Infernal Angel

Rating:
Summary: better than I expected
Review: After reading City Infernal, I was reluctant to pry open the covers of this one, but I did and was quite surprised. It was a much better read than City, though I think Lee could have toned it down a bit on the vast variety of species that lurk in the city of Hell. Too many to keep track of and they only confuse the reader, in my opinion. But Lee also has one of the most inventive minds in the horror field. For the gore lovers out there, this book contains scenes sick enough to curl your stomach. Like when Cassie has to eat a creature's large eye to see what it has seen. I nearly gagged, but man, I loved it.
After all of the plot strands come together in the end, you are not disappointed. Satan's plan, which I won't reveal, is very disturbing. Will Cassie and her angel spoil his plot, or will there be another book in the series? I know the answer, but I'm not telling. Read the book. I think you'll like it.

Rating:
Summary: Return to the infernal pits
Review: I am an unabashed Edward Lee fan. Although I have only read a few of his novels, the smorgasbord of unsettling violence, intense erotica, and whiplash prose make his writings enormous fun for a dedicated horror fan. The biggest problem facing a potential reader is how to acquire many of his books and short stories. Nearly all of his old mass-market efforts are out of print, many other novels and collections are available only through wallet crushing small press editions, and the subject matter of a majority of his tales virtually insures much of his work will remain in obscurity. In other words, I am an Ed Lee fan insofar as my meager funds allow. It does appear a ray of hope is about to break on the horizon: Lee now writes novels for mass market Leisure press, and a few of his earlier works are starting to reappear in slightly more affordable trade paperbacks. "Infernal Angel" falls into the mass-market cheapie paperback category. The novel is a sequel to Lee's 2001 effort "City Infernal," a book that, just like this one, tones down the usual over the top gore and stomach churning seediness in an effort to pander to a general audience. No problem, though, since I will still take a watered down Ed Lee any day.

Don't worry if you haven't read "City Infernal." Lee fills in the details about the first novel at the beginning of this one. You'll discover how Cassie and her twin sister Lissa separated, how Cassie learned she's an Etheress with special powers and abilities, and how she spends her time seeking out her deceased sister for forgiveness. "Infernal Angel" picks up about a month after the first novel ended, with Cassie now locked away in an asylum facing a murder charge over her father's untimely demise. She can still travel to Hell anytime she wishes, but in the meantime she spends her days trying to explain her unusual powers to shrinks. Unfortunately, Lucifer and his minions haven't forgotten about Cassie's wondrous powers. The Dark Prince, always plotting the downfall of God's little creatures, hatches a nefarious plot that could very well install him as supreme overlord of the human race. The plan, involving a place called the Atrocidome, time travel, and Cassie's special powers, might just work. Of course, our heroine knows nothing about any of this until she runs through the requisite number of trials and tribulations in Hell with Angelese, her Caliginaut angel guide from heaven. For Cassie, the importance of returning to Satan's domain revolves around her wish to reunite with Lissa and expunge her guilt over her hapless sister's untimely demise.

In case his plans for Cassie turn sour, as all good plans hatched in the bowels of Hades usually do, Lucifer has a backup plan in the form of Walter. This geeky guy is a genius college student who thinks he cannot make any friends until he runs into the gorgeous Candice. Unfamiliar with how to handle women (do any of us ever figure out how to do this?), Walter falls for the oldest trick in the book, namely doing Candice's homework while the young lady "acts" like she's his girlfriend. Walter's wealthy brother Owen tries to tell his clueless brother what's really going on, but the kid won't listen to reason. He contemplates taking his life when he finally discovers the truth, but a series of increasingly disturbing events and a heck of a revelation from brother Owen convince Walter he has a higher-or lower, as the case may be-purpose in life. Lee throws in the usual inventive cast of characters and ghastly experiences in Lucifer's city to entertain the reader. This time around, we get something called an Intestisaur, umbra-specters, Alexander the Great's main squeeze, and the usual wacky spells and incantations that make the underworld such a wonderful place to spend a few days.

"Infernal Angel" has taken a lot of criticism from readers, and to some extent the book merits it. Lee's outing this time isn't as interesting as his first foray into the pits of darkness largely because the story doesn't spend as much time roaming the black alleyways and malefic pits of Satan's city. Most of the action takes place with Cassie in the asylum and Walter at school. There are lengthy segments of explanatory dialogue between Angelese and Cassie and between Walter and his own guide where nothing much happens. Moreover, complaints about the banal dialogue and paper-thin character development hold a lot of water. I particularly found Walter's character a source of great annoyance. Here's a guy who's supposed to be so smart and he can't figure out anything on his own. Too, we don't spend as much time in Hades as we would like. Actually, many of the problems I expressed about "City Infernal" pop up in spades here. Nonetheless, "Infernal Angel" is still an entertaining, imaginative read.

I'm just happy for the chance to read another Edward Lee novel that only cost a few bucks. Personally, I prefer Lee's darker books, like "The Teratologist," "Bighead," and "Portrait of the Psychopath as a Young Woman" to these toned down works aimed at mass audiences, but I understand that an author like Lee must write books that will pay the bills. I'm hearing rumors that another book will soon emerge concerning the further exploits of Cassie and Lissa, but I'm not sure how that will be possible after reading the conclusion of "Infernal Angel." I heartily recommend Ed Lee's "Infernal Angel" if for no other reason than the book might inspire an intrepid few to seek out his harder to find grotesqueries. If you're ready to move past Stephen King, this novel could well serve as a bridge that will lead you to the nightmarish realms of extreme horror.

Rating:
Summary: Just doesn't cut it!
Review: I am at this moment whipping myself, for the blasphemy I am about to commit. Ed Lee is my all time favorite author, and the prequal City Infernal is my all time favorite book, but this, so-called sequal dissapoints. In the first book you fall in love with Via, Hush, Xeke and the fallen angel Ezoriel, then in this book you are just told they juast aren't around anymore, the father was killed and that Cassie is in an insane asylum. Lee basically throws practically the enitire first book away. This book is still a decent read, it would be a good book on it's own, but not a sequal. Another problem I had with the story was Walter, he is, in my opinion, completely useless. He serves a purpose in the very end, but Lee could have had that event happen another way without boring us with a hollow and worthless character. It took since the beginning of time to now in order for an Etheress to show up, it was even considered a myth and to not really exist. Now all of a sudden there pops up the male version called an Etherian within a year of the previous storyline, I don't buy it. There is supposidly a third book on the way, (I don't see how the story could continue) If you want to read all of them then read this, if you've read the first and loved it, you may want to stop and picture your own ending, it will probably be more satisfying. Ed Lee is still my God, but he failed on this one.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good sequel
Review: I just got done with Infernal Angel and I think that is a pretty good sequel to City Infernal. It has lots of action and suspense to go along with a solid story. Cassie returns to contine her quest to find her sister Lissa. I have to admitt though that I was very dissapointed that Via and Hush wasnt in the sequel. They really helped make City Infernal a great novel. I also wished Lee would have completly explained what happened to Ezoriel. I thought he would be one of the central charaters in this book, but it never really brings him up. I was really dissapointed by that, but those things aside if you liked City Infernal you wont be dissapointed by Infernal Angel. It isnt quite and good as the first but it is very good in its on right.

There are alot of new charaters and its takes you to new parts of Mephistopolis. Lee is becoming one of my favorite writers.

I am just starting Monstrosity right now and if it is half as good as these two books were I know I will enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Sequel to City Infernal
Review: Infernal Angel is a quick and enjoyable read set once again in the world of the Mephistopolis, the city of Hell. Edward Lee holds back a little on his regular helping of extreme gore, but peppers the story with enough digusting elements to satisfy his fan base and attract new fans. The clues of the main storyline come together very nicely at the end. It's a fascinating plot that has a big payoff and if you enjoyed City Infernal, you'll eat this book up quick. I heard a rumor that Lee has outlined a third book in the series. If that's true, and you would like to read it, simply write an email to Don D'Auria (the editor of Leisure's horror line) at Dorchester Publishing and let him know to greenlight the book.

Rating:
Summary: Now THIS is a Hell worth exploring!
Review: Opening with a scene that grabs your bowels and twists them, Lee explores a new kind of Hell, a modern Hell, run by a mix of technology and scorcery and powered by money [much like Earth]. Revolting imagry that would be over the top in straight fiction is not just acceptable, in Lee's Hell we realize we didn't even see the worst of it!

Lee's Hell has rules, his angel's are far from perfect [swearing and some are even considered insane], and his usage of the 'age old sin' of suicide as a tool is brilliant! It would be amazing to see a companion to this novel with full descriptions and sketches of some of his creations in the netherworld...

The pace is steady, almost unrelenting as this is a very fast read with no clean place to put the book down. The style is choppy blended with eloquence, just like real people talk. He is courteous enough to define things briefly during action and in more detail when time allows to speed things along and prevent the ever present danger of 'skimming' description.

The story is fresh, imaginative, and complex - but smooth. New languages, definitions, strange words... it's easier to read what you're familiar with, but it's much more interesting to delve into a new world! The atmosphere is definately intriguing. We're so accustomed to Hell being portrayed as fire and brimstone, uncivilized, evil terrain, etc. Lee's Hell is
not only civilized, it's a booming metropolis that gives a moderization to torture methods mixed with a fixation of sorcery that is just disturbing.

The only weakness of the book is the characters - while they are well drawn out and wonderfully fun to follow along, you really don't get a sense of emotional attachment and have no concern for their future. I absolutely loved the insane angel, but wouldn't have been upset if she died... it's a strange thing to have such vibrant characters that you can't identify with.

The backcover blurb is also a little misleading... but it's well written and gets your interest. If I were to rewrite it I would briefly define Etheress/Etheran and state that it is a journey with their individual motives and personal guides [maybe a brief thought there] to hell and back, and back again.

Overall, definately a 4 because of the character attachment issue... a solid story, an excellent read, and another example of Lee's amazingly twisted mind!

-Horrorwench