualised if the reader looks a bit further from the words presented on paper.

Overall, it's an okay book. Not something I would recommend to a serious reader, but a fun read.

Devilishly slick. A fiery novel that breathes new life into religion inspired novels!

Don’t be put off by the very office working, business person sound of this novel. It is a dark, humorous tale that is so much more than its blurb! I myself was worried going into reading this but I was so pleasantly surprised!

I am no religious man and I always worry about that aspect when reading books like this but honestly, this book is in line to be one of my stand out favourites of the year! It’s certainly my surprise book of 2022/2023! Brad Abdul tackles religion in this book with hilarity and intelligence! It is by no means a joke or mockery of religion but rather offers an alternate point of view, almost like a parallel universe idea of heaven and hell. SPOILER ALERT - MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH TO BE SAFE! … FAIR WARNING … HERE IT COMES … MY absolute favourite part of this view is the angel of death, Gabrielle. When Brian questions if she is in fact arc angel Gabriel, Gabrielle replies in a way that slaughters the misogynist view of the most powerful beings, being male. It is a sublime moment on a topic that I've always been confused about!

Right, Spoiler free now! You're safe! Brad Abdul has a wonderfully dark sense of humour it seems and that flows through this book like the river Styx! Don’t worry though, Brad can also portray serious events with expert craftsmanship and some of the intense scenes are wonderfully mapped out, but still retain a pinch of the beautiful dark humour.

The Devil’s Advisor is a refreshing view of hell! Full of humour, darkness and good ol’ torment and despair! You will not be disappointed if you choose to read this! Thank you so much Anne at Random Things Tours and Flame Tree Press for the NetGalley ARC. I think I need this physically now!

Although this book is marketed as a supernatural comedy, it is also a mystery, a thriller, and a romance. This story has many depths, so there's something here for everyone. What would you do if the Devil dragged you to Hell and asked you to help her manage the place so she could retire peacefully?

Brian is excellent at his job; he turns things around and blitzes his targets every time, which is why the Devil wants him to help her. As it happens, Hell is a corporation whose primary business is the corruption of human souls, and recently they haven't been doing a very good job of it.

Getting a glimpse into the inner workings of Hell, the Devil's methods of operation and the fascinating ideas surrounding their "business" was very engaging and funny at times.

The book's layout distracted me from the story in a few spots, but I attribute this more to the ARC text than to the final product.

I got 20% in before I gave up on this one. It was incredibly difficult to read this book because of the constant line breaks and interrupted sentences. These things severely impacted the flow and readability, to the point that it was hard to see past anything else.

I was pulled in by the plot but left hanging by the narrative. I would recommend this title to anyone interested on the topic but there is more to be desired.

In his comic fantasy novel The Devil's Advisor, Brad Abdul presents a fresh twist on human-kind's perception of Hell. He portrays it as a family firm with fluctuating resources, profits to be balanced against losses and a truculent workforce. Legends about people selling their souls to satisfy earthy desires take on a new aspect, as does the nature of damnation. Brian is a high performing salesman whose colleagues loathe him because of his success. When they vote him into Hell in his human form, he meets Lucy, the shape-shifting chief executive of the demonic organisation. To Brian's amazement Lucy has headhunted him as a possible successor to her role.

The humour in Brad Abdul's story arises from his comparison of the way Hell functions with the operational methods of an earthly.business. In one chapter he is taken on a tour of the various departments of Hell, including Marketing, to be introduced to his new colleagues. I found this part especially funny. Fantasy is not one of my favourite genres, but I enjoyed the original premise and dry humour of The Devil's Advisor. Fantasy enthusiasts will love it,

I was given a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

In this story, the Devil is a female looking for Hell's replacement. As you read this story, you will find yourself siding with The devil in the ongoing changes. In an unexpected move, the Devil has chosen a human to be the new CEO and replacement.

This was something I have not read before and thus kept my attention until the end. The entire story and the characters are not what is to be expected in such a story,

I give this book 5 stars out of 5 and do recommend reading it

.Pub Date 21 Feb 2023 | Flame Tree Press General Fiction (Adult) | Humor & Satire | Sci Fi & Fantasy

#Thedevilsadvisor

An interesting premise with great worldbuilding around this version of Hell. The relationship between God, the Devil, and Death is unique. Good writing style . I kept waiting for there to be a downside for the main character taking a job running Hell, but one never really materialized. A great, climactic battle scene near the end leads to a second confrontation scene that just fizzles out. Enough (too many?) plot threads are left dangling at the end that this feels like it intends to be the first in a series.. As a result it was a shock to see THE END. I definitely enjoyed reading it and looked forward to getting back to the story each day.

This book was all right, perfectly fine. It wasn't bad. The interesting concept is what made me want to read the book - a human is hired to advise the devil on making Hell more profitable. I was so curious on how that would go. The book itself is an easy read - this is clearly a light, easy paranormal story. The plot moves along at a good pace and doesn't drag in any parts. The twist is expected - there's so much foreshadowing it may as well be night time. Take it for what it is and you will enjoy the story. There were moments that I wanted more depth, more introspection, a deeper understanding. I wanted to get into the nitty gritty of running Hell. That kept me from enjoying this read to the fullest - but I would still recommend this book if you want a cute paranormal story that's an easy distraction from the real hell of life.

I appreciate the publisher sending me an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Ever wondered what would happen if a business advisor wandered into Hell to streamline its production? No? Neither had I until I read this novel but, if Hell’s like it’s portrayed in this, then I should have been wondering all along! For me, this was amusing more than funny and I found the characters, especially the main, to be quite shallow. An example that’s not a spoiler, really early on the protagonist goes to Hell and is really blasé about this…seriously? I also found there to be a focus on the female characters bodies which felt a bit sexist. So it’s a middle of the road, easy read.

Sometimes horror comedies can be hit or miss.
But this one is kinda in the middle.
There were elements i enjoyed, but other things were a bit corny.
Not bad overall. I don't see myself re-reading it.

This book was decent. I was very intrigued by the first half of it. However, as the book moved on I lost a little bit of my drive to read it. 1) I think the formatting of the ARC really took me out of it. Every couple pages there would be a "STRICTLY NOT FOR SALE" or a "FOR ADDRESSEE ONLY". These inputs kind of ruined the flow of reading. They would mess up the formatting of the text around it and really take you out of being able to fully immerse yourself in the story. 2) I think that the book moved at a strange rate of really fast and then random spots would be detailed and drag on and then move really fast again and brush over things. It was just a touch confusing. 3) I think the story lost me. I love the business plan / aspect of it. I thought it was equally entertaining and fun. however, the whole plot with Dallas lost me. That was the part where all the sudden it moved so fast and skimmed over stuff. By the time we got to the climax of that plot line, I was over it. I just honestly didn't really care.

All this being said, it was an enjoyable story. I thought it was clever and fun and a decent read for a few days.