Happy Hour in Hell by Tad Williams

Happy hour in Hell

By Tad Williams

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This was an Advanced Reader’s Copy given to me by the author.

Amazon Blurb:

I’ve been told to go to Hell more times than I can count. But this time I’m actually going.

My name’s Bobby Dollar, sometimes known as Doloriel, and of course, Hell isn’t a great place for someone like me—I’m an angel. They don’t like my kind down there, not even the slightly fallen variety. But they have my girlfriend, who happens to be a beautiful demon named Casimira, Countess of Cold Hands. Why does an angel have a demon girlfriend? Well, certainly not because it helps my career.

She’s being held hostage by one of the nastiest, most powerful demons in all of the netherworld—Eligor, Grand Duke of Hell. He already hates me, and he’d like nothing better than to get his hands on me and rip my immortal soul right out of my borrowed but oh-so-mortal body.

But wait, it gets better! Not only do I have to sneak into Hell, make my way across thousands of miles of terror and suffering to reach Pan- demonium, capital of the fiery depths, but then I have to steal Caz right out from under Eligor’s burning eyes and smuggle her out again, past demon soldiers, hellhounds, and all the murderous creatures imprisoned there for eternity. And even if I somehow manage to escape Hell, I’m also being stalked by an undead psychopath named Smyler who’s been following me for weeks. Oh, and did I mention that he can’t be killed?

So if I somehow survive Hell, elude the Grand Duke and all his hideous minions and make it back to the real world, I’ll still be the most hunted soul in Creation. But at least I’ll have Caz. Gotta have something to look forward to, right?

So just pour me that damn drink, will you? I’ve got somewhere to go.

My favorite character:

I would have to say I still love Bobby Dollar; he becomes even more real to me in this installment. The things you do for the one you love can scary and amazing. The other two would be Gob, and Riprash, the slave trading demon. I was enthralled that even though they are in Hell you really have to wrap your brain around the fact that demons really can have human qualities.

My thoughts:

This installment starts from where it ends in the first book. This time he thinks up a plan to get into Hell to save the love of his life, Caz the Countess of Cold Hands.  The journey into Hell is very vivid and descriptive (like all of Tad’s work) and really immersed me in the story. I took my time reading this savoring the sights, sounds and smells of Hell. 

The other side line story of a Heaven conspiracy made you think when you read it. Theories abound and I’m interested to see how it plays out in the next installment. It’s really a love story underneath it all and touched me. The things you do to save the one you love can be terrifying and intense. 

References to Dante's Inferno really interested me. The thought there are many different layers of Hell is hair-raising and thought provoking. The denizens you see in Hell give you an provocative look into a person's soul.  This book has similar storytelling aspects to another one of my favorite authors, Clive Barker.

MY REVIEW RATING:

  I'm giving this 5 fairies because I really love the plot and storyline and I really connected with the characters of the book. Thought-provoking and riveting story that really appealed to me. It touched my heart strings and was nerve tingling at times. I look forward to reading the next installment.

Check out Tad Williams website for more information on his books.

Tad Williams