Author: Shawn Smucker
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewer: Jessica Higgins
A retelling of Inferno that will draw readers from all genres.
Dan has lived in the village for a long time. He escaped captivity from the mountain long ago and occupies the first house of the village that other people come to after they have escaped captivity. He keeps watch as they come through and rushes them to the village leader to best decide how to help and rehabilitate them. There is one person that Dan has been waiting to see come out of the mountain: his brother. He knows that he can’t leave this village until his brother comes through. Many of the villagers have begun to move out of the village toward the eastern plains, but some remain and are unsure why they are waiting. But one day a woman comes through the mountain and people begin to remember their lives before the mountain. One thing begins to become clear; everyone seems to be waiting for Dan’s brother.
At its core, this is a modernization of Inferno by Dante Alighieri. Readers will discover many parallels between this book and the original. However, if you haven’t read Inferno, it will not take away from this story. I was quickly pulled in by the intrigue of Dan’s experience in the village and the appearance of Kathy. I devoured this book to discover what was going on and why people were suddenly remembering past lives and what it all had to do with Dan. The first half of the book sets up the base of the story and the second half is the trip through the inferno to rescue Dan’s brother. There were several tie ins -between the two parts that I had to reflect on to fully understand the significance. My one complaint is that the ending just wrapped up to quickly. I felt that there was a lot of tension built up and it just sort of ended. Aside from that, it is a worthwhile read that many will enjoy.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
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