To Reign in Hell

By: Steven Brust

Narrated by: Jiraiya Addams

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

The time is the beginning. The place is heaven. The story is the revolt of the angels - a war of magic, corruption, and intrigue that could destroy the universe. To Reign in Hell was Stephen Brust's second novel, and it's a thrilling retelling of the revolt of the angels, through the lens of epic fantasy.

©1984 Steven Brust (P)2019 Steven Brust

Excellent re-telling of the creation story!

I've always loved Steven Brust and especially his Dragaeran books -- both the Taltos stories and the Khaavren romances. It's an absolute joy to revisit his books, which I've done again and again.

I first read To Reign In Hell when I was a teenager, and it holds up today. The premise is a re-imagining of the Creation story, told from the various perspectives of the major characters. I never expected to consider Mephistopheles one of my favorite characters, but... here I am. The order of the universe is very well constructed, with simple rules -- each successive wave of creation is less powerful than the last, entropy is the ultimate enemy, and the introduction of disorder through the political manipulations of an ambitious angel led to the divide between Heaven and Hell.

The narrator presents this excellent story well, with clear enunciation and a good sense of dramatic tension. The story was every bit as enjoyable in audio format as it was on the page, and I really can't recommend this enough to anyone interested. Brust is a marvelous author of rogues, and I urge everyone to try his Dragaera books as well if you liked To Reign In Hell.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

2 people found this helpful

One of the great fantasies, finally an audio book.

The first sentence of To Reign in Hell hooked me when I read it, having found it in a wire rack the year it was first published. That "overwritten" sentence showed the humor and love for words that fills this book. Only someone crazy would tackle telling the tale of the rebellion in Heaven. Only one of the finest authors could pull it off, and Steven Brust does. The characters are deep and relatable, the intrigue and politics insightful, and the whole thing tons of fun.

Jiralya Addams does a great job narrating. His voice works well for the mythic figures portrayed, though perhaps a bit off for the female parts.

Overall highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

A highly engaging novel

I think this was a brilliant book. Highly ambitious and well written. The author tackles Christian mythology with brilliance and wit. The narrator did an excellent job with the characters giving each a distinct voice. This is the first of Steven Brust’s novels that I have read and it was a wonderful introduction to a writer of quality.

2 people found this helpful

I recommend this book!

This is a great book and the narrator Jiraiya Adams brought a lot to this reading.

Everyone in Heaven were friends, and well loved to begin with. Then there's doubts, a misunderstanding, and a friend that's trying to figure out how he feels and some jerk is causing problems just to get a promotion.

Brust also examines more philosophical points, such as should you do the right thing no matter what, or should you do something the right way even if you won't be guaranteed the best result?

I love this book because of the way Brust shows that neither side was exactly wrong, and gives some foundation to their actions. Ultimately, do you do the right thing or act the right way? This is a book I will always recommend.

1 person found this helpful

A fantastic look at what might be

This was such a well-crafted story! Full of intrigue and characters that were well realized. I enjoy stories that make you question your perception of reality and stories you think you know. This really kept my interest and gave me more to think about. I highly suggest giving this a listen, as Mr. Addams did a fine job at narration, giving life to those featured in the book.

1 person found this helpful

A weighty subject that has finally been done justice

I have to say hang in there and stick to it. It will be worth it. The four stars is for the slow setup/buildup. While required for the material and the understanding of the reader it was still a little tough. Once it gets going I must say the author truly sucks you in with his character portrayals, the great dialogue and the narration 5 stars easily for being able to bring a gritty realism to it all. Listen and enjoy. No need to be a religious person to enjoy. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

1 person found this helpful

Brust Dips His Toes Into New Wave

I loved this book from the time I found it, right after reading Cowboy Feng's Space Bar & Grill. It's a text easily enjoyed on several levels, refusing to be locked into a category, able to be interpreted as historic fantasy or alegory or supernatural romance or satire.

The narrator does an excellent job of reading across those lines, playing some characters with depth and gravitas and others with whimsy and mirth. It's especially surprising when he manages to make his rather resonant baritone lilt with wistfulness.

I'd recommend the book to anyone. I'm happy to say that I can now also recommend the audiobook.

1 person found this helpful

Mis-communication and Political Intreague on High

Steven Brust's masterful interpretation of the battle for Heaven is insightful, compelling and totally believable. Well meaning first born on both sides of the battle are manipulated in a manner that would have done Machiavelli proud.
Well written with bold, larger than life characters (they are angels after all), this is a story well worth reading, whether you're a true believer or not.

1 person found this helpful

A great read

This book keeps nudging my mind even days after I finished it. This is how I know I really got into a book.
I got caught up in the characters and the scheming was devilish!

1 person found this helpful

Well developed story, better than the inspiration

The story starts off a bit slow and politicking, but helps lay a nice foundation for the later developments that come together well. It is a much more interesting twist on creation mythos, though for some reason the characters just did not engage me as much as I might hope, though I do enjoy Beelzebub.

The narration was good, with distinct and appropriate voices for the primary character, though the harp interludes I found a bit distracting they are not too frequent.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

1 person found this helpful

Heaven v hell. at its inception .

Using terminology that conjours the depth of this book, in the telling of how the battle of heaven created hell. I am no religious person quite the anti. but this book (I was given this to review so wanted to respect the Authors time given to it so continued)
But it became so compulsive, I found myself rooting for the what we would say bad guys, backstabbing and pride causing the ultimate downfall. It was narrated with a style that felt part of the scene,
A very entertaining read, flawlessly delivered and worth the read. jim