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Circles in Hell #2
A Cold Day In Hell
"Paranormal humor that can sit on the same shelf with Christopher Moore’s best: madcap lunacy!"
Steve and Orson are back in this cracked sequel to Hell's Super, book two in the new satire and humor series, Circles In Hell. This time, the guys must fix Hell's heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which has failed. Hell is getting progressively colder, and things are a lot more serious than devils and demons needing to put on some sweaters. If you've ever used the expression, "It will be a cold day in Hell before ..." then you know that there are metaphysical ramifications involved. The HVAC system must be fixed before all Hell freezes over, which is an even worse state than just a bit of frigid weather. Still, anything can happen on A Cold Day In Hell � even a paranormal comedy romance that becomes a whacky love triangle.
A Cold Day In Hell Is the second volume in the new fantasy comedy series, Circles in Hell. It has been compared to other works of paranormal humor and Hell fiction including The Screwtape Letters and Good Omens and to the writings of Tom Holt, Christopher Moore and Douglas Adams.
_______________________________________________
Comedy Fiction Book Categories
>Satire and Humor
>Fantasy Comedy
>Hell Fiction
>Devils and Demons
>Paranormal Humor
>Paranormal Comedy Romance
Steve and Orson are back in this cracked sequel to Hell's Super, book two in the new satire and humor series, Circles In Hell. This time, the guys must fix Hell's heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which has failed. Hell is getting progressively colder, and things are a lot more serious than devils and demons needing to put on some sweaters. If you've ever used the expression, "It will be a cold day in Hell before ..." then you know that there are metaphysical ramifications involved. The HVAC system must be fixed before all Hell freezes over, which is an even worse state than just a bit of frigid weather. Still, anything can happen on A Cold Day In Hell � even a paranormal comedy romance that becomes a whacky love triangle.
A Cold Day In Hell Is the second volume in the new fantasy comedy series, Circles in Hell. It has been compared to other works of paranormal humor and Hell fiction including The Screwtape Letters and Good Omens and to the writings of Tom Holt, Christopher Moore and Douglas Adams.
_______________________________________________
Comedy Fiction Book Categories
>Satire and Humor
>Fantasy Comedy
>Hell Fiction
>Devils and Demons
>Paranormal Humor
>Paranormal Comedy Romance
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2015
284 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
About the author
Mark Cain
27Ìýbooks221ÌýfollowersWriter living in Austin, Texas.
My work could best be described as satire, with a little fantasy thrown in. This is a good characterization of my comic fantasy series, CIRCLES IN HELL.
Here is a link to the series page.
My work could best be described as satire, with a little fantasy thrown in. This is a good characterization of my comic fantasy series, CIRCLES IN HELL.
Here is a link to the series page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
December 24, 2018
This series is growing on me.
April 9, 2020
This series is always fun to read.
September 9, 2015
I don't know why but I love books of this genre. There is something about the humorous imaginings of Heaven and Hell that I find great.
This book is a light, funny, sarcastic look at hell. Steve Minion is Hell's Super(intendent) why? Because he's terrible at it. See in this Hell your punishment is to be tortured. Hate Filing you'll be a civil servant in Hell. Like telling people what to do? You'll be a subservient who can't do anything without permission and instruction.
In this book Hell is freezing over... or at least chilling down and if you've ever said "It will be a Cold day in Hell...." then you can imagine the implications. So Steve's boss Beelzebub had Steve, his assistant Orson (Wells) trying to fix Hell's heater; before it is a cold day in... or Hell freezes over....
This book is a light, funny, sarcastic look at hell. Steve Minion is Hell's Super(intendent) why? Because he's terrible at it. See in this Hell your punishment is to be tortured. Hate Filing you'll be a civil servant in Hell. Like telling people what to do? You'll be a subservient who can't do anything without permission and instruction.
In this book Hell is freezing over... or at least chilling down and if you've ever said "It will be a Cold day in Hell...." then you can imagine the implications. So Steve's boss Beelzebub had Steve, his assistant Orson (Wells) trying to fix Hell's heater; before it is a cold day in... or Hell freezes over....
July 11, 2015
What a delight!!!
Cain has done it again with this one! Funny. Clever. Witty. It is laugh out loud good reading! Absolutely entertaining!!! So happy to have stumbled upon such a great and different read! Now i am anxiously awaiting #3 in this series!!!
Cain has done it again with this one! Funny. Clever. Witty. It is laugh out loud good reading! Absolutely entertaining!!! So happy to have stumbled upon such a great and different read! Now i am anxiously awaiting #3 in this series!!!
March 30, 2016
Want to take a romp through Hell as Satan's handyman? This series of books are hilarious and fun. The way the writer weaves in characters from history and shows us their 'punishments' is delicious.
enjoy.
enjoy.
June 27, 2020
A definite upgrade from the first book that had a weak plot and a disappointing finale. Cain seemed to have gained some confidence in the characters and their interactions in this second book as well as developed an actual plot line with an antagonist and several protagonists working together. The humor in the first book often fell flat as it seemed Cain was often times explaining his jokes (most of which is slapstick). Book two did a much better job of just dropping in funny moments and let the reader appreciate them without telling why it was funny. After reading the first book I was hesitant to read the second, but now I am looking forward to opening up the third installment. Kudos to Cain for learning from his first attempt and improving on a solid idea.
August 9, 2017
Moderately amusing but not up to the fist book in the series standards of humor IMHO.
July 9, 2015
Steve the Super and Orsen Wells are back with Booh, Beezy and a whole new cast of quirky characters. Last time the guys fixed the elevator serving all levels of hell. This time it's refrigeration because what could be worse than hot? A frozen hell! The ramifications of hell freezing over are endless and that's where Mark Cain takes us ... through some of those possibilities with wit, adventures and decidedly dark humor.
The characterizations are excellent. As with Hell's Super, I like the fact the author is tech savvy enough to be able to write with asperity and comedy when dealing with the technical side of weird problems Steve is compelled by Satan to resolve. The scenes are descriptive and perfectly staged. Some of the descriptions of the suffering were a bit dark for me but those areas were infrequent and edged with a caustic humor that helped retain focus on the central plot. Paradoxes develop in this second book of the series and I will be interested to see how they resolve in the next install.
Mark Cain has excellent skills and he uses them incisively for a fast paced and funny read.
The characterizations are excellent. As with Hell's Super, I like the fact the author is tech savvy enough to be able to write with asperity and comedy when dealing with the technical side of weird problems Steve is compelled by Satan to resolve. The scenes are descriptive and perfectly staged. Some of the descriptions of the suffering were a bit dark for me but those areas were infrequent and edged with a caustic humor that helped retain focus on the central plot. Paradoxes develop in this second book of the series and I will be interested to see how they resolve in the next install.
Mark Cain has excellent skills and he uses them incisively for a fast paced and funny read.
August 17, 2015
After having read the first part of the series, Hell's Super, I went into reading this one with high expectations. I was not let down. Just like the first book, this one is a highly funny, quirky and intelligent read, mocking but never disrespectful. I love the way the author combines all sorts of faith - Christian, Greek, Norse, you name it - for his personal version of an afterlife in hell.
In this book now, Steve, hell's man for everything that needs to be fixed, faces the challenges of not only having to repair hell's heating system, but also of having to find out who broke it in the first place. And he doesn't have much time, because with the system down, a cold day in hell is imminent, up to and including what the author so beautifully describes as 'metaphysical ramifications'. And a cold day in hell is nothing compared to what might happen if all hell freezes over...
I very much enjoyed reading this book, so much so that I completely forgot myself and laughed out loud, or went to read the best parts to my husband.
In this book now, Steve, hell's man for everything that needs to be fixed, faces the challenges of not only having to repair hell's heating system, but also of having to find out who broke it in the first place. And he doesn't have much time, because with the system down, a cold day in hell is imminent, up to and including what the author so beautifully describes as 'metaphysical ramifications'. And a cold day in hell is nothing compared to what might happen if all hell freezes over...
I very much enjoyed reading this book, so much so that I completely forgot myself and laughed out loud, or went to read the best parts to my husband.
March 21, 2016
This is "a hell of a lot of fun." Pun intended, obviously. Cain has upped the ante with this sequel, Minion and Orson provide plenty of laughs, all while saving earth, hell and heaven from the repercussions of hell freezing over.
The quality of the mystery has improved significantly, and the jokes are just as delightfully predictable. Things are complicated with Florence, though they seem to be improving. We'll see where it goes.
There is quite a bit of language, and some sexual innuendo.
Michael Gilboe delivers the story superbly, he really captures the characters and tone of the tale extremely well. I'm rather looking forward to the rest of the series.
The quality of the mystery has improved significantly, and the jokes are just as delightfully predictable. Things are complicated with Florence, though they seem to be improving. We'll see where it goes.
There is quite a bit of language, and some sexual innuendo.
Michael Gilboe delivers the story superbly, he really captures the characters and tone of the tale extremely well. I'm rather looking forward to the rest of the series.
February 19, 2016
The comedy continues with just as many bad jokes as were in the first book. The 'bad guy' wasn't as obvious in this one. The narration was excellent and the pace was steady. I look forward to the next book.
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."
February 22, 2016
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
A funny re-visit with the maintenance department in "Hell." Loved seeing them trying to repair HVAC system.
The narration was well done, had me laughing out loud.
A funny re-visit with the maintenance department in "Hell." Loved seeing them trying to repair HVAC system.
The narration was well done, had me laughing out loud.
March 15, 2016
Another Excellent Read
I love science fiction and fantasy. Always have; but stick me on an island and force me to choose, and it's going to be humorous stories exactly like this series that I want with me. Great read. Thank you, Mr. Cain, for the enjoyment you've provided me.
I love science fiction and fantasy. Always have; but stick me on an island and force me to choose, and it's going to be humorous stories exactly like this series that I want with me. Great read. Thank you, Mr. Cain, for the enjoyment you've provided me.
March 9, 2019
Really enjoyed reading this book. I don't stress about well being of the characters but there is enough adventure and laughter that I care and enjoy the actual reading process. :)
September 19, 2018
A Cold Day in Hell takes of from where Hell's Super pretty well.Ìý Things seem to have calmed down a bit from the uproar that occurred in the pages of the first book and Steve has gotten back to his regular own personalized hell of being the handyman for Hell itself.
Until, of course, the HVAC starts having trouble and Hell itself is facing a dire issue: What happens if Hell actually does freeze over?
I loved Hell's Super, it was a fun idea which I believe was implemented almost perfectly.Ìý A Cold Day in Hell takes that book and kicks its butt.Ìý This is a far superior novel to the first part in the series, both from maturity of writing, but also from the comedic perspective (at least in my view).Ìý And most importantly, we see Cain bring a lot of depth to Hell and Steve and all the minions of Hell themselves through the usage of folklore, mythology, and Christianity itself.Ìý He delves deeper into how this is actually Hell instead of some warm place where you have to work crappy jobs all the time...you know...Florida.Ìý
And there seems to be a whole lot more on the line than the original had.Ìý The entire fabric of reality hangs in the balance as we wait to see if Steve can actually manage to fix Hell's HVAC and restore heat to Hell.
I loved this book.Ìý Even if you haven't read the first one, you should read this one.Ìý Although, you might want to read the first one first.Ìý Not that you would be too lost if you started with this one, but, you know, because it's good as well.
Until, of course, the HVAC starts having trouble and Hell itself is facing a dire issue: What happens if Hell actually does freeze over?
I loved Hell's Super, it was a fun idea which I believe was implemented almost perfectly.Ìý A Cold Day in Hell takes that book and kicks its butt.Ìý This is a far superior novel to the first part in the series, both from maturity of writing, but also from the comedic perspective (at least in my view).Ìý And most importantly, we see Cain bring a lot of depth to Hell and Steve and all the minions of Hell themselves through the usage of folklore, mythology, and Christianity itself.Ìý He delves deeper into how this is actually Hell instead of some warm place where you have to work crappy jobs all the time...you know...Florida.Ìý
And there seems to be a whole lot more on the line than the original had.Ìý The entire fabric of reality hangs in the balance as we wait to see if Steve can actually manage to fix Hell's HVAC and restore heat to Hell.
I loved this book.Ìý Even if you haven't read the first one, you should read this one.Ìý Although, you might want to read the first one first.Ìý Not that you would be too lost if you started with this one, but, you know, because it's good as well.
June 13, 2017
And the Satire continues! Have you ever used the phrase "it'll be a cold day in hell before -insert never gonna happen thing here-" well guess what, it's a cold day in hell and whatever you used that phrase for is about to happen!
Turns out it's a "central heating" problem and hell's super is on the case since... well he is the super right?
I liked this book a bit more then the first one as it was more focused character wise. The Humor here is on par with the first so if you like slapstick and satire then you'll enjoy this.
Turns out it's a "central heating" problem and hell's super is on the case since... well he is the super right?
I liked this book a bit more then the first one as it was more focused character wise. The Humor here is on par with the first so if you like slapstick and satire then you'll enjoy this.
October 31, 2018
I absolutely love this series. I have listened to the audiobook series at least 7 times. the series starts off great and just gets better. The thing I like the most is the unpredictability of the plot. Just when you think you know what to expect, you get thrown one hell of a curveball. All of the characters are so rich, no two dimensional characters here! It is amazing that the author can make you care as much about ancillary characters and their story as the main protagonist. I found myself wanting to know as much about Beelzebub, Charon, Booh, and St Peter as Steve and Orson!
March 11, 2025
Quite a fun little jaunt. I especially enjoyed the Greek/Roman/Norse cameos in this entry, and how Cain worked those mythologies into his own canon. The twists were predictable but still enjoyable, and while I would have liked more Boo, the new helper adds decent comic relief, and the gimmick of the phrase "it'll be a cold day in Hell when..." made me laugh a few times. The treatment of female characters is still the weakest aspect of the series--I don't like seeing women objectified even if that woman is a succubus--but thank goodness it is much less than the last entry.
July 2, 2019
There may be only one project in Hell bigger than fixing Hell's escalator while simultaneously rebuilding its stairway (book 1) and that would be fixing Hell's HVAC system. The only problem is there is no way to for the system to fail.
Hell's super, Steve, is tasked with discovering the problem and fixing it and doing so before all the "cold day in Hell" statement made throughout the centuries start coming true.
Bottom line: A fun book worth the read.
Hell's super, Steve, is tasked with discovering the problem and fixing it and doing so before all the "cold day in Hell" statement made throughout the centuries start coming true.
Bottom line: A fun book worth the read.
January 21, 2022
This is an interesting series if you like your religious philosophy hidden under humor. You don't have to read it for the philosophy but it sneaks it into the story. I just wrote another review about a book that hit you over the head with politics. That was someone trying to show how smart they were and here it is just additional flavor that may get you thinking later. I will continue the series but I won't binge it.
May 15, 2017
Love this series so far!
It's funny, witty, funny, violent, funny, and sweet! Puts a spin on what you thought you knew about Hell! I start on the next book the second I'm finish reading!
It's funny, witty, funny, violent, funny, and sweet! Puts a spin on what you thought you knew about Hell! I start on the next book the second I'm finish reading!
March 8, 2018
These books are entertaining quick reads. I was not overly enthused when my boyfriend bought me a book about hell but oddly enough, the story is not overly sacrilegious and the character references are quite humorous. I'm going to finish this series.
March 10, 2019
A Hell of a Day
It shouldn't be this much fun reading about someone's eternal damnation, but it is. Reading about how Steve and Orson overcome the limitations placed upon them by the Powers that Be is completely amusing, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
It shouldn't be this much fun reading about someone's eternal damnation, but it is. Reading about how Steve and Orson overcome the limitations placed upon them by the Powers that Be is completely amusing, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
July 20, 2020
Much improved.
With the basics of the world established, the author was able to really focus on the story and the characters. The first book was okay, this one is great. I hope the series continues to develop in the same vein.
With the basics of the world established, the author was able to really focus on the story and the characters. The first book was okay, this one is great. I hope the series continues to develop in the same vein.
November 16, 2021
Completely Wonderful
Can’t wait to keep reading, so cheeky and well written. Love the portraits of the damned as well as the honest humanity woven through every interaction. Clever and thoroughly amusing. One of my new favorite series, without a doubt!
Can’t wait to keep reading, so cheeky and well written. Love the portraits of the damned as well as the honest humanity woven through every interaction. Clever and thoroughly amusing. One of my new favorite series, without a doubt!
February 5, 2022
Quite good
Once again the story entertained and was quite interesting. The characters and their "positions" in Hell are pretty funny and ironic. I can't wait to read the next story.
Once again the story entertained and was quite interesting. The characters and their "positions" in Hell are pretty funny and ironic. I can't wait to read the next story.
August 4, 2022
Excellent!
This series really grows on you! Each book is better than the previous. Funny story, atypical, witty, it doesn't look like anything I ever read. Hail to Steve Minion, Orson Wells and BOOH! 😉
This series really grows on you! Each book is better than the previous. Funny story, atypical, witty, it doesn't look like anything I ever read. Hail to Steve Minion, Orson Wells and BOOH! 😉
March 24, 2023
busy
This book has so much going on. Its a busy read. Steve is in the dog house with Flo still. He has also met someone else. Whom will he choose? Do they find the saboteur of the pipe?
This book has so much going on. Its a busy read. Steve is in the dog house with Flo still. He has also met someone else. Whom will he choose? Do they find the saboteur of the pipe?
November 2, 2018
Fun series!
December 10, 2019
Great story
I thoroughly enjoy reading the stories of Hell’s Super. Such a fun read. I can’t wait to continue with the next one.
I thoroughly enjoy reading the stories of Hell’s Super. Such a fun read. I can’t wait to continue with the next one.
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