The Eighth Hell

by Guy E. Estes

The most dangerous women in the world dare the most dangerous place in the world.

The Shingora, a place known and dreaded by all, the name driving those who hear it to mutter prayers and make signs for protection. None who have gone to that island ever came back… until now.

The trade guilds sent an expedition there, hoping to find a wellspring of natural resources. Only one man returned, his experience having reduced him to gibbering madness. Now the guilds are sending a new expedition, three hundred strong and armed for war, to learn the fate of the previous one and rescue the survivors… if there are any.

Joining them are the Chosen sisters: Aleena Kurrin, the Battle Queen, gifted by the gods in war, and Baezha Ambrose, the Witch Queen, gifted by the gods in magic. Sworn to recover any survivors, they are joined by a host of new friends and brave an island teeming with bizarre creatures. And on the Shingora, everything kills.

Yet an even darker discovery awaits them in the Shingora’s depths, an unnatural horror far worse than anything the island’s sinister reputation ever hinted at. And while immersed in all the island’s perils, a traitor threatens the company from within. With treacherous enemies at their backs and engulfed by a horde of abominations, the sisters will be tested as they’ve never been tested before… and even those Chosen by the gods have their breaking point.

Though listed as book 3 in a series, this is a stand-alone novel.

Genres: Fantasy

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2018

About the author

Guy Estes was born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1970 and grew up on his family's ancestral sugar plantation in New Iberia, Louisiana, where he currently resides with his wife and three children. His grandchildren are the eighth generation of his family to grow up on the place, which was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War. He has a bachelor's degree in social studies education and a master's degree in European history. His day job is an instructor at a small safety consultation company. He taught public school for three years and, as a result, no longer fears hell. He can also be found at https://guyestes.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Guy-Estes-14...
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Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

When Amazons Aleena and her sister Baz are hired to go find a missing boy who had been taken to a mysterious island, they accept not knowing what dangers lurk there. Will they succeed as well as survive in their mission and prove to everyone they are working with that they can save him? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good action adventure fantasy story. If you like stories like this, be sure to check this book out on Amazon and wherever ebooks are sold.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this third installment of the “Sisters of the Storm” series, an expedition to the deadly island of Shingora has returned, or rather, a single survivor has been recovered… a man driven so mad by what he has seen that he no longer wishes to survive. Not good. The trade guild interviews and hires a team to lead a new expedition and see if there are any survivors, testing out their powers in the process. The main female characters immediately grew on me. Alina and Bazha were hard-core heroines with awesome powers! Although this was book three in the series and I hadn’t read the previous two, I had no trouble keeping up. The author did an excellent job of balancing in back story while pacing the ongoing tale.

This had a little of everything cool in a great fantasy novel. Pirate attacks. AWESOME weaponry and epic battle scenes. Extensive world-building with varied powers, use of potions and physical fighting arts. I thought the author had clever ideas with the plotting, and loved the twists and turns once we reached the island and some of the character conflicts that had been set into motion early on came into play and we realized what was really happening (I’m being intentionally vague here so as not to give away spoilers—I squealed when I got to one particular spoiler that was super cool.) All in all, a great read.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

[Robinette Waterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dangerous mission to a mysterious island, a small army of masters of both sword and sorcery, a robust world of epic fantasy, and more innovative monsters than you can count. This book has it all.
The adventure begins when a derelict ship is found spattered with blood and with a lone gibbering survivor. A rescue mission is mounted to recover the rest of the crew, thought to be marooned on an unknown island.

At the forefront are two strong female leads, who along with their worthy companions and their devious adversaries must fight and scheme to make their way home again. There is plenty of action, with blow-by-blow accounts of battles against seemingly insurmountable odds. The beasts are hideously original. And then there are the villains to defeat!

[Anna Willett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling read!
Two women, sisters chosen by the gods embark on an expedition to the most dangerous place on earth to find survivors. On an island of monsters and abominations, Aleena the Battle Queen and her sister Baezha the Witch Queen face untold dangers, not to mention treacherous enemies set on undermining the mission.
The Eight Hell is an exciting adventure with enough sorcery, action and horror to satisfy any reader. Guy Estes has created a thrilling tale and a cast of intriguing characters. The action comes thick and fast as the women travel to Shingora, a place from which no one returns. I particularly enjoyed the fight scenes and Estes masterful world building.
Aleena and Baezha are strong, beautiful and gifted heroines and I found myself really invested in their story. This is a new genre for me, but with well-rounded supporting characters and truly despicable villains, this was a fun ride that I highly recommend!

[Nico Genes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, with fantastic and tensed fight scenes.

Though listed as book 3 of the series Sisters of the Storm, this is a stand-alone novel. Packed with a great adventure, an almost impossible goal to achieve, a team of warriors, sorcerers, physicists, and a great dose of magic, this book is a ‘hell’ of a ride. The best people were carefully selected for a mission to the island Shingora, named also 'The eight hell' as no one ever returned alive from there. The offered payment was impressive as the job seemed a tough one. Will they succeed? Will they return to be actually paid or they will have the same destiny as anyone else that set foot on Shingora? The characters, the scenes, and all the descriptions are wonderfully done. There are two main characters: Baezha Ambrose, a gifted sorceress, and Aleena Kurrin, her adoptive sister, a gifted warrior. Beautiful, talented, gifted, intelligent, super-powerful and yet sensitive. The success of the missions depended a lot on them. They were soon the target of gossip and constant verbal and physical attack. Graff was the main reason behind. He was a guild member but paid by someone else to prevent the success of the mission as there were certain people that wanted things to stay unchanged on the island. In fantasy or real world, humans have the same characteristics and most of the time the good ones win. Despite the fact that a big part of the story is filled with action, magic, and alchemy I was pleasantly surprised seeing that the author tackled a bit of humor and lots of emotions too. I don’t want to reveal more as not to spoil the fun of reading. I do want to congratulate the author on his writing skills and abundant imagination.

Type of reader: If you love fantasy books filled with action, this book is for you.

Few quotes from this book:

“Suggestion spells only work on minds susceptible to them,” Baezha said. “Any other mind would realize it when someone tried to use one on them. If you’re worried about me using one on you and Reegan, it’s obvious I haven’t.” “How?” Reegan demanded. “Because I would’ve suggested you and Graff make love before the main mast at mid-day, yowling like cats.” A few chuckles bubbled through the crowd.”

“But I warn you now,” she said, her voice hardening, “do not mistake my patience for weakness. When my patience is spent, it is utterly spent. There will be no room for compromise or negotiation, I will accept no excuses or justifications from you, and whatever I do I will do with a clear conscience, because gods know I gave you plenty of opportunities to drop this and leave me in peace.”

More book reviews on: https://www.nicojgenes.com/book-reviews.

[Andrew Gracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Eighth Hell by Guy Estes was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The opening had a hook that held my intrigue, however, the plot is bogged down by heavy dialogue, huge amounts of exposition and backstory, and so many characters that my head started to spin. Maybe this is a feature of fantasy novels that I am not accustomed to, but for me, it greatly affected my enjoyment of the story.

I feel that the greatest issue for me was that Estes favored character development over plot in a number of instances. For example, when the two sisters, Aleena and Baezha, are enlisting to join the quest to search for the missing ship, we get introduced to their crew of adventurers. This is fine and expected, but each one has a protracted discussion about their motivations and histories, and occasionally ask the sisters to recall their adventures from the previous two books. I understand wanting to make the reader care for the character and share the author’s vision and the lore behind their world, but I feel that the balance here was off and that the plot suffered.

This is a long book, and it is not until a third of the way through that the first sort of action begins. When it does, however, it comes thick and fast, and the sisters are forced to face pirates, monsters, huge serpents, and a plethora of nasty threats that aim to cut them down. The action scenes are the highlight for me, and I felt myself warming to the sisters after this, as initially they felt a little cold-hearted and detached. I also liked Graff’s subplot of conspiracy and betrayal and enjoyed seeing that unfold.

I also feel there were too many dialogue tags that were distracting. For example, one exchange read “‘What?’ Cora said, baffled. ‘They wield a great deal of power,’ Graff said. ‘And?’ Cora prompted. ‘Surely they mean to use it,’ said Graff.” I would have got the nature of the conversation without all these dialogue tags.

There are, however, some sweet moments in the book. The interaction at the book shop is short and concise and it stood out for me. At the ending, this is complimented greatly, and Estes did well to make such a simple scene so impactful.

I had trouble gelling with this book but I far from disliked it. I do however feel that so much was crammed in here that the plot suffered too much at the expense of world-building and character development. Still, there is a lot to love, especially the action scenes.

[Bara B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won’t get into the plot, because it’s been described many times. So, I’ll go straight to the characters.
The women-warriors are beauties.
Alena—a blonde warrior and Baezga, whose family was murdered, are the two Chosen ones. They are described as the women of extraordinary beauty and power. Alena—beautiful, clever, strong, fearless and… a reader. My, my. A warrior that likes to read. Definitely unusual.
Dylan is my favorite male character. Sassy and self-loving, he comes across as an a**hole, yet, redeems himself in the end. Alena and Dylan’s interaction—clever, snappy. They go on and on in their word duel, sarcasm, yet, you don’t get tired of it. Their chemistry and where it will lead are obvious in the beginning, yet, it doesn’t end as expected. Oh, well. Perhaps, it’s the love for romance in me that wanted it to end differently. But their interaction definitely made the book more sassy. Something about human attraction and chemistry that makes books come alive.

There are a lot of characters in the book. Not everyone is memorable. Not everyone is easy to keep track of with all the little stories woven into the plot.
There are, of course, many unusual creatures. Mermaids, krakens, gorgons, serpents, sothloars, krustags.
And then, there are dirty warriors that weave spiderwebs among their own. Reegan and Graff are great examples. What a great way to create repulsive characters!

There are two things that bothered me in the book.
One, too many conversations. I understand the author’s attempt to tell background stories of the characters through dialogues, but it was dragging at times for so long, that I had to flip pages.
Two. While the novel takes place in an imaginary world, there is still an obvious theme of misogyny. Pretty women, and women in general, constantly get compared to men. Even with the reputation of being great warriors, women are doubted and tested over and over again. Even on a dangerous expedition, they are looked down at and are constantly being hit upon. You would think in the world of super powers and magic, there would be no doubt about women’s powers, yet, the theme is quite strong in the book. It is exhausting at times. You read about a totally different world, yet, get constantly reminded about the current social issues. *Sigh.

The ‘island’ part of the book was dragging. Too much action and fighting for my liking, but I don’t read fantasy much, so as a representation of a genre, it is probably a good read.

[Donnally Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The purpose of literature is to show the human character. Sure, we writers can have fun with sparkling epigrams and poetic language, but at the end of the day our purpose “both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature.” Of all the advice that’s given to writers, the one piece of advice that’s never given is that they should be observant; although that, more than anything else, is what makes a writer. This sermon is meant for me as much as for anyone else, but what brought it about is The Eighth Hell.
The author has been observant, but he hasn’t been observing any people that ever walked or breathed. He’s been observing other fantasy novels, and the characters in his book are taken from the manual of a D&D-type role playing game. It is not interesting to read about a person who is perfect in every way and has superhuman powers. It just isn’t, and there’s no way any reader will ever identify with the heroines of this book. Also, before writing dialogue, it would be a good idea to get an idea what it sounds like actually being spoken.
But, let me not get carried away. If I attempt to see this novel from the point of view of the readers for whom it is intended, I must say this is a perfect fantasy novel. It is exactly what the readers of the genre are hoping for when they open a new entry in a well-loved fantasy series. Characters with superhuman powers are supremely tested when they meet the most evil enemies imaginable: what a daring concept. The machinations of the evil conspirators are lucidly explained, so there’s no possibility of a surprise later. There are any number of battles, described in such pallid prose there’s no risk anyone will get nervous or uncomfortable. At the end, the leading characters are good as new, ready for the next episode. Well done, Mister fantasy writer, you did it exactly right. This one hits the sweet spot.

[Joshua Landeros · Rating 4 out of 5]

At last, the third book in the Sisters of the Storm series is here! Once again, I’m in love with the cover! Absolutely awesome and sums up the feel of the book. This latest installment reunites us with Aleena Kurrin and Baezha Ambrose, the bad-ass women who are as beautiful as they are deadly. This time they face the titular “eighth hell”, the island of Shingora. The land is filled with creatures who want to murder them and a cast of new characters (and a few old), leading to a rip tide of action, suspense, and loads of fun. As with the other books in the series, it does stand alone well enough, but if you’ve read the first book in the series you’ll be rewarded greatly for it.

I enjoyed meeting all the new characters, among my favorites Dylan (which was a big surprise) and Drahka. I enjoyed the voyage to the island quite a bit despite its length and gave me time to learn a bit about each of the characters. However, I do wish there was more time to “breathe” once our characters arrive on the island. In a hurricane of death, morbid discoveries, and turmoil within the ranks, I feel that not enough time was given to some of the most interesting characters. A lot of them had interesting backstories that would’ve been awesome to explore in depth, but we’re given only a taste. Maybe a future installment will give us just that.

The book is a mix of action, fantasy, and definitely horror, making for a very fun read that speeds along. The ending leaves room for a lot to happen while also being very satisfying. I’m certainly hoping that in the future some of these characters return to fight alongside our heroines. Onward to battle, readers, and onward to the Shingora if you dare.

[Sandy Schleich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had an interesting start. I liked the way people were chosen for this rescue expedition. There were mercenaries from every different craft. I thought it interesting that when Aleena was interviewed she answered all the questions honestly, but even after she got the contract, she still had to prove herself. Her sister, Baezha, went through the same type of questioning, but she was not asked to prove herself. I am sure that this had to do with the conniving weasel that was helping to interview the fighters. He did not like or trust Aleena, so he made her do things to prove she could do the things she clamed she could. None of the other fighters were tested this way.
The trip to the Shingora on the ships was a little slow, but interesting. There were some interesting things that happened along the way that help keep my interest. There were sometimes on the trip that I would have liked to have seen some people end up in the sea.
The real fun began when the ships got to the Shingora. They were attacked before they even got off the ships. The Shingora itself was rather interesting. Estes has a very good imagination. He made his monsters as nasty, disgusting, and creepy. He did well on the description of these monsters and what they looked like.
Even though this book can be considered a standalone book, I recommend reading the first two books in this series before reading this one. I thought the ending was rather abrupt. When this book ended, I was expecting there to be more, but it just came to an abrupt halt.

[Brenda Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read fantasy novels and I haven't read the previous two books in this series, but it worked fine as a stand alone and I enjoyed the ride.
An expedition to the dreaded island Shingora was a disaster, the sole survivor went mad from the things he'd seen. So why not send another expedition? This time it consists of 300 warriors, in particular two sisters Aleena and Bazha and they go to rescue any other survivors.
I believe in fantasy fiction the term is world building, where the author has to create a world for the reader that is unlike any they know. Well the author did this very well. The imagery is excellently done, the monsters are terrifyingly awful. I never knew so many monsters could exist in so many different forms, all intent on killing. I'm not surprised the survivor of the first expedition went mad, it was enough to give me nightmares.
The two female characters were great, I love it when the awesome warriors are female. Some of the male characters, the bad guys, just got on my nerves. I know they were supposed to and they acted as a mirror to the women who were so much better than them, but the feud between them did drag on at times, particularly on the boat. I'd have chucked those men overboard one dark night.
This fantasy novel was full of world building, adventures, epic battles, incredible monsters and brilliant female warriors. Phew, I feel exhausted after that!

[Anne Monteith · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I gave it 4 stars it's actually 3.5. While I still enjoy reading about the sisters and like that each book can be read as a standalone, this one was not as good as the first two.

First off, I was reading an ARC and the formatting was atrocious, however, that did no play into my rating. There was just too much;. all the books have had violence and monsters this one had too much of both. The author has a great imagination when it comes to the horrors he puts into his books, but they don't all need to to be in one book.

Since I've already paid for the next book in the series (because I liked the first two so much) I'll continue the story, however, if it's like this one it will be the last.

[Casey Bartsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in a series but seems to stand on its own well enough. A compelling fantasy adventure, epic in scope, and filled with strong female characters. Perhaps too strong, as it left their vulnerability a little unbelievable at times. Even so, it was refreshing to read about such magnificent women in fantasy, which is very often (though not always) a man’s game. I look forward to checking out more in the series.

[Arisawe Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Eighth Hell of Shingora is brazenly haunting:

A dark cross-genre that has many notable features that lead to perturbation- in the best way. Dare I say, it’s good to be a woman?! One can be glad that such a world doesn’t exist in reality. But for the existentialist, its schemas bring one into the right level of deviation and wonder.