Scan barcode
katzenkindliest's review against another edition
3.0
Sehr gut gelesen, und mit blühender Phantasie auch gut geschrieben. Trotzdem kommt es von der Story her lange nicht an den ersten Teil.
terracottageek's review against another edition
2.0
This one doesn't measure up to the first book. I am however hopefully that the next one will be better.
lancenichols's review against another edition
2.0
I could not finish this book. I found it originally on the end cap of a B&N and thought the premise sounded interesting. An angel in love with a demon, and ventures into Hell to try and rescue her from her demon Lord?
Sadly I could not get into the long, almost overly descriptive, prose. I get it, a river in Hell is closer to a sewer on Earth. It doesn’t need rehashing every time you mention the river.
There promises a good bit of character development for Bobby Dollar, but I fear the story won’t deliver. I may come back to this during a less busy time, but I just could not endure it further.
Sadly I could not get into the long, almost overly descriptive, prose. I get it, a river in Hell is closer to a sewer on Earth. It doesn’t need rehashing every time you mention the river.
There promises a good bit of character development for Bobby Dollar, but I fear the story won’t deliver. I may come back to this during a less busy time, but I just could not endure it further.
innowen's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received an ARC PDF from netgalley in exchange for this review. However, because I already love the series, I purchased an ePub the day it came out.
Tad Williams is a master storyteller. Happy Hour in Hell is the second book in his Bobby Dollar series. In this book, we get to follow Bobby down into Williams's version of Hell, as Bobby attempts to rescue his love, Caz, from the demon Eligor. Hijinxs ensure and we're treated to a very spooky, but well written second story into the life of Bobby Dollar.
Williams really can write. His vision of Hell is dark, gross, disgusting and every bit a horror as we can think. I'm impressed with the descriptions of the various levels and the critters that run around in the planes. It really does give us the impression of how crappy a place it is and how horrible it can be looking from an angel's perspective. We're also treated to Dollar's personality and quips as he runs around the underworld, looking for Casimira.
What I didn't like was the direction that this series took quickly... we went from book one where we introduce our protagonist, the setting, and how Heaven and Hell work to this book where we see our protagonist jump straight down to hell to rescue someone he had a weekend fling with. It seems a bit contradictory to everything that I've read in the genre but... then again, I can only wait to see where this is going.
Bottom Line: If you're a fan of Tad Williams, good gumshoe urban fantasy novels, and dark views of Hell, then this is the book for you.
Tad Williams is a master storyteller. Happy Hour in Hell is the second book in his Bobby Dollar series. In this book, we get to follow Bobby down into Williams's version of Hell, as Bobby attempts to rescue his love, Caz, from the demon Eligor. Hijinxs ensure and we're treated to a very spooky, but well written second story into the life of Bobby Dollar.
Williams really can write. His vision of Hell is dark, gross, disgusting and every bit a horror as we can think. I'm impressed with the descriptions of the various levels and the critters that run around in the planes. It really does give us the impression of how crappy a place it is and how horrible it can be looking from an angel's perspective. We're also treated to Dollar's personality and quips as he runs around the underworld, looking for Casimira.
What I didn't like was the direction that this series took quickly... we went from book one where we introduce our protagonist, the setting, and how Heaven and Hell work to this book where we see our protagonist jump straight down to hell to rescue someone he had a weekend fling with. It seems a bit contradictory to everything that I've read in the genre but... then again, I can only wait to see where this is going.
Bottom Line: If you're a fan of Tad Williams, good gumshoe urban fantasy novels, and dark views of Hell, then this is the book for you.
minotaursmaze's review against another edition
Dante without the poetry, there are only so many descriptions you can read about how horrible hell is before becoming bored. And he did it all for love for someone he slept with for one weekend. NO
spiritismus's review against another edition
2.0
The first book had me really excited! Good writing, good characters, a mystery, some love.. it had it all.
This sequel dissapointed me. The writing was still good, there were still some good and interesting characters... but too little happened for it to keep me interested. The visit to Hell took too long and honestly it bored me a little. It was just like yadayada torture here and there and put that on repeat. Exactly what one expects from Hell though, so I'm not sure what to make of all this. Maybe it was meant to be character building or at least make life hard for the protagonist.. but all it did for me was make me skip some parts.
I'm almost a little sad about how much this book dissapointed me because the first book was so good and I really like Bobby/Doloriel.
I will have to read the 3th book to make up my mind about this series I guess.
This sequel dissapointed me. The writing was still good, there were still some good and interesting characters... but too little happened for it to keep me interested. The visit to Hell took too long and honestly it bored me a little. It was just like yadayada torture here and there and put that on repeat. Exactly what one expects from Hell though, so I'm not sure what to make of all this. Maybe it was meant to be character building or at least make life hard for the protagonist.. but all it did for me was make me skip some parts.
I'm almost a little sad about how much this book dissapointed me because the first book was so good and I really like Bobby/Doloriel.
I will have to read the 3th book to make up my mind about this series I guess.
alaris's review against another edition
2.0
disappointing followup. Dollar seemed savvier in book 1, but surprised/unsuspicious here. So much description of torture really didn't improve anything.
daejmonet's review
2.0
I know I'm late to the party. I do not often leave reviews for books, especially not negative ones. I have a nagging suspicion that this is because I read a ridiculous amount of books and it would be exhausting to do this every time. Most times they are mediocre, or forgettable. Many I have a deep fondness for. And in neither case do I want people to read my thoughts on them.
In fact, the only reason why I'm even writing this one in the first place is because I am sorely disappointed. And not only in Williams. In Patrick Rothfuss. For blurb-ing this book and convincing me that it would be worth the time I spent on it. (I understand that he is entitled to his own opinion, but it is an opinion I value very highly, and in this case specifically it was a massive let-down.)
The first novel was good. (Not great. Good.) It had all of the description, character development, and delicious plot that this one was lacking. (I had beef with that one as well, but like I said I do not often write reviews and in that case I didn't feel the compulsion to). I will not bore you with my complaint that this book was WAY TOO LONG FOR ALL OF THE WRONG REASONS. Because you can basically scroll this page at random, select a review under 3 stars and see that this was a common upsetting factor.
The different levels were very interesting and I would've very happily invested an entire day reading only descriptions of Hell, but that was not what I came to this book for. The first book kept me invested with the mystery, the concept, the action. This book had all of the potential, but it fell short. And let me tell you the main reason behind WHY it fell short to me:
Bobby Dollar is a horny asshole.
He may have been deserving to go to Heaven, but how in the world did he become an angel?!? This entire painstaking voyage could have been avoided if he wasn't thinking only with his little friend!
Without ever speaking with Caz he was very nearly head-over-heels for her. She was mysterious and sexy (in a borderline inappropriately childlike way) and that's all grand and fine. But what caused this angel, who has no doubt met and bed countless women, to fall her HER?!? To fall for her so thoroughly that he takes a trip to HELL to rescue her. He knows as much as we know about her, which amounts to very little (besides the fact that her story from AGES ago evokes pity and she needs to get away from her demon boyfriend). Despite that fact and although he is an ANGEL he notices and meets many a folk on this voyage who were not deserving of spending an eternity damned and he accepts the idea that not one person can be helped/saved besides the WOMAN HE BARELY KNOWS WHO HE APPARENTLY WANTS TO SPEND THE REST OF HIS IMMORTAL LIFE WITH.
And the sex. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good erotic novel. But I have read more graphic, more erotic novels that have had more character and love development than this book. Every scene they were together consisted only of sex, and then small meaningless conversations between sex. There was absolutely nothing that made me like either of these characters more in these scenes and there was zero passion.
I'm going to circle back to the one thing that this entire book is about. Dollar has magic feather to use as collateral against a much more powerful demon. It really irks me that Dollar couldn't think of one thing other than saving the girl he kept referring to as his girlfriend (which makes no sense) with this feather, when I, a simple human girl, could think of quite literally a million other things he could've done with it. Including (but not limited to) finding an easier way to contact and blackmail said powerful, evil demon dude rather than going to HELL. For Gods sake, the guys owns a business in the city he lives in....! There were too many holes in this story. The end.
That is literally all I half to say, because that is all the book was about. I probably won't read book three and I think honestly I might be a happier person because of it.
In fact, the only reason why I'm even writing this one in the first place is because I am sorely disappointed. And not only in Williams. In Patrick Rothfuss. For blurb-ing this book and convincing me that it would be worth the time I spent on it. (I understand that he is entitled to his own opinion, but it is an opinion I value very highly, and in this case specifically it was a massive let-down.)
The first novel was good. (Not great. Good.) It had all of the description, character development, and delicious plot that this one was lacking. (I had beef with that one as well, but like I said I do not often write reviews and in that case I didn't feel the compulsion to). I will not bore you with my complaint that this book was WAY TOO LONG FOR ALL OF THE WRONG REASONS. Because you can basically scroll this page at random, select a review under 3 stars and see that this was a common upsetting factor.
The different levels were very interesting and I would've very happily invested an entire day reading only descriptions of Hell, but that was not what I came to this book for. The first book kept me invested with the mystery, the concept, the action. This book had all of the potential, but it fell short. And let me tell you the main reason behind WHY it fell short to me:
Bobby Dollar is a horny asshole.
He may have been deserving to go to Heaven, but how in the world did he become an angel?!? This entire painstaking voyage could have been avoided if he wasn't thinking only with his little friend!
Without ever speaking with Caz he was very nearly head-over-heels for her. She was mysterious and sexy (in a borderline inappropriately childlike way) and that's all grand and fine. But what caused this angel, who has no doubt met and bed countless women, to fall her HER?!? To fall for her so thoroughly that he takes a trip to HELL to rescue her. He knows as much as we know about her, which amounts to very little (besides the fact that her story from AGES ago evokes pity and she needs to get away from her demon boyfriend). Despite that fact and although he is an ANGEL he notices and meets many a folk on this voyage who were not deserving of spending an eternity damned and he accepts the idea that not one person can be helped/saved besides the WOMAN HE BARELY KNOWS WHO HE APPARENTLY WANTS TO SPEND THE REST OF HIS IMMORTAL LIFE WITH.
And the sex. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good erotic novel. But I have read more graphic, more erotic novels that have had more character and love development than this book. Every scene they were together consisted only of sex, and then small meaningless conversations between sex. There was absolutely nothing that made me like either of these characters more in these scenes and there was zero passion.
I'm going to circle back to the one thing that this entire book is about. Dollar has magic feather to use as collateral against a much more powerful demon. It really irks me that Dollar couldn't think of one thing other than saving the girl he kept referring to as his girlfriend (which makes no sense) with this feather, when I, a simple human girl, could think of quite literally a million other things he could've done with it. Including (but not limited to) finding an easier way to contact and blackmail said powerful, evil demon dude rather than going to HELL. For Gods sake, the guys owns a business in the city he lives in....! There were too many holes in this story. The end.
That is literally all I half to say, because that is all the book was about. I probably won't read book three and I think honestly I might be a happier person because of it.
clyssandre's review against another edition
5.0
You'd think everything has been imagined about Hell. Yet, Happy Hour in Hell really manages to come up with some new ideas, many of them cruel or somewhat disturbing, and make Bobby Dollar's exploration of it absolutely riveting. There's a lot of violent fights in this book, gory depictions of torture and other "niceties" you can expect in Hell, so it might not be suitable for the faint-hearted.
However, if you can enjoy a horror story, Happy Hour in Hell is certainly one of the most entertaining I read lately. I picked the book as a relaxing read and it did the job 100%. It's a rather traditional save-the-princess epic-fantasy quest (which I'd usually find boring), except it's in Hell and that the princess is damned. There's a lot of actions, a remarkably creative world, some unforgettable characters, and even some thought-provoking discussions about the Hell/Heaven idea along the way. It's also pretty funny.
However, if you can enjoy a horror story, Happy Hour in Hell is certainly one of the most entertaining I read lately. I picked the book as a relaxing read and it did the job 100%. It's a rather traditional save-the-princess epic-fantasy quest (which I'd usually find boring), except it's in Hell and that the princess is damned. There's a lot of actions, a remarkably creative world, some unforgettable characters, and even some thought-provoking discussions about the Hell/Heaven idea along the way. It's also pretty funny.
bydandii's review against another edition
3.0
Not as enjoyable as the first, but it has its moments.