Home |Science Fiction |Fantasy |Horror  Subscribe to SFFMeta     
sffmeta logo


 for   of 

The Ninth Circle

Written by Alex Bell

Average Score: 56(5)

A man comes to on the floor of a shabby apartment in the middle of Budapest. His head is glued to the floorboards with his own blood. There's a fortune in cash on the kitchen table. And he has no idea where, or who, he is. He can do extraordinary things—speak any number of languages fluently, go three days without food or sleep, and fight with extraordinary prowess. But without a name, without a past, he's isolated from the rest of the world; a stranger to everyone, including himself—until a chance encounter with a young scholar leads to his first friendship and his first hint that someone out there knows more about him than he does. Someone is sending him clues about his past. Photographs hidden in books and crates of wine. Cryptic clues pointing towards a murdered woman. And clear warnings against Stephomi, his only friend. But that's not all; Gabriel Antaeus is seeing strange, impossible things: a burning man is stalking his dreams and haunting his mirrors, his dreams are filled with violence from the past, and his pregnant young neighbor is surrounded by an extraordinary golden aura. Something dark and violent in Gabriel's past is trying to resurface. And as he pieces the clues together, everything points towards an astounding war between angels and demons—a battle not just for the future of the world but for the minds and souls of everyone in it.

Book Details

Fantasy
Paperback, 304 Pages
Published by Gollancz on June 01, 2009
First Published by Gollancz in 2008
ISBN-10 0575084650
ISBN-13 978-0575084650

Reviews


SFRevu | John Berlyne
Review Rating: 80
In Alex Bell there is the promise of further intelligent and commercial novels -- a prized, cherished and all too rare combination in today's genre marketplace.
Full Review Link
The Wertzone | Adam Whitehead
Review Rating: 80
The Ninth Circle is, by SF&F standards, a relatively short book with a fascinating story told through by a conflicted protagonist.
Full Review Link
Strange Horizons | Tanya Brown
Review Rating: 60
Flaws aside, though, there's considerable potential and creativity evident in The Ninth Circle. Bell is confident with plot and pacing, and she blends elements of history, legend and theology--Keats, Nostradamus, Raphael, Faust--into a coherent, if occasionally sketchy, secret history.
Full Review Link
SFX | Rhian Drinkwater
Review Rating: 40
There are some interesting ideas here, but they ultimately collapse into a big messy heap.
Full Review Link
Stephen Hunts SF Crownest | Martin Jenner
Review Rating: 20
...'The Ninth Circle' isn't a particularly well-written novel.
Full Review Link


   © SFFMeta 2009-2011. All rights Reserved. | About | FAQ | Advertising informations | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use