#mark cain

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Wide Leg Trousers from Mark Cain (not available)

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The Reluctant Demon by Mark Cain

You know? I really want to know if the guy writing books about heaven and hell is really named Mark Cain.Anyway, this is the last in the Audible bundle I bought.Steve is a demon now, tricked into it at the end of the last book by believing that one of the devils of hell would wipe out the souls of his friends, if he didn’t choose to join the demon ranksHe’s good at all the physical aspects of…

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The Reluctant Demon by Mark Cain

You know? I really want to know if the guy writing books about heaven and hell is really named Mark Cain.

Anyway, this is the last in the Audible bundle I bought.

Steve is a demon now, tricked into it at the end of the last book by believing  that one of the devils of hell would wipe out the souls of his friends, if he didn't choose to join the demon ranks

He's good at all the physical aspects of demonhood.

He can run faster, trick better, is a stronger fighter then any of his fellow demon cadets.

He can even teleport. For all that, he just doesn't want to hurt people, and that's part of what a demon does.

No one else who became a demon understands his feelings. But it's fairly clear, yeah, he "chose" to be a demon of his own free will, but he did it as a sacrifice he didn't want to be a demon, he wanted to save those he loves.

So for all that he is good at being a demon, Satan is having a hard time getting him to actually do the job.

So that's the struggle of this book. Can Steve try to put aside his own lingering humanity and be the best demon in hell?

I still prefer the small plots of who broke the escalator and how to get the HVAC system working again, but these dealing with weighted issues are still good, and still funny. I liked the character development across the board here and am looking forward to listening to the next bundle.

[aces-and-blackberry-blossoms]

A Deal with the Devil, by Mark Cain

Third book in the Circles of Hell seriesI’m not sure I liked thos one as much as the first two. I liked the first two because they had plots, which on the surface, were very simple. Hell’s escalator broke down, Hell’s HVAC system is on the fritz, our intrepid handy man Steve and his sidekick Orson Wells need to fix the problem. Because this is hell and nothing is as easy as pulling out the…

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A Deal with the Devil, by Mark Cain

Third book in the Circles of Hell series

I'm not sure I liked this one as much as the first two. I liked the first two because they had plots, which on the surface, were very simple.

Hell's escalator broke down, Hell's HVAC system is on the fritz, our intrepid handy man Steve and his sidekick Orson Wells need to fix the problem. Because this is hell and nothing is as easy as pulling out the owners manual and a screwdriver, the job leaves plenty if room for highjinks to ensue.

Of course, just like Robert Asprin's Myth series, I know that these aren't meant to be episodic adventures where the last story has no bearing on the next ( though if any setting could get away with that, I would think it would be this cartoon like version of hell). I knew from a few chapters into the first book, there was going to be character development. And where there is character development there is pain for the character experiencing the growth. This isn't a bad thing, but since I read the Myth series I tend to dread when a huge turning point happens in a humorous series.

The Myth books started taking themselves way too seriously, it turned into a lot of characters pouting for extended periods of time. I mean, one whole book is about a character running away rather than ask if there has been a misunderstanding. Usually in comedy this makes for a pretty good adventure with plenty of laughs. But this book sort of turned into the "very special episode " and that tone never really went away, and the series never really recovered its fun. At least in my opinion.

So, while this book isn't bad, and is still really funny, it's heavy.

I can't do much to avoid spoilers for the last two books since this plot is really ties into them.

People Steve care about are vanishing all across the circles of the damned. Hell's chief of police has deputiezed Steve and Orson to find out what's happening. While trying to find their friends, Steve has to endure temptation.

See, over the course of the first two books, Satan has decided that he wants Steve to become a demon.

Damned souls have to *choose* of their own free will to become demons. Steve doesn't want to join the ranks of Hell's foot soldiers. He doesn't want to torment people and he doesn't want to lose his humanity. He's stuck to his guns even though life for a demon is better than for a damned soul. They don't get hit in the face with a pie and blasted with hell fire when they express a sincere emotion. The elevator comes when they call it, their houses aren't roach infested. None of this temps him. But while Steve is out looking for his friends, Satan has told every demon and devil to give a pitch. He could have good food, relaxation, women!

So that's the plot. Steve trying to track down missing souls and being tempted by demonhood every step of the way.

There's a lot of talk about free will, imortal souls and morality between the slapstick and puns. I enjoyed it, I just hope that it the next books don't go all mopey on me.

[darklingichor]

Hell’s Super; A Cold Day in Hell, by Mark Cain

These came in an Audible bundle with the first four books of the series, but I have a hard time marathoning books, so I took a break between book 2 and book 3.

In Hell’s Super, we meet Steve Minion. In life, Steve was an economics professor, in death, he’s Hell’s head handyman. Because hell is all about eternal torment, and his was the sin of pride, he’s not good at it, so hell is not in the best of repair.

In this series’ version of hell, it is nearly impossible to get into heaven. Think Florence Nightingale. So, Orson Wells is Steve’s assistant, and various other perfectly fine individuals are serving time for various sins.

The plot is that Hell’s Escalator that takes the damned from the pearly gates to their sin holding pin, has broken down. Hell’s Elevator is unreliable, and the Stairway is in disrepair. So Steve is tasked by Satan himself to fix the escalator and find out who sabotaged it.

What follows is if Dante were possessed by Loony Tunes.

In A Cold Day in Hell, Steve and Orson have to deal with Hell’s HVAC system being on the fritz and if it gets too cold, everything someone has ever been said with “It will be a cold day in hell when…” on any plane of existence, will come true. So, they are racing against the clock to heat hell back up and prevent reality from going topsy turvy.

I’m in love with these books, they are very much in the same genre of Christopher Moore and John Scalizi. Funny as all get out, but also full of heart.

Steve really is pretty well resigned to his eternity, which in his case has more to do with boredom than pain and torment. He also has a smart mouth so its funny when he pops off to demons and to Satan.

Read these, they are awesome!

[your-daily-quote]

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.”

Mark Cain

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The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.

Mark Cain