Customer Reviews

Crow, The: Hellbound

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Readers are given one of the most compelling stories yet within the Crow realm, by way of the well-informed and agile mind of A.A. Attanasio. The story works on the premise that we all have angels and demons in our lives. These creatures control us, though the majority of us have no sense of their existence. However, there are a few, like Amy Darien, who have the ability to see and hear them. The story of good versus evil has never before been told so wickedly and in such detail in a Crow story. Attanasio has brought great depth and knowledge to the tale, with a section at the end of the book devoted to a very detailed history of demons and angels. This informative section gives insight to a lot of the rituals and characters found in the story.

At first I was a bit leery about the story. The first forty or so pages focus on Dren, the demon trying to break free of Hell, and the demons who end up pursuing him. (The reason for so much detail comes into focus as the story progresses.) The non-traditional nature of the opening pages, as far as Crow stories go, foreshadows the unique story telling that is to come. The two main human characters, Billy and Amy, are wonderfully written; we are emotionally drawn into their story and truly feel compassion for them. This is a tragic love story that, with each page, has you pulling for Amy and Billy to overcome their plight and find happiness when it seems all hope is lost. I found myself being surprised and involved in the story to a depth unlike any of the previous Crow novels. I can honestly say that I have never before read a Crow story that defied all other commonly used themes and created its own world as well as HELLBOUND does. This story could very well be playing out, right now, in our own lives.

Hellbound is a continuation of Attansio's short story "Hellbent" which first appeared in "Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams," the Crow prose collection co-edited by James O'Barr. One of the best entries in that book has now become one of the best novels, if not THE best, in the Crow series.

After reading this book (the last of the Crow novels put out by HarperPrism), I felt that all the books thus far should have achieved the result of what this story was. Every single character felt realistic and had a purpose that wasn't forgotten (unlike the cop in Lazarus Heart). One element in the book that I disliked was also the one that kept me entranced into the storyline. Having for personal reasons decided to become an atheist, I actually felt informed without it being thrust upon me. The book also spoke of a truth I used to believe in, and to a degree, still do. That GOD is behind all good and evil things. Especially as this book brought it up, even SHE is lost. After telling a friend about my voyage back into the reading the novels, he remarked how his favorite was this one and I can see why. I also thought it very interesting that they ventured out of certain boundaries yet are still able to attain the same goals of the original GN. This one is the best, followed by Wicked Prayer and The Lazarus Heart. Also after being in thought about this book, it's very unfortunate that The Crow is treated with such disregard and disrespect by the people who legally own it especially after seeing the truest potential from this book.

Incredible in creative imagery and storytelling! This book is a welcome gust of Holloween air. Instead of sticking to the standard format, he twists it around but still is able to convey the sorrow, vengeance, true love, and hope that the legend of the crow entails without losing any of the importance of what the crow's purpose is meant for.

well here we are!! at the brink of a new kinda of twist in the story of the sad story lines of The Crow. don't get me wrong I LOVED THE BOOK!! i couldn't stop reading this book. it takes a bit to bring the actual crow to the foreground but the story line is very compeling and very interesting. i think that if you have open mind like you did for The Crow: Salvation than you'll welcome our latest Crow to the foreground with arms wide open. in my opinion this was an excellent book and i can't wait to read the others and i can't wait for when The Crow: Lazarus comes out(in theater or vhs/dvd form). i just can't wait!! PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW!! it's very very very very good!! GET IT NOW!!

I read some reviews of this book, which said it would make fans really love the Crow again. I wanted to love the Crow again...so I picked up the book and read it. I have to say, it blew me away. It was definitely the best Crow book ever. It was like taking a trip to hell, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Wow. I read the first chapter of this in "Shattered Dreams" and loved it. The novel kept the promise of the first chapter. I had to keep reminding myself it was a make-believe religion because the setting is so counter to what I believe. That said, the setting was darkly beautiful. I loved the way the author made the demonic world a dark mirror of the angelic world and used Earth as the battlefield. I particularly loved the interaction between the Crow, Dren, and Amy. It may be my favorite of the Crow novels.

After reading "Temple of Night" and all the reviews on the series, I still picked up this book ( me being a crow fan and all ). When I cranked it open, I expected the worst. I started reading and my eyes lit up with amazement. I thought " this is going to turn out pretty good". And it did. It's definitely a page turner. I had a little trouble picturing hell and some of the battles as the author was describing it to me. Beside that it ended up being a good book.

This book is an enigma of sorts. While I wasn't constantly entertained, I was into the story enough that I kept turning the pages. It kept me up late, which is something a lot of books fail to do. I know you've heard it a thousand times, but if you're a fan of one or more of the crow movies, chances are you'll like this novel spin. Attanasio has an interesting pace and describes potentially confusing action well, but some moments seem to scrape the surface rather than boil over. Overall a good, quick read. Oh, and to fall prey to cliche...the cover is wicked.

I won't lie, this is a great read, but I'm not certain how much I love it as a crow novel. For starters I definately wanted to finish reading the book, and was interested in how it would unfold but I could also put it down whenever i wanted and that's not a great sign. I love the idea of having the influence of hell and demons throughout the book, but stragely this is also my biggest problem with it. If Attanasio had found a better balance between the demons and the crow, I would surely have to rate this book with 5 gleaming stars, but the the balance isn't there as far as I'm concerned. Don't get me wrong, this is still a fantastic book, but not the crow story I think I was looking for. In the end I must recommend this book to anyone after a good fantasy/horror read (Just don't expect too much 'crow').

I read some reviews of this book, which said it would make fans really love the Crow again. I wanted to love the Crow again...so I picked up the book and read it. I have to say, it blew me away. It was definitely the best Crow book ever. It was like taking a trip to hell, and I enjoyed every minute of it.