Descent To Hell: Review

Synopsis:

A man forced to enter mankind’s most feared territory … a child dragged into the underworld!
When Charlie Ward’s beloved niece is kidnapped by an atrocious demon he has to find the secret gateway into the one place every human wants to stay away from: Hell!
Armed only with courage and determination Charlie has to survive in a forbidding place filled with despair and anguish. He must face challenges no mortal should ever have to undergo that threaten to destroy his very soul.

My Rating: 5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Review:

*if you are offended by the words: jaysus, bloody, hell and mild swearing- I suggest you don’t keep reading…I say them a lot in this review* – you have been warned! ?

Well holy jaysus!  A *mahoosive* shout out to Nicola East for recommending I read Nic Parker’s Descent to Hell  and thanks to the author for contacting me and providing me with a copy.  What follows is an unbiased and honest review of a book that I wish I had not waited so long to read!

Descent to Hell has two main settings: London and ….the depths of Hell!

As a reader, we are forced (willingly of course…ahem…) to believe the unbelievable as we face fear, anger, pain, depravity, the knowledge that no one can be trusted but having to take a leap of faith, the unknown, love and a quest to find a missing child.

My interest was piqued right at the start – from the 666 steps to the Gateway to Hell through to the very last page where truth is discovered.  A missing child, a suspicious uncle…sprinkled with a dark and dry dash of humour – what is not to like! What I loved about this book was the fact that it was not pure horror.  The horror element is strong, but it had a crime fiction feel to it that made it a superb read for me.  Don’t get me wrong, there were some pure evil cringe moments, but also some (say with a whisper) *sexy stuff*, a bit of romance and a cracking crime/mystery to solve that just made this one of those books I devoured in hours rather than days/weeks.

Charles (Charlie) Ward is the main character and an absolute corker of a guy!  He is witty, determined, and courageous as he faces his fears to find his niece, Susie.  I worried that he may be a little dull, but holy sh*tballs, was I wrong!  His character developed through each chapter and the reader joins him on his journey, rooting for his success.  It was a turbulent and scary but thrilling excursion where Charlie’s personality may just have saved him from being killed instantly.  Such a great character!

DI James Clarke really caught my eye too! He is a haunted soul by an experience from his childhood and he is determined to find Susie- even though all fingers point at poor, old Charlie! John Black is another mysterious character- can we trust him? Should we trust him?  What part does he play in the case of this missing child and why does he offer Charlie an opportunity that could ultimately lead to his death?  I pictured that scary fellow from Poltergeist when Mr Black was introduced…wonder if anyone else did? Turns out, John Black was a bit younger than I imagined…who knew?! ?

Max really stole the show for me – though Lucifer (who I will mention next) was not far behind her! Max is an inhabitant *coughs* of hell but boy did she rock!  Sassy, strong, sexy, determined – A real kickass lady!  Although she came across as very hard, cold on the outside, she actually had an endearing vulnerbility that really made me favour her.  She oozed class in a raunchy sort of way, if that makes sense – and had it not been for the “lives in hell” part- I’d certainly want to hang out with her! #MyKindOfWeirdo

Last but certainly not least there is Lucifer – is it wrong that I fell in love with the devil himself?  Seriously!  This character will get under your skin and have you drooling, ladies!  Power, strength, courage, a fantastic sense of humour and oh, so sexy- *fans self* – I absolutely adored his story and I can’t say anymore without giving away the best parts of this book…so I will zip my lip and let you find out for yourself what I mean.

So what can I say? Would I recommend this book- Oh My Bloody Hell I would! I loved the gothic noir feel.  The storyline was unique, gripping and the humour had me belly-laughing (and maybe snorting) throughout.  This is definitely going into my #TopReadsof2017 pile and I am extremely excited to see what the next in the series has in store!

Grab a copy of Descent to Hell via the link below: