| City Infernal | 
 enlarge | Author: Edward Lee
Publisher: Leisure Books
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $2.49
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Avg. Customer Rating:  55 reviews
Sales Rank: 234941
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 366
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0843949880
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780843949889
ASIN: 0843949880
Publication Date: April 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Excellent Condition--for being read once. Book shows very light wear. 1 Hour Ship! ** 96% positive feedback past 90 days--new management overhaul! ** Shop the Internet's most eco-conscious bookseller and keep the earth clean! ** Red Carpet Books = Red Carpet Service.
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Product Description
WELCOME TO THE MEPHISTOPOLIS
Hell is a city. It stretches, literally, without enda labyrinth of smoke and waking nightmare. Just as endlessly, sewer grates belch flame from the sulphur fires that have raged beneath the streets for millennia. Clock towers spire in every district, by public law, but their faces have no hands; time is not measured here in seconds or hours but in atrocity and despair. In the center of this morass of stone and smoke and butchery and horror stands the 666-floor Mephisto Building, where Gargoyles prowl the wind-blown ledges and from whose highest garrets the innocent are hung from gibbets and left to rot for eons. The lone occupant of the very top floor looks down upon his dominion and smiles a smile that is brighter than a thousand suns. Here, yes, everyone is dead yet everyone lives forever. Welcome to the Mephistopolis. Welcome to the city of Hell. Welcome.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...
An honest review sans synopsis July 22, 2008
I'm not sure why nearly everyone thinks a review should consist mainly of a plot synopsis, but by this time I'm sure almost everyone reading this is familiar with the essential premise of the book, so I'll be skipping that here. This was also the first Edward Lee book I ever read, so I had no preconcieved notions of what his writing should be like.
I found this book to be an enjoyable, easy read with a unique and interesting take on Hell. It immediately caught my interest, which I appreciated in contrast to horror that takes chapter after chapter to build up. I would classify this book as "fun and cool." I didn't find it to be as horrific or gross as some reviewers did. Maybe I'm just jaded, but I actually thought it was a bit tame given that describing Hell essentially gives an author free reign to dwell on whatever kind of graphic torment they would like to. Sure, gross and horrific things happen, but they tend to be described in a quick and matter-of-fact way, rather than lingering on the details of things.
If you're expecting a completely serious version of Hell, or heavy horror for that matter, this book may not be for you. For me, it was serious enough to invest my fictional belief and fascination in, and fast-paced enough to engage my interest, but I didn't really find the book to be incredibly suspenseful or horrific. I would be more inclined to classify it as dark low fantasy with horror elements, but I suppose the fact that the fantastic world the main character finds herself in being Hell gets the book automatically placed in the horror genre. But for what it was, the book was good and inspired me to read the rest of the series as soon as I finished the first.
The reason why I only give the book four stars, however, is that there were a few elements that I thought were lacking. I didn't find the story to be as weak as some reviewers, however it is true that Lee does focus a great deal on descriptions of places and less on character development. On one hand, his descriptions are fantastic and satisfying in their own right. On the other, I did wish I knew the characters a little better. I felt that Cassie was explored fairly well, but the other characters seemed more like useful sidekicks and less like independent entities. There were instances where I felt that certain plot points could have been better exploited in regards to the characters than they actually were. I also found that things were a little too easy. The characters meet a few challenges and snags in their planning, but for the most part problems are fixed with something new revealed by the sidekick characters. Also, at the end of the book (which I won't give away), I thought the twist could have been better exploited, and explained for that matter, especially given some of the revelations that take place in the sequel, Infernal Angel. Despite these flaws, I think the book is well worth reading, and that Lee makes up for some of these problems in the next book.
A fun look at Hell June 17, 2008
Not much I can say summary wise that hasn't been said...
This was a very enjoyable book. The author keeps things moving along at a good pace and keeps you guessing about one character's true allegiances. I wouldn't say it's 'horror' but it definately is gruesome in it's description of the inhabitants of Hell. Lee's Hell is a very interesting place that could use more exploration.
 Gotta love Lee's vision August 31, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I made the mistake of reading Infernal Angel first before this one, so I had to go back to this book. Having said that, I find that it was not really nessecary to read them in order. Each book stands alone with Infernal Angel only making refrences to the first book once (which was my clue that there was something more).
I finished Infernal Angel and immediately ordered this book so I could see more of the "world" that Ed Lee creates. His vision of hell is so intriguing, that you want to keep reading to see what else he can come up with. From the rebels, to the lower demons, to the Grand Dukes, he creates a world that seems so real, you'll worry about your own soul and where it's going.
Much like his other books, you have to be able to take extreme horror and erotica, or he is not for you. In all of Lee's books he uses graphic depictions of either gore, sex, or a combination of both. But if you can take his style of extereme horror, then you'll like this book as a starter to what is now a trilogy (House Infernal coming in October).
B.Spitler July 23, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
What a great read!
If you are looking for a total getaway, and you like the sci-fi/thriller/horror genre, you'll love this. It's written in an ideal that has no boundaries. It's created solely from Edward Lee's imagination. And what a picture he paints! He will lead you down an exciting path. With rich descriptions of people, alive AND undead, and a city you could only find.....in one place. I recommend you read along!
 Worst read ever! June 10, 2007
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
This has to be the worst book I've ever read. The plot was ridiculous, the characters shallow, and the writing a total mess. Any time the characters were in a jam they just conjured up something out of the blue with little explanation. A guy tries to kill Cassie and her father at their house, gets knocked out, and with no explanation wakes up the next day in his own house not remembering anything. I was really looking forward to it based on other reviews and the original concept. Unfortunately I had to struggle to finish it. I wrote a better story than this when I was in third grade. I'm actually thinking about publishing that garbage because if people will buy this junk they will buy anything. I wasn't shocked in the least by the book and now have to drink heavily to scrub the memory of it from my brain.
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