Hell Bound

For a book about Hell, demons, and very bad things, this book was beautifully written. There were times when I would re-read a section just because it was so evocative. Of course, a bit of that is cancelled out by the silly obvious knock-off Hell names of things like "Spirit Hextel Blacktooth" phone but...eh. Give a little, take a little. Some of them provided an unexpected chuckle, anyways (Al Catraz, Notre Damned, etc).

There's one scene in particular where the 'hero' has a chance to rescue a female, but he stays true to his hellish form and leaves her to be killed. This was awesome, because I could see the direction the story was going in already, so for him to still casually leave someone to their death meant that I started thinking maybe I was in for something a little bit different.

The main bad guy is someone you'll recognize if you know your London history. Also, two of the names of his compatriots took me by surprise. The author writes well enough, though, that it works and gives the book a bit of grounding that keeps it from becoming absurdly fantastical.

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. It, again, was beautifully written. The inclusion of real people (by name and basic bio at least) was interesting. The action was not bad at all. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to care for any of the characters. Also, the snarkily named things were amusing sometimes , but sometimes it was just a case of "...really?" followed by a sigh. Now, in the author's defense, I've never read anything by him or anything set in this 'shared universe', so for all I know, those are names of things that have already been established in the universe and are not his fault.

The one thing I definitely did not like was that it was way , way too easy to figure out what was going on with the Reaper. The hints dropped made it extremely obvious, and therefore I think the ending was definitely a it lackluster for me because of that.

As this isn't a published book yet, I can't quote lines in case they're changed, but I just want to say: Best "afraid to trust a fart" line I've ever read. Also, some other zingers of insults that just made me cackle.

Overall: Hell Bound was an interesting book that I would recommend to others (with the addendum that it may not be for everyone). It also has made me curious to read more by this author, and also more in this 'shared universe'.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Grim Reaper has a righthand man, and he is a bounty hunter, Daemon Grim. He stalks the underverse, feared by all the humans who are there doing penance.. He learns of angelic artifacts that might totally change the existence of the condemned. He can't let this happen...

REVIEW: HELL BOUND by Andrew Weston

HELL BOUND is an exciting, uproarious, tour of the underverse in the company of the illustrious Daemon Grim, he who performs soul-reaping duties on behalf of His Satanic Majesty. When not out and about in the performance of his duties, Grim enjoys pleasant passionate interludes with the beauteous Inquisitor Strawberry Fields, and an animosity of eternal duration with Hellegal' s own much-feared Undertaker.

Andrew Weston' s luxurious prose keeps the dimensions spinning, and the underverse vividly delineated.

Andrew Weston really knows how to write an enthralling book! His words really pulled me in and didn't let go. I hope to see more from him soon. Hell Bound is about Daemon Grimm the right hand man to Satan, as he hunts down some horrible men and women on Earth and in Hell. This story is about one that has gotten away and led Grimm to discover things that might just bring Satan and Hell down! I really enjoyed the little takes Weston put in for the names of certain places and items..ex: Rolhex and Hexcalibur Hotel.. The snark and humor had me snickering well into the night. I highly recommend this book!

An excellent mix of film noir imagery with sophisticated writing that dares the reader to slow down, savor each word, and slowly become immersed in this very real depiction of our own reality and that which exists beyond the veil of death. A true example of writing that elevates the reader's own appreciation and expectation for the genre of urban fantasy.

Great book. A must read!

I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit when I first started this book I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. A book about hell?....and the Reaper?.....a mystery to be solved? How on earth is the author going to pull this one off? Well, he managed it with flying colors with well written prose and much dry humor. The world he created is incredible and to be honest I was reading a bit at a time to make the book last longer.
The main character, Daemon Grim is "honored" with the task of being Satan's Reaper who gathers very bad souls from both Earth and Hell. After one particular gathering of very bad souls from earth, the Reaper returns to find out that one of the souls he was supposed to gather is missing. What follows is absolutely brilliant and hilarious at times. Something is afoot and it is up to the Reaper and assorted damned souls to track down an apparent conspiracy. I couldn't stop laughing at discovering some of the characters in this novel including the one and only Frederic Chopin, and Thomas Neil Cream as well as some famous mob bosses of the past.
I absolutely hated Satan's decision on the Reaper and Strawberry but then he IS Satan after all lol. Highly recommended.

Oh my God, who knew that Hell could be so much fun!

"Hell-Bound" is Andrew Weston take on Hell, a parallel universe to our earthly realm, and Satan's bounty hunter/enforcer, the Grim Reaper (Daemon Grim). The book follows the Grim Reaper's investigation of a plot to disrupt Hell and cause Satan's downfall (again). It's a fantastic and fun journey with the Grim Reaper and his minions discovering and attempting to defeat the conspirators before they destroy Hell.

If you want an exciting, entertaining and funny book that is so good you can't put it down, please read this book. It is not what you read to put yourself to sleep. I look forward to reading the sequels!

What a fun idea for a protagonist! The Grim Reaper! Apart from Darth Vader, there’s probably not a more foreboding character in all of literature (and Darth Vader is really just the Grim Reaper with his face painted black). In “Hell Bound,” Satan has tasked Grim with hunting down Thomas Neill Cream known to infamy as the Lambeth Poisoner (there’s also speculation that he might have been Jack the Ripper). It turns out that Cream is just as much a problem in Hell as he was on Earth as this book finds him in league with Nikola Tesla to finagle an escape from eternal torment.

Never fear as Daemon Grim is on the case, tracking down Cream and his accomplices in a novel that is part detective story, part noir, and part tour of Hell. The Hell in question obeys the rules of Janet Morris’s “Hell” series (if you are unfamiliar with the series it’s a must read). For those of you unfamiliar, Morris’s Hell is a shared world built more or less on the framework of Dante’s Inferno featuring the famous names of history. If you think it sounds like a downer, you’re mistaken. The purpose of this series isn’t to give you a lecture on morality, but rather form the framework for a series of discussions on torment, the legacy of historical figures, and...really awesome medieval (dare I say “Biblical”?) battles. There’s even a fair bit of humor thrown in for good measure.

It’s fun spending some time with the Grim Reaper as we get a first person account of his life and daily routine. His memories extend back only to his existence as Satan’s reaper, but occasionally he does have some interesting flashbacks to a time before that when he was something else? Maybe an angel? Grim doesn’t know, and he doesn’t particularly care as he’s grown accustomed to his lot. He’s got a job to perform, and the outcome is as certain as taxes (among other things).

It occurred to me once or twice throughout the novel that perhaps Grim is a little too likeable considering what he is. I think those are glimpses of Andrew Paul Weston’s personality shining through. However, a focused meditation on death would be something of a downer and this book is all about entertainment. Grim comes across as a pretty regular guy, despite the fact that he’ll sometimes depart a whole room of innocent bystanders because they happened to overhear a phone conversation. This kind of thing happens in Hell, and you can assume that those suffering that treatment have it coming.

If you’re a fan of history, Biblical artifacts, and mythology, this is a book you’re going to have a lot of fun with. Educated people are going to delight in seeing lesser known figures, items, and places referenced front and center for a change. This is a good book to read with some research material at hand. More than once I paused my reading to look up a name only to delight in an hour or two of discovery. I met some folks that were new, and learned a little more about things I was always aware of. In the end, however, I returned to Grim as his story is magnetic. Also, this is the type of character that comes after you if you leave a task undone.

This one looked like an interesting concept, though not too far into it I started thinking, 'too much testosterone'. The writing is good, it just has the tone you get with stories about ex-Green Beret mercenaries who carry a glock, if you know what I mean. But the protagonist is a reaper and has the ability to harvest souls, something that other denizens of Hell find frightening. Apparently he can kill them too.

This was actually a good story and very well written. The ideas were original and although I didn't like the main character, a lot of other readers will. Especially those who like the macho vibe. I was immediately impressed with the vocabulary and use of language and have actually looked to see what else this author has written, hoping for something as good that might appeal more to my character sympathies.

The only thing that was cringe-worthy was some of the names, mostly of people but the Inseine River was of the same ilk. Clever, but maybe a little too clever.

The Hellscape aspect of the story was very well done and imaginative beyond what I usually see in this subject matter. I may actually read this again, despite my lack of attraction to the main character machismo. I have to rate it high for the quality of writing itself.