REVIEWS
PUBLISHERS
WEEKLY – August 20th,
2007
Best known for extraordinarily imaginative fantasy art, Barlowe (Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials) now sets his talents to writing equally compelling speculative fiction. Inspired by Paradise Lost, Barlowe conjures up the creatures who sided with Lucifer and were ejected from heaven, thrown down into Hell to become freakishly mangled demons. After innumerable eons of exile, the demon Sargatanas has started to dream of being reunited with God. Sargatanas amasses an army to aid him in overthrowing Lucifer's regent, Beelzebub, in an attempt to catch God's eye. In a flash of inspiration, Sargatanas adds human souls to his army, under the direction of Hannibal. Together, human sinners and once-rebellious demons unite to vanquish Beelzebub in an all-out war. Barlowe's interpretation is not for the squeamish, with its horrifically explicit descriptions of demonic behavior, but it's a compelling view of Hell and of a demon who seeks redemption. (Oct.)
KIRKUS – August 15, 2007
Hell's denizens struggle for redemption in this evocative epic fantasy, inspired by Barlowe's own artwork. After the War in Heaven was lost, the fallen angels became demons and built vast new cities in Hell, mainly constructed of damned souls transformed into bricks. No one has seen Lucifer since the Fall, and Beelzebub, a powerful, hideous figure composed of thousands of flies, rules as Prince from the dreadful city of Dis. Meanwhile, the Demon Major Sargatanas is determined to preserve the memory of his once-noble existence as a seraph by constructing the city of Adamantinarx, which attempts to echo the glory he had known. And it is the shreds of that nobility that eventually makes Hell impossible for Sargatanas to endure. He resolves to see if he can send a message to Heaven, demonstrating his intention to return to the light by rebelling against Beelzebub's depraved rule. Joining him in this exceptionally risky enterprise are a host of demons, plus Lilith, Adam's cast-down first wife and Beelzebub's runaway consort, and the soul of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. The plot drives forward in a fairly straightforward, episodic manner, with little in the way of twists and turns—readers seeking surprises should look elsewhere. Barlowe's primary interest seems to be to repaint his landscapes in words and to breathe life, or afterlife, into his characters. In those aims, he succeeds; at some points, his depictions of both the grandeur and the horror of Hell even surpass his original paintings and drawings, available for comparison on the book's cover as well as at the associated website. From Barlowe (Barlowe's Inferno, 1999, etc.), a vivid travelogue of a place we'd all like to avoid.
Harriet Klausner as found on Barnes&Noble’s GOD’S DEMON page
The civil war in Heaven ended with fallen angels banished to Hell. There a restrictive hierarchy formed with Beelzebub on the top of the pyramid and human sinners in the ooze at the bottom. Most of the Fallen are either pleased with the brutally oppressed set up especially those near the top or just too frightened to complain as Beezlebub runs a tightly controlled chain of command. However, there are rivalries running competing micro kingdoms mostly within a layer in which a local ruler wants an edge, but none come close to impacting the top leadership. However, one angry former angel General Sargatanus has never forgotten The First War; he lives in anguish over the defeat and what could have been if Lucifer let the Generals run the fight and is livid that his side has given up hope for eternity. He wants back in Heaven, but fears open rebellion in Hell as his superiors are contented with the status quo of abusing those beneath them and strict obeisance to those above them in the chain of command. He decides he has enough subjugating to losers and he might as well have stayed upstairs if he has to kneel for eternity. When he is pushed over the edge, all hell breaks loose as he and several others of the downtrodden demonic fallen angels and the once human damned explode; civil war has occurred again this time starting in Hell as Sargatanus believes he cannot fall any further than he already has so this is step one in his strategic plan to win the Second War Between Heaven and Hell. Hell seems real and the Fallen appear genuine turning Wayne Barlowe's allegorical thriller into a fabulous exciting tale. GOD'S DEMON contains parallels to church hierarchy and American Federalism with Congressional fiefdoms and an imperial President ruling Hell instead of America. Fans will enjoy Mr. Barlowe's deep look at the players making up his Inferno.
BOOKGASM - September 19, 2007
GOD’S DEMON is by well-known artist Wayne Barlowe, of whom I am a huge fan. He’s a man of fantastic imagination, famous for his portrayals of alien life and landscapes. This time, he sets his sights on Hell and eternal damnation. The war for Heaven has just ended, the losers are banished to Hell, and what follows is a rather complex tale of treachery and – to a certain degree – redemption. I was skeptical at first, but hardcore fans can rest assured that Barlowe writes with the same imagination and passion as he illustrates. GOD’S DEMON is the closest thing we have to a modern-day version of Milton’s Paradise Lost, which served as inspiration for Barlowe’s latest work of genius. But if you’re like me and fascinated by the man’s imaginative drawings, you also will want to hold out for an illustrated version. - Matt Adder
ROMANTIC TIMES - A Top Pick - September 2007
Artist Barlowe is well known for his visual interpretations of hell. His first novel, based on those visions, is an electrifying, chilling trip through the netherworld. The landscape is so well depicted, you can smell the brimstone and feel the despair. Demons are portrayed in all their hideous forms, and their traits and personalities are skillfully revealed.
BOOKLIST - Starred Review - October 2007
Consigned to Hell after their war against God, many of the Fallen have long given over to their demonic transformation and no longer yearn for the Above. The kingdom of Hell, divided into fiefdoms headed by Demons Major, is ruled by one such demon, Beelzebub the Fly, whose descent into cruelty is legendary even in Hell. Yet one of the Fallen, Sargatanas, ruler of the city Adamantinarx-upon-the-Acheron, has never forgotten what has been lost. He is the one noble, anguished demon in a sea of corruption, and he asks the question that shakes Hell to its core: When will the Fallen have had enough punishment? Sargatanas and the demons and damned souls he rallies rebel against Beelzebub’s oppressive rule, hoping to catch the eye of Above and prove worthy of redemption. Barlowe’s envisioning of the landscape, architecture, and denizens of Hell is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It is vivid, surreal, sickening, and compelling. But this isn’t just a book about a place. The characters are equally alive, evoking pity and disgust, sympathy and horror. Though not for the squeamish, this is a fascinating novel that will ring true to anyone who has ever hoped for forgiveness. - Krista Hutley.
FANTASY BOOK CRITIC - October 12, 2007
From acclaimed artist Wayne Barlowe, whose distinctive stamp can be found in literature (Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials, Expedition), film (Harry Potter 3 + 4, Blade II, Hellboy), television (Discovery Channel’s Alien Planet, Babylon 5) and videogames (Dead Rush, Prototype) as well as appearing in numerous museums, Time, Life and Newsweek, comes the creator’s latest visionary piece “God’s Demon”, an extraordinary fantasy novel set in the bowels of Hell. - To read complete review click here.
Sci Fi.com - October 22, 2007
WAYNE BARLOWE an acclaimed and honored artist in the genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror, issued a book of paintings titled Barlowe's Inferno in 1999. Inspired by Dante's classic work, this book planted the seed of the novel currently under discussion. But whereas the earlier work seems, from reports I have seen of it, to have hewn fairly closely to Dante's vision, this novel is inspired at least as much by Milton's classic conception of the war in heaven and subsequent fall, and it's also a product of Barlowe's own unique iconography and myth-making talents. - To read complete review click here.
