Pandemonium

by Sean Farley

[chymerra]

3.5 Stars

When I started reading Pandemonium, I wasn’t sure exactly how I would like the book. From the blurb, I assumed that this was going to be a retelling of Dante’s Inferno. Yeah, about that. It isn’t. Instead, I read a book about Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, demons and one man who wants to go back to Earth. I did like the book but there were some parts that made me go “WTH“.

Pandemonium is the story of Jackson Armstrong. Jackson is a felon with an amazing memory and a gambling problem. He is sent to Pandemonium when he dies in a car crash. Pandemonium is the place you go before Hell. A type of Purgatory. Shortly after arriving, he starts to have visions of a door. A portal where he can escape Pandemonium and reunite with his son. But, he isn’t the only one who wants to leave. A demon named Lilith wants to go back to the Garden. The two must form an uneasy alliance if they are to find the portal and escape. Can they do it? Can they escape Pandemonium?

Jackson was not a likable man. From the minute he was introduced in the book, I found him distasteful. I like that the author wrote him as not being likable, though. It made reading the book more interesting. Because I didn’t know if I should want him to reach the portal or not. The author did put a neat spin on his character when Jackson’s father appeared in the book. I got to see how Charlie shaped Jackson into what he was alive. By the end of the book, I was feeling a little sorry for him. Only because of his father. Other than that, I didn’t like it.

I loved what the author did with Lilith. He didn’t bother to touch the lore behind her. Instead, he made her into her own person. Loved it. He did reference who/what Lilith was but stopped it at that. I liked that Lilith did have some humanity in her. She could see how Charlie treated Jackson. She saw how Jackson was shaped by his father into what he was. It made her more relatable.

I do have to mention Jackson’s memory. It was amazing. The things he remembered. When I realized exactly what his father stole from him, I was angry. Jackson could have gone places with that memory of his. Instead, he was held back. Made me want to reach through the book and smack his father.

The plotlines in Pandemonium were ok. The main one definitely kept my attention. I needed to see what would happen to Lilith and Jackson. I needed to see if they made it. I did have an issue with the plotlines involving Mr. Cloot and the Pecado. Both of them creeped me out. The Pecado more than Mr. Cloot. I do wish more depth had been given to the Pecado storyline. Where did it come from? Why was it sent to Pandemonium? Where there more of it?

I do want to mention that this book is very violent and there is a descriptive scene of attempted rape. Normally, I am not bothered by violence but in this book, I was. The things that the demons did to the humans were awful. The things that the people did to each other and themselves were even worse.

The end of Pandemonium wasn’t what I expected. I was surprised by what happened. It was out of character for that person to do what they did. I was left asking more questions, though. What was going to happen to that person?

I gave Pandemonium a 3.5-star rating. I did like the book. But I felt that it was almost too violent at times. It was well written with a fast plotline and well-developed characters.

I would give Pandemonium an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is extreme violence. There is language. There are triggers. They are attempted rape. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread this book. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**