Beelzebub: A Memoir

Circles in Hell #6

by Mark Cain

“Do you know me? I am Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies, Prince of Hell, second only to Satan himself in the infernal hierarchy. The Devil, you say? Yes, I’m one of those as well.”

Here in one laugh-out-loud volume is the life of Beezy, Satan’s BFF, and one of the most popular characters in the CIRCLES IN HELL universe. Over fourteen billion years in the making, BEELZEBUB: A MEMOIR is the ultimate backstory.

BEELZEBUB is the latest novel in the best-selling fantasy comedy series, CIRCLES IN HELL. CIH has been compared to other comic works of “Hell Fiction,” such as The Screwtape Letters and Good Omens, and to the paranormal humor of Tom Holt, Christopher Moore and Douglas Adams.

For readers new to CIRCLES IN HELL, BEELZEBUB: A MEMOIR is an excellent introduction. For those who have read other titles in the series, here is a chance to spend quality time with some of your favorite devils, demons, saints and sinners. And one big bat!

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Audiobook

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2019

About the author

Writer living in Austin, Texas.

My work could best be described as satire, with a little fantasy thrown in. This is a good characterization of my comic fantasy series, CIRCLES IN HELL.

Here is a link to the series page.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017...

Reviews

[John Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny read for me.
I'm a bit dirty on the nuns who taught me in primary school. Although they were well-versed in the heavenly side of religion, they glossed over the devils and demons side.
I am also pissed off with my old history teachers. I now know from giggling through this book that some of the heavy hitters from hell were quite influential in some key moments of history.

[Lance Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “Beelzebub: A Memoir”, Mark Cain has created a sweeping epic, not unlike the classic religious films from early Hollywood with thousands of extras. Perhaps the story is told from “the other side”, but it moves from Moses and ancient Israel to Jesus to Constantine and the Roman Empire to Charlemagne to Columbus, Isabella and Ferdinand. With laughs and insights into the human condition, it’s kind of like Mel Brook’s “History of the World, Part I” meets the Rolling Stones “Sympathy for the Devil”.

But at the center, the story is about two friends (aka BFFs), at first angelic and then demonic: Nick (aka Satan) and Hadad (aka Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies). They make a good team and when Satan purchases Hades (the place) from Hades (the god), it is Beelzebub that transforms it into Hell. Of course, some of the other demons are jealous of Nick’s appointment as Satan, and, led by Leviathan, try to spoil their plans at every step.

“Beelzebub: A Memoir” is a fun, interesting read and I learned a little history along the way. Ever wonder how the circles of Hell were created? While Beelzebub was unofficially Hell’s first Super, want to find out which historical figure replaces him? Read “Beelzebub: A Memoir”. I highly recommend it! (Fade out to the laugh of Beelzebub: “Bwahahahahahaha!”)

[Colin Murtagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is a little different. Over the last 5 books we've been following the story of Steve Minion, Hells handy man, but for this one we go right back to the beginning. Satan, Beelzebub and the rest being thrown out of heaven, goes through the start of human life, founding and building Hell, and how Lucifer guided human history.
Starting on the biblical stories of Cane and Abel, through Noah and Moses and Jesus, until going onto real history with Charlemagne, the Black Plague, up to Columbus as Lucifer and Beelzebub consolidate their power.
While this is book 6 of the series, it's actually a good jumping on point. You don't really need to have read the others to enjoy this, although there are bits that will make more sense. It does however have the same sense of humour as the others in the series. There are quite a few laugh out loud moments. Well worth reading.

[Shane Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book may has well been called “The Gospel of Beelzebub” or “The World according to Beelzebub”. It is a fun ride through history mixed with mythology. The author really did his homework. The number of mythological characters/event and historical events were too many to count. Several events were new to me. I paused a couple of times to go look them up. So this book is not just funny but educational. Keeping the same sense of humor as the rest of the Circles in Hell, this book delivers a fresh story through the Circles in Hell universe. It provides a great backstory to the rest of the series.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have loved Steve to be mentioned but I liked the addition to circles in hell

[Fred Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say again but "Meh". It just didn't really entertain. Not remotely like his previous books. Perhaps it's because it was a (false) historical/biblical accounting for so much. Kind of like the show Drunk History but without the alcohol. I really don't wish to bash this. It wasn't actually bad or anything. I just wasn't entertained. I didn't feel drawn in by it. Just, well, IDK. Anyway, it is not at all redeciding for me about continuing with books 7 and 8. The St. Peter side book is half decent already. Hopefully Unusual Denizens will prove more along these lines than those with Beelzebub.

[Amy Feldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was banished to the guest room by my husband who didn’t love being wakened by laughter in the middle of the night. And I mean full-on belly laughter. I always appreciate Mark Cain’s humor and wit. He does an outstanding job as usual of weaving myth, creed, and imagination into an awesome story. Beezy has been begging to be the central character through the Super in Hell series. Now, he finally gets his chance. I think I was doing empathetic fly swatting all day. The “real” story behind the fall and the competitiveness between princes of hell make funny, perfect sense. Even the early life of BOOH gets mentioned- his relationship with Nick was adorable. If only Mr. Cain could write a note to work for why I was a little groggy today after being unable to put this book down... if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, no problem. This story can stand alone, but beware - you will find yourself buying the rest of the books immediately so you can prolong your stay in this world. Can’t wait for the next one, but this time, I’d better not read in bed for the sake of my happy marriage.

[Alison Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beelzebub's back story

This us the tale of how He'll became what it is. Great history lesson but missing the other characters from Mark Cain's Circle of Hell series, and so not as enjoyable. Taken as a stand-alone, though, it is a hilarious perspective looking at how religion shaped history

[paul gregg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended

Well written and Hilarious! Recommend you read it!! Read the others too if you have not done so yet! You're missing out!

[Hank Quense · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Cain’s new book, Beelzebub: a Memoir is a departure from the previous five novels in the series. In those, condemned souls are the main characters. In the new one, Beelzebub and Satan are the main characters. The new book continues the snappy dialog and humor in the previous stories. It also provides a new slant on a number of historical events. The book starts with Creation (it’s not what you think!) and ends in modern times.

If you enjoyed books like Good Omens by Gaimen and Pratchett or the Management Style of Supernatural Beings by Tom Holt then Beelzebub: a Memoir shold be your next book.

[Melissa Levine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a series that my husband loves, and we listened to on a long drive home. I’m not sure how I feel about it overall. There were a lot of funnies throughout and I enjoyed listening to it, but I didn’t have the usual connection with it that I typically do when reading/listening to a story.

The narrator did a great job especially when there were a bunch of characters together talking. Some of the accents were cheesy sounding, but I was left impressed with his narrating abilities. The only issue I had with the narrator was the fact he pronounced Hade’s dog as Cur-ber-us instead of Cer-bur-us.

One thing I can say about this story was that it left me with a lot of philosophical-type questions.

What happened to angels not having genitals?

Why would God have allowed the fallen angels to keep their powers when they went against his wishes, ie. leaving heaven? Why would angels have the power to shapeshift when they’d previously come across as slaves/servants to God, hence they didn’t have anything to do?

How was God in charge of hell? Where were the “bad” souls going before Satan created hell?

What was the point of God being born as Jesus if he was going to create other religions?

Why would God create other religions that while they have similarities are different? Especially when those differences cause a lot of hate and chaos in the world between humans?

Satan leaves heaven because he wants to do more/was bored. Why would he still follow God’s rules though (at least to a degree)?

Angels have no free will (was mentioned in the book), yet they’re allowed to do a lot of stuff they want to do.

Even if fallen angels were supposed to be evil, what would make them think of gathering souls and torturing them? How did they not have any problem torturing the souls when they’d previously been neutral/in heaven?

[Josh Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me wanting to go out for a beer

When you read/listen to the book, you will understand the title sentence I used for this review.

I have been a fan of this series ever since I listened to the first book. I am so glad that Mark decided to continue on this series and I can't wait to see what he has in store for it in the future. I would love to see the tales of Steve Minion referenced from the point of view of the other princes of hell.

Either way, this story takes on tales from the point of view of a favorite character of mine, BZ. Learning about BZ's history straight from the mouth of the lord of the flies was an interesting twist on the series. I will admit that I had envisioned a different conclusion to the series that tied back to the first few books, but I quite enjoyed it none-the-less. I thoroughly enjoyed how BZ/Nick went through history attempting to influence, without direct involvement, the outcome of humanity. Loved the parts dealing with a certain sailor/adventurer and how he was led to success in his endeavors.

Mark did it again with this tale and Mike, as always, did a fantastic job with the narration. That said, I originally pictured Steve Minion as I heard Mike's voice narration for BZ, but I adapted quickly as the chapters progressed. I still love hearing his voicing of Satan.

This is a fantastic continuation of the series and one I am sure that, if you've enjoyed the books to this point, you will enjoy just as much.

[one9eighty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a break from the Circles of Hell main story, Mark Cain has focused on one of the fun characters from them in this new book, Beelzebub. In this book the lord of flies drops by an author on Earth and gets him to write a memoir on his life, Beezy's that is, not the authors. Starting with the creation of life and the adoration, and then following him from the rebellion and fall onto Earth as it takes shape and life begins to bustle, and seeing Hell become Hell.

I enjoyed this and it was like a Hollywood epic story; think The Ten Commandments or Ben Hur, but with a lot more evil and swearing. Prior to this book I didn't mind Beelzebub in the Circles of Hell books, he wasn't my favourite but I enjoyed him popping up. Reading this though I got a lot more appreciation for him. This isn't a big story as far as pages go, but it is big in story as far as content and timescale covered - what I'm saying is, it won't take weeks to fit this book in if you are reading the CoH series. Fun tongue in cheek history written from a devil's Point of view. 5/5

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I know where the Hell Hell came from!

For fans of the Circles of Hell series, you should note that this book is a departure from following Steve Minion around and instead is almost like a prequel. This time we're with Beezy, the devil prince we've gotten to know best via Steve, but now we're getting the story straight from his buzzing mouth. (Luckily, the buzz has been edited out - thanks Mark!) The memoir is a fun romp through time, starting at creation (boring) and working through millions of years of Hell's development. As Satan's number two, Beezy affords us all kinds of interesting tidbits about Hell, Satan and the other devil princes, along with fascinating views of major historical events. Why was Charlemagne Steve's predecessor and how did it change the face of Hell? How did the Black Plague start? Where did BOOH come from and what other names did he have? I had a lot of fun with this book and I am excited to have the series continuing to grow.

[Caleb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hated this book. It's touted as the next book in the Circles in Hell series, but honestly it feels more like a side-story, and not a great one at that. It really reads like a retelling of the history of Christianity (and good chunks of the Bible) as told through one secondary character in the series.

There are a few funny bits, but again, the heavy reliance on simile jokes is really worn out by now. The fact that through most of this, Beelzebub reads more like he's Steve Minion in disguise really doesn't help either. It's almost like he author doesn't know their own character, or is taking them in a wildly new direction that just doesn't make sense.

I dunno. This just didn't work for me, and that bums me out because there was a time when I loved this series and now I feel like it's just sorta failing due to trying to maintain a brand rather than having necessary additions with each new book.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devils made us do it

This is a book for those who don’t mind a little bit of (a lot of) somewhat blasphemous humor. Mark Cain takes an a view of religious history through the eyes of fallen angel #2 - Beelzebub. The story starts with the heavenly hosts chanting praises to god and finishing with the elevation of Satan to the #1 devil. Beelzebub works to set up the circles of hell while influencing human activities at key points in time, pre-, during, and after the birth. The devils conspire against each other while propping up various faiths and gathering souls for the circles of hell. The story is full of puns and humorously warped history. I recommend the book.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh

It is because the first five books in the series were so stellar, that it's difficult for me to consider this an official sixth book in the series. Though there are some entertaining and comical bits in the book, it's certainly not like anything else in the series. I would say this book is 15% comical, 35% theological and 50% historical. For fans of Marc Cain, you should read it just because. But it's probably not the story of "Beezy" you were hoping for.

[Melissa Kitano · Rating 5 out of 5]

History will never be the same

If you have ever wondered how Satan got his job, this is the book with all the answers. Human history will always read a little different after reading this book, and how Satan, Beelzebub, and the other fallen angels manipulated mankind in their little pissing match. Highly recommend.

[Mary Gajewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief History of Hell, from the Beginning

An excellent memoir of Beezy's "progress" from angel to Hell's second in command. The author weaves in characters from previous novels, most especially BOOH and Bruce, Satan's simmering secretary/receptionist. Always a fantastic escape from reality! Thank you, Mr. Cain!

[Ryan Saffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a weird jump in the series. It's the first book that actually works as a stand alone (although you'd miss a lot of context reading this by itself).

Weird as it is, it works. Cain continues to engage the reader with intriguing characters and perspectives.

Worth noting: his characters, while experiencing growth, have remained largely the same, which is a good thing.

[Michelle Schanus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great mix of history and devilish fiction

A very good backstory to a character in the Hells Super series. I had a hard time putting it down while reading it. Good job to the scribe!

[Steven Izbicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Serious Slip.

I've read all the other Circles of Hell books, and enjoyed the tongue in cheek style of comedy...but this one was BORING!
It felt more like bible study than a lite hearted comedy.
Me thinks the author took himself too seriously.
I still plan to finish the series. My fingers are crossed.

[Drake McCrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know what Cain was going for but I feel like by changing the POV it lost something and I mostly found myself getting bored which is a very bad thing for a comedy. Maybe the series just ran its course for me.

[James Brush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read!

Love the book, very detailed, very fun, and a great addition to the circles in hell series. Hope to see more soon!

[ahmadzaidee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic. Read it in one sitting. That’s the problem. When is the next one coming?

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome

I love all of Mark Cain's books. In fact, I am going to read St. Peter takes a vacation right now!

[Ion Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell of a read

I found this one of those books I couldn't put down.i think I'm hooked and will have read more of mark cain

[Thomas C Peters]

Really good book I couldn't put it down.

[Giriniss · Rating 5 out of 5]

realy fun book, reminds me of "screwtape letters" by c.s.Lewis