To Reign in Hell

by Steven Brust

[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.