Valerie wants to sell her soul. But it seems like Hell doesn't want it, which is a real disappointment.
Actually, Hell is having some serious problems, and it looks like Valerie is going to get ensnared in them whether she likes it or not. Along the way, she'll meet a lot of colorful and interesting people, most of whom are immortal, many of whom aren't very nice, some of whom would like to see her dead.
She'll also experience some truly horrifying things because, no matter how nice some of the people in it are, when it comes right down to it, Hell just isn't a very pleasant place.
I read this book first in beta form, and now that I've read the finished product I'm even more impressed than I was the first time. "How To Go To Hell in 10,000 Easy Steps" races back and forth between mortal and immortal realms, where it's sometimes hard to tell which is the worse hell: Hell or New Orleans.
It starts off with Valerie wanting something to relieve her of her boredom, and boy does she ever get THAT wish granted in spades. What she finds along the way is a cluster of epic proportions, with politics and possessions mixed into a toxic cocktail that threatens the very fabric of reality.
If you're looking for a thrill-ride through magic, demonology, and the afterlife, this will surely entertain you. (It's WAY past my bedtime as I write this, but I just devoured the last 50+ pages.)
Fans of Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis will love this demented crazy train which merits reading again and again. But beware: once you pick it up, it's awfully hard to put down...
It reminded me of Neil Gaiman, only with better endnotes, and a more sympathetic protagonist. I really enjoyed it, and blew through it in about a day (spread out over a couple of weekends). There’s a lot going on, so it’s probably best consumed in large chunks, as opposed to little drive and drabs.
For centuries writers have shared their ideas of how Hell would be like. This is another one, from point of a contemporary American. Hell is in trouble and needs to be saved by our unlikely heroine. But will she figure it out? Who are the allies and who are the enemies? Will there be a romance to spice the things up? Only way to learn answers is to read the book!