City Infernal

I actually read this book after Infernal Angel. I don't know why, but I am almost glad I did. Because I was interested in what happened to Cassie the first time around and I feel if I had read this first I would have been bored by the long recap in Infernal Angel. The city is awesome. It's gross and inventive. He really took the time to back up his world, I like that. I liked the character Cassie and kind of felt attached to her. I hope he writes more about the Mephistopolis in the future. Great book, I recommend to anyone who loves Lee, Horror, or has a fascination with Hell.

Cassie and her sister Lissa are typical young Goth girls. Though they are twins, each have their own emotional issues and depressing angle at which to observe life. While at a Goth club one evening, Cassie makes the mistake of kissing Lissa's boyfriend (with some prompting by the boyfriend), and Lissa goes over the edge. She pulls a gun and kills her boyfriend and then herself. Trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, in addition to trying to heal emotional wounds and recover from their loss, Cassie and her father move to a much more rural locale in the backwoods of Virginia. Little do they know that their new home was the former home of a Satanist, and contains a doorway to Hell. A trio of dead souls, Via, Xeke, and Hush, who squat at the Deadpass in Cassie's house as fugitives and ex-residents, confront Cassie one day, and the three of them inform her that she is an Etheress. She unwittingly meets some very particular conditions that give her the ability to visit the infernal city and stir things up a bit in the process. Of course, her only goal is to find her sister and apologize for the unfortunate events that landed her in a place and position of eternal damnation. Hell, however, isn't all that Cassie had imagined it would be. The city has evolved via advanced technology just as any other city in the Living World has. As Cassie explores the Mephistopolis, she finds that she has a lot to learn, and that things are more than meets the eye. Every street corner is ripe with depictions of systematized evil and atrocious oddities. Edward Lee definitely ranks up there as one of my favorite authors. He has a simple, yet intensely descriptive way of describing the worlds he envisions and creates in all of his works. The Mephistopolis in this book is no different. This particular depiction of Hell is intricately woven and extremely well thought out, as is the plot in general. The picture of Hell that Lee has drawn within these pages is one of diabolical evil and grandiose design, and Lee hasn't left out a single detail, making for a titillating excursion that shouldn't be missed by anyone. If you are familiar with any of Lee's other works, you know that he tends to push the extremes when it comes to the "gross-out" element of his writing. His literary signature is one of severe and extravagant, yet fascinating and intriguing, brutality that borders on the obscene and vulgar. In City Infernal, the portrayals tend to be much mellower, making this a great introduction to his work and something those with slightly weaker stomachs can enjoy. This book was a fast-paced and fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I have already bought and look forward to reading the sequel, "Infernal Angel." Very highly recommended!

I was one of those who read the negative reviews and bought the book with trepidation, but once I opened it up, I couldn't stop reading it until it was finished. Let's just say that I devoured this book during one very long night and it stayed with me long after. Leisure Books brings out tons of really great books, but occasionally there's one that stands out amongst all of them. City Infernal is that book.As a semi-aging goth, I identified with the main character Cassie who is very confused and lost after contributing to an event that sent her twin sister over the edge and caused her to commit suicide. Cassie and her father move to a small rural southern town and from there the story gets going. Its at this house that she meets up with a ragtag group of teenagers who guide her into hell itself to find her sister. From this point, I won't give anything else away just to say that hell is a very colorful and incredibly imagined city. Mr. Lee took a interesting concept and turned it into a strange and frightening city of the dead. There are all manner of demons here and hellish traps not to mention an odd plot twist with warring demons and a plot to overthrow Lucifer's grip on the city. This book is exceptional and there are funny parts too. Cassie's trip to the local redneck store was really funny, not to mention her friendship with a one-armed redneck.All in all, a great book and one I highly recommend.

Edward Lee is the one author who can grab me by the throat from page one and keep me guessing till the end. His plot twists are masterful. His characters are always life-like and believable. His wicked sense of humor rings through and makes me laugh out loud. And in City Infernal, his vision of what hell is like...man, this just blew my mind! Such creativity. Let's just say: Hell might be a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there! At least, not in Edward Lee's Hell!!And this is one of his milder books...Ed Lee is truly an original. BUY THIS BOOK if you want intelligent, well-written horror with wit, fast-pacing, humor and a raucous sense of adventure! I've already purchased extra copies of City Infernal to give to family and friends. Yes, it's THAT good.Once you get started reading Lee, you'll wonder how you ever put up with the hum drum drivel you're used to reading. Lee spoils ya as a reader. There's not a dull moment in his novels. YOU'LL LOVE HIM! Also, check out DAHMER'S NOT DEAD, BIGHEAD and CREEKERS. You won't be sorry.