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Hell Holes #3

To Hell and Back: Hell Holes

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The beautiful young photojournalist, Aileen O’Shannon, is not who she seems. For centuries, she has been a demon hunter, a sorceress who has tracked and killed small bands of demons that occasionally crossed into our world. But that changed when she joined Dr. Jack Oswald’s expedition to study one of hundreds of huge holes that mysteriously appeared overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle.

Instead of small sporadic incursions, hordes of demons now pour from these hell holes like water from a sieve. With bombing little more than a losing game of whack-a-mole, Earth’s armies are unable to destroy the portals. When Jack suggests a desperate plan, he is drafted to join Aileen and a team of other sorcerers and Army Rangers to travel to the demon homeworld. Once there, they will unleash a plague virus and set off a nuclear bomb to destroy the portal complex.

It’s a suicide mission. But Aileen has given Jack’s wife her word to bring him back safely, and the demons have already killed three men under her protection. Just how far will Aileen go to avoid losing another?

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Published September 14, 2021

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About the author

Donald Firesmith

31 books361 followers
Donald Firesmith is a multi-award-winning author of speculative fiction including science fiction (alien invasion), fantasy (magical wands), modern urban paranormal novels, and horror short stories and poetry.

Before retiring in 2020 to devote himself full-time to his novels, Donald Firesmith earned an international reputation as a distinguished engineer, authoring seven system/software engineering books based on his 40+ years spent developing large, complex software-intensive systems.

He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his daughter Sera, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.

You can learn more about the author by visiting his personal website:
http://donaldfiresmith.com

His magical wands and autographed copies of his books are also available from the Firesmith’s Wand Shoppe at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FiresmithWa...

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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Nancy (The Avid Reader).
3,045 reviews128 followers
August 13, 2021
There are these huge holes appearing out of nowhere, holes that lead straight to h311 itself. These holes are portals to h311, demons are pouring out of the holes by the thousands, attacking anyone and everyone who just happens to be standing in their way. These demons want to take over the world and everyone in it. Armies of men have been fighting the demons giving them everything they’ve got without coming close to stopping them.

Aileen O’Shannon has been hunting and fighting demons for centuries. She is a demon hunter and a sorceress. Dr. Jack Oswald is asked to join Aileen’s team when he comes up with a plan to destroy the demons. Their plan involves crossing over to the demons homeworld. Will Jack’s plan work? Will they be able to save the world and the people from the demons?

“To Hell and Back” is action-packed from beginning to end. The demons never stop coming which adds up to more and more fighting, keeping the adrenaline flowing non-stop. The action ramps up even more when their plan is implemented. I loved all the fighting scenes but the ones close to the end just did it for me. “To Hell and Back” exploded with action and excitement once the big guns so to speak were brought on the scene.

When I was reading “To Hell and Back” I could see each and every scene in my head as if I was watching a movie. I could just see the hordes of demons as they came running through the portal with the speed of light, dust flying, people running about trying not to get run over while trying to stand their ground and fight all at the same time, it would be chaos.

I have read the first two books, “What Lurks Below” book one and “Demons on the Dalton” book two in the “Hell Holes” series and loved both books tremendously I just had to read the third book “To Hell and Back” for more from this wondrous world of demons. Now I can’t wait to dive into the fourth book “A Slave's Revenge”.

If you have read the first two books in the “Hell Holes” series then I highly recommend that you read “To Hell and Back” and if not, what are you waiting for grab a copy of all three books as well as the fourth for your next great horror read today! Trust me you won’t regret it.
23 reviews
June 18, 2022
"To bell the cat."

The third book in the Hell Holes series, "To Hell And Back", reminds me of the flow of the first book and the action of the second book.

I feel the content of the book was fair and balanced, from the perspective of Aileen O'Shannon. Introduced in the first book, she has been with the protagonists of the first and second book in her attempt to ensure everyone's survival of the events introduced and continued throughout the trilogy of books.
A large portion of the book sizes up the action to come, exchanging the emotions and politics along with the thoughts of all involved. Once the action starts, it hits hard and fast, but doesn't feel overdone in the least.

I greatly enjoyed the flow of this book in particular. I don't feel like the previous two books had anything wrong with them, I myself am just not entirely a fan of only action in a novel. The psychological aspect of the characters is what I enjoy the most, a narrative that is led not just with physical aspects but also the mental and emotional attachments between characters.

I feel like this book would be capable of standing well on its own, but still would recommend reading the first and second prior to this third installment to know the full story and plot of what's going on. Thank you for the opportunity to experience this one.
Profile Image for Mark Nutter.
Author 12 books8 followers
November 11, 2020
"Hell Holes 3: To Hell and Back" concludes Donald Firesmith's epic fantasy adventure trilogy. The story centers on the final battle between U.S. armed forces and the host of horrible entities emerging from below to feast on mankind. Aiding the military is an ancient order of demon fighters armed with amulets and spells. We experience the battle through the eyes of Aileen, a 1700-year-old curatrix of the mystical order who maintains her youth with a daily glamour spell. The attention to detail is extensive, in descriptions of everything from nuclear warheads to demon autopsies to Hell itself. The book even includes an extensive appendix with bios and photos of the major players. Hell Holes 3 is immersive and thoroughly engaging.
Profile Image for Margaret.
788 reviews5 followers
December 26, 2020
To Hell and Back (Hell Holes Book 3) by Donald Firesmith is the continuation of the exciting original series about the sudden appearance of hundreds of huge holes in Alaska and other northern counties. Pouring out of the holes, Demons of many types have launched an invasion to methodically wipeout humanity and take over the world. The book details plans, training and execution to stop the vicious attack and destroy the portal complex connecting the planet Hell to our world.

Members of the attack force consist of military, a few scientists and members of The Order, a secret organization which historically has hunted and killed demons who have come to earth. While the Order has destroyed hundreds of Demons over centuries, they have never faced the hundreds of thousands who are now invading. In order to stop the invasion, it is determined that the only way is to destroy the portal complex and destroy enough Demons to cause the collapse of their planet. To do this, the attack force must go to planet Hell themselves.

A very exciting and suspenseful adventure!
97 reviews1 follower
October 29, 2020
Absolutely loved this book. Well worth the wait in my mind. I truly like how each book in this series is written from a different person’s point of view, yet are a consistent story throughout.
To avoid any spoilers I will just say that I look forward to further books on some of the newer characters. To gain insight into the story from before the three books written.
Happy reading to you all.
Definitely recommend this book to others.
Profile Image for Melanie Adkins.
802 reviews24 followers
October 23, 2020
Aileen O'Shannon, Jack and Angela made it to the military base. They figured they were home free now. Then they learn just how bad things are. When the President decides to send troops into one of the hell holes, Aileen and her secret order volunteer to be part of the mission. The group will train with some of the men to learn a new way of fighting.
WoW! This book is well written and has some of the most colorful characters you've ever met. Mr. Firesmith is a master at weaving a story around you. The book will pull you right into the action. I'm in love with this series. We need more, Mr. Firesmith. I'm well and truly hooked on this book. I'd love to see this book as a TV series. Maybe even blockbuster movies. If you haven't read this series, you're missing out.

I found no issues.

I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because it will knock your socks off. copy of book provided by author and I voluntarily reviewed it.
4 reviews
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November 8, 2020
I've been waiting patiently (yeah, I know, writers have to write first!) for the 3rd book AND IT'S FINALLY HERE! I loved the first two so much because of the action, imagination, suspense, and twists. While I thought they were good, THIS ONE runs right over them! What a fabulous book. I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days! My wife wasn't happy because I put off stuff around the house but a man has gotta be a man sometimes. Just don't tell her I said that.
5 reviews
November 1, 2020
I enjoyed the first two books and hoped he would wright another. He didn't disappoint me. Both in wrighting another book and one I enjoyed reading. Now I want another book in the series, wrote and told him so. And again he is not disappointing me. He said there is more to come. Just like the Harry Potter series I loved, I will have to learn to wait patiently as the magic flows from his keyboard.
1,672 reviews9 followers
November 1, 2020
Donald Firesmith filled To Hell and Back with suspense and adventure. Our heroes go to Hell to find the evildoers. A fascinating read.
Profile Image for Catriona Lovett.
624 reviews13 followers
March 19, 2021
Volunteering to Go to Hell

Volume III of the Hell Holes series continues the attack on Earth by creatures who have appeared in humans' religious writings and myths for centuries. In this modern age, humanity has become openly skeptical of religion in general and is totally unprepared for the sudden appearance of actual devils and their minions when they invade in massive numbers.

This book is written from the perspective of Curatrix Maxima Eileen O'Shannon. Self-sacrificing and brave, she continues her service to protect mankind from the demons despite her advanced age. In less skillful hands, the character of a magical female badass could have been two-dimensional, but this author has made her both believable and likable.

Jack Oswald, the petroleum geologist who narrated the prequel, has reluctantly stepped into heroism, a role well beyond his inellectual comfort zone. He's smart, but he's lucky to have stayed in reasonable shape, enabling him to step up despite unfamiliarity with combat. He and his wife are innately good people, but he's well aware that being decent won't help them survive against denizens of Hell. Fortunately, teamwork is part of the couple's regular routine.

Jack's wife, climatologist Angela Menendez, is handling the present situation better than she would have expected, with her usual activities spent in the classroom or in the field, doing research. She went to the gun range and became a good shot for her own satisfaction, never anticipating that she'd be using those skills while fleeing demonic creatures and forest fires. She narrated book two of the series but has to do something harder this time: stay behind.

The sustained tension could have made To Hell and Back an unenjoyable read. There's not much to laugh about to lighten the mood, but the author has done a stellar job of tempering the impact of page upon page of grim death with a light touch, revealing the flawed but ennobling characteristics that make us human. Despite the number of new characters, the gut-clenching uncertainty of the outcome of humanity's battle kept me turning the pages because the author made me care about what happened to the individuals.

I was honored with a free advance reader's copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher via BookSirens. Today I learned that book four should be released by the end of the summer, and I can't wait!
Profile Image for Brandon.
133 reviews3 followers
November 25, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a fascinating read. The scenes taking place in Hell are probably the best scenes in the book, and then the action that immediately happens after they leave is well written as well. And the perspective from the Curatrix Maxima Aileen O'Shannon is the best in the series. Just a fun book and I recommend reading the first books in the series and Hawthorne House as well, as he is a good writer when it comes to science fiction and fantasy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Inger.
227 reviews2 followers
November 20, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and series. I've read the first 2 a couple of years ago and really enjoyed them. I was very happy to get the chance to read the 3rd in this series. It has a lot of interesting characters. Fantastic plot and is well told. Constant action that keeps you waiting to see what happens next. It has no graphic sexual content but does of course have a great deal of violence, fighting the invading demons. I recommend it for teens and up. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,364 reviews28 followers
November 30, 2020
A 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 series!!
Once again, Donald Firesmith unleashes his all engulfting, heart pounding, action packed parnormal thriller.
The fast, exciting, suspenseful and clever, imagination grabbed, peppered with a little unneeded profanity had me glued to my seat until I turned the last page, read the last paragraph and closed the book. Oh, I was a little sad. I guess, I still wanted more! Find a copy and find out for yourself Wow!
I received a free ARC from BookSirens and this is my voluntary honest review.
Profile Image for Amy Shannon.
Author 127 books135 followers
July 28, 2021
Aileen is back!!!

Firesmith pens a magnificent story in Holes 3: To Hell and Back. I've read the first two stories in this series, and I really liked them. I recommend, as I always do, read the entire series, and in order. It just makes you enjoy each one, the better. If you've read the other stories, you know Aileen O'Shannon, and she is back for another demon hunting journey. The demons are emerging from the holes in the artic, and it's nothing but more and more holes emerging. It's another action-packed, demon fighting, wonderous story. The story brings in the believable, even if almost impossible. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). This story was intriguing and kept the reader guessing. The author's technique of raw, magnetic characters and great plotlines is a gift. It's a great story to follow and try to figure out what will happen next. Hell Holes 3: To Hell and Back is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author.
Profile Image for Kristine.
231 reviews5 followers
June 20, 2021
Book 3 is packed with details; takes a bit more time to read because the setting is so precise that I could envision every room. At first I wasn’t thrilled with having Aileens POV for a whole book, but it grew on me. Every event in this book makes sense; very little suspension of disbelief. I love sci-fi/ fantasy, so I don’t mind having to fill in some blanks. But having non stop action where the characters don’t sleep or eat is exhausting. I literally could see the scenes in my head; never had any discontinuity. The last time I enjoyed an alien invasion story this much was Harry Turtledoves’ Worldwar series. Describing the plot line would deprive the reader of some really cool moments…so I’m not doing it! I really wonder if the author enjoys RPG gaming; backstories for most of the characters & pictures is a hallmark of a great campaign. I received an advance review copy from the author; I’m happy to volunteer a 5 star review!
105 reviews
December 22, 2020
Great read though my interest wained a little as the writing bogged down in the final chapter. It needs to be trimmed of the tedium of the honour roll, but otherwise a great book to share with others. It tells the story of a society of watchers with advanced abilities that have secretly held back the onslaught of hell's myriads of evil beings. Only now that they are coming in vastly greater numbers., the hidden join with world government's to fight the common enemy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Profile Image for Ann Daniel.
56 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2021
Yet another brilliant instalment to this series

Oh wow as always Donald has yet again brought this series to life with a brilliantly written story of what happened next in this series. It's fast moving and keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through from start to finish. Sadly we lost some friends along the way but we also get to meet some great new friends who I hope to learn more about in future books. I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens next
Profile Image for Ann Daniel.
56 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2021
Oh wow as always Donald has yet again brought this series to life with a brilliantly written story of what happened next in this series. It's fast moving and keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through from start to finish. Sadly we lost some friends along the way but we also get to meet some great new friends who I hope to learn more about in future books. I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens next
Profile Image for Ren.
796 reviews9 followers
March 12, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

While it was still great, and I enjoyed things when they got going, it got off to a very slow start, and didn't really get going until about halfway through the book. The characters are the same as always, fun and interesting to watch, but something felt off and tired until it started ramping up. Don't get my wrong, this was still fantastic, and the actual research behind the series is always welcome, but there's something here that felt missing to me. One that I'm going to have to keep an eye on still, if the series continues, though I wouldn't be disappointed with the ending if this is where things finish off, most of the major plotlines were closed off perfectly!
Profile Image for The Book.
519 reviews14 followers
February 13, 2023
After book 1 written from Jack’s perspective, and the second book from Angie’s perspective, it’s not a surprise that book 3 is written from the last of the main characters, Aileen. It is more interesting than the second book, as a lot of the background of Aileen and the Order, is new to the reader. Readers who loved the idea behind the first two books will be equally as enthralled with this book. The characters are very real and the dialogue is credible. The plot was well researched and presented and the pace adjusts nicely with the tension of the story. There were some editing issues which may distract a reader.

The series is a horror sci-fi, so it is not the sort of thing I’d usually read or enjoy – but I did.

We award 5 stars.
Profile Image for Elaine Bishop.
85 reviews10 followers
December 21, 2020
I am really more of a sci-fi reader but these 3 books were pretty good. I read Hell Holes 1 , 2, and 3. for this review. I did like the authors style of building his story. I would say that after the first and second I HAD to read the third to see where it was going. The second left me with questions that were answered well in the third. Lots of demons , gargoyles, imps... to have altercations with. It had a good well rounded feel to the trilogy. When you are fighting evil in their house it is a bit different than on your ground. I was happy art the end that I WAS ABLE TO PUT ALL MY DEMONS TO REST.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
58 reviews1 follower
March 20, 2021
The war against hellhounds, Imps, gargoyles, and demons is heating up. Can Dr. Jack help save the earth from another world?

For me, I found this third book kind of a let down compared to the two before this one. Because it started to sound like just another earth being attacked by aliens. Predictable, in other words.

Still not a bad book, but not the greatest either. Would I read it again? Yes, I would!

I received an advanced review copy free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Profile Image for fred jones.
1,769 reviews11 followers
January 30, 2025
Great stuff

Great stuff. Part three of this series follows direction from the previous book, with the demon advance seemingly unstoppable and their horses limitless a desperate and almost suicidal plan to strike at their homework is hatched. Action packed, well written and with strong interesting characters. Loved it. I received a complimentary copy from Booksirens but then bought the book anyway.
9 reviews
July 21, 2023
A brief respite for our heroes before the battle to save the world...they go thru hell...literally
Read this series its totally worth your time...no spoilers...this series of books will keep you page turning into the night and leave you wanting more its very well written and the characters are fleshed out so you feel like you know them
Profile Image for fred jones.
1,769 reviews11 followers
January 30, 2025
Great stuff. Part three of this series follows direction from the previous book, with the demon advance seemingly unstoppable and their horses limitless a desperate and almost suicidal plan to strike at their homework is hatched. Action packed, well written and with strong interesting characters. Loved it. I received a complimentary copy from Booksirens but then bought the book anyway.
Profile Image for Donald Firesmith.
Author 31 books361 followers
Read
December 30, 2020
Photos of the main characters in my Hell Holes books can be found here.
For example, Hell Holes 3: To Hell and Back is written from the point of view of the mysterious Aileen O'Shannon:

This is petroleum geologist Dr. Jack Oswald:

This is Jack's wife, climatologist Dr. Angela Menendez:
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