Blog Tour Book Review: The Devil’s Apprentice (R&R Book Tours)
Hello Angels and Demons, and welcome to the R&R Blog Tour of The Devil’s Apprentice!
R&R Book Tours reached out to me about this book a while back (because Shannon knows my book tastes so well!) and I just had to get my hands on this one.
This is the second blog tour I’ve been involved in, and I had a great time and loved being included. I finished this book yesterday (talk about cutting it close!) and have been thinking about it ever since.
All right, I’ve teased you guys enough about how much I’m enjoying this book, so let’s get right into things!
Author Blurb
Kenneth B. Andersen
I WAS BORN IN DENMARK ON A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT IN NOVEMBER 1976 …
… and I began writing when I was a teenager. My first book was a really awful horror novel titled Nidhug’s Slaves. It didn’t get published. Luckily. During the next 7 years, I wrote nearly 20 novels–all of which were rejected–while working as a school teacher. The rest of the time I spent writing.
In 2000 I published my debut fantasy book, The Battle of Caïssa, and that’s when things really took off. Since then I’ve published more than thirty-five books for children and young adults in genres ranging from fantasy to horror and science fiction.
My books have been translated into more than 15 languages and my series about the superhero Antboy has been adapted for film, which is available on Netflix. An animated tv series is currently in development.
A musical of The Devil’s Apprentice opened in the fall 2018 and the movie rights for the series have also been optioned. I live in Copenhagen with my wife, two boys, a dog named Milo and spiders in the basement.
Book Review
Blurb
Philip is a good boy, a really good boy, who accidentally gets sent to Hell to become the Devil’s heir. The Devil, Lucifer, is dying and desperately in need of a successor, but there’s been a mistake and Philip is the wrong boy. Philip is terrible at being bad, but Lucifer has no other choice than to begin the difficult task of training him in the ways of evil. Philip gets both friends and enemies in this odd, gloomy underworld—but who can he trust, when he discovers an evil-minded plot against the dark throne?
The Devil’s Apprentice is volume 1 in The Great Devil War-series.
The Review
I gave this book five hell-raising stars!
Philip Engel has always been a good boy, almost a saint. This makes him easy prey for a predatory school bully like Sam. As Philip does his darnedest to escape the clutches of this troublemaker, he is involved in a fatal accident.
When he comes to, Philip discovers that not only is he dead, but he’s in hell, and he’s been chosen to become Satan’s heir. Understandably, Philip is confused. There must be some mix up.
Can Philip convince the devil himself to let him go or will he spend eternity in a fate not of his own making?
Man oh man was this read refreshing! This was my first time reading a book by Kenneth B. Andersen, and I had no idea just how entertaining this book was going to be.
To start, I really loved Philip’s character. He’s virtuous and has a good head on his shoulders for his age. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a hero? Throughout this novel, Philip’s morals are tested as the influence of the evil around him attempts to seep in. It was really easy to relate to since we all deal with these kinds of decisions every day.
Next, the writing. This novel is Young Adult and I personally felt that it was expertly written in that style. It was easy to read, concise, and those pages flowed like melted butter. The descriptions were well-executed, and I could imagine the hellish scenes that Andersen created easily because of it.
I also loved the strange and eerie characters we were introduced to. Very imaginative, creative, and well thought-out.
The plot and theme were interesting and honestly, right up my alley. I love all things creepy, and what is creepier than Hell? Not many things! This definitely satisfied my thirst for the macabre while keeping things PG-13. There wasn’t any excessive gore or swearing either, which I understand can be a point of contention with the YA genre.
I honestly can’t think of anything negative to say about this book. I loved it from cover to cover.
Ultimately, The Devil’s Apprentice is a great YA fantasy filled with chills, thrills, and just a little bit of heartache. Definitely binge-worthy and a helluva read, perfect for Halloween!
That’s A Wrap!
Thanks so much for stopping by for this special Jaunts & Haunts post! I hope you enjoyed your time here.
If you’d like to check out Kenneth B. Andersen’s work, you can find out more at the links below.
Thanks again, and happy reading!
Kenneth’s Social Media Links
Book Links
Blog Tour
The blog tour isn’t over yet! If you’d like to get a more well-rounded review of The Devil’s Apprentice, check out the following blog participants below on the dates listed. I bet they’ll love it just as much as I did!
Blog Tour Schedule
August 19th
Reads & Reels (Review) http://readsandreels.com
The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Interview) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/
Gwendalyn’s Books (Review) https://gwendalynbooks.blog/
August 20th
YA/NA Book Divas (Excerpt) http://www.yabookdivas.com/
Ity Reads Books (Review) http://www.ityreadsbooks.home.blog
Reviews and Promos by Nyx (Review) https://nyxblogs.wordpress.com/
Quirky Cats Fat Stacks (Review) https://quirkycatsfatstacks.com/
August 21st
B is for Book Review (Excerpt) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
An Ocean A Glimmer (Review) http://anoceanglimmer.wordpress.com
I’m All About Books (Excerpt) https://imallaboutbooks.com/
J Bronder Book Reviews (Excerpt) https://jbronderbookreviews.com/
August 22nd
Jaunts & Haunts (Review) https://jonathanpongratz.com/
Shalini’s Books and Reviews (Review) https://bookreviewsbyshalini.com/
The Bookworm Drinketh (Review)http://thebookwormdrinketh.wordpress.com/
I Love Books and Stuff (Excerpt) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com
My Bookish Bliss (Excerpt) http://mybookishbliss.com
Didi Oviatt (Excerpt) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com
August 23rd
Breakeven Books (Excerpt) https://breakevenbooks.com
Entertainingly Nerdy (Review) https://www.entertaininglynerdy.com
Cats Luv Coffee (Review) https://catsluvcoffeez.blogspot.com/
Lunarian Press (Excerpt) https://www.lunarianpress.com/
Hi Jonny! Man, oh, man, thanks for a great review 🙂 So glad you liked the book! Hope you’ll give book 2 and 3 a go as well. I can mail them to you or you can get them from Shannon (Reads & Reels). Book 4 comes out October 20th. Have a great weekend! Kenneth B. Andersen
Hi There!
Of course, I enjoyed every second of your book! I already got in touch with Shannon and told her I simply had to have the next ones to read asap.
Can’t wait for the next three books.
You have a good weekend too!