To Reign in Hell

by Steven Brust

Roger Zelazny (Introduction)

Originally published in 1984, Steven Brust's To Reign in Hell is a retelling of Satan's revolt against Heaven with much more sympathy for Lucifer and his allies.

Heaven is threatened by the reemergence of a cataclysmic event, a wave of energy that can destroy life and result in the loss of many angels. In preparation for this Fourth Wave, the angel Yaweh consults the angel Satan. A plan to build Earth, a new and larger Heaven that would be equipped to withstand the disaster is constructed. Satan questions the plan because doing so will sacrifice the lives of other angels, much like the Fourth Wave itself threatens to do. Charged with convincing their fellow angels to lay down their lives, Satan has reservations about their right to ask for such a sacrifice. This doubt, and the questioning of ethics, opens the door for a devious figure to manipulate Satan, developing a heavenly war.

This re-examination of Paradise Lost calls morality and villainy into question through the lens of epic fantasy is a prescient early classic with an enduring legacy and a formative text of the genre.

With an introduction by the late, great Roger Zelazny, author of Lord of Light and Nine Princes in Amber.

• ISBN10: 125034364X
• ISBN13: 9781250343642
• Publish Date: 18 November 2024 (first published 1 July 1984)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250343642

Reviews

[Metaphorosis Reviews]

Summary

Firstborn, archangels, and angels have survived three waves of chaos and built a heaven to hide in. And a plan to form a more permanent refuge for future angels starts with the best of intentions. How, then, does it all go so wrong?

Review

To Reign in Hell may well be the first Steven Brust novel I read. It may have been Jhereg, but it may equally have been this, especially with an introduction by Roger Zelazny to draw me in. In any case, I recall being just as sceptical as Zelazny of the subject matter. But, like him, I was wrong. Along with Jhereg, this was the book that convinced me Brust really knew what he was doing. I just wish he’d kept at it.

You wouldn’t think, even back in the 1980s, that there was much new to be done with Abrahamic mythology. But you’d be wrong. This is brilliant, carefully constructed comedy of errors. It’s fun to read, with just the right touch of wry humor. It’s by far the best treatment of the concept I’ve seen.

Brust does cheat a bit in places. He splits Satan and Lucifer into separate beings. And where here both are show in a sympathetic light, a key catalyst in some ways takes their place by being venal and selfish without much cause.

But overall, I think this is great, and I enjoyed it as much on this re-read 40 years later as when I initially read it. Then, Brust was largely unknown to me aside from Liavek and possibly Jhereg. Now, I think of him as an extremely talented writer who just stopped trying a long time ago. But this early book is still terrific – from that early period when he was trying, and when his books were fantastic in all the right ways. It didn’t last long, but the reason he’s still around is because of books like this one.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

To Reign in Hell is a reformat and reprint of the original classic fantasy novel by Steven Brust. Originally published in 1984, this re-release forms part of a library of classic, important SF/Fantasy historical works as part of the Tor Essentials, and was republished 15th Oct 2024 in this edition, by Macmillan on their Tor/Forge imprint. It's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is an incredibly ambitious novel about the upheaval and creation in Heaven, the angels' personifications, and the structure of the divine. There aren't a lot of authors who could honestly pull off a cohesive story without being trite and tiresome. Brust manages to do so with both wit and pathos. The characterizations are amazing, distinct, and moving.. and the prose is often sublime (hence its inclusion in a collection of speculative fiction classics). It's truly wonderfully well done. 

The forward is by Roger Zelazny, and if it's a little bit "fanboy-ish" it's no less than well deserved. He is, as always, insightful and writerly, and he makes some good points. 

Five stars. It's not an -easy- read, despite the relatively short length. It's a great book, and classic, and should be (and often is) taught in speculative fiction literature classes at the collegiate level. It would be an excellent choice (with the sister volumes) for public library acquisition, for home library collection building, and for book club study. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.