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Devil's Point #1
Sympathy for the Devil
Turns out God has a wicked sense of humor... Nurse Dayne Kuttner puts her soul on the line to bargain with God for amnesty for Hell's damned. But when God not only listens, but takes the deal she offers literally, her world turns upside-down. Plagued by pushy reporters, devilish doctors, desperate colleagues, bewildered friends, an imp named Earwax, and pursued by the Netherworld's hottest guy, Dayne stands her ground...and pushes Heaven itself for an accounting of how love and Hell can coexist.
264 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1995
8 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Holly Lisle
108 books449 followersHolly Lisle has been writing fiction professionally since 1991, when she sold FIRE IN THE MIST, the novel that won her the Compton Crook Award for best first novel. She has to date published more than thirty novels and several comprehensive writing courses. She has just published WARPAINT, the second stand-alone novel in her Cadence Drake series.
Holly had an ideal childhood for a writer…which is to say, it was filled with foreign countries and exotic terrains, alien cultures, new languages, the occasional earthquake, flood, or civil war, and one story about a bear, which follows:
“So. Back when I was ten years old, my father and I had finished hunting ducks for our dinner and were walking across the tundra in Alaska toward the spot on the river where we’d tied our boat. We had a couple miles to go by boat to get back to the Moravian Children’s Home, where we lived.
“My father was carrying the big bag of decoys and the shotgun; I was carrying the small bag of ducks.
“It was getting dark, we could hear the thud, thud, thud of the generator across the tundra, and suddenly he stopped, pointed down to a pie-pan sized indentation in the tundra that was rapidly filling with water, and said, in a calm and steady voice, “That’s a bear footprint. From the size of it, it’s a grizzly. The fact that the track is filling with water right now means the bear’s still around.”
“Which got my attention, but not as much as what he said next.
” ‘I don’t have the gun with me that will kill a bear,’ he told me. ‘I just have the one that will make him angry. So if we see the bear, I’m going to shoot him so he’ll attack me. I want you to run to the river, follow it to the boat, get the boat back home, and tell everyone what happened.’
“The rest of our walk was very quiet. He was, I’m sure, listening for the bear. I was doing my damnedest to make sure that I remembered where the boat was, how to get to it, how to start the pull-cord engine, and how to drive it back home, because I did not want to let him down.
“We were not eaten by a bear that night…but neither is that walk back from our hunt for supper a part of my life I’ll ever forget.
“I keep that story in mind as I write. If what I’m putting on paper isn’t at least as memorable as having a grizzly stalking my father and me across the tundra while I was carrying a bag of delicious-smelling ducks, it doesn’t make my cut.”
You can find Holly on her personal site:
Hollylisle.com
You can find Cadence Drake, Holly's currently in-progress series, on her site:
CadenceDrake.com
You can find Holly's books, courses, writing workshops, and so on here:
The HowToThinkSideways.com Shop, as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and in a number of bookstores in the US and around the world.
Holly had an ideal childhood for a writer…which is to say, it was filled with foreign countries and exotic terrains, alien cultures, new languages, the occasional earthquake, flood, or civil war, and one story about a bear, which follows:
“So. Back when I was ten years old, my father and I had finished hunting ducks for our dinner and were walking across the tundra in Alaska toward the spot on the river where we’d tied our boat. We had a couple miles to go by boat to get back to the Moravian Children’s Home, where we lived.
“My father was carrying the big bag of decoys and the shotgun; I was carrying the small bag of ducks.
“It was getting dark, we could hear the thud, thud, thud of the generator across the tundra, and suddenly he stopped, pointed down to a pie-pan sized indentation in the tundra that was rapidly filling with water, and said, in a calm and steady voice, “That’s a bear footprint. From the size of it, it’s a grizzly. The fact that the track is filling with water right now means the bear’s still around.”
“Which got my attention, but not as much as what he said next.
” ‘I don’t have the gun with me that will kill a bear,’ he told me. ‘I just have the one that will make him angry. So if we see the bear, I’m going to shoot him so he’ll attack me. I want you to run to the river, follow it to the boat, get the boat back home, and tell everyone what happened.’
“The rest of our walk was very quiet. He was, I’m sure, listening for the bear. I was doing my damnedest to make sure that I remembered where the boat was, how to get to it, how to start the pull-cord engine, and how to drive it back home, because I did not want to let him down.
“We were not eaten by a bear that night…but neither is that walk back from our hunt for supper a part of my life I’ll ever forget.
“I keep that story in mind as I write. If what I’m putting on paper isn’t at least as memorable as having a grizzly stalking my father and me across the tundra while I was carrying a bag of delicious-smelling ducks, it doesn’t make my cut.”
You can find Holly on her personal site:
Hollylisle.com
You can find Cadence Drake, Holly's currently in-progress series, on her site:
CadenceDrake.com
You can find Holly's books, courses, writing workshops, and so on here:
The HowToThinkSideways.com Shop, as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and in a number of bookstores in the US and around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 24, 2015
I think I just got tricked into reading a romance book. When I was about 75% through the book I suddenly realized that, despite the oddly amusing premise, most of the story centered around the relationship between… well, I guess that would be a spoiler.
This book was nearly as bizarre as the last book I read, in a different sort of way. Unlike that last book, however, this story had internal consistency so I was able to focus on the story without constantly arguing with the book in my mind. I guess this could be considered an urban fantasy book, and it’s set in modern day North Carolina. In this story, Heaven and Hell and God and Lucifer are portrayed as being real, although they’re not exactly portrayed in the manner you might have read about in religious texts. Hell is run sort of like a corporate business, and both sides employ the use of computers and technology to keep track of what’s going on.
A woman named Dayne offers up a sincere prayer to God to give all of the denizens of Hell a second chance to repent. God chooses to grant her prayer by allowing a large number of demons to go to North Carolina, with some stipulations to keep things from getting too out-of-hand. Lucifer puts his second in command in charge of the operation, charging him with two tasks: 1) to use this opening to increase the number of souls sent to Hell and 2) to win the soul of Dayne for Hell.
The story had likeable and sometimes funny characters, and it was written well. I had read another very, very different series by this same author earlier this year (the Arhel series) which was more of a traditional epic fantasy with much less romance. This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting based on that previous experience, and I didn’t like this one nearly as well, but I did still enjoy the author’s writing style. It was just an extremely short story and too romance-y for my tastes. I had a Kindle version of the book without page numbers but supposedly this book is only about 240 pages long. It felt shorter than that, actually.
On BookLikes I will give this book 3.5 stars, but I’m not going to round up to 4 here. There are two more books in this series, and I’ve decided to go ahead and give the next one a try because I’m curious where the author will go next with this premise. It’s equally as short as the book I just read so it’s not much of a time commitment.
This book was nearly as bizarre as the last book I read, in a different sort of way. Unlike that last book, however, this story had internal consistency so I was able to focus on the story without constantly arguing with the book in my mind. I guess this could be considered an urban fantasy book, and it’s set in modern day North Carolina. In this story, Heaven and Hell and God and Lucifer are portrayed as being real, although they’re not exactly portrayed in the manner you might have read about in religious texts. Hell is run sort of like a corporate business, and both sides employ the use of computers and technology to keep track of what’s going on.
A woman named Dayne offers up a sincere prayer to God to give all of the denizens of Hell a second chance to repent. God chooses to grant her prayer by allowing a large number of demons to go to North Carolina, with some stipulations to keep things from getting too out-of-hand. Lucifer puts his second in command in charge of the operation, charging him with two tasks: 1) to use this opening to increase the number of souls sent to Hell and 2) to win the soul of Dayne for Hell.
The story had likeable and sometimes funny characters, and it was written well. I had read another very, very different series by this same author earlier this year (the Arhel series) which was more of a traditional epic fantasy with much less romance. This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting based on that previous experience, and I didn’t like this one nearly as well, but I did still enjoy the author’s writing style. It was just an extremely short story and too romance-y for my tastes. I had a Kindle version of the book without page numbers but supposedly this book is only about 240 pages long. It felt shorter than that, actually.
On BookLikes I will give this book 3.5 stars, but I’m not going to round up to 4 here. There are two more books in this series, and I’ve decided to go ahead and give the next one a try because I’m curious where the author will go next with this premise. It’s equally as short as the book I just read so it’s not much of a time commitment.
April 28, 2011
This book is a lot like Neil Gaiman's book, American Gods in that it is a hysterical story in which divine activities center on one completely ordinary person. I couldn't put this book down. Both heaven and hell are presented in a humorous manner which leaves the reader thinking that the modernized presentation of both places is at once creative yet in many ways a sort of allegory for Christian Ideology of heaven, hell, God and the devil.
March 6, 2011
The amount of details in this book is amazing. Is it a coincident that Lucifer is Libra just like me?
October 25, 2020
What a dark heart of genius Holly Lisle has!
December 25, 2013
I first read Sympathy for the Devil in the mid90s. I think I paid full price for it at Barnes and Noble on a whim. It became one of my favorite books. It's only available in paperback and, sadly, the binding gave out. I forgot about it until I spotted a copy of the book (with the glue still intact on the binding) at Half Price Books a couple of days ago.
I reread The Screwtape Letters recently. As I read the book, I understood Holly Lisle's forward better. The book is an homage to CS Lewis. Just like The Screwtape Letters, the book is also a romance; it's a tribute to love.
I like God as portrayed here. I felt sympathy for the devils (just like the title implies).
I had a hard time, in the beginning, dealing with the measures the nurses in ICU had to resort to. (I find it interesting that all my friends and family members who are nurses have DNRs in place. After reading this book, I think I need one, too.) I understood why the deal was made, especially under the circumstances described in the book.
I usually have a difficult time with romances where it's instant love but I don't in this book. It's fantasy! The protagonist is one of those people who falls instantly in love with the nearest jerk & heartbreaker. She knows it's her weakness but her faith in love and God keep her going against impossible odds.
I wonder if I can find a new copy of the sequel, The Devil and Dan Cooley.
I reread The Screwtape Letters recently. As I read the book, I understood Holly Lisle's forward better. The book is an homage to CS Lewis. Just like The Screwtape Letters, the book is also a romance; it's a tribute to love.
I like God as portrayed here. I felt sympathy for the devils (just like the title implies).
I had a hard time, in the beginning, dealing with the measures the nurses in ICU had to resort to. (I find it interesting that all my friends and family members who are nurses have DNRs in place. After reading this book, I think I need one, too.) I understood why the deal was made, especially under the circumstances described in the book.
I usually have a difficult time with romances where it's instant love but I don't in this book. It's fantasy! The protagonist is one of those people who falls instantly in love with the nearest jerk & heartbreaker. She knows it's her weakness but her faith in love and God keep her going against impossible odds.
I wonder if I can find a new copy of the sequel, The Devil and Dan Cooley.
July 2, 2013
I very much enjoyed this book. I loved the way hellish bureaucracy worked, and loved the humorous idea of god and his angels. Also, the story was full of interesting twists and turns and kept me captivated to the end.
The characters were very believable. The nurse was just the kind of person I would have liked for a friend. The devils were just devilish enough to entertain but, due to the restrictions god put on them, not scary. That was good because there was a deeply humorous undertone to this book that I loved.
I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.
The characters were very believable. The nurse was just the kind of person I would have liked for a friend. The devils were just devilish enough to entertain but, due to the restrictions god put on them, not scary. That was good because there was a deeply humorous undertone to this book that I loved.
I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.
August 9, 2011
Be careful what you pray for. Nurse Dayne Kuttner manages the very rarest kind of prayer - the true-hearted kind that always gets answered. Unfortunately, the answer she gets, although it technically is what she asked for, literally lets all Hell loose. Well, not all of it. But more than enough to complicate her life more than she ever dreamed possible and making her home state the temporary home for demons of every description. Silly and fun.
August 29, 2011
Holly Lisle has said that every scene in the book is a Candy Bar Scene for her. That is, a scene that really touched her with joy or anger, and a scene that she looked forward to writing.
The book reads well and has a brisk pace. It could maybe be a little longer but that's the only complaint I have about it. Sterling book.
The book reads well and has a brisk pace. It could maybe be a little longer but that's the only complaint I have about it. Sterling book.
February 9, 2012
I have read this book twice. Once when I was much younger and I liked it then. I am older now, and recently re-read it, and enjoyed it just as much plus understood different aspects that eluded me when I was younger.
I will always love this book, because it has provided me with one of my favorite monologues. (Dayne's prayer.) LOVE LOVE LOVE! <3
I will always love this book, because it has provided me with one of my favorite monologues. (Dayne's prayer.) LOVE LOVE LOVE! <3
December 30, 2014
I have a copy of this novel without the "Devil's Point Book 1" designation, and I'm pleased by the implication that there is a sequel on the way. It's very witty, has a thrilling plot line, and serves up more than one wicked (I do mean WICKED) gimmick that will please anyone who loves clever wordplay.
Like the movie Dogma? You'll love Sympathy for the Devil.
Like the movie Dogma? You'll love Sympathy for the Devil.
August 16, 2010
I've read it twice...need I say more!!
January 28, 2011
Review to be added later.
July 18, 2016
Hilarious!
March 6, 2020
Hilarious and enjoyable book, especially if you like satire and sarcasm.
March 19, 2023
A decent fantasy / satire written in an easy to ready style. I liked this book, it was light while dealing with some serious issues. There were a number of plot twists that prevented me from getting too bored and the chapters allowed me to move quickly through the story. A fun read if you appreciate satire and I will be looking for the other 2 books in the Devil's Point Trilogy to see what else the author created in this "world".
May 11, 2020
I liked the premise, and I think the author’s worldview is kind, but the comedy really didn’t work for me, which makes it difficult to enjoy a comic novel. Also the story is more a moral fairy tale than anything else, which excuses the slightness of character and plot, but means the lack of any real ethical dilemma is a serious flaw.
September 23, 2025
I thought that this was a good read. Good pace, well thought out plot, truly amusing in places, and has aged reasonably well.
October 28, 2011
I re-read this book twice now,once 5 years ago and this year. Maybe I was hoping Id matured enough to understand this book.
Well ive matured but only to fully understand the strangeness of this book...and its characters...
I felt uneasy about how it felt like she took a stance for the euthanasia side. Patients shouldnt suffer but, if she felt patients were suffering unduly she could have taken it to an higher authority,there are people who can decide in matters of medicine ethics.(at least in my country)
We never got to know Dayne not really,she remains a too-good-for-this-world character.
The story just plods along reaching its conclusion,without any climactic change for any of the characters.
Well ive matured but only to fully understand the strangeness of this book...and its characters...
I felt uneasy about how it felt like she took a stance for the euthanasia side. Patients shouldnt suffer but, if she felt patients were suffering unduly she could have taken it to an higher authority,there are people who can decide in matters of medicine ethics.(at least in my country)
We never got to know Dayne not really,she remains a too-good-for-this-world character.
The story just plods along reaching its conclusion,without any climactic change for any of the characters.
July 21, 2014
Meh. I'm between being pissed at Dayne for being clueless for so long and being glad everything worked out. Mostly, I'm just disappointed though. This was a fun read and I liked it somewhat but I expected better. And I most definitely wanted to like Adam which I didn't. Much. He seemed pretty lackluster for a second in command. He gave up all too fast and willingly. No fight at all. I wonder how he got to be second with such a mild personality. Anyway, Dayne being a Mary-Sue for instance was much less disappointing because it was expected due to her relationship with God. I don't know. I guess it was okay for just some mindless fun...probably depends on your mood.
Rating: 2.8 ★
Rating: 2.8 ★
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2012
An interesting and creative take on Heaven and Hell, with a smattering of romance and humor everywhere in between. Holly Lisle has fun with the concepts God, Satan, Fallen Angels, and redemption, but overall Sympathy for the Devil remains a light and airy (and mostly cutesy) book that toys with the ideas contained within rather than explore their more interesting ramifications. GoodReads lists it as #1 in a series. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to pick up any more in the same universe, but I wouldn't turn down a copy for airplane/beach reading, either.
June 2, 2011
I discovered Holly Lisle through a series of articles on writing, posted on her website. I was intrigued enough to try her first novel and was glad I did. The book touches on familiar themes of good and evil, heaven and hell, and the excesses of modern medicine. Yet there's a constant undercurrent of humor that lifts the book above the mundane, and makes for an enjoyable read. I'll definitely be back for the next in the trilogy.
August 13, 2016
I read this book and felt rather confused. Ms. Lisle did an excellent job of mind fucking and getting people to feel sympathy for the Devil. From a Christian standpoint, BLASPHEMY! I felt ill at ease and needed to remind myself it's only a fiction book.
The world building is creating and the characters are endearing. This is a good book to read for a "what if" scenario. Ms. Lisle writes a smooth and fun book to enjoy.
The world building is creating and the characters are endearing. This is a good book to read for a "what if" scenario. Ms. Lisle writes a smooth and fun book to enjoy.
May 9, 2012
I really wanted to like this book. I was geared up and excited to like this book. And, for the most part, it was enjoyable enough -- sometimes even charming. But it ultimately fell a little flat for me. Dayne doesn't really change in any interesting or meaningful way, the dialogue is stilted, and none of the conflicts were agonizing enough. It was fun, but after having read so much really wonderful writing advice from Holly Lisle, I was really expecting something special.
September 9, 2015
Super fast read. Neat idea, well executed. Characters are a bit thin, but this is an extended thought exercise that almost reads like parable or allegory, so depth isn't necessarily required. Light, good for what it is.
Was interested in reading something from Lisle after discovering her "notecarding" technique for creating plots. Her entire web site is quite useful if you write fiction.
Was interested in reading something from Lisle after discovering her "notecarding" technique for creating plots. Her entire web site is quite useful if you write fiction.
September 11, 2010
Fantasy set in modern times. The premise is someone with pure motive as prayed to God to allow the denizens of Hell a chance to repent.
This is pure entertainment. And it really is a romance/comedy novel set as modern fantasy. So plenty of silliness. But the end was so over the top cheesy that I wish I stopped reading before I reached the end.
This is pure entertainment. And it really is a romance/comedy novel set as modern fantasy. So plenty of silliness. But the end was so over the top cheesy that I wish I stopped reading before I reached the end.
June 21, 2012
This is a sweet book, where the good prevails the evil. I enjoyed the easy-flowing dialogue, the whimsical characters and the lightness of the whole reading experience. I might proceed to other books in the Devil's Point series.
Holly Lisle, the author of the book, is a great teacher of writing: check out her books and classes, I highly recommend them!
January 18, 2009
Lols, awesome book!!! The premise sounded like it could end up cheesy, but it was far from it. A girl's fervent prayer sends Hell into North Carolina, including the fallen angel Agonostis. Unfortunately for Lucifer, things don't go quite as he expected them to. It's sort of romantic, but not very.
May 11, 2009
Pretty good. Lisle makes a real effort to take the whole God aspect seriously, while keeping it approachable. It's still a goofy concept, but handled better than I expected. I didn't know it was part of a series, though, so will have to see...
June 17, 2009
I really like this author, but this book feels like a pretty early effort. It's hard to be creative with heaven/hell plots and this book falls into all of the standard devices (Hell as an office, etc)...
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October 9, 2011
A fun fantasy read, though it would send some of my more Fundamentalist neighbors into fits of frothing rage.
It explores the meaning of love and forgiveness, and does so in an entertaining manner.
I recommend it.
It explores the meaning of love and forgiveness, and does so in an entertaining manner.
I recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews