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Hellraisers (Devil's Engine Series #1)

Hellraisers (Devil's Engine Series #1)

3.5 2
by Alexander Gordon Smith
     
 

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When a sixteen-year-old troublemaker named Marlow Green is trapped in a surreal firefight against nightmarish creatures in the middle of his New York City neighborhood, he unwittingly finds himself amid a squad of secret soldiers dedicated to battling the legions of the devil himself. Powering this army of young misfits is an ancient machine from the darkest parts

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Overview

When a sixteen-year-old troublemaker named Marlow Green is trapped in a surreal firefight against nightmarish creatures in the middle of his New York City neighborhood, he unwittingly finds himself amid a squad of secret soldiers dedicated to battling the legions of the devil himself. Powering this army of young misfits is an ancient machine from the darkest parts of history. Known as the devil's engine, it can make any wish come true-as long as you are willing to put your life on the line. Promised powers beyond belief, and facing monstrous apparitions straight out of the netherworld, Marlow must decide if he's going to submit to a demonic deal with the infernal machine that will enable him to join the crusade-if it doesn't kill him first.
From the author of the Escape from Furnace series, here is the opening salvo in an explosive new horror trilogy about an ordinary American kid caught up in an invisible war against the very worst enemy imaginable.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
09/21/2015
The road to hell is paved with good intentions in this first book in Smith’s Devil’s Engine series, as 16-year-old Marlow Green is caught up in an epic conflict between good and evil. After accidentally getting involved in a vicious supernatural battle in New York City, Marlow ends up joining the Hellraisers, a secret organization that uses the infernal power of the so-called Devil’s Engine to sell their souls for superhuman abilities and other benefits. They face off against the Circulus Inferni, a rival group that is using a second Engine to try and bring about hell on Earth, leading to visceral, no-holds-barred confrontations. With the war of attrition between the two factions about to reach a critical tipping point, Smith (The Fury) conjures up an absorbing, horror-tinged world full of dark imagery and unsettling descriptions as unstoppable demons face off against superpowered teens. The premise and physicality of the Devil’s Engine lends itself well to Smith’s horror sensibilities, while his sprawling cast invokes a comic book spirit of adventure; the marriage of tropes creates a page-turning adventure. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sophie Hicks, Ed Victor. (Dec.)
Emmy Laybourne

Alexander Gordon Smith doesn't pull his punches--Hellraisers is a YA horror knockout. If you like your books full of nonstop action, populated by broken but beautiful characters, and blisteringly scary, this one's for you.
VOYA, December 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 5) - Karen Sykeny
This dark urban fantasy and supernatural horror novel immediately immerses readers into a fast-paced, action-packed, epic good-versus-evil story, offering engaging mythology and characters. Marlow Green is a teen with a background in small crime, disruptive behavior, and special schools for troubled teens. As the story opens, he has just thrown away his last chance and as he runs away from the cops, he stumbles into a situation that changes his life forever. He learns there are very important things in life, cosmically above his own small troubles, and he must decide to stop running away. He meets Pan and Herc, who are part of a super-ability team called Engineers, fighting evil and protecting the world from falling into complete darkness and destruction. This book needs faster development of characters and relationships among them, but the quick action and successive battle scenes inhibit it. Being a series opener, however, this novel captures the audience with all the other wonderful elements of the fantasy/ horror genres and can leave character growth for later. Readers will easily commit to absorbing all the intense and descriptive action and mythology behind the “devil’s engine.” Another interesting aspect of this novel is the seemingly dual third-person point of view between male and female protagonists, allowing for any gender reader to find connection and empathy. Supporting characters are unique and bring more fun and potential. This is definitely recommended for teen genre collections, and younger adult readers may also enjoy. Reviewer: Karen Sykeny; Ages 12 to Adult.
School Library Journal
11/01/2015
Gr 9 Up—Fifteen-year-old Marlow Green is a Staten Island native and nothing but trouble. While attempting to avoid the police after his latest expulsion from school, Marlow accidentally stumbles into hell on earth. Demons with bodies made of concrete and car parts have appeared in an underground parking garage, and the most beautiful girl Marlow has ever seen is trying to fight them off with what seem to be super powers. The girl, nicknamed Pandora, is part of an army of Hellraisers who receive their powers by making deals with an ancient machine known as the Devil's Engine; the Engine can grant any wish, for just the price of your soul. Marlow is a coward, so his first instinct is to run, but now that he knows too much, that may not be an option. The first in a trilogy, this volume is fast-paced and gritty. Marlow isn't a likable character, but he is relatable and fits perfectly into the setting. Chapters told from the teen's point of view highlight loyalty among friends, the importance of family, and the difficulty that is growing up, while chapters from the view of veteran Pandora—although she is only a couple of years older than Marlow—flesh out the details of life as a Hellraiser. VERDICT A chaotic pace, snarky humor, graphic descriptions, and strong language make this title just right for older horror enthusiasts—Maggie Mason Smith, Clemson University R. M. Cooper Library, South Carolina
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-10-06
When Marlow Green stumbles into a hellish fight with nightmarish creatures and helps save a girl's life, he is unwittingly dragged into a centuries-old war and must choose between cowardice and courage. From brushes with the law to expulsion from the last school that might take him, 15-year-old asthmatic Marlow is always running from trouble, but this ups the ante considerably. The girl, Pan, is a Hellraiser, a soldier in the battle between evil, and, well, a lesser evil. In exchange for wishes and her service, Pan signs a contract with the Devil's Engine—an infernal, ancient machine thought to have been forged by Satan. And when her contract expires, she'll be dragged down to hell. Even though Pan won't admit it, Marlow has saved her and thereby become involved, and the two inevitably team up with the other Hellraisers to try to stop the Circulus Inferni, an ancient, evil group of monsters, from using the Devil's Engine to unleash hell on Earth. Pan's aggressive, testy, take-charge attitude earns her the enmity of many, including Marlow and her Hellraiser mentor, Herc, who fling such epithets as "bitch" and "cow" around liberally. However, Pan's strong will and heroism win out in the eyes of readers and even her prickly companions. With high-stakes situations, a fast-paced plot, and gruesome, terrifying creatures, this Faustian tale is a hit for horror fans looking for a world of mystery, the macabre, and lots of fire and fighting. (Horror. 13 & up)

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Product Details

ISBN-13:
9780374301699
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:
12/01/2015
Series:
Devil's Engine Series, #1
Pages:
352
Sales rank:
158,885
Product dimensions:
5.70(w) x 8.50(h) x 2.20(d)
Age Range:
12 - 17 Years

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Hellraisers (Devil's Engine Series #1) 3.5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 2 reviews.
Anonymous 2 days ago
Another great read by mr. Smith, but why can't I read the second in this series right meow?
tpolen 29 days ago
Well, the description made me request this book from NetGalley right away and while some aspects were interesting enough, it failed to meet my expectations. The author did an excellent job of portraying Marlow as a troubled teenager who had his share of problems - difficulties in school, an alcoholic mother, lack of purpose or direction, and living in the shadow of his deceased older brother. The beginning really pulled me in and the action began almost immediately. Compared to other demon books I've read, this offered a new perspective in that the demons were almost like - transformers. That's the first thing that came to mind. The action sequences were well-developed and creative. What didn't work for me was - all the action sequences. If that's something you enjoy in a book, this one has plenty to offer, but it seemed as if the characters were either having down time or fighting, and there wasn't much in the way of character development, so I never really connected with them or felt like I knew them. From other reviews I've read, this author has another series, Escape From Furnace, that is outstanding, but for me, this book fell a little flat. This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.