What do you think?
Rate this book
Pandemonium: Devourer of Souls
Devourer of Souls is a short dark fantasy with a satirical side to it. Tired of the same old cliched hero? You're in luck. You won't find many people, human or otherwise, that fill the bill of a hero in Pandemonium. You will find, however, goddesses, immortals, demons, humans and other unmentionables in the underworld streets.
Because it is short, you'll also be thrust into the middle of the action. If you're in for a short ride through the endless night of Pandemonium, buckle up and get ready. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle for safety reasons. The protagonist has been known to devour the souls of the unwary.
Pandemonium is part of a mini-series that will see a continuation by September, 2016.
Because it is short, you'll also be thrust into the middle of the action. If you're in for a short ride through the endless night of Pandemonium, buckle up and get ready. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle for safety reasons. The protagonist has been known to devour the souls of the unwary.
Pandemonium is part of a mini-series that will see a continuation by September, 2016.
18 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2015
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 27, 2016
Just read "Pandemonium: Devourer of Souls", by Derek Edgington. This is my first read by this author and I must say I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it very much. It is a short story, but packs quite a punch. It is labeled as Teen/Young Adult on Amazon, but I think it is far more mature than some YA I've read in the past. I look forward to reading more by this fine young author.
Synopsis: Pandemonium: Devourer of Souls is a short dark fantasy with a satirical side to it. Tired of the same old cliched hero? You’re in luck. You won’t find many people, human or otherwise, that fill the bill of a hero in Pandemonium. You will find, however, goddesses, immortals, demons, humans and other unmentionables in the underworld streets. Because it is short, you’ll also be thrust into the middle of the action. If you’re in for a short ride through the endless night of Pandemonium, buckle up and get ready. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle for safety reasons. The protagonist has been known to devour the souls of the unwary.
Synopsis: Pandemonium: Devourer of Souls is a short dark fantasy with a satirical side to it. Tired of the same old cliched hero? You’re in luck. You won’t find many people, human or otherwise, that fill the bill of a hero in Pandemonium. You will find, however, goddesses, immortals, demons, humans and other unmentionables in the underworld streets. Because it is short, you’ll also be thrust into the middle of the action. If you’re in for a short ride through the endless night of Pandemonium, buckle up and get ready. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle for safety reasons. The protagonist has been known to devour the souls of the unwary.
June 24, 2016
"Pandemonium" is fast paced and filled with lots of high octane action that creates an atmosphere of chaotic intrigue. It's darkly creative, but definitely moves a little fast for readers to fully connect with the characters or the world in the way they might want to.
CHARACTERS
Since this is a short story, the cast does stay pretty tight. There's the protagonist, antagonist, a character who drives the action forward and a woman of great power. One thing that is pretty interesting about the cast though is that the hero is more of an antihero and the "villain" is actually more akin to your stereotypical hero. It's an interesting role reversal, because as the reader the character who's more heroic actually comes off as being misguided and destructive within the context of this world. I also loved how everyone in Pandemonium is basically either a godly being of some kind or a witless sheep. Fortunately all of the named characters fall into the godly category and each has a unique set of skills and abilities. Basically, it was just a really fun group of characters. Even though I didn't really get to know any of them particularly well, I did like the main character and found the rest of them interesting enough to be entertained by them.
WORLD/SETTING
Like I mentioned before, Pandemonium is a crazy place. It's got this weird hell-realm kind of feel to it and you kind of get the sense that there aren't too many "good" guys here. There are, however, a number of different factions, though some of the deeper politics of what each wants and how they interact aren't fully explored here. I actually would have liked to see the world expanded upon in greater detail because it was so interesting. There's a lot of layers of complexity that get mentioned, but are never really followed up on and I definitely got the sense that this could be a setting for a much larger story.
PLOT/TONE
The plot, like the world, also feels like it ought to extend beyond the episode that is depicted in this story. At it's core, this is really the story about a rivalry between two friends turned enemies, but there is so much intrigue and complexity wrapped around this conflict that this it's easily overshadowed by it all. That said, the ending DOES feel satisfying even though you definitely get the sense that these characters have a bit more action coming their way.
The fast pace of the plot, while certainly a slight detractor from the overall narrative, is actually a nice compliment to building the world in that it creates a sensation of discord throughout the story. This relentless stream of action helped me understand just how violent, twisted, and dangerous this place is and created exactly the type of hellish atmosphere I think the author was going for. The only other piece of fiction where the tone of a story was so in sync with its world-building would have to be the sections of Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy where the adventure brings readers to one of the elven cities.
CONCLUSION
It's not perfect and it won't move you all that deeply, but "Pandemonium" is fun, fast, and a nice quick little hit of dark fantasy. It's also pretty cheap to pick up so I'd certainly recommend that anyone give it a try if they're looking for all the action of epic fantasy, packed into a short story. The author definitely has some talent and a nice flare to his writing so that's a nice bonus as well.
CHARACTERS
Since this is a short story, the cast does stay pretty tight. There's the protagonist, antagonist, a character who drives the action forward and a woman of great power. One thing that is pretty interesting about the cast though is that the hero is more of an antihero and the "villain" is actually more akin to your stereotypical hero. It's an interesting role reversal, because as the reader the character who's more heroic actually comes off as being misguided and destructive within the context of this world. I also loved how everyone in Pandemonium is basically either a godly being of some kind or a witless sheep. Fortunately all of the named characters fall into the godly category and each has a unique set of skills and abilities. Basically, it was just a really fun group of characters. Even though I didn't really get to know any of them particularly well, I did like the main character and found the rest of them interesting enough to be entertained by them.
WORLD/SETTING
Like I mentioned before, Pandemonium is a crazy place. It's got this weird hell-realm kind of feel to it and you kind of get the sense that there aren't too many "good" guys here. There are, however, a number of different factions, though some of the deeper politics of what each wants and how they interact aren't fully explored here. I actually would have liked to see the world expanded upon in greater detail because it was so interesting. There's a lot of layers of complexity that get mentioned, but are never really followed up on and I definitely got the sense that this could be a setting for a much larger story.
PLOT/TONE
The plot, like the world, also feels like it ought to extend beyond the episode that is depicted in this story. At it's core, this is really the story about a rivalry between two friends turned enemies, but there is so much intrigue and complexity wrapped around this conflict that this it's easily overshadowed by it all. That said, the ending DOES feel satisfying even though you definitely get the sense that these characters have a bit more action coming their way.
The fast pace of the plot, while certainly a slight detractor from the overall narrative, is actually a nice compliment to building the world in that it creates a sensation of discord throughout the story. This relentless stream of action helped me understand just how violent, twisted, and dangerous this place is and created exactly the type of hellish atmosphere I think the author was going for. The only other piece of fiction where the tone of a story was so in sync with its world-building would have to be the sections of Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy where the adventure brings readers to one of the elven cities.
CONCLUSION
It's not perfect and it won't move you all that deeply, but "Pandemonium" is fun, fast, and a nice quick little hit of dark fantasy. It's also pretty cheap to pick up so I'd certainly recommend that anyone give it a try if they're looking for all the action of epic fantasy, packed into a short story. The author definitely has some talent and a nice flare to his writing so that's a nice bonus as well.
September 23, 2016
Straight to the point without explanation
I don't know if bigot the free sample short version of this story. But confound it fast paced without enough background story. Quick read and easy to follow, but I was transported to a world without proper guidance making it hard to understand why this world was so discombobulated. Author has potential, for a younger audience maybe 13 to 17 as long as he provides a proper backdrop.
I don't know if bigot the free sample short version of this story. But confound it fast paced without enough background story. Quick read and easy to follow, but I was transported to a world without proper guidance making it hard to understand why this world was so discombobulated. Author has potential, for a younger audience maybe 13 to 17 as long as he provides a proper backdrop.
July 16, 2016
Everyone wears grey.
In Pandemonium, there are no clear cut heroes or villains. Everyone has their own agenda and how they react to you depends on how you help them meet that goal.
This was a short story. It reminded me of the Nightside series by Simon R. Green. Great powers walk the streets and you are liable to find anything. But are you willing to pay the price?
Gray, the main character, is interesting. He has a lot of potential for both good and evil. His methods tend more towards the violent vigilante than the squeaky clean hero.
I look forward to seeing how the Gray and the stories progress.
In Pandemonium, there are no clear cut heroes or villains. Everyone has their own agenda and how they react to you depends on how you help them meet that goal.
This was a short story. It reminded me of the Nightside series by Simon R. Green. Great powers walk the streets and you are liable to find anything. But are you willing to pay the price?
Gray, the main character, is interesting. He has a lot of potential for both good and evil. His methods tend more towards the violent vigilante than the squeaky clean hero.
I look forward to seeing how the Gray and the stories progress.
April 10, 2016
What a great short read. This book has goddesses, immortals, demons, humans and many more in the underworld streets. It is just as the title suggests Pandemonium! I loved it! * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews