Previous Finalists

'A thrilling fantasy packed full of danger, and with a strong, memorable protagonist. Very enjoyable!'

REVIEW
As I enjoyed this fantasy adventure, I got the feeling the author, Donald Firesmith, had a lot of fun writing it. And, let´s face it, if you happen to write novels set in Hell, you can´t get a better name than Firesmith! So, to the story. This is a gripping fantasy, the reader getting to follow Paul as he, his mother and sister (his dad gets eaten) are dragged into Hell. This is Paul´s story, the story of the only person to ever escape Hell. And, I must say, it´s an excellent read – well, it is if you happen to be into devils, imps, and all things hellish – including hellhounds!
Now, this is Book 4 of the set, but I´m happy to recommend this novel as a standalone. The plot´s not overly complicated and I think most readers will soon get lost (in a good way) in the grim setting. They´ll also enjoy getting to know the protagonist, Paul. He´s a tough young man, insightful in many ways, and fun to root for. In terms of writing style, it´s simple, but it works, the author focusing on keeping things moving – wise when writing in this genre.
So, what needs work? Personally, I wasn´t a big fan of the artwork. There´s too little of it and what there is has a very computer generated feel to it. Also, I felt the monster glossary at the end was dryly written and, well, unnecessary. I can´t imagine any reader after finishing this novel won´t already know what an elf is. And if they don´t, there´s always Wikipedia!
All in all, I´m delighted to recommend this skilfully plotted novel to readers who enjoy grim settings, strong characters, and a fast-paced writing style - with a bit of horror thrown in! Trust me when I say, reading this you´ll never get bored.