Sadia: The Eighth Circle of Heck

The Nine Circles of Heck #8

by Dale E. Basye

Cursed siblings Milton and Marlo find themselves whisked away to the deepest bowels of the underworld. Milton agrees to work for Principal Bubb in hopes of locating his sister: taking on a nefarious mission to “character assassinate” the reigning vice principal of Sadia: Where the Really Mean Kids Go. Meanwhile, Marlo wakes up to teenage paradise—a veritable You-Topia—yet soon discovers, however, that she is being built up only to be torn down in the cruelest way possible.

There’s also a mutiny brewing in Heaven while the underworld is turned into a tourist destination for the living. Can Milton follow through with his mission: navigating a nest of history’s cruelest tyrants in the process? Can Marlo hold on to her identity amidst a nuclear self-esteem assault? Will they discover the secret history of Sadia before it is used as a weapon against none other than the Big Guy Upstairs?

Genres: Fantasy

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2017

Reviews

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’ll forever be angry that I never thought about the idea of a sword named “Hexcalibur”.

I finally caved and bought this after wanting to read it for awhile. This was really fun to read because I’ve been reading these books since 5th grade (I’m graduating high school now) and even though in my opinion they had gotten a little slow for a bit, this book proves that they’re still really good! Partway through reading this I realized that the series is sort of like Good Omens but like, “for kids”? But also, not really. They have the same sort of energy though, which I think is a fun comparison. I think Snivel is still my favorite book of the series, but the absolutely hilarious inclusion of Freud makes Sadia a very close second. Very excited for the next book (the last book)?

Anyways, my dream to make an animated adaptation of this is still going as strong as it was some 8? years ago. Between this and Nevermoor, why are middle grade books consistently the best genre of books?

[Julia Harris - Cullimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truely one of the most anticipated book of the series. Mostly because of publishing issues that led to it's release being delayed, but wow was it worth the wait! Bayse tackles the top of repressed anger and bullying on a way that is insightful, meaningful and with puns to spare. With the set up for what promises to be an amazing final book I really can't wait for more. If you haven't gotten into the series it is a must read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so thrilled to finally read the 8th installment of the Heck series. It delivers all the wittiest puns and the most hilarious references to historical people you’d ever want to put in a kiddie underworld! At one point, Joan Crawford shows up at an all girls torture school and starts screaming about wire hangers and I lost my mind laughing. If you are a precocious kid (or just an adult who acts like one) go back and start these Heck books from the beginning now!!!’

[Candra Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

the unofficial end to the series

There was supposed to be 9 books but, according to the author page, the company wouldn't publish it. With Amazon the way it is today, I wish he would sell publish on Kindle so the readers could know the end of the story.

[Steve]

I liked it. See my review on Amazon!

[Edie Creamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing Sadia I have mixed feelings about this series. While each book itself was decent (some better than others, my favorites being Snivel and Wise Acres) the series as a whole was a bit of a mess in my opinion. The series was meant to follow Milton and Marlo on their journey through Heck. This was accomplished well. The most enjoyable aspect for me was the siblings moving through each circle of Heck and experiencing each circle. My biggest issue is that the author introduced SO many different plot points and characters along the way that were simply abandoned. The plot holes were confusing and it seemed as If the author was overly ambitious and couldn’t keep up / straight his own ideas. Granted his ideas were great! The author is very creative and I loved getting to experience the world of Heck he created. I just wished he would have done a better job tying up these ideas. I felt the same about the characters. It was a real bummer to like the characters he introduced, to never hear about them again. Zane, Sam/Sara , Virgil, Anubis etc. Even the antagonists such as the Fallen angels, Madam Pompadour. What happened to Virgil and Marlo’s charm he was keeping safe?? I could go on and on but I think my point was made.

Despite the issues I had, I did enjoy the series as a whole. It was creative, witty and entertaining. I would recommend this series, especially to somebody who loves puns ;) I really do hope that eventually we will get Dupli-City to wrap up the series. Maybe after the final book my overall thoughts on the series will improve. The author still has a chance to tie up all the loose ends!

[Chris Feger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As somebody who's been reading this series since middle school and is now a grad student, it's always refreshing to return to a nice pun-filled adventure with these two. The series finale is absolutely going to be worth the wait, and whenever it ends up being published, I'll be waiting for it with eager eyes. The swap to self-published didn't degrade the series at all, and I am beside myself (figuratively, of course) waiting for the finale.