such an interesting idea and concept for a story that I found ultimately fell flat for me! i just didn't think the characters had that much depth to them in comparison to how well the world felt to me.

This was such a wild ride and I absolutely loved it. The characters were interesting: well developed, and full of twists and turns. We certainly were took on an adventure. My favourite part of the book was the setting. The author did a fantastic job with the descriptions and even the little things. It really allowed me to immerse myself into the story. I’ll look forward to read more from the author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I really want to like this but it just does not wow me. Maybe my expectations were high but the writing could have been better.

a fantasy novel that was easy to follow and I really loved the theme and setting, considering the fact that I still dream of visiting Iceland someday.

I also enjoyed the variety in characters and the romantic plot sprinkled across the novel was a cherry on the top! It added flavour to the story. If there’s a sequel to this.. I’d be more than happy to read it :)

my favourite quote: “If you care about someone, you find a way to be with them, even if it isn’t exactly the way you hoped it would be.”

The concept of this book was intriguing and seemed so different from other work I read by Paula Stokes. The beginning of the book had a bit of a slow pace, but I really enjoyed the setting of Iceland. Rory was a great character and I loved her relationship with her Gran. They work well together and with the help of Gunnar, they search for a stone that could unlock a portal to Hell! The book is filled with adventure, romance, and supernatural happenings. It was fun reading it and going along with these characters.

I have to say, Hellfinder packed in a lot of fun adventure in a short amount of pages. I really enjoyed reading this book because it’s set in Iceland, which I’ve visited precisely once but absolutely adore and can’t wait to go back to. I could feel how much the author loved the country too by the way she was portraying it throughout the book, and when I got to the acknowledgements I was so pleased to find that she had been there three times and wanted to return. It’s a stunning country, and this book is really just a love letter to it with some Indiana Jones action thriller stuff thrown in.

If you’re looking for a fast paced adventure story set against a bit of a different backdrop, then I’d highly recommend Hellfinder!

This was even stranger than expected, from reading the blurbs and plot line. Just a fun and unique read for fans of tomb raider.

3.5/5

This was a funny little book. The author mentions in the afterword that the setting came first, before the story or characters, and honestly, it shows. Iceland was by far the star of this show. I've never read a book set in Iceland and it was definitely an awesome vibe. The sense of place was well evoked.

The first 60% of the book is a bit meandering, mostly just the MC and her grandma and a cute Icelandic boy wandering around Iceland. A supernatural element suddenly pops into proceedings in the second half and the story gets a lot more interesting from there.

I did quite like that teenage MC was working with her treasure hunting grandma, that was a nice pairing.

I found the audience for this book a little hard to pin down. In the first chapter, the way they were talking, I thought the main character was about 12, especially when they were talking about her needing a babysitter, so when it then said she was 17 I was a bit like... wait, what? I then struggled for the rest of the book to reconceptualise her, which made the whole romance aspect a bit weird. I did think the book general felt Percy Jackson level, which is middle grade - again, apart from the romance, and also a couple of violent aspects like the eviscerated guy. These elements felt a little out of place for the tone and pitch of the rest of the book.

The story was told in a way that felt fairly surface level. We don't get a lot of emotional reaction to things, which makes it hard to feel much for the MC. I think maybe this is what contributed to the "middle grade" feel.

I did quite like the direction the story took at the end and I would consider reading the next one. It was a light, easy kind of read and the Icelandic setting was definitely nice.

Recommended for anyone who wants to armchair travel to Iceland without too much mental or emotional exertion.

This book was an incredible adventure! Think Matthew Reilly, but for teens. Set in the beautiful landscape of Iceland, this treasure-hunting, paranormal adventure novel has an amazing cast of characters with great chemistry. It is a bit slow to start, but once the story speeds up you'll find yourself saying "just one more chapter" well into the night! Stokes' descriptions of Iceland are incredible to read and her attention to detail makes me want to go visit myself one day.

Aurora Quinn – also known as Rory –has has a difficult start to life. Her mother died in childbirth and her father went mad. She has been raised by her grandmother who is a treasure hunter. When Rory turns 18, she decides to help her grandmother with a job for a friend. They go to Iceland to find a stone that belongs to the family, the only problem is that is it at the nearest doorway to Hell.
The adventure ensues about a ruthless society doing their very best to seal up the cracks to the demon dimension.
I enjoyed the treasure hunting element and the mystery. As the book is set in Iceland, the description of the country is wonderful talking about the mystery and majesty of the world the characters are in.
I would have liked to read more about the relationships between the characters such as Rory and her grandmother but overall I would recommend this book.

The strongest suit of Hellfinder certainly is the setting. Mainly set in Iceland, this book takes us traveling to this majestic, surprising and mysterious country in the middle of winter, where days are shorter, ice, snow and glaciers are thriving and more. The author’s love for the country really shines through this story and I loved exploring these new, incredible places along with these characters.

The main characters’ adventures were lovely to follow and I really enjoyed how real she felt, overall. She’s far from perfect and makes lots of mistakes, but I found her really endearing. The romance was also adorable!

What, unfortunately, lacked in this book, was the action. There’s a lot of action, believe me, but it comes later on in the story and I found it a bit slow to start. I also would have like a bit more time spent on some relationships, especially between Rory and her grandmother, because this had so much potential!

Overall, if you’re looking to escape to Iceland with a fun adventure book, I’d recommend this one. While I found it lacking at times, I still had fun reading it overall, especially its second half.

Aurora “Rory” Quinn has been raised by her treasure-hunting Grandmother ever since her mother died in childbirth and her father went mad. At almost eighteen, she decides to help her Grandmother on an easy task to help an old friend. One of his grandsons has stolen a rock reputed to open a gate to Hell. He works with a Black Rock band determined to open the door to advertise their second album. Since they are posting pictures of their trip to a dormant volcano in a remote part of Iceland, the adventure promises to be tame. That is until a car drives them off the road and shoots at them with arrows. Paula Stokes tells an exciting tale that includes very real demon spirits that possess people. The Hellfinder (paper from Fitzroy Books) is quite real and there is a whole, ruthless society devoted to sealing up cracks to the demon dimension. I really enjoyed this tale, and would love further Rory adventures.

Rory's grandmother is a treasure hunter. She is hired by and old friend to go to Iceland and find a stone that belongs to his family and is said to find the nearest doorway to Hell. The Hellfinder was taken by the client's grandson, Einar, to be used by a heavy metal band he has befriended as a publicity stunt. Einar's twin brother Gunnar will accompany them. Can the three of them recover the stone before anything is unleashed?

The way it starts out it seems kind of cozy but intriguing till the impending doom creeps in. A lot of unexpected things happen to them, giving sustenance to danger and our imagination. The Icelandic backdrop colors the story in a heightened thrilling light, all the things they get to do or see, so fascinating. The author manages to tie all these sumptuous ingredients together with her obvious whimsy creativeness. And those twists... *whistling*.

The 1st person, present tense POV is friendly and intimate, and you enjoy the straightforward tone while the protagonist sneaks into your heart. Her thought process feels grounded and natural, including the little details she notices. You feel like you're being told the story, but also that you're in the story at the same time. What amps up the excitement and inhalibility (so interesting you inhale not just read the story) is that even though there are chapters it feels like one continuous story. Engagingly witty you will love the banter with Gunnar and their encounters are smile even chuckle-worthy.

There are some great ideas here like the Riftwatchers. I wish there was a more extensive elaboration of some of the book's mythology and clarification for some of the action scenes. I needed more of the supernatural.

This book was about finding yourself and your place in the world. About doing what needs to be done. Like a road/the-chase-is-on movie with Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew of the 2020s TV series vibes, this was a wildly entertaining, supernaturally infused adventure. Paula Stokes needs to make this into a series.

Hellfinder has an intriguing premise that unfortunately didn't live up to its potential in execution. While the idea behind the story held promise, the actual narrative fell short in multiple aspects. The author's descriptions of the Icelandic surroundings and attractions lacked depth and failed to create a vivid sense of place. I can see this shortcoming being particularly noticeable for readers who haven't visited Iceland themselves, as crucial visual elements were left unclear or confusing. For instance, if I hadn't have visited Iceland myself, I would have no idea what places like Hallgrimskirkja church looked like since the author mentioned it as a popular destination when the characters drive by it, but it wasn't described in the least. FYI, it does not look like a typical church. It's architecture is extremely unique.

In addition, the characters in the novel suffered from one-dimensionality, with the love interest receiving disproportionate attention in terms of description and admiration. I still have no idea what the main character looked like, her appearance remained vague, making it challenging to fully connect with her. The plot itself also faced issues with coherence, at times becoming nonsensical and not fully capitalizing on the potential of its intriguing premise. The resolution of intense experiences without substantial impact or acknowledgement further weakened the narrative's impact.

While the premise of Hellfinder showed promise, the book's shortcomings in describing its setting, character development, and plot progression hindered my ability to fully engage with it. For those seeking a more immersive and well-rounded reading experience, this novel might not deliver on its initial potential.

Thank you to Fitzroy Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this read a lot. I had never heard of the author before which having read the book suprises me as I would have thought her to be more popular. It was the amazing premise that drew me in - not only have I not read many treasure hunting books but I have not read any fiction set in this part of the world.

The story was a little slow to start and I wished for more description of the characters - I struggled to picture the characters (At first I thought Rory was a boy until Hennings called her Aurora 😂) so a little more character development could be good. I also felt that Rory came across a little young for a 17 year old - I believe the target audience is a bit younger than this so i'm sure they wouldn't notice or care - but perhaps she could have been a tad younger.

I loved the adventure sections of this book so much that it had me wanting to book a flight and go explore myself. If that isnt the sign of a book well read then I dont know what is!

I would give this 3.5 but that's not an option and 3 seems too low so 4 it is!

I love Paula Stokes. Her stories have always been unique, cool, and fun. This book is no different.

Using religious motifs, characters, settings, and imagery as fantasy is great is because these are already so fantastical!! The plot moves really well, with a nice balance of descriptions, action, and conversations (omg the plot twist, though!!!). The character development of all of them is great; no one character feels one dimensional.

The relationship between Gunnar and Rory is lovely, and also so funny! I laughed every time they talked.

At its core, this is a book about family, the secrets we keep, and how we move forward. Paula has crafted a thrilling and heartfelt story, and I know people will love it. Bring on book two!

This had me hooked from the start. I loved these characters so much and the setting felt so real it was as if I was right beside Rory, Gunnar, and Gram as they drove through Iceland, mushed in a dogsled, hiked a glacier, and then explored underground caverns and magma tunnels.

I enjoyed the slow-burn romance that felt natural and respectful between Rory and Gunnar as well as their budding friendship. Both characters are intelligent, resourceful, and driven by love and loyalty to family.

The action kept me riveted and I didn't want to stop reading because of the intensity of human versus nature, human versus human, and human versus demon conflicts. The twists and surprises were ones I often didn't anticipate and even made me gasp out loud. I enjoyed the look into demon lore and feel enlightened knowing about different kinds of demonic presences.

I really hope I get more of Rory, Gunnar, and Gram in future books because they feel like real people to me now and have so much adventure ahead of them.

This was a really fantastic read! Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! I loved the world that we slowly learn about, and these characters as they are on this adventure to reclaim some stolen property from a wayward family member!

If you put Rory in an alignment chart, she would be chaotic good. Those impulses that you get, she follows them more often then the average person. It's gotten her kicked out, or invited out of multiple schools, so she's now has a tutor and gets schooling from home. Which suits her just fine, so she can go along with her treasure-hunter grandmother across the world.

I loved watching them go on this adventure! To see Iceland, where her grandmother is from but she's never been, learn a bit of the culture, and oh, yeah, Gunnar. I absolutely loved their banter, it was so hilarious and so cute! Though things got a bit rocky when she found out about the secrets that he, and her grandmother had!

The way things ending, that was absolutely a cliffhanger ending! Not in the stakes, the characters are fine. But they didn't completely take down the bad guys, and they know that, that facing off with them is going to happen in the future! And I want to read that story! I need more!

Loved reading this book, and I really hope that it becomes a series!

Really enjoyed the characters and world of this. The characters were enigmatic and intriguing, I felt gripped by the plot, and loved the setting and atmosphere. I only wish the characters had been given more concrete description in the beginning, as when they were described later in the novel, I was a little confused.

This was a really fun and quick read. The story centers on our main character Aurora/Rory and her adventures with her grandmother and Gunnar through glaciers and volcanos in Iceland in the winter.

I personally connected with this story because I traveled to Iceland a few years ago in the winter. I could relate to a lot of the locations either mentioned or visited, the food, and the culture. Reading this book was a comforting stroll down memory lane to one of the coolest places on Earth (in my opinion). The author herself has been to Iceland a few times and it shows because everything she mentioned was pretty accurate to my own trip there. In fact, one of the coolest things I did on my trip was take a guided hike on a glacier, so the fact that Rory and the gang also end up hiking on a glacier was pretty fun for me to read about (my hiking experience was not nearly as deadly as theirs).

The story itself was pretty fun and a quick read. The chapters are very short, which I personally like a lot, it keeps me reading just one more chapter. I also liked the little bits of clues we got throughout about something being not quite right and the eventual discovery was interesting and something you could probably figure out a bit beforehand but it wasn't so obviously in your face, I think.

The one thing I didn't love, was that the beginning was a bit of a slow start with a lot of exposition, but as soon as they are in Iceland it picks up pace, so maybe just like the first 20 pages take awhile to get through. Once in Iceland, I was pretty hooked and wanted to continue the story all the way through.

I am very curious if this is supposed to be a standalone or if the author plans on continuing the story. I'm honestly fine with it either way. I like when you can see a future adventure for a character but don't have to be told it, but I could also see a fun sequel for Rory, especially if she travels to some other gate of hell. I definitely trust this author to write about amazing locations she's been to and give them justice so if she's taken any other fun trips and want to feature those locations in a sequel, I would be here for it.