Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Despite a major setback, Lucifer has no time to feel sorry for himself. Running Hell is a monumental task, even though he’s taken steps to modernize it with technology like closed-circuit cameras and security systems.

As he struggles with his infernal issues, an unannounced visitor threatens to break his black heart. Lucifer hasn’t seen Uriel since his Fall, but he remembers how much he loved Uriel and how betrayed he felt when Uriel didn't stand with him during the War.

Uriel has been sent to inspect the changes Lucifer has made and report back to Heaven. Lucifer has no choice but to give Uriel a guided tour of the Nine Circles, and all the feelings come rushing back.

Uriel hasn't forgotten Lucifer either, and they pick up where they left off—with enough sizzle to rival the hottest of hell's fires. But their reunion will be short-lived, unless Uriel relinquishes his halo—which Lucifer is unwilling to let him do.

First Edition published by Torquere Press, 2008.

Book Review

Set in the same world of a modern-day Heaven and Hell - with all their issues – as the novel ‘Dancing on the Head of a Pin’ that I read earlier this year, this Christmassy short captured my imagination and melted my heart more than a little. Both Lucifer and his former lover, the archangel Uriel, are great characters. Their reunion when Uriel is sent to Hell for an information-gathering exercise is emotional, especially since both of them expect for Uriel to have to return to Heaven once he is done with his mission. Their heartache has already lasted eons, and there is no end in sight. Or is there?

Lucifer is a rebellious spirit, and he has been paying for his sins ever since the Fall. But he is also providing a service – after all, someone has to punish the sinners. Over the millennia, Lucifer has developed his own ideas about who deserves punishment and what kind. He hasn’t really had a choice since a lot of religions developed along the way, each with their own idea of what even constitutes a sin. I found his explanation of the logic behind the redefinition of some of the Circles of Hell not just funny, but logical.

Uriel has been sent on a spying mission and is supposed to hide that fact, but he can’t lie and spills the beans within five minutes of being in Lucifer’s presence. Uriel is surprised by all the changes Lucifer has made, the new interpretations of what is a sin, and the creativity his former lover has shown in developing Hell and modernizing it by dragging it into the twenty-first century. Uriel is also reminded of how much he still loves him so he is ready to make a decision Lucifer won’t agree with. Except then the unexpected happens…

If you like reading about possible interpretations of Biblical figures that diverge somewhat from the things you can hear in various churches, if you believe even the Devil deserves a break, and if you’re looking for a read that is funny, hot, and has an unexpected happy ending, then you will probably like this short story as much as I do. It’s hilarious, thought-provoking, and just my kind of irreverent.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 48 pages/14796 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	07-December-2016
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/hell-takes-a-holiday-by-kiernan-kelly-7852-b